PART III. of gracious Ajea ons. 18 rife from Delufion, and not true Conviction ; and confeqently are themfelves delufive and vain. But if the 'religious Affections that Perfons have, do indeed arife from a ftrong Perfwafion of the Truth of the chriftian Religion ; their Affections are not the better, unlefs their Perfwafion be a reafonable Perfwafion or Conviction. By a reafonable Conviction, I mean a Conviction founded on real Evidence, or upon that which is a good Reafon, or juft Ground of Conviction. Men may have a ftrong Perfwafion that the chriftian Religion is true, when their Per- fwafion is not at all built on Evidence, but altogether on Education, and the Opinion of others ; as many Mahometans are ftrongly per - fwaded of the Truth of the Mahometan Religion, becaufe their Fa- thers, and Neighbours, and Nation believe it. That Belief of the Truth of the chriftian Religion which is built on the very fame Grounds, with Mahometans Belief of the Mahometan Religion, is the fame Sort of Belief. And tho' the Thing believed happens to be better ; yet That don't make theBelief it felf, to be of a better Sort : For tho' the Thing believed happens to be true ; yet the Belief of it is not owing to this Truth, but to Education. So that as the Con- vicfion is no better than the Mahometans Conviction ; fo the Affec- tions that flow from it, are no better, in themfelves, than the reli- gious Affections of Mahometans. But if that Belief of ct;riftian Doctrines, which Perfons Affections arife from, he not meerly from Education, but indeed from Reafons and Arguments whict, are offered, it will not from thence neceffarily follow, that their Affe c'Iions are truly gracious : For in order to that, it is requiuite, not only that the Belief which their Affections arife from, fhould be a reasonable, but allo a fpiritual Belief or Conviction. I fuppofe none will doubt but that fome natural Men do yield a Kind of Afíent of their Judgments to the Truth of the chriftian Religion, from the rational Proofs or Arguments that are offered to evince it. :Judas, without Doubt, thought `fefus to be the Mefah, from the Things which he law and heard ; but yet all along was a Devil. So in7ohn 2.23,24,25. we read of many that believed inChr 'sName,when they faw the Miracles that he did ; whom yet Chrift knew had not that within them, which was to be depended on. So Simon the Sor- cerer believed, when he beheld the Miracles and Signs which were done ; but yet remained in the Gall of Bitternefs,and Bondof Iniquity, Acts 8. 13, 23. And if there is fuch a Belief or Affent of theJudg- ment in fome natural Men, none can doubt but that religious Affec- tions may arife from that Affent or Belief ; as we read of fome who believedfora while, that were greatly affected, and anon, with yoy received the Word. 'Tis evident that there is fuch a Thing as a fpiritual Belief or Convition of the Truth of the Things of the Gofpel, or a Belief that
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