THO' the Relation we ftand in to God, is not artificial, as most are amongst Men, who want each others Affiftance; but is natural at least on our Part: yet This does not hinder, but that we may know by Reafon the End he had in being related to us as Creator and Governor; and what he requires of his Creatures and Subjects: This the divine Nature which contains in itself all Perfection, and all Happiness, plainly points out to us. And if we are once certain of the End of God's entring into this Relation with Man, we may be as certain from his Wisdom and Goodness, and all his Divine Perfections, that he will require no more of us than the End he had in entring into this Relation requires.

If it would be unjust and tyrannical in an earthly Governor, to exact Things of his Subjects, that do not contribute to the End for which this Relation between them was enter'd into; can we fuppofe a Governor of infinite Wisdom and Goodness, who has always in his Mind the End for which he governs Mankind, will act the Tyrant, and put them under fevere Penalties for not obferving fuch Things as have no Relation to the End for which he created, and governs them?

THERE'S No Relation no among Men without a mutual Obligation arifing from it; Parents owe a Duty to Children as well as Children to Parents; but are not we, in a ftricter Senfe, the Children of God, and Parents only Inftruments in his Hands? fince 'tis God, who from Nothing brings us into Being, frames us after the Manner that best pleases him, imprints on us what Faculties, Inclinations, Defires and Paffions he thinks fit: And is not God from his innate Goodness and Equity, under an Obligation to treat us more kindly than Earthly Parents do their best-beloved Children,

who

who beget them without defigning it? Whereas God, whose Actions are govern'd by infinite Goodness, could have no Motive to bring us into Being (which of itself is no Bleffing) but our Good; and for the fame Reason preferves us in Being; nor can fo kind and tender a Parent play the Tyrant, and impose Commands on us, which do not flow from the Relations we stand in to him, and to one another..

If we confider what our Reafon will inform us, of the Nature of our great Creator and Governor, we can't fail of knowing our Duty; for as Dr. Scott juftly observes, Chrift. Life P." If you will ferve the great King of the World in such 6.p. 321,322. "Ways as are pleafing and acceptable to him, you must

2. Vol. 1. Ch.

"study his Nature, and inform yourselves, which Way his "infinite Perfections incline, that you may know how to comport yourselves towards him, and to render him fuch "Services as are agreeable to his Nature; for there's no "Rule in the World, but only That of his Nature, by which

you can certainly conclude what will please him. So "that in all our Enquiries what is pleasing to God, our last Appeal must be to his Nature, which is the great Standard of Good and Evil; by which we are to measure "what is pleasing and displeasing to him."

IF then, with this judicious Author, you allow, that we are to measure what is pleafing and difpleafing to God, (which takes in the whole of Religion) from what our Reafon teaches concerning his Nature, you allow all I contend for.

IN fhort, if the Relations between Things, and the Fitness resulting from thence, be not the fole Rule of God's Actions, must not God be an arbitrary Being? and then what a miferable Condition will Mankind be in! Since an arbitrary Will might change every Moment, and those Things

"

which entitl'd Men to God's Favour to Day, might make them incur his Displeasure to Morrow: Nay, he might at the fame Time have a fecret Will oppofite to his reveal'd Will; or have different Wills for every different Perfon; or might reveal his arbitrary Commands fo obscurely, as to cause the utmost Confufion; but if God only commands what the Nature of Things fhew to be fit, 'tis 1carce poffible, that Men (tho' now endlesly divided upon the Account of their different Traditions) fhould mistake their Duty; fince a Mind that's attentive can as easily di ftinguish fit from unfit, as the Eye can Beauty from Deformity, or the Ear Harmony from Discord; and if no Commands can alter the Nature of Things, or make that fit which is in itself unfit, external Revelation must attend the Nature and Relation of Things, and can only speak what those speak. As for Inftance, 'tis not in our Power, tho' ever so often commanded, to love the Deity, while we conceive him an arbitrary Being acting out of Humour and Caprice; nor could any Commands, supposing such possible, oblige us not to love him, while we believe him a kind and beneficent Being; fo that as long as we have right Notions of God, we can't but love, and adore him as we ought

THUS, I think, I have fully prov'd from the Nature of God and Man, and the Relations we stand in to him and one another, that the Divine Precepts can't vary; and that thefe Relations which are the permanent Voice of God, by which he speaks to all Mankind, do, at all Times, infallibly point out to us our Duty in all the various Circumftances of Life.

