VINDICATION O F Mr. HUrCHESON FRO M The Calumnious A^erfions Of a Late P A M P H L E T, By Several of his S C H O L A R S. ExOD. Chap. XX. V. i^^. Jlnmj\)^'lt: not beetr* fdfe wknefs a^ainfi thy neighbour.^ Matth. Ch^p. vii. V. 15, 16 Bev?are of fiiife Prophet Sj who come to you in [heeps ch^thl^', But^ im^ardlf they \ire ravemng wolves. Tva5 the fii:{l That pi'adlis'dFairhoGd, under faintly She;%^, Deep Malice to conceal, couch'd with Revenge. ' Yet not enough .had pradti^'d to Deceive. MitfoRf wF/agilz qt^are7if'iUjdere deMem Oferidst foHdo ^ •^T ^i Mirn HoR. "* .' '" ' W,' ' " *'"■ " ■ ' % ' Printed in tlie Year, M- DCC. XXXVIH. THE RE FACE. ^ H ERE AS about the Begimmg of this Sejp.onof the College y a Pa^er "was printed and publijhed by One who frete?ids to be a Student ^ or to have been one lately in this Univerjityy without Jig'/iing his true Na?;^ey charging Projejfor Hutchefbn voith teaching many dangerous Errors^ by which fi?m weak People are prejudiced againji him and the Univerjity. W^ who have alfo been his Scholars for feveral TearSy thought ourfelvcs obliged in Charity to a72y good People^ who may be im- pofed upon by fhs y^utpjors Pretences of Zeal for Religiony to reprefent: to the M^orld what Mr. Hutch eibn really taught on thefe Heads, by which the Faljhoody Ignorance^ a7id unchr-'fian Malice of that Author tvill appear to all honcji Men ; and they will at the {ame Time know what to think uf the Honefy, Knowledge , Leavning and Chri- §fianity of Pns Abettors, let them be in what Stations they pleafe. As we hear that feme in better Stations knew of his Defigny p<:rufed hs Paper in Manufcripty eiicow-'aged tl?e Difgyi privately-y fent the print<:d 4 The PREFACE. printed Paper to their Correfpondents at a Diflmice^ with their Re~ ccmmeTidation ; nay^ could net conceal^ from good Women they nnfttedy their Hepesy before it was printed, of the Hurt would foon be done to Mr. HutchelbnV CharaHer. WE cnr.mt allow oiirfehes to imagine, that any Member of the Tactdty could be capable of fuch Malice and Stupidity ; or be fo grcj/y ignorant of the Scriptures, as to relijh fdch a Paper. But good People, to whom this Paper has been recommended, willfom what plhws, knew how to judge of its Mthor and his abettors. IN the fh'fl Place, every good Chrifii an would have followed the plain Ride of, Firfl fpeaking privately to a Brother who offended him; Matth. xvii'i. \ ^, i6. This was never done, but the Charge Hazed abroad' at once, at that Time when it could mofl have hurt Mr. Hutcheicn, if he could have been hurt by fuch an Advtr- fary. AGAIN, all who know any Thing of the Univerfity, know there are proper Superiors, to whom regular Application jhould have been made, upon the Mifdemeanour of any Member : Parti- cularly, the Dean of Faculty, as to Matter- s of Faith. No fuch re- gular Step was taken. The Defign was to give a Stab in the dark^ And to vent Malice and Calum?iy with Impunity, and this Defign pre- Tneditated a lo?7g Ti^ne. But this will better appear by the whole Strain of the Paper ; which we jh all take notice of, by Jetting what Mr. Hut- chefon really taught over againji each Propojition of our Author s, ■with a ftw Notes en them ; by which any One may judge both of his Malice, Difingcnuity, and ignorant Ahufe of the holy Scriptures to ftrve his bafe Purpofes. . WE di [regard the general Cant in the Preface. Let the World judge whether it was the S^mt of Truth, Charity and Love ; or the Fa- ther of Lies and Hypocrify ( our Author* s charitable Words ) who in- (piredhim. All Sides can charge their Auverfaries in Scripture Language, if they are profaiie enough to apply thefe Writings to their malicious Pur- pofeslwith an): Crimes, Herefy, Dei fm and all. The Devil can employ- Fools