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Chriftianitymuch

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even in

"But, be the Sacraments of Christia"nity what they will, we matter not b; "the main of Religion lies chiefly in its "moral Part; and yet we can, by no "Means, conceive, that its Rules of this "kind give it any juft pretence to the "Character of a Divine Revelation, or its "Author, to that of a Prophet fent from "God, fince it has informed us of no "more, than what the Improvements "of natural Reafon had concluded be"fore, and the Philofophy of Pagans "taught, in a more accurate Method "and Digestion.

Whether the Chriftian Morality not being digefted under proper Heads may tenfive, be any valid Objection against it, I canits meral not tell; 'tis certain, that, whether the part,t than fpirit of God might concern itself with any Diffuch Niceties or no, its being wrote by of human feveral Perfons, in diftant Places, and at Reafon different Times, could not, in the course

coveries

of Things, admit of fuch Methodicalness,
without fome violent Sufpicions of a For-
gery but this we may adventure to say,
e that the fubftance of all the wife Pre-
cepts, which were ever deliver'd by any
Philofopher of any Sect, is, not only more
plainly laid down by our Saviour and
his Apostles, but enforced likewife with
greater

Vid. Chriftianity as old, &c. Paffim.
Clark's Evidence,

greater Efficacy and Strength, founded upon nobler and more confiftent Principles, urg'd with greater weight and authority, and preffed with more powerful and affecting Arguments, (befides a confiderable number of new Commandments which never came into the Catalogue of Heathen Virtues,) than all his Sagacity and Strength of reafoning cou'd ever invent. For, where do we find the true Ufe and Government of our Paffions, and Defires, and Affections fo juftly ftated; where the great Leffons of Humility, Patience, and Contentedness fo fully taught; where a generous contempt of the World, and ardent Afpirations after Heaven, fo powerfully recommended, as in the Chriftian Philofophy? Where is the heroick Rule of f overcoming evil with good, by h loving our Enemies, bleffing those that curfe, and praying for those that perfecute us; where the Precepts, neceffary in this deprav'd State, of voluntary Reftraints and Inflictions, fuch as the Scripture calls taking up the Cross, and of ftriving and running, and earnestly contending towards Perfection, once mention'd but in the Gofpel? In fhort, our Saviour has done more towards the Reformation of the World, the Extinction of Sin, and the Establish

f Rom. xii. 21.

Hh 4

Mat. v. 44.

ment

ment of true Holinefs; more to inspire Mens Minds with great and magnanimous Virtue; and to give them an abfolute conqueft over all their vicious Appetites; to enlarge their Understandings, and emancipate their Wills, and repair in them the decay'd Image of God, than the best Philofophers have own'd their Inftructions were ever able to do. Add to this the Motives, whereby our Saviour enforces the Practice of his Laws, viz. the promife of divine and fupernatural Affifiance, to help our Infirmities; of pardon upon true Repentance, to cure our defpondence; and of an everlasting recompence of Reward, to encourage our endeavours; all fuch, as the heathen World was but flenderly acquainted with, tho' highly becoming the Wisdom and Goodness of God, and the natural Exigences of Man: Add again, that the Confiderations, upon which he requires our Obedience, and difcourages our breach of his Commandments, are not the common ftale Topicks of Conveniency and Inconveniency, but (what the Wit of Man never once thought of hefore) the Method of God's dealing with us, the great Example of our Lord and Mafter, the respect we owe to our holy Profeffion, the Relation, which, while

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Bishop of London's 2d Paft. Letter.

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while we are in this World, we bear to Heaven, and the Influence, which our Regard, to these Duties will have upon our future State; whereupon we are enjoin'd, to forgive one another, even as God, for Chrifts fake, has forgiven us; k to let the fame Mind be in us, that was in Chrift Fefus; to walk worthy of the Vocation, wherewith we are called; m to let our Converfation be in Heaven, n because we are Strangers and Pilgrims upon Earth; and to practice Meekness, becaufe it in the fight of God is of great price; Mercifulness, becaufe 'tis the Means to obtain Mercy; Purity of Heart, as a neceffary Preparation to the feeing God; Humility, as entitling us to the Kingdom of Heaven; Charity, as laying up in flore for ourselves a good Foundation against the time to come; and Patience, and Perfeverance in well-doing, because our light Affliction, which is but for a Moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory: putting all this together, I fay, let any impartial Man judge, whether a Revelation of this Character be no more, than a Republication of the Law of Nature; no

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Thil. ii. 20.

I Pet. iii, 4. P Mar. v. 7.
1 Tim. iv. 18, 19.

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9 Mat. v. 8.

2 Cor. iv. 17,

A review

of the

more, than what the Pagans of old have taught us; and no more, than what any Man of good Penetration might now collect, and form into a regular Syftem, by a proper Exercise of his Faculties, and a due Attention to the bare light of Reafon; whether a Revelation, in fhort, that recommends to our Practice, (and that from Motives and Confiderations, ftrong and engaging, and fuch as were never heard of before,) whatsoever Things are true, whatsoever Things are boneft, whatsoever Things are juft, whatfoever Things are pure, whatsoever Things are lovely, whatfoever Things are of good report, be not worthy of all Acceptation, as exhibiting the plaineft Marks of a divine Original.

V

And now to recollect what has been wholeAr- offer'd on this Subject. Since, in the gament first place, the Religion of Nature (how fufficient foever it may be fuppofed for the conduct of our firft Parents, in their ftate of Innocence) was not, even then, in itself abfolutely Perfect, and is far from deferving that Character now: Since Mankind are confeffedly fallen from their Original Rectitude, and labour under a manifeft Weakness and Depravation, infomuch that their boafted Knowledge is little more, at first, than the Refult of their Education, and, all their

Phil. iv. 8.

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