I may be thought poffibly to be in jeft in making fuch a propofal, and I believe I fhall find no one very ready to comply with it. 'Tis however I think abfolutely neceffary, either that fome one or other of them fhould do this, or that they should produce an inftance of fome univerfal alteration made in the religious fentiments and practices of mankind, without any pretence to miracles, or divine inspiration, in order to render the fuppofition poffible. Nothing certainly appears more incredible or unlikely; and I am apt to think, that no confiderate perfon will easily believe it, 'till fome inftance or other of the like nature can be produced, or the tempers of men beexceedingly altered. It is well known that the ancient lawgivers, amongst the Greeks and Romans, thought it neceffary, to fecure a due obedience to their laws, to pretend they received them by inspiration from the Gods. The Jewish republick owned its rife entirely to, at leaft, the fuppofed authority of God; and it was this which made the apostles of Chrift so abun come dantly Nor was who dantly fuccessful, because they declared Since therefore all the remarkable changes, as to religion and manners, that have ever been made in the world, have been introduced and managed by the pretence to, and claim of a divine authority, in the great authors of them; and fince it doth not, in the nature of the thing, seem probable, that mankind fhould, in any age of the world, be recovered from a state of univerfal degeneracy and ignorance, to a better state of knowledge and virtue, but under the influence of this perfwafion, that the perfons endeavouring to reform them act in the name of, and by warrant from God; a revelation from God, fupported by miracles, or other proper proofs, will appear appear highly neceffary, if it can be shewn that mankind ever have been in fuch a ftate of univerfal degeneracy and ignorance. It is an act worthy the fupreme * goodness to fave men from fuch deplorable circumstances, and becoming the infinite wisdom of God to interpofe by his own authority, the more effectually to accomplish it. I do not fee how this reasoning can be fhewn to be inconclufive, but by urging, what I think may be retorted on the objecters, with great advantage, viz, that God might reveal himself to every particular perfon; and that this would be a more certain means of reforming men, and entirely fuperfede the use and neceffity of miracles. 'Tis allowed that God might do so, if he had pleased. But then this would have been to treat men, not as reasonable beings, or free agents; and would have made their knowledge and virtue as neceffary as the fhape of their bodies, or features of their face i. e. 'tis to fuppose that God must have acted in a manner, not fuitable to the ftate and circumstances of his his creatures, but contrary to the reafon and nature of things. For as mankind are made capable of judging and determining for themselves; reason teaches us, that their religion and virtue fhould not be from an overuling neceffity or constraint, but the refult of an impartial enquiry, and free choice. But befides, this fuppofition, if it may be thought to remove one difficulty, yet manifeftly subftitutes a greater in its room. For, which is the most probable fuppofition; that God fhould, upon fome very extraordinary occafion, when there was need of his immediate interpofition, go a little out of the common course of things, to answer a very wife and gracious defign; or that he fhould continually fuperfede, and act contrary to thofe laws, which are of his own establishing? That God fhould be continually making a new revelation of himself to every man, tho' there was no real neceffity for it, is certainly more extraordinary and incredible, than that he fhould do it upon special occafions, when the general benefit of mankind required it, and might be effectually fecured by it. And |