as a facred Bafis. We must foar above the cloudy Atmosphere of impure Corporeity, and perhaps even above a Proteus, which we never hold faft, by reafon of his continually changing Shapes in our Hands: You think to grafp folid Marble, and 'tis only a Piece of Ice, which inftantly melts in your Hand, or a Firebrand that burns your Fingers. We must either abfolutely deny that there is, in refpect to us, any fuch thing as the Source, the Strength, and the true Spirit of Laws, or elfe that it is to be found in Revelation only.

You will perhaps fay, with the pretended Free-thinkers, that Revelation is not so authentick as it ought to be, to make us follow it as religiously as is requifite for our profiting by it. But have you carefully inquired into its Authenticity, without obftinately and wantonly fetting yourself to combat it, and wrapping yourself up in thick Darkness, that you might not be able to difcern it? It is happy for the World, that every honeft Man, who has fet out on this Inquiry with an upright and fincere Heart, has returned with Satisfaction and Comfort fufficient for his whole Life; and the Proofs he has publickly given of it, al

ways

ways fubfift with unshakeable Stability. I have perused what has been printed on both Sides of the Question, and very much doubt whether any Additions can be made to what fome Men have dared to vent within this Century,. in order to invalidate Revelation: Yet one fingle Blaft is capable of totally fubverting the whole Machine of Impiety. We should justly deferve a Lodging in Bedlam, if we rejected human Tradition in general; and yet we must either totally reject it, or acknowledge Revelation itself on that very Evidence.

NEVERTHELESS, there are Men of Figure and Reputation in the World, who fwallow thofe Camels as eafily as they would Flies. Are there not modern Authors, that have bent all their Studies and made the utmoft Efforts to perfuade us, that Vices and Crimes are not less useful and proper in human Society than Virtues, and that to feclude from it fuch Villains and Wretches as are intitled to the Gallows, is fufficient; as if they dreaded for themselves the most ignominious and cruel Punishments? Indeed the Guilty do not forfeit all Claims to Compaffion; But don't the Innocent that suffer by them, and the Society

which

PART I. which they destroy, deferve more Compaffion? Is it not Mercy to wretched Criminals, to deliver them as foon as poffible from the ftinging Remorse of their Confciences, and the difmal Situation of a Prifon, a Galley, and Tortures? But if you suppose a Criminal once capable of getting the better of all Remorfe of Confcience, would he not then immediately become a Monster unworthy to live?

YET thus far have fome modern Civilians proceeded; but, notwithstanding the most refined Diffimulation and most artful Sophiftry have been employed, they could not quite conceal their dangerous Sentiments on the most important Articles of Law and Justice: We cannot follow their Principles, without perceiving all the Foundations thereof to be fapped and undermined. If they themselves do not clearly deduce the Confequences, 'tis because they would not fhock and discourage their Readers at firft Sight: They only want to gain Ground upon them infenfibly, and in this Drift they act confequentially. Si quod tibi vis alteri feceris; they know very well what they want themselves, i. e. no Constraint, and feem to offer none to others. Thus do they

they abuse the famous Axiom, and thus will all the World abuse it, unless another Principle regulate and limit it, by previously prescribing what each Individual ought to will and do.

CHAP XV.

Τ may be objected to me, that Revelation

IT

is not lefs obfcure and liable to Contradictions, than Nature itself and Humanity. They cavil about Myfteries, Variations, Hebraifms, Tranflations and Interpreters: They pretend that in the facred Writings one finds always both Sides of the Queftion; and in short, that the most religious Obfervance of the Scripture does not make us better Men nor better Subjects. On this Head Mr. Bayle has been guilty of exceffive Rashness, in speaking of David and other illuftrious Champions of revealed Truth. This fiery Critick has set up a Model of his own making, for the Test of all honest People and the moft pious Persons in the World; but it is not furprizing that they do not come up to his Model. Mr. Bayle's honest Man is one whose Imagination is always

fullied

fullied by the moft filthy Objects, and who has leaft Charity for his Neighbour. He exclaims without Reafon against his Enemies, fince he himself teaches them to fufpect every body of Infincerity: And as Religion, moft certainly, is not his ftrong Side, he cannot perfuade himself that others may be more religious than himself. His fole religious Object is Liberty to fay and do any thing, without Reproach and without Chastizement; for he grants not the fame Privilege to his Adverfaries, and 'tis not for nothing that he disputes it with them. On that Model it would be very difficult to make David's Eulogy, or that of any other honeft Man. But Mr. Bayle is not the only Writer that limps on this Side.

HOWEVER, an honeft, learned Man, who goes directly to the Source of Laws, who examines the Strength of them, and dives into their true Spirit, will confefs that nothing hinders him from difcovering it in the Revelation that has been given us. Nothing is more evident to him, than that this fame Spirit of Laws, though fingular and conftantly uniform, must produce confiderable Changes in particular Laws, which in procefs of Time appear con

tradictory