1000000031

R E L

5\\

W hen, in a b"ffo. relievo, fhere are

p:\ns lh:u

fl.lnc.J

.:J~

·Ir

OUt, d(t3ched frool the

edi,

tt:e work

j¡

caBed a dt'nJi–

b,ffo.

R E L

RElIEVO ,

RELJE.F,

pain1ing, is lhe

degree

bald–

neis

with WlllCh

lhe figures ft:em, al a

duc

diflance,

il,ad

OUt f,om ,be g,oUlld of <he

p.io,

ing.

R E L 1 G ION,

T H E O L O G Y.

l .

know G ad, and to render him a

rea[onable

[ervice,

are the two principal objell;s ofreligion. W e

knowbul

little of the oature of bodiC's

we difcover fome of

ir pro–

,perties, as mmion, fi gure. colours,

r/:¡c.

but of their eRe-nce

we are ignorant: we kno\V fl-ill much leCs of lhe foul; bUIOf

the efTc:nce

oature of Cad, we know notbing:

is the

'prerogative of the Supreme Being alone

comprchend his

OWn cfience.: a11 lhe effofts that we ColOmake 10 3t1ain thal

knowledge, are arrogant and

ineffeétu~l;

it is

forei.gn

tO the

nature of a. lltllited fpinl: bUl our defiiny is (hat of a

m;Jn, and our deli res are rhofe of a G od. In a word, mao

appl!ars

be formed la adore, but nOl tO comprehend, lhe

Supreme Beíng:

W c may (ay, however, with

Virgil,

]ovil omnía

p/~~

na ;

Cad manifefh his exinence, not only to rhe internal

fenfatioos of our Olmds, but in every objct't thal furrounds

us in lhe whole frame of nature; aod if we cannOl compre–

heod the Supreme Beloe by our feoCes, we nu y difcovef

ois anríbutes

our reafon, almoll as c1early as we

diflin~

guifh lhe properties of matter, and many other objcéts: <tod

i bis koowledge is luRielen' fo, us. The end of evel y o,her

{clenee is (olne ,empo,al h.ppinels: ' heology·alone p,opo(es

an elerD;¡) felicity ; its objeét therefore

diff~rs

from all other

{ciences, as the age of thrrefcore and tendiffers from etetoity.

W e cannOl \Vonder therefore, thal all lhe inhabitams of tbe

e:anh, from the lime of tbe crtatioo, have m2de il rheir

princípal fludy, and have

exeneu

all their abilitits iD t,be

cuhiviltion of it: we ought much rather to be atlonifhed diat

it do"es OOl yet more Hrongly engage lhe attention of man–

kind; and ,h., while ,hey labou! fa allit!uooOy 'o aequi,e

thore fciences, who(e Uliliry eXlends to (o fuore a {pace of

time, ,hey !hoold (o frequeatlv negleé\ Iba, objec1 whieh eao

fecure tbeir felicity in a future, certain, and eteroa! extÍl·

ence.

II!. F,om ,he fidl knowledge ,ha' we h,ve of ,be "orld,

that is tOfay. for a\Joul 6\'e thourand years pan, meo have

blindly (.a,ebed af,er ,he idea of ,he Irue God: aod by ,he

weaknefs of thei r difcernment, they have f.tllen ioto a

thou~

f.lOd errOrs. Paganifm al fidl covered lhe whole e:lrth. ex–

cepl ,ha< familyalone whieh became Ibe Oock of lhe J,,,ifh

pe.ople: chis paganifRl among differeot nil:iílos had duT!'reol

mlx'ures of idol.lrY. l\lofes fi,ll r.,.de known la ,he He·

Drews lhe true God, and prefcribed them his worlbip: his

religion, however, was not adopted by aDy other reople, DOt

eveo by their oeigbbours. J efus Ch"Cl appe';ed up')n Ihe

e.a~th,

aboliOled a pan of lhe Judaic J:tw. reformed lhe re·

JI~lon

of Mofes, taught his divine dollrines, and ofreced

hlmfel f as a (aerifiee fa, ,he (.I..tioo of m. nkind H" gof.

pel made a happy progrefs over an Europe. that is. over the

then known part of che earth Some time afttr M. homet

arofe

the eafl and preach",d a

~ellgion

that he had com–

pounded of lh :- j ewilh and Chr1flian, and of his owo ideas.