in doing Mifchiei: ; this fcmetimes weds neither Learning nor Ability, tho"" it may require coJiCiderable Abilities to do any important Good. We leave it to all who have heard Mr. HutcheibnV Lectures, to judge whether he is any co:ifc derate with Deifls, or any Way ferves tha'y Caufe. We know very well that igmrant malicious Zealots have done The P R E F A c' E. s done as much Hurt to the Chrijiian ReUgiojiy as any Enemies fecret of operiy by drejjing it up in fuch a Manner^ as every Man of Under- Jianding mtiji dejpfeir. This is to be feen in Popery y and others Hi U retain many of the -mojl odious Parts of Popery : A blind Bigotry ^ an impUcitc Faith without impartial Inquiry ^ and Rage againjl all -aho differ from them, with a Spirit of Perfecution. But it is belovo Chriflians to render Railing for Railings tho* it be vented in Scripture Language with great Profejjions of Piety. With what Sincerity tr Piety our Author could hope God would blefs fuch Etideavours fo direBly con- trary to the Gofpely and the Method prefer i bed by it, upon any Of- fence taken J let himfelf account . The C 6 ) The Authors 'Pr»foJitions,with Remarks on them. PROPOSITION I. u '\^'\ TE could have the Knowledge of Moral Good \/\/ " and Evil, altho' we knew nothing of the ▼ T «* Being of God. " R E M A R IC HE freaks here indefinitely, as if Mr. Hutcheson had taught, That we could have Notions of all Sorts of Moral Good withoi.t any Knowledge of God : And then calls it blalphemous, to fay, God ads from Love of himlelf; tho' prefently we will find, in his Paper, That He did all Things tor himielf, and his own Glory. P Pv O p. 11. " T^ Endency to promote the Happinefs of others is the _|_ *' Standard of Moral Goodneis. R E M A R K S. TO prove this to be Mr. Hutcheson's Tenet, you cite tv/o Pafikges from his Books, nothing to the Purpofe ; and forr.e Pafiages from the Confeflicn and the Scriptures, not op- pofite to this Tenet, even as you expref. it : Only alferting, 'i hat the Lav/ of God is tl:c Ruh^ or chief Rule of our Aciiom; or, ihr.t Sin is aTra-fifgreflm of his Law; which Mr. Hutcheson Ecver denied. Next follow fine Reafon"^, to ihew. That the Moral Gcodnefs of God is different from Benignity ; otherways, his Moral Gcodnefs commenced only at the Creation, and he was void of" it from Eternity, even unto a Period at an infinite Diftance : I furpofe you mean, from the Commencement of Eternity, for otherways the Creadon was not at any Diitance fiY}hi Eternity, or any Part of it, hnce it is fuppoied to have no Parts. Now, Is rot a firm, conilant Purpofe in the Divine jMind, from all Eternity, to create a World, an equal Evidence cf eternal Goodnefsja^ the present Exiilencc is a Proof of pre- iciit Gccdneis ? His" C 7 ) Mr. HUTCHE SON'S Propofitions, PROPOSITION I. WE may approve or condemn fome Sorts of Virtues and Vices, even tho* we had not known God, or had any Pcrfuafion, that, by his Laws, he re- quired the one, and prohibited the other : We fhould, for Inftance, approve hum.ane, friendly, grateful A6tions toward our Fellows, and condemn the contraiy ; the very Ef.curems did fo, who believed no Providence or Laws of God. Again, wx have a Notion of Moral Goodnefs, prior, in the Order of Knowledge, to any Notion of the Vv'ill or Law of God ; altho' the Moral Perfe6tions of God ard prior, in Nature, to all our Faculties. PROP. II. BFnevolent AfFe6tions toward others are our primary^ Notion of Moral Goodnefs, or the primary Obje(5t of our Approbation. But^ as there are diftcrent Sorts of bene- volent Afteftions, fo there are different Degrees of Moral Good- nels : We count God morally Good, on this Account, that v/e juftly conclude, he has eflential Difpofitions to communicate Happinefs and Perfe6tion to