have continued in the Chriftian Religion from his time. It must be confefs'd, that in Mengrelia, and other Countries, the Doctrines of Religion are much corrupted, and their Practice very different from the Profeffion of Chriftians; but however, they retain the Gospel among them, and it is every Man's own fault, if he make not a good ufe of thofe Means of Salvation, which God in his Providence has afforded him. Of late, the New Teftament in the Malayan Tongue, which is fo famous throughout the Eaft, and Grotius his excellent Book of the Truth of the Chriftian Religion, in Arabick, have been tranflated and printed, at the Charge of the Honourable Mr. Boyle; and the firft difpers'd over all the East-Indies, where the MaLayan Language is ufed; and the latter, into all the Countries where Arabick is fpoken. He alfo contributed to the Impreffion of the New Teftament and Catechifm, which was made by the Turkish Company, in the Language of the Turks. The New Testament was printed in the Malayan Tongue by Order of the Dutch East-India Company, in Latin Characters, A. D. 1668. And a Tranflation of the four Evangelists, and the Acts of the Apostles, and the Pfalms, into that Tongue, has been printed by the Dutch, in Malayan Characters, who have likewife appointed a Sermon to be preach'd once a Week at least, in their Colonies, and the Church built for this ufe in Batavia, is call'd the Malayan Church. The New Testament was long ago printed in the Japonefe Tongue. And Grotius's Book of the Chriftian Religion had been tranflated into the Greek and Perfian Tongues, in his Life-time. The Gofpels and the Acts of the Apostles, tranflated into the Malayan Tongue, were reprinted at Mr. Boyle's Charge, at Oxford, MDCLXXVII. In America, it is

r

William Mainfton's Malayan Grammar, MS. f Purch. Pilgr. P 1. 1. 4. c. 1.

6.01

t

I Grot. ad Voff. Epift. libro de Satisfact. præfix,

24

notorious,

notorious, that the Christians are fufficiently numerous, and have fufficient Opportunities to inftruct the Natives, if they were but as careful to improve them to fo good an end, rather than in purfuit of their own Gain. The whole Bible Tranflated into the Indian Language was order'd to be printed, by the Commiffioners of the United Colonies in New-England. And at the Charge, and with the Confent, of the Corporation in England for the Propagation of the Gospel amongst the Indians in New-England, was printed at Cambridge, A. D. MDCLXIII, and dedicated to King Charles II. by the Commiffioners of the United Colonies.

The Sum of all is this. Before the Flood, Revelations were fo frequent, and the Lives of Men fo long, that no Man could be ignorant of the Creation, and of the Providence of God in the Government of the World, and the Duties requir'd towards him. And in the first Ages after the Flood, God's Will reveal'd to Noah, and the Precepts given to him at his coming out of the Ark, must be well known to all the furviving World; and as foon as the Remembrance of them began to decay, and Men to fall into Idolatry. Abraham and the other Patriarchs were fent into divers Countries, to proclaim God's Commandments, and to testifie against the Impiety of Idolaters, whereever they came. For, to publish the Reveal'd Will of God, and make it generally known in the World, God was pleas'd to chufe to himself a peculiar People, and to fend them firft out of Mefopotamia into Canaan, and, upon occafion, back again into Mefopotamia; and then feveral times into Egypt; and from thence, after they had dwelt there fome Hundreds of Years, into Canaan again; at what time he appointed them Laws, admirably fitted and contriv'd for the receiving of Strangers and Profelytes. After many fignal Vi&tories, and after other Captivities, they were carry'd away Captive to Babylon, and were still deliver'd and reftor'd by a wonderful and miraculous Providence

