THEOLOGICAL PROPOSITIONS, AND MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. I. Two important questions in which every individual is interested. ift. Is there a future state of pain and pleasure? 2d. What expectations may I indulge of being happy in fuch a state? A religion, which fettles both these points, must be from God. Christ's does fo, and is fupported by proper evidence, therefore, Chrift's religion is divine, 2. Reafon is analogous to the naked eye; revelation to the fight, affifted by the telefcope. The affiftance of the inftrument is equivalent to an increase of fagacity, or addition to the natural powers of man: as the telescope improves the human fight, fo rea fon fon is affifted by revelation. Each are equally true, and represent their object in a manner equally distinct, 3. The rewards of futurity will be enjoyed in proportion to our compliance with the law of God, as declared in Micah vi. 8. " And now what doth the Lord require of thee, O man, but to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." 4. Jefus fits at the right hand of God, by a fimilar metaphor, as all the enemies of God are to be made his footstool: i. e. both equally figurative expreffions. Stephen's vifion was a fymbol of Jefus's power or meffiahfhip, and fo his enemies understood him. Confider the promise of the thrones to the apoftles. In the fame fenfe to them as to Jefus. 5. Suicide is not a crime, which should be deemed cognizable by the civil magistrate; but it is a finful and vicious action: because it implies a want of truft in the goodness of providence, and indicates the greatest degree of self-regard: hence frequent in lunacy, where felf-regards feem to annihilate all fecondary affections, fuch as modefty, piety, benevolence. 6. If the production of happiness be pleafing to the almighty, agriculture must be pleafing, as from thence the means of living are fupplied, not to man only, but to innumerable kinds of other animals, who refide near the habitations of men. Two ways of co-operating with the deity; one, in giving happiness to those already in existence: the other, in contriving to give being to numerous tribes of rational and irrational animals, and to make them happy. 7. A man should be intrepid in his religious opinions. Fear withdraws the fuccours of reafon. Religious awe weakens the power of the mind. Hence, all the errors from this fource. Fear guilt; fear to displease the almighty but be intrepid and bold in every other matter relating to religion. 8. Qu'il ne faut point féparer les loix, de circonstances dans lesquelles elles ont été faites."* An excellent rule for the interpretation of scripture, particularly in the epiftles. 9. Tranfporter dans des fiècles reculés toutes les idées du fiècle ou l'on vit, c'eft des fources de l'erreur celle qui eft la plus féconde." Investigate the reigning ideas and controverfies of the apoftles times, and by them interpret their words. As in I Cor, XV. 3. in 10. Be the friend of liberty and truth, but my religious researches avoid the "l'efprit defapprobateur" mentioned in Montefquieu's preface. *Montefq. Efprit des loix, xxix. 14. + Ib. xxx. 14. 11. Virtue, [ The author here alludes to the beginning of Montef quieu's preface to his "Efprit des loix." "Si dans le nombre infini des chofes qui font dans ce livre, il y en avoit quelqu'une qui, contre mon attente, pût offenfer, il n'y |