CHAP. Pro 19 As to his profound Respect and religious Ve neration of the facred and folemn Mysteries of Revelation, and his fteady Orthodoxy, Refignation, and intire Submiffion to the truly Christian and Catholick Doctrines of our Holy Church, as by Law establish'd, pag. 315, 316. he had the Privilege of his Ridicule to come off of that, as meant in Fest, tho' declared, as any one may read, in folemn Earneftness. It is well, if by the fame Ridicule, his Followers have not learn'd to ju ftify themselves in the abominable Hypocrify of receiving the Sacrament for Places, when they know in their Confience they believe nothing of the Matter. And their Religion as to Oaths fworn upon the Bible may as juftly be fufpected. " For as they believe thofe Rewards and Punifhments in no other Senfe, than as they are the natural Confequences of their Actions; and reject the Belief of any pofitive Retribution of any Good or Evil, but what is the neat Produce and natural Sequel of the Action itfelf: They influ ence and operate not as Rewards and Punishments to be diftributed pofitively and legally by God as a Governor; but as mere Confequences, which would follow from the Action whether there was any Law, any Sanction, any Account to be given, any Judge, any God. For that Action, which naturally produces all the Good, or Evil heréafter, operates of itself without the Affiftance of Law, Sanction, Belief of future Account, Judge, or God. ST AND therefore if God is believed not to have that Power, or not to take that Care to reward Virtue, XVI. Virtue, and punish Vice, with fome further po- CHAP fitive, legal Good and Evil, than what is the natural Effect and Confequence of the Action; the Thoughts of God, Judge, or future Account, can have no Power left to influence and oblige to the Action. The Action on Account of its Confequence is all that obliges; and yet no body to take an Account of the Performance or Nonperformance of it. God is out of the Cafe, if he has nothing to add befides the natural Confequence, for that adds itself without his Interpofal. 1 I AM confirm'd in this by what Mr. Locke has obferved, H. Understanding, Book II. Chap. xxviii. §. 6. "It would be in vain for one intel 1 ligent Being to fet a Rule to the Actions of "another, if he had it not in his Power to re"ward the Compliance with, and punish De"viation from his Rule, by fome Good and "Evil, that is not the natural Product or Con"fequence of the Action itself. For that being પ a natural Convenience, or Inconvenience, would "operate of itself without a Law. This, if I "miftake not, is the true Nature of all Law, "properly fo called." He adds a little after, "He [God] has a Right to give a Rule where"by Men should govern themselves: We are "his Creatures: He has Goodnefs and Wisdom "to direct our Actions to that which is beft: "And he has Power to enforce it by Rewards "and Punishments, of infinite Weight and Du"ration, in another Life; for no body can take " us out of his Hands. This is the only true "Touchstone of moral Rectitude; and by comparing them to this Law, it is, that Men $6 judge of the moft confiderable moral Good or (6 XVI. CHAP." Evil of their Actions; that is, whether as "Duties, or Sins, they are like to procure them Happiness or Mifery from the Hand of the "Almighty." Conform to this rational Principle, the great Apoftle, who labour'd more than them all, declares the Premium of his Virtue not to confift only in inward Satisfaction, but that a Crown of Righteousness was laid up for him, to be given him by the Lord the righteous Judge AT THE GREAT DAY; and to all thofe, as well as himself, that lov'd and waited for his glorious Appearing. There doubtlefs is a Joy and Satiffaction of Mind, a natural Happiness and SelfEnjoyment attendant upon the Habit and Difpofition of Virtue, independent upon the GospelDifpenfation and its future Diftributions; and being annex'd as Fruit to a Tree, may go along with the virtuous Heathens to blefs them in another World. But the remunerative, adjudg'd, fupervenient Happiness allotted to the Righteous at that Day (and fo of Mifery, over and above the natural Difquietude of Vice) is the Effect of the Mediation of Christ, and proceeds from the bountiful Goodnefs, and fevere Judgment of God, in that merciful Difpenfation towards Men. So that, whilft a virtuous Heathen in a Heathen Country may enjoy his Degree of Happiness hereafter; the virtuous Deist in a Proteftant State (if fuch there can be, confidering the Oppofition of their Mind to the only Truth that can fructify Virtue) will for their Infidelity be curfed by that Judge, and wither'd away like the FigTree, from the natural good Effects of Virtue. So contrary to Nature, and Truth, and the real confcientious Good of Society, and of themfelves, is the Religion of the Deists. 66 FOR CHAP. 66 FOR as to Fear of future Punishment, this Au- XVI. thor has taken care to run that down as Enthufiafm. Speaking of the Nature of that Paffion, he fays, "It can hardly be without fome Mixture of Enthufiafm, and Horrors of a fuper"ftitious Kind." If thefe Men have chearfully thrown off the judicial Diftribution of avenging Punishment hereafter, what Hold, what Security can the Magiftrate or Society have of fuch Perfons Fidelity to fovereign, or focial Rights; which fo very frequently and unavoidably depend upon a confcientious Regard to an Oath? But what Conscience can he have of that Appeal to God, who believes he will not pofitively inflict any thing on him in another Life for the Breach of it? God is only a modifh fpeculative Theory to adorn Difcourfe, or an Inquiry after Virtue, but he is a God not to be fear'd in their Actions; or to be govern'd by; or appealed to in an Oath. AND this way of not fearing God is the true Secret of the Method, of what he calls putting himself and his Difciples into good Humour, whenever they think upon him †. And he gives this Reafon of not having any Fear of him; for it is Malice only, and not Goodness, that makes us afraid; which I have confuted before. The requifite Fear that evil Doers fhould maintain towards Civil Government, is derived from the Fear of God, the fupreme religious Governor over Men, as its Fountain, and is fed by it. Governors are the Image of God, as Governors: + Ibid. pag. 22, 33. But Chara&. Vol. I. pag. 307. Ibid. pag. 39. CHAP. But how fhould the Image be refpected, when BUT if there is moft certainly fome future Account, and the Light of Nature fuggefts it; and Christianity, ever following and unfolding Nature and the Truth of Things, ratifies, and renders it more explicit; then there is a Judges then there are Rewards and Punishments in good earneft, and to fome Purpose; then they confift of additional, pofitive, legal Pain, and Plea fure over and above what God has naturally annex'd to the Performance of fuch and fuch Actions, as a prefent natural Encouragement, or Difcouragement to them; and a Foretaste of greater, to be hoped, or feared. It is very true, that Habits of Virtue are previoufly neceffary to make Heaven enjoyable, by feasoning the Understanding, Will, and Affections to it; and a great Part of its Happiness indifpenfably depends upon the Degrees of that Qualification, as our bodily Senfes are neceffary to enjoy this World: But fome further pofitive additional Enjoyments (as it is natural to fuppofe the Wages differs from the Work) feem to be the Favour of that Reward, whether by enlarging the Faculties, or multiplying the Objects, or both; or by other Additions that have not entered into the Heart of Man to conceive. As temporal Life is the Qualification, but not the Giver of temporal Enjoyments; fo Virtue is a Qualification, but not the " |