SHOU'D Revelation require less than those Relations require, wou'd it not be an imperfect Rule? And if it enjoyns more, wou'd it not argue the Author of it to

be

P. 82.

be of a tyrannical Nature, impofing on his Subjects, and under most severe Penalties, unneceffary Things; and like wife fhew a Design, not of being belov'd, but hated and dreaded? And therefore, thofe who fee the Confequences of Things, describe the Christian Religion as requiring fuch Things only, as confidering the Relations we ftand in to God and one another, are apparently for our Good.

;

THE most accurate Dr. Barrow gives this Character of the Vol. of Serm. Christian Religion, "That its Precepts are no other than "fuch as Physicians prescribe for the Health of our Bodies; as Politicians wou'd allow to be needful for the Peace of "the State; as Epicurean Philofophers recommend for the Tranquility of our Minds, and Pleasures of our Lives "fuch as Reafon dictates, and daily fhews conducive to our Welfare in all Refpects; which confequently, were "there no Law enacting them, we fhou'd in Wisdom choose "to observe, and voluntarily impofe them on ourselves; "confeffing them to be fit Matters of Law, as most advan"tagious and requifite to the Good, general and particular, " of Mankind.

"

"

THAT great and good Man Dr. Tillotson fays, "That Serm. Vol. 1. All the Precepts of Chriftianity are reasonable and wife, p. 86. requiring fuch Duties as are fuitable to the Light of Nature, and do approve themselves to the beft Reason of "Mankind; fuch as have their Foundation in the Nature " of God, and are an Imitation of the divine Excellen"cies; fuch as tend to the Perfection of human Nature, "and to raise the Minds of Men to the highest Pitch " of Goodness and Virtue. They command nothing that's unneceffary, they omit nothing that may tend to the Glory of God, or the Welfare of Men, nor do they "refrain us in any Thing, but what is contrary to the re

"

gular

gular Inclinations of Nature, or to our Reason, and true "Intereft; they forbid us nothing but what is base and "unworthy to ferve our Humours and Paffions, to make "ourselves Fools and Beasts. In a Word, nothing but "what tends to our private Harm, or Prejudice, or to pub"lick Disorder and Confufion.

THE late Dean of Canterbury, in a Sermon preach'd in Defence of Christianity, fays, "What can be a more power-Boyle's Lect. "ful Incentive to Obedience, than for a rational Creature

clearly to discern the Equity, the Neceffity, the Benefit, "the Decency and Beauty of every Action he is call'd to do, " and thence to be duly fenfible how gracious a Master he "ferves; One that is fo far from loading him with fruitlefs, arbitrary, and tyrannical Impositions, that each Com "mand abstracted from his Command who iffues it, is able "to recommend itself; and nothing requir'd but what evewife Man wou'd choose of his own Accord; and cannot, without being his own Enemy, wish to be exempted "from. " And this Character of Christianity he makes to be effential to its being from God, and therefore, must make it the fame with Natural Religion, which has this Character impress'd on it,

ry

P. 26.

"THERE was none of the Doctrines of our Saviour Serm. before (fays the late Archbishop of York) calculated for the Gra- the Queen on "tification of Mens idle Curiofities, the bufying and amu- 1724.

fing them with airy and useless Speculations; much less

were they intended for an Exercise,of our Credulity, or

6s a Trial how far we cou'd bring our Reason to submit to

our Faith; But as on the one Hand they were plain and fimple, and fuch as by their Agreeableness to the ratio"nal Faculties of Mankind, did highly recommend them"felves to our Belief; fo on the other Hand they had an F

"im

Chrj mas Day,