nour, be not thou united) tho', I hope, Christianity does not stand in need of any fuch propping. The fondness and partiality men usually have for the particular scheme of religion they adhere to, in fome meafure arifes from hence, viz. men confider it as the peculiar property of themselves and their party, and, therefore, they defend and maintain it, and guard against all objections that may be made to it, with the fame kind of caution and watchfulness, as a man does, who defends the title to his eftate, when called in question; and this leads them to be as jealous of having the weakness and defects of their religious scheme laid open, as a man is of having any defect in the title to his eftate discovered: whereas, religion is not the peculiar property of any person or party whatever, nor are men competitors with each other in regard to it; if one man makes profession of religion in any shape, and is influenced by fuch profeffion, this does not, in the least, bar or hinder any other man from making the like profeffion, nor from Sharing in the like influence, fo that men cannot become competitors with each other in these respects; and, therefore, they ought not to be confidered, nor treated as Q2 enemies

enemies to each other, either for their affent, or diffent, for their conformity, or non-conformity, with relation thereto. If a man follows the common cry, and affents to the creed that is generally received as orthodox, and conforms to the ceremonies that have been established by custom, or otherwife, no other man is a gainer thereby; or if he diffents in these respects, no other man is a lofer by his fo doing; and, therefore, neither affent, nor diffent, neither conformity, nor non-conformity, with regard to any fyftem of religion, whether it be generally received, or not, can be a just ground for enmity or resentment. Religion is what all men, in common, have an equal right to, and are equally interested in ; as they have an equal right to, and are equally interested in, the common air in which they breathe; and therefore, as every man has a natural right to receive, or reject any scheme of religion, as he shall fee caufe, without asking any man's leave for fo doing; fo he has a right, or rather it is his duty, to enquire into the truth of any scheme of religion, that may be recommended to him, or attempted to be put upon him, with the fame freedom and impartiality, and with the fame kind of care and caution, as he would, or ought to

en

enquire into the goodness and wholfomeness of the food he eats, or the air he breathes in, when the cafe requires that he should; feeing falfe religion, (like bad food and bad air) may be as much to his hurt, as true religion (like good food and good air) may be beneficial to him. The enquiry is not like enquiring into the title to a man's eftate, in which cafe the enquirer knows certainly, before-hand, on which fide of the question his intereft lies, and thereby he is very naturally disposed to hope, and prefume, that truth and his intereft are on the same fide of the question; and this leads him to endeavour to support and maintain that fide of the question only, and to fee every thing in a strong light that is favourable to it, and to lessen and suppress what may be be urged on the other fide; whereas, in the cafe before us, until the matter has been fairly tried, and a proper judgment has been made, it is altogether uncertain, whether truth, duty and interest, so far as true religion may be confidered as a man's interest, * lie on one

* By intereft, I do not mean a man's worldly intereft, but the improvement of a man's mind and life, in virtue and goodness, here, and the recommending him to the love and favour of God, and, confequently, the heightening his happinefs hereafter; and this, I think,

may

fide of the queftion, or on the other, So that, in all queftions, relating to religion, it is not to be prefumed, nor taken for granted, that truth, duty, and intereft are on one particular fide of the question, and not on the other; becaufe fuch prefumption will dispose a man to examine the cafe partially, and he will think himself concerned to fupport one fide of the question only; whereas, on the contrary, both fides of the question ought to be looked upon with indifference, until the cafe has paffed a fair trial; and, as it ought to be examined with the utmost freedom and impartiality; fo, the mind ought to be discharged from every biafs, that may mislead it, in forming a judgment upon the point in question; this, I fay, ought to be done, and indeed will be done, if we act properly, and fuitably to our intelligent natures.

BUT to return. As Idolaters, in all countries and times, excepting the idolatrous Canaanites, have been fo far indulged, and their idolatrous practices overlooked, as that no special commiffion from heaven has been granted to destroy them; fo, furely, God, that is the fupreme Deity, who is the com

may properly be faid to be a man's highest intereft ; and this is the intereft which all religion ought,and which true religion, or the being truly religious, will be fubfervient to.

mon parent of mankind, (whatever the local national God of Ifrael might do) was not fo partially fevere to the Canaanites, nor fo partially kind to the Ifraelites, as to give a special commiffion to the latter, to destroy the former, root and branch, and to possess themselves of their country and habitations. And, on the other fide, if the extirpation of Idolaters, destroying them and their offspring utterly, was proper, and justifiable, under the difpenfation of Mofes, and, therefore, was appointed by the fupreme Deity; then it must be equally proper and juftifiable in all after-times, seeing idolatry is not lefs vile, nor less excufable, in equal circumstances, at one time, than at another; and, therefore, it is not lefs fo now, than heretofore; nor is God more kind, and more tender, of the lives of his creatures now, than in former times. I will conclude this fubject with the following reflection. God is ever unchangeable, as well with regard to his moral, as to his natural, perfections; he is equally difpofed, at all times, in all places, under all difpenfations, and in all worlds, to exercise pity towards all that are the proper objects of pity, and towards none but fuch; and alfo to fhew a fevere refentment upon all that Q4

render