in its true Lineaments and Proportions In a Word Were Happiness carried no further than the welfare of the Animal Part It 's certain that Temperance that Friendship that Generosity and that Justice which Natural Reason from the very frame and condition of our Natures suggests and prescribes are the only Instruments for securing it therefore we must conclude since an All-wise and Almighty Creator could not act Blindfold since he assigned every Order of Creatures peculiar Ends and establish'd a general End from all of 'em and since an All-wise Creator must be concerned to have those Ends answered which he hath assign'd Reason must be a Rule and a Standard of Action in all Reasonable Creatures without which the Ends and Designs of Reasonable Creatures cannot be attain'd And thus we have the Intention of the Law-giver evinced from the Ends and Designs of reasonable Creatures § 7. There is one Argument more that proves the Obligation and Authority of Laws of Nature and certain Dictates of Reason to be such and that is From the consideration of Rewards and Punishments that flow from ' em It 's well known that Rewards and Punishments are an inseparable Appendage of a Law and where we are not only directed by a lawful Authority that this or that thing is to be done but Rewards are annexed to the doing of it and Punishments to the omission of it or at least doing the contrary there the Authority is expressed and represented and consequently the thing directed is proposed as a Law or Rule of Action But now it 's already concluded that those Dictates of Reason which necessarily arise from the Frame and Condition of our Natures carry inseparable Rewards in 'em and the Violation of 'em entails inseparable Mischiefs or Punishments upon us and therefore such Dictates of Reason do as evidently declare the Intention of the Law-giver and the Obligation of Laws as if we were told it by an audible Voice from Heaven And thus we have asserted the Authority of Laws of Nature being the last Requisite assigned for the Proof of ' em And truly there are so many Arguments suggest it that we may as well deny that we can Think by Nature as be ignorant of the Authority of Laws of Nature § 8. But after all that has been said concerning the Authority of Laws of Nature some perhaps will imagine that the Arguments already suggested are rather the Improvements of Reason under a State of Revelation and the Discipline of a civilized Education than the Discoveries of Reason in a pure State of Nature I must confess it is difficult to distinguish the pure Efforts of Natural Reason from those Improvements she receives from Revelation and a polished Education but certainly we may appeal to Revelation itself for the Authority of Laws of Nature and particularly that the Dictates of Natural Reason are to be the Measure and Standard of our Actions For first Conscience we know is the Result and Decree of Reason and this is advanc'd to such an absolute Sovereignty in the Christian Institution that we cannot reject the Instructions of an erroneous Conscience without entailing Sin and Guilt upon us For even to Heathens and Unbelievers Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin and certainly it amounts to a Demonstration That if God has given no other Rule to Reasonable Beings but Reason to act by we must conclude that Reason must be the Standard of Action and consequently every one is under an Indispensable Obligation of pursuing it unless we can imagine we are not to exert Actions peculiar to our Nature or that God has not as industriously distinguished the Actions of Men from those of Brutes as their Souls and Shape too In a word whosoever owns the Truth and Authority of the Christian Institutions must discern the Truth and Authority of Laws of Nature for he may plainly read both in the great End and Design of Christianity for the whole OEconomy of Grace consists in restoring the OEconomy of Nature and renewing that Image of our Minds in which we were created or which is the same thing in the Apostle's Language In being renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that created him Col. 3.10 In a word Christianity is the putting on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness and the putting on the New Man is the putting on the first Man that was formed after the Image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness therefore we must conclude that Model which God impress'd on our Nature was design'd to be a Law and a Rule or Standard to our Actions and consequently the Powers of Natural Reason wou'd have thought it to be a Law had Revelation never interposed in the Matter Thus we have proved that there is a Law of Nature even in all the Circumstances and Formalities of a Law it 's a Law distinct from the Law of Revelation since it arises and is discovered to us by pure Dint of Natural Reason it 's a true and proper Law for it contains the Matter and Form of a proper Law the Subject-matter is fix'd and determin'd It has the Form of a Law because it determines what is to be done and that too upon a just and competent Authority and