456 STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS OL' HUMAN REASON. ward light of their own reason for many ages, yet the reforma- tion of ,some of the nations by the lightof the gospel is also supported by matter of fact and experience ; for true religion and morality have been actually introduced this way among some of these very stupid people. The savages of North Auteriça, that lie westward of some of the British plantations,,and near New -England, have several christian congregations; and the Danish missionaries of Tranquebar, in the East Indies, have done great things this way, toward the conversion of the hea- thens, in the Malabaric nations ; though it must be confessed, these East Indians are not so utterly uncultivated and rude as the African Hottentots. But if those rude and uncultivated creatures are first addressed by men who are soft and obliging, and appear to seek only their good, and that by any number of them sent for this purpose; if they are treated in a rational way, and taught to exercise their reason upon the obvious things of the world, and led up to the Maker of all things by the wisdom and power appearing in his works ; if these savages are taught to read, and the scripture, which teaches morality and natural religion, as well as revealed, be made familiar to them, if it be frequently preached to them in conversation, as well as in public assemblies, if they have the New Testament always at hand, and they are taught how to use and understand it, this willlead their minds into a track of thinking and good reasoning about God and religion, about virtue and vice and the rules of moral life : It will constantly furnish them not only with ideas, but withright ideas of these things, and suggest proper and just thoughts to their minds, vastly beyond what the uncertain rea- sonings of philosophers would do : and as soon as they begin to be convinced, that this is a revelation front God, by introducing the traditional proofs of miracles 'and prophecies among them, their belief of it will be abundantly confirmed, and all their lessons before learnedwill have weight and authority upon their consciences, and will have a much superior influence upon them towards the reforming of their manners; and rectifying their' hearts and lives, than if they were left to draw out the notions of Godand a future state, and to trace out the rules of morality and religion, merely by themselves ; since it is evident, their fathers have neverdone it in many ages past, nor is it probable the chil- dren would ever do it in ages to come. Loe. Really, Sir, according to your own representation of this matter, there must be many scores of teachers employed in this work, and yet theoperation would be but slow. Prim. I grant it, Sir, and it might take up many years to reduce such barbarous natione to the virtues of a moral and re- ligious life, by any human nìethods.we could use, even with the gospel of Christ in our hands : But yet the workwould certainly
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