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314

II.

CHAP. VI.

Of the Want of Univerfality in Revelation: and of the fuppofed Deficiency in the Proof of it.

PART IT has been thought by fome Perfons, that if the Evidence of Revelation appears doubtful, this itself turns into a pofitive Argument against it: because it cannot be fuppofed, that if it were true, it would be left to fubfift upon doubtful Evidence. And the Objection against Revelation from its not being univerfal, is often infifted upon as of Weight.

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Now the Weakness of these Opinions may be fhewn, by obferving the Suppofitions on which they are founded: Which are really fuch as thefe; that it cannot be thought God would have bestowed any Favour at all upon us, unless in the Degree, which, we think, he might, and which, we imagine, would be moft to our particular Advantage; and alfo that it cannot be thought he would bestow a Favour upon any, unless he bestowed the fame upon all: Suppofitions which we find contra

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dicted, not by a few Inftances in God's natu- CHAP. ral Government of the World, but by the VI. general Analogy of Nature together.

Perfons who speak of the Evidence of Religion as doubtful, and of this fuppofed. Doubtfulness as a pofitive Argument against it, fhould be put upon confidering, what That Evidence indeed is, which they act upon with regard to their temporal Interests. For, it is not only extremely difficult, but, in many Cafes, abfolutely impoflible, to balance Pleasure and Pain, Satisfaction and Uneafiness, so as to be able to fay, on which Side the Overplus is. There are the like Difficulties and Impoffibilities in making the due Allowances, for a Change of Temper and Tafte, for Satiety, Difgufts, Ill-health: any of which render Men incapable of injoying, after they have obtained, what they moft eagerly defired. Numberless too are the Accidents, befides that one of untimely Death, which may even probably disappoint the beft concerted Schemes: And ftrong Objections are often seen to lie against them, not to be removed or anfwered, but which feem overbalanced by Reasons on the other Side; fo as that the certain Difficulties and Dangers of the Pursuit are, by every one, thought justly disregarded, upon account of the appearing greater Advantages in Cafe of Succefs, though there be

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PART but little Probability of it. Laftly, every one obferves our Liableness, if we be not upon our Guard, to be deceived by the Falfhood of Men, and the falfe Appearances of things: And this Danger must be greatly increased, if there be a ftrong Bias within, fuppofe from indulged Paffion, to favour the Deceit. Hence arifes that great Uncertainty and Doubtfulness of Proof, wherein our temporal Intereft really confifts; what are the most probable Means of attaining it; and whether those Means will eventually be successful. And numberlefs Inftances there are, in the daily Courfe of Life, in which all Men think it reasonable to engage in Pursuits, though the Probability is greatly against fucceeding; and to make fuch Provision for themselves, as it is fuppofeable they may have Occafion for, though the plain acknowledged Probability is, that they never fhall. Then those who think the Objection against Revelation, from its Light not being univerfal, to be of Weight, fhould obferve, that the Author of Nature, in numberlefs Inftances, bestows That upon fome, which he does not upon others, who feem equally to ftand in need of it. Indeed he appears to beftow all his Gifts, with the moft promifcuous Variety, among Creatures of the fame Species: Health and Strength, Capacities of Prudence and of Knowledge, Means of Improvement, Riches, and all ex

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ternal Advantages. And as there are not any CHAP. two Men found, of exactly like Shape and VI. Features: fo it is probable there are not any two, of an exactly like Conftitution, Temper and Situation, with regard to the Goods and Evils of Life. Yet, notwithstanding thefe Uncertainties and Varieties, God does exercise a natural Government over the World: and there is such a thing as a prudent and imprudent Inftitution of Life, with regard to our Health and our Affairs, under that his natural Government.

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As neither the Jewish nor Chriftian Revelation have been univerfal; and as they have been afforded to a greater or less Part of the World, at different Times: fo likewise, at different Times, both Revelations have had different Degrees of Evidence. The Jews who lived during the Succeffion of Prophets, that is, from Mofes till after the Captivity, had higher Evidence of the Truth of their Religion, than thofe had, who lived in the Interval between the last mentioned Period, and the Coming of Chrift. And the first Chriftians had higher Evidence of the Miracles wrought in Attestation of Christianity, than what we have now. They had also a ftrong prefumptive Proof of the Truth of it, perhaps of much greater Force, in way of Argument, than many think, of which we

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PART have very little remaining; I mean the preII. fumptive Proof of its Truth, from the Influence which it had upon the Lives of the Generality of its Profeffors. And we, or future Ages, may poffibly have a Proof of it, which they could not have, from the Conformity between the prophetick Hiftory, and the State of the World and of Christianity. And farther: - If we were to fuppofe the Evidence, which fome have of Religion, to amount to little more, than feeing that it may be true; but that they remain in great Doubts and Uncertainties about both its Evidence and its Nature, and great Perplexities concerning the Rule of Life: Others to have a full Conviction of the Truth of Religion, with a distinct Knowledge of their Duty: and Others feverally to have all the intermediate Degrees of religious Light and Evidence, which lie between these two-If we put the Cafe, that for the present, it was intended, Revelation fhould be no more than a fmall Light, in the midst of a World greatly overspread, notwithstanding it, with Ignorance and Darkness: that certain Glimmerings of this Light should extend, and be directed, to remote Distances, in fuch a Manner as that those who really partook of it, fhould not difcern from whence it originally came that Some in a nearer Situation to it, fhould have its Light obfcured, and, in different Ways and Degrees, intercepted: and

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