one say is any where else to be found. Let me ask any one, who is forward to think that the doctrine of morality was full and clear in the world at our Saviour's birth, whither would he have directed Brutus and Cassius (both men of parts and virtue; the one whereof believed, and the other disbelieved a future being) to be satisfied in the rules and obligations of all the parts of their duties, if they should have asked him where they might find the law they were to live by, and by which they should be charged or acquitted, as guilty or innocent? If to the sayings of the wise, and the declarations of philosophers, he sends them into a wild wood of uncertainty, to an endless maze, from which they should never get out: if to the religions of the world, yet worse: and if to their own reason, he refers them to that which had some light and certainty; but yet had hitherto failed all mankind in a perfect rule; and we see, resolved not the doubts that had arisen amongst the studious and thinking philosophers; nor had yet been able to convince the civilized parts of the world, that they had not given, nor could, without a crime, take away the lives of their children, by exposing them.

an obligation to be obeyed but what they provement I think the world never had, nor can any to be so. But such a body of ethics, proved to be the law of nature from principles of reason, and reaching all the duties of life, I think nobody will say the world had before our Saviour's time. It is not enough that there were, up and down, scattered sayings of wise men, conformable to right reason. The law of nature was the law of convenience too; and it is no wonder that those men of parts, and studious of virtue, (who had occasion to think on any particular part of it,) should by meditation light on the right, even from the observable convenience and beauty of it, without making out its obligation from the true principles of the law of nature, and foundations of morality. But these incoherent apothegms of philosophers and wise men, however excellent in themselves, and well intended by them, could never make a morality, whereof the world could be convinced; could never rise to the force of a law that mankind could with certainty depend on. Whatsoever should thus be universally useful, as a standard to which men should conform their manners, must have its authority either from reason or revelation. It is not every writer of morals, or compiler of it from others, that can thereby be erected into a lawgiver to mankind; and a dicta- 172. If any one should think to excuse human tor of rules, which are therefore valid, because nature, by laying blame on men's negligence, that they are to be found in his books, under the au- they did not carry morality to an higher pitch, and thority of this or that philosopher. He that any make it out entire in every part, with that clearness one will pretend to set up in this kind, and have of demonstration which some think it capable of, his rules pass for authentic directions, must show, he helps not the matter. Be the cause what it that either he builds his doctrine upon principles will, our Saviour found mankind under a corrupof reason, self-evident in themselves, and that he tion of manners and principles, which ages after deduces all the parts of it from thence, by clear ages had prevailed, and must be confessed was not and evident demonstration; or, must show his in a way or tendency to be mended. The rules of commission from heaven, that he comes with au- morality were, in different countries and sects, difthority from God, to deliver his will and command ferent. And natural reason no where had, nor to the world. In the former way, nobody that I was like to cure the defects and errors in them. know, before our Saviour's time, ever did, or went Those just measures of right and wrong, which about to give us a morality. It is true there is a necessity had any where introduced, the civil laws law of nature: but who is there that ever did, or prescribed, or philosophy recommended, stood not undertook to give it us all entire, as a law; no on their true foundations. They were looked on more nor no less than what was contained in, and as bonds of society, and conveniences of common had the obligation of that law? Who ever made life, and laudable practices. But where was it that out all the parts of it, put them together, and their obligation was thoroughly known and allowed, showed the world their obligation? Where was and they received as precepts of a law, of the highthere any such code, that mankind might have re- est law, the law of nature? That could not be course to, as their unerring rule, before our Sa- without a clear knowledge and acknowledgment viour's time? If there was not, it is plain, there of the law-maker, and the great rewards and puwas need of one to give us such a morality; such nishments for those that would or would not obey a law, which might be the sure guide of those him. But the religion of the heathens, as was who had a desire to go right; and if they had a before observed, little concerned itself in their mind, need not mistake their duty; but might be morals. The priests that delivered the oracles of certain when they had performed, when failed in heaven, and pretended to speak from the god, it. Such a law of morality Jesus Christ hath spoke little of virtue and a good life. And, on the given us in the New Testament; but by the lat- other side, the philosophers who spoke from reater of these ways, by revelation. We have from son, made not much mention of the deity in their him a full and sufficient rule for our direction, and ethics. They depended on reason and her ora conformable to that of reason. But the truth and cles, which contain nothing but truth: but yet obligation of its precepts have their force, and are some parts of that truth lie too deep for our naput past doubt to us, by the evidence of his mis-tural powers easily to reach, and make plain and sion. He was sent by God: his miracles show it -and the authority of God in his precepts cannot be questioned. Here morality has a sure standard, that revelation vouches, and reason cannot gainsay, nor question; but both together witness to come from God, the great law-maker.And such a one as this out of the New Testa

