We,

Systeme of Deism. Supreme and

made to serve, and in that Service blest ; If so, some Rules of Worship must be given, Distributed alike to all by Heaven: Else God were partial, and to some deny'd The Means His Justice shou'd for all provide. This general Worship is to PRAISE, and PRAY: One part to borrow Blessings, one to pay: 51 And when frail Nature slides into Offence, The Sacrifice for Crimes is Penilence. Yet, since th' Effects of Providence, we find Are variously dispensed to Humane kind; That Vice Triumphs and Vertue suffers here, (A Brand that Sovereign justice cannot bear ;)

Our Reason prompts us to a future State, The last Appeal from Fortune, and from Fate, Where God's all-righteous ways will be declar'd, 60

The Bad meet Punishment, the Good, Reward.

Thus Man by his own strength to Heaven wou'd soar:

Of Reveal'd Religion.

And wou'd not be Obliged to
God for more.
Vain, wretched Creature, how art thou
misled

To think thy Wit these God-like notions bred!

These Truths are not the product of thy Mind,

But dropt from Heaven, and of a Nobler kind.

And with Coelestial Wealth supply'd thy Store ;

His Justice makes the Fine, his Mercy quits the Score.

See God descending in thy Humane Frame;
Th' offended, suffering in th' Offenders name:
All thy Misdeeds to Him imputed see,
And all his Righteousness devolv'd on thee. |

For granting we have Sin'd, and that th' offence

Of Man, is made against Omnipotence,

III

Weave such agreeing Truths? or how or why Shou'd all conspire to cheat us with a Lye? Unask'd their Pains, ungratefull their Advice, Starving their Gain and Martyrdom their Price.

If on the Book itself we cast our view, Concurrent Heathens prove the Story True: The Doctrine, Miracles; which must convince,

For Heav'n in Them appeals to humane Sense;

paid

And Infinite with Infinite be weigh'd.

See then the Deist lost: Remorse for Vice Not paid, or paid, inadequate in price : What farther means can Reason now direct, Or what Relief from humane Wit expect? That shews us sick; and sadly are we sure Still to be Sick, till Heav'n reveal the Cure: 120

If then Heaven's Will must needs be understood,

(Which must, if we want Cure, and Heaven be Good,)

Let all Records of Will reveal'd be shown ;) With Scripture, all in equal ballance thrown, And our one Sacred Book will be That one.

the Cause,

150 When what is Taught agrees with Natures Laws.

Then for the Style, Majestick and Divine, It speaks no less than God in every Line; Commanding words; whose Force is still the

same

As the first Fiat that produc'd our Frame. All Faiths beside, or did by Arms ascend; Or Sense indulg'd has made Mankind their Friend;

This onely Doctrine does our Lusts oppose : Unfed by Natures Soil, in which it grows; Cross to our Interests, curbing Sense and Sin;

160

Oppress'd without, and undermin'd within, It thrives through pain; its own Tormentours tires;

And with a stubborn patience still aspires. To what can Reason such Effects assign, Transcending Nature, but to Laws Divine? Which in that Sacred Volume are contain'd; Sufficient, clear, and for that use ordained.

But stay the Deist here will urge anew, NoSupernatural Worship can be Objection of

True:

the Deist.

Because a general Law is that alone 170
Which must to all and every where be known:
A Style so large as not this Book can claim,
Nor aught that bears reveal'd Religions
Name.

'Tis said the sound of a Messiah's Birth
Is gone through all the habitable Earth:
But still that Text must be confin'd alone
To what was Then inhabited, and known:
And what Provision could from thence accrue
To Indian Souls. and Worlds discovered
New?

Extend the Merits of that Son to Man? Who knows what Reasons may his Mercy lead;

Or Ignorance invincible may plead?
Not onely Charity bids hope the best,
But more the great Apostle has exprest: 199
That, if the Gentiles, (whom no Law inspir'd,)
By Nature did what was by Law required,
They, who the written Rule had never known,
Were to themselves both Rule and Law alone :
To Natures plain indictment they shall plead;
And, by their Conscience, be condemn'd or
freed.