when all this is granted it gives us the Sanctions of a Law I mean Rewards and Punishments For if Reason dictates certain indispensable Rules of Action from the Authority Will and Pleasure of a Sovereign Creator Reason must besides those natural Rewards and Punishments that accompany the Observance of such Rules at least acknowledge That the Non-observance of 'em must bring Guilt and Punishment upon us And therefore I see nothing wanting notwithstanding Mr. Hobbs's Notions of a Law to give it the Title and Denomination of a proper Law For it 's as much Vox imperantis and as truly promulg'd as if it had been recorded in Writing or engraved on Tables of Brass CHAP. II. Objections Answered IT now only remains that something be offered to take off the Force of those Objections that are advanced against this Hypothesis of a Law of Nature exclusive of Revelation The Sum of which is in a few words this Whatsoever has been hitherto attributed to the Powers of Natural Reason seems to exist no where but in the Imaginations of Speculative Men. For not only the Lives and Opinions of Heathen Nations but of the most eminent Moralists and Phylosophers have overturned the Scheme and passed off the Stage of the World under the Conduct of quite opposite Notions This is an Objection that will fall in with other parts of this Discourse and consequently will require something of a Return under each respective Head but that I may lay a Foundation for a clear and distinct Answer I shall take liberty to make a few Remarks upon the Origin of Error § 1. And first it 's a very unquestionable Truth that the Errors of Mankind are originally founded in vicious Habits or
THE Grounds and Foundation OF Natural Religion DISCOVER'D IN THE Principal BRANCHES of it in Opposition to the Prevailing NOTIONS of the Modern Scepticks and Latitudinarians WITH An INTRODUCTION concerning the Necessity of REVEALED RELIGION By Tho. Beconsall B. D. and Fellow of Brasenose Colledge in Oxford LONDON Printed by W.O. for George West Bookseller in Oxford MDCXCVIII TO THE READER IT was not without some Reluctancy that I determin'd with myself to commit my Thoughts upon the following Subject to the Public I 'm sensible a new Author is like a strange Bird stray'd from his Company and consequently not only liable to be peck'd at by the whole Flight of Criticks but exposed to their most exquisite Cruelties rather than Wit or Judgment Indeed the first Adventures of this kind will receive Advantages from few even among the Learned Order since the softest the gravest Censures are That the World is already too full of Books that rather serve to distract our Thoughts than inform our Judgments or improve our Knowledge That the Press is the Parent of more Impertinences or crude and empty Notions than useful Truths and consequently serve to detain an unadvised Reader upon the Surface whilst a few well-chosen Authors would let him into the Marrow and Quintessence of Learning These are indeed unquestionable Truths and perhaps this Adventure may serve to confirm ' em But this is not all for it 's observable some Men of Figure and Station on every turn discover their Aversions by their Wishes They could heartily wish that the present Disputes or Controversies might fall having no Prospect of any good Effects or Advantages by ' em I must confess these are Admonitions that should be attended to with Caution to prevent any Man from being over-hasty in Commencing Author But yet if we consider the Industry Insolence and Boldness of our Adversaries the open Attacks of some Authors and the Artificial Insinuations of Others And in a word the united Zeal of these Persons to Unhinge and Demolish without Proposing the least Model to succeed their Ruins I can see no reason why those that are Advocates for Truth and Guardians of an Established Church should suffer Controversie to fall by allowing them to empty their Gall and Filth without Opposition or Controul It 's very certain that the Notions now so current and industriously propagated are the whole Stock or Cargo of Infidelity and Irreligion of Error Prejudice or Disgust that have been hatched and nursed in private for a whole Age together and are now vented by the Liberty of the Press and therefore those that discountenance the Assailment of such pernicious Adversaries seem to establish a new and unheard of Indulgence which no one but Criminals must have the least Benefit of It 's well known the Conceits of Error and Boldness of Irreligion are such That the most crude and frothy Performance not replied to must pass for Vnanswerable And this gives Credit and Authority to the Industry of an Adversary in propagating his Notions and by this means the weakest and most uncouth Suggestions are by tract of Time rivetted in an injudicious Reader when an early Reply had caused 'em to be rejected with Scorn and Contempt From these Considerations the Labours and Endeavours of the Members of our Church may be sufficiently vindicated and I hope in some measure lay a Foundation for an Apology to my present Undertaking I have here endeavoured to represent the Foundation