HAVING thus explained the nature and end of CIVIL SOCIETY, together with the origins of those errors which men and even states, in every age, have been apt to entertain concerning it; I come in the next place, as I proposed, to treat concerning

RELIGION;

Whose end is first, to procure the favour of God; and secondly, to advance and improve our own intellectual nature.

As to the first end, the favour of God, this, common sense informs us, one man cannot procure for another; nor hinder him from procuring for himself; for as integrity of heart is what alone recommends us to his favour, every one hath this in his own power. It is evident, then, that man, in his religious capacity, had no occasion to constitute a society for procuring for himself the favour of God; as he had occasion in his social, to secure to himself the enjoyment of his liberty*. If, therefore, as a religionist, he entered into society, it was for a reason different from that for which, as a civilist, he constituted a commonwealth; that is, it was not to guard himself against the malice of man.

* Regium imperium quietem publicam, episcoporum sollicitudo felicitatem æternam hominibus procurat, testante apostolo. Reg s sæcularibus, pontifices spiritualibus ordinandis se impendunt. Quamdiu neutra potestatum in alienos limites insiliet, mutua concordia res Christiana amplificabitur.-Soli principi potestas in hæc terrena et temporalia imperandi asseritur, ut ecclesiæ sacra et spiritualia procurandi. Marca, lib. ii. c. 1. F. T.

E 4

And

And this leads us to consider the second end of religion, namely, the advancement and improvement of Our INTELLECTUAL NATURE. Now this, we can as easily conceive how a number of religious beings consociated may advance, as we can how a number of secular beings consociated may advance and improve Our ANIMAL NATURE, the secondary end of civil society.

To see the necessity of forming this society, we are to consider how the intellectual nature is improved by religion.

Religion, as an act or exercise regarding its object, is a commerce and intercourse with the supreme cause of all things. Which consisting, on our parts, in suitable sentiments, raised in us by contemplation on his nature, and on the relations we stand in towards HIM, the proper and adequate object of all dependent beings, must needs advance and improve our intellectual nature to its utmost height.

But now it may be asked, whether this intercourse, as it begins, so likewise, it should not end in mental exercise; and, consequently, whether religion be not, what many seem now disposed to think it, but a kind of divine philosophy in the mind; which composes only a spiritual and mystic body of its followers? For if this be indeed the case, there is an end of all religious society; this species of a religion neither standing in need, nor being capable of such a community.

To resolve this question, we are to consider, that, as RELIGION is an intercourse with the Creator and Governor of all things, it is the object of all rational dependent beings. Now we can easily conceive how a mere mental religion may fit the nature of pure immaterial spirits, of which doubtless there are innumerable degrees within the vast limits of the uni

verse.

verse. But man being compounded of two contrary, though, by the divine skill, united natures, soul and body, it seems necessary, at first sight, that religion here should partake of the character of its subject, and be composed equally of internal meditations, and outward acts and offices. This will appear on considering his nature as resulting from this composition; and the situation in which Providence hath been pleased to place him. To fit us for the station here assigned us, it was seen proper, as we find by experience, that the passions of the mind should be greatly influenced by the temper of the body; in which covering likewise, the intellectual faculties should be so inveloped as to render vain all attempts of emancipating ourselves from the body, while our business was in this gross material world. Now how unfit such beings are for a mere mental religion appears evident from the very state of the case. Experience likewise hath constantly confirmed these observations. For whenever men, by a mistaken aim at perfection, have endeavoured, in their religious exercises, to defecate the grossness of sense, and soar up into the region of pure ideas, it has been found that just as the temper and constitution was, so has been the consequence and issue: If cold and phleg matic, their religion has sunk into quietism; if bilious or sanguine, it has flamed out into all the frenzy of enthusiasm.

But further, our station and circumstances here contribute to render our natural incapacity, for such a mental religion, still more invincible. The supply of the necessities and conveniences of life, through all our intercourses for the satisfaction of those necessities and conveniences, subjects us to perpetual converse with the most sensible and material objects.

But

But often repeated converse produces HABITS. And of what force habits are in keeping the mind bent their way; and how obstinately they adhere, when we endeavour to get free of them, is as well known, as it is with difficulty remedied. Now these habits are so opposite, so averse to, so incompatible with mental contemplation, that, to do even so much this way, as the very essence of religion requires, we must bribe sense and matter, and draw them against themselves, to assist us in the rational offices of religion. If we add to this, that the common people, who compose the gross body of mankind, and for every individual of which, religion is intended, are, by their station and employments, most immerged in matter, we shall need no further proof, that a mere mental intercourse with God, which makes religion only a divine philosophy in the mind, is altogether unfit for such a creature as man in his present station upon earth.

But supposing all these impediments of ideal devotion to be away; yet if men be not so far spiritualized as to give and receive an intuitive knowledge of one another's mental acts of religion, still such a religion would not properly fit them. Because, to the due exercise of religion it is required that open profession of it be made by each individual, so as to be seen by others. For, that reason which tells us it is our duty to acknowledge all the relations in which we stand towards God: the same tells us, it is equally our duty to make those acknowledgements public. Again, of the blessings, Providence bestows upon us, some are particular to the individual, and others common to the species. Now, as return of thanks is due from each man for the blessings he has received in particular; so reason tells us, that for those bestowed on mankind in common, a joint return should

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be

be made, by as many of the kind together as can conveniently assemble for this purpose.

From what has been said then, it appears, that such a religion as is suitable to the nature of man, HERE, must have our meditations on the divine nature drawn out into ARTICLES OF FAITH; and our meditations on the several relations in which we stand towards him digested into suitable and correspondent ACTS OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP; and both of them to be professed and performed in COMMON. Which things, as we shall now shew, require the aid of a SOCIETY to regulate and establish.

1. Opinions concerning the nature of the Deity so entirely influence all religious practice that this invariably takes its character from those; and becomes more or less perfect as those are nearer to, or further from the truth *. On which account the greatest care is to be taken to preserve opinions pure and untainted. But this cannot be done but by a soCIETY; as we may understand from the very mention of those two ways which all such societies have ever put in practice. 1. By reducing men's belief into one common formulary. And 2. By making the profession of that formulary the term of communion. For by this means there is a summary of belief in aid of the ignorant; and a common repository that men may always have recourse to for information. Where it is to be observed, that the wider the bottom is made, and the more general the terms of communion (consistent with the being of a Society), the wiser and juster is that religious institution.

2. The several acts of religious worship are correspondent to the sentiments arising in us from our meditation on the several relations we stand in towards