CONFERENCE I. 385 ortt. Since you both request it, gentlemen, I comply, and venture to give my thoughts in this matter ; and I hope I shall mention only such articles as you will both assent to the necessity ofthem, and such as I hope also you will both believe to be suffi- cient, where there is no divine revelationDoubtless man must know and believe, in the first place, that there is a God, and that this God is but one ; for God is too jealous of his honour and his dignity, and too much concerned in this important point, to lavish out happiness and his heavenly favours on any person who malees other gods to become his rivali, or who exalts a creature, or a mere chimera, into the throne of God. He must believe also, that God is a being of perfect wisdom, power and goodness, and that he is the righteous Governor of the world.Man must also know, that he himself is a creature of God, furnished with a, facultyofunderstanding to perceive the general difference between good and evil, in the most important instances of it ; and endow- ed with a will; which is a power to chuse or to refuse the evil or the good r 'That he is obliged to exert these powers or faculties in a right manner, both toward God andtoward himself, as well as his neighbour. I do not insist upon it, that he must know those propositions explictly, and in a philosophical manner : but he must have sòme sort of consciousness of hisoven natural powers, to know and distinguish, to chuse or to refuse good or evil, and must be sensible of his obligations to enquire and practise what is good, and toavoid What is evil. As for the duties that relate to God, moils obliged to wor- ship him with reverence, to honour him in his heart and life, on theaccount of his wisdom and power manifested in theworld ; to fear his majesty, to love him, and hope in his goodness, togive him thanksfor what instances ofit hepartakesof; to seek to him for what blessings he wants, and to carry it toward him inall things as his Maker, his Lord, and his Governor. He must know also, that since God is a righteous Governor, if he does not make good men happy in this world, and the wicked miserable, then theremust be another world, wherein he will appoint some hap- piness for the good, and misery for the wicked ; or in general, that he will some timeor other distribute rewards and punislüñente to all persons, according to their behaviour : For this has a very considerable. influence unto all holiness of life, and everypart of morality, whichwill hardlybepractised- without these motives. As for the duties which relate to other men, every man must know and believe, that as he is placed here amongst a multitude of tèaow. creatures of his own species or kind, he is bound tó practise truth- or veracity, justice and goodness toward them, according to the several' relations in which he may stand, as a father, brother, son, husband, neighbour, subject, master, servant, buyer, seller, &c.. And withregard to himself, he must VOL. uI. B a
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