and Mesures of Natural Religion being an Expedient not only to induce a Sense of Religion but to prepare the Mind for an Assent to Revealed Religion the Complement and Perfection of it I 'm sensible there are several eminent Hands have been engaged on the Subject but having few of the prevailing Principles of this Age to contend with they have not fallen in with my main Design which was to calculate a Scheme of Natural Religion in Opposition to ' em I thought myself obliged to Animadvert on some Authors not only where they seem to overturn the fundamantal Principles of Morality but where they have advanced Arguments or Insinuations that carry a manifest Tendency that way This Design I presume will easily obtain a favourable Construction since 't is well known That an artificial Insinuation or a pernicious Argument advanced by a Side-wind carries a more fatal Influence than bold and peremptory Positions and Assertions I must confess the Author of the Essay of Humane Vnderstanding discovers such a reserved Way of Writing in all his Performances that I 'm perswaded he Designs more than he as yet thinks it seasonable to Express And therefore I have used him with more Freedom to oblige him to place some Assertions in a better Light and express his Meaning more fully if not his Intentions I have differed in my Opinion from two excellent Discourses * Conference with a Theist Part 2. The Certainty and Necessity of Religion in General but I hope my Reader will find nothing but a Difference in Opinion determined by a Thread of Argument Besides 't is in Matters that do not affect the main Design of either of the Discourses that stand firm and unshaken established upon the clearest Arguments and Conclusions Thus much I thought myself obliged to Remark because I never intended to Detract from the Character these Authors have justly merited or lessen the Reputation or Esteem of such useful Performances And now give me leave to conclude with a few Periods with reference to myself and the following Discourse I have here delivered my Thoughts form'd in the midst of a great many Avocations I have acted with all imaginable Sincerity in the pursuit of Truth and resigned up my Judgment to nothing but that Light or those Notices which were gained by the fairest and most direct Methods of Information I 'm as yet perswaded I have represented every thing according to the precise Lines of Truth but if I have any where miscarried I can safely declare 't is without Design as much as without Prejudice against any I have opposed My great Aim was not only to recover discarded Notions but a Sense of Religion by establishing it upon its true Foundations not only to silence Infidelity but to remove that Scepticism those Doubts and Hesitations that prevail concerning the most important Points of Natural Religion But these are Effects too great to be accomplished without the Concurrence of Heavenly Influences We may Wish and Pray for 'em but we must commit the Success of 'em to the FATHER of Grace and Mercy There must be some more than ordinary Effusions of Grace to engage Men in the Use and Exercise of those Means which God has established for the Discovery of the Divine Will something to take off the Contempt of those Ordinances which God has appointed for the Attainment of this End something that will Correct those unjust but prevailing Prejudices against an Order of Men established by God in his Church whereby they are rendred as
to the Mind of our Apostle endeavour to prove a Law of Nature implanted in the Minds of Men as Rational Beings and consequently originally design'd as a perpetual Standard and Measure of their Actions This I shall endeavour to perform 1st By proving that Man is naturally a Thinking Reasoning Being 2dly That Man naturally Thinks and Reasons in a fixt determinate way 3dly That by the exercise of Reason and the condition of his Nature he can discern the Subject-matter of the Laws of Nature And 4thly That he discovers it as the Subject-matter of a true and proper Law established on a competent Authority by discerning and receiving it as the Command of God § 2. And 1st That Man is by Nature a Thinking Reasoning Being Indeed that an Order of Rational Creatures can of ' emselves exert the Powers of Reason seems to be a Proposition that carries its own Evidence in the Terms of it And to imagine a Creation of Rational Powers and Faculties and that too ascribed to an infinitely wise Creator and yet deny an inherent Power of exerting ' emselves seems to reflect the highest Folly and Disgrace upon the Contrivance For it either represents Infinite Power and Wisdom displaying ' emselves as we say in vain or to no purpose or labouring under the greatest Imperfections It represents the great Exemplar of a Creative Power to be little else than a sensless unactive sort of Machin whose Efforts entirely depend on foreign Impulses and the express Image and Representative of a glorious Creator in one sense to be of a baser Alloy than the unthinking Brutes that perish Since these in their original Frame were made to exert those Powers and Faculties