§. 58.

Senfe of the Things whereby they might become good; that they might be what they defired to be by their own Choice; and that otherwise they could not be really Good, if they were not fuch by Choice, but were forced to be such by a Neceffity of Nature; he gave every one the free Power of his own Will; that he might be able to be fuch an one as he defired to be, &c.

See also ix. S. 4, 5, 6, 8.

As God has plac'd the Compass of Hea-
ven above the Mountains and the Earth,
so has he covered the Truth with the Veil
of his Charity; that he only might attain
to it, who would first knock at the Gate
of the Divine Love.

See iv. §. 4. 5. viii. §. 52, 53, 56,
58, 59.

Men are not able to arrive at any cer-
tain Conclufion of Science and Knowledge
by fuch Difputations; and they find their
Lives to be at an End before their Que-
stions are fo. When therefore all Things
appear to be uncertain as to these Points,
we must have our Recourse to the True
Prophet, whom God the Father would
have beloved by all: And in order thereto
he would entirely put an End to these
Inventions of Men, wherein there was no
certain Knowledge to be found, that fo
he

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He might be the more enquired for, and might open that way of Truth to Men, which those others had shut for them. For his Sake God did also make the World; and by him the World is fettled: Whence it is that he is every-where present to those that feek him after a Pure, and Holy and Faithful Manner.

See this Matter further Profecuted in my Chronology, P, 3--7.

Now from all this Evidence, and much more that might be alledg'd, it is apparent that the Jewish and Christian Religions always suppose that there must be a due Temper of Mind in the Enquirers, orelse the Arguments for those Religions will not have their due Effect. That the Course of God's Providence designs hereby to distinguish between the well-dispos'd, the Meek, the Humble, and the Pious; which are those whom the common Light of Nature declares may expect the Divine Bleffing on their Studies of this fort; and the Ill-dispos'd, the Obstinate, the Proud and the Impious; which are those whom the same common Light of Nature assures us may expect the Divine Malediction on the Same : And that 'tis not for want of convincing and fatisfactory Evidence in the Business of Revelation, but because many Men come with Perverse, Sceptical, and

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and wicked Difpofitions, that they fail of Satisfaction therein. Accordingly, I think it is true in common Obfervation, That the Virtuous and the Religious, I mean those that are fuch according to Natural Confcience dorarely, if ever, fail on their Enquiries to Embrace and Acquiesce in both the Jewish and Christian Revelations; and that the Debauch'd and Prophane do as Seldomfail on their Enquiries to Reject and Ridicule them. Which different Success of the fame Examination, agrees exactly with the whole Tenor of the Scriptures; and is the very same which must be true, in cafe those Scriptures betrue also, andis, by Confequence, a confiderable Confirmation of their real Verity and Inspiration. And certainly, he that confiders bis own Weakness and Dependance on God, and that allTruth and Evidence must come originally from bim, will by Natural Judgment and Equity pronounce, that he wha expects the Divine Bleffing and Illumination, in Points of fuch vaft Consequence, asthofe of Revelation most certainly are, ought above all things to purify his Will, and rectify his Conduct in fuch Points as allthe World knows to be the Will of God; andto Address himSelf to the Divine Majesty with due Fervency and Seriousness, for his Aid and Afsistance, before he can justly promise himself Success in so great and momentous an Undertaking. But

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But then as to the Second Enquiry, or the Degree of Evidence that ought to be expected in Religious Matters, it seems to me very necessary to Say Somewhat upon this Subject also, before we come to our main Defign. For as on the one Side it is a great Error in all Cafes to expect such Evidence as the Nature of the Subject renders impoffible; so is it as weak on the other Side, to lay the Stress of important Truths on fuch Evidence, as is in its own Nature Unfatiffactory and Precarious; or to affert with great Affurance what can noway be Proved, even by that fort of Evidence which is proper for the Subject in Debate. An Instance of the first Sort we have in Autolycus, an Hea- Theoph. then, in bis Debates with Theophilus of ad Anto Antioch; who appears weakly to have infifted lyc, L. 1. upon Seeing the God of the Christians, e'er be would believe bis Existence: While one of the known Attributes of that God is, that he is Invisible. And almost equally prepofterous would any Philosophick Sceptick now be, who Should require the Sight of the Air in which we Breath, before he would believe that there was such an Element at all. Whereas it is clear, that the Air may be demonstrated to be fufficiently fenfible and real, by a Thousand Experiments; while yet none of those Experiments can render it Visible to us: Just as the Existence of a Supreme Being may be demon

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in initio,

e

demonstrated by innumerable Arguments, although none of those Arguments imply even the Poffibility of bis being properly Seen by any of his Creatures. But then, that we may keep a Mean bere, and may neither on one Side, expect in our Religious Enquiries, overbearing, or strictly Mathematick Evidence, fuch as is impossible to be deny'd or doubted of by any; which would render the constant Defign of Providence, already stated entirely ineffectual, and force both Good and Bad to be Believers, without all Regard to their Qualifications and Temper of Mind: Nor on the other Side, may depend on fuch weak and precarious Arguments, as are not really fufficient nor fatisfactory toeven Fair, Honest, and Impartial Men; I intend here to Confider, what that Degree of Evidence is, which ought to be bere insisted on; without which we are not, and with which we are obliged to acquiefce in Divine Matters. Now this Degree of Evidence I take to be that, and no other, which upright Judges are determin'd by in all the important Affairs of Estate and Life that come before them: And according to which, they ever aim to give Sentence in their Courts of Judicature. I chuse to Instance in this Judicial Evidence, andthese Judicial Determinations especially, because the Perfons concern'd in such Matters are, by long Ufe, and the Nature of their Employ

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