QUESTION X, 831 scenes and ideas before us, and to carry us into this train ofcon- sequences ; we may then make it appear, that these propositions are either certainly or probably connected with each other, and that these 'consequences ; may be esteemed the result of fair and free reasoning on this subject. XI-. This might be illustrated by a.plain and obvious simili- tude, or rather a comparison between the sciences of geometry and religion, as the one is assisted by Euclid, and the other by Moses, and the other holy writers. Euclid has drawn out his reasonings upon lines and circles, angles and numbers, into a . noble set of propositions in his books of geometry, and filled the world with most useful pieces of knowledge built upon undenia- ble demonstrations. livery men has the natural powers of rea- soning as well as Euclid, and by the advantage of some acquaint- ancewith his propositions and reasonings, or the works of some other great geometrician, a multitude of men have made a rich progress in this science, and can draw up a scheme of geometry, in a chain of just consequences :' But without these advantages there is not one man in ten thousand wouldcarry on their reason- ings half so far. as Euclid has done, or find out one quarter of his propositions, or the arguments whereby he proves them. The same thing may be justly said concerning our, drawing out doc- trines and inferences upon the affairs of God and religion, by the light of nature, with the bible inour hands, whichnot one man in ten thousand would be able to do, or at least would ever do in fact, without this advantage. XII. Let tie here stand still and recapitulate some of the things' We 'lave mentioned. Let us consider the present wretched degenerate state of all mankind, the giddiness and darkness of their understandings, the power of their, prejudices) the vicious inclination of their hearts, the influence of evil ex amples round them, and the universal stream of impiety or idolatry, folly or vice, that has carrjed away all nations; let us consider how very poor and glow, how wretched and ridi- cçulons were the sentiments of men on divine. subjects, and the affairs of religion in the ,days and nations of heathenism ; let us reflect how wild are the notions, and how weak the rea- sonings of men, who are left entirely to the mere light of nature, or who 'have no revelation but such feeble glimpses and broken hints as they have derived down by long tradi- tion, from the far distant heads of their families, Shem, Ham, or Japhet.h ; let us think with ourselves how exceeding few of the heathens, without some communications with the Jews, or some traditional hints of ancieut revelation, have been ever led to repent of sin, to make supplication to the true God for forgiveness, to practise piety towards God, or virtue towards men, from a sincere design to honour and obey their
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