Comparisons seldom hold good in
_every_ minute Particular; but there is a Parity between the two
Cases, sufficient to justify my bringing in the one, as an
Illustration of the other. There is no Knowledge _more certain_,
than what Mankind commonly have of Good and Evil; and he who, in
order to serve any private Scheme of Religion, goes about to
depreciate this Knowledge, robs Mankind of all Truth and Certainty
whatever, and in the End subjects his own darling Schemes to the
same Uncertainty; for if we cannot judge of the Fitness, of plain
moral Truth and Duty, neither can we of any Scheme of Religion;
especially such as hang together more by Art and human Contrivance,
than by Reason or Revelation.

Being very desirous to get all the Information I could, concerning
the Matter in Debate; I have attentively read over Mr. _Cole's_
Treatise on the _Sovereignty_ of God. I know 'tis thought an
unanswerable Performance; and, so far as it regards general
Christianity, it is worth every Christian's serious Notice: But as
to the Doctrine it was wrote to support, it leaves it (in my
Judgment) no better than it found it; but is miserably weak, and
defective, as to any Thing that looks like sound Reason, or true
Argument; and amounts to no more than this _poor Assertion, That
because God is a Sovereign, he may do what he pleases:_ And, from
the Instances he brings from Scripture, 'tis plain, that Mr. _Cole_
himself pays as _little_ Regard to the intrinsick Worth and
Excellence of Things, as is done by many of his Brethren. The manner
in which he has been pleased to give us the Story of _Jacob_ and
_Esau_, proves the Truth of this Observation, I have no great
Inclination to spend Time in explaining _hard Passages_ of
Scripture, (tho' if any thing of that kind can be serviceable, or
deem'd excellent, 'tis Mr. _Taylor_ of _Norwich_ his Book on
_Original Sin_,) or to trespass on the Reader's Patience, by
throwing one Text of _hard_ and _uncertain_ Meaning against another;
for by this means the Controversy hath been needlessly prolonged.
Where the Scriptures are _plain_, _positive_ and _reasonable_, their
Authority ought to be conscientiously adhered to: But as this is not
always the Case, the _next_ Thing to knowing what is the _true
Meaning_ of any particular Text of Scripture is, to know what it
neither _does_ nor _can_ possibly mean; in which Case, the Divine
Attributes, and the Nature and Reason, or (if you please) Fitness of
Thi