ever disclosed or underflood. Faith even then will be necessary, and there will be mysteries which cannot be penetrated by the most exalted archangel, and truths which cannot be known by him otherwife than from revelation, or believed upon any other ground of affent, than a fubmiffive confidence in the divine wifdom. What, then, fhall man prefume that his weak and narTow understanding is fufficient to guide him into all truth, without any need of revelation or faith? Shall he complain that the ways of God are not like his ways, and paft his finding out? True philosophy, as well as true Chriftianity, would teach us a wifer and modefter part. It would teach us to be content within those bounds which God has affigned to us, cafting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift?

End of Lord Lyttleton's Letter.

A DISCOURSE

CONCERNING

THE OBLIGATIONS OF RELIGION,

AND THE

Truth and Certainty

OF THE

CHRISTIAN REVELATION.

BY SAMUEL CLARK, D. D.

THAT fomething muft need have existed from

eternity, and how great foever the difficulties are, which perplex the conceptions and apprehenfions we attempt to frame of an eternal duration, yet they neither ought nor can raife in any man's mind any doubt or fcruple concerning the truth of the affertion itself: that Something has really been eternal.

THAT there must have exifted from eternity fome one unchangeable and independent Being; because to suppose an eternal fucceffion of merely dependent beings, proceeding one from another

in an endless progreffion without any original independent caufe at all, is fuppofing things that have in their own natrue no neceffity of exifting, to be from eternity caufed or produced by nothing, which is the very fame abfurdity and exprefs contradiction, as to fuppofe them produced by nothing at any determinate time.

THAT that unchangeable and independent being which has exifteft from eternity, without any external cause of its existence, muft be felf-exiftent, that is, neceffarily exifting.

THAT it must of neceffity be infinite or every where prefent; a being moft fimple, uniform, invariable, indivifible, incorruptible, and infinitely removed from all fuch imperfections, as are the known qualities and infeparable properties of the Material world.

THAT it muft of neceffity be but One, because to suppose two, or more, different felf-exiftent independent principles, may be reduced to a direct contradiction.

THAT it must neceffarily be an intelligent being.

THAT it must be a free and voluntary, not a neceffary agent.

THAT this being muft of neceffity have infinite power; and that in this attribute is included particularly, a poffibility of creating or producing

things, and alfo a poffibility of communicating to creatures the power of beginning motion, and a poffibility of enduing them with liberty or freedom of will, which freedom of will is not inconfiftent with any of the divine attributes.

THAT he must of neceffity be infinitely wife. AND laftly, That he muft neceffarily be a being of infinite goodness, juftice, and truth, and all other perfections, fuch as become the Supreme Governor and Judge of the World.

Ir remains now, in order to compleat my defign of proving and establishing the truth and excellency of the whole superstructure of our moft Holy Religion; that I proceed, upon this foundation of the certainty of the being and attributes of God, to demonftrate in the next place the unalterable obligations of Natural Religion, and the certainty of Divine Revelation, in oppofition to the vain arguings of certain vicious and profane men, who, merely upon account of their incredulity, would be thought to be ftrict adherers to reason, and fincere and diligent inquirers into truth; when indeed on the contrary there is but too much caufe to fear, that they are not at all fincerely and really defirous to be fatisfied in the true state of things, but only feek under the pretenfe and cover of infidility, to excufe their vices and debaucheries, which they are fo

Arongly enflaved to, that they cannot prevail with themselves upon any account to forfake them; and yet a rational fubmitting to fuch truths, as juft evidence and unanswerable reason would induce them to believe, muft neceffarily make them uneafy under, and felf-condemned in the practice of them. It remains therefore (I fay) in order to finish the defign I propofed to myself, of establishing the truth and excellency of our Holy Religion, in oppofition to all fuch vain pretenders to reafon as thefe, that I proceeded at this time, by, a continuation of the fame method of arguing, by which I before demonftrated the being and attributes of God, to prove diftinctly the following propofitions.

1. THAT the fame neceffary and eternal relations, that different things bear one to another, and the fame confequent fitnefs or unfitness of the application of different things or different relations one to another; with regard to which the will of God always and neceffarily does determine itself to choose to act only what is agreeable to justice, equity, goodness, and truth, in order to the welfare of the whole univerfe, ought likewise constantly to determine the wills of all fubordinate rational beings, to govern all their actions by the fame rules, for the good of the public in their respective ftations: that is, these