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DISSERTATION IV.

The LAW of NATURE fufficiently propagated to HEATHENS.

THE

THE PREFACE.

PHE following Differtation was occafioned by reading Dr. Campbell's late book on the Neceffity of Revelation, where the infufficiency of mere reafon, to conduct men to the knowledge of the existence of the Deity, and the immortality of their own fouls, has, with a great profufion of learning to very little purpofe, been contended for.

One may, at first fight, imagine, that it argues no good-will to the cause of Chriflianity, to attack an author who has of late fo much diftinguished himself in its defence, and who, instead of employing his pen on thefe mean and infignificant controverfies, which bave ingroffed the attention of too many of our Scots clergy, has imbarked in the defence of our holy religion, in oppofition to that torrent of Deifm and Infidelity which threatens its deftruction. Happy for Scotland there are fome who think it a matter of greater importance, to make Infidels converts to the Chriftian faith, than to render Chriftians the violent Partizans of a particular fect!

That fentiments of this kind, and a sense of the danger that threatens us from the growth of Infidelity, were

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the Doctor's motives, in publishing his performance, the principles of charity oblige me to believe. But however much I am pleafed with his general defign, yet there are fome pofitions laid down in the profecution of it, that I cannot help refufing my affent to; and this liberty, I am perfuaded, the Doctor himself will readily allow me; fince, as he obferves from the judicious Hooker, "Whatever is spoken of God, or things. "pertaining to God, otherways than as the truth is, though it feem an honour, it is an injury." To lie for the truth, is not only a needless piece of fervice, but an injurious one too. Our religion is fo ftrongly attefted, and attended with fo unanswerable evidence, that it fcorns to be fupported by Falfhood, or raife its fame by flander and detraction. It has a firmer and more ftable foundation than the ruins of philofophy.. But when arguments in its defence are firetched further than their nature allows, which I am apt to think is the prefent cafe, the confequence too often is, that men, Seeing an argument has not all that force which an author pretends, conclude it has none at all; nay, perhaps, without further examination, reject the opinion in fupport of which it is brought.

Thefe confiderations prevailed with me to make publick the following reflections, wherein I have, with all the fhortnefs and perfpicuity I was able, propofed certain difficulties to the Doctor's fcheme. Why the author's name is not prefixed to them it is needlefs to fay. Let them appear in their native strength, with out that additional difadvantage, which the publishing fuch a circumftance would give them.

As the author never made the English language his Study, it is hoped any grammatical improprieties, which have efcaped him, will be pardoned..

MAY 1741.

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SECTION I.

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THE defign of the learned Dr. Campbell, in his treatife on the Neceffity of Revelution, is (as he informs us, p. 21.) to ex"amine the fcheme of Deifm, laid down in "Chriflianity as old as the Creation; where it is "afferted, That men are fully able, of them"felves, without foreign affiftance, to discover "all the articles of natural religion that are neceffary to their happiness; and that a wife and "good God can impose upon mankind nothing "relating to religion that is not discoverable by "the human mind, or that is not immediately "founded in the nature of things: fo that if "fcheme of religion is offered to the world, "wherein there are contained religious articles of "faith and manners, that lie beyond human dif66 covery, or have no immediate foundation in "nature, but are pofitive inftitutions, depending "on will and authority, fuch a fyftem of things

can never be admitted as a divine revelation."

I join with the Doctor in thinking, that the confuting thefe notions is an infallible way of demolifhing Deifm; but it is fomewhat ftrange, that when so much time has been spent by him, in confuting one of the articles of Deifm con⚫tained in thefe affertions, the other, of equal, if not greater importance, should not be in the least ftruck at, viz. That men are not obliged to receive any doctrine, whose immediate foundation in nature, when once the doctrine is revealed to them, they cannot difcern. A Deift may pretend, that it does not concern him to know how man

kind originally came by their religion; whether they discovered it by the use of reason, or had it revealed to them by God. But that he fees no obligation on men to receive any doctrine, for which they have not the fame evidence which they have for the grand principles of natural religion, viz. A neceffary connection with eternal truths; this hypothefis feems not to be in the leaft fhaken by any thing the Doctor has advanced. Nay, people of little charity might be apt to imagine he had fome fecret view in this piece of negligence, especially as he is pleased, p. 20. to join together, in the fame fentence, myfteries and very trifles, as the caufes of the divifions and confufions that have arisen in the world.

There are two or three paffages in the Doctor's book, which perfons of this ftamp might alledge to justify fuch an inference. One is, p. 44. " In. "matters of religion (fays he) no point of know

ledge or article of faith, no external or bodily "motion enjoined by pofitive inftitution, can be ❝of any value or moment, unless they promote 66 an obfervance of natural religion; fo that if

any thing can be fuppofed in the nature of "God, or, in his dealings with mankind, in the "nature of man, or in the relations between

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God and man, whereof the knowledge has no "influence upon our minds to engage and improve us in the ftudy and purfuit of natural re«ligion, fuch things must be accounted of no "weight or importance. Indeed, the difcovery ❝of truth is always agreeable, and the bare perception of fuch things as are here fuppofed to relate to God and man, may afford fome pleafure to one's mind by itself; but of what confequence can fuch things prove with respect to "focial

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"focial beings, when they produce no focial "happiness, or contribute nothing to heighten

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and raise our love and devotion towards God, "or to excite and enlarge our kind affections to"wards men? One fhould think, that the "knowledge of these things is idle fpeculation, "wherein focial beings have no concern or in"tereft. And it appears full as evident, that all "bodily motions, or external obfervances, en"joined by pofitive inftitution, that do not affist "us in cultivating the duties of natural religion, are wholly idle and trifling, and upon no ac"count to be regarded."

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If the Doctor here means, what at first fight one would imagine, that we are not obliged to yield our affent to any doctrine, or receive any pofitive inftitution, except we fee in that doctrine or inftitution a peculiar and natural tendency to excite in us love to God, or benevolence to men, or fome other particular duty; if this, I fay, is his meaning, then what he afferts is utterly falfe; for God, no doubt, has a right to impofe upon us precepts indifferent in their own nature; nay, in fome cafes, it may be fit to impofe fuch precepts, the better to inure us to obey the law of God, from regard to the authority of the legiflator. Now this is an end which any rule that God enjoins muft infallibly promote, however trifling it may be in itself. But this is not all : we find fubjects are, in many cafes, under an obligation to obey the laws of their governors, tho' they do not know on what account they were enacted; partly because the reafons of fome laws may lie above their comprehenfion; partly becaufe, in fome cafes, legiflators may have just enough, motives to enact fuch and fuch laws,

when,

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