I. THEN the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures is pointed out to us in these Words; All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God.

THAT there is a God, and that God is to be worshipped, are Principles which in clearing up this Article must be taken for granted; and then it is a moft necessary Inference, That He must be worship'd in fuch a way as is most agreeable to his Nature and Will. Now it is very notorious, that Man is of himself unable to form any regular Syftem of Divine Worfhip; for if we would certainly know the Power of Human Faculties in this refpect, we must form our Judgment of them from the Discoveries which were made in Religious Matters during the Times of Paganifm. There were among the Heathen, Men of equal Abilities, Application and Integrity to any that have ever appear'd in Life; who labour'd, by fearching to find out God, but cou'd not find him out to any tolerable degree of Perfection.

TRUE

TRUE indeed it is, we can now by many conclufive Chains of Reafoning carry up Things to the first Cause; and represent the Almighty under Characters more worthy fo glorious a Being; but then the Light vouchsafed by the Holy Scriptures it is, that hath enlarged our Views and directed them aright; hath given our Thoughts a free Scope; hath presented many new and bright Objects to our Understanding; and in all respects hath encreased our Knowledge and Capacity of Improvement in Religious Truths. It is therefore very unfair, to magnify the prefent Strength of Human Reason, in prejudice to Divine Revelation, because from Revelation, fuch its Strength was derived unto it; and in this respect likewise it is that the Light of the Gospel fhineth in darkness,although the darkness comprehendeth it not. Now if we have receiv'd, as the Apostle argues upon another occafion, Wherefore do we boaft, as though we had not received? And to employ what we have receiv'd against that from which we did receive it, is the fame profane piece of In

gratitude, as the robbing the Temple by the Light which the Altar affords us.

IF unaffifted Nature cou'd have ftruck out any fignificant Discoveries in Religion, the Heathen World wou'd certainly have produced them: But it is pitiable to obferve, that after their laboured Searches and Researches, they were never able to come to any thing certain and conclufive about it; and that the Whole of their Divine Knowledge was full of Error, Darkness and Perplexity: This was the Cafe even of those who were endued with the most enlighten'd Minds, and the most exalted Apprehenfions of Things: But if we confider the Divinity which commonly prevail'd among them; the many impious Fooleries, with which they debased the Nature; the many carnal Abfurdities, wherewith they profaned the Worship of the Deity, give us a mean and shocking Profpect of mere Natural Reason, and neceffarily bring us to this Conclufion, That Man does abfolutely want fome exprefs Revelation of God's Will, in order 10 worfhip him in an acceptable Manner..

IT

IT may be obferv'd here that God did never indeed leave himself entirely without Witness: The Works of the Creation, and the Goodnefs of Providence are fo far fufficient to declare his Glories, that they will render, obftinate Offenders without excufe; but they are not able to make us wife unto Salvation; because many Truths which are neceffary to Salvation, could never be discover'd this way; and whatever Truths are thus difcover'd, are, at the best, discover'd but very imperfectly.

FARTHER yet; The fame Reason which shews the Neceffity of an express Revelation in general, holds equally ftrong for a written one; because the fame Corruptions of our Nature, which prevent the Light of Reason fhining forth in its full Strength and Clearness, wou'd likewise foon extinguish the Light of Revelation, unless it was made, by fome means or other, permanent and perpetual; and that can be done only, as we know of, three Ways; by continual fresh Communications with the Almighty; by Tradition ; or by Writing. Now fuch immediate Communications with the Almighty, if

they

they were held by every particular Perfon, wou'd require a continual unneceffary working of Miracles; because all those Communications are miraculous: If they were intended to over-rule our Wills, they wou'd destroy the Freedom of them ; if they were intended only to enlighten our Understandings, that might sufficiently be done in another and more fimple manner; if fuch Communications were held only with fome particular Perfons, they wou'd lay Mankind open to wonderful Delusions; many falfe Prophets wou'd be continually arifing, who wou'd deceive many; Enthufiafm wou'd fwallow up every thing of folid Virtue; every fanguine Innovator would fet up for an inspired Preacher of Righteousness, and confound the World with their Inftructions fo much, as to leave the Way to Happiness even more uncertain than if there was no Revelation at all. Again, Tradition is of all other the most impure and uncertain Conveyance of Truth; in the Affairs of common Life, Matters of Fact, by being carried only through a few hands, will be fo diverfified, that they would not be known again to