hisCreatures with moft {)ei'fect Wif- dom, and railed above all mean Views, oppofite to it : That wc mufthave another Notion of moral Goodnefs,prior to any Rela- tion toLaw,or Will, or even to efiential Reditude, or Confor- mity to Divine Perfe6tion : Otherways, when we fay, God's Laws are goody we make no valuable Encomium on them ; and only lay, God's Laws are conformable to his Laws, or, his Will is conformable to his Will. He would not then com- mand Adtions, becaufe they are good ; or, prohibire them, be- caufe they are evil. So, when we lay God is morally good ^ or, txcellenty we would only mean, he is conformable to him- Iclf ; which would be no Praile, unlefs he were previoufly known to be good. Mr. 8 The Author' J" Tropo/itions^ &c. His Notion of Moral Goodnefs is PoffeJJm of Blsfednefs and Pe'ffe^iion. Is Blejfednefs Happineis of any Kind, or "is it only Happinefs of a moral Kind ? Then Moral Goodnefs is de- fined by Moral Happinefs, ( no clearer than the Thing defin- ed ) and Perfe^ion : Is this any natural Perfedinn, liich as Eternity, Ormipre fence, Siwplicity^^ the Polleflion of thefe imports no Moral Goodnefs. 'Tis then the PoffefTion of moral Perfec- tion or moral Goodnefs ; i. e. the Definition of moral Good- nefs is moral Perfedion. Apin the fame is defined by the fame, and nothing clearer. The cmtem^htlng his Nfiture with Delight argues no Moral Goodnefs, unlefs the Qualities con- templated be previoufly^ known to be good, and this Good- nefs is explain'd by loving Goodnefs. PROP. ni. " OElfmurder is in fbme Gales lawful. K M A R K S. THE Impertinence of the Scripture Proofs here is ama- zing ; as if Mr. Hutcheson had taught that Men might kill themfelves when they pleafed, under any Evil, even w^hile they had further Profpe6ts of doing good in Life, and exprefs Commands of God to endure thefe AfflJ^Vions, with Promifes of his Support, and the Aflill^ance of his Spirit. Whereas Mr. Hutcheson ever taught that in thefe Cafes all Suicide was unlawful. When he mentioned the Excufes, al- led^ed bv fbme for the Heathens, as They had no other Gride but the Light of Nature, and were left to judge by the Picbabiliries vhev had, without any fpecial Premises of Sup- port, or revealed Co.mmands to endure theie Afflictions ; he only did, as in ether controverted Cafes, candidly reprefent what is faid on both Sides. But we affert. He licver approv- ed of amy, even, the mofl celebrated Inflances of Suicide a- mong them, vvhich Chriflians have fince- looked on as the moft excuTable : For Example, he condemned thole of Lua-etia, CfitOy and Brutus. He Ihewed, that Atticus would have adted a far more virtuous and glorious Part, by continuing in Life, and giving an Example to all about him of Fortitude, Patience, and Reilgnation to the Divine Will ; and, as he di,d not, was fo far dchcient in Virtue. As for the imaginary Cafe mentioned by this Author, in which, he fa}«, Mr. Hutcheson diinks Suicide highly laudable Mr. Htftc hefor/ s Propofitions, 9- Mr. Hut cues on ever maintains', That the Obfervation of the Divitic Laws tends to the greafeft Good of Mankind ; tho' 'tis diiingenoully alledged, that he fpeaks only of Ten- dency to external Good. Pie ever ipeaks of it as an impollible Suppofition, contradictory in Terms, That any Sin or Vio- lation of God's Law can tend to the abfolute Good of Man- kind ; tho' he teaches, with all Moralifts antient and modern. That many of the ordinary Precepts admit of Exceptions, in Cales of fingular Ncceffity. The Author's Reprefenrations of this DocStrine iliew, ci- ther grois Difingenuity, or Ignorance. None ever taught, That Neceffity made Sin, or the breaking of God's Laws lawful. PROP. III. AS Mr. Hutches ON 's Do6trine on this Point is fufficient- ly