did not err? But however, be that as it SERM. will, Defects there are, and confequently VIII. a Want of Liberty: The Introduction of Evil, come which way it will into the World, being an Introduction of Slavery, the next Question then is, where shall we find a Remedy for it? What fays Human Reason to this? Why, nothing at all; but, conscious of her own Weakness, sends us to feek a Remedy from Faith: Accordingly, in all Ages and Countries of the World, Faith, of one kind or other, has ever subsisted, there being always a Ground and Foundation for it, arifing from the Defects of Reason, excepting only among a few Advocates for Human Reafon, who, carrying the Matter too far, would needs make it every thing, infinitely perfect, an abfolute Guide in all things, &c. But in the mean time it is not fo, it is not an abfolute Guide in Philofophy, any more than in Religion. This Reasoning of theirs goes all along upon the Suppofition that Men are otherwise than they are, like the Stoic Philofophy, which, mistaking the Nature of Man, was level'd against

more

SERM. more than one half of the Human ComVIII. pofition, and calculated to perfwade Men

out of their Senfes, by directing them to regard nothing but Reason: But yet, notwithstanding this, we find that this was only thwarting Nature all the while; for the Stoics wenton believing, hoping, fearing, loving, &c. as thefe Gentlemen, and all the rest of the World do: Thus, at the fame time that they pretend to have disbanded all the Forces that come from any other Quarter but Reason, they are fore'd to call the Paffions to their Affistance ftill; therefore it matters not how it appears in Speculation, fince the Fact is otherwife.

They talk great things indeed of Uniformity, and Immutability of Reason, but the Fact wants to be prov'd, fince it has not yet been able with all these Advantages to produce any one confiftent Scheme. Morality and Virtue too are much talk'd of, as if they were to be found no where but in Deifm, but they have there no folid Foundation to reft upon : For no Man has ever had Authority enough to

fettle

fettle the abfolute Nature of it, nor to SERM. give it a proper Sanction: So that this VIII. Religionof Nature, or Reason, is no one knows what, because it is to be found no one knows where.

Now upon the Foot of Christianity every thing is clear and eafy; here every thing goes on confiftent with Nature. This Scheme confiders Man, as being what he is, in a State of Corruption and Slavery by Sin; for of whom a Man is overcome, of the fame is he brought in Bondage, and provides a Remedy for it by directing every Faculty within us to its proper Object. It deftroys no Advantage to be had from Reason, but carries it on to greater Perfection: It deftroys Reason indeed, when it becomes arrogant, and exalts itself into the Throne of God. In this Senfe it is, that it deftroys the Wif dom of the Wife, and brings to nothing the Understanding of the Prudent: For, as the Apoftle further obferves, God hath made foolish the Wisdom of this World. And we fhall fee a lively Inftance of this, if we compare two Sorts of People together;

they

SERM, they who rely entirely upon Philosophy, VIII. and the Wisdom of Man; and they, who, knowing nothing of this, depend only upon that Wisdom, which the Greeks call'd Foolishness. It is very remarkable, that a plain honest Man has a better Notion of things than the other with all his Learning and Philofophy: For fuch a one acts more agreable to the Simplicity of Nature, gives his Faculties room to exert themselves in a kindly Manner, and fuffers them to have their proper Influence: Whereas, on the contrary, the Man of Reafon is for ever contradicting Nature; the Senfes, the Paffions are nothing in his Scheme; he believes nothing unless he fees the Reafon of it; accordingly Philofophy is bound to give it him, which it does: And what is it after all, but one Link of that grand univerfal Chain that is drawn over all Nature, and reaches up. to the Infinity of God. How much wiser does he act, who, finding the Impoffibility of difcerning the whole of any one thing in Nature, i. e. the thing with all its Relations, refts fatisfied in the Faith of God, who from an abfolute

Knowledge

Knowledge of all Nature has furnish'd SERM. him with fuch Rules, as are the Refult of VIII. the infinite Relations of Things, which

is of the fame Advantage to him, as if he knew all Nature himself?

Here then lies the Difference between the two Schemes: Philofophy refers all things to the Wisdom of Man, and Faith refers all things to the Divine Wisdom ; that it may not stand, as the Apoftle fays, in the Power of Man, but in the Wifdom of God. In one Scheme all things are confiftent, a Man acts agreable to his Make, and does not labour under the Abfurdity of contradicting Nature: In the other every thing is revers'd, it is all Confufion and Incónfiftency, it is unhinging the whole Human Frame, and rooting up the Foundations of Reafon, Morality, Religion, and every thing; and is as contrary to true Philofophy, as it is to Religion: For to difcard the Senfes and the Paffions, when there is a Ufe for them in Nature, and to reject Faith, when every thing offers that is proper to create it, is altogether as unphilofophical, if Philofo