Thirdly, Because morality gives a greater perfection to human nature, by quieting the mind, moderating the paffions, and advancing the happinefs of every man in his private capacity.

Fourthly, Because the rule of morality is much more certain than that of faith, all the civilized nations of the world agr eing in the great points of morality, as much as they differ in those of faith.

Fifthly, Becaufe infidelity is not of fo malignant a nature as immorality; or to put the fame reason in another light, because it is generally owned, there may be falvation for a virtuous infidel, (particularly in the case of invincible ignorance) but none for a vicious believer.

Sixthly, Becaufe faith feems to draw its principal, if not all its excellency, from the influence it has upon morality; as we fhall fee more at large, if we confider wherein confifts the excellency of faith, or the belief of revealed religion; and this I think is,

First, In explaining, and carrying to greater heights feveral points of morality.

Secondly, In furnishing new and ftronger motives to enforce the practice of morality.

Thirdly, In giving us more amiable ideas of the Supreme Being, more endearing notions of one another, and a truer ftate of ourselves, both in regard to the grandeur and vilenefs of our natures.

Fourthly, By fhewing us the blacknefs and deformity of vice, which in the chriftian fyftem is fo very great, that he who is poffeffed of all perfection and the fovereign judge of it, is reprefented by feveral of our divines as hating fin to the fame degree that he loves the facred perfon who was made the propitiation of it.

Fifthly, In being the ordinary and prefcribed method of making morality effectual to falvation.

I have only touched on these feveral heads, which every one who is converfant in difcourfes of this nature will eafily enlarge upon in his own thoughts, and draw conclufions from them which may be useful to him in the conduct of his life. One I am fure is fo obvious, that he cannot miss it, namely, that a man canot be perfect in his scheme of morality, who does

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not

not ftrengthen and fupport it with that of the chriftian faith

Befides this, I fhall lay down two or three other maxims which I think we may deduce from what has been faid.

Firft, That we fhould be particularly cautious of making any thing an article of faith, which does not contribute to the confirmation or improvement of morality.

Secondly, That no article of faith can be true and authentic, which weakens or fubverts the practical part of religion, or what I have hitherto called morality.

Thirdly, That the greatest friend of morality and natural religion, cannot poffibly apprehend any danger from embracing christianity, as it is preserved pure and uncorrupt in the doctrines of our national church.

There is likewise another maxim which I think may be drawn from the foregoing confiderations, which is this, that we should, in all dubious points, confider any ill confequences that may arife from them, fuppofing they fhould be erroneous, before we give up our affent to them.

For example, In that difputable point of perfecuting men for confcience fake, befides the imbittering their minds with hatred, indignation, and all the vehemence of refentment, and infnaring them to profefs what they do not believe; we cut them off from the pleafures and advantages of fociety, afflict their bodies, diftrefs their fortunes, hurt their reputations, ruin their families, make their lives painful, or put an end to them. Sure when I fee fuch dreadful confequences rifing from a principle, I would be as fully convinced of the truth of it, as of a mathematical demonstration, before I would venture to act upon it, or make it a part of my religion.

In this cafe the injury done our neighbour is plain and evident; the principle that puts us upon doing it, of a dubious and difputable nature. Morality feems highly violated by the one, and whether or no a zeal for what a man thinks the true fyftem of faith may juftify it, is very uncertain. I cannot but think, if our religion produces charity as well as zeal, it will not be for fhewing

itself

249 itself by fuch cruel inftances. But to conclude with the words of an excellent author, We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.

C

O

UR defects and follies are too often unknown to us; nay, they are fo far from being known to us, that they pass for demonftrations of our worth. This makes us eafy in the midst of them, fond to fhew them, fond to improve in them, and to be esteemed for them. Then it is that a thousand unaccountable conceits, gay inventions, and extravagant actions muft afford us pleasures, and difplay us to others in the colours which we ourselves take a fancy to glory in: And indeed there is fomething fo amufing for the time in this ftate of vanity and ill-grounded fatisfaction, that even the wifer world has chofen an exalted word to defcribe its inchantments, and called it The Paradife of Fools.

