430 STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS OF HUMAN REASON. -reason, among those who never enjoyed the preaching of the gospel of Christ ; though it must be confessed, it is almost infi- nitely easier for a christian to do it, than for a heathen. Yet still it is possible, in the nature of things, that mere human reason may be so cultivated and improved, without revelation, as to pro- duce such fruits of knowledge as these are. This appears, in some measure, by the fine schemes and thoughts of some of the Greek and Roman philosophers, on the themes of rational, ma- thematical, physical, and moral knowledge, as well as in some parts of religion, and by the great progress a few of them have made in knowledge and truth, on some of the subjects which you have been debating. I confess indeed, I hardly think those po- lite writers and philosophers would have gone so far in virtue and religion, if they had borrowedno help from divine tradition, andconverse with the Jews, or their neighbours. But after all, 1 cannot say that such a scheme of religion as I. have here pro- posed, lies uttterly out of the reach of human reason, in the na- ture of things, since the several steps of it may be all connected by strong inferences. VI. Though there be several whole nations of the earth sunk into such a brutal stupidity as the savages in the desarts of Africa, and the wilds of America, that they know nothing of reli- gion ; and though scarce any of the heathen philosophers, much less any whole nations, ever arrived at any clear and explicit knowledge of such a short and plain system of natural religion as I have proposed ; yet it does not follow, that human reason is not sufficient,to lead them into it. A man who is asleep is a reason- able creatùTe still, and the reason that is in him is sufficient to enable him to discourse and act like a man ;' but he must be first awakened by some happy accident, and his reason set a working in a proper track. A man that is intoxicated with liquor, and thereby led astray into a thousand fooleries, and is preparing mis- chief and misery for himself, yet has the principle of reason in him still, and if he does not go on to drink, he may recover the .exerciseof his rational powers, and thereby find out a way to ex- tricate himself from the dangers which surroundhim. Now I, look upon the bulk of the heathen world in such kind ofcircum- stances as these. Reason, so far as it relates to God, and reli- gion, and eternal happiness, seems to be asleep in them ; some happy hints may possibly awaken it, and set it a moving ina right channel, though without revelation it will be ever ready to wander, and go Astray. Reason, in far the greatest part ofthem, seems to be intoxicated and drawn away into endless fooleries, instead of religion, led astray by wild appetite and passion, per- verted by a thousand prejudices, and by the universal customs of the country, and seducedfar from all the paths of truthand duty. Now if any occurrence arise which may bring them to a stand,
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