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Character [PART I

re kept at a distance, the vifit. Much the fame e Being. If-we be eneGod, as a holy Being, our eyes. We may adof admiration which is may feel a pleasure in ingenuity of his operamoral character is kept eable it will be to us. ented with overlooking, ture representations of e would think, he fays, 1 that provocation and ealousy in point of hohe, glory, and the like, ings, and are neceffach is perfect and uni ings are attributed to rative style, speaking en, and that they are ord Shaftesbury muft think it lawful, howexpressions as to concapable of being ofdeftitute of pleasure d about his own gloves the general good 's defcription would would become the

ion of our nature cation and offence,

CHAP. I.]

of God.

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of anger, of jealousy, and of a just regard to oι own honour. Lord Shaftesbury himself would ha ridiculed the man, and still more the magistra that should have been incapable of these properti on certain occafions. They are planted in our n ture by the Divine Being, and are adapted to a fwer valuable purposes. If they be perverted ai abused to fordid ends, which is too frequently t cafe, this does not alter their nature or lessen the utility. What would Lord Shaftesbury have thoug of a magiftrate, who should have witnessed a tra of affaffinations and murders without being in t leaft offended at them, or angry with the perpetr tors, or inclined to take vengeance on them for t public good? What would he think of a Briti House of Commons, who should exercise no jealo fy over the encroachments of a minister, or of king of Great Britain who should fuffer, with pe fect indifference, his just authority to be treated wi contempt?

But we are limited beings, and are therefore danger of having our just rights invaded. Tru and though God be unlimited, and so in no dang of being deprived of his effential glory, yet he m lose his just authority in the esteem of creatures; a were this to take place universally, the whole cre tion would be a scene of anarchy and misery. B we understand Lord Shaftesbury. He wishes to com pliment his Maker out of all his moral excellencia He has no objection to a God, provided he be o after his own heart, one who shall pay no fuch gard to human affairs as to call men to account f their ungodly deeds. If he thought the Creator the world to bear fuch a character, it is no wond that he should fpeak of him with what he ca

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"good humour, or pleasantry."* I fuch a God, he can, as Mr. Hume expr more at eafe" than if he conceived of characterized in the Holy Scriptures. beware how they play with fuch subj conceptions do not alter the nature o however they suffer themselves to trifl may find in the end that there is not but a God that judgeth in the earth.

Chriftianity teaches us to acknowledge Goo vote ourselves to his fervice: but Deif confeffes One Supreme Being, yet refus bim.

F there be a God, he ought to ped. This is a principle which no man to eradicate from his bofom; or even but at great labour and expence. The it is well known, both inculcate and infpi ship of God. Their language is, O, fing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful Rock of our falvation. Let us come before with thanksgiving, and make a joyful nois with pfalms-O come, let us worship and let us kneel before the Lord our maker-Gi Lord glory and ftrength: give unto the Le ry due to his Name. Bring an offering, an his courts-O worship the Lord in the bea ness: fear before him all the earth-Give t the Lord, call upon his Name; make known his deeds among the people-glory ye in his holy Name; let the heart of them rejoice that feek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his ftrength; feek his face continually.

The spirit alfo which the Scriptures inspire is favourable to divine worship. The grand leffon which they teach is love; and love to God delights to express itself in acts of obedience, adoration, fupplication, and praise. The natural language of a heart well affected to God, is, I will call upon him as long as I live-Bless the Lord, O my foul; and all that is within me bless his holy Name-Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer, and fupplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

Is it thus with our adversaries? They speak indeed of "true and fabulous theology," and of " true and false religion;" and often talk of " adoring" the Supreme Being. But if there be no true religion amongst Christians, where are we to look for it? Surely not amongst deists. Their "adorations" seem to be a kind of exercises much resembling the benevolent acts of certain persons, who are so extremely averse to oftentation, that nobody knows of their being charitable but themselves.

Mr. Paine professes to "believe in the equality of man, and that religious duties confist in doing justice, loving mercy, and" and what? I thought to be sure he had been going to add, walking humbly with God. But I was mistaken. Mr. Paine fupplies the place of walking humbly with God, by adding, " and endeavouring to make our fellowcreatures happy."* Some people would have thought that this was included in doing justice, and loving mer

* Age of Reason, Part I, p. 2.

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ey: but Mr. Paine had rather use meaning than write in favour of god ing humbly with God is not compreh list of his "religious duties." The vo fends him. It is that to him, in quot which a nonconductor is to the electr causes him to fly off in an oblique dir rather than say any thing on so offent to deal in unmeaning tautology.

Mr. Paine not only avoids the men ing humbly with God, but attempts to l tice itself with the fouleft abuse.* Не с fider himself as an out-caft, a beggar, he does not approach his Maker throu tor; he confiders "Redemption as a fab self as standing in an honourable fituatior to his relation to the Deity. Some of true; but not the whole. The latter a piece of religious gasconade. If Mr. think fo well of his fituation as he preten lief of a hereafter would not render him of terror."† But allowing the whole to proves nothing. A high conceit of one proof of excellence. If he chuse to ret foundation, he must abide the confequer had better have forborne to calumniate ot is it that has transported this child of re paroxism of fury against devout people spirit is he inspired in pouring forth fuc of flander? Why is it that he must accuf mility of "ingratitude," their grief of " and their prayers of being "dictatorial"

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mighty? Cain hated his brother ; and wherefore hated he him? because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. Prayer and devotion are things that Mr. Paine should have let alone, as being out of his province. By attempting however to run them down, he has borne witness to the devotion of Chriftians, and fulfilled what is written in a book which he affects to despise, Speaking evil of the things which he understands not.

To admit a God, and yet refuse to worship him, is a modern and inconsistent practice. It is a dictate of reason as well as of Revelation, If the Lord be God, worship him; and if Baal, worship him. It never was made a question whether the God in whom we believe should receive our adorations. All nations in all ages paid religious homage to the refpective deities or supposed deities, in which they believed. Modern unbelievers are the only men who have deviated from this practice. How this is to be accounted for is a subject worthy of enquiry. Το me it appears as follows

In former times, when men were weary of the worship of the true God, they exchanged it for that of idols. I know of no account of the origin of idolatry so rational as that which is given by Revelation. Men did not like to retain God in their knowledge: therefore they were given up to a mind void of judgment ; to change the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things: and to defile their bodies by every species of lewd• ness, and wickedness.* It was thus with the people who came to inhabit the country of Samaria af

* Rom. i.

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