God, by what the Folly of Men call Science. What then, is Ignorance to be indulged? No, by no Means; let us all keep the little Learning we have, and make much of, and improve it; but then let it be applied to its proper Objects. Let every Man endeavour to be perfect in that Sort of Learning which his Profeffion requires. The Miller needs not Languages; for when he

knows the Name of his Mill in ten, he'll grind never the better for that. He who has a Tafte for polite and regular Wrangling, may make use of his Logic; the Aftronomer, the Architect, &c, may make ufe of the Mathematics; the Trifler, may read Cyclopedia, &c. and remain fo. The Metaphyfician may perplex himself, and the World with Entities, Non-entities, Abstractions, &c. but I could recommend to him this important Queftion: Whether there be fuch another Non-Entity as the Metaphyfics themselves? That there are Objects in Nature, fuited to the highest Attainments of the rational Soul, I take for granted; and believe it will be denied by none, but fuch as have not confider'd its Original. That thefe Objects lie beyond the Ken of the present System of Learning, is evident from the jarring and romantick Accounts our learned Men give of them; that this Jarring muft arife from fome very great Deficiency in our Apparatus, (allow the Expreffion) our Means of enquiring, or fomething worfe, is plain; for fure I am, 'tis not for want of an explicit and clear Account of thofe Objects, (and this Account in our Poffeffion too) that we remain at a Lofs about them; but because we will needs fet up for ourselves, and reafon from wrong Data; fo we can but make a Flourish, and pass for the Inventers of fomething new, and gratify our Pride, &c. we will afk of the Heathen, or the Devil, and be be

holden

holden to any Thing but Revelation, and infinite Wifdom for Direction. Vain Man would needs be fomething, though a wild Afs's Colt, a Fool of yesterday, a Rebel against God! To give us clear Accounts of thofe Objects, or, if you pleafe, a Clue to come at the Knowledge of them, (fuch I mean which we could not otherwife know) to ftain the Pride of all Flefh, to cure this conceited Madness, to convince us we are poor, fhort-fighted Creatures, and cannot fave ourfelves, to cure our Ignorance, and prevent our groping in the Dark, to guide us to the true Tree of Life. Gen. iii. laft Verfe, The eternal living Word of God, who alone is the true Foundation of Reft, Peace, and Comfort here, and the Author of eternal Happiness hereafter, the Hebrew Scriptures were wrote. Thefe contain the Sum of all we can know in divine, or natural Things; and I will venture to fay, he who attempts to be either Divine, or Philofopher, without understanding the Ufe of this great Inftrument of God, is just as wife as he who throws away his Tellefcope to view the Stars, or he who would traverfe a mighty Ocean without his Compafs. For what is he doing? He is reafoning without Principles, or rather from fuch, which the more he reasons from, the further he is from fatisfying himfelf, or any one elfe. This Ignorance of the Hebrew Scriptures, has been the next Caufe of all the Jargon publifhed in Defence of them, of all the Infidelity in the World, of all the falfe Philofophy and Errors in Divinity among us; and in Proportion as they are understood, these ignes fatui, these mifleading Principles muft vanish. I expect my candid Reader will object that this carries an Invective againft our Teachers and learned Men, I own it infers Blameworthinefs in them, and I mean no more; for I have no particular Perton in View,

nor

nor can any one think himself pointed out till his own Confcience fays, thou art the Man. I am forry there is fo much Reason to say, that it does not appear by any of the Answers yet given to the Deifts of late, that the Authors knew how to come at the original Evidence of Chriftianity. If they did, why have they not produced it? For I fhall take the Liberty to fay they have not, nor have they been able to fave the Reputation of Mofes and the Prophets. I fhall only give one Inftance among many which might be given: "A certain Gentleman, who from his understanding Figures better than Letters, values himfelf upon his imagin'd Abilities, to abufe Mofes, though he never understood a Tittle of his original Writings, in an over-bearing Way ran down a Friend of mine the other Day, upon a Miftake of the Tranflators on Exod. xxi. 20. If a Man fmite bis Servant with a Rod, and he die under bis Hand, he shall be punished; notwithstanding if be continue a Day or two, he shall not be punished. Here my fagacious Gentleman urged the Injustice, and Wickedness of Mofes for giving a Law which excufed the Mafter from Punishment, though his Servant died of his Wounds, within a few Days after his Mafter had given them by beating him. Whereas the Text fays no fuch Thing; but if the Servant died under his Master's Hands, or of his Wounds afterwards, the Master was not to escape; but if the Servant was beaten for Crimes as he deferved, and continued ill a few Days only, then the Mafter was not to be punished.

