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 /v-2:^>5p>v 
 
DISCOURSE 
 
 Ce^ncerning  the 
 
 Being  and  j^t tributes  of  GOT), 
 
 THE 
 
 Obligations  of  Natural  Religion, 
 
 AND    THE 
 
 Truth  and  Certainty 
 
 O  F    T  H  E 
 
 Chriftian  Revelation. 
 
 In  Anfwer  to  Mr  Hobbs,  Spinozat  the  Author  of  the  Oracles 
 of  Reafon^  and  other  Deniers  of  Natural  and  Revealed 
 Religion. 
 
 Being  fixteen  SERMONS.  Preach'd  in  the  Cathedral- 
 Church  of  Sc  PW,  in  the  Years  1704,  and  1705,  at  the 
 Ledure  Founded  by  the  honourable  ROBERT 
 B  O  r  L  E,  Efq; 
 
 ByS  JMUEL    CLARKE,    D.  D.    Redor 
 of  St.  Jameses  IVeftminfter, 
 
 The  Seven  1  h  Edition,  Correded. 
 
 There  ii  inferted  m  : his  Edition^, 
 vf-DiscoURSE  concer-fWig  the  Connexmi  of  the  Vrophefes  J7i 
 the  Old  Tejlame7itg  and  the  Amplication  of  them  to  Chriji. 
 There  is  aifo  added, 
 ^»  ANSWER  ^a  ^Seventh  Letter,  concern- 
 ing the  Argument  i /)nm,  in  Proof  of  the  Being  of  GOD. 
 
 London^  Printed  by  IV.  Bofham,    for  James  and  John  KnaptoN; 
 at  the  Croepn  in  St,Pafti's  Church-Yard.    M  dccxxviii. 
 
A 
 
 DEMONSTRATION 
 
 OF    THE 
 
 Being  and  Attributes 
 
 o  F 
 
 GOD. 
 
 More  Particularly  in  Anfwer  to 
 
 Mr.  HO  BBS,  ST  I  NO  Z  J, 
 
 And  their  Followers. 
 
 Wherein  the  Notion  of  L  I B  E  R  TT  is  Stated, 
 and  the  PofTibility  and  Certainty  of  it  Proved, 
 in  Oppofition  to  Neceffity  and  Fate. 
 
 Being  the  Subllance  of  Eight  SERMONS, 
 Preach'd  in  the  Cathedral-Church  of  St.  Paul^ 
 intthe  Year  1704,  at  the  Ledure  Founded  by 
 the  Honourable  ROBERT  BOl^'LE,  Efq; 
 
 5/  S  A  M  U  E  L  C  L  A  R  K  E,   T> .  T) ,    Re^OV  of 
 
 St.  JamesV  Weftminfter. 
 
 The  Seventh   Edition,  CorreSed. 
 
 Rom.  i.  20.  Tor  the  invtfible  things  of  Him  frotn  the  Creation 
 of  the  World  are  clearly  jeen^  being  undirflood  by  the  things  that 
 are  made ;  even  his  Eternal  Tower  andGodhead  :  So  th^t  they  are 
 without  excufe. 
 
 London:  Printed  by  W.  Botham,    for  James  and  John  Knapton, 
 at  the  Crown  in  St.  Paul's  Church- Yard.    Mdccxxviii. 
 
TO    THE 
 
 Moft  Reverend  Father  in  God 
 
 THOMAS 
 
 Lord  Archbifhop  of  Canterbury ; 
 and  Primate  of  all  England  : 
 
 Sir    HENRT    ASHURST, 
 Baronet; 
 
 Sir  "^OHN  KOrHE%^AM> 
 
 Knight,  Serjeant  at  Law ; 
 JOHN    EVELIN.   Efquirei 
 
 Truftees  appointed  by  the  Honou- 
 rable RO  5  fJ^T  BOTIE. 
 Efquire. 
 
 This  Difcourfe  is  humbly  Pedi- 
 cated* 
 
THE 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THERE  being  already  published  ma- 
 ny  and  good  Booksy  to  prove  the 
 Being  and  Attributes  of  God^  I 
 have  chofen  to  contraEi  what  was  requifite 
 for  me  to  fay  upon  this  Subje£i,  into  as  nar^ 
 row  a  Compafs  5  and  to  exprefs  what  I  had  to 
 offer y  in  as  few  Words,  as  I  could  with  Ter^ 
 fpicuity.  For  which  Reafon  I  have  alfo  con- 
 fined my  felf  to  One  only  Method  or  continu- 
 ed Thread  of  Arguing  5  which  I  have  endea^ 
 vouredihould  be  as  near  to  Mathematical,  as 
 the  Nature  of  fuch  a  Difcourfe  would  allow  ^ 
 Omitting  fome  other  Arguments,  which  I 
 could  not  difcern  to  be  fo  evidently  concha 
 five :  Becaufe  it  feems  not  to  be  at  any  time 
 for  the  real  Advantage  of  Truth,  to  ufe  Ar^ 
 guments  in  its  behalf  founded  only  on  fuch 
 Hypothefes,  as  the  Adverfaries  apprehend 
 they  cannot  be  compelled  to  grant.  Tet  I 
 have  not  made  it  my  Bufinefs,  to  oppofe  any 
 
 of 
 
The  P  R  E  F  A  C  E. 
 of  thofe  Arguments  5  becaufe  I  think  it  is 
 not  the  beft  way  for  any  one  to  recommend 
 his  own  Performance^  by  endeavouring  to 
 difcover  the  ImperfeBions  of  Others  who  are 
 engaged  in  the  fame  T)efign  with  himjelf  of 
 promoting  the  Intereft  of  true  Religion  and 
 Virtue,  But  every  Man  ought  to  ufe  ftich 
 Arguments  only^  as  appear  to  Him  to  be 
 clear  and  ftrong  5  and  the  Readers  mttfi 
 judge  whether  they  truly  prove  the  Conclu- 
 fan. 
 
 THE 
 
THE 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 TH  E  Introdudlion,  concerning  the  Caufes  of 
 Atheifm.  Page  i 
 
 P  R  o  p.  I.  That  Something  has  exiftedfrorn  Eternity.  8 
 Of  the  Difficulty  of  Conceiving  Eternity.       9 
 That  Difficulties  arifing  merely  from  the  Nature 
 of  Eternity,  are  not  to  be  regarded  j  becaufe 
 equal  in  all  Suppofitions.  ibid. 
 
 Prop.  II.    That  thet'e  has  exified  from  Eternity 
 fome  one  ImmutaUe  and  Independent  Being,  1 1 
 
 Of  the  Abfolute  Impoffibility  of   an   Eternal 
 Succeffion  oi  Dependent  Beings,  exifting  with- 
 out any  Original  Independent  Caufe  at  all.  1 3 
 Prop.    III.    That  nat  Immiitahle  and  Indepen- 
 dent Beings  which  has  exiftedfrom  Eternity^  with- 
 out any  External  Caufe  cf  its  Exiftence  ;    7nuft  be 
 Sdf-Exifient^  that  is ^  Necejfarily-Exifting,         i^ 
 Of  the  true  Idea  of  Self-Exiftence  :  That  it  Is  the 
 Idea  of   a  Being,  the  Suppofition  of  whofe 
 Non-Exiftence  is  an  exprefs  Contradidion.  17 
 That  every  Man  may  be  more  certain  of  the  Being 
 of  a  Supreme  Independent  Caufe,  than  he  can 
 be  of  any  thing  elfe  beildes  his  own  Exiftence.  1 9 
 Of  the  Idea  of  God,  including  Self- Exiftence. 20 
 That  the  Material  World  cannot  poffibly  be  the 
 Firft,  Original,  and  Independent  Being.    22 
 The  Eor^n  of  the  World,  not  NecefTary.        23 
 Nor  its  Motion,  24 
 
 Mr.  Poland's,  pernicious  Opinion,  of  Motion  be- 
 ing eftential  to  Matter,  confuted.  ibid. 
 b  The 
 
The    CONTENTS. 
 
 The  Matter  of  the  World  not  Neceflarily-ex- 
 ifting.      .  .  ,  25 
 
 \^   A  Confutation  of  Spinoza's  Opinion  concerning 
 one  only  Subftance.  26 
 
 Concerning  the  Eternity  of  the  World  ;  And 
 that  the  Opinion  of  the  beft  Antient  Philo- 
 fophers  in  that  Matter,  did  not  at  all  favour 
 the  Sentiments  of  Modern  Atheifls.  29 
 
 Prop.  IV.  ^hat  the  Suhjlance  or  Effence  of  that 
 Beings  which  is  Self-Exiftent  or  Necejfarily-Exifr- 
 ing^  is  ;  we  have  no  Idea,  neither  is  it  at  all poffi- 
 ble  for  us  to  comprehend  it,  37 
 
 Of  Infinite  Space.  39 
 
 Of  the  Vanity    of  explaining  things  by  fuch 
 School-Terms,  as  have  really  no  Significati- 
 on at  all.  40 
 Prop,  V.  'That  though  the  Subftance  or  Effence  of 
 the  Sdf-Exiftent  Beings  is  it  felfabfolutely  inco7npri:-' 
 henfible  to  us :  let  many  of  the  Effential  Attributes 
 of  his  Nature  are  ftri^ly  Demonftrahle^  as  will  as 
 his  Exiftence,      As  in  the  Fir  ft  Place,    that  //<? 
 fnuft  of  Necefftty  he  Eternal.                            ibid. 
 Of  the  manner  of  our  Conceiving  the  Eternity 
 of  God,  with  refpedl  to  Succefjion,        40,  41 
 Prop.  VI.  That  the  Self-Exiftent  Beings    muft  'of 
 Neceffity  he  Infinite  and  Omniprefent.  43 
 
 Of  the  Simplicity,    Unchangeablenefs,    liicor- 
 
 ruptibility,  ^c.  of  his  Nature.  44 
 
 Of  the  manner  of  our  Conceiving  the  Tmmen« 
 
 fity  of  God.  45 
 
 Prop.  VII.  That  the  SelfExiftent  Beings    fnufl  of 
 
 Neceffity  be  hut  One,  46 
 
 Of  the  Blefled  Trinity.  47 
 
 Of  the  Abfolute  ImpofTibility  of  two  different 
 
 Self-Exiftent  Independent  Principles^  fuch  as 
 
 God  and  Matter.  ibid. 
 
 Th^ 
 
The    C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S/ 
 
 The  Error  of  Spinoza^  concerning  Ojte  Uniform 
 
 Subllance.  ibid^ 
 
 Prop.  VIII.    That  the  Self-Exiftent  and  Original 
 
 Caufe  of  all  things^  muft  he  an  Intelligent  Being.  49 
 
 This,  the  main  Queilion  between  us  and  the 
 Acheifts.  ibid. 
 
 Not  eafily  proved  a  priori,  50 
 
 But  demonllrably  proved  ^ /?(?/?^rfm^  from  the 
 Variety  and  Degrees  of  Perfedion  in  Things, 
 and  the  Order  of  Caufes  and  EfFe6ts.       ibid. 
 
 From  the  Intelligence  that  Created  Beings  are 
 confefTedly  endued  with.  5 1 
 
 That,  if  Intelligence  be  a  real  diftin6t  QuaHcy 
 or  Perfedion  •,  and  not  a  mere  Effedt  or  Com- 
 pofition  of  Unintelligent  Figure  and  Motion  ; 
 then  Beings  indued  with  Intelligence,  can  ne- 
 ver pofTibly  have  arifen  purely  out  of  that 
 which  it  felf  had  no  fuch  Perfe6lion.  52,  53 
 
 That  Intelligence  is  fuch  a  real  diftindi;  Perf  edion ; 
 and  not  poflible  to  be  a  mere  Eue6t  or  Com- 
 pofition  of  Unintelligent  Figure  and  Motion. 
 
 Mr.  Hohbs  forced  to  recur  to  that  prodigioufly 
 abfurd  Opinion,  that  all  Matter  as  Matter, 
 is  endued  with  Thought.  c,y 
 
 The  Propofition  demonftrated  further,  from 
 the  Beauty,  Order,  and  Final  Caufes '  of 
 Things.  ibid. 
 
 From  the  Original  of  Motion.  59 
 
 That  the  Material  World  cannot  polTibly  have 
 been  Self-Exiftent.  6l 
 
 Prop.  IX.  That  the  Self-exiftent  and  Original  Caufe    . 
 of  all  Things^  is  not  a  Neceffar^  Agent ^   hut  a  Be-    /^ 
 ing  indued  with  Liberty  and  Choice,  ibid. 
 
 This  Propofition  a  Necefliry  Confequent  of 
 the  foregoing.  ibid. 
 
 Proved  further,  from  the  Arbitrary  Difpofition 
 b  2  of 
 
/ 
 
 The    CONTENTS. 
 
 of  things  in  the  World  j  with  a  full  Anfwer 
 to  Spinoza'' s  Arguments  for  the  Ncceflity  of 
 all  Things.  63 
 
 Alfo  from  Final  Caufes.  6j 
 
 And  from  the  Finitenefs  of  Created  Beings.  6'^^ 
 And  from  the  ImpofTibility  of  an  Infinite  Sue- 
 ceiTion  of  Caufes.  6^ 
 
 That  Liberty  is  not  in  it  felf  an  impoflible  and 
 contradidtory  Notion.,  71 
 
 Prop.  X.  That  the  Self-Exiftent  Beings  the  Su- 
 preme Caiife  of  (ill  Ihbigs^  inuft  of  Necejfity  have 
 Infinite  Power.  ji 
 
 Of  working  Contradidions,  and  Natural  or  Mo- 
 ral Evil.  74 
 Of  the  Power  of  Creating  Matter.              ibid. 
 Of  the  Power  of  Creating  immaterial  Cogitative 
 Subftances,  and  thofe  indued  with  Liberty  of 
 Will  or  Choice.  y6 
 Of  the  Immateriality  of  Humane  Souls.        79 
 That  the  Power  of  Perception  is   not  confined 
 to  Bodily  Senfes.  80 
 Of  the  PofTibility  of  communicating  to  a  Crea- 
 ture the  Power  of  beginning  Motion.         82 
 Of  the  PollibiHty  of  induing  a   Creature  with 
 Freedom  of  Will.                                         85 
 An  Anfwer  to  Spinaza's  and  Mr  Hohhsh  Argu- 
 ments againfl  the  PofTibility  of  Liberty.      ^6 
 That  there  mufl  be  fomewhere  a  Beginning  of 
 Operation.                                                        ^J 
 That  Thinking  and  \yilling,  neither  are,    nor 
 can  pofTibiy  be,    Quahties  or  Affections  of 
 Matter.                                                             89 
 That,  fuppofing  they  were  Affections  of  Matter, 
 yet  even  That  moft  abfurd  Suppofition  would 
 not  at  all  aftedl  the  Queftion  about  the  PofTi- 
 bility of  Liberty.                                            95 
 A  Iliameful  Fallacy  in  Mr  Hohus  and  his  Followers 
 arguing ;  who,  when  they  v/ould  prove  theSoui 
 to  be  mere  Matter,  then  they  fuppofe  Matter 
 
 ^9 
 
The    C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S, 
 
 to  be  a  Subftance  capable,  not  only  of  Figure 
 and  Motion,  but  alfo  of  other  unknown  Pro* 
 perties :  And  when  they  would  prove  the  Will 
 and  all  other  Operations  of  the  Soul  to  be  Ne- 
 celTary,  then  they  deveft  Matter  of  all  its  Un- 
 known Properties,  and  make  it  Mere  Solidity 
 indued  only  with  Figure  and  Motion  again,  ib. 
 Of  the  Neceflity  of  the  Will's  being  determined 
 by  the  laft  Judgment  of  the  Underflanding, 
 
 Of  the  Certainty  of  Divine  Fore-knowlege,  not 
 
 repugnant  to  the  Liberty  of  Mens  Adlions,  i  oo 
 
 Of  the  Original  of  Evil.  104 
 
 Prop.  XL  That  the  Suprefne  Caufe  and  Author  of 
 
 all  "Things^  muft  of  Necejfty  he  Infijiitely  Wife.  \  05 
 
 Proved  a  Priori.  106 
 
 And  ^  Pofteriori^  from  the  Wifdom  and  Perfedi- 
 
 on  of  the  Works  of  God,  evidenced  more  il- 
 
 lullrioufly  in  the  late  Difcoveries  in  Aflrono- 
 
 my  and  Natural  Philofophy.  1 07 
 
 Prop.  XII.  That  the  Supreme  Caufe  and  Author  of 
 
 all  'Things^  muf  of  Necejfity  be  a  Being  of  Infinite 
 
 Goodnefs^  Juftice  and  Truth^  and  all  other  Moral 
 
 TerfeElions  \  fuch  as  become  the  Supreme  Governour 
 
 and  Judge  of  the  World,  '  1 1 1 
 
 Of  Providence.  115 
 
 The  Neceflity  of  God's  Moral  Attributes,  con- 
 
 fiftent  with  perfed:  Liberty.  ibid. 
 
 Of  the  Neceflity  of  God's  doing   always  what 
 
 is  Befl:  and  Fittefl:  in  the  whole.       |i  17,  i  t8 
 
 Of  the  Impofllbility  of  his  doing  Evil.  119 
 
 That  Liberty  is  not  in  it  felf  an   Imperfedlion, 
 
 but  a  Perfedion.  119,   120 
 
 That  the  highefl.  moral  Perfedlion  of  Rational 
 
 Creatures,does  not  excludeNatural  Liberty.  121 
 
 That  the  Grounds  of  all  Moral  Obligations  are 
 
 Eternal  and  NeceflFary,   and  depend  not  on 
 
 any  Laws.  ibid. 
 
 The  Conclufion,  123 
 
 b  3  THE 
 
THE 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 Of  the  Second  Volume. 
 
 r'  HE  hiiroduofion,  pag.  145 
 
 Of  the  ieveral  Sorts  of  Beifts,  155 
 
 The  firlt  Sox-t  ofDeiJh  ;  And  oi  Providence,  i^j 
 Humane  Afi'airs,    not   beneath  the   regard  of 
 
 Providence.  1 60 
 
 The  fecond  Sort  of  Beifts,  162 
 
 Profane  and  debauched  Deiils,    not  capable  of 
 
 being  argued  with.  163 
 
 The  third  Sort  of  Bclfts,  1 6^ 
 
 The  fourth  Sort  oi  Beifts.  166 
 
 That  there  is  now  no  confiftent  Scheme  of  De- 
 
 ifm  in  the  World.         '.  170 
 
 Prop,  I.  Th^t  frcm  the  Eternal  and  Necejfary  Bif- 
 ferences  of  Things^  there  naturally  and  necejjarily 
 .arife  certain  Moral  ObligationSy  which  are  of  them- 
 felves  incuinbent  on  all  Rational  Creatures^  antece- 
 cknt  to  all  pojilive  Inftitution^  and  to  all  Expeoia- 
 tion  of  Reward  or  Funifhment,  174 
 
 That  there  are  eternal  and  necelTary  Bifferences 
 
 of  Things,  ibid. 
 
 The  abfurdity  of    thofe  who  deny  the  eternal 
 
 and  neceffary  Differences  of  Things.  177 
 An  Anfw^er  to  the  Objedlion  drawn  from  the 
 
 Variety  of  the  Opinions  of  learned  Men,    and 
 
 i^iit  Laws  of  different  Nations,    concerning 
 
 Right  and  IVrong,  1 8 1 
 
 That  the  JVill  of  God  always  determines  It  felf  to 
 
 a^  according  to  the  eternal  Reafon  of  T'hings^ 
 
 183,  184 
 That 
 
The   CONTENTS. 
 
 That  all  Rational  Creatures  are  obliged  to  govern 
 themfelves  in  all  their  Adions,  by  the  fame 
 eternal  Rule  of  Reafon,  184 
 
 Proved  from  the  Original  Nature  of  'Things.  1 85 
 And  from  the  Senfe^  that  all  even  wicked  Men 
 unavoidably  have,  of  their  being  under  fuch 
 an  Obligation.  188 
 
 And  from  the  Judgment  of  Mens  Confciences^  up- 
 on their  Own  pafl  Adlions.  190 
 Of  that  natural  Knowledge^  which  Plato  thought 
 to  b^  Reminifcence.                                       ibid. 
 The  moft  profligate  of  Men,  not  utterly  infen- 
 fible  ot  the  Diflerence  of  Good  and  Evil,  191 
 Mens  natural  fenfe  of  eternal  Moral  Obligatio^is., 
 pro\^ed  further  from  the  Judgment  they  all  pafs 
 upon  the  Adions  of  Others.             192,  193 
 An  Anfwer  to  the  Objeftion  drawn  from  the 
 total  Ignorance  of  fome   barbarous   Nations  in 
 Matters  of  Morality.  196 
 Of  the  principal  Moral  Obligations  in  particu- 
 lar, igy 
 Of  Piet)\  or  Mens  Duty  towards  God.      ibid. 
 Of  Righteoufnefs^  or  the  Duty  of  Men  one  to- 
 wards another.                           ^  199 
 Of  Juftice  and  Equity.                                    200 
 Of  univerfal  mutual  Benevolence.                    203 
 Of  Sobriety^  or  Mens  Duty  towards  themfehes; 
 And  of  the  Unlawfulnefs  of  S elf-Murder.    207 
 The  Law  of  Nature,  eternal^  univerfal^  and  ab- 
 iolMZtlj  unchangeable.  211 
 Eternal  Moral  Obligations,  Antecedent^  in  fome 
 refpedb,  even  to  this  confideration,  of  their 
 being  the  IVill  or  Command  of  God  himfelf  2 1 5 
 The  Law  of  Nature  obligatory,   Antecedent  to 
 all  confideration   of  particular  Rewards  and 
 Runifhments.  218 
 Yet  it  does  not  from  hence  at  all  follow,  either 
 that  a  good  Man  ought  to  have  no  refpedl  to 
 b  4                   Rewards 
 
The   CONTENTS. 
 
 Rewards  and  Puniihments,  or  that  Rewards 
 and  Punifhments  are  not  abfolutely  necelTary 
 to  maintain  the  Pradice  of  Virtue  in  this  pre- 
 fent  World.  220 
 
 The  manifold  Abfurdities  of  Mr  Hohhs's  Doc- 
 trines concerning  the  Original  of  Rights  fhown 
 in  particular.  224 
 
 Prop.  II.  Thd.t  the  fame  Eternal  Moral  Obligati- 
 om^  iz'hich  arife  ncceffaril-j  from  the  natural 'Dif- 
 ferences of  things ;  are  moreover  the  exprefs  IViU^ 
 Command^  and  Law  ef  God  to  all  rational  Crea- 
 tures, 239 
 
 Proved  from  the  Confideration  of  the  Divine 
 I  Attributes.  ibid. 
 
 And  from  the  Confideration  of  the  Nature  of 
 Godts  Creation.  24.3 
 
 And  from  the  Tendency  of  the  pradlife  of  Mo- 
 rality^ to  the  Good  and  Hap pinefs  of  the  whole 
 JVorld.  245 
 
 Prop.  III.  That  the  fame  eternal  Moral  Obligati- 
 ons^ which  are  of  theinfelves  incumbent  indeed  on 
 all  rational  Creatures.^  antecedent  to  any  refpeol  of 
 particular  Reward  or  Punifljment  •,  mull  yet  cer- 
 tainly and  necejfarily  he  attended  with  Rewards  and 
 Punifjrnents,  247,   248 
 
 Proved  from  the  Attributes  of  God.  248 
 
 And  from  the  Neceffity  there  is,  that  there  Ihould 
 be  fome  Vindication  of  the  Honour  of  God* s  Laws 
 and  Government,  249 
 
 P  R  o  p.  IV.  That  hecaufe  thefe  Rewards  and  Pu- 
 nifbrnents  are  not  diftributed  in  the  prefent  State., 
 therefore  there  mufi  of  Necejfty  be  a  future  State, 
 
 251 
 That,  according  to  the  Original  Conjlitution  of 
 things,  Virtue  and  Vice  are  attended  with  na- 
 lural  Rewards  and  PunifJj.ments,  252 
 
 But 
 
The   CONTENTS. 
 
 But  that  now,  in  this  prefent  Worlds  the  natu- 
 ral Order  of  things  is  fo  perverted^  that  Vice 
 often  flourifhes  in  great  Profperity,  and  Vir- 
 tue falls  under  the  greateft  Calamities  of 
 Life.  254 
 
 That  therefore  there  mufl  needs  be  a  Future 
 State  of  Rewards  and  Punijhinents,  256 
 
 Of  the  Stoical  Opinion  concerning  the  Self-Suf- 
 ficiency  of  Virtue  to  its  own  Happtnefs.         257 
 
 From  whence  the  Certainty  -of  a  Future  State  is 
 again  concluded.  259 
 
 Why  the  Wifdom  of  God  is  not  fo  clearly  and 
 plainly  feen  in  his  Government  of  the  Moral^ 
 as  in  the  Fabrick  of  the  Natural  World,     261 
 
 Of  the  Immortality  of  the  Soul^  and  the  natural 
 Proofs  we  have  of  it.  263 
 
 The  natural  credibility  of  the  Souls  being  im- 
 mortal, of  great  Ufe  to  the  wifer  Heathens. 
 
 267 
 
 The  Argument  for  a  Future  State,  drawn  from 
 Mens  natural  Dsfire  of  hnmortalit'j,  269 
 
 Another,  drawn  from  Mens  Confcience  or  Judg- 
 ment of  their  own  ^i of  ions,  270 
 
 Another,  drawn  from  Man's  being  by  nature  an 
 Accountable  Creature,  ibid. 
 
 Prop.  V.  That  though  the  necejpity  and  indifpenfa- 
 hlenefs  of  all  the  great  and  moral  Obligations  of  Na- 
 tural Religion^  and  alfo  the  certaint'y  of  a  Future 
 State  of  Rewards  and  Puni/hjnent^^    he  in  general 
 deducihle  from  right  Reafon  5  Teifuch  is  the  prefent 
 corrupt  Eftate  and  Condition  of  Mankind  in  the 
 World y   that  very  few  are  able^  in  reality   and  ef 
 fe5f^  to  difcover  thefe  things  clearly  and  plainly  fo7* 
 themfelves ;  but  Men  have  great  need  of  Particu- 
 lar Teachings  and  7nuch  hiflru5lion,  272 
 Men  hindred  from  difcovering  and  underftand- 
 ing  religious  Truths,  by  Carelejfnefs  and  Want 
 of  Attention,                                  "  273 
 
 And 
 
The    CONTENTS. 
 
 And  by  early  Prejudices  ^ndfalfe  No  horn.  274 
 And  by  Senfual  Appetites^  Fajjions^  and  Worldlj 
 
 Bufinefs,  275 
 
 And,  above  all,  by  vitiou^  Habits  and  Praofifes. 
 
 277 
 Wherefore  Men  have  great  need  to  be  Taught 
 
 and  InftruBed  in  matters  of  Religion.  278 
 The  great  Ufe  and  NecelTity  of   an  Order   of 
 
 Preachers,  281 
 
 Prop.  VI.  That  all  the  Teaching  and  Infiru5fion  of 
 the  beft  Heathen  Philofopbers^  was  for  many  Rea- 
 sons utterly  infufficient  to  reform  Mankind. ^%  1,282 
 
 That  there  have  been  in  the  Heathen  Worlds  fome 
 excellent  Teachers  of  Morality.  282 
 
 Who  feem  to  have  been  defigned  by  Providence, 
 to  bear  witnefs  againll:  the  wickednefs  of  the 
 Nations  wherein  they  lived.  283 
 
 But  yet  none  of  thefe  Men  were  ever  able  to  re- 
 form the  World  with  any  confiderable  Siic- 
 cefs.  284 
 
 Becaufe  they  have  been  but  very  Few^  that  have 
 in  earneft  fet  themfelves  about  that  excellent 
 work.  286 
 
 And  thofe  Fe"ji\  were  entirely  ignorant  of  fome 
 Do6Vrines  abfolutely  necefiary  to  the  bring- 
 ing about  that  great  End.  288,  289 
 
 Particularly,  they  were  ignorant,  in  what  M;?;/- 
 7ier  God  will  be  acceptably  worlhipped.    290 
 
 And  in  what  Method  God  would  be  reconciled  to 
 returning  Sinners.  292,  293 
 
 And  other  Doctrines  ;ibfolutely  necefiary  to  the 
 fame  end,  they  were  very  doubtful  and  uncer- 
 tain about.  294 
 
 And  thofe  things  which  they  were  certain  of, 
 yet  they  were  not  able  to  prove  and  explain 
 clearly  and  difiincfly  enough.  297 
 
 And  thole  things  which  they  were  able  to  'prove 
 and  cixplain  clearly  and  dijUncfly  enough^    yet 
 
 they 
 
The    CONTENTS. 
 
 they  had  not  fufficient  Jutbority  to  inforce  in 
 Pradife.  301 
 
 Prop.  VII.  That  there  was  plainly  wanting  a  Bi- 
 'Vine  Revelation^  to  recover  Mankind  out  of  their 
 iiniverfal  degenerate  Eftate :  And  that  both  the  Ne- 
 cefjities  of  Men^  and  their  Natural  Notions  of  God^ 
 gave  them  reafonahle  ground  to  hope  for  fuch  a  Re^ 
 velation,  304 
 
 A  divine  Revelation  very  neceffary  for  the  reco- 
 very of  Mankind.  ibid. 
 That  it  was  agreeable  to  the  didates  of  Nature 
 and  right  Reafon^  to  expe6l  or  hope  for  fuch 
 a  divine  Revelation,  306 
 The  unreafonablenefs  of  Modern  Beijls^    in  de- 
 nying the  Want  and  Ufe  of  3.  Revelation,  310 
 The  ^rtzt  Necejfity  and  Ufe  of  divine  Revelation, 
 
 311 
 Yet  God  was  not  absolutely  Obliged,    to  afford 
 
 Men  the  help  of  fuch  a  Revelation.  315 
 
 Want  of  Univerfaltty,    no   fufficient  Objedion 
 
 againil  the  Truth  of  a  Revelation.  3 1 6 
 
 Prop.  VIII.  That  there  is  no  other  Religion  now  itt 
 the  World,  but  the  Chriflian,  that  has  anyjufl  Pre- 
 tenfe  or  tolerable  appearance  of  Reafon  to  he  efieem- 
 ed  fuch  a  Divine  Revelation,  3 1 8 
 
 Of  the  Mahometan  Religion,  ibid« 
 
 Of  the  Jewifh  Religion.  ibid. 
 
 Prop.  IX.  That  the  Chriftian  Religion  has  all  the 
 Marks  and  Proofs  of  its  being  a^ually  and  truly  a 
 Divine  Revelation,  that  any  Divine  Revelation, 
 fuppofing  it  was  true,  could  reafonably  be  ijnagined 
 or  defired  to  have,  3 1  ^ 
 
 ThtMarks  of  a  Religion  coming  from  God.  ibid. 
 
 Prop.  X.  That  the  Pra^ical  Duties,  which  the 
 
 Chrifiian  Religion  injoins,  are  all  fuch,  asaremofl 
 
 agreeable  to  our  natural  Notions  of  God,    and  fuoft 
 
 ferfeBlve 
 
The    CONTENTS. 
 
 ferfeElive  of  the  Nature ^  and  conducive  to  the  Hap* 
 
 '  finefs  and  fVell-heing  of  Men.  320,  321 
 
 Proved  in  the  feveral  Infiances  of  Bui'j,        321 
 
 This,  a  great  Evidence  of  a  Religion  coming 
 
 from  God.  324 
 
 Prop.  XI.  That  the  Motives^  h'j  which  the  Chri- 
 fiian  Religion  inforces  the  Fraulife  of  the  Duties  it 
 injoyts,  are  fuch  as  are  7noft  fuitable  to  the  excel- 
 lent V/ifdom  of  God^  and  mojl  anfwerable  to  the 
 natural  Expe5Iations  of  Men.  327 
 
 Of  the  Accept ahknefs  of  true  Repentance^    as  a 
 
 motive  to  Obedience.  ibid. 
 
 Of  the  Divine  AJfftance^  as  another  Motive  to 
 
 Obedience.  328 
 
 Of  the  clear  difcovery  of  future  Rewards  and  Pu- 
 
 niJhmentSj    as  another  Motive  to  Obedience. 
 
 330 
 Prop.  Xll.  That  the  peculiar  Manner  and  Circtan- 
 fiances^  with  which  the  Chrifiian  Religion  injoyns 
 the  Duties^  and  urges  the  Motives  before-mention- 
 ed ;  are  exactly  confonant  to  the  Dictates  of  found 
 Reafon,  or  the  unprejudiced  Light  of  Nature  ;  and 
 moft  wifely  perfective  of  it.  332 
 
 Proved,  by  particular  Inftances.  ibid. 
 
 An  Anfwer  to  the  Objedlion  drawn  from  the  Di~ 
 
 'i/i/^^/jj  among  Chriftians.  333 
 
 Prop.  XIIT.  That  all  the  Credenda,  or  Do5trines^ 
 which  the  Chriftian  Religion  requires  our  particular 
 Affent  to  ;  are  agreeable  to  unprejudiced  Reafon  ; 
 have  every  one  of  them  a  natural  tendency  and  di- 
 
 ■  rett  Influence^  to  reform  Mens  Manners ;  arid  do 
 l^ogether  make  up  the  mojl  confifient  and  rational 
 Scheme  of  Beliefs  in  the  iVorld.  334 
 
 Of  the  One  Supreme  God,  -  336 
 
 Of  the  Only-begotten  Son  of  Go,:.  -^   ibid. 
 
 Of  the  Holy  Spirit.  ^  337 
 
 Oi  the  Creation  of  the  Umverfe.  ibicj. 
 
 Of 
 
The    C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S- 
 
 Of  the  Formation  of  the  Earth.  339 
 
 Of  the  continual  Government  of  Providence. '^4.0 
 
 Of  Paradife,  and  the  Lofs  of  it  by  Sin.        341 
 
 Of  the  Flood.  342 
 
 Of  God's  revealing  hinifclf  to  the  Patriarchs^ 
 and  giving  the  Law  to  the  Jews.  ibid. 
 
 Of  the  other  Particulars  of  Scripture -hiflory  in 
 the  Old  Teftament.  3  43  ^  3  44^ 
 
 Of  God's  fending  his  Son  into  the  World,  for  the 
 Redemption  of  Mankind,  345 
 
 That  it  is  not  unreafonable  to  fuppofe  God  ma- 
 king a  Revelation  of  his  JVill  to  Men.         346 
 
 That  it  is  not  unreafonable  to  believe  that  God 
 would  appoint  a  Sacrifice  or  Expiation  for  Sin. 
 
 ibidi 
 
 That  it  is  not  unreafonable  to  believe,  that  a 
 Mediatour  Ihould  be  appointed  between  God 
 and  Man.  347 
 
 Of  the  Objection  drawn  from  the  Dignity  of  the 
 Perfon^  whom  we  believe  to  be  our  Mediator 
 and  Redeemer.  348 
 
 Of  the  Objection  drawn  from  the  Chriftian  Re- 
 velation not  being  infadl  UniverfaL  253 
 
 Of  the  other  Particulars  of  Scripture-hiftory, 
 contained  in  the  New  T'efiament.  354 
 
 Of  the  Day  of  Judgment,  and  Chrift  the  Judge. 
 
 Of  the  RefiirreBion  of  the  Body,  ibid. 
 
 Of  the  Refurredlion  of  the  fame  Body.  358 
 Of  the  Eternal  Happinefs  of  the  BlefTed,  and  the 
 
 Eternal  Punifhment  of  the  Damned.  360 
 
 All  the  Articles  of  our  Belief,  agreeable  to  Right' 
 
 Reafon.  -  361 
 
 Every  one  of  them  has  a  dlred  Tendency  and 
 
 powerful  Influence  to  reform  Mens  Manners, 
 
 361 
 And  All  of  them  Together^    make  up  the  molt 
 
 confiftent  and  rational  Scheme  of  Belief  m    the 
 
 World,  365 
 
 Prop, 
 
The    CONTENTS. 
 P  R-o  p.  XIV,  That  the  Chriftian  Revdation  is  pofi^ 
 
 lively  and  direolly  proved  to  hefent  to  us  from  God, 
 
 h'j  the  Miracles  which  our  Saviour  worked  ;  by  the 
 
 fulfilling  of  the  Prophecies  ; '  and  by  the  T^eftimony 
 
 cf  the  Apofiles,  369 
 
 Of  the  Life  and  Chara^er  of  our  Saviour^  as  an 
 Evidence  of  the  Truth  of  the  Chriilian  Re- 
 velation. 37^ 
 
 Of  the  Miracles  of  Chrift,  as  the  Evidence  of 
 his  Divine  CommifTion.  371 
 
 Of  Miracles  in  general.  ibid. 
 
 That,  in  refpedt  of  the  Power  of  God,  all 
 things  are  alike  eafy.  372 
 
 That  therefore  Miracles  ought  not  to  be  defined 
 by  any  ahfolute  Difficulty  in  the  Nature  of  the 
 things  themfelves  to  be  done.  ibid. 
 
 What  degrees  of  Power  God  may  have  com- 
 municated to  Created  Beings^  is  not  pofliblc 
 for  us  to  determine.  373 
 
 That  therefore  a  Miracle  is  not  rightly  defined 
 to  be  fuch  an  Elfed,  as  could  not  have  been 
 produced  by  any  lefs  Power  than  the  Divine 
 Omnipotence.  ibid. 
 
 All  things  that  are  done  in  the  World,  are  done 
 either  immediately  by  God  himfelf  or  by  created 
 Intelligent  Beings  •,  Matter  being  capable  of 
 no  Laws  or  Powers.  And  confequently  there 
 is,  properly  fpeaking,  no  fuch  thing  as  the 
 Courfe  or  Power  of  Nature,  374,^  375 
 
 That  therefore  a  Miracle  is  not  rightly  defined, 
 to  be  that  which  is  againil  the  Courfe  of  Na- 
 ture or  above  the  natural  Powers  of  Created 
 Agents.  375 
 
 The  unreafonablenefs  of  thofe,  who  deny  the 
 Pofjibility  of  Miracles  in  general.  37^ 
 
 Some  Eife&s  prove  the  conftant  Providence  of 
 God,  and  others  prove  die  oca^fional  Interpo- 
 
 fition 
 
The  C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S. 
 
 Jition  either  of  God  hitnfelf^  or  of  fome  InteU 
 
 ligent  Being  Superior  to  Men.  '  377 
 
 Whether  fuch  Inter pofilion  be  the  immediate  work 
 
 of  God^  or  of  fome  Good  or  Evil  Angel  \  can 
 
 hardly  be  difcovered  merely  by  the  Work  it 
 
 m,  378 
 
 That  there  is  no  reafon  to  fuppofe  all  the  Won- 
 ders worked  by  Evil  Spirits^  to  be  mere  Be- 
 lufwns,  379 
 
 How  we  are  to  diflinguifh  Miracles  wrought  by 
 God  for  the  proof  of  any  Dodlrine,  from  the 
 Frauds  of  Evil  Spirits.  ibid. 
 
 The  difference  between  rhofe  who  teach  that  the 
 iinmediate  Power  of  God  is,  or  is  not,  neceffa- 
 rily  requiflte  to  the  working  of  a  Miracle  y 
 is  not  very  great  at  bottom.  382 
 
 The  true  definition  of  a  Miracle,  ibid. 
 
 The  Strength  of  the  Evidence  of  our  Saviour's 
 Miracles,  383 
 
 Concerning  the  Objedion,  that  we  prove  in  a 
 Circle  the  Miracles  by  the  BoElrine^  and  the 
 BoBrine  by  the  Miracles,  ibid. 
 
 Of  the  pretended  Miracles  of  Apollonius  and 
 Others.  ^  385 
 
 Of  the  fulfilling  the  Pr^/)Z?d'«Vj,  as  an  Evidence 
 of  our  Saviour's  Divine  CommilTion.        386 
 
 Of  the  Prophecies  that  went  before^  concerning 
 the  Meffiah.  ibid. 
 
 Of  the  Prophecies  that  Chrifi;  himfelf  delivered^ 
 concerning  things  that  were  to  happen  after. 
 
 388 
 
 An  Anfwer  to  Objedions  againfi;  applying  the  Pro  - 
 phefies  in  the  Old  l^eflament  to  ChrijL  390,  &c. 
 
 Of  the  Tefti??iony  of  our  Saviour's  Difciples,  as 
 an  evidence  of  the  Truth  of  the  Chriftian  Re- 
 velation. 437,  438 
 
 What  things  are  requifite  to  make  the  Teftimo- 
 ny  of  our  Saviour's  Diiciples  a.  complete  Evi- 
 dence,  438 
 
 That 
 
The   C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S. 
 
 That  the  Apojlles  could  not  he  impofed  upon,  them^ 
 Selves,  ibid. 
 
 That  they  could  have  no  defign  of  impofing  up- 
 on Others,  43  ^ 
 That  the  Apoftles  Teftimony  has  been  tru^  con- 
 veyed down  to  Us.                           441,    442 
 Of  the  Authorifj  of  the  Books  of  Holy  Scripture^ 
 
 442 
 Prop.  XV.  "l\\^tthej  r:)ho  imllnot^  by  the  Argu- 
 ments and  Proofs  before-mentioned^  be  convinced  of 
 the  Truth  and  Certainty  of  the  Chriftian  Religion  ; 
 would  not  he  convinced  by  any  other  Evidence  what^ 
 foever ;  no^  not  though  one  fhould  rife  on  purpofe 
 from  the  Dead  to  indeavour  to  convince  them,     444 
 That  the  Evidence  which  God  has  afforded  us  of 
 the  Truth  of  our  Religion,  is  abundantly  Suf-- 
 ficient,  ibid. 
 
 That  the  Caufe  of  Mens  Utihelief  is  not  Want  of 
 better  Evidence  to  prove  the  great  Truths  of 
 Religion.  445 
 
 But  that  IVickednefs  and  ungoverned  Lufls,  are 
 the  only  Caufes  of  obflinate  Infidelity.  ^.^y 
 And  fo  long  as  Men  are  under  the  Doininion  of 
 their  Lujts^  they  would  not  be  convinced, 
 though  the  Evidence  of  Religion  was  even 
 vawohftronger  than  it  is.  448 
 
 Nay,  not  even  though  one  fhould  rife  on  pur- 
 pofe from  the  Bead  to  convince  them. 449, 450 
 That  therefore  'tis  abfolutely  neceffary  in  the  iirft 
 place,  that  Men  become  impartially  willing  to 
 imbrace  allT'i^uth^  and  to  obey  all  reafonahle 
 Obligations.  450)  45 1 
 
 That  Men  of  fuch  a  Difpofition  would  be 
 religious,  though  the  Evidences  of  Religion 
 were  much  lefs  than  they  are.  451,  452 
 
 That  God  may  require  us  to  take  notice  of  fome 
 things  at  our  peril.  454 
 
 A 
 
A 
 
 DEMONSTRATION 
 
 O  F    T  H  E 
 
 Being  and  Attributes 
 
 OF 
 
 G    O 
 
 ^ 
 
 More  particularly  in  Anfwcr  to  Mr.  HobbSy 
 Spinoza,  and  their  Followers. 
 
 LL  chofe  who  either  are,or  pretend  The  intrt- 
 to  be  Jlbeip  ;  who  either  disbe^  ^^'^'^^'^«- 
 lieve  the  Being  of  God,  or  would 
 [  be  thought  to  do  fo  •,  or,  (which 
 j  is  all  one  J  who  deny  the  Prin- 
 cipal Attributes  of  the  Divine 
 Nature,  and  fuppofe  God  to  be 
 an  Unintelligent  Being,  which  ads  merely  by  Ne- 
 ccfTity  ;  that  is,  which,  in  any  tolerable  Propriety 
 of  Speech,  ads  not  at  all,  but  is  only  acled   up- 
 
 B 
 
 on : 
 
2  A  DemonflratiGn  of  the 
 
 pn  :  All  Men  that  are  Atbeifts,  I  fay,  in  this  Senfe, 
 muit  be  io  upon  one  or  other  of  thefe  three  Ac- 
 counts. 
 Athelfm        Either,  Firjl^  Becaufe  being  extremely  ignorant 
 ^^^{^^■'^^'^  and  fi-upid,    they    have    never  duly  conjldered  ^nj 
 rlncc:  "  thing  at  all  •,  nor  made  any  juft  ufe  of  their  natu- 
 ral Reafon,  to  difcover  even  the  plaineil  and  moft 
 obvious  Truths  •,  but  have  fpent  their  Time  in  a 
 manner  of    Life   very  little  Superiour  to  that  of 
 Bcaas. 
 Or  from        Or,  S::::oud!y,  Becaufe 'being  totally  debauched 
 gro'fs  c^r- and  corrupted  in  their  Pr^j?i/I^  thtyhave,  by  avi- 
 ruption  of  ^j^^^^  .^^^^  degenerate  Life,  coirupted  the  Principles 
 Mariners:  ^^  ^j^^:^,  ;^T^j-ui>e,  and  defaced  the  Rcafon  of  their 
 ovv  n  Minds  ;  and,  inftead  of  fairly  and  impartially 
 enquiring  into  the  Rules  and  Obligations  of  Na- 
 ture, and  the  Reafon  and  Fitnefs  of  Things,  have 
 accuilomed  themfelves  only  to  mock  and  feoff  at 
 Religion  •,  and,  being  under  the  Power  of  Evil 
 Habits,  and  the  Slavery  of  Unreafonable  and  In- 
 dulged Lufcs,  are  refolved  not  to  hearken  to  any 
 Reafoning  which   would  oblige  them  to  foriake 
 their  beloved  Vices. 
 Or  from        Or,  nirdly^  Becaufe  in  the  way  of  SpecuJathe 
 falfe  Phi'  Rcafoning^  and  upon  the  Principles  of  Philofophy, 
 bjcj^h'j.     ^i^^y  pretend  that  the  Arguments  ufed  Againft  the 
 Being  or  A.rtributes  of  God,  feem  to  them,  after 
 the  ftricleil  and  fullell  inquiry,  to  be  more  flrong 
 and  conclufive,  than  thofe  by  v/hich  we  indeavour 
 to  prove  thefe  great  Truths. 
 
 Thefe  feem  the  only  Caufes  that  can  be  imagi- 
 ned, of  any  Man's  disbelieving  the  Being  or  At- 
 tributes ot  God  •,  and  no  Man  can  be  fuppofed  to 
 be  an  Atheift,  but  upon  one  or  other  of  thefe 
 three  A.ccounts.  Now  to  the  two  former  of  thefe 
 three  forts  of  Men  ;  namely,  to  fuch  as  are  wholly 
 ignorant  and  flupid,  or  to  fuch  as  through  habi- 
 tual Debauchery  have  brought  themfelves  to  a  Cu- 
 
 '      flom 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Got)]  i 
 
 Horn  of  mocking  and  fcofling  at  all  Religion,  and 
 v/ill  not  hearken  to  any  fair  Reafoning  ;  it  is  7Jot 
 my  prefent  Bufmefs  to  apply  my  felf.  The  One 
 of  thefe,  wants  to  be  inftruded  in  the  firft  Princi- 
 ples of  Reafon^  as  well  as  of  Religion  ;  The  Other 
 disbelieves  only  for  a  prefent  fliife  Intereft^  and  be- 
 caufe  he  is  defirous  that  the  Thing  fhould  not  be 
 true.  The  One  has  7iot  'jet  arrived  to  the  ufe  ot 
 his  natural  Faculties  :  The  other  has  renounced 
 them  ;  and  declares  he  v/ill  not  be  argued  with,  as 
 a  rational  Creature.  'Tis  therefore  the  third  fort 
 of  Atheifts  only  (namely  thofe  who  in  the  v/ay  of 
 Speculative  Reafoning.,  and  upon  the  Principles  of 
 Philofophy,  pretend  that  the  Arguments  brought 
 Againft  the  Being  or  Attributes  of  God,  do,  up- 
 on the  ftrideil  and  fulled  Examination,  appear  to 
 them  to  be  m.ore  ftrong  and  conclufive,  than  thofe 
 by  which  thefe  great  1  ruths  are  attempted  to  be 
 proved  -,)  Thefe,  I  fay,  are  the  only  Atheiflical 
 Perfons,  to  vWiom  my  prefent  Difcourfe  can  be 
 fuppofed  to  be  direded,  or  indeed  wlio  are  capa- 
 ble of  being  reafoned  with  at  all. 
 
 Nov/  before  I  enter  upon  the  main  Argument, 
 I  fhall  premife feveral  Conc'effions^  which  thefe  Men, 
 upon  their  own  Principles,  are  unavoidably  ohliged 
 to  make. 
 
 And  Firf^  They  muil  of  neceffity  own,    that,  T^he  -Being 
 fuppofingit  cannot  be  proved  to  be  true,  yet  zx^f  ^^^ :^'^'. 
 leait  'tis  a  thing  very  defirable,  and  which  any  wife  ^^f^^''"'*" 
 Man  would  wilh  to  be  true,  for  the  great  Benefit 
 and  Happinefs  of  Men  \  that  there  was  a  God,  an 
 Intelligent  and  Wife,  a  Juft  and  Good  Being,    to 
 govern  the  World.     Whatever  Hypothefis  thefe 
 Men  can  polTibly  framiC  -,  whatever  Argument  they 
 can  invent,  by  which  they  v/ould  exclude  God  and 
 Providence  out  of  the  World  \  That  very  Argu- 
 ment or  Hypothefis,  will  of  neceiTity  lead  them 
 to  this  Concejf.on,     If  they  argue,  that  our  Notion 
 B  2  of 
 
^  A  DemonJIration  of  the 
 
 of  God  arilcs  not  tVoni  Nature  and  Reafon,    but 
 
 from  the  Art  and  Contrivance  of  Politicians  -,  That 
 
 Argument  itielf  forces  them  to  confefs,    that   'tis 
 
 manifelHy  for  the  Intereft  of  Humane  Society,  that 
 
 it  Ihould  be  beheved  there  is  a  God.     If  they  fup- 
 
 pofe  that  the  World  was  made  by  Chance^  and  is 
 
 every  Moment  fubjecl  to  be  defbroyed  by    Chance 
 
 ao-ain  ;  no  Man  canbefo  abfurd  as  to  contend,  that 
 
 'tis  as  comfortable  and  defirable  to  live  in  fucli  an 
 
 uncertain   State    of    things,    and 
 
 ♦Maria ac Terras Mumq;-     "".lb  continually  liable  to  Ruin, 
 
 Una  dies  dabit  exiiio,  mul-     without  any  Hope   of  Renovati- 
 
 tolq;  per  auncs  q^  •,  as  in  a  World  that  were  un- 
 
 ^"chmTMundr^'''     '''''     ^^^  ^^^  Prefervation  and  Condudl 
 
 !-Didiisdabitiprafidem     of  a  Powerful,  Wife,  and  Good 
 
 res  God.     If  they  argue  againft  the 
 
 Forl'.tan,8vgraviterterraruin     Being  of  God,    from   the    Faults 
 
 Oir^ 'conqu^^^^^^^^  in  parvo  ^^"^  Defers  which  they  imagine 
 tempore  ccmes.  they  can  find  in    the  Frame  and 
 
 Lticrct,  Lib.  5.  Condi tution  of  the  Vijible  and 
 Material  World  •,  this  Suppofiti-- 
 on  obliges  them  to  acknowledge,  that  it  would 
 have  been  better  the  W^orld  had  been  made  by  an 
 Intelligent  and  Wife  Being,  who  might  have  pre- 
 vented all  Faults  and  Imperfections.  If  they  ar- 
 gue againfl  Providence,  from  the  P'aultinefs  and 
 Inequality  which  they  think  they  difcover  in  the 
 Management  of  the  Moral  World  ;  this  is  a  plain 
 ConfclFion,  that  'tis  a  thing  more  fit  and  defira- 
 ble in  itfelf,  that  the  World  fliould  be  governed 
 by  a  Juft  and  Good  Being,  than  by  mere  Chance 
 
 \  or  Unintelligent  Neceflity.     Laftly,  if  they  fup- 
 
 pofc  the  World  to  be  eternally  and  necefTarily  Self- 
 exiftent  \  and  confequently  that  every  thing  in  it, 
 is  eftabliflied  by  a  Blind  and  Eternal  Fatahty ;  no 
 rational  Man  can  at  the  fame  time  deny,  but  that 
 Liberty  and  Choice,  or  a  Free  Power  of  Ading, 
 is  a  more  eligible  State,    than  to  be  determined 
 
 thus 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go d,  Jf . 
 
 thus  In  all  our  A6lions,  as  a  Stone  is  to  move  down- 
 ward, by  an  abfolute  and  inevitable  Fate.     In  a 
 word,  which  way  ibever  they  turn  themfelves,  and 
 whatever  Hypothecs  they  make,    concerning  the 
 Original  and  Frame  of  Things  •,  Nothing  is  lb  cer- 
 tain and  undeniable,  as  that  Maji^  confidercd  with- 
 out the  Protedion  and  Condu(5l  of  a  Superiour 
 Being,  is  in  a  far  worfe  Cafe  •,  than  upon  Suppofi- 
 tion  of  the  Being  and  Government  of  God,    and 
 of  Mens  being  under  his  peculiar  Conduct,  Pro- 
 tedion  and  Favour.     Man,  of  himfelf,  is  infinite- 
 ly infufficient  for  his  own  Happinefs  :  ^  He  is  lici'-^^rch-'Bp. 
 hie  to  mari'j  Evils  and  Miferics^  u;hich  he  can  ;7(?i/krTiHotfon'i 
 prevent  nor  redrefs  :  He  is  full  of   Wants  which  ^-^- |ohTxvilt 
 cannot  fiippl^y  and  compajfed  about  'ujith  Infirmities  ^<^^ 
 which  he  cannot  remove^    and  ob?toxious  to  Dangers 
 which  he  can  never  fufficientlj  provide  againft :   He  is 
 fecure  of  nothing  that  he  enjoys  in  this   World,    and 
 uncertain  of  every  thing  that  he  hopes  for  :  He  is  apt 
 to  grieve  for  what  he  cannot  help,  and  eagerly  to  dc- 
 fire  what  he  is  never  likely   to   obtain,  &c.      Under 
 which  evil  CircumRances  'tis  evident  there  can  be 
 no  fuflicient  Support,  but  in  the  Belief  of  a  Wife 
 and  Good  God,  and  in  the  Flopes  which  true  Re- 
 ligion affords.     Whether  therefore  the  Being  and 
 Attributes  of  God  can  be  demo?ifl rated,  or  not  *,  it 
 muft  at  leaft  be  confelTed  by  all  rational  and  wife 
 Men,  to  be  a  thing  very  Bcfirable,  and  which  they 
 would  heartily  ^F///6  to  be  true,  that  there  v/as  a 
 God,  an  InteHigent  and  Wile,   a  Juil  and  Good 
 Being,  to  Govern  the  World, 
 
 Now  the  Ufe  I  defire  to  make  of  this  ConcefTi- 
 on,  is  only  this :  That  fmce  the  Men  I  am  argu- 
 ing with,  are  unavoidably  obliged  to  confefs,  that 
 'tis  a  thing  very  defirable  at  leaf,  that  there  fhould 
 be  a  God  •,  they  muft  of  necefiity,  upon  their  own 
 Principles,  be  very  willing,  nay,  defirous  above 
 all  things,  to  be  convinced  chat  their  prefent  Opi- 
 
 B  ^  nion 
 
'4$  A  T>emo7tflration  of  the 
 
 nion  Is  an  Errour,    and  fincerely  hope   that  the 
 contrary  may  be  demonftrated  to  them  to  be  true; 
 And  confequently  they  are  bound  with  all  feriouf- 
 nefs,    attention  and  impartiality,    to  confider  the 
 weight  of  the  Arguments,    by  which   the  Being 
 and  Attributes  of  God  may  be  proved  to  them. 
 sc»fmgat      Secondh^  All  fuch  Perfons  as  I  am  fpeaking  of, 
 Relijio?i,    ^vho  profefs  themfelves  to  be  Atheifrs,    not  upon 
 a7;t.\c«,.     any  prefent  Intereil  or  Luft,  but  purely  upon  the 
 Principles  of  Reafon  and  Philofophy  ;  are  bound 
 by  thefe  Principles  to  acknowledge,  that  all  7nock'- 
 ing  andy?^/f%  at  Religion,  all  jeiting  and  turning 
 Arguments  of  Reafon  into  Drollery  and  Ridicule, 
 is  the  moft  unmanly  and  unreafonable  thing  in  the 
 World.     And  confequently  they  are   obliged  to 
 exclude  out  of  their  Num.ber,    as  Irrational  and 
 Self-condemned  Perfons,  and  unworthy  to  be  ar- 
 gued with,  all  fuch  Sconers  at  Religion,  who  de- 
 ride at  all  adventures  without  hearing  P.eafon  ; 
 and  who  will  not  ufe  the  Means,    of   being  con- 
 vinced and  fatisHed.      Hearing  the  Reafon  of  the 
 Cafe  with  Patience  and  Unprejudicednefs,    is  an 
 .   Equity  which  Men  owe  to  every  'Truth  that   can 
 in  any  manner  concern  them  ;  and  which  is  necef- 
 fary  to  the  Difcovery  of  every  Kind  of  Errour^ 
 How  m.uch  m.ore  in  things  of  the  utmoft  Impor- 
 tance ! 
 i-'irtuccind     TrJirdh]^  Since  the  Perfons  I  am  difcourfing  to, 
 ^mrs^ayo-  ^^^^^^^  t>ut  own,  that  the  Suppofition  of  the  Being 
 Utel^  m-  ^^  God,  is  in  it  felf  moil  defirable,  and  for  the 
 (ejjarj.      benefit  of   the  World,    that  it  fhould  be  true  ; 
 They  mud  of  NecefTity  grant  further,  that,  fup- 
 pofmg  the  Being  and  Attributes  of   God  to  be 
 things  not  indeed  Dem.onftrable  to  be  true,    but 
 only  Pojlible^  and  fuch  as  cannot  be  demonftrated 
 to  be  falfe  ;  as  mofl  certainly  they  cannot ;    And 
 much  more,    fuppofing  them   once  made  to  ap- 
 pcc\r  ProhabL\  and  bucniorc  likely  Co  be  true  than 
 
 |:ho 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  d. 
 
 the  contrary  Opinion  :  Nothing  is  more  evident, 
 even  upon  thefe  Suppoficions  only,  than  that  Men 
 ought  in  ah  reafon  to  hve  liGuJlj  and  virtuoKjIy  in 
 the  World  \  and  that  Vice  and  Immorahty  are, 
 upon  all  Accounts,  and  under  allHypothefes,  the 
 mod  abfurd  and  inexcufable  Things  in  Nature. 
 
 Thus  much  being  premifed,  which  no  4^theift 
 who  pretends  to  be  a  rational  and  fair  Inquirer  in- 
 to Things,  can  poiTibly  avoid  granting  -,  (and  o- 
 ther  Atheiils,  I  have  before  faid,  are  not  to  be 
 difputed  with  at  all ;  as  being  Enemies  to  Rea- 
 fon^  no  lefs  than  to  Religion^  and  therefore  abfo- 
 Jutely  Self-condemned  :)  I  proceed  now  to  the 
 main  Thing  I  at  firil  propofed  ;  namely,  to  en- 
 deavour to  lliow,  to  fuch  confidering  Perfons  as 
 I  have  already  defcribed,  that  the  Being  and  At- 
 tributes of  God  are  not  only  polTible  or  barely 
 probable  in  themfelves,  but  alfo  flriddy  demonftra- 
 ble  to  any  unprejudiced  Mind,  from  the  mioft  un- 
 conteilable  Principles  of  Right  Reafon. 
 
 And  here,  becaufe  the  Perfons  I  am  at  prefent 
 dealing  with,  muil  be  funpofed  not  to  believe  any 
 Revelation,  nor  acknowledge  any  Authority 
 which  they  will  fubmit  to,  but  only  the  bare  force 
 of  Reafoning  :  I  fhall  not,  at  this  time,  draw  any 
 Tefcimony  from  Scripture,  nor  make  ufe  of  any 
 fort  of  Authority,  nor  lay  any  ftrefs  upon  any 
 popular  Arguments  in  the  Matter  before  us  ;  but 
 confine  m.y  \z\i  to  the  Rules  of  ftrid  and  demon- 
 ftrative  Argumencation. 
 
 Nov/  Many  Arguments  there  are,  by  which  the 
 Being  and  Attributes  of  God  have  been  underta- 
 ken to  be  De?notiJh'atcd.  And  perhaps  moft  of 
 thofe  Arguments,  if  throughly  underftood,  right- 
 ly ftated,  fully  purfued,  and  duly  feparated  from 
 the  fah'e  or  uncertain  Reafonings  which  have 
 fometimes  been  intermix'd  with  them  *,  would  at 
 length  appear  to  -be  fubftantial  and  concluiive. 
 B  4  But 
 
|f  A  T)emonjlratton  of  the 
 
 But  becaufe  I  v/ould  endeavour,  as  far  as  polTible, 
 to  avoid  all  manner  of  perplexity  and  confufion  \ 
 therefore  I  fiiail  not  at  this  Time  ufe  any  Variety 
 of  Arguments,  but  endeavour  by  Ont  clear  and 
 plain  Series  of  Proportions  neeeffarily   conne6led 
 and  following  one  from  another,    to  demonilrate 
 the  Certainty  of  the  Being  of  God,  and  to  deduce 
 in  order  the  NecefTary  Attributes  of   his  Nature, 
 fo  fir  as  by  our  Finite  Reafon  we  are  enabled    to 
 difcover  and  apprehend  them.     And  becaufe  it  is 
 not  to  my  prefent  purpofe  to  explain  or  illu (Irate 
 things  to  Them  that  Beheve,  but  only  to  convince 
 Unbelievers,    and  fettle  Them  that  Doubt,    by 
 ftrid  and  undeniable  Reafoning  *,  therefore  I  fhall 
 not  allege  any  thing,  which,  however  really  true 
 and  ufeful,  niay  yet  be  liable  to  Gontradi<5Lion   or 
 difpute  ;  but  fhall  indeavour  to   urge  Such  Pro- 
 portions only,    as  cannot  be  denied  without  de- 
 parting from  that  Reafon,  which  all  Atheids  pre- 
 tend to  be  the  Foundation  of  their  Unbelief.    On- 
 ly it  is  abfolutely   Necefiary  before  all  Things, 
 that  they  confent  to  lay  a  fide  all  manner  of  Frt- 
 judices ;  and  efpecially  fuch,  as  have  been  been  apt 
 to  arife  from  the  too  frequent  Ufe  of  'Tenns  af 
 Jlrt^  which  have  no  Ide^.-s  belonging  to  them  ;  an^ 
 from   the  common  receiving  certain   Maidms  of 
 Pbilofophy  as  true,  which  at  the  Bottom  feem  to 
 be  only  Propofuions  zvitbGUj  a//y  Mean'uig   or  Siojii- 
 Jic alien  at  alL 
 
 ^omctWing      I    Firftthen,  it  is  Abfolutely  and  Undeniably   ' 
 
 tnul  have         ^   •         ^i     *.  c          *?  •        /  ■  ,r   J  c  ii    j-, 
 
 Exified  ^^^^^^'^^  Xh?X  boniest fjing  has  c>;ijied lro7n  ali  LterKit\^ 
 /rt'w  £;fr- This  is  fo  evident  and  Undeniable  a  Propofitiori, 
 ^^^J'  that  no  Atheift  in  any  Age  l:as  ever  pre  fumed  to 
 affert  the  contrary  ;  and  therefore  there  is  little 
 need  of  being  particular  in  the  proof  of  it.  For 
 fince  Something  now  \%^  'tis  evident  that  Sonic- 
 thing  always  Was  :    Qtherwife  the  Things  that 
 
 Now 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Gob,  ij 
 
 Now  Are,  muil  have  been  produced  out  of  No- 
 thing, abibkitely  and  without  Cauie  :  Which  is  a 
 plain  Contradi6lion  in  Terms.  For,  to  fay  a 
 Thing  is  produced^  and  yet  that  there  is  no  Caiffe  aC 
 all  of  that  Produ(^lion,  is  to  f-iy  that  Something  is 
 EJft'Lfed^  when  it  is  Effeofedby  Nothing  ;  that  is,  at 
 the  fame  time  when  it  is  not  EffcBed  at  all.  What- 
 ever Exifts,  has  a  Caufe,  a  Reafon,  a  Ground  of 
 its  Exiflence  •,  (a  Foundation,  on  which  its  Ex- 
 iflence  relies  ;  a  Ground  or  Reafon  why  it  doth 
 extfl^  rather  than  not  exift  ;)  either  in  the  NecefTity 
 of  its  own  Nature,  and  then  it  mufb  have  been 
 of  it/elf  Eternal :  Or  in  the  Will  of  forne  Other 
 Being  ;  and  then  That  Other  Being  muff,  at  leail 
 in  the  order  of  Nature  and  Caufality,  have  Exiil- 
 ed  before  it. 
 
 That  Something  therefore  has  really  Exified  from  ofiheDif- 
 Eternity^  is  one  of  the  certaineft  and  moft  evident  ^^"'^^^  ^^ 
 Truths  in  the  World  •,  acknowledged  by  all  Men,  ^^Tcrnu'J 
 and  difputed  by  none,  let  as  to  the  Manner  how- 
 it  can  be  ;  there  is  nothing  in  Nature  more  diffi- 
 cult for  the  Mind  of  Man  to  conceive,  than  this 
 very  firfl  Plain  and  Self-evident  Truth.  For,  How 
 any  thing  can  have  exifted  eternally  ;  that  is.  How 
 an  Eternal  Duration  can  he  now  atiualU  Pall :  is  a 
 thing  utterly  as  impolTible  for  our  narrow  Under- 
 fliandings  to  comprehend,  as  any  thing  that  is  not 
 an  exprefs  ContradicfHon  can  b^  imagined  to  be  : 
 And  yet  to  deny  the  Truth  of  the  Propofition, 
 that  an  Eternal  Duration  is  7iow  acluaily  fail ; 
 v;ould  be  to  TiKtxi  fomeihing  flill  far  more  Unintelli- 
 glhle^  even  a  real  and  exprefs  Coniradicfion. 
 
 The  Ufe  I  would  make  of  this  Obfervation,  hBljfHtdtUs 
 This.     That  fmce  in  all  Queilions  concerning  the  ^''-fi^Z 
 Nature  and  Perfections  of  God,  or  concerning  ^'frlZ%e 
 ny  thing  to  which  the  Idea  of  Eternity  or  Infinity  Nature  of 
 is  joined -,  tho' we  can   indeed-' Demonilrate   ctr-^f^''"ify* 
 tain  Propofitions  to  be  true,'  yet  'tis  impoffible  for  ""'l  ^'/'^ 
 
 us. 
 
en. 
 
 \o  'AT^emoiiflrdtlon  of  the 
 
 huaufe  e-  us  to  comprehend  or  frame  any  adsequatc  or  com- 
 W  '"^'''' pleat  Ideas  of  the  Manner  How  the  Things  fo  de- 
 ""'''"^^^■^'"'- monftrated  can  Be:  Therefore  when  once  any 
 Propofition  is  clearly  dem.onilrated  to  be  true; 
 it  ought  not"  to  difturb  us,  that  there  be  perhaps 
 perplexing  Difficulties  on  the  other  fide,  which 
 merely  for  want  of  adequate  Ideas  of  the  Man- 
 jier  of  the  Exiftence  of  the  Things  dcn:ionPi'rated, 
 arc  not  eafy  to,  be  cleared.  Indeed,  were  it  poifi- 
 ble  there  fiiould  be  any  Proportion  which  could 
 equally  be  Demonftrated  on  both  fides  of  the  Que- 
 llion,  or  v/hich  could  on  both  fides  be  reduced  to 
 im'A^  a  ContKadiuion  •,  (as  fom.e  have  very  incon- 
 Iidcrately  afferted  •,)  This,  it  muft  be  confefled^ 
 would  alter  the  Cafe.  Upon  this  abfurd  Suppo- 
 fition,  all  Di Terence  of  True  and  Falfe,  all 
 Thinking  and  Reafoning,  and  the  Ufe  of  all  our 
 Faculties,  would  be  entirely  at  an  End.  But  when 
 to  Demcnftration  on  the  one  fide,  there  are  op- 
 pofed  on  the  other,  only  Diiliculties-  railed  from 
 our  want  of  having  adcequate  Ideas  of  the  Things 
 themfelves  \  this  ought  not  to  be  efteemed  an  Ob- 
 jection of  any  real  Weight.  'Tis  direclly  and 
 clearly  DemonflrcMc^  (and  acknowledged  to  be  fo, 
 even  by  All  Athcifls  that  ever  lived,)  that  ^oine- 
 thirtg  has  been  from  Eternity  :  All  the  Objections 
 therefore  raifed  agfdnit  the  Eternity  of  any  thing, 
 grounded  merely  on  our  want  of  having  an  adae- 
 quate  Idea  of  Eternity  ;  ought  to  be  looked  upon 
 as  of  no  real  Solidity.  Thus  in  other  the  like 
 Inilanccs ;  'Tis  Def?ionfirable,  for  example,  that 
 Souietblng  muft  be  aulnally  Infinite :  All  the  Meta- 
 phyfical  Difficulties  therefore,  w-hich  arife  ufually 
 from  applying  the  Meafures  and  Relations  of 
 Things  Finite,  to  v/hat  is  Infinite  *,  and  irom  fup- 
 pofing  I'lnites  to  be  [Aliquot]  Parts  of  Infinite^ 
 when  indeed  they  are  not  properly  fo,  but  only 
 AS  Mathematical  Points  to  Quantity,  which  have 
 
 no 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go d7  if 
 
 TioPropprtion  at  all :  (and  from,  imagining   All 
 Infinites  to  be  Equals  when  in  things  difparate  they 
 manifefdy  are  not  fo  ;  an  infinite  Line^    being  not. 
 •only  not  equal  to^  but  infinitely  lefs  thdu  an  infinite 
 Surfaee^  and  an  infinite  Surface  than  Space   infinite 
 in  all  Bbnenfions :)  All   Metaphyseal  Difficulties, 
 I  fay,  ariOng  from  falfe  Suppofitions  of  this  Kind, 
 ought  to  be  eileemed  vain  and  of  no  force.       A- 
 gain :    'Tis    in    like   manner   Demonflrable^     that 
 ^{antity  is  infinitely  Divifihle  :  All  the   Objedions 
 therefore  raifed,  by  fuppofmg  the  Snins  total  of  . 
 all  Infinites  to  be  Equals  when  in  difparate  Parts 
 they  manifeftly  are  ;2^/  fo  ;  and  byl  comparing  the 
 imaginary  Equality  or  Inequality  ofi  the  Number  of 
 the   Parts  of   Unequal  Quantities,    whofe  Parts 
 have  really  no  Ntanher  at  all^  they  all  having  Parts 
 without  Nuinher  ;    ought  to    be  look'd  upon  as 
 weak  and  aluogether  inconclufive.:    To  ask  whe- 
 ther the  Parts  of  unequal   Quantities   be  equal  in 
 Number  or  not,  when  they  have  no  Nurhber  at  all  -, 
 being  the  fame  thing  as  to  ask  v/heiher  tv/o  Lines 
 drawn  from  di-ferently  diftant  Points,    and   each 
 of  them  continued  infinitely,    be  equal  in  length 
 or  not,  that  is,  whether  they  End  together,  v/heii 
 neither  of  them  have  ^/Z);  E/^J  ^/^//. 
 
 There  muft 
 
 II.  'There  has  Exifted  from  Eternity^  "f  So7ne  One  have  e^iji- 
 Unchangeable  and  Independent  Being.  For  fmccJ^f^^^^^' 
 Something  mufl  needs  have  been  from  Eternity  ;  j^fX/>J»-  ^ 
 as  has  been  already  proved,  and  is  granted  on  :i\\  dem  Being, 
 hands:  Either  there  has  always  f  The  Meaning  of  this  Pro- 
 Exifted  fome  one  Unchangeable  porition,(andAllthatthe  ^r- 
 and  Mepndent^cn.^,  from  which  f^ mu"n%3'SwSs 
 all  otaer  Beings  mat  are  or  ever  been  some  independent  Bei',^g, 
 v/ere  in  the  Univerfe,  have  re-  ^omto^ieatkafi.  To  fliow 
 ceiv'd  their    Orio-inal ;    or    elfe     ^\^^  ^^^^'^  .c^"  ^e,  no  More 
 
 1  11  ■    r    -^    o  rr        than  One,  is  not  the  JJelign 
 
 there  has  been  an  infimte  Succeffi-     ^^  ^^^^  Propoiition,   but  of 
 pn  of  changeable  and  dependent     the  seventh. 
 
 Beings 
 
Xi  A  T)emonJlration  of  the 
 
 Beings  produced  one  from  another  in  an  endlefs 
 Progreftion,  ivithout  any  Original  Caufe  at  all. 
 Now  this  latter  Suppofition  is  fo  very  abfurd, 
 that  tho'  all  Atheifm  mufl  in  its  Account  of  mod 
 things  (as  fhall  be  fhewn  hereafter)  terminate  in 
 it,  yet  I  think  very  few  Atheifls  ever  were  fo  weak 
 as  openly  and  directly  to  defend  it.  For  it  is 
 plainly  impolTible,  and  contradit:fory  to  it  felf.  I 
 ihall  not  argue  againfl  it  from  t\\tfiippofed  ImpofTi- 
 bility  of  Infinite  SuccefTion,  barely  and  ahfolutely 
 confidcred  in  it  felf 'y  for  a  Reafon  which  Hiall  be 
 mentioned  hereafter.  But,  if  we  confider  fuch  an 
 iniinite  ProgrefTion,  as  One  entire  Endlefs  Series 
 of  Dependent  Beings  •,  'tis  plain  this  "Ji'hole  Series  of 
 Beings  can  have  no  Qiuic  frojn  without^  of  its  Ex- 
 iflence  •,  becaufe  in  it  are  fuppofed  to  be  included 
 all  things  that  are  or  ever  were  in  the  Univerfe  : 
 And  'tis  plain  it  can  have  no  Reafon  zvilhin  itfilf, 
 of  its  Exifrence  *,  becaufe  no  one  Being  in  this  In- 
 finite SuccefFion  is  fuppofed  to  be  Self-exiftent  or 
 Neeefary,  fwhich  is  the  only  Ground  or  Reafon  of 
 Exiflence  of  any  thing,  that  can  be  imagined 
 ^ovithin  the  thing  it  felf ^  as  will  prefcntly  more  fully 
 appear,)  but  every  one  Dependent  on  the  forego- 
 ing :  And  where  no  Fart  is  neceflary,  'tis  manifeft 
 the  Whole  cannot  be  neceflary  :  Abfolute  NecefTity 
 of  Exiflence,  not  being  an  extrlnfick^  relative^  and 
 accidental  Denomination  ;  but  an  inward  and  effen- 
 tial  Property  of  the  Nature  of  the  Thing  which 
 fo  Exifts.  An  infinite  SuccelTion  therefore  of 
 merely  Dependent  Beings,  without  any  Original 
 Independent.  Caufe  -,  is  a  Series  of  Beings,  that  has 
 neither  NecefTity,  nor  Caufe,  nor  any  Reafon  or 
 Ground  at  all  of  its  Exiflence,  cither  within  it- 
 filf  or  fro7n  zvithcut  :  That  is,  'tis  an  exprefs  Con- 
 tradidion  and  ImpofTibihty  *,  'tis  a  fuppofing  Some- 
 thing  to  DC  cauJedy{bcCcmiQ  'tis  granted  in  every 
 one  of  its  Stages  of  SuccefTion,  not  to  be  necejja- 
 
 my 
 
Being  and  Attributes  /?/  G  o  d  13" 
 
 W/)'  and  ofitfdf;)  and  yec  that,  in  the  whole,  'tis 
 caufed  ahfolutely  by  Nolbing.  Which  every  Man 
 knows  is  aContradi^iion  to  imagine  donei;?  ^i7?ie', 
 and,  becaule  Duration  in  this  Cafe  makes  no  Dif- 
 ference, 'tis  equally  a  Contradiftion  to  fuppofe  it 
 done  fro??t  Eternity.  Andconfequently  there  muft, 
 on  the  contrary,  of  NecelTity  have  exiifed  from 
 Eternity,  Jo7ne  One  Immutable  and  Independeht 
 Being. 
 
 To  fuppofe  an  ififihite  SuccelJion  of  changeable 
 and  dependent  Being*  produced  one  from  another 
 in  an  endlefs  Progrellion,  zvitbcut  any  Original 
 Caufe  at  all  •,  is  only  "*•  a  driving 
 
 back  from  one  ftep  to  another,^  *  n,^,  ^^,^,^  f,^,  ^^^^ 
 and  (as  it  were)  removing  out  of  veil  tlliiftrat£d,by  a  l^^te  able 
 Sio-ht,  the  Queftion  concerninp;  ^'^'nter.  "  Suppole  a  cha^n 
 the  Ground  or  Reafon  of  the  Ex-  W  ^ ^"^^  °tf f^^^" 
 litence  of  Thmgs.  '  1  is  in  reah-  .»  Height;  and.  though  Every 
 ty,  and  in  point  of  Argument,  "  hnkot  it  gravitated  to  ward 
 the  very  flime  Suppofition  •,  as  it  "  the  Earth.and  what  it  hung 
 1  1  1      ^    r  r   r\  ,•        j         "P^n  was  not  vihble,  vet 
 
 would  be  to  luppois  One  continued     «.  ,1  ^id  not  defcend,   but 
 
 Being,  of  begin ninglefs  and  endlefs     "  kept  its  fituation  :   And, 
 Duration,     neither     felf-exiflent     "  "P^"    This,    a   quellion 
 
 **  fliould  arife,  What  fup- 
 **  ported  or  kept  up  this  Chain  ?  Would  it  be  afufficient  Anfvver,  to  fay, 
 **  that  the  Fir/t  or  Lowell  Link  hung  upon  the  Second,  or  That  next  above 
 ••  it;  lh<^Secohui,ov  rather  ih^Fir/i a?2d Second  rogether^u^onihe Third ;  and 
 *'  fo  on  in  infirtitmn  ?  For,  IVloat  holds  up  the  Whole  ?  A  Chain  of 
 «*  ten  rmkfy  would  fill  down  ;  unlefs  fomething,  able  to  bear  it,  hin- 
 "  dered.  One  of  Tiventy,  if  not  ilaied  by  fomething  of  a  yet  Grea- 
 "  tcr  Strength,  in  proportion  to  the  Increafe  of  Weight.  And  therefore 
 "  One  of  infinite  links,  certamly  ;  if  not  fudained  by  Something  infi- 
 "  nirely  llrong,  and  capable  to  bear  up  an  infinite  Weight.  And  Thus 
 "  it  is  in  a  Chain  of  Caufes  nnd  Ffetls  ;  tending,  or  (as  it  were)  gra- 
 •*  vitating,  towards  fome  End.  The  Lail,  or  Lowell,  depends,  or  (as 
 *'  one  may  hy^  is  jufpcnded  upon  the  Caufe  above  it.  This  again,  if 
 «'  it  be  not  the  Firit  Caufe,  i?^  fufpendcd,  as  an  Elfed,  upon  Something 
 **  above  it ;  z>'c.  And  if  they  fliould  be  infinite  ;  unlefs  (agreeably  to 
 *'  what  has  been  faidj  there  is  fome  Caufe,  upon  which  All  hang  or 
 "  depend;  they  would  be  but  an  wfinite  ifett,  vv'ithout  an  ifficient, 
 "  And  to  alTert  there  is  any  fuch  Thing,  would  be  as  great  m  Abfur- 
 "  dity  as  to  fay,  that  a  finite  or  little  Weight  wants  fomething  to  fullain 
 "  it,  but  an  infimte  one  (or  x)x^,GreateJl)  does  not,"  ^.^Ugm  of  Kature 
 Mineatsdt  pag.  67.  '   "     ^  aj^j 
 
14  A  l^emonflratiGyi  of  the 
 
 and  NeceiTary  in  itfelf,  nor  having  its  Exiftence 
 founded  in  Any  Self-exiftent  Cauie.  Which  is 
 direftly  ablurd  and  contradictory. 
 
 Otherwife,  thus.     Either  there  has  always  ex- 
 illed  fome  One  Unchangeable  and  Independent  Be- 
 ing, from  which  all  other  Beings  have  received 
 their  Original  -,  or  elfe  there  has  been  an  infinite 
 Succefnon   of  changeable  and  dependent  Beings, 
 produced   one  from  another  in  an  endlefs  Pro- 
 greffion,    without  any  Original  Caufe  all.     Ac- 
 cording to  this  latter  Suppofition  •,    there  is  No- 
 thing, in  the  Univerfe,  Self-Exiftent  or  NecelTa- 
 rily-exifting.     And  if  fo  •,  then   it  was  originally 
 equally  pojjible^  that  from  Eternity  there  Ihould 
 never  have  exifted  any  thing  at  all  -,  as  that  there 
 fhould  from  Eternity  have  exiiled  a  Succefiion 
 of  changeable  and  dependent  Beings.     Which  be- 
 ing fuppofed  \  then,  What  is  it  that  has  from  E- 
 ternity  determined  fuch  a  SuccefTion  of  Beings  to 
 exift,  rather  than  that  from  Eternity  there  fhould 
 never  have  exifted   any  thing  at  all  ?  Neceffity  it 
 was  not  ;  becaiife  it  was  equally  poffible,    in  this 
 Suppofiti-on,  that  they  Ihould  not  have  exifted  at 
 all.     Chance^  is  nothing  but  a  mere  Word,  with- 
 out any  fignification.     And  Other  Being  'tis  fiip- 
 pofed  there  was  none,  to  determine  the  Exiftence 
 of  thefe.     Their  Exiftence  -therefore  v/as    deter- 
 mined by  Nothing  ;  neither  by  any  NecefTity  in 
 the  nature  of  the  Thihgs  themfelves,  becaufe  'tis 
 fuppofed  that  none  of  them  are  Self-exiftent ;  nor 
 by  any  other  Being,  becaufe  no  other  is  fuppofed 
 to  Exift.     That  is  to  fay  ;  Of  two  equallypoffwle 
 things,  {viz.  whether  anj  thijtg  or  nothing  fhould 
 from  Eternity    have  exifted,)  the    one  is  deter- 
 mined, rather  than  the  other,    ahfokUelj  by  No- 
 thing  :    W^hich  is.  an  exprefs  Contradiction.     And 
 confequently,  as  before,    there  muft  on  the  con- 
 trary,   of  NecefTity  have  exifted  from  Eternity, 
 
 fome 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  15 
 
 fome  One  Immutable  and  Independent  Being. 
 Which,  ivhat  ic  is,  remains  in  the  next  place  to 
 be  inquired. 
 
 III.  'That  imchaymahle  and  independent  Beings  '^^^^  °^« 
 ^johkh  has  Exifted  from  Eternit^j^  zvlthcut  any  exter-  ^^^-^  ' 
 7ml  Caufe  of  its  Exifience  -,  mufi  be  Self-Exiftent^  that  mufti, 
 is,  Necejfarilyexifting.  For  whatever  Exiils,  mn?i  cejfariiy 
 either  have  come  into  Being  out  of  Nothing,  ab-  ^^^fi^^'g 
 folutely  without  Caufe  ;  or  it  mull  have  been  pro- 
 duced by  fome  External  Caufe  ;  or  it  mufl  beSelf- 
 Exillent.  Now  to  arife  out  of  Nothing,  abfo- 
 lutely  without  any  Caufe  ;  has  been  already  fliown 
 to  be  a  plain  Contradidion.  To  have  been  pro- 
 duced  by  fome  External  Caufe,  cannot  pollibly 
 be  true  of  every  thing  -,  but  fomething  muil  have 
 exifted  Eternally  and  Independently  ;  As  has  like- 
 vyife  been  fhov/n  already.  It  remains  therefore, 
 that  That  Being  vWiich  has  exifted  Independently 
 Irom  Eternity,  m.uft  of  NecefTity  be  Seif-exiftent. 
 Now  to  be  Self-exijlent^  is  not,  to  be  Produced  by 
 itfdf  \  for  that  is  an  exprefs  Contradiction.  But 
 it  is,  ("vvhich  is  the  only  Idea  we  can  frame  of  Self- 
 exiftence  ,  and  without  which,  the  wend  feems 
 to  have  no  Signification  at  all  : )  It  is,  I  fay,  to 
 .  ex'ifi  by  an  Ahjolute  Necejjity  originally  in  the  Na- 
 ture of  the  Thing  itfelf  And  this  Necefiity,^  muft 
 be  Antecedent ;  not  indeed  in  Time,  to  the  Exif- 
 tence  of  the  Being  itfelf ;  becnufe  That  is  Eter- 
 nal :  But  it  muft  be  Antecccicnt  in  the  Natural  Or- 
 der of  our  Ideas,  to  our  Suppofition  of  its  Being. 
 That  is  ;  This  NecelTity  muft  not  barely  be  co7tfe~ 
 quent  upon  our  Suppofition  of  the  Exiftence  of 
 fuch  a  Being  -,  (For  then  it  would  not  be  a  Ne- 
 ceftity  Abfolutely  fuch  in  it  felf,  nor  be  the  Ground 
 or  Foundation  of  the  Exiftence  of  any  thing, 
 being  on  the  contrary  only  a  Cqnfequent  of  it ;) 
 But  it  muft  antecedently  force  it  felf  upon  us,  whe- 
 ther we  will  or  no,  even  when  we  are  indeavour- 
 
 ene- 
 
 / 
 
^c, 
 
 1 6      "  A  T>emonJIration  of  the 
 
 Ing  to  fuppofe  that  rxo  fuch  Being  Exifts.  For 
 Example  :  When  v/e  are  endeavouring  to  fup- 
 pofe^ that  there  is  no  Being  in  the  Univerfe  that 
 exiiis  Neceflarily  ;  we  always  find  in  our  Minds, 
 (befides  the  foregoing  'Demonilration  of  Some- 
 fag,  II,  thing  being  Sclf-exiftent,  from  the  Lnpofflbility  of 
 '^^'  ever\  Thing's  being  dependent  •,)  We  always  find   in 
 
 our  Minds,  I  lay,  fome  Ideas,  as  of  Infinity  and 
 Eternity  •,  which  to  remove,  that  is,  to  fuppofe 
 that  there  is  no  Being,  no  Subftance  in  the  Uni» 
 verfe,  _to  v/hich  thefe  Attributes  or  Modes  of 
 Exiilence  are  neceflarily  inherent,  is  a  Contradic- 
 tion in  the  very  Terms.  For  Modes  and  Attri- 
 butes exift  only  by  the  Exiftence  of  the  Subftance 
 to  which  they  belong.  Nov/  he  that  can  fup- 
 pofe Eternity  and  Immenfity  (and  confequently 
 the  Subftance  by  whofc  Exiftence  thefe  Modes  or 
 Attributes  exift,)  removed  out  of  the  Univerfe  -, 
 may,  if  he  pleafe,  as  eafily  remove  the  Relation 
 of  Equality  between  twice  two  and  four. 
 
 That  to  fuppofe  Immenfity  removed  out  of  the 
 
 Univerfe,    or  not  neceflarily  Eternal^    is  an  ex- 
 
 ;prsfs  contradiction  ;    is  intuitively  evident  to  every 
 
 one  who  attends  to  his  own  Ideas.,  and  confiders 
 
 the  EflTential  Nature  of  Things.- 
 
 *  Moveantur  Partes  Spa-     To  fuppofe  ^  any  part  of  Space 
 
 tii  de  Locis  fuis,  8c  move-     removed^  is  to  fuppofe  it  removed 
 
 buntar   [f'^  ''"^  ^''^^^fb     from  and  out  ./^  itfelf  :    And  to 
 Seipiis.  Newton.  Fnncip.  Lib.     J  J  u      .    ?. 
 
 I.  IchoL  adDefinit.  8.  fuppofe  the  Whole  to  be  taken  a- 
 
 ivavy  is  fuppofing  it  to  be  taken 
 aivay  from  itfelf  that  is,  to  be  taken  away  while  it 
 ftiil  rejuains  :  Which  is  a  Contradiction  in  T^enns, 
 There  is  no  Obfcurity  in  This  Argument,  but 
 what  arifes  to  thofe  who  think  hnmeife  Space  to  be 
 abfolutely  Nothing,  Which  Notion,  h  itfelf  hke- 
 wife  an  exprefs  contradiolion.  For  Nothings  is 
 That  which  has  No  Properties  or  Modes  whatfoever. 
 That  is  to  fay  \  'tis  That  of  which  nothing  can  trtt- 
 
 ^4 
 
Bei72g  and  Attributes  of  God.  i  r 
 
 Ij  he  affirmed^  and  of  which  Eve'ry  thing  can  truly 
 he  denied.  Which  is  not  the  Cafe  of  hunenjity  or 
 8race. 
 
 From  this  Third  Propcfition  it  follows^ 
 ijt.  That   the  only  true  Idea  of  aSelf-exlftent  orjhe^^nr 
 NeceJfarilyExijling  Beings  is  the  Idea    of  a  Beings  ^^^ ion  oF 
 the  Sup:poJition_of  whofe  Not-cxiCting  is  an  exprefs^^^ ^:^-^' 
 ContradiBion.    For  fince  it  is  abfohately  impoffible 
 but  there  muft  be  Somewhat  Self-exiftent  ;  thdXpag.  li.  e^ 
 i.s,  which  exifls  by  the  Ncceffity  of  its  own  Na-^J- 
 ture  ;    'Tis  pJain  that  I'hat  neceffity  cannot  be  a 
 Neceffity  confequent  upon  any  foregoing  Suppo- 
 fition,'     (becaufe   Nothing  can  be  Antecedent  to 
 that  which  is  Self-Exiilent,  no  not  its  own  JVill^ 
 i^o  as  to  be  the  Caufe  or  Ground  of  its  own  Ex- 
 iflence,)  but  it  mufl  be  a  NecelTity  ahfolutely  fuch 
 in  its  own  Nature.     Now  a  Neceffity,  not  rela- 
 tively or  confequentially,    but  ahfolutely  fuch  in  its 
 own  Nature  -,  is  nothing  elfe,  but  its  being  a  plain 
 Impofllbihty  or  Implying  a  Contradiction  to  fup- 
 pofe  the  contrary.     For  Inftance^ :  The  Relation 
 of  Equality  between   twice  two  and  four,  is  an 
 abfolute  Neceffity  j  only  becaufe  *tis  an  immedi- 
 ate Contradidion  in  Terms  to  fuppofe  them  une- 
 qual.    This   is  the   only  Idea  we  can  frame,  of 
 an  abfolute  Neceffity  •,  and  to  ufe  the  word   in 
 any  other  Senfe,  feems  to  be  ufmg  it  without  any 
 Signification  at  all 
 
 If  any  One  now  asks,  what  fort  of  Idea  the  I- 
 dea  of  that  Being  is,  the  Suppofition  of  whofe 
 Not-Exifting  is  thus  an  exprefs  Contradidlion  :  I 
 anfwer,  'tis  the  Firil  and  Simplefl  Idea  we  can 
 poffibly  frame  ,  an  Idea  neceffa^ily  and  effcntially 
 included  or  prefupppfed,^  as  Tifine  qua  non^  in  eve- 
 ry  other  Idea  whatfoever  ;  an  Idea,  which  (unlefs 
 we  forbear  thinking  at  all)  we  cannot  poffibly  ex- 
 tirpate or  remove  out  of  our  Minds  ;  of  ^.  moft  fi?n- 
 pie  Bein^y  ahfolutely  Eternal  and  hfjiite^  Original  and 
 
 C  Independent, 
 
I S  A  T^emonllration  of  the 
 
 Independent;  For,  that  he  who  fuppofes  there  is 
 no  Original  hdependenlBQino^m  theUniverfe,  fup- 
 pofes a  Contradidion  -,  has  been  fhown  already. 
 And  that  he  who  fuppofes  there  may  pofTibly  be 
 no  Eternal  and  Infinite  Being  in  the  Univerfe, 
 fuppofes  likewife  a  Contradiclion,  is  evident 
 from  hence  \  fbefides  that  thefe  two  Attributes 
 do  neceluirily  follow  from  Self-originate  Inde- 
 pendent Exiftence,  as  fhall  be  fliown  hereaf-. 
 ter  ;)  that  when  he  has  done  his  utmoll,  in  in* 
 deavouring  to  imagine  that  no  fuch  Being  Exifts  ; 
 he  cannot  avoid  imagining  an  Eternal  and  Infi- 
 nite t  Nothing  ;  that  is,  he  will 
 t  See  the  Anfwer  to  z  se-    imasine  Eternity  and  Immenfitv 
 
 'venth  Lerrcr,    at  the  End  or  ^j  ^r^uxT*        r"' 
 
 this  Book.  removed    out   or    the    Univerfe, 
 
 and  yet  that  at    the  fame   time 
 *  page  i5.  {-]-iey  fi;]]]  continue  there.     As  has  been  above  '^ 
 
 diftindiy  explained. 
 The  En  or       This  Argument  the  Carte/tans,  who  fuppofed 
 f>fthe  Car-  tj^e  Idea  of  Lmnenfitj  to  be  the  Idea  of  Matter^ 
 teiians.      i^^y^  httn  greatly  perplexed  with.     For  (howe- 
 ver in  f Fords  they  have  contradicted  themfelves, 
 yet  in  Reality)  they  have  more  eafily  been  driven 
 to  that  mofl  intolerable  Abfurdity,  of  afierting 
 Matter  ^   to  be  a  Necefiary   Be- 
 *  Tutoimplicare  contradiai'     ing  j  than  been  able  to   remove 
 onem,  ut  Mundus  fit  finhus :     q^^  of  their  Mlnds  the  Idea  of 
 
 i;^,aio;;:fo:^:;:!;  w:^;:  ^'--^^  asExiiiingNecenariiy 
 
 be  Finite,    airtef.  ififi.  6c,.     and    infeparabiy  from   Eternity. 
 
 p'lm&varus.  Which   Abfurdity  and  inextrica- 
 
 And  his  Follower  Mr  R.^y..     ble  Perplexity  of  theirs,    inrc^ 
 
 Mats  tent  etre  (iaith  hej  que       r      n        ,-     i        t  i  r     t  r, 
 
 je  raifonne  -mal,  &c.  /.  e.  But     n^ect  ot  the  Idea    01   Immenfitx^ 
 
 perhaps  I  argue  ill,   when  I      fliOV/5    that   they    found    "That  m- 
 
 conclude  that  the  Property     ^eed  to  be  NecelTIiry  and  impof- 
 
 my  Idea    hath  to    repretcnt      r^  ^  ^  i       t»  • 
 
 Extenfion,  ithatis,  mthcfenfe  ^^^^^  to  be  removcd  ;  But,  in  re- 
 oj  the  Cartef:ans,  MatteKQ  {pt(Et  of  Matter,  'twas  only  aper- 
 comes  from  Extenfion  it  felf,     yerfe  applyino;  an  Idea  to  an  Ob- 
 
 asitsCaufe.    For,  What  hin-      •    o.         \  ^  ^     *=>  ,     , 
 
 ikrs  me  from  bdievin?  that    J^^>  wheretQ  It  no  wavs  belongs. 
 ^    if  For. 
 
