Let. 1. Lord HER BERT of Cherbury. 7

conſiſt, it is undeniable that there have been great contro Ferſies about them; and that the modern Deiſts, as well as ancient Philoſophers, are divided in their ſentiments in relation to them, eſpecially when explained, as he requireth they ſhould be, in their full latitude. He ought not therefore to make a thing's being controverted to be a proof of its uncertainty, and that men can come to no ſatisfaction about it; a principle which he and other Deiſts often inſiſt upon, but which maniffeſtly leads to univerſal ſcepticiſm. But this is not the only inſtance, in which arguments have been brought againſt Chriſtianity, that in their conſequences tend to ſubvert all religion, and all evi- dence and certainty of reaſon.

From this general view of Lord Herbert's Scheme, it ſuffi- ciently appears that his deſign was to overturn all revealed, or, as he calls it, particular religion, and to eſtabliſh that natural and univerſal religion, the clearneſs and perfection of which he ſo much extols, in its room, as that which alone ought to be acknowleged and embraced as true and divine.

I ſhall now freely lay before you ſome obſervations that have occurred to me in conſidering the ſcheme of this noble author.

One is this, that he hath carried his account of natural reli- gion much farther than ſome others of the Deiſts have done. Itwere to be wifhed, that all that glory in this character would agree with this noble Lord in a hearty reception of thoſe articles, which he repreſenteth as ſo eſſentially neceſſary, and of ſuch vaſt importance. Theſe he would have to be explained in their full extent, and that except they be properly explained they are not ſufficient; and thus explained they include the belief not only of the cxiſtence, but the attributes of God; of ſome of which in his book de Veritate he gives a good account, and of his provi- dence and moral government. He aſſerts, that God is to be worſhipped, and that this worſhip includeth our offering up to him our prayers and thankſgivings¹; that piety and virtue are abſolutely neceſſary to our acceptance with God: and he parti- cularly urgeth the neceſſity of obſerving the ten commandments: that we are obliged to repent of our ſins in order to our obtain- ing forgiveneſs, and that this repentance includeth both a for- row for our fins, and a turning from them to the right way. He alſo inſiſteth upon the beliet of the immortality of the Soul, and a future ſtate of rewards and puniſhments, in which God will recompenſe men according to t heir actions, and even accord- ing to their thoughts x. Theie things he ſuppoſeth to be com-

1 Da Veritate, p. 271, 272. De Relig. Gentil. p. 283. B 4 mon