498 STRENGTH AND WEASNESS OF HUMAN REASON. as you are sure that these savagenations areunfitfor heaven, and are far from any probable way of attaining it : Are those sublime and incomprehensible perfections of the Deity, so easy to be judged of in their natures ? And are you so certain of the infer- ences you draw from them, that these inferencesof yours must regulate the divine conduct ? Are all these things so plainly evident to you, and all within your compass, and grasp, and determination, as much as this plain matter of fact, that these African and American herdsof mankind with all their reasoning powers, arenot practically sufficient to guide themselves,to future happiness ? Can you be so certain that God's justice and good- ness most oblige him to give all men on earth suchrational powers as shall be practicallysufficient for their guidance, and conductin religion, as you are certain that thereare on earth thousands and ten thousands of human creatures, who to all appearance, are never likely to know, and worship, and love their Maker, and be fitted for his enjoyment by the mere powersof their own wild and untaught reason ? Be content therefore, good Logisto, not to argue any Ionger even-from these divine topics againstcertain matter of fact, nor assume so much to your reason, as to teach God what he ought to have done : But I entreat you; Sir, to turn your argument into a juster channel. Let these your ideas of divine justice and goodness, and the conduct of God, which you think must result fromthem, be onlyproposed as difficulties on this subject which want an answer, and which to you appear knotty questions But let what is matterof faot rest and abide so for no reason- ings can alter it ; and .let the blessed God be allowed to bejust and good still. Loe I confess, Philander, this is a more modest way of talking, and becomes such poor and narrow understandings as ours are, when we dispute about the perfectionsof the great and blessed God, and his government and conduct toward his crea- tures : I consent therefore, and would now only proprose all that I have before pronounced, perhaps with too bold an air, merely as difficulties, and darknesses in divine conduct, which want somefurther light and skill to solve them. PITH. Well, Sir, since you are brought thus far to acknow- ledge, that God is just and good, and yet that multitudes of human race have not a practical sufficiency to lead them to hap- piness, be pleased to consider now, who are the persons upon whom it lies to solve these difficulties, to reconcile these two jar- ringpropositions, and to shed light upon these darknesses of pro- vidence. Does it lie upon christiausonly, and the believers of the gospel ? Doth it not fall upon the deists also ? Is it not as much your business therefore, as-it is mine, to relieve, these hard- ships ? Do younot believe as wellas we, that God is wise, and
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