^emg  and  Attributes  of  GK)t>]  19 
 
 jFor,  that  'tis  indeed  abfolutely  J^  ^^'s  Property  comes  not 
 impoffible  and  contradiaory  to     ^'""^  ""^  ^f'  >''-'''  ^'f.  '^ 
 
 r    "       '-      Ti/T  ^*  rr-    -^  -n^        may  comc  from  lome  Spirit 
 
 luppoie  Matter  neceiTarny-exifl-  ^or  Bnng\  Superiour  tome, 
 ing,    fliall  be  demonflrated  pre-     vvhich  produces  in  me  rhe 
 
 fentlVw  ^^^^  ^'^    Extcnlion,    though 
 
 '''  Exreniion    docs  not  ad-uaily 
 
 .  .  .  cxill  ?  Yet  when  I  conlidcr 
 
 the  thmo;  attentively,  I  find  that  my  Conclufion  is  good  j  and  that  no 
 Spirit  [yr^Being']  how  excellent  foever,  can  caufe  the  Idea  which  I  have 
 of  Extcnhon,  to  repreiVnt  to  me  Exreniion  rather  than  any  thing  elfe,  if 
 Extenfion  does  not  actual!/  Exift  ;  Becaufe  if  he  fhould  do  fo,  the  Idea 
 which  I  f]:ouid  then  have  of  Flxrcnfion,  would  not  be  a  reprefentation  of 
 ExtsYifiony  but  a  reprefentation  o^ Nothing,     Which  is  impoftible. 
 
 But  it  may  be  I  flill  deceive  my  ielf,  when  Ilay  that  the  Idea  I  have  of 
 Exrerlion,  fuppofes  an  Objea;  aftually  exifting.  For  it  Teems  that  I  have 
 Ideas,  which  do  not  fuppofe  any  Ohjeft:  I  have,  for  Example,  the  Idea  of 
 an  Enchanted  Caftle  ;  though  no  fuch  thing  really  Exifts.  Yet  when  I 
 confider  the  Difficulty  flill  more  attentively  i'  I  find  there  is  this  difference 
 between  the  Idea  of  Extenlion,  and  that  of  an  Enchanted  Callle  j  that  the 
 firft  being  natural,  that  is,  indepei'ident  on  my  V/ill,  fuppofes  an  Objed' 
 which  is  neceflarily  fuch  as  it  reprefentsi  whereas  the  other  being  artifici- 
 al, fuppofes  indeed  an  Objea:,  but  'tis  not  nccciTary  that  That  Objeft  be  ab- 
 folutely fuch  as  the  Idea  reprefcnts,  becaufe  mv  Will  can  add  to  that Obje6t, 
 or  diminilh  from  it,  as  it  pleafesj  as  I  havebefore  faid,  and  as  fliall  bepro- 
 ved  hereafter,  when  I  come  to  treat  of  the  Origin  of  Ideas.  Rem  Metathyf. 
 Lib.  I.  Par.  I.  Cap.  3,  ^  ^  ^  ^^ 
 
 idly.  From  hence  it  follows  ;    that  there  is  no  Nothing  fo 
 Man  whatsoever ,^    who  makes  am  ufe  of  his  Reafon^  ccrmn,as 
 
 7     J.  /*  7     7  J     •'      J         ^  J       '  the  £">"//£" 
 
 but  may  eafity  become  more  certain  of  the  Being  of  a  enceofi 
 Supre??ze  Independent  Caufe,    than  he  can  he  of  any  supreme 
 thing  elfe  hefides  his  own  Exiflence.     For  how  much  ^""^'Pf'-^^f 
 Thought  foever  it  may  require  to  demonflrate  the  '"^  ^^'''^' 
 Other  Attributes  of  fuch  a  Being,  as  it  may  do  to 
 demonflrate  the  greatefl  Mathematical  Certain- 
 ties ;    (of  which  more  hereafter  : )    Yet,  as  to  its 
 Exiflence ;  that  there  Is  fbmewhat  Eternal,  Infi- 
 nite, and  Self-cxifling,    which  mufl  be  the  Caufe 
 and  Original  of  all  other  Things  -,    this  is  one  of 
 the  Firfl  and  moft  natural  Conclufions,  that  any 
 Man,  who  thinks  at  all-,  can  frame  in  his  Mind : 
 And  no  Man  can  any  more  doubt  of  this,  than  he. 
 can  doubt  whether  twice  two  be  equal   to  four. 
 
 C  %  .'Tis 
 
20  A  Demonfl ration  of  the 
 
 'Tis  polTible  indeed  a  Maii  may  in  foiTie  fenfe  be. 
 ignorant  of  this  firlt  and  plain  Truth,  by  being 
 utterly  ftupid,  and  not  thinking  at  all  :  (For 
 though  it  is  abfolutely  impofTible  for  him  to  "ima- 
 gine the  contrary,  yet  he  may  pofTibly  negle6b 
 to  conceive  this  :  Tho'  no  Man  can  pofTibly 
 Think  that  twice  two  is  not  four,  yet  he  may 
 polTibly  be  ftupid,  and  never  have  thought  at  all 
 whether  it  be  lb  or  not. J  But  this  I  lay  :  There  is 
 no  Man,  who  thinks  or  reafons  at  all,  but:  may 
 eafily  become  more  certain,  that  there  is  Some- 
 thing Eternal,  Infinite,  and  Self-exifting  •,  than 
 he  can  be  certain  of  any  thing  elfe. 
 o^'rheidea  3^'h^-  tlencc  we  may  obferve,  that  Our  firft 
 ofGo.im-Cerlainty  of  the  Exijlence  of  God,  does  not  arife 
 cUidmg      f-^^Qjj^  ijjir    ifj^ii  ip^  |-|^g  i(^£a  ^^;^  Minds  frame  of  hhn, 
 
 liLme  '  (^^  rather  in  the  Definition  that  zve  make  of  the 
 word,  God,  as  fignf'^ing  a  Being  of  all  fojfihle 
 Perfeolions,)  ive  inchfde  Self-Exiftence  :  But  fro?n 
 hence,  thai  'tis  dejnonftraUe  both  negatively,  that 
 neither  can  all  Things  poffibly  have  arifen  out  of  No- 
 thing, nor  can  they  have  del  ended  one  on  another  in 
 an  endlefs  Succeffion  \  and  alfo  pofitively,  that  there 
 is  Something  in  the  Univerfe,  adually  exifting  v/ith- 
 out  us,  the  Suppofition  of  whofe  Not  Exifti?ig, 
 plainly  implies  a  Contradiofion.  The  Argument 
 which  has  by  Some  been  drawn  from  our  includ- 
 ing Self-Exiftence  in  the  Idea  of  God,  or  our 
 compi-ehending  it  in  the  Definition  or  Notion  we 
 frame  of  him  •,  has  This  Obfcurity  and  Defea  in 
 it  :  that  it  feems  to  extend  only  to  the  Nominal 
 Idea  or  fiiere  Definition  of  a  Self-Exiftent  Being, 
 and  does  not  v/ith  a  fufBciently  evident  Connexi- 
 on refer  and  apply  That  general  Norninal  Idea,  De- 
 fin-tion,  or  Notion  which  we  frame  in  our  own 
 Mnd,  to  any  Real  particular  Being  a5fually  exift- 
 ing without  us.  For  it  is  not  Satisfaftory,  that  I 
 have  in  my  Mind  an  Idea  of  the  Pro^ofttion  \  There 
 
 exifts 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God»  2 1 
 
 exifls  a  Being  indued  with  all  poffMe  Ferfcuions  ; 
 Or,  Inhere  is  a  Self-ExiJJent  Being.     But  I  muft  al- 
 io   have  fome  Idea  of  the  Thing.     I  mull    have 
 an  Idea  of  Something   aclually   exifling  without 
 me.     And  I  mull  fee  wherein  confifls  the  Abfo- 
 lute  ImpolTibihty  of  removing  that  Idea,  and  con- 
 fequently    of     fuppofing   the    Non-Exiftence    of 
 the  Thing  ;    before  I  can  be  iatisned  from  that 
 Idea,    that  the  thing  adtually  exifts.     The  bare 
 having  an  Idea  of  the  Propohtion,  Inhere  is  a  Self- 
 Exiftent  Beings  proves  indeed  the  Thing  not  to  be 
 impolTible   -,    (For  of  an  impolTible  Propolition, 
 there  can  be  no  Idea  ;)  But    that  it  actually   Is, 
 cannot  be  proved  from  the  Idea  ;    unlefs  the  Cer- 
 tainty of  the  Adual  ExiHence  of  a  Neceflanly- 
 exiding  Being,  follows  from  the  Poffdnlit-j  of  the 
 Exiilence  of  fuch  a  Being  :  Which  that  it  does  in 
 this  particular  Cafe,  many  Learned  Men  have  in- 
 deed thought  ;    and  their  fubtil  Arguings  upon 
 this  Head,  are  fufficient  to  raife  a  Cloud  not  very 
 eafy  to  be  feen  through.     But  it  is  a  much  Clear- 
 er and  ?7iore  Convincing  way  *of  Arguing,   to  de- 
 m^onftrate  that   there  does  adually  exift  without 
 us  a  Being,  whofe  Exiilence  is  neceilary  and  of 
 it  felf  ;     by  Ih owing  the  evident  Contradidion 
 contained  in  the  contrary  Suppofition,  fas  I  have^*^^  "* 
 before  done  •,)  and  at  the  fame  time  the  abfolute    ^' 
 ImpofTibiiity  of  deflroying  or  removing  fome  l-page  \6. 
 deas,     as    of  Eternity    and    Immenfity,    which 
 therefore  mufl  needs  be  Modes  or  Attributes  of 
 a  necelTary  Being  aftually  Exiiling.    For  if  I  have 
 in  my  Mind   an  Idea  of  a  Thing,    and  cannoc 
 pofTibly  in  my  Imagination  take  away  the  Idea  of 
 that  Thing  as  actually  exiiling,    any  more  than  I 
 can  change  or  take  av/ay  the  Idea  of  the  Equality 
 ot  twice  two  to  four  -,  the  Certainty  of  the  Exift ence 
 of  that  Thing  is   the  fame,    and  fbands    on  the 
 fam$  Foundation;,  as  the  Certainty  of  the  other 
 
 C  3  Relatkn 
 
zz  AT)enionftration  oj  the 
 
 Relation.     For  the  Relation   ot  Equality  between 
 tv/ice  two  and  four,    has   no  other  Certainty  but 
 this  -,     that  I  cannot,     without  a   Contradiction, 
 change  or  take  away  the  Idea  of  that  Relation.  We 
 are  Certain  therefore  of  the  Being  of  a   Supreme 
 Independent  Caufe  ;    becaufe   'tis  llridly  demon- 
 ftrable,  that  there  is  fomething  in  the  Univerfe^ 
 a6tually  exifting  without  us,,     the  Suppofition  of 
 whofeNot-exiiling  plainly  implies  a  Contradidion. 
 f  5^5  the       Some  Writers  have  contended,  that  'tis  f  ^'^^- 
 An{yoer  to pQfi^yous  to  inquire  in   this  manner  ^/ ^// into  the 
 ifr/'ri  G>'ourJ.  or  ReaP)n  of  the  Exillencc  of  the  Firft 
 ih^Endof  Caufe :  Becaufe  evidently  the  Firft  Caufe  can  have 
 ihisBoQk.    nothing  Pn.9r  to  it,  and  confequently  mufl:  needs 
 (they  think)    exift  ahfolutel-j  zvithout  Any  Caufe  at 
 all.     That  the  Firft  Caufe  can  have  no  Other  BE- 
 ING prior  to  it,  to  be  the  Caufe  of  its  exiftence.  -,  is 
 indeed  Self-evident.     But  if  originally^    ahfalutely^ 
 and  antecedently  to  all  Suppcfiticn  of  exiftence,  there 
 be  no  neceiTary  Ground  ox  Keafon.^\\Y  the  firft'  Caufe. 
 does  exift.,  rather  than  not  exift  ;  If  the  Firft  Caufe 
 can  rightly  and  truly  be  affirmed  to  exift,    abfo- 
 luteiy  without  Any  Ground  or  Reafon  of  exiftence  at 
 all :  It  will  unavoidably  follow,  by.  the  fame  Ar- 
 gument, that  it  may  as  well  Ceafe  likewife  to  ex- 
 ift, without  any  Ground  or  Reafon  of  Ceafing  to  ex- 
 ift :   Which  is  abfurd.    The  Truth  therefore  plain- 
 ly is :  Whatever  is  the  True  Reafon.^  why  the  Firft' 
 Caufe  can  never  pofribly  Ceafe  lo  exift-  \    the  Same 
 IS,  and  originally  and  always  Vv'as,  the  1'rue  Rea- 
 fon wdiy  it  always  did  and  cannot  but  exift' :.  That  is^ 
 ^cis  the  Frue  Ground  and  F^eafon  of  its  Exiftence. 
 That  the         ^thh,  From  hence  it  follov/s,  that  The  Materu 
 Material    al  V/orld  canuot  foftihly  he  the  Firft  and  Original  Be- 
 ^^'%7l^r  ^'^l^  Uncreated,  'independent.,  and  of  it  felf  EternaL 
 tetkeUf-  For  lince  it  hath  been  already  demonftrated,  that 
 Lxif.cHt     Whatever  Being  hath  Exifted  from  Eternity,  In- 
 Bcsng,       dependent,  and  without  any  External   Caufe  of 
 
 its 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God,  2  ^ 
 
 its  Exiftence,  mull  be  Self-Exiftent  -,  and  th^itP^S-  '5- 
 Whatever  is  Self-Exiftent,  muft  Exift  Necelllirily 
 by  an  abfolute  NecefTity  in  the  Nature  of  the 
 Thing  it  felf :  It  follows  evidently,  that  unlefs  the 
 Material  World  Exifts  NeceiTarily  by  an  Abfolute 
 Necefllty  in  its  own  Nature,  fo  as  that  it  muft  o- 
 an  Exprefs  Contradi6lion  to  fuppofe  it  not  to  Ex- 
 ift •,  it  cannot  be  Independent,  and  of  itfelf  Eter- 
 nal. Now  that  the  Material  AVorld  does  not  Ex- 
 ift thus  necefllirily,  is  very  Evident.  For  abfo- 
 lute Neceftity  of  Exifting,  and  a  Pofiibility  of 
 not-Exifting,  being  contriidiclory  Idea's  •,  'tis  mia- 
 nifeft  the  Material  World  cannot  Exift  Neceflari- 
 ly,  if  without  a  Contradidtion  v/e  can  Conceive 
 it  either  Not  to  Be^  or  to  be  in  any  refpe6l  other- 
 wife  than  it  Now  is.  Than  which,  nothing  is  m.ore 
 eafy.  For  whether  we  confider  the  Form  of  the 
 World,  with  the  Difpofition  and Motionofils  Parts  •, 
 or  whether  we  confider  the  Matter  of  it,  as  fuch, 
 without  refped:  to  its  prefent  Form  ;  Every  Thing 
 in  it,  both  the  Whole  and  every  one  of  its  Parts, 
 their  Shuation  and  Motion^  the  Form  and  alfo  the 
 Matter^  are  the  moft  Arbitrary  and  Dependent 
 Tilings,  and  the  fartheft  removed  from  Neceftity, 
 that  can  poftibly  be  imagined.  A  Neceftity  in- 
 deed of  Fitnep^  that  is,  a  Necelftty  that  Things 
 fhould  be  as  they  are,  in  order  to  the  JVell-heing 
 of  the  v/hole,  there  may  be  in  all  thefe  Things  : 
 But  an  abfolute  Neceftity  of  Nature  m  any  of 
 them,  (which  is  v/hat  the  Atheift  muft  maintain,) 
 there  is  not  the  leaft  appearance  of.  If  any  Man 
 will  fay  in  This  fenfe,  (as  every  Atheift  muft  do,) 
 either  that  the  Foi'-m  of  the  W^orld,  or  at  leaft  the 
 Matter  and  Motion  of  it,  is  neceftary  *,  Nothing 
 can  poftibly  be  invented  more  Abfurd. 
 
 If  he  fays,  that  the  particular  Pbr?;^  is  '^tct^^.-The  For?^ 
 ry  •,  that  is,  that  the  A¥orld,    and  all  'Things  that^^/^-'^ 
 are  therein,    exift  by   Neceftity  of  Nature  ;    ^^nec?.r»v^ 
 C  4         '  "  mx& 
 
fiC'O 
 
 %^  A  'T^emonftration  of  the 
 
 muft  affirm  it  to  be  a  Contradidion  to  fiippofe 
 that  any  Part  of  the  World  can  be  in  any  relped: 
 othei-ivifc  rhin  it  now  is.  It  mufl  be  a  Contradidi- 
 on  in  Terms,  to  fuppofe  more  or  fciver  Stars, 
 more  ov  feiver  Planets,  or  to  fuppofe  their  Size^ 
 Figure  or  Motion^  Different  from  what  it  now  is ; 
 or  to,  fuppofe  rno-rc  or  fc:u:cr  Plants  and  Animals 
 upon  Earth,  or  the  prefent  ones  of  different  Shape 
 and  Bigfiefs  from  what  they  now  are.  In  all  which 
 things  there  is  the  grcateil  Arbitrarinefs,  in  re- 
 {Y>Qtt  of  Power  and  PofTibility,  that  can  be  ima- 
 gined •,  however  neceiiliry  any  of  them  may  be, 
 in  refpecl  of  Wifdom,  and  Prefervation  of  the 
 Beauty  and  Order  of  the  whole. 
 :ori:,Mo-  I^  the  x\theif[;  will  lay,  that  the  Motion  in  Gene- 
 ral of  all  Matter  is  neceffary  •,-  it  follows  that  it 
 muff  be  a  Contradidion  in  Terms,  to  fuppofe  a- 
 ny  Matter  to  be  at  Reft,  Which  is  fo  abfurd  and 
 ridiculous,  that  I  think  hardly  any  Atheifts,  either 
 Antient  or  Modern,  have  prefumed  dircdlly  to 
 fuppofe  it. 
 '^  Mr.  To-  One  late  ^  Author  indeed  has  ventur'd  to  afferr, 
 •and,  Letr^^nd  pretended  to  prove,  that  Motion^  (that  is, 
 •    '  the  Conatus  to  Motion^  the  "Tendency  to  m.ove,  the 
 
 Pov^er  or  Force  that  produces  adiual  Motion,)  is 
 effential  to  all  Matter.  But  how  Philofophically, 
 may  appear  trorn  this  One  Confideration.  The 
 effential  -Tendency  to  Motion,^  of  every  one,  or  of 
 any  one  Particle  of  Matter  in  this  Author's  inia- 
 ginary  infinite  Plenum^  muff  be  either  a  Tendency 
 to  n^iove  fome  one  determinate  way  at  once,  or  to 
 move  ever\,  zvay  at  once.  A  Tendency  to  move 
 fome  one  determinate  way,  cannot  be  effential  to 
 any  Particle  of  Matter,  but  muff  arife  from 
 fome  External  Caufc  *,  becaufe  there  is  nothing  ia 
 the  pretended  neceffary  Nature  of  any  Particle, 
 to  determine  its  Motion  neceffarily  and  effentially: 
 hne  ivay  rather  than  itnotber^     And  a  Tendency  ox 
 
 Conatus 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Gov>,  if 
 
 ■  Conatus  equally  to  move  every  way  at  once,  is  ei- 
 ther an  ablolute  Contradi6tion,  or  at  leafl  could 
 produce  nothing  in  Matter,  but  an  Eternal  Reji 
 of  all  and  every  one  of  its  Parts. 
 
 If  the  Atheiil  will  fuppofe  Motion  necefiary  and 
 eiTentinl  to yc?;;^^?  Matter,  but  not  to  all:  The  fame 
 Abfurdiry,  as  to  the  Dcten?unaiton  of  Motion, 
 Hill  follows  :  And  now  he  moreover  fuppofes  an 
 Abfolute  Neceflity  not  Univerfal  \  that  is,  that  it 
 ihall  be  a  Con  tradition  to  fuppofe  fome  certain 
 Matter  at  Reft,  tho'  at  the  lame  time  fome  other 
 Matter  adlually  be  at  Reil. 
 
 If  he  only  affirms  bare  Matter  to  be  Necefiary  :  ^or  the 
 Then,  befides  the  extreme  Folly   of   attributing^''''''^  •*^^^- 
 Motion  and  the  Form  of  the  World  to  Chance  , 
 (v/hich  fenfelefs  Opinion  I  think  All  Atheifls  have 
 now  given  up  ;  and  therefore  I  ihall  not  think  my 
 felf  obliged  to  take  any  Notice  of  it  in  the  Sequel 
 of  this  Difcourfe  :)  it  may  be  demonftrated  by  ma- 
 ny Arguments  drawn  from  the  Nature   and  Af- 
 fedlions  of  the  Thing  it  felf,  that  Af^///^r  is  not  a 
 neccffary  Being.     For  Inftance,  thus.       If  Matter 
 be  fuppofed  to  exiil  Necelfarily  *,  then  in  that  Ne- 
 cefiary Exifiience,     there    is  either  included   the 
 Power  of  Gravitation.^  or  not.     If  not ;    then  in 
 a  World  merely  Material.,  and  in  which  yio  Intelli- 
 gent Being  prefides,  there  7iever  could  have  been  any 
 Motion  \    becaufe  Motion,    as    has    been  already 
 fiiown,  and  is  now  granted  in  the  Queftion,  is  vioipge  i^i 
 necefiary  of  it  felf.     But  if  the  Power  of   Gravi- 
 tation he  included  in  the  pretended  NecefiTary  Ex- 
 ifi:ence  of  Matter  ;  then,  it  following  neceiTarily 
 that  there  mufi:  be  a  Vacuum.,    (as  the  incompara- 
 ble Sir  Ifaac  Newton  *  has  abundantly  demonftra-^Piincipid 
 ted  that  there  mufi:,  if  Gravitation  be  an  Univer-  ^^ilo^oph- 
 fal  Quality  or  Affedion  of   Matter;)    it  follows'^'^P^"''^ 
 likewife,  that  Matter  is  not  a  Necelfary  Being,  rdir.fecun- 
 For  if  a  Vacuum  adually  he^  then  'tis  plainly  more  da,  ;.  %(>% 
 
 than 
 
2  6  A  T>emo7iJlration  of  the 
 
 than  pofTible  for  Matter  not  to  Be.  If  an  Athcill: 
 will  yet  AlTert,  that  Matter  may  be  neceffary, 
 though  not  necelTary  tobe^wr);  ijohere:  lanfwer, 
 this  is  an  exprefs  Contradidion.  For  ahfolute  Ne- 
 cefTity,  is  abfolute  NecelTity  tver'j  where  alike. 
 And  if  it  be  no  Impoffibility  for  Matter  to  be  ab- 
 fent  fi-om  one  Place,  'tis  no  ImpofTibility  (abfo- 
 lutely  in  the  Nature  of  the  Thing  ;  For  no  Rela^ 
 tive  or  Confequential  Neceffity,  can  have  any 
 Room  in  this  Argument :)  'Tis  no  abfolute  Im- 
 poffibility, I  fay,  in  the  Nature  of  the  Thing, 
 that  Matter  fliould  be  abfent  from  any  other  Place, 
 ,    or  from  ever^  Place. 
 
 Spinoza  s  -^ 
 
 Opm:on 
 
 <onfHted.        Spinozdy  thc  moft  celebrated  Patron  of  Atheifm 
 
 in  our  Time  •,  who  taught  that  * 
 •^Unafubftantia  nonpotefl     there  is    no  Difference    of   Sub- 
 '£ayu%rr\  ^'t  ^"^^""^'^-     ftances,  but  that  the  Whole  and 
 'omniTrubftanmeftneceiTa-     ^^^^T  ^^^^'^  ^f  _//:^o^  Material  IVorld 
 rioinfinita.    j^;W.  Pr^/).  8.         is  a   Necefilirily-exilling    Being-, 
 Ad  naturamfubftanriazper-     and  that  t  there  is  no  Other  God, 
 "Tp^«crD^n/riJda.i    bur  the  Univerfe  :  That  he  might 
 neqi  concipipoteltiubilanriac     ieemmgly  avoid  the  manifold  Ab- 
 ihU.Frop.  14.  furdities  of  that  Opinion  ;  endea- 
 
 vours by  an  Ambiguity  of   Ex- 
 preffion  in  the  Progrefs  of  his  Difcourfe,  to  elude 
 the  Arguments  by  v/hich  he  forefaw  his  AlTertion 
 would  be  confuted.     For,  having  at  iirft  plainly 
 aiferted,  that  ^  All  Subftance  is 
 *Ad   namram  fubftantia:     NecelTarily-exifting  ;      he    would 
 pertmetexiltere.   Vrop.-j.  .  ,  {,  ^      .   .     . 
 
 atterward  feem  to  explain  it  away, 
 
 by  ailerting,    that  the   Reafon  why  every  thing 
 
 t  cxiils  necefiariiy  and  could  no? 
 
 t  Res  nullo  alio  modo,«ec;     poffibly  have  been  in  any  refped: 
 
 alio  ordmea  13co  proauci  po-      -T,.^       -'  ,        .       •'         >      • 
 
 tuerunt,  quamproductofant.      aiiiercnt  from    V/hat  It  nOV/  IS,,    IS 
 :prop.  53. 
 
 Ex  Neceflltare  Divina:  Natursc,  infinita  infinitls  modis  (hoc  eft,  omnia 
 <^ux  fub  intelicitum  inLaitum  cadcre  poiiuRt)  icqui  debent.     Prop,  16. 
 
 becaufe 
 
2r 
 
 r>} 
 
 Being  and  Attributes  of  Gov. 
 
 becaufe  every  thing  flov/s  from  the  Necrjfity  of  the 
 Divine  Nature.     By  v/hich  if  the  unwary   Reader 
 underftands,     that  he  means   things  are  therefore 
 NecefTarily  fuch    as  they    are,     becaufe    Infinite 
 Wifdom  and  Goodnefs  could  not  polfibly  make 
 Things  but  in  that  Order  which  is  Fitteft  and  Wi- 
 fell:  in   the  Whole  ;    he  is  very  much  miftaken : 
 For  fuch  a  Neceffity  is  not  a  Natural,    but  only 
 a  MonJ,jiaiijConi£C[i^^      Neceflity,  and  direct- 
 ly contrary  to  the  AutlTor's  true  Intention.     Fur.-  ^ 
 ther ;     if    the  Reader  hereby   underftands,     that    /2} 
 God  was  determined,  not  by  a  Neceffity  of  Wif- 
 dom and  Goodnefs,  but  by    a  mere  Natural  Ne- 
 ceffity, exclufive  of  Will  and  Choice,  to  tnake  all 
 Things  juft  as  they  nov/  are  ;  neither  is   This  the 
 whole  of  Spinoza's  meaning  :  For  This,  as  abfurd 
 as  it  is,  is  flill  fuppofing  God  as  a  Subftance  di- 
 ftina:  from  the  Material  World  -,  Which  ^  ¥ictx-*Loc'is  fu^ 
 preily  denies.      Nay  further;    if  any  one  thinks  f^^,"^'^^'-'- 
 his  meaning  to  be,  that  all  Suhfiances  in  the  World, 
 are  only  Modifications  of  the  Divine  Ejjence  \    nei- 
 ther is  This  All  \  For  thus  God  may  flill  be  fup- 
 pofed  as  an  Agent,  ading  upon  hiiufelf  at  lead, 
 and  manifefling  hi?fifelf  in  dilferent  manners,    ac- 
 cording to  his  own  Will :  Which  t 
 Spinoza  exprefly  denies.      But  his 
 true  Meaning  therefore,  however 
 darkly  and  ambiguoufly  he  fome- 
 times  fpeaks,  mufl  be  this  ;  and, 
 if  he  means  any  thing  at  all  confiftcnt   with  him  • 
 felf,  can  be  no  other  than  this  :    That,    fince   'tis 
 abfolutely    "^  impoffible   for  any 
 thing  to  be  created  or  produced        wtrr    r^n.     • 
 by  another  ;  and  %  alio  abfolute-     produci    ab  alia  fubflantia, 
 ly  impoffible  for    God   to   have     P'^P-  ^' 
 caufed  any  thing  to  be  in  any  re-      ^."^  Resnullo  aliomodo  neq; 
 fped  different  from  what  it  now     IZZrc^u.^lZZax^^^^^ 
 i3  3  every  thing  that_exifls,   muH     i'ro]>.  21. 
 
 needs 
 
 ■f  Deum  non  operari  ex  li- 
 berrate  voluntatis.  Prop.  52. 
 Carol.  I.  5c  Scholiu7nn.d  Trof, 
 17- 
 
A  T>€monJiration  of  the 
 
 \  Procter  Deum  nulla  d.r<',  needs  be  fo  a  Part  I  of  the  Divine 
 
 ncq;  concpipoteft  lublhnna.  Subftance,  not  as  a  Modification 
 
 '^^^'Dtum  non  operari  ex  caufed  in   it  by  any    -^  Will   or 
 
 Libertate  voluntatis.     ?ro^.  Good-Pleafure  or  Wifdom  in  the 
 
 32.  c^ro//.  «.  whole,  but  as   of  Abfolute   Ne- 
 
 +   Nu  lo  alio    ModOi    neqi  ^       •     -^  r  ir          •  1         r      n. 
 
 oZme  Sec.  ceffity  in  It  ielf,    with  refped;  to 
 
 the  t  manner  of   the  Exiftence  of 
 
 each  Part,    no   lefs  than  with  refpedl  to  the  Self- 
 
 exiftence  of   the  whole.       Thus  the  Opinion  of 
 
 J        Spinoza^  when  exprefied  plainly  and  confiftently, 
 
 comes  evidently  to  this  :  That  the  Material  TVor Id ^ 
 
 and  every  Part  of  it,  with  the  order  and  manner  of 
 
 Being  of  each  Part,  is  the  only  Self-Exiftent,    or 
 
 Necefiarily-ExiiLing  Being.       And  now    Confe- 
 
 quenrly,  he  muft  of  NecelFity  affirm  all  the  Con- 
 
 clufions,    which  I   have  before  fliown  to    follow 
 
 demonftrably   from  that  Opinion.       He  cannot 
 
 poffibly  avoid  affirming,  that  'tis  a  Gontradi6tion, 
 
 (not  to   the  Pe?yeaions  of    God  ;    For   that's  mere 
 
 fenfelefs  Cant  and  Amufement  in  Him  who  miain- 
 
 rains  that  there  is  but  One  Subftance  in  the  Uni- 
 
 verfe  ;  But  he  muil"  affirm  that  'tis  in  it  fef  and 
 
 in  Therms  a  Contradiction,)    for  any    thing  to  be, 
 
 or  to  be  imagined,  in  any  refped  otherwife  than 
 
 it  now  is.     He  muft  fay  'tis  a  Contradi6lion,  to 
 
 fuppofe  the  Nwnher^  or  Figure^  or  Order  of   the 
 
 feveral  Parts  of  the  World,  could  poffibly  have 
 
 been  different  from  what  they  now  are.     He  muft 
 
 fay.  Motion  is  necellarily  of  it  felf  \    and  confe- 
 
 quently    that   'tis  a  Contradidlion  in  Terms,    to 
 
 fuppofe  any  Matter  to    be  at  Reft  :    Or  elfe  he 
 
 muft  affirm,  (which  is  rather  the  more  abfurd   of 
 
 the  two  j  as  may  appear  from  what  has  been  al- 
 
 •^,r   II      ready  faid  in  proof  of  the  Second  General  Head  of 
 
 '^   ^  this  Difcourfe  :  And  yet  he  has  -^ 
 
 *  Corpus n-!otun%velquicr-     chofen   to  affi.rm  if,)    that  Mo- 
 
 cens,  adiTiotum  vd  quierem     tion ,     as    a    Dependent    Being, 
 
 detcrminari  debuit  ab^  alio     i^,^^     ^^^^^^     eternally     com.muni- 
 
 '         ^-  catcd  from,  one  piece  of   Matter 
 
 to 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God  2^ 
 
 to  another  ;   Vv'ithout  having  at  all      turn  vel  quietem  determina* 
 any  Original  Caufe  of  its  Being,     ^""J  ^X'\t  ^^Tr^  '^^"^^^ 
 either  withm  it  lelt  or  from  with-     turn.    Par.  II.    Prop,    13. 
 out.     Which,  with  other  the  like     Lemma  i. 
 Confequences  touching  the  Neccf- 
 fity  of  the  Exigence  of  Things  ;  (the  very  men- 
 tion of  which,  is  a  fufficient  Confutation    of   any 
 Opinion  they  follow  from ;)  do,    as  I  have  faid, 
 unavoidably  follow  from  the  forementioned  Opini- 
 on of  Spinoza,     And  confequently  That  Opinion, 
 "viz.  That  the  Umverfe  or  Whole  JVorld  is   the  Self- 
 exillent  or  Necejfarthj-exiftijig  Being.,    is  demonitra- 
 tcd  to  be  faife. 
 
 I  have  in  this  Attempt  to  fliow  that  The  Mate- 
 rial World  cannot  pjjibly  he  the  Firft  and  Original 
 Being.,  Uncreated.,  Independent.,  and  Self-exiftent ; 
 defignedly  omitted  the  Argument  ufually  drawn 
 from  the  fuppofed  abfolute  ImpolTibility,  in  the 
 Nature  of  the  Thing  itfelf,  of  the  World's  be- 
 ing Eternal.,  or  having  exifted  thro'  an  Infinite 
 SucceJJion  of  Time.  And  this  I  have  done  for 
 the  two  following  Reafons. 
 
 ift.  Becaufe  the  Queilion  between  us  and  theo/  the  o- 
 Atheifls,  is  not  whether  the  IVorld  can  poffibly  haveP'"'^^  '^^"" 
 been  eternal ;  but  whether  it  can  poffibly  be  the  Ori-  ^^j^  '^I 
 ginal^  Independent  and  Self-exifting  Being :    "Which  the  World. 
 is  a  very  diiierent  Queftion.      For  many,    who 
 have  affirmed  the  One,    have  ftill   utterly  denied 
 the  Other.     And  almoft  all  the  Antient  Philofo- 
 phers  that  held  the  Eternity   of  the  World,    in 
 whofe  Authority  and  Reafons  our  Modern  Athe- 
 ifts  do  fo   greatly  boaft  and  triumph  ;     defended 
 That  their  Opinion  by  fuch  Arguments,  as  fliow 
 plainly  that  they  did  by  no  means  thereby  intend 
 to  aflert,  that  the  Material  World  was  the  Origi- 
 nal^ Independent,  Self-exifling  Being,  in  Oppofi- 
 tion  to  the  Belief  of  the  Exiitence  of  a  Supreme 
 
 All- 
 
30  A  T)emon(lration  of  the 
 
 All-governing    Mind^    which   is   the    Notion  of 
 God.     So  that  the  Deniers  of  the  Being  of  God, 
 have  no  manner  of  Advantage  from  that  Opinion 
 of  the  Eternity  of  the  World,    even  fuppofmg  it 
 could  not  be  difproved.     Almoft  all  the  old  Fhi- 
 lofophers,  I  lay,  who   held  the  Eternitj  of    the 
 World,  did  not  thereby  mean  (at  lead  their  Ar-^ 
 giiments  do  not  tend  to  prove)  that  it  was   Inde- 
 pendent and  Self-Exiilent  j    but  their   Arguments 
 are  wholly  levelled,    either  to  prove  barely  that 
 Something  muft  needs  be  Eternal,  and  that  the  Uni- 
 verfe  could  not  pofTibly  arife  out  of  Nothing  ab- 
 folutely  and  without  Caufe  -,  which  is  all  that  Ocel- 
 lus Lucanus^s  Arguments  amount  to  :  Or  elfe  that 
 the  World  is  an    Eternal    and  NecelTary  Effeof, 
 flowing  from  the  ElTential  and  Immutable  Energy 
 of  the  Divine  Nature  -,  which  feems  to  have  been 
 jffijiotle's  Opinion:  Or  elfe  that  the  World  is  an 
 Eternal  Voluntary  Emanation  from  the  All-wife 
 and  Suprem^e  Caufe  •,  v/hich  was    the  Opinion  of 
 many  of  Plato's  Followers.     None  of  which  Opi^ 
 nions  or  Arguments,    will  in  the  leaft  help  out 
 our  Modern  Atheifts ;    who  would  exclude  Su- 
 preme   Mind  and  Intelligence  out    of  the  Uni- 
 verfe.     For  however  the  Opinion  of    tKe  Eterni- 
 ty of  the  World,    is   really  inconfiftent  with  the 
 Belief  of  its  being  Created  in  time  •,  yet  fo  long 
 as  the  Defenders  of  that  Opinion,  either  did    not 
 think  it  Inconfiflent  with  the  Behef  of  the  World's 
 being  the  Effe^I  and  iVork  of  an  Eternal^  Jll-zvife^ 
 and  Jll-Pozverfid  Mind ;  or  at  leaft  could  defend 
 that  Opinion  by  fuch   Arguments  only^    as  did 
 not  in  the  leaft  prove  the  Self-exiftence  or  Inde^ 
 pendency  of  the  World,  but  moft  of  them  rather 
 quite  the  contrary  *,  'tis  v/ith  the  greateft  Injuftice 
 a-nd  Unreafonablenefs  in  the  World,  that  Modern 
 Atheifts  (^to  whofe  purpofe  the  Eternity  or  Non- 
 Eteniit.yof  the  World  would   fignifie   nothing, 
 '-  -  unlefs 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  if.  5 1 
 
 \jhlefs  at  the  fame  time  the  Exiftence  and  So- 
 vereignty of  Eternal  Intelligence  or  Mind  were 
 likewife  difproved,)  pretend  either  the  Autho- 
 rity or  the  Reafons  of  thefe  Men  to  be  on  their 
 fide. 
 
 Ocellus  Liicamis^  one  of  the  ancientefl:  AfTer- 
 ters  of  the  Eternity  of  the  World  ;  (whofe  Anti- 
 quity and  Authority  "^  Mr  Blunt 
 oppofes  to  that  of  Mofes  '^)  in  de- 
 livering his  Opinion,  fpeaks  in- 
 deed like  one  that  believed  the  Material  World 
 to  be  Self-exiftent ;  aiTerting,  t 
 that  it  is  utterly  incapable  either  of 
 Generation  or  Corruption^  of  Be- 
 ginning or  End  ',  that  it  is  of  it 
 felf  Eternal  and  Perfeof^  and  Per^ 
 manent  for  ever  -,  and  that  the 
 Frayne  and  Parts  of  the  World  muft 
 needs  he  Eternal^  as  well  as  the  Sub- 
 flance  and  Matter  of  the  Whole, 
 But  when  he  comes  to  produce 
 his  Arguments  or  Reafons  for  his  Opinion  ;  they 
 are  either  fo  very  abfurd  and  ridiculous,  that  e- 
 ven  any  Athcljl  in  this  Age  ought  to  be  afliaraed 
 to  repeat  them  •,  as  when  he 
 proves  *  that  the  World  muft  needs 
 he  EternaU   without  Beginning  or 
 
 •*•  Oracles  ofReafon-y  Letter 
 toMrGildon,  p.  2.16. 
 
 '  Avcift^cf  }^  UTiXivl'/srov. 
 Koa-fju^  kvrce,  i^  iocvr^  cc'i^- 
 
 yjivajv  T  tiuvtcc  diSva. 
 
 'A«    0V7<^  Tit  n^fTfJ^a,  UVeC'/'- 
 Ksiiov    :^   7U   fJ^i^T)    ujJtov    c-wv- 
 
 vov,  y^p.  Sec.      Occll.  Lucan, 
 lisp*  '^'^TTUvTot;  <p6<riat^. 
 
 •k  To 
 
 .T? 
 
 .na. 
 
 bccaufe  both  its  Figure  and 
 Motion  are  a  Circle^  which  has 
 neither  Beginning  nor  End  :  Or 
 elfe  they  are  fuch  Arguments  as 
 prove  only,  what  no  Man  ever 
 really  denied  *,  viz.  that  Some- 
 thing mufi:  needs  be  Eternal,  be- 
 caufe  'tis  impofiible  for  every 
 thing  to  arife  out  of  Nothing,  or 
 to  fall  into  Nothing  -,  As  when 
 
 he 
 
 (jj^  x,x\  li^B-ccfl'^'  lire  yupToo 
 
 '/  ^  ■'      -,  y     r?      'I 
 
 Thus  Tranjlated:  Nay,  that 
 the  Figure,  Motion,  ^f, 
 thereof,  are  without  Begin- 
 ning and  End  j  thereby  it  plain- 
 ly appears,  that  the  World  ad- 
 mi  tteth  neither  Produftion 
 nor  Diflblution.  For  the  Fi- 
 gure is  Spherical;  and  confe- 
 aueotlv 
 
guemly  on  every  fide  equal 
 and  therefore  wirhout  Begin- 
 ning or  Endinpj.  AlCo  the 
 Monion  is  circular,  i^c.  Ora- 
 cles of  Re af on,  p.  zif. 
 
 -^     'AyiVVii^V    TO    TTtCy. -B^     a 
 
 yap  yfpvsf,  iKU'jo  TTfcoTov  too 
 TTccvTvc,    sVi.     -     To    ys   2)   "^^ 
 
 yi)IO(AJ^O)l    (TUV   TTUTl    yiViTCCl,     yuCl 
 
 TtfiJro  '/£  H  ccauvulov.  —  'Ey^Tvq 
 rxp  "S  n«y~05,  o-j^iv.  OcelL 
 Uid. 
 
 A  T>emonJIration  of  the 
 
 he  hys  t  that  the  IVorld  mtift  have 
 been  Eternal^    becaufe  'tis  a  Con- 
 tradiolion  for  the  Uni-verfe  to  have 
 had  a  Beginning  ;  fince  if  it  had  a 
 Be  ginning  fit  mufl  have  been  caufed  by 
 Some  other  things  and  then  it  is  not 
 theJjniverf.  '1\)  which  One  Argu- 
 ment, all  that  he  fays  in  his  whole 
 Book,  is  plainly    reducible.     So 
 that  'tis  evident,  all  that  he  really 
 proves,  is  only  this  ;  that  there  mull  needs  be  an 
 Eternal  Being  in  the  Univerfe  :  and  not,  that  Mat- 
 ter is  Self-Exiilent,    in  Oppofition  to  Intelligence 
 and  Mind.     For,  all  that  he  afTerts  about  the  ab- 
 folute    NecefTity  of  the  Order  and  Parts   of  the 
 World,  is  confefiedly  mofl  ridiculous  :  not  at  all 
 proved  by  the  Arguments  he  alleges  :    And  in 
 fome  Parages  of  this  very  Book,  as  well  as  in  o- 
 ther  Fragments,    he  himfelf  fuppofes,  and  is  for- 
 ced exprefly    to  confefs,  that,  however  Eternal 
 and  NecelTary  every  thing  in  the  World  be  ima- 
 gined to  be  i   yet  even  That  NecefTity  muft  flow 
 from  an  -^  Eternal  and  Litellivent 
 Mind^    the  neceflary    Perfedions 
 of  whofe  Nature  are  the  Caufe  f 
 of  the  Har7?iony  and  Beanty  of  the 
 JForld,  and  particularly  of  Mens 
 having  I  Faculties^  Organs  of  Senfe. 
 Appetites^  <^c.  fitted  even  to  Final 
 Caufes. 
 
 '■*  To  cCiixivyiToy  S-£?5V  fojjy 
 xcH  Aoyov  i^ov  Kcti  SjO/f^poy.  O- 
 cell.  Luc.  de  Leg.  fragm. 
 
 -j-  Hivvi^u  Tcv  j(9(ri^ov  oinu/o- 
 fioc,  Toujrviq  a  oi.noc,  o  ©£05. 
 Ibid. 
 
 \.  Toce,  d'uiccuiiiq  Kcn  to.  '  Op« 
 >^5  svi;c»  <?£^ico^  o-y|U/,'3i/3>jy.iy,  esAAftf  Scc.  iJemyTlt^ji  r>??  too  7rciVT(3<;  (p'jc-ik'q. 
 
 Jriftotle  hkewife,  was  a  great  AfTerter  indeed 
 of  the  Eternity  of  the  World  :  But  not  in  Oppo- 
 fition to  the  Belief  of  the  Being,  or  of  the  Pow- 
 er, Wifdom,  or  Goodnefs  of  God.  On  tl>e  con- 
 trary, He  for  no  other  Reafon  aflerted  the  World 
 to  be  Eternal,   but  becaufe  he  fancied  that  fuch 
 
 an 
 
Bwg.invita  Arijlct^      ^ 
 
 4-75    w-pSrov    xtvoyy,   oixtvJj©?. 
 Ari flat.  Met aph.  ^  ^         ^ 
 
 Being  and  Attributes,  of  Gotf.  i  J. 
 
 S11  Effed:  mull  need^  eternally  proceed  from  fuch 
 an  Eternal  Caufe.  And  (o  far  was  he  from  teach- 
 ing, that  Matter  is  the  firfl:  and  Original  Caufe  of 
 all  Things  ;  that,  on  the  contrary,  he  every 
 v^here  exprefly  defcribes  God  to 
 be  an  ^  Intelligent  Being  :  t  -^^^- 
 corporeal ;  \.  ne  Firft  Mover  of 
 all  Tubings,  Himfelf  ImtnoveaMe  \ 
 and  affirms,  that  "^  if  there  were 
 710 thing  hut  Matter  in  the  IVorld^ 
 there  would  be  no  Original  Caufe^ 
 hut  an  Infinite  Frogreffion  of  Cau- 
 fe s  ;  which  is  abfurd. 
 
 As  to  thofe  Philofophers,  who  taught  plainly 
 and  exprefly,  that  Matter  was  not  only  Eternal, 
 but  alfo  Self-Exifient  and  intirely  Independent, 
 Go-exiiling  from  Eternity  with  God,  indepen- 
 dently, as  a  Second  Principle  :  I  have  already 
 fhown  the  Impoffibility  of  this  Opinion,  at  the 
 Entrance  upon  the  prefent  Head  of  Difcourfe, 
 where  I  proved  that  Matter  could  not  poflibly  be/'/r^.  if 
 Self-E)cifle?it,  And  I  fliall  further  demonftrate  it 
 to  be  Falfe,  when  I  come  to  prove  the  Unit^  of 
 the  Self-e^ciftent  Being. 
 
 Plato^  whatever  his  Opinion  was  about  the  ori- 
 ginal Matter^  very  largely  and  fully  declares  his 
 Sentiments  about  the  Formation  of  the  World, 
 viz.  That  it  v/as  compofed  and  framed  by  an  In-^ 
 telligent  and  wife  God.  And  there  is  no  one  of 
 all  the  Antient  Philofophers,  who  does  in  all  his 
 Writings  fpeak  fo  excellently  and 
 worthily  ^  as  He,  concerning  the 
 Nature  and  Attributes  of  God. 
 Yet  as  to  the  Tiine  of  the  World's 
 beginning  to  be  Formed,  he 
 feems  to  make  it  indefinite,  when 
 he  fays  t  'Fhe  IVorld  mufi  needs  he 
 an  Eternal  Refemhlance  of  the  Eter- 
 D  nal 
 
 'O    p^v,   ^pccycv,    y^  ^£»5,    t^ 
 
 TTUVTCi.  77A      iV      ypUMM      >C,      TVi       W 
 
 U'Oa    TCj   \S^0    j/>j(;  oiTTCiVTtS!.    i^yot'* 
 
 c-6i-(^<^'  De  RepPibl.  Lib.  lo. 
 -j-     Uocarci       uvuyKt)      rcv^ 
 
 Plato  iu  Timaeo.  Which  H'brds 
 keing 
 
34 
 
 A  ^emonflratio?!  of  the 
 
 leing  very  Impzrfett  in  our  Co- 
 pies of  the  Original,  are  thus 
 rendered  by  Cicero.  ^\  ergo 
 gcnerarus  [eft  munr^usij  ad 
 id  effe6tu3  eft,  qucd  ririone 
 fapientiaq;  comprehendirur, 
 atq;  immutabili  a:rernirate 
 continetur.  Ex  quo  efHcirur, 
 lit  fit  necejjs  hunc  quem  cemi- 
 mtts  mundum,  jimulachrti^n 
 dtcrnum  effe  alichJHs  dterni. 
 Cic.  deUnivcrf. 
 
 ■j-   N!:t;>  77po  ii^Q-yjii  ilvcci,     h'/, 
 
 kiTtcv  T^TH.   Plotinui. 
 
 Qui  autem  a  Deo  qiiidem 
 fadlum  fatentur,  non  t^imea 
 cum  volunt  Temporis  habere, 
 fed  fux  Creationis  initium  ;  u^, 
 modo  quodam  vix  intelligibiii. 
 Semper  hi  fadlus.  Auguflin.  de 
 Civit.  Dei.  Lib,   1 1.  Cap.  4. 
 
 De  mundo,  6<;  de  his  quos 
 in  mundo  deos  a  Deo  faclos 
 
 nal  Idea.  At  leaft  his  Followers 
 afterward  fo  underftood  and  ex- 
 plained it,  as  if,  by  the  Creation 
 of  the  World,  was  not  to  be  un- 
 derftood a  Creation  in  ^ime  t ; 
 but  only  an  Order  of  Nature^  Can-- 
 falit^  and  Dependence  :  That  is, 
 that  the  IVill  of  God,  and  his 
 Power  of  A6ling,  being  necelTa- 
 rily  as  Eternal  as  his  EiTence  ; 
 ^  the  Effeds  of  That  Will  and 
 Power  mighl;  he  fuppofed  coseval  to 
 the  Will  and  Power  themfelves  •, 
 in  the  fame  manner,  as  Light 
 would  eternally  proceed  from  the 
 Sun^  or  a  Shadow  from  the  inter- 
 pofed  Body,  or  an  hnpreffton  from 
 an  ifnpofed  Seal,  if  the  refpe6live 
 Caufes  of  thefe  Effedls  were  fup- 
 pofed Eternal. 
 
 fcribit  riato,  apertiftime  dicit 
 
 COS  effe  cxpifle,  6c  habere  inin'um. Verum  id  quomodo  intelHgant,  in- 
 
 venerunt  [PJatcnicij]  non  efte  hoc  videlicet  Tt?nporij,  fed  SuofiitHiionis  ini- 
 tium. li/id.Lib.  10.  C-^p.  31. 
 
 Sed  mundum  quidem  tuilTs  Temper,  Philofcphia  au<5lor  eft  ;conditore 
 quidemDeo,  ^f^^  non  ex  tempore.  Macroh.  inSomn.  Sap.  Lib.  2.  Cpp.  10. 
 
 *  Kail  ii  fiitXii,  Traf'UOki'Y^x.ri  (re  nvi  tZv  yv&piyjm  ^ivay/ia-cj  Trpot;  ra  On^' 
 f^ov  <psi<r5  yap  cri  Kcr,Jicni^  cciTicv  ro   c-oj^oi.  r^?   i^a-tra    (TKia^i  yw'sreu'  of/ay^ne- 
 
 icoXis^viyjoi  Ift  T»  QioZ  oiiTin   cvt(^  aor^  tjoZ  ilvcu,    xu]  (rwa'idioi;  eV*  ^au  ©£^, 
 bxin  j  KXi  ojLi^Tii/j^.  Z^ch.-irid  Scholafi.  DifptitPJ . 
 
 Sicut  calm,  inquiunt  [_Plato72ici,']  i\  Pes  ex  a:tcrnitate  femper  fuiftet  in 
 pulvere,  femper  ei  fubefiet  veftigium  ;  quod  Cam.en  veftigium  a  calcante 
 factum  nemo  dubitaret  ,•  nee  alterum  altero  prius  cfTet,  quamvis  alterum 
 ab  altero  fadlum  cfTct:  -Sic,  inquiunt,  &:  mundus  atqj  in  iilo  Dii  creati,  8c 
 femper  tuerunt,  iemper  exiilente  qui  fecit  j  Sc  tamen  fadti  lunt.  Angufiin, 
 4e  CivitatiDsi,  Lib.  10.  Calp.  11, 
 
 From  all  which,    It  plainly  appears  how  little 
 
 Reafon  Modern  Atheiils  have  to  boaft  either  of 
 
 the  Authority  or  Reafons  of  thofe  Antient  Phi- 
 
 lofophers  who  held  the  Eternity  of  the  World. 
 
 u  For 
 
Being  and  Aitribuies  of  Gox^,    .  is 
 
 For  fince  chefe  Men  neicher  proved,  nor  attempt" 
 ed  to  prove,  that  the  Material  World  was  Ori- 
 ginal to  it  felf.  Independent  or  Self-exifting ;  but 
 only  that  it  was  an  Eternal  Efted  of  an  E- 
 ternal  Caufe,  v/hich  is  God  :  'tis  evident  that  this 
 their  Opinion,  even  fuppofing  it  could  by  no 
 means  be  refuted,  could  atford  no  manner  of  Ad- 
 vantage to  the  Caufe  of  Atheifts  in  our  days, 
 who,  excluding  Supreme  Mind  and  Intelligence 
 out  of  the  Univerfe,  would  make  mere  Matter 
 and  NecelTity  the  Original  and  Eternal  Caufe  of 
 all  Things. 
 
 2dly.  The  other  Reafon  why  (in  this  Attempt 
 to  prove  that  the  Material  World  cannot  foffibly  be 
 the  Firji  and  Original  Beings  Uncreated^  Independent 
 and  Self-Exifient,)  I  have  omitted  the  Argument 
 ufuaily  drav/n  from  the  fuppofed  abfolute  Impoffi- 
 bility  of  the  World's  being  Eternal,  or  having 
 exifled  through  an  Infinite^^SuccelTion  of  Time  ; 
 is,  hecaufe  "That  Argument  can  7iever  he  fo  ftated,  as 
 to  be  of  any  Ufe  in  Convincing  or  Affe^ing  the  Mini 
 of  an  Atheift.,  w^ho  muft  not  be  fuppofed  to  come 
 prepared  beforehand  with  any  tranfcendent  Idea  of 
 the  Eternity  of  God.  For  fince  an  Atheiil  can- 
 not be  fuppofed  to  believe  the  Nice  and  Subtle 
 (and  indeed  unintelligible)  Diilindions  of  the 
 Schools  ;  'tis  im.pojTible  by  this  Argument  fo  to 
 difprove  the  PoiTibility  of  the  Eternity  of  the 
 World,  but  that  an  Atheiil  will  underftand  it  to 
 prove  equally  againft  the  Poffibility  of  Any 
 Thing's  being  Eternal  ;  and  confequently  that  iC 
 proves  nothing  at  all,  but  is  only  a  Difficulty  a- 
 fifing  from  our  not  being  able  to  comprehend 
 adequately  the  Notion  of  Eternity.  That  the 
 Material  World  is  not  Self-Exiilent  or  NeceiTarily- 
 Exifi:ing,  but  the  Frodud  of  fome  diftind  fupe- 
 riour  Agent,    may  (as  I  have  already  fiiown)  he  page  ku 
 
 D  2  ilridlv 
 
^6  A  Demonjl ration  of  the 
 
 ftrlclly  demonftrated  by  bare  R.eafon  againft  the 
 moft  obilinate  Atheift   in  the   World.     But  the 
 Tune  U'hen  the  V/orld  was  created  \  or  whether  its 
 Creation  was,    properly   fpeaking,    in  Time  ;   is 
 not  fo  eafy   to  demonllrate  ftridlly  by  bare  Rea- 
 fon,  (as  appears  from  the  Opinions  of  many  of 
 the  Antient  Philofophers  concerning  that  matter  •,) 
 but  the  Proof  of  it  can  be  taken  only  from  Re- 
 velation.    To  indeavour  to  prove,  that  there  can- 
 not  poffibiy   be  any    fuch  thing  as  infinite  Tune 
 *  Cud-      or  Space,  from  the  ImpofTibility  of  an  *  Addition 
 worth'j     Qf  Finite  Parts  ever  compofing  or  exhaufting  an 
 Syfiem.p.    j^^^jj-^  .  ^j-  from  the  imaginary  inequality  of  the 
 Nutnher  of  Years,  Days,  and  Hours,  that  would 
 be  contained  in  the  one  •,  or  of  the  Miles,  Yards, 
 and  Feet,  that  would  be  contained  in  the  other  : 
 is  fuppofing  Infinites  to  be  made  up  of  Number s  of 
 Finites  -,  that  is,  'tis  fuppofing  Finite  Quantities 
 to  be  Aliquot  or  ConftituentV^ns  of  Infinite  ;  when 
 indeed  they  are  not  fo,  but  do  all  Equally^  whe- 
 ther Great  or  Small^  whether  Many  or  Few,  bear 
 the  very  llime  proportion  to  an  Infinite,  as  Mathe- 
 matical Points    do  to  a  Line,  or  Lines  to  a  Su- 
 perficies, or  as  Mom^ents  do  to  Time;  that  is, 
 none  at  all.     So  that  to  argue  abfolutely  againft 
 the  PofTibility  of  Infinite  Space  or  Time,  merely 
 from  the  imaginary  inequality  of  the  Numbers  of 
 their  Finite  Parts  •,  which  are  not  properly  Cori- 
 ftituent  Parts,    but  mere  Nothings  in  Proporti- 
 on •,  is  the  very  fame  thing  as  it  would  be  to  argue 
 againft  the  Pofiibility  of  the  Exiftence  of  any  de- 
 terminate Finite  Quantity,  from  the  imaginary  E- 
 quality  or  Inequality  of  the  Number  of  the  Ma- 
 thematical Lines  and  Points  contained   therein  ; 
 when  indeed  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  have 
 (in  propriety  of  Speech)  any  iV/^A'?^^^  at  all,  but 
 they  are  abfolutely  'voithout  Nwnber  :  Neither  can 
 Jny  given  Number  or  Quantity  be  any  Aliquot  or 
 
 Confiittieni 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  GodI  37 
 
 Conftituent  Part  of  Infinite,  or  be  compared  at  all 
 with  it,  or  bear  any  kind  of  Proportion  to  it  -,  or 
 be  the  Foundation  of  any  Argument  in  any  Quef- 
 tion  concerning  it. 
 
 IV.  JVJjat  the  Suhftance  or  EJJence  of  that  Beings  The  e/"- 
 which  is  Self-Exiflenty  or  NecejfarilyExifting^    i^  .^  fence  of  the 
 we  have  no  Lisa,  neither  is  it  at  all  pofjihle  for  us  tQ  a/nt^Beina- 
 comprehend  it.     That  there  is  fuch  a  Being  adually  incompre- 
 Exifting  without  us,    v/e  are  fure  (as  I  have  al-^^'?A^*^ 
 ready  fhown)    by  fl:ri6l  and  undeniable   Demon- p3„^  j,^ 
 fbration.     Alfo  "ivhat  it  knot  -,  that' is,     that  the  14,,  15-. 
 Material  World  is    not  it,    as  Modern  Atheiils  P-^g-  ^^• 
 would  have  it ;    has  been  already  Dem.onflrated. 
 But  -what  it  is,  I  mean  as  to  its  Siih[lance  and  Ef- 
 fence  j  this  we  are  infinitely   unable  to  compre- 
 hend.    Yet  this  does  not  in  the  leafl:  diminifh  the 
 Certainty  of  the  Demonftration  of  its  Exiflence. 
 For  'tis  one  thing,   to  know  certainly  that  a  Be- 
 ing Exifls  ;  and  another,  to  know  what  the  Ef- 
 fence  of  that  Being  is.     And  the  one  may  be  ca- 
 pable of  the  ftridleft  Demonftration,  when  the  o- 
 ther  is  abfolutely  beyond  the  Reach  of  all  our  Fa- 
 culties to  underftand.     A  Blind  or  Deaf  Man  has 
 infinitely  more  Reafon  to  deny  the  Being,    or  the 
 Poflibility  of  the  Being,    of  Light   or  Sounds  ^ 
 than  any  Atheift  can  have  to  deny,  or  doubt  of, 
 the  Exiftence  of  God.     For  the  One  can  at  the 
 iitmoft  have  no  other  Proof,  but  credible  'Tefti- 
 7non^,  of  the  Exiftence  of  certain  Things,  where- 
 of 'tis  abfolutely  impoflible  that  he  himfelf  fhould 
 frame  any  manner  of  Idea,  not  only  of  their  Ef- 
 fence,  but  even   of  their  Eff^e6ls  or  Properties  : 
 But  the  other  may,  with  the  leaft  Ufe  of  his  Rca- 
 fon,  be  aiTured  of  the  Exiftence  of  a  Suprem.e  Be- 
 ing, by  undeniable  Demonftration  \    and  may  alfo 
 certainly  know   abundance  of  its  Attributes,  (as 
 ihall  he  made  appear  in  the  following  Propoflti- 
 
 D  3  ^    ^^^5) 
 
I S  A  'Demonjiration  of  ihe 
 
 .pn$,)  though  its  Suhftance  or  ElTence  be   intirely 
 incomprehenfible.       Wherefore    nothing   can  be 
 more  tin reafonable  and  Vv^eak,  than  for  an  Atheift 
 upon   this  account  to  deny  the  Being  of  God, 
 merely  bccaufc  his  v/eak  and  finite  Underftanding 
 cannot  frame  to  it  feL^  any  adasquate  Notion  of 
 the  Subflance  or  EfTcnce  of  thatFirft  and  Supreme 
 Caufe.     We  are  utterly  ignorant  of  the  Subjlance 
 or  Eflence  of  all  other  tilings  *,     even   of  thofe 
 things   v/hich  we   converfe  mod  familiarly  with, 
 and  think  wc  underftand  befl.     There  is  not  fo 
 mean  and  contemptible  a  Plant  or  Animal,  that 
 does  not  confound  the  moll  inlarsied  Underftand- 
 ing  upon  Earth  :    Nay,  even   the   fimpleft  and 
 plaineft  of  all  inanimate  Beings,  have  their  Ef~ 
 fence  or  Suhjiance  hidden  from  Us  in  the  deepeft 
 and   mofl  im.penetrable  Obfcurity.     Hov/  weak 
 then  and  foolifh  is  it,  to  raife  Objedlions  againft 
 the  Being  of  God,  from  the  Incomprehenfiblenefs 
 of  his  Elfence  !    and  to  reprefent  it  as  a  ftrange 
 and  incredible  thing,  that  there  fhould  Exift  any 
 incorporeal  Subflance,  the  EfTence  of  which  we 
 are  not  able  to  Comprehend  1    As  if  it  vv^ere  not 
 far  more  ftrange,  that  there  fliould  exift  number- 
 Icfs  Objects  of  our  Senfes,    things  fubje6l  to  our 
 daily    Inquiry,  Search,    and  Examination  ;    and 
 yet  we  not  be  able,    no  not  in  any  Meafure,  to. 
 find  out  the  real  Ejfejice  of  any  one  even  of  the 
 ieaft  of  thefe  Things. 
 
 Neverthelefs,  'tis  very  necelTary  to  obferve  here 
 by  the  way,  that  it  does  not  at  all  from  hence  fol- 
 low, that  there  can  pofjiblj  be  in  the  unknown  Suh- 
 ftance or  Ejjence  of  God,  any  thing  contradiBorj 
 "to  our  clear  Ideas.  For  as  a  Blind-man,  though 
 he  has  no  Jdca  of  Uight  and  Colours^  yet  knov/s 
 certainly  and  infallibly  that  thtr^  cannot  poJpM'j  be 
 any  kind  of  Light  which  is  7wt  Light,  or  any  fort 
 pf  Colour  v/hicli  is  not  a  Colour  :    So,  though  we 
 
 have. 
 
Being  and  Attrihites  of  Go  d.  3,9 
 
 have  no  Idea  of  the  Suhftmce  of  God,  nor  indeed 
 of  the  Suhllance  of  any  Other  Being  •>  yet  we  are 
 as  infalhbly  certain  that  there  cannot  polTibly  be, 
 either  in  the  One  or  the  Other,  any  contradi^or^ 
 IModes  or  Properties  •,  as  if  we  had  the  clearejl  and 
 moft  dijlinB  Idea  of  them. 
 
 From  what  has  been  laid  upon  this  Head,  Vv^e 
 may  obferve, 
 
 ift.  T'he  F/caknefs  of  fuch^  as  have  prefu7ned  to  Qf  j^^j^^.j^^ 
 imagine  Infinite  Space  to  he  a  juft;  Reprefyitation  or  splice, 
 adequate  Idea  of  the  Effence  of  the  Supreme  Caufe. 
 This  is  a  weak  Imagination,  arifing  from  hence, 
 that  Men  ufing  themfelves  to  judge  of  all  things 
 by  their  Senfcs  only,  fancy  Spiritual  or  Immate- 
 rial Subfiances,  becaufe  they  are  not  Objeds  of 
 their  Corporeal  Senfes,  to  be,  as  it  were,  mere  No- 
 things •,  Juft  as  Children  imagine  Air,  becaufe 
 they  cannot  fee  it,  to  be  mere  Kmptinefs  and  No- 
 thing. But  the  Fallacy  is  too  grofs,  to  deferve 
 being  Infifted  upon.  There  are  perhaps  Number- 
 jefs  Subftances  in  the  World,  whofe  EfTences  are 
 as  intirely  unknown  and  impofiible  to  be  repre- 
 fented  to  our  Imaginations,  as  Colours  are  to  a 
 Man  that  was  born  Blind,  or  Sounds  to  one  that 
 has  been  always  Deaf  Nay,  there  is  no  Sub-  ■ 
 ftancein  the  World,  of  which  we  know  any  thing 
 further,  than  only  a  certain  Number  of  its  Pro- 
 perties  or  Attributes  •,  of  which  we  know  fev/er 
 in  fome  things,  and  in  Others  m,ore.  Infinite 
 Space,  is  nothing  elfe  but  abftrad  Immenfitv 
 or  Infinity  ;  even  as  infinite  Duration  is  abftjrft 
 Eternity.  And  it  v/ould  be  juft  as  proper,  to 
 fay  that  Eternity  is  the  Eftence  of  the  Supreme 
 Caufe  ',  as  to  fay,  that  Immenfity  is  fo.  Indeed 
 they  feem  Both  to  be  but  Modes  of  an  Effence  or 
 Subftance  Incomprehenfible  to  Us  •,  And  when 
 we  endeavour  to  reprefent  the  real  Subftance  oi 
 
 D  4  Any 
 
The  Vanity 
 of  the 
 
 io        ...>  'AT^emonflratlon  of  the 
 
 Any  Being  whatfoever  In  our  Weak  Imaginations^ 
 we  lliall  find  our  felves  in  like  manner  deceived. 
 
 2  J/}\  From  hence  appears  the  Vanity  of  the  Schooh 
 men  ;  who,  as  in  other  matters,  fo  in  their  Dif- 
 Scholmen.  ^^^^^  about  the  Self-Exiftent  Being,  when  they 
 comiC  at  what  they  are  by  no  means  able  to  comx- 
 prehend  or  explain  i  leail  they  Ihould  feem  igno- 
 rant of  any  thing,  they  give  us  Terms  of  Art, 
 and  Words  of  Amufement  r,  mere  empty  Sounds, 
 which,  under  pretenfe  of  explaining  the  Matter 
 before  them,  have  really  no  manner  of  Idea  or 
 fignification  at  all.  Thus  when  they  tejl  us  con- 
 cerning the  EfTence  of  God,  that  he  is  Purus  Ac- 
 tus^ mera  foryna^  and  the  like  ;  Either  the  words 
 have  no  meaning,  and  fignify  nothing  •,  or  elfs 
 they  exprefs  only  the  Perfedrion  of  his  Poiver^ 
 and  other  i^ttributes ;  Which  is  not  what  thefe 
 Men  intend  to  exprefs  by  them. 
 
 Tl^ithe 
 Self-exifi- 
 «JI/  Being 
 mufi  be 
 Eternal. 
 
 V.  'Tbou^yb  the  Suhftance  or   Effence  cf  the  Self- 
 Exiftent  Beings  is  it  felf  ahfoliUely  Incomprehenfihle 
 to  us  ;     'jet  fnanj  of  the  EJfentid  Attributes  of  his 
 Nature y  are  ftri^fl^  Bemonflr able ^  as  well  as  his  Ex- 
 ifience.     Thus,  in  the  lirft  place,    the  Self-Exifient 
 Being  mufi  of  neccfhty  be  Eternal,     The  Idea's  of 
 Eternity   and  Self-Exiftence  are  fo  ciofely  con- 
 'ne61:ed,  that  becaufe  Something  muil;  of  neceflity 
 be  Eternal  Independently  and  without  anj  outward 
 Caiife  of  its  Beings  therefore  it  muft  necefllirily  be 
 Self- exiflent    ;     and  becaufe    'tis  impoffible   but 
 Something  muft  be  Self-exiftent,  therefore  'tis  ne- 
 ceflary  that  it  mufi  likewife  be  Eternal     To  be 
 '^ng^i^AI'  Self-exiflenr,    is  ("as  has  been  already  fhownj  to 
 Exift  by  an  Abfolute  Neceflity  in  the  Nature  of 
 the  Thing  it  it\L     Now  this  Neceflity  being  Ab- 
 folute,   and  not  depending  upon  any  thing  Ex- 
 ternal, muft  be  always  unalterably  the  fame  ;  No- 
 thing being  alten?J;)lej,.  but  what  is  capable  of  ht- 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Co  X),  4f ' 
 
 ing  affe^led  by  fomewhat  without  it  felf.  That 
 Being  therefore,  which  has  no  other  Caufe  of  its 
 Exiftence,  but  the  abfolute  NeceiTity  of  its  own 
 Nature  ;  muft  of  neceflity  have  exifted  from  e- 
 verlafting,  without  Beginning  -,  and  muft  of  ne- 
 cclTity  exift  to  everhifting  without. End. 
 
 As  to  tht  Mar,/wr  of  this  Eternal  Exift.ence  ;  'tis  of  the 
 manifeft,  it  herein  infinitely  tranfcends  the  Man- '^'^'^^^^  ^/ 
 ner  of  the  Exiftence  of  all  Created  Beings,  even  Z^i^Tth^*' 
 of  fuch  as  fhall  exift  for  ever;  that  whereas  ^usEtemitjaf 
 not  pofTible  for  Their  finite  Minds  to  compre-^^^- 
 hend  all  that  is  paft,  or  to  underftand  perfedly 
 all  things  that  are  at  prefent,  much  lefs  to  know 
 all  that  is  future,  or  to  have  entirely  in  their  Power 
 any  thing  that  is  to  come  -,  but  their  Thoughts, 
 and  Knowledge,  and  Power,  muft  of  neceftity 
 have  degrees  and  periods,  and  be  fuccefTive  and 
 tranfient  as  the  Things  Themfelves  :  The  Eternal, 
 Supreme  Caufe,  on  the  contrary,  (fuppofing  him 
 to  be  an  Intelligent  Beings  which  will  hereafter  be 
 proved  in  the  Sequel  of  this  Difcourfe,)  muft  of 
 neceffity  have  fuch  a  perfect,  independent  and 
 unchangeable  Comprehenfion  of  all  Things,  that 
 there  can  be  no  One  Point  or  Inftance  of  his 
 Eternal  Duration,  wherein  all  Things  that  arc 
 paft,  prefent,  or  to  come,  will  not  be  as  entirely 
 known  and  reprefented  to  him  in  one  fingle 
 Thought  or  View  ;  and  all  Things  prefent  and 
 future,  be  equally  entirely  in  his  Power  and  Di- 
 re6tion  •,  as  if  there  was  really  no  Succeflion  at 
 all,  but  all  things  were  adually  prefent  at  once. 
 Thus  far  we  can  fpeak  Intelligibly  concerning  the 
 Eternal  Duration  of  the  Self-exiftent  Being  *,  And 
 no  Atheift  can  fay  this  is  an  ImpofTible,  Abfurd^ 
 or  Infufficient  Account.  It  is,  in  the  moft  proper 
 and  Intelligible  Senfe  of  the  Words,  to  all  the 
 purpofcs  of  Excellency  and  Perfeclion^  Intermina- 
 
 hilis 
 
42  A  T>emo?2j{ration  of  the 
 
 hills  vit^  totafifuul  ^  perfect  a  PoffeJJio  :    the  Entire 
 and  Perfect  PoJfeJJion  cf  an  endlefs  Life, 
 With  re-         Others  have  fuppofed  that  the  Difference    be- 
 ffea  to      tween  the  Manner  of  the  Eternal  Exiilence  of  the 
 uccej/wn.  s^pj-^j^e  Caufe,    and  that   of    the  Exiftence  of 
 Created  Beings,  is  this  :  That,  whereas  the  latter 
 is  a  continual  tranfient  6"//rrof/^^/7  of  Duration  -,  the 
 former  is  one  Point  or  Inftant  comprehending  Eter- 
 nity, and  wherein  all  Things  are  really  co-exiflent. 
 But  this   Diflindion  I  lliall  not  now  infiil  upon, 
 as  being  of  no  Ufe  in  the  prefent  Difpute  -,  becaufe 
 *tis  impoflible  to  prove   and  explain  it  in  fuch  a 
 manner,  as  ever  to  convince  an  Atheiil  that  there 
 is  any  thing  in  it.     And  befides  :  As,  on  the  one 
 hand,  the  Scboohnen  have  indeed  generally  chofen 
 to  defend  it :     lb   on   the  other 
 *  Crucem  ingenio  figere,    hand,    there  ^   are  many  Learn- 
 
 ut  rem  capiat  fugientem  Cap-      ^  j  yf  of  f^^  better  Underfland- 
 
 turn. — Tam  hen  non  potelt,      .  j  V/     7  1        i 
 
 utm(\3inslTempor,s-]co€x[{\^t     [ng  ^^Ci  Judgment ,    who  have  re- 
 
 reirucceffivx,  quam  impoiri-     jefted  and  Oppofed  it. 
 
 bile  eft    pun6i:um    coexiftere 
 
 [coextemli]  linese. — — Lufus  merus  ncn   intclle(5lorum  verborum.  Ga(fend. 
 
 Hyfic.lib.  I.  ..." 
 
 I  fhall  not  trouble  you  with  the  inconfiHent  and  unintelligible  Notions  of 
 the  Schoolmen  i  that  it  \^the  Eternity  of  God']  is  duratio  totafimul,  in  which 
 we  are  not  to  conceive  any  SuccelHon,  but  to  imagin  it  an  Inftant.  We 
 may  as  well  conceive  the  Iramenfity  of  God  to  be  a  Toint^  as  his  Et^'mi/y  to 
 be  an  Inflant. — And  how  That  can  be  together,  which  mnft  neceflarily  be 
 imaginedtobeco-exiftenttoSucceiTionsi  let  them  that  can,  conceive.  Arch- 
 btjlwp  Tillotfdn,  Vol.  7.  Serm.  13. 
 
 Others  fay,  God  fees  and  knows  future  Things,  by  theprefentiality  and 
 co-exiftence  of  all  Things  in  Eternity  j  For  they  fay,  that  future  Things  are 
 ad'ually  prefent  and  exifting  to  God,  though  r.ot  in  jp.enfurn  propria,  yet  in 
 menfura  aliena.  The  Schoolmen  have  much  more  of  this  jargon  and  cant- 
 ing Language.  I  envy  no  Man  the  underftandin^  thefe  Phrafes:  But  to  me 
 they  feem  tofignifie  nothing,  but  to  have  been  Words  invented  by  idle  and 
 conceited  Men;  which  a  great  many  ever  lincc,  left  they  fnould  feem  to 
 te  ignorant,  would  feem  to  underftand.  But  I  wonder  moft,  that  Men, 
 when  they  have  amufed  and  puzled  thcmfelves  and  others  with  hard 
 Words,  fl^iould  call  this  ExpUmm^  Things.  Archbi/Jjop  T'diotf&^i,  Vol.  6. 
 -"jm.  6. 
 
 VI.  The 
 
Being  and  Attribtites  of  Qox)\  43 
 
 VI.  ne  Self-Exiftent  Beings  muft  of  neccffify   leT^^^-tt^e 
 Infinite  and  Omniprefent.     The  Idea  of  Infinity  oi^^,f'^^' , 
 Immenficy,  as  well  as  of  Eternity,    is  fo  clofeiy rmiflhe^iL 
 connedled  with  that  of  Self-Exiitence,     that  be-/«//e  ami 
 caufe  'tis  impoiTible  but  Something  muft   be  infi-  o^^^"'>r^- 
 nite  independently  and  of  it  felf^  (for  elfe  it  would ^'^"^* 
 be  impoffible  there  fhould  be  any  Infinite  at  all, 
 unlefs  an  Efted  could  be  perfecTter  than  its  Caufe  -y) 
 therefore  it   muft  of  neceffity  be    Self-Exiftent : 
 And  becaufe  Something  muft  of  necefnty  be  Self- 
 Exiftent,  therefore  'tis  neceliliry  that  it  muft  like- 
 wife  be  Infinite.     To  be  Self-Exiftent  (as  has  been^;?^,  15,17. 
 already  ftiown,j)  is  to  Exift  by   an  Abfolute  Ne- 
 cefTity  in  the  Nature  of  the  Thing  itfelf.       Now 
 this  Neceffity  being  Abfolute  in  itfelf,    and  not 
 depending  on  any  Outward   Caufe ;    'tis  evident 
 it  muft  be  every  where^  as  well  as  always^  -unal- 
 terably the  fame.     For  a  NecefTity  which  is  not 
 every  where  the  fame,  is  plainly  a  Confequential 
 NecefTity  only,    depending  upon  fome  External 
 Caufe,  and  not  an  Abfolute  one  in  its  own  Nature : 
 For  a  NecefTity  abfolutely  fuch  in  it  felf,  has  no 
 Relation  to  Time  or  Place,    or  any  thing  elfc. 
 Whatever  therefore  Exifts  by   an    Abfolute  Ne- 
 cefTity in  its  own  Nature,  muft  needs  be  Infinite 
 as  well  as  Eternal.     To  fuppofe  a  Finite  Being, 
 to  be  Self-Exiftent  ;  is  to  fay  that  'tis  a  Con  tra- 
 dition for  That  Being  not  to  Exift",  the  Abfence 
 of  which  may  yet  be  conceived  without  a  Con- 
 tradidion.     Which  is    the  greateft  Abfurdity  in 
 the  V/orld.     For  if  a  Being  can  without  a  Con- 
 tradiction be  abfent  from  one  Place,  it  may  with- 
 out a  Contradi6t:ion  be  abfent  likewife  from  ano- 
 ther Place,  and  from  all  Places  :    And  whatever 
 NecefTity  it    may  have  of   Exifting,    muft*  arife 
 from  fome  External  Caufe,    and  not   abfolutely 
 
 from 
 
44  ^  T>emonJlratmi  of  the 
 
 from  it  felf ;  And  confequently,  the  Being  can- 
 not be  felf-Exifient. 
 
 From  hence  it  follows, 
 
 i/.  That  the  Infinity  of  the  Self-Exiflent  Be- 
 ing, mull  be  an  Infinity  of  Fullnefs  as  well  as  of 
 Immenfit^  •,  That  is,  it  muft  not  only  be  without 
 Limits^  but  alfo  without  Diverfily,  Defect^  or  In- 
 terruption.  For  Inftance  :  Could  Matter  be  fup- 
 pofed  Botindlefs^  it  would  not  therefore  follow 
 that  it  was  in  this  compleat  Senfe  Infinite  \  becaufe, 
 though  it  had  no  Limits,  yet  it  might  have  with- 
 in it  felf  any  afTignable  Vacuities.  But  Whatever 
 is  Self  Exiftent,  muft  of  necefTity  Exift  abfolute- 
 ly  in  every  Place  alike,  and  be  equally  prelent 
 every  where  \  and  confequently  muft  have  a  true 
 and  abfolute  Infinity,  both  of  Immenfit'^  and  Full- 
 nefs, 
 
 idly.  From  hence  it  follows,  that  the  Self-Ex- 
 iftent  Being,  muft  be  a  moft  Simple^  Unchangeable.^ 
 Incorruptible  B^ing',  without  Parts.,  Figure,  Moti- 
 on.,  Divifibility.,  or  any  other  fuch  Properties  as 
 we  find  in  Matter.  For  all  thefe  things  do 
 plainly  and  neceffarily  imply  Finitenefs  in  their  ve- 
 ry Notion,  and  are  utterly  inconfiftent  with  com- 
 plete Infinity,  Divifibility  is  a  feparation  of  Parts, 
 real  or  mental  :  Meaning  by  7nental  Separation., 
 not  barely  a  partial  Apprehending  •,  (for  Space.,  for 
 inftance,  which  is  ahfolutely  indivifible  and  infepa- 
 rable  either  really  or  *  mentally, 
 *  Ordo  prtium  spatii  eft  rmyyctht  partially  apprehended ;) 
 nnmutabats:Moveanturh^de     ^^^  ^  removina,    disjoining,    or 
 
 iocis  futs,  £%»  movebuntHY  (ut       c  •  r  t?  r 
 
 '.txdLm)  defeipfis.   Newton,     feparating  of  Parts  one  from  ano- 
 ff^acip.  Schol.  ad  Definit.  8.     ther,  even  fo  much  as  in  the  Ima- 
 gination.    And  any  fuch  Separa- 
 tion or  Removing  of  Parts  one  from  another,    is 
 really  or  mentally  a  fetting  of  Bounds :   Either  of 
 which,  deftroys  Infinity.     Motion.^    for  the  fame 
 
 reaforis. 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  r>\  4^ 
 
 reafon,  implies  Finitenefs :  And  to  have  Parls^ 
 properly  fpeaking,  figniiies  either  Difference  and 
 Diverfity  of  Exittence  -,  which  is  inconfiflent  with 
 Neceffity  :  or  elfe  it  fignifies  Divifibility,  real  or 
 Tmntal  as  before,  which  is  inconfiftent  with  com- 
 pleat  Infinity.  Corruption^  Change,  or  any  Alte^ 
 ration  whatfocver,  implies  Motion,  Separation  of 
 Parts,  and  Finitenefs.  And  any  Manner  of  Com- 
 pofition^  in  oppofidon  to  the  molt  perfed  Simpli- 
 city, fignifies  Difference  and  Diverfity  in  the  man- 
 ner of  Exiilence  j  Which  is  inconfiftent  with  Ne- 
 ceffity. 
 
 'Tis  evident  therefore,  that  the  Self-Exiftent  0/ ^^^ 
 Being  miift  be  Infinite  in  xh^  ftri5feft  and  moft  ^^^2- ff^"cl«m- 
 pleat  Senfc.  But  as  to  the  particular  Manner  of  ^i„g  the 
 his  being  Infinite  or  every  where  prefent,  in  o^-immenjity 
 pofition  to  the  manner  of  Created  Things  being  ^Z^^^- 
 prefent  in  fuch  or  fuch  finite  places  ;  This  is  as 
 impoffible  for  our  finite  Underftandings  to  com- 
 prehend or  explain,  as  it  is  for  us  to  form  an  adse- 
 quate  Idea  of  Infinity.  Yet  that  the  Thing  is 
 true,  that  he  is  actually  Omniprefent,  we  are  as 
 certain,  as  we  are  that  there  muft  Something  be 
 Infinite  ;  which  no  Man,  who  has  thought  upon 
 thefe  Things  at  all,  ever  denied.  The  Schoolmen 
 indeed  have  prefumed  to  affert,  that  the  Immen- 
 fity  of  God  is  a  Feint,  as  his  Eternity  (they 
 thinly)  is  an  Inftant,  But,  this  being  altogether 
 Unintelligible  \  That  which  we  can  more  fafely 
 affirm,  and  which  no  A.theift  can  fay  is  abfurd, 
 and  which  never thelefs  is  fufficient  to  all  wife  and 
 good  Purpofes,  is  this :  That  whereas  all  Finite 
 and  Created  Beings,  can  be  prefent  but*  in  One 
 definite  place  at  Once  ;  and  Corporeal  Beings  e- 
 ven  in  That  One  Place  very  imperfedlly  and  un- 
 equally, to  any  Purpofe  of  Power  or  Adlivity, 
 only  by  the  Succeffive  Motion  of  different  Mem- 
 bers 
 
4^  A  'Demonflration  of  the 
 
 bers  and  Organs  ;  The  Supreme  Caufe  on  die  cor;- 
 trary,  being  an  Infinite  and  mofl  Simple  ElTence^ 
 and  comprehending  all  things  perfectly  in  him- 
 felf,  is  at  all  times  eq^ually  prefent,  both  in  his  Sim- 
 ple ElTence,  and  by  the  Immediate  and  Perfed 
 Exercife  of  all  his  Attributes,  to  ever'^  Point  of 
 the  Boundlefs  Immcnfity,  as  if  it  Were  really  all 
 but  one  Single  Point. 
 
 That  the  VII.  I'he  Self-Exifient  Beings  7?iuft  of  necejpu^  Id 
 selfex-  hut  One,  This  evidently  follows  from  his  being 
 fanle^lla  ^eceJfaril^Exipnt,  For  NecelJity^  Abfolute  in  it 
 Qne,  felf,  is  Simple  and  Uniform  and  Univerfal^    without 
 
 any  pofTible  Difference^  Difformit^^  or  Variety  what- 
 foever  :  And  all  Variety  or  Difference  of  Exijience^ 
 mufl  needs  arife  from  fome  External  Caufe^  and 
 be  dependent  upon  it,  and  proportionable  to  the  ejfi- 
 ciency' of  That  Caufe^  whatfoever  it  be.  Ahfolute 
 Neceffity^  in  which  there  can  be  no  Variation  in  a- 
 ny  kind  or  degree^  cannot  be  the  Ground  of  ex- 
 iftence  of  a  Number  of  Beings,  however  fimilar 
 and  agreeing  :  Becaufe,  without  any  Other  diffe- 
 rence^ even  Number  is  itfelf  a  manifefl  Difformity 
 or  Inequality  fif  I  may  fo  fpeak)  of  Efficiency  or 
 Caufality, 
 
 Again  :  To  fuppofe  Two  for  more)  diflinol  Be^ 
 ings  exifting  of  themfelves^  ncceflarily,  and  indepen- 
 dent from  each  other  -,  implies  this  plain  Contra- 
 diction ;  that,  each  of  them  being  independent  from 
 the  other,  they  may  either  of  them  be  fuppofed  to 
 exiil  alone ^  fo  that  it  will  be  no  contradiction  to 
 imagine  the  other  not  to  exifl  -,  and  confequcntly 
 7ieither  of  them  "^  will  be  NecelTa- 
 /•  See ^^f^^f^er  explain-     rilv-Exiftinor.    Whatfoever  there- 
 
 ed,  mthQ  An] roer  to  the  Fir fi      r   "'    -r-    -/x  /r    -i        •      i      r\ 
 
 Letter,   at  the  End  of  This     ^ore  Exifts  necellanly,  is  the  One 
 
 Book.  Simple   EfTence  of    the  Selr-Ex- 
 
 iftent  Being  ♦,  And  whatfoever  differs  from  that, 
 
 i* 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  d\  4f 
 
 IS  nor  NecelTarily-Exifting :  Becaufe  in  abfolute 
 Neceflity  there  can  be  no  Difference,  or  Biverfity^ 
 of  Exiilence.  Other  Beings  there  may  be  innume- 
 rable, befides  the  One  Infinite  Self-Exiftent :  But 
 no  Other  Being  can  be  Self-Exiilent,  becaufe  fo 
 it  would  be  individually  the  fame,  at  the  fame 
 time  that  it  is  fuppofed  to  be  different. 
 
 Erom  h'^nce  it  follows, 
 
 \ft.  That  the  Unity  of  God,  is  a  true  and  real,  of  theTrl* 
 not  figurative.  Unity.     With  which  Prime  Foun-»'0'' 
 dation  of  Natural  Religion,  how  the  Scripiire-Do- 
 Brine  of  the  trinity  perfe6tly  agrees,     I  have  elfe- 
 where  indeavoured  to  fhow  particularly,  in  its  pro* 
 per  place. 
 
 idly.  From  hence  it  follows,  That  Uis  ifiipoffi-The  imfof" 
 hie  there  Jhould  he  two  different  Self-exiftent  Indepen-fi^''-^y  "/ 
 dent  Principles,  as  foi7ie  Philofophers  have  iinagined  ;  ^^„^^/p„^ 
 fuch  as  God  and  Matter,     For  fince  Self-Exiftence  principles. 
 is  Neceffary-Exiilence  •,    and  fmce  'tis  an  exprefs 
 Contradidlion  (as  has  already  been  fhownj    that ^^^.4^. 
 two  different  Beings  fliould  each  be  NecefTarily- 
 exifting  ;  it  evidently  follows,  that  'tis  abfolutely 
 impoffible  there  fhould  be  Two  Independent  Self- 
 exiffent  Principles,  fuch  as  God  and  Matter, 
 
 Sdly.  From  hence  we  may  obferve  the  Vanity,  T/^^  Trror 
 
 Folly,  and  Weaknefs  of  Spinoza  :  who,    becaufe  ^/^P*"^^^' 
 
 the  Self-exiflent  Being  muft  neceffarily  be  but  One, 
 
 concludes  from  thence,    that  the 
 
 whole  JVorld,  and  every   thing  con-        Una  fubftantia  non  poteft 
 
 tained  therein,  is  one  Uniform  Sub-     I'^'^^f^'  |^  ^^^^-    ^'^'''  ^^'^ 
 
 fiance.  Eternal,  Uncreated  and  Ne-      '  Ad  naruVam  fubftantia  per^ 
 
 cejfary  :  Whereas  jufl:  on  the  con-     tinet  exiftere.    Prop,  y, 
 
 trary  he  ought  to  have  conclu-        ^'^^^'  P.'^"^  'i^r'ua'''* 
 J  .-,''     ,        1  r     11    L-         •      1         "^o.j  concipi  poCeft  fubftan- 
 
 ded,  that  becaule  all  things  m  the     ti^/   j^rop.  14, 
 
 World  are  very  different  one  from 
 
 another,  and  have  all  manner  of  Variety,    and  all 
 
 the  Marks  of  JVill  and  Arbitrarinefs  and  Change- 
 
 '    •'  ablenefs, 
 
48  A  'T)emonftration  of  the 
 
 ablenefs,  (and  none  of  Neceffity;   in  them  ;    be* 
 ing  plainly  fitted  with  very  different  Powers,    to 
 very  different  Ends  ;  and  diftinguifhed  one  from 
 another  by  a  diverfitj^    not  only  of   Mcdes^    but 
 alfo  of  effential  Attributes^    and  confequently  {io 
 far  as  'tis  poflible  for  us,  by  the  ufe  of    our  pre- 
 fent  Faculties,  to  attain  any  Knowledge  at  all  of 
 them)  of  their  Subftances  themfelves  alfo  ;    there- 
 fore none  of  thefe  things  are  neceffary  or  Self-exiftent^ 
 hut  muji  needs  depend  all  upon  fome  External  Caufe^ 
 that  isy  on  the  One  Suprejne^  Unchangeable <^    Self-ex- 
 iftent  Being,     That  which  led  Spinoza  into  his  fool- 
 ifh  and  dellru6live  Opinion,  and  on  which  alone 
 a]]  his  Argumentation  is  entirely  built,  is  That  ah-- 
 furd  Definition  of    Subilance  ;  f 
 ^  t  Per  rubflantiam  intdligo     that  it  is  Sofnething,    the    Idea  of 
 ici»  quod  in  fe  eft,  &:  per  fe     which  does  not  depend  on^    or  pre- 
 concipitur ;  hoc  eft,  id  cujus     fuppofe,  the  Idea  of  any  other  thing:* 
 conceptus  non  indiget   con-       r  i  ■  i    -.       •   ta    I  j       7    ! 
 
 ceptu  alterius  rei,  a  quo  for-  from  which  tt  might  proceed  y  but 
 mari  debeat.  B?finim  3.  includes  in  itfelf  neceffarj-cxiftence, 
 v/M,  prefemly  after,  he  this  Which  Definition  is  either  falfe, 
 «/„t;;rtfnlEXT.  ht     ^nd  fignifies  nothing  ;    and  then 
 
 eft»  ipfiusefrentiainroKMtne-      his  whole  Doftrine  built  upon  It, 
 
 ceiTario  exiftentiam.  Lt^c,  falls  at  once  to  the  Ground  :  Or^ 
 Par.  L  Pro^.  7.  IjP  j^  ^g  ^^^^^  ^^^^  neither  Matter 
 
 nor  Spirit^  nor  any  Finite  Being 
 pag.  If  d'whatfoever,  (as  has  been  before  fhown,)  is  in  That 
 "^5°  fenfe  properly  a  Subflance^  but  {the  ^  ^')  the  Self^ 
 
 exiftent  Being  alone  :    And  fo  it  will  prove  no- 
 thing (notwithllanding  all  his  Show  and  Fonn  of 
 Demonflration,)  to  his  main  purpofe,  which  was 
 to  make  us  believe  that  there  is  no  fuch  thing  as 
 Fozver    or    Liberty  in    the    Univerfe,    but    that 
 *  every  particular   thing  in  the 
 *  Res  nulloalio  modo.neq;     World  is  by  an  Abfolute  Necefli- 
 ^^::::t;::^^&Zi    tyjuftwhatitis,  and  could  not 
 .Prop.  33.  polfibly  have  been  in  any  relpect 
 
 gtherwife. 
 
Being  and  Attiribtttes  of  Gox>,  ^9 
 
 othcrwife*  Suppofing,  I  lay,  his  Deiinicion  of 
 Subilance  to  be  true  \  yet  even  T^hat  would  really 
 conclude  nothing  to  his  main  Purpofe  concerning 
 the  Neceffity  of  all  "Things.  For  fince,  according 
 to  That  Definition,  neither  Matter  nor  Spirit^ 
 nor  any  Finite  Beings  whatlbever,  are  Subjlanccs^ 
 but  only  Modes  -,  how  will  it  follow,  that,  becaufe 
 Subftance  is  Self-exiilent,  therefore  all  thefe  Modes 
 are  fo  too  ?  Why,  becaufe  \  from 
 
 an   infinite  Caufi^  Infinite    Effe5fs        f   Ex  neceflitate    divine 
 
 mufl    needs  follow^      Very  true   ;-     "^turaz,  infinita  infinitis  mo- 
 
 r         r       T-t,        T   r:    -^     Q  \c      :ix        "'^  (hoc  elt,  omnia  quae  fub 
 
 fuppofing  Th^l  Infinite  Self-exilt-      inrencdum   infinitum  cadere 
 
 ent  Caufe,  not  to  be  a  Folunta-     pofllintj  feoui  debent-  ?ro^* 
 
 ry,    but  a  mere  'Necejfary  Agent ^     i^- 
 
 that  isj  710  Agent  at  all-v  Which 
 
 Suppofition  {in  the  prefent  Argument)  is  the  Quef- 
 
 tion  begged ;    And  what  he  afterwards  attempts 
 
 to  allege  in  proof  of  it,  fhall  afterwards  be  coht 
 
 fidered  in  its  proper  place. 
 