visible to mankind, without some light from above to direct them. When truths are once known to us, though by tradition, we are apt to be favorable to our own parts, and ascribe to our own understandings the discovery of what, in reality, we borrowed from others; or, at least, finding we can prove what at first we learned from others, we are

forward to conclude it an obvious truth, which, if dairy-maids, perfect mathematicians, as to have we had sought, we could not have missed. No- them perfect in ethics this way: hearing plain thing seems hard to our understandings that is commands is the sure and only course to bring once known and because what we see, we see them to obedience and practice; the greatest part with our own eyes, we are apt to overlook or for- cannot know, and therefore they must believe. get the help we had from others, who showed it And I ask, whether one coming from heaven in the us, and first made us see it; as if we were not at power of God, in full and clear evidence and deall beholden to them for those truths they opened monstration of miracles, giving plain and direct the way to, and led us into: for knowledge being rules of morality and obedience, be not likelier to only of truths that are perceived to be so, we are enlighten the bulk of mankind, and set them right favorable enough to our own faculties to conclude in their duties, and bring them to do them, than that they, of their own strength, would have attain- by reasoning with them from general notions and ed those discoveries without any foreign assist-principles of human reason? And were all the ance; and that we know those truths by the duties of human life clearly demonstrated, yet I strength and native light of our own minds, as conclude, when well considered, that method of they did from whom we received them by theirs, teaching men their duties would be thought proonly they had the luck to be before us. Thus the per only for a few, who had much leisure, improvwhole stock of human knowledge is claimed by ed understandings, and were used to abstract every one as his private possession, as soon as he reasonings; but the instruction of the people (profiting by others' discoveries,) has got it into his were best still to be left to the precepts and prinown mind and so it is; but not properly by his ciples of the gospel. The healing of the sick, the own single industry, nor of his own acquisition. restoring sight to the blind by a word, the raising, He studies, it is true, and takes pains to make a and being raised from the dead, are matters of progress in what others have delivered; but their fact, which they can without difficulty conceive; pains were of another sort, who first brought those and that he who does such things, must do them truths to light, which he afterwards derives from by the assistance of a divine power. These them. He that travels the road now, applauds things lie level to the ordinariest apprehension; his own strength and legs that have carried him so he that can distinguish between sick and well, far in such a scantling of time, and ascribes all to lame and sound, dead and alive, is capable of this his own vigor, little considering how much he owes doctrine. To one who is once persuaded that to their pains, who cleared the woods, drained the Jesus Christ was sent by God to be a king, and a bogs, built the bridges, and made the ways pass- Saviour of those who do believe in him, all his able; without which he might have toiled much commands become principles; there needs no with little progress. A great many things which other proof for the truth of what he says, but that we have been bred up in the belief of, from our he said it: and then there needs no more but to cradles, and are notions grown familiar, (and, as it read the inspired books to be instructed; all the were, natural to us, under the gospel,) we take duties of morality lie there clear and plain, and for unquestionable obvious truths, and easily de- easy to be understood. And here I appeal, whemonstrable; without considering how long we ther this be not the surest, the safest, and most might have been in doubt or ignorance of them, effectual way of teaching; especially if we add had revelation been silent. And many are be- this further consideration, that as it suits the lowholden to revelation who do not acknowledge it. est capacities of reasonable creatures, so it reaches It is no diminishing to revelation, that reason gives and satisfies, nay, enlightens the highest. The its suffrage too, to the truths revelation has dis- most elevated understandings cannot but submit covered. But it is our mistake to think, that be- to the authority of this doctrine as divine; which cause reason confirms them to us, we had the first coming from the mouths of a company of illiterate certain knowledge of them from thence, and in men, hath not only the attestation of miracles, but that clear evidence we now possess of them. The reason to confirm it, since they delivered no precontrary is manifest, in the defective morality of cepts but such as, though reason of itself had not the Gentiles before our Saviour's time, and the clearly made out, yet it could not but assent to want of reformation in the principles and mea- when thus discovered, and think itself indebted for sures of it, as well as practice. Philosophy seem- the discovery. The credit and authority our Saed to have spent its strength, and done its utmost; viour and his apostles had over the minds of men, or if it should have gone further, as we see it did by the miracles they did, tempted them not to not, and from undeniable principles given us ethics mix (as we find in that of all the sects of philosoin a science like mathematics, in every part de-phers, and other religions) any conceits, any monstrable, this yet would not have been so effectual to man in this imperfect state, nor proper for the cure. The greatest part of mankind want leisure or capacity for demonstration, nor can carry a train of proofs, which in that way they must always depend upon for conviction, and cannot be required to assent to till they see the demonstration. Wherever they stick, the teachers are always put upon proof, and must clear the doubt, by a thread of coherent deductions from the first principle, how long, or how intricate soever that be. And you may as soon hope to have all the day-laborers and tradesmen, the spinsters and