plain, from what we have faid in theAnimadvei-iions on this Proportion in the Author ; we have only to obferve» here, that Mr. Hutcheson's grand Aim, in his Explicati- ons of the ^th Chapter of Puffendorf, where this Queftion oc- curs, was to inipire into his Scholars a noble Contempt of Danger, and a generous Readinefs to expofe our Lives, were it to the moft certain Death, whenever the Caufe of our Coun-^ try, or the Good of Mankind requir'd it. He told us, at great length, the plaufible Arguments of a great Number of Writers, ia Defence of the Dodtrine and Practice of many Ancients: And the Arguments on the otlier Side, in the moft plaufible Cafes. But we never hcar^'. him decide, as our Author ailedges. B PROP. io The Authori* Tropofltions^ &c. laudable ; he has grofly confounded and miircprelented it ivith his ulual Calumny and Abfurdity. Mr. Hutchesom is fo far from the Opinion he is here charged with, That he reprefented the Want of Refolution to ftand all Tortures for lb noble a Caufe, as a Weaknefs of Mind, and a Want of a liifficient Force of Virtue. He always Ipoke of thole, who had rather chofen to undergo the levereft Torments in luch a Cafe, as Heroes worthy of the higheft Admiration, and Applaule. Never did any Man of Gravity fay Selfmurder was lawful in any Cafe. But our Author knew this was an odious Word, always importing Guilt. He taught it lawful to kill Men in a juft War. Our Author might as juftly have charged him with teaching the Lawfulnefs of Afer/-^;^. But he knew the Word ieljmurther was lit to raife a Popular Odium and Clamour. PROP. IV. Ki rr K -J3 ibmetimes lawflil to make a Lie. REMARKS. Mr. Hutcheson never fpoke liich Words, or any c- qnivalent to them. Lying is a Word always importing a Crime. He mi^ht as juftly have charged him with teaching Murder and Theft. The Scriptures are as wifely cited, as if One heaped together all the Texts againft Murder and Theft, and all the ibiemn Comm.ands to the Hebrews, in Deute- rcno?r>yy to obfervc the Laws of God ; and thence concluded that all our Divines, Moralifts and Criticks, were guilty of rofs Herefy and Deifir, :'or %ing, " That a Man perifhing by Hunger, vv hen he could not, by any Intreaty or Offers or Service, get Food to preferve Life by Confent of One who had lupcrfluous Stores, might juftly take fecretly, or " by Force, what miglit preferve Life : " and " that in an <' overloaded Boat, 'tis lawfol to caft Lots who fhould be *' thrown over : " and " that it was lawful in David to take « the Ihew Bread. " Our Author is f^ich a deep Moralift and Cafuift, that he ventures like an Hero to encounter the v/hole World in deny- ing that the Fraud or tnijiiff Fiolmce of the Partv is a juft Excepti- on ajaiv.fl a CmiraB., e\pccif:Uy if confirmed by Oath. " He main- f^ tains the Validity and Ob,ligatioii of tiie Goiitracfc obtained ** thro* Mr. Hutchefon's PropofitionSi ii PROP. IV. MR. HuTCHEsoN ever taught, That the Law of Vera^ city was as facred a Precept of the Law of Nature, as, Thou jhalt not kill: Thou jhdt not Jleal. Tho' he has alio told us, Almoft all Writers on Morals plead, that all thele Laws are underftood to admit Exceptions, in Cales of great Extre- mity ; but ftill without deciding this Debate. Nothing can be a more malicious Calumny, than the Alperfionon Mr. Hutches on in this Place. Whoever under- fl-ands any Thing of the Bufinefs of a Profeflbr of Moral Phi- lofbphy, muft know, he is obliged, in all controverted Points, to reprelent what is faid on both Sides, in a fair and jull Light. The Author could not but know this ; and v;'as guilty of bale Difingenuity, to reprefent, as a Man's own Opinion, what he delivered in that Manner. We allert. He never taught, as his own Senriments, any of the Arguments he menti- oned on this Head, for fubmitting Veracity to the Public Gocci in Cales of urgent Neceflity : But, on the Contrary, confuted, at great length, the loole Tenets of Earhyrac^ as well as Puj- fendorf^ in Oppofition to what he is here charged with.