Most Righteous Doom! because a Rule reveal'd

Is none to Those, from whom it was conceal'd.

Then those who follow'd Reasons Dictates right;

Liv'd up, and lifted high their Natural Light; With Socrates may see their Maker's Face, While Thousand Rubrick-Martyrs want a place.

Nor does it baulk my Charity to find Th' Egyptian Bishop of another mind:

211

193 Sons] This is genitive singular. Scott wrongly wished to read Sn

289

Restore lost Canon with as little pains,
As truly explicate what still remains :
Which yet no Council dare pretend to doe
Unless like Esdras, they could write it new :
Strange Confidence, still to interpret true,
Yet not be sure that all they have explain'd,
Is in the blest Original contain'd.
More Safe, and much more modest 'tis to say
God wou'd not leave Mankind without a way:
And that the Scriptures, though not every
where

Free from Corruption, or intire, or clear,
Are uncorrupt, sufficient, clear, intire,
In all things which our needfull Faith
require.
300

If others in the same Glass better see,
'Tis for Themselves they look, but not for me:
For My Salvation must its Doom receive
Not from what OTHERS, but what I believe.

Must all Tradition then be
set aside ?
This to affirm were Ignorance
or Pride.

Are there not many points, some needfull sure

To

Objection in behalf of Tradition; urg'd by Father Simon.

saving Faith, that Scripture leaves obscure ?

Which every Sect will wrest a several way (For what one Sect interprets, all Sects may :) We hold, and say we prove from Scripture)

Which Exposition flows from genuine Sense;
And which is forc'd by Wit and Eloquence.
Not that Traditions parts are useless here:
When general, old, disinteress'd and clear:
That Ancient Fathers thus expound the Page
Gives Truth the reverend Majesty of Age,
Confirms its force by biding every Test;
For best Authority's, next Rules, are best.
And still the nearer to the Spring we go 340
More limpid, more unsoyl'd, the Waters flow.
Thus, first Traditions were a proof alone;
Cou'd we be certain such they were, so
known:

But since some Flaws in long descent may be,
They make not Truth but Probability.
Even Arius and Pelagius durst provoke
To what the Centuries preceding spoke.
Such difference is there in an oft-told Tale:
But Truth by its own Sinews will prevail.
Tradition written therefore more commends
Authority, than what from Voice descends:
And this, as perfect as its kind can be,
Rouls down to us the Sacred History :
Which, from the Universal Church receiv'd,
Is try'd, and after for its self believed.

352

In times o'ergrown with Rust and Ignorance,

370

A gainfull Trade their Clergy did advance : When want of Learning kept the Laymen low,

And none but Priests were Authoriz'd to know;

When what small Knowledge was, in them did dwell;

And he a God who cou'd but Reade or Spell;
Then Mother Church did mightily prevail :
She parcel'd out the Bible by retail:
But still expounded what She sold or gave;
To keep it in her Power to Damn and Save:
Scripture was scarce, and as the Market went,
Poor Laymen took Salvation on Content ; 381
As needy men take Money, good or bad:
God's Word they had not, but the Priests
they had.

Yet, whate'er false Conveyances they made,
The Lawyer still was certain to be paid.
In those dark times they learn'd their knack
so well,

That by long use they grew Infallible:
At last, a knowing Age began t' enquire
If they the Book, or That did them inspire:
And, making narrower search they found,
thổ late,
390
That what they thought the Priest's was
Their Estate,

Taught by the Will produc'd, (the written
Word,)

How long they had been cheated on Record.
Then, every man who saw the title fair,
Claim'd a Child's part, and put in for a Share:
Consulted Soberly his private good;
And sav'd himself as cheap as e'er he cou'd.

'Tis true, my Friend, (and far be Flattery hence)

This good had full as bad a Consequence: The Book thus put in every vulgar hand, 400 Which each presum'd he best cou'd understand,

The Common Rule was made the common Prey;

And at the mercy of the Rabble lay.
The tender Page with horney Fists was
gaul'd;

And he was gifted most that loudest baul'd;
The Spirit gave the Doctoral Degree,
And every member of a Company
Was of his Trade and of the Bible free.

}