wrong rules, any thing tending to their own byinterest, or that of a party, in their morality: no tang of prepossession or fancy; no footsteps o pride or vanity; no touch of ostentation or ambition appears to have a hand in it: it is all pure, all sincere; nothing too much, nothing wanting: but such a complete rule of life, as the wisest men must acknowledge, tends entirely to the good of mankind; and that all would be happy, if al would practise it.

173. 3. The outward forms of worshipping the Deity wanted a reformation: stately buildings, costly ornaments, peculiar and uncouth habits,

might have argued the other way, and concluded, that, because the good were most of them illtreated here, there was another place where they should meet with better usage; but it is plain they did not. Their thoughts of another life were, at best, obscure, and their expectations uncertain. Of manes, and ghosts, and the shades of departed men, there was some talk; but little certain, and less minded. They had the names of Styx and Acheron, of Elysian Fields and seats of the blessed; but they had them generally from their poets, mixed with their fables, and so they looked more

and a numerous huddle of pompous, fantastical, cumbersome ceremonies, every where attended divine worship. This, as it had the peculiar name, so it was thought the principal part, if not the whole of religion; nor could this possibly be amended whilst the Jewish ritual stood, and there was so much of it mixed with the worship of the true God. To this also our Saviour, with the knowledge of the infinite, invisible, supreme Spirit, brought a remedy, in a plain, spiritual, and suitable worship. Jesus says to the woman of Samaria: "The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, wor-like the inventions of wit and ornaments of poetry ship the Father: but the true worshippers, shall worship the Father both in Spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship." To be worshipped in spirit and in truth, with application of mind and sincerity of heart, was what God henceforth only required. Magnificent temples, and confinement to certain places, were now no longer necessary for his worship, which by a pure heart might be performed any where. The splendor and distinction of habits, and pomp of ceremonies and all outside performances, might now be spared. God, who was a spirit, and made known to be so, required none of those, but the spirit only; and that in public assemblies, (where some actions must lie open to the view of the world,) all that could appear and be seen, should be done decently, and in order, and to edification. Decency, order, and edification were to regulate all their public acts of worship; and beyond what these required, the outward appearance (which was of little value in the eyes of God) was not to go. Having shut out indecency and confusion out of their assemblies, they need not be solicitous about useless ceremonies: praises and prayer humbly offered up to the Deity, was the worship he now demanded; and in these every one was to look after his own heart, and know that it was that alone which God had regard to, and accepted.

