CONFERENCE II. 433 Pint. My sincere thanks are due also to Sophronius, 'for the office he has sustained, and so happily executed in this our conference. LOG. Though the moon be risen so high, and the sky so free from clouds, that your walk homewards will be pleasant, yet my servant shall wait on each of you to your dwellings. Here, Davus, attend these gentlemen. Good night, dear Sirs, and remember the appointed hour to-morrow. THE SECOND CONFERENCE. Sophronius and Pithander being met in Logisto's summer- house at the appointed hour, after mutual salutations the con- ference began thus : Loc. Was it not agreed, gentlemen, that I should now produce my other arguments, drawn from various topics, relat- ingto God and man, to shew that reason is, and must be suffi-. dent to guide, conduct, or bring man to happiness in the way of religion ? Sopii. I think, Sir, you have already gone through but one part ofyour intended enquiry concerning the sufficiency ofreason, and that is, " Whether the light of reason be a sufficient guide to teach all men the necessary doctrines and duties of religion." Then it remains to be disputed, " Whether the powers of reason are able to shew such obligations and motives, and to set them before every person in such a view as shall be sufficient to enforce the practice of the duties required, and thus bring a man to the favour of God, and happiness ?" If I remember aright, Sir, you proposed this method of debate yourself at first, and this is what I suppose you mean to include, when you say, Reason is suffi- cient, not only foguide, but to conduct and bring men effectually to happiness in a way of religion. As for those general argu- ments which you speak of, which may be drawn from the nature of God, and the nature of man, they will better be introduced at last, because they tend to preve botti parts of your present ques- tion at once, viz. that reason is sufficient, both in its instructions to teach men religion, and with motives to bring them to the practice of it ; or that it has both light and power enough for this purpose. Loa. You are in the right, Sophronius, this was my mean- ingin the expressionI used of conducting men to happiness, and this was the method which I myself proposed last night : But I must confess; I am something discouraged to pursue the second query, by the success Pithander has had in the former part ofour debate. And yet, methinks, human reason should be sufficient to VOL. III. E E
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