the established religions in the world, and would admit of no mixtures of their rituals. Pray, what conclufion is here drawn, which the premifes will not support?

-

Another text offends, viz. 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10, 11. Sect. XX. as it is faid to favour of Enthusiasm, and to be the 1 Cor. xi. ground of all that Enthufiafm we have among us. Said to Vol. II. p. 50-55. He tells us, St. Paul bere be the diftinguishes the intelligent principle that takes place ground of in man, and is a part of the human conftitution, enthufiand which he calls the fpirit of a man which is in afm. him, from another intelligent principle, which he calls the fpirit of God; fo be confiders all the knowledge the former of thefe can attain to, with regard to the things of God, or christianity, to be by derivation or communication from the latter.

I will grant that St. Paul does diftinguish between the intelligent principle which is a part of the human conftitution, and the principle which he calls, the spirit of God; and that all the knowledge which was attainable in the things of chriftianity was derived from, or communicated by the latter to the former. I find our Lord owning this, when he fays, Joh. vii. 16. My doctrine is not mine, but his that fent me. And ch. xii. 49. For I have not spoken of myself, but the father which fent me, he gave me a commandment what I fhould fay, and what I should speak.-v. 50.whatfoever I fpeak, therefore, even as the father bath faid unto me, fo I fpeak, ch. xvii. 8. for I have given unto them the words which thou gavest unto me: -- and he likewife fays, of the doctrine he delivered, the words that I fpeak unto you, they are fpirit, and life, chap. vi. 63.

If then, Chrift did himself receive his doctrine from the father, and denies any ability he had of delivering fuch doctrine, but from the father; it is quite reafonable to conclude that his genuine

apoftles

apoftles would disclaim all, or any ability to teach a doctrine of their own heads, i. e. from the natural capacities of reafon with which they were endowed but muft derive the doctrine from the very fame spirit that their mafter did derive it from. This led St. Paul to fay, not that we are fufficient of curfelves to think any thing, as of ourfelves: but our fufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. iii. 5. which does not refpect the ability of man, confidered as a moral agent, and in things within his province but it refpects the revelation itself, which had nothing to do with his natural abilities, but was the immediate province of God. But then, this revelation being once made and committed to writing, there would be no more occafion for fuch communications, when the apostles had finished their miniftrations. The appeal is made to this divine illumination, as what furnished them with all the materials of their evangelical writings.

So when thefe writings are finished, they themfelves appeal to, or addrefs the intelligent principle in man, as being faithful reprefentations of truth, or the things of God, which this principle is to judge of, and apply. What foundation this lays for a wild enthufiafm, I fee not. Indeed, if men were to deliver new doctrines, as belonging to Chriftianity, the fcheme having been left imperfect by the apoftles; they would then lie under the fame neceffity of having that other intelligent principle, called infpiration, or the fpirit of God. But as this is not the cafe, the intelligent principle which takes place in man, and is a part of the human conftitution, is all the capacity needful to converfe with, and understand the fcheme of the Gofpel. An honeft attention. will qualify any man to understand the Gofpel. Miftaking this, has been the ground of enthufi

afm.

Rom.

Rom. ix. beg. is faid to be, like the intemperate Sea XXI. piety of fome Calvinifts, who pretend they should be St. Paul's content to be damned for the glory of God. Vol. II. onate conP. 306. Note.

affecti

cern for

If a writer is inclined to be captious, he may the Jervs, ridicule any affectionate, warm expreffion that he called infhall meet with. But then, it will not be allowed temperate piety. juft, if there is no refemblance in the things he compares. I dare fay, Mr. C. had read the following fenfe given to the text, Mofes, and St. Paul, in the circumftances they were then in, might charitably, and without any extravagancy, be willing to have borne the temporal curfe, then coming upon the fews, (which is all that their words mean) if thereby it could have been poffible to have faved the whole nation. But fuch high expreffions of affection, are always well understood, in all books, and in all languages, to have, not a literal, but a figurative meaning. Dr. S. Clarke's Serm. Vol. II. pag. 46, 47. If Mr. Chubb had read this easy sense of the paffage, he had better have attempted to have fhewn the improbability of its being the genuine fenfe; than to have thrown a reflection on St. Paul's expreffions, in the fenfe of a preceding obfervation, viz. Hence fome have put the question to themselves, and others have been fo weak as to put it in their writings: whether a chriftian ought to be content to perish finally for the glory of God? Serm. Vol. II. pag. 46, 47.

