The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

§. 20.¹ When sinners stand at many degrees distant from God and a holy life, and mercy would draw them nearer him by degrees, they that have help and mercy sufficient in suo genere, to have drawn them nearer God, and refused to obey it, do forfeit the further helps of mercy, and may justly perish and be forsaken by him; though their help was not immediately sufficient to all the further degrees of duty which they were to do.

1. 1Sunt enim ingeniis nostris semina innata virtutum, quae si adolescere liceret, ipsa nos ad beatam vitam natura perduceret. Nunc autem simul ac editi sumus in lucem, in omni continuo pravitate versamur, &c. Cic. 3. Tuscul. N.B. That when Philosophers say, That all is good which Nature teacheth, &c. they mean by Nature, the true and sound constitution of the Soul, which they distinguish from its diseases and corruption.

These things as clear in their proper light, I stand not to prove, because I would not be unnecessarily tedious to the Reader.

And so much of GODLINESS, or Religion, as revealed by Natural Light.