turns not only that, but the whole Doctrine of Rewards and Punishments) then he who is convinc'd, and I hope to convince any reasonable Man, by this Argument, must give as full an Affent to the one as to the other Article; and whatever Teftimony is brought to confirm the Refurrection of the Body, does implicitly confirm the separate Existence of the Soul, which, as a part of the other, cannot want Scripture Proof, while that is fo fully and frequently declar'd in Scrip

ture.

2dly, It is not unusual in Scripture, but very agreeable to the Defign of it, for God to exercise the Industry of the Reader, by leaving many Confequences to be drawn from thence, by his own Reason, affifted by the Holy Spirit, which fhall guide every fincere Difciple into all Truth; all that is neceffary to his Salvation from fatal Errors, and from the Wrath to come, upon those that fall into them. A Queftion may arise upon this, how far fuch confequential Articles are neceffary to be believed. I answer, thofe that are neceffarily connected with fome other fundamental Articles, become neceffary Articles to thofe, and those only, who can comprehend that Connexion. God Almighty, in the Gofpel, has graciously proportion'd the Improvement of our Faith, to the Talent of our Understanding; and no

Man

Man fhall be condemn'd for any, but wilful Ignorance; for whatever is finful, is fo far wilful. We are told indeed of a Servant, who knew not his Lord's Will, and yet did Things worthy of Stripes; and accordingly was beaten with fome, tho' few Stripes, Luke 12. 48. but this Ignorance of his was not abfolutely fuch; but only comparatively to the greater Knowledge of the Pastors of the Church; whom therefore the great Shepherd requir'd, upon higher Obligations, to be faithful and wife Stewards, ver. 42, And this fhews how admirably the Gospel is fitted to serve that univerfal Design of it, the Salvation of all Men: For whereas the Heathen Religion was calculated above the Understanding of the Vulgar, and beneath the Belief of wife Men; the Gofpel opens a rich Mine of Divine Truths to employ the strongest, and yet has a Brightness and Simplicity difcernable by the weakest Underftanding. To know the ture God, and Jefus Christ whom he has fent, is Life eternal, and I doubt not to fome poor ignorant Creatures, who are never freed, all their Lives, from the groffeft Conceptions of the Deity; and who scarce understand one, of the many Articles included in this, the Million of Jefus Chrift. And poffibly the Condescention is yet greater to some Capacities; for St. Paul gives us this, as one Defcription

Joh.17.3.

Defcription of Faith, To believe that God is, and that he is [in general Terms] a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him. And therefore the Immortality of the Soul may be a true Christian Doctrine, contain❜d in the very Promise of a Reward; tho' it is not fo deliver'd, as to become neceffary for all Mankind to believe; but on the other hand, if it is deduc'd from Scripture by just Confequences (and that, I think, is the leaft that can be faid of the preceding Proof) these Consequences will be found to prefs hard upon those, whom God has enabled to see the length of them; for all that he has done, or perhaps can do, to make any Man fee, is to give him Eyes, and create Light. But,

3dly, It is not altogether unaccountable, why this Doctrine in particular, of the Immortality of the Soul, is not fo exprefly, and obviously laid down in Scripture, as our Adverfaries challenge us to fhew it; and this will appear to our Satisfaction, if we confider the Perfons to whom the Scripture was immediately directed, and those for whofe Ufe it was farther defign'd. The lively Oracles of the Old Teftament belong'd to the Acts 7. 38. Jews, and to them only; and neiRom. 3. 2. ther our Lord, nor his Apostles,

9. 4. while he was upon Earth, preach'd to any other Nation; but by this time I may

prefume

Tufc.l. I.

prefume the Immortality, and separate Exiftence of the Soul, was an avowed Principle of the Jews, deny'd only by one Sect, and that, which is very remarkable, oppos'd in this very point by our Lord himfelf. The Gentiles to whom the Apostles preach'd afterward, are divided by St. Paul into Greeks and Barbarians: This was the conftant Doctrine of the chiefest of the Greek Philofophers, and the receiv'd Principle of the Vulgar; and as to the Barbarians, Tully, who well understood the Opinions of both, tells us, Permanere Animos arbitramur confenfu Nationum omnium. Now if I were to convince a Man of an Error, and my Proof proceeded upon the Suppofition of fome Principle belonging to us both; I fhou'd think there was no Neceffity, whatever Reafon there might be, to controvert that Principle; which tho' it may be difputable in it felf, is an Axiom between him and me. and thus a Man may make ufe of a falfe Principle, if it is his Adversaries, and rightly infer from it; but this Practice is only for the fake of Victory, or to give him a fight of his Error; but if I hop'd to fettle his Mind upon the Foundation of Truth, I fhou'd think my self oblig'd to build upon a true Principle; nay, I fhould be neglectful of my Duty to him, if I endeavour'd to lead him into any one Truth, by countenancing

any

any other Error, especially an Error of Moment and Confequence, in him. Is it then becoming the Character of our bleffed Lord and his Apostles, to fuppofe this Principle (as I have fhewn they fuppofe it in several of their Arguments) or fo much as to countenance it, by adapting their Sense, and their Expreffions to fuch a Belief; and fo to fupport, by their Authority, an Opinion which had its Foundation in Error, and wou'd afterwards have a very large Superstructure in Wickedness? No! they were Reformers that knew exactly where to stop, and cou'd fix upon the very Line that bounded Truth; and therefore whatever Principles amongst the Heathens they have left undemolish'd, either by their own Hands, or by their Scheme of Religion left behind them, no Man fhou'd presume to call them Heathenish ftill; efpecially whatever they have favour'd fo much, as to build upon them: but he ought rather to conclude, that had they not been found standing, they wou'd have been erected by the Finisher of our Faith. Whatever Eftibius may think, I am not asham'd to suppose with him, that the Immortality of the Soul had its Birth from the natural and unaffifted Notions of Mens Minds ; but this I can look upon as no Difparagement to any Principle, that is afterward adopted into the Christian System. 4thly, And