God thought fit to impart to ' em But Man must by no means act like himself or display any of his Natural Powers and Faculties unless he has the good Fortune to be Born under the Influence of a skilful Tutor and a polish'd Education But certainly this is a Conjecture void of any shadow of Reason For whosoever considers the Activity of the Souls of Men a Truth I think of universal allowance and approbation cannot imagine that Men even in this State shou'd not be capable of perceiving discerning comparing or thinking at all But that we may proceed with greater Clearness in these Matters let us endeavour to strip Mankind of all the Embelishments of Education and turn 'em into the pure Garb of Nature and thereupon let us for once suppose a Set of Men sprung up like Mushrooms in an instant and placed in an unpeopled Island in their full growth and vigor Some perhaps in this case are so fond of attributing the whole Product of Humane Knowledge to the Business of Education that they would deny them the Power of exerting one Faculty peculiar to a Rational Being without it But certainly this is a Notion highly improbable if we consider that the great Reason why our Infant State discovers such faint Glimpses of Thought or Reason is not so much from any native Obstructions in the Mind or an Indisposition of her Faculties in receiving and forming Idea's but from unknown Indispositions of the Animal Part. For the Souls of Men being to act through Flesh and Blood or Material Vehicles no wonder if they do not exert ' emselves till these are throughly fix'd and setled that is before they arrive at a due state of Maturity or a suitable Disposition or Temperament And therefore were Men to enter upon the World under an exact Disposition of the Animal Part it 's highly probable the Faculties of the Rational Part wou'd exert ' emselves with wonderful vigour and expedition Indeed it must be confess'd that Idea's will be collected and Principles setled at a much slower rate where they are only gain'd by a Man's single Observation and Experience than where the Instructions of Parents and Tutors contribute to the Improvement By this Means the Observations and Attainments of past Ages are presented in an established Method and Order and added to our own Experience and consequently the growth of Idea's will be more quick clear and lasting But yet when the Organs of Sense are rightly fixed and disposed and the Mind lies under no real Incumbrances or Eclipses it 's ridiculous to imagin that it cannot exert itself by its own native Light and Activity in all its Powers and Faculties and we may as well affirm that a Man would not walk or perform any other indifferent Actions as a sensitive Creature without Instruction as affirm that he cou'd not think and exert all the Powers of Reason without special Inspiration Revelation or Instruction It 's visible there are certain Springs or Movements implanted in the Frame of Nature that serve to put all Native Powers and Faculties into their proper Motions And therefore we must conclude that a Rational Soul or a Soul framed for Reason must act agreeably to its original Frame and discover itself in all the Functions of Thought and Reason It 's certain the great Law of Self-preservation a quick and piercing Sense of Pleasure and Pain and the incessant Desires of Ease and Happiness which strictly speaking are rather Natural Instincts implanted in all Sensitive Beings than Laws peculiar to Free Agents will serve as forcible Springs to every Native Power or Faculty and furnish 'em with suitable Objects as well as prompt 'em to exert upon 'em and consequently if Rational Faculties in their Original Frame are fitted for Thought and Reason they will by an Intrinsick Impulse exert in all the Parts and Offices of ' em And therefore to have recourse to the Instance already given we may justly conclude that meer Salvages wou'd not only fall to Thinking but after a few Interviews form Signs and Words and Language apply ' emselves to the setling of all the Instruments of Reason and Knowledge I 'm perswaded few will deny that Man by his Natural Powers cou'd form Words and Language and Words necessarily suppose Idea's and Thoughts To conclude this Argument then As Man by a Law of his Creator is peculiarly fitted with Organs for Speech and Language so is he endued with Faculties of Reason and since he 's capable of exerting the one in all its Designs and Functions we may justly allow him the same Abilities in exerting the other and in one word it derogates from the Wisdom of God to endue a Creature with Noble Powers and Faculties and not put him into a condition to exert ' em Therefore we may conclude that as Man by a native Endowment can see and hear and speak he can likewise think and reason which is the First General proposed in order to establish a Law of Nature § 3. I proceed to the Second which is to prove That we think and reason in a fix'd and determinate way And certainly this is a Truth so clear and evident that it does not admit of any colour of dispute For otherwise I cannot conceive why we may not question the Perception