^ He dwelt long, and warmly on the high Importance of incul- cating, in the ftrongeft Manner, into the Minds of Youth, an univerfal Regard to Feraa'ty and Sincmty, in all Cales. ^ He conftantly taught. That the Heart has the fame ultimate Feeling of the native Beauty and Lovelinefs of Veracity and Sincerity, as of any of the other Virtues. Mr. Kutcheson teaches, with all Moralids and Civi- lians, That the Fraud or unjuft Force of one Party in a Contract, makes void the Obligation of the other, even tho' it had been confirmed by an Oath given during the Error oecafioned by the Fraud, or during the Terror occafioned by the 1 2 The Author J- Tr.o^ofltions^ &c. " thro' Fraud by the G/^£07,Wt'j-, becauie confirmed by Oath, " tho' the Matter of it was contrary to an exprefs Command of God, to cut oft that People. Oaths are, it feems, eafy J^ai- fines of eluding God's Laws, when we pleaie ; eafier than Ir. PIutckeson's Cafes of great NecclTity. He provesnhis iirft by thejudgment of the Princes of ^m'/,' the very Judgment in Queftion, whether jufi: or not ; and then by a Proof which no Man of common Senle could ufe ; the Punilliment inflicted on Scids Sons, for their Father's Breach of this Covenant : whence he proves it obligatory. Did not our deep Author know, that all Writers fay, it became obligatory by the fub- lequent Ratification, after the Fraud was known to the Ijrael- ites^ and not in Virtue of wliat was obtained by Fraud ? The Difficulty however is not at all removed, as he might fee, if he looked into any good Writer on this CvS:^. He has Learn- ing enough to afiert ftrongly againil his Adverlary, which is enough for a Man of Zeai. PROP. V. *-<■ "' I ^Is ridiculous to fpeak of the Sinfulnefs of Cards and _|^ " Dice, oi* any iiich Diverfion in which Lottery " is pra6tiled. R ^ M A R K. H E proves this to be falle, becaufe v/e find Lots fblemnly uled in Scripture on a grand Occaiion. So was Bread and Wine, and he fhould thence infer it to be unlawful to ulc them en any other Occafion. PRO P. VI. Is wrong to iliy, Cod always ad's for his own Glory, *' or that we ought to have that End always in view. R E M J R K S. HE hath Subjoined here Heaps of Texts, without any Explication of their Meaning ; Whether God's fole and ultimate End in all his Actions, is promoting his ejf:?itial Glory, or his dechratl'-oel or, Whether we Ihould, in each Adion, aim at promoting the EiTential; or the Declarative ? Whether Mr. Hutchefofis Propofitions tj the unjuft Force : But limited this to fuch avowed unjuft Force as is uled by Pyrates and Robbers, io as not to extend to the Force ufed in Publick Solemn Wars, upon Ipecious Allegations of Right. He told, what leemed to him the O- pinion not only of Cicero, but of Pufendorf and Barbeyrac, That, as Pyrates, Robbers, and manifeli Tyrants had renounced a Social Life, and all the Laws of Nature, we were free from all Bonds toward them in the Ufe of Speech ; and might ule Forms of Swearing, without Intention of performing. This laft Article he diredtly oppoled, every Time he menti- oned it ; and ufed this very Expreflion, That to die, rather than ufe the Name of God with Intention to njiolate the Oath, would be as much Martyrdom, as dying rather than renounce Ch'ijiianity. The Author's Charge here is dire6tly faife Calumny ; and yet, on this Occaiion too, he can cite the Holy Scriptures. p R o p. V. MR. Hu T CHE s ON faid Words to this Effect often, par- ticularly in his v/arm Exhortations to his Scholars to