L aUly, carne L Ulher ano C.dVlO. who rcformed ¡he errors

"<hi~,

aecording lO lbem, bad beco imroduced io,o Ch,i.

fli.nilY under ,he ,eign, of ,he popes: aod

~ave

,he idea of

wh" i. ealled Ihe Pro,efl.n, Religioa. Confueius had '.ugh,

the Chinefe, nJ Zoroarter lhe Indians, religions drawn put'

Iy f,om philofophy, and partly from p.ganifm.; hu, Ihe ex–

tent of Ihefe was very confined . AH thefe religlons, and

their different feth, have had their cr.eolog'y, their prieIl:s,

tbeir ceremonies, their triumphs. ar:d $ven lheir marcyrs.

IV. We Chall no' (peak here of religioo. ,ba, 're ex,inél.

or (hat yet exirt, but at a dlUance far

(ro~

us: we

Ib.dl

ueat

ooly of ,he Ch,iCli,o lbeolal}y, whlch 'eaches us ' o kno",

God, by revelation and

Ihe Jight of rtarOn, fo fa r as it is

poílible fOrl he we, knefs of ,he.human mind la comp«hend

,b.. iofe,uI.ble Being. T he knowleoge of ,he Irue God is

iodeed of linle ulili,y 'o mao, unlds he can fuppo(e ,ha,

there is fome connetlion or relation betwten lhal

Surrem~

Being and himfelf. Now it is from theCe cooneilioDs or re·

Jatioos thal are derived the ncceffity ..,J ,he knowledge of :lbe

(rue God, and of (he true manDer io wbieh he islo be wor·

!hipped : ,nd ,his i, is ,hu fo,ms ,he Ch,iCliao ,heology ;

of which we !hall now give ,he a.alyr.s.

V. T o afeeod by a ehain of re,roning f,om ,hiogs vilible

'o .,hings invir.ble, f,om palpable 'o imp, lp. ble, f,om terrero

trial tO ct1eflial, from che crtature cven up tO the Crea(or,

is (he bufintfs of tbeology :

nOI

fu}prifing, therefo re,

that (he union of rr¡any doétrines is Dece{f;,ry completel)' to

form fuch a fcience To

und~rnaDd,

aod proptrly to ínter·

pret lhe fcriplures or revel.uio.n, demands not Je(s .f;,g<lcity

,hao allidui,y. T he gift of pe,fu

,r.on

a1(o~ffeo,i,1

' o ,he

minif1.rs

o ,he go(pel. And I,flly, Ihe

e~vil

givernmea, has

committed to their caré cenain fUDélians

lociety, which

relate, or feem to relate, ei¡her lO me doéiriDes or marllity

of ,he gofpel They a([e(Oble, for example, iD bodies 'o

form conGfiorie,s; they jlJdge

matrimoni.;! c¡fes

Ihey

car,y conrolarion ,od hope 'o the .follls cf Ihe

r.ck,

,hey

prepare for death tbofe crimioals

whic~

juHice facrifices

publie fJfel'; ,hey take upoo Ihemfelves ,he ebarge of

E·

ph~ri,

with ,he ¡o(peélion o( fo:ne piou, fouDdarion,; (hey

diftribllte alms¡ they adminifier the fa.cramenu, (:;,_

VI. T o difeh.'ge fully (o m,oydu,ies, Ibe 'heologi,nha.

need,

t .

Of.leveraJ preparato"ry·lh.. -dies;

'l.

O! fome theo–

retic fcitnces; and, 3.

many dcttl ioes whicb bav.e for th.eir

objcél hi. mioiCl<ri.1 o/lice.

6,11 a,.,

1 .

The laaguages; and among thefc:.

(#)

HIS nativel,

ngu.ge

, in wbieb be is

preach aod

exercife his mlO.inry, aod. witb whicb

oagl" tO

be perfeélly aequaiated.

(h)

The Latin language,

which.is

,he 1""

8u.ge

of ,be

Je:¡rned world

ge.n~ral.

(e)

The G,eek

Iangu.ge

, iDorde, 'o uode,Cl,od ,he

ew T tllamcnt.

(d)

The Hebrew

tangu.ge

, of whicb ,be T,lmudian.

and R.bbioieal idioms ore a

p.rt

(,) The Ardbielangu'ge.

(j)

Thc Sy,iac

laogu.ge