 VIII.  The  Self-exiftent   and  Original  Caufe  of  aW^^^f  f^ 
 things,  mufi:  he  an  Intelligent  Being,     In  this  Prd-  ll/f^^-jl^ 
 pofition  lies  the  main  Queilion  between  us  and  w«y?  ^^ /«. 
 the  Atheifts.     For,  that  fomething  muft  be  Self-  telitgent. 
 exiftent  •,    and  that   That  which  is  Self-exiftent, 
 muft  neceflarily  be  Eternal  and  Infinite  and  the 
 Original  Gaufe  of  all  things  •,  will  not  bear  much 
 Difpute.    But  all  Atheifts,  whether  they  hold  the 
 World  to  be  of  itfelf  Eternal  both  as  to  the  Mat- 
 ter and  Form,  or  whether  they  hold  the  Matter 
 only  to  be  Necefliiry  and  the  Form  Contingent,  or 
 whatever  Hypothefis  they  frame  \    have  always 
 aflerted  and   muft  maintain,    either  diredly    or 
 indirectly,  that  the  Self-exiftent  Being  is  not  an 
 Intelligent  Being,  but  either  pure  una6tive  Matter^ 
 or  (which  in  other  Words  is  the  very  fame  thing) 
 a  mere  necejTary  Agent,      For  a  mere  riecejfary  A- 
 gent  muft  of  neceffity  either  l?e  plainly  and  diredly 
 
 E  in 
 
'  JO  A  Demonflration  of  the 
 
 in  th^  groiTeil  fenfe  Unintelligent  •,  which  was  tlie 
 andent  Athcidrs  Notion  of  the  Self-exiflent  Being  i 
 Or  elfe  its  IntelL'gence  (which  is  the  Affertion  of 
 Spinoza  and  fome  Moderns,)  muil  be  wholly  fepa- 
 rate  from  any  Power  of  Will  and  Choice  ;  which, 
 in  refpedl  of  any  Excellency  and  Perfe6lion,  or 
 indeed  to  any  common  Senfe,  is  the  very  fame 
 thing  as  no  Intelligence  at  all. 
 
 Now  that  the  Self-exiftent  Being  is  not  fuch  a 
 Blind  and  Unintelligent  Neceffity,  but  in  the  moft 
 proper  Senfe  an  underftanding  and  really  a^ive  Be» 
 ing  ;  does  not  indeed  lb  ohvioiijly  and  dire6lly  ap- 
 pear to  Us  by  Confiderations  a  priori  ;  becaufe 
 ("through  the  Imperfedion  of  our  Faculties^  we 
 know  not  zvherein  InteUigence  confifls,  nor  can  fee 
 the  Immediate  and  Necefiary  connexion  of  it  with 
 Self-exillence,  as  we  can  that  of  Eternity,  Infinity, 
 Unity,  ^c.  But  ^^  pofteriori^  almoft  every  thing 
 in  the  World,  demonftrates  to  us  this  great  Truth  \ 
 and  affords  undeniable  Arguments,  to  prov^e  that 
 the  World,  and  all  Things  therein,  are  the  Ef- 
 fe6ls  of  an  Intelligent  and  Knowing  Caufe. 
 
 Vroved  ^^^  ^fi-  Since  in  general  there  are  manifeilly 
 
 from  ths    in  Things,  various  kinds  of  Powers^  and  very  dif- 
 Degrees  efferent  Excellencies  and  Degrees  of  Perfedion  ;    it 
 f^xlfT,  mufl  needs  be,  that,  in  the  Order  of  Caufes  and 
 an/the  '  Effeds,  the  Caufe  mud:  always  be  more  Excellent 
 Onler  of    than  thc  Effedl :  And  confequently  the  Self-exifl- 
 Wed^s  ^'''^^"^  Being,  whatever  that  be  fuppofed  to  be,  mufl 
 of  neceiTity  (being  the  Original  of  all  things)  con- 
 tain in  it  felf  the  Sum  and  higheft  Degree  of  all 
 the  Perfedions  of  all  things.     Not  becaufe  That 
 which  is  Self-exiilent,  mull  therefore  have  all  pof- 
 fible  Perfediions  :    (For  This,  though  moil  cer- 
 tainly true  in  it  felf,  yet  cannot  be    fo  eafily  de- 
 monllrated  ^priori:)  But  becaufe  'tis  impofTible 
 that  any-Effedt  fliould  have  any  Perfeftion,  which 
 
 was 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Goth  5 X 
 
 ^as  not  in  the  Caufe,  For  if  it  had,  then  That 
 Perfedion  would  be  caufed  by  nothing  \  which  is  a 
 plain  Contradi61:ion.  Now  an  Unintelligent  Being, 
 ^tis  evident,  cannot  be  endued  with  all  the  Per- 
 fedlions  of  all  things  in  the  World  •,  becaufe  In- 
 telligence is  one  of  thofe  Perfedtions.  All  things 
 therefore  cannot  arife  from  an  Unintelligent  Ori- 
 ginal :  And  confequently  the  Self-exiilent  Being, 
 muft  of  neceflity  be  Intelligent, 
 
 There  is  no  polTibility  for  an  Atheifl  to  avoid 
 the  Force  of  this  Argument  any  other  way,  than 
 by  aflerting  one  of  thefe  two  things  :  Either  that  ~ 
 there  is  no  Intelligent  Being  at  all  in  the  Univerfe  ; 
 or  that  Intelligence  is  ?io  diftin^i  Perfe^fion^  but. 
 merely  a  Compofition  of  Figure  and  Motion,  as 
 Colour  and  Sounds  are  vulgarly  fuppofed  to  be. 
 ■Of  the  Former  of  thefe  Afi'ertions,  every  Man's  - 
 own  Confcioufnefs  is  an  abundant  Confutation.  For 
 they  who  contend  that  Beails  are  mere  Machines, 
 have  yet  never  prefumed  to  conje6lure  that  Men 
 are  fo  too.  And  that  the  Latter  AfTertion  (in 
 which  the  main  ftrength  of  Atheifm  lies,)  is  m oft 
 abfurd  and  impoffible  ;  fhall  be  fhown  prefently. 
 Though  if  That  Aflertion  could  be  fuppofed  to 
 be  I'rue^  yet  even  ftill  'twould  unavoidably  fol- 
 loW)  that  the  Self-exillent  Being  muft  needs  be 
 Intelligent ;  as  fhall  be  proved  in  my  ^tb  Argu- 
 ment upon  this  prefent  Head.  In  the  mean  time ; 
 that  the  AfTertion  it  felf,  viz.  that  Intelligence  is 
 not  any  diftinB  FerfeFiion.,  properly  fpeaking,  but 
 merely  a  Compofition  of  Unintelligent  Figure  and 
 Motion  ;  that  This  AfTertion,  I  fay,  is  moft  ab- 
 furd and  impofTible,  will  appear  from  what  fhall 
 be  faid  in  the  enfuing  Argument. 
 
 2^/;y.  Since  in  Men  in  -particular  there  is  unde-^^^^/^ff 
 niably  that  Power,  which  we  call  Thought,  ^^-^7«rV/to 
 Ulligence^    Confcioufnefs,    Perception  or  Know- is  m  crea- 
 
 E   2  l^^^g^  '^tidBeings^ 
 
5  ^  A  T>emonfiratton  of  the 
 
 ledge  ;  there  mull  of  Neceflity  either  have  been 
 from  Eternity  iLnthout  an^  Original  Caufe  at  all^ 
 an  infinite  SuccefTion  of  Men,  whereof  no  one  has 
 had  a  Necejfars^  but  evcr\  one  a  Dependent  and 
 Communicated  Being  ;  or  etfe  thefe  Beings,  indued 
 with  Perception  and  Confcioufnefs,  muft  at  fomc 
 time  or  other  have  arifen  purely  out  of  that  which 
 had  no  fuch  Quality  as  Senfe,  Perception  or  Con- 
 fcioufnefs  ;  or  elfe  they  mull  have  been  produced 
 by  fome  Intelligent  Superiour  Being.  There  ne- 
 ver was  nor  can  be  any  Atheifb  whatfoever,  that 
 can  deny  but  One  of  thefe  ^hree  Suppofitions 
 muft  be  the  Truth.  If  therefore  the  tij^o  for?ner 
 can  be  proved  to  be  falfe  and  impoflible,  the  lat- 
 ter mull  be  own'd  to  be  demonilrably  true.  Now 
 that  the  Firft  is  impoflible,  is  evident  from  what 
 pitg.  II,  has  been  already  laid  in  proof  of  the  Seco?id  Ge- 
 &c.  neral  Head  of  this  Difcourfe.     And  that  the  6"^- 
 
 cond  is  likewife  impoflible,  may  be  thus  demon- 
 ftrated.  If  Perception  or  Intelligence^  be  a  diftin^i 
 Quality  or  Perfection,  and  not  a  mere  Effedl  or 
 Compofltion  of  Unintelligent  Figure  and  Moti- 
 on ;  then  Beings  endued  with  Perception  or  Con- 
 fcioufnefs,  can  never  have  arifen  purely  out  of 
 that  which  had  no  fuch  Quality  as  Perception  or 
 Confcioufnefs  ;  becaufe  nothing  can  ever  give  to 
 another  any  Perfection,  which  it  hath  not  either 
 actually  in  it  felf,  or  at  leall  in  a  higher  degree. 
 But  Perception  or  Intelligence  is  a  diftinoi  ^lalitj 
 or  Perfection,  and  not  a  mere  EffeCl  or  Compo- 
 fltion of  Unintelligent  Figure  and  Motion. 
 
 Firft  ;  If  Perception  or  Intelligence^  be  any  real 
 diflindl  Quality,  or  Perfe5lion  •,  and  not  a  mere 
 Effect  or  Compofltion  of  Unintelligent  Figure  and  Mo- 
 tion ;  then  Beings  endued  with  Perception  or  Con- 
 fcioufnefs^  can  never  poffihly  have  arifen  purely  out 
 of  that  which  it  felf  had  no  fuch  Quality  as  Percept 
 iion  or  Co?2fcioufnefs  j  hcaufs  nothing  can  ever  give 
 ^  if 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Gov.  $  % 
 
 t'O  another  an^j   'Perje^ion^  which  it  hath  not  either 
 acfuallj  in  it  [elf ^  or  at  leaft  in  a  higher  degree.  This 
 is  very  evident  •,  becaule,  if  any  thing  could  give. 
 to  another    any  Perfe(5lion  which  it   has    not    '^^-korades 
 ielf,  That  Perfe6lion  would  be  caufed  abfolutelyo/K<'<o«. 
 by  Nothing  ;  which  is  a  plain  Contradiction.     If  P^g- 186. 
 any  one  here  replies,  (^as  Mr  Giidon  has  done  *  in  ^^^/'^^ 
 a  Letter  to  Mr  Blount.,)    that    Lolours^    oounds^  to  Mr. 
 T'aftes,  and  the  like,  arife  from   Figure  and  Mo-  Dodwell, 
 tion,  which  have  no  fuch  Qualities  in  themfelves ;  ^'^t^r'^^'- 
 or   that   Figure.,  Divifibility,  Mobility,  and  other  aid  Replies 
 Qualities  of  Matter,    are   confeiTed  to  be  givQn  concerning 
 from   God,    who  yet,    cannot  without  extreme  ^^^  "-''^^^^^ 
 Blafphemy,    be  faid  to  have  any  fuch  Quahties  J;;'rr'^^; 
 himfelf  •,  and  that  therefore  in  like  manner,  Per-  s'Ll 
 ception  or  t  Intelligence  may  arife 
 out  of   that  which  has  no  Intelli-  f  If  with  one  of  Cicero's 
 
 gence  itfelf  :  The  Anfwer  is  very  Dialogifls  they,  would  infer 
 
 !ane:  Brft,  An  Colours,  Sounds,  t':at,fvTaZZ':lt 
 
 T'ajles^    and  the  like,  are  by  no  caufe  ibme  Poniom  of  it  are 
 
 means  Effeds  arifin^  from  mere  lnte:iiaenti — -we  may  re- 
 
 Figure  and  Monon  ;  there  being  [ror'.htC^St: 
 
 nothing  in  the  Bodies  thcmlelves,  gumenr,  the  i^vUe  muft  be  a 
 
 the  Objeds  of  the  SenfeS,  that  has  Courtier,  a  Mulician,  a  Dan- 
 
 any  manner  of  Similitude  to  any     'u'^J-f ^f:' ^I/P'^f °P^^^' 
 
 y  .  .  ,  ,  ^       becaule  many  of  the  P;irr;  are 
 
 ot  thefe  Quahties-,  but  they  are     f^ch.    Uv.ToUnd'^  Letter  i 
 
 plainly  TA?(?/^^/-?/.f  or  Modifications      Motion  eJfenuaL  to  Matter. 
 
 of  tjie  Mind  it  felf,  which  is  an 
 Intelligent  Being  •,  and  are  not  properly  Caufed., 
 but  only  Occafw?ied^  by  the  ImprelTions  of  Figure 
 and  Motion.  Nor  will  it  at  all  help  an  Atheifl 
 (as  to  the  prefent  Queilion,J  though  we  fhould 
 here  make  for  him,  (that  we  may  allow  him  the 
 greatcfl  poiTible  Advantage,  J  even  that  moil  ab- 
 furd  Suppofition,  that  the  Mind  it  felf  is  nothing 
 but  mere  Matter,  and  not  at  all  an  Immateri'ufi 
 Subilance.  For,  even  fuppofing  it  to  be  7nere 
 Matter^  yet  he  mull  needs   confefs  it  to  be  fticb 
 
 E  3  Matter^ 
 
54  -A  'Vemonjlration  of  the 
 
 Matter,  as  is  indued  not  only  with  Figure  and 
 Motion,  but  alfo  with  the  Qiiality  of  Intelligence 
 and  Perception  :  And  confequently,  as  to  the  pre- 
 fent  Queftion,  it  will  ftill  come  to  the  fame  thing  ; 
 that  Colours,  Sounds,  and  the  like,  which  are 
 not  Qualities  of  Unintelligent  Bodies,  but  Per- 
 ceptions of  Mind,  can  no  more  be  caufed  by,  or 
 arife  from  mere  Unintelligent  Figure  and  Moti- 
 on, than  Colour  can  be  a  Triangle,  or  Sound  a 
 Square,  or  Something  be  caufed  by  Nothing. 
 Secondly  -,  as  to  the  other  Fart  of  the  Objedion  ; 
 that  Figure^  Divifibility^  Mobility^  and  other  Qua- 
 lities of  Matter,  are  (as  we  our  felves  acknow- 
 ledge j  given  it  from  God,  who  yet  cannot,  with- 
 out extreme  Blafphemy,  be  faid  to  have  any  fuch 
 Qualities  himfelf ;  and  that  therefore  in  like  man- 
 ner. Perception  or  Intelligence  may  arife  out  of  that 
 which  has  no  Intelligence  it  felf :  The  Anfwer  is 
 Hill  eafier :  that  Figure,  Divifibility,  Mobility, 
 and  other  fuch  like  Qualities  of  Matter,  are  not 
 real,  proper,  diftindl  and  Pofitive  Powers^  but 
 only  Negative  Qualities,  Deficiencies  or  Imperfec- 
 tions. And  though  no  Caufe  can  communicate 
 to  its  EfFe6l  any  real  Perfe6tion  which  it  has  not 
 k  felf,  yet  the  Effe6l  may  eafily  have  many  Im- 
 perfections, Deficiencies,  or  Negative  Quahcies, 
 which  are  not  in  the  Caufe.  Though  therefore 
 Figure^  Divi/tbility,  Mobility^  and  the  like,  (which 
 are  mere  Negations,  as  all  Limitations  and  all  De~ 
 feifs  of  Powers  are,)  may  be  in  the  Effed,  and 
 not  in  the  Caufe  *,  yet  Intelligence^  (which  I  now 
 fuppofe,  and  Ihall  prove  immediately,  to  be  a 
 diftin5f  Quality  ;  and  which  no  Man  can  fay  is  a 
 mere  Negation  -,)  cannot  pofllbly  be  fo. 
 
 Having  therefore  thus  demonftrated,  that  If 
 Perception  or  Intelligence  be  fuppofed  to  be  a 
 diftincf  ^{ality  or  Perfedlion,  (though  even  but 
 f)f  Matter  only,  if  the  Atheift  pleafcs,)  and  not 
 
 a  mere 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  G  o  dJ  55 
 
 a  mere  Effed  or  Compofition  of  Unintelligent  Fi- 
 gure and  Motion  ;  then  Beings  endued  with  Per- 
 ception or  Confcioufnefs  can  never  have  arilen 
 purely  out  of  that  which  had  no  fuch  Quality  as 
 Perception  or  Confcioufnefs  *,  becaufe  nothing  can 
 ever  give  to  another  any  Perfe6lion,  which  it  has 
 not  it  felf :  It  well  eafily  appear,  Seco/idly^  that 
 Perception  or  Intelligence  Is  reall'j  fucb  a  diftintl 
 ^alily  or  Perfection,  and  not  pojjihhj  a  mere  Ef- 
 fcoi  or  Compofition  of  Unintelligent  figure  and  Mo- 
 tion :  And  That  for  this  plain  Reafon  ,  becaufe 
 Intelligence  is  not  Figure,  and  Confcioufnefs  is  not 
 Motion.  For  whatever  can  arife  from,  or  be 
 compounded  of  any  Things  ;  is  flill  only  thofe 
 very  Things,  of  which  it  was  compounded.  And 
 if  infinite  Compofitions  or  Divifions  be  made  e- 
 ternally  j  the  Things  will  ftill  be  but^ternally  the 
 fame.  And  all  their  pofTible  Effeds,  can  never 
 be  any  thing  but  Repetitions  of  the  fame.  For 
 Inftance  :  All  poflible  Changes,  Compofitions, 
 or  Divifions  of  Figure,  are  Hill  nothing  but  Fi- 
 gure :  And  all  pofTible  Compofitions  or  Effe6ls  of 
 Motion,  can  eternally  be  nothing  but  mere  Motion, 
 If  therefore  there  ever  was  a  Time  when  there 
 was  nothing  in  the  Univerfe  but  Matter  and  Mo- 
 tion j  there  never  could  have  been  any  thing  elfe 
 therein,  but  Matter  and  Motion.  And  it  would 
 have  been  as  impolTible,  there  fliould  ever  have 
 exifted  any  fuch  thing  as  Intelligence  or  Confci- 
 oufnefs ;  or  even  any  fuch  thing  as  Light,  or 
 Heat,  or  Sound,  or  Colour,  or  any  of  thofe  we 
 call  Secondary  Qualities  of  Matter  •,  as  'tis  now 
 impofiible  for  Motion  to  be  Blue  or  Red,  or  for 
 a  Triangle  to  be  transformed  into  a  Sound.  That 
 which  has  been  apt  to  deceive  Men  in  this  Mat-  , 
 ter,  is  This  j  that  they  imagine  Compounds,  to 
 be  fomewhat  really  different  from  That  of  v/hich 
 they  are  Compounded  :  Which  is  a  very  great 
 Miftake.     For  all  the  things,  of  which  Men  fa 
 
 E  4  J^^S^  '* 
 
3^  ^  Tiemonjlration  oj  the 
 
 judge  •,  either,  if  they  be  rsal^  different^  are  tige 
 Compounds  nor  Effe&s  of  v/hat  Men  judge  them 
 to   be,    but  are   fomething  totally  diliind  \    as 
 when  the  Vulgar  thinks  Colours  and  Sounds  to 
 be  Properties  inherent    in  Bodies,    when  indeed 
 they  are  purely  Thoughts  of  the  Mind  :  Or  elfe, 
 if  they  be  really  Compounds   and  Effedis,    then 
 they  are  not  different^    but  exa6lly  the  fame  that 
 ever  they  were  *,  as,  when  two  Triangles  put  to- 
 gether make  a  Square,  That  Square  is  ftill  no- 
 thing but  two  Triangles  •,  or  when  a  Square  cut 
 in  halves  makes  two  Triangles,  thofe  two  Trian- 
 gles are  ftill  only  the  two  halves  of  a  Square  -,  or.. 
 when  the  mixture  of  Blue  and  Yellow  Powder 
 makes  a  Green,  That  Green  is  ftili  nothing  but 
 Blue  and  Yellow  intermixed,  as  is  plainly  vifible 
 by  the  help  of  Microfcopes.    And  in  fliort,  every 
 a??w;>Lc/- thing  by  Compofition,  Divifion,  or  Motion -,    is 
 Dodweir  nothing  elfe  but  the   very    fame  it  was  before, 
 ■with  the*  taken  either  in  Whole  or  by  Parts,  or  in  difFe- 
 Four  Dc-   j-ent  Place  or  Order.     He  therefore  that  will  af- 
 fenfes^//>.  ^^^  Intelligence  to  be  the  Effe^  of  a  Sjftem  of  Un-. 
 intelligent  Matter  in  Motion^  muft  either  afHrm  In- 
 telligence to  be  a  7nere  Name  or  external  Denojnina- 
 tion  of  certain  Figures  and  Motions^  and  that  it  differs 
 from  Unintelligent  Figures  and  Motions^  no  other- 
 wife   than  as  a  Circle  or  Triangle  differs  from  a 
 Square  -,    which  is   evidently  abfurd  :    Or  elfe  he 
 muft  fuppofe  it  to  be  a  real  dijlinol  ^(ality,  ati- 
 fmg  from  certain  Motions  of  a  Syftem  of  Matter 
 Tiot  in  it  /elf  intelligent  ;    And  then  This  no  lefs 
 evidently  abfurd  Confequence  would  follov/,  that: 
 One  ^uility  inhered  in'  a-nother  \    p-or,    in  Tha£ 
 Cafe,    not  the  Suhftance  it  fslf^    the  Farticles.  of 
 which  the  Syftem  conlifts,   but  the  mereMode^  the 
 particular  Mode  of  Motion  and  Figure^  would  be 
 intelligent.     Mr  liohls  feem.s  to  have  been  aware 
 of  this  :  And  therefore,  though  he  is  very  fparing, 
 xi\^  as  It.  wer^  aJhamed  to  Ipeak  out  ;  vet  find- 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go d.  57 
 
 ing  himfelf  prelTed  in  his  own  Mind,  with  the 
 Difficulty  arifing  from  the  Impoflibihty  of  Senfe 
 or  Confcioufnefs  being  merely  the  Etfe6l.  of  Fi- 
 gure and  Motion  -,  and  it  not  ferving  His  Purpofe 
 at  all,  (were  the  Thing  never  lb  pofrible,J  to 
 fuppofe  that  God  by  an  immediate  and  voluntary 
 Ad:  of  his  Ahnightj  Po'ujer  indues  certain  Syflems 
 of  Matter  with  Confcioufnefs  and  Thought,  {of 
 which  Opinion  I  Ihall  have  occafion  to  fpeak 
 fornething  more  hereafter  •,)  he  is 
 forced  ^  to  have  recourfe  to  that        *  Scio  fuiffe  Philofophos 
 
 prodigiouHy  abfurd    Suppofltion,      q/^f^am,     eofdernqj      w.. 
 
 y^         Piix/r-'^  A/r     ^^      •  ^i^'^c:',  qui  corpora  omnia  Sen- 
 
 .,,"  that  All  Matter  as  Matter,  is  en      f^  pr^aita  efle  fuftinuerunt : 
 
 ^      dued   not    only  with    Figure    and      Kec  video,  ii  natura  lenlionis 
 a  Capacity    of  Motion,    but  alio      i"  rea^ione  foU  collocaretur. 
 
 With  an  adtual  Senle  or  1  creep-  ^^j-,  ^^  rcaftione  enam  cor- 
 tion  ;  and  wMnts  only  the  Organs  porum  aliorum,  phantafma 
 and  Memory  of  Animals,  to  ex-     aliquod  narcererur ;  illud  ta- 
 
 r   •      c:      r  ^'  i^isn»  remoto  objcdo,  ftatim 
 
 prefs  Its  Seniacion,  ^.j^,,,^^     Nam  nili  ad  reti- 
 
 nendum  Morum  imprefium, 
 etiam  remoto  objetfto,  apta  habeanr  Oreani,  ut  habcnt  Animaliai  ita  tan- 
 turn  fentienr,    ut   nunquam  renlille   ie  rccordentur. »— Senlioni  ergo, 
 
 quaz  vuigo  ita  appeliatur,  necclurio  adhxret  memoria  aliqua,  &c.  Hol>^s 
 Vh/fic.  Cap.  If .  Sect.  r-.  See  alio  N°  z  Sc  1 1.  of  the  Appendtx  to  a  Col- 
 k^lion  of  Papers  which-palled  between  Mi Lethttz  Hz  Dr  Clarke. 
 
 3J/V,  That  the  Self- Exiftent  and  Original  CaufeF'''^?^'^^ 
 ot  all"  things,  is  an /?//6V%;;// Being  •,    appears  ^-fj^^/^^^l 
 bundantly  from  the  excellent  I^ariety.,  Order.,  Beau-nd  CMifes 
 ty.,  and  Wonderful  Contrivance^  and  Fitnefs  of  allofThmgs, 
 "things  in  the  W'orld.^  to  their  proper  and  refpeulive 
 Ends.      This    Argument   has  been  fo  Learnedly^^^  ^^off- 
 and  Fully  handled  both  by  Ancient  and  Modern^^^/c^'^y-g^j 
 Writers  •,  that  I  do  but  }uft  mention  it,  without=?'j</Mr 
 inlarginp;  at  all  upon  it.     1  fiiall  only  at  this  Time^jy'  ^/^^* 
 maKe  this  One  Obtervation  ;     Ihat,  wnereas  Ves q^^i-^^j^^ 
 Cartes  and  Odiers  have  endeavoured   to  give  d-Creatiom 
 Poffibie  Account,  {Po/fbie,    did  I  fay  ?    nay,  i^-^^^-^M^, 
 ^eed,    ^  xngit  inipqffihlv  and  ridiailota  Account, )p|V^^"^^ 
 
5  8  A  T)e?nonftration  of  the 
 
 how  the  World  might  be  formed  by  the  Neceflary 
 Laws  of  Motion  alone  •,  they  have  by  fo  feeming- 
 ]y  vaft  an  Undertaking,  really  meant  no  more, 
 than  to  explain  philofophically  how  the  inanimate 
 part,  that  is,  infinitely  the  lead  confiderable  part 
 of  the  World,  might  polTibly  have  been  framed. 
 For  as  to  Plants  and  Animals^  in  which  the  Wif- 
 dom  of  the  Creator  principally  appears  ;  they 
 have  never  in  any  tolerable  manner,  or  with  any 
 the  leaft  appearance  of  Succefs,  pretended  to  give 
 an  account,  how  ^They  were  originally  Formed. 
 In  Thefe  things,  Matter  and  the  Laws  of  Moti- 
 on, are  able  to  do  nothing  at  all.  And  how  ri- 
 diculous the  Epicurean  Hypothefis  is,  of  the 
 Earth  producing  them  all  at  Jfirft  by  chance  \  (be- 
 fides  that,  I  think,  it  is  now  given  up  even  by 
 all  Atheifts  -,)  appears  from  the  late  Difcovery 
 made  in  Philofophy,  that  there  is  no  fuch  thing  as 
 equivocal  Generation  of  any  the  meaneft  Animal 
 or  Plant ;  the  Sun  and  Earth  and  Water,  and  all 
 the  Powers  of  Nature  in  Conjundion,  being  able 
 to  do  nothing  at  all  towards  the  producing  any 
 thing  indued  with  ^o  much  as  even  a  Vegetable 
 Life.  (From  which  moil  excellent  Difcovery, 
 we  may,  hy  the  way^  obferve  the  Ufefulnefs  of 
 Natural  and  experimental  Philofophy,  fometimes 
 even  in  Matters  of  Religion.)  Since  therefore 
 Things  are  thus,  it  muil  unavoidably  be  granted 
 (even  by  the  mod  obftinate  Atheiil;  J  either  that 
 all  Plants  and  Animals  are  originally  the  Work 
 of  an  Inielligent  Being,  and  Created  by  him  in 
 ^ime  ;  or  that  having  been  from  Eternity  in  the 
 fame  Order  and  Method  they  now  are  in,  they 
 are  an  Eternal  Effed:  of  an  Eternal  Intelligent 
 Caufe  continually  exerting  his  infinite  Pov/er 
 and  Wifdom  •,  or  elfe  that  without  any  Self-exiil- 
 ent  Original  at  all,  they  have  been  derived  one 
 from  another  in  an  Eternal  SuccclTion,  by  an  In- 
 finite 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God]  5g> 
 
 finite  Progrefs  of  Dependent  Caufes.  The  firft 
 of  thefe  three  ways,  is  the  Conclufion  wez^tvt  : 
 The  fecond^  (fo  flir  as  the  Caufe  of  Atheifm  is  con- 
 cerned,) comes  to  tlie  very  fame  Thing  :  And  the 
 third  1  have  already  fhown,  (in  my  Proof  of  the^^^  j,^ 
 Second  General  Head  of  this  DifcoLirfe,J  to  be  ab-  &-c4 
 folutely  Impoflible  and  a  Contradiction. 
 
 4//j/v,  Suppofing  it  was  pofTible  that  the  Form  Frew /^e 
 of  the  World,  and  all  the  Vifible  things  contained  ^[jf^^'^Z 
 therein,  v/ith  the  Order,  Beauty,  and  exquifite  Fit- 
 nefsof  their  Parts;  nay,  fuppofing  that  even  Intelli- 
 gence it  felf,  with  Confcioufnefs  and  Thought,  in 
 all  the  Beings  we  know,  could  poffibly  be  theRe- 
 fult  or  Effed  of  mere  Unintelligent  Matter,  Fi- 
 gure and  Motion  ,  (which  is  the  moft  unreafona- 
 ble  and  impoffible  Suppofition  in  the  World  :) 
 Yet  even  ftill  there  would  remain  an  undeniable 
 Demonftration,  that  the  Self-exiltent Being,  (what- 
 ever it  be  fuppofed  to  be,)  muil   be  Intelligent. 
 For  even  thefe  Principles  themfelves  [Unintelligent 
 Figure  and  Motion~\  could  never  have  poffibly  ex-  '■■ 
 ifted,  without  there  had  been  before  them  an  In- 
 telligent Caufe.     I  inilance  in  Motion.     'Tis  evi- 
 dent there  is  Now  fuch  a  Thing  as  M.otion  in  the 
 World  :  Which  either  began  at  fome  Time  or  o- 
 ther,  or  was  Eternal.     If  it  began  at  any  Time, 
 then  the  Queflion  is  granted,  that  the  Firft  Caufe 
 is  an  Intelligent  Being  :    For  mere  Unintelligent 
 Matter,  and  that  at  Reft,  'tis  manifeft  could  ne- 
 ver of  it  felf  begin  to  move.  .  On  the  contrary, 
 if  Motion  was  Eternal,  it  was  either  eternally  cau- 
 fed  by  fome  Eternal  Intelligent  Being  ;  or  it  muft 
 of  it  felf  be  Neceflary  and  Self-exiftent  •,    or  elfe, 
 v/ithout  any  Neceffity   in  its  own  Nature,    and 
 without  any  External  NecefTary  Caufe,  it  muft 
 have  exifted  from  Eternity  by  an  Endlefs  Succeffive 
 Communication,     If  Motion  was  eternally  Caufed 
 
 by 
 
($o  A  Demonftration  of  the 
 
 by  fomc  Eternal  Intelligent  Being  ;    this  alfo   Is 
 granting  the  Quellion,  as  to  the  prefent  Difpute. 
 If  ii  was  of  it  lelf  Neceflary  and  Self-exiftent  -,  then 
 it  follows,    that    it  mud  be  a  Contradidion  in 
 Terms,    to  fuppofe  any  Matter  to  be  at  Refl  : 
 ^  t^^'  ^4-  -^^^^  y^^  '^^  ^^  ^-^vci^  time,  becaufe  the  "^  Determi- 
 nation of  this  Self-exiflent  Motion  mud  be  every 
 ivay  at  once,  the  Effe6l  of  it  could  be  nothing 
 clfe  but  a  perpetual  Reft.     Befides,  (as  there  is  no 
 End  of  Abfurdities  when  they  once  begin,  j  it  muft 
 alio  imply  a  Contradicflion,   to  fuppofe  that  there 
 might  poffthh  have  been  originally  77iore  or  lefs  Mo- 
 tion   in  the  Univerfe    than    there    aofiiallj  was  : 
 "Which  is  fo  very  abfurd  a  Confequence,  that  Spi- 
 noxa  himfelf,  though  he  exprefly  afferts  all  Things 
 -  Spino.^  Ethic.  Par.  f-     ^o  be  Necejar,    yn  feems   aflia- 
 Prop.  53.  com  fared  with  Part     med  here  ^  to  Ipeak  out  his  Opi- 
 II.  Prop.  15.  Lemma  3.  nion,    or  rather  plainly    contra- 
 
 di6ts  himfelf  in  the  Queflion  about  the  Original  of 
 Motion.  But  if  it  be  faid,  laftly,  that  Motion, 
 without  any  Nece/Tity  in  its  own  Nature,  and  with- 
 out any  External  Necefiary  Caufe,  has  exifted 
 from  Eternity,  merely  by  an  Endlefs  Succeflive 
 Communication  •,  as  t  Spinoza^ 
 f  Corpus  motum  velquief-     inconfillently  enough,    feems  to 
 
 cens,  ad  motum  vel  quietem  ,^^^^^  .  yj^jg  j  j.^^^^  before  fllOWn, 
 determinari    debuit     ab    alio        .  -r,        rr^rxo  1  r^ 
 
 corpore,    quod  etiam  ad  mo-  T^  my  PrOof  of  the  ^   Secomi  Gc- 
 
 tum  vel  quierem   determina-  neral     Propofltion    of    this      Dlf- 
 
 tum  fuicab  alio,  8c  illud  itc-     courfe,)  to  be  a  plain  Contradic- 
 
 :r.thtVanu!;:;S    L°"--    I^  remai- therefore,  dm 
 lemmd  3.  Motion  mult  ot  JNeceliity  be  Ori- 
 
 ginally Caufed  by  Sometliing  that 
 *  p(tg.  1 1,  is  Intelligent  ;  or  elfc  there  never  could  have  been 
 ^^'-  any  fuch  Thing  as  Motion  in  the  World.     And 
 
 confequently  the  Self-exiftent  Being,  the  Original 
 Cauie  of  all  Things  ;  (whatever  it  be  luppofcd  to 
 be,)  mui\  of  Neceffiry  be  .7;:  Intelli^nt  Beings 
 
 From 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  X).  6t 
 
 From  hence  it  follows  again,  that  the  Material 
 World,  cannot  polTibly  be  the  Original  Self-Ex- 
 iftent  Being.  For  fince  the  Self-Exiftent  Be- 
 ing, is  demonllrated  to  be  Intelligent  ;^  and 
 the  Material  World  plainly  is  not  lb  •,  it  fol- 
 lows that  the  Material  World  cannot  pofllbly  be 
 Self-Exiflent.  "What  Some  have  fondly  imagi- 
 ned concerning  a  Soul  of  the  PP^'orld  \  if  thereby 
 they  mean  a  Created,  Dependent  Being  *,  figni- 
 fies  nothing  in  the  prefent  Argument.  But  it 
 they  underftand  thereby  Something  Neceflary 
 and  Self-Exiftent  -,  then  it  is  nothing  elfe,  but  a 
 falfe,  corrupt,  and  imperfed  Notion  of  God. 
 
 IX.  "The  Self-exlftent  and  Original  Caufe  of  all  That  the 
 "things,  is  not  a  neceffary  Agent,  but  a  Being  i^^^^^^f;!^^^ 
 with  Liberty  and  Choice.      The   contrary  to  this^^^^/^ 
 Proportion,  is  the  Foundation   and  the  Sum  otFreej£;m. 
 what  Spinoza  and  his  Followers  have  afferted  con- 
 cerning the  Nature  of  God.      What   Rcafons  or 
 ilrguments  they  have  offered  for  their  Opinion,  I 
 Ihall  have  occafion  to  confider  briefly  in  my  Proof 
 of  the  Proportion  it  felf.     The  Truth  of  which, 
 appears 
 
 I/?,  In  that  it  is  a  NecefTary  Confequence  of  the  This  a  ne- 
 foregoing  Propofition.      For  Intelligence  without  ^^'^^^^^^ 
 Liberty  (as  I  there  hinted)  is  really  (in  refped  ol  theforego-, 
 any  Power,  Excellence,  or  Perfedion,)  no  Intelli- ing  fro^oji-^ 
 gence  at  all.     It  is  indeed  a  Confciotfnefs,^  but  it  is/''^'^^ 
 merely  a  PaJ/ive  One  •,    a  Confcioufnefs,    not_  of 
 Ading,  but  purely  of  being  A6ted  upon.     With- 
 out Liberty,  nothing  can  in   any    tolerable  Pro^ 
 priety    of'  Speech,  be  faid  to  be  an  Agent,  or 
 Caufe  of  any  thing.     For  to  Ad  neceffarily,    is 
 really  and  properly  not  to  Ad  at  all,  but  only  to 
 be  Aded  upon.     What  therefore  Spinoza  and  his 
 Followers  afTert  concerning  the  Produdion  of  all 
 
 Things 
 
^2  A  "T^emonjiration  of  the 
 
 *  Ex  neceflitate  Divine     Things  ^   from  the  Neceffity  of* 
 mru^x^  infinira  infinitis  mo-     the  Divine  Nature,  is    mere   Tar-^ 
 
 disiequi  dcbent.     Ethis.  Par.  .      ^  i  '       •  i  *^ 
 
 l.Prop.iS.  gon     ^^d    Words   Without    any 
 
 meaning  at  alL  For  if  by  the 
 NecefHty  of  the  Divine  Nature  they  underiland 
 not  the  Perfection  and  Rectitude  of  his  Will, 
 whereby  God  is  unalterably  determined  to  do  al- 
 ways what  is  befl:  in  the  whole  ;  (as  confefiedly 
 they  do  not ;  becaufe  this  is  confiftent  with  the 
 moil  perfe6l  Liberty  and  Choice  -,)  but,  on  the 
 contrary,  mean  an  Abfolute  and  flri6tly  Natural 
 NeceiTity  :  It  follows  evidently,  that  when  they 
 fay,  God  by  the  Neceffity  of  his  Nature,  is  the 
 Caufe  and  Author  of  all  Things  ;  they  under- 
 Hand  him  to  be  a  Caufe  or  Agent  in  no  other 
 fenfe,  than  as  if  a  Man  fliould  fay,  that  a  Stone, 
 by  the  Neceffity  of  its  Nature,  is  the  Caufe  of 
 its  own  falling  and  ftriking  the  Ground  :  "Which 
 is  really  not  to  be  an  Agent  or  Caufe  at  all  •,  But 
 their  Opinion  amounts  to  this,  that  all  things  are 
 equally  Self-Exiflent,  and  confequently  that  the 
 Material  World  is  God :  Which  I  have  before 
 proved  to  be  a  Contradidlion.  In  like  manner, 
 when  they  fpeak  of  the  Intelligence  and  Know- 
 ledge of  God  ;  they  mean  to  attribute  thefe 
 Powers  to  him  in  no  other  fenfe,  than  the  antient 
 See  a  very  Hyiozoicks  attributed  them  to  all  Matter  ;  that  is, 
 Tm^Tof  ^^^^^  ^  Stone,  when  it  falls,  has  a  Senfation  and 
 iifr. Hobbs, Confcioufnefs ',  but  that  That  Confcioufnefs  is  no 
 f/V(//^^oi;f,  Caufe  at  all,  or  Power,  of  A6ling.  Which  kind 
 ^^^-  S7'  of  Intelligence,  in  any  tolerable  Propriety  of 
 Speech,  is  no  Intelligence  at  all.  And  confe- 
 quently the  Arguments,  that  proved  the  Supreme 
 Caufe  to  be  properly  an  Intelligent  and  Adlive  Be- 
 ing ;  do  alfo  undeniably  prove  that  he  is  likewife 
 indued  with  Liberty  and  Choice,  which  alone  is  the 
 Power  of  A  ding, 
 ,     .  2dly,  If 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go dJ  6^ 
 
 idly^  If  the  Supreme  Caufe,  is  not  a  Being  in-  Proved 
 dued  with  Uherty  and  Choice,  but  a  mere  ^'ecef--^^^^^'^'^^ 
 fary  Agent,  whofe  Adions  are  all  as   abfoluteIy^^^;>^^^^ 
 and  naturally  NecefTary  as  his  Exiilence :    Then  Difpofaioft 
 it  will  follow,  that  nothing  which  is  not,  ^  could^/  J^^''^* 
 poffibiy  have    been  -,    and    that  nothing  which  i^^jvorld; 
 could  poffibly  not  have  been  *,    and  that  no  Modew//^^» 
 or  Circumftance  of  the  Exiilence   of    any  thing, ^^>^''/'' 
 could  pojffihly  have  been  in  any  refpe^l  otherwife,  J.^^^^^J^^ 
 than  it  now  kdually  is.     All  which  being  evident-/(>r  the  Ne- 
 ly  mofl-  falfe  and  abfurd  :    it  follows  on  the  con- <^^^fy<f  all 
 trary,  that  the  Supreme  Caufe  is  not  a  mere  necef-"^  '"'^^' 
 fary  Agent,  but  a  Being  indued  with  Liberty  and 
 Choice. 
 
 The  ^  Confequence  ;    viz.    that 
 
 if  the  Supreme  Caufe  be  a  Necef-  *  AHi  putant  Deum  cflc 
 ^         4      ^         ,  ,  .  1-1       cauiam   liberam,      propterca 
 
 fary  Agent,  then  nothmg   which     quod  poteft,  m  putant,  efH- 
 
 is  not,  could  pojflbly  have  been  ^  cere  uc  ea  quae  ex  ejus  natu- 
 and  nothing  which  is,    could  poffi-      ralequidiximus,  hoc  eft,  quae 
 
 hly  either^  not  have  been,  or  have  ged  hoc  idem  eft  ac  fi  dicerenc 
 been  different    from    what  'tis:     quod  Deus  poteft  efficerc,  uc 
 
 This,  I  fay,    is  exprefsly  owned  bv      exnaturatrianguh'non  fequa- 
 
 Spinoza,  to  be  the  unavoidable  ^fl^' nrrX'^Eglt: 
 Confequence  of  his  own  Opnil-  fatis  dare  oftendifTe  puto.  a 
 on.     And  accordingly  he   endea-     Turn  ma  Dei  Potentia  omnia, 
 
 vours  to  maintain,  that  no  ning,     Zf^t':^'"^:  ^V""^' 
 
 ,^7       .   „    .-    '        ^^         rr'j  •  P^^  eadem  fieceflitate  lequij 
 
 or  Mode  of  Exijtence  of  any  Things      eodem  modoacexnaturatri- 
 
 COUld  pofilbly  have  been  in  any    re-      anguH  ab  ^terno  &  in  aeter- 
 
 num  fequitur,  ejus  tresangu- 
 losaequari  duobus  re£lis.     Zthic.  Par,  I.  Schol.  ad  Frop.  17. 
 
 Omnia  ex  neceftitatc  naturos  divince  determinata  funt,  non  tantamadex- 
 iftendum,  fed  etiam  ad  certo  modo  exifteadum  8c  operandumj  nullumq; 
 darurContingens.     Demonjirat.  Prop,  29. 
 
 Sires  alterius  naturae  potuiffent  efle,  vel  alio  modo  ad  operandum  deter- 
 minari,  ut  naturx  ordo  almsefler:  ergo  Dei  etiam  natura  alia  poftet  efte 
 quam]3.m  e^.     Prop.  ''^'^.  Ve?xicn/lr at. 
 
 Quicquid  concipimus  in  Dei Poreftate elTe,  idnecefiario  eft.  Prop,  ^y, 
 
 Deum  non  operari  ex  libertate  Voluntatis:  Corol.  ad  Prop,  32. 
 
 Res  nullo  alio  modo,  neq;  alio  ordine  a  Deo  produci  potuerant,  quam 
 wodudse  funt.  Prop.  ?^/ 
 
 fpeSl 
 
^4  ^  ^emonfhdtim  of  the 
 
 fpeEi  different  from  \vbat  it  noiv  atluall^  is,     Hi5 
 Realbns  are-,  (i)  becaufe  "{from 
 an  Infinitely  perfect   Nature^    infi- 
 nite  "things  in    infinite    Manners^ 
 mufi  needs  proceed -^  and  f  2.)  |  be- 
 caufe, if  any   thing   could  poffibly 
 he  otberzvife  than  it  is,  the  Will  and 
 Nature  of  God  muft  be  fuppofed  ca- 
 pable of  change  ;  and  (3.J    *    be- 
 caufe if  all  pojfihle   Things   in  all 
 poffible  Manners  do  not  always  and 
 neceffarily  exift,  they  yiever  can  All 
 exifl  i  but  fome  Things ^  that  do  not 
 exift,    zvill  flill  always    be  poffbk* 
 only,  and  never  can  aclually  exift  y 
 and  fo  the    Aclual  Omnipotence  of 
 God  is  taken  away.     The  Firft  of 
 thefe  Arguments,  is  a  plain  beg- 
 ging of  the  Queflion.     For,  that 
 an  infinitely  Perfedl  Nature,  is  a- 
 hie  indeed  to     produce    Infinite 
 Things   in  Infinite  Manners,     is 
 certainly  true  :    But  that  it  Muft 
 always  aclually  do  fo,  by  an  a^bfo" 
 lute  iSfeceffity  of  Nature,    without 
 any  Power  of  Choice,  either  as  to  Time  or  Man- 
 ner or  Circumllances  ;    does  by  no  means  follow 
 from  the  Perfedion  of  its  Nature,  unlefs  it  be  firft 
 fuppofed  to  be  a  Neceffary   Agent  ;    Which  is  the 
 very  Queflion  begged,    that  was   to  be  proved. 
 The  »^^^oW  Argument,  is  fif  poffible)  flili  weaker  : 
 For  how  does  it  follow,  if  God,  according  to  his 
 eternal  unerring  Piirpofe  and   Infinite  Wifdom, 
 produces  different  Things  at  different  Times  and 
 in  different  Manners  ;  that  therefore  the  Will  and 
 Nature  of  God,  is  changeable  ?  It  might  exactly 
 as  well  be  argued,  that  if  God  (according  to  .S/i- 
 noza'^  Suppofitionj  does  Always  necelTarily  pro 
 
 duce 
 
 f  Exneceflirare  dh'ince  na- 
 turx,  infinita  infinitis  modis 
 iequidebent.    Trop,  16. 
 
 -I-  Si  res  alterius  narurcc  po- 
 tuiflentcfie,  vcUlio  modo  ad 
 operandum  determinari  j  ut 
 naturae  Ordo  alius  eilet;  Ergo 
 Dei  etiam  natura  alia  pollet 
 cile,  qiiamjam  eft.  Prop.  33. 
 Demonjlrat. 
 
 •*  Immo  adverfarii,  [qui 
 xiegant  ex  neceflitate  divinx 
 naturx  omnia  necell'ario  flu- 
 ere,J  Dei  Omniporentiam  ne- 
 gate videntur.  Coguntur  e- 
 nim  fareri,  Dcum  intiniracre- 
 abilia  intelligerc,  qux  tamen 
 nunquam  crearepoterit.  Nam 
 alias  i  Ti  fcilicet, omnia,  qux 
 inteliigit,  crearerj  fuam,  jux- 
 taiplbs,  exhauriret  Omnipo- 
 tentiam,  6c  le  imperfc<rtum 
 jedderet.  Uc  igirur  Deum 
 perfed^um  ftatuant,  eo  redi- 
 ^untur,  ut  iimul  ftatuere  dc- 
 beant,  ipllim  non  pofle  omnia 
 cfficcre,  ad  qux  ejus  potentia 
 fe  extendit.    Cor  oil.  ad  Prop. 
 
 17- 
 
Beitlg  and  Attributes  of  Go  13.  ^i 
 
 duce  all  ^o^ihltBifferences  and  Varieties  of  Things  %  X 
 therefore  his  Will  arid  Nature  is  Jlways  necefiari- 
 ly  infinicely  various^  unequal^    and  dijfimilar  to  it 
 felf.     And  as  to  the  'Third  Argument,    (which  is 
 mere  Metaphyfical  Trifling  ;)  it  is  juft  fuch  Rea- 
 foning  as  if  a  Man  ftiould  argue,  that  if  all  polli- 
 ble  [Eternal]    Duration  be  not  Always  adually 
 Exhauiled,  it  never  can  be  All  Exhaufted  •,    and 
 that  therefore  fo  the  Eternity  of  God  is  taken  a-  ,^ 
 way.     Which  fort  of  arguing,  6very  one  at  firft  ' 
 fight  difcerns  the  Weaknels  of. 
 
 But  whatever  the  Arguments  were,  and  if  they 
 were  never  fo  much  more  plaufible  than  they  re- 
 ally are  *,  Yet  the'  AJferiiQ?i  itfelf,  \yiz^  'That  no 
 Things  or  Mode  of  Exiftence  of  any  'Things  could, 
 polTibly  have  been  made  in  any  refpeh  different  from 
 what  it  a^ually  is  ;  is  fo  palpably  abfurd  and 
 falfe,  fo  contradidlory  to  Experience  and  the  Na- 
 ture of  Things,  and  to  the  moil  obvious  and 
 common  Reafpn  of  Mankind  ;  that  of  it  felf  it 
 immediately,  and  upon  the  firfl  hearing,  fuffici- 
 ently  confutes  any  Principle  of  which  it  is  a  Con- 
 fequencc.  For,  all  things  in  the  World  appear 
 plainly  to  be  the.  moft  Arbitrary  that  can  be 
 imagined  -,  and  to  be  wholly  the  Effeds,  not  of 
 Neceffity^  but  of  Wifdom  and  Choice.  A  Ne^ 
 ceffity  indeed  of  Fitnefs ;  that  is,  that  Things  y 
 could  not  have  been  Otherwife  than  they  are, 
 without  diminifhing  the  Beauty,  Order,  and 
 Well-being  of  the  Whole  ;  there  may  be,  and 
 (as  far  as  we  can  apprehend)  there  certainly  is. 
 But  this  is  lb  far  from  ferving  our  Adversaries 
 Purpofe,  that,  on  the  contrary,  'tis  a  dire6t  De- 
 monftration  that  all  things  were  made  and  order- 
 ed by  TiFree  and  Wife  Agent.  That  therefore 
 which  I  affirm,  contradictory  to  Spinoza's  Afler- 
 ition,  is  •,  that  there  is  not  the  leaft  appearance 
 of  an  Abfoiute  i^^cejfity  of  Nature^  (fo  as  that  any 
 
 F  ,  Varia^ 
 
66  A  ^emonftration  of  the 
 
 Variation  would  imply  a  Contfadidion,)    in  any 
 of  thefe  Things.     Motion  it  felf,  and  all  its  Quan- 
 tities and  Diredions,  with  the  Laws  of    Gravlta-- 
 tion^  are  intirely  Arbitrary  ;    and  might  poffibJy 
 have   been  altogether  different  from  what   they 
 now  are.     The  Nu??iher  and  Motion  of   the  Hea- 
 venly  Bodies^  have  no  manner  of  Neceffity  in  the 
 Nature  of  the  Things  themfelves.      The  Number 
 of  the  Planets,  might  have  been  greater  or  lefs. 
 Their  Motion  upon  their  own  Axes,    might  have 
 been  in  any  proportion  fwifter  or  flower  than  it 
 now  is.       And  the  DireBion  of   all    their   pro- 
 grefTive  Motions,  both  of    the  primary  and   fe- 
 condary  Planets,  uniformly  from  Weft  to  Eaft, 
 (when  by  -^  the  Motion   of    Co- 
 -k  Namdum  Cometh  mo-     '^''^^  ^^  appears  there  was  no  Ne- 
 ventur  in  Orbibus  valde  ec-     cefTity   but  that    they   might  as 
 ccntricis,  undiq^  Sc  quoquo-     eafily  have  moved  in  all  imagina- 
 verfum  in  ornnes  atli  parres ;     ^j^  tranfverfe  Diredions  ',)    is  an 
 
 utiq;  nulio  modo  hen  potuir,  ,      '>'       . 
 
 ut  ca:co  fato  tribuendum  fit,  evident  proot    that   thele    things 
 
 quod  Planeta:  in  ovbibus  con-  are  folely  the  Effect  of  Wifdom 
 
 centricis  Motu   confimili  fe-  ^^^  Choicc.         There    is    not  thc 
 
 rantur  codem  omnes. ^     n  r     xt       rr 
 
 Tarn  miram  unifoimiratem  leaft    appearance    ot     Neceflity, 
 
 in  Planetarum  Syllema^e,  ne-      but    that    all    thefe     things     7night 
 
 ceOario  fatendum  eft  Intelli-     poffibly  have  been  infinitely  va- 
 
 eentia  Sc   Conhlio  ruille  ef-      -'^    j  ^  i     •  r         r^      /i- 
 
 feaam.  Kmton.  otuc.  f,g,     ^ed  from  their  prefent  Conftitu- 
 345-.  tion  :  And  (as  the  late  improve- 
 
 ments   in    Aftronomy   difcover) 
 
 they  are   actually  liable  to  very  great  Changes. 
 
 £very  thing  upon  Earthy  is  ftill  more  evidently 
 .^  j^ggj^yijQ  arbitrary  ;  and  plainly  the  Product,  not  of  Ne- 
 alio  modo,  cefTity ,  but  Will.  What  abfolute  NecefTity,  for 
 neqj  alio  juft  fuch  a  Number  of  Species  of  Animals  or  Plants  ? 
 Deo  "ro-^  Or  Who  without  blufhing  dare  affirm,  that  *  nei- 
 dud  pcKu-  ^^^^  ^^^  Form,  nor  Order,  nor  any  the  rainuteft 
 crunt,  Circumftance  or  Mode  of  Exiftence  of  any  of 
 g^^^P[°^- thefe  Things,  could  pffihly  have  been  in  the  leaft 
 %«^1^"«;  ^^^^^fi^-d  by  thc  Supreme  Caufe  ? 
 
Being  and  Attributes  o/GodI  6f 
 
 To  give  but  one  Inftance.     In    all  the  greater 
 Species  of  Animals,    Where  was  the    NeGeffity 
 for  that  t  conformity  we  obferve 
 in  the  Number   and  Likenefs  of       \/^^^^^  -n^'^^^^'a  ^"^ 
 
 ,,,.--,.      .      ,  «  _       ,  3         J      unijornntate  ilia,    djGc  elt   in 
 
 all  their  Principal  Members  f  and     coiporibus  Animalium :  viz.. 
 
 How  would  it  have  been   a   Con-      Neccfiario  fatendum  eft,    Ir* 
 
 tradition,  to  fuppofe  any  or  all     tdJiRenria  Sc  Confiiio  fuiffe 
 ^     ,  '      .        -t  r  J  eftedam.  Neumi.  Optic,  tag, 
 
 of  them  varied  from  what  they     ^^^  ^      ^  ^ 
 
 now  are  ?  To  fuppofe  indeed  the 
 continuance  of  Juch  Monfters,  as  Lucretius  ima- 
 gines to  have  perifhed  for  want  of  their  princi- 
 pal Organs  of  Life  ;  is  really  a  Contradidion. 
 But  how  would  it  have  been  a  Contradidion  for 
 a  whole  Species  of  Hor/es  or  Oxen  to  have  fub- 
 fifted  with  Six  Eegs^  or  Four  Ejes  ?  But  'tis  a 
 Shame  to  infill  longer  upon  fo  plain  an  Argu- 
 ment. 
 
 It  might  have  been  objeded  with  much  more 
 Plaufiblenefs,  that  the  Supreme  Caufe  cannot  be 
 Free^  becaufe  he  muft  needs  do  always  what  is  ^ 
 Beft  in  the  whole.  But  this  would  not  at  all  ferve 
 Spinoza's  Purpofe*  For  this  is  a  NecefTity,  not 
 of  Nature  and  Fate^  but  of  Fitnefs  and  Wifdom  ; 
 a  Necefficy,  confiftent  with  the  greateft  Freedom 
 and  moft  perfe6l  Choice.  For  the  only  Founda- 
 tion of  this  Neceflity,  is  fuch  an  unalterable  Redli- 
 tude  of  Willj  and  Perfedion  of  Wifdom,  as 
 makes  it  impolTible  for  a  Wife  Being  to  refolve 
 to  Acl  foolifhly  j  or  for  a  Nature  infinitely  Good, 
 to  choofe  to  do  that  which  is  Evil.  Of  which  I 
 Jhall  have  Occajion  to  /peak  more  hereafter^  when  I 
 come  to  deduce  the  Moral  Attributes  of  God, 
 
 ^dly.  If  there  be  any  Final  Caufe  of  any  xKm^the  fume 
 in  the  Univerfe  \  then  the  Supreme  Caufe,  is  ^^H^^l^'p^^^f 
 a  Neceflary,  but  a  Free  Agent.    This  Confequence '^^^^^'"^ 
 alfo,    Spinoza  acknowledges  to   be  unavoidable.  . 
 And   herefore  he  has  no  other  way  left,  but  with    r 
 F  2  a 
 
■68  A  Demonjlration  of  the 
 
 f  Naturam  Tmem  nullum     a  ftrange  Confidence  to  t  expofd 
 fibiprccfixum  habere,  Scorn;     ^jj  Final  Caufes,    as  the  Fiaions 
 
 ne<;  caulas  Finales,    ninii  nili         ^.  ^      jr  n-  •         a/t 
 
 humana  elTe  Figmenta.    Ap-  of  Ignorant  and  fuperftitious  Men : 
 
 fendix  adProp.  56.  And  to  "^  laugh  at  thofe  who  are 
 
 *   Orulos  ad  videndum,  f^  foolifh  and  childifh  as  to  fancy, 
 
 dentes  ad  mafticandum,  her-  ^1^77  jr^j        j  c^^   ji 
 
 bas  6c  animantia  ad  alimen-  that  Eyes  were  defigned. and  fitted 
 turn,  Solemadilluminandum,  .   tO  Tc"^  with,     Teeth  tO   cbew  with, 
 
 marc  ad  alendum  pifces,  8cc.  Pqq^  iq  \)q  eaten  for   Nourifljinent^ 
 
 ^^'i'r  1,  ,•        .       the  Sun  to  give  LMt^  &c.       I 
 
 Nullasunquamrationescir-      ^  .      &  <^     '    ^' 
 
 cares  naturaks  a  F.»^.  quern      fuppole    It    Will    not    bethought, 
 
 Deusaut  Natura  in  ijs  facien-     that,  when  once  a  Man  comes  to 
 
 dislibipropofuir  defumemus.      ^j^jg     ^^  ^3   ^^  ^^^   difputed  with  a- 
 C<»r/«^.  Pnncip.  Far.I.§.28.  '  ,^^,     ^  .      - 
 
 ny  longer.       Whoever    pleales, 
 
 may  for  Satisfa6tion  on  this  Head,    confult  Galen 
 -de  tffii  Partium^  Tully  de  natura  'Deorum^  Mr  Boyle 
 .of  Final  Caufes^  and  Mr  Ray  of  theWifdoyn  of  God 
 in  the  Creation.       I  iliall   only  obferve  this  One 
 thing  ;    that  the  larger  the   Improvements   and 
 Difcoveries  are,  which  are  daily  made  in  Aflro- 
 nomy  and  Natural  Philofophy  ;  the  more  clearly 
 is  this  Queflion  continually  determined,    to    the 
 •Shame  and  Confufton  of  Atheifls. 
 From  the        ^.thly.  If  the  Supreme  Caufe  be  a  mere  Necefla- 
 ^Cr!17Jd  '^-^y  Ag^nt,  'tis  impoffible  Any  Effe.'i  or  Produd 
 haings,       of  That  Caufe  fhould  be  Finite.      For  fince  that 
 which  ads  necefiTarily,  cannot  govern  or  dire6l  its 
 own  Adions  *,  but  mull  neceflarily  produce  what- 
 .ever  can  be  the  Effed  or  Produd  of  its  Nature  : 
 'Tis  plain,    every  Effed  of  fuch  an  Infinite  Uni- 
 form Nature  ading  every  where  neceflarily  alike, 
 muft  of  NeceiTity  be  Immenfe,  or  Infinite  in  Ex- 
 ten  fion  :  And  fo  no  Creature  in  the  Univerfe  could 
 polTibly  be  Finite :  Which  is  infinitely  abfurd  and 
 contrary  to  Experience.      Spinoza^    to  fhuffle  ofi:' 
 this  Abfurdity,  exprefies  the  Con- 
 ■*Exnecenitatedmna:na.     fequence    of    his   Dodrine  thus; 
 tura:,  mfinita  infinitis  modis      rj^t   ^  jl    c  *i.      AT^    (T t      ,^  *l.^ 
 
 fequi  debent.    Ethic,  Par.  I.      ^^^^       A^^    ^^^   Necefflty   of  the 
 
 JOrop.  16,  Divine    Nature^     infinite    Things 
 
 (meaning 
 
Being  and  Attrikites  of  G  o  d.^  €^ 
 
 (meaning  infinitcin-KumberJ  hi  infimte  Manners 
 viuft  needs  follow.  But  whoever  reads  his  Demon- 
 ftration  of  this  Propofidon,  can  hardly  fail  to 
 obferve,  (if  he  be  at  all  ufed  to  fuch  Speculati- 
 ons,) that  if  it  proved  any  thing  at  ail,  it  would 
 equally  prove,  that  fro7n  the  Iseceffity  of  the  Di- 
 wie  Nature.,  only  Infinite  mngs  (meaning  Infinite 
 in  ExtenfionJ  can  poffihly  arife.  Which  Demon- 
 llrationaTone,  is  a  fufficient  Confutation  of  the^ 
 Opinion  it  was  defigned  to  eilablilh. 
 
 Sthly.  If  the  Supreme  Caufe  be  not  a  Free  and  ^nJ from 
 Voluntary  Agent  •,  then  in  every  Effed,    (for  'm-f^^'f^^poj/^- 
 ftance,  in  Motion,)  there  muft  have  been  a  Pro- ^^^2/ '''' 
 greflion  of  Caufes  in  infinitu?n,  without  any  On- succejl^on 
 ginal  Caufe  at  all.     For  if  there  be  no  Liberty  a-^'/  Caufeu 
 ny  where.;    then  there   is  no  Jgent -,    no  Caufe^ 
 Mover^    Principle.,    or  Beginning  of   Motion  any 
 where.       Every  thing  in  the  Univerfe  muft  be 
 Pafjive^  and  nothing  A^ive  :  Every  thing  Moved.,    , 
 and  no  Mover  :  Every  thing  Effecf,  and  nothing  ^ 
 Caufe.     Spinoza  indeed,  (as  has  been  already   ob- 
 ferved,)    refers  all  things  to  ^the  Necejfity   of   the 
 Divine  Nature.,  as  their  real  Caufe  and  Original  : 
 But  this  is  mere  Jargon,    and  Words  without  a- 
 ny  Signification  ;    and  will  not  at    all  help  him 
 over  the  prefent  Difficulty.     For  if  by  things  Ex- 
 ifling  through  the  Neceffity  of  the  Divine  Nature^ 
 he  means  Ahfolutely  a  Necejfity  of  Exiflence  ;  fo  as 
 to  make  the  World  and  every  thing  in  it,    Self- 
 exiftent  •,  then  it  follows  (as  I  have  before  fhownj 
 that  it  muft   be  a  Contradiftion  in  Terms,    to 
 fuppofe  Motion.,  &c.  not  to  Exift  :  Which  Spino^ 
 za  himfelf  is  afhamed  to  alTert.     But  if  therefore, 
 by  the  Necejfity  of  the  Divine  Nature.,   he  means 
 only  the  Nee ejfary  following  of  an   EffeEi  froin  its 
 Caufe.,  or  the  Caufe  necejfarily  producing  its  EffeEi  *, 
 this  Neceffity  muft  ftill  always  be  determined  by 
 fgrnqthing  antecedent,  and  fo  on  infinitely.     And 
 
 F  3  this 
 
A  'DemonftYation  of  the 
 this,  Spimza  ("though  fometimes  he  feems  to  mean 
 the  Qnhcr  and  equally  abfurd  SenfeJ  exprefly  owns 
 in  feme  Places  to  be  his  Meaning. 
 
 ■^  There  can  he  no  Volition^  faith 
 he,  hut  from  fome  Caufe^  which 
 Catife  muft  likewife  he  caufed  by  fome 
 ether  Catife^  and  fo  on  infimtely. 
 Again  \  Will.,  f  faith  he,  belongs 
 to  the  Nature  of  God,  no  otherwife 
 than  Motion  and  Reft  do  -,  So  that 
 God  can  no  more  properly  be  faid 
 to  aol  by  the  Liberty  of  his  Will^ 
 than  by  the  Liberty  of  Amotion  and 
 Reft,  And  what  the  Original  of 
 Motion  and  Reft  is,  he  tells  us  in 
 tliefe  Words :  \.  Every  Body  in 
 Motion^  or  at  Reft^  muft  have  been 
 determined  to  that  Motion  or  Reft 
 oy  feme  other  Eody^  which  muft  it 
 felf  likewife  have  been  determined 
 by  a  third  \  and  fo  on  in  infinitu?n. 
 And  thus,  £mct  Motion  is  not  in 
 any  one  of  its  Stages  of  Commu- 
 nication a  Neceffary  Self-cxlftent  Being,  (becaufe  the 
 Body  moved,  may  always,  without  a  Contra- 
 di6lion,  have  been  imagined  to  be  at  Reft,  and 
 is  fuppcfed  net  to  have  Motion  from  it  Mf,  but 
 from  another  ;J  the  Opinion  of  Spinoza  plainly 
 recurs  to  an  Infinite  Succefjion  of  dependent  Beings 
 produced  one  from  another  in  an  endlefs  Progrejjionr, 
 fjoithout  any  Original  Caufe  at  all  Which  Notion 
 I  have  already  (in  the  Proof  of  the  fecojid  Gene- 
 ral Head  of  this  DifcourfeJ  demonftrated  to  im- 
 ply a  Cbhtradidion.  And  fmce  therefore  there 
 is  no  other  poffible  way  to  avoid  this  Abfurdity, 
 but  by  granting  that  there  muft  be  fomewhere  a 
 Principle  of  Motion  and  Adtion,  which  is  Liber- 
 ty ;  I  fuppoie  it  by  this  time  fufficiently  proved, 
 
 that 
 
 70 
 
 *  Unaquaiqi  Voliiio  ncn  po- 
 tcfl  exiflere,  ncqi  ad  operan- 
 duin  determinarii  nili  ab  a!ia 
 caufa  determincrur,  6c  hsec 
 rurius  abalia^  5c  lie  porro  in 
 infinitum.  Prop.  3^.  Demonjlr, 
 
 f  Voluntas  ad  Deinaruram 
 lion  magis  pertincr,  quam  rc- 
 3iqua  naruraliai  fed  ad  ipfara 
 eodern  modo  feie  habet,  uc 
 MomsSvQuies. 
 
 Deus  non  rr\ii2}^  t'ici  poteft 
 ex  Libertare  V(  Ijnatis  agere, 
 tquam  dici  poteft  ex  libertsre 
 Motus  Sc  Qaiers  agere.  Co- 
 roll,  ad  Prop.  52. 
 
 4-  Corpusmotum  velquief- 
 cens,  ad  motum  vel  quietem 
 dererminari  debuit  ab  ah'o 
 corppre,  quod  ctiam  ad  mo- 
 tum vel  quictein  derermin3- 
 tumfuit  ab  alio^  gc  il!ud  ire- 
 rum  ab  alio  J  Sc  fic  in  infini- 
 tum. I.thic.  Far.  II.  I- rap. 
 .33.  Lemma  3. 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God,  7 1 
 
 that  the  Supreme  Caufe  muft  be  a  Being  indued 
 with  Liberty  and  Choice. 
 
 From  what  has  been  faid   upon  this  Head,    it  J^^^  ^'' 
 fafficiently  appears,  that  Liberty  is  not  in  it  felf, ,^JlJfei/an 
 and  in  the  very  Notion  of    the  Thing,    an  Mo-  impcjfible 
 lute  Contradidion  and  ImpofTibihty  ;  as  the  Plea- ^«^'''''^''^^- 
 ders  for  NecelTity  and  Fate  contend  that  it  is,  d.nd^J^J'^'^  ^^' 
 place    the   chief  Strength  of  their  Argument    in 
 that  Suppofition.     For,  that  which  actually  is ;  is 
 certainly  not   impolTible.       And  it  has    already 
 been  proved,  that  Liberty  actually  is  ;  nay,    that 
 ^is  impolTible  for  it  not  to  be,    in  the  firft  and 
 Supreme  Caufe.      The  Principal  Argument  ufcd 
 by  the  Maintainers  of  Fate  againfl:  the  Pofiibility 
 of  Liberty,  is  this  :  That,  fmce  every  thing  muft 
 have  a  Caufe,  f  every  Volition  or 
 Determination  of  the  Will  of  an        f  Mens  ad  hoc  vd  iJIud 
 
 Intelligent  Being,    muft,    as  all  O-      volendum     determinatur     a 
 
 ther^  things      arife    from    fome     f/^iLn.!"  tl' 
 Caule,  and  That  Caufe  from  fome     ab  alia,  &  fie  in  infinitum, 
 ether  Caufe,  and  fo  on  infinite-     spmoz.a  Ethic  Par,  II.  Prop, 
 ly.       But  now    ('befides    that  in     '^^• 
 This  fort   of    Reafoning,     thefe 
 Men  always  ignorantly  confound  MoraJJlIothes 
 with  Phyfical  Efficients^  between  which  Two  things 
 there  is  noni^nner  oif  relation  :    Befides  This,    I 
 fay,^  this  very   Argument  really  proves   the   di- 
 red  contrary  to  what  they  intend.       For   fince 
 every  thing  muft  indeed  have  a  Caufe  of  its  Be- 
 ing, either  from  without,  or  in  the  NecelTity  of 
 its  own  Nature  ,  and  'tis  a  plain  Contradidion  {'as/'^^.  n,, 
 has  already  been  demonftrated^  to  fuppofe  an  in-  ^^• 
 £nite  Series  of  dependent  Effeds,  none  of  which 
 ^re  Neceffary  in   Themfelves    or  Self-Exiftent  5, 
 therefore  'tis  impofTible  but  there  muft  be  in  the 
 Univerfe  fome  Being,  whofe  Exiftence  is  found- 
 ed in  the  Neceffity   of    its  Owu  Nature  ,    and, 
 
 F  4  whiclx 
 
^2  A  TDemonJlration  of  the 
 
 which,  being  a^iied  upon  by  Nothing  beyond  it 
 fcif,  mud  of  Neceflity  have  in  it  felf  a  Principle 
 of  /idling,  or  Power  of  beginning  Motion, 
 which  is  the  Idea  of  Liberty. .  'Tis  true,  this 
 Argument  proves  only  the  Liberty  of  the  Firft 
 and  Supreme  Caufe,  and  extends  not  indeed  to 
 any  Created  Being :  But  it  evinces  in  General, 
 (which  is  fulHcient  to  my  prefent  purpofe)  that 
 Liberty  is  fo  far  from  being  impolnble  and  con- 
 tradidtory  in  it  felf,  that  on  the  contrary  'tis  im- 
 pofTible  but  that  it  muft  really  Be  fomewhere  : 
 And  this  being  once  eftablilhed,  it  will  be  eafie 
 to  fhow  hereafter,  that  it  is  a  Power  capable  of 
 being  communicated  to  Created  Beings.  Of 
 ^which,  in  its  proper  Place. 
 
 rh^t  the  X.  I'he  Self-Exiftent  Beings  the  Supreme  Caufe'  ef 
 ^^f-ex-  all  ^hinq^s^  mull  of  Neceffit^j  have  infinite  Power, 
 mufilT^'^^^^  Propofition  is  evident,  and  undeniable.  For 
 Ali-foLr-  ^ince  nothing  (as  has  been  already  provedj  can 
 fuL  poflibly  be  Self-Exiftent,    befides  himfelf ;     and 
 
 pa^.  4<J.  confequently  all  Things  in  the  Univerfe  were 
 made  by  Him,  and  are  entirely  dependent  upon 
 Him  -,  and  all  the  Powers  of  all  Things  are  deri- 
 ved from  Him^  and  muft  therefore  be  perfedlly 
 Subjed  and  Subordinate  to  Him  :  'Tis  manifeft 
 that  nothing  can  make  any  Difficulty  or  Refifbance 
 to  the  Execution  of  his  Will  ;  but  he  muft  of 
 NecefTity  have  abfolute  Power  to  do  every  thing 
 he  pleafes,  with  the  perfedlefl  Eafe,  and  in  the 
 perfedefl  Manner,  at  once  and  in  a  Moment, 
 whenever  he  Wills  it.  The  Defcriptions  the 
 Scripture  gives  of  this  Power^  are  fo  lively  and 
 timphatical,  that  I  cannot  Torbear  mentioning  one 
 or  two  PaiTages.  Thus  Job  ix,  4.  He  is  wife  in 
 Hearty  a?id  mighty  in  Stre?2gth  ;  —  which  removetb 
 the  Mountains^  and  the^j  know  it  not ;  which  over^ 
 iurncth  !hf77i  in  bis  An^er^     JVlnch  fhaketk  the  Earth 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God,  73 
 
 tut  of  her  place^  and  the  Pillars  thereof  tremlle. 
 Which  commandeth  the  Sun^  and  it  rifeth  not  \  and 
 fealeth  up  the  Stars.  JVhich  alone  fprcadeth  out  the 
 Heavens^  and  treadeth  upon  the  Waters  of  the  Sea, 
 Which  doth  great  things  pajl  finding  oiit^  ya  and 
 Wonders  without  number.  Again  ;  Hell  is  naked 
 before  him^  and  Deftru^ion  hath  no  covering.  He 
 Jiretcheth  out  th  North  over  the  e?npty  place,  and 
 hangeth  the  Earth  upon  nothing.  He  hindeth  up  the 
 Waters  in  his  thick  Clouds,  and  the  Cloud  is  not  rent 
 under  them,  I'he  Pillars  of  Heaven  tremble,  and 
 are  aftonijhed  at  his  Reproof  He  divideth  the  Sea 
 with  his  Power,  and  by  his  Under/landing  he  fjniteth 
 through  the  Proud,  Lo,  thefe  are  part  of  his  Ways, 
 but  how  little  a  Portion  is  heard  of  him  ?  But  the 
 Thunder  of  his  Power,,  who  can  underfiand  ?  Job 
 xxvi,  6.  So  likewife,  Ifaiah  xl,  12.  Who  has 
 meafured  the  Waters  in  the  Hollow  of  his  Hand 
 and  iueted  out  Heaven  with  the  Span ;  and  compre- 
 hended the  Bufl  of  the  Earth  in  a  Meafure  •,  and 
 weighed  the  Mountains  in  Scales,  and  the  Hills  in  a 
 Balance,  Behold,  the  Nations  are  as  a  drop  of  the 
 Bucket,  and  are  counted  as  thefniall  Dull  of  the  Ba- 
 lance J  behold,  he  taketh  up  the  Ifles  as  a  very  little 
 thing.  All  Nations  before  him  are  as  nothing,  and 
 'they  are  counted  to  him  lefs  than  Nothing,  and  Vani- 
 ty, "To  whom  then  will  ye  liken  God,  or  what  like- 
 nefs  wilt  ye  compare  unto  him  ?  But  I  do  not 
 urge  Authority  to  the  Perfons  I  am  at  prefent 
 fpeaking  to.  'Tis  fufficiently  evident  from  Rea~ 
 fon,,  that  the  Supreme  Caufe  muil  of  NecelTity  be 
 Infinitely  Powerful,  The  only  Queftion  is,  what 
 the  true  meaning  of  what  we  call  Infinite  Power, 
 is  i  and  to  what  things  it  muft  be  underftood  to 
 extend,  or  not  to  extend. 
 
 Now  in  determining  this  Queflion,  there  are 
 fome  Propofitions,  about  which  there  is  no  dif- 
 pure.  Which  therefore  I  ihall  butjufl  mention. 
 A3|  i/.  That 
 
74  A  Demonflration  of  the 
 
 ofvorking     t/.  That  infinite  Power  reaches  to  all  Pq/Jihle 
 ccntradt-    j-j^jj^gg ,     but  cannot    be    faid  to  extend  to  the 
 ^  ^^"^^        working  any  thing  which  implies  a  Contradi^iion  : 
 As,  that  a  Thing  ihould  he  and  ?iol  he  at  the  fame 
 time  ;    that  the  lame  thing  fliould    he  made  and 
 not  he  made,  or  have  heen  and  not  have  heen  ;   that 
 twice  two  fliould  not  make  four,  or  that  l^hat  which 
 is  necejfaril^  Falfe,  ihould  be  T^rue,      The   Reafon 
 whereof  is  plain  :    Becaufe  the  Power  of  making 
 a  Thing  to  be,  at  the  fame  time  that  it  is   not ; 
 is  only  a  Power  of  doing  that  which  is  Nothing, 
 that  is,  no  Power  at  all. 
 Gr  Natural     2dly.  Infinite  Power  cannot  be  faid  to  extend 
 and  Moral^Q    thofe    things,    which  imply  Natural  Imper- 
 ■^"^"''       feclion  in  the  Being  to  whom  fuch  Power  is  af- 
 cribed  :    As,    that  it  lliould   deflroy  its  own  Be- 
 ing, vv'eaken  it  felf,  or  the  like,      Thefe  Things 
 imply  Natural  Imperfection,  and  are  by  all  Men 
 confefied  to  be  fuch,  as  cannot  poffibly  belong  to 
 the  Necefiary  Self-exiftent  Being.     There  are  al- 
 io  other  things  which  imply  Imperfeflion  in  ano- 
 ther kind,  VIZ.  Moral  Imperfe6i:ion  :  Concerning 
 which,    Atheifm   takes  away  the  Subjed  of  the 
 Queftion,    by  denying  wholly    the  Ditterence  of 
 Moral  Good  and  Evil ;    and  therefore  I   fhall  o- 
 mit  the  Confideration  of  them,  'till  I  come  to  de- 
 duce the  Moral  Attributes  of  God. 
 
 But  fom.e  other  Indances  there  are,  in  the  Que-- 
 ilion  about  t\\t  Extent  of  Infinite  Power  ;  where- 
 in the  Principal  Difference  between  us  and  the 
 Atheiils,  (next  to'  the  Queftion,  whether  the  Su- 
 preme Caufe  be  an  Intelligent  Beings  or  not,)  does, 
 in  great  meafure  confift.  As 
 of  the  ift.  That  infinite  Power  includes  a  Power  of 
 
 i^oxper  of   Creating  Matter,     This  has  been   conftantly  de-^ 
 
 Alnttcr. 
 
 i.^eatwg    ^j^^  ^y  ^^Ij  Atheifts,  both  Antient  and  Modern  i. 
 
 and  as  conftantly  affirmed  by  all  who  believe  the 
 B'jing,  und  have  iuft  Notions  of   thQ  Attributes 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  d.  75 
 
 of  God.     The   only  Reafon  which  the  Atheifls 
 have,  or  can  pretend  to  alledge  for  their   Opini- 
 on *,  is,  that  the  Thing  is  in  its  own  Nature  ab- 
 fohitely  ImpofJ'ible.     But  how  does  it  appear  to  be 
 impoflible  ?  Why,  only  becaufe  They  are  not  a- 
 ble  to  comprehend  How  it  can  be.     For,    to   re- 
 duce it  to   a  Contradiction,  (which  is  the  alone 
 real  Impofilbility,)  this  they  are  by  no  means  able 
 to  do.     For,  to  fay  that  fome thing   which  once 
 was  not,  may  fince  have  begun  to  exifl ;    is  nei- 
 ther diredtly,    nor    by  any  Confequence  whatfo- 
 ever,     to  aflert   that   That  which  is  not^    can  he^ 
 while  it  IS  Not  -,    or  that  That  which  /j,    can  Not 
 he,  while  it  is.     'Tis  true  *,  We,  who  have  been 
 ufed  to  converfe  only  with  Generations  and  Cor- 
 ruptions ;  and  never  faw  any  thing  iMade  or  Crea- 
 ted,  but  only  Formed  or  Framed  \  are    apt   to  en- 
 deavour to  conform  cur  Idea  of  Creation  to  that 
 of  Formation ;    and  to  imagine,    that    as    in  all 
 Formations  there  is  fome  Pre-exilling  Matter,  out 
 of  which  a  thing  is  Formed  \  fo   in  Creation  there 
 mufl  be  confidered  a  pre-exifting  Nothing,    out  of 
 which,  as  out  of  a  real  Material  Caufe,  a  Thing- 
 is  Created:  Which  looks  indeed  very  like  a  Con- 
 tradidion.     But  this  is  only  a  Confufion  of  Ideas  ; 
 juft  like  Children's  imagining  thdii  Barbie fs  is  fome 
 real  thing,  which  in  the  Morning  is  driven  away 
 by  the  Light,  or  Transformed  into  it :    Whereas 
 the  true  Notion  of  Creation,    is  not  a  Forming 
 Something  out  of  Nothing,  as  out  of  a   Material 
 Caufe ;  but  only  a  bringing  fomething  into  Be- 
 ing, that  before  had  no  Being  at  all ;  or  a  Caufing 
 Something  to  exiil  Nov/,   that  did  not  Exift  Be- 
 fore ;  or  which,  .without  this  Caufe,    would  not 
 have  Exiiled.     Which  no  Man  can  ever  reduce 
 to  a  Contradiction  ;  any  more  than  the  Formati- 
 on of  any  thing  into  a  Shape  which  it  had  not  be- 
 fore, can  be  reduced  to  a  Contra difti,on. 
 
 But 
 
y6  AT>emonJlration  of  the 
 
 But  further  :  The  Creation  of  Matter  is  a  thing 
 not  only  not  i??ipGjJible  m   it  felf,  but  what  more- 
 over even  by  bare  Reafon  is  dejnonjlrated  to  be  'T'rue, 
 P     ir.    For  'tis  a  Contradidion  (as  I  have  fhown  above) 
 
 to  fuppofe  Matter  necejfarily  Exifting. 
 
 oftheTo-a>-     ^^h'  ^Tis  pofllble  to  Infinite  Power,  to  Create 
 
 ercfcrea-zn  IfTDuaterial  Cogitative  Subftance,   indued  with 
 
 tmgi7nm(i  ^  Pqid^^  of  beginning  Motion^  and  with  a   Liberty 
 
 7^true  sul'^f  ^^^^  ^^  Choice,     This  alfo  has  been  always  de- 
 
 jimcej.      nied  by  all  Atheifts.     And  becaufe  it  is  a  Propo- 
 
 fition  of    the  greatefl  Confequence  to  Religion 
 
 and  Morahty,    therefore  I  ihall  be  particular  in 
 
 endeavouring  the  Proof  of   the  feveral  Parts  of 
 
 it. 
 
 Firjl :  'Tis  pofTible  to  infinite  Power,  to  Create 
 an  hnmaterial  Cogitative  Subftance.  That  there 
 can  be  fuch  a  Thing  as  a  Cogitative  Subftance, 
 that  is,  a  Subftance  indued  with  Confcioufnefs  and 
 Thought,  is  granted  by  all ;  becaufe  every  Man's 
 own  Experience  convinces  him,  that  He  himfelf 
 is  fuch  a  Subftance.  Further  ;  That  if  there  be, 
 or  can  be,  any  fuch  thing  as  hnmaterial  Sub- 
 ftances  ;  then  'tis  moft  reafonable  to  believe,  that 
 fuch  Subftances  as  are  indued  with  Confcioufnefs 
 and  Thought,  [Properties  the  fartheft  diftant 
 from  the  known  Properties  of  Matter,  and  the 
 moft  unlike  them,  that  can  poffibly  be  imagined,] 
 are  thofe  Immaterial  Subftances  ;  this  alfo  will,  I 
 think,  be  granted  by  all  Men.  The  only  point 
 therefore,  that  remains  to  be  proved,  is  ;  That 
 Immaterial  Subftances  are  not  impofTible  -,  or,  that 
 a  Subftance  Immaterial  is  not  a  contradidlor^  No- 
 tion. Now  whoever  aflerts  that  it  is  contradicto- 
 ry ;  muft  affirm.,  that  whatever  is  not  Matter,  is 
 nothing  ;  and  that,  to  fay  any  thing  Exifts  which 
 is  not  Matter,  is  faying  that  there  Exifts  fome- 
 thing  which  is  nothing.  Which  in  other  Words 
 is  plainly  this  -,    That  whatever  we  ha\e  not  an 
 
 Idea, 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God.'  jf 
 
 Idea  of,  is  nothing,  and  impoITible  to  Be.  For 
 there  is  no  other  way  to  reduce  Inwiaterial  Sub- 
 ftance  to  a  Contradidlion,  but  by  fuppofing  Imma- 
 terial to  fignify  the  fame  as  Having  jio  Exiftence : 
 And  there  is  no  polTible  way  to  prove  That,  but 
 by  faying  we  have  no  Idea  of  it,  and  therefore  it 
 neither  has  nor  can  have  any  Exiitence.  By  which 
 fame  Argument,  Material  Suhftame  will  in  like 
 manner  be  a  contradiction  ;  For  of  That  alfo  {viz^ 
 of  the  Suhfiance  to  which  Solidity  belongs)  we  have 
 No  Idea,  But  fuppofing  it  were  true  (as  'tis  in- 
 deed moft  falfe^)  that  we  had  a  clearer  Idea  of 
 the  Suhftance  of  Matter^  than  we  have  of  hnma^ 
 terial  Subftance  •,  flill  by  the  fame  Argument, 
 wherewith  an  Atheifl  will  prove  hnnaterial  Sub- 
 ftance to  be  impoflible,  a  Man  born  Blind  may  de- 
 monftrate  irrefragably,  that  Light  or  Colour  is  an 
 Impoflible  and  Contradidtory  Notion,  becaufe  it 
 is  not  a  Sound  or  a  S?nell,  For  the  Power  of  fee- 
 ing  Light  or  Colour^  is  to  a  Man  born  Blind,  al- 
 together as  incomprehenfible  and  abfolutely  be- 
 yond the  reach  of  all  his  Ideas,  as  either  the  Ope- 
 rations and  Perceptions,  or  even  the  Simple  Ef- 
 fence  of  a  Pure  Immaterial  Subftance  or  Spirit, 
 can  be  to  any  of  Us.  If  therefore  the  Blind 
 Man's  want  of  Idea's  be  not  a  fufficient  Proof  of 
 the  ImpolTibility  of  Light  or  Colour  ;  how  comes 
 our  bare  want  of  Idea's,  to  be  a  Demonftration 
 of  the  Impoflibility  of  the  Being  of  Immaterial 
 Subftances  ?  A  blind  Man,  they  will  fay,  has 
 ^eftimony  of  the  Exiftence  of  Light :  Very  true ; 
 So  alib  have  We,  of  the  Exiftence  of  Immaterial 
 Subftances.  But  there  is  this  further  Advantage 
 on  Our  fide  in  the  Comparifon  ;  that  a  Blind 
 Man,  excepting  the  Teftimony  of  Others^  finds 
 not  by  Any  reafoning  within  himfelf,  the  leaft 
 likeUhood  or  probability,  no  not  in  the  loweft 
 poiTible  degree,  that  there  can  be  any  fuch  thing 
 
 as 
 
7S  A  T)efnonftratton  of  the 
 
 as  Light  or  Colour  :  But  We,  befides  Teftimd- 
 ny,  have  great  and  ilrong  Arguments  both  from 
 Experience  and  Reafon,  that  there  are  fuch  things 
 as  Immaterial  Subllances,  though  we  have  no 
 Knowledge  of  their  Simple  EfTence  :'  As  indeed 
 of  the  Subftance  even  of  Matter  it  ^t\f^  (its  Sim- 
 ple Siibftance^  confidered  as  abftrad  from,  and  as 
 the  Foundation  of  That  ElTential  Property  of  So- 
 Udity^)  we  have  no  Idea  :  fFor,  to  lay  that  Ex- 
 ienfion  is  the  Subftance  of  Matter,  is  the  fame 
 way  of  thinking,  as  to  fay  that  Exiftence^  or  that 
 Duration^  is  the  Subftance  of  Matter, J  We  have, 
 I  fay,  great  and  ftrong  Arguments  both  from 
 Experience  and  Reafon,  that  there  are  fuch  things 
 as  /;/^/;z<^/^n^/Subftances,  though  we  have  no  Idea 
 of  their  Simple  ElTence.  Even  the  very  firft  and 
 moft  univerfal  Principle  of  Gravitation  it  felf,  in 
 All  Matter  ;  fince  it  is  ever  Proportional,  not  at 
 all  to  the  Surfaces  of  Bodies,  or  of  their  Parti* 
 cles  in  any  pofTible  Suppofition,  but  exadly  to 
 the  Solid  Content  of  Bodies  ;  'tis  evident  it  cannot 
 be  caufed  by  Matter  adting  upon  the  Surfaces  of 
 Matter,  which  is  all  It  can  do  ;  but  muft  f either 
 hnmediately  or  mediately)  be  caufed  by  fomething, 
 which  continually  penetrates  its  Solid  Subftance. 
 But  in  Jnimals^  which  have  a  Power  of  Self-mo- 
 tion ;  and  in  the  perfeder  Sorts  of  them,  which 
 have  ftill  higher  Faculties  ;  the  thing  is  yet  more 
 evident.  For  we  fee  and  feel,  and  obferve  daily 
 in  ourfelves  and  others,  fuch  Powers  and  Opera* 
 tions  and  Perceptions,  as  undeniably  evince  them- 
 felves  either  to  be  the  Properties  of  Immaterial 
 Subftanccs :  Or  elfe  it  will  follow,  that  Matter 
 is  fomething,  of  whofe  EJfential  Powers^  ("as  well 
 as  of  its  Subftance  itfelf,j  we  have  altogether  as 
 little  Idea,  as  we  have  of  hnmaterial  Beings  :  And 
 then  how  are  hnmaterial SnWi'xncc^moxc  impolTi- 
 
 ble 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  "d.  79 
 
 ble  than   Material  F    But   of  this,     more  here- 
 after. 
 