than the serious persuasions of the grave and the sober. They came to them bundled up amongst their tales; and for tales they took them. And that which rendered them more suspected, and less useful to virtue, was, that the philosophers seldom set on their rules on men's minds and prac tices by consideration of another life. The chief of their arguments were from the excellency of virtue; and the highest they generally went, was the exalting of human nature, whose perfection lay in virtue. And if the priest at any time talked of the ghosts below, and a life after this, it was only to keep men to their superstitious and idolatrous rites, whereby the use of this doctrine was lost to the credulous multitude, and its belief to the quicker sighted, who suspected it presently of priestcraft. Before our Saviour's time, the doctrine of a future state, though it were not wholly hid, yet it was not clearly known in the world. It was an imperfect view of reason; or, perhaps, the decayed remains of an ancient tradition, which rather seemed to float on men's fancies, than sink deep into their hearts. It was something, they knew not what, between being and not being.Something in man they imagined might escape the grave; but a perfect complete life of an eternal duration, after this, was what entered little into their thoughts, and less into their persuasions. And they were so far from being clear herein, that 174. 4. Another great advantage received by we see no nation of the world publicly professed our Saviour, is the great encouragement he brought it, and built upon it; no religion taught it; and it to a virtuous and a pious life; great enough to sur- was no where made an article of faith and princimount the difficulties and obstacles that lie in the ple of religion till Jesus Christ came of whom it way to it, and reward the pains and hardships of is truly said, that he at his appearing "brought those who stuck firm to their duties, and suffered life and immortality to light." And that not only for the testimony of a good conscience. The por- in the clear revelation of it, and in instances shown tion of the righteous has been in all ages taken of men raised from the dead, but he has given us notice of to be pretty scanty in this world: virtue an unquestionable assurance and pledge of it in and prosperity do not often accompany one an- his own resurrection and ascension into heaven. other, and therefore virtue seldom had many fol- How hath this one truth changed the nature of lowers; and it is no wonder she prevailed not things in the world, and given the advantage to much in a state, where the inconveniences that piety over all that could tempt or deter men from attended her were visible and at hand, and the re-it! The philosophers, indeed, showed the beauty wards doubtful and at a distance. Mankind, who are and must be allowed to pursue their happiness, nay, cannot be hindered, could not but think themselves excused from a strict observation of rules, which appeared so little to consist with their chief end-happiness, whilst they kept them from the enjoyments of this life; and they had little evidence and security of another.* It is true, they

This is unjust to the philosophers. The immortality of the soul was as firmly believed then as it is now; and the same virtues were supposed to secure happiness in a future state. With the knowledge

of virtue: they set her off so as drew men's eyes and approbation to her; but leaving her unendowed, very few were willing to espouse her.The generality could not refuse her their esteem and commendation, but still turned their backs on her, and forsook her, as a match not for their turn. But now there being put into the scales on her side, "an exceeding and immortal weight of glory,"

Locke possessed of antiquity, I can hardly conceive how he could write this passage, which is in contradiction with what remains to us of genuine ancient philosophy.-ED.

interest is come about to her; and virtue now is visibly the most enriching purchase and by much the best bargain. That she is the perfection and excellency of our nature; that she is herself a reward, and will recommend our names to future ages, is not all that can now be said for her. It is not strange that the learned heathens satisfied not many with such airy commendations. It has another relish and efficacy to persuade men, that if they live well here, they shall be happy hereafter. Open their eyes upon the endless unspeakable joys of another life, and their hearts will find something solid and powerful to move them.*The view of heaven and hell will cast a slight upon the short pleasures and pains of this present state, and give attractions and encouragements to virtue, which reason and interest, and the care of ourselves, cannot but allow and prefer. Upon this foundation, and upon this only, morality stands firm, and may defy all competition. This makes it more than a name, a substantial good, worth all our aims and endeavors; and thus the gospel of Jesus Christ hath delivered it to us.

those who will be ready to object, if the belief of Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah, together with those concomitant articles of his resurrection, rule, and coming again to judge the world, be all the faith required as necessary to justification, to what purpose were the epistles written; I say, if the belief of those many doctrines contained in them, be not also necessary to salvation? And if what is there delivered, a Christian may believe or disbelieve, and yet nevertheless be a member of Christ's church, and one of the faithful? To this I answer, that the epistles were written upon several occasions; and he that will read them as he ought, must observe what it is in them is principally aimed at; find what is the argument in hand, and how managed, if he will understand them right, and profit by them. The observing of this will best help us to the true meaning and mind of the writer; for that is the truth which is to be received and believed, and not scattered sentences in a Scripture language, accommodated to our notions and prejudices. We must look into the drift of the discourse, observe the coherence and connection of the parts, and see how it is consistent with itself, and other parts of Scripture, if we will conceive it right. We must not cull out, as best suits our system, here and there a period or a verse, as if they were all distinct and independent aphorisms: and make these the fundamental articles of the Christian faith, and necessa