Perhaps the latter part of this reflexion may feem a falfe thought to fome, and bear another turn than what I have given; but it is at prefent none of my business to look after it, who am going to confess that I have been lately amongst them in a vifion.

Methought I was transported to a hill, green, flowery, and of an eafy afcent. Upon the broad top of it refided fquint eyed Error, and popular Opinion with many heads; two that dealt in forcery, and were famous for bewitching people with the love of themfelves. To thefe repaired a multitude from every fide, by two different paths which lead towards each of them. Some who had the most assuming air, went directly of themselves to Error, without expecting a conductor;

others

others of a fofter nature went first to popular Opinion, from whence as the influenced and engaged them with their own praises, the delivered them over to his go

vernment.

When we had afcended to an open part of the fummit where Opinion abode, we found her entertaining several who had arrived before us. Her voice was pleafing; the breathed odours as the fpoke: She feemed to have a tongue for every one; every one thought he heard of fomething that was valuable in himself, and expected a paradife which the promised as the reward of his merit. Thus were we drawn to follow her, till fhe fhould bring us where it was to be bestowed: And it was obfervable that all the way we went, the company was either praifing themselves for their qualifications, or one another for thofe qualifications which they took to be confpicuous in their own characters, or difpraifing others for wanting theirs, or vying in the degrees of them.

At last we approached a bower, at the entrance of which Error was feated. The trees were thick-woven, and the place where he fat artfully contrived to darken him a little. He was difguifed in a whitifh robe, which he had put on, that he might appear to us with a nearer refemblance to Truth: And as he has a light whereby fhe manifefts the beauties of nature to the eyes of her adorers, fo he had provided himfelf with a magical wand, that he might do fomething in imitation of it, and please with delufions. This he lifted folemnly, and muttering to himself, bid the glories which he kept under inchantment to appear before us. Immediately we caft our eyes on that part of the fky to which he pointed, and obferved a thin blue profpect, which cleared as mountains in a fummer morning when the mifts go off, and the palace of Vanity appeared to fight.

The foundation hardly feemed a foundation, but a fet of curling clouds, which it ftood upon by magical contrivance. The way by which we afcended was painted like a rainbow; and as we went, the breeze that played about us bewitched the fenfes. The walls were gilded all for fhow; the loweft fet of pillars were of the flight fine Corinthian order, and the top of the building being rounded, bore fo far the refemblance of a bubble.

At

At the gate the travellers neither met with a porter, nor waited till one should appear; every one thought his merit a fufficient paffport, and preffed forward. In the hall we met with feveral phantoms, that rov'd amongst us, and ranged the company according to their fentiments. There was decreafing Honour, that had nothing to fhew in but an old coat of his ancestors atchievements: There was Oftentation, that made himself his own conftant fubject, and Galantry ftrutting upon his tip-toes. At the upper end of the hall ftood a throne, whofe canopy glitter'd with all the riches that gaiety could contrive to lavifh on it; and between the gilded arms fat Vanity, deck'd in the peacock's feathers, and acknowledged for another Venus by her votaries. The boy who stood before her for a Cupid, and who made the world to bow before her, was called Self-Conceit. His eyes had every now and then a caft inwards to the neglect of all objects about him; and the arms which he made ufe of for conqueft, were borrowed from those against whom he had a defign. The arrow which he fhot at the foldier, was fledg'd from his own plume of feathers; the dart he directed against the man of wit, was winged from the quills he writ with; and that: which he fent against thofe who prefumed upon their riches, was headed with gold out of their treasuries: He made nets for statesmen from their own contrivances ;; he took fire from the eyes of ladies, with which he melted their hearts; and lightning from the tongues of the eloquent, to enflame them with their own glories. At the foot of the throne fat three falfe graces; Flattery. with a shell of paint, Affectation with a mirrour to practife at, and Fashion ever changing the pofture of her clothes. Thefe applied themselves to fecure the conquefts which Self-Conceit had gotten, and had each of them their particular polities. Flattery gave new colours and complexions to all things, Affectation new airs and appearances, which, as the faid, were not vulgar, and Fashion both concealed fome home defects, and added fome foreign external beauties.

As I was reflecting upon what I faw, I heard a voice in the croud, bemoaning the condition of mankind, which is thus managed by the breath of Opinion, deluded

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