abftain from any Diverficns which might too much wafte their Time by their being agreeable : And when he wasfhewing the Sin of hazarding our Fortunes, without an important Caufe, or of being covetous to obtain the Wealth of odiers by Gaming. Let the W"orld judge of the Wifdom of the Charge here brought. PRO P. VI. MR. Hutches ON never taug,htthele Words. But at great Length fhewed the Ambiguity of the Expreflion, and explain'd in what Senfe God might be faid to a6t for his own Glory, and in what Senfe Menfhould aci: for it. H E never arrogated to himfelf fbme Criticiflns the Author refers to. If he had had as much Inclination to reading, as he had to vent his good iSature in Print, he might have found thefe Criticifms in known approved Authors. This was a fine Topick however for a popular Glamour. PROP. 14 The Author's Tropqfitionsj &c. Whether promoting the Declarative means any Thing ellc^ than making the Perfections of God known to Men? which muft flow from Gratitude and Love to God, and Goodwill to them, and natively tend to their Increafe in Virtue and Perfection. PROP. VII. « ''^TT^HeRe is a Superiority of Moral Good in the World. REMARK S. THE following Reafoning of the Author leads the Rea- der to conceive, that Mr. Hutchison faid there was a Superiority of Moral Good among the Adult of Mankind in this Earth. j4 m'cked Man is capable of doing good AFtions. This is laid here indefinitely, without any of the ullial Diftincrions of A/;;7f^r/- /r/and Formal^ Natural cind Spiritual. And then Heaps of Ci- tations from the ConfefTion and Scriptures about Spiritual Good, and about the Actions of profligate Perfons. The Number of the Saved is greater than that of the Damned^ be- caufe all who die in Infancy are faved: And then by an Heap of Scriptures, fome of them very impertinently ufed, he infinu- ates as if Mr. Hutcheson denied original Sin. The Light of Nature fujfcievt to Salvation. This confuted too by many Texts of Scripture, proving that no Man can obierveths whole Law flilly, and that all Salvation muft be thro' Chrift : None of thofe Points did ever Mr. Hutcheson deny. PROP. VIII. " TT is not probable that the fame Bodies that are laid in the J[ " Grave, fball be railed again at the Refurrection. R E'''^M ^ ^ ^<^- THEN are liibjoinedfucHRealbning and Texts, as if Mr. Hutcheson had denied that any of that Matter laid in the Grave, fhould be railed again ; And this v. ithgreat Oftenta- tions of Wiidom and Pietv. PROP. Mr. Hutchefofis Propofitions. ty PROP. VII. MR. Hutches ON taught that in the whole of a good God's V\^orks, or the Universe in all its Duration, there muft be a great Superiority of Good : He never confin- ed this Aflertion to the Adult of Mankind. H E maintained, as every Moralift in teaching the Law of Nature muft, that many Actions of Heathens were mo- rally good. In anfwering B-«j/Ze*s Manichean Objections againft theGood- nels of God, from the vaft Superiority ot the Number of the Damned to that of the Saved, he denied that any could prove the Fact to be fo, and that from a probable Judgment that all the Children of the Heathens are not damned. This is called prying into the Counlels of God, but to damn them all, is modeft Humility, and no Prying at all, it leems. H E never laid there was any Salvation to any of fallen Man- kind, except by the Merits of Chrift, but often faid, hefaw no Proof, that none could reap the Benefit of his Merits, but ' thofe who actually knew him ; Nor do we lee it yet, either from the Scriptures cited by this Author, or the Confcflion. PROP. VIII. MR. HuTCHEsoN teaches. That the fame Body fliall rile again ; but, to Samenefs of Body ^ he does not make it necefiary, that all the fame Particles fhould be railed, with- out any Addition or Deduction ; otherv.'