along with them an entire conviction of their
Truth and Reasonableness: Whence if these Instructions at any time
happen strongly to cross the Inclinations of those to whom they are
given, it will appear rational to question their Solidity: And when
Principles that thwart People's passions or interests, come once to be
doubted of by them, it is great odds, that they will sooner be
slighted, than better examin'd.

Now, this want of apparent Truth and Reasonableness, is not only
where the _Notions_ and _Precepts_ giv'n, are in themselves such as
either in Whole, or in Part, are not True or Rational; but also
(oftentimes) where they are altogether conformable to right Reason: In
which cases, the want of apparent Reasonableness, proceeds from a
defect of such Antecedent Knowledge in those who are design'd to be
instructed, as is necessary to the seeing their Reasonableness of the
Instructions giv'n them; that is to say, To their discerning the
conformity with, or evident deduction of such Instructions from some
Truths which are unquestion'd by them: the which should be the
Principles of True Religion, so clearly made out to them, as to be by
them acknowledg'd for Verities. Religion being (as I shall take it at
present for granted) the only sufficient ground or solid support of
Vertue; For the belief of a Superior, Omnipotent Being, inspecting
our Actions, and who will Reward or Punish us accordingly, is in all
Men's Apprehensions the strangest, and in truth the only stable and
irresistible Argument for submitting our Desires to a constant
Regulation, wherein it is that Vertue does consist.

How far Natural Religion alone is sufficient for this, is very fit to
be consider'd: But I conclude that among us, there are few who pretend
to recommend Vertue, but who do so either with no respect at all to
Religion, and upon Principles purely Humane, or else with reference to
the Christian Religion. The first of these, it is already said, will
be ineffectual; and it is no less certain that the Christian Religion
cannot be a solid Foundation for Vertue, where Vertue being inculcated
upon the Declarations of the Gospel, those who are thus instructed,
are not convinc'd of the Authority and Evidence of that Revelation;
which but too commonly is the Case: Instructors, instead of Teaching
this necessary previous Knowledge of Religion, generally, supposing it
to be already in them whom they instruct, who in reality neither have
it, or have