Sect.

XXII.

He is faid

to teach

Another inftance of St. Paul's teaching an hurtful doctrine, is faid to be in Rom. xiii. 1. bis proffing obedience to civil governors, under the confideration of their being the ordinance of God, was preffing it from a fictitious motive.-And A&t. xii. 2, 3. is doctrine, urged in oppofition, viz. Herod's killing James the Rom. xiii, apoftle. Pofthum. Works, Vol. II. p. 318-322.

It appears very plain, that when St. Paul fpeaks

M

of

an hurtful

I.

of the powers that be, as ordered or ordained of God, and forbids Chriftians refifting the ordinance of God; he muft, and does intend, that fo far as they are fo, they are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. But whatsoever were the moral characters of the fupreme magistrates, during the first ages of Chriftianity, and whilft it was fpreading in the world, it would have been a piece of madnefs, and wholly out of character for Chriftians to have made refiftance; every way imprudent, or impolitic. Non-refiftance and paffive obedience, where the rights of confcience were not concerned, these were to be the maxims of their conduct. And in all lawful things, they were to fhew their fubjection to government, as in rendering tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom cuftom, fear to whom fear, and honour to whom honour.

So that the injunctions objected to, feem not rightly to be understood: for they cannot refpect civil government, as any farther an ordinance of God than as it anfwers the end of government. And where it did not, the firft Chriftians were not allowed to raise any fedition, or be concerned in any confpiracy; but to fhew that their religion was a friend to all focial obligations and duties; that it made men quiet and peaceable fubjects. But will any hence infer, that when kingdoms and states become Chriftian, the fubjects have no right to remonftrate against any arbitrary rule, or tyrannical proceedings?

Yet, who would advise the Jews, for inftance, in Great-Britain, or in any other nation, called Chriftian, or Mahometan, to refift the civil power, though they should be put under great hardfhips, or be perfecuted? A man of any forefight, might perceive, that the advice would be attended with very hurtful confequences to that people.

But

But the condition of the firft Chriftians, muft have been yet more hazardous, had they, because of any public acts of oppreffion, or even fanguinary edicts, refifted the civil power: and what common reader, is not able to take fome just furvey of the state of the first Christians, in these refpects, fo as with eafe to understand St. Paul, as giving proper, juft, friendly advice to them, refpecting their fubjection to government?

Sect.

St. Paul

I Cor. xv. 32. Mr. Chubb cavils at! St. Paul would not have fung the fong of the drunkard, let XXIII, us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die, had he duly attended to the fubject. Vol. I. p. 405.

faid to

the

drunkard.

fing the The meanness of this unlawful, crooked thruft, fong of will appear to the firft eye that looks with any care on the text. It was a natural conclufion, and very juft; for, if the dead fhall not arise, all the wonderful deliverances he had had, when constrained to combat beafts at Ephefus, was of no advantage to him: and inftead of being expofed daily to deaths and dangers, in order to fpread and confirm the doctrine of a future ftate, it would have been more in character for him to have indulged all the appetites, if to-morrow we ceafe to be. No, fays Mr. Chubb, a temperate enjoyment of this world's good things, is the likelieft and the furest way to a long and happy life. Grant Mr. Chubb this; yet, if to-morrow we ceafe to be, it would be as justifiable to take the largest draughts of prefent pleasure, we can fafely take for to-day: or however, with Epicurus, to study how to come at the utmost quantity of prefent fenfitive gratifications. And the maxim that St. Paul has borrowed from the worldling, or fenfualift, will not fairly bear any other interpretation, than the fenfe of the Epicureans; q. d. it would be wifer for us to quit our profeffion, and take all thofe measures that are

M 2

moft