SERM. of the Laws of natural Religion and Morality.

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These have a deep and immoveable Foundation in the nature of Man: Both the higher and lower Principles in our Minds; our leading Faculties of Confcience and Reafon, and our Propenfions and Affections likewife direct and determine us to obey them; and the Order of our Nature must be reverfed, or the Frame of it must be deftroyed, before thefe Laws can cease to be in force. The Authority of them does not depend upon our own Will, nor upon any human Constitutions, nor even upon the Declarations and Appointments of the Supreme Legiflator himself. For though thefe are the most powerful and effectual Enforcements of the natural Law, yet, they do not properly conftitute, or give being to it; this Law fubfifts and has an authority of its own, independently of the Divine Sanctions which confirm it, and would oblige Men to the feveral Duties which it required from them, though there was no Power in the Univerfe to annex pofitive Rewards or Punishments to the Obfervance or Violation of it. So that the greatest degree of Scepticism, and even abfolute Atheism, if fuch a thing be poffible, is not fufficient to relcafe Men from al moral Obligations, and to make their Minds entirely easy in the neglect and violation of

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them:

I.

them: For after they have broke thro' the SER M. ties which the Belief of a Deity lays upon them, there will ftill remain a Law in their own Minds, that will exact from them the performance of at least the social and relative Duties of Life, and which will have force enough, even when left deftitute of the aids of Religion, to inflict a severe punishment for the omiffion of them. And if the obligations of Morality would fubfift, notwithstanding fuch a monstrous Corruption; much more will they fubfift, after the fhallow Pretences of fome Hypocrites and Enthusiasts, who have alledged that the Law of Nature has been diffolved by the Revelation of the Gospel, that the Grace of God by Jefus Chrift has abounded fo much towards Men, as to difcharge them from all Covenants and Bonds, and to leave them at liberty to live just as they please: Befides that the direct contrary of this must be moft evident to every one that reads the Gospel with any seriousness and attention, the thing itself is not poffible, nor confiftent with the Perfections of God; and if we could fuppofe that Almighty God had declared to mankind, tho' in contradiction to his own nature, that they were releafed from all their natural Obligations, yet, while they retained their prefent Faculties and Difpofitions,

SER M. Difpofitions, they would find in fact that the

I.

contrary was true; that they were still naturally fubject to a Law, the Authority of which they would be forced to acknowledge, which clearly prescribed their Duty to them, and bound it upon them by certain and heavy Penalties. The Law of Nature therefore is inviolable and irreverfible, not to be abolished or altered, fo long as human Nature remains unaltered, by any power in Heaven or in Earth to which an invariable Obedience is due from Mankind.

From what has been faid, we may judge 3. what is the true Ufe or End of Revelation. This is a point which feems to have been fometimes mistaken by fome Friends to the cause of revealed Religion, who in their great Zeal for raising the credit of the Chriftian Revelation, have not been contented with reprefenting is as a more certain and effectual means of improving Men in Religion, and advancing their true Perfection and Happiness, than their mere natural Talents and Advantages are; but have contended for it as a thing that was abfolutely wanted for giving them any just notions of Religion, for fettling the rule of Life, and pointing out the obligations of Morality to them, and for engaging them to the practice of the feveral moral Duties and Virtues. If this

Account

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Account of the matter were true, I am afraid SER M. that instead of doing fervice to the cause of Christianity, it must iffue in the total Subverfion of it, as it would leave it no rational Foundation whereon to ftand, as it would take away thofe previous Notions and Principles, which are neceffary to the fatisfying ourselves of the Truth and Divine Original of any Revelation, This, however, is far from being a just State of the cafe: It is plain that Men are formed with powers and capacities, both of searching out and performing their Duty, that by means of a connate Light, antecedently to the notices of Revelation, they can discover all the main principles and obligations of Religion, and that they have many inducements to obey the Laws of it in their natural Instincts and Affections, and that these always preferve fome degree both of the knowledge and practice of Religion among them. So that it is carrying the matter too far, to say that Revelation is so neceffary that without it Religion cannot at all fubfift, that Mankind cannot, or do not in any fort know and worship God, and perform the Duties which they owe to one another. The Defign of Revelation is not to lay the first foundations of Religion, nor yet to raise the principal parts of the Superftructure; but to

I.

SERM. remove the rubbish which the negligence and diforders of Men are apt to bring upon them, to give an additional Strength and Security to the whole Fabrick, and to carry it on to perfection, so as to render it of the greatest use and benefit to Mankind. Accordingly the Revelation of the Gofpel has contributed greatly to the support and improvement of Religion, and has given it vaftly more Force and Influence than it generally had before over Men; as it has fet the great Truths and Principles of it in fuch a clear and strong Light, that they must easily dispel that Ignorance and Superftition which proceed from Men's Neglect and Abuse of their reasonable Powers, and make a lively Impreffion on the Minds of all who receive it; as it awakens the Attention of Men to thofe Duties which their Confciences naturally approve and recommend, by enjoining them in the Name and by the Authority of God, fufficiently declared by the Signs and Miracles that were wrought for the Confirmation of the Gofpel; as it has proposed fome new and ftrong Motives to the practice of Virtue, from the infinite Love of God, in the Incarnation of his Son, and the fending of his Spirit to be our Guide and Conductor in the Paths of Goodness; and as it has strengthned and improved the natural Obligations to Pie

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