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ferv'd, fhou'd be fo obferv'd; Or in other Words, we can't but know, if we in the leaft confider, that whatever Circumby the uni

stances Men are plac'd in, verfal Cause of all Things; that 'tis his eternal and immutable Will, by his placing them in these Circumstances, that they act as These require. 'Tis abfurd to imagine we are oblig'd to act Thus in fome Cafes, and not in others; when the Reafon for acting Thus in all is the fame. This Confideration alone will direct a Man how to act in all Conditions of Life, whether Father, Son, Husband, Servant, Subject, Mafter, King, &c. Thus we fee how the Reason of Things, or the Relation they have to each other, teaches us our Duty in all Cafes whatever. And I may add, that the better to cause Men to obferve those Rules, which make for their mutual Benefit, infinite Goodness has fown in their Hearts Seeds of Pity, Humanity and Tenderness, which, without much Difficulty, cannot be eradicated; but no thing operates more ftrongly than that Defire Men have of being in Esteem, Credit, and Reputation with their Fele low Creatures; not to be obtain'd without acting on the Principles of Natural Juftice, Equity, Benevolence, &c.

IN a Word, As a moft beneficent Difpofition in the fu preme Being is the Source of all his Actions in relation to his Creatures; fo he has implanted in Man, whom he has made after his own Image, a Love for his Species; the gratifying of which in doing Acts of Benevolence, Compaffion and good Will, produces a Pleasure that never fatiates; as on the contrary, Actions of Ill Nature, Envy, Malice, &c, never fail to produce Shame, Confufion, and everlasting SelfReproach.

AND now let any One fay, how 'tis poffible God could more fully make known his Will to all intelligent Crea

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tures, than by making every Thing within and without them a Declaration of it, and an Argument for observing it.

HAVING thus difcover'd our Duty, we may be fure it will always be the fame; fince Inconftancy, as it argues a Defect either of Wisdom or Power, can't belong to a Being infinitely wife and powerful: What unerring Wisdom has once instituted can have no Defects; and as God is entirely free from all Partiality, his Laws must alike extend to all Times and Places.

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FROM these Premifes, I think, we may boldly draw this Conclufion, That if Religion confists in the Practice of those Duties, that refult from the Relation we ftand in to God and Man, our Religion must always be the fame. If God is unchangeable, our Duty to him must be fo too; if human Nature continues the fame, and Men at all Times ftand in the fame Relation to one another, the Duties which refult from those Relations must always be the fame: And confequently, our Duty to God and Man muft, from the Beginning of the World to the End, always be the fame; always alike plain and perfpicuous, and can neither be chang'd in Whole or Part; which demonftrates that no Perfon, if he comes from God, can teach us any other Religion, or give us any Precepts, but what are founded on thofe Relations. Heaven and Earth fhall fooner pass away, than one Tittle of this Eternal Law fhall either be abrogated, or alter'd.

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To fum up all in few Words, As Nature teaches Men to unite for their mutual Defence, and Government was instituted folely for this End; fo to make This more effectual, Religion, which reaches the Thoughts, was wholly ordain'd; it being impoffible for God, in governing the World, to propose to himself any other End than the Good of the governed; and confequently, whoever acts what is best for

himself both in a publick, and private Capacity, does alf that either God or Man can require. Thus from the Confideration of our own Imperfections, which we continually feel; and the Perfections of our Creator, which we constantly view in all his Works; we may arrive to the Knowledge of our Duty, both to our Creator and Fellow-Creatures. Hence I think, we may define True Religion to confist in a conftant Difpofition of Mind to do all the Good we can; and thereby render ourselves acceptable to God in answering the End of his Creation.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

That the Perfection and Happiness of all rational Beings, fupreme as well as fubordinate, confifts in living up to the Dictates of their Nature.

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XXXXO make This, (fince all our Happiness depends on it) if poffible, more plain; The Principle from which all human Actions flow is the Defire of XXXX Happiness; and God, who does nothing in vain, would in vain have implanted this Principle, This only innate Principle in Mankind, if he had not given them Reason to discern what Actions make for, and against their Happiness.

B. WHEREIN do you take the Happiness of rational Creatures to confift? Without knowing That, this Controverfy can't be determin'd; and when 'tis known, our Dispute must foon be ended,

A. THE Happiness of all Beings whatever confists in the Perfection of their Nature; and the Nature of a rational Being is most perfect, when it is perfectly rational; that is, when it governs all its Actions by the Rules of right Reason; for then it arrives to the most perfect, and confequently the happiest State a rational Nature can aspire to; and every Deviation from the Rules of right Reason being an Imperfection, must carry with it a proportionable Unhappiness; and a Man's Happiness and Duty must con

fift in the fame Things, fince no One can be oblig'd to do any Thing that does not fome Way or other contribute to his Happiness; and confequently according to the Senfe Men have of their own Happiness, and of the Means which will naturally procure it, they will affuredly attain the Knowledge of their respective Duties.

B. If we know wherein the Happiness of God, who is neceffarily happy, confifts, we might judge wherein confifts the Happiness of Man made after God's own Image; and whether Happiness, or Mifery are the neceffary Consequence · of his Actions.

Part 2. Vol:

A. Because this is a Point of the highest Confequence, I shall speak my Sentiments (that they may the better pass with you) in the Words of the judicious Dr. Scot, who says, "That which renders God fo infinitely happy in himself, Chrft. Life "is not fo much the Almighty Power he has to defend him- Ch.1, "felf from foreign Hurts and Injuries, as the exact Agree"ment of all his Actions with the All-comprehending Rea"fon of his own Mind. God loves not himself meerly be"cause he is himself, but because he is in all Refpects mo

rally good, and his Will and Power perfectly compliant "with the infallible Dictates of his own Reafon: Hence "arifes his infinite Complacency in himself, that there's nothing in him but what his own Reafon perfectly approvés; no Inclinations in his Will, or Nature, but what δε are exactly agreeable to the faireft Ideas of his own "Mind.

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If the Perfection, and confequently the Happiness of God, confifts in the Purity and Rectitude of his Nature, we, as far as we can arrive to a like Purity and Rectitude, muft be fo far neceffarily happy; fince by living according to the Rules of right Reason, we more and more implant

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