us actually to obey not wherein the Right or Duty of Obedience is fixed and therefore tho' Rewards and Punishments are the true and proper Motives to secure a rational Obedience yet the Right of Obedience may rest upon a distinct Foundation Now I have a President before me I may at least with leave of this Author suppose something out of the Way as well as he to prove the truth of the Assertion suppose a Man created to infinite and irreversible Happiness though God has no longer a Power of contributing or adding to his Happiness yet I hope this Author in this Case will not deny God's Right of Sovereignty and Dominion over him as his Creature In one word I have proved That the Devils in Hell are or will be in a State of irreversible and infinite Misery and though for this Reason they can be acted with no Inclinations of Obedience yet they must still believe or acknowledge the Sovereignty of their Creator and tremble I presume I have now in some Measure fixed the Foundation of God's Sovereignty and Dominion over us and tho' I have used some Liberty in rejecting the Opinions of others yet I hope I may fairly account for it For the Notions I have contended for are founded on things that fall in with the established Sentiments of Mankind such as are properly founded in a creative preserving Power and consequently they must command a Submission and Obedience upon the clearest Convictions of Reason and as long as the Arguments suggested are cogent and satisfactory it is not Prudence to leave the common Road and put things of Moment and Importance upon an Issue that it may be wants Evidence or at least contradicts some received Truths or Notions But now an Enquiry of this Nature has been made I cannot dismiss the Argument without adoring our Great and Good God Creator and Sovereign For who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on High and yet humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in the Earth Psalm 113. ver 5 6. Tho' God is invested with such an absolute Sovereignty over the Sons of Men yet he has graciously condescended to consider their Infirmities Wants and Necessities It 's already concluded that the Laws he originally gave to Mankind are adapted to the great Ends and Interests of our Nature they are not only contrived to preserve its Frame from Violence and Ruin but to advance and secure that Happiness its capable of receiving They are contrived not so much to represent the Authority of an absolute Creator as to establish the Happiness of his Creatures whatever Right of Dominion God may challenge to impose those Laws he has given us it 's manifest they carry their own Arguments of Obedience along with ' em He has not bound us with the Cords of Fear but Love indeed they have the highest Overtures of Love to recommend 'em Love not only for the exceeding Recompence of Reward that is annexed to the observance of 'em but Love that is contained in the very Frame of 'em even Love as dear and valuable to us as the Love of Ourselves and our own Happiness since they are the direct and immediate Instruments of Happiness so that were God destitute of a Right of imposing Laws or even a Power of contributing further to our Happiness by fresh Rewards the Nature and Tendency of those Laws he has actually imposed if not obstructed by very debauched Propensions is sufficient to secure an Obedience to him CHAP. IX Of the Certainty of Rewards and Punishments under a State of Nature § 1. INdeed I have already touched upon this Argument in the Disquisition of a Law of Nature but in order to the establishing a Scheme of Natural Religion I think myself obliged to enlarge a little further upon it And first I shall not Appeal to the Argument of Natural Conscience warranted by Revelation itself in as much as it contains an Absolving or Condemning Faculty in it and consequently must be acted with a Sense of Rewards and Punishments the immediate Spring or Appendage of such Powers or Faculties This will be considered on another Subject To proceed then It 's already concluded That the Dictates of Natural Reason are true and proper Laws established in a rightful and competent Authority that is in one word they are the Commands of a Sovereign Power and Authority over the whole Off-spring of Mankind And 't is already concluded that Rewards and Punishments I mean such as are lodged in the Hands of the Legislator not the natural Effects of the Action arising from the Observation or Violation of the Law are at least the necessary Appendages or Concomitants of a Law I will not run into the nice and tedious Disputes of the Schools and examine whether Rewards and Punishments are so much of the Nature or Essence of a Law that it loses the denomination of a Law without them This must be allowed by those that place the Obligation of a Law purely in a Power of Rewarding or Punishing But this has been disputed already and therefore I 'm inclined to the Negative But however it cannot be denied but Rewards are an inseparable Property of a Law adding Perfection to it and a Prerogative peculiar to every Legislator For certainly no one can