SECTION III. 289 Whymay there not be many true religions ? May not the blessed God be well pleased with that great variety of 'worship and ho- nours, which are paid him by his creatures in this lower world, even as a master of a family, or aprinceis well pleased with va- riety of services paid him by his officers, subjects, and servants in their different stations in the famliy or kingdom : Thus while every one endeavours to serve and please God his Creator, will he not accept them, though they practise religion in very differ- entforms, and worship him even with contrary rites and ceremo- nies ? Why mayhe not be best pleased with praise and homage offered by his intelligent creatures, in a vast variety ofstrains and modes, since he has made the irrational creation, on purpose to be honoured by their varieties of voiceand action. Answer I. Let us consider what are the greatest part of these diflèrent forms of worship and religion, which men prac- tise, and we shall find very few of them are such, as can lay any tolerable claim to God's favour. In all the four quarters of the world, except Europe, the bulk of mankind are heathens. All the large nations ofAfrica, except the north-east and the northern coasts, most of the northern and eastern parts of Asia, so far as we know, together with the natives of all America, worship idols, and not the one true God. They adore either the sun or moon, or the souls of their heroes and ancestors, or devils, or some fa- bulous deities, or strange images of the invention of their priests, or the appointment of their kings : And even the northern shores of Europe, where the Laplanders dwell, are filled with the same idolatry. Now can you think it becoming the great and blessed God, to accept that worship, where he himself is not the object of it? Will the jealous and dreadful God, who will not give his name to another, nor his glory to graven images; Is. xlii. 8. will he be pleased with abominable idolatries, and the worshipof false Gods ? These religions are contrary to the very light of nature ; for a moderate exercise of their reason, would shew them the one eternal God, who made heaven, and earth, and all things, he is not far from every one of them, yet they will not seek andfeel after him ; Arts xvii. 24, 27, but go on thoughtless in the way of their education, and persist in stupid and brutal ignorance : Surely that God, who bathmade idolaterssmart terribly, under the rod ofhis jealousy and indignation, in former nations and ages, will be revealed in,flaming fire, and take vengeance on them who will not know hire ; 2 'I'hess. i. 7. 8. He will pour out his wrath on the heathens that know him'not, and thefamilies that call not neon his narne; Jer. x. 25. I are well aware that those persons whoplead for these ido, latera, will excuse them by supposing they worship the true God, under various names, and in several shapes or forms, signifying his various attributes or powers, or the several benefits we re- ceive from him. VOL. m, T -
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=