ftood without a Knowledge of the Genius and Nature of that Language. And,

Lastly, in all Languages whatsoever there are proper and there are improper or figurative Expreffions used; and these are not to be diftinguish'd, and confequently the proper Meaning of Words is not to be understood without fuch Obfervations, Comparisons, and Deductions, as are the Work of Reafon. To make this plain by one or two Inftances.

In the Cafe of Naaman the Syrian, when he confulted the Prophet of the living God concerning bowing in the Temple of an Idol, it is difficult to acquit the Prophet of feeming to countenance Hypocrify and actual Idolatry, if the Paffage be understood as it ftands in the English Tranflation. The Syrian is there reprefented as afking leave to attend his Mafter to his Idol's Temple, and defiring to know whether he may, in Compliance with his Mafter, bow down there; and the Prophet's Anfwer being, in the Language of the Hebrews, an Answer of Approbation, it does confequentially grant the Leave defired, and approve of the Thing. 2 Kings v. 18. When my Mafter goeth into the House of Rimmon, and leaneth on my Hand, and I bow myself in the Houfe of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy Servant in this Thing. To which Elisha anfwers, Go in Peace; or, in other Words, Be eafy as to that Matter. But when the Genius and Nature of the Hebrew Language is once known, and it appears from

thence

thence (as I apprehend it will) that the Syrian's Words may as well be understood of what is paft, as what is future, and ought moft properly to be read as a Question, all the Difficulty then vanishes, and the Prophet is acquitted of any thing inconfiftent with his Character. In this Light Naaman, who was ftruck with the Miracle wrought upon him, and had cried out, Now I know that there is no God in all the Earth, but in Ifrael; I say, in this Light Naaman only appears defirous of knowing whether this God of Ifrael was a merciful as well as powerful God, and afks his Prophet, whether he would forgive his past, not his future Idolatry, which he could not but think offenfive to him. Will the Lord, fays he, pardon thy Servant in this Thing, that when my Mafter went into the House of Rimmon, and leaned on my Hand, and I worshipped there; will the Lord pardon this my Worship? He will, replies the Prophet, if you continue in this penitent State; † Go in Peace.

*

Again; When our bleffed Saviour was pleafed to fay, at the Inftitution of the Sacrament, that the Bread he held in his Hand was his Body, the Expreffion may at firft fight well feem harsh and difficult to be understood. But when it is confidered, that if he meant it literally he must affirm direct Contradictions,

* See the Title to the Lift Pfalm, &c. .

+ See Gen. xliii. 23. Heb.

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which it is impoffible God fhould do; and when it is obferved, that figurative Expreffions are used in all Languages, and were used by our bleffed Saviour, and that therefore he muft be understood in the fame manner as when he called himself a Vine, and his Father an Hufbandman: That is, that the Bread broken was a good Symbol or Representation of the breaking of his Body, and might therefore according to the common Ufe of Speech be called his Body, as the Representation of it; there will then appear nothing improper or forced in the Expreffion; nothing in the Thing unworthy of God to fay, or Man to believe. But then the applying these general Truths, and making these Obfervations, is the Bufinefs of Reafon, without which these Difficulties could not be removed, or the Revelation understood. And whoever confiders this will not be at all furprized, that thofe Men fhould require their Difciples to refign their Understandings, and blindly give up their Reason, who teach fuch Doctrines as no Man in his Senfes, and who has the Use of his Reason, and will use it, can believe.

3dly, The third Inftance given of the Neceffity of ufing one's Reason in Matters of Religion, is that of applying general Rules to particular Cafes. All Laws which are defigned to bind Bodies of Men must be drawn up in general Terms; and the more diffusive their Influence, the more unlimited must be the Expreffion.

Expreffion. Particular Cafes are infinite, vary as the Circumftances of the Action do, and cannot poffibly be expreffly provided for in publick Rules. And as the Laws of God are defigned to oblige all his Creatures, and to comprehend all Cafes, they must therefore neceffarily be expreffed in fuch Words as will admit of a Latitude of Interpretation equal to the Extent of their Obligation. But never

theless, as they are of no Ufe till reduced to Practice, every Man muft, in order to this, make the Application for himself, and underftand these general Laws, in his own Cafe, with fuch Limitations, and under fuch Restrictions, as the Nature of the Thing, and the Neceffity of his Affairs require. Thus we are commanded to pray always, and to pray without ceafing, which could never be defigned to be literally practifed, because impoffible; and can therefore be only understood to require our keeping ourselves, as much as may be, in fuch a Difpofition as to be always ready to discharge this great Duty; and to oblige us to the actual Discharge of it only as often as the other Duties and neceffary Avocations of Life will permit. And how often this is, every one who has a fufficient Capacity muft judge for himself. Again; it is required of us to be fober, and to be temperate; but as what is Temperance in this Man may be Intemperance in that, and what is Sobriety in one may be Gluttony in another, every one must

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judge of the Quantity of Meat and Drink to which thefe Laws oblige him, by the State of his Health, and the Nature of his Conftitution. And every Application of this Kind is an Act of his Judgment, that is, his Reafon.

So that upon the whole it may be evident, that we not only may, but must use our Reafon in religious Matters in these Inftances. Without it we can neither know the Principles upon which we pretend to act, nor understand our Duty, nor put it in Practice. And it is, no doubt, one Part of the minifterial Office to endeavour to affift Men in these Particulars. Not first to blind them, as the Manner of fome is, and then lead them where they pleafe; but to labour to affift their Underftandings, to endeavour to enlarge the Views of the Ignorant, and give them those Helps to know their Duty, which otherwife they might not have; and earnestly intreat all to feek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness. But to return. There is yet a fecond Enquiry to be made, which is,

IIdly, Whether in any other, and what Instances we are to lay afide our Reafon in Matters of Religion, and become implicit in our Belief. And here two Particulars occur, which may perhaps comprehend all Cafes in which it is both reasonable and neceffary that a Man should be implicit.

The