 From  what  has  been  faid  on  this  Head,   it  will  qjt  f^gj^: 
 be  eafy  to  anfw^r  all    the  Obje(5lions  that  hivt  materiality 
 been  brought  by  any  Atheifts  againft  the  Notion  ^/  ^^^^^^ 
 of  Hmnan  Souls  being  Immaterial  Subflances  di-  °^^' 
 flindl  from  Body.      For  fince  'tis  poffible  there5>^^,  ^x^f. 
 may  be  fuch  things  as  Immaterial  Subflances  ;  and^^r  to  Mr 
 fmce,  if  any  fuch  Subftance  Can  Be,  there  is  all^°^^f^^» 
 the  Reafon  in  the  World  to  believe  that  Confci-  p^^j.  pg. 
 ous  and  Thinking  Subfbance  Is  fuch  ;    thefe  Pro-fenfes^//>. 
 perties  being  the  moil  Remote  from  the  known 
 Properties  of  Matter,  that  are  poffible  to  be  con- 
 ceived :  The  Foundation  of  all  the  Objedlions  a- 
 gainll  the  ImmateriaHty  of  the  Soul,    is  entirely 
 taken  away.     I  fhall  not  here  tarry  to  confider  the 
 Objedions  in  particular^    which  have  been  often 
 and  fully  aniwered  by  learned  Pens  ;    but  fhall 
 only  mention  One,  on  which  all  the  reft  depend, 
 and  to  which  they  may  all  be  reduced.      And  it 
 is  This :  ^  That,  feeing  the  on- 
 ly  means  we  have  of  Perception,        *'~:: — -Siimmortalisna- 
 are  the   Five   Senfes  ;    and  thefe     ^" E^'Sre'poteft  fecreta  a 
 all  plainly  depend  upon  the  Or-     corpore  noftroj 
 gans  of  the  Body  ;    therefore  the        og«'»^j  (utopinor)eam  fa- 
 Soul,     without     the    Body,     can      ciundumeft5../^«.auaam: 
 have  no  Perception  ;  and  confe-     ponere  nobi.s 
 quently  is  Nothing.       Now    (be-         PolTumus  infernas  animus 
 fides  that   thefe   very   Senfes   or     Acherunte  vagare      ^ 
 
 T,  -1  ^1  Pidtores  itaqi  ^  Icriptorum 
 
 Perceptions,  however  they  may  fcdapriora 
 
 be  obftrudled  by  bodily    Indifpo-  Sic  animas   introduxerunt 
 
 fition,  and  fo  do  indeed  depend  fenfibusaudas, 
 
 upon  the  Organs  of  the  Body  as  J'  "^^-    ^'"'^""^   °'"^^* 
 
 to  their  preient  Exercife^    yet  in  Nee  fenfus  ipfi  icorfum 
 
 their   Nature  are   really  entirely  confiftere  poiTunt 
 
 diftina  Powers,  and  cannot  poffi-  .J^  ^,;^  -^■' 
 
 bly 
 
so  A  T>efno7t/lration  of  the 
 
 Lingua  >  nee  per  fe  pof-     bly,  as  has  been  f  before  lliowri^ 
 
 fant  fentire,  nee  elfe.  Lucret.      ^^  abfolutely  founded  in,    Or  arife 
 
 ^  ''oo-o'y  "^  «Vtv  %«;?v  l^t^ys***-;     from,  any  of  the  known  Proper- 
 c-u^juocriKVijM^oy  ot*  tccutoc^  xuv     ties  or  Qualities  of  Matter  :    Be- 
 
 ^fA^xro,      u^VvcCTo,      c;Wp^3./        fjj^g  ^J^j^       J   £^        x       ^^-     j^-^^     ^^^ 
 
 •Jj^^^    ^  thus  argues,    I  would   only  ask 
 
 this  One  Queftion  :  Are  our  Five 
 
 i  ^ag.  ^f.ScnCes^    by  an   Abfolute  Neceffity  in  the  Nature 
 of  the  Thing,  jdll  and  the  only   Poffible  Ways  of 
 Perception  ?  And  is  it  impofilble   and  contradi- 
 ^ory,  that  there  fliould  be  any  Being  in  the  Uni^ 
 verfe,  indued  with   v/ays   of  Perception   different 
 from  thefe    that    are    the    refult   of  Our  pre« 
 fent  Compofirion  ?  Or  are  thefe  things,    on  the 
 contrary,  purely  Arbitrary  ;  and  the  fame  Power 
 that  gave  Vs  thefe,    may  have  given   others   to 
 Other  Beings^  and  might  fif  he  had  pleas'dj  have 
 given  to  Us  others  in  this  prefent  State,    and  may 
 yet  have  made  us  capable  of  different  ones  in  An- 
 other State  ?  If  they  be   purely  Arbitrary  •,    then 
 the  Want  of  thefe,  does  by  no  means  infer  a  to- 
 tal want  of  Perception  :  But  the  fame  Soul,  which 
 in  the  prefent  State  has  the  Powers  of  Reflexion^ 
 Reafon  and  Judgment^  which  are  Faculties  entirely 
 different  from  Senfe ;    may  as  eafily   in   another 
 State  have  different  ways  even  of  Perception  alfo. 
 But  if  any  one  will  contend,  that  thefe  Senfes  of 
 ours  are  Neceffarily  the  only  Ways  of  Perception ; 
 Hill  the  Soul  may  be  capable  of  having  thefe  ve- 
 ry fajne  ways  of  Perception  at  any  timt  reftored  to 
 it.    For  as  That  which yi-^^j,  does  not  ceafe  to  ex- 
 ift,  when,  in  the  dark,  all  Obje6ts  are  removed  ; 
 fo,  Th:it  which  perceives^  does  not  necelTarily  ceafe 
 to  exift,  when,  by  Death,  all  Organs  of  Percep- 
 tion are  removed.     But  what'  reajon  can  any  Man 
 alledge,    why  he    fhould  imagine    thefe   prefent 
 Senfes  of  ours,    to  be  Jieceffarily   the  only  Ways 
 of  Perception?  U  it  not  infinitely  more  reafon- 
 
 abte 
 
Being  and  Jttrikttes  ofCotyl  Si 
 
 able  to  fuppofe,    that  this  is   a  -^ 
 
 mere  Pr^udice  arifing  from  Cu-  *  Has  tnmen  fma.fnes 
 itom,  and  an  attending  to  bare  [.^rtuorum:\  Loquivokh^^m; 
 Senle  m  oppofition  to    Reafon  ?     ^""^"^   ^"'  "^^  ^^"^  lingua, 
 
 J  u   J  °"  5^   '^"'^    ^''"''   Se^'eS'      ""■    ^  '^S"^^  ""f^"*-      Nihil 
 
 and  had  never  known  the  ufe  of  "=""" '^«'«<'.  (fpsakms  'ffuch 
 
 Sight  ;  would  they  not  then  have  V  "^'f""'^  "   Spirits  tU 
 
 had  the  very  fa^e^Reafon  t^  c^r  t^L.^/Mef/^f  r± 
 
 elude  there  were   but  Four  poiTi-  ''^  ^^^^'^  /"-C/"^'^^  st^te,)  videre 
 
 ble  ways  of  Perception,    a-  th-v  P^;"'""^-  ^^  Or«/.,  omnia 
 
 have^ow  to  fancf  that  there  ^l  l^^li^:  r.:^^J:Z 
 
 out  t^ive  ^    And   would    they    not      ^  ienilbus,     &  cogitaticnem 
 
 then  have  thought  Sioht  to  have     t-   ^^''^'^"^^^"^Jne    abducere, 
 been  an  Impoffible,    Chimerical'     '''''''^^^'''  ^-/-  - 
 and  merely  imaginary   Power  ;  '  widi   abfolutely 
 thefajne  Keafon,    as  they    now    prefume  the  Fa^ 
 cuities  of  Immaterial  Beino;s  to  be  fo  ?    that  is 
 ^t\i  fio  Reafon  ^t  all.      One  would   think.    Men 
 ihould    be  afhamed  therefore  to  be  fo  Vain,    as 
 trom  their   own  mere  Negative  Ignorance,    with-^ 
 out  any  appearance  or  pretence  of  any  Pofithe 
 Argument,    to  difpute   againft   the  Pojfihility  of 
 the  Being  of  Things,  which  fexxepting  only  that 
 they  cannot    frame  to  themfelves  an  Ima.e    or 
 JSotion  of  them)    there  is  a   Concurrence  of  all 
 r  \^^^r^s  1^  ^he  World  to  perfwade  them  that 
 fuch  Things  Really  are.      And  then,    as  to  the 
 difficulty  of  Conceiving  the  Nature  and   Man- 
 ner of  the  Union  between  Soul  and  Body  ;    We 
 know  altogether  as  much  of  That,    as  we  do  of 
 the  Nature  of  the  Union  or  Cohsfion  of  the  in- 
 ftnitely  divifible  parts  of  Body ;    Which  ytt  no 
 Man  doubts  of     And  therefore    our  Ignorance 
 can  be  no  more  an  Argument  againil  the  Truth 
 oi  the  One,   than  it  is  a  Bar  to  our  Belief   of 
 tm  Other, 
 
 C  Secondlx^ 
 
%z  A  T>emonJlration  of  the 
 
 of  eriduing      Secondly-^  'Tis  pofTible  to  Infinite  Power,  to  in- 
 Creatures   ^^^  ^  Creature  with  the  Pozver  of  Begbining  Mot'i- 
 Tower  of    on.     This  is  conftantly  denied  by  all  Atheifts  •,  be- 
 begmning    caufe  the  Confequence  of  it,  is  a  Liberty  of  IFill, 
 Motion.      of  which  I  fliall  have  Occafion  to  fpeak  prefent- 
 ly.     But  that  the  Propofition  is  true,  I  thus  prove. 
 If  the  Power  of  Beginning  Motion,  be  in   it  felf 
 a  Pofjihle  Thing,  and  alfo  Poffthle  to  he  communica- 
 ted j  Then  a  Creature  may  be  indued  with  That 
 Power.     Now  that  the  Power  of  Beginning  Mo- 
 tion is  in  it  felf  a   Poffihle  ning^    I  have   already- 
 proved,  by  fhov/ing  that   there  muft    Neceffarily 
 bcfomewbere  a  Power  of  Beginning  Motion;  be- 
 caufe  otherwife  Motion  mufl  have  been  from  Eter- 
 nity, without   any    External  Caufe  of  its  Being; 
 and  yet  it  is  a  Thing  that  has   no   NecefTity  of 
 Exiftence  in  its  own  Nature.     So  that,    if  there  be 
 not  fomewhere  a  Principle  or  Power  of  beginning 
 Motion  ;  Motion  mufl  Exift,    without  any  Caufe 
 or  Reafon  at  all  of  its  Exiflence  either  within  it 
 ffig'  II,     ^^^^'  ^^  f^^^^   without'.  Which,   as  I  have  before 
 ^c.  fhown,   is  an  Exprefs  Contradi6tion.     Wherefore 
 
 a  Principle  or  Power  of  beginning  Motion,  there 
 mufl  of  necefTity  5c^,  fomewhere  or  other;. And 
 confequently  it  is  not  in  it  felf  2in  ImpofTible  Thing. 
 I  add  :  As  a  power  of  Beginning  Motion,  is  not  in 
 itfelfd.n  impolTible  Thing;  becaufe  it  mufl  of  ne- 
 ceffity  Be  in  the  Supreme  Caufe  :  So  neither  is  it 
 impofTibJe  to  be  Ci?;.^?;z?^;/zV^/<? J  to  Created  Beings. 
 The  Reafon  is  plain':  Becaufe  no  Powers 
 are  ImpofTible  to  be  Communicated,  but  only 
 thofe  which  imply  Self-exiftence  and  abfolute 
 Independency.  That  a  Subordinate  Being  fhould 
 be  Self-exiflent  or  abfolutely  Independent,  is  indeed 
 a  Contradiction  ;  but  'tis  no  Contradidlion  to  fup- 
 pofe  it  indued  with  any  Other  Power  whatfoever, 
 feparate  from  chefe.     I  know,  the  Maintainers  of 
 
 Fate 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  GodI  83 
 
 Fate  are  very  confident,  that  a  Power  of  Beginning 
 Motion,  is  nothing  lefs  than  being  really  Indepen- 
 dent, or  being  able  to  Ail  Independently  from 
 any  Superior  Caufe.  But  this  is  only  a  childifh  tri- 
 fling with  Words.  For  a  Power  of  Adling  inde- 
 pendently in  This  Senfe^  communicated  at  the 
 Pleafure  of  the  Supreme  Caufc,  and  continued 
 only  during  the  fame  good  Pleafure,  is  no  more 
 a  real  and  abfolute  Independency  *,  than  the  Power 
 of  Exifting^  f which  I  fuppofc  the  Defenders  of 
 Fate  are  not  fo  fond  to  make  a  continual  Creation, 
 as  they  are  to  make  the  Power  of  Self-motion  a 
 continual  External  Impulfe  •,)  or  than  the  Power 
 of  being  Confdous^  or  any  other  Power  whatfoever, 
 can  be  faid  to  imply  Independency.  In  reality, 
 'tis  altogether  as  hard  to  conceive,  how  Confci- 
 cufnefs  or  the  Power  of  Perception^  fliould  be  com- 
 municated  to  a  Creaced  Being  ;  as  how  the  Power 
 of  Self-Motion  fhould  be  fo.  Unlefs  Perception  be 
 Nothing  elfe,  but  a  mere  Paflive  Reception  of 
 Impulfe  %  which  I  fuppofe  is  as  clear  that  it  is  not, 
 as  that  a  Triangle  is  not  a  Sound,  or  that  a  Globe 
 is  not  a  Colour.  Yet  no  Man  doubts,  but  that 
 He  himfelf,  and  all  Others,  have  truly  a  Power 
 of  Perception,  And  therefore  in  like  manner, 
 (however  hard  it  may  be  to  Conceive,  as  to  the 
 manner  of  it  ;  yet  fince,  as  has  been  now  proved, 
 it  can  never  be  fhown  to  be  impoflible  and  ex- 
 prefsly  contradidory,  that  a  Power  of  Self-Moti- 
 on fhould  be  communicated,)  I  fuppofe  no  con- 
 fidering  Man  can  doubt,  but  that  he  adually  has 
 alfo  a  Power  of  Self-Motion.  For  the  Arguments 
 drawn  from  continual  Experience  and  Obfervati- 
 on,  to  prove  that  we  have  fuch  a  Power,  are  fo 
 ftrong  •,  that  nothing  lefs  than  a  ftrid  Demonftra- 
 tion  that  the  thing  is  abfolutely  impofTible,  and 
 that  if.  implies  an  exprefs  con  tradition,  can  make 
 US  in  the  leaft  doub;  tha,t  we  have  it  not.  We 
 G  2  l^ave 
 
§4  A  Tiemon^Tation  of  the 
 
 have  all  the  fame  Experience,  the  fame  Marks 
 and  Evidence  exa6tly,  of  our  having  really  a 
 Power  of  Self-motion  \  as  the  moil  rigid  Fatalifl 
 could  polTibly  contrive  to  require,  if  he  was  to 
 make  the  Suppofition  of  a  Man*s  being  indued  with 
 that  Power.  There  is  no  one  thing,  that  fuch  a 
 Man  can  imagine  ought  to  follow  from  the  Suppo- 
 fition of  Self-Motion^  which  every  Man  does  not 
 now  as  much  feel  and  a^ually  experience  in 
 Himfelf,  as  it  can  poffibly  be  imagined  any  man 
 would  do y  fuppofing  the  Thing  were  true.  Where- 
 fore to  affirm,  notwithftanding  all  this,  that  the 
 Spirits,  by  which  a  Man  moves  the  Members  of 
 his  Body,  and  ranges  the  Thoughts  of  his  Mind, 
 are  Themfelves  moved  wholly  by  Air  or  Subtler 
 Matter  infpired  into  the  Body  ;  and  That  again 
 by  other  External  Matter,  and  fo  on  ;  as  the 
 Wheels  of  a  Clock  are  moved  by  the  Weights, 
 and  thofe  Weights  by  Gravitation,  and  fo  on  ; 
 witliout  a  Man's  having  the  leafh  Power  by  any 
 Principle  within  himfelf,  to  think  any  one 
 Thought,  or  impell  his  own  Spirits  in  order  to 
 move  any  Member  of  his  Body  :  All  this  is  fo 
 contrary  to  Experience  and  the  Reafon  of  Things, 
 that  unlcfs  the  Idea  of  Self-motion  were  in  it  felf  as 
 evidently  and  Clearly  a  Contradiction,  as  that  two 
 and  two  Ihould  make  five,  a  Man  ought  to  be  a- 
 Jliamed  to  talk  at  that  Rate.  Nay,  a  Man  of 
 any  confiderable  degree  of  Modefty,  would  even 
 in  That  Cafe  be  almoft  tempted  rather  to  doubt 
 the  Truth  of  his  Faculties  ;  than  take  upon  him 
 to  affert  one  fuch  intolerable  Abfurdity,  merely 
 for  the  avoiding  of  another.  There  are  Some 
 indeed,  who  denying  men  the  Power  of  Beginning 
 Motion^  would  yet  feem  in  fome  manner  to  ac- 
 count for  their  Adions,  by  allowing  them  a  Power 
 of  Determining  Motion.  But  this  alfo  is  a  mere 
 ludicrous  trifling  \Yith  Words,    For  if  That  Power 
 
 of 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  8  j 
 
 of  Deten?uning  Motion,  be  no  other  in  a  Man, 
 than  that  which  is  in  a  Stone  to  refledl  a  Bali  one 
 certain  way  ;  this  is  juft  nothing  at  all.  But  it 
 he  has  a  Power  of  determining  the  Motion  of  his 
 Spirits  any  way^  as  he  himfelf  pleafes  ;  this  is  in 
 all  Refpedts  the  very  fame,  as  the  Power  of  Be- 
 ginning Motio7t, 
 
 Thirdly y  *Tis  pofTible  to  Infinite  Power  to  en-  of  the 
 due  a  Creature  with  Freedom  or  Liberty  of  Will,  PoJfibUity 
 It  might  fufficethat  thia  is  at  once  proved  by  thc'f^^^^^^^f^ 
 fame  Arguments,  and  in  the  fame  Method,    as  I  „i^f,  pygg. 
 juft  now  proved  Self-motion^  or  a  Power  of  heginningdom  or  Li- 
 Motion^  to  be  poffible  :  viz,  hecaufe  Liberty  muft  ^^^i" 
 of  neceflity  Be  in  the  Supreme  Caufe  ;    (as  is  at 
 large  proved  in  the  Ninth  General  Head  of  this 
 Difcourfe,)   and  therefore  cannot  be  impofTiblepag.  61: 
 and  contradidory  in  the  Nature  of  the  thing  it 
 felf :  And,  hecaufe  it  implies  no  Contradidtion  to 
 fuppofe  it  communicated  \    as  being  no  harder  to 
 conceive,  than  the  forementioned  Power  of   Be- 
 gi?ining  Motion :  And,  hecaufe  the  Arguments  drawn 
 from  Experience  and  Obfervation,  are  ftronger  on 
 the  one  fide  of  the  Queftion,    than  thofe   arifing 
 merely  from  the  Difficulty  of  our  apprehending 
 the  thing,  can  be  on  the  other.      But  forafmuch 
 as  This  is  the  Queftion  of  the  greateft  Concern  of 
 ^11,    in  Matters  both  of  Religion   and  Humane 
 Life  ;  and  both  Spinoza  and  Mr.  Hohhs^    and  their 
 Followers,  have  with  great  Noife  and  Confidence 
 denied  it:    I  Ihall  therefore  (not  contenting  my 
 felf  with  this,^  indeavour  to  fhow  moreover,    in 
 particular,  the  Weaknefs  of  the  Principal  Argu^ 
 ments,    by  which  thefe  Men  have  pretended  to 
 demonftrate,    that  there  cannot  pqfflbly   be  any 
 fuch  Power  in  Man,  as  a  Liberty  of  Will,    As  ta 
 the  propriety  of  the  Terms  ^,    whether   the  Will 
 be  properly  the  Seat  of  Liberty  or  nota    is  not 
 *  G  3  nmr 
 
B6  A  Demonjlration  of  the 
 
 now  to  the  Purpofe  to  inquire :  The  Queftion 
 being,  not  Where  the  Seat  of  Liberty  is  ;  but 
 whether  there  he  at  all  in  Man  any  fuch  Power,  as 
 a  Liberty  of  Choice  and  of  Determining  his  own 
 Adtions  \  or,  on  the  contrary,  his  A6tions  be  all 
 as  NecelTary,  as  the  Motions  of  a  Clock.  The 
 Arguments  by  which  Spinoza^  and  Mr.  fiobhs^ 
 have  attempted  to  maintain  this  latter  fide  of  the 
 Queftion  j  are  all  plainly  reducible  to  thcfc 
 two. 
 
 i/.  That,  fince  every  Effed  muft  needs  be 
 produced  by  fome  Caufe  •,  therefore,  as  every 
 Motion  in  a  Body  muft  have  been  caufed  by  the 
 Impulfe  of  fome  other  Body,  and  the  Motion  of 
 That  by  the  Impulfe  of  a  Third  :  fo  every  Voli^ 
 lion,  or  Determination  of  the  Will  of  Man,  muft 
 needs  be  produced  by  fome  External  Caufe,  and 
 That  in  like  manner  be  the  Effed  of  fome  Third. 
 And  confequently^  that  there  cannot  poftibly  be 
 any  fuch  Thing  in  Nature,  as  Liberty  or  Freedom 
 of  Will, 
 
 zdly.  That  Thinking,  and  all  its  Modes,  as 
 Willing  and  the  like,  are  Qualities  or  Affedlions 
 of  Matter.  And  confequently,  fince  'tis  mani- 
 feft  that  Matter  has  not  in  it  felf  a  Power  of  Be- 
 ginning Motion,  or  giving  it  felf  any  manner  of 
 Determination  whatfoever  •,  therefore  'tis  evident 
 iikewife,  that  'tis  impoflible  there  fliQuld  be  any 
 fuch  thing  ^s  Freedom  of  Will 
 
 '^nAnf^et  Now  to  thefe  Arguments  I  oppofe,  and  fhall 
 to  Mr  endeavour  briefly  to  demonftrate,  the  three  fol- 
 Spinoza'.  *^^'^"S  Propofitions. 
 
 rArguments      i/.  That  Every  Effed  cannot  polTibly  be  the 
 againj}.  the  Produ6t  of  External  Caufes  ;    but  there  muft  of 
 V^tsrt"  ^^^^^^^y  ^^  Somewhere  a  Beginning  of  Operati- 
 ^  *o-  ^^^  Qj.  ^  pp^gj.  gf  Acting  without  being  antece- 
 dently 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God,  Sj 
 
 dently  aded  upon.     And  that  this  Power  may  be, 
 and  is,  in  Man. 
 
 2dly,  That  Thinking  and  Willing,  neither  are, 
 nor  can  be.  Qualities  and  Affedlions  of  Matter  •, 
 and  confequently  are  not  concluded  under  the 
 Laws  thereof. 
 
 ^dly.  That  even  fuppofing  the  Soul  not  to  be  a 
 diflindl  Subftance  from  Body,  but  that  Thinking 
 and  Wilhng  could  be,  and  were  indeed,  only 
 Qualities  or  AfFedtions  of  Matter  ;  yet  even  This 
 would  not  at  all  aftedl  the  prefent  Queflion,  nor 
 prove  Freedom  of  Will  to  be  impofnble. 
 
 17?.  Every  Effe6i:  cannot  pofTibly   be  the  Fro- That  thm 
 dud  of  external  Caufes  ;  but  there  mult  of  ne-^^fi  ^' 
 cefTity  be  fomewhere  a  Beginning  of  Operation, ^^^J^„^;^^ 
 or  a  Power  of  Adling  without  being  antecedent- o/o/^r^;;-. 
 ly  aded  upon  :  And  this  Power  may  be,  and  is,  <"^- 
 in  Man.      The  feveral  Parts  of  this  Propofition 
 have  been  already  proved  in  the  Second  and  Ninth p^s-  "• 
 General  Heads  of  this  Difcourfe  ,  and  in  that  part  4[  gj' 
 of  this  'Tenth  Head,  which  is  concerning  the  Pofll- 
 bility  of  the  Power  of  Self-Motion  being  com- 
 municated to  Created  Beings.     I  fhall  not  there- 
 fore here  repeat  the  Proofs  j  but  only  apply  them 
 to  Spinoza's  ^iXidi  Mr.  Hobbs's  Arguments,  fo  far  as 
 is  necefTary  to  fhow  the  weaknefs  of  what  they 
 have  faid  upon    this  Head  in  Oppofition  to  the 
 Poflibility  of  Liberty  or  Freedom  of  Will.  Now 
 the  manner  of  their  Arguing  upon  this  Plead,    is 
 this.     That  every  EffeSI  mufi  needs  be  owing  to  foms 
 Caufe  ;    and  That   Caufe  miift  pro- 
 
 duce  the  Effe5l  ^  necejfarily  ;    he-        '*'  Quicunq;  unquam    Ef- 
 caufe,    if  it  he  a  fufficient  Caufe,     feaus  produdus  fir,  produc. 
 
 ^T     isr-^cr  ^  i.\    r  n  J     tus    eft    a    caufa   necciTana. 
 
 iheEffetl  cannot  but  follow  \   and    Nam  quod  produaum  eft, 
 if  it   be   not  a  fufficient   Caufe,     it      caufam  habuit  inte^ram,  hoc 
 
 ^'z7/  not  he  at  all  a  Caufe  of  that    ff  °^jj^  ^  «l^'b"s  fuppo- 
 
 •^      -^  luisEftcdtum  non  fequi  Intel- 
 
 ligi  non  poffit:   ea  vero  caufa  neceflaria  eft.      Hoiin  Philofophifi  trima^ 
 
 G  4  Tbmg^ 
 
8  8  A  ^emonjlration  oj  the 
 
 *  Corpus  motumvelquief-     'Thing.     Thus  for  infiance^  ^  zvhat'* 
 
 ever  Body  is  7noved^  mufi  he  moved 
 by  fome  other  Bcdy^     which  it  felf 
 likewife  nmft  he  moved  hy  foine  Third y 
 and  fo  on  without  End,     That  the 
 t  V/ill^  in  like  manner^    of  any  vo- 
 luntary  Agent ^-  muft  of  necejfity  he 
 \  determined  hy  fome  external  Caufe^ 
 and  not  hy  any  Power  of  deterfni- 
 ningitfelfy  inherent  in  it  felf :  And 
 That  External  Caufey    mufi  he  de- 
 termined'.^ necejfarily   hy  fome  other 
 Caufe^  External  to  It ;    and  fo  on 
 without  Ekd,     From  all  which  it 
 evidently  appears,    that  All  that 
 thefe  Men  urge  againft  the  Pofli- 
 bility   of   Freedom,    extends   e- 
 qually  to  all    other  Beings   (not 
 excepting  the  Supreme)  as  well  as 
 to  Men  :  And  *^  Spinoza  in  ex- 
 prefs  Words  confefTes  it.   Where- 
 fore confequently,  what  ever  noife 
 they  make  of  the  Strength  and 
 Demonftrative  Force  of  their  Ar- 
 guments ;  all  that  they  fay,    a- 
 mounts  at  laft  to  no  more  but  this 
 One  rnoft    abfurd    Conclufion  j 
 that  there  neither  is  any  where ^  nor 
 can  pojfihly  he^    any  Principle  of 
 Motion  or  Begimmtg  of  Operation 
 at  all  j  hut  every  Thing  is  caufed  ne- 
 cejjarilyy  [by  an  eternal  Chain  of 
 Dependent  Caufes  and  EffeEis^  with- 
 out any  Independent  Original     AH  their  Arguments 
 therefore  on  this  Head  are  already  anfwered  in  the 
 f»Z-  "^  J  >    Second  and  Ninth  General  Heads  of  this  Difcourfe  ; 
 ^''^'^^^'  {y^htv^l^roYtd  th^^txhtrtmn^  of   neceffity  be 
 m  Original^    Independent^    and  Free  Principle  of 
 
 Motiqa 
 
 ccns,  admotum  vel  Quietem 
 determinari  debuit  ab  alio 
 corpore,  quod  ctiam  ad  Mo- 
 tum  vel  Quietcm  detcrmina- 
 lum  tuit  ab  alio,  6c  illud  ite- 
 rum  ab  alio,  Sc  lie  in  infini- 
 tum, Sfmoz^a.  Ethic.  Par.  II. 
 frop.  15.  LemmA  g. 
 
 ■f  Unaqii3eque  VoHtio  non 
 poteft  Exifterc,  neq;  ad  ope- 
 randum  determinari,  nifi  ab 
 alia  caufadeterminetur,  £<.  hsec 
 lurfusabalia :  6c  He  porro  in 
 infinitum.  Id.  Ethic.  Pfir.l. 
 Frop.  52.  Demonftrcit. 
 
 I  Gonccivc,  nothing  taketh 
 beginning  from  it  felf,  but 
 from  the  Aftion  of  fome  im- 
 mediate Agent  without  it  felf. 
 And  that  therefore,  whenfirll 
 a  Man  had  an  Appetite  or  Will 
 to  fomething,  to  which,  im- 
 inediately  before,  he  had  no 
 Appetite  Of  Will;  theCaufeof 
 his  Will,  is  not  the  Will  it  felf, 
 but  fomething  elfe  not  in  his 
 own  difpofmg.  Hohbis  Dz- 
 ^ntB  vpith  Bp,  hramhdlU  />•  289. 
 In  mente  nulla  eft  abfolura 
 five  libera  voluntas:  fed  mens 
 ad  hoc  vel  illud  volendum  de- 
 terminatur  a  caufa,  quaeetiam 
 abaliadeterminata  eft,  Schsec 
 iterumaba<ia,  8c  iic  in  infini- 
 tum. Spinoza,  Ethic.Far.il. 
 ;Frop.  48. 
 
 4-  See  ai^cve,  pag.  71. 
 **  Hinc  ftquitur,  Beutn  non 
 operaricx  libertate  voluntatis. 
 'S.this,  tar,  L  CoroU,  atl  Frop. 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Govt.  8^ 
 
 Motion  or  A6lion  ;  and  that,  to  fuppofe  an  end- 
 Ids  SuccefTion  of  Dependent  Caufes  and  Effeds, 
 without  any  Original  or  Firft  and  Self-a6luating 
 Principle,  is  fuppofing  a  Series  of  dependent  Things 
 to  hzfrom  Eternity  produced  by  Nothing  ;    which 
 is  the  very  fame  Abfqrdity  and  Contradi6tion,    as 
 to  fuppofe  Things  produced  by  Nothing  at   any 
 definite  'Ti?ne  ;  the  Ability  of  Nothing  to  produce 
 any  thing,  being  plainly  the  fame  in  "Time   or  in 
 Eternity,)     And  I  have  moreover  proved  e^  ahun- 
 danti^  in  the  foregoing  part  of  this  'Tenth  Head  ;  pa^,  82. 
 that  the  Power  of  beginning  Motion  is  not  only 
 pfftble  and  certain  in  it  felf,  but  alfo  poffihle  to  he 
 coramunicated  to  Finite  Beings  \  and  that  it  auliially 
 Is  in  Man. 
 
 idly.  Thinking  and  Willing  neither  are,    nor  That 
 can  be.  Qualities  or  Affeftions  of  Matter ;    and  thinking 
 confequently  are  not  concluded  under  the  Laws  2"    „'^/^ 
 thereof.     That  'tis  pofTible  there  ^  may  be  Immd.- ther  are, 
 terial  Subftances,  the  Notion  not  implying  a  Con-  Korean  he 
 tradition  in  it  felf;  hath  already  been  ihown  ^'^^-ffl^^.tter 
 der  l;he  prefent  General  Propofition.       Further,  ycpag,  7^.* 
 that  Thinking   and  Willing  are  Powers  entirely 
 different  from  Solidity,  Figure  and  Motion ;  and 
 if  they  be  different,  that  then  they  cannot  poffi- 
 bly    arife   from   them,    or    be   compounded   of 
 them  ;  hath  likewife  been  already  proved  under 
 the  Eighth  General  Head  of  this  Difcourfe.     It/*^^-  Sf- 
 follows   therefore,    that   Thinking    and  Willing  ^'^'^' ^^* 
 may  poffibly  he^  nay  that  they  certainly  and  necef- 
 farily  are.  Faculties  or  Powers  of  Immaterial  Sub- 
 ftances :  feeing  they  cannot  pojfibly  be  Qualities  or 
 Aff€(fl:ions  of  Matter  ;    unlefs  we  will  confound 
 fas  fome  have  done)    the   Ideas   of  things  %    and 
 mean  by  Matter,  not  what  That  Word  in  all  o- 
 ther   cafes   fignifies,    a  [olid  Suhftance  capable  of 
 Pivifion,  Figure  and  Motion,    and  of  whatever 
 Prpperpes  can   arife  from  the  Modifications  of 
 
 thefe  I 
 
90  A  T)emo'i\[lration  of  the 
 
 thefe  ;  but  Suhftance  in  general,  capable  of  un- 
 known Powers  or  Properties  entirely  different  from 
 thefe,  and  from  whatever  can  pofTibly  refult  from 
 thefe.  In  which  confufed  Senfe  of  the  Word, 
 could  Matter  be  fuppofed  never  fo  capable  of 
 Thinking  and  Willing  ;  yet  in  That  Senfe,  fas  I 
 Hiall  fliow  prefently,)  it  would  fignify  nothing  at 
 all  to  the  Purpofe  or  Advantage  of  our  Adver- 
 farics.  In  the  mean  time,  how  great  an  Abfurdi- 
 ty  it  is  to  fuppofe  Thinking  and  Willing  to  be 
 Qualities  or  Affedlions  of  Matter,  in  the  Proper 
 and  Ufual  Senfe  of  the  Word  •,  may  fufficiently 
 appear,  without  any  foreign  Argument,  from  the 
 Senfelefsnefs  of  Mr.  Hobbs's  Own  Explication  of 
 the  Nature  and  Original  of  Senfation  and  Con^ 
 fcioufnefs,  'The  hnmediate  Caufe  of  Senfation^ 
 ^  faith  he,  is  this :  'The  Obje^,  or 
 *ExquointelI{gitur,  Sen-     Sofnethin/flowing  from  it,  preffeth 
 
 ineo.quu-(iS.nf:oni:Organum  the  outennoft  fart  of  the  Organ, 
 prirKum  &  tangii  hi  premit.  and  That  Preffure  is  co?n?nunicated 
 Si  cnim  organi  pars^extima  ^^  the  innermoft  Parts  of  the  Or- 
 mT^^r^^lo<:^]^^^^^^  gan  ^  IFhere,    by  the  Rejiftence  or 
 
 interiora  illi  proxima  eft;  &  Rea^ion  of  the  Organ,  caufing  a 
 it^  propagabitur  preffio,  five  Pre  [jure  ontwards  contrary  to" the 
 '^:!ti^^i^^S±  Preffure  of  theObjen  inwards,  there 
 QuoAiamautemmotuiabOb-  is  made  Up  a  Phantafm,  or  Image : 
 jeaoperraediaadOrganipar-  Which  Phantafm,  f  faith  he,"  /j 
 temintimam  propagate,  fita^  7  Q.y.r^f:^.,  u  f.jf  Ap-ain  •  The 
 liqiiatotiusOrgaftirefiftentia  tjoe  ^enjation  it jeip  -^gfin  ,  Ifoe 
 five  rea6tio,  per  motumipflus  Caufe  of  benjatwn^  "^-^  laith  hc,  ts 
 Organi  internum  naturalem  i 
 
 fit  proptereaconatui  ab  Obje£lo,  conatusabOrgano  contrarius.  Ur,  cum 
 ccnatus  Ulead  intima,  uliimusadtus  fie eorum  qui  fiunt  in  adlu  Senfionis ;  turn 
 dcmumex  ea  readlione  aliquandiu  durante,  ipfuni  exiftat  Vhant^ifma-^  quod 
 propter  conatum  verfusexrerna,  icmpervidetur  tanquam  aliquid  litum  extra 
 Organum .     Hobbs  de  Senjione  ^  motu  anmali, 
 
 f  PhantafmaeftfentiendiAdlus.    Jd.  ihtd. 
 
 **  Caufa  Senfionis  eft  ExternurD  Corpus  fiveObje6l:um  quod  premit  Orga- 
 num proprium,  &  premendo,  Cmedianribus  Nervis  Sc  Membranis,)  conti- 
 ruumefficit  Motum  introrfum  ad  Cerebrum  &:  indc  adCorj  unde.  nafcitur 
 Cordis  refiftentia  £c  contra- prefiTio  feu  ct'/hrvmoe.,  five  Conatus  Cordis  liberantis 
 fc  a  preftione  per  motum  tendentem  cxtrorfiimi  qui  motus  propterea  .-ippa- 
 ret  tanquam  aliquid  externum :  Atq;  Apparitio  hsc,  five  Phantafma,  eft  id 
 ^L'oa  Vij cdimxLtSen/ionem,    Leviathan, Cap.  i.  f^ 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  d.  91 
 
 ^n  Ohjert  prejfing  the  Organ  ;  ^'bich  Prejfure  is  by 
 7ncans  of  the  Nerves  conveyed  to  the  Brain^  andfo  to 
 the  Heart ;  where^  by  the  Refiftence  or  Counter- 
 freffiire  of  the  Heart  outwards^  is  ??wde  an  Image  or 
 Phantafin^  which  is  Senfation.  Now  what  is  there 
 in  all  this,  that  does  in  any  the  lead  meafure  tend 
 to  explain  or  make  intelligible  the  real  and  in- 
 ward Nature  of  Senfe  or  Confcioufnefs  ?  The  Ob- 
 jed,  by  communicating  a  Prefiure  through  the 
 Organ  to  the  Scnfory,  does  indeed  raife  a  Phan- 
 tafm  or  Image,  that  is,  make  a  certain  Tmprejfioit 
 on  the  Brain  :  But  Wherein  confifts  the  Power  of 
 Perceiving  this  ImprefTion,  and  of  being  Senfthle  of 
 ?t  ?  Or  What  Similitude  hath  this  ImprefTion  to 
 the  Senfe  it  felf^  that  is,  to  the  bought  excited  in 
 the  Mind  ?  Why,  exadly  the  very  fame,  that  a 
 Square  has  to  Bluenefs^  or  a  "Triangle  to  Sounds  or  a 
 Needle  to  the  Senfe  of  Pain  \  or  the  Refiefdng  of 
 a  Terinis-Ball^  to  the  Reafon  and  Underfiandnig  of 
 a  Man,  So  that  Mr.  Hohhs^s  Definition  of  Senfa- 
 tion ;  that  it  is  itfelf,  the  inmoft  and  formial  Na- 
 ture of  it,  nothing  but  the  Phantafm  or  Image 
 made  in  the  Brain  by  the  Prefiure  communicated 
 from  the  Objed  •,  is,  in  other  Words,  defining 
 Bluenefs  to  be  the  Image  of  a  Square^  or  Sound  the 
 Pidlure  of  a  Triangle,  or  Pain  the  Similitude  of  a 
 y£ harp-pointed  Needle.  1  do  not  here  mifreprefent 
 him  in  the  leaft.  For  He  himfelf  exprefsly  confefiTes, 
 ^  that  all  Senfibk  ^alities,  fuch  ^^ 
 as  Colour     Sound     and  the  like,     J^SlToS'^nSS; 
 
 fre  in  the  Objeofs  themfelve^  nothing  in  ipfo  Objefto  nihil aliud  prae- 
 Ht  Motions   And^   becaufe   Motion      fer  materia  momm,  quo  Ob- 
 
 can  produce  +  mtUng  hut  Motion,    ^^Z^^^^^^ 
 
 (as  JlkeWlfe  'tis  evident  that  Fl-  Nobis  aliud  funt,  quam  divertt 
 cure  and  al]  its  pofTlble  Compofl-      rnoms.     Motusenim  nihilgc- 
 
 tions  can  produce  nothing  but  ""Zl^ff^'^'  "'^'""'*  ^'^''*" 
 Figure,)  therefore  in  Us  alfo  the  t'^e/pour  Befenfes  cf  « 
 perceptions  of  thefe  fcnfihle  ^alitifs    Letter  to  Mr  Dodwell. 
 
92  jfi  \Demonftration  of  the 
 
 are  nothing  hut  different  Motions,  If  then  the 
 Phantafm,  that  is,  the  Image  of  the  Objed:  made 
 in  the  Brain  by  Figure  and  Motion,  be  (as  he  fays) 
 the  Senfation  it  felf  ;  is  not  Senfation,  bare  Fi- 
 gure and  Motion  ?  And  are  not  all  the  foremen- 
 rioned  Abfurdities,  unavoidable  Confequences  of 
 his  Opinion  ? 
 
 Mr  Hohhs,,  (as  I  have  elfewhere  obferved,) 
 feems  indeed  not  to  have  been  altogether  unaware 
 of  this  infuperable  Difficulty  ;  But  he  induflri- 
 oufly  indeavours  to  conceal  it  from  his  Readers, 
 and  to  impofe  upon  them  by  the  Ambiguity  of 
 the  Word  Phantafm.     Yet  for  a  Referve,    in  cafe 
 
 ^  Scio    fuiffe  Philofophos      Y  ^^''''^  ^^  ^??^    ^'^'"J  P'"^^^^?  1* 
 
 quoCdam.    ecfJemq;     -viros     he  gives  US  a  Hint,  that  poffibly 
 
 docios,  v^m  corforaomniasenju     Senfation  may  he  fojne thing  more^ 
 
 fr^dUae& rultmuerunt.  ^  Nee  ^-^^  ^  p^^^^  ^r  p^y^^^pf^oH  Of  CoH- 
 'vuteo,  Ii  natura   ienlionis    in       ^.      ^    ^  -'    „         -^  ,      rr      -   n 
 
 leaaione  fola  collocaretur.  fiioufnejs  ^  naturally  and  epnttally 
 quofhodo  refutar'i  pffint.    Sed     inherent  in  all  Matter  ,    only  that 
 
 etli  ex  reaciiionc  etrnm  ccrpo-  ^  ^^-,f^  ^^^  Ormns  and  Mefnor^ 
 rum  aliorum,  phanraima  ah-         r     /i   •       i  r    •      n     r    - 
 
 quodnaicercturi  illud  taraen,  ^/  -^fi^^^^^ls  to  exprefs  its  Senfation  : 
 
 jemoto  objcaio,  ftatim  cefia-  And  f  that,  as  a  Man^  if  he  were 
 
 ret.    Namnifiadretinendum  fuppofed  to  have  no  Other  Senfe  hut 
 
 Jviotumimprcirum,  etiam  re-  p -^  .   -^          j  cri    ^  r        j      j     ^7    ^ 
 
 rr.cto  Objefto,  apta  habcant  ^^f^^i^  and  That  fo  Ordered  as  that 
 
 Organs,  ut  habent  Animaliaj  his  Eyes  were  always  immoveahly 
 
 ita  ranruni  fentient,  ut  nun-  -fixed  Upon  one  and  the  fame  Oh je^, 
 
 cuam  fenfiile  ie  rccordentur.  j    cTt    *        ir            7            7;           j 
 
 i — Seniioni  ergo,  qux  vul-  ^^^'^    ^'^^^    ^V^   unchangeahle   and 
 
 go  ita  appellatur,   necefTario  without  any  the  leafi  Variety  ;  fucb 
 
 adhseiet  memoria  aliqua,  &c.      ^  Man  COuld  not    properly  he  faii 
 
 f^tVo  N^'i^'a  ^rf'of'^t'he  ^^  ^''^  ^^^  '""h  ^0  he  under  an  un^ 
 ^ppenaix  to  a  Colkaion  of  intelligible  kind  of  Amazement :  So 
 Papers  which  paired  between     all  ufiorzanized  Bodies  may  pojjibh 
 
 Mr  Leihiit^mndDr  Clarke.  ^  jjtm      j 
 
 f  It3q;  BcSenfioniadhaeret  propria  diftac,  ut  ei  ah'qua  infita  fit  perpetua 
 rh-inrarmatum  varierasj  ita  ut  aliud  ab  alio  difcerni  poffit.  Si  fuppone- 
 mus  enim  efle  hominem,  ocuHs  quidem  claris,  cseterifq;  videndi  Organis 
 refre  le  habeTihus  compoiitum,  nullo  autem  alio  fenfu  prseditum,  eumq; 
 ad  eandem  rem  codem  iemper  colore  8c  fpecie  fine  uUa  vel  minima  varie- 
 tate  apparentem  ohverfum  eAe;  mihi  certe,  tjuicquid  dicantalii,  nonVUere 
 
 videretur.- Attonitum  ePfe,  &  fortafle  Aipeaarceum.  fed  ftupentem  di- 
 
 cerem,  vidfre  non  dicerem.  Adto  ^entire  j€m^?r  Uemt  §c  Ison  Sentire,  ad  iderr\ 
 rcciduar.    /«/.  ;W.  hufv^ 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  dI  9? 
 
 have  Senfation  or  Perception  ;   but  hecaufe  for  "want 
 of  Organs  there  is  no  Variety  in  it^  neither  any  Me- 
 mory or  means  of  exprejfing  that  Senfation^  therefore 
 to  Us  it  feems  as  if  they  had  no  fuch  thing  at  alL 
 This  Opinion,  I  fay,  Mr  Hohhs  mentions  as  poiTi- 
 ble  :  But  he  does  it  with  fuch  Hefitancy,    Diffi- 
 dence and  Sparingnels,  as  fliows  plainly  that  ht5 
 meant  it  only  as  a  laft  Subterfuge  to  recur   to, 
 when  he  fliould  be  prefled  with  the  fore-mention- 
 ed Abfurdities  unavoidably  confequent  upon  the 
 Suppofition  of  Senfation  being  only  Figure  and 
 Motion.     And  indeed  well  might  he  be  fparing, 
 and,  as  it  were,  afhamed  of  this  Subterfuge.  For 
 it  is  a  Thing  altogether  as  abfurd,  as  even  the  o- 
 ther  Opinion  it  felf,  of  Thought  being  mere  Mo- 
 tion,    For,  what  can  be  more  ridiculous,    than 
 to  imagin^that  Matter  is  as  effentiaily  Confciou5, 
 as  it  is  extended  ?  Will  it  not  follow  from   that 
 Suppofition,  that  every  piece  of  Matter,    being 
 made  up  of  endlefly  fe parable  parts,    (that  is,    of 
 parts  which  are  as  really  diftind  Beings,  notwith- 
 ilanding  their  Contiguity,  as  if  they  had  been  at 
 never  fo  great  a  diftance  one  from  another, J    is 
 made  up  alfo  of  innumerable  ConfcioufnefTes  and 
 Infinite  Confufion  ?    But  'tis  a  fhame  to  trouble 
 the  Reader  with  fo  much  as  the  Mention  of  any 
 of    the  Numberlefs  Abfurdities  following   from 
 that  Monftrous  Suppofition.      Others  therefore, 
 who  would  make  Thinking  to  be  an  Affedion  of 
 Matter^  and  yet  are  afhamed  to  ufe  Either  of  the 
 forementioned  ways  ;  contend  that  God  by  his  Al- 
 mighty   and  Supreme  Power  indues  certain  Sy- 
 fl-erns  of  Matter  with  a  Faculty  of  Thinking,  ac- 
 cording to  his  own  Good  Pleafure.     But  this  alfo, 
 amounts  to  Nothing.     For  (befides  the  Abfurdi- 
 ty  of    fuppofing   God   to  make    an  innumerable 
 company  of  diftind  Beings,  fuch  as  the  Particles 
 Qf  every  Syftem  of  Matter  necefTarily  are,  to  be 
 
 at 
 
94-  A  T>emonjlration  of  the 
 
 at  the  fame  time  One  Individual  Conlcious  Beings 
 Befides  this,  I  fay,)  either  our  Idea  of  Matter^  is 
 a  true  and  diftin6l  Idea ;  or  it  is  not.  If  it  be  a 
 true  and  diftindl:  Idea  ;  that  is,  if  our  Idea,  (not 
 of  the  Subjlance  of  Matter  ;  for  of  fimple  6"^^^^- 
 fiance  we  have  no  Idea  ;  but  i^  our  Idea  of  the 
 Properties  which  ejffentially  diftinguiJJj  and  denojninate 
 the  Subflance,)  be  a  right  Idea  ♦,  viz.  that  Matter 
 is  Nothing  but  a  Sohd  Subllance,  capable  only  of 
 Divifion,  Figure  and  Motion,  with  all  the  polTi- 
 ble  Effects  of  their  feveral  Compofitions  *,  as  to 
 Us  it  appears  to  be,  upon  the  Beit  Examination  we 
 are  able  to  make  of  it  ;  and  the  greateft  part  of 
 our  Adverfarics  themfelves  readily  allow  :  Then 
 'tis  ablblutely  ImpofTible  for  Thinking  to  belong 
 to  Matter  ;  becaufe  Thinking,  as  has  been  before 
 fhown,  cannot  poffibly  arife  from  any  Modificati- 
 
 ^o^'  ^i  ^^^'  ^^  CompofitiGH  of  an-^  or  all  of  thefe  Qualities. 
 But  if  any  Man  will  fay  that  our  Idea  of  Matter 
 is  WTong  ;  and  that  by  Matter  he  will  not  here 
 mean,  as  in  all  other  cafes,  a  Solid  Subflance,  ca- 
 pable only  of  Divifion,  Figure  and  Motion,  with 
 all  the  polTible  Effects  of  their  feveral  Compofi- 
 «  i.        tions ;  but  that  he  means  Subftance  in  general ^    ca- 
 
 -^^  pable  of  Thinking  and  of  numberlefs  unknown 
 
 Properties  befides :  then  he  trifles  only,  in  put- 
 ting an  ambiguous  Signification  upon  the  Word 
 Matter  J  where  he  ought  to  ufc  the  word  Sub- 
 fiance.  And,  in  'That  Senfi^  to  fuppofe  Thinking, 
 or  any  other  Adive  Property,  polTible  to  be  in 
 Matter^  as  fignifying  only  Subflance  in  general.,  of 
 whofe  Powers  and  Capacities  we  have  no  certain 
 Idea  i  would  make  nothing  at  all  to  the  Prefient 
 Purpofe,  in  our  Adverfaries  Advantage  *,  and  is 
 at  leaft  Not  a  clearer  and  more  Intelligible  way  of 
 Talking,  than  to  attribute  the  fame  Properties 
 to  an  hn?naterial  Subftance,  and  keep  the  Idea  of 
 
 Matter 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  9S 
 
 Matter  and  its  Properties  clear  and  diftindl.      For 
 I  affirm, 
 
 3^/)'.  That  even  fuppofing   (in  thefe  Merfs  con-  T/^^f  'f 
 fufed  way;    that  the  Soul  was  really  not  adiltind  J;^^'^^^ 
 Subflance   from  Body,    but  that   Thinking  and//„^w^^p 
 Willing  could  be  and  were  indeed   only  Qualities  J^u^Hties 
 or  AiYcdions  of  Matter  I    yet  even  This  would'^^f^^f^''' 
 not  at  all  affed  the  prefent  Queftion  about  Lther-{l^^^l^^[l 
 /y,  nor  prove  Freedom  of  Will  to  be  an  imi^ofTi- berty  migh$ 
 bie  Thing.     For,  fince   it  has   been  already  dt-^^PJT^^l^- 
 monftrated,    that  Thinking  and  Willing  cannot ^^^■^^•^^''* 
 pofTibly  be  Effeds  or  Compofitions   of   Figure 
 and  Motion ;  Whofoever  will  make  Thinking  and 
 Willing  to  be  Qualities  or  AfFe6lions  of  Matter^ 
 muil  fuppofe  Matter  capable  of  certain   Proper- 
 ties entirely   different  from  Figure  and  Motion.-/ 
 And  if  it  be  capable  of  Properties  entirely  diffe- 
 rent from  Figure  and  Motion  j  then  it  can  never 
 be  proved  from  the  Effects  ot  Figure  and  Moti- 
 on being  all  NecefTary,  that  the  Effe(5ls  of   other 
 and  totally  diflind   Properties  muit  likewife  be 
 NecefTary. 
 
 Mr  Hohhs  therefore,    and  his  Followers,    zre  a flj^mefut 
 guilty  of  a  mofl   fhameful  Fallacy  in  that  very  FnUacy  of 
 Argument,    wherein  they  place   their  main  and^^^^^^^^^ 
 chief  flrength.      For,    fuppofing  Matter  to    be  ^ollomrs, 
 capable  of  Thinking  and  Willing,    they  contend 
 that  the  Soul  is  mere  Matter  j  and,  knowing  that 
 the  Effeds  of  Figure  and  Motion  mufl  needs  be 
 all  neceffary,  they  conclude  that  the  Operations 
 of   the  Mind   mufl  All    therefore  be   NecefTary. 
 That  is  :  When  they  would  prove  the  Soul  to  be 
 mere  Matter ;  then  they  fuppofe  Matter  capable 
 not  only  of  Figure  and  Motion,  but  alfo  of  other 
 unknown  Properties  :  And  when  they  would  prov^e 
 the  Will,    and  all  other  Operations  of  the  Soul, 
 to  be   Necejfary\    then    they    deveft   Matter  a- 
 gain  of  all  its  Unknown  Properties^  and  make  it 
 
 mere 
 
9<5  AT>emonflratton  of  the 
 
 mere  Solidity,  endued  only  witli  Figure  and  Mo- 
 tion again.     Wherefore,  diftinguifhing  their  am- 
 biguous and  confufed  Ufe  of  the  Word  Matter  ; 
 they  are  unavoidably  reduced  to  one  of  thefe  two 
 Conceffions.     i/,  by  Matter^  they  mean  a  Solid 
 Subilance  endued  only  with  Figure  and  Motion, 
 and  all  the  poiuble  Eifeds  of  the  Variations  and 
 Compofitions  of  thefe  Qualities  ;    then  the   Soul 
 cannot  be  mere  Matter  \    becaufe  (as  Mr  Hchhs 
 f  M<»/«nii- hiiTifelf  f  confefles)  Figure  and  Motion  can  never 
 hil  generat  produce  any  thing  but  Figure  and  Motion  ;  and 
 P^^'^^[*^^j^conl£quently  (as  hath  been  *  before  demonltratedj 
 ath.Cap.l.t^-ey  can  never  produce  fo  much  as  any  Secondary 
 *  "^ag.  j-y- Quality,    [Soimd^^    Colour^    and    the   like,]  much 
 S^>9^'     lefs  Thinking  and  Reafoning :    From  whence  it 
 follows,  that  the  Soul  being  unavoidably  a  Sub- 
 fiance  Immaterial^    they  have  no  Argument  left 
 to  prove  that  it  cannot  have  a  Powsr  of  Beginning 
 Motion  ;    which   is  a  plain   Inftance  of    Liberty. 
 But  //,  on  the  other  Hand,  they  will  by  Matter 
 mean  Suhftance  in  general^    capable  of    unknown 
 Properties,  totally  different  from  Figure  and  Mo- 
 tion ;  then  they  muft  no  longer  argue  againft  the 
 PofTibility  of  Liberty^  from  the  EfTe61:s  of  Figure 
 and  Motion  being  all  unavoidably  NeceiTary  •,  be- 
 caufe Liberty  will  not  confiil  in  the  Elfeds  of 
 y    Figure  and  Motion,  but  in  thofe  Other  Unknown 
 Properties  of  Matter,    which  thefe  Men  can  no 
 more  explain  or  argue  about,  than  about  Imma- 
 terial Subflances.     The  Truth  therefore  is  ;  They 
 mull  needs  fuppofe  Thinking  to  be  merely  an  Ef- 
 fe6t  or  Compolition  of  Figure   and  Motion,    if 
 they  will  give  any  flrength  to  their  Arguments  a- 
 gainil  Liberty :    And  then  the  Quellion  will  be, 
 not  whether  God  can  make  Matter  think,  or  no  j 
 (for  in  That  Queflion  they  only  trifle  with   a 
 word,  abufing  the  Word  Matter  to  fignifie  Siib- 
 fiance  in  general ;)  but  the  Queftion  will  be,  whe- 
 ther 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  t>\  97 
 
 th??r  Figure  and  Motion^  in  any  Compofition  or 
 Divifion,  can  poffibly  be  Perceptmi  and  'Thought  : 
 Which  (as  has  been  before  iaid)  is  juft  fach  a 
 Queftion,  as  if  a  Man  fliould  ask,  whether  it  be 
 poffible  that  a  Triangle  lliould  be  a  Sound^  or  a 
 Globe  a  Colour,  The  Sum  is  this  :  If  the  Soul 
 be  an  hnmaterial  Subftance,  fas  it  muft  needs  be, 
 if  we  have  any  true  Idea  of  the  Nature  and  Pro- 
 perties of  Matter  -,)  then  Mr  Hobbs's  Arguments 
 againft  the  PolTibiHty  of  Liberty^  drawn  all  from 
 the  Properties  of  Matter^  are  vain  and  nothing 
 to  the  Purpofe.  But  if  our  Adverfaries  will  be 
 fo  abfurd  as  to  contend,  that  the  Soul  is  nothing 
 but  mere  Matter  •,  Then,  either  by  Matter  they 
 muft  underftand  Subftance  in  general,-  Subftance  .; 
 indued  with  unknown  Powers,  with  Acfive  as  well 
 as  PaJJive  Properties  •,  which  is  confounding  and 
 taking  away  our  Idea  of  Matter^  and  at  the  fame 
 time  deftroying  all  their  own  Arguments  againft 
 Liberty^  which  they  have  founded  wholly  on  the 
 known  Properties  of  Matter  :  Or  elfe  they  muft 
 fpeak  out,  (as  they  really  mean,)  that  Thinking 
 and  Willing  are  nothing  but  Effeds  and  Compofi- 
 tions  of  Figure  and  Motion  -,  which  I  have  already  ^j^.^j,^.^, 
 Ihown  to  be  a  Contradiction  in  Termsv  9'=>>9U9^* 
 
 There  are  fome  other  Arguments  againft  the 
 Pofiibility  of  Liberty^  which  Men  by  attempting 
 to  anfwer,  have  made  to  appear  confiderable  *, 
 when  in  reality  they  are  altogether  befide  the 
 Queftion.  As  for  Inftance,  thofe  drawn  from 
 the  Necejfity  of  the  Will's  being  determined  by  the  laft 
 Judgtnent  of  the  Underftanding  •,  and  from  the  Cer-- 
 tainty  of  the  Divine  Prcefcience. 
 
 As  to  the  former,  vi%.  the  Necejfity  of  the  IViWs  of  the  mil 
 being  determined  by  the  laft  Judgment  of  the  Under-  ^''^f2'y' 
 ftanding  :  This  is  only  a  NecefTity  upon  Suppofi-{^^;„,„^^^^ 
 don;    that  is   to    fay,    a   Neceflity  that  a  m?.nthelajl 
 
 H  fhould  J^k^^rit 
 
pS  A  T)emonJlration  of  the 
 
 ef  the ifn\iho\i\Alf^ill  a  Thing,  when  'tis  fuppofed  that  he 
 derfiaml'  '^does  IVill  it :  Jufl  as  if  one  fhould  affirm,  that  e- 
 '"^*  '  very  thing  which  Is,  is  therefore  NeceJGTary  to  3e, 
 
 becaufe,  when  it  Is,  it  cannot  but  Be.  'Tis  ex- 
 aftly  the  fame  Kind  of  Argument,  as  That  by 
 which  the  'True  Church  is  proved  to  be  Infallible  : 
 Becaufe  Truth  cannot  err  -,  and  they  who  are  in 
 the  Rights  cannot  poiTibh/,  while  they  are  fo,  be 
 in  the  IVrong,  Thus,  whatever  a  man  at  any  tim.e 
 freely  IViUs  or  Does ;  'tis  evident  (even  upon  Sup- 
 pojilion  of  the  moil  perfe6V  Liberty^)  that  he  can- 
 not fat  That  tim.e)  but  will  or  do  it  *,  becaufe  'tis 
 impoflible  any  thing  inould  be  zvllled  and  not  wil- 
 led^ Cwhether  it  be  freely  or  necefiarily,)  or  that 
 it  fhould  be  done  and  not  dons^  at  the  famic  time. 
 The  necejjity  therefore  of  the  Willis  being  deter?nined 
 by  thelaft  Judgment  of  the  UnderJlandiKg^  is  (I  fay)  on* 
 ly  a  Neceflity  upon  Suppofition  ;  a  Neceffity  that 
 a  Man  fhould  JVill  a  thing,  when  'tis  fuppofed  that 
 he  does  Will  it.  For,  the  lafi  Judgment  of  the  Un- 
 derfanding,  is  nothing  elfe  but  a  Man's  iinal  De- 
 termining, (after  more  or  lefs  Confideration,)  ei- 
 ther to  Choofe  or  not  to  Choofe  a  thing  •,  that  is, 
 'tis  the  very  flime  with  the  A7  of  Volnion,  Or 
 elfe,  if  the  AoJ  of  Volition  hz  diftinguiflied  from 
 the  laft  Judgment  of  the  Underftanding  ;  then  the 
 y^oJ  of  Volition^  or  rather  the  Beginning  of  Aolion^ 
 confequent  upon  the  lafi  Judginent  of  the  Under- 
 flanding^  is  not  determined  or  caufed  by  that  laft 
 Judgment,  as  by  the  phyfical  Efficient^  but  only  as 
 the  Moral  Motive,  For  the  true,  proper,  imme- 
 diate, phyfical_^fEjfcient  Caufe  of  Aclion,  is  the 
 Fo'wer  of  Self-motion  m  Men,  which  exerts  it  felf 
 freely  in  confequence  of  the  lafi  Judgment  of  the 
 Underfianding.  But  the  lafi  Judg??ient  of  the  Un- 
 derjiandlng^  is  not  itfelf  a  phyfical  Efficient,  but 
 merely  a  Moral  Motive,  upon  which  the  phyfical 
 Efficient  or  motive'Tower  begins  to  Ad.     The  Ne^ 
 
 cejft^. 
 
 / 
 
Being  arid  Attributes  of  Go  15.  ^^ 
 
 teffit'j  therefore,  by  which  the  Power  of  Ailing  fol- 
 idws  the  'Judgment  of  the  Underftanding^  is  only  a 
 Moral  NeceJJit^j  -,  that  is,  no  Neceffitj  at  all^  in  the 
 Senfe  wTierein  the  Oppofers  of  Liberty  under- 
 fband  Necejfit^.  For  Moral  Neceffit^^  is  evidently 
 confif^ent  with  the  mod  perfect  Natural  Liberty 
 For  inilance  :  A  Man  intirely  free  from  all  Pain 
 of  Body  and  Dilbrder  of  Mind,  judges  it  unrea- 
 fonable  for  him  to  Hurt  or  Deftroy  himfelf  •,  And^ 
 being  under  no  Temptation  or  External  Violence, 
 he  cannot  pojjibly  ad  contrary  to  this  Judgment  ; 
 not  becaufe  he  wants  a  Natural  or  Ph^fnal  PoiJ^er 
 fo  to  do,  but  becaufe  'tis  abfurd  and  mifchievous, 
 and  7noraUjhnj)oJfihle^  for  him  to  Choofe  to  do  it. 
 Which  alfo  is  the  very  fame  Reafoh,  why  the  mofb 
 _.perfed:  rational  Creatures,  fuperiour  to  Men,  can- 
 not  do  Evil :  Not  becaufe  they  want  a  Natural 
 Poiver  to  perform  the  Material  A6lion  ;  but  be- 
 caufe 'tis  morally  impofpMe^  that,  with  a  perfedl 
 Knov/ledge  of  what  is  Beft,  and  without  any 
 Temptation  to  Evil,  their  Will  fhould  determine 
 it  Mf  to  Choofe  to  A6t  Foolifiily  and  Unreafon- 
 ably.  Here  therefore  feems  at  laft  really  to  lie 
 the  Fundamental  Errour,  both  of  thole  who  ar- 
 gue againll  the  Liberty  of  the  M'^ill^  and  of  thofe 
 who  but  too  confufedly  defend  it :  They  do  not 
 make  a  clear  diflin6lion  between  7?icral  Motives^ 
 and  Caufes  Pbyftcally  Efficient  -,  Which  Two  things 
 have  no  fimilitude  at  all.  Laftly  ;  if  the  Main- 
 tainers  of  Fate  fliall  allege,  that,  after  all,  they 
 think  a  man,  free  from  all  Fain  of  Body  and  Dif- 
 order  of  Mind,  is  under  not  only  a  Moral  hut  al-| 
 fo  a  Natural  ImpofTibility  of  hurting  or  deilroy-^l 
 ing  himfelf;  becaufe  neither  \\\^Judg7nent  nor  his^ 
 Will^  without  fome  Impul/e  External  to  both^  can' 
 any  more  polTibly  be  determined  to  any  A6lion, 
 than  one  Body  can  begin  to  move,  without  being 
 impelled  by  another  :  I  aii/wer  j  This  is  forfakiiig 
 H  2  the 
 
loo  A  T^emonfira^ion  of  the 
 
 the  Argument  drawn  from  the  NecefT.ty  'of  the 
 IVtWs  following  the  Undcrftanduig^  and  recurs  to 
 ih^  former  Argument  of  the  abfolute  ImpofTibility 
 of  there  being  any  where  a  firfi  Principle  cf  Mo- 
 tion at  all :  Which  has  been  abundantly  anfwered 
 pig.  82.  -^  already. 
 
 The  Other  Argument  which  I  faid  has  alio  fre- 
 quently been  urged  againft  the  Poffibility  of  Li- 
 berty^ is  the  certainty  of  the  Divine  Prcefcience,  But 
 this  alfo  is  entirely  befides  the  Queftion.  For  if 
 there  be  no  Other  Arguments,  by  which  it  can  be 
 proved  antecedently,  that  all  Actions  are  Necejfa- 
 ry  ;  'tis  certain  '  it  can  never  be  made  to  ap- 
 pear to  follow  from  Pr^fcience  alone^  that  they 
 mufl:  be  fo.  That  is  :  If  upon  Other  Accounts 
 there  be  no  ImpolTibility,  but  that  the  Anions  of 
 IV]  en  may  be  free  ;  the  bare  Cert^ainty  of  the  Di- 
 vine Fore-knoivledge  can  never  be  proved  to  de- 
 ftroy  That  Freedom,  or  make  Any  Alteration  in 
 the  Nature  of  Men's  Adlions  :  And  confequently 
 the  certainty  of  Prrefcience^  feparated  from  Other 
 Jrgiwients,  is  altogether  befides  the  Queftion  con- 
 cerning Liberty,  As  to  the  Other  Arguments, 
 ufually  intermingled  with  this  Queftion  -,  they 
 have  all,  I  think,  been  anfwered  already.  And 
 now,  that  the  hare  certainty  of  the  Divine  Fore- 
 knozvledge  (if  upon  Other  Accounts  there  be  no 
 ImpofTibility  for  the  Adions  of  Men  to  be  free,) 
 can  never  bo  proved  to  deftroy  that  Freedom  ;  is 
 very  Evident.  For  bare  Fore-knowledge,  has  n9 
 Influence  at  all  in  any  Refpect ;  nor  affe6ls,  in  any 
 meafure,  the  manner  of  the  Exiftence  of  any 
 Thing.  All  that  the  greateft  Oppofers  of  Liber- 
 ty have  ever  urged,  or  can  urge,  upon  this  Head, 
 amounts  only  to  This  •,  that  Fore-hw-Ji'ledge  implies 
 Certaintv.,  and  Certainty  implies  NeceJ/ity,  But 
 neither  is  it  true,  that  Certainty  implies  Necefjfity  ; 
 m\l\\tr  dQ^%  Fore-kno-iiyledge  imply  any  other  Cer- 
 tainty, 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  \oi 
 
 talnty^  than  fuch  a  Ceriainty  only,  as  would  be 
 equally  in  Things,  though  there  was  no  Fore- 
 knowledge. 
 
 For  (ijl.)  The  certainty  of  Fore-knowledge  does 
 not  caufe  the  certainty  cf  Things.,  but  is  ic  {t\^ 
 founded  on  the  reality  of  their  Exiftence.  What-  y 
 ever  now  Is,  'tis  certain  that  it  h  \  and  it  was  ye- 
 fterday  and  from  Eternity  as  certainly  true,  that 
 the  thing  would  be  to  day,  as  'tis  now  certain  that 
 it  Is.  And  This  certainty  of  Event  is  equally  the 
 flime,  whether  it  be  fuppofed  that  the  thing  could 
 be  Fore-known,  or  not.  For  whatever  at  any 
 time  Is  •,  'tv/as  certainly  true  from  Eternity,  as  to 
 the  Event,  that  That  Thing  would  be :  And  this 
 certain  Truth  of  every  future  Event,  would  not 
 at  all  have  been  the  lefs,  though  there  had  been 
 no  fuch  thing  as  Fore-knowledge.  Bare  Pr^fci-^ 
 ence  therefore,  has  no  Influence  at  all  upon  any 
 thing  ;  nor  contributes  in  the  leail,  towards  the 
 making  it  Necefiary.  We  may  illuftrate  this  in 
 fome  meafure,  by  the  Comparifon  of  our  own 
 Knowledge.  IVe  know  certainly,  that  fome  things 
 Are  ;  and  when  we  know  that  they  are,  they  can- 
 not but  Be  :  Yet  'tis  evident  our  Knowledge  does 
 not  at  all  affe6l  the  Things,  to  make  them  more 
 Necsfifary  or  more  Certain.  Now  Fore-know- 
 ledge in  God^  is  the  very  fame  as  Knowledge, 
 All  things  are  to  him  as  if  they  were  equally  pre- 
 fent,  to  all  the  Purpofes  of  Knowledge  and  Power. 
 He  knows  perfeftly  every  thing  that  Is  :  And  he 
 knows  whatever  lliall  be,  in  the  fame  Manner  as 
 he  knows  what  Is.  As  therefore  Knowledge  has  no 
 Influence  on  things  that  are  -,  fo  neither  has  Fore- 
 knowledge., on  things  ih^t fhall  be.  'Tis  true :  The 
 Manner  how  God  can  forefee  Future  things,  v/ith- 
 out  a  Chain  of  Neceffary  Caufes  ;  is  impofTible 
 for  us  to  explain  dyfincily.     Tho'  fome  fort  of  ge- 
 
102  A  T)eraonflrattGn  of  the 
 
 nerd  Notion,  we  ma's  conceive  of  it.  For,  as  a 
 Man  who  has  no  Influence  over  another  Perfon's 
 A6lions,  can  yet  often  perceive  before-hand  what 
 That  Other  will  do  ;  and  a  JVifir  and  more  expe- 
 rienced Man,  v/ill  ftill  with  greater  probabilily  fore- 
 lee  v/hat  Another,  whofe  Difpofition  he  is  perfect- 
 ly acquainted  with,  will  in  certain  Circumftances 
 do ;  And  an  Jngel^  with  Hill  much  Lefe  degrees  of 
 Errour^  may  have  a  further  Profped  into  Mens 
 future  Adlions  :  So  *tis  very  reafonable  to  appre^ 
 hend,  that  God^  without  influencing  Mens  Wills 
 by  his  Power,  yet  by  his  Forefight  cannot  but 
 have  as  much  Certainer  a  knowledge  of  future 
 free  Events,  than  either  Men  or  Angels  can  pofli- 
 bly  have  ;  as  the  Perfe5lion  of  His  ISapure  is  grea- 
 ter than  that  of  'theirs.  The  Diftintl  Manner  hov^ 
 he  forefees  thefe  things,  is  indeed  hnpqffihle  for  Us 
 to  explain.  But  foalfo  are  Numberlefs  other 
 things,  Vv'hich  yet  no  Man  doubts  the  Truth  of. 
 And  if  there  ivere  any  Strength  in  This  Argu- 
 ment •,  it  would  prove,  not  againil  Liberty.,  but  a- 
 gaind  Prcefcience  it  felf.  For  if  thefe  two  things 
 were  realh  inconfiftent^  and  one  of  them  muil  be 
 deft royed  ;  the  introducing  an  abfolute  and  uni- 
 verfal  Fatality,  which  evidently  deftroys  all  Reli- 
 gion and  Morality,  would  tend  more  of  the  two 
 CO  the  Dillionour  of  God,  than  the  denying  him 
 a  Fore-knowledge,  which  upon  this  Suppofitioa 
 would  be  impolTible  and  imply  a  ContradiAion  to, 
 conceive  him  to  have  •,  and  the  denying  of  which, 
 would  in  fuch  cafe  be  no  more  a  Diminution  of 
 his  Ornnifeienee^  than  the  denying  him  the  Power  of 
 working  Contradiftions,  is  taking  away  his  Omni- 
 potence. But  the  Cafe  is  not  thus.  For  though 
 wc  cannot  indeed  clearly  and  diftinctly  explain  the 
 Manner  of  God*s  forefeeing  the  Ad:ions  of  Free- 
 Agents  5  yet  thus  much  we  know,  that  the   bare 
 
 Fore*. 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go "d.  i o | 
 
 Fore-knowledge  of  any  Adion  that  would  upon 
 all  other  Accounts  be  Free,  cannot  alter  or  dimi- 
 nifn  That  Freedom  •,  it  being  evident,  that  Fore- 
 knowledge adds  no  other  Certainty  to  any  thing, 
 than  what  it  would  equally  have  though  there  was 
 no  Fore-knowledge.  Unlefs  therefore  we  be  ante  - 
 cedently  certain,  that  nothing  can  poflibly  be 
 free  ;  and  that  Liberty  is  in  it  felf  abfolutely  an 
 Inconfiilent  and  Contradidlory  Notion,  (as  I  have 
 above  fhov/n  that  it  is  not  •,)  bare  Fore-knowledge,  ;,;t^.  71, 
 which  makes  no  alteration  at  all  in  any  thing,  will 
 not  be  any  v/ay  Inconfiilent  with  Liberty  j  how 
 great  Diificulty  foever  there  may  be,  in  compre- 
 hending the  manner  of  fuch  Fore-knowledge. 
 For  if  Liberty  be  in  it  felf  pofFibie  \  The  bare 
 Fore-fight  of  a  free  Action  before  it  he  done^  is  no- 
 thing different  fto  any  purpofe  in  the  prefent 
 Queition,)  from  a  fimple  Knowledge  of  it,  when  it 
 ii  done  :  Both  thefe  kinds  of  Knowledge,  imply- 
 ing plainly  a  CertainJjonly  of  the  Event,  (which 
 would  be  the  fame  tho'  there  was  no  fuch 
 Knowledge  -,)  and  not  at  all  any  NeceJJity  of  the 
 Thing;. 
 
 For  (2dlyy)  As  Fore- knowledge  implies  not  any 
 other  Certainty,  than  fuch  as  would  be  equally 
 in  things,  though  there  was  no  Fore-knowledge  : 
 So  neither  does  this  certainty  of  Events  in  any  fort , 
 imply  NeceJJity.  For,  let  a  Fatalift  fuppofe^  (what 
 he  does  not  yet  grants)  that  there  was  in  Man, 
 ('as  we  ailert,)  a  Power  of  beginning  Motion, 
 that  is,  of  a^ing  freely  \  and  let  him  fuppofe  fur- 
 ther, if  he  pleafe,  that  thofe  Actions  could  not 
 pofTibly  be  Fore-known :  Will  there  not  yet, 
 notwithilanding  this  Suppofition,  be  in  the  Na- 
 ture of  things  the  fame  certainty  of  Event  in  every 
 one  of  the  Man's  Actions,  as  if  they  were  never 
 fo  Fatal  and  neceflary  ?  For  inftance  :,  Suppofe 
 H  4  the 
 
'i:o4  A'DononJlration  of  the 
 
 die  Man  by  an  internal  Principle  of  Motion,  and 
 an  ablblute  Freedoin  of  Will,  without  any  Exter- 
 7  nal  Caufe  or  Impulfe,ii.Lall,  does  foine  particular 
 Action  to  Da\  ;  and  fuppofe  it  was  not  poflible 
 that  this  Adlion  fhould  have  been  fore-feen  2'^efier- 
 day  ;  was  there  not  neverthelefs  the  fame  certainty 
 of  Events  as  if  it  had  been  fore-feen  ?  That  is  ; 
 would  it  not,  notwirhftanding  the  fuppofed  Free- 
 dom, have  been  as  certain  a  Truth  Yefterday  and 
 from  Eternity,  that  this  Adion  was  in  Event  to 
 he  performed  to  Bay^  (though  fuppofed  never  fo 
 impoffible  to  have  been  Fore-known,)  as 'tis  now 
 a  Certain  and  infallible  Truth  that  it  Is  performed  ? 
 Mere  certainty  of  Event  therefore,  does  not  in  any 
 meafure  im.ply  Neceff.ty  :  And  confequenrly  Fore- 
 knowledge ^  however  difficult  to  be  explained  as  to 
 the  Manner  of  it,  yet,  ffince  'tis  manifefb  it  impHes 
 no  other  Certainty,  but  only  That  Certainty  of 
 Event  which  the  Thing  would  equally  have  with- 
 out being  Fore-known,)  'tis  evident  that  It  alfo 
 implies  no  neceflity. 
 
 OtfiheOrl-  And  now  having,  as  I  hope,  fufficiently  proved 
 ^^'""^f^^f  both  the  Poffibiiity  and  the  real  Exillence  of  Li- 
 "^^  ■  heriy  :  I  fhall,  from  what  has  been  faid  on  this 
 Head,  draw  only  this  one  Inference  •,  that  hereby 
 we  are  enabled  to  anfwer  that  Antient  and  great 
 Queftion,  \no^sv  to  kxkcv  q  What  is  the  Caufe  and 
 Original  of  Evil.  For  Liberty  implying  a  Natu- 
 ral  Pov/er  of  doing  Evil,  as  well  as  Good  •,  and 
 the  imperfedl  Nature  of  Finite  Beings,  making  it 
 pofTible  for  them  to  abufe  This  their  Liberty  to 
 an  aclual  CommifTion  of  Evil  ^  and  it  being  Ne- 
 cefTary  to  the  Order  and  Beauty  of  the  Whole, 
 and  for  difplaying  the  Infinite  Wifdom  of  the 
 Creator,  that  there  fhould  be  different  and  vari- 
 ous degrees  of  Creatures,  whereof  confequently 
 fome  mufl  be  lefs  PerfeS  than  others  ,  Hence  there 
 
 necefiarily 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Gov.  1 05 
 
 nccelTarily  arifes  a  PofTibility  of  Evil,    notwith- 
 flanding  that  the  Creator  is  infinitely  Good.     In 
 iliort,  thus.     All  that  we  call  Evil^    is  either  an 
 Evil  of  ImperfecfioUy  as  the  TVant  of  certain  Facul- 
 ties and  Excellencies  which  other  Creatures  have ;  or 
 Natural  Evil^  as  Pain^  Deaths  and  the  like  ;    or 
 Moral  Evil,    as  all  kinds  of  Vice.      The  Firfl  of 
 thefe,  is  not  properly  an  Evil.     For  every  Power, 
 Faculty  or  Perfev5lion,    which  any  Creature  en- 
 joys, being  the  Free  Gift  of  God,  v/hich   he  was 
 no  more  obliged  to  beftow,  than  he  was  to  con- 
 fer Being  or  Exiftence  it  felf  -,  'tis  plain,  the  Want 
 of  any  certain  Faculty  or  Perfe6lion  in  any  kind 
 of  Creatures,  which  never  belong'd  to  their  Na- 
 ture, is  no  more  an  Evil  to  Them,  than  their  ne- 
 ver having  been  Created  or  brought  into  Being  at 
 all,    could  properly  have  been  called    an  Evil. 
 The  Second  kind  of  Evil,    which  we  call  Natural 
 Evil,    is  either  a  NeceiTary  Confequence  of  the 
 former  y  as  Death,    to  a  Creature  on  whofe  Na- 
 ture Immortality  v/as  never  conferred  ;    and  then 
 'tis  no  more  properly  an  Evil,  than  the  Former  : 
 Or  elfe  'tis  counterpoifed  in   the  whole,    Vv'ith  as 
 great  or  greater  Good  •,  as  the  JfflioJions  and  Suf- 
 ferings of  Good  Men  *,  and  then  alfo  it  is  not  pro- 
 perly an  Evil :  Or  elfe  laftly,    'tis  a  Punifhinent  ; 
 and  then  'tis  a  Neceflary  Confequent  of  the  'Third 
 and  laft  fort  of  Evil,  viz.  Moral  Evil.     And  This 
 arifes  wholly  from  the  abufe  of  Liberty ;    which 
 God  gave  to  his  Creatures  for  other  Purpofes,  and 
 which  'twas  reafonable  and  fit  to  give  them  for 
 the  Perfection  and  Order  of  the  whole  Creation  : 
 Only  They,  contrary  to  God's  Intention  and  Com- 
 mand,   have  abufed  what  was  Neceflary  for  the 
 Perfedion  of  the  whole,  to  the  Corruption  and 
 Depravation  of  themfelves.      And  thus  all  forts 
 of  Evils  have  entred  into  the  World,  without  any 
 
 Diminu- 
 
io6  A  T)emonftration  of  the 
 
 Diminution  to  the  Infinite  Goodnefs  of  the  Creator 
 and  Governour  thereof. 
 
 That  the        XL  ^he  Supreme  Caufe  and  Author  of  all  Things^ 
 ^''^Tlnd^^-I^  ^/  Necejfttj  he  infinitely  Wife,      This  Propofi- 
 Juthor^of  ^^o^  ^s  evidently  Confequent  upon  thofe  that  have 
 allThmgs,  already  been  proved  :  And  thofe  being  eilablillied, 
 T^.a/^r/N^-xhis,  as  admitting  no  further  Difpute,   needs  not 
 fwtely^ '^' '^^  be  largely  infifted  upon.     Fornotliing  is  more 
 ff^fe,         evident,  than  that  an  Infinite^    Omniprefent^    Intel- 
 ligent Bcir.q^  mull  know   perfectly  all  Things  that 
 are  •,    And  that  He  who  alone  is  Self-Ex'flent  and 
 Eternal^  the  file  Caufe  and  Author  of   all  "Things  ; 
 from  whom  alone  all  the  Powers  of  all  Things  are  de^ 
 rived^  and  on  whom  they  continually  depend ;    mufl 
 alio  know  perfeftly  all  the  Confequences  of  thofe 
 Powers,    that    is,     all   Poffibilities    of   Things    to 
 comc^  and  what  in  every  refpe6l  is  Beft  and  Wifeil 
 to  be  done  :  And  that,  having  infinite  Pozver^  he 
 can  never  be  controuled  or  prevented  from  doing 
 what  he  fo  knows  to  be  Fitteil.     From  all  which, 
 it  manifeftly  follows,  that  every  Effedl  of  the  Su- 
 preme Caufe,    muft  be  the  Produdl  of   Infinite 
 Wifdom.     More  particularly  :  The  Supreme  Be- 
 ing, becaufe  he  is  Infinite^    mufl  be  every  where 
 prefent  :    And  becaufe  he  is  an  Infinite  Mind  or 
 Intelligence^  therefore  where-ever  he  Is,  his  Know- 
 ledge Is,    which  is   infeparable  from   his  Being, 
 and  muft  therefore  be  infinite  likewife :  And  where- 
 ever  his  Infinite  Knowledge  is,  it  muft  necefiTarily 
 h-SiV  fa,  full  and  perfect  Profpect  of  all  Things,  and 
 nothing  can  be  conceaPd  from  its  Infpe^tion :  He 
 includes  and  furrounds  every  thing  with  his  bound- 
 .lefs  Prefence  ;  and  penetrates  every  part  of   their 
 Subftance  with  his  All-feeing  Eye  :.So  that  the 
 inmoft  Nature  and  Eflence  of  all  things,  are  Per- 
 fectly Naked  and  Open  to  his  View  ;  and  even  the 
 deepcft  llioughts  of  Intelligent  Beings  themfelyes^ 
 
 inanifeft. 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  d."  107 
 
 manifeft  in  his  fight.     Further;    All  Things  be- 
 ing not  only  preicnt  to  him,  but  alfo  entirely  De- 
 pending  upon  him,   r-jid  having  received  both  their 
 Being  it  felf,    and  ail  their  Powers  and  Faculties 
 fro7n  Him  ;    'tis   manifeft  that,    as  he   knows  all 
 Things  that  are^  fo  he  muft  likewife  know  all  Pofll- 
 bilities  of  things,  that  is,  all  Efiecls  that  Can  he. 
 For,  being  himfelf  Alone  Self-Exiftent,    and  ha- 
 ving Alone  given  to  all  Things  all  the  Powers  and 
 Faculties  they  are  indued  with  ;    'tis  evident  He 
 muft  of  NecefTity  know  perfectly  what  All  and 
 Each  of  thofe  Powers  and  Faculties,    which  are 
 derived  wholly  from  hi?nfelf.,  can  pofTibly  Produce : 
 And  Seeing  at  one  boundlefs  View,  all  the  pofti- 
 ble  Compofitions  and  Divifions,    Variations  and 
 Changes,    Circumftances    and    Dependencies    of 
 Things  ;  all  their  polTible  Relations  one  to  ano- 
 ther, and  their  Difpofitions  or  FitnelTes   to  cer- 
 tain and  refpedive  Ends  ;  he  muft,  without  Pofli- 
 bility  of  Error,    know   exadlly  what  is  Beft  and 
 Propereft  in  every  one  of   the  Infinite  PolTible 
 Cafes  or  Methods  of  Difpoiing  things  •,    and  un- 
 derftand  perfedily  how  to  order  and  direct  the  re- 
 fpedive  Means,  to  bring  about  what  he  fo  knows 
 to  be,  in  its  Kind,  or  in  the  Whole,  the  Beft  and 
 Fitteft  in  the  End.     This  is  what  we  mean  by  In- 
 finite Wifdom,     And  having  before  Ihown,  f which /^^.  72; 
 indeed  is  alfo  evident  of  it  felf,J  that  the  Supreme 
 Caufe  is  moreover  Jll-Pozverful  -,  fo  that  He  can 
 no  more  be  prevented  by  Force  or  Oppofition, 
 than  he  can  be   hindered  by  Error  or  Miftake, 
 from  Effecting  always  what  is  abfolutely  Fitteft  and 
 Wifeft  to  be  done :  It  follows  undeniably,  that  he 
 is  aofuallj  and  effe^ualh^  in  the  higheft  and  moft 
 complete  fenfe.     Infinitely  Wife ;    and   that   the 
 V/orld,  and  all  Things  tiherein,  muft  be  and  are 
 Effedls  of  Infinite  Wifdom.     This  is  Demonftra- 
 tion  a  'priori.     The  Proof  a  pojferiori^  of  the  In- 
 finite 
 
ioS  A  T>emonJlration  of  the 
 
 finite  Wifdom  of  God,    from  the  Confideration 
 of  the  Exquifite  Perfedlion  and  Confummate  Ex- 
 cellency of  hisWorks  •,  is  no  lefs  ftrong  and  undeni- 
 able.    But  I   fhall  not  inlarge  upon  This  Argu- 
 ment ;  becaufe  it  has  often  already  been  accurate- 
 ly and  ftrongly  urged,    to  the  everlafting  Shame 
 and  Confufion   of    Atheifls,    by  the  ablefl   and 
 learnedeft  Writers  both  of  Anti- 
 Tul[;V?™~~     ent  and  Modern  Times.     I  fnall 
 cftmA  Cc.nfes,  Mr  Ray  of  the     here  obfcrve  ouly  this  One  Thing ; 
 Wifdvm  of  God  in  the  Creation,    That  the  older  the  World  grows, 
 Mr^  Deiham'i  Phyfco-Thcolo^y,      ^^^^  ^j^^  ^^^^^^    ^^^  -^^^.^^   -^^^ 
 
 Things,   and  the  more  Accurate 
 Obfervations  they  make,  and  the  more  and  grea- 
 Opinio-  ter  Difcoveries  they  find  out  ;    the  flironger  this 
 5^^"^^*^"^"  Argument  continually  grows  :  Which  is  a  certain 
 j"^^^^-,^^^^^.  Evidence  of  its  being  founded  in  Truth.      If  Ga- 
 tur-xjudi-  len  fo  many  Ages  fince,  could  find  in  the  Con- 
 ria  confir-  ftrucliou  and  Confiritution  of  the  parts  of  a  Hu- 
 raat.C/tfr^.j^^^j^g  Body,    fuch  undeniable  marks  of    Contri- 
 vance and  Defign,  as  forced  him  ^ben  to  acknow- 
 ledge and  admire  the  Wifdom  of   its  Author; 
 What  would  he  have  faid,    if   he  had  known  the 
 Late  Difcoveries  in  Anatomy  and  Phyfick,    the 
 Circulation  of  the  Blood,  the  exa6l  Stru61:ure  of 
 the  Heart  and  Brain,    the  Ufes  of   Numberlefs 
 Glands  and  Valves  for  the  Secretion  and  Motion 
 of  the  Juices  in  the  Body  ;    befides  feveral  Veins 
 and  other  VefTels  and  Receptacles  not  at  all  known, 
 or  fo  much  as  imagined  to  have  any  Exiflencc,  in 
 His  Days  •,  but  which  Now  are  difcovcred  to  ferve 
 the  wifeft  and   mofb  exquifite  Ends  Imaginable  ? 
 If  the  Arguments  againft  the  Belief  of  the  Being 
 of  an  All-wife   Creator  and  Governour  of   the 
 World,  which  Epicurus  and  his  Follower  Lucreti- 
 us drev/  from  the  Faults  which  they  imagined  they 
 could  find  in  the  PVame  and  Conftitution  of  the 
 Earthy  were  fo  Poor  and  Inconfiderable,  that,  e- 
 
 ven 
 
Be'mg  and  Attributes  of  God.  109 
 
 ven  in  that  Infancy  of  Natural  Philofophy,  the 
 generahty  of  Men  contemned  and  defpifed  them 
 as  of  no  force  ;  How  would  they  have  been  afha- 
 med,  if  they  had  lived  in  Thefe  Days ;  when 
 thofe  very  things,  which  they  thought  to  be  Faults 
 and  Blunders  in  the  Conftitution  of  Nature,  are 
 difcovered  to  be  very  ufeful  and  of  exceeding  Be- 
 nefit to  the  Prefervation  and  Well-Being  of  the 
 whole  ?  And,  to  mention  no  more  :  If  T////v, 
 from  the  partial  and  very  imperfed  Knowledge  in 
 Aftronomy,  which  His  Times  afforded,  could  be 
 fo  confident  of  the  Heavenly  Bodies  being  Dif- 
 pofed  and  Moved  by  a  Wife  and  Underltanding 
 Mind,  as  to  declare,  that,  in  His  Opinion,  who- 
 ever afferted  the  contrary,    was 
 
 himfelf  ^  void  of  all  Underfland-        *  Cxleftem  ergo  fldmiVs.- 
 ing  ;  What  wou'd  He  have  faid,     ^^'^^"^  o^dm^m  incredibilem- 
 
 ■  r  ,      1     J  7  L      71  yT   J         r^T       queconlhnriain,  ex  qua  con- 
 
 if  he  had  known  the  Moder?!  Dlf-      ^ervatio  Sc  nius  omnium  om- 
 COVerieS  in  Aftronomy  ?    The  hn-      nis  oritur,  qui  vacare  mente 
 
 menfe  Greatncfs  of  the  World  ^  (I  P",^^^ '  Js  ipfe  menris  cxpers 
 mean  or  that  rart  or  it,  which  ^^^^^^^  ^-^  ^ 
 falls  under  our  Obfervation  ;J 
 which  is  now  known  to  be  as  much  greater  than 
 what  in  His  Time  they  imagined  it  to  be,  as  the 
 World  it  felf,  according  to  their  Syftem,  was 
 greater  than  Arclmiiedes^s  Sphere  ?  The  Exquifite 
 Regularity  of  all  the  Planets  Motions,  without 
 Epicycles,  Stations,  Retrogradations,  or  any  o- 
 ther  Deviation  or  Confufion  whatfoever  P  The  in- 
 expreffihk  Nicety  of  the  Adjuftment  of  the  Pj-irna- 
 ry  Velocity  and  Original  Diredlion  of  the  Annual 
 Motion  of  the  Planers,  with  their  diflance  from 
 the  Central  Body  and  their  force  of  Gravitation 
 towards  it  ?  The  wonderful  Proportion  of  the  Di- 
 urnal Motion  of  the  Earth  and  other  Planets  a- 
 bout  their  own  Centers,  for  the  Difi:in(5lion  of 
 Light  and  Darknefs ;  without  that  monftroufly 
 difproportionate  Whirling  of  the  whole  Eleavens, 
 
 which 
 
no  A  'Demonflration  of  the 
 
 which  the   Ancient  Aftronomers  were  forced  td 
 fuppofe  ?    The  exaul  Accommoda- 
 
 -  o,  ,  r..*  f  ^2^^  of  the  -^  Bejifities  of  the  Pla- 
 *  Planetarum  den  fit  at  es  fe-  «=»  i  •  xA-n  r  i 
 re  funt,  ut  radices  diametro-  nets,  to  their  Diitances  from  the 
 rum  apparentium  applicatae  Sun,  and  confequently  to  thePro- 
 ad  diamerros  veras,  hoc  eft,  portion  of  Heat  which  each  of 
 reciproce  ut  dilrantrx  rjane-  ^.           .           ,               r      fY-      i  r 
 
 tarum  afole",  duft^  in  radices  them  IS  to  bear  refpedively  •,  fo 
 diametrorum  apparentium.  that  neither  thofe  which  are  near- 
 Collocavit  ieitur  Dcu:-  Plane-     ^f^  ^^  ^^^^  gy^,    are  deftroved  by 
 
 tas  indiverfis  diflaniiis  aSole,      ^u     lu     *.  ^i     r  '  •   u 
 
 ut^wUbet,  pro  graclH  denfta-     the  Heat ;    nor  thofe   wnich  are 
 
 tis,  calore  Solis  majore  vel  mi-      farthcil    off,     by    the  Cold  ;     but 
 
 nore  frnatur  Newton.  Prin-  each  one  cnjoys  a  Temperature 
 cip.  Lib.7,.  Prop.  8.  |-^-j.gj  J.Q  -^^  pj.Qpgj.  ufes,    as  the 
 
 Earth  is  to  ours  ?  The  Admirable 
 Ordery  Number  and  Ufefulnefs^  of  the  feveral 
 MoonSy  (as  I  may  very  properly  call  them, J  ne- 
 ver dreamt  of  by  Antiquity,  but  nov/  by  the 
 Help  of  Telefcopes  clearly  and  dijlinuily  feen  to 
 move  about  their  refpedtive  Planets  ;  and  whofe 
 Motions  are  fo  exa6tly  known,  that  their  very 
 Eclipfes  are  as  certainly  calculated  and  foretold, 
 as  thofe  of  our  own  Moon  ?  The  ftrange  Adjujl" 
 ment  of  our  Moon's  Motion  about  its  own  Center 
 once  in  a  Month,  with  its  Motion  about  the  Earth 
 in  the  fame  Period  of  Time,  to  fuch  a  degree  of 
 Exadnefs,  that  b^y  that  means  the  fame  Face  is  a^ 
 ways  obverced  to  the  Earth  without  any  fenfible 
 Variation  .?  The  wonderful  Motions  of  the  Comets^ 
 which  are  Now  known  to  be  as  exadl,  regular^ 
 and  periodical,  as  the  Motions  of  Other  Planets  ? 
 Laflly  •,  the  Prefei^vation  of  the  feveral  Syftems^ 
 and  of  the  feveral  Planets  and  Comets  in  the  fame 
 Sj[le?n^  from  falling  upon  each  other  •,  which  in  in- 
 finite pail  Time,  (had  there  been  no  Intelligent 
 Cover nour  of  the  H^bole,)  could  not  but  have  been 
 the  Efted  of  the  fmalleft  pofTible  Refiftence  miade 
 by  the  finejl  Mther^  and  even  by  the  Rays  of  Light 
 thetnflves,    to  the  Motions  (fuppofing  It  poflible 
 
 there 
 
Being  and  Jttrlbt^tes  of  God,  m 
 
 there  ever  could  have  been  any  Motions)  of  Thofe 
 Bodies  ?  What  (I  fay)  would  Tully^  that  great 
 Mailer  of  Reafon,  have  thought  and  faid  •,  if 
 thefe  and  other  newly  difcovered  Inftances  of  the 
 inexprefllble  Accuracy  and  Wifdom  of  the  Works 
 of  God,  had  been  found  out  and  known  in  His 
 Time  ?  Certainly  Atheifm,  which  Then  was  alto- 
 gether unable  to  withftand  the  Arguments  drawn 
 from  This  Topick  •,  muft  no-zv^  upon  the  additi- 
 onal Strength  of  thefe  later  Obfervations,  (which 
 are  every  one  an  unanfwerable  Proof  of  the  incom- 
 prehenfible  Wifdom  of  the  Creator,)  be  utterly  a- 
 lliamed  to  fhow  its  Head.  We  Now  fee,  with 
 how  great  reafon  the  Author  of  the  Book  of  Ec- 
 clefiafticus^  after  he  had  defcribed  the  Beauty  of  the 
 Sun  and  Stars,  and  all  the  then  vifible  Works  of 
 God  in  Heaven  and  Earth  ;  concluded,  ch,  xliii, 
 V.  32,  (as /F^,  after  all  the  Difcoveries  of  later 
 Ages,  may  no  doubt  flill  truly  fay  ;)  "There  are 
 yet  hid  greater  things  than  thefe^  and  we  have  feen 
 but  a  few  of  his  Works, 
 
 XII.  Laftly  ;  The  Supreme  Caufe  and  Author  ofT^^^^^- 
 nil  Things^  mujl  of  necejfity  he  a   Being  of  Infinite ^Jl^^^^i 
 Goodyief^    Juftice  and  'i'ruth^    and  all  other  Moral  xhmL^ 
 Perfections  }t  fuch  as  Beco?ne  the  Supreme  Governour  muflbe'in- 
 and  Judge  of  the  JVorld,     That  there  are   ^#f '^^^^  l"".^] ^z? 
 Relations  of    Things   one  towards  another,  is  as  ^and-ilut 
 certain  as  that   there  are  Different  T^hings  in  die 
 World.     Thut  from   thefe  Different  Relations   of 
 Different  nings^  tliere  neceffariiy  arifes  an  Agree- 
 ment or  Difagreemeyit  of  fome  things  to  others,  or 
 a  Fitnefs  or  Unfitnefs  of  the  Application  of   Diffe- 
 rent Things  or  Different  Relations,    one   to  ano- 
 ther •,  is  likewife  as  certain,    as  that  there   is  any 
 Difference  in  the  Nature  of  Things,  or  that  Dif- 
 ferent Things  do  Exill.     Further ;  that  there  is  a 
 Fitnefs  or  Suitahlenefe  of  certain  Circumflances  to 
 
 certain 
 
Viz,  a  Tiemondration  of  the 
 
 certain  Verfons^    and   an  Vnfiiitahlenefs  of   Others^ 
 founded  in  the  Nature  of  Things  and  in  the  ^lali- 
 fications  of  Perfons^  antecedent  to  PFill  and  to  All 
 Arbitrary  or  Pofitive  Appointmeyit  whatfoever ;  muft 
 unavoidably  be  acknowledged  by  every  one,  who 
 will  not  affirm  that  'tis  equally  Fit  ami  Suitable^    in 
 the  Nature  and  Reafon  of  Things^  that  an  Innocent 
 Being  fhould  be  extremely  and  eternally  Mlferahle, 
 as  that  it  fhould  be  Free  from  fuch  Mifery.  There 
 is  therefore  fuch  a  thing  as  Fitnefs  and  Unfitnefs,,  e- 
 ternally,    neceffarily,    and  unchangeably,    in  the 
 Nature  and  Reafon  of  Things.     Now  What  thefe 
 Relations  of  Things^  abfolutely  and  neceffarily.  Are 
 in  Themfelves  ;  That  alfo  they  Appear  to   be,     to 
 the  Underftanding  of  all  Intelligent  Beings  -,    ex- 
 cept Thofe  only,    who  underlland  Things  to  Be 
 what  they  are  not,  that  is,  whofe  Underitandings 
 are  either  very  imperfed:  or  very  much  depraved. 
 And  by  this  Underjtanding  or  Knowledge  of  the  Na- 
 tural and  Neceilliry  Relations  of  Things,  the  Ani- 
 ons likewife  of  all  Intelligent  Beings  are  conilantly 
 Directed,  (which  by  the  v:ay  is  the  true  Ground 
 and   Foundation  of    all  Morality  :)    unleis  their 
 Will  be  corrupted  by  particular  Interefi  or  Ajfecli- 
 on^    or  fwayed   by  fome  unreafonable  and  pre- 
 vailing Lull.     The  Supreme  Caufe  therefore,  and 
 Author  of  all  Things  ;  fince  (as  has  already  been 
 VAg,  io6.  proved^  he  muft  of  neceffity  have  Infinite  Know- 
 ledge^ and  the  Perfedlion  of  IVifdovi  \    fo  that  'tis 
 abfolutely  impoffible  he  fliould  Err^  or  be  in  any 
 refped  Ignorant  of  the  True  Relations  and  Fitnefs 
 or  Unfitnefs  of  things,  or  be   by  any  means  De- 
 ceived or  impofed  upon  herein  :    And  fince  he  is 
 likewife  Self-Exifient^  abfolutely   Independent    and 
 All-Powerfil ',  fo  that,  having   no  want  of  any 
 thing,  'tis  impoffible  his  Will  ihould  be  influenced 
 by  any  wrong  Affection  ;    and   having  no  Depen- 
 dencey  'tis  impoffible  his  Power  lliouid  be  limited 
 
 by 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  GodI  ti i 
 
 by  any  Superior  Strength  ;  'Tis  evident  He  muft 
 of  necelTity,  ^meaning,  not  a  Necejjit'j  of  Fate^i 
 but  fuch  a  Moral  NeceJJHy  as  I  before  faid  was  con- 
 fiflcnt  with  the  rnoft  perfed:  Liberty,)  Do  always  PV  99 
 what  he  Knows  to  be  Fittefi  to  be  done  ;  That  is. 
 He  muft  ad  always  according  to  the  (Iridcil  Rules 
 of  Infinite  Goodnefs^  Juft'ue  and  Truth^  and  all  o- 
 ther  Moral  Perfetions.  In  Particular  :  The  Su- 
 preme Caufe  muft  in  the  firft  place  be  infinitely 
 Good  •,  that  is,  he  muft  have  an  unalterable  Dil- 
 pofition  to  Do  and  to  Co?nmunicate  Good  or  Hap- 
 nefs  :  Becaufe,  being  himfelf  necefiarily  Happy 
 in  the  Eternal  injoyment  of  his  own  infinite  Per- 
 fedions,  he  cannot  pofTibly  have  any  other  Mo- 
 tives to  make  any  Creatures  at  all,  but  only  that 
 he  may  communicate  to  Them  his  Own  Perfedi- 
 ons  *,  according  to  their  different  Capacities^  ari- 
 fing  from  that  P'ariety  of  NatUKCs^  which  it  was  fit 
 for  Infinite  Wifilom  to  produce  *,  and  according  to 
 their  different  Improvements^  arifing  from  that  hi- 
 herty  which  is  efientially  NecefiTary  to  the  Confti- 
 tution  of  Intelligent  and  A5live  Beings.  That  he 
 muft  .be  infinitely  GW,  appears  likewife  further 
 from  hence  ;  that,  being  necefiarily  All-Sufficient^ 
 he  muft  confequently  be  infinitely  removed  from 
 all  Malice  and  Envy^  and  from  all  other  poflible 
 Caufes  or  Temptations  of  doing  Evil  ;  which, 
 "tis  evident,  can  only  be  Effeds  of  IFant  and 
 Weaknefs.^  of  Imperfe5iion  or  Depravation,  Again  ^ 
 The  Supreme  Caufe  and  Author  of  all  things, 
 muft  in  like  manner  be  infinitely  Jujl  :  Becaufe, 
 the  Rule  of  Equity  being  nothing  elfe  but  the  Very 
 Nature  of  Things,  and  their  neceffary  Relations 
 one  to  Another  -,  And  the  Execution  of  Jtiflice^ 
 being  nothing  q\{q  but  a  fuiting  the  Circujuftances 
 of  Things  to  the  Salifications  of  Perfins,  accord- 
 ing to  the  Original  Fit}2efs  and  Agreeahknefs^  which 
 I  have  before  ftiown  to  be  Nece/Janly  in  Nature^ 
 I  *"       '  ante- 
 
114  A  'Demonjtration  of  the 
 
 antecedent  to  IVill  and  to  all  p  eft  the  Appointment  ; 
 'Tis  manifeft,     that  He  who  knows  Perfe^h  this 
 Rule  of  Equity,    and   necelTarily  judges  of  Things 
 as  the^  are  ;  who  has   compleat  Power  to  Execute 
 Juftice  according  to  that  Knowledge,  and  No  pojf- 
 ble  Temptation  to  deviate  in  the  leafl  therefrom  ; 
 who  can  neither  be   wipofed  upon  by  any  Deceit^ 
 nor  fwayed  by  any  Byafs,  nor  azved  by  any  Power  \ 
 mufl,  of  neceffity,  do  always  that  v/hich  is  Right ; 
 without  Iniquity,  and  without  Partiality  •,  without 
 Prejudice,  and  without  Refped  of  Perfons.    Laft- 
 ly.  That  the  Supreme  Caufe  and  Author  of  all 
 things,  mull  be  True  and  Faithful^  in  all  his  Be- 
 claraiions  and  all  his   Promifes  ;    is  moft  evident. 
 For  the  only  PolTible  Reafon  of  Falfifying,    is  ei- 
 ther Rafonefs  or  Forgetfulnefs^  Inconftancy  or  Impo- 
 tency^  Fear  of  Evil^    or    Hope  of 
 **  Ovx.  %iv  I  tviKx  «(»  aj'.5     Gain  ;  From  ^"^  all  which,  an  In- 
 yr^7!— ,^^^^^'^VP"l^-^-     finitely    mfe,      All-fufcient   and 
 x«;  iv  ;^.;ya».    k4  'inuoTcr,  fjui     ^ood  Being,  muft  or  JSeceffity  be 
 S-iV^r;6<,  ^7£  ^AA»?  iicci^a,ru,     infinitely  removed  ;    And  confe- 
 •^rs^u-r^  ^^..Tcc^U,,  h.  Kxj^     quently,  as  '*tis  impoffibie  for  him 
 jTCfj,7,xr„    '^B-'  S;r«p  H^'  c'-^up.     if  ^-  deceived  himfilf,  lo  neither  is 
 fUtQ^Rcpiih.Lib.i.fubJinem.     it  pofiible  for  him  in  any  wife  to 
 
 deceive  Others.  In  a  Word  :  All 
 Evil  and  all  Imperfedions  whatfoever,  arife 
 plainly  either  from  Shortnefs  of  Underftanding^  De- 
 feol  of  Power ^  or  Fauliinefs  of  Will ;  And  this  lafl, 
 evidently  from  fome  Lnpotencv^  Corruption,  or 
 Depravation  ;  *  being  nothing  elfe,  but  a  diredt 
 Choofing  to  A61  contrary  to  the  known  Reafon 
 and  Nature  of  Things.  From  all  which,  it  being 
 manifefb  that  the  Supreme  Caufe  and  Author  of 
 all  Things,  cannot  but  be  infinitely  removed  ;  it 
 follows  undeniably,  that  he  muft  of  Neceffity  be 
 a  Being  of  Infinite  Goodnefs^  Juftice  and  Truths  and 
 all  other  MoralPerfe^ions, 
 
 To 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Got).  1 1 5 
 
 To  this  Argumentation  a  priori^  there  can  be 
 oppofed  but  one  Objedion  that  I  know  of,  drav/n 
 on  the  contrary  a  pofieriori^  from  Experience  and 
 Obfervation  of  the  Unequal  Diftributions  of  Pro- 
 vidence in  the  World.  But  (befides  the  [uft  Vin- 
 dication of  the  Wifdom  and  Goodnefs  of  Provi- 
 dence in  its  Difpenfcitions,  even  with  Refped  to 
 this  Prefent  World  only,  which  Plutarch  and  other 
 Heathen  Writers  have  judicioully  made,)  the  Ob ^ 
 jeclion  it  felf  is  entirely  wide  of  the  Queilioni 
 For  concerning  the  Jufiice  and  Goodnefs  of  God, 
 (as  of  any  Governour  whatfoever,)  no  Judgment 
 is  to  be  made  from  a  partial  View  of  a  few  fmall 
 Portions  of  his  Difpenfations,  but  from  an  entire 
 Confideration  of  the  Whole  •,  And  confequently, 
 not  only  the  flion  Duration  of  this  prefent  State, 
 but  moreover  i41  that  is  pail  and  that  is  ftill  to 
 come,  mult  betaken  into  the  Account:  And 
 Then  every  thing  will  clearly  appear  juil  and 
 right. 
 