UPON our Witlings Miftake of this, and many other Texts, the Rectitude of the Law of Nature was urged by him; and that this, and many more Laws of Mofes were a Violation of it; and fince the Law of Nature has obtained fuch

Repu:

Reputation of late, as to be fet up inftead of, and against Revelation, by Woolafton, Fofter, Chubb, &c. and the reft of the Chubbs their Followers, it will be neceffary to take a View of it, or rather of what they mean by it, to fee if the Light of Nature, the Law of Nature, natural Confcience, eternal Fitness, &r. be Realities, or Dreams; whether they subsist beyond the Brains of their Votaries, or not.

I AM very well aware, that here I have the whole Herd of Commentators, Lawyers, Philofophers, &c. and far the greater Number of the Clergy of all Sorts against me. I expect here to be charged with Pride, Obftinacy, Singularity, and Saucinefs, to fet myself thus against the Learn ed World. The Charge I deny, and appeal from them, and from popular Prejudice, to common Senfe.

BUT before I enter upon that unmeaning Thing the Law of Nature, &c. It will be neceffary to take a View of the Decalogue or Ten Commandments: I have already declared my Sentiments of the ceremonial Laws, and the Reafon of the Addition of the Ten; I fhall profecute this by in quiring into their Purport and Meaning, to fee whether their primary Meaning be not far above what we mean by the Laws of focial Life.

THERE never was any Difpute between the Jews, and the Heathens about what the Elabim was to do; both Sides expected Protection, Salvation, Victory, &c. from their refpective Elabim. The Dispute was about who was Elabim, Jehovah. or his Agents; Jehovah, or the material Heavens,. (Nature); Jehovah afferts himself to be Elabim. The Heathens declare they know him not, nor

will

will acknowledge him; thus comes in the firft Commandment.

THOU fhalt have no other Elabim but me. There is no Difpute here. All agree that it relates to the true Object of Worship, and forbids all falfe Ones.

"From the Context, I am a spiritual uncreated Effence, and thy Soul an Image of me, a fpiritual created Effence; if thou enter into Covenant to worship any created Agents for Elahim, that is a Breach of the Terms of my Purification, and thou thereby forfeiteft the fpiritual Eftate granted by my Purification now exhibited; and my People are bound to ftone thee to Death, for a Tranfgreffor of the Terms, a Deferter, and a Rebel." as may be feen at large, Deut. xiii. If there arife among you a Prophet, or a Dreamer of Dreams, ! and giveth a Sign or a Wonder, and the Sign or the Wonder come to pafs, whereof he spake unto you faying, Let us go after other Elabim, which thou haft not known, and let us ferve them. Thou fhalt not hearken to the Words of that Prophet, or that Dreamer of Dreams, for Jehovah, your Elabim, proveth you, to know whether you love Febovab your Elabim, with your Heart, and with all your Soul; you shall walk after Jehovah your Elabim, and fear him, and keep his Commandments, and obey his Voice; and ye fhall ferve him, and cleave unto him; and that Prophet, or that Dreamer of Dreams, fhall be put to Death; (because he hath fpoken to turn you away from Jehovah your Elahim, which brought you out from the Land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the Houfe of Bondage, to thrust thee out of the Way, which Jehovah thy Elabim, commanded thee to walk in) fo fhalt thou put the Evil away G

from