wrong Way, and walk without Legs, and fly without Wings.

From what has been faid, the absolute Neceffity of a Divine Revelation appears; for if the rational Creature, that is, the Creature made capable to be instructed and guided, has nothing within to guide him, and cannot, nor does not, naturally understand external Objects without Instruction, there is the highest Neceffity of a Set of infallible ones, to prevent his following his own or other Mens Fancies and Imaginations; all of which, are but so many Swervings from Revelation, from Truth, which the Mind of Man has fallen from, by starting aside, or turning from it; and, till we return to it, can do nothing in divine Things, but dream and stumble, and bewilder itfelf.

Our Author has notoriously mistaken the Principles instilled by Education, and obtain'd by After-improvements; then called Genius, Habit, Reafon, and the moral Sense: As if a Mathematician should infult his Master who taught him, by affirming the Principles he had learn'd were intuitive, and that he knew them without the Revelation or Instruction of his Master. But who taught the Master and his Master, &c? The first Master learn'd it from Nature, but not without being instructed and fet a-going by Revelation, either immediate or traditional, as might be made appear.

Upon the whole, our Author will find his moral Sense, with the rest of the senseless Trifles he has publish'd, fit only to be thrown to the Owls, the Bats, and Night-birds; for, as they hate

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hate that Light which all other Creatures delight in, which chears and enlivens all Nature, and which God made to prevent our groping in the dark; and, as our Author's moral Sense stands in point blank Opposition to the Light of God's Revelation, and tends only to bring us into Egyptian Darkness, I cannot dispose of it better.

Besides, the Revelation of God, by which I form my Creed and Manners, tells me, 2Tim. iii.2. That Men will be Lovers of their ownselves, covetous, Boasters, Proud, Blasphemers, disobedient to Parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural Affection, TruceBreakers, false Accufers, incontinent, fierce, Despisers of those that are good, Traitors, beady, high-minded, Lovers of Pleasure more than Lovers of God, having a Form of Godliness, but denying the Power thereof: Men of corrupt Minds, reprobate concerning the Faith. See more in this and the 4th Chapter, &c.

I suppose the Persons in this Catalogue had never been instructed concerning the moral Sense, fo did not know they had it; or had they fuffer'd it to languish and die? To languish and die! Impoffible, fure: For I remember its Activity myself, and always shall (here is a Concession for our Author :) When I was a Boy I loved Birds; but this snarling Cur the moral Sense would not let me touch a Wren nor a Robin, because they were facred Birds; nay, it was so exquisitely nice, that if a hundred Lady-birds had flown into my Eyes, it would not have let me kill one, for the fame Reason: But I have since understood, that this Kind of moral Senfe (for there are various Kinds of it) came down to us from the Heathens, and for that Reason I got rid of it.

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Now, our wonderful Author may keep his moral Sense, and dispose of it as he pleases. If it please the Elahim to give me an evangelical Sense, I shall thank them and be fatisfy'd, and fing, the Lines are fallen to me in a pleasant Place, and I have a goodly Heritage.

I expect to be told, I have mistook the moral Sense; and that the Advocates for it mean by it, a Power in the matured Mind to diftinguish Beauty from Deformity, Truth from Error, Virtue from Vice. Whatever others mean, our Author

cannot mean this; for he afferts its Naturality. But let him or others mean what they please, a natural or acquired Power, they are equally romantic when they ascribe this Power to the Mind; for it belongs and is owing to the Rule, to the Rectitude of the Rule, by which the Mind is guided; and, in Proportion as this Rule is fallible and changeable, fo will the moral Sense be. The now ugly, gaping, grinning, Gothic Faces on the Walls of our old Buildings, were once put there for Ornaments, and then thought beautiful; the Skeleton of the Horse's Head, and the Afs's too, are yet thought Ornaments in the Doric Frieze. Exquisite, indeed! And what we call Virtue here, is Vice in Portugal, Turkey, &c. and what we call Truth here, is Error there. Mankind are apt to change their Sentiments concerning Truth, Beauty, and Virtue, as the Manners and Taste of the Age, and as the Fashions of Dress change. This lies so obvious to every one's Observation, that the mentioning it, is proving it. Men are not agreed yet whether the Roman Nose, the broad Shoulders, &c. be a Beauty or Deformity; whether Courage, in a thousand Instances, be a Virtue or a Vice; the same Picture shall be pronounced

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finely fiinely drawn, and not fo; and, I have been well informed, that Fifty Pounds have been given for the Picture of a Toad. The Purchaser, no doubt, had an exquifite moral Sense!

It would be kind in its Advocates to tell us when, i. e. at what time of Life, how early this Power begins to exert itself: If they are at a Lofs, I will ease them of the Task, by telling them, it begins to act as foon as the Force of Inftructions takes Place; and those Instructions, and the Acquirements by means of them, are the Measure of it; beyond which it never rose, nor never will.

The next wild Goard I shall endeavour to pluck up, is of fuch a Kind, as, were it fuffer'd to grow, would/choak Chriftianity. Our Author says, "The Jews, it must be own'd, were right in " their Sentiments with refpect to the Unity of "God, for they acknowledged but one fupreme, "eternal, felf-exiftent Being, the Creator and "Lord of all: This was the first Principle of " their Religion. Thus much must be faid to "their Honour; though, in fome other Instances, " their Opinions were very corrupt, and very er

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roneous; for it is evident, that they thought " their Temple not only to be erected by the Appointment of God, but to have this peculiar Prerogative, that in it alone the Maker of the "World would be served in an acceptable Man

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ner. They entertained, likewife, weak and "childish Notions of him, as if he could be plea" fed with ritual Observances, with a splendid gay Devotion, and the outward Pomp and "Decorations of Piety; and that these were of " fufficient Merit to procure his Approbation " without

" without Integrity of Heart, or the Practice of "the indispensible Duties of Morality: To which

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we may add, that they formed a very low and contemptible Idea of his Goodness, confining "it in a great Measure to themselves only.-----He, the Omnipotent Spirit, can pay no regard to the Trifles of external Show and Ceremony, " but only to rational Devotion," (fuch as our Author pays) " and folid useful Virtue; and that "therefore, fomething of this Kind was proper " to be indulged to a People of a low Genius, " fond of Pageantry, to keep them separate from Idolaters, and prevent their Imitation of their superstitious Customs.

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Either this is denying the Mosaic Ceremonies to come from God, or it is reproaching the God of the Jews, as well as the Jews themselves; for if the Rituals of this splendid gay Devotion, those Trifles of external Show and Ceremony, &c. came from God, he must be pleased with his own Inftitutions, so far as the Intention of them was conformed to; but, according to our Author, there was no other Intention in them, but to keep the People from Idolatry, &c. i, e. to keep them. out of Mischief. A hopeful Formulary of Worship this indeed !

It is pity our Author had not the Courage to speak out here, and tell us whence those idle Ceremonies came; whether from God, or Mofes, or Egypt, or Midian, or Chance, or whence? But no: We are left in the dark, and without a better Guide, might remain so. While he proceeds to charge the Jews at that Time with Corruption, Error; with having childish Notions of God, as if he could be pleased with those Rituals, &c. without

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