 From,  this  Account  of  the  Moral  Attributes  of 
 God,  it  follows  •, 
 
 ift.  That  though 'All  the  Adions  of  God,    d^v^TheNe-^  . 
 entirely  Free  ;  and  confequently  the  Exercife  ^f  ^^?  %^^ 
 his  Moral  Attributes  cannot  be  faid  to  be  Necefia-  y^i  Ann- 
 ry,  in -the  lame  Senfe  of  NccelTity  as  his  Exiftence  <?«^^f,  con- 
 and  Eternity  are  Neceilary  •,  yet  thefe  Moral  ^t-fj^^^""^^^ 
 tributes  are  really  and  truly  Neceiiary,  by  fuch  ^i'l^erty. 
 Neceffity,    as,    though  it  be  "^  not  at  all  incon-  *  p^ig..  99^ 
 fiflent  with  Liberty,  yet  is  equally  Certain,  Infalli- 
 ble, and  to  be  depended  upon,    as  even  the  Ex- 
 iftence  it  felf,    or   the  Eternity  of  God.       For 
 though  nothing  is  more  Certain  (as  has  been  alrea^ 
 \  dy  proved  in  ths  Ninth  Propofitlon  of  this  D'ifcoiirf)p^I-  ^^'^ 
 than  that  God  ads,  ?iot  neceffarily^  but  voluntarily^ 
 with  particular  intention  and    defign,    knowing 
 12""  that 
 
1X6  A  T^emonjlration  of  the 
 
 that  he  does  Good,  and  intending  to  do  fo,  free- 
 ly and  out  of  choice,  and  when  he  has  no  other 
 conftraint  upon  him  but  this,    that  his  Goodnefs 
 inclines  his  Will  to  communicate  himfelf  and  to 
 do  Good  •,  fo  that  the  Divine  Nature  is  under  no 
 NecefTity,  but  fuch  as  is  confiflent  with  the  moft 
 perfedt  Liberty  and  freeil  Choice :    (which  is  the 
 Ground  of    all  our  Prayers  and  Thankfgivings  i 
 the  Reafon,  why  we  -pra^^  to  him  to  be  good  to  us 
 zn<^  gracious^  and  thank  him  for  being;/^/?  and  me)'- 
 ctful  \  whereas  no  Man  p^a^s  to  him  to  be  Omni' 
 ■prefenty  or  thanks  him  for  being  Omnipotent^    or 
 for  hwivlng  all  Things :)  Though  nothing,  I  fay,  is 
 more  certain,,  than  that  God  adls,  not  neceffarily^ 
 but  'voluntarily  •,  yet   'tis  neverthelefs  as  truly  and 
 ahfolntely  impojjMe  for  God  not  to  do    (or  to  do 
 any  thing  contrary  x.o)  what  his«Moral  Attributes' 
 require  him  to  do  -,    as  if   he  was  really,  not   a 
 Free,  but  a  NecelTary  Agent.      And  the  Reafon 
 hereof,    is  plain :    Becaufe   infinite    Knowledge, 
 Power,  and  Goodnefs  in  Conjun6lion,  may,  not- 
 withftanding  the  mofl  perfed  Freedom  and  Choice, 
 a6l  with  altogether  as  much  Certainty  and  Unalte- 
 rahlc  Steddinefs  ;  as  even  the  NeceiTity  of  Fate  can 
 be  fuppofed  to  do.     Nay,    thefe  Perfedions  can- 
 not pofTibly  but  fo  ad  •,  becaufe  Free  Choice,  in 
 a  Being  of  Infinite  Knowledge,  Power  and  Good- 
 nefs, can  no  more  choofe  to  ad  contrary  to  thefe 
 Perfedions  ;    than  Knowledge  can   be   Ignorance^ 
 Power  be  IVeaknefs^  or  Goodnefs  Malice  :    So  that 
 Free  Choice,    in  Such  a  Being,   may  be  as  Certain 
 and  Steddy  a  Principle  of  Adion,  as  the  Neceflity 
 of  Fate.     We  may  therefore  as  certainly  and  in- 
 fallibly rely  upon  the  Mo?'al,  as  upon  the  Natu- 
 ral Attributes  of  God  :  It  being  as  abfolutely  im- 
 pofTible  for  Him  to  A61  contrary  to  the  One,  as 
 to  Devefl  himfelf  of  the  Other ;  And  as  much  a 
 Contradidion,  to  fuppofe  him  Choofing  to  Do 
 
 any 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  117 
 
 any  thing  inconfiflent  with  his  Juftice,  Goodnefs 
 and  Truth  j  as  to  fuppofe  him  dcvelled  ot  Infini- 
 ty, Power,  or  Exiftence.  The  one  is  contrary, 
 to  the  hnmediate  and  Ahfclute  Nccejjity  of  his  JSa- 
 tiire ;  TJie  other,  to  the  unalterable  Rectitude  of 
 his  Will.  The  One,  is  in  it  felf  an  Imfnediate  Co?i- 
 tradiclion  in  the  'Terms  ;  The  Other,  is  an  exj)refs 
 ContradiBion  to  the  Neceffary  Perfections  of  the  Di- 
 vine Nature.  To  fuppofe  the  One,  is  faying 
 abfolutely  that  Something  is,  at  the  fame  Tims  that 
 it  is  not :  To  fuppofe  the  Other,  is  to  fiy  that 
 Infinite  Knowledge  can  A61  Ignoranth^  Infinite 
 Power  Weaklj,  or  that  Infinite  IVi'dom  and  Good- 
 nefs can  do  things  Not  Good  or  V/ife  to  he  d:>ne. 
 All  which  are  eq^uall'^  Great.,  and  eq^iially  manifefi 
 Abfurditics.  This,  I  conceive,  is  a  very  Intelli- 
 gible Account  of  the  Moral  Attributes  of  God  ; 
 latisfaclory  to  the  Mind,  and  without  Perplexi- 
 ty and  Confufion  of  Ideas.  I  might  have  faid 
 it  at  once,  (as  the  Truth  moft  certainly  is,)  that 
 Juftice,  Goodnefs,  and  all  the  other  Moral  At- 
 tributes of  God,  are  as  EJfential  to  the  Divine 
 Nature,  as  the  Natural  Attributes  of  feternity. 
 Infinity,  and  the  like.  But  becaufe  all  Atheifti- 
 cal  Perfons,  after  they  are  fully  convificed  that 
 there  muft  needs  be  in  the  Univerfe  fome  one 
 Eternal,  Necefiliry,  Infinite  and  All-powerful  Be- 
 ing ;  will  ftill  with  unreafonable  Obftinacy  con- 
 tend, that  they  can  by  no  means  fee  any  neceffary 
 Connexion  of  Goodnefs,  Juftice,  or  afny  other  Mo- 
 ral Attribute,  with  thefe  Natural  Perfe6lions  ; 
 therefore  I  chofe  to  endeavour  to  demonftrace 
 the  Moral  Attributes  by  a  particular  dcdudlioHj 
 in  the  manner  I  have  nov/  done. 
 
 2dl).  From  hence  it  follows,  that  though  God  Q/^^^^-'^'^Y'^- 
 is  a  moft  perfectly /r<:^^  Agent,  yet  he  cannot  but[^-^^J/^y{,y,^ 
 do  always  what  is  ^V/?  and  Yv'^iieft  in  the  whole,  ^lyc^ays 
 I  ;:>  The 
 
1x8  A  T)eynon(lratiGn  of  the 
 
 yrk^t  ts      The  Rcafon  is  evident  ;    hecanfe  Perfect  Wifclom 
 Bejland     and  Gooclnel's,    are  as  Sffdd^  a  fid  Certain  Pnnc'i- 
 ^hethd^.  P^^^  ^^'  A^lion,  as  NecclTic/it  felf.     And  an  In- 
 iiniteiy  Wile  and  Good  Being,    indued  with  the 
 moil  perfeL^L  Liberty,  can  no  more  choofe  to  ad: 
 in  Conlradi^lion  to  Wifdom  and  Goodncfs  ;  than 
 a  NeceiTary  Agent  can  acl  contrary  to  the  Necef- 
 lity,  by  which  it  is  a61:ed  :  It  being  as  great  an 
 Abfurdity  and  Impoffibility  in  Choice^  for  Infinite 
 Wifdom    to  choofe  to  ad  Unwifely,    or  Infinite 
 Goodnefs   to   choofe  what  is  not  Good   ;    as  it 
 would  be  in  Nature  for  abfolute  NecefTity  to  fail 
 of  producing  its  neceflary  Effe6l.      There    was 
 indeed  no  Necefnty  in  Nature^  that  God  fhould  at 
 lirft  create  fuch  Beings  as  he  has  created,  or  in- 
 deed any  Beings  at  all  •,  becaufe  He  is  in  Himfelf 
 infinitely  Happy,  and   AlI-fufHcient.     There  was 
 alfo  no  NeccJJity  in  Nature^  that  he  fhould  preferve 
 and  continue  Things  in  Being,    after  they  were 
 created  ,    becaufe  he  w^ould  be   as  Self-fufficient 
 without  their  Continuance,  as  he  was  before  their 
 Creation.     But  it  was  Fit,  and  Wife,  and  Good, 
 that  Infinite  Wifdom ^^ihou Id  manifefb,    and  Infi- 
 nite Goodnefs  communicate  it  felf.     And  there- 
 fore it  was  NeceJTar'j  (in  the  Senfe  of  NecefTity  / 
 a7n  now  fpeaJdng  of^)  that  Things  fhould  be  made 
 at  fuch  time,  and  continued  lb  long,  and  indued 
 with  various  Perfediions  in  fuch  Degrees,  as  Infi- 
 nite Wifdom  and  Goodnefs  fav/  it  Wifefl  and  Beft 
 that  they  fhould.     And  when  and  whilft  things 
 are  in  Being,  the  fame  Moral  Perfections  make  it 
 NeceiTary,  that  they  fhould  be  difpofed  and  go- 
 verned according  to    the  exa6tefl  and  moft  un- 
 changeable Laws  of  Eternal  Juflice,  Goodnefs  and 
 Truth  ;    Becaufe,  while  T'hirgs  and  there  feveral 
 -RslaHons  are,  they  cannot  but  he  what  they  are  •, 
 and  an  iniinire]^    ^\r—^   Being  cannot  but  knozo 
 
 them 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  u,  1 1 9 
 
 tliem  to  be  what  they  are,  and  ji(dge  always 
 rigbliy  concerning  the  feveral  Fitneffes  or  Unfit- 
 nefTes  of  them  •,  and  an  Infinitely  Good  Being, . 
 cannot  but  choofe  to  a^f  always  according  to  this 
 Knowledge  of  the  refpedive  Fitnefs  of  Things  : 
 It  being  as  truly  impoffible  for  fuch  a  Free  Agent ^ 
 who  is  abfolutely  incapable  of  being  Deceived  or 
 Depraved,  to  Choofe^  by  ading  contrary  to  thefe 
 Laws,  to  deftroy  its  own  Perfeofions  ;  as  for  Ne- 
 c^ffar'j  Exiftence  to  be  able  to  deftroy  its  own  Being. 
 
 ^dly.  From  hence  it  follows,  that  though  God  of  the  im- 
 is  both  Perfedly  Free,  and  alio  Infinitely  Po%ver-HT'^'['^yof 
 fuU  yet  he  cannot  PolTibly  do  any  thing  that  i^^viL^^ 
 Evil.  The  Realbn  of  this  alfo,  is  Evident.  Be- 
 caufe,  as  'tis  manifefl  Infinite  Power  cannot  ex- 
 tend to  Natural  Contradidions,  which  imply  a 
 Deflru6lion  of  that  very  Power  by  v/hich  they 
 muft  be  fuppofed  to  be  eff^edied  *,  fo  neither  can 
 it  extend  to  Moral  Contradidlions,  which  imply 
 a  Defbrudlion  of  fome  other  Attributes,  as  ne- 
 cefTarily  belonging  to  the  Divine  Nature  as  Power. 
 I  have  already  lliown,  that  Juilicc,  Goodnefsand 
 Truth,  are  necefiarily  in  God  ;  even  as  necefiTa- 
 rily,  as  Power,  and  Underllanding,  and  Know- 
 ledge of  the  Nature  of  Things.  'Tis  therefore  as 
 Impoffible  and  Contradictory,  to  fuppofe /?ii  ^f// 
 fliould  Choofe  to  do  any  thing  contrary  to  Juilice, 
 Goodnefs  or  Truth  ;  as  that  bis  Power  fhould  Oe 
 able,  to  do  any  thing  inconfifbent  with  Power. 
 'Tis  no  Diminution  of  Power,  not  to  be  able  to 
 Do  things  which  are  no  Object:  of  Power  :  And 
 ^tis  in  like  manner  no  Dimjnution  either  of  Power 
 or  Liberty,  to  have  fuch  a  Perfed  and  Unaltera- 
 ble Reditude  of  Will,  as  never  Podibly  to  Choofe  ji^^^fi^,,, 
 to  do  any  thing  inconfiftent  with  that  Redricude.      henyunot 
 
 Athh."  From  hence  it  follows  that  Liberty,  pro-  "^  ^^A/.f^ 
 perly  fpeakmg,  is  not  m  it  leir  an  imperie(::tion,  ^„;  ^;^^  ^ 
 
 I    4  h\Xl  I'erfecUiU. 
 
1 20  A  DemonJIrati&n  of  the 
 
 but  a  Perfeftion.  For  it  is  in  the  highell  and 
 completed:  degree,  in  God  bi?nfelf:  Every  AcV, 
 wherein  He  exercjfes  any  Moral  Attribute,  as 
 Goodnefs,  Juftice  or  Truth,  proceeding  from  the 
 moft  Perfect  Liberty  and  Freeft  Choice  ;  without 
 which,  Goodnefs  would  not  be  Goodnefs,  nor 
 Jullice  and  Truth  any  Excellencies  *,  thefe  things, 
 in  the  very  Idea  and  formal  Notion  of  them,  ut- 
 terly excluding  all  Neceffity.  It  has  indeed  been 
 fometimes  taught,  that  Liberty  is  a  great  Imper^ 
 f Colic n  \  becaufe  it  is  the  Occafion  of  all  Sin  and 
 MJfery.  But,  if  we  will  fpeak  properly,  'tis  not 
 Liberty  that  expofes  us  to  Mifery,  but  only  the 
 .  Abufe  of  Liberty.  'Tis  true.  Liberty  makes 
 Men  capable  of  Sin,  and  confequently  liable  to 
 Mifery  ;  neither  of  which  they  could  pofTibly  be, 
 without  Liberty.  But  he  that  will  fay  every  thing 
 is  an  Imperfedion,  by  the  Abufe  whereof  a  Crea- 
 ture may  become  more  unhappy,  than  if  God 
 had  never  given  it  that  Power  at  all  *,  mufh  fay 
 that  a  ^tone  is  a  more  excellent  and  Perfect  Crea- 
 ture than  Man^  becaufe  it  is  not  capable  ot  mak- 
 ing it  itVi.  miferable,  as  Man  is.  And,  by  the 
 fame  Argument,  Reafon  and  Knowledge,  and  e- 
 very  other  Perfe6tion,  nay  even  Exiftence  it  felf, 
 will  be  proved  to  be  an  Imperfedion  ;  becaufe  'tis 
 ^Fhat,  without  which  a  Creature  could  not  be 
 miferable.  The  Truth  therefore  is  •,  The  Abufe 
 of  Liberty,  that  is,  the  Corruption  an4  Depra- 
 vation of  That,  without  which  no  Creatures  could 
 be  happy,  is  the  alone  Caufe  of  their  Mifery  : 
 But  as  for  Liberty  it  felf,  it  is  a  great  Perfedi- 
 on  :  And  the  more  Perfed;  any  Creature  is,  the 
 more  perfed  is  its  Liberty  :  And  the  perfedeft 
 Liberty  of  all,  is  fuch  Liberty,  as  can  never  by 
 any  Ignorance,  Deceit  or  Corruption,  be  byaffed 
 or  diverted  from  Choofing,  what  is  the  Proper 
 Objed  of  Free  Choice,  the  greatefi  Good, 
 
 5//j/y, 
 
Behig  and  Attributes  0/  Gov,  121 
 
 r^thly.  From  hence  it  follows,  that  though  pro-  tLt/-  the 
 bably  no  Rational  Creature   can  be,  in   a  ^^yiS:  ^"^''^fi  ^^' 
 Philofophical  fenle,  hnpcccaUe  •,  yet  we  may  eafily  ^4«f S^rI". 
 f:onceive,  how  God  can  place  fuch  Creatures,  as  ?/o»a/c>£«» 
 he  judges  w^orthy  of  fo  excellent  a  Gill,  in  fuch  a  ^^^''^^'  ^ 
 State  of  Knowledge  and  near  Communion  ^"^ix^^^^l^faf^ 
 himlclf,  where   Goodnels  and  Holinefs  iliall  ap-  uberty. 
 jear  fo  amiable,  and  v/here  they  fliall  be  exempt 
 from  all  means  of  Temptation  and  Corruption  -, 
 that  it  iliall  never  be  poifible  for  them,  nocwith- 
 llanding  the  Natural  Liberty  of  their  Will,  to  be 
 feduced  from  their  unchangeable  Happinefs  in  the 
 Everlafiing  Choice  and  Enjoyment  of  their  great- 
 eft  Good.     Which  is  the  State  of  good  Ano-els, 
 and  of  the  Saints  in  Heaven. 
 
 Laftly :  From  what  hath  been  faid  upon  this  jhatthe 
 Head,  it  follows,  that  the  true  Ground  and  Foun-  Groun^is  of 
 dation  of  all  Eternal  Moral  Obligations,  is  This  ;  ^^^  ^^''^^ 
 that  the  fame  Reafons,  (viz,  the    foremen tioned^^ff.f/;;/ 
 *  necefiary  and   eternal  different  Relations  which  ^w^  wer^/"- 
 different  nings  bear  one  to  another  ;  and  the  con-/^7'  ^^^ 
 fequent  Fitnefs  or  Unfitnefs  of  the  Application  of '^^^^^'^ "'' 
 different  Things,  or  different   Relations,    one  to  za-^l 
 another,  unavoidably  ariilng  from  that  Difference*  P-  ^-J^* 
 of  the  Things  themfelves  \)  thefe  very  fame  Rea-^^^*     ^ 
 fons,  I  fay,  w^hich  always  and  neceffarily  do  de- 
 termine the  Will  of  God,    as  hath  been  before 
 fhown  ;    ought  alfo   conftantly  to   determine  the 
 Will  of  all  Subordinate  Intelligent  Beings.     And 
 when  they  do  not  •,  then  fuch  Beings,  letting  up 
 their  own  unreafonable  Self- Will  in  oppofition  to 
 the  Nature  and  Reafon  of  Things,  endeavour  (as 
 much  as   in  them  lies)  to  make  Things  be  what 
 they  are  not  and  cannot  be  :  Which  is  the  higheft 
 Prefumption  and  greateft  Infolence  imaginable  :: 
 'Tis   acting  contrary  to   their  ov/n  Reafon   and 
 Knowledge  •,    'Tis  an  attempting  to  deftroy  that 
 
 Order^ 
 
122  A  "Demonji ration  of  the 
 
 Order,  by  which  the  Univerfe  fubfifts  ;  and  'cis 
 alfo,  by  confequence,  offering  the  higheft  affront 
 imaginable  to  the  Creator  of  all  things,  who  him- 
 felf  governs  all  his  Adions  by  thefe  Rules,  and 
 cannot  but  require  the  fame  of  all  his  reafonable 
 Creatures.  They  who  found  all  Moral  Obligati- 
 ons ultimately  in  the  V/ill  of  God,  muft  recur  at 
 length  to  the  fame  thing  ;  only  with  this  diRerence, 
 that  they  do  not  clearly  explain  how  the  Nature 
 and  Will  of  God  bimfelf  muft  be  neceffarily  Good 
 
 .  and  Jail,  as  I  have  endeavoured  to  do.  They 
 who  found  all  Moral  Obligations,  only  upon 
 Laws  made  for  the  good  of  Societies  -,  hold  an 
 Opinion,  which  (befidcs  that  'tis  fully  confuted 
 by  what  has  been  already  faid  concerning  the  e- 
 ternal  and  neceffary  difference  of  Things,)  is 
 moreover  fo  direftly  and  manifeftly  contradidory 
 and  inconfiftent  with  it  felf,  that  it  feems  ftrange 
 it  fliould  not  have  been  more  commonly  taken 
 notice  of.  For  if  there  be  no  difference  between 
 Good  and  Evil,  antecedent  to  all  Laws  ;  there 
 can  be  no  reaion  given  why  any  Laws  fliould  be 
 made  at  all,  when  all  things  are  naturally  in- 
 different. To  fay  that  Laws  are  nece(fary  to  be 
 made  for  the  good  of  Mankind,  is  confeffmg  that 
 certain  Things  tend  to  the  Good  of  Mankind, 
 that  is,  to  the  preferving  and  perfecting  of  their 
 Nature  ;  which  Wife  Men  therefore  think  neceffa- 
 ry to  be  efbablifhed  by  Laws.     And  if  the  reafon 
 
 .  why  certain  Things  are  eflablifned  by  wife  and 
 good  Laws,  is  becaufe  thofe  Things  tend  to  the 
 good  of  Mankind  ;  'tis  manifeft  they  were  good, 
 antecedent  to  their  being  confirmed  by  Laws. 
 Otherwife,  if  they  were  not  good  antecedent  to  all 
 Laws,  'tis  evident  there  could  be  no  reafon  why 
 Such  1  -awsiliould  be  made,  rather  than  the  contra- 
 ry. Which  is  the  grcateft  Abfurdity  in  th.e  World, 
 
 AND 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  Go  d.  1 2 1 
 
 AN  D  now,  from  what  has  been  fiiid  iipon^^^  <^''«- 
 this  Argument,  I  hope  'tis  in  the  whole ''^''^^'^• 
 fufncienrly  clear,  that  the  Being  and  Attributes  of 
 God,  are,  to  attentive  and  confidering  Minds, 
 abundantly  capable  of  juit  Proof  and  Demonftra- 
 tion  ;  and  that  the  Adverfaries  of  God  and  Reli- 
 gion, have-  not  Reafon  on  their  fide,  (to  which 
 they  would  pretend  to  be  ilri6t  Adherers,  j  but 
 merely  vain  Confidence,  and  great  Blind nefs  and 
 Prejudice  -,  when  they  defire  it  Ihould  be  thought, 
 that,  in  the  Fabrick  of  the  World,  God  has  left 
 himfelf  wholly  without  Witnefs  ;  and  that  all  the 
 Arguments  of  Nature,  are  on  the  fide  of  Atheifm 
 and  Irreligion.  Some  Men,  I  know,  there  are, 
 who  having  never  turned  their  Thoughts  to  Mat- 
 ters of  this  Nature,  think  that  thefe  Things  are 
 all  abfolutely  above  our  Comprehenfion  •,  and 
 that  we  talk  about  we  know  not  what,  when  v/e 
 difpute  about  thefe  Queftions.  But  fince  the  mofl 
 confiderable  Atheifts  that  ever  appeared  in  the 
 World,  and  the  Pleaders  for  Univerfal  Fatality, 
 have  All  thought  fit  to  argue  in  this  Way,  in 
 their  Attempts  to  remove  the  Firll  Foundations 
 of  Religion  ;  'tis  Reafonable  and  NeceflTary,  that 
 they  fhould  be  oppofed  in  their  own  Way  •,  It  be- 
 ing moil  certain,  that  no  Argumentation,  of 
 what  kind  foever,  can  polTibly  be  made  ufe  of 
 on  the  fide  of  Errour,  but  may  alfo  be  ufed  with 
 much  greater  Advantage  on  the  behalf  of  Truth. 
 2.  From  what  has  been  faid  upon  this  Argu- 
 ment, we  may  fee  how  it  comes  to  pafs,  that 
 though  nothing  is  fo  certain  and  undeniable  as  the 
 NecefiTary  Exiftence  of  God,  and  the  confequent 
 Dedu6lion  of  all  his  Attributes  ;  yet  Men,  who 
 have  never  attended  to  the  Evidence  of  Reafon, 
 and  to  the  Notices  that  God  hath  given  us  of  Him- 
 felf, 
 
A  T>emonflration  of  the 
 felf,  may  eafily  be  in  great  meafure  ignorant  of 
 Both.  That  the  three  Angles  of  a  Triangle  are 
 Equal  to  two  right  ones,  is  fo  certain  and  evi- 
 dent, that  whoever  affirms  the  contrary,  affirms 
 what  may  very  eafily  be  reduced  to  an  exprefs 
 Contradid:ion  :  Yet  whoever  turns  not  his  Mind 
 to  confider  it  at  all,  may  eafily  be  ignorant  of  This 
 and  numberlefs  other  the  like  Mathematical  and 
 moft  infalhble  Truths. 
 
 3.  Yet  the  Notices  that  God  has  been  pleafed 
 to  give  us  of  himfelf,  are  lb  many  and  fo  obvi- 
 ous   ;    in  the  Conftitution,  Order,  Beauty,  and 
 Harmony,  of  the  feveral  Parts  of  the  World  ;  in 
 the  Frame  and  Structure  of  our  own  Bodies,  and 
 the  wonderful  Powers  and  Faculties  of  our  Souls  ; 
 in    the    unavoidable  Apprehenfions  of   our  own 
 Minds,    and    the  common  Confent  of  all  other 
 Men'-,  in  every  thing  within  us,  and  every  thing 
 without  us  :    that  no  Man  of  the  meaneft  Capa- 
 city and  grcateft  Difad vantages  whatfoever,   with 
 the   flightefb  and  moft  fuperficial  Obfervation  of 
 the  Works  of  God,  and  the  lov/eft  and  moft  ob- 
 vious attendance  to  the  Reafon  of  Things,  can  be 
 ignorant  of  Him  •,  but  he  muft  be  utterly  without 
 Excufe.     Pouibly  he  may  not  indeed  be  able  to 
 underftand,  or  beaffecbed  by,  nice  and  Metaphy- 
 seal Dem.onftrations  of  the  Being  and  Attributes 
 of  God  :    But  then,  for  the  fame  Reafon,  he  is 
 obliged  alfo  not  to  fufter  himifelf  to  beffiaken  and 
 unfettled,  by  the   fubtlc  Sophiftries  of  Sceptical 
 and  Atheiftical  Men  ;  which  he   cannot  perhaps 
 anfv/er,  becaufe  he  cannot  underftand.     But  he  is 
 bound  to  adhere  to  thofe  Things  which  he  knows, 
 and  thofe  Reafonings  he  is  capable  to  judge  of  \ 
 which  are  abundantly  fufficient  to  determine  and 
 to  guide   the  Pra6lice  of  fober   and  eonfidering 
 Men. 
 
 4.  But 
 
Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  125 
 
 4.  But  this  is  not  all.  God  has  moreover  fi- 
 nally, by  a  clear  and  exprefs  Revelation  of  Him- 
 lelf,  brought  down  from  Heaven  by  his  own  Son, 
 our  Blefled  Lord  and  Redeemer  ^  and  fuited  to 
 every  Capacity  and  Underflianding  -,  put  to  Si- 
 lence the  Ignorance  of  FooliHi,  and  the  Vanity  of 
 Sceptical  and  Profane  Men.  And,  by  declaring 
 to  us  himfelf  his  own  Nature  and  Attributes,  he 
 has  efiTediually  prevented  all  Miftakes,  which  the 
 Weaknefs  of  our  Reafon,  the  Negligence  of  our 
 Application,  the  Corruption  of  our  Nature,  or 
 the  falfe  Philofophy  of  wicked  and  profane  Men, 
 might  have  led  us  into  ;  And  fo  has  infallibly  fur- 
 nifhed  us  with  fufHcient  Knowledge,  to  enable  us 
 to  perform  our  Duty  in  this  Life,  and  to  obtain 
 our  Llappinefs  in  that  which  is  to  come.  But  this 
 exceeds  the  Bounds  of  my  prefent  Subjed,  and 
 defcives  to  be  handled  in  a  particular  Dilcourfe, 
 
 F    I    N    I    S. 
 
A 
 
 DISCOURSE 
 
 Concerning  the 
 
 Unchangeable  Obligations 
 o  F 
 
 Natural  Religion 
 
 AND     THE 
 
 Truth  and  Certainty 
 
 OF     THE 
 
 Chrifiian  Revelation. 
 
 Being  Eight  SERMONS  Preach'd  at  the  Cathe- 
 dral Church  of  St.  Paul,  in  the  Year  1705, 
 at  the  Ledtiire  Founded  by  the  HonourabJe 
 ROBERT  B0  2'LEE{q', 
 
 By  Samuel  Clarke,   T>.  ®.  Reef  or  of 
 St.  JamesV  Weftminfter. 
 
 The  S  E  y  E  N  T  H    Edition,  CorreQed. 
 
 I  fa.  V,  20.  M'o  urao  them  that  cdl  Evil  Good,  and  Good  Evtl ;  that 
 pi  ft  Barknefs  for  Light,  ar}d  Light  for  Darknefs;  that  pu  Bitter  for 
 Sweet,  ar;d  Svpeet  for  Eitter. 
 
 Rom.  I,  11.  frofejjing  thcmf elves  to  lePflfe,  they  bee cime  Fools. 
 
 I  Cor,  ii,  10.  Bat  God  hath  revealed  them  unto  us  by  his  Stint. 
 
 London^  Printed  by  IVdl.  Botham,  for  James  and  John  Knapton,  at 
 the  Cri7jr»  in  vSt,P>i«i''s  Church- Yard.     Mdccxxvii. 
 
T  O    T  H  E 
 
 Moil  Reverend  Father  in  God 
 
 THOMAS 
 
 Lord  Archbifliop  of  Canterburj^  and 
 Primate  of  all  England : 
 
 Sir    HENRT   A  S  H  U  R  S  T, 
 Baronet  i 
 
 Sir  JOHN  ROTHER^M, 
 
 Knight,  Serjeant  at  Law  ; 
 JOHN  EVELIN  Efquire; 
 
 Truflees   appointed    by    the  Honou- 
 rable i^  O  ^  £  5<  T  BOTLE, 
 
 Efquire. 
 
 This    Difcourfe    is     humbly    Dedi- 
 cated, 
 
 K 
 
p««^«.4«««5^^95s 
 
 131 
 
 THE 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Should  not  have  'prefumed  to  fvM'iJh 
 thefe  Papers  in  Vindication  of  Natu^ 
 
 ,:^J 
 
 ?/  and  Revealed  Religion^  after  fo 
 man^  excellent  Difcourfes  already, 
 written  upon  that  Suhjecf  j  had  I 
 not  thought  my  felf  qhliged  to  it^  in 
 order  to  purfue  more  fully  the  'Uefi^n 
 &f  the  Honour  able  Founder  of  this  Lecture^  and  to 
 arfzver  the  E^peofaticn  of  the  Moft  Reverend  and  the 
 Honourable  Trufees  appointed  by  him.  ^he  Honour^ 
 able  Robert  Boyle,  Efqr,  was  a  Perfon  no  lefs  zea- 
 loufy  fGlliciious  for  the  propagation  of  true  Religim^ 
 and  the  practice  of  Piety  and  Virtue  \  than  diligent 
 and  fuccefsful  in  improving  Experimental  Philofophy^ 
 and  inlarging  our  Knowledge  of  Nature,  And  it  was 
 his  fettled  Opinion^  that  the  advancement  and  in-^ 
 creafe  of  Natural  Knowledge^  would  always  be  of 
 Service  to  the  Caufe  and  Iniereft  of  true  Religion^  in 
 oppofiion  to  Athcifts  and  Unbelievers  of  all  forts. 
 Accordingly  he  in  his  Life~ti;ne  made  excellent  Ufe  of 
 his  ow^n  Obfervations  to  this  purpofe^  in  all  his  Wri- 
 tings 
 
 and  made  Provifion  after  his  Death.,  for  car-~ 
 
 In  purfuance 
 
 77iy  former  Dif 
 
 Cdurfe^ 
 
 ■ig  on  the  fame  Defign  perpetually 
 vf  'i^jhich  End  I  endeavoured^    in 
 
z^i  The  Prefaced 
 
 courfiy     to  ftrengthen  and  confirm  the  Arguments 
 which  prove  to  us  the  Being  and  Attributes  of  God,, 
 farth  hy  metaphyftcat  Reafoning^  and  parti)  from 
 the  Difcoveries  (principally  thofe  that  have  been  lately 
 made)  in  Natural  Philofophy,     And  in  the  prefint 
 'Treatife^  J  have  attempted^    in  a  plainer  and  eafter 
 Method^  to  eftahlijh  the  Unalterable  Obligations  of 
 Natural  Religion,  and  the  Truth  and  Certainty  of 
 the  Chriflian  Revelation,     If  zvhat   I  have  Jaid^ 
 ■may  in  any  meafure  promote  the  Inter  eft  of  true  Reli- 
 gion in  ihi^  fceptical  and  profane  Age^  and  anfwer 
 ihe  Bcfign  for  which  this  Lerntre  was  founded ,  / 
 have  my  End. 
 
 It  may  perhaps  he  e^pe^fed^  that  I fhould  tale  fome 
 notice  of  certain  Remarks,  which  have  been  puhlijh-; 
 'id  upon  my  former  Sermons,  Had  ihe  Author  of 
 thofe  Remarks  entered  into  the  Merits  of  the  Caufe^ 
 cr  offered  aw^  confiderabls  Reafons  in  oppofition  to 
 what  I  had  laid  down  •»  I  floould  have  thought  my 
 [elf  obliged  to  give  Fun  a  particular  Anfwer.  But 
 fince  his  Book  is  made  up  chiefly  of  Railingy  and  grofs 
 MfiOnftruMions  -,  and  All  that  he  pretends  to  fay  by 
 way  of  Argmnent^  depends  entirely  upon  Suppofition 
 €f  the  ^ruth  of  the  Cartefian  Hypothefis,  whic,^ 
 the  heft  Mathematicians  in  the  World  have  demon - 
 ftrated  to  hcfalfe  ,  I  prefume  it  may  he  fufficient^  to 
 fioow  here  the  Infincerity  of  that  Author^  and  the 
 Weaknefs  of  his  Reafoyiing^  by  a  few  brief  Ohferva,-. 
 tions. 
 
 The  only  Argument   he   alleges  againft  me  in  his 
 
 whole  Book^  is  This :    That  if  we  know  not  diftin5fly 
 
 what  the  f  Efifence  of  God,  and 
 
 ^I:::1^:TejH^    -J^-^  ^/-  EAence  ./Matter  »  ;  u-e 
 
 ?iot  to  be  taken  in  the  proper     cannot  pof/wly  defnojiftrate  tbem  at 
 
 l^etaphjijcal  Senfe   of  the    ^//^  to  he  two  different;  Effences. 
 
 ^1? 
 
The  Preface.  13  J 
 
 %  which  I  anfiven      ^Tis  plain^      Word,  as  fignifylng  That  6f 
 
 hjve  know  not  the  Eirences  ofThifm     -^^^''^  1[^"^|  ''  '^^f  ''  '\' 
 ,.,....  ,  /  /P       For  in  That  Senfe,  the  Attn- 
 
 by  Intuition  5    but  can  only  reajon     y^,,^,,  of  q^  do  conftituic  his 
 
 about  them,,  from  what  zve  know  of    EfTence  ;  and  soUdnyy  or  jm- 
 
 their  different  Properties   or   At-     pnetrahHity  is  Che  ElTcnce  of 
 
 '■I  -\T         r  .7       n  Mutter,    Bat  lljence,  is  all  a- 
 
 tribvites.'    ,  Now  from  the  de?non-     long  td  be  under ftood.  as  %- 
 Jlrable  Attributes    of    God,      and     nifying  here  the  fame  witfe 
 from  the  knozvn  Properties  of  Mat-     Subjiance. 
 ter,    we  have  as  unanfwerahle  Reafons   to  convirlce 
 and  fdtisfy  us  that  their  Effences  are  entirely  diffe- 
 rent,    though  we  know  not  diftinufly  what  thofe  £>f- 
 fences  are  •,  as  ^?/r  Faculties  can  afford  us^  in  judging 
 of  any  the  certainefl  things  whatfoeverj    For  hiftance : 
 The  dernonftrahle  Attributes  of  God,    are^  that  He 
 is  Self-Exiftent,    Independent,    Eternal,  Infinite, 
 Unchangeable,   Incorruptible,    Intelligent,  Free, 
 All-Powerful,  "Wife,  Juft  and  Good :  ne  known 
 Properties  of  Matter,  are^  that  it  is  riot  Necefiary 
 tor  Self-Exiilent,    but  Dependent,    Finite,    (nay, 
 that  it  fills  but  a  few  very  fmall  and  inconfidera- 
 ble  portions  of  Space^)  that  it  is  Divifible,  Paflive, 
 Unintelligent,     and    confequently  uncapable  of  any 
 Adlive  Powers.     Now  nothing  can.  be  more  certain 
 and  evident^  than  that  the  SubftanCes  to  which  thefe 
 incompatible  Attributes  or  Properties  belongj  or  the 
 Effences  from  which  thef^flow^    are  entirely  diffe- 
 rent one  from  the  other  3  though  we  do  not  difiin5ily 
 know  J    what  the  inmoft  Subftances  or  Effences  them- 
 felves  arCi     If  any  Man  will  think  a  mere  Hypo-^ 
 thefis  (the  Cartefian  or    any  other)  conceryiing  the 
 imnoft  Nature  of  Subftances,    to  he  a  7nore  fatisfac- 
 tory  Difcovery  of  the  different  Effences  of  "Things, 
 than  we  can  attain  by  feafoning  thus  from  their  de- 
 monftrable  Properties ;  and  will  chufe  rather  to  draw 
 fond  Confequences  from  fiich  Flypothefes  avcd  Fi6li- 
 tins,  founded  upon  no  Proof  at  all,  than  to  makeufe 
 cf  fuch  Philofophy  as  is  grounded  only  upon  ckarRc^- 
 "K  3  foxi 
 
i^^^  The  Prefacec^ 
 
 fbti  or  good  Experiments  •,    I  know  no  help  for  it^ 
 hut  he  7fmjl  he  permitted  to  injoy  his  Opinion  qui^tlyi 
 
 T'be  reft  of  the  Book^  is  All  either  an  indecerJ  and 
 unreafonahle  reviling  of  the  learned  Mr^  Lock  :  from 
 who?7i  I  neither  cited  any  one  P^ffage>,  nor  (that  I 
 know  of )  hor rowed  any  Argument  from  him  \  And 
 therefore  is  altogether  Impertinent,  Or  elfe  it  con- 
 ftfts  of  grofs  Mifreprefeniations  of  fny  Senfe^  vnd  ve- 
 ry unfair  Conftfuofions  and  falfe  Citations  of  tny 
 IVords ;  of  which  I  fhall  prefently  give  fome  Inftances-. 
 
 ^he  firft  8,  and  the  o^c^th  and  0,6  th  Pages  of  the 
 .Remarks^  dre  fpent  in  attempting  to  prove^  that  if 
 we  do  not  firft,  know  vvhat  th^  EiTence  of  God,  and 
 WhaC  the  EfTence   of  Matter,    is ;  (that  is^  if  the 
 Cartefian  Hypothelis  or  Fidion  concerning  the  Eft 
 fences  of  Spiritual  and  Material  Suhftance^    he  not 
 granted  to  he  true  \)  there  is  no  way  left^  hy  which  it 
 tan  he  proved  at  all^    that  the  Ejfence  of  God  and 
 Matter  is  not  one  and  the  fatJie.     'To  which  I  have 
 already  given  an  anfwer  :  viz.  that  from  the  demon- 
 /?r^^/^  Attributes  ^/God,  andfro?n  ths  known  Pro- 
 perties of  Matter  {heing    incompatible  with   each 
 ether  '^)  we  have  as  abfolute  certainty  of  their  Eflen- 
 ces  or  Subilances  heing  different^  though  we  do  not 
 dftinBly  know  what  thofe  Effences  are  •,    as  our  Fa- 
 culties inahle  as  to  attain  in  any  Metaphyfical  S^uef^ 
 tion,     For^    incompatible  Properties  can  no  more 
 "  poffihly  he  in  an^  unknown,    than  in  any  known 
 ^uhjeh, 
 
 Pag.  12,  The  Author  of  the  Remarks  ^^r/jj 
 that  Des-Cartes  and  his  Followers  have  Mathema* 
 tically  proved,  that  the  Ejfence  of  Matter  conjifts  in 
 Lengthy  Breadth^  and  Depth,  And  upon  this  con^ 
 fident  Ajjertion^  his  whole  Book  depends  in  every  part. 
 To  this  th:refore  I  anfwer^  that  That  Hypothefis 
 U  realty  fo  far  from  heing  Mathsmatlcally  proved 
 
The  t^ref^acer  I3I 
 
 i^o  he  Triie^    that  on  the  contrary  He  cannot  hut 
 ^noiv  (if  he  knows  any  thing  of  thefe  Matters^)  that 
 the  greateft  Mathematicians  in  the prefent  Age^  Men 
 confejfedly  greater  in  that  Science  than  an^  that   e- 
 ver  lived  before  themi^    have  clearly  proved  {as  I 
 before  faid)  that  it  is  f  dbfolutely  Falfe.     And  not  td    j.  s^^ 
 take  the  leaft  notice    of  'This  throughout  his  zv hole  Sit  Ua^c 
 Book^   argues  either  great  Infincerity,  or  great  Ig-p^^^"^ 
 horance,  pig.  384, 
 
 8c  402, 
 /  had  affirmed^  that^  to  Imagine  an  Eternal  and  ^^'^-  '^'4 
 infinite  Nothing,    was  being  reduced  to  the  Necef-     - 
 fity  of  Imagining  a  Contradidion  or  Impofllbility. 
 For  this^  he  argues  againft  me  ("Remark,  pag.  14,) 
 as  if  I  had  ajferted^  that  it  was  pofTible  to  imagine 
 an  Eternal  and  Infinite  Nothing  ;  whereas  I  ajferted 
 that  it  was  impoffible,  and  an  exprefs  Contradt5iion 
 fo  to  doi     'This  is  great  Infincerity, 
 
 /  had  charged  the  Cartefians  with  heing  unavoid^ 
 ably  reduced  to  the  Abfurdity  of  making  Matter  a 
 necejfarily-exifting  Being.  Jn  citing  this  Pajfage^ 
 (Remark,  pag.  14  and  15)  he  ridictdoufiy  repre-* 
 fents  7ne  as  faying^  that  this  Abfurdity  confifi^ed  in 
 making  Extenfion  necejfary  5  Though  he  knew^  that 
 in  that  very  Paffage^  I  fuppofed  Matter  and  Extert- 
 lion  to  be  intirely  different  Things,  This  likewife  is 
 great  Infincerity. 
 
 I  had  faid^  that  the  Idea  of  Immerifity  was  an 
 Idea  that  no  way  belonged  to  Matter.  Inftead  of 
 this,  he  cites  me  afferting  fenfelefsly  f Remark.  pag<, 
 15)  that  Extenfion  no  way  belongs  to  Matter* 
 As  if  that  which  is  not  Immenfe  or  Infinite,  is 
 therefore  not  extended  at  all  This  is  the  greatefi 
 Difingenuity  in  the  World, 
 
 K  4  Remark^^ 
 
ii6  The  Preface: 
 
 Remark,  pag.  15.     He  fays :    I  am   fure  this 
 Author  cannot  produce  O^e^  no  not  One  Cartefi- 
 an,  that  ever  made  Matter  a  necelTarily-exilting 
 Being  *,  that  ever  contradi6led  himfelf  in  Words, 
 upon  this  Subject  •,    that  ever  was  mightily,  or 
 not  mightily,  or  at  all  perplexed  with  what  Mr 
 Clarke  calls  his  Argument  •,  nay,  that  ever  heard 
 of  that  Thing  he  calls  his  Argument.     Why  are 
 they    thus   mifreprefented   and  impofed  upon   ? 
 "To  this   I  anfwer  :    It  had  been  fujjicient  to   make 
 good  my  charge^  to  have  Jhown^  that  from  the  Car- 
 tefian  Hypothefis  it  follovjed  by  unavoidable  confe^ 
 quence^  that  Matter  muft  be  a  neceffarily-exi^Ang  Be- 
 ing \    though  the  Cartefians  themfelves  had  not  feen 
 .  that  Confequence,      Tet  I  cited  moreover  a  Taffage 
 out  of  Regis  *,  iJoherein  Uis  plain  He  perceived  and 
 owned  that  Confequence,     But  becaufe  the  Remarket 
 feems  notfatisfied  with  this,  and  pretends  to  triumph 
 here  with  great  pleafure  and  affurance  \    I  will  for 
 mce  co7n;ply  with  his  Challenge^  and  produce  him  A- 
 nother,  and  I'hat  an  unexceptionable  Ca,rttrmn^  even 
 Des-Cartes  himfelf^    who  Was  greatly  perplexed 
 with  the  Argument  /  meyitioyied^  and  was  unavoid-^ 
 ably  reduced  t$  make  Matter  a  neceflarily-exifling 
 Being,  and  at  the  fame  time  did  contradid  himfelf 
 in  Words  upon  this  Subject.     //  was  ObjeHed  to 
 Des-Cartes  by  fome  very    learned 
 *QuaJfoan  aDeofieripo-     Men^    that  ^    if   Extenfion   and 
 tuiflet,  ut  mundus  cfTet  fini-     Matter  were  the  fame  thing,    it 
 tus.    £/>^.  a  oirtrfim  6^,     f^emed  to  them  to  follow,  that 
 ^'^Noifdur  illud  poflum  con.     God  could  neither  poffibly  make 
 coquerc,  earn  eiTe  inter  res     the  World  finite  *,  nor  annihilate 
 
 corporeas  conncxionera.     ut      ^^^  ^^^^  ^f  Matter,    without  cre- 
 nec    mundum    Deus    creare  .•'   ^  ^i.       r  ^*  -    n. 
 
 potucrit  nifi  infinitum,  ncc     ^^^Hg   at  the   liime    time  juft   as 
 
 ulliim  corpus  in  nihiJum  re-      much    more   tO     fupply  itS  PlaCC. 
 
 <3>gere,   quin  co   ipfo  tenea- 
 
 tur  aliud  paris  quantitatis  ftatim  crearc     tf'fl.  f.  Vartis  JecumU, 
 
+  Puto  implUare  Contra-^ 
 Mciionem^  ut  Muridus  lir  fmi- 
 tus.  Cartef.  I.f<fi.  69,  tart  it 
 friwA, 
 
 Mihi  autem  non  videfur 
 de  ulia  unquam  re  c{^c  dicen- 
 dum,  ipfani  a  Deo  fieri  non 
 pofTci  CMmen\m  Or/mi sRa- 
 tio  Vert  ^  Bmi  ab  ejus  Om-- 
 nipotentia  dc-pendeat;  ne  qui- 
 dem  dicere  aulmi,  Deum  fa- 
 cere  non  polle  ut  Mens  fit 
 iinc  Valle,  vel  ut  Unum  Sc 
 Duo  non  fint  Tria  ^  fed  tan-* 
 tlim  dico,  talia  implicare  ccn-* 
 irfidiciionem  in  meo  concep- 
 tu.  Quod  idem  etiam  de 
 Spufio,  quod  fit  plane  vacu- 
 um, 8cc.  %1  6.  Fartkfe- 
 Ctindji. 
 
 The  Preface,  15; 
 
 Ti   thi^  he  anfwers  :    t  that,    ac- 
 cording   to   his    Hypothefis,     it 
 does   indeed  impl'j  a  contradiLfion 
 to  fuppole  the  World  to  be  Fi^ 
 nite^    or   to  fappole  God   annihi- 
 lating  any  part  of  Matter  ;  but 
 yet  he  will  not  fay  God  cannot 
 do  it,    or  that  God  ainnot  caufe 
 that  Two    and    Three  ihall  nor 
 make  Five,  or  any  other  Contra- 
 didlion  whatlbever.      Is  not   this 
 making  Matter  a  neceflarily-ex- 
 ifting  Being,     to  own  that  ^tis  a 
 Contradivfio7i  to  fuppofe  God  a'miu 
 hilating  it^  or  [et ting  hounds  to  it  ? 
 Is  not  this  Contradiding  himfelf, 
 for    a  Man  to  affirm    {as  Cartes 
 does  in  all  his  Writings)    that  the  World  was  Cre- 
 dited hy  God  and  Bepe7ids  upon  him,  and  yet  at  the 
 fa?ne  ti??ie  to  declare  that  it  implies  as  plain  a  Con^ 
 tradition  to  fuppofe  any  part  of  Matter  annihilakle 
 hy  the  Power  of  God,  as  to  fuppofe  that  'Two  and 
 "three   (hould  riot  make  Five  ?     Is  not  this  really  a 
 ridiculing   of  the  Power  of  God  ?     And  was  not 
 Des-Cartes  therefore  greatly   perplexed  with   the 
 Argument  I  mentioned  ?     And  is  not  an  Hypothefis, 
 fro?n  which  fuch  Confeqiiences  unavoidably  and  con- 
 feffedly  follow,    afine  Land-mark   of  Diftindion 
 between  Spiritual  and  Material  Suhfiances  ?     and 
 whatever  oppofes  this  Hypothefis,    a  "^  depriving  us  "^^  Remark 
 of  the  Means  of  provitig  the  Exiftence  of  the  onef^^-  *^. 
 only  true  God  ? 
 
 The  Remarker  humbly  defires  his  Reader  (pag. 
 16)  to  be  perfwaded,  that  he  is  of  no  particular 
 Sed  in  Matters  of  Philofophy,  but  only  of  the 
 Party  of  Truth  where-ever  he  meets  with  it. 
 Yet  the  fame  Man  had  declared  before   fpag.  12) 
 
 that 
 
IS^  The  Preface. 
 
 that  he  believed  Des-Cartes  had  Mathematically 
 proved  his  Hypotbefis  -,  and  takes  not  the  leafi  No- 
 tice of  its  having  fince  been  fully  confuted  by  Ma- 
 thematicians  confejfedly  far  more  emiyient  in  that  Sci- 
 ence^ than  Des  Cartes  was.  This  is  a  very  ftngiilar 
 Afark  of  hnpartiality^  and  of  being  addi^ed  to  710 
 Party  in  M.aiter^  of  Philofophy, 
 
 Speaking  of  the  Cartefian  Argument  drawn  from 
 the  Idea  of  God^  I  had  ufed  thefe  IVords  :  Our  hrft 
 Certainty  of  the  Exigence  of  God,  arifes  not 
 from  this  ;  that,  in  the  Idea  we  frame  of  him  in 
 our  Minds,  or  rather  in  the  Definition  that  we 
 make  of  the  word  [God^']  as  fignifying  a  Being 
 of  all  poflible  Perfections,  we  include  Self-Exift- 
 ence  :  But,  &c.  Meanings  ihat^  according  to  That 
 Argiiynent^  Self-Exifience  was  rather  made  only  a 
 part  of  the  Definition  of  the  word,  than  proved 
 to  be  a  real  Attribute  of  the  Being  it  felf.  Injlead 
 cf  this^  the  Refnarker  fpag.  17  and  i^)  by  a  chiU 
 dijij  mifunderftanding  of  the  Syntax  of  the  Sentence, 
 and  referring  the  Particle  [or]  to  a  wrong  Member 
 cf  the  Period^  cites  my  Words  in  a  quite  different 
 manner  \  as  iflhadfaid^  In  the  Idea  we  frame  of  God 
 in  our  own  Minds,  or  rather  in  the  Idea  we  frame 
 of  him  in  the  Definition  that  we  make  of  the 
 Word,  ^c.  And  he  is  very  facetious  (pag.  17  and 
 1 9 )  in  ridiculing  this  framing  of  an  Idea  in  a  De- 
 finition ;  which  he  calls^  as  it  truly  is,  a  Real  Piece 
 cf  Nonfenfe,  But  when,  upon  the  review,  he  finds 
 himfelf  the  true  and  only  Author  of  it,  for  want  of 
 nnderfianding  Grammar  •,  /  fuppofe  it  will  make  him 
 mere  7/iodeft  and  careful. 
 
 He  accufei  me  (Remark,  pag.  18,  20,  i£c.)  of 
 not  underfl:anding  the  Cartefian  Argument  drawn 
 from  the  Idea  of  God,  I  cofifefs  my  felf  very  ready 
 tofubmli  to  this  Charge  -,  And  I  can  fnCQu  him  much 
 
 more 
 
The  J^reftee:  i^9 
 
 fnore  Learned  Writers  than  either  of  Us,    who  haVe 
 Ukewife  t   not  underftood  that  Argiment.     If  He  t  ^^^^^^^^^^ 
 does  underfland  it^  he  ivill  do  the  I  for  Id  a  ver'j  ac-  ^J^^^^ 
 cep table  pece  of  Service  to  make  it  outi  pag.  ^xtl 
 
 What  he  fays  in  his  21(1^  22dj  23dj  and  14th 
 pageS'^  is  fuch  a  heap  of  Mifconflrii5lions^  and  fo  en^ 
 tirely  void  of  Senfe  5  that  I  confefs  I  cannot  at  alt 
 tell  what  he  means, 
 
 Frord  my  ufing  the  word  Mere  Matter,  he  con^ 
 eludes  (pag.  29,)  that  I  imagine  there  is  ano- 
 ther fort  of  Matter,  which  is  not  a  mere,  bare^ 
 pure  incogitative  Matter  \  and  that  Thefe  Terms 
 necefiarily  import  this  Senfe*  Whereas  in  ever^ 
 one  of  the  places  he  cites ^  Uis  as  exprefs  and  evi^ 
 dent  as  Words  can  make  it^  that  by  Mere  Matter 
 /  underfland  the  Matter  of  which  the  World  Con- 
 fiilsj  not  as  oppofed  to  Another  fort  of  Matter  i 
 but  either  as  oppofed  to  Motion  and  to  the  Form 
 of  the  Worlds  or  as  confulered  by  itfelf  and  without: 
 the  Government  and  Diredion  of  a  Supreme  In- 
 telligent Mind.  "This  therefore  is  the  highefi  degree 
 of  Infincerity. 
 
 He  charges  jne^  Tp^g.  4^  and  29,  and  30,) 
 with  7?taking  a  Tranflation  quite  different  from 
 Spinoza's  Senfe  and  Words.  How  I  could  millran- 
 llate  what  I  did  not  tranflate  at  all^  I  underfland 
 'itot  :  But  whether  1  have  mifreprefented  Spinoza*i 
 Senfe^  or  no^  (as  I  think  I  have  not^)  This  I  can 
 mly  leave  to  the  learned  World  to  judge, 
 
 I  reduced  SpinozaV  Opinion  to  this  ;  That  the 
 Material  World,  and  every  part  of  it,  with 
 the  Order  and  Manner  of  Being  of  each  Part, 
 is  the  only  Self-Exifting  or  Neceflarily-Exift- 
 ing  Being*  And  this  I  think  is  as  clearly  con- 
 tained 
 
'l4d  The  Preface* 
 
 tained  in  the  f  Words  I  cited  frhn 
 hijH;,  as  an'j  thing  can  he.     Here  }he 
 Remarker  ajjerts    fpag.  30.}    that 
 Spinoza  never  taught  this  BoBrine , 
 nay^  that  he  taught  the   quite   con- 
 trary,    ^0  prove  which  ^  he  cites  a 
 Paffage^    inhere    Spinoza  affirms^ 
 that  ^  All  who  have  in  any  degree 
 confidered  the  Divine  Nature,  de- 
 ny that  God  is  Corporeal.      Now 
 this  alfo  is  extremely  Infimere,-    For 
 had  this  Author  cited  here  the  whole 
 Sentence  of  Spinoza,  as  he  had  cited 
 it  he  fore  in  his  26  th  page  %  it  would 
 have  appeared  evidently^  that   Spi- 
 noza, hy  denying  God  to  he  Corporeal,    meant  only 
 fallacioujly  to  deny  his  heing  any  particular  Piece  of^ 
 Matter^  any  *  Finite  Bddy,  ando^ 
 a  certain  Figure.     For^    that   He 
 helieved  infinite  Corporeal  Sub/lance,- 
 that  iSj  the  whole  Material  Urii- 
 verfe j  to  he  God ;  (befides  the  Places 
 I  had  cited  from  him^)  h^  in  j  ex- 
 prefs  JVcrds  acknowledges^  in  a  paf-* 
 fage  which  this  very  Author  cites  in 
 the  4.1  h  page  of  his  Re7narks :    And 
 He  maintains  it  at  large  through  the 
 whole  of  that  very  -^  Schoiiurh, 
 fro77i  whence  the  Remarker  has  with 
 •*  Schoi.ad  the  greatejl  In  ft  merit  y  taken   the  prefent  Obje^ion, 
 }^i  op,  15.   jj^,j  1)qJi^Ips  ;  Suppofe  Sp'moz3,  had  not  explained  him- 
 f  If  in  this  place  ^  and  had  in  this  fingle  Faff  age  con- 
 traditlcd  what  he  had  plainly  taught  throughout  the 
 rsjl  of  his  Book  ;-  would  this  have  been  any  juft  Rea- 
 fon  to  lay^  that  Spinoza  7iever  taught  the  Do^rine  I 
 imputed  to  hi7?i  ^  ras^  that  he  taught  the  quite  con- 
 trarv. 
 
 ^  Prster  Deum  nulla  da- 
 t\  neq;  concipi  potcft  fub- 
 flantia,  Sfinos..  Ethic.  Par. 
 1.  Tro^.  i+. 
 
 Una  Subftantia  non  poted 
 produci  ab  alii  Subftantia. 
 Trc^.  6. 
 
 Res  nullo  alio  modo  neqj 
 alio  crdiilc  a  Deo  produci 
 potueiunr,  quam  produ6l^ 
 iunt.    Prep.  35. 
 
 Ad  nafaramiubflantlseper- 
 tinetExiftere.     Frsp.  'f. 
 
 *  Omnts  qui  naruram  di- 
 vinam  aliquo  modo  contem^" 
 plati  funt,  Deum  effe  Cdrfo- 
 ream  negant.  Ithk.  Par.  I. 
 Prop.  ly.  Schol. 
 
 •*  Per  Corf  Us  ifitdligimus 
 quamcurrsc;  quanritatem, 
 iongam,  laram,  ^  profun- 
 flam,  certa  /iliqiii  fgura  ter- 
 yzinatam^  quo  nihil  abfur- 
 dius  de  Deo,  enre  fciiicet 
 ahrolute  mf.iiitc,  die:  potefl, 
 Uid. 
 
 4-  Subftantiam  Cerpoream, 
 quoe  non  nili  wjinita  concipi 
 po'Cw,  yiulh  rations  r.iitnrA 
 ({fvinz  hkii^^iam  ej/e  dici  po- 
 tcft. 
 
 m 
 
The  Preface*  s|f 
 
 Jie  charges  me   fpag.  32J  with  arguing  only  a* 
 jgainjl  the  AccefTories   of  Atbeifm^    and  leaving  the 
 EiTendal  Hypotheus  in  its  full  force ;  na-j^  with 
 confirmiDg   and  eilablifliing  (pag.  1 1 )   Spinoza'; 
 Atheifm.     It  fcenis^  in  the  Opinion  of  this  Author^ 
 that  proving  the  Material  World  to  he^  not  a  JSJcceffa- 
 ry  but  a  Dependent  Beings  made^  preferved  and  go^ 
 verned^    by  a  Self-Exiftent^    Independent^    Eternal^ 
 Infinite  Mind,  of  perfect  Knowledge^  Wifdom^  Fower^ 
 Jufiice,  Goodnefs  and  I*ruth  y  is  arguing  only  againft 
 the  Aeceflbries  of  Atheifm :  And  that  the  Effential 
 Hypothefis  of  Atheifm  is  left  untouched^    nay  con- 
 firmed and  eftahlifhed^  by  all  who  will  not  prefume  to 
 define  the  ElTenee  of  that  Supreme  Mind  according 
 to  the  Unintelligible  Language  of   the  Schools,    and 
 the  groundlefs  Imagination  of  Des-Cartes  concerning 
 the  Subftance  or  Effence  of  Matter  and  Spirit,     I 
 confefs  it  appears  to  me,  on   the  contrary,    that  the 
 Efience  of  Atheifm  lies  in  making  God  either  r^;zUnin- 
 telligent  Being  [fuch  as  is  the  Material  JVorldf\  or  at 
 leaf  a  Neceffary  Agent  \^fuch  as  Spinoza  inakes  his 
 One  Subftance  to  be,]    void  of  all  Freedom,  Wif- 
 dom,  Power  and  Goodnefs  ;  and,  that  Other  Me- 
 taphyseal Difputes  are  only  about  the  AccefTories  : 
 And  that  there  is  much  fnore  Ground^    on  the  other 
 fide,  to  fufpeol  That  very  Hypothefis,  of  which  this 
 Writer   is  fo  fond,  to  be  favourable  to  the  Atheifts 
 main  Purpofe,     For  if  from  Des-Cartes'i  Notion  of 
 the  Effence  of  Matter,  it  follows  (as  he  himfelf,    in 
 the  Places  now  cited,  confefies  in  exprefs  words,)  that 
 it  implies  a  Contradidion  to  fuppofe  the  Material 
 World  Finite,  or  to  fuppofe  any  part  of  Matter 
 can  be  annihilated  by  the  Power  of  God  ;    /  ap- 
 peal to  this  Author,  whether  ms  does  not  natural- 
 ly tend  to  make  men  think  Matter  a  Neceffary  and 
 Self-Exiflent  Being, 
 
 He 
 
5it4«  the  Preface; 
 
 He  charges  7ne  Cpag.  3  3 .  j  with  fal/ely  accufing  Spj- 
 
 noza,  of  making  God  a  mere  Neceffajy  Agent ;  and 
 
 cites  a  paffage  or  two  oui  of  Spinoza,    wherein  that 
 
 J,uthor  feems  to  ajfert  the  contrary,       'the  wards 
 
 which  I  cited  fro7n  Spinoza,    do  as  clearly  exprefs 
 
 what  I  charged  him  With  ^  as  ^tis  p  off  hie  for  any  thing 
 
 to   he  expreffed.       For    he    afferts 
 
 *  A  fumma  Dei  po'entia    plainly^  that  ^  from  the  Pov/er  of 
 
 bmyi\^mc4auoz^M^x^t^^  ,        God,'All  things  proceed  Necef- 
 
 N^mr^dererminarafunt,  &c.     ianly ',  that  All  Things  are  de- 
 
 Quicquid   concipimus    in     termined  by  the  Necefllty  of  the 
 
 Deipoteilate  efie,  id  w^r^/^-     Divine  Nature  j   //^^/ whatever  is 
 
 '''ReJ  nullo  alio  mcdo,  ncqj    ^P  the  Power  of  God,  muft  Necef. 
 
 alio  ordine,    a  Deo  produci     fanly  exift  '■>  that  things  could  not 
 
 potuerunt,    quam  produds     \\^Yt  been  produced  by  God    in 
 
 ^^^'  ,  «.v;«v-  T;f>or      ^^Y  other  Manner  or  Order,  than 
 
 Deum  non  operart  ex  Lwer'  J  7     7       ^     1  ^ 
 
 me  V^Umtatis^  they  jN  ow  are  *,  and  that  God  Goes 
 
 not  Acl  by  a  Liberty   of   Will, 
 
 All  this  the  Remai'ker  very  infincerely  paffes  over^ 
 
 without  the  leafl  Notice,     And  the  words  which  he 
 
 cites  out  of  Spinoza,  do  not  at  all  prove  the  contrary 
 
 to  what  lajferted.     For  when  Spi- 
 
 1  Sequitur,  folum  Deum     no7.?L  fay s^  that  f  God  alone  is  a 
 
 cfTe  eaH[<^fn  Lihram.  Free  Caufe  \  and  that  God  aels  by 
 
 1   ^u^'  "ifl^^^^.'TJus     the  Laws  of  his  own  Nature,  with- 
 
 ^^j.^  out  being  forced, by  Any  :  'Its  e- 
 
 videnty  he  does  not  there  mean^  0 
 Freedom  of  Will  ;  but  only  falldcioufy fignifies^  that 
 the  Necefjity  by  which  all  things  exift  in  the  manner 
 they  do^  is  an  inward  Neceffity  in  the  Nature  of  the 
 ThiiTgs  themfelves,  in  oppofttion  to  any  Force  put 
 upon  them  from  without :  Which  external  FonCy 
 'tis  plain  indeed  that  [the  7q^'^v~^  the  whole  Univerfe 
 (the  God  of  Spinoza  J  cannot  he  fubje5f  to  ;  hecaufeit 
 isfuppofed.io  contain  All  things^  within  it  felf  But: 
 hepjes :  Suppofing  (as  I  faid  before)  thai  Spinoza 
 h,id  dire^fly  contradicted  himftlf  in  this  one  pajTage  i 
 
The  Preface.'  I4| 
 
 how  would  1'hat  have  ^proved  my  charge  againft  him  to 
 have  heenfalfe  ? 
 
 He  fays  fpag.  34J  that  I  am  guilty  my  felf  of 
 what  I groundLesfy  im'puted  to  Spinoza  ;  viz.  of  ma* 
 king  God  a  mere  NeceiTary  Agent :    Namely ^    by  af* 
 firming  that  there  is  a  NeceiTary  Difference  between 
 Good,  ^nd  Evil,  a?id  that  there  is  fuch  a  thing  as 
 Fitnefs  and  Unfitness,  Eternally,  Neceflarily,  and 
 Unchangeably,     in  the  Nature    and  Real  on    of 
 things,  antecedently  to  Will  and  to  all  Pofitive 
 or  Arbitrary  Appointment  v/hatfoever,     Ti6/i,    he 
 faySy  is  a  groundlefs  a?id  pofitive  Jffertion  \  and piain^ 
 ly  imports  the  Eternal  Neccffary  Co-exiilence  of  all 
 things^  as  much  as  Spinoza's  Hypo  thefts  does.     Is  not 
 this  an  adtnirable  Confeqiience  F  Becaufe  I  ajfir?n  the 
 Proportions  of  things^  and  the  Differences  of  Good 
 and  Evily  to  be  Eternal  and  Necefjdry  ;    that  there^ 
 fore  I  affirm  Z/^*?  Exiftence  of    the  things  ihemfelves^ 
 to  be  alfo  Eternal  and  Neceffary  ?  Becaufe  I  ajfirm  the 
 Proportion,  fuppofe  between  a  Sphere  and  a  Cylinder^ 
 to  be  Eternal  and  ISleceffary  ;    that  therefore  I  afiirtn 
 the  Exigence  of  Material  Spheres  and  Cylinders^  to 
 he  likewife  Eternal  and  I^eceffiary  '?    Becaufe  I  ajfirm 
 the  Difference  between  Virtue  and  Vice^  to  be  Eternal 
 and  Neceffary  ;    that  therefore  I  ajfirm  Men,  who 
 fraclife  Virtue  or  Vice^    to  have    exifted  Eternally  ? 
 This  Accufation  (hows  both  extreme  Ignorance^  and 
 great  Malice^  in  the  Author  of  the  Remarks, 
 
 I  had  itfed  thefe  words.  ("Demonflrat.  pag.  9,) 
 How  an  Eternal  Duration  can  now  beadluallyPafl, 
 is  a  thing  utterly  as  impoifible  for  our  narrow  Un- 
 derftandings  to  comprehend,  as  any  thing,  that  Is 
 not  an  exprefs  Contradidion,  can  be  imagined  to 
 be  ',  And  yet,  to  deny  the  Truth  of  the  Propofition^ 
 that  an  eternal  Duration  is  now  at'lually  pajl^  is  to 
 afiert  fomething  flill  far  more  unintelligible,  even  a 
 veal  and  exprefs  ContradiBion.  Inftead  of  this^  the^ 
 Reniarker  fpag,  29)  citing  my  V/ or ds^  with  extreme 
 
 I)ifingenuity 
 
[t44  The  Prefaced 
 
 Difingem'Uy  leaves  out  one  half  of  the  Sentence^  and 
 makes  me  to  fay  abfolutely,  that  fomething  is  ftill 
 far  more  unintelligible  than  that  which  is  utterly 
 impoirible  to  be  underilood.  Such  gi'ofs  Mifrepre- 
 fejitations  as  thcfe^  in  leaving  out  one  part  of  -a  Sen- 
 tence, to  make  the  refl  Nonfnfi  ^  can  very  hardly  pro- 
 ceed, hut  from  want  of  Honefiy. 
 
 Laftly,  fpng.  41.)  he  fays  that  in  my  Serrrions 
 there  is  not  one  Argument  offered,  to  prove  a~ 
 gainll  Spinoza,  that  God  is  a  Spirit,  I  perfuaded 
 my  felf,  that  the  proving  God  to  he  a.  Being  abplutcly 
 liiilintl  from  the  Material  World,  Selfe>:ili:ent^  In- 
 icUigent,  Free,  All-powerful,  Wife,  and  G;jd ;  had 
 been  proving  him  to  he  a  Spirit.  Bitt  it  fecms,  no 
 Proof  is  of  any  Force  with  this  Author,  if  it  he  not  a^ 
 areeahle  to  the  Cartcfian  Philofophy,  in  which  alone 
 ^befce-rns  to  have  a}iy  knowledge,  To  this  therefore,  1 
 ivn  not  obliged  to  trouble  either  my  felf  or  the  Reader^ 
 ^i  'b  zivin^  '.rn  v  further  Anfwer. 
 
 A  DIS- 
 
MX 
 
 A 
 
 DISCOURSE 
 
 Concerning  the 
 
 Unalterable  Obligations 
 
 OF 
 
 Natural  Religion? 
 
 A  N  D    T  H  E 
 
 Truth  and  Certainty 
 
 O  F    T  H  E 
 
 Chrijlian  Revelation, 
 
 That 
 
 termty ; 
 
 Aving  in   a  former  Cifconrfe  endca-  The  Jntrii\ 
 vour'd  to  lay  firmly  the  firft  Foun-  <^«^'<'^' 
 dations  of  Religion,  in  the  certainty 
 of  the  Exiftence  and  of   the  Attri- 
 m  butesof  God  •,  by  proving  feverally 
 and  diflindly  : 
 Something  muft  needs  have  exified  from  E- 
 And  how  great  foever  the   Difficulties 
 L  are 
 
:4<S  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 are,  which  perplex  the  Conceptions  and  Appre^ 
 henfions  we  attempt  to  frame  of  an  eternal  Dura- 
 tion ;  yet  they  neither  ought  nor  can  raife  in  any 
 Man's  Mind  any  Doubt  or  Scruple  concerning 
 the  truth  of  the  AiTertion  it  felf,  that  Something 
 has  really  been  eternal. 
 
 'That  there  muft  have  exifted  from  Eternity  y^//z^ 
 One  Unchangeable  and  Independent  Being  ;  becaufe, 
 to  fuppofe  an  eternal  fucceflion  of  merely  depen- 
 dent Beings,  proceeding  one  from  another  in  an 
 ehdlefs  progreffion  without  any  original  Indepen- 
 dent Caufe  at  all,  is  fuppofing  things  that  have  in 
 their  own  Nature  no  NecefTity  of  Exifting,  to  be 
 from  Eternity  caufed  or  produced  by  nothing  i 
 which  is  the  very  fame  Abfurdity  and  exprefs  Con- 
 tradiction, as  to  fuppofe  them  produced  by  No- 
 thing at  an^  determinate  time, 
 
 "That  That  unchangeable  and  independent  Be- 
 ing, which  has  exifted  from  eternity,  without  a- 
 ny  external  caufe  of  its  exiftence  •,  muft  be  Self- 
 exijlent^  that  is,  Neceffarilyexifting. 
 
 That  it  muft  of  neceffity  be  Infinite  or  every 
 where  prefent  j  a  Being  moft  Siinplc^  Uniform^  In- 
 variable^ Indiviftble^  Incorruptible^  and  infinitely 
 removed  from  all  fuch  Imperfedlions,  as  are  the 
 known  Qualities  and  infeparable  Properties  of  the 
 Material  World, 
 
 That  it  muft  of  neceflity  be  but  One  \  becaufe, 
 to  fuppofe  two,  or  more,  different  Self-Exiftent 
 independent  Principles,  may  be  reduced  to  a  di- 
 re61:  contradiction. 
 
 That  it  muft   necelTarily  be  an   Intelligent  Be- 
 
 ing 
 
 That  it  muft  be  a  Free  and  Voluntar'j^  not  a  iV^- 
 ceffar'^  Agent. 
 
 That  this  Being  muft  of  neceflity  have  hifinite 
 Pozver  ;  and  that  in  this  Attribute  is  included  par- 
 ticularly, a  Poffibility  of  creating  or  producing 
 
 Things, 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.'  T47 
 
 Things,  and  alio  a  PofTibility  of  communicating 
 to  Creatures  the  Power  of  Beginning  Motion^  and 
 a  PofTibility  of  enduing  them  with  Liberty  or  Fi'ee- 
 dom  of  Will  •,  which  Freedom  of  Will  is  not  in- 
 confiftent  with  any  of  the  Divine  Attributes. 
 That  He  muft  of  NeceiTity  be  infinitely  V/ife, 
 And  laftly,  nat  He  muft  neceffarily  be  a  Being 
 of  infinite  Goodnefs^  Jujtice^  and  T'r^ith^  and  all  a- 
 ther  moral  Perfedlions ;  fuch  as  become  the  Su- 
 preme Governour  and  Judge  of  the  World. 
 
 It  remains  now,  in  order  to  compleat  my  de- 
 fign  of  proving  and  eftabhOiing  the  Truth  and 
 Excellency  of  the  whole  Superflrudure  of  our 
 moft  Holy  Religion  •,    that  I  proceed  upon  this 
 Foundation  of  the  certainty  of  the  Bei?tg  and  At- 
 tributes of  God^  to  demonflrate  in  the  next  place 
 the  unalterable  Obligations  of  Natural  Religion^  arid 
 the  certainty  of  Divine  Revelation  •,    in  oppofition 
 to  the  vain  aiguings  of   certain  vitious  and  pro- 
 fane Men,  who,  merely  upon  account  of   their 
 Incredulity,  would  be  thought  to  be  ftri^t  Ad- 
 herers to  Reafon,  and  fincere  and  diligent  Inqui- 
 rers into  Truth  ;    when  indeed   on  the  contrary 
 there  is'but  too  much  caufe  to  fear,  that  they  are 
 not  at  all  iincerely  and  really  defirous  to  be  fatis- 
 fied  in  the  true  State  of  Things,    but  only  feek, 
 under  the  pretenfe  and  cover  of  Infidelity,  to  ex- 
 cufe  their  Vices  and  Debaucheries  •,    which  they 
 are  fo  ilrongly  inflaved  to,  that  they  cannot  pre- 
 vail with  themfelves  upon  any  account  to  forfake 
 them  :    And  yet  a   rational  Submitting   to  fuch 
 Truths,  as  juil  Evidence  and  unanfwerable   Rea- 
 fon would  induce  them  to  believe,  mufl  neceffari- 
 ly make  them  uneafy  under  thole  Vices,  and  M^- 
 condemned  in  the  practife  of  them.       It  remains 
 therefore  (I  fay)  in  order  to  finifh  the  Defign  I 
 propofed  to  my  felf,    of  ellablifhing  the  Truth 
 L  2  and 
 
I4S  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 and  Excellency  of  our  Holy  Rel'glon,  In  oppo- 
 fition  to  all  fuch  vain  Pretenders  to  Reafon  as 
 thefe  ;  that  I  proceed  at  this  time,  by  a  conti- 
 nuation of  the  Hime  method  of  arguing,  by 
 which  I  before  demonflrrated  the  Being  and  At- 
 tributes of  God,  to  prove  diftinftly  the  follow- 
 ing Propofitions. 
 
 I.  I^hat  the  fame  necelTary  and  eternal  different 
 Relations^  that  different  Things  bear  one  to  ano- 
 ther ;  and  the  fame  confequent  Fitnefs  or  Unfitnefs 
 of  the  Application  of  different  Things  or  diffe- 
 rent Relations  one  to  another,  with  regard  to 
 which  the  Will  of  God  always  and  neceflarily 
 does  determine  it  felf  to  choofe  to  a61:  only  what 
 is  agreeable  to  Juftice,  Equity,  Goodnefs  and 
 Truth,  in  order  to  the  Welfare  of  the  whole  Uni- 
 verfe  *,  ought  likewife  conflantly  to  determine  the 
 Wills  of  all  fubordinate  rational  Beings,  to  govern 
 all  their  Acfiions  by  the  fame  Rules,  for  the  Good 
 of  the  Pubhck  in  their  refpedlive  Stations.  That 
 is  •,  thefe  eternal  and  neceffary  differences  of 
 Things,  make  \tfit  and  reafonable  for  Creatures  fo 
 to  ad  ;  they  caufe  it  to  be  their  Z)//A',  or  lay  an 
 Obligation  upon  them,  fo  to  do  •,  even  fcparate 
 from  the  conlidcration  of  thefe  Rules  being  the 
 fofitivc  Will  or  Command  of  God  •,  and  alfo  ante- 
 cedent to  any  refped;  or  regard,  expedtation  or 
 apprehenfion,  of  any  particular^  private  and  per- 
 fonal  Advantage  or  Difadvantage^  Reward  or  Pu- 
 mfjjfienty  either  prefent  or  future,  annexed  either 
 by  natural  confequence,  or  by  pofitive  appoint- 
 ments, to  the  pradifing  or  negleding  thole 
 Rules. 
 
 II.  nat  though  thefe  eternal  moral  Obligati- 
 ons are  indeed  of  themfelves  incumbent  on  all  ra- 
 tional Beings,  even  antecedent  to  the  confiderati- 
 on  of  their  being  the  pofitive  Will  and  Command 
 of  God  •,  yet  That  which  moil  flrongly  confirms, 
 
 '     and 
 
and  Revealed  R.  e  l  i  g  i  o  n.  I49 
 
 and  in  pra(5life  moil  efte^lually  and  indifpenfably 
 inforces  them  upon  us,  is  this  •,  that  both  from 
 the  Nature  of  Things,  and  thePerfedlions  of  God, 
 and  from  feveral  other  collateral  confiderations, 
 it  appears,  that  as  God  is  himfelf  neceffarily  Jafl 
 and  Good  in  the  exercife  of  his  infinite  Power  in 
 the  Government  of  the  whole  World,  fo  he  can- 
 not but  likewife  pofitively  Require  that  all  his  ra- 
 tional Creatures  fhould  in  their  Proportion  be  fo 
 tt)o,  in  the  exercife  of  each  of  their  Powers  in  their 
 refpedlive  Spheres.  That  is  •,  As  thefc  eternal  mo- 
 ral Obligations  are  really  in  perpetual  Force  mere- 
 ly from  their  own  Nature  and  the  abilrad  Reafon 
 of  Things  \  fo  alfo  they  are  moreover  the  exprefs 
 and  unalterable  Will^  Conwiand^  and  Law  of  God 
 to  his  Creatures,  which  he  cannot  but  exped 
 fhould  in  Obedience  to  his  Supreme  Authority, 
 as  well  as  in  compliance  with  the  Natural  Reafon 
 of  Things,  be  regularly  and  conilantly  obferved 
 through  the  whole  Creation. 
 
 III.  "That  therefore,  though  thefe  eternal  moral 
 Obligations  are  alfo  incumbent  indeed  on  all  ra- 
 tional Creatures,  antecedent  to  any  refpedl  of  Par- 
 ticular Reward  or  Punilliment  •,  yet  they  muft  cer- 
 tainly and  neceffarily  be  attended  with  Rewards 
 and  Punijbmsnts.  Becaufe  the  fime  Reafons,  which 
 prove  God  himfelf  to  be  neceilarily  Juft  and  Good  j 
 and  the  Rules  of  Juftice,  Equity  and  Goodnefs, 
 to  be  his  unalterable  Will,  Taw  and  Command, 
 to  all  Created  Beings  ;  prove  alfo  that  he  cannot 
 but  he  pkafed  with  and  approve  fuch  Creatures  as 
 imitate  and  obey  him  by  obferving  thofe  Rules, 
 andk  difpleafid vnth  fuch  as  acTt  contrary  thereto*, 
 and  confequently  that  he  cannot  but  fome  way  or  ^ 
 other  make  a  fuitahle  Difference  in  his  Dealings  ' 
 with  them  ;  and  manifefl  his  Supreme  Power  and 
 abfolute  Authority,  in  finally  fupporting,  main- 
 taining,   and  vindicating  effedually  the  Honour 
 
 L  2  '  of 
 
I  so  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 of  thefe  his  Divine  Laws  ♦,  as  becomes  the  Jufl  and 
 Righteous  Governour  and  Difpofer  of  all  things. 
 
 IV.  "That  confequently,  though  in  order  to  efta- 
 blifh  this  fuitable  difference  between  the  Fruits  or 
 Effects  of  Virtue  and  Vice,  fo  reafonable  in  itfelf, 
 and  fo  abfolutely  neceffary  for  the  Vindication  of 
 the  Honour  of  God  -,  the  Nature  of  Things,  and 
 the  Conftitution  and  Order  of   God's  Creation, 
 was  originally  fuch,    that  the  obfervance  of  the 
 eternal  Rules  of  Juftice,    Equity  and  Goodnefs, 
 does  indeed  of  it   felf  tend  by  direct  and  natural 
 confequence  to  make  all  Creatures  happy  -,  and 
 the  contrary  pradice,    to  make  them  miferable  : 
 Yet  fmce  through  fome  great  and  general  Cor- 
 ruption   and    Depravation,    (whencefoever  T^hat 
 may  have  arifen  ;  the  particular  Original  whereof 
 could  hardly  have  been  known  No'uj  without  Re- 
 velation ;)  fmce,  I  fay,  the  condition  of  Men  in 
 this  prefcnt  State  is  fuch,  that  the  natural  Order 
 of  Thirfgs  in  this  World   is  in  event  manifeftly 
 perverted,    and  Virtue  and  Goodnefs  are  vifibly 
 prevented  in  great  meafure  from  obtaining  their 
 proper  and  due  Effects  in  eflablifhing  Men's  Hap- 
 pinefs  proportionable  to  their  behaviour  and  prac- 
 tice *,    therefore  'tis    abfolutely   impoffible,    that 
 the  whole  view   and  intention,    the  original  and 
 the  final  Defign,    of  Gods  creating  fuch  rational 
 Beings  as   Men   are,     and   placing  them  in  this 
 Globe  of  Earth,  as  the  chief  and  principal,  or  in- 
 deed (may  we  not  fayj  the  only  Inhabitants,   for 
 whofe  fake  alone  This  part  at  leall  of  the  Crea- 
 tion is  evidently  fitted  up    and  accommodated  ; 
 'tis  abfolutely  imipoffible  (I  fay)  that  the  whole  of 
 God's  Defign  in  all  this,  fhould  be  nothing  more, 
 than  to  keep  up  eternally  a  fucceffion   of  fuch 
 ihort-lived  Generations  of  Men  as  at  prefent  Are  ; 
 and  thofc  in  fuch  a  corrupt,  confufed  and  difor- 
 derly  State  of  Things,  as  we  fee  the  World  is 
 
 now 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  i  5  ^, 
 
 now  in  ;  witliout  any  due  obfervation  of  the  eter- 
 nal Rules  of  Good  and  Evil,  without  any  clear 
 end  remarkable  Effed  of  the  great  and  moft  ne- 
 celTary  Differences  of  Things,    and  without  any 
 final  vindication  of  the  Honour  and  Laws  of  God 
 in  the  proportionable  reward  of  the  beft,  or  pu- 
 nilhment  of  the  worft  of  Men.     And  confequently 
 ^tis  certain  and  necefTary,  (even  as  certain  as  the 
 moral  Attributes  of  God  before  demonftrated,) 
 that  inftead  of  continuing  an  eternal  fuccefiion  ot 
 new  Generations  in  the  prefent  Form  and  State  ot 
 Things,  there  muft  at  fome  time  or  other  be  luch 
 a  Revolution  and  Renovation  of  Things,  fuch  a 
 future  State  of  exiftence  of  the  fame  Ferions    as 
 that  by  an  exact  diflribution  of  Rewards  and  Tu- 
 niHiments  therein,    ail  the  prefent  Diforders  and 
 Inequalities  maybe  fet  right  ;  and  that  the  whole 
 Scheme  of  Providence,  which  to  us  who  judge  ot 
 it  by  only  one  fmall  Portion  of  it,  feems  now  fo 
 inexplicable  and  much  confufed  •,   may  appear  at 
 its  confummation,    to  be  a  Defign  worthy  of  In-^ 
 finite  Wifdom,  Juftice  and  Goodnefs. 
 
 V    nat,  though  the  indifpenfable  neceffity  ot 
 all   the  great   and  moral  Obligations  of  Natural 
 Rehaion,  and  alfo  the  Certainty  of  a  future  State 
 of  Rewards  and  Punilhments,  be  thus  in  general 
 deducible  even  demonftrably,  by  a  Chain  ot  clear 
 and  undeniable  reafoning  :    Yet  (in  the  prefent 
 State  of  the  World,  by  what  means  foever  it  came 
 originally   to  be   fo  corrupted,    of  which  .more 
 hereafter,)  fuch  is  the  Carelefnefs,  Inconfiderate^efsy 
 and  JVant  of  Attention  of  the  greater  part  of  Man- 
 kind •,  fo  many  the  Prejudices  and  falfs  Notions  im- 
 bibed by  evil  Education  •,    fo  ftrong  and  violent 
 the  unreafonable  Lufts,  Appetites  and  Defire^  ot 
 Senfe  •,  and  fo  great  the  Blindnefs,  introduced  by 
 fuperftitious  Opinions^  vitloiis  Cufioms,  an.d  dehaucb-- 
 €d  Pramce^  through  the  World  •,   that  very  Few 
 
 L  4.  ^-^re 
 
1 5^  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 are  able,  in  reality  and  effedl,  to  difcover  theie 
 Things  clearly  and  plainly  for  themfelves  *,  but 
 Men  have  greatrneed  of  particular  'Teachings  and 
 much  Inftrutlion^  to  convince  them  of  the  'Truth 
 and  Certainty  and  Importance  of  thefe  things  \  to 
 give  them  a  due  Senfe^  and  clear  and  juft  Appre- 
 henfions  concerning  them  ;  and  to  bring  them  ef- 
 fedually  to  the  pra5tife  of  the  plaineft  and  moft 
 neceflary  Duties. 
 
