GOLDNEY'S EPISTLE

TO THE

DEJSTS.

(Those who deny all REVEALED RELIGION, acknowledging only NATURAL; as the Exiftence of a GOD, his Providence, Virtue and Vice, the Immortality of the Soul, and Rewards and Punishments after Death.)

I

DEAR FELLOW-CREATURES,

T is with the greatest fincerity of foul, and a real

love and affection from my heart, that I make

this addrefs to you, for the benefit of your immortal fouls, which you are confcious will be destined to unspeakable happiness or misery at the grand and awful day of judgment, when the whole world will be fummoned to give an account of their behaviour in it as rational and accountable creatures.

All mankind, by creation, are the fons and daughters of God, who are made of one blood; confequently

है,

of one grand family: from which confideration I find an earnest desire in myself to be an inftrument in the hands of Providence, to be of as much fervice to my brethren univerfally as poffible, both for foul and body, as my capacity, fituation and circumftances in life will admit of, "whether they are Greeks or Jews, Barbarians,

Scythians, bond or free, of every kindred, tongue "and nation," yea, even if I could fuppofe them all my enemies. This is the fublime religion I learnt from the glorious gofpel of the bleffed Jefus; the fatisfaction and pleasure of which no one can conceive, but those who experience it, and have it communicated by its divine author Christ, "the only begotten Son of God," Johnxiv. 21. Therefore I fhould rejoice that you experienced the fame divine pleasures which are the happy confequences of knowing" the only true God, and Jefus Chrift, whom " he hath fent; whom to know is life eternal," John xvii. 3. The bleffed Jefus declares, "his doctrine was "not his own, but God's that fent him; and that if 66 any man will do his will, he fhall know of the doc"trine, whether it be of God, or whether he spake of "himself. He that speaketh of himself, feeketh his "own glory: but he that feeketh his glory that sent him, the fame is true, and no unrighteousness is in "him," John vii. 16, 17, 18. which fingle confideration is an invincible argument of the divine authority and miffion of the bleffed Jefus, to every rational, unprejudiced mind.

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The whole scope and defign of the doctrine which Christ delivered, eminently tends to promote the glory of God, and the univerfal good of mankind. This is

an

an undoubted proof and evidence that his doctrine was only from heaven.

It is declared by divine authority, that the reafon or cause why you, the Jews, or any other part of mankind do not believe in Chrift, is for want of doing the will of God: which is implied in our Lord's anfwer to the Jews, recorded John vii. 17. I make no manner of doubt but that you will readily answer me, and fay, If mankind were to judge of the truth of Christianity by the profeffors thereof, the practice of many heathens would be much more preferable to theirs; which is too notorious to be denied, but must be acknowledged as a lamentable truth, even amongst many who make the greatest pretences to it. But this is not to be attributed to the doctrine of the gofpel, which abfolutely affures us, that every one who wilfully lives in "the breach of

any one fingle command, is guilty of the whole :" and that it is not the hearers of the law, but the “doers of the law, who shall be justified; and that not

every one that faith unto Chrift, Lord, Lord, fhall "enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth "the will of his heavenly father,"

Therefore St. Paul cautions mankind, left they should deceive themselves, and fays, "Know ye not that the "unrighteous fhall not inherit the kingdom of God; "neither fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, ❝ abusers of themselves with mankind; nor thieves, nor « covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extor❝tioners," I Cor. vi. 9, 10. Thofe profeffing Chriftians who live in an avowed commiffion of any of thefe, or