CONFERENCE II. 445 be insufficient, aswell as Dr. Clarke in his Discourse of revealed religion : And when I hear of other christian authors, or preach- ers, maintaining the sufficiency of reason for this purpose, I would suppose, they mean no more than such a natural and re- mote sufficiency, which will scarce ever become really effectual without revelation, and especiallyin the rude and barbarous nati- ons of the earth. Though I must confess, it would better guard their expres- sions on both sides, from mistake, since the controversy is on foot, if they pleased to use some such distinction or limitation, when they pronounced either upon the strength or weakness of human reason, and neither called it absolutely sufficient or abso- lutely insufficient for the purposes of religion and happiness. And I am ready to persuade myself, Logisto by this time is almost inclined to believe, that natural reason unassisted in all mankind, is not proximately and practically sufficient, to make them holy and happy here and hereafter. Thus it happens sometimes, that huge controversies may be allayed and silenced, and contending parties reconciled, by a plain and easy distinction. " Ili Motes animorum, atque tune certanilna tanta Pulveris exigui jacta compressa quiescunt." Vise. And if things do really stand in the light in which I have en- deavoured to set them, if reason has only such a remote and spe- culative sufficiency, to guide and conduct sinful mankind to hap- piness in a way of religion, if there are so very few, if any, who were ever guided and conducted by it alone to happiness, then there is a most evident necessity of brighter light, clearer dis- coveries of duty, stronger motives and assistances, superior to what reason can furnish us with, to make mankind trulywise and blessed ; and this light and these motives and assistances are eminently to be found in the religion of Christ. LOG. Howmuch soever I may, be inclined to receive your opinion, Sophronius, and to abide by your determination in this controversy, yet I cannot think fit to declare myself roundly and positively upon this subject, till I have tried the force of all the arguments which I have in reserve : But perhaps you Will think it too much to enter upon any new topics at present. Sopii. Well then, gentlemen, I would propose at present to relieve the fatigue of intense thinking, and close debate : And at the same time, in order to confirmwhat I have offered about the practical insufficiency of reason in matters of religion, permit me to read two short manuscripts, which I brought hither to en- tertain you this evening, since I found your debate yesterday ran very much upon the sufficiency of reason, even in the most igno- rant nations, to lead them to religion and happiness. The ma- nuscripts are nothing but a short abstract of all the sense'of reli- gion that I could find in history among the northern Americans,
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