 VI.  fhcit^  though  in  almofl  every  Age  there 
 have  indeed  been  in  the  Heathen  World  fome 
 wife- and  brave  and  good  Men,  who  have  made  it 
 their  bufincfs  to  ftudy  and  praftife  thefe  things 
 themfelves,  and  to  teach  and  exhort  others  to  do 
 the  like  ;  who  feem  therefore  to  have  been  railed 
 up  by  Providence,  as  Inftruments  to  reprove  in 
 fome  meafure  and  put  fome  kind  of  check  to  the 
 extreme  Superflition  and  Wickednefs  of  the  Na- 
 tions wherein  they  lived  :  Yet  none  of  thefe  have 
 ever  been  able  to  reform  the  World,  with  any 
 confiderably  great  and  univerfal  Succcfs  •,  Becaufe 
 they  have  been  but  very  few^  that  have  in  earnefb 
 fet  themfelves  about  this  excellent  Work  i  and 
 they  that  have  indeed  fincerely  done  it,  have 
 themfelves  been  inrirely  ignorant  of  fome  Doc- 
 trines, and  very  doubtful  and  uncertain  of  others, 
 -ibfolutely  necelTary  for  the  bringing  about  that 
 great  End  i  and  thofe  things  which  they  have 
 been  Certain  of  and  in  good  meafure  underilood, 
 they  have  not  been  able  to  prove  and  explain  clearly 
 enough  ^  and  thofe  that  tliey  have  been  able  both 
 to  prove  and  explain  by  fufiiciently  clear  reafon- 
 ing,  they  have  not  yet  had  Authority  enough  to 
 {nforce  and  inculcate  upon  men's  Minds  with  fo 
 ilrong  an  imprefTion,  as  to  influence  and  goverri 
 the  general  Pradife  ofthe  World. 
 
 VII.  That  therefore  there  was  plainly  wanting 
 a  Divine  Kevehition^    to  recover  Mankind  out  of 
 
 their 
 
and  Revealed  Religiok.  153 
 
 their  imiverlally  degenerate  Eftate,  inro  a  State 
 fuitable  to  the  original  Excellency  of  their  Na- 
 ture :  Which  Divine  Revelation,  both  the  Necef- 
 fities  of  Men  and  their  natural  Notions  of  God, 
 gave  them  reafonable  ground  to  expe6t  and  hope 
 for  ;  As  appears  from  the  Acknowledgments 
 which  the  bell  and  wifefb  of  the  Heathen  Philofo- 
 phers  thcmfelves  have  made,  of  their  Senfe  of  the 
 necelTity  ^nd  want  of  fuch  a  Revelation  ;  and 
 from  their  ExpreiTions  of  the  hopes  they  had  en- 
 tertained, that  God  would  fome  time  or  other 
 vouchfafe  it  unto  them. 
 
 YIII.  That  there  is  no  other  Religion  now  in  the 
 World,  but  the  Chriflian,  that  has  any  juft  pre- 
 tenfe  or  tolerable  appearance  of  Reafon  to  be  e- 
 fteemed  fuch  a  Divine  Revelation  :  And  therefore 
 if  Chriilianity  be  not  true,  there  is  no  Revelation 
 of  the  Will  of  God  at  all  made  to  Mankind. 
 
 IX.  That  the  Chrijlian  Religion^  confidcred  in 
 its  primitive  Simplicity,  aud  as  taught  in  the  Eloly 
 Scriptures,  has  all  the  Marks  and  Proofs  of  its 
 being  adually  and  truly  a  Divine  Revelation, 
 that  Any  Divine  Revelation,  fuppofing  it  was 
 true,  could  reafonably  be  imagined  or  defired  to 
 have. 
 
 X.  T'hat  the  PraBical  Duties  which  the  Chriflian 
 Religion  enjoyns,  are  all  fuch,  as  are  moil  agree- 
 able to  our  natural  Notions  of  God,  and  mod  per- 
 fe6livc  of  the  Nature,  and  conducive  to  theHap- 
 pinefs  and  W^ell-being  of  Men.  That  is  *,  Chri- 
 ilianity even  in  this  lingle  refpedl,  as  containing 
 alone  and  in  one  confiftent  Syftem  All  the  Wile 
 and  good  Precepts,  fand  thole  improved,  aug- 
 mented, and  exalted  to  the  higheil  degree  of  Per- 
 fedlion,)  that  ever  were  taught  fmgly  and  fcatter- 
 edly,  and  many  times  but  very  corruptly,  by  the 
 feveral  Schools  of  the  Philofophers  ;  and  this 
 without  any  mixture  of  the  fond,  abilird  and  fu*- 
 
 perilitious 
 
1 54  The  Evidences  of  Nattiral 
 
 perflitlous  Pradlifes  of  any  of  thofe  Philofophers ; 
 ought  CO  be  embraced  and  pradlifed  by  all  ratio- 
 nal and  confidering  Deifts,  who  will  afl  confiflent- 
 ly,  and  fleddily  purfue  the  confequences  of  their 
 own  Principles  ;  as  at  lead  the  beft  Scheme  and 
 Sedl  of  Philofophy,  that  ever  was  fet  up  in  the 
 World  ;  and  highly  probable,  even  though  it 
 had  no  external  evidence,  to  be  of  Divine  Original. 
 
 XI.  That  the  Motives^  by  which  the  Chriftian 
 Religion  inforces  the  pradice  of  thefe  Duties  ;  are 
 fuch  as  are  moil  fuicable  to  the  excellent  Wifdom 
 of  God,  and  mod  aniwerable  to  the  natural  Ex- 
 pectations of  Men. 
 
 XII.  ^hat  the  peculiar  Manner  and  Circuinftan- 
 ces  with  which  it  enjoyns  thefe  Duties,  and  urges 
 thefe  Motives  •,  are  exadly  confonant  to  the  Dic- 
 tates of  found  Reafon,  or  the  unprejudiced  Light 
 of  Nature  •,  and  moil  wifely  perfedive  of  it. 
 
 XIII.  ^hat  all  the  [Credenda^  or]  Bo5irines, 
 which  the  true,  fimple,  and  uncorrupted  Chrifti- 
 an Religion  teaches  •,  f  that  is,  not  only  thofe  plain 
 Doctrines,  which  it  requires  to  be  believed  as  fun- 
 damental and  of  neceflity  to  eternal  Salvation, 
 but  even  All  the  Doctrines  which  it  teaches  as  Mat- 
 ters of  Truth  •,)  are,  though  indeed  many  of 
 them  not  difcoverable  by  bear  Reafon  unaffifted 
 with  Revelation,  yet,  when  difcovered  by  Reve- 
 lation, apparently  moft  agreeable  to  found  unpre- 
 judiced Reafon  ;  have  every  one  of  them  a  natu- 
 ral tendency,  and  a  dire6l  and  pov/erful  influence^ 
 to  reform  mens  Lives  and  correEi  their  Manners  ; 
 and  do  together  make  up  an  infinitely  more  confift- 
 ent  and  rational  Scbe??ie  of  Belief,  than  any  that  the 
 wifeft  of  the  antient  Philofophers  ever  did,  or  the 
 cunningeft  of  modern  Unbelievers  can  invent  or 
 contrive. 
 
 XIV.  T'bat  as  this  Revelation,  to  the  Judg- 
 ment of  Right  and  fober  Reafon,  appears  even  of 
 
 it 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  155 
 
 it  felf  highly  credible  and  probable  ;   and  abun- 
 dantly recommends  it  felf  in  its  native  Simplicity, 
 merely  by  its  own  intrinfick  Goodnefs  and  Excel- 
 lency,   to  the  praftice  of  the  moft  rational  and 
 confidering  Men,  who  are  defirous  in  all  their  Ac- 
 tions to   have  fatisfa6i:ion  and  comfort  and  good 
 hope  within  themfelves,    from  the  Confcience  of 
 what  they  do  :    So  it  is  moreover   pofitively  and 
 dire6tly  pro\^ed,    to  be  adually  and  immediately 
 fent  to  us  from  God,  h'j  the  many  infaUible  Signs 
 a?2d  Miracles,  which  the  Author  of  it  worked  pub- 
 licity as  the  Evidence  of  his  Divine  Com.miffion  ; 
 hy  the  exad  completion  both  of  the  Prophecies  that 
 went  before  concerning  him,  and  of  thofe  that  He 
 himfelf  delivered  concerning  things  that  were  to 
 happen  after  ;  and  hy  the  Tejlimony  of  his  Follow- 
 ers :  Which  in  all  its  Circumftances  was  the  moft 
 credible,  certain,    and  convincing  Evidence,  that 
 was  ever    given   to    any  Matter  of  Fa6l  in    the 
 World. 
 
 XV.  And  Laftly  ;  "that  they  who  will  not,  by 
 fuch  Arguments  and  Proofs  as  tliefe,  be  convinced 
 of  the  Truth  and  Certainty  of  the  Chriftian  Reli- 
 gion, and  be  perfuaded  to  make  it  the  Rule  and 
 Guide  of  all  their  Adions  •,  ''jvould  not  he  convinced^ 
 (fo  far  as  to  influence  their  Hearts,  and  reform 
 their  Lives, J  by  any  other  Evidence  whatfoever  ; 
 no,  not  though  one  fhould  rife  on  purpofe  from 
 the  Dead,  to  endeavour  to  convince  them. 
 
 I  might  here,  before  I  enter  upon  the  particu-  ofthefe- 
 lar  Proof  of  thefe  feveral  Propofitions,  judly  be  vcrai  sorts 
 allowed  to  premife,  that  having  No'-jj  to  deal  with  ^/  ■^^'^•^* 
 another  fort  of  Men,  than  thofe  againfl  whom  my 
 former  Difcourfe  was  dire6led  ;  and  being  confe- 
 quently  in  fome  parts  of  this  Treatife  to  make  ufe 
 of  fome    other  kinds   of  Arguments  than   thofe 
 which  the  Nature  of  that  Difcourfe  permitted  and 
 
 required ; 
 
156  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 required  -,  the  fame  demonftrative  force  of  reafon- 
 ing,  and  even  Mathematical  certainty,  which  in 
 the  main  Argument  was  there  eafy  to  be  obtained, 
 ought  not  here  to  be  expeded  ;  but  thatfuch 
 ^wor.'z/ Evidence,  or  mixt  Proofs  from  Circumftan- 
 ces  and  Tefbimony,  as  moft  Matters  of  Fad:  are 
 only  capable  of,  and  wife  and  honeft  Men  are  al- 
 ways fadsfied  with,  ought  to  be  accounted  fuffi- 
 cient  in  the  prefent  Cafe.  Becaufe  all  the  Princi- 
 ples indeed  upon  which  Atheifts  attempt  to  build 
 their  Schemes,  are  fuch  as  may  by  plain  force  of 
 Reafon,  and  undeniably  demonftrative  Argumen- 
 tations, be  reduced  to  exprefs  and  diredl  Contra- 
 di6lions.  But  Bcifts  pretend  to  own  all  the  Prin- 
 -  ciples  of  Reafon,  and  would  be  thought  to  deny 
 nodiing  but  what  depends  entirely  on  Teftimony 
 and  Evidence  of  Matter  of  Fad,  which  they  think 
 they  can  eafily  evade. 
 
 But,  if  we  examine  things  to  the  bottom,  v/e 
 fliall  find  that  the  Matter  does  not  in  reality  lie 
 here.  For  I  believe  there  are  in  the  World,  at 
 leaft"  in  any  part  of  the  World  where  the  Chrifti- 
 an  Rehgion  is  in  any  tolerable  Purity  profelTed, 
 very  Fd-iv  fuch  Deifts,  as  will  truly  ftand  to  all  the 
 Principles  of  unprejudiced  Reafon,  and  fincerely 
 both  in  ProfefTion  and  Pradice  own  all  the  Obli- 
 gadons  of  Natural  Religion,  and  yet  oppofeChri- 
 llianity  merely  upon  account  of  their  not  being 
 fatisfied  with  the  Ilrength  of  the  Evidence  of  r?iat- 
 ter  of  Fa5f.  A  conftant  and  fincere  obfervance 
 of  all  the  Laws  of  Reafon,  and  Obligations  of 
 Natural  Religion,  will  unavoidably  lead  a  Man 
 to  Chriftianity  •,  if  Chriftianity  be  fairly  propofed 
 to  him  in  its  natural  Simplicity,  and  he  has  due 
 opportunities  of  examining  things,  and  will  fted- 
 dily  purfue  the  Confequences  of  his  own  Princi- 
 ples. And  all  Others,  who  pretend  to  be  Deifls 
 without  coming  up  to  this,  can  hfivc  no  fixt  and 
 
 fettled 
 
and  Revealed  Religion,  i  57 
 
 fettled  Principles  at  all  ;  upon  which  they  can  ei- 
 ther argue  or  a6t  confidently  ;  but  mufc  of  ne- 
 ceiTity  fink  into  dozvnrigbt  Atheijm,  (and  confe- 
 quently  fall  under  the  force  of  the  former  Argu- 
 ments 0  as  may  appear  by  confidering  the  Jeve- 
 rat  Sorts  of  them. 
 
 I.  Some  Men  would  be  thought  to  be  Detfts^ofthe  faji 
 becaufe  they  pretend  to  believe  the  Exiftence  of/^^^  "Z^^- 
 an  Eternal,  Infinite,  Independent,  Intelligent  Be- y),^;^^ 
 ino- ;    and,  to   avoid  the  name  of  Epicurean  A-  dence, 
 theifts,    teach  alfo  that  this  Supreme  Being  made 
 the  World  :  Though  at  the  fame  time  they  agree 
 with  the  Epicureans  in  this,  that 
 they  fancy  *  God  does  not  at  all 
 concern  himfelf  in  the  Governmeyit 
 of  the  World,    nor  has   any  re- 
 o-ard  to,  or  care  of,  what  is  done 
 therein.       But,     if  we  examine 
 things   duly,    this  Opinion  muft 
 unavoidably  t^minate  .in  ahfolute 
 Atheifm.     For  although  to  ima-_ 
 glne  that  God  at  the  Creation  of 
 the  World,    or  at  the  Formation 
 of  any  particular  part  of  it,  could 
 (if  he  had  jileafed,)  by  his  infinite 
 Wifdora,    Fore-fight,    and  uner- 
 ring Defign,    have  originally  fo 
 ordered,  difpofed,    and  adapted 
 all  the  Springs  and  Series  of  fu- 
 ture     necejfar'j    and    unintelligent 
 Caufes,  that,  without  the  imme- 
 diate interpofition  of  his  Almigh- 
 ty Power  upon  every  particular 
 occafion,    they    fhould  regularly 
 by  Virtue  of  that  original  Difpo- 
 fition,  have  produced  Effe6ls  worthy  to  proceed 
 from  the   Dire6lion  and  Government  of  infinite 
 Wifdom*  :    Though  this,  I  fay,  may  poiTibly  by 
 
 very 
 
 *  Omnis  enim  per  feDivum 
 
 natura  ncceffc  efl 
 Immortali  scvo  fumma  cum 
 
 pace  fiuatur, 
 Scmora  a  noftris  rebus,    ic- 
 
 jundlac];  longe. 
 Nam    pnvara    dolore   omni. 
 
 privata  periclis, 
 Ipla  Cuh  pollens opibus,  nihit 
 
 indiga  noftri, 
 Nee  bene  promeritis  capitur, 
 
 nee  tangitur.ira. 
 
 Lua-et.lib.  i. 
 
 To    f^tCtKoifnov     xo(,i     ai:pixfTtR; 
 in  uuTo    Trpcc/t/jciTci  %x^i,   ^Ti 
 
 m  vita  Epicurt. 
 
 Nor  is  the.  (loBr'ir.c.  cf  thofe 
 Modern  PhilofoPhnSr,  muxh 
 iiijprent  ;  mho  afcrH^e  every 
 thing  to  Matter  ani  Motion, 
 excluf,ve  of 'Find  Ciufes--,  ar.d 
 fpeak  of  God  ns  an  Inreljigcnfi'* 
 Sapramiindana;  10^1  ch  is  the 
 very  Canr,  o/Epiciirns  and  Lu- 
 cretius. 
 
1 5 S  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 very  nice  and  abftra(51:  reafoning  be  rcconcileable 
 with  a  firm  Belief  both  of  the  Being  and  Attri- 
 butes of  God,  and  alfo  with  a  confiilent  Notion 
 even  of  Providence  it  felf ;  yet  to  fancy  that  God 
 originally  created  2.  certain  ^a?itity  of  Matter  and 
 Motion^    and  left  them  to  frame  a  World  at  ad- 
 ventures, without  any  determinate  and  particular 
 view,  defign  or  direction  •,   this  can  no  way  be 
 defended  confiflcntly,    but  muft  of  necefiity  re- 
 cur  to  downright  Atheifm  :    As  I  Ihall  fhow  pre- 
 fently  *,  after  I  have  made  only  this  One  Obferva- 
 tion,    that  as  That  Opinion  is  impious  in  it  felf, 
 fo  the  late  improvements  in  Mathematicks  and 
 natural  Philofophy  have  difcovered,  that,  as  things 
 Now  are.  That  Schem.e  is  plainly  falfe  and  impof- 
 fible  in  Fad.     For,  not  to  fay,  that,  feeing  Mat- 
 ter is  utterly  uncapable  of  obeying  any  Laws,  the 
 very  original  Laws  of  Motion  themfelves  cannot 
 continue  to  take  place,  but  by  fomething  Superi- 
 our  to  Matter,  continually  exerting  on  it  a  certain 
 Force  or  Power  according  to  fuch  certain  and  de- 
 terminate Laws  •,    'tis  now  evident  beyor^d  quefti- 
 on,  that  the  Bodies  of  all  Plants  and  Animals^  much 
 the  moft  confiderable  parts  of  the  World,  could 
 not  poifibly  have  been  formed  by  mere  Matter  ac- 
 cording to  any  general  Laws  of  Motion.     And 
 not  only  fo  •,  but  That  mofl  univerfal  Principle 
 of  Gravitation  it  felf,  the  Spring  of  almoft  all  the 
 great  and  regular  inanimate  Motions  in  the  World, 
 anfwering  (as  I  hinted  in  my  former  Difcourfe,) 
 not  at  all  to  the  Surfaces  of  Bodies,  (by  which  a- 
 lone  they  can  adl  one  upon  another,)  but  entirely 
 to  their  Solid  Content  j  cannot  pofTibly  be  the  re- 
 fult  of  any  Motion  originally  imprefled  on  Mat- 
 ter, but  muft  of  neceffity  be  caufed  (either  i?nme- 
 diately  or   mediately)  by  fomething   which  pene- 
 trates the  very  Solid  Subftance  of  all  Bodies,  and 
 continually  puts  forth  in  them  a  Force  or  Power 
 
 entirely 
 
and  Revealed  Religion,  159 
 
 entirely  different  from  that  by  which  Matter  acls 
 on   Matter.     Which  is,  by  the  way,  an  evident 
 demonftration,    not  only  of  the  World's  being 
 7nade  originally   by  a  fupreme  Intelligent  Caufe  ; 
 but  moreover  that  it  depends  every  Moment  on 
 fome  Superior  Being,  for  the  Prefervatio7i  of  its 
 Frame  •,  and  that  all  the  great  Motions  in  it,  are 
 caufed  h-^  fome  Immaterial  Power,  not  having  orl- 
 ginall^  imprefled  a  certain  ^lantity  of  Motion  up- 
 on Matter,  but  perpetually  and  autually  exerting  it 
 felf  every  Moment  in  every  part  of  the  World. 
 Which  Preferving  and  Governing  Power ^  whether 
 it  be  i??t}nediately  the  Power  and  Aftion  of  the  fame 
 Supreme  Caufe  that  created  the  World,  of  Mim 
 without  whom  not  a  Sparroiv  falls  to  the  Ground^ 
 and  with  vjhom  the  very  Hairs  of  our  Head  are  all 
 nu7nbred  \  or  whether  it  be  the  Action  of  fome 
 fubordinate  Inftruments  appointed  by  Him  to  di- 
 re£t  and   prefide  refpedively  over  certain   parts 
 thereof  •,    does  either  way  equally  give  us  a  very 
 noble  Idea  of  Providence.      Thofe  Men  indeed, 
 who,  merely  through  a  certain  vanity  of  Philofo- 
 phizing,    have  been  tempted  to  embrace  that  o- 
 ther  Opinion,    of  all  things  being  produced  and 
 continued  only  by  a  certain  ^iantity  of  Motion^ 
 originally  impreffed  on  Matter  without  any  deter- 
 minate Defign  or  Direction,  and  left  to  it  felf  to 
 form  a  World  at  adventures  *,  Thofe  Men,  I  fay, 
 who,  merely  through  a  vanity  of  Philofophizing, 
 have   been  tempted    to   embrace  that    Opinion, 
 without  attending  whither  it  would  lead  them ; 
 ought  not,    indeed,  to  be  diredily  charged  with 
 all  the  Confequences  of  it.     But  'tis  certain,  that 
 Many  under  that  cover,  have  really  been  Athe- 
 ifts  •,  and  the  Opinion  it  felf  fas  I  before  faid)  leads 
 necejfarily^  and  by    unavoidable  confequence,    to 
 plain  Atheifm.     For  if  God  be  an  All-powerful, 
 Omniprefentj  Intelligent,  Wife  and  Free  Being, 
 
 (as 
 
1 60  T^he  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 (as  it  hath  been  before  demonflrated  that  he  ne- 
 
 ceiliirily  Is  •,)  he  cannot  polTibJy  but  hiow^    at  all 
 
 times  and  in  all  places,  every  thing  that  is ;    and 
 
 foreknozv  what  at  all  times  and  in  all  places  'tis  fit- 
 
 tcil  and  wifefl  fioidd  be  -,  and  have  pcrfed  Power, 
 
 without  the  leafb  labour,  difficulty  or  oppofition, 
 
 to  order  and  hriiig  to  ])afs  what  he  ib  judges  fit  to 
 
 be  accomplifhed  :  And  confequently  'tis  impoffible 
 
 ^  ^  f  ^  n  but  -^  he  muit  adually  dired  and 
 
 dumeftEorumcotifilio  mun-     appoint  every  particular  thing  and 
 
 dum  adminiilrari,     Ctc.  de     circumflance  that  is  in  the  World 
 
 nat.  Deor.  lib,  a.  ^^  ^^^^  £^^]j  j^^^    excepting  only 
 
 what  by   his   own   pleafure   he   puts   under  the 
 Pov/er    and    Choice     of     fubordinate   Free   A- 
 gents.       If    therefore    God     does    not    concern 
 himfelf  in  the  Government  of   the  World,    nor 
 has   any   regard    to    what    is  done    therein  ;    it 
 will  follow  that  he  is  not  an  Omniprefent,  All- 
 powerful.  Intelligent  and  Wife  Being  ;    and  con- 
 sequently, that  he  Is  not  at  all.      Wherefore  the 
 Opinion  of  this  fort  of  Deifts,  Hands  not  upon  a- 
 ny  certain    confiftent  Principles,    but  leads  una- 
 voidably   to   downright  Athe'ifm  ; 
 t  Epicurum   verbis    reli-     And,    f  however  in  Words  they 
 quifTe Decs,  r^faftuHlTc.  C;r.  ^^^f^^s  ^  God,  yet  in  reality 
 
 de  nat.  Deor.  lib.  a.  /  .  ,      ,  i  i  • 
 
 and  in  truth  they  deny  him. 
 Eumane         jf^  ^o  avoid  this,  they  will  own  God's  Govern- 
 tensZhThe^^^^  and   Providencc  over  the  greater  and   more 
 regardcf    confideroble  parts  of  the  World,    but  deny  his  In- 
 Vrov'uhnce.{}^zQaQXi  and  Regard  to    human  Jiff  airs  here  upon 
 
 Earthy  as  being  ^  too  m'lmite  and 
 ^  *  *£*(r«  ^  r»vE5  t\  vofx^i^io-iv  j-jy^^n  fQj-  ^j^g  Suprcmc  Governour 
 Wrcc3^:t,  x:  T..«Sr^  o.j-     ^^^jj   ^|-     ^  ^^  conccm  hlmfclf 
 
 v«V,^  (^  ^vvctyAv  i^ovTct  rU  m  ;  Tnis  itiU  amounts  to^  the 
 UK^oTurlwy  <£  yvufftv  rljj  rt-  fame.  Fot  if  God  be  Omnipre- 
 ?.hct<^tIu,'    r  fS^ra  ^'vV'''-     fent.  All-knowing,  and  All-pow- 
 
 hr,>£.  Irm,  ^1  LL  #    ^rful  i    he    cannot    but  equally 
 
 know 
 
X6 
 
 Epicief. 
 
 f  Deorum  procidentia 
 mundus  adm'niftiaiur  j  ii= 
 demq;  coniuliiac  reins  kumx- 
 nisy  neqi  iblum  unlverlis,  ve* 
 rum  etiam  StTigtilis.  tie.  ds 
 Divinat.  lib,  r. 
 
 feijj  ^oi^.sTToy    hhi\u^  r^Toyt, 
 
 mid  Jieveakd Religion 
 
 know,  and  with  equal  Eafe  be  a- 
 ble  to  dire6t  and  govern,  t  M 
 things  as  any^  and  the  ^  mmuteft 
 things  as  the  great  eft.  So  that  if 
 he  has  fto  regard,  nor  concern^ 
 for  thefe  things  ;  his  Attributes 
 muil,  as  before,  be  denied  •,  and 
 confequently  his  Being.  But  be- 
 fides  *,  Human  Affairs-  are  by  no 
 means  the  minuteft  and  nioft  in- 
 confiderable  part  of  the  Creati- 
 on. For,  (not  to  confider  Now, 
 ^hat  Excellency  of  Human  Na- 
 ture, which  Chriftianity  difcovers 
 to  us  *,)  let  a  Deiil  fuppofe  the 
 Univerfe  as  large  as  the  wideft  Hy- 
 pothecs of  Aftronomy  v/ill  give 
 him  leave  to  imagine  -,  or  let  him 
 fuppofe  it  as  immenfe  as  he  him- 
 {&\^  pleafes,  and  filled  with  as 
 great  numbers  of  rational  Creatures  as  his  own 
 Fancy  can  fuggefb ;  Yet  the  Syfte?n  wherein  zve  are 
 placed,  v/ill,  at  leaft  for  ought  he  can  reafona- 
 bly  fuppofe,  be  as  confiderable  as  any  other  fingle 
 Syftem  ;  And  the  Earth  whereon  we  dwell,  as  con- 
 fiderable as  moft  of  the  other  Planets  in  this  Sy- 
 ftem ;  And  Mankind  manifcft ly  the  only  confide- 
 rable Inhabitants  on  this  Globe  of  Earth.  Man 
 therefore  has  evidently  a  better  claim,  to  the  par- 
 ticular regard  and  concern  of  Providence,  than  a- 
 ny  thing  elfe  in  this  Gtbbe  of  ours  ;  And  this  our 
 Globe  of  Earthy  as  jufi:  a  pretence  to  it,  as  moft 
 other  Planets  in  the  Syflem  ;  And  this  Syfte^n,  as 
 juft  an  one,  as  far  as  we  can  judge,  as  any  Syflem 
 in  the  Univerfe.  If  therefore  there  be  any  Pro- 
 vidence at  all,  and  God  has  any  concern  for  any 
 part  of  the  World  -,  Mankind,  even  feparate  from 
 the  confideration  of  that  Excellency  of  Humane 
 M  Nature 
 
 76JV.     F/.tto  .{(e  Leg.  Li h.  lo. 
 
 'El  ^  3"  oAy  Kotryjis  0  Bsht;  jV<- 
 
 vai  7rcii<rt  Kx\  f-p  iccrpcq  roc) 
 oA^  az'jyjo'A'^  l7rifAji?o:J>^voii  sj-jt^- 
 B^tyjBv^j    »jc  uv   ccyjiXviO'HS    t^ 
 
 oiy.cvoU>(^,  ii  TToXiTiKoe^  ccr/o' 
 Tuiy    yuo     yjipeov     oiyjiAHf^/JOJv^ 
 
 UvW/K'h    ^lip^VUCi     TO     ohcv     C^iCfR- 
 
 S-so^.     Simplic.  in  E^iciet, 
 
1 62  The  EviDENCts  of  Natural 
 
 Nature  which  the  Chriftian  Do6lrine  difcovers  to 
 us,  may  as  reafonably  be  fuppoled  to  be  ur.drr 
 its  particular  Care  and  Government,  as  any  other 
 part  of  the  Univerfe. 
 of  the  fe-  2.  Somc  Others  there  are,  that  call  diemfelves 
 condfort  Beifts^  becaufe  they  believe,  not  only  the  Being, 
 of  Dsijls.  J3m-  aifQ  ^\^^  Providence  of  God  •,  that  is,  that  e- 
 very  7iatural  thing  that  is  done  in  the  World,  is 
 produced  by  the  Pov/er,  appointed  by  the  Wif- 
 dom,  and  directed  by  the  Government  of-  God  i 
 Though,  not  allowing  any  difference  between 
 moral  Good  and  Evil^  they  fuppofe  that  God  takes 
 no  notice  of  the  morally  good,  or  evil  A6lions  of 
 Men  ;  thefe  Things  depending,  as  they  imagine, 
 merely  on  the  arbitrary  Conftitution  of  Hum.ane 
 Laws.  But  hov/  handfomly  foever  Thefe  Men 
 may  feem  to  fpeak,  of  the  natural  Attributes  of 
 God,  of  his  Knowledge,  Wifdom  and  Power  ; 
 yet  neither  can  This  Opinion  be  fettled  on  any 
 certain  Principles,  nor  defended  by  any  confillent 
 Reafoning  ;  nor  can  the  natural  Attributes  of  God 
 be  fo  feparatcd  from  the  morale  but  that  He  who 
 denies  the  latter,  may  be  reduced  to  a  neceffity  of 
 denying  the  former  likewife.  For  fmce  (as  I  have 
 formerly  proved,)  there  cannot  but  be  eternal  and 
 neceflary  Differences  of  ditferent  things  one  from 
 another  ■:  and  from  thefe  neceflary  Diiferences  of 
 things,  there  cannot  but  arife  a  Fitnefs  or  Unfit- 
 nefs  of  the  Application  of  different  Things  or 
 diiTerent  Relations  one  to  another  •,  and  infinite 
 Knowledge  can  no  more  failto  Know,  or  infinite 
 Wifdom  to  Choofc,  or  infinite  Power  to  A 61  ac- 
 cording to  thefe  eternal  Reafons  and  Proportions 
 of  things,  than  Knowledge  can  be  Ignorance, 
 Wifdom  be  Folly,  or  Power  Weaknefs  ;  and  con- 
 fequently  the  Juilice  and  Goodnefs  of  God,  are  as 
 certain  and  neceffary,  as  his  Wifdom  and  Power : 
 It  follows  unavoidably,    that  he  who  denies  the 
 
 Juilice 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.'  165 
 
 Juftice  or  Goodnefs  of  God,  or,  which  is  all  one, 
 denies  his  exercife  of  thefe  Attributes  in  infpedt- 
 ing  and  regarding  the  moral  Actions  of  Men  \ 
 muil  alfo  deny,  either  his  Wifdom,  or  his  Power, 
 or  both  r  and  confequently  muil  needs  be  driven 
 into  abfolute  Athdfin.  For  though  va  fo7m  moral 
 Matters,  Men  are  not  indeed  to  be  judged  of  by 
 the  Confiquences  of  their  Opinions,  but  by  their 
 Profeffion   and  Pradife  •,    yet  in 
 
 the  prefent  Cafe  it  "^  matters  not        *  Quafie^oidcurem,  quid 
 at  all  what  men  affirm,    or  how     ^^^  c^ux^.Uonf^ntmeHmfi M- 
 honourably    they   may  icem    to     ^ere,  qui  &c.    Ctc.  de  Fimb. 
 fpeak  of  fome  particular   Attri-     //^.  2. 
 butes  of   God ;    but  what,    not- 
 withftanding   fuch  ProfciTion,    mud  needs  in   all 
 reafon  be  fappofed  to  be  their  true  Opinion  •,  and 
 their  Praolice  generally  appears  anfwerable  to  it.^ 
 
 For,  concerning  thefe  two  forts  of  Deifts,    'tis  Prophane 
 obfervable,  that  as  their  Opinions  can  terminate  ^|^y^^^«- 
 confiftently  in  nothing  hul  downright  Jtheifm  -,  {0  ,p^  ,,^,^^. 
 their  P rallies  and  Behaviour  is  generally  agreeable /^.i^/ro/ ^^- 
 to  that    of  the  moil    openly    profefTed  Atheifis.  '^^^^""'^ 
 They  not  only  oppofe  the  Revelation  of  Chriftia-  '^'*''' 
 nity,  and  rejedt  all  the  77ioral  Obligations  of  Na-^ 
 tural  Reli^on^  as  fuch  ;  but  generally  they  defpife 
 alfo  the  Wifdom  of  all.  Humane  Conftitutlons  made 
 for  the  order  and  benefit  of  Mankind,  and  are  as 
 much  contemners  of  common  Decency  as  they  are 
 of  Religion,     They  indeavour  to  ridicule  and  ban- 
 ter all  Humane  as  well  as  Divine  Accompliihmxents  ; 
 all  Virtue  and  Government  of    a  Man's  felf,  all 
 Learning  and  Knowledge,  all  Wifdom  and  Ho- 
 nour, and  every  thing  for  which  a  Man  can  jufdy 
 be  commended  or  be  eileemed  more  excellent  than 
 a  Beajl.     They  pretend  commonly  in  their  Dif- 
 courfe  and  Writings,    to  expofe  the  Abufes  and 
 Corruptions  of  Rehglon  ;    but  (as  is  too  mani- 
 fefl  in  fome  of  d^eir  Books,    as  v/ell  as  in  their 
 .     M  2  Talk,} 
 
1 64  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Talk  J  they  aim  really  agalnft  all  Virtue  in  gene- 
 ral, and  all  good  Manners,    and  againfl  whatfb- 
 ever  is   truly  valuable  and  commendable  in  Men. 
 They  pretend  to  ridicule  certain  Vices  and  Follies 
 of  ignorant  or  fupcrilinousMen  •,  But  the  many 
 very  profane  and  very  lewd  Images,    with  which 
 they  induftrioufly  affe6l    to   drefs  up  their    Dif- 
 courfe,    fliow  plainly  that  they  really  do  not   fo 
 much  intend   to  expofe  and  deride  any  Vice  or 
 Folly,  as  on  the  contrary  to  foment  and  pleafe 
 the  debauched  and  vitious  Inclinations  of    Others 
 as  void  of  ihame  as  Themfelves.     They  difcover 
 clearly,  that  they  have  no  fenfe  at  all  of  the  Dig- 
 nity of  Humane  Nature,    nor  of  the  Superiority 
 and  Excellency  of  their  Reafon  above  even   the 
 meanefh  of  the  Brutes.      They  will  fometimes  in 
 words  feem  to  magnify  the  Wifdom,    and  other 
 natural  Attributes  of  God  •,  but  in  reality,  by  ri- 
 diculing whatever  bears  any  refem.blance  to  ic  in 
 Men,  they  fhow  undeniably  that  they  do  not  in- 
 deed believe  there  is  any  real  difference  in  Things, 
 or  any  true  excellency  in  one  thing  more  than  in 
 another.     By  turning  every  thing  alike,  and  with- 
 out exception,  into  ridicule  and  mockery  ;    they 
 declare  plainly,  that  they  don't  believe  any  thing 
 to  be  wife,   any  thing  decent,    any  thing    comely 
 or  praife-worthy  at  all.     They  feem  not  to  have 
 any  efteem  or  value,  for  thofe  dillinguifhing  Pow- 
 ers and  Faculties  ;    by  induing  them  wherewith. 
 Job  XXXV,  God  has  taii^:)t  thetn  more  than  the  Beafts  cf   the 
 Fields  and  made  them  'ivifer  than  the  Fowls  of  Hca- 
 ^  van.     In  a  word  :  Whatfoever  things  are  true^  ivhat- 
 ^'  foever  things  are  honeft^  ^whatfoever  things   are  jiift^ 
 ivhatfoe'-^er  things  are  pire^    whatfoever  things  are 
 hvely^     whatfoever  things  are  of  good  report^     if 
 there  he  any  Virtue^    if  there  he  any  Praife  ;    thefe 
 things  they  make  tl>e  conftant  Subjecl  of   their 
 mockery  and  abufe;  ridicule  and  raillery.     On  the 
 
 contrary  s 
 
 IX 
 
 '^j 
 
a7id  Revealed  Religion,  ^^S. 
 
 contrary  ;    whatfoever  things   are  profane,    im- 
 pure,   iilthy,    dilhonourable  and  abfurd  •,     theie 
 things  they  make  it  their  bufinefs  to  reprefent  as 
 harmlefs  and  indifferent,    and  to  laugh  Men  out 
 of  their  natural  fliame  and  abhorrence  of  them  ; 
 nay,  even  to  recommend  them  with  their  utmoft 
 Wit.     Such  Men  as  thefe,  are  not  to  be  argued 
 with,  till  they  can  be  perfuaded  to  ufe  Arginnems 
 indead  of  Drollery.     For  Banter  is  not  capable  ot 
 being  anfwered  by  Reafon  :  Not  becaufe  it  has  any 
 ilreifgth  in  it  •,  but  becaufe  it  runs  out  of  all  the 
 bounds  of  Reafon  and  good  Senfe,  by  extrava- 
 o-antly  joining  together  fuch  Images,    as  have  not 
 m  thenifelves  any  manner  of  Similitude  or   Con- 
 nexion •,  by  which  means,  all  things  are  alike  eafie  to 
 be  rendered  ridiculous,  by  being  reprelented  only  in 
 an  abfurd  Drefs.      Thefe  Men  therefore  are  firlt 
 to  be  convinced  of  the  true  Principles  of    Reafon^ 
 before  thev  can  be  difputed  with  ',  and  then  they 
 mud  of  Neceffitv  either  retreat  into  downrigiit 
 Atheifm,    or  be  led  by  undeniable  Reafoning   to 
 acknowledge  and  fubmit  to  the   Obligations  of 
 Morality,  and  heartily  repent  of  their  profane  A- 
 bufe  of  God  and  Rehgion. 
 
 3.  Another  fort  of  D^i/?5  there  are,  who  h^-J^J^,,, 
 ving  right  Apprehenfions  concerning  the  natural ^^  j^y^j^^^ 
 At^-ihutes  of  God,  and  his  All-governing  Provi^ 
 dence  -,  feem  alio  to  have  fome  Notion  of  his  mo- 
 ral Perfedions  alfo.  That  is  •,  As  they  believe 
 him  to  be  a  Being  infinitely  Knowing,  Powerful 
 and  Wife  ;  fo  they  believe  him  to  be  alfo  in  fome 
 fenfe  a  Being  of  'infinite  Juftice,  Goodnefs  and 
 Truth  ;  and  that  he  governs  the  Univerfe  by  thefe 
 Perfeaions,  and  expeds  fuitable  Obedience  trom 
 all  his  rational  Creatures.  But  then,  having  a 
 prejudice  againft  the  Notion  of  the  Lnmortahty  of 
 Htmane  Souls,  they  belijeve  that  Men  perifh  intire- 
 Iv  at  Death,  and  that  one  Generation  lliall  perpe- 
 M  3  ^^^'^'-y 
 
^€6  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 tually  fucceed  another,  without  any  thing  remain-^ 
 ing  of  Men  after  their  departure  out  of  this  Life, 
 and  without  any  future  refioration  or  renovation 
 of  things.     And  imagining  that  Juftice  and  Good- 
 nefs  in  God,  are  not  the  fame  as  in  the  Ideas  we 
 frame  of  thefe  Perfections  when  we  confider  them 
 in  Men,  or  when  v/e  reafon  about  them  abftra6lly 
 in  themfeives  ;    but  that  in  the  Supreme  Gover- 
 iiour  of   the  World  they  are  fomething  'Tranfcen- 
 dent^    and  of    which  we  cannot  make  any  true 
 Judgment,    nor  argue  with  any  certainty  about 
 them  j  They  fancy,  though  there  does  not  indeed 
 feem  to  Us  to  be  any  Equity  or  Proportion  in  the 
 diiiTibution  of  Rewards  and  Punifhments  in  this 
 prefent  Life,  yet  that  We  are  not  fufficient  Judges 
 concerning  the  Attributes  of  God,  to  argue  from 
 thence  with  any  affurance  for  the  certainty  of  a 
 future   State.      But  neither  does   This  Opinion 
 iland  on  any  confiilent  Principles.     For  if  Juftice 
 and  Goodnefs  be  not  *  the  fame 
 *  Ka.^'  vf^S?  'A^  -A  cc-jr\     in  God,    as  in  our  Idea's  -,    then 
 ^/j£7ij  hi  rc^v  fx^xKccfiOJv  7^9-     y^Q  mean  nothing,    v/hen  w^e  fay 
 T^'    ^\'t  r^Ti  "■'■^"^ir     that  God  is  neceflarily  Juft  and 
 Celf.  lib.  4,.  Good  :  And  tor  the  fame  Reafon 
 
 it  may  as  well  be  faid,  that  we 
 know  not  what  we  mean,  when  we  afnrmx  that  he 
 is  an  Intelligent  and  Wife  Being  -,  And  there  will 
 be  no  Foundation  at  all  left,  on  which  we  can  fix 
 any  thing.  Thus  the  moral  Attributes  of  God, 
 however  they  be  acknowledged  in  Words,  yet  in 
 reality  they  are  by  thefe  Men  entirely  taken  away  ; 
 and,  upon  the  fame  grounds,  the  natural  Attri- 
 butes may  alfo  be  deniedo  And  fo  upon  the  v/hole. 
 This  Opinion  likewife,  if  we  argue  upon  it  con- 
 iifteiitly,  niuft  finally  recur  to  abfolute  Athe- 
 ifm. 
 f •"  ^'"'-  ^  4.  The  laft  fort  of  Beljh  are  thofe,  who,  if 
 If  Dill!'  vhey  did  indeed  believe  what  they  ^relcndy    have 
 
 juft 
 
ayid  Revealed  Religion.  i  <57 
 
 jufl:  and  right  Notions  of  God,  and  of  all  the  Di- 
 vine Attributes  in  every  refpe6l :  Who  declare 
 they  believe,  that  there  is  One,  Eternal,  Infinite, 
 Intelligent,  All-powerful  and  Wife  Being  \^  the 
 Creator,  Preferver,  and  Governour  of  all  Things : 
 That  this  Supreme  Caufe,  is  a  Being  of  infinite  Ju- 
 flice,  Goodnefs  and  Truth,  and  all  other  moral 
 as  well  as  natural  Perfe6tions :  "That  he  made  the 
 World  for  the  m.anifeftation  of  ^  his  Power  and 
 Wifdom,  and  to  communicate  his  Goodnefs  and 
 Happinefs  to  his  Creatures :  "that  he  preferves  it 
 by  his  continual  All-v^ife  Providence,  and  governs 
 it  according  to  the  Eternal  Rules  of  infinite  Ju- 
 ftice,  PLquity,  Goodnefs,  Mercy  and  Truth  : 
 That  all  created  rational  Beings,  depending  conti- 
 nually upon  him,  are  bound  to  adore,  worfhip 
 and  obey  him  •,  to  praife  him  for  all  things  they 
 enjoy,  and  to  pray  to  him  for  every  thing  they 
 want :  That  they  are  All  obliged  to  promote,  in 
 their  proportion,  and  according  to  the  extent  of 
 their  feveral  powers  and  abilities,  the  general  good 
 and  v/elfare  of  thofe  Parts  of  the  World,  where- 
 in they  are  placed  \  in  like  manner  as  the  Divine 
 Goodnefs  is  continually  promoting  the  Univerfal 
 Benefit  of  the  Whole:  Thxit  Men  in  particular, 
 are  every  one  obliged  to  make  it  their  Bufinefs, 
 by  an  univerfal  Benevolence,  to  promote  the  Hap- 
 pinefs of  all  others  :  That^  in  order  to  this,_  every 
 Man  is  bound  always  to  behave  himfelf  fo  to- 
 wards Others,  as  in  reafon  he  would  defire  they 
 fhould  in  like  circumftances  deal  v/ith  Him  :  That 
 therefore,  he  is  obliged  to  obey  and  fubmit  to  his 
 Superiours  in  all  jufl  and  right  things,  for  the 
 prefervation  of  Society,  and  the  peace  and  bene- 
 fit of  the  Publick  -,  to  be  jufl  and  honefl,  equi- 
 table and  fincere,  in  all  his  dealings  with  his  E- 
 quals,  for  the  keeping  inviolable  the  everlafling 
 Rule  of  Righteoufnefs,  and  maintaining  an  uni- 
 M  4  verfa! 
 
1 6S  Tk.e  Evidence  s  of  Natural 
 
 verial  truft  ■:^:\^  confidence,  friendfhip  and  afFedL 
 on  amongit  Men  -,  and,  towards  his  Inferiors,  to 
 be  gentle  and  eafie  and  affable,    charitable  and 
 willing  to  alfifl  as  many  as  Hand  in  need  of  his 
 help,  for  the  prefervation  of  univerfal  Love  and 
 Benevolence  amongil  Mankind,  and  in  imitation 
 of  the  Goodnefs  of  God,  who  pi-eferves  and  does 
 good  to  all  Creatures,  which  depend  intircly  upon 
 Him  for  their  very  Being  and  all  that  they  enjoy  : 
 That^  ia  rclpecl  of  Himfelf,  every  man  is  bound 
 to  preferve,  as  much  as  in  him  lies,    his  own  Be- 
 ing,  and  the  right  Ufe  of  all  his  Faculties,  fo  long 
 as  It  iliall  pleafe  God,  who  appointed  him  his  Sta- 
 tion in  this  Vv'orid,  lo  continue  him  therein  :  That 
 therefore  he  is  bound  to  have  an  exacl   Govern- 
 ment of  his  Pafnons,  and  carefully  to  abftain  from 
 all  Debaucheries  and  Abufes  of  himfelf,    which 
 tend  cipicr  to  x}a^  Deilruclion  of  his  own  Being, 
 or  to  the  difordering  cf  his  Faculties,    and  diia- 
 biing  him  trom  performing  his  Duty,  or  hurrying 
 him  into  the  pradife  of  unreafonable  and  unjult 
 things :  Laftly,  "That  accordingly  as  Men  regard 
 or  neglect  thefe  Obligations,    fo  they  are  propor- 
 nonably  acceptable  or  difplcafing  unto  God  ;  who, 
 being  Supreme  Governour  of  the  World,  cannot 
 but  teiliiie  his  Favour  orDifplcafure  at  fome  time 
 or  other  ,  and  confequently,  iince  this  is  not  done 
 in  the  prefent  State,  therefore  there  muil  be  a  fu- 
 ture State  of  Rewards  and  Punifhments  in  a  Life 
 to  come.      But  All  this.,     tlie  Men  we  are  now 
 Speaking  of,    p'ofcfs  to  believe  only  fo  far,  as  'tis 
 difcaverable  by  the  Light  of  Nature  alone  ;  with- 
 out believing  any  Divine  Revelation.       Thefe^^  I 
 fay,  are  the  only  True  Delfts  -,  and  indeed  the  on- 
 ly Perfons  who  ought  in  reafon  to  be  argued  with, 
 in  order  to  convince  them  of  the  Reafonablenefs, 
 Truth,  and  Certainty  of  the  Chriftian  ReveUition. 
 :.|.^-.  i;-6,5ut  alas,    there  is,  as  I  ^  before  fiid,    too  much 
 
 reafon 
 
and  Revealed  K  e  l  i  g  i  o  n.  2  69 
 
 fjeafon  to  believe,  that  there  are  very  ftw  fuch  Be- 
 ifts  as  thefe,  among  modern  Deniers  of  Revelati- 
 on. For  fuch  Men  as  I  have  now  defcribed,  if 
 they  would  at  all  attend  to  the  Confequences  of 
 their  own  Principles,  could  not  fail  of  being  quick- 
 ly perfuaded  to  embrace  Chriftianity,  For,  beino- 
 fully  convinced  of  the  Obligations  of  Natural  Re- 
 ligion^ and  the  Certainty  of  ix  future  State  of  Re- 
 wards  and  PunifJoments  •,  and  yet  obferving  at  the 
 fame  time,  how  little  Ufe  men  generally  are  able 
 to  make  of  the  Light  of  Reafon,  to  difcover  the 
 one^  or  to  convince  themfelves  effedlually  of  the 
 certainty  and  Importance  of  the  other ;  'tis  im- 
 pofTible  but  they  mufl:  be  fenfible  of  the  want  of 
 a  Revelation ;  'tis  impofTible  but  they  mufl  ear- 
 neftly  defire  God  would  be  pleafed,  by  fome  di- 
 red  difcovery  of  his  Will,  to  make  thefe  things 
 more  clear  and  plain^  more  eafie  and  obvious^  more 
 certain  and  evident  to  all  Capacities  ;  'tis  impofTible 
 but  they  mufl  wiili,  God  would  be  pleafed  parti- 
 cularly, to  fignify  exprefsly  the  acceptablenefs  of 
 Repentance,  and  his  willingnefs  to  forgive  return- 
 ing Sinners  ;  'tis  impoffible  but  they  mufl  be  very 
 follicitous,  to  have  fome  more  particular  and 
 certain  information  concerning  the  nature  of  that 
 future  State,  which  Reafon  teaches  them  in  gene- 
 ral to  exped:.  The  Confequence  of  this,  ^  is  ; 
 that  they  mufl  needs  be  poffeffed  beforehand  with 
 a  flrong  Hope,  that  the  Chriflian  Revelation  may 
 upon  due  examination  appear  to  be  true.  They 
 mufl  be  infinitely  far  ftom  ridiculing  and  defpi- 
 fing  any  thing  that  claims  to  be  a  Divine  Reve- 
 lation, before  they  have  fincerely  and  throughly 
 examined  it  to  the  bottom,  They  mufl  needs 
 be  before-hand  very  much  difpofed  in  its  favour; 
 and  be  very  willing  to  be  convinced,  that,  what 
 tends  to  the  advancing  and  perfeding  the  Oblis;a- 
 tions  of  natural  Religion,    to  the  fecuring  their 
 
 great 
 
I70  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 great  Hopes,  and  afcertaining  theTrurh  of  a  future 
 State  of  Rewards  and  Punifhments  •,  and  can  any 
 way  be  made  appear  to  be  worthy  of  God,  and 
 confiftent  with  his  Attributes  •,  and  has  Any  rea- 
 fonable  Proof  of  the  Matters  of  Fad  it  depends 
 upon  *,  is  really  and  truly,  what  it  pretends  to  be, 
 a  jyivlne  Revelation.     And  now,  is  it  poflible  that 
 any  Man  with  thefe  opinions  and  thele  difpofiti- 
 ons,  fliould  continue  to  rejeft  Chrifilamt^^  when 
 propofed  to  him  in  its  original  and  genuine  Sim- 
 pHcity,  without  the  Mixture  of  any  corruptions 
 or  inventions  of  Men  ?  Let  him  read  the  Sermons 
 and  Exhortations  of  our  Saviour,  as  delivered  in 
 the  Gufpsls  ;  and  the  Difcourfes  of  the  Apoftles, 
 p refer ved  in  their  A^s  and  their  Epiftles  •,  and  try 
 if  he  can  withftand  the  Evidence  of  fuch  a  Doc- 
 trine, and  rcjccl  the  hopes  of  fuch  a  glorious  Im- 
 7h:it there  mortality  fo  difcovered  to  him.      The  Heathen 
 ismy»no    PbUofopbers^  thofe  few  of  them,  who  taught  and 
 ccnf/tent    lived  up  to  the  Obligations  of  natural  Religion^ 
 Scheme  cf  j^^j  indeed  a  confifient  Scheme  of  Deifm  fo  far 
 thl'mrU.  ^*s  it  went ;    and  they  were  very  Brave  and  Wife 
 Men,  if  any  of  them  could  keep  fteddy  and  firm 
 to  it.     But  the  Cafe  is  not  fo  No-w.     The  fame 
 Scheme   of  Deifm   is  not   any  longer   confiftent 
 with  its  own  Principles,    if  it  does  not  yiow  lead 
 men  to  embrace  and  believe  R.cvelatmi^  as  it  'Then 
 taught  them  to  hope  for  it.     IDeifts^  in  Our  days, 
 who  obftinately  rejed  Revelation  when  offered  to 
 them,     are   not    fuch  Men  as  Socrates  and  'Ttdly 
 were  ;    but,  under  pretenfe  of  Deifm,    'tis  plain 
 they  are  generally  Ridiculers  of  all  that  is  truly 
 excellent  even  in  natural  Religion  it  felf.     Could 
 we  fee  a  Deift,  whofe  Mind  was  heartily  pofiefiTed 
 with  worthy  and  jufb  apprehenfions  of  all  the  At- 
 tributes  of  God,  and  a  deep  Senfe  of  his  Duty  to- 
 wards that  Supreme  Author  and  Preferver  of  his 
 Being  :    Could  we  fee  a  Deiil,  who  lived  in  ^n 
 
 exact 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  171 
 
 fxa(5t  performance  of  all  the  Duties  of  natural 
 Religion  ;    and  by  the  pra6life  of  Righteoufnefs, 
 Judice,  Equity,  Sobriety  and  Temperance,    ex- 
 prefied  in  his  A6lions,  as  well  as  Words,  a  firm 
 belief  and  expedation  of  a  future  State  of  Re- 
 wards and  Punifhrnents  :    In  a  word,    could  we 
 fee  a  Deift,    who  with  reverence  and  modefty, 
 with   fincerity  and  impartiality,  with  a  true  and 
 hearty  deure  of  finding  out  and  fubmitting  to  Rea- 
 fon  and  Truth,  would  inquire  into  the  Foundati- 
 ons of   our  belief,    and  examine  throughly    the 
 pretenfions  which  pure  and  uncorrupt  Chrillianity 
 has  to  be  received  as  a  Divine  Revelation  ;  I  think 
 we  could  not  doubt  to  affirm  of  fuch  a  Perfon, 
 as  our  Saviour  did  of  the  young  Man  in  the  Gof- 
 pel,  that  he  was  not  far  fro7n  the  Kingdom  of  God-, 
 and  that,    being  'UJiUing  to  do  his  PFill^    he  flooidd 
 know  of  the  Dooirine^  zvh ether  it  was  of  God,     But, 
 as  I   have  faid,    there  is  great   reafon  to  doubt, 
 there  are  few  or  none  fuch  Deifls  as  thefe,  among 
 the  Ipxfidels  of  Our  Days.     This  indeed  is  what 
 they  fometimes  pretend,  and  feem  to  defire  Ihould 
 be  thought  to  be  their  Cafe.     But  alas,  their  tri- 
 vial and   vain  Cavils  ;    their  mocking  and  ridicu- 
 ling, without  and  before  examination  ^  their  di- 
 recting the  whole  fcrefs  of  their  Obje(5cions,  againfl 
 particular  Cufloms,  or  particular  and  perhaps  un- 
 certain Opinions,     or  explications  of  Opinions, 
 without  at  all  confidering  the  main  Body  of  Re- 
 ligion ;  their  loofe,  vain,  and  frothy  Difcourfes  ; 
 and,  above  all,  their  vitious  and  immoral  Lives  ; 
 fhow  plainly  and  undeniably,     that  they  are  not 
 really  Deifrs,  but  mere  Atheifts  •,  and  confequently 
 not  capable  to  judge  of  the  Truth  of  Chriftianity. 
 If  they  were  truly  and  in  earneil  fuch  Deifts^  as 
 they  pretend  and  would  fometimes  be  thought  to 
 be  y  thofe  Principles  (as  has  been  already  Ihown 
 in  p^rt,  and  will  more  fully  appear  in  the  follow- 
 ing 
 
1 7  2  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 ing  Difcourfe  \)  would  unavoidably  lead  them  to 
 Chnftianitj.  But,  being  fuch  as  they  really  are, 
 they  cannot  polTibly  avoid  recurring  to  downright 
 Atheifm. 
 
 The  Sum  is  this.  There  is  now 
 
 ^  Tta  fir,  utfiabilhrerum     ^  ^o  fuch  thing,  as  a  confident 
 
 swnmci,  quam  iuperius  com-     Scheme  of  Deilm.     That  which 
 
 prehendimus.      abcrraveris  i      ^^^^^  ^^5   ^^^^  ^^^^       namely  the 
 omnis  ratio   mtereat,    cc    a4      ^^    r  r    i       u   /x   rr     ^7        717  •; 
 
 nihilum   omnia  revertantur.    Scheme  of  the  beft  Heathen  Phtlo- 
 JUulan^.  \ih.  7.  fopbers',  ceaies  now  to  be  fo,  af- 
 
 ter the  appearance  of  Revelation  : 
 Becaufe  (as  I  have  already  fhown,  and  iliall  more 
 largely  prove  in  the  fequel  of  this  Difcourfe, J  it 
 diredly  condafts  Men  tb  the  beHef  of  Chrijlia- 
 nity.  All  other  Pretenfes  to  Dcifm^  may  by  un- 
 avoidable confequence  be  forced  to  terminate  in 
 abfolute  Atheijm.  He  that  cannot  prevail  with 
 himfelf  to  obey  the  Chrijiian  Docfrine,  and  im- 
 brace  thofe  Hopes  of  Life  and  Lnmortalily^  which 
 our  Saviour  has  brought  to  Light  through  the  Gof- 
 pel  '>  cannot  Now  be  imagined  to  maintain  with 
 any  firmnefs,  fteddincfs  and  certainty,  the  beliet 
 of  i\\{^  hnmortality  of  the  Soul^  and  -.i  future  State  of 
 Rewards  and  Punifloments  after  death  ;  Becaufe  all 
 the  main  difficulties  and  objedlions,  lie  equally  a- 
 gainft  Both.  For  the  fame  reafon,  he  who  disbe- 
 lieves the  immortality  of  the  Soul,  and  a  future 
 State  of  Rewards  and  Punifhments  j  cannot  de- 
 fend, to  any  effedual  purpofe,  or  enforce  v/ith 
 any  fufficient  ftrength,  the  Obligations  of  Morality 
 and  Natural  Religion  ♦,  notwithfbanding  that  they 
 are  indeed  incumbent  upon  men,  from  the  very 
 nature  and  reafon  of  the  things  themfelves. 
 Then  •,  he  who  gives  up  the  obligations  of  Mora- 
 lity and  natural  Religion,  cannot  poffibly  have 
 any  jail  and  worthy  notion  of  the  moral  Attributes 
 of  God,  or  any  true  StpSt  of  the  nature  and  ;/<?- 
 celfary   differences  of   things.     And  he  that  once 
 
 goea 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  i  7  3 
 
 goes  thus  far  *,  has  no  foundation  left,  upon  which 
 he  can  be  fure  of  the  imtural  Attributes  or  even  of 
 the  Exiftence  of  God  :  Becaufe,  to  deny  what  un- 
 Tcvoidably  follows  from  the  Suppofition  of  his  Ex- 
 iftence and  natural  Attributes,  is  in  reality  deny- 
 ing thofe  natural  Attributes,  and  that  Exiftence 
 ic  felf  On  the  contrary  :  He  who  believes  the 
 Bei/ig  and  natural  Attributes  of  God,  muft  of  ne- 
 cefTity  ('as  has  been  fhown  in  my  former^  Dii- 
 courfe)  confefs  his  moral  Attributes  aifo.  Next  ; 
 he  who  owns  and  has  juft  notions  of  the  7noral 
 Attributes  of  God,  cannot  avoid  acknowledging 
 the  Obligations  of  Morality  and  natural  Religion,  In 
 like  manner  ;  he  who  owns  the  Obligations  of 
 Morality  and  natural  Religion,  muft  needs,  to 
 fupport  thofe  Obligations  and  make  them  effectu- 
 al in  praftife,  believe  a  future  State  of  Rezvards 
 and  Punifljvients.  And  finally  ;  he  who  believes 
 both  the  Obligations  of  natural  Religion,  and  the 
 certainty  of  a  future  State  of  Rewards  and  Pu- 
 nifliments  ;  has  no  manner  of  reafon  left,  why  he 
 fhould  rejed:  the  Chriftian  Revelation^  when  pro- 
 pofed  to"  him  in  its  original  and  genuine  Simpli- 
 city. Wherefore  fince  thofe  Arguments  which 
 demonftrate  to  us  the  Being  and  Attributes  of 
 God,  are  fo  clofely  conneded  with  thofe  which 
 prove  the  reafonablenefs  and  certainty  of  the 
 Chriftian  Revelation,  that  there  is  Now  no  con- 
 fiftent  Scheme  of  Deifm  left  •,  all  modern  Deifts 
 being  forced  to  ftiiit  from  one  Cavil  to  another, 
 and  having  no  fixt  and  certain  Set  of  Principles 
 to  adhere  to  :  I  thought  I  could  no  way  better 
 prevent  their  ill  Defigns,  and  obviate  all  their 
 different  Shifts  and  Objedions ;  than,  by  indea- 
 vouring,  in  the  fame  method  of  reafonmg  by 
 which  I  before  demonftrated  the  Beirig  and  Attri- 
 butes of  God ',  to  prove  in  like  manner,  by  one 
 dired  and  continued  thread  of  Arguing,  the  rea- 
 
 ionablenefs 
 
174  Tf^e  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 fonablenefs  and  certainty  of  the  Cbrifiian  RevelatU 
 on  alio. 
 
 To  proceed  therefore  to  the  proof  of  the  Pro- 
 pofitions  themfelves. 
 
 I.  The  fame  nee ejfary  and  eternal  different  Relati- . 
 ons,  that  different  nings  hear  one  to  another  ;  and 
 the  fame  confeqiient  Fitnefs  or  Unfitnefs  of  the  Ap- 
 plication of  different  things  or  different  Relations  one 
 to  another  *,  with  regard  to  which ^  the  Will  of  God 
 always  and  necejfarily  does  determine  itfelf  to  choofe 
 to  a^  only  what  is  agreeable  to  Juftice^  Equity ^  Good- 
 nefs  and  Truths  in  order  to  the  Welfare  of  the  whole 
 Unlverfe  ;  ought  likewife  conftantly  to  determine  the 
 V/ills  of  all  fub ordinate  rational  Beings^  to  govern  all 
 Their  AiJions  by  the  fame  Rules,  for  the  Good  of  the 
 Publick,  in  their  refpeclive  Stations.  'That  is  \  ihefe 
 eterfial  and  neceffary  differences  of  things  make  it  fit 
 and  reafonable  for  Creatures  fo  to  aEl ,  they  caife  it 
 to  he  their  Duty,  or  lay  an  Obligation  u'^on  them, 
 fo  to  do  \  even  fe par  ate  fro7n  the  confideration  of  thefe 
 Rules  being  the  pofitive  Will  or  Command  of  God  -, 
 aiid  alfo  antecedent  to  any  refpe^i  or  regard,  expe^fa- 
 tion  or  apprehenfion,  of  any  particular  private  and 
 perfonal  Advantage  or  Difadvantage,  Reward  or 
 Punilhment,  either  prefent  or  future  •,  annexed  ei- 
 ther by  natural  confeauence,  or  by  pofitive  appoint- 
 ment,  to  the  pradifing  or  negkcfing  of  thofe  Rules. 
 
 The  feveral  Parts  of  this  Propofition,  may  be 
 
 proved  difcindly,  in  the  following  m.anner. 
 
 That  there       ^'  ^^^^  ^^^^^   ^^^  Differences  ot  things  *,    and 
 
 are  eferml  different  Relations,  Refpefts  or  Proportions,  of  fome 
 
 andnecef-   things  towards  others  ;  is  as  evident  and  undenia- 
 
 ^'mJ'^7  ^^^'  ^^  ^^"^^^  ^"^  ?nagnitude  or  nujnber^  is  greater, 
 
 7hinq's        equal  to,  or  fmaller  than  another.     That  from 
 
 tmit.diff^erent  relations  of  ditftrtnt   things,  there 
 
 neceflarily  arifes  an  agreement,  or  dfagreement  of 
 
 fome  things  with  others,  or  a  fitnefs  or  unfitnefe  of 
 
 the 
 
and  Revealed  Religion,  175 
 
 the  application  of  different  things  or  different  re- 
 lations one  to  another  j    is  likewife  as  plain,    as 
 that  there  is  any  fuch  thing  as  Proportion  or  DiJ- 
 proportion  in  Geometry  and  Jritbmetick,  or  Unifor- 
 mity or  Diffor77iity  in  comparing  together  the  re- 
 fpedive  Figures  of  Bodies,     Further,  that  there  is 
 a  Fitnefs  or  Suitahlenefs  of  certain  Circu7nftances  to 
 certain  Perfins^  and  an  Urifuitahlenefs  of  others  i 
 founded  in  the  nature  of  Things  and  the  Slualifica- 
 tions  of  Perfons^  antecedent  to  all  pofitive  appoint- 
 ment whatfoever  ;    Alfo  that  from  the  different 
 relations  of  different  Perfons  one  to  another^  there 
 neceflarily  ariies  a  fitnefs  or  unfitnefs  of  certain 
 manners  of  Behaviour  of  fome  perfons  towards  po- 
 thers :  Is  as  manifeft,  as  that  the  Properties  which 
 flow  from  the  Effences  of  different  jnathematkd 
 Figures^    have  different  congruities  or  incongruities 
 between  themfelves  ;  or  that,  in  Mecbanicks,  cer- 
 tain IVeights  or  Powers  have  very  different  Forces^ 
 and  different  Effeds  one  upon  Another,  accord- 
 ing to  their  different  Biftances^  or  different  Pofiii- 
 ons  and  Situations  in  refped  of  each  other.     For 
 inftance  :  That  God  is  infinitely  fuperior  to  Men  \ 
 is  as  clear,  as  that  Infinity  is  larger  than  a  Pointy 
 or  Eternity  longer  than  a  Moment,     And  'tis  as 
 certainly  F/V,  that  Men  lliould  honour  and  wor- 
 Ihip,  obey  and  imitate  God,  rather  than  on  the 
 contrary  in  all  their  Anions  indeavour  to  difno- 
 nour  and  difobey  him  •,  as  'tis  certainly  ^r//f,  that 
 /ij^V  have  an  entire  dependence  on  Hhn^  and  U^ 
 onVhe  contrary  can  in  no  refped  receive  any  ad- 
 vantage from  lihem  -,  and  not  only  fo,    but  alfo 
 .  that  his  Will  is  as  certainly  and  unalterably  juft 
 and  equitable  in  giving  his  Commands,  as  his  Power 
 is  irrefiftlhle  in  requiring  fubmiffion  to  it.    Again  j, 
 *Tis  a  thing  abfolutely  and  neceflarily  Fitter  in  it 
 felf,  that  the  Supreme  Author  and  Creator  of  the 
 Univerfe,    fhould  govern,    order,  and  direct  all 
 things  to  certain  conilant  and  regular  Ends ;  than 
 
 that 
 
[17^'  Thd  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 that  every  thing  fliould  be  permitted  to  go  on  at 
 Adventures,  and  produce  uncertain  Etfects  mere- 
 ly  by  chance  and  in  tli^wtmo^  confujlon^  without 
 any  determinate  View  or  Defign  at  all.     'Tis  a 
 Thing  manifeftly  Fitter  in  it  felf,  that  the  All- 
 powerful  Governour  of  the  World,  fhould  do  al- 
 ways what  is  Beft  in  the  whole,  and  what  tends 
 moll  to  the  univerial  Good  of  the  whole  Creation  -, 
 than  that  he  fliould  make  the  Whole  continually 
 miferahle  ;  or  that,  to  fatisfy  the  unrealbnable  De- 
 flres  of   any   particular   depraved    Natures,     he 
 fhould  at  any  time  fuifer  the  Order  of  the  Whole 
 to  be  altered  and  perverted.     Laftly,  'tis  a  thing 
 evidently  and   infinitely  more  H/,  that   any  one 
 particular  innocent  and  good  Being,  Ihould  by  the 
 Supreme  Ruler    and   Difpofer  of  all  things,  be 
 placed  and  preferved  in  an  eaf-j  and  happs  Ejtate  ; 
 than  that,  without  any  fault  or  demerit  of  its  own^ 
 it  fliould  be  made  extremely,  remedilefsly,  and  ejtd- 
 lefsly  miferahle.     In  like  manner  *,  in  Mens  dealing 
 and  converfing  one  with  another  ;  'tis  undeniably 
 more  Fit,    abfolutely  and  in  the  Nature  of  the 
 thing  it  felf,  that  all  Men  fliould  endeavour  to 
 promote  the  univerfal  good  and  welfare  of  All  -,  than 
 that  all  Men  fliould  be  continually  contriving  the 
 ruin  and  deftru5lion  of  AIL     'Tis  evidently  more 
 Fit,  even  before  all  pofitive  Bargains  and   Corn- 
 pads,  that  Men  fliould  deal  one  with  another  ac- 
 cording to  the  known  Rules  of  Jiiftice  and  Equity  •, 
 than  that  every  Man  for  his  own  prefent  Advan- 
 tage, fliould  without  fcruple  difappoint  the  mofl: 
 reafonaUe  and  equitable  Expeoiations  of  his  Neigh- 
 bours, and  cheat  ^xnd  defraud,  or  fp oil  by  violence, 
 all  others  without  reftraint.     Laflily,    'tis  without 
 difpute  more  Fit  and  reafonable  in  it  felf,  that  I 
 Skouldi  preferve  the  Life  of  an  innocent  Man,  that 
 happens  at  any  time  to  be  in  my  Power  -,    or  deli- 
 ver him  from  any  imminent  danger,  tho'  I  have  ne- 
 ver 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  ijj 
 
 ver  made  any  promife  fo  to  do  i  than  that  I  fhould 
 fuffer  him  to  periffi,  or  take  awdj  his  Life^  with- 
 out any  reafon  or  provocation  at  alJ. 
 
 Thefe  things  are  fb  notorioufly  plain  and  ielf- 77^^  ^^,r- 
 evident,  th:^-t' nothing  but  the  extremeft  ftupidity  amcf  ihofe 
 of  Mind,    corruption  of  Manners,    of  perverfe- ^^'^-"' *^'''-:)' 
 nefs  of  Spirit,  can  poiTibly  make  any  Man  enter-  '^'/^W- 
 tain    the.  leaft  doubt    concerning  them.      For  ^fary',/f. 
 Man  endued  with  R^afony  to  deny  the  Truth  oirences  of 
 r  thefe  Things  ;  is  the  very  fame  thing,  as  if  a  Man  ^^-'H^- 
 that  has  the  ufe  of  his  Si^jt^  fnoulH  at  the  fame 
 time  that  he  beholds   the  Sun^    deny  that  there  is 
 any  fuch  thing  as  Light  in  the  World  ;  or  as  if  a 
 Man   that   underftands  Geometry   or  Arithnetick, 
 fhould  deny  the  mofc  obvious  and   known  Pre- 
 portions  of  Lines  or  Niwihers^  and  pervef  fely  con- 
 tend that  the  JVhole  is  riot  e'^ual  to  all  its  ^arts^  or 
 that  a  Square  is  not  double  to  a  'Triangle  of  equal 
 bafe  and  height:     Any  Man  of  ordinary  capacity, 
 and  unbyafled  judgment,    plainnefs  and  fimplici- 
 ty  ;  who  had  never  read,  and  had  never  been  told, 
 that  there  v/ere  Men  and  Philofophers,  who  had 
 in  earned  afferted  and  attempted  to  prove,    that 
 there  is  no  natural  and  unalterable  ditference  be- 
 tween Good  and  Evil  •,   would  at  the  firft  hearing 
 be  as  hardly  perfwaded  to  believe,   that  it  could  e- 
 ver  really  enter  into  the  Heart  of  any  Intelligent 
 Man,  to  deny  all  natural  difference  between  Right 
 and  JVrong  \  as  he  would  be  to  believe,  that  ever 
 there  could  be  any  Geometer  who  would  ferioufly 
 and  in  good  earnefl  lay  it  down  as  a  firft  Princi- 
 ple,  that  2l  crooked  Line  iszs  ftrait  as  1  right  ont. 
 So  that  indeed  it  might  juftly  feem  altogether  a 
 ncedlefs  undertaking,  to  attempt  to  prove  and  e- 
 ftablifh  the  eternal  difference  of  Good  and  Evil. ;  had 
 there  not  appeared  certain  Men,  as  Mr  Hohbs  and 
 fome  few  others,  who  have  prefumed,  contrary 
 to  the  plained:  and  moft  obvious  reafon  of  Man- 
 
 N  ,  kind, 
 
1 7  S  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 kind,  to  ailert,    and  not  without  fome  Subtilty 
 indeavoured  to  prove,  chat  there  is  no  fuch  real 
 Dilierence  ori^.mlh^    necejjaril^^  and  ahfolutel-j  in 
 the  Nature  of  Things  ^  but  that  all  Obligation  of 
 Duty  to  Gody  arifes  merely  from  his  abfolute  irre- 
 fijlihle  Power  ;  and  all  Duty  towards  Men^  merely 
 from  pofitive  CompaLi  :  And  have   founded  their 
 whole  Scheme  of  Politicks  upon  that    Opinion. 
 Wherein  as  they  have  contradicted  the  judgment 
 of  all  the  Wifefl  and  foberefc  part  of  Mankind, 
 fo  they  have  not  been  able  to  avoid  contradicling 
 themfelves  alfo.     For  (not  to  mention  now,   that 
 they  have  no  way  to  fhow  how  Compass  them- 
 felves come  to  be  obligatory^  but  by  inconfiilently 
 owning  an  eternal  original  Fitnefs  in  the  thing   it 
 {c\^^  v/hich  I  {liall  have  occafion  to  obferve  here- 
 after :  Befides  This,  I  fay, J  if  there  be //^///r^//}? 
 and  ahfolutely  in  things  themfelves,    no    difference 
 between  Good  and  Evil^  Juft  and  Unjuft  ;    then  in 
 the  State  of  Nature,  before  any  compa6l  be  made, 
 'tis  equally  as  good,  juil  and  rcafonable,    for  one 
 Man  to  defiiroy  the  Life  of  another,    not  only 
 when  'tis  neceiTary  for  his  own  Prefcrvation,   but 
 alfo  arbitrarily  and  without  any  "^  prosrocation  at 
 all,  or  any   appearance  of  advantage  to  himfelf ; 
 4-     as  to  preferve  or  fave  another  Man's  Life,    when 
 he  may  do  it  without  any  hazard  of  his  ov/n.  The 
 confequence  of  which,  is  *,    that  not  only  the  firfb 
 and  moft;  obvious  way  for  every  particular  Man 
 to  fecure  himfelf  eifedually,    would  be  (as   Mr 
 Hohhs  teaches)  to  indeavour  to  prevent  and  cut 
 olf  all  others  ;  but  alfo  that  Men  might  dellroy 
 one   another  upon   every  foolifli  and  peevifh  or 
 arbitrary  Humour,  even  when  they  did  not  think 
 any  fuch  thing  necelfary  for  their  own  prefcrva- 
 tion.    And  the  elte6l  of  this  practice  muft  needs 
 be,  that  it  would  terminate  in  the  deftruclion  of 
 all  Mankind,     Which  being  undeniably  a  great 
 
 and 
 
dnd  Revealed  R  e  l  i  G  i  o  K^  17 ^_ 
 
 ?ind  unfuiferable  Evil  •,  Mr  Hohbs\{\vaM^  confeiTes 
 it  reafonable,  that,  to  prevent  this  Evil,  Men 
 iliould  enter  into  certain  Ccmp^-dtS  to  preferve 
 one  another.  Now  if  the  deitruclion  of  Man- 
 kind by  each  other's  Elands,  be  fuch  an  Evil, 
 that,  to  prevent  it,  it  was  fit  and  reafonable  that 
 Men  flionld  enter  into  Compacts  to  preferve  each 
 other  ;  then,  hcfore  any  fuch  Compads,  it  was 
 manifeif  ly  a  thing  unfit  and  iinreafonable  in  it  felf, 
 that  Mankind  fhouJd  all  dedroy  one  another. 
 And  if  fo,  then  for  the  fame  reafon  it  was  alfo 
 unfit  and  unreafonahk\  antecedent  to  all  Compads, 
 that  any  one  Man  fhould  deflrroy  another  arbitra- 
 rily  and  without  any  provocation,  or  at  any  time 
 v/hen  it  v/as  not  ahjcluteh  and  i7?7?nediately  necefiary 
 for  the  prefervation  of  himfelf  Which  is  direct- 
 ly contradictory  to  Mr  Hobbs's  firft  Suppofition, 
 of  ^  there  being  no  natural  and 
 
 abfolute  difference  between  Good  *  Ex  his  fequitur  Injunam 
 and  Evil,  Tuft  and  Unjufr,  ante-  ^^'''''"'  ^^^'^?^f^  "''^^^^  ^"°; 
 cedent  to  pohcive  Compact.  And  ^  ^^  ^,  ^^  ^j,^.^^  ^^  moie  tq 
 in  like  manner  All  others,  wiio     the  fumpurpfe.  ^ 
 
 upon  any  prctenfe  whatfoever, 
 teach  that  Good  and  Evil  depend  originally  on 
 the  Conftitution  of  pofitive  Laws^  whether  Divine 
 or  IIu?nane  -,  mud  unavoidably  run  into  the  fame 
 Abfurdity.  For  if  there  be  no  fuch  thing  as 
 Good  and  Evil  in  the  Nature  of  Things,  antece- 
 dent to  all  Lav/s  ;  then  neither  can  any  one  Law 
 be  better  than  another  ;  nor  any  one  thing  v/hat- 
 ever,  be  morejuftly  eilabliihed,  and  inforced  by 
 Laws,  than  the  contrary  ;  nor 
 can  t  any  reafon  be  given,    why         f,  ^^^^^  ^^  ^f  ^f  ^^^. 
 
 -!.        -^    ,,         ,  ,  Q,         '     J      -^       nulUm  eik   Lege    prohibenti 
 
 any  Laws  ihould  ever  be  made  at     noxas  tales,    nifi  agnofcunc 
 
 all:     But    all    LaVr^S  equally,    will      tales  A£tus.  etiam  anceceden- 
 
 be  either  ^  arbitrary  and  tyranni-     ^^  ad  ull.m  Legem,    maU 
 ,  r  •       1  J  11    r  cile.     CumberL  de  Leg,  har* 
 
 cal,    or  frivolous    and  needlels  ;     p      ^^ 
 
 becaufe  the  contrary  might  with        •  Nam  (loJiditas  invenfri 
 
1 8o  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 equal  Reafon  have  been  eflablifli* 
 U  e(ie  nnlia  contendere,  Sc     ^d,  if,  before  the  making  of  the 
 tanquammalos/j.nierpe?' fo/;-     Laws,    all  things  had  been  alike 
 demn.re  peccanrcs  ?    ^r«c^.     indiiTerent  in  their  own  Nature 
 •^  There  is  no  pofiible  way  to  avoid 
 
 this  Abfurdity,  but  by  laying,  that  out  of  things 
 in  their  own  Nature  abiblutely  indifferent,  thofe 
 are  chofen  by  wife  Governours  to  be  made  obli- 
 gatory by  Law,  the  praftife  of  v/hich  they  judge 
 will  tend  to  the  publick  benefit  of  the  Communi- 
 ty. But  this  is  an  exprefs  Contradidion  in  the 
 very  Terms.  For  if  the  pradlife  of  certain  things 
 tends  to  the  publick  benefit  of  the  World,  and 
 the  contrary  would  tend  to  the  publick  diliid van- 
 tage •,  then  thofe  things  are  not  in  their  own  na- 
 ture indifferent,  but  were  good  and  reafonable  to 
 be  pra6lifed  before  any  Law  was  made,  .  and  can 
 only  for  that  very  reafon  be  wifely  inforced  by  the 
 Authority  of  Laws.  Only  here  it  is  to  be  obfer- 
 ved,  that  by  the  publick  Benefit 
 
 *  Qn\  autem  C-viumr^o-      ^^^  ""   I^^^  ^^  underilood  the  in- 
 
 nem  dicunt  habendam.  ix^     terelt  of  any  one  particular  JSati' 
 TernortiTTi  negant  ;  dirimunt     <?//,  to  the  plain  injury  or  preju- 
 
 hi  communem  generis  huma-      ^^^^  ^f  ^^^  ^efl  of  Mankind  ;    any 
 ni   icc-.etarem  i     qua  fublar;?,  ,  ,       .  n       r  r^-r 
 
 juftiria  tundirus  toilitur.  Cic.     ^^^^re  than  the  intereil  ot  one  Lity 
 tie  Ojfc.  Lib,  '^.  oi' Fa??iiiy,  in  oppofition  to  their 
 
 Neighbours  of  the  fame  Country : 
 But  thofe  things  only  are  truly  good  in  their  own 
 Nature,  which  either  tend  to  the  univerfal  benefit 
 and  welfare  of  all  Men^    or  at  lealf  are  not   de- 
 ilruclive  of  it.     The  true  State  therefore  of  this 
 Cafe,    is  plainly  this.     Some   things  are  in  their 
 own    nature  Good  and   Reafonable  and  Fit  to  be 
 V       done  •,  fuch  as  keeping  Faith^  and  -performing  equi- 
 \     table  Compauls^    and  the  like  ;  And  thefe  receive 
 not  their  obligatory  power,  from  any  Law  or  Au- 
 thority •,  but  are  only  declared,  confirmed  and  in- 
 forced  by  penalties,  upon  fuch  as  would  not  per- 
 haps 
 
and  Revealed  P.  e  l  i  g  i  o  n.  i  Si 
 
 haps  be  governed  by  right  Reafon  gnly.  Other 
 rhingi)  are  in  their  own  nature  abfolutelj  Evil  •, 
 fuch  as  breaking  Faith,  refufing  to  perform  equitable 
 Compacfs,  cruslly  deflroyirig  thofe  who  have  neither 
 dirccll'^  nor  indireUl'^  given  any  occafion  for  any  fuch  ■ 
 treatment,  and  the  like  •,  And  thefe  cannot  by  any 
 Law  or  Authority  whatfoever,  be  made  fit  and 
 reafonable,  or  excufable  to  be  pradiifed.  Laftly, 
 other  things  are  in  their  own  Nature  Indifferent  \, 
 that  is,  fnot  abfolutely  ^.nd  ftri^ly  fo  ;  as  fuch  tri- 
 vial Adions,  which  have  no  way  any  tendency  at 
 ail  either  to  the  publick  welfare  or  damage  ;  For 
 concerning  fuch  things,  it  would  be  childifh  and 
 trifling  to  fuppofe  any  Laws  to  be  made  at  all ; 
 But  they  are)  fuch  things,  whofe  tendency  to  the 
 publick  benefit  or  difadvantage,  is  either  fo  f??2all 
 or  fo  remote,  or  fo  obfcure  and  involved,  that  the  ge- 
 nerality of  People  are  not  able  of  themfelves  to  dif- 
 cern  on  which  fide  they  ought  to  a6t  :  And  thefe 
 things  are  made  obligatory  by  the  Authority  of 
 Laws-,  Though  perhaps  every  one  cannot  difl:in6lly  ^^A,.p^g^ 
 perceive  the  reafon  and  fitnefs  of  their  being  injoin-  totheob- 
 ed  :  Of  which  fort  are  many  particular  penal  jecTton 
 Laws,  in  feveral  Countries  and  Nations.     But  to  f'^''^^, 
 
 PI*OCeed.   ^       ^  ^  ^  variety  of 
 
 The  principal  thing  that  can,  v/ith  any  cqIouy  theopmiom 
 of  Realon,  feem  to  countenance  the  Opinion  q^  of  learned 
 rhofe  who  deny  the  natural  and  eternal  difference  thTl^!^\ 
 of  Good  and  Evil  •,  (for  Mr  Hobhs'^  falfe  Reafon-  ofJiferent 
 ings  I  ihall  hereafter  confider  by  themfelves  ;)  is  ^^f^on^* 
 the  difficulty  there  may  fometimes  be,  to  define  ex- ^-^'JZ/^'J 
 ad:ly  the  bounds  of  right  and  wrong  :  the  varie-  -^rong. 
 ty  *  of  Opinions,  that  have   ob- 
 tained even  among  underflanding        '^  '^^  5  ''«^^-  ^  "^  ^iy,xix, 
 and  learned  Men  concernino;  cer-      '^.■'"  I  ''f '^f  « '"T"?^'* 
 tain  Queiiions  of  jult  and  unjud,     ,,,,  ^^^  ^oKi%  .ca.^  ,lxi,  <pi^ 
 elpecially   in   political  Matters   :     <rii  ^  y,k.    Ar'fitf.  Ethic,  lib. 
 ^nd  the  many  contrary  Laws  that      ^'  ^""f-  '• 
 
 N  '^  have 
 
t  Si  The  Evidences  of  Naturat 
 
 have  been  made  in  divers  Ages  and  in  different 
 Countries,  concerning  rhcle  Matters.  But  as,  in 
 Paintings  two  very  dirrerent  Colours,  by  diluting 
 each  other  very  flov/jy  and  gradually,  may  from 
 the  highefc  intenfenels  in  either  extreme,  terminate 
 in  the  midft  infenfibly,  and  fo  run  one  into  the  o- 
 ther,  that  it  fliall  not  be  polTible  even  for  a  skil- 
 ful Eye  to  determine  exactly  where  the  one  ends, 
 and  the  other  begins  •,  and  yet  the  Colours  may 
 really  differ  as  much  as  can  be,  not  in  degree  only 
 but  entirely  in  kind,  as  red  and  blue,  or  white 
 and  black  :  So,  though  it  may  perhaps  be  very 
 difFiCult  in  fome  nice  iind  perplext  Cafes  (which 
 yet  are  very  far  from  occurring  frequently,)  to 
 define  exactly  the  bounds  of  Right  and  Wrong, 
 Juit  and  Unjuil  \  and  there  may  be  fome  latitude 
 in  the  judgment  of  different  Men,  and  the  Laws 
 of  divers  Nations  j  yet  Right  and  IVrong  are  ne- 
 yerthelefs  in  themfelves  totally  and  effentially  dif- 
 ferent •,  even  altogether  as  much,  as  IVIoite  and 
 Blacky  Light  and  Barknefs.  The  Spartan  Laz^ 
 perhaps,  which  "^  permitted  their 
 *  K^i7rl£./.  v£vo>;r»  ra^^  ^'A^y-  Youth  to  Steal ;  may,  as  abfurd 
 f  j:Uniir±T::  as  it  was,  bear  much  difpute  whe- 
 ^i,nica,  ther  it  v/as  ablolutely  Unji^Jr  or 
 
 no  ;  becaufe  every  Man  having 
 an  abfolute  Right  in  his  ovm  Goods,  It  may  feem 
 that  the  Members  of  any  Society  /may  agree  to 
 transfer  or  alter  their  ov/n  Properties  upon  what 
 Conditions  they  ihall  think  fit.  But  if  it  could 
 be  fuppofed  that  a  Law  had  been  made  at  Sparta  ; 
 or  at  Rome,  or  in  India,  or  in  any  other  part  of 
 the  World  ;  whereby  it  had  been  commanded  or 
 allowed,  that  every  Man  might  Rob  by  Violence^ 
 and  Murther  v/homfoever  he  m.et  v/ith  ;  or 
 that  no  Faith  fnould  be  kept  with  any  Man,  nor 
 any  equitable  CompaEis  performed  *,  no  Man,  with 
 any  tolerable  ufe  of  his  Reafon,  whatever  diverfi- 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  i  8l 
 
 ty  of  Judgment  might  be  among  them  in  o- 
 ther  mutters,  would  have  thought  that  fuch  a 
 Law  could  have  authorifed  or  excufed,  m_uch  lefs 
 have  jufcified  fjjch  Adrions,  and  haye  made  them  ' 
 become  good  :  Becaufe  'tis,  plainly  not  in  Mens 
 Power  to  m.ake  Falfihood  be  "Truth,  though  they 
 may  alter  the  Property  of  their  Goods  as  they  pleafe. 
 Now  if  in  flagrant  Cafes,  the  natural  and  effential 
 difference  between  Good  and  Evil,  Right  and 
 Wrong,  cannot  but  be  confelTed  to  be  plainly  and 
 undeniably  evident  •,  the  difference  between  them 
 mud  be  alfo  edential  and  unalterable  in  all  even 
 the  fmalleil  and  niceft  and  mod  intricate  Cafes, 
 though  it  be  not  fo  eafy  to  be  difcerned  and  ac- 
 curately diilinguiilied.  For  if  from  the  difficulty 
 of  determining  exactly  the  bounds  of  Right  and 
 Wrong  in  many  perplcxt  Cafes,  it  could  truly  be 
 concluded  that  Jiift  and  Unjull:  were  not  eifential- 
 ly  different  by  Nature,  but  only  by  pofitive  Con- 
 ilitution  and  Cudom  •,  it  would  follow  equally, 
 that  they  were  not  really,  eiTentially,  and  unal- 
 terably different,  even  in  the  mofl;  flagrant  Cafes 
 that  can  be  fuppofed.  Which  is  an  aifertion  ffo 
 very  abfurd,  that  Mr  Hohbs  himfelf  could  hardly 
 vent  it  without  blufning,  and  difcovering  plainly, 
 
 'by  his  diifting  ExpreiTions,  his  fecret  Self-con- 
 demnation.    There  Are  therefore  certain  necejfary 
 
 ■  and  eternal  differences  of  things  •,  and  certain  confe- 
 quent  fitnejfes  or  imfiincffs  of  the  application  ot 
 different  Things  or  difierent  Relations  one  to  a- 
 nother  ;  not  depending  on  any  pofitive  Conftitu- 
 tions,  but  founded  unchangeably  in  the  nature 
 and  reafon  of  things,  and  unavoidably  arifing 
 from  the  differences  of  the  thin^^s  themfelves. 
 Which  is  the  fird  Branch  of  the  o;eneral  Propofi- 
 tion  I  propofed  to  prove. 
 
 2.  Now  what  thefe  eternal  and  unalterable  Re-Tknthe 
 lations-Refpecf!:^    or  Fro  portions   of  thinp-s.    ^vith^^f^^^/^f*^' 
 .  '  ^N  ^  ^      their  ^^"^-^^^ 
 
t S4.  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 termines^  it  fj^elr  confcquent  Agreements   or  Bifagrcements^  FiU 
 ll^ordinz    ^'^^^^^  ^^*  UnfUneJfes^  abfolutely  and  neceiliirily  Ara 
 lothener.  ill  thcmfelves  •,  'That  alio  they  appear  to  hc^  to  the 
 yMreAfon  Underjlandings  of  all  Intelligent  Beings  ;    except 
 ^j things,     ^\-^q{q  on\Y->  who  uuderllandx.\-\mQ^s  to  be  what  they 
 arc  not,    that  is,    whofe  Undrrjtandings  are  either 
 very  imperfccl,    or  very  much  depraved.     And 
 by  this  Undcrftanding  or  Knowledge'  of  the  na- 
 tural and    neceliary  relations,    fitnelles,  and  pro- 
 portions of  things,  the  JVills  likewife  of  all  Intel- 
 ligent Beings   are  conftandy  dire6led,    and  muft 
 needs  be  determined  to  a6t    accordingly  ;  excep- 
 ting thofe  only,  who  V/ill  things  to  be  what  they 
 are  not  and  cannot  be  •,    that  is,  whofe  JVills  are 
 corrupted    by  particular   Intereil    or   AfTedion, 
 or  fwayed   by  fome  unrealbnabie  and  prevailing 
 Paflion.     Wherefore  fine e  the  ;^t7/z/^-^/ Attributes 
 of  God^    his    infinite  Knovv^ledge,    Wifdom    and 
 power,  fet  Him  infinitely  above  all  polTibility  of 
 being  deceived  by  auj  Errour^  or  of  being  influenced 
 py  any  •zvrong  Ajjecfion  ;     'tis   manifeil  his  Divine 
 Vv^ill  cannot  but  always  and  necefiarily  determine 
 it  felf  to  choofe  to  Do  what  in  the  whole  is  abfo- 
 lutely  Befl:  and  Fitteft  to  be  done  ;  that  is,  to  a6l 
 conftantly  according  to  the  eternal  Rules  of  infi- 
 4iite  Goodnefs,  Juibce  and  Truth.     As  I  have  en- 
 deavoured to  fnow  diilinclly  in  my  former  Dif- 
 courfe,  in  deducing  feverally  the  Aft? r^/ Attributes 
 of  God. 
 ..         3  a  And  now,  that  the  fame  Reafon  of  'Things^ 
 r^^tLt^l     y^'^^^^^  regard  to  which  the  Will  of  God  always  and 
 rreaturcs  necefiarily  Does  determine  it  felf  to  a6t  in  conflant 
 ^r?o%^»/ conformity  to  the  eternal  Rules  of  Juilice,  Equi- 
 /tS%  ^y^  Goodnefs  and  Truth  ;  ought  2X^0  confi:antly  to 
 /^  rf// /^;>  determine  the  Wilis  of  all  Subordinate  Rational 
 iAdions,  ly  Bcings,  to  govcm  all  "Their  Actions  by  the  fame 
 '^L^^VrA  ^^"'^^^ '    ^.5  ve^T  c'^'i'^ent.     For,  as  'tis  abfolutely 
 fffKeeJoV,  impojj'ihle  in  Nature^  that  God  Ihould  be  deceived  by 
 
md  Revealed  Religion.  i:  8  5 
 
 an)  Errour^  or  influenced  by  any  wrong  Affe5fion  ; 
 So 'tis  very  unreafonahle  andblame-'uoorthy  in  Prac- 
 tife^  that  any  Intelligent  Creatures,  v/hom  God  has 
 made  fo  far  like  unto  himfelf,  as  to  endue  them 
 with  thofe  excellent  Faculties  of  Reafon  and  JVilly 
 whereby  they  are  enabled  to  diftinginjij  Good  from 
 Evil,  and  to  chufe  the  one  and  refufe  the  other  j 
 fhould  either  negligently  fuffer  themfelves  to  he  im- 
 po/ed  upon  and  deceived  in  Matters  of  Good  and 
 Evil,  Right  and  Wrong  ;  or  wilfully  and  perverjly 
 allow  themfelves  to  be  over-ruled  by  abjurd  Paffi- 
 ons^  and  corrupt  or  partial  Af^e^ions^  to  ad  cor* 
 trary  to  what  they  know  is  Fit  to  be  done.  "Which 
 two  Things,  vi%.  negligent  Mifunderftandlng  and  wil- 
 ful Paffions  or  Lufts^  are,  as  I  faid,  the  only  Caufes 
 which  can  make  a  reafonable  Creature  aft  contra- 
 ry to  Reafon,  that  is,  contrary  to  the  eternal 
 Rules  of  Juflice,  Equity,  Righteoufnefs  and 
 Truth.  For,  was  it  not  for  thefe  incxcuHible  cor- 
 ruptions and  depravations  -,  'tis  impoflible  but  the 
 fame  Proportions  and  FitnefTes  of  things,  which 
 have  fo  much  Weight  and  fo  much  Excellency 
 and  Beauty  in  them,  that  the  All-powerful  Crea- 
 tor and  Governour  of  the  Univerfe,  (who  has  the 
 abfolute  and  uncontroulable  Dominion  of  all  things 
 in  his  own  Hands,  and  is  accountable  to  none  for 
 what  he  does,  yetj  thinks  it  no  diminution  of  his 
 Power  to  make  this  Reafon  of  I'hings  the  unaltera- 
 ble Rule  and  Law  of  all  his  own  A6lions  in  the 
 Government  of  the  World,  and  does  nothing  by 
 jnere  Will  and  Arbitrarinefs  -,  'tis  impolTible  (I 
 fay,)  if  it  was  not  for  inexcufable  corruption  and 
 depravation,  but  the  fame  eternal  Reafon  of 'things 
 muft  much  more  have  Weight  enough  to  deter- 
 mine conftantly  the  Wills  and  Adlions  of  all  Sub- 
 ordinate, Finite,  Dependent  and  Accountable  Be- Pro-jfi 
 ings.  For  originally  and  in  reality,  'tis  as  naturalf''"^/^^ 
 and  (m.orally  Ipeakingj    necejfary^    that  the  ^i^^^'atureof 
 
 Ihould  ;^,/»;t^. 
 