^ays our Bodies would not be the fame from Morning to Night. One muft have been very keen to find Herely, who looked for it here. The Author lays as much himlelf on this Head. PROP. i6 The AuthorV Tropqfltions^ &c. PROP. IX. " ^ I "He Divine Right of Dominion ovet* the Creatures is X " not properly founded upon Creation, nor upon ** ablblute Dependence, nor upon Benefits received. REMARKS. HERE follow Heaps of Scriptures, as if Mr. Hu T- CHESON had faid, that from Creation, or Benefits conferred, we were under no Obligations of Duty or Gratitude, or liadno Motives to Obedience ; which is a bale Mifrepreientation. And then becaule he argued upon the bare Suppofition of two oppofite Principles, there follows a filly Confiitation of the Suppofition, as if Mr, Hutches on had believed it fact, or thought it a poflible or probable Scheme. p R o p. X, " C-'-^ ^^ ^^^ aggravated by the infinite Majcfty of God a- 1^ " gainft whom it is committed. " And " *tis a dif- " putable Point, whether the Punifiiments of the Wicked are ** eternal. No Man can be faid properly to finagainft God. *' And the Author heartily wiflies thele Opinions were true, if his Bible would let him, and then fuch Heaps of Texts and Realbnings as on former Articles. PROP. Mr. Hutchefons Propofitions. " ,1/ ' PROP. IX. ■R. HuTCHESoN taught, That, from the Moral Per- fections of God, we could deduce his Right of Go- verning his Creatures, in the molt proper Manner : Tho', at the fame Time, he ever fabjoined, that Creation and Bene- fits were ftrong Motives to Gratitude and Love ; and, that this Queftion was only a ipeculative Nicety, fince all that ever was alledged, as a Foundation of Dominion, by any one, was found in the only True God. This Tenet is taught by many zealous Calvinifts, in their Syftems, It muft therefore ' be an highei, or a very different Sort of Zeal, which could find Hereiy in it. P R o p. X i' THe Charge againft Mr. Hutcheson is here directly ^__ falle and calumnious, in thcfe three Points and Ibme more, in this Article. He argued directly. That Crimes, or Sins, are aggravated by the Dignity of the Object againft whom they are comrriitted: He taught this in Print. He ex- prefly taught too, That however the Platonifts, and Ori- gen and fome others, to vindicate the Goodnels of God, leemed to look for an universal Reftoration of all ; yet the expreis Wordv of Scripture would allow no Chriftian to make that Defence. He offered leveral Reafons in Defence ot Eternal Puniihments. He ever faid, That Men could fin againfl God, as well as Men; tho' they could not hurt him. Indeed be often faid, Ht knew not how any actual Quality of a finite Being could be called infinite ; that Hatred of God muft be the higheft Guilt poifible; but, to call all Sin infinitely evil, when the Guilt of one Sin may furpafs another fb exceedingly, muft be a very difputabJe Expreffion, as it fiippoies one Infinite much "greater than another, in the very Helped in which the other is iafiiiicc. c r B. o p. i3 7he Author'j Tropjitions:, &c. P R O P. XL « ^ i ^He Govtrnment of the Church belongs to the Civil J_ " Magiftrate. " Here he lubjoins, as , if Mr; Hutches ON aflerted, that all the Powers in the Church of Preachixig^ Adminiftrating the Sacraments, Rebuking, Cen- furing, were derived from the Magiftrate, with grols Difmge- nuity : So he charges him with teaching. That all Herefies in Opinion^ fneuld pafs without any Cenfure. That Siibfcriblng a Confef- fion jhould.be i>a?iijhed out of the Church. To this are liibjoined, in Mr. Hutcheson's Name, fome Realbnings the Author has made for him, that he might have an Opportunity for the good-natured Charge of Perjury on him, and many Minifters of the Church, who, he fays, are