CONFERENCE L- 407 or to determiné what honours arc due to the almighty power that made and governs all things. The Jewish prophet says muck the same things concerning the stupor of the heathen idolaters in his age about afftirs of religion. Is. Xliv. 15-20. He maketh a graven image out of a tree, he falls doren and saith to it, de. liver me, for thou art mygod. None considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge or understanding to say, I have burnt port of it in the fie, and shall I make theresidueof it an idol, a god? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? Ile %eedeth on ashes, a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot de, liver his soul, and say, it there not a lye in n{y right-hand? .Lou. Though I am not so much moved ;,y what Isaiah saith, considered as a Jewish prophet, yet it must be granted in- deed, that the accounts with some of the ancient writers, as well as some modern travellers, give us of barbarous nations, afford us too much ground to suspect, that the reason of marl is so darkened and stupified among these wild tribes of the heathen world, that it will go but a little way to search out true religion in the doctrines or the dirties of it. But, it may be, the grea6 God, who knows the weaknesses and the prejudices of all his creatures, will not require much practice, of that religion or piety, which are clue to God, at the hands of such poor sorry wretches as these are ; and if they do but behave tolerably well with re- gard to the duties they owe to themselves and their fellow-crea- tures, he may have compassion upon their ignorance, and receive them to his favour. PITH: I cannot allow this by any means, my friend, that a wise and holy God will provide u heaven and eternal happiness, in his favour and presence, for creatures that never enquire after him, that scarce know any thing at all of him, and never pay him any manner of honour on earth, which is the place of their pro- bation. But however, let us proceed to enquire, How 'much the native reason of such savages wotild find out of their own duty to their fellow-creatures. Loo. Well, here I think I shall prove my point effectually, howmuch soever I may have failed in the former case of duty to the true God. Will not their own native reason teach them that they must speak truth to one another ; that they must be faithful to their promises and contracts: that they must paty what they owe; that they must neither rob, nòr plunder, nor steal, nor take away the life nor property of another, who has not first deserved such a punishment by some robbery, or murder, or theft corn- nutted against his neighbour ? Will not their reason powerfully and evidently spew them, that there is a natural rectitude and fitness in these - practices of veracity, honesty, and justice be- tween man and man ? That it is a fit, a reasonable, and proper timing,' that a man should do no injury to Those who do not hurt
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