be a rightful Legislator without a Right to despense Rewards and Punishments They declare and signifie a binding Authority and no one can pass for a rightful Legislator without a Right to oblige or require Obedience Herein a Law distinguishes it self from Counsel or Exhortation Again they contribute to the Perfection of a Law since the Ends and Intentions of it cannot be secured without ' em This is absolutely necessary where the Persons that yield an Obedience are acted by contrary Dispositions and Propensions and consequently they may justly be esteemed inseparable Properties of a Law I will not dispute the Power or Prerogative of Heaven whether God could not rightfully enjoyn a Law without annexing suitable Rewards and Punishments but whosoever compares the Laws he has enjoyned with the Propensions of Human Nature will be apt to impeach his infinite Wisdom for not annexing suitable Rewards as well as Punishments since without 'em it 's morally impossible to enforce the Observance of such Laws Indeed Rewards and Punishments are so much a Property of a Law that God thought fit to usher the first positive Law he gave to Mankind into the World by annexing 'em to it In the Day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2.17 As if he intended to imprint a Sense of Rewards and Punishments in the Original Idea of a Law In a word they are so much the Property of a Law that where-ever there is the Face of Government and Laws enacted Rewards and Punishments are esteemed the unquestionable Prerogatives of the legislative Power The whole Off-spring of Mankind that were ever under the Conduct of a Law are acted with such a deep
every Government pronounces the ignorance of Laws sufficiently Promulged as well as ignorance of the Action in respect of the Relation it bears to the Law an affected ignorance and consequently such as not only renders the Action criminal but such as in the Eye of every Government is criminal in its own Nature and this is the second Reason assigned for double Punishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In a word it 's visible where there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there the Action may be imputed and consequently Criminal and for this Reason Governments constantly pronounce it so but then when this is wanting as in the case of down-right Madness where the Mind rests under a Physical Disability if Crimes or Mischiefs are committed upon it the Government only enquires into the Symptoms of Madness and upon Evidence Acquits the reputed Criminal and in these cases I question not but the great Judge of all the World will do the like But now I think 't is perfect Demonstration the true Reason why Humane Laws punish in the case before us is not because they cannot distinguish certainly what is Real what Counterfeit Thirdly As for the proceedings of the great Day I presume they may Lawfully move upon those Measures and Principles that Humane Tribunals have recourse to as their undoubted prerogative and tho Enormities committed thro Madness or Sleep may not be strictly accounted for yet I 'm perswaded no Ignorance founded in Drunkenness will ever be admitted a plea of Innocence as is apparently Suggested by this Author It 's abundantly concluded that Conscience will be Regulated according to the Divine Oeconomy of it and that it will ascribe to its self and yield an Assent to a great many Actions which the present State of some Mens Consciences either know nothing of or at least have caused them to be pronounced Innocent And certainly where the Conscience can be convinc'd that such a particular Enormity is to be resolv'd into willfull neglects as in the case of Drunkenness it will ascribe the Action and charge a Guilt upon us and by this means a Man may be harassed with an Accusing Conscience at the Great Day when the Secrets of all Hearts shall be laid oper for things he at present knows little of The CLOSE I Have now performed what was at first designed and I hope I have laid such a Platform of Natural Religion as is consistent with the Doctrines of Revealed Religion and the nature and reality of things and I have been more particular that I might obviate not only the Irreligious Notions and Positions that obtain in the present Age but obstruct the growth of New Ones by the Artificial but Pernicious insinuations of the Author I have so much Animadverted upon I have Formed no Designs from the undertaking but the advance of Truth and the Maintenance of a Spirit of Religion by Establishing the Foundations of it and if the performance does in some measure come up to it and appears to be drawn according to the main Lines of Truth I shall be ready to Vindicate it against the applauded Cavils of those that I 'm afraid are devoted to tear up the whole of Religion both Root and Branch But if among a great many Truths I have made some false Steps some few Errata that are any wise inconsistent with Truth or Injurious to any part of Religion or Piety it is without Design and upon the first Conviction I shall make Satisfaction to God and the World by a free and ample Retractation FINIS