175. 5. To these I must add one advantage more we have by Jesus Christ, and that is, the promise of assistance. If we do what we can, he will give us his Spirit to help us to do what, and how we should. It will be idle for us, who know not how our own spirits move and act us, to ask in what manner the Spirit of God shall work upon us. The wisdom that accompanies that Spiritry to salvation, unless God has made them so.knows better than we how we are made, and how There be many truths in the Bible, which a good to work upon us. If a wise man knows how to Christian may be wholly ignorant of, and so not prevail on his child, to bring him to what he de- believe, which, perhaps, some lay great stress on, sires, can we suspect that the Spirit and wisdom and call fundamental articles, because they are the of God should fail in it, though we perceive or distinguishing points. of their communion. The comprehend not the ways of his operation? Christ epistles, most of them, carry on a thread of arguhas promised it, who is faithful and just, and we ment, which in the style they are written, cannot cannot doubt of the performance. It is not re-every where be observed without great attention. quisite, on this occasion, for the enhancing of this benefit, to enlarge on the frailty of minds, and weakness of our constitutions; how liable to mistakes, how apt to go astray, and how easily to be turned out of the paths of virtue. If any one needs go beyond himself and the testimony of his own conscience in this point; if he feels not his own errors and passions always tempting him, and often prevailing against the strict rules of his duty, he need but look abroad into any age of the world to be convinced. To a man under the difficulties of his nature, beset with temptations, and hedged in with prevailing custom, it is no small encouragement to set himself seriously on the courses of virtue, and practice of true religion, that he is, from a sure hand, and an almighty arm, promised assistance to support and carry him through.

176. There remains yet something to be said to

* In the Essay on the Human Understanding, however, he had said:"Let a man be ever so well persuaded of the advantages of virtue, that it is as necessary to a man who has any great aims in this world, or hopes in the next, as food to life; yet, till he hungers and thirsts after righteousness, till he feels an uneasiness in the want of it, his will will not be determined to any action in pursuit of this confessed greater good; but any other uneasiness he feels in himself shall take place, and carry his will to other actions." Book ii. ch. 21. § 35.-ÉD.

And to consider the texts, as they stand and bear a part in that, is to view them in their due light, and the way to get the true sense of them. They were written to those who were in the faith, and true Christians already; and so could not be designed to teach them the fundamental articles and points necessary to salvation; the epistle to the Romans was written to all "that were at Rome, beloved of God, called to be the saints, whose faith was spoken of through the world," chapter i. 7, 8. To whom St. Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians was, he shows, chapter i. 2, 4, &c.: "Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints; with all them that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him in all utterance, and in all knowledge: even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." And so likewise the second was, "To the church of God at Corinth, with all the saints in Achaia," chapter i. 1. His next is to the churches of Galatia.

That to the Ephesians was, "To the saints that were at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus." So likewise, "To the saints and faithful brethren at Colosse, who had faith in Christ

Jesus, and love to the saints." "To the church | my of the Jews, and reference to the records of

the Old Testament. And as for the general epistles, they, we may see, regard the state and exigencies, and some peculiarities of those times.These holy writers, inspired from above, wrote nothing but truth, and in most places very weighty truths to us now; for the expounding, clearing, and confirming of the Christian doctrine, and establishing those in it who had embraced it. But yet every sentence of theirs must not be taken up and looked on as a fundamental article, necessary to salvation; without an explicit belief whereof nobody could be a member of Christ's church here, nor be admitted into his eternal kingdom hereafter. If all, or most of the truths declared in the epistles, were to be received and believed as fundamental articles, what then became of those Christians who were fallen asleep (as St. Paul witnesses in his first epistle to the Corinthians, many were) before these things in the epistles were revealed to them? Most of the epistles not being written till above twenty years after our Saviour's ascension, and some after thirty.

