Let. 1. Lord HERBRERT f Cherbury. 13

by the wiſer ſort of men, a perſpicacioribus viris, i. e. by thoſe who had a penetration above the vulgar Y.

Now this being a true repreſentation of the caſe as it ſtood in fact, whatever it was owing to, it can ſcarce be reaſonably denied, that if God ſhould, in compaſſion to the corrupt and ignorant ſtate of mankind, grant an expreſs revelation of his will, to clear and reſtore thoſe great principles which had been ſo much obſcured and perverted, to recover men to the right knowlege and worſhip of God, and to explain and infoice the main important parts of their duty, this would be of ſignal benefit to the world, and a remarkable proof and effect of his great goodneſs. His Lordſhip indeed in ſeveral parts of his works, throws out hints and ſuſpicions as if either ſuch a reve- lation from God could not be given, or at leaſt that there can be no way of knowing, or being aſſured, that ſuch a revelation has been really given; but he no-where offers any proof of it. The general invectives he ſo frequently makes againſt Prieſts, Oracles, Impoſtures, prove nothing; except it be allowed to be a reaſonable principle, that becauſe there have been falſe pre- tenders to revelation, therefore there never was nor can be a true one: a way of talking and reaſoning this, that might paſs among the inferior tribe of deiſtical writers, but which is abſo- lutely unworthy of his Lordſhip's ſenſe and learning. Whereas it may rather be gathered from it, that mankind, in all ages, have been generally perſuaded, that it was both pofſible for God to grant an extraordinary revelation of his will, and that if he did, it would be of great advantage. Impoſtors have built upon this principle, but this doth not ſnew the principle itſelf to be falſe, which hath as good a title to paſs for a common notion, as ſome of the five articles which he repreſenteth to be ſo clear and univerſally acknowleged. The only reaſonable concluſion that can be drawn from the many impoſtures and falſe revelations, which had been put upon mankind, is not that all pretences to revelation are falſe and vain, but that we ought to be very careful to diſtinguiſh the falſe from the true, and impartially to conſider and examine the proofs that are brought, and not to receive any revelation without ſufficient credentials of its divine authority. But it would be a moſt unreaſonable limitation of the divine power and wiſdom to affirm, either that God cannot make extraordinary diſcoveries of his will to par- ticular perſons, in ſuch a manner that the perſons to whom they are immediately communicated may be certain that they came

v De Relig Gentil. p. 310. fron Trronm