and

and had vast numbers of Profelytes in all Parts of the known World, and many Footsteps and Remainders of the True Religion are found in the remoteft Parts of the Earth. And when, by the juft Judgment of God upon the Jews, for their Sin, in rejecting the Meffias, they were rejected by Him, from being his People, they were difpers'd throughout the World, for a Testimony to all Nations, that Mofes and the Prophets deliver'd no other thing than what God had reveal'd to them; fince they continue to maintain and affert those very Books which plainly foretel all that Ruin and Destruction that has befallen them for their Infidelity and Difobedience; and still remain a distinc Nation, according to an exprefs Prophecy (Jer. xxxi. 36.) notwithstanding their many Difperfions for fo many Ages. They are a ftanding Evidence, in all Parts of the World, of the Truth of the Chriftian Religion, bearing that Curfe which their Fore-fathers fo many Ages ago imprecated upon themselves and their Pofterity, when they cans'd Chrift to be crucified. And the Gofpel has, by its own Power and Evidence, manifested it self to all People difpers'd over the face of the whole Earth. To which might be added, That the Mahometans owning fo much of the Religion reveal'd both in the Old and New Teftament, afford fome kind of Teftimony to the Truth of it, in those vaft Dominions of which they are poffefs'd. All the most remarkable Difpenfations of Providence in the feveral Changes in the World, have had a particular Influence in the Propagation of the True Religion. Cyrus, Alexander the Great, divers of the Roman Emperors, and of latter Times, Tamerlain, and feveral other Princes, were great Favourers of it; and the worst of Men, and the most unlikely Accidents have contributed towards the Promotion of it.

If it be Objected, That notwithstanding all which has been faid, great part of the World are Unbelievers. Let it be confider'd,

>

i. That

1. That there is no Nation but has great Opportunities of being Converted; and it is evident, from what has been produc'd concerning the Chinese and the Americans themselves, that the Christian Religion had been preach'd among them, tho' the Knowledge of it was loft, through their own fault, before the late Difcoveries of thofe Parts of the World. And as Chrift came into the World in the fulness of time; fo, in the fulness of time, that is, at the most fitting feafon, he reveal'd himself to the feveral Nations of it. God, who is infinitely gracious to all, and knows the Hearts and Difpofitions of all Men, might defer the Reftoring his Gospel to the Chinese, for inftance, till that very time when he faw them best prepared for it: And it is remarkable, That the Discovery of the Indies happen'd about the time of the Reformation; that those poor People might have the Purity, as well as the Truth of Religion, if Chriftians had been as little wanting to them in their Charity, as God has been in the Disposals of his Providence. He stays till they have filled up the measure of their iniquities, before he punishes a People: and for the fame Reafons, of Mercy and Goodness, he waits for the most proper seasons to impart his Reveal'd Will to them; and to have it preach'd to them before, would be only to increase their Condemnation. And it is not only Juft, but Merciful, for him to with-hold the Knowledge of his Reveal'd Will from thofe, who, he forefees would reject it, and abuse the Opportunities which fhould be offer'd them, to the Aggravation of their own Guilt and Punishment. Efpecially if it be obferv'd,

2. That as to particular Perfons, we have reason to believe, that God, who by so wonderful a Providence has taken care that every Nation under Heaven might have the True Religion preach'd in it, and who has the whole World at his disposal, and orders all things with great regard to the Salvation of Men; we have

abundant

abundant cause to think, that he would, by fome of the various Methods of his Providence, or even by Miracle, bring fuch Men to the Knowledge of the Truth, who live according to their prefent Knowledge, with a fincere and honeft endeavour to improve it. When St. Peter was by Revelation fent to Cornelius, he made this Inference from it, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of perfons: but in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him, ́A&t. x. 34, 35. From whence

what lefs can we conclude, than that every Man, in any part of the World, who is fincerely good and pious in the Practice of his Duty, fo far as it is known to him, fhall rather, by an express Revelation, have the rest discover'd to him, as in the inftance of Cornelius, which gave occafion to these words of St. Peter; than he shall be fuffer'd to perish, for want of a true Faith, and fufficient Knowledge of his Duty? And it is Juft with God, to punish thofe Heathens who fin without any Reveal'd Law, for their Sins against Natural Reafon and Confcience, and for neglecting to use and improve their Reason, and to embrace the Opportunities afforded them of becoming Chriftians. We may likewise be certain, that besides Natural Reafon and Confcience, God, in his Goodness, is not wanting to afford fuch Inward Motions and Convictions of Mind to fuch of the Heathen as are not wilfully blind and stupified by their Vices, as may prepare them for the Reception of the Gospel, which, by his Providence, he gives them fo many Opportunities of becoming acquainted withal: And if once they do difcern the Defects and Faults of their own Religions, which are so grofly against Natural Reason and Confcience, they may make Enquiry of Chriftians, concerning their Religion, as fome of the Americans did of Cartes's; and the Chriftians (fome of them at least) however negligent they be in propagating it, would never refufe to inftruct them in it. And it must be

remem