IV. I proceed then, fourthly, to observe, that the comparative Value of any Duties, above other Duties, depends not upon their positive or moral Nature, but upon their Relation to and Connexion with the primary Law of Nature, the general Good of the whole intelligent Syftem, confidered in its largest Compass both of Extent and Duration. To know the Value and Importance of any divine Precept, ask not whether it be pofitive, or whether it be moral, but ask what depends upon paying a confcientious Obedience to it. Charity towards Mens Souls, for Inftance, is greater Charity than relieving only their bodily Wants; and the converting Men to the true Religion, in order to bring them to Heaven, is of much higher Importance than procuring only their temporal Felicity in this Life. Moral Virtues, ftrictly fo called, look no higher than the temporal Happiness of Society, of the whole Community of Mankind But moral Virtues evangelized, or improved into Christian Duties, have partly a View to promote the Good of human Society here, but chiefly, to qualify the Obfervers of them for a much more bleffed, and more induring Society hereafter. Take Mankind in their whole Extent, as immortal Beings, ordained for Eternity, and as defign'd to make up one Society with Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, with Angels alfo and Archangels, and with one another; and when you have this View before you, and any E

Dutic

Duties are to be compared together, confider, upon a competent weighing of all Circumftances, which is beft calculated to promote the common Good of the Whole, and which may be omitted with least Damage to the general Felicity. If it be asked, whether I may sometimes negle& the publick Prayers of the Church, to be imployed in relieving Widows, or Orphans, or doing the utmost Service I am capable of to my Prince, or Country, or to Mankind; I anfwer, it is right fo to do, upon Occafion, or in fome particular Exigencies, because the Honour of God and his Ordinances would not thereby fuffer, but Mankind would be ferved in it, and by it. But if the Question be, whether I may totally, or very frequently, neglect the publick Prayers, on any fuch Pretence; I fay, No. Such a profane Neglect of the Divine Ordinances would amount to a Contempt of them, and the ill Example therein given would do infinitely more hurt to Mankind, than all the Services of any fingle Man, or any Body of Men could compenfate. More depends upon keeping up a Face and Senfe of Religion, in the World, than upon any moral Virtues. In Truth, Moral Virtues themselves depend upon it, and can never subsist without it. So that any Pretence of fetting up Moral Virtues in Oppofition to Religious Duties, is undermining Morality instead of ferving it, and is defeating the very End which it pretends to fecure. Enough has been faid to fhew by what Rules and Measures we

may,

may, as Occafions happen, judge of the com parative Value of one Duty above another. I have been forced to fetch a wide Compass, in order to clear up this Matter to common Readers: And now having fixed and fettled the Prin ciples upon which I proceed, if these Principles be true and juft, there can be no great Difficulty in returning proper Answers to all Objections.

CHAP. IV.

Objections answered.

BJECTIONS to the Principles before laid down are either drawn from Scripture, or from Reason. I fhall confider both in their Order, omitting none that the Answer to the Remarks has hit upon, but fupplying fome which he has not mentioned, that the Readers may have the larger View of what belongs to the Queftion.

I. I begin with the Objections from Scripture. The Answer to the Remarks obferves, that pofitive Institutions, when compared with Moral Vir tues, or Moral Duties, are treated as mere No things, * as Things not required at all. See fays he, How the Prophets have treated the Whole Mofaic Difpenfation, when compared with doing juftly, and loving Mercy, and walking bumbly with God. But the Gentleman is much mistaken, if E 2

* Answer to theǝy marks, p. 91.

he

he imagines that this at all affects the Question about the Obligation of pofitive Commands. Walking humbly with God, is walking in the way of his Commandments, in all the Statutes and Ordinances of the Lord blameless. Obeying the pofitive Commands of God is walking humbly with him, and, in fome Cafes, as in that of Abraham particularly, is more peculiarly and eminently fo: And Saul never acted more proudly, nor ever offended more highly, than when he tranfgreffed against a positive Command.

GOD flighted Sacrifices, one Part only of Obedience, and hypocritically performed, in Comparison of whole and entire Obedience. He flighted them, in fome Cafes, not because they were pofitive Duties, but because they were Part only of what God required, and reduced to an external Part, separate from that true and fincere Piety which ought to have gone along with them. For the like Reasons, and in the like Circumstances, God will as much flight any moral Duties when hypocritically, and outwardly perform'd, upon ill Principles, or upon no Principles. Though I beflow all my Goods to feed the Poor, and have not Charity, it profiteth me nothing *. A Man may feed the Poor for Of tentation or Vanity, may cloath the Naked for his own Intereft, may vifit the Sick for his Curiofity, may relieve the Widow and Fatherless for the Ends of Vain-Glory and Popularity; and then those outward moral Performances will be

* 1 Cor. xiii.

3.

T

be altogether as contemptible as the bypocritical Sacrifices of the Jews were, which the Prophet fo justly cenfures. Or if they had not been

bypocritical, yet if they were offered only as partial Obedience, and as a kind of Compofition in lieu of the Whole; in this View also they deserved to be spoken of with Contempt, and Difdain. And the like may be faid also of any moral Duties, if amounting only to a partial Obedience. If a Man, for Inftance, is charitable to the Poor, but yet indulges brutal Luft, or if he is fober, chafte, temperate, but exceeding covetous withal and extorting, such partial Obedience is as contemptible as were the Jewish Sacrifices. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one Point, he is guilty of all *. I say then, that the Sacrifices of the Jewish Difpenfation were not flightly spoken of on Account of their being pofitive Inftitutions, but either on Account of their being made mere outward and hypocritical Performances, or as being at best no more than partial Obedience; in which Cafes, even moral Services are as contemptible as poftive. Now let us proceed.

THE Author objects farther, as follows: †The Principles laid down by the Prophets of Old, and confirmed by our Saviour Himself in his Approbation of the Maxim, I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice, are directly contradictory to those which the Remarker infifts upon. To which I answer: That Maxim, I will have Mercy rather than Sacri

James ii. 10, Anfwer to the Remarks, p. 71.