to be understood by the mortification required in the Gospel. This alfo is a reasonable and neceffary part of our duty. Virtue, ac- cording to Mr. Hume, hath nothing to do with fufferance. But by the acknowlege- ment of the wifeft moralifts one important office of it is to fupport and bear us up Additions relating to the remarks on Lord Bo- lingbroke. The natural immortality of the · foul does not imply a neceffity of existence in- dependent on the will of God. No just ground for Lord Bolingbroke's fneer as to what he calls the edifying anecdote of Lot's daughters. The ancient Chinese fages, ac- cording to him, expreffed themselves very ob- fcurely concerning the Divinity: great dif ference between them and Mofes in this re- Spect. The most ancient nations had tradi- tions among them concerning fome of the facts recorded in the Mofaic history. The parallel drawn by Lord Bolingbroke between the times of the judges and the heroical ages of the Greeks examined. No proof that Mofes adopted the Egyptian rites and cuftoms. It is not true that the Jews abhorred only the worship of carved or graven images, but not and the Jews did not derive their knowlege of the one true God from the Egyptians and Chal- deans. Concerning God's having repented that he made man. The fcripture account St. Paul vindicated against Lord Bolingbroke's charge of madness. The revelation published by Chrift's apoftles, under the direction of his Spirit, truly and properly the revelation of Jefus Chrift, as well as that which be delivered himself in the days of his perfonal miniftry. Some manufcrips of the facred writings, particularly the Alexandrian, fo antient, as to bring us near to the first ages of the Chriftian Church. Some of Chrift's pre- cepts in his fermon on the mount, which have been exclaimed against as exceffively fevere, own'd by Lord Bolingbroke to be reasonable and juft. The primitive Chriftians unjustly charged by him with owning themselves to be Gnoftics. The profperity of the Roman ftate, according to him, owing to the belief of Reli- negletting it. The example of a perfonage of high character and distinction recommended. LETTER VIII. 331 A general reprefentation of the state of things among us. There is a great and growing corruption in these lands, notwithstanding the fignal advantages we enjoy. This corruption not justly chargeable upon our religion, as Chriftians and Proteftants, but on the neglect or contempt of it. The unaccountable eagernefs that has been fhewn in fpreading the principles of infidelity, of very ill confequence to the public. The tendency of irreligion and vice to bring mifery and ruin upon people, both in the natural course of things, and by the juft judgments of God. Many things in the late and prefent course of God's difpenfations have an alarming appearance. Repentance and reformation, and a strict adherence to the knowlege and practice of Christianity, the propereft way of averting the tokens of the divine difpleafure, and promoting the national profperity. The happy state of things which this would introduce. 342 A VIEW DEISTICAL WRITERS, &c. In feveral LETTERS to a FRIEND. LETTER I. The account given of the Earl of Shaftesbury's writings in the first volume of the View of the Deistical Writers, vindicated against the exceptions that had been made against it. The being influenced by the hope of the reward promifed in the Gospel hath nothing in it difingenuous and flavish. It is not inconfiftent with loving virtue for its own fake, but tends rather to heighten our esteem of its worth and amiableness. Lord Shaftesbury Seems in his Inquiry to erect fuch a scheme of virtue as is independent on religion, and may fubfift without it. The apology he makes for doing fo. The clofe connection there is between religion and virtue fhewn from his own principles and acknowlegements. Virtue not wholly confin'd to good affections towards mankind, but takes in proper affecti ons toward the Deity as an effential part of it. He acknowleges that man is born to religion. A remarkable paffage of Lord Bo lingbroke to the fame purpose. SIR, WHEN I first formed the defign of taking a view of the Deiftical writers, I fixed it as a law to myself to make a fair reprefentation, VOL. III. B as ETTER as far as I was able, of the fentiments of those 1. writers, and not to push the charge farther against them than there appeared to me to be juft ground for. For I think the beft caufe in the world will not justify the making wrong charges against the adverfaries, or reprefenting them in a worse light than they really deferve. It has been no fmall fatisfaction to me, that, except in a fingle inftance, I have hitherto heard no complaints, as if the fentiments of the feveral deIftical writers, of whom fome account is given in the View, were not fairly and candidly reprefented. It is with regard to what is there faid of the Earl of Shaftesbury, that the complaint has been made. Some persons who profefs to be real friends to Christianity, and I doubt not are so, have let me know, that they wish I had not put that noble Lord into the lift of the deistical writers; and they think the charge against him hath in fome inftances been carried too far. You may remember I informed you of this fome time ago, and it was your opinion that it was not neceffary to take any particular notice of that complaint, as you believed there were very few who made any doubt of his Lordfhip's coming very properly under that character, and that what had been produced in the View out of his own writings was a fufficient proof of it. So indeed it appeared to me. I thought it however incumbent upon me carefully to revife that part of my book. And I can declare with great truth, that it would have given me pleasure 3 |