to accompany Dr. Benson through his fubfequent. Account of it, which he thus introduces: "As

66

to Reafon indeed, they" (that is, the rational Divines)" cannot allow themselves to blafpheme, or Speak evil of it; because they look upon it as the "Candle of the Lord within them, that Gift of God, "whereby they are rendered wifer than the Fowls of "the Air, or the Beasts of the Field." This Sentence, I apprehend, is intended to inform us, that Reason is that Gift of God which renders us, confidered as Animals, fuperior to the reft of the Animal Creation, in things relating to Animal Life; and confidered as Rationals, as the Candle of the Lord within us, by whofe Light we are, or may be, enabled to discover him, who is the Fountain of Light, that kindled it in us, and the Paths that lead to his Favour. And if fo, then to be fure they are in the right not to fpeak Evil of it; tho' it is but too notorious, that in their warm Vindications of fpeculative Chriftianity, they are oft egregiously guilty of what, we are told by Dr. Benfon, they do not coolly allow themfelves in. Dr. Benfon, I prefume, will hardly exclude Dr. Manton from the number of rational Divines, who I fhall therefore produce as a melancholy Inftance (tho' I believe inconfiderately) of blafpheming and fpeaking evil of Reafon, by greatly depreciating it. The Doctor, having attempted to fhew the fuperlative Excellency of Faith, and that Reason has a juft Title to its proper, that is, a secondary Regard, provided it keeps its Place, by being fubordinate

H

fubordinate to Faith, proceeds, " It" (that is, Faith)"informs us that the Heathens had never

66

36

Light enough for Salvation. Their Charity is too large, who think that the Heathens may be taught

enough by thofe natural Apoftles Sun, Moon, and "Stars. Certainly they are, blind in the Work of "Redemption fince they are blind to the Work of "Creation. Tho' God has not left himself without "Witness, Acts xiv. 17. That is, fuch as may "lead them to God their Creator; yet not to lead "them to God the Redeemer. There is enough given "to the Heathens for Conviction; but not for Converfion; therefore, all thofe that God would call

..

to himself he gave them a higher Light, even the "Revelation of the Word. Tho' Nature tells us "there is a God; yet what he is, and how to be "worshipped, and how he came to be difpleafed "with the World, and how he came to be reconciled, of all this it telleth us nothing. Nature finds

66

itself depraved, but it knows not the Remedy "and Cure." Now tho' Dr. Benfon and a thoufand other rational Divines may not carry their Veneration for Faith to fo great a heighth; yet the Inftance I have exhibited, and the Difference betwixt the Doctor's Opinion and that of other rational Divines, touching the State of Heathens, will fufficiently juftify me in making the two following Inferences :

I. That we cannot be too cautious of thinking diminutively of Reafon, or of exchanging the certain

tain great Advantages we derive from its natural and clear Illuminations, for those we may be tempted to expect from fome other, tho' of a fuppofed fupernatural, yet of an obviously indif tinct and convulfive Glare; for would not fuch an incautious Procedure be a Cafe analogous to that of the Traveller, who was betrayed into a dangerous Ditch by an Ignis Fatuus, whose Guidance he inadvertently chose to follow, before that of the Lamp which he carried in his Hand.

II. How little reafon we have to expect a rational and fatisfactory Information what it is we are required to understand the Gospel to be; or to believe with regard to the Number, or the proper and diftinct Matter of its peculiar Doctrines; whilst Divines themselves appear to know so little of, and to differ fo widely about it.

But other Divines may do as they please, Dr. Benson feemed determined (in the next Sentence that in Order occurs to be confidered) to do Juftice to Reason, whatever he may do when he changes. Sides, and it becomes his immediate Bufinefs to treat of, and do honour to Faith. Reason, at prefent, is the Idol he chufes to bow down to; It is, faith he, the infeparable, as well as the peculiar, Glory of every inteligent Being. And if fo, then it must be a fufficient Guide to every intelligent Being in all momentous Affairs; feeing it does but what is congruous to its Nature, in di

recting

recting to fuch a Conduct, as will terminate in hist Glory; and it must be perfectly repugnant to its Nature, to lead him to any thing inglorious to him. So that an intelligent Being can only render himself inglorious, by acting without consulting his Reason, or contrary to its Dictates when confulted; and therefore, as it is the infeparable and peculiar Glory of, fo it is evidently defign'd for a conftant and ready Guide to, every intelligent Creature. And as there may be a Variety of intelligent Creatures, of whom the Understanding or reasoning Faculty, proper to each Species, has its determinate Extent and Limitation affigned it, by the wife Director of the whole rational Community; fo it is manifeftly natural to conclude, that every Individual ought to aspire towards the Perfection of his Nature, by cultivating his own Understanding to the utmost, and bounding it by nothing but that peculiar Extent and Limitation of it, which is fixed to his refpective Species. And that it reflects no Dishonour on the general Reason of any particular Species, nor on the Understanding of any Individual of it, when it is found unable to give a Solution to Difficulties infuperable to it, under the respective Limitations fixed to the Species of which the Enquirer is a Member. However, Dr. Benfon has, in behalf of his Reverend Brethren the rational Divines, made a Conceffion at once, to the rational Freethinker, of all that he has ever contended for; namely, that Reason is firft, the Glory; fecondly,

an

an infeparable Glory; and thirdly, the peculiar Glory, of every intelligent Being. First, if Reafon be the Glory of an intelligent Being, it is fo because it is that by which alone he is capable of justly arranging his Ideas, and perceiving their Agreement or Difagreement, and thereby of diftinguishing betwixt Truth and Falfhood, Good and Evil, in all thofe things in which his Duty and Happiness are concerned; and confequently, whatever Knowledge is useful in these Respects, it is only to be obtained by the due Use of his Reafon or Understanding. Secondly, if Reason be à Glory infeparable from an intelligent Being, it could never, at any time, by any Means, much lefs by the Tranfgreffion of any one Individual of the Species, have been feparated from the whole human Race, without finking the Property of Intelligence to the Species (which is not pretended) because while any one continues an intelligent Being, he must continue to be poffeffed of every Property effential to Intelligence; and Reafon being fo fpecifically effential to it (in that higher Senfe in which Dr. Benfon uses the Term Intelligence) that a Being void of Reason cannot, with any Propriety, be denominated intelligent. And. therefore, a Being void of Reason, that is, void of a Capacity of Ratiocination, which will enable him to perceive the Connection or Repugnancy of his own Ideas, when under a proper Arrangement, and to draw juft and natural Conclufions from their proper Premiffes; fuch a Being cannot be account

able