177. But further, therefore, to those who will be ready to say, may those truths delivered in the epistles, which are not contained in the preaching of our Saviour and his apostles, and are therefore by this account not necessary to salvation, be believed or disbelieved without any danger? May a Christian safely question or doubt of them? To this I answer, that the law of faith, being a covenant of free grace, God alone can appoint what shall be necessarily believed by every one whom he will justify. What is the faith which he will accept and account for righteousness, depends wholly on his good pleasure; for it is of grace, and not of right, that this faith is accepted. And therefore he alone can set the measures of it; and what he has so appointed and declared is alone necessary. Nobody can add to these fundamental articles of faith, nor make any other ne

of the Thessalonians." "To Timothy, his son in the faith." "To Titus, his own son after the common faith." "To Philemon, his dearly beloved, and fellow-laborer." And the author to the Hebrews, calls those he writes to, "Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling," chapter iii. 1. From whence it is evident, that all those whom St. Paul wrote to, were brethren, saints, faithful in the church, and so Christians already, and therefore wanted not the fundamental articles of the Christian religion; without a belief of which they could not be saved: nor can it be supposed, that the sending of such fundamentals was the reason of the apostle's writing to any of them. To such also St. Peter writes, as is plain from the first chapter of each of his epistles. Nor is it hard to observe the like in St. James and St. John's epistles. And St. Jude directs his thus: "To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." The epistles therefore being all written to those who were already believers and Christians, the occasion and end of writing them could not be to instruct them in that which was necessary to make them Christians. This it is plain they knew and believed already; or else they could not have been Christians and believers. And they were written upon particular occasions; and without those occasions had not been written, and so cannot be thought necessary to salvation; though they resolving doubts, and reforming mistakes, are of great advantage to our knowledge and practice. I do not deny, but the great doctrines of the Christian faith are dropped here and there, and scattered up and down in most of them. But it is not in the epistles we are to learn what are the fundamental articles of faith, where they are promiscuously, and without distinction, mixed with other truths in discourses that were (though for edification indeed, yet) only occasional. We shall find and discern those great and necessary points best in the preach-cessary, but what God himself hath made and deing of our Saviour and the apostles, to those who were yet strangers, and ignorant of the faith, to bring them in, and convert them to it. And what that was we have seen already, out of the history of the evangelists and the Acts; where they are plainly laid down, so that nobody can mistake them. The epistles to particular churches, besides the main argument of each of them (which 178. The other parts of divine revelation are was some present concernment of that particular objects of faith, and are so to be received. They church to which they severally were addressed) are truths, whereof no one can be rejected; none do in many places explain the fundamentals of the that is once known to be such, may or ought to be Christian religion; and that wisely, by proper ac- disbelieved; for to acknowledge any proposition commodations to the apprehensions of those they to be of divine revelation and authority, and yet to were written to, the better to make them imbibe deny or disbelieve it, is to offend against this funthe Christian doctrine, and the more easily to com-damental article and ground of faith, that God is prehend the method, reasons, and grounds of the true. But yet a great many of the truths revealed great work of salvation. Thus we see in the epis- in the gospel, every one does, and must confess a tle to the Romans, adoption (a custom well known man may be ignorant of, nay, disbelieve, without amongst those of Rome) is much made use of, to danger to his salvation; as is evident in those who, explain to them the grace and favor of God, in allowing the authority, differ in the interpretation giving them eternal life; to help them to conceive and meaning of several texts of Scripture, not how they became the children of God, and to as- thought fundamental: in all which it is plain the sure them of a share in the kingdom of heaven, as contending parties, on one side or the other, are heirs to an inheritance. Whereas the setting out, ignorant of, nay, disbelieve the truths delivered in and confirming the Christian faith to the Hebrews, Holy Writ, unless contrarieties and contradictions in the epistle to them, is by allusions and argu- can be contained in the same words, and divine ments, from the ceremonies, sacrifices, and econo-revelation can mean contrary to itself.

clared to be so. And what these are which God requires of those who will enter into, and receive the benefits of the new covenant, has already been shown. An explicit belief of these, is absolutely required of all those to whom the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, and salvation through his name proposed.