1^6  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 fhould  be  determined  in  every  A6lion  by  the  Rea- 
 fon  of  the  'Things  and  the  Right  of  the  Cafe  \  as  'tis 
 natural  and  (abfolutely  fpeaking)  necejfary^  that 
 the  Underftanding  fhould  ilibmit  to  a  den^onft rated 
 ^riith.  And  'tis  as  abfurd  and  blame-worthy,  to 
 m'jflake  72egligently  plain  Right  and  fFrong^  that  is, 
 to  imderftand  the  Proportions  of  things  in  Morality 
 to  be  what  they  are  not  •,  or  wilfully  to  aoi  contrary 
 to  known  Juiiice  and  Equity,  that  is,  to  will 
 things  to  be  v/hat  they  are  not  and  cannot  be  ; 
 as  it  would  be  abfurd  and  ridiculous  for  a  Man  in 
 Arithmetical  Matters,  ignorantly  to  believe  that 
 *T-ivice  'Tzvo  is  not  equal  to  Four  •,  or  wilfully  and  ob- 
 fuinately  to  contend,  againfl  his  own  clear  Know- 
 led  o-e,  that  the  whole  is  not  equal  to  all  its  Parts, 
 The  only  difference  is,  that  Alfent  to  a  plain  fpe- 
 culative  "Truths  is  not  in  a  Man's  Power  to  with- 
 hold ;  but  to  AlI  according  to  the  plain  RJi^t  and 
 Reafon  of  things,  this  he  may,  by  the  natural  Li- 
 berty of  his  Will,  forbear.  But  the  One  he  ought 
 to  do  ;  and  'tis  as  much  his  plain  and  indifpenfii- 
 ble  Duty  •,  as  the  other  he  cannot  hut  do^  and  'tis 
 the  Nece/Jity  of  his  Nature  to  do  it.  He  that  wil- 
 fully refufes  to  Honour  and  Obey  God,  from  whom 
 he  received  his  Being,  and  to  whom  he  continti- 
 ally  owes  his  Prelervation  ;  is  really  guilty  of  an 
 equal  abfurdity  and  inconfiftency  in  Pradife  ;  as 
 he  that  in  Speculation  denies  the  Effecl'  to  owe  any 
 thing  to  its  Caufe,  or  the  V/hole  to  he  bigger  than  its 
 Part,  He  that  refufes  to  deal  with  All  Men  equi- 
 iably,  and  with  every  Man  as  he  defires  they  iliould 
 deal  v/ith  hi?n :  is  guilty  of  the  very  fame  unrea- 
 fonablenefs  and  contradiclion  in  one  Cafe  -,  as  he 
 that  in  another  Cafe  fhould  affirm  one  Number  or 
 Shiantity  to  be  equal  to  another,  and  yet  I'hat  o- 
 ther  at  the  fiime  tim.e  not  to  he  equal  to  the  firft. 
 Laftly,  he  that  acknowledges  himfelf  obliged  to 
 the  pradcife  of  certain  Duties  both  towards  God 
 
 and 
 
dfid  Revealed  Religion!-  187 
 
 .^nd  towards  Men^  and  yet  takes  no  care  either  to 
 preferve  his  ov/n  Being<^r  at  lead  not  to  pieferve 
 himfelf  in  ibch  a  ftate  and  temper  of  Mind  and 
 Body,  as  may  befl  inable  him   to  perform  thofe 
 Duties  j    is  altogether  as  inexculable  and  ridicu- 
 lous, as  he  that  in  any  other  matter  fliould  ajjirm 
 one  thing  at  the  fame  time  that  he  denies  another, 
 •without  which    the  former  could  not  pofTibly  be     , 
 true  5    or  undertake   one   thing,  at  the  fame  time 
 that  he  obilinately  omits  another,  without  which 
 the  former  is  by  no  means  praBicahk.     Wherefore 
 all  rational  Creatures,    whofe  Wills  are  not  con- 
 ftantly  and  regularly  determined,  and  their  A6i:i- 
 ons  governed,   by  right  Reafon  and  the  necefTary 
 differences  of  Good  and  Evil,    according  to  the 
 eternal  and  invariable  Rules  of  Juilice,  Equity, 
 Goodnefs  and  Truth  ;  but  fuffer  themfelves  to  be 
 fwayed  by  unaccountable  arbitrary  Humours,  and 
 raili  PalTions,  by  Lulls,  Vanity  and  Pride  -,  by 
 private   Intereft,    or  prefent    fenfual    Pleafures  : 
 Thefe,    letting    up  their  own   iinreafonable  Self- 
 v/ill  in  oppofition   to  the  Nature  and  Reafon  of 
 Things,  endeavour  (as  much  as  in  them  licsj  to 
 make  things  be  v/hat  they  are  not,  and  cannot  be. 
 Which  is  the  higheiL  Preiumption  and  greateft  In- 
 folence,  'as  v/ell  as  the  greateii  Abfurdity,  imagi- 
 nable.    'Tis  ading  contrary  to  that  Underftand- 
 ing,  Reafon   and  Judgment,  which  God  has  im- 
 planted in  their  Natures  on  purpofe  to    enable 
 them  to  difcern  the  difference  between  good  and 
 evil.     'Tis  attempting   to  deftroy  that  Order,  by 
 which   the  Univerfe  fubfifts.      ^Tis  oiferino;   the 
 highefl  affront  imaginable  to  the  Creator  of  all 
 things,  who  made  things  to  be  what  they  are,  and 
 governs  every   thing  himfelf   according    to    the 
 Laws  of  their  feveral  Natures.     In  a  v/ord  -,  All 
 wilful  v/ickednefs  and  perverlion  of  Right,  is  the 
 Very  fam»e  Infolence  and  Abfurdity  in  Moral  Mat- 
 ters a 
 
i jSS  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 ters  \  as  it  would  be  in  ISatural  things^  for  a  man 
 to   pretend   to    alter  the   certain  Proportions  of 
 Numbers,  to  take  away  the  Demonftrable  Rela- 
 tions and  Properties    of   Mathematical  Figures  ; 
 to  make  Light  Darknefs,  and  Darknefs  Light  i 
 or  to  call  Sv/eet  Bitter,  and  Bitter  Sweet. 
 And  from       Further  :    As  it  appears  thus  from  the  ahftraot 
 theSe>^fe,    dud  abfolute  Reafon  and  nature   of  things,     that 
 th;it  all     ^\\  rational  Creatures  Ought^  that  is,  are  obliged  to 
 
 eTLTJun.  ^^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^^^^  ^"^  Adions  be  con- 
 a^^oiJM' ^^^^h  determined  and  governed  by  the  eternal 
 rule  of  Right  and  Equity  :  So  the  certainty  and 
 ^tmderftuh  ^^^iverfality  oi  that  Obligation  is  plainly  confirmed, 
 tinQbliga-  and  the  force  of  it  particularly  difcovered  and  ap- 
 tion.  plied  to  every  Man,  by  This  •,  that  in  like  man- 
 ner as  no  one,  who  is  inftruded  in  Mathematicks, 
 can  forbear  giving  his  AiTent  to  every  Geometrical 
 Dem^onllration,  of  which  he  underftands  the 
 Terms,  either  by  Jiis  own  Study,  or  by  having 
 had  them  explained  to  him  by  others  *,  fo  no  man, 
 who  cither  has  patience  and  opportunities  to  exa- 
 mine and  conlider  things  himfelf,  or  has  the 
 means  of  being  taught  and  inilruded  in  any  tole- 
 rable manner  by  Others,  concerning  the  necefiary 
 relations  and  dependencies  of  things  •,  can  avoid 
 giving  his  Affent  to  the  fitnefs  and  reafonablenefs 
 of  his  governing  all  his  Adlions  by  the  Law  or 
 Rule  before  mentioned,  even  though  his  Pr^^^i/?, 
 through  the  prevalence  of  Brutifli  Lufls,  be  moft 
 abfurdly  contradidory  to  that  Ajjent,  That  is  to 
 fay  :  By  the  Reafon  of  his  mind,  he  cannot  but 
 be  compelled  to  own  and  acknov/ledge,  that  there 
 is  really  fuch  an  OM^^/i^i/^  indifpenfably  incumbent 
 upon  him  ;  even  at  the  fame  time  that  in  the  Ac- 
 lions  of  his  Life  he  is  indcavouring  to  throw  it  off 
 and  defpife  it.  For  the  Judgment  and  Confci- 
 ence  of  a  Man's  ov/n  Mind,  concerning  the  Rea- 
 fonablenefs and  Fitnefs'  of  the  thing,  that  his  Ac- 
 I  tions. 
 
and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  G  i  o  K.  1 89 
 
 tlons  lliould  be  conformed  to  fuch  or  fuch  a  Rule 
 or  Law  •,  is  the  truefl  and  formalleft  Obligation  -,  e- 
 ven  more  properly  and  ftrid:ly  fo,  than  any  opinion 
 whatfoever  of  the  Authority  of  the  Giver  of  a  Law, 
 or  any  Regard  he  may  have  to  its  Sanation  by  Re- 
 wards and  Punifnments.  For  whoever  ads  con- 
 trary to  this  fenfe  and  confcience  of  his  own  mind, 
 is  neceflarily  felf-condemned  -,  And  the  greateft 
 and  ftrongeft  of  all  Obligations  is  that,  which  a 
 Man  cannot  break  through  without  condemning 
 himfelf.  The  dread  of  fuperiour  Power  and  Au- 
 thority, and  the  Sandion  of  Rewards  and  Punifh- 
 ments  ;  however  indeed  abfolutely  necellary  to 
 the  Goverment  of  frail  and  fallible  Creatures,  and 
 truly  the  moft.  effe6i:ual  means  of  keeping  Them 
 in  their  Duty  -,  is  yet  really  in  it  felf,  only  a  fe- 
 condar^  and  additional  Obligation,  or  Inforcement 
 of  the  firft.  The  original  Obligation  of  all,  (the 
 ambiguous  ufe  of  which  Word  as  a  ^e'nn  of  Art^ 
 has  caufed  fome  perplexity  and  confufion  in  this 
 matter,)  is  the  eternal  Reafon  of  Things  ;  That 
 Reafon^  which  God  himfelf,  who  has  no  Superior 
 to  diredt  him,  and  to  whofe  Happinefs  nothing 
 can  be  added  nor  any  thing  diminifhed  from  it, 
 yet  conflantly  obliges  hiinfelf  to  govern  the  World 
 by  :  And  the  more  excellent  and  perfedt  any  Crea^ 
 tures  are,  the  more  cheerfully  and  fleddily  are 
 their  Wills  always  determined  by  this  6'^^rc';^i^0^- 
 ligation^  in  conformity  to  the  Nature,  and  in  imi- 
 tation of  the  moft  perfed  Will  of  God.  So  far 
 therefore  as  Men  are  confcious  of  what  is  right 
 and  wrong,  fo  far  they  Are  under  an  Obligation 
 to  a6l  accordingly  •,  And  confequently  That  eter- 
 nal Rule  of  Right,  which  I  have  been  hitherto  de- 
 Icribing,  'tis  evident  Ought  as  indifpenfably  to  go- 
 vern mens  Adtions,  as  it  Cannot  but  neceflarily  de- 
 termine their  Aflent. 
 
 Now 
 
ISS 
 
 'Andfrom 
 the  jiidg- 
 mcnt  of 
 Mens  Con- 
 sciences up 
 071  their 
 oxen  pr,Jl 
 Actions. 
 
 Qfthxt 
 natural 
 knovoledge, 
 which  Pla 
 ro  thought 
 fo  bt  remi- 
 niCctiice. 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Now  that  the  Cafe  is  truly  thus  ;  that  the  eter- 
 nal diiferences  of  Good  and  Evil,  the  unalterable 
 Rule  of  Right  and  Equity,  do  neccfiarily  and  un- 
 avoidably determine  the  Judgment,  and  force  the 
 Alfent  of  all  Men  that  xx^t  any  Confideration  *,  is 
 undeniably  manifell  from  the  univerlal  Experience 
 of  Mankind.  For  no  Man  willingly  and  delibe- 
 rately tranfgreOes  this  Rule,  in  any  great  and  con- 
 fiderahle  Inltance  ;  but  he  a6i5  contrary  to  the 
 Judgment  and  Reafon  of  his  own  Mind,  and  fe- 
 cretly  reproaches  himfclf  for  fo  doing.  And  no 
 Man  obferves  and  obeys  it  fteddily,  efpecially  in 
 Cafes  of  dijjiculty  and  "Temptation^  when  it  inter- 
 feres v/ith  any  prefent  Incerefl,  Pleafure  or  Paffi- 
 on  ;  but  his  ov/n  Mind  commends  and  applauds 
 him  for  his  Refolution.  in  executing  what,  his  Con- 
 fcience  could  not  forbear  giving  its  affent  to,  as 
 juft  and  right.  And  this  is  what  St  Paul  means, 
 when  he  fays,  {Rom.  ii  ;  14,  15.)  that  ix}hen  the 
 Gentiles  which  have  not  the  Law.,  do  hy  nature  the 
 things  contained  in  the  Law.,  th^fe  having  not  the 
 Law.,  are  a  Law  unto  themfelves  \  which  /hew  the 
 work  of  the  Law  written  in  their  Hearts.,  their  Con- 
 fcience  alfo  hearing  witnefs.,  and  their  'Thoughts  the 
 mean  while  accufing,  or  elfe  excufing  one  another. 
 
 It  was  a  very  wife  Obfervation  of  Plato.,  which 
 he  received  from  Socrates  -,  that  if  you  take  a 
 young  Man,  impartial  and  unprejudiced,  one  that 
 never  had  any  Learning,  nor  any  Experience  in 
 the  World  ;  and  examine  him  about  the  natural 
 relations  and  proportions  of  things,  [or  the  ?noral 
 differences  of  Good  and  Evil ;]  you  may,  only  by 
 asking  him  Qucilions^  without  teaching  him  any 
 thing  at  all  directly,  caufe  him  to  exprefs  in  his 
 Anfwers  juft  and  adrsquate  Notions  of  Geoinetri- 
 cal  Truths^  [and  true  and  exa6l  determinations  con- 
 cerning Matters  of  Right  andPFrong.']  From  whence 
 He  thought  it  was  to  be  concluded,  that  all  Know- 
 ledge 
 
and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  on.  i  S9 
 
 ledge  and  Learning  is  nothing  but  Memory,  or 
 only  a  recolieding  upon  every  new  occafion,  what 
 had  been  before- known  in  a  fcate  of  Pr^-exiftence. 
 And  fome  [Others  both  Ancient  and  Moderns, 
 "liave  concl tided  that  the  idea's  of  all  firil  and  fim- 
 pie  Truths,  either  natural  or  moral,  are  Innate 
 and  originally  wiprejfcd  or  frampt  upon  the  Mind. 
 In  their  inference  from  the  Obfervation,  the  Au-^ 
 thors  of  Both  thefe  Opinions  feem  to  be  miflaken. 
 But  thus  much  it  proves  unavoidably  ;  That  the 
 difierenccs,  relations,  and  proportions  of  things 
 both  natural  and  moral,  in  v^hich  all  unprejudi- 
 ced Minds  thus  naturally  agree,  .are  certain,  un- 
 alterable, and  real  in  the  things  the??ifehes  ♦,  and 
 do  not  at  all  depend  on  the  yariable  Opinions, 
 Fancies,  or  Imaginations  of  Men  prejudiced  by 
 Education,  Laws,  Cufloms,  or  evil  Pra^iifes  :  And 
 alfo  that  the  Mind  of  Man  naturally  and  unavoid- 
 ably gives  its  Ajjhit^  as  to  natural  and  geometrical 
 Truth,  fo  alfo  to  the  moral  differences  of  things,  / 
 and  to  the  fitnefs  and  reafonabienefs  of  the  Obliga- 
 tion of  the  everlafling  Lav/  of  Righteoufnefs, 
 whenever  fairly  and  plainly  propofed. 
 
 Some  Men  indeed,    v/ho,    by  means  of  a  very  ^^^^  ^.^^^^ 
 evil  and  vitious  Education,    or  through  a  long/.-^^/?"/? 
 Habit  of  Wickednefs  and  Debauchery,    have  tY^-Mm^not 
 tremely  corrupted  the  Principles  of  their  Nature,  r/J^^?^^/^ 
 and   have  long  accuftomed   themfelves    to  hca.v^t;/e  Aip- 
 dovvm  their  own  Reafon,    by  the  force  of  Preju--^^"'^^^/' 
 dice,  Luiland  Paffion  ;    that  they   may  not   be^^^^'^''"^ 
 forced  to  confefs  themfelves  felf-condemned,    will  " 
 confidently   and  abfolutely  contend  that  they  do 
 not  really  fee  any  natural  and  necefTary  difference 
 between  what  we  call  Right  and  JVrong^    juft  and 
 Unjuft  •,  that  the  Reafon  and  Judgment  of  their 
 own  Mind,  does  not  tell  them  they  are  under  any 
 fuch  indifpenfable  Obligations,    as  we  would  en- 
 deavour to  perfwade  them  \  and  that  they  are  not 
 
 fenfible 
 
1 92  ihe  EviDEKCESof  Natural 
 
 fenfible  they  ought  to  be  governed  by  any  othef 
 Rule,  than  their  own  Will  and  Pleafure.  But  e- 
 venthefe  Men,  the  mod  abandoned  of  all  Man» 
 kind  ',  however  induilrioufly  they  endeavour  to 
 conceal  and  deny  their  felf-condemnation  ;  yet 
 they  cannot  avoid  making  a  difcovery  of  it  fome- 
 times  when*  they  are  not  aware  of  it.  For  Ex- 
 ample :  There  is  no  Man  fo  vile  and  defperate, 
 who  commits  at  any  time  a  Murder  and  Robbery, 
 with  the  mofl  unrelenting  Mind  ; 
 
 *  Quis  cfl:  enim,  aut  quis  but  *  WOuld  choofe,  if  fuch  a 
 unquamfuir,  aut  avaritia tarn  xhlngr  could  be  propofed  tO  him, 
 ardenti,    aut    tam   eftrxnatis  *^     .         n    ^if      r  c 
 
 cupidlt;tibus,  ut  eandem  il-  to  obtain  all  the  fame  profit  or 
 lam  rem.  quam  adipifci  fee-  advantage,  whatfoevef  It  be  that 
 lere  quovis  velit,  non  mul-     j-^^  aims  at.    Without  committing 
 
 tispartibus  "^^li^^^f/^f^V^^i-  the  Crime,  rather  than  with  it ; 
 am  omni  impunitate  propoh-  i  ,     ,  r 
 
 ta,  line  facinore,  quam  illo  even  though  he  was  lure  to  go 
 modo  pervenire ?  C/V.  de  F;-  unpunifhed  for  committing  the 
 "'^-  ^''^'  3-  Crime.     Nay,  I  believe,  there  is 
 
 no  Man,  even  in  Mr  Hobbs's  State 
 
 of  Nature,  and  of  Mr  Hobbs's  own  Principles  ; 
 
 but  if   he  was  equally  aflured    of  fecuring  his 
 
 main  end,    his  Self-prefervation,    by  either  way ; 
 
 would  choofe  to  preferve  himfelf  rather  without: 
 
 deilroying  all  his  Fellow-Creaturesj,  than  with  it ; 
 
 even  lappofmg  all  Impunity,  and  all  other  future 
 
 conveniencies  of  Life,  equal  in  either  Cafe.      Mr 
 
 Hobbs's  own  Scheme,  of  Mens  agreeing  by  Com- 
 
 pa6l  to  preferve  one  another,  can  hardly  be  Sup- 
 
 pofed  without  this.       And  this  plainly   evinces, 
 
 that  the  Mind  of  Man  unavoidably  acknowledges 
 
 a  natural  and  neceflary  difference  betv/een  Good 
 
 and  Evil,  antecedent  to  all  arbitrary  and  pofitive 
 
 Conftitution  whatfoever. 
 
 Men$natH'     But  the  Truth  of  this,  that  the  Mind  of  Man 
 
 ralsenfe    naturally  and  neceflarily   AlTents  to  the  eternar 
 
 ^//J^f^^_Law  of  Righteoufnefs  -,  may  flill  better  and  more 
 
 gat't§ns,m^d^'^l]y    and  more  univerfally  appear,  from  the 
 
 Judgment 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  ipl 
 
 Judgment  that"  Men  pafs  upon  each  Others  Adi-  'vedfrom 
 cms,  than   from  what  we  can  difcern  concerning  ^j^Jj\lL 
 their  Conrcioufnefs  of  their  Own.     For  Men  may  ^//  '^,^, 
 difTemble  and  conceal  from  the  World,  the  judg- «/»£>»  the 
 ment  of  their  own  Confcience  j  nay,  by  a  ftrange  ^^T^  ''* 
 partiality,  they  may  even  impofe  upon  and  de- 
 ceive Thj?yifelves  -^  (¥ot  who  is  there,  that  does  not 
 fometimes  allov/  himfelf,  nay,    and  even  juftify 
 himfelf  in  that,  wherein  he  condemns  Another?) 
 But  Mens  Judgments  concerning  the   Aftions  of 
 Others^  efpeciaily  where  they  have  no  relat:  -it  to 
 Themfelves,  or  repugnance  to  their  Intereft,  are 
 commonly  impartial  ;    And    from  this  we  may 
 judge,  what  Senfe  Men  naturally  have  of  the  un- 
 alterable difference   of  Right  and  Vv^rong.     Now 
 the  Obfervation  which  every  one  cannot  but  m.ake 
 in  this  Matter,    is  This  ;    that  Virtue  and  true 
 Goodnefs^  Righteoufnefs  and  Eqtnty,  are   things  {o 
 truly  noble  and  excellent,  fo  lovely  and  venerable 
 in  themfelves,  and  do  fo  neceiTarily  approve  them- 
 felves to  the  Reafon  and  Confciences  of  Men ;  that 
 even  thofe  very  Perfons,  who,  by  the  prevailing 
 Power  of  fome  Intereft  or  Luft,    are  themfelves 
 drawn  afide  out  of  the  Paths  of 
 
 Virtue,    t   can   yet    hardly  ever        f  Placet  fuapte  natura,  a^ 
 forbear  to  p;ive  it  its  true  Charac-     ^'^^q'  gi-atiora  virtus  eft.  ut 
 
 ^  r^  T     '        '     r\^i  infitum  etiam  lit  Malis  pro- 
 
 ter  and  Commendation  in  Others,     ^^,,  ^,j;^^^^^   ^^^^^^  /^^, 
 And  this  Obfervation  holds  true,     nef.  /.  4, 
 not  only  in  the  generality  of  Viti- 
 ous  Men,  but  very  frequently  even  in  the  v/orft 
 fort  of  them,  vtz.  thofe  who  perfecute  others  for 
 being  better  than  themfelves.     Thus  the  Officers 
 who  were  fent  by  the  Pharifies  to  apprehend  our 
 Saviour,  could  not  forbear  declaring,  thditbefpakeiQi^  y-- 
 as  never  Man  f pake  :  And  the  Roman  Governour,  40/ 
 when  he  gave  Sentence  that  he  fhould  be  Crucified, 
 could  not  at  the  fame  inftant  forbear  openly  de- 
 claring,   that  he  found  no  fault  in  him.     Even  in  y^,T,  xvi% 
 
 O  This  38.^ 
 
1 94  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 This  cafe.    Men  cannot   chufe  but  think  well  of 
 
 thofe  Perfons,    whom  the  dGminion  of  their  Lufts 
 
 will  not  fuffer  them  to  imitate,  or  whom  their  pre- 
 
 fent  IrJereft  and  the  Neceffny  of  their  JVorldlj  Ajairs 
 
 compels  them  to  difcourage.     They  cannot  but 
 
 defire,    that  they  themfelves  were  the  Men  they 
 
 are  not  j  and  wifh  with  Balaa?n^  that  though  they 
 
 imitate  not  the  life^    yet  at  leau:  they  might  die  the 
 
 death  of  the  Righteous^  and  that  their  lalt  endmx^t 
 
 be  like  theirs.     And  hence  it  is  that  Plato  judici- 
 
 oufly  obferves,    that  ^  even  the 
 
 ,     ^  ,     ,     «      worir   of  Men   feldom  or  never 
 
 ^  J.£'aF.  T^"'  "^"'!     i^a^^e   fo  wrong  Judgment  con- 
 
 TePiXol,   'roa-ol^Tov  y^  '§   y.pwv     ccming  PerfoHS^  as  they  do  con- 
 
 T5^?  uAX\£<i  ci  7zoy/i^c\  Kcci  u^fi^r-     ccrning  'things  ;    there  being   in 
 
 re,  £^,r«v  ;/  r;  .«)  'iv^o^y  5%-;     y'^^^^^  ^^^  unaccountablc  and  as  it 
 
 >.oiKx\T  c(p^.^^,ccxcf.Km,hrcr^  wcrc  divineiQvct,  which,  wnat- 
 >^hoir,  Kct)  ^'|.-(^  a]yA^cvvT!n  Tn^  cvcr  confufion  Men  indeavour  to 
 «/*«/va5  T  uv^d^Ttm  Kx\  T0U5  introduce  in  mngs  by  their  viti- 
 yj--m.  Plato de Leg.  bb.^^.        ^^^   Difcourfes    and   debauched 
 
 Pra6lices,  yet  almoft  always  com- 
 pels them  to  diilinguifh  right  concerning  Perfons^ 
 and  makes  them  admire  and  praife  Juft  and  E- 
 quitable  and  Honefl  Men.  On  the  contrary  ;  Vice 
 and  InJMjlice^  Profanenefs  and  Debauchery^  are 
 things  fo  abfolutely  odious  in  their  own  Nature, 
 that,  however  they  infiraiate  themfelves  into  the 
 fraolife^  yet  they  can  never  gain  over  to  them- 
 felves the  jiidgmoit  of  Mankind.  They  who  Do 
 evil,  yet  See  and  Approve  wh^t  is  good  s  and  con- 
 demn in  others,  what  they  blindly  allow  in  them^ 
 /elves  ;  nay  and  very  frequently  condemn  even 
 themfelves  alfo,  not  without  great  diforder  and  un- 
 eafinefs  of  Mind,  in  thofe  very  things  wherein  they 
 allow  themfelves.  At  leaft,  there  is  hardly  any 
 wicked  Man,  but  when  his  own  Cafe  is  reprefent- 
 ed  to  him  under  the  Perfon  of  another,  will  freely 
 enough  pafs  Sentence  againft  the  wickednefs  he 
 
 himfelf 
 
mid  Revealed  Religion.  t  9  5 
 
 liimfelf  is  guilty  of;  and,  with  fafHcient  feverity, 
 exclaim  againft  all  Iniquity.  This  fnows  abun- 
 dantly,  that  all  vatiation  from  the  eternal  Rule 
 of  Right,  is  abfoluteh  and  in  the  nature  of  the  thing 
 it  felf  to  be  abhorred  and  detefted  •,  and  that  the 
 unprejudiced  mind  of  Man,  as  naturally  d'lfap proves 
 injtiftice  in  moral  matters,  as  in  natural  things  it 
 cannot  but  d'ljjent  from  falfehood^  or  dijlike  incongi  u'l- 
 ties.  Even  in  reading  the  Hillories  of  pad  and 
 far  diilant  Ages,  where  'tis  plain  we  can  have 
 no  concern  for  the  events  of  things^  nor  prejudices 
 concerning  the  Charaofers  of  Perfons ,  Who  is 
 there,  that  does  not  praife  and  admire,  nay  high- 
 ly efteem  and  in  his  imagination  love  (as  it  were) 
 the  Equity,  Juflice,  Truth  and  Fidelity  of  fome 
 Perfons  *,  and  with  the  greate ft  Indignation  and 
 Hatred,  deteft  the  Barbarity,  Injuftice,  and  Trea- 
 chery of  others  ?  Nay  further  •,  V/hen  the  preju- 
 dices of  corrupt  Minds  lie  all  on  the  fide  of  In- 
 juftice  ;  as  when  we  have  obtained  fome  very  great 
 profit  or  advantage  through  Another  Man's  Trea- 
 chery or  Breach  of  Faith  ,   yet  ^ 
 
 who  is  there,  that  upon  That  ve-  .       *  QmsVullum  mmimeml 
 ry  occafion  does   noc  (even  to  a    SurLipubTJnX^ 
 rroverb)  diflike  the  Ferjon   and     profuit,  non  odk?    Cic  d§ 
 tht  Aoiion^  how  much  foever  he     Finib.  Hh.  5. 
 may  rejoice  at  the  Event  ?  But 
 when  we  come  our  felves  to  fuffer  by  Iniquity, 
 ^hen  Where  are  all  the  Arguments  and  Sophiltries, 
 by  w^hich  Unjuft  Men,  while  they  are  oppreffing 
 Others,  would  perfwade  themfelves  that  they  are 
 notfenfibie  of  any  natural  difference  between  good 
 and  evil  ?  When  it  comes  to  be  thefe  Mens  own 
 Cafe,  to  be  oppreffed  by  Violence,  or  over-reach- 
 ed by  Fraud  \  where  '^hen  are  all  their  Pleas  a- 
 gainil  the  eternal  diilin6tion  of  Right  and  Wrong  ? 
 How,  on  the  contrary,  do  they  "-then  cry  out  for 
 Equity,    and  exclaim  againft  Injuftice  !    How  do 
 
 O  2  they 
 
196  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 they  T^hen  challenge  and  obie^l  againft  Providence, 
 and  think  neither  God  nor  Man  fevere  enough,  in 
 puniihing  the  VioJaters  of  Right  and  Truth  ! 
 Whereas,  if  there  was  no  natural  and  eternal  dif- 
 ference between  Jull  and  Unjuft  •,  no  man  could 
 have  any  reafon  to  complain  of  Injury,  any  other 
 than  what  Laws  and  Compads  made  fo  ;  which  in 
 innumerable  Cafes  will  be  always  to  be  evaded. 
 
 that  I  am  fenfible  of,. 
 
 An  Anf'WtY 
 to  the  Ob- 
 ieci.on 
 
 from  the 
 totiiligno- 
 ranee  cf 
 
 There  is  but  one  thing, 
 
 -■me  bar 
 
 t?aroHs 
 tions  in 
 matters 
 Morality 
 
 which  can  here  with  any  Colour   be  objeded  a- 
 gainft  what  has  been  hitherto  faid  concerning  the 
 NecelTity  of  the  Mind's  giving  its  AfTent  to  the 
 eternal  Law  of  Righteoufnefs ;  And  that  is,    the 
 total  Ignorance^  which  fome  whole  Nations  are  re- 
 2/^.  ported  to  lie  under,  of  the  nature  and  force  of 
 thefe  moral  Obligations.     The  Matter  of  Facl,  is 
 '^not  very  true  :  But  if  it  was,  'tis  certain  there  are 
 more  Nations  and  People  totally  ignorant  of  the 
 plained   Mathematical  Truths  ;    as,  of  the  pro- 
 portion, for  Example,  of  a  Square  to  a  'Triangle 
 of  the  fame  Bafe  and  Heigh th  :    And  yet  thefe 
 Truths  are  fuch,    to  which  the  Mind  cannot  but 
 give  its  aiient  neceflarily  and  unavoidably,  as  foon 
 as  they  are  diftindlly  propofed  to  it.     All  that  this 
 Objc6lion  proves  therefore,    fuppofing  the  Mat- 
 ter of  it  to  be  true,  is  only  this  ;    not,    that  the 
 mind  of  man  can  ever  difient  from  the  rule  of 
 Right  ;  much  lefs,  that  there  is  no  neceflary  dif- 
 ference in  nature,  between  moral  Good  and  Evil  -, 
 any  more  than  it  proves,  that  there  are  no  certain 
 and  necefiary  proportions  of  Numbers,  Lines,  or 
 Figures :  But  this  it  proves  only,    that  Men  have 
 great  need  to  be  taught  and  inftruded  in  fome  ve- 
 ry plain  and  eafy,  as  well  as  certain  Truths  ;  and, 
 if  rhey  be  important  Truths,   that  then  men  have 
 need  alfo  to  have  them  frequently  inculcated,  and 
 flrcngly  inforced  upon  them.    Which  is  very  true  : 
 And  is  (^as  Ihall  hereafter  be  particularly  made  to 
 
 appear 
 
and  Revealed  B.  e  l  i  g  i  o  n.  t  97 
 
 appear)  one  good  Argument  for  die  feafonable- 
 nefs  of  expe(i:ting  a  Revelation. 
 
 4.  Thus  it  appears  in  general,  that  the  mind  of  0/  the 
 Man  cannot  avoid  giving  its  Ajjent  to  the  eternal  ^'J^^f**^ 
 Law  of  Righteoufnefs  ;  that   is,  cannot  but  ac-  oyu^atlom- 
 knowledge     the    reafonablenefs     and    fitnefs    ofijip^rticu- 
 Men's  governing  all  their  Aftions  by  the  Rule  of^^''- 
 Right  or  Equity  :  And  alio  that  this  Jffent  is  a 
 formal  Obligation  upon  every  Man,    adlually  and 
 conftantly  to  conform  himfelf  to  that  Rule,       I 
 might  now  from  hence  deduce  in  particular^  alf^ 
 the  feveral  Duties  of  Morality  or  Natural  Religi- 
 on.    But  becaufe  this  would  take  up  too  large  a 
 portion  of  my  intended  Difcourfe,  and  may  eafi- 
 ly  be  fupplied  abundantly  out  of  feveral  late  ex- 
 cellent Writers  i    I  fhall  only  mention  the  three 
 great  and  principal  Branches,  from  which  all  the 
 other  and  fmaller  inftances  Of  duty  do  naturally 
 ilow,  or  may  without  difficulty  be  derived. 
 
 prft  then,  in  refped  of  Goi,  the  Rule  of  Righ-o/  Piety, 
 teoufnefs  is  ^    that  we   keep   up  conftantly  in  our  o^Mem^^ 
 Minds,  the  higheft  poffible  Honour,  Efteem,andVe-^^/^^Q^j^ 
 neration  for  him  ;  which  muft  exprefs^  it  felf  in  pro- 
 per and  refpeBive  influences  tfpon  all  our  Pajfions, 
 and  in  the  fuit able  dire^ion  of  all  our  Anions :  That 
 we  worfhip  and  adore  Him,  and  Him  alone,    as   the 
 only  Supreme  Author,  Preferver  and  Governoiir  of 
 all  nings :  That  we  employ  our  whole  Beings,    and 
 all  our  Powers  and  Faculties,  in  his  Service,  and  for 
 his  Glory  -,  that  is,  in  encouraging  the  praBife  of  uni- 
 verfal  Righteoufnefs^  and  promoting  the  Befigns  of  his. 
 '  Vivine  Goodne'fs  ainongft  Men,  infuch  way  a^td  man- 
 tier  as  fJd all  at   any  tme  appear  to  be  his  V/ill  we 
 Jhoulddo  it:  And  finally,  that,  to  inable  us   to.  do 
 ihis  continually,    we  pray  unto  hijn   conftantly  far 
 whatever  we  ftand  in  need  of ,  a?id  return  him  con- 
 tinual  and  hearty  Thanks  for  whatever  good  thitigs  we 
 at  any  time  receive.     There  is  no  Congruity  or  Pro- 
 
 ;       '  O  3  portion 
 
tp8  The  Evidences  of  NaUiral 
 
 portion,  in  the  uniform  difpofition  and  corre-^ 
 Ipondent  order  of  any  Bodies  or  Magnitudes ;  no 
 Fitnefs  or  Agreement  in  the  application  of  fimi- 
 lar  and  equal  Geometrical  Figures  one  to  ano- 
 ther, or  in  the  comparing  them  one  with  ano- 
 ther i  fo  vifible  and  confpicuous,  as  is  the  Beauty* 
 and  Flarmony  of  the  exercife  of  God's  feveral  At- 
 tributes, m.eeting  with  fuitable  returns  of  Duty  and 
 Honour  from  all  his  rational  Creatures  throughout 
 the  Univerfe.  The  confideration  of  his  Eternity 
 and  Infimtyy  his  Knowledge  and  his  IVifdom^  necef- 
 farily  commands  our  higheft  Ad?hiration.  The 
 fenfe  of  his  Omniprefence,  forces  a  perpetual  awful 
 Regard  towards  him.  His  Supreme  Authority^  as 
 being  the  Creator^  Preferver^  and  ahfolute  Gover- 
 noiir  of  all  Things,  obliges  us  to  pay  him  all  pofTi- 
 ble  Honour  and  Veneration^  Adoration  andWorfljip  ; 
 And  his  Unity  requires,  that  it  be  paid  to  Him  a- 
 lone.  His  Pozver  and  Juftice^  demand  our  Fear. 
 His  Mercy  and  PlacaUenefs^  encourage  our  Hope, 
 His  Gocdnefs^  neceffarily  excites  our  Love.  His 
 Veracity  and  Unchangeahlenefs  fecure  our  ^ruft  in 
 him.  The  fenfe  of  our  having  received  our  Being 
 and  all  our  Powers  from  him,  makes  it  infinitely  rea- 
 fonable  that  we  fliould  employ  our  whole  Beings  and 
 dll  our  Faculties  in  his  Service.  The  Confcioufnefs 
 of  our  continual  Dependence  upon  him,  both  for 
 our  Prefervation  and  the  Supply  of  every  thing 
 we  want  -,  obliges  us  to  confVant  Prayer,  And  e~ 
 '  very  good  thing  we  enjoy,  the  Air  we  breath,  and 
 the  Food  we  eat,  the  Rain  from  Heaven,  and  the 
 fruitful  Seafons,  all  the  Bleffings  and  Comforts  of 
 the  prefent  time.,  and  the  Hopes  and  Expedations 
 
 J.   ^  ,  .(,  we  have  of  what  is  to  come  •,  do  -^ 
 
 *    Quern    vero    Aitrorum  ,,     .  ,  ,  -  cl    r^     .- 
 
 Ordincs,   quern  dierum  nc  all   demand  Our  heariielt   Grati- 
 
 ^liumq;  viciiTiuidines,  qucm  tude  and  ^hankjgiving  to  him.    The 
 
 inen}iamrcr.ipcra:io,  queraq;  Suitablenefs  and  Proportion,    the 
 
 ca  qux  ej^nuntu:   nobis  ad      ^  ,^         j  i  V^ 
 
 fruer.dan?  ^non  GV^r;,;^  die     Correlpondency  and   Connexion 
 
 of 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  I99 
 
 of  each  of  thefe  things  refpedive-  cogantj  hunc  Hominem  om- 
 1  •  1   :         v,^^^rr^,V,i^.io        nip.onumerarequi  decet?  C/f, 
 
 ]y,    IS  as  plain  and  conlpicuous,     ,/,^,^,^,^,3,  ,/ 
 
 as  the  fhinmg  of  the  Sun  at  Noon-  -£*  7^0  v<>i;i»  £*V/4'^  «''^'^°  ^' 
 day  \  And  'tis  the  greateil  Ab-  t^'^^*  ii^s?  55r«*«<v  K«t  kojvv^  x«* 
 furdity   and  Perverfenefs  in  the     '%,  n^/^m.  ri  a.r^,  k«.  *Vf .- 
 
 World,      for    Creatures    indued     7^5; 'ot.;c '/J^a  k^;  (r;c.^;rW5 
 with  Reafon^  to  attempt  to  break     ku]  k^aZwat;  ««« ic^iovruq  »h:i 
 throup-h    and  tranfgrefs  this  ne-     \'^\^rj '\^^'\    Miyci^o 
 cefl-ary  Order  and  Dependency  of    f^/l  r:v;T^4^: 
 things.     All /;^^;z/7;z^/^  and  all  ir-     $■«:.  M/yoe?  0  ^^0$,  «?»  p^^rp^s 
 rational  Beings,    by  the  Neceffity     Ko(»y,iv,  £-cc.    An  inn  lib.  1. 
 of  their  Nature,  conftantiy  obey     ^^f'  ^^^ 
 the  Laws  of  their  Creation  ;    and 
 tend  regularly  to  the  Ends,  for  which  they  were 
 appointed.     How  monftrous  then  is  it,  that  Rea- 
 finable  Creatures^  merely  becaufe  they  are  not  Ne- 
 cefTitated,  fhould  abufe  that  glorious  priyiledge  of 
 Liberty^  by  which  they  are  exalted  in  dignity  above 
 the  reft  of   God's  Creation,    to  make  themfelves 
 the  alone  Unreafonable  and  diforderly  part  of   the 
 Univerfe  !  That  a  'Tree  planted  in  a  fruitful  Soil, 
 and  watered  continually   with  the  Dew  ot    Hea- 
 ven,   and   cheriflied  conftantly   with  the  kindly 
 warmth  and  benign  influence  of  the  Sun-beams, 
 fhould   yet  never   bring  forth   either  Leaves    or 
 Fruit ',  is  in  no  degree  lb  irregular  and  contrary 
 to  Nature,  as  that  a  Rational  Being,  created  after 
 the  Image  of  God,  and  confcious  of  God's  doing 
 every  thing  for  him,  that  becomes  the  Relation  ot 
 an  infinitely  good  and  bountiful  Creator  to  his 
 Creatures  •,  ihould  yet  never  on  His  part  make  a- 
 ny  return  of  thofe  Duties,  which  arife  necefiarily 
 from  the  Relatien  of  a  Creature  to  his  Creator. 
 
 Secondly.      In    refped  of    our  FellozV'Creatures.ofiiighte. 
 the  Rule  of  Righteoufneis  is  ;    that  m  particular  ^./^^^^^^, 
 wefi  deal  with  ever'j  Man,  as  in  like  Circumflances  af  Men  one 
 we  could  reafinabh]  e>:pe^  hefiould  deal  with  Us ;  ^^^^'^'^ler 
 that  in  general  ive  endeavour,  by  an  univcrfal  Bene-  ' 
 njoknce^  to  womote  the  welfare  and  ha;ppinefs  of  all 
 O  4  ^^^^^ 
 
:^00  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Men.  The  former  Branch  of  this  Rule,  is  EquU 
 ty  •  the  latter,  is  Love. 
 of  Juflice  As  to  the  former,  viz.  Equity  :  The  Reafon 
 maEquify.y^l^l^ly  oUiges  every  Man  in  Pra^ife,  fo  to  deal  al- 
 ways with  another,  as  he  would  reafonably  expect 
 that  Others  ihould  in  like  Circumflances  deal  with 
 Him  ;  is  the  very  fame,  as  That  which  forces  him 
 in  /peculation  to  affirm,  that  if  one  Line  or  Num- 
 ber be  equal  to  another.  That  other  is  reciprocal- 
 ly equal  to  It.  Iniquity  is  the  very  fame  in  Julian, 
 as  Falfity  or  Contradiction  in  'Theory ;  and  the  fame 
 caufe  v/hich  makes  the  one  abfurd,  makes  the  o- 
 ther  iPireafonahle.  Whatever  relation  or  proporti- 
 on one  Man  in  any  Cafe  bears  to  another  ,  the 
 fame  That  Other,  when  put  in  like  Circumflances, 
 bears  to  Him.  Whatever  I  judge  reafonable  or 
 unreafonable  for  another  to  do  for  Me  ^  That,  by 
 the  fame  Judgment,  I  declare  reafonable  or  un- 
 reafonable, that  I  in  the  like  Cafe  fhould  do  for 
 Him.  And  to  deny  this  either  in  Word  or  Adi- 
 on,  is  as  if  a  Man  fhould  contend,  that,  tho' 
 t\Juo  and  three  2LVt  equal  to  five.,  yet  five  are  not  e- 
 qual  to  two  and  three.  Where- 
 ^  Nihil  eft  unum  uni  tarn     f^^^  ^  ^^re  not  Men  flrangely  and 
 
 iimile,  tarn  par,  quam  Om-  A^                     ,,                         j       i 
 
 nes  inter  nofmetipiosfumus.  moft  unnaturally   corrupted,    by 
 
 Quod  fi  depravatio  confueta-  perverfe  and  unaccountably  falfe  o- 
 
 dmum    n  opinionum  vanitas.  tinioHS.,  :ind  monflrous  evilcujloms 
 
 torquerer,  £c  flefteret  auo»  ^^^^  ^^^^^^^  prevaihng  againfl  the 
 cunq;  caepifTcti  fuinemo'ipfe  clear efl  and  plaineft  realon  in  the 
 tarn  iimiliseirsr,  quam  omnes  World  :  It  v/ould  be  impolTible, 
 "j^Z^^'^^^^o!.  that  univerfal  Equity  fhould  noc 
 jie  le^,  lib.  I,  be  pracliled  by  all  Mankind ;  and 
 
 efpecialjy  among  Equals^  where 
 the  proportion  of  Equity  is  fimple  and  obvious, 
 and  every  Man's  own  cafe  is  already  the  fame  with 
 all  others,  without  any  nice  comparing  or  tran- 
 fpofing  of  Circumflances.  It  would  be  as  impofii- 
 -*  Hoc  exidt  ipfa  Naturae  ^le,  that  ^  a  Man,  contrary  to 
 mio,  qus  eft  kx  divina  u     the    eternal   Reafon    of    things. 
 
 Ihould 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  201 
 
 fllOUid  defire  to    gain  fome    fmall      humana;  cul  parerequi  vdit. 
 
 profit  to  Himfelf,  by  doing  vio-     ,,,,]  ,^^,,,,,  ^  id,  quod  ^/. 
 knee  and  damage  to  his  Weigh-     tnt  detraxent.  fibi  ajfwmu 
 bour  j    as  that  he  fliould  be  wil-     cic.  de  qffic.  lib.  3. 
 ling  to  be  deprived  of    NecefTa- 
 ries  himfelf,  to  fatisfie  the  unreafonable  Covetouf- 
 nefs  or   Ambition  of  another.      In  a  word  -,    it 
 would  be  impoflible  for  Men  not  to  be  as  much 
 afhamed  of  Doing  Iniquity,    as  they  are  of  Belie- 
 ving ContradiBions.     In  confidering  indeed  the  Du- 
 ties of  Superiours  and  Infericurs  in  various  Relati- 
 ons, the  proportion  of  Equity  is  fomewhac  more 
 complex  •,  But  ilill  it  may  always  be  deduced  from 
 the  fame  Rule  of  doing  as  we  would  be   done  h'j^ 
 if  careful  Regard  be  had  at  the  fame  time  to  the 
 difference  of  Relation  :  That  is,    if  in  confidering 
 what  is  fit  for  you  to  do  to  another,   you  always 
 take  into  the  account,    not  only  every  Circum- 
 ftance  of  the  Acfion,  but  alfo  every  Circumfbance 
 wherein  the  Perfon  differs  from  you  ;  And  in  judo-- 
 ing  what  you  would  defire  that  Another,  if  your 
 Circumflances  were  tranfpofed,  fliould  do  to  you  ; 
 you  always  confider,    not  what  any  unreafonable 
 PafTion  or  private  Interefl  would  prompt  you,  but 
 what  impartial  Reafon  would  dictate  to  you  to  de- 
 fire.    For  example  :    A  Magiftrate,   in  order  to 
 deal  equitably  with  a  Criminal,    is  not  to  confider 
 what  Fear  or  Self-Love  would  caufe  Him,    in  the 
 Criminal's  Cafe,  to  defire ;    but  what  Reafon  and 
 the  publick  Good  would  oblige  him  to  acknowledge 
 v/as  fit  and  juft  for  him  to  expe^.     And  the  fame 
 Proportion  is  to  be  obferved,  in  deducing  the  Du- 
 ties of  Parents  and  Children,  of  Mafters  and  Ser- 
 vants, of  Governours  and  SuV]c5fs,  of  Citi'zens  and 
 'Foreigners  \  in  v/hat  manner  every  perfon  is  obliged 
 by  the  Rule  of  Equity,  to  behave  himfelf  in  each 
 of  thefe  and  all  other  Relations.      In  the  regular 
 and  uniform  Pradife  of  all  v/hlch  Duties  among 
 
 all 
 
202 
 
 ru^y  till  7ciis(jv  iuvr'vic,  hu^yiq 
 iihxm  TTfc^^ii^i'^,  O'-c.  Plat,  in 
 Phxdr. 
 
 Qux  li  oculis  cerncretur, 
 mirabiles  amorc?,  u;:  ait  /»/;?- 
 tOi  excitaretfui.  Cic.  de  Offic. 
 l.  I. 
 
 Oculorum  eft  in  nobis  fsn- 
 fus  accrrimus,  quibus  fapi- 
 cntiam  non  cernimus ;  Quam 
 iiJa  ardentes  amores  excitaret 
 fui,  lividerctur!  Id.  de  fin.  I. 
 
 7.. 
 
 •rov,     £th.  Itb.  ^.  c.  3. 
 
 7/}^  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 all  Mankind,  in  their  feveral  and  ref23e6]:ive  Rela- 
 tions, through  the  whole  Earth  ;  confifls  That 
 Univerfaljufiice,  which  is  the  Top  and  Perfedion 
 of  all  Virtues  :  V/hich.,  if,  as  ^  Pla- 
 to fays,  it  could  be  reprefent^d 
 vifibly  to  mortal  Eyes,  would 
 raife  in  us  an  inexpreiTible  Love 
 and  Admiration  of  it  :  PFhich 
 would  introduce  into  the  World 
 fuch  a  glorious  and  happy  State, 
 as  the  ancient  Poets  have  attempt- 
 ed to  defcribe  in  their  Fidiion  of 
 a  golden  Age  :  Which  in  it  felf, 
 is  fo  truly  beautiful  and  lovely, 
 that,  as  t  Arlftotle  elegantly  ex- 
 prefTes  it,  the  Motions  of  the  hea- 
 venly Bodies  are  not  fo  admirably 
 regular  and  harmonious,  nor  the 
 brightnefs  of  the  Sun  and  Stars 
 fo  ornamental  to  the  vihble  fa  brick  of  the  World, 
 as  the  univerfal  pradife  of  this  illuftrious  Virtue 
 would  be  conducive  to  the  glory  and  advantage  of 
 the  rational  part  of  this  lower  Creation  :  W%ich^ 
 jaftly,  is  fo  truly  noble  and  excellent  in  its  own 
 Nature,  that  the  wifeft  and  moft  confidering  Men 
 have  always  declared,  that  ^  nei- 
 ther Life  it  felf;  nor  f  all  other 
 pofiible  Enjoyments  in  the  World, 
 put  together  ;  are  of  any  value 
 or  efteem,  in  comparifon  of,  or 
 in  competition  with,  that  right 
 temper  and  difpofition  of  Mind, 
 from  which  flows  the  pra6life  of 
 this  univerfal  Juflice  and  Equity. 
 On  the  contrary :  Injujlice  and 
 Iniquit)\  Violence,  Fraud  and 
 OppreiTion  -,  the  univerfal  confu- 
 fion  of  right  and  wrong,  and  the 
 
 general 
 
 *  Non'enim  mini  efi  r/V-t 
 meautilior,  quam  arimi  talis 
 affeftio,  nenninera  uc  violcm 
 commodi  mei  gratia.  Cic.  de 
 Ojfic.  lib.  5. 
 
 Detrahere  aliquid  alrcri,  & 
 hominem  hominis incom mo- 
 do  luum  augere  commoduin, 
 ir.agis  eft  contra  naturam, 
 qusm  mors,  cu-?.m  pauperias, 
 qiurn  dolor,  quam  cx'.era  qux 
 pt'lFunt  aut  corpori  acciderc, 
 i»ut  rebnsexternis.     Id. 
 
 ■j-  !«.:-; ;    to  zJcto^ikM)  C^Wi  (^t- 
 
and  Revealed  Religion  203 
 
 general  neglcdb  and  contempt  of  y-P3'!'^j  ^VfaSv  oVr^c,  xa*  mk^ 
 all  the  Duties  arifino;  from  mens  '\'^^  '^''"'^  ^  ^Tf^'^ 
 feveral  Relations  one  to  another  ;  ^,,,  ^,,^^  ^^^^^  p^^^^  ^^^ 
 is  the  greatefb  and  moil  unnatu-  Leg.  )ib.  2. 
 ral  corruption  of  God's  Creation, 
 that  'tis  poflible  for  depraved  and  rebellious  Crea- 
 tures to  introduce :  As  they  themfelves,  who 
 praftife  iniquity  moil,  and  are  moil  defirous  to 
 defend  it,  yet,  whenever  it  comes  to  be  their  own 
 turn  to  fuffer  by  it,  are  not  very  backward  to  ac- 
 knowledge. To  comprife  this  Matter  therefore 
 in  one  v/ord  :  What  the  Sun's  forfaking  that  equal 
 Courfe,  which  now  by  diffufing  gentle  warmth 
 and  light,  cheriihes  and  invigorates  every  thing  in 
 a  due  proportion  through  the  whole  Syllem  *,  and 
 on  the  contrary,  his  burning  up,  by  an  irregular 
 and  diforderly  Motion,  fome  of  the  Orbs  with 
 infupportable  heat,  and  leaving  others  to  perifh  in 
 extream  cold  and  darknefs :  What  this,  I  fay, 
 would  be  to  the  natural  World  \  That  very  fame 
 thing,  Injuilice  and  Tyranny,  Iniquity  and  all 
 Wicked nefs,  is  to  the  moral  and  rational  part  of 
 the  Creation.  The  only  difference,  is  this  :  That 
 the  one  is  an  obftinate  and  wilful  Corruption,  and 
 moil  perverfe  depravation  of  Creatures  made  after 
 the  Image  of  God  ;  and  a  violating  the  eUnial  and 
 unalterable  1^2iW  or  Reafon  of  Things,  which  is  of 
 the  utmoil  Importance  :  Whereas  the  other  would 
 be  only  a  revolution  or  change,  of  the  arbitrary 
 and  tempo rar'j  frame  of  Nature. 
 
 The  Second  Branch  of  the  Rule  of  Righteouf-o/  nnrjey' 
 nefs  with  refpedl  to  our  Fellow-creatures,  I  faid,/^^^^"^*'*- 
 was  univerfal  hove  or  Benevolence  \  that  is,  not  on-  /^^^^ 
 ]y  the  doing  barely  what  is  juil  and  right,  in  our 
 dealings  with  every  man  ;  but  alfo  a  conftant  in- 
 deavouring  to  promote  in  general,  to  the  utmoil 
 of  our  'power,    the  welfare  and  happinefs  of  all 
 x^t'Ci,      The  Obligation  to  which  duty  alfo,    may 
 
 eafily 
 
04 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 eafily  be  deduced  from  what  has  been  already  laid 
 down.     For  if  (as  has  been  before  proved)    there 
 be  a  natural  and  necelTary  difference  between  Good 
 and  Evil  \  and  that  which  is  Good  is  fit  and  rea- 
 fonable,  and  that  which  is  Evil  is  unreafonable  to 
 be  done  ;  and  that  v/hich  is  the  greateft  Good,    is 
 always  the  7nojl   fit  and  reafonable  to  be  chofen  : 
 Then,  as  the  Goodnefs  of  God    extends  it  felf 
 univerfally  over  all  his  Works  through  the  whole 
 Creation,    by  doing  always  what  is    abfolutely 
 beil  in  the  whole  •,    fo  every  rational  Creature 
 ou^.A  in  its  Sphere  and  Station,    according  to  its 
 refpedtive  powers  and  faculties,     to  do  all    the 
 Good  it  can  to  all  its  Fellow-creatures.     To  which 
 end,  univerfal  Love  and  Benevolence  is  as  plainly 
 the  mod  diredt,  certain,  and  effedtual  means ;  as 
 ^  in  Mathematicks  the  flowing  cf 
 a  'Pointy    is,  to  produce  a  Line ; 
 or  in  Arithmetick,    the  Addition 
 cf  'Numbers^  to  produce  a  Sumrn  •, 
 or  in  Phyficks,    certain  kinds  of 
 Motions^  to  preferve  certain  Bodies^ 
 which  other  kinds   of    Motions 
 tend  to  corrupt.      Of  all  which, 
 the  Mind  of  Man  is  fo  naturally 
 fenfible,  that,  except  in  fuch  men 
 whofe  Affedions  are  prodigioufly 
 corrupted  by  mofl  unnatural  and 
 habitual   vitious   pradlifes,    there 
 is  no  Duty  whatfoever,    the  per- 
 formance whereof   affords  a  man 
 fo  t  ample  pleafure  and  fatisfadli- 
 on,  and  fills  his  mind  with  fo  com- 
 fortable a  fenfe,     of  his  having 
 done  the  greatefl  Good  he  was 
 capable  to  do,  of  his  having  beft 
 ardwered  the  ends  of   his  Creati- 
 on, and  nearlieft  imitated  the  Per- 
 
 fe6tionsL 
 
 *  Unlverfalfter  sutem  ve- 
 rum  eft,  quod  tion  certius 
 fuxu^punBi  Lineam  prcducir, 
 aut  additio  numerorum  Sum- 
 mam,  quam  quod  Benezolen" 
 tia  eftedum  praefTat  bonum. 
 Cmnbeyland,  de  Leg.  NiUar/n. 
 fag.  lo. 
 
 Pari  fane  ratione  Vac  m 
 Arithmeticis  opcratior/ibas']  do- 
 drin3e  Moralis  Veritas  tunca- 
 tiirin  immutabili  cohisrentia 
 inter  Jeliciiatem  Summfim 
 quamhominum  vires  afTcqui 
 valent,  8c  Acitti  henevo!enti€ 
 tiniverfalis.     Id.  ibid.  pag.  23. 
 
 Eadeoi  eft  menfura  £<;;;/ 
 Malique,  qux  nieniuraeft  vert 
 falfqi  in  propoliticr.ibus  pro- 
 nuntiantibus  de  cfhcacia  Af9- 
 timm  ad  rerum  aliarum  ccn- 
 fervaticnsm  &  corruptsonem 
 facientium.     Id.  piig.  ^o. 
 
 f  Angufta  admodum  eft 
 circa  wtf/^z-^tantummodo  com- 
 moda,  L;^tiri2:  materia;  fed 
 cadem  ericampliffima,   li  ali' 
 
nobis  lit.  Quippe  bxc  ad 
 illam,  candera  habebic  pro- 
 portlonem,  quam  habet  im- 
 menfa  Beat itudo  Dei,  totiufqj 
 humani  generis,  ad  curtam 
 illam  fidse  fclicitatis  fupcl- 
 k£i\km,  quam  uni  homini, 
 eiq;  invido  &  malevolo,  for- 
 tURa;bonapoirjnc  i'uppeditarc. 
 Id.  tbiil.  pa^.  214. 
 
 and  Revealed  Religion.'  20$ 
 
 fevflions  of  his  Creator,  and  con-     oy»^  omnUm  Feliciras  cordi 
 fequenrly  of  his  having  fully  com- 
 plied with  the  higheft  and  princi- 
 pal Obligations  of   his  Nature  ; 
 as  the  performance  of   this  one 
 Duty,  of  tmiverfal  Love  and  Be- 
 yievolence^  naturally  affords.     But 
 further  :    The  Obhgation  to  this 
 great  Duty,    may  alfo  othervvife 
 be  deduced  from   the  Nature  of 
 Man^  in  the  following  manner.     Next  to  that  na- 
 tural Self-love^  or  Care  of  his  own  Prefervation, 
 which  every  one  neceffarily  has  in  the  firft  place 
 for  himfelf  -,    there  is  in  all  Men  a  certain  natural 
 Affedion  for    their  Children  and  Pofterity^    who 
 have  a  dependence  upon  them  ;  and  for  their  near 
 Relations  and  Friends^  who  have  an  intimacy  with 
 them.     And  becaufe  the  Nature  of  Man  is  fuch, 
 that  they  cannot  live  comfortably  in  independent 
 Families,  without  ftill  further  Society   and  Com- 
 merce with  each  other  ;    therefore  they  naturally 
 defire  to  increafe  their  dependencies,    by  multi- 
 plying Affinities  ;  and  to  enlarge  their  Friendfhips, 
 by  mutual  good  Offices  •,    and  to  eftabliffi  Socie- 
 ties, by  a  communication  of  Arts 
 and  Labour :    Till  "^  by  degrees 
 the  AfFedion  o^ fingie  Perfons^  be- 
 comes a  Friendfhip  of  Families  -, 
 and  this  enlarges  itfelf  to  Society 
 of  Towns  and  Cilies  and  Nations ; 
 and  terminates  in  the  agreeing  Com- 
 munity  of    all    Mankind.       The 
 Foundation,    Prefervation,     and 
 Perfedion    of    which     univerfai 
 Friendffiip  or  Society,  is  mutual 
 Love  and  Benevolence,      And  no- 
 thing hinders  the  World  from  be- 
 
 ^  In  omni  honefto,  nihil 
 eft  tarn  iiiuftre,  nee  quod  la- 
 tiuspstear,  quam  conjundio 
 inter  homines  hominum,  8c 
 quail  qu^dam  focietas  8c  com- 
 raunicatio  utilitatum,  8c  ipfa 
 Charitas  generis  humani  J  quae 
 nataa  primofaru.  quo  a  pro- 
 creatoiibus  nuti  diliguntur, 
 — ■' — ferpit  fenfim  foraSjC^J*^- 
 nationihm  prima m,  "  i  ■ 
 deinde  tot'tus  complexu  gentis 
 hHrnann,,    Cic.  de  Finib.  lib. 
 
 ing 
 
206 
 
 *  Nihil  efl  unum  uni  tarn 
 iimile,  tam  par,  quamomnes 
 inter  nofmetipros  fumus. 
 Quod  niii  depravat-io,  ^c; 
 fui  nemo  ipfe  tam  ^itnilis  eliet, 
 cuam  omnes  funt  omnium. 
 C/V.  deL'Q.ib.  lib.  i. 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 ing  actually  put  into  fo  happy  a  ftate,  but  perverfe 
 Iniquity  and  unreafonable  v/ant  of  mutual  Chari- 
 ^^'j^  ^Wherefore  fmce  Men  are  plainly  fo  confcicu- 
 ted  by  Nature,  that  they  ftand  in  need  of  each  o- 
 ther's  affiftance  to  make  thcmfelves  eafy    in   the 
 World ;  and  are  fitted  to  live  in  Communities ; 
 •and  Society  is  abfolutely  necelTary  for  them  ;  and 
 mutual  Love  and  Benevolence  is  the  only  poffible 
 means  to  eilablifli  this  Society  in  any  tolerable  and 
 durable  manner  ;  and  in  This  Re- 
 fpea  *  All  Men  fland  upon  the 
 fame  level,     and   have  the  fame 
 natural  wants  and  defires,  and  are 
 in  the  fame  need  of  each  other's 
 help,^  and    are   equally   capable 
 of  enjoying  the  benefit  and  ad- 
 vantage  of    Society :    'Tis   evi- 
 dent every  Man  is  bound  by  the 
 Lav/  of  his  Nature,  as  he  is  alfo 
 prompted  by  the  t  Inclination  of 
 his   uncorrupted    Affedions,    to 
 ^  look  upon  himfelf  as  a  part  and 
 member  of  that  one  univerfal  bo- 
 dy or  com.mjjnity,  which  is  made 
 up  of   all  Mankind  -,    to    think 
 himfelf  **  born  to  promote  the 
 publick  good  and  welfare   of  all 
 his  Fellow-creatures  •,  and  confe- 
 quently  obhged,  as  the  neceffary 
 and  only  efFeclual  means  to  that 
 End,    to   ft  em.brace   them  All 
 with  univerfal  Love  and  Benevo- 
 lence :  So  that  he  \.  cannot,  with- 
 out adling  contrary  to  the  Rea- 
 fon  of  his  own  mind,    and  tranf- 
 grelling    the    plain   and    known 
 Law  of  his  Being,    do  willingly 
 any  hurt    and  mifchief   to   any 
 
 Manj 
 
 f  Impellimur  autem  Na- 
 tura,  ut  prodefle  velimus 
 quamplurimis.  Ciak  Fini6. 
 lib.  5. 
 
 "*  Hominem  eflequafi  par- 
 tern  quandam  civ'itatisSc  uni- 
 verfi  generis  huQiani,  eumqj 
 c{Ieconjun(flumcurn  homini- 
 bus  Humana  quadam  Socie- 
 tare.  Cic.  3i*^Ji.  AcAdem. 
 Itb.  If, 
 
 **  Homines  horn inumcau- 
 Afunt  generati,  ur  ipii  inter 
 fe  alii  aliis  prodefTe  polTinr. 
 Of.  deOffic,  lib.   I. 
 
 Ad  tuendos  confervandofq-, 
 iiomiaes,  hominem  natum 
 clTe.     C/V.  deFinib.  lib.  5. 
 
 f  f  Omnes  inter  fe  natural! 
 quaaam  indulgentia  2c  bcne- 
 volentia  contineri.  Cic.  (ie 
 Legib.  itb.  i. 
 
 -{-  Ex  quo  efficitur,  homi- 
 nem naturae  obedientem,  ho- 
 mini  nocere  non  polle.  Cic. 
 diO^Q,  lib.  3. 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.^  207 
 
 Man^-,  no,    "^  not  even  to  thofe     ,^  *  O'^rj  c.^^  kvr^Jc^,'^ ^^f 
 who  have  firfl  injured  him  i    but     ^^^^  ^.^^  .^  .,,^^^ ^^^.^^ .^^  t.j- 
 ought,    for  the  pubhck  benent,     ^^y.   diatom  crttone, 
 to  endeavour  to  appeafe  Vv^ith  gen- 
 tlenefs,  rather  than  exafperace  v/ith  retaliations  ; 
 and    finally,     to   comprehend  all  in  one  v/ord, 
 (which  is  the  top  and  compleat  Perfedion  of   this 
 great  Duty,)  ought  to  t  L'^'^s  all 
 
 others  as  himfelf'     This  is  the  Ar-        t  Turn  illud  effici,  quod 
 gumentation  of   that  great  Ma-     ^^^^^^^   ^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^^^^^^^._ 
 iter,  Cice-ro  :    Whole  knowledge     um,  ut  nihih  fefe  plus  qmm 
 and  underftanding  of    the   true     altemm  dUtgnt.    cic,  iU  Ls- 
 ftate  of  Things,  and  of  the  ori-     ^'^'^'^'  '' 
 ginal  Obligations  of  human  Na- 
 ture,   was  as  much  greater  than  Mr  Hohhsh  ;  as 
 his  helps  and  advantages  to  attain  that  knowledge, 
 were  lefs. 
 
 Timidly ^  with  refpe^l  to  oifr  Selves^  the  Rule  ofofsdriety, 
 Righteoufnefs  is  -,    that  every   Man  preferve   his  ^^  ^'^^^ 
 S'-jon  Beings    as  long  as  he  is  able  \    and  take  care  to  J^^^//' 
 keep  himfelf  at  all  tunes  in  fuch  temper   and  difpoftti-  themfelvess 
 on  both  of  Body  and  Mindy  as  may  bejl  fit  and  enable  ^»^of  ^^« 
 him  to  Urform  his  Duty  in  all  other  Infiances,     That  ^'^/^y^^- 
 is  :  he  ought  to  bridle  his  Appetites^    with   T.ernpe- murder. ' 
 ranee  \  to  govern  his  Fajfions^    with  Moderation  j 
 and  to  apply  himfelf  to  the  buftncfs  of  his  prefent  Sta- 
 tion in  the  Worlds  whatfoever  it  be^    with  Attention 
 and  Contentment.     That  every  Man  ought  to  pre- 
 ferve  his  own  Bering  as  long  as  he  is  able,    is  evi- 
 dent ;  becaufe  what  he  is  not  himfelf  the    Author 
 and  Giver  of,  he  can  never  of  himfelf  have  juft 
 Power  or  Authority  to  take  away.     He  that  fent 
 us  into  the  Vv  orld,  and  alone  knows  for  how  long 
 time  he  appointed  us  our  Station  here,  and  when  we 
 have  fmiOied  all  ti^^  buHnefs  he  intended  we  fhould 
 do  -.  can  alone  judge  when  'tis  fit  for  us  to  be  ta- 
 ken hence,  and  has  alone  AuLhonty  to  difmifs  and 
 difcharge  us.     This  Reafoning  has  been  admirably 
 
 applied 
 
20S 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 applied  by  Flaio^  Cicero^  and  others  of  the  bert: 
 Philofophers.  So  that  though  the  Stoich  of  old, 
 and  the  Bc'ifts  of  late,  have  in  their  ranting  Dif- 
 courfes,  and  fome  few  of  them  in  their  rafh  Pra- 
 d:ife,  contradided  it  i  yet  they  have  never  been 
 able,  with  any  colour  of  reafon,  to  anfwer  or  e- 
 vade  the  force  of  the  Argument :  Which  indeed, 
 to  fpeak  the  Truth,  has  been  urged  by  the  fore- 
 mentioned  Philofophers,  with  fach  fingnlar  Beau- 
 ty, as  well  as  invincible  Strength,  that  it  feems 
 not  capable  of  having  any  thing  added  to  it. 
 Wherefore  I  fhali  give  it  you,  only  in  fome  of 
 their  own  Words.  IVe  Meriy 
 ("fays  ^  Flato  in  the  perfon  of  Sg- 
 crates^)  are  all^  hy  the  appoint- 
 ment of  Gody  in  a  certain  Prifon  or 
 Cuftody^  'ivbich  we  ought  not  to 
 break  out  of^  and  run  awa'j,  JVe- 
 are  as  Servants,  or  as  Cattle,  in  the 
 hand  of  God.  And  would  not  anj 
 of  Us,  faith  he,  if  one  of  our  Ser- 
 vants Jbould,  contrary  to  our  di- 
 reoHon,  and  to  efcape  out  of  our 
 Service,  kill  himfelf-,  think  that  we 
 hadjufl  reafon  to  he  very  angry,  and,  if  it  was  in 
 our  Pozver,  punifJj  him  for  it  ?  So  iikewife  Cicero  : 
 God,  fays  t  l"^?)  i^^s  Supreme  Go- 
 vernour  of  all  things,  fo'rbids  us  to 
 depart  hence  without  bis  Order:  And 
 though,  when  the  divine  Provi- 
 dence does  it  felf  offer  us  a  juft  oc- 
 cafion  of  leaving  this  TVorld,  (as 
 when  a  Man  choofes  to  fuffer 
 Death  rather  than  commit  Wick- 
 ednefs,)  a  wife  Man  will  then  in- 
 deed depart  joyfully,  as  out  of  a 
 place  of  Sorrow  and  Darknefs  into 
 Light  >    yet  he  will  not  he  in  fuch 
 
 hajie 
 
 *''Ei'  '^hi  (ppHft*  \(rfB>^  ci  kv- 
 S^finyroi,  Kcct  »  ^sT  h]  ioivTov  ix. 
 T<6wT>j;    ^yjiVj    ouef\^    ccTrodiafioctr- 
 
 KdV. ©eS'?    iiJXi  iflJOCOV    TO'je,    iTTl- 
 
 wcii. —  UvKav  KUi  au  uv,  t  cav- 
 
 ~  <^  /  5/(7  .       \  <  ^ 
 
 ra  KinfA/cireov  au  ocvro  sccvro 
 e^TreyHivvvoiy   f/jvi   a-ir,yjvyy,vrd^    ca 
 
 zsrayoi^ocv  ci'JT^t  y.oiij  n'rivx  i^^oi'; 
 rtiAafiav,  nyja^joio  oiv ;  Plato  in 
 ihdd. 
 
 *  Vetat  enim  dominans  ille 
 in  nobis  Deus,  injullu  liinc 
 nosfuodemigrare.  Cum  ve- 
 ro  caufam  juftam  Deus  ipfe 
 dederit,  nsc  ille  medius  fidi- 
 us  vir  fapiens,  Ixtus  ex  his 
 tenebris  in  lucem  illam  cx- 
 celTerit:  Nee tanien ilia  vincu- 
 la  carcerisruperitj  legesenim 
 vctantj  fed  tanquam  a  ma- 
 giftratu,  aur  ab  aliqua  porcfl:- 
 atelegitima,  fie  a  Deo  evoca- 
 tus,  arq;emi{lus,exierit.  C;V. 
 Tufc.^ujL  itb.  J. 
 
*  Illud breve  vi'tx  reliquutn 
 nec  avidc  appetendum  fenibus, 
 nee  line  caaladeferendum  eft; 
 Vetatq;  Pythagcras,  injufTu 
 Imperatoris,  id  eft,  Dei,  de 
 prcclidio  6c  ftatione  vitse  de- 
 cedere.     Cic,  tie  Seneci» 
 
 and  Revealed  Religion."  209 
 
 hafte^    as  to  break  his  Prifon   contrar'j    to  Law  \  > 
 hut  will  go  when  God  calls  hi?n^  as  a  Prifoner  when 
 difmijfed  by  the  Magiftrate  or  lawful  Power.    Again  : 
 "I^hat  JJoort  re?nainder  of  Life^  faith 
 ^  he,  which  old  Men  have  a  prof- 
 peB  of^  they  ought  neither  too  eager- 
 ly to  de  fire  ^  nor  yet  on  the  contrary 
 unreafonahly  and  difcontentedly  de- 
 prive thenifelves  of  it :  For^  as  Py- 
 thagoras teaches^  His  as   unlawful 
 for  a  Man^    without  the  command 
 of  Gody  to  remove  himfelf  out  of  the  World  -,  as  for 
 a  Soldier  to  leave  his  Poft  without  his  General's  Or^ 
 der.     And  in  another  Place  :  Un- 
 lefs  That  Gody    faith  t  he,    whofe 
 i'emple  and  Palace  this  whole  World 
 is^  difcharges  you  himfelf  out  of  the 
 Prifon  of  the  Body  ;  you  can  never 
 he  received  to  his  Favour,      Where- 
 fore you  ^  and  all  pious  Men ^  ought 
 to  have  patience  to  continue  in  the 
 Body^  as  long  as  God  Jhall  pleafe^ 
 who  fent  us  hither  ;    and  not  force 
 your  felves  out  of  the  Worlds    he- 
 fore  he  calls  for  you  ;    leaf  you  he 
 found  Deferters  of  the  Station  appointed  you  of  God, 
 And,  to  mention  no  more  *,  That  excellent  Au- 
 thor, Arrian  :  Wait,  faith  "^"^  he, 
 the  good  pleafure   of    God  :    When 
 He  fignifies  it  to  he  his  Will^  that 
 you  fiould   he   dif charged  from  this 
 Service^     then    depart   willingly  ; 
 But  in  the  mean  time^    have  Pati- 
 ence^ and  tarry  in  the  place  where 
 he  has  appointed  you  :    Wait^    and 
 do  not  hurry  your  felves  away  wil- 
 fully and  unreafonably.      The  Obje6lions,    which 
 the  Author  of  the  Defenfe  of  Self-?nurder  prefixed 
 
 P  to 
 
 f  Nil!  enim  Deus  is,  cujus 
 hoc  Templum  eft  omne  quod 
 confpicis,  iftis  te  corporis 
 cuftodiis  liberaveritj  hue  tibi 
 adiruspafere  nonpoteft, — — 
 Quare  &  tibi  Scpiis  omnibus 
 recinenduseft  animus  in  cuf- 
 todia  corporis  i  nec  injuflii 
 ejus,  a  quo  iHe eft  nobis  datus, 
 exhominum  vita  migrandum 
 eft;  ne  munus  humanum 
 affignatum  a  Deo  defugifle 
 videamini.  Cic.Somn.  Scipion, 
 
 s  Tov  S-scV    or  UP 
 
 /aS?  TXiiTiji   77} <;  vzrviPijiu-^,   tot 
 ^0ioqvT(^     Uvoi'^Z^i      iyQlKUVTiq 
 
 a?J.  lib.  I. 
 
■t I o  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 to  the  Oracles  of  Reafon.,  has  attempted  to  advance 
 again  11  this  Argument  •,    are    fo  very  weak  and 
 childifh,  that  'tis  evident  he  could  not,     at  the 
 time  he  v/rote  them,   believe  in  earnell  that  there 
 was  any  force  in  them  :  As  when  he  fays,  that  the 
 reafon  why  'tis  not  lawful  for  a  Centinel  to  leave 
 his  Station  without  his  Commander's  Order,    is 
 becaufe  he  entered  into  the  Service  h^j  his  c-jon  Con- 
 fent  *,  as  if  God  had  not  a  juft  Power  to  lay  any 
 Commands  upon  his  Creatures,  without  their  o^uon 
 Corfent:    Or  v/hen  he  fiys,     that  there  are  mjany 
 lawful  ways  to  feek  Death  in  *,  as  if,  becaufe  a  Man 
 may  lawfully  venture  his  Life  in  many  publick  Ser- 
 vices, therefore  it  was  lawful  for  him  dire^lly  to 
 throw  it  away  upon  any  foolifh  difcontent.       But 
 the  Author  of   that  Difcourfe  has  lince  been  fo 
 jud,  as  to  confefs  his  Folly,  and  retra6l  it  publick- 
 ly  himfelf.       Wherefore,    to  proceed.      For  the 
 fame  reafon,  that  a  Man  is  obliged   to  preferve 
 liis  own  Being  at  all  •,  he  is  bound  llkewife  to  pre- 
 ferve himfelf,  as  far  as  he  is  able,  in  the  right  Ufe 
 of  all  his  Faculties :  that  is,  to  keep  himfelf  con-^ 
 frantly  in  fuch  temper  both  of    Body  and  Mind, 
 by  regulating  his  Appetites  and  PafTions,    as  may 
 befl:  fit  and  inable  him  to  perform  liis  Duty  in  all 
 other  inftances.     For,  as  it  matters  not  whether  a 
 Soldier  deferts  his  Foil,  or  by  Drunk ennefs  ren- 
 ders himfelf  incapable  of  performing  his  Duty  in 
 it :  So  for  a  Man  to  difable  himfelf  by  any  Intem* 
 perance  or  Paflion,  from  performing  the  neceffa- 
 ry  Duties  of  Life  ;  is,  at  leafl  for  that  time,  "the 
 fame  thing  as  depriving  himfelf  of  Life.       And 
 neither  is  This  all.      For  great  Intemperance  and 
 ungoverned  Paffions,  not  only  incapacitate  a  Man 
 to  perform  his  Duty  ;  but  alfo  expofe  him  to  run 
 headlong  into  the  commifllon  of   the  greateil  E- 
 normities  :  There  being  no  Violence  or  Injuilice 
 whatfoever,  which  a  Man  who  has  deprived'him- 
 
 felf 
 
and  Re^ueakd  Religion^  I'ti 
 
 ftlf  of  his  Reafon  by  Intemperance  or  PafTion,  is 
 not  capable  of  being  tempted  to  commit.  So 
 that  all  the  additional  Obligations  which  a  Man  is 
 any  way  under,  to  forbear  committing  the  moft 
 flagrant  Crimes  •,  lie  equally  upon  him  to  govern 
 his  FafTions  and  reftrain  his  Appetites  :  Without 
 doing  which,  he  can  never  fecure  himfelf  effedu- 
 ally,  from  being  betrayed  into  the  commifTion  of 
 all  Iniquity.  This  is  indeed  the  great  difficulty  of 
 Life,  to  fubdue  and  conquer  our  unreafonable  Ap- 
 petites and  Paffions.  But  'tis  abfolutely  neceilliry 
 to  be  done  :  And  ^  'tis  moreover 
 
 the    bravefl    and   moft    glorious        -k  oi ^^ '<^^o(,  vU^i^  "^nKo, -syu^ 
 Conqucft  in  the  World.     Laftly  :     ^^^  ^  ^^f^o>v  -^  r  TOi»r&.v, 
 For  the  fame  Reafon  that  a  Man     ^;^^""''^^'^  T^'^^f^/   ^ 
 ]s  obhged  not   to  depart  wiifuliy     ...^^r.^.r. ,     vto^u     kc^xx^ov^ 
 out  of  this  Life,  which  is  the  ^gc"-     'i^^^^  vi«jj$i     vkto  ds   Leg, 
 neral  Station  that  God  has  appoint-     ^'^-  ^• 
 ed  him  ;  he  is  obliged  likewife  to 
 attend  the  Duties  of  thd.t  particular  Station  or  con- 
 dition of  life,  whatfoever  it   be,    wherein  Provi- 
 dence has  at  prefent  placed  him  ;    with  diligence^ 
 and  contentment  :    Without  being   either  uneafy 
 and  difcontented,  that  Others  are  placed  by  Pro- 
 vidence in  different  and  fuperiour  Stations  in  the 
 World  j  or  fo  extremely  and  unreafonably  folli- 
 citous  to  change  his  State  for  the  future ^    as  there- 
 by to  negled  his  prefent  Duty. 
 
 From  thefe  three  great  and  general  Branches,  all 
 the  fmaller  and  more  particular  Inftances  of  Moral 
 Obligations,  may  (as  I  fiiid)  eafily  be  deduced.      jheLa-wof 
 
 5.  And  now  this,  ('This  eternal  Rule  of  Equi- ■^-^^'^''^  ^-. 
 ty,  which  I  have  been  hitherto  defcribing,)  is  That'^J'^f{''^"^^ 
 right  Reafon^  which  makes  the  principal  Diftindi- I|i/^'^,'/^ 
 on  between  Man  and  Beajis,      This  is  the  La^uu  ofunch:.nge* 
 Nature^    which    (as  Cicero  excel-  ^^'^^ 
 
 lently  expreffes  it )  is  t  of  univer^       %    ^^  ^"^^^"^  ""''%  !',^' 
 
 ri     ^        ^  7^       7/7.  7  .        redta  ratio  natura;  cciit^fuTns, 
 
 jai  extent^    and  everlajhng  duratt-     aitTuli  in  omncs,    ccnnrins, 
 
 P  2  on  i 
 
i^iV    II 
 
 212 
 fempiterna,    qux    vocet 
 officium  jubendo;     vetando, 
 
 a  fraude  dererrear. — 
 
 Huic  legi  ncc  obrogari  fas 
 eft,  neqj  derogari  ex  hac  a- 
 liquid  licet,  neq^  tota  abro- 
 gari  potefl.  Nee  veroautper 
 Senatum,  aut  per  populum 
 folvihac  legepoflumus.  Cic. 
 de  Repub .  lib .  3 .  frag ment^ 
 
 Hoi/jiyja,' — ■—  ' 
 
 'Cv  yu^  Tt  vZvyi  Kxx,^i<i,  ciAA' 
 
 ccei  TTori 
 Zij  TuvrUy    Kiicii', 
 
 Ai^TH). Sophocl  Antlgon. 
 
 4.64. 
 
 *  Lexquas  feculis  omnibus 
 ante  nata  eft,  quam  fcripta 
 lex  ulla,  aut  quam  omnino 
 civitas  conftituta.  Cic.  de 
 U^.  lib.  I. 
 
 f  Legem  neq;  hominum 
 ingeniis  excogitatam,  neq; 
 fcitum  aliquod  t^<^  populo- 
 rum,  fed  a^teriium  quiddam, 
 qaod  univerfum  mundum  re- 
 gat.     Cic.  de  Legib.  lib.  1. 
 
 4-  Nee  li,  regnante  Tarqui- 
 nio,  nulla  erat  Ror/jd  fcripta 
 lex  de  ftupris,  idcirco  non 
 contra  illam  legem  fempi- 
 ternam  Sextus  Turquinius 
 vim    Lucretid.   attulit.      Erat 
 
 27?^^  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 ad     on  •,    ivhich   can  neither  be  wholhj 
 abrogated^  nor  repealed  in  any  part ' 
 of  it.,  nor  have  any  Law  made  con- 
 trary  to  it^    nor  be  difpenfed  with 
 by  any  Authority :    "Which  ^  was. 
 in  force.,    before  ever  any  Law  was 
 written^  or  the  Foundation  of  any 
 City  or  Commonwealth  was  laid : 
 Which  t  "^^(^^  ^^ot  invented  by  the 
 V/it  of  Man.,  nor  eJlablifJoed  by  the 
 Authority  of  any  People  ;    but  its 
 Obligation  was  from  eternity.,   and 
 the  Force  of  it  reaches  throughout 
 the  Univerfe  :  Which  |  being  found- 
 ed in  the  Nature    and  Reafon   of 
 'Things.,  did  not  then  begin  to   be  a 
 Law.,    when  it   was  firft  written 
 and  enabled  by  Men  ;  but  is  of  the 
 fame  original  with  the  eternal  Rea- 
 fons  or  Proportions  of  things.,  and 
 the    Perfeuiions    or  Attributes    of 
 God  himfelf  -,  So   that  if  there  was 
 no  Law  at  Rome  againft  Rapes.,  at 
 that  time  when  Tarquin  offered  vio^ 
 lence  to  Lucretia,  it  does  not  there- 
 fore follow  that  he  was  at  all  the 
 more  excufable.,  or  that  his  Sin  a- 
 gainft  the  eternal  Rule  of  Equity 
 was  the  lefs  heinous.     This  is  that 
 Law  of  Nature^    **  to  which  the 
 
 enim  ratio  profeda  a  rerimi 
 
 natura,  6c  ad  re6te  faciendum  impellens,  8c  a  deliflo  avocans;  quo:  non  turn 
 deniq;  incipitlexeftc,  cum  fcriptaeft,  fed  turn  cum  ortaeft:  orta  autem  li- 
 mul  eft  cum  mente  divina.     Cic.  de  Legib.  lib.  i. 
 
 *'*  In  judicio  de  bonitate  harum  rerum,  a:que  omnes  ubiq;  conveniunt, 
 ac  omnia  Animalia  in  motu  Cordis  &:  Arteiiarum  pulfu,  aut  omnes  homines 
 inopinionedenivis  candorc  6v  fplendore  Solis.  Cumberland,  de  Leg.  Natu- 
 re, l>(ig.  i6y. 
 
 Reafon 
 
and  Revealed  Religion, 
 
 Reafon  of  all  Men  every  where  as  naturally  ^nd  ne- 
 cejfarily  ajfents,  as  all  Animals  confpire  in  the  Piilfe 
 and  Motion  of  their  Heart  and  Arteries^  or  as  all 
 Men  agree  in  their  Judgment  concerning  t  he  white- 
 nefs  of  Snozv^  or  the  Brightnefs  of  the  Sun.  For 
 though  in  fome  nice  Cafes,  the  Bounds  of  right 
 and  wrong  may  indeed  fas  was  before  obferved)  be^^, 
 fomewhat  difficult  to  determine  ;  and,  in  fome  few 
 even  plainer  Cafes,  the  Laws  and  Cuftoms  of  cer- 
 tain barbarous  Nations  may  be  contrary  one  to  a- 
 nother  ;  fwhich  Some  have  been  fo  weak  as  to 
 think  a  juft  Objedion  againfb  there  being  any  na- 
 tural difference  between  Good  and 
 Evil  at  all ;)  yet  in  reality,  this  ^ 
 no  more  difproves  the  natural 
 AJfent  of  all  mens  unprejudiced  Rea- 
 fon to  the  Rule  of  Right  and  Equi- 
 ty^ than  the  difference  of  mofi  mens 
 Countenances  in  general^  or  the  de- 
 formity of  fo?ne  few  Monflers  in 
 particular^  proves  that  there  is  no 
 general  Likenefs  or  Unifonnity  in 
 the  Bodies  of  Men,  For^  what- 
 ever difference  there  may  he  in  fo7?ie 
 particular  Laws^  'tis  certain  as  to 
 the  main  and  principal  Branches  of 
 Morality .,  there  never  was  any  Na^ 
 tion  upon  Earthy  hut  owned,  that 
 to  Love  and  Honour  God^  to  he 
 grateful  to  BenefaBors,  to  perform 
 Equitable  Compa5ls,  to  preferve  the 
 hives  of  innocent  and  harmlefs  Men^ 
 and  the  like  -,  were  things  fitter  and 
 
 215 
 
 ibi, 
 
 gentes  communia. 
 
 -Deum  eo  ipfo. 
 
 *  Hoc  tamen  non  magis 
 tollic  conienfum  hominumde 
 general!  Natura  Boni,  ejufq; 
 pirtibus  vel  fpecscbus  prceci- 
 puis,  quam  lev  is  vulcuum  di- 
 verfirss  toliit  convenientiam 
 inter  homines  in  commimi 
 hominum  definitione,  aut  fi- 
 milirudinem  inter  eos  in  par- 
 tium  princ'palium  conforma- 
 tione  &  uia.  Nuila  gens  eft-, 
 qux  non  fentiat  actus  deum  di- 
 ligendt,  Sec.  Nulla  gens  non 
 ienti:  gratitHilimm  e^gci  pa- 
 rentes  ^  benefaciores,  toti  hu- 
 mano  generi  falutarem  efle. 
 Nulla  temperamentorum  di- 
 ver fitas  facit  ut  quifquam  non 
 bonum  effe  fentiat  univerfis, 
 utlingulorum  inmcentiutn  vi- 
 t£,  membra,  &  libcrtas  con- 
 ferventur.  Cufnberland.  ds 
 Legih.  Nature,  pag.   166. 
 
 Neqi  enim  an  honor ifice  de 
 Deo  fentiendum  in,  neqj  an  fit 
 amandus,  timsndus,coIendus, 
 dubirari  poreft.  Sunt  cnim 
 hxc  Rejigionum,  per  omnes 
 quod  homines  fecerit  rationales, 
 
 hoc  illis  pr^cepiiTe,  &  cordjbus  omnium  infculplille.  nc  qutfqu^m  cuiquam 
 faceret,  quod  alium  f>bi  facere  inio^umn  duceret.  Hobbs,  de  Homine",  cap, 
 14.     [Inccn/iplently  enough  with  his  ore?;  Principle!,] 
 
 P  3  ^         better 
 
214  T^^  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 letter  to  he  prarnfed^    than  the  contrary.     In  fine  * 
 This  is  thar  Law  of  Nature^  which,  being  found- 
 ed in  the  eternal  Reafon  of  Things,  is  as  abfolure- 
 ly    unalterable,    as    natural  Good 
 and  Evil^    as    *  Mathematical  or 
 
 *  Nam  ut  vera  ^^fa-fa^  ut 
 confequent'u  &  contrana,  iui 
 fponre,  non  aliena.  judican- 
 tur;  lie  conftans  St  perpetua 
 ratio  vitse,  qux  eft  tirtus ; 
 itemqi  inconftsntia,  quod 
 eft  vitium-,  [ha  naiura  pro- 
 batur.     Cic.  tie  Legib.  lib.  i. 
 
 f  Quod  vere  dicimus,  e- 
 tiamfi  a  r.ullo  laudetur,  lau- 
 dabile  efle  nature.  Cic.  de 
 Offic.  lib.  I. 
 
 Arithmetical 'T'ruths^  Ti^  Light  and 
 Darknefs^    as  Sweet   and    Bitter. 
 The  t  Ohfervance  of  which,    tho^ 
 no  man  Jhould  co7nmend  it.,    would 
 yet  he  truly  cominendahle  in  it  jelf. 
 Which  to  fuppofe  depending  on  the 
 Opinions  of  Men.,    and  the  Cuftoms 
 of  Nations  •,  that  is,  to  fuppofe  that 
 What  fn all  he  accounted  the  Virtue 
 of  a  Man  depends  merely  on  hna- 
 gination   or   Cuflom   to  determine ; 
 is  I  as  ahfurd,    as  it  would  he  to 
 affirm.,    that   the  Fruitfulnefs    of 
 a  Tree  or  the  Strength  of  a  Horfe, 
 depends  merely  on  the  Imagination 
 of  thofe  who  judge  of  it.      In  a 
 word  ;  'Tis  ihat  Law.,    which  if 
 it  had  its  original  from  the  Au- 
 thority  of  Men,    and  could  be  changed  by  it, 
 then  -^^   all  the  Commands  of  the 
 cruellefl  and  mofl  harharous  Tyrants 
 in  the  V/orld.,  would  he  as  jufi  and 
 equitahle^  as   the  wifeft  Laws  that 
 ever  were  made  -,  and  ^  to  murder 
 Men   without   diftin^ion.,    to  con- 
 found the  Rights  of  all  Families  hy 
 the  groffefl  Forgeries.,    to  roh  with 
 unref  rained  Violence.,  to  hreak  Faith 
 continually.^  and  defraud  and  cheat 
 without  reluBance^  might  hy  the  de- 
 crees and  ordinances  of  a  mad  Af- 
 femhly  he  made    lawful  and  honefl. 
 In  which  matters  if  an^  man  thinks 
 '  '       '      '       that 
 
 4-  Ha:c  autem  in  opinione 
 pxiftimare,  non  in  -aarura 
 ponere,  dementis  eft.  Nam 
 nee  Arbcris  nee  "Equi  virtus, 
 qusc  dicitur,  in  o^i/7ione  fita 
 eft,  {ed  in  natttra.  Cic.  de 
 L^gib.  lib.  I. 
 
 **  Jam  vero  ftu'tiilnnum 
 jllud;  exiftmiare  omnia  ju- 
 fta  efte,  qusc  fcira  fint  in  po- 
 pulorum  inllituris  aut  jegi- 
 bus.  Etiamne  iiqux  funt  ry- 
 rannorum  leges,  li  triginrailii 
 Athenis  \(^gts  imponere  volu-. 
 jfTenr,  aut  fiomnes  Athcnieyifes 
 deledarcntur  tyrannicis  legi- 
 bus,  num  idcirco  hac  leges 
 judx  haberentur  ?  Cic.  de  Le- 
 ^ib,Jtb.   I .  . 
 
 *  Quod  ii  populorum  juf- 
 iis,  ii  principum  decretis,  ii 
 iententiisjudicum,  jura  con- 
 ftirucrentufj  jus  ti^^x  latroci' 
 nari,  jus  adulter  are,  jus  tejia' 
 
215 
 
 ?nenta  falf^  fnpponere,  11  hoic 
 faftVagiis  aar  Iciris  multitudi- 
 nis  probarcnrur.  Qu:\;  fi  raura 
 pjtcntiaeft  ftulf.orum  {ententi- 
 i-^  arq;  juiTis,  ut  eorum  fuf- 
 hagiis rcrum  natura  vertatur  j 
 curnonlaaciunr,  \ix (\\.\?z m^la 
 pi-rr.iciofzq;  iunr,  habcantur 
 pro  c'0/J!s  ac  falut-irirus ;  aut 
 cur,  cum  jus  ex  injuria  lex 
 facere  polTir,  Sonum  eadem 
 facerenon  poflit  cxmalo^  Id, 
 ibid. 
 
 Eterr.al  Moral  Obligaticnsy  antecedcKt  in 
 j'owe  refpeci,  even  to  this  confuleratio?i,  of 
 their  being  the  Wdl  and  Command  of  Cod 
 himfelf. 
 
 and  Revealed  Religion 
 
 tloat  the  Votes  and  Suffrages  of  Fools 
 have  fiich  Power.,  as  to  he  able  to 
 change  the  ISlature  of  Things  •,  wh'^ 
 do  they  not  Ukewfe  decree  (^as  Cice- 
 ro admirably  exprelTes  himfelf, j 
 that  pofcnous  things  may  become 
 "ivholfom  •,  and  that  any  other  things 
 which  is  now  deftri'Mive  of  Man- 
 kind., may  become  prefervative  of 
 it. 
 
 6.  Further  yet  :  As 
 this  Law  cf  feature  is 
 infinitely  fuperiour  to 
 all  Authority  of  Men,, 
 and  independent  upon 
 
 it  -,  fo  its  obligation,  primarily  and  originally,  is 
 *  antecedent  alfo  even  to  this  Con- 
 fideration,  of  its  being  the  poll- 
 tive  Will  or  Command  of  Gcd 
 himJelf  For,  f  as  the  Addition  of 
 certain  Numbers,,  necejfarily  pro- 
 duces a  certain  Sum  ,  and  certain 
 Geometrical  or  Mechanical  Operati- 
 cns.,  give  a  conftant  and  unalterable 
 Solution  of  certain  Problems  or  Pro- 
 pofitions :  So  in  7noral  Matters^ 
 there  are  certain  neceffary  and  un- 
 alterable Refpculs  or  Relations  of 
 "Things.,  zvhich  have  not  their  Ori- 
 ginal from  arbitrary  and  pofitive 
 Conftitution.,  but  are  of  eternal  ne- 
 cejfity  in  their  own  Nature,      For 
 
 *  Virtutis  &  Vitiorum, 
 fineullaJD/v/».^  ratione,  grave 
 iplius  confcientije  pondus  efK 
 Cic.de  Nat.  Deor.lib.  g. 
 
 f  Deniqi  ncquis  obligati- 
 onem  l-cgum  naruralium^r- 
 hitrari^/n  ^  mmabilemz  no- 
 bis fingi  fufpicetur,  hoc  adji- 
 ciendum  cenfui  j  Virtutum 
 exercitium,  habere  rationem 
 medii  necelTariiad  finem,  (fe- 
 poiita  confideratione  Imperii 
 Bivini,)  manente  rerum  na- 
 tura tali  qualis  nunc  eft.  Hoc 
 autem  ira  intelligo,  uti  agnof- 
 cunt  pleriqi  omnes,  Additio" 
 nem  duarum  unitatcm  dua- 
 bus  prius  pofiris,  neceflario 
 confiituere  numerum  quater- 
 nariumj  aut,  uti  praxes  geo- 
 fnetricA  c^  mechanicA,  problemata  propofita  folvunt  immutabiliter ;  adeo 
 ut  nee  fapientia  rec  voluntas  Divina  cogirari  polTit  quicquam  in  contrari» 
 um  conftituerepoffe.     Camberlsind  de  Legib.  HaturA,  fag.  231^ 
 
 P4 
 
 Example : 
 
21 5  The  E  V  I D  E  N  c  E  s  <?/  Natural 
 
 Example  :  "*-  As  hi  Matters  of 
 •  Tfl  i^u'f^cv,  c'j  ^oli  0-  Ser/fe^  the  reafon  ivby  a  thing  is  vi- 
 f^f^rj  '^-':  ^^  ffn  !>r  ftbie,  is  not  hecaufe  'tis  Seen  -,  but 
 r«*,  ;Si/<^  toZto  o,.^^;«v.  lis  ttocref  ore  Seen,  hecaufe 'tis  vifi- 
 [Note,  ihQ^e:  Words  are  hy  Z?/> ;  So  in  Matters  of  natural  Rea- 
 Ficinus  ridiculoufly  tranila-  fi,^  ^;^J  Morality,  that  which  is  Ho- 
 ted,    'Videtur  and  ijifum   ell  \       j  i  n     j   r      r^  ^  ^ 
 
 *OvK.z.  e  -^  %^m,  ho%  'oc-^i  h  ^^^  ^^od  (as  Creatures  depend- 
 sVi,  <PkX{i:rui,  ysj-o  r  S-j^y  ^AA'  ixHg  upon  and  worfhipping  God, 
 »*  (52^  (piy^Crcci,  :^  toE;^  io-^^V  and  praclifing  Juftice  and  Equicy 
 ..-..   Vlato  :n  Euthy^hr.  -^^  ^i^^j^.  dealings  with  each  other, 
 
 and  the  hke, )  is  not  therefore  Ho- 
 ly and  Good,  hecaufe  'tis  commanded  to  he  done  \    hut 
 is  therefore  commanded  of  God,  hecaufe  'tis  Holy  and 
 Good.     The  Exiftence  indeed  of  the  l^hings  them- 
 felves,  whofe  Proportions  and  Relations  we  confi- 
 der,    depend  entirely  on  the  mere  arbitrary  Will 
 and  good  Pieafure  of    God  ;    v/ho    can    create 
 Things  v/hen  he  pleafes,  and   deftroy  them  again 
 whenever  he  thinks  fit.     But  when  things  are  crea- 
 ted, and  fo  long   as  it  pleafes  God  to  continue 
 ■  them  in  Being  •,  their  Proportions,    which  are  ah- 
 Jlra5fly  of  eternal  NecefTity,  are  alfo  in  the  l^hings 
 t hemfelves  ^ibfolutdy  unalterable.     Hence  Godhim- 
 felf,  though  he  has  no  Superior,  from  whofe  TVill 
 to  receive  any  Law  of  his  Actions  ;    yet  difdains 
 not  to  obferve  the  Rule  of  Equi- 
 4-  K«3'  y.[>'^<i  ydf  V.  ew7^     ty  and  Goodnefs,  as  f  the  Law  of 
 ^p^-ri  k^  r  f^xK^.^..  5^vr^..     ^jl  j^j^  Anions  in  the  Government 
 
 ^  Sii,    Origeu.  adi;erf,  Cel-     ^^  ^ne  World  ;  and   condelcends 
 jum.iiif.  4.  to  appeal  even  to  Men,    for  the 
 
 Equity  and  Righteoufnefs  of  his 
 
 £xtf)^.xviii.  Judgments.     To  this  Law,  the  infinite  Perfedi- 
 
 ons  of  his  Divine  Nature   make  it  neceffary  for 
 
 fag.  184.  him  fas  has  been  before  proved,;    to  have  con- 
 
 ftant  regard :  And  Cas  a  learned 
 
 4-  Diaamina  Divini  Intel-     prelate  of  our  own  |   has  excel- 
 
 .ledus  i^nciunrar  in    Lei^es     j^ntly  fnown, )  not  barely  his  in- 
 
 mutabiiitatem   iuararn    per-      nnite   Fower,     but   the   Kules  Ot 
 
 this 
 
and  Revealed^  e  l  i  g 
 
 this  eternal  Law,  are  the  true 
 Foundation  and  the  Meafure  of 
 his  Dominion  over  his  Creatures. 
 (For  if  infinite  Power  was  the 
 Ride  and  Meafure  of  Eighty  'tis 
 evident  that  Goodnefs  and  Mercy 
 and  all  Other  Divine  Perfe6lions, 
 would  be  e??ij)ty  words  without 
 any  Signification  at  all.)  Now  for 
 the  fame  Reafon  that  God  who 
 hath  no  Superiour  to  determine 
 him,  yet  conftantly  direfts  all  his 
 own  Anions  by  the  eternal  Rule 
 of  Juftice  and  Goodnefs ;  'tis  e- 
 vident  all  Intelligent  "Creatures  in 
 their  feveral  Spheres  and  Propor- 
 tions, ought  to  obey  the  fame 
 Rulo  according  to  the  Law  of 
 their  Nature ;  even  though  it 
 could  be  fuppofed  feparate  from 
 that  additional  Obligation,  of 
 its  being  the  pofitive  Will  and 
 Command  of  God.  And  doubt- 
 lefs  there  have  been  many  Men  in 
 all  Ages  in  many  parts  of  the 
 heathen  World,  who  not  having 
 Phiiofophy  enough  to  colledl  from 
 mere  Nature  any  tolerably  juft 
 and  explicit  Apprehenfions  con- 
 cerning the  Attributes  of  God ; 
 much  lefs  having  been  able  to  de- 
 duce from  jihence,  any  clear  and 
 certain  knowledge  of  his  JVill ; 
 have  yet  had  a  very  great  fenfe 
 of  Right  and  Truths  and  been 
 fully  perfuaded  in  their  own 
 Mindsj      of    many     unalterable 
 
 ION.  217 
 
 fedifonum.      CnmberUvd  de 
 Leg:  N^JturA,  pag,  2;d.g. 
 
 Solcbam  iplequidem,  cum 
 aliis  plurimis,  antequam  do- 
 miniijurifqj  omnis  originem 
 univerfaliter  6c  diflindle  con- 
 iideraflemi  dominium  Dei,  in 
 Creationem  vclut  inregram 
 t)\ii  originem,  XQ^olwexe.     Vc- 
 
 rum  qiioniam,  (^c. -in 
 
 hanc  tandem  conceffi  fenten- 
 tiam,  dominium  Dei  efTeijiis 
 vel  poreflatem  ei  a  fua  Sapi- 
 entia  &  Bonirate,  velut  a  Le- 
 ge, datam  ad  regimen  eorum 
 omnium  quxab  ipfo  unquam 
 crcata  fueiint  vel  creabuntur. 
 -■■Nee  poterit  quiC- 
 qiiam  meriro  conqueri,  do- 
 minium dei  intra  nimis  an- 
 guPtos  limites  hac  explicatione 
 coercerii  qua  hoc  unum  d^i- 
 cimr,  illius  millam  partem 
 coniiftere  in  potefiate  quic- 
 quam  faciendi  contra  finem 
 optimum,  Bonum  commune. 
 Idem.  fag.  345-,  346. 
 
 Contra  aurem,  Hohbianct 
 refolutio  dominii  Diuini  in  po- 
 tentiam  ejus  irrejijlit/ilem  adeo 
 
 aperte  ducitad,  0^c. 
 
 uc  mihi  dubium  non  fit.  illud 
 ab  eo  li6Vum  tuiile,  Deoque 
 attributum,  in  eum  tantum 
 finem,  ut  juri  fuo  omnium 
 in  omnia  patrocinaretur.     Id. 
 
 M-  344- 
 
 Nose  contrario,  fontem  in- 
 djcavimus,  e  quo  demonftra- 
 ri  poteft",  juftitiam  univerfa- 
 lem,  cmnemqj  adeoVirtuteni 
 moralem,  quse  in  Redore  le- 
 quiri  ur,  in  Deo  prae  c^eteris 
 refulgere,  eadem  plane  metho- 
 do,  qua  he?mnes  ad  eas  excolen- 
 das  obligari  oflendemus.  Id. 
 pag.^  347: 
 
 Obligations  of 
 
 Morality, 
 
21 S  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Morality,     But   this  Speculation,    tho'  neceliliry 
 to  be  taken  notice  of  in  the  diftinil  Order  and  Me- 
 thod of  Difcourfe,  is  in  it  feif  too  dry,    and  not 
 of  great  ufe    to  Us^  who  are  abundantly  aluired 
 that  all  moral  Obligations  are  moreover  the  plain 
 and  declared  Will  of  God  -,    As  fhall  be  fhown 
 particularly,  in  its  proper  place. 
 TheLa-of         y,  Lailly,  This  Law  of  Nature  has  its  full  ob- 
 oj  Nature  ijg^fory  Power,    antecedent  to  all  Confideration 
 Zim!jmt  of  any  particular  private  and  perfonal  Reward  or 
 loall  confi-  Piinijhment^     annexed    either   by    natural   Confe- 
 dsrdtlonof  q,^ience,  or  by  pofitive  Appointment,  to  the  Ob- 
 RewlniT  iervanceor  Negled:  of  it.     This  alfo  is  very  evi- 
 arJ ph-     dent:  Becaufe,    if  Good  and   Evil,    Right  and 
 mjJjments.  Wrong,  Ficnefs  and  Unfitnefs  of  being  pradifed, 
 be  (as  has  been  fnown)  originally,  eternally,  and 
 neceffarily,    in  the  nature  of    the  Things  them- 
 felves  -,  'tis  plain  that  the  view    of   particular  Re- 
 wards or  PuniJIwients^  which  is  only  an  After- con- 
 fideration, and  does  not  at  all  alter  the  nature  of 
 Things,  cannot  be  the  original  caufe  of  the  Obli- 
 'ration   of   the  Lav/,    but  is  only   an  additional 
 Weight  to  enforce  the  pra6life  of  what  men  were 
 before  obliged  to  by  right  Reafon.      There  is  no 
 •      Man,  who  has  any  juft  Senfe  of  the  difference  be- 
 tween Good  and  Evil,    but  muft  needs  acknoiv- 
 ledge,  that  Virtue  and  Goodnefs 
 *  Di^nx  iraqj  Aint.  qux     ^  are  truly  amiable,    and  to  be 
 propter  intrinfecam  fibi  per-     chofen    for  their  own  fakes  and 
 
 ieaionem  appetantur,    etiam      i^trinfick  WOrth  ;    thoush    a   man 
 ii  nulla  diet  naturoe  Lex,  quse  r      o        ,-        ^    • 
 
 i'las  imperaret.    CtimberUnd,     had  no  profpeCt  ot    gaming  any 
 (ceLeg.Nat.pag.  281.  particular  Advantage  to  himfelf, 
 
 by  the  Practice  of  them  :  And 
 that ,  on  the  contrary ,  Cruelty ,  Violenc:e 
 and  OpprefTion ,  Fraud,  Injuftice ,  and  all 
 manner  of  Vv^ickednefs,  are  of  themfelves  hatei- 
 ful,     and    by   all  means  to    be  avoided  -,     eve.n 
 
 ^though 
 
and  Revealed  Religion 
 
 219 
 
 ^  though  a  Man  had  abfolute  Af- 
 furance,  that  he  fhould  bring  no 
 manner   of    inconvenience    upon 
 Himfelf  by  the  Commifilon  of  a- 
 ny  or  all  of  thefe  Crimes.     This 
 likewife  is  excellently  and  admi- 
 rably expreffed  by  Cicero  :  Virtue^ 
 faith  t  he,  is  that^  zvhich^  though 
 710  Pyofit  or  Advantage  whatfoever, 
 was  to  he  expelled  to  a  Man^s  felf 
 from  the  Praoilfe   of   it,    yet  7nuft 
 without  all  Contro'verfy  he  acknow- 
 ledged to   be  truly  deftrable  for  its 
 own  fake  alone.     And  accordingly  \ 
 all  good  Men  love  Right  and  Equi- 
 ty ',  and  do  many  things  without  a- 
 ny  profpeci  of  Advantage  at   all, 
 merely  hecaufe  they  are  juft  and  right, 
 and  fit  to  he  done.      On  the  con- 
 trary ',  Vice  is  fo  odious  in  its  own 
 feature,  and  fo  fit  to  he  avoided,  e- 
 ven  though  no  PunifJoment  was  to 
 enfue  -,  that  ^^  no  Man,  who  has 
 made    any   tolerahle   Proficie?icy  in 
 Moral  Philofophy,  can  in   the  leaft 
 douht,    hut,    if  he   was   fure  the 
 thing  could  he  for  ever  concealed  eri- 
 tirely  hoth  from   God  and  Men,   fo 
 that  there  fhould  not  he  the  leaft  Suf- 
 pcion  of  its  being  ever  difcovered  -, 
 
 'AAA'   05"<5  (idiKiiii  aiivuujiv^ 
 
 'AAA'   05  Tu  {/jSJ/scXcc  KccfiTifiV 
 pn  Xccyj/icci/av, 
 
 AAA     <J5"<5  eiJoAov  yv/i(n<M  t' 
 
 Fhilemonis  Fragmenta. 
 
 f  Honcrtum  id  intelli^i- 
 mus,  quod  tale  eft,  utdetracSta 
 omni  utilitate,  iine  uliis  prae- 
 miis  fruftibufquej  per  fcip- 
 ilim  poiHt  jure  laudari.  Cic. 
 deFsnih.  lih.  1. 
 
 Arq;  ha:c  omnia  propter 
 fe  fo)iim,  ut  nihil  adjungatur 
 emolumcnri,  petenda  funr. 
 liiule  lnvent!one,iib.  2. 
 
 Nihil  eft  de  qLici».fninus  du- 
 birari  polTit,  quam  Sc  honefta 
 expetenda  per  le,    £<:  eodem^ 
 rnodo  turpia  per  ie  efle  tugi- 
 .  cnda.     U.  de  Finib,  lib.  3. 
 
 4-  Jus  Sc  omne  honeftum, 
 fua  iponre    eft    expetendum. 
 
 Erenim  cmnes  viri  bom,  ip- 
 fam  icquiratem  cc  jus  ipflmi 
 amant.     Jcl.de  Legib.  lib.i. 
 
 Oprimi  quiqj  permulta  oij 
 cam  unam  caufam  faciunr, 
 quia  decer,  quiiredlum,  quia  honeftum  eftj  etii nullum  ccnfccu^urumemo- 
 lumentum  vident.     Id .  de  Fhub .  lib.  1. 
 
 .  **  Saris  enim  nobis,  ((i  ihodo  aliquid  in  philofophii  profecimus,)  per- 
 fuafum  ft&  debet,  li  omnes  deos  hominefq;  cdare  poffimus,  nihil  tamen 
 avare,  nihil  injufte,  nihil  libidinofe,  nihil  incondnentcr  eifc  faciendum,  id. 
 de  Offic,  lib.  3. 
 
 Si  nemo  fciturus,  nemo  ne  fufpicaturusquidem  fit,  quum  aliquid  divitia- 
 ram,potentix,dominationis,libidinis  caufafeceris;  li  id  Diis  hominiburqj  fu- 
 turum  lie  femper  ignotum,  lilhe  fadurus  ?    id.  ibid.. 
 
 yet 
 
zzo  The  Evidences^/  Nattiral 
 
 'jet  he  ought  not  to  do  any  thing  unjujly,    covetoujly^ 
 wilfully^  paffionately,  Ikentioujly^  or  any  way  wick- 
 edly,    l^ay^  i  if  ^  good  Man  had 
 f  Itaq;  £\  vir  bonus  habeat     it   in  his   Power  to    gain    all  his 
 hanc  vim  i  ut,  fi  digitis  con-     Neighbour^s    JVealth    by    the    leafi 
 ZTft;mLt'nome°„"|:;     Motion  of  his  Fin^r,  a.d.vasfure 
 irreperej  hac  vi  non  utatur,     it  Would  never  be  at  all  fiif peeled  ei- 
 ne  fi  exploratum  quidem  ha-      iJj^y  Jpy  Qq^  ^y-  M^n  ',    Unqueftiona- 
 b.at  if7;!^"^^^^^7^^"^'^^^  ";^:     Uy  he  would  think,  he  ought  not  to 
 
 qaamlufpicaturum. Hoc  J  ,  '  «S 
 
 qui  admiratur,  is  fe,  quis  lit  do  it.      And  whoever   wonders  at 
 
 vir  bonus,    nefcire    fatetur.  thls^   has  no  Notion  what  it  is,  to 
 
 Idem  deoffcJlb.^.    ^      ^  be  realU  a  good  Man,     Not  ^  that 
 
 rcc  xccvjzivm  Kocl^/ii^.Kccluv^p^-  any  luch  thing  is  poffiole  in  Na- 
 
 5r»?,  o/^^y?  ^oTr'ev  sTvcci,  rod xlyn  turc,  that  any  Wickednefs  can  be 
 
 ?f "':  '^'',  T'^'  ^^^^^^ot6'^^  ^ik  indeed  concealed  from  God  ;  But 
 
 sidiKidv  ccuTtiv  Kfi^u-^.     Pluto  de  ,  rue  r  • 
 
 iiepibl.  /;^.  lo.  only,  upon  fuch   a  Suppofition, 
 
 the   natural   and  neceilary  difle- 
 rence  between   Juftice  and   Inju- 
 ftice,  is  made  to  appear  more  clearly   and  un- 
 deniably. 
 ^'^  %Dm^      Thus  far  is  clear.     But  now  from  hence  it  does 
 thelce^t    not  at  all  follow,  either  that  a  good  Man  ought 
 allfoUo-^v,  to  have  no  refpedl  to  Rewards  and   Punifhments, 
 *''^''^7'''''v  ^^  ^^^^^  Rewards  and  Punifhments  are   not  abfo- 
 ^ufL  tr"  lutely  necefiary  to  maintain  the  pradife  of  Virtue 
 have  f2o re- and  Righteoufnefs  in  this  prefent  World.     'Tis 
 fpefi  to  Rf- certain  indeed,  that  Virtue  and  Vice  are  eternally 
 Timih-^^'  and  neceifarily  diiierent  ;    and  that  the  one  truly 
 ments,  or    deferves  to  be  chofen  for  its  own  fake,  and  the  o- 
 that  R?-    ther  ought  by  all  means  to  be  avoided,  though  a 
 "T^f-q,  ^'^^^Man  was  fure  for  his  own  particular,    neither  to 
 menis  are  g^in  nor  lofe  any  thing  by  the  pradice  of  either. 
 not  abfo-     And  if  this  was  truly  the  ftate  of  Things  in  the 
 ^'Tcfir'    ^"^^^^^  '    certainly  That  Man  muft  have  a  very 
 mxmtam    Corrupt  Mind  indeed,    who   could  in   the  leaft 
 the  pra-     doubt,  or  fo  much  as  once  deliberate  with  him- 
 aife  of  vir-  fgjf^  which  he  would  choofe.      But  the  Cafe  does 
 TrlfJ!J      ^^^  ^^^^^  fh'^s.     The  Queflion  Now  in  the  gene« 
 ivo-UL  '    rai 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  2is 
 
 rai  pradife  of  the  World,  fuppofing  all  expecta- 
 tion of  Rewards  and  Punifliments  ler  afide,  v/ill 
 not  be,  whether  a  Man  would  ciioofe  Virtue  for 
 its  own  fake ^  and  avoid  Vice -,  But  the  pradlife  of 
 Vice,  is  accompanied  widi  great  Temptations  and 
 Allurements  of  Pleafure  and  Profit ;  and  the  pra- 
 <5life  of  Virtue  is  often  threatned  with  great  Cala- 
 mities, Lodes,  and  fometimes  even  with  Death  it 
 felf.  And  this  alters  the  Queftion,  and  deftroys 
 the  pra6liie  of  that  v/hich  appears  fo  reafonable 
 in  the  whole  Speculation,  and  introduces  a  ne- 
 cefTity  of  Rewards  and  Punifhments.  For  though 
 Virtue  is  unqueftionably  worthy  to  he  chofen  for  its 
 own  fake ^  even  without  any  expedation  of  Re- 
 ward •,  yet  it  does  not  follow  that  it  is  therefore 
 mtwdY  Self- fujf dent ^  ;and  able  to  fupport  a  Man 
 under  all  kinds  of  Sufferings,  and  even  Death  it 
 felf,  for  its  fake  ;  v/ithout  any  profpedl  of  future 
 recompence.  Here  therefore  began  the  Error  of 
 the  Stoicks  j  who  taught  that  the  bare  pradife  of 
 Virtue,  was  it  felf  the  chief  Good,  and  able  of 
 it  felf  to  make  a  Man  happy,  under  all  the  Cala- 
 mities in  the  V7orld.  Their  defenfe  indeed  of  the 
 caufe  of  Virtue,  v/as  very  brave :  They  faw  well 
 that  its  excellency  was  intrinfick,  and  founded  in 
 the  Nature  of  Things  themfelves,  and  could 
 not  be  altered  by  any  outward  Circumilances  ; 
 That  therefore  Virtue  muil  needs  be  defirable  for 
 its  own  fake,  and  not  merely  for  the  Advantage 
 it  might  bring  along  with  it  ;  And  if  fo,  then 
 confequencly  neither  could  any  external  Difadvan- 
 tage,  v/hich  it  might  happen  to  be  attended  with, 
 change  the  intrinfick  v/orth  of  the  Thing  it  felf, 
 or  ever  make  it  ceafe  to  be  truly  defirable.  Vv  here- 
 fore,  in  the  Cafe  of  Sufierings  and  Death  for  the 
 fake  of  Virtue  -,  not  having  any  certain  know- 
 ledge of  a  future  State  of  Reward,  ("though  the 
 wifeil  of  them  did  indeed  hope  for  it,    and  think 
 
 it 
 
222 
 
 *  Eft  au'-cm  unus  dies  be- 
 ne Sc  ex  pr?eceptis  tuis  aftus, 
 immortali-ati  anre- 
 Cic.  Tu[c.  ^Hxf. 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Nattiral 
 
 it  highly  prohahk  -,)  they  v/ere  forced,  that  they 
 might  be  confiilent  with  their  own  Principles,  to 
 fuppofe  the  pra6liie  of  Virtue  a  fufficient  Reward 
 to  it  felf  in  all  Cafes,  and  a  full  compenfation  for 
 all  the  Sufferings  in  the  World.  And  accordingly 
 they  very  bravely  indeed  taught,  that  the  Pradlice 
 of  Virtue  was  not  only  "*  infinite- 
 ly to  be  preferred  before  all  the 
 fmful  Pleafjres  in  the  World  ; 
 but  alfo  t  that  a  Man  ou2;ht  with- 
 out  Scruple  to  chufe,  if  the  Cafe 
 was  propofed  to  him,  rather  to 
 undergo  all  poiTible  fufferings 
 with  Virtue,  than  to  obtain  all 
 polTible  worldly  Happinefs  by 
 Sin.  And  the  faitable  Practice 
 of  fome  few  of  them,  as  of  Re- 
 giilus  for  inftance,  who  chofe  to 
 die  the  cruelleil  Death  that  could 
 be  invented,  rather  than  break 
 his  Faith  with  an  Enemy  *,  is  in- 
 deed very  wonderful  and  to  be 
 admired.  But  yet,  after  all  this, 
 'tis  plain  that  the  general  Pradtife 
 of  Virtue  in  the  Vv'^orld,  can  ne- 
 ver be  fjpportcd  upon  this  Foot. 
 The  Difcourfe  is  admirable,  but 
 it  feldom  goes  further  than  meer 
 Words  :  And  the  Pradiife  of 
 thofe  few  who  have  a6Ved  accord- 
 ingly, has  not  been  imitated  by 
 the  reft  of  the  W^orld.  Men  ne- 
 ver will  generally,  and  indeed  'tis 
 not  very  reafonably  to  be  expeft- 
 ed  they  fliould,  part  with  all  the 
 Comforts  of  Life,  and  even  Life 
 it   felf  j    without  expedation  of 
 
 any 
 
 peccant  1 
 ponendus. 
 /.  .f. 
 
 f  QucEFofi  duo  .lint,  quo- 
 rum alter  oprimus  vir,  ar- 
 cuiiTimus,  fumma  jufti^ia, 
 lingular!  fide  ;  alter  inllgni 
 fcelere  &  audacia:  Et  ii  in 
 eo  lit  errore  civiras,  ut  bo- 
 num  i'aum  viium,  fcelera- 
 tum,  facinarorum,  nefarium 
 purer  j  contra  autem  qui  lit 
 imp^obiffimus,  cxiPrimes:  efTe 
 fumma  probitate  ac  fide: 
 proqj  hac  opinione  omni- 
 um civium  ,  bonus  ille  vir 
 vexetur,  rapiatur,-  manus  ei 
 dcr.iqi  auferantur,  efrodi- 
 anrur  oculi,  daranctur,  vin- 
 ciarur,  uratur,  extermine- 
 tur,  egeatj  poftremo,  jure 
 eriam  op':imo  omnibus  mi- 
 icrrimu5  eile  videamr;  contra 
 nutem  ille  improbus  laudstur, 
 coiaiur,  ab  ommibusJiligatur, 
 omnes  ad  eum  hnnorcs,  om- 
 r.ia  imperia,  omncs  opes, 
 cmnc^s  deniq;  copise  con- 
 feranrur,  vir  deniq,  optimus 
 omnium  jeftimatione ,  & 
 di^^niflimus  omni  fortuna 
 judicetur :  Quis  tandem  erit 
 tarn  iiejnins,  qui  dubitet 
 utrum  fe  efTe  maiit  ?  iJem  de 
 Ripicl.  lib.  I-  frcigmvif. 
 
and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  o n^  izi 
 
 any  future  Recompencc.  So  that,  if  we  fuppofe 
 no  future  State  of  Rewards  -,  it  will  follow,  that 
 God  has  endued  Men  with  fuch  Faculties,  as  put 
 them  under  a  neceffity  of  approving  and  chufing 
 Virtue  in  the  Judgment  of  their  own  Minds  ;  and 
 yet  has  not  given  them  wherewith  to  fupport  them- 
 felves  in  the  fui table  and  conftant  PraAife  of  it« 
 The  Confideration  of  which  inexplicable  Difficul- 
 ty, ought  to  have  led  the  Philofophers  to  a  firm 
 belief  and  expecSiation  of  a  future  State  of  Re- 
 wards and  Punilliments,  without  which  their 
 whole  Scheme  of  Morality  cannot  be  fupported. 
 And,  becaufe  a  thing  of  fuch  neceffity  and  im.por- 
 tance  to  Mankind,  was  not  more  clearly  and  di- 
 redly  and  univerfally  made  known  ;  it  might  na- 
 turally have  led  them  to  fomiC  farther  Confequen- 
 ces  alfo,  which  I  fhall  have  occafion  particularly 
 to  deduce  hereafter. 
 
 Thus  have  I  endeavoured  to  deduce  the  oriqlnal 
 OUigatmis  of  Moralit'^^  from  the  nccejfar'^  and  e- 
 tcrjial Keajon  and  Proportions  of  Things,     Scmeh^LVC 
 chofen  to  found  *  all  Difference  of 
 Good  and  Evil,  in  the  mere  pofi-     ^  "^.  ^^f".  '^^f'  'ff  ^^'Z'  t 
 
 tive  f'V  ill  ana  Foiver  ot    God:   But      pendear.     Cartef.Epifi.6,  par- 
 
 the   Abfurdity  of  This,    I  have     risfecurM. 
 t  fhown  elfewhere.      Others  have     ^  tf^?^^^^'  ^'7>  ^55-,  H^> 
 contended,  that   all  Difference  of     ^^^' ^^  * 
 Good  and  Evil,    and  all  Obligations  of   MoraIit'<i, 
 ought  to  be  founded  originally  upon  Confiderati- 
 ons  of  Piihlick  Utility.     And  true  indeed  it  is,    in 
 the  whole  \  that  the  Good  of  the  univerfal  Creation^ 
 does  always  coincide  with  the  necejfary  "Truth  and 
 Reafon  of^  Things.      But  ctherwife,    (and  feparate 
 from  This  Confideration,    that  God  'will  certainly 
 caufe  Truth  and  Right  to  terminate  in  Hap  fine fs  -,) 
 what  is  for  the  Good  of  the  whole  Creation,  in  very 
 many  Cafes,  none  but  an  infi/tite  Underjlandingcuti 
 
 poffibly 
 
i24  Tke  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 poiTibly  judge.  PuUick  Ulilily,  is  one  thing  to  One 
 Nation^  and  the  contrary  to  Another  :  And  the 
 Gov-ernours  of  every  Nation,  will  and  ;7z/(/?  be 
 7/^%j  of  the  Publick  Good:  And  by  Piihlick  Good, 
 they  will  generally  mean  the  Private  Good  of  that 
 Particular  Nation,  But  Truth  and  i^?^/-?/  (whether 
 Publick  or  Private)  founded  in  the  eternal  and  ne- 
 cejfary  Reafon  of  T^hings.^  is  what  every  Man  can 
 judge  of,  when  laid  before  him.  'Tis  necejjarily 
 One  and  the  Same^  to  every  man's  Underftandlng  ; 
 juft  as  Light  is  the  Same^  to  every  man's  Eyes. 
 
 He  v/ho  thinks  it  Right  2.ndjujl,  upon  account  of 
 Publick  Utility,  to  break  Faith  (fuppofej  with  3.  Rob- 
 ber-, let  him  confider,  that  'tis  7nuch  more  ufeful  to  do 
 the  fame  by  z  Multitude  of  Robbers,  by  Tyrants,  by  a 
 Nation  of  Robbers  :  And  then,  ^//  Faith  is  evident- 
 ly at  an  end.     For, mutato  nomine,  de  Te . 
 
 What  Fidelity  and  Truth  are,  is  underfliood  by  eve- 
 ry Man  ;  but  between  two  Nations  at  War,  who 
 ihall  be  Judge,  which  of  them  are  the  Robbers  ? 
 Befides :  To  rob  a  Man  of  Truth  and  of  eternal 
 Happlnefs,  is  worfe  than  robbing  him  of  his  Money 
 and  of  his  temporal  Happinefs :  And  therefore  it  will 
 be  faid  that  Hereticks  may  even  7norejufily,  and  with 
 much  greater  Utility  to  the  Publick,  be  deceived  and 
 dcflroyed  by  Breach  of  Truth  and  Faith,  than  the 
 moil  cruel  Robbers.     Where  does  this  terminate  ? 
 
 The  mani-  And  now,  from  what  has  been  faid  upon  this 
 fijj^^fi'''-  Head,  'tis  eafy  to  fee  the  Falfxty  and  Weaknefs  of 
 Mrhlobhs's  '^^'  ^^bbs's  Dodtrincs  •,  That  there  is  no  fuch  thing 
 DoHrtmi  as  J  lift  and  Unjuft,  Right  and  JVrong  originally  in  the 
 concerning  Nature  of  Ihings ;  That  Men  in  their  natural  State, 
 nal  ^of^''  antecedent  to  all  Compaols,  are  not  obliged  to  iiniver- 
 liight,  fal  Benevolence,  nor  to  any  moral  Duty  whatfoever  ; 
 P:o-an  in  Jyut  are  in  aftate  of  V/ar,  and  have  every  one  a  Right 
 p.mcular.  ^^  j^  whatever  he  has  Power  to  do  ;  And  that,  in 
 Civil  Societies,  it  depends  wholly  upon  pofitive  Laws 
 
 or 
 
und  Revealed  Religion^  22^ 
 
 Q.r  the  JVill  of  Governours^  to  define  what  [hall  he 
 Jv.ft  or  Unjufi.  The  contrary  to  all  which, 
 having  been  already  fully  denionilrated  ;  there  is 
 BO  need  of  being  large,  in  further  difproving 
 and  confuting  particularly  thefe  AiTertions  them- 
 felves,  I  fhall  therefore  only  mention  a  few  Ob- 
 fovations,  from  which  fome  of  the  greatefb  and 
 moil  obvious  Abfurdities  of  the  chief  Principles 
 upon  which  Mr  Hohhs  builds  his  whole  DodlriLC 
 in  .this  Matter,  may  moil  eafily  appear. 
 
 I.  Firil  then  ;  the  Ground  and  Foundation  of 
 Mr  Hobbs's  Scheme,  is  this  ;  that 
 
 ^  Jll  Men,  being  equal  by  nature^  *  Ab  a-qualitate  Nature 
 and  naturallj  defmng  the  fan.  ^["Si  S^Is^^: 
 things,  have  f  evcr^  one  a  Bdgbt  to  ath.  c.  13. 
 ever'j  lihing  •,  are  ever'j  one  defroiss  t  datura  dedit  unicutqi 
 to  have  ab/lliite  Domimon  over  all  p^^  ^^  op^nia  Hoc cR,  in Oa- 
 •f  i-i         •    /I'        ^^  mere  naturali,    live   antc- 
 
 ethers  •,  and  inay  ever'j^  One  jufttj  (,uam  homines  ullis  padtis 
 do  whatever  at  an-j  tiine  is  in  his  iefe  invicem  obftrinxiffenr, 
 Fower,  bi  'violently  taking  froin  ^"^^^^^^  ^i^^^t  f.cere  qux- 
 Otbers  either  their  FojJeJjiGns  or  ^ebar;  &  poffidere,  mi,  frui 
 Lives,    to  gain  to  hi^nfelf  that    ahfo-      omnibus,     quas     volebat     Sc 
 
 lute  Dominion.  Now  this  is  exad-  P^^^^^^-  ^'  ^''^'>  c.  i.  §  10, 
 ly  the  fame  thing,  as  if  a  man  fhould  affirm,  that 
 a  Part  is  equal  to  the  fVhole,  or  that  one  Body  can 
 be  prefent  in  a  Thoufand  Places  ut  once.  For,  to 
 fay  that  one  man  has  a  full  Right  to^  the  fame  in- 
 dividual things,  which  another  man  at  the  fame 
 time  has  a/////  Right  to  ;  is  faying  that  two  Rights 
 may  be  ^  contradictory  to  each  o-  .       ^,  ,    ^   ^ 
 
 ^T  *.u^-    •        <hU    *-     ^u*  *  Si  impoliibile  fit  fin?u» 
 
 ther  ;  that  is     that  a  thing  may     ,,.,^  ^^^J^  „^,.,  ^■^■l._^ 
 
 be  Rtght,    at    the  fame    time    that      fubjicere;     ratio    qus  hanc 
 
 'tis  confefied  to  be  IVrong.      For     li""™  proponir  fitigu'is,  qui 
 Inftancei    If    every  Man  has  a     ""i  tantumcontinpre  potdh 
 
 „,    ,  -  \  .  ^  .-  ixpms    quam   ni:lli-s   propa- 
 
 Kight  to  preferve  Ins  own  Life,     nerec  iitipoiTi'-iK ,    &  fcmel 
 then  t  'tis  manifeft  I  can  have  no     tantum  poulbil-.     cumberl. 
 
 de  Leg.  Nat.  pcig    217. 
 •f  Nec  poteft  cujufquam  jus  feu  libertas  ab  ulla  lejje  reli^ia.  eo  cxrendere, 
 St  iiceat  oppugnare  ca,  qux aiiis  eadem  Lege  impcrantur  facif^nda. L/.^a^.  215, 
 
 Q^  Right 
 
226  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Riojjt  to  take  any  man's  Life  away  from  him,  un- 
 lefs  he  has  iirll  forfeited  his  oivn  Right ^  by  at- 
 tempting to  deprive  m.e  of  mine.  For  otherwife, 
 it  might  be  i?/V'/  for  me  to  do  That,  which  at 
 the  fame  time,  becaufe  it  could  not  be  done  but 
 in  breach  of  another  Man's  Rights  it  could  not 
 be  Right,  for  me  to  do  :  Which  is  the  greateft  Ab- 
 furdity  in  the  V/orld.  The  true  State  of  this  Cafe 
 therefore,  is  plainly  this.  In  Mr.  Hobbs's  State  of 
 Nature  and  Equality  -,  every  man  having  an  equal 
 right  to  preferve  his  own  Life,  'tis  evident  every 
 man  has  a  right  to  an  equal  proportion  of  all 
 thofe  things,  which  are  either  necelfary  or  ufeful 
 to  Life.  And  confequenrly  fo  far  is  it  from  being 
 true,  that  any  One  has  an  original  right  to  polTefs 
 yf//-,  that,  on  the  contrary,  whoever  firft  at- 
 tempts, witliout  the  cojifefit  of  his  Fellows,  and 
 except  it  be  for  feme  publick  Benefit^  to  take  to 
 himfclf  more  than  his  Proportion^  is  the  Beginner 
 of  Iniquity,  and  the  Author  of  all  fucceeding, 
 Mifchief. 
 
 2.  To  avoid  this  Abfurdity  therefore,  Mr  Hohls 
 is  forced  to  affert  in  the  next  place,  that  fince  eve- 
 ry Man  has  confefiedly  a  right  to  preferve  his 
 OAvn  Life,  and  confequently  to  do  every  thing 
 that  is  necelTary  to  preferve  it  ;  and  fmce  in  the 
 State  of  Nature,  men  will  necef- 
 
 *  Omnium   adverru.   om-  ^.^^,-^      ;^^^,^    ^    perpetual  jedoufies 
 
 BcL'um    omnium   in  and  fufpicions  of  each   other's  hi- 
 
 Omne?.  De  Give,  c.  i.  §.  i?..  croaching\  therefore  jifft  precauti- 
 
 t  Spes^  unicuiq;  fecuiirans  ^^^     ;.^^.  ^.^^^.  ,  ^^^^  ^  ^/^/^^   ^^    |  ^;^. 
 
 eft,  ut  virihus  artiluifq;  pro-  dcavour,  for  his  own  Security,    to 
 
 priis  proximum  fuum  vel  pa-  prevent,    opprefs,    and  deflroy  all 
 
 lam  vcl  ex  iniidiis  peaeoccii-  others,  either  by  fecret  Artifice  or 
 
 pare  pofLt.    JbuL  ..  5-.  §  i .  ^^^^  Violence,  as  it  JJmU  happen  at 
 
 any  time  to  be  in  his  Po'iver  ;  as  be- 
 4-  Securiraris   vi.m  mdfo-       •        j.^^,  ;    ^^^^^ -^  ^  r  ^^^r 
 
 rem    habet  nemo    Anticica-         «^  .       ^  •      -^    -n  i  •      • 
 
 ticne.    UiHAih,  c.  17,     '        prejervation.     But  this  is  even  a 
 
 plainer 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  2:17 
 
 plainer  Abfurdity,  if  polTible,'  than  the  formen  i 
 For  (befides  that  accordinor  to  Mr  Ilobbs's  Princi- 
 pies,  Men,  before  pofidve  Compacts,  may  j^ijlly 
 do  what  mifchief  they  pleafe,  even  zvitbout  the 
 pretenfe  of  Self-prejhvation  ;)  what  can  be  more 
 ridiculous,  than  to  ima gin  aV/ar  cf  All  Men  a- 
 gainft  All^  the  directeft  and  certainefi  Means  of 
 the  Prefervation  of  all  ?  Yes,  fays  he^  becaufe  it 
 leads  Men  to  a  neceinty  of  entring  into  Compaot 
 for  each  other's  Security,  But  then  to  make  thefe 
 Co7npaofs  obligatory,  he  is  forced  (as  I  iTiall  pre- 
 fently  obferve  more  particularly)  to  recur  to  an  t  fSee,/^ 
 antecedent  Lazv  of  Nature:  And  this  deilroys  all^^"'''  '^•3* 
 that  he  had  before  faid.  For  the  fame  Lazv  of  Na-  ^  ^' 
 ture  which  obliges  Men  to  Fidelity^  after  having 
 made  a  Compad;  \  will  unavoidably,  upon  all  the 
 fame  Accounts,  be  found  to  oblige  them,  before 
 all  Compadis,  to-Qontentment  and  mutual  Benevo- 
 lence^ as  the  readiefl;  and  certainefi  Means  to  the 
 prefervation  and  Happinefs  of  them  All.  '  *Tis 
 true,  men  by  entring  into  Compacis  and  making 
 Lazvs^  agree  to  Compell  one  another  to  do  what 
 perhaps  the  mere  fenfe  of  Duty,  however  really 
 obligatory  in  the  higheft  degree,  would  not,  with- 
 out fuch  Compa6i:s,  have  force  enough  of  it  felf 
 to  hold  them  to  in  Praclice  :  And  lo.  Compacts 
 mufl;  be  acknowledged  to  be  in  faof  a  great  Addi- 
 tion and  Strengthening  of  Mens  Security.  But 
 this  Compulfion  makes  no  alteration  in  the  Obliga- 
 Hon  it  felf ;  And  only  fliows,  that  That  entirely 
 lawlefs  State,  which  Mr  Hobbs  calls  the  State  of 
 Nature^  is  by  no  means  truly  Natural^  or  in  any 
 {^n{^  fuitable  to  the  Nature  and  Faculties  of  Man^ 
 but  on  the  contrary,  is  a  State  of  extremely  umia- 
 tural  and  Intolerable  Corruption :  As  I  fhall  pre- 
 fently  prove  more  fully  from  fome  other  Ccnfi- 
 derations, 
 
 0^2  3,  Another 
 
228 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Nattira! 
 3.  Another  notorious  Abfurdity  and  Inconfift- 
 
 ency  in  Mr  Hohbs's  Scheme,  is  this  :  That  he  all 
 along  fuppofes  Some  particular  Branches  of  the 
 Law  of  Nature,  (vvhich  he  thinks  necefTary  for 
 theFoundation  of  fome  parrs  of  his  ownDodlrine,) 
 to  be  originally  obligatory  from  the  bare  Reafon 
 of  Things  ;  at  the  lame  time  that  he  denies  and- 
 taPies  away  innumerable  others,  which  have  plain- 
 ly in  the  Nature  and  Reafon  of  things  the  fam-e 
 Founda^on  of  being  obligatory  as  the  former, 
 and  without  which  the  obligation  of  the  former 
 can  never  be  folidly  made  out  and  defended. 
 ^bus  he  fuppofes  that  in  the  State  of  Nature,  be- 
 fore any  Compad:  be  made,  eve- 
 ry ^  Man's  own  IVill  is  his  only 
 Law  ;  that  f  r.othing  a  Man  can 
 do^  is  Unjuft  ♦,  and  that  \.  whate- 
 ever  Mifchief  one  man  does  to  ano- 
 ther^ is  no  Injury  nor  Injuftice ; 
 neither  has  the  Perfon^  to  whom 
 the  Mifchief  is  done^  how  great  fo- 
 ever  it  he^  any  jiifl  Reafon  to  com- 
 plain of  Wrong  *,  (I  think  it  may 
 here  reafonably  be  prefumed, 
 that  if  Mr  Hohhs  had  lived  in  fuch 
 a  State  of  Nature,  and  had  hap- 
 pened to  be  himfelf  the  Suffering 
 Party,  he  would  in  this  cafe  have 
 been  of  another  Opinion  -.)  And 
 yet  at  the  fame  time  he  fuppofes, 
 that  in  the  fame  State  of  Nature, 
 Men  are  by  all  means  obliged  "^^ 
 lofek  Peace ^  and  f  to  enter  into 
 Compass  to  remedy  the  fore-men- 
 tioned Mifchiefs.  Now  if  Men 
 are  obliged  by  the  original  rea- 
 fon and  nature  of  things  to  feek 
 terms  of  Pcace^  and  to  get  out  of 
 
 the 
 
 *  Unicujq;  lice  hat  facer  e 
 qu-jccunq}  iidehat.  De  Clve^ 
 c.   I.  §   10. 
 
 f  Confcqucns  efl-,  ut  Nihil 
 dicendum  iir  Jnjujlum.  No- 
 mina Jufli^  Injiifti,  locum  in 
 hac  conditione  non  habcnt.  Le- 
 'viath.  c.  i^. 
 
 4-  Ex  his  fequiriir,  Injuri- 
 am  nemini  fieri  pofle,  nili  ei 
 quocum  initur  paftum. 
 ■  Siquis  alicui  noceat, 
 
 quocum  nihil  pacflus  eftj 
 dcimnum  ei  inferr,  non  Inju- 
 rsam.—'"  Etenim  fiisqui 
 damnum  recipif,  injuriam 
 expoftularet  j  is  qui  fecit  iic 
 dicerer,  quid  m  mihi?  qit:^re 
 f^cerem  ego  tuo  fot'tus,  quam 
 tneoUbituf  ^c.  In  qua  ra- 
 tione,  ubi  nulla  in'^crccfieriint 
 pa6ta,  nonvideoquid  litquod 
 podic:  reprehendi.  Be  Crue, 
 c.  3.  §.  4. 
 
 **  Primage  fundamen«-a]is 
 
 Lex  Naturx  efl,    quxrendam 
 
 eflcpacem,  ubi  haberi  poteft, 
 
 2v.c.     DeCive,  c.  z.  §  1. 
 
 f  See,  iieCive,  caf,z0^7^. 
 
and  Revealed  PvE  l  i  g  i  o  m.  229 
 
 the  pretended  statural  State  of  War^  afibon  as  they 
 can  •,  how  come  they  not  to  be  obliged  originally 
 by  the  fame  realbn  and  nature  of  things,  to  live 
 from  the  beginning  in  univerfal  Benevolence^  and  a- 
 void  enl/ing  into  the  State  of  V/ar  at  all?  He  muft 
 needs  confefs  they  would  be  obliged  to  do  fo,  did 
 not  Self-prefer-vation  necelTitate-  them  every  man 
 to  War  upon  others  :  But  this  cannot  be  true  of 
 the  firjl  Aggrejfor ',  whom  "yet  Mr  Hobbs,  in  the 
 t    place    now    cited,     vindicates 
 
 from  being  guilty  of  any  Inju-        f  Exhlsfequlrur,  Injuriam 
 flice:    And  therefore    herein 'he     nemmi  fieri  poile,  d^. 
 unavoidably  contradidls   himfelf. 
 Thus  again  •,  in  ??wft  infcances  of  Morality,  he  fup- 
 pofes  Right  andJVrong.,  Jiijt  and  Unjuft  to  have  no    .  ^ 
 
 Foundation  in  the  Nature  of  Things,    but  to  de- 
 pend entirely  on  pofitive  Laws  -, 
 
 that  "^  the  Rules  or  Biftin^fions  cf  *  Ke^^MhshoniUmdi,  jnfli 
 Good  and  Evil^  Honsil  and  B'lPoo-  &  /wj«/?^'  honefti  iz  inhomjii, 
 neft,  are   mere  civil  Conftitutlons -,     cffeiegcs  civilcsj  kieoqi  quod 
 
 ■^  7       7  1     r^i-  r    -h^     -n  JcPillator   prxceperit,    iJ  pro 
 
 and  whatever  the  Lhiej  Magiltrate  iouo;  quod  vctuerit,  id  pro 
 Commands^  is  to  he  accounted  Good-,  ?;;?/o  habendum  efTe,  DeCive, 
 whatever  he  forbids ^  Evil :  that  f     '^'  I?"  \\\^.    .  n      ,  •  .  ^ 
 
 'lis  the  Law    of    the    Land    onf),      fit,  a  jure  imperantis  pi-ove- 
 
 which  makes   Rohher'j  to  he  Robhe-  nit.    Re^es  kgitimi  quc&im- 
 
 rv,    or   Adulter '^^    to    he  Adultery  :  perant,  juftafaciunc  imperan- 
 
 /    ^     vx     ^7       •/>               J         .       ^  C05   qu:^  vetant,    verando  ta- 
 
 that    ^^    the   Commandments,    to  ^iunt  injufta.    De   Crue,  c. 
 
 Honour   our    Parents^      to   do    no  12.  §1.    [In  which  Seftion 
 
 Murder^  not  to  commit  Adultery  ,  ''is   worth  obferving,   how 
 
 and  all  the  other  La-ws  of  God  and  ':^Jt^\,  "S^X 
 
 {Dabisfervo  tuo  cor  docile^  ut 
 f'^JJIt  Difcerr^ere  Inter  honum  ^  mclum,)  to  fignify,  not  his  UndeyJJanding 
 or  Difcern'wg,  but  his  Decreeing  what  fi  ail  be  good,  and  what  evil.] 
 
 -f-  Si  tamen  Lex  civilis  jubeat  invadereaiiquidj  noneflillud  Furtuiny  Adnl- 
 terium,  &:c.     De  Cive,  c.  14.  §  10. 
 
 **  Sequitur  ergo,  legibus  illis,  non Decides,  nonM^zchabere.nonlurabercTa- 
 rentes  honorabis,  nihil  aliud  pra^cepilTe  Chriftum,  quam  ut  cives  5c  fubditi  fuis 
 Principibuj  Sc  fummis  Imperaroribus  in  quarftionibus  omnibus  circa  mmnit 
 tuumyjuum:,  alkmwh  abi^hte  obedireni.     De  Cive,  c.  17.  §  10. 
 
 0^3  Nature's 
 
•f-  Si  quxratur 
 *5uirj  civitarilir. 
 
 sn  obedien- 
 i\  imperctur 
 co- 
 ram iis  qui  id  fieri  hor.prifi- 
 cum  ciTe  putanr  j  certc  taci- 
 endiim  ell.  D<?  Qxc,  c.  if, 
 ^  18. 
 
 *  Urirerfiiircr  cc  in  cmni- 
 fcus  obedire  obiigar.iur.  De 
 CrjCy  c.  14.  §  10. 
 
 Doftrina  alia,  qi!:s  Obfdi- 
 cntix  civili  rcpagnar,  efl, 
 ijiiic quid  facia  t  Civis  qrarufu-j; 
 ior.tr a  Cotifcienthim  Jiti^ii^,  p^c- 
 gattrm  ejTe.     Levia^h.  c.  29. 
 
 Opinio  co-^um  qui  doctnt, 
 ■pcccarcjuidiics,  quoiics  muKj.i- 
 tn  Vrinatum  fueruni,  quA  j.bi 
 Jn]ujlii  xidcntur  cjj'e,  exfcq:!:ir>- 
 tuT',  8c  erronea  eft,  6c  inter 
 €35  numerandr,  qusc  obedicn- 
 tisE  civili  advcriantur.  De 
 Cive,  c.   1 2. .  §.  2 . 
 
 4-  Concjiidtnduni  cfr,  Le- 
 gem Nat  urre  fem  per  £v  ubiq; 
 ob!ig2re  in  Toro  interna,  live 
 confcicntia  ;  non  femper  in 
 Toro  exfsrno  ;  fed  turn  {q~ 
 lummodo,  cum  fecuie  id 
 iieripoflir.     De  Cize,  c.  ;. 
 
 -ff  Q^ixiitantapotentiaeft 
 ilultorum  fcntentiis  a*qj  jiil- 
 iis,  ut  eorum  futTragiis  rerum 
 natura  vertatur  5  cur  non  fan- 
 ciunt,  ut  qux  mali  perniciofnq; 
 ilint,  hubeanrur  pro  l?onis  uc 
 [alutaritus  ?  Cicero  de  Legib. 
 lib.  I. 
 
 T/je  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Nature  ;  are  jw  further  ohli gat  or  j^ 
 than  the  Civil  P Oliver  jhall  think 
 fit  to  make  them  jo  :    nay,    that  t 
 "-jvhcre  the  Supreme  Auihorit'^  co7n- 
 inands  men  to  WGrjJoip  God  b^  an  I- 
 mage  or  Idcl^  in  Heathen  CoUfitries, 
 (for  in  this  indance  he  cautioufly 
 excepts  Chriilian  ones,)    ^tis  law- 
 ful and  their  Duty  to  do  it :    and 
 ^agreeably,  as  a  natural  Conie- 
 qucnce  to  all  This,)    that  *  'tis 
 mens  pcfitive  Duty  to  obey  the  Com- 
 mands  of    the  Civil  Power  in  all 
 things^    even  in    things  clearly  and 
 direBly   againfi   their    Ccnfcience  *, 
 Cthat  is,    that  'tis  their   pcfitive 
 Duty  to  do  That,    which  at   the 
 fame  time  thay  know  plainly  'tis 
 then*  Duty  ?iot  to  do  :)    4.  Keeping 
 up   indeed  always    in    their    own 
 Minds^  an  inward  defire  to  obferve- 
 the  Laws  of  Nature  and  Confidence  ; 
 hut  not  being  bound  to  obferve  them 
 in  their  Gutward  A'cfions^    except 
 when     His  fife  fio    to   do  :     fHe 
 might  as  well  have  faid,  that  Hu- 
 mane  Laws    and    Conilitutions 
 have  It  Power  to  miake  Light  be 
 Barknefis^  and  Darknefis  Light ;  to. 
 
 make  Sweet  be  Bitter^  and  Bitter 
 Sweet :  And  indeed,  as  one  Ab- 
 furdity  w^ill  naturally  lead  a  man 
 into  another,  he  does  fay  fome- 
 thing  very  like  it ;  namely  that 
 -k  De  Give,  ¥  the  CivH  AuthoAty  is  to  judge  ofi  all  Opinions  and 
 
 •j- 1  hi  J. 
 
 17'  § 
 
 '  ^^'Dcotrines  whatfioever  ',  to  t  determine  S>u  eft  ions  Phi- 
 f^Jofiophicaly  Mathematical -■>  and^  becaufe  indeed  the 
 
 fjgnifica- 
 
23T 
 
 Ibid. 
 
 and  Revealed  Religion. 
 
 llgnlfication  of  Words  is  arbitrary,  even  ^  Arilh-* 
 met'ical  ones  alfo  -,  as,  whether  a  man  fuall  prejume'^^'  ^  ^' 
 to  affirm  that  Tzvo  and  'Three  make  Five  or  not :)  And 
 yet  at  the  fame  time,  So?ne  particular  things,  which 
 it  would  either  have  been  too  flagrantly  fcanda- 
 lous  for  him  to  have  made  depending  upon  hu- 
 mane Laws  •,  as  that  f  God  is  to 
 he  Loved^  Honoured  and  Adored  j 
 that  \.  a  man  ought  not  to  Murder 
 bis  Parents ;  and  the  like :  Or 
 ^\{t^  wdiich  were  of  NecelTity  to 
 be  fuppofed  for  the  Foundation 
 of  his  own  Scheme  ;  as  that  "^"^ 
 Compauls  ought  to  be  faithfully  per- 
 formed^ and  Obedience  f  to  be  duly 
 paid  to  Civil  Powers :  The  Obli- 
 gation of  Thefe  Things^  he  is  for- 
 ced to  deduce  ir^tirely  from  the 
 internal  Reafon  and  Fitnefs  of  the 
 Things  themfelves  ;  ^  antecedent 
 to,  independent  upon,  and  unalte- 
 rable by  all  Humane  Conllituti- 
 ons  whatfoever.  In  which  mat- 
 ter, he  is  guilty  of  the  grolTell 
 Abfurdity  and  Inconfillency  that 
 can  be.  For  if  thofe  greatefh  and 
 ftrongefl  of  all  our  Obligations  •, 
 to  Love  and  Honour  God^  for  in- 
 fbance  ;  or,  to  perform  Coinpaf^s 
 faithfully  ;  depend  not  at  all  on 
 any  Humane  Conftitution,  but 
 muib  of  NecefTity  (to  avoid  ma- 
 
 c. 
 
 -f-  Neq;  cnim  anhonorifice 
 de  Deo  fcnticndum  ^\i^  nc:q; 
 an  lit  amaiiiiiis,  rimendus,  co- 
 lendus,  cubital  i  potefl:.  Sunt 
 cnim  hxc  Rcligionum  per 
 omaesgentescommunia.  Dtf 
 liom'me-,  cap.   14,. 
 
 4-  Si  is  qui  ill m mum  habet 
 impeiium,  reipfum,  imprran- 
 tem  dico,  interiicere  aiicui im- 
 pereti  non  tenetur.  Nt-qj 
 Parentem,  &c.  cum  filius 
 mori  quam  vivereinfamisa'^qi 
 exofus  malir.  Et  alii  cafus 
 fun^  cum  mp.ndata  fa6tu  in- 
 honella  lunr,  iSlc.  De  Cive^ 
 c.  6.    §  13. 
 
 ^*  Lex  naturalis  ed  Faciis 
 fiandiim  ep,  live  Fidcm  ob- 
 lervandam  clfe.     De  Cive,  c. 
 
 3-  §  •• 
 
 f  Lex  naturalis  omnei  leges 
 ckites  jubet  okjervars.  Ibid* 
 c.  14.  §.  10. 
 
 *  Legem  Civilem,  qu:^ 
 non  lit  lata  in  contumeliam 
 Dei  {cuJHS  refpectii  ipfA  Civ!" 
 t  at  es  non  f tint  Jut  juris,  nee  di- 
 cuntur  li'ges  ferre,  dCc)  De 
 Cive,  c.  14    §  10. 
 
 Pacii  viola- io  5cg. 
 CiZ'e,  c.  3,  §  3. 
 
 See,  h 
 
 king  Obligations  reciprocally  depend  on  each  o- 
 ther  in  a  Circle)  be  confelTed  to  arife  originally 
 from,  and  be  founded  in,  the  eternal  Reafon  and 
 unalterable  Nature  and  Relations  of  Things  them- 
 felves ;  And  the  nature  and  force  of  thefe  Obli- 
 gations be  fufEciently  clear  and  evident  ^  fo  that 
 0^4  he 
 
32 
 
 f  Sccde  Che,  c.  14.  §  lo. 
 
 *  Ed  Similitudo  quxdam 
 inter  id,  quod  in  vita  commu- 
 ni  voc2rur7/,/«n^,  &  id,  quod 
 in  Schclis  loiet  sppellari  ^?- 
 [urJiim.  C^aemadmodam  c- 
 nim  is,  qui  argumcnris  co- 
 gitur  ad  n^gationem  afleitio- 
 nis  qaam  priusafTeruerat,  d.\- 
 citur  redigi  ad  Abfurdum : 
 eodem  hnodo  is,  qui  pra:  ani- 
 mi  impo'-entia  facir  vel  omir- 
 tic  id  quod  fe  non  ra<fl:urum 
 vel  non  cmiflurum  pifto  iuo 
 antepromiferat,  Injuri-zm  Ta- 
 cit :  neqj  minus  in  conrradi- 
 ftionem  incidir,  quam  qui  in 
 Scholisreduciturad  Abfurdum. 
 
 i Eft:  itaq;  7«//fW;?,     Ab- 
 
 furdit as  q'l^df^rn  in  converfa- 
 tione;  ficm  Abfurd't.<is,  Jnju- 
 mqua^dam  eft  indilputatione. 
 DeCive,  c.  ^.  §  3. 
 
 T&e  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 he  who  t  B'lfljonours  God,  or  ^ 
 ivilfidly  breaks  bis  Failb,  is  fac- 
 cording  to  Mr  Hobbs's  own  Rea- 
 foningj  g^^i^ty  of  as  great  an  Ab- 
 furdity  in  Praaife^  and  of  as 
 plainly  contradiding  the  right 
 reafon  of  his  own  Mind,  as  he 
 who  in  a  Dtfpute  is  reduced  to  a 
 necelTity  of  afierting  fomething 
 inconfiftent  with  it  felf ;  And  the 
 originalObligation  to  thefeDuties, 
 can  from  hence  only  be  difi:in6lly 
 deduced :  Then,  for  the  fiime 
 reafon,  all  the  Other  Duties  hke- 
 wife  of  natural  Rehgion  ;  fuch  as 
 univerfal  Benevolence^  Juftice^  Z- 
 quity^  and  the  like  ;  (which  I  have 
 before  proved  to  receive  in  hke 
 manner  their  Pozver  of  obliging.^ 
 from  the  eternal  Reafon  and  Re- 
 lations of  Things ,)  mufi:  needs  be  obligatory, 
 antecedent  to  any  confideration  of  pofitive  co7npati\ 
 and  unalterably  and  independently  on  all  Humane 
 Conftitutions  whatfoever  :  And  confequently  Mr 
 Hcibs's  whole  Scheme,  (both  of  a  State  of  Na- 
 ture at  firfb,  wherein  there  was  no  fuch  thing  as 
 Right  or  Wrong,  Juil  or  Unjuft,  at  all ;  and  of 
 thefe  things  depending  afterwards,  by  virtue  of 
 Compa(5]:,  wholly  and  abfolutely  on  the  pofitive 
 and  arbitrary  determination  of  the  Civil  Power  ;) 
 falls  this  way  entirely  to  the  Ground,  by  his  ha- 
 ving been  forced  to  fuppofe  fo?7ie  -particular  things 
 obligatory,  originally,  and  in  their  own  nature. 
 On  the  contrary  :  If  the  Rules  of  Right  and 
 Wrong,  Juil  and  Unjuil,  have  none  of  them  any 
 obligatory  force  in  the  State  of  Nature,  antece- 
 dent to  pofitive  Compad  ;  Then,  for  the  fame 
 Reafon,  neither  v/ill  they  be  of  any  force  after,  the 
 
 Compa(fl 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  23^ 
 
 Compad,  fo  as  to  afford  men  any  certain  and 
 real  Security  ;  (Excepting  only  what  may  arife 
 from  the  Compuljion  of  La-ivs^  and  Fear  of  PujiiJIo- 
 7nent ;  which  therefore,  it  may  well  be  fuppofed, 
 is  all  that  Mr  Hobbs  really  means  at  the  bottom.) 
 For  if  there  be  no  Obligation  of  Jufi:  and  Right 
 antecedent  to  the  Compatl  -,  then  Whence  arifes  the 
 Obligation  of  the  Compauf-  It  felf^  on  which  he 
 fappofes  all  other  Obligations  to  be  founded  ?  If, 
 before  any  Compact  was  made,  it  was  no  Injuflice 
 for  a  man  to  take  away  the  Life  of  his  Neighbour, 
 not  for  his  own  Prefervation,  but  merely  to  fatis- 
 fy  an  f  arbitrary  humour  or  plea- 
 fure,  and  without  any  reafon  or 
 provocation  at  all-.  How  comes 
 it  to  be  an  Injuflice,  after  he  has 
 made  a  Compacl,  to  break  and 
 negle6t  it?  Or  fVhat  is  it  that 
 makes  breaking  one^s  JVord^  to  be 
 a  greater  and  more  unnatural 
 Crime,  than  killing  a  Man  merely 
 for  no  other  reafon^  hut  hecaufe  no  pofttive  Com- 
 paq has  been  7nade  to  the  contrary  ?  So  that 
 ^  this  way  alfo,  Mr  Hobbs's 
 whole  Scheme  is  intirely  deilroy- 
 ed. 
 
 4.  That  State,  which  Mr  Hobbs 
 calls  the  State  of  Nature^  is  not  in 
 any  fenfe  a  Natural  State  ;  but 
 a  State  of  the  greateft,  moil  un- 
 natural, and  moll  intolerable  Cor- 
 ruption^    that  can  be   imagined. 
 
 f  Ex'  his  fequifur,  injuri- 
 2m  ncmini  fieri  poffe,  nifi  ei 
 quocum  initur  padlum.  Be 
 Give,  c.  3,  §4.  {Wioich  xokole 
 Seciionhigh.y  defewesto  be  read 
 and  well  conjidered,  cts  contain^ 
 ing  the  Secret  of  Mr  Hobbs'^ 
 whole  Scheme. 1^ 
 
 *  Itaq;  patetquod,  fiHob- 
 biana  rariocinatio  eflec  vali' 
 da,  omnis  limul  Legum  Chi- 
 imm  obligatio  collaberetur ; 
 ncc  alicer  fieri  roteft  quinea- 
 rum  vis  labeFactctur  ab  om- 
 nibus principiis,  quse  Legum 
 naturalium  vim  toilunt  aut 
 minuunti  quoniam  in  his 
 fundatur  £c  regiminis  civilis 
 au6toritas  ac  fecuriras,  &  le- 
 gum a  civitatibus  Jatarum 
 vigor.  CumterUnd.  de  Leg, 
 Kat.  pag.  303. 
 
 Etiam  extra  regimen  ci- 
 vile, a  malis  omnigenis  fimul  confideratis  tutior  erit,  qui  adiibus  externis 
 Leges  Naturic  conftanrifl'ime  obfervabiti  quam  qui,  juxta  dodrinam  Hob- 
 bianam,  vi  aut  iniidiis  alios  omnes  conando  pituoccupare,  fecuritatem  fihi 
 qujeliverit.     Id.  pag.  304. 
 
 to 
 
 For  Reafon,  which  is  the  proper 
 Nature  of  Man,  can  never  (as 
 has  been  before  fhown)  lead  men 
 
-:>  + 
 
 f  Volunt^ts  UJendi,  omni- 
 bus ineft  in  ftatu  Natures. 
 De  Che,  ^.  i .  §  4. 
 
 *  In  ftatu  na^urali,  nni- 
 cuiq;  lii:c6,7t  facere  quLYCunqj 
 
 8c  in  quoicunq 
 bid.  §  10  = 
 
 lib  e  bat. 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 to  any  thing  elfe  than  tiniverfal  Love  and  Benevo^ 
 lence  :  And  fFars^  Hatred,  and  Violence,  can  ne- 
 ver arile  but  from  extreme  Corruption,  A  Man 
 may  fometimes,  'tis  true,  in  his  own  Defenfe  be 
 neceiTitated,  in  compliance  with  the  Laws  of  Na- 
 ture and  Reafon,  to  make  War  upon  his  Fellows  : 
 But  the  firit  AggrefTours,  who  upon  Mr  Hohhs's. 
 Principles,  (that  all  Men  t  have 
 a  natural  Will  to  hurt  each  other, 
 and  that  every  one  in  the  State  of 
 Nature  has  a  ^  Right  to  do  what- 
 ever he  has  a  F/ill  to  :)  The  firfl 
 AggrefTours,  I  fay,  who  upon 
 thefePrinciples  aflault  and  violent- 
 ly fpoil  as  many  as  they  are  fu- 
 periour  to  in  Strength,  without  any  regard  to  E- 
 quity  or  Proportion;  thefe  can  never,  by  any 
 colour  w^hatfoever,  be  excufed 
 from  having  f  utterly  de-vejled 
 thmifelves  of  Humane  ISature,  and 
 having  ^  introduced  into  the 
 World,  contrary  to  all  the  Laws 
 of  Nature  and  Reafon,  the  great- 
 eft  Calamities  and  moft  unnatu- 
 ral Confufion,  that  'Mankind  by 
 the  hitrheft  Abufe  of  their  natu- 
 ral  Powers  and  Faculties,  are  ca- 
 pable of  falling  under.  Mr 
 Hohhs  pretends  indeed,  that  one 
 of  the  firft  and  moft  natural  Prin- 
 ciples of  humane  Life,  is  |  a  Dc- 
 fire   neceftarily    arifmg   in  every 
 
 f  Si.  nihil  exiftimat  con- 
 tra naturam  fieri,  hominibus 
 violandis;  quid  cum  eo  dilTc- 
 ras,  qui  cmnino  hominem 
 ex  hominc  tollat  ?  Cic.  de  Of- 
 fir.  lib.  ^.    ^      ^ 
 
 ^^   Tech   -^   S'lx-ffAcc   cuoX  ilvui 
 
 ^OL  TiXP-^  f'j  ■70^'i  v'oyjoic,,  kxX 
 CO  d'^]  TUi  d::cru' —  ^cf.<ry,ovTZjv 
 iiSicCiil  ^iXcii'uTc(,rcv,  0,  r(  Tig  ocv 
 
 Ti  io  ioi^i^i  li'zoic,.  Flito  ae 
 Leg.  lib.   10. 
 
 4-  Homines  Libcrtatis  &: 
 Dcmimi  per  naturam  amato- 
 res.     Leviath.  c  17. 
 
 Neroini  duhium  elTe  debet, 
 cuin  avidius  ferrentur  hoini- 
 r!es  narura  iiia,  fi  merus  abef- 
 Icr,  ^d  DomimtioncmQuam.  ad 
 Societatcni.  De  Cive,  c.  i. 
 §2. 
 
 man's  Mind,  of  having  Power 
 and  Dominion  over  Others  •,  and 
 that  this  naturally  impells  m,en  to 
 ufe  Force  and  Violence  to  obtain 
 it.  But  neither  is  it  true,  that 
 Men,    following  the  didlates  of 
 
 Reafoii 
 
and  Revealed  Religion'  255 
 
 Reafon   and  uncorruped  Nature,    dcfire  difpro- 
 porcionate  Power  and    Dominion    over  others  ; 
 neither,    if  it  was  natural  to  defire  fuch  Pov/er, 
 would  it  at  all  follow,  that  it  was  agreeable  to  na- 
 ture to  ufe  violent  and  hurtful  means  to  obtain  it. 
 For  fince  the  only  natural  and  good  reafon  to  de- 
 fire  Power  and  Dominion  fmore  than  what  is  ne- 
 cefiiiry  for  every  man's  Self-prefervation)  is,    that 
 the  PofTeiTor  of   fuch  Power  may  have  a  larger 
 compafs  and  greater  Abihties  and  Opportunities 
 of  doing  good,  (as  is  evident  from  God^s  exercife 
 of  perfeclly  Abfolute  Poiver  -,)    'tis  plain  that  no 
 m.an,  obeying  the  uncorrupted  Dictates  of   Na- 
 ture and  Reafon,  can  deHre  to  increafe  his  Power 
 by  fuch  deftrudtive  and  pernicious  Methods,  the 
 prevention  of  which  is  ibe  onhj  good  reafon    that 
 makes  the  Power  it  M^  truly  defirable.     All  Vio- 
 lence therefore  and  War  are  plainly  the  Effects, 
 not  of  natural  Defires,  but  of  unnatural  and  ex- 
 treme Corruption.      And  this  Mr  Hchbs  himfclf 
 unwarily  proves  againfb  himfelf,  by  thofe  very  Ar- 
 guments, whereby  he  indeavours  to  prove  that 
 War  and  Contention  is  more  natural  to  Men^  than 
 to  Bees  or  Ants.     For  his  Arguments  on  this  Head, 
 are  all  drawn  from  Mens  ufing  themfelves    (as  the 
 Animals  he  is  fpeaking  of,  can- 
 not do,)     to    t    Strive  about   Ho-  f  Homines  inter  fe  de  Ho- 
 nours  and  Dignities^    'till  the  Con-     noribus  t^  Dignitatibus  per- 
 
 tcntion    q^roWS    up  into  Hatred,    Se-      pernocontendunti    fed    Ani- 
 
 ,.  .  ^    1   TTr  V     r  ,        nnalia  ilia  [Apes  &  Formicaej 
 
 dittons  and  Wars ,    to  ^  Jejmrate     „^„  :.^^^  ^I,,q.  j^ter  Ho- 
 
 each  one  his  private  Inter  eft  from  mines  Invidia,  Odium,  Bel- 
 
 the  publick.  and  value  hi?nfelf  hiqJj-  lum,  8cc.    Levmth  c.i-j. 
 J      S            '  T               ,            i/-        ^   J         *  Inter  Animalia  illa,    Bo- 
 
 ly  above  others,    upon  getting  and  ^^^^  p,tblicum  &  privatum 
 
 engi'-ojfing  to  himfelf  more  than  his  idem  eft. Homini  autem 
 
 Fr^portion  of  the  thinos  of   Life-,  in  bonis  propriis nihil tam  ju- 
 
 ,     r    J    r  ,u        -v/         .U  ^  +  i...r  cundum  eft,  quam  quod  ali- 
 
 to   I  find  fault   with  eachottoers  enisfuntmajora.    ih, 
 
 management.^    and,    thro'  Self-con-        4.  Animantiaqujerationem 
 
 ceit^ 
 
2  3  6  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 non  habent,  nullum  defeftum     ceit^  bring  in  cont'mual  Innovation 
 
 and  dijlra^iions  ;  to  f  i?npofe  one 
 upon  another^  by  Lyes,  i'^^4lVv^^i> 
 and  Deceit,  calling  good  evil,  and  <?- 
 vilgood;  to -^  grow  envious  at  the 
 profperity  of  others,  or  proud  and 
 do7?iineering  when  the??ifelves  are  in 
 eaje  and  plenty  \  and  to  \.  keep  up 
 tolerable  Peace  and  Agreement  a.- 
 mong  the?nfelves,  merely  by  artifici- 
 al Cornpauls^  and  the  compulficn  of 
 Laws.  All  which  things,  are  fo 
 far  from  being  truly  the  Natural 
 Etfecls  and  refult  of  mens  reafon 
 and  other  Faculties  •,  that  on  the 
 contrary  they  are  evidently  fome 
 of  the  groiTeil  Abufes  and  mofi 
 unnatural  Corruptions  thereof, 
 that  any  one  who  v/as  arguing  on 
 the  oppofite  fide  of  the  queltion,, 
 could  eafily  have  chofen  to  have 
 inflanced  in. 
 5.  Lailly  :  The  chief  and  principal  x'^rgument, 
 which  is  one  of  the  main  Foundations  of  Mr 
 Hobbs's  and  his  Followers  Syftem  •, 
 namely,  that  t  God's  irrefillible 
 Power  is  the  only  foundation  of 
 his  Dominion,  and  the  only  mea- 
 fure  of  his  Right  over  hisCreatures  ; 
 and  confequently,  ^  that  every 
 Other  Being  has  juft  fo  much 
 Right,  as  it  has  natural  Power  y 
 that  is,  that  'tis  naturally  Right 
 for  every  thing  to  do  whatever  it 
 has  Power  to  do  :  This  Argu- 
 ment, I  fay,  is  of  all  his  others 
 the  mofl:  notorioufly  falfe  an4 
 abfurd.  As  may  fufficiently  ap- 
 pear 
 
 vident,  vel  videre  fe  putanr, 
 ill  adminiftratione  fuarum  re- 
 rum  pubiicarum.  Sed  in  mul- 
 titU'Hne  Hominum,  plurimi 
 funt  qui  prse  cxteris  fapere 
 exiftinianrcs,  conantur  res 
 novarej  Et  diverli  novarores 
 innovanr  divsrHs  modis  j  id 
 quod  eft  O.ift;adio  8c  bellum 
 civile.     De  Cive,   c.  j.  §.  ^ 
 
 t  Ar.imantia  ilia  verborum 
 arte  ilia  caren',  qua  hom.nes 
 aliialiis  videri  faciunt  Bonum 
 Malum,  8c  Malum  Bonum  j 
 Magnum  Parvum,  8e  Parvum 
 Magnum.     Le^i^.th.  c.  17. 
 
 *  Animalia  biuta,  quam- 
 diubenefibiefl-,  cseteris  non 
 invident:  Komo  autem  turn 
 maxime  mokfius  eft,  quando 
 otic  opibufqi  maxime  abun- 
 dat.     ihid. 
 
 i^  Coufenfio  creaturarum 
 illarum  brutaium,  naturalis 
 eft  J  homir.um  pa^litia  tan- 
 tum,  id  eft,  artiiiciofa.  De 
 Crje,  c.  5".  §  5-. 
 
 f  Regni  Divini  r.afuralis 
 jus  deriva'ur  ab  ec,  quod  D;- 
 'viȣ  FctentU  refjlere  imfojjibile 
 eft.     Leviath.  c.  31. 
 
 Iniegno  naturali,  regnan- 
 di  8c  puniendi  eos  qui  leges 
 fuas  viobnt,  jus  Deo  eft  a 
 JoU  pQte?2tia  irrefijlitili,  De 
 Cive,  c.  I  j-.  §  ^. 
 
 Ii3  quorum  Potentix  re- 
 iifti  ncn  poteft,  cc  per  ccn- 
 fecuens  Deo  omnipotent i,  jus 
 Dominandiab  ipjn  potenm  de- 
 rivatur.    Ii>id. 
 
 *  Nam  quoniam  Deus  jus 
 sd  omnia  habet  ;  8c  jus  DA 
 uihilaliud  eft  qusm  ipia  Dei 
 
and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  o  k.' 
 
 pear,    (befides  what  has  been  ^     potcntia 
 
 237 
 
 nine  fl^qukur,  u-" 
 namquainq;  rem  naruralem 
 tantam  juris  ex  na'ura  habe- 
 re, c-uantum  potent'iA  habet. 
 Spinoz..  ds  Monarch,  cap.  2. 
 [See  alfo  Jraaat.  TheoloT, 
 politic,  cap.  !<>.]  "* 
 
 t  See  CtrmberlanL  de  Le^, 
 Natufa,  locisfupracicatis. 
 
 already  faid,  of  God's  Other  Per 
 fedions  being  f  as  much  the  mea- 
 fure  of  his  Right.,    as  his  Power 
 is,)  from  this    fingle  Confiderati- 
 on.   Suppofe  the  Devii^  (for  when 
 men  run  into  extreme  impious  af- 
 fertions,  they  muft   be  anfwered 
 with  fuitable  Suppohtions  ;)  Sup- 
 pofe, I  fay,  fuch  a  Being  as  we   conceive  the  De- 
 vil to  be  *,    of  extreme  maHce,  cruelty,    and  ini- 
 quity ;  was  indued  with  fupreme  abfolute  Power, 
 and  made  ufe  of  it  only  to  render  the  World  as 
 miferable  as  v/as  poffibie,    in  the  mofl  cruel,    ar- 
 bitrary,   and  unequal  manner  that  can  be  imao-i- 
 ned  :  Would  it  not  follow  undeniably,    upon  Mr 
 Bohbs's  Scheme  ;    fince    Dominion  is  founded  in 
 Power,,  and  Pozver   is  the  meafure  of  Right.,  and 
 confequently  Abfolute  Power  gives  Abfolute  Right ; 
 that  fuch  a  Government  as  this,    would   not  only 
 be  as  much  of  Neceflity  indeed  to  be  fubmitted 
 to,  but  alfo  that  it  would  be  as  Juft  and  Right,, 
 and  1"  with  as  little  reafon  to  be  complained  of,,  as  is     f  See 
 the   prefent   Government  of   the  World  in  the  '^(^'^^^  ^^ 
 Hands  of  the  Ever-bleffed  and  infinitely  Good  God,  ?'^'^'  ^-  ^ 
 whole  Love  and  Goodnefs  and  tender  Mercy  ap-    '^* 
 pears  every  where  over  all  his  Works. 
 
 Here  Mr  Hohbs,,  as  an  unanfwerable  Argument 
 in  defenfe  of  his  Affertion,  urges  ; 
 that  I  the  only  Reafon,  why  Men 
 are  bound  to  obey  God,,  is  plain- 
 ly nothing  but  Weahiefs  or  V/ant 
 of  Power  ;  becaufe,  if  they  them- 
 felves  were  All-powerful,  'tis  ma- 
 nifed  they  could  not  be  under  any 
 Obligation  to  obey  \  and  confe- 
 quently Pozver  would  give  them 
 an  undoubted  Right  to   do  what 
 
 I  Quod  fi  jus  re^nandi 
 habeat  Deas  ab  Omnipoten- 
 tiafua,  manifedurn  eft  Obli- 
 gationem  ad  pra^ibndum  ;pil 
 obedienriam,  incumbere  ho- 
 rn inibus  propter  imhec'tlUtatem, 
 [To  exp'ain  which,  he  adds 
 in  his  Note-^'\  Si  cui  durum 
 hoc  videbirur,  ilium  rof^o  ut 
 tacita  cogirarione  conliderare 
 velir,  fi  effeiit  duo  Omnipo- 
 tcntcs,    uter  uti  obcdire  ob- 
 
 x:i\t-j 
 
2 3 8  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 ligaretur.     Confitenirur,  ere-      they  pleafecl.       Th:it  IS  tO   filV  :    If 
 do,  neutrum  neutri  obliVari.      T^/r^.^,  ^  j  ij 
 
 Ti       r  A  ivicn  were  not  created  and  denen-' 
 
 Hoc    h    veium    eft,     verum        ,  .      -'■^^  ^^^^^^^^^   aix».i  «a(^|j».ii 
 
 quoq;  eft  quod  pof^.ii.^i>w/«.''j     dent  Bemgs,  'tis  true  they  could 
 ideo  Deo  fubjsHos  ejfe,    quia     not  Indeed  be  obliged  to  the  pro- 
 
 dependent  Beings,  viz.  to  ohe-^  the 
 Will  and  Command  o^^  Another  in  things  Pofttivei 
 But  from  their  Obligation  to  the  Pradice  of  Mo- 
 ral Virtues,    of   Juilice,    Rigliteoufnefs,  Equity, 
 Holinefs,   Purity,  Goodnefs,  Benencence,  Faith- 
 fulnefs  and  Truth,  from  v/hich  Mr  HcUs  fillaci- 
 oufly  in  this  Argument,    and   moft  impioufly  in 
 his  whole  Scheme,    indeavours  f 
 t  Ut  enim  omittam  vim     ^^  dlfcharge    them^;     from  this 
 Scnaturam  Deorum  i  ne  ho-     they  couid  not  be  difcharged  by 
 mines  quidem  cenferis,  niii     ^nv  addition  of   Power  whatfoe- 
 
 smbecdU  eiknr,     futuros    be-  t>  r       i  i  t        • 
 
 r.eficos   .^  benignos    fuiffe.     ^er.     Becaule  Die    obligation  to 
 CicdeN^^t.  Deor.  lib.  I.  thefe  things,  is  not,    as  the  obli- 
 
 gation to  obey  in  things  of  arhi- 
 trar'j  and  pofitive  Conftitution,  founded  only  in 
 '  the  \Veakneis,  Subjedion,  and  Dependency  of 
 the  Perfons  obliged  •,  but  alfo  and  chiefly  in  the 
 eternal  and  unchangeable  Nature  and  Reafon  of 
 the  'things  themfelves.  For,  theie  things  are  the 
 Law  of  God  hhnfelf  \  not  only  to  \ivs>Creatiires^  but 
 alfo  to  Hhnfelf^  as  being  the  Rule  of  all  his  own 
 Actions  in  the  Government  of  the  World. 
 
 I  have  been  the  longer  upon  this  Head,  becaufe' 
 Moral  Virtue  is  the  Foundation  and  the  Sum,  the 
 EiTence  and  the  Life  of  all  true  Religion  :  For  the 
 Security  whereof,  all  pofitive  Infiitution  was  prin- 
 cipally defigned  :  For  the  Reftoration  whereof, 
 all  revealed  Religion  was  ultimately  intended  :  And 
 inconfiilent  wherewith,  or  in  oppofition  to  which,- 
 all  Dodrines  whatfoever,  fupported  by  what  pre- 
 tenfe  of  Reafon  or  Authority  foever,  are  as  cer- 
 tainly and  necefiary  falfe,  as  God  is  true. 
 '^  II.  "thott^ 
 
and  Revealed  Religion^  ^239^ 
 
 II.  l^hough  thefe  eternal  moral  Obligations  are  in- 
 deed of  themfelves  incumbent  on  all  rational  Beings^ 
 even  antecedent  to  the  confidcration  of  their  being  the 
 fofitive  Will  and  Command  of  God  -,  yet  that  which 
 moft  ftrongly  cofifirms^  andin  praolife  moft  effeLlually 
 and  indifpenfably  inforces  them  upon  us^  is  this  •,  that 
 both  from  the  P erf e^i ions  of  God^  and  the  Nature  of 
 Things^  andfro?n  fever al  other  collateral  Confiderati- 
 ons^  it  appears^  that  as  God  is  himfelf  neceffaril^ 
 jujl  and  Good  in  the  exercife  of  his  infinite  Power 
 in  the  Govermnent  of  the  whole  Worlds  fo  he  cannot 
 but  likewife  pofitivch  Require  that  all  his  rational 
 Creatures  fjould  in  their  Proportion  be  fo  too^  in  the 
 cxercife  of  each  of  their  Powers  in  their  fever  al  and 
 refpenive  Spheres.  Ihat  is :  As  thefe  eternal  7noral 
 Obligations  are  really  in  perpetual force^  merely  frora 
 their  own  'Nature^  arid  the  abftrait  reafon  of  Things ; 
 fo  alfo  they  are  moreover  the  exprefs  and  unaltera- 
 ble Will,  Command,  andhzw  of  God  to  his  Crea- 
 tures^ which  he  ca?inot  but  expeoi  Jhould^  in  obedience 
 to  his  Supreme  Authority^  as  well  as  in  compliance 
 with  the  natural  reafon  of  Things^  be  regularly  and 
 conflantly  obferved  thro^  the  whole  Creation. 
 
 This  Propofition  is  very  evident,   and  has  little 
 need  of  being  particularly  proved. 
 
 For  \fl.     The  fame  Reafons  which  prove  to  w^rytwo- 
 that  God  muft  of  NecefTity   be  himfelf  infinitely '-^^  ^^'^''-^ 
 Holy,     and  Juft,    and  Good  ;    mayiifeftly  ^xov^^^'^'fj^^^^^^^ 
 that  it  muft  alfo  be  his  Will,  that  all  his  Creatures  w"^//  and 
 fliould  be  fo  likewife,  according  to  the  Proporti-^''^^^'^^:^'^'^ 
 ons  and  Capacities  of  their  feveral  Natures,     "^l^^^t^^yti 
 there   are  eternal   and    neceffary    Difierences    oi]romfhi 
 Things,    Agreements  and   Difagreements,    Pro- ^^#'^^^'^^-''" 
 portions  and  Difproportions,  FitnefTes  and  Unfit- ^^!-^//'^^,_ 
 neffes  of  Things,  abfolutely  in  their  own  Nature  unlut.// 
 has  been  before  largely  demonftrated,     That,  with      ^ 
 
 regard 
 
240  The  Evidences  of  NntUral 
 
 regard  to  thefe  fixt  and  certain  proportions  and 
 fitneiTes  of  Things,  the  Will  of  God,  v/hich  can 
 neither  be  influenced  by  any  external  Power,  nor 
 impofed  upon  by  any  errour  or  deceit,  conftant- 
 ly  and  neceflarily  determines  it  felf  to  choofe  al- 
 ways what  in  the  whole  is  Beft  and  Fitteft  to  be 
 done,  according  to  the  unalterable  Rules  of  Ju- 
 ftice.  Equity,  Goodnefs  and  Truth  •,  has  like- 
 wife  been  already  proved.  nat  the  fame  confi- 
 derations  Ought  alfo  regularly  to  determine  the 
 Wills  of  all  Subordinate  rational  Beings,  to  ad;  in 
 conftant  conformity  to  the  fame  eternal  Rules  *, 
 has  in  like  manner  been  jfhown  before.  It  re- 
 mains therefore  only  to  prove,  that  thefe  very 
 fame  moral  Rules,  which  are  thus  of  tbemfelves 
 really  obligatory,  as  being  the  neceffary  refult  of 
 the  unalterable  reafon  and  nature  of  Things  -,  are 
 moreover  the  pofitive  JVill  and  Co 711711  and  of  God  to 
 all  rational  Creatures  :  And  confequently,  that 
 the  wilful  tranfgrefiion  or  negiecl  of  them,  is  as 
 truly  an  infolent  contempt  of  the  Authority  of 
 God,  as  'tis  an  abfurd  confounding  of  the  natu- 
 ral reafons  and  proportions  of  Things.  Now 
 this  alfo  plainly  follows  from  what  has  been  al- 
 ready laid  dov/n.  For,  the  fame  ahfohite  FerfeEli-: 
 on  of  the  Divine  Nature,  which  fas  has  been  be- 
 fore fliown)  makes  us  certain  that  God  muft  Him- 
 felf  be  of  Necefiity  infinitely  Holy,  Jufl  and 
 Good  ',  makes  it  equally  certain,  that  he  cannot 
 poflibly  approve  Iniquity  in  Others.  And  the 
 lame  Beauty^  the  fame  Excellency^  the.fame  Weight 
 and  Importance  of  the  Rules  of  everlafting  Righ- 
 teoufnefs,  with  regard  to  which  God  is  always 
 pleafed  to  make  thofe  Rules  the  Meafurc  of  all 
 his  Own  Adions  •,  prove  it  impolTible  but  he  muft 
 likewife  will  and  defire,  that  all  rational  Creatures 
 Ihould  proportionably  make  them  the  Meafure  of 
 Theirs,      Even  among  Men^    there  is  no  earthly 
 
 Father, 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  z\i 
 
 Father,  but  in  thofe  things  which  he   efleems   his 
 own  Excellencies,    defires  and  expeds  to  be  imi- 
 tated by  his  Children.     Hov/  much  more  is  it  ne- 
 cefTary  that  God^  who  is  infinitely  far  from  being 
 Jubje6l  to  fuch  PalTions  and  Variablenefs   as  frail 
 Men  are  •,  and  who  has  an  infinitely  tenderer  and 
 heartier  concern  for  the  Happinefs  of  his  Crea- 
 tures, than  mortal  Men  can  have  for  the  welfare 
 of  their  Pollerity  ;  muft  defire  to  be  imitated  by 
 his  Creatures  in  thofe  Perfedions,    which  are  the 
 Foundation  of  his  own  unchangeable  Happinefs  ? 
 In  the  exercife  of  his  Supreme  Power^    we  cannot 
 imitate  him  ;  In  the  extent  of  his  unerring  Know- 
 ledge^ we  cannot  attain  to  any  Similitude  with  him. 
 We  cannot  at  all  Thunder  ivith  a  Voice  like  Him  -,  to^xI,  o^ 
 nor  are  we  able  to  fearch  out  and  comprehend  the 
 lead  part  of  the  depth  of  his  unfathomable  IVif- 
 dom.      But   his  Holinefs  and  Goodnefs^    his  Juftice^ 
 Righteoufnefs  and  Truth  ;    thefe  things  we  can  un- 
 derftand  ;  in  thefe  things  we  can  imitate  him  ;  nay, 
 we  cannot  approve  our  felves  to  him  as  obedient 
 Children,  if  we  do  not  imitate  him  therein.     If 
 God  be  himfelf  eflentially  of   infinite  Holinefs  and 
 Purity  •,  (as,  from  the  Light  of  Nature,    'tis  of 
 all  things  mofl  manifefb  that  he  is  j)    it  follows, 
 that  'tis  impofiible  but  he  mufl  likewife  be  of  pu-  ^^^  j  ^  - 
 rer  Eyes^   than  to  behold  with  approbation  any  man- 
 ner of  hjipurity  in  his  Creatures  :  And  confequent-    - 
 ly  it  muft  needs  be  his  Will,   that  they  fhould  All 
 (according  to  the  meafure  of  their  frail  and  finite 
 NatureJ  be  Holy  as  he  is  Holy.     If  God  is  himfelf 
 a  Being  of  infinite  Juftice^  Righteoufnefs  and  Truth  i 
 it  muft  needs  be  his  Will,  that  all  rational  Crea- 
 tures, whom  he  has  created  after  his  own  Image, 
 to  whom  he  has  communicated  fome  refemblance 
 of  his  Divine  Perfedions,    and  whom  he  has  en- 
 dued with  excellent  Powers  and  Faculties  to  ena- 
 ble them  to  diftinguiih  between  Good  and  Evil ; 
 R  fhould 
 
z^i  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 fhould  imitate  him  in  the  exercife  of    thofe  glorl- 
 '  ous  Attributes,  by  conforming  all  their  Adions 
 to  the  eternal  and  unalterable  Law  of  Righteouf- 
 nefs.     If  God  is  himfelf  a  Being  of  infinite  Good- 
 Mat.v,4y.;/tyi  5  mak'wg  his  Sun  to  rife  on  the  Evil  and  on  the 
 Gc'od^  and  finding  Rain  on  the  Juft  and  on  the  Un- 
 Afts  XIV,  jufi  ;  having  never  left  hi?nfelf  wholly  without  JVit- 
 '7»  nefs^  hut  always  doing  Good,  giving  men  Rain  fro?n 
 
 Heaven  and  fruitful  Seafons,  and  filling  their  HeaHs 
 with  Food  and  Gladnefis :  It  cannot  but  be  his  Will, 
 that  all  reafonable  Creatures  fhoiild,  by  mutual 
 Love  and  Benevolence,  permit  and  afTifleach  other 
 to  enjoy  in  particular  the  feveral  Eifedls  and  Blef- 
 fings  of  the  Divine  univerfal  Goodnefs.  Laftly,  if 
 God  is  himfelf  a  Being  of  infinite  Mercy  and  Com- 
 paffion  ;  as  'tis  plain  he  bears  long  with  Men  be- 
 fore he  punifhes  them  for  their  Wickednefs,  and 
 often  freely  forgives  them  his  ten  thoufand  'Talents  : 
 Mat.  xviii.Jt;  ^^^  need  be  his  Will,  that  they  fliould  forgive 
 ^'^'  one   another  their  Z?//