preaching againft the Con- feffion. E muft alio obferve what follows upon thefe Propofiti- ons, A Charge of perverting Texts of Scripture, in which the Autlior both fliews his Malice and Ignorance. Any: JSIan who will look into Pool's Synopfis, a Book to which any Scholar can have Accefs, will find that, Prov. xvi. 4. is in- terpreted by many great Men, as Mr. Hutcheson does. God fited each Iking for iffslf^ or its oxon Bufmefs ; Our Author has. made indeed anew Interpretation of his own in Mr. Hutche- sois;'s Name, different from all thofe in the Criticks. So R.om. xii. II. Ti;at Reading is known to all Men of Letters to be common in the Greek Manuicripts, and was foUov/ed by many Fathers, as well as feveral modern Criticks, among the Calvin- i^s too ; and yet this Author ignorantly or malicioufly afcribes this to Mr. Hutcheson as a Perverfion, who told us of it without efpoufing it. Mr. Hutcheson laid that the Rule ufed by fbme, as a great leading Maxim, We majl mt do evil^f that good mity come of'ity was not taught by the Apoftles as a Rule, nor could be of any Service to decide any debated Point in Morals. For often for a good End, we m.ay do what would have been cri- minal without a View to fuch an End, as in Amputations, ha- zarding Mr. Hutchefins Propofitions. i<) PROP. XI "R. HuTCHESoN mamtains, that there are Powers of a religious Kind belonging to every Minifter, and even fome to every Chriftian, not derived from the Magi- ftrate : But that it belongs to the Magiftrate to take Care of the religious Notions of the People, to appoint proper Teach- ers, and to lupport them. This Scheme he leemed to ap- prove moft, v/hen mentioning two other different ones, One of the Papifts, the Other of Independents ; we cannot direct- ly charge him v/ith it, let it be gcod or bad. He alfo plead- ed for univ'^erlal Toleration by the State, toward all peace- able Subjects of whatever Religion, Let the Church cenfure their Opinions as it plealcs : And fhewed how this is recon- ciieable with the^Ma^iftrate's Care of Religion. zarding Life in War, delivering Money to a Robber to (ave our Lives, or putting Men to Death for Defence of our Coun- try. In other Cafes there are fome Evils we fliould not do, even to obtain thefe Ends, fuch as Blafphemy, Perjury, Ab- juring the Faith. Now this. Rule does not tell us what we are to do for a good End, and what not. Mr. Hutcheson never faid that the Rule, i Cor. x. :5i. was to be reftricted only to the Cafe of Eating or not eating Meats offered to Idols, or prohibited among the Jews. So all his fine Triumphs arc loft. As our Author takes upon him to direct and admonifh others^ we {hall only fiiggeft to him and all our Fellow-ftadents,to exa- mine Matters weii,befbre they charge Men in Print withHere- fies, to confiilt Men of more Wildom, Learning and Experience than themielves.and to follow the charitablePreceptsoftheGof- pel. If he was infligared or patronized by Men of anyCharacter or Station,ler them confider what a fine Example is let. Other Students may fall a writing and printing againft themielves or their Favourites, in Church or in Colleges , and how can they complain, if others follow the Example ^ci before them. What the Effects of fuch Paper-war may he, 'tis eaiy to forelee. Mr, Hut- * ( zo > Hutches ON is alraoft a Stranger in this Country, they thought fewer perhaps v/ouldefpouie his . '-^ X ' V. '' -J- ^,.r. Gi0£b,i. ^.^.^.ii X .\ icflbr of'f^"'--^-'"''!!! the Uiiiver- fty (^Glutgow. ■ ..,- .i^ii\ »^ LR'^i-^oivi'rGAiiMiGH'AfL-'Libfary-Keeper Mr: K«oBii|iT;KALL^Pre; jf the - mas; Cl EL AND Preacher' of tr.c G' ^ . :|^tR T Marshal .' Ml- ' .-caurch Paril'ii/ DuhfLOP^Jim. INa. :•'A•:::_^.' ':^RISi^.a:::^. Mr. V'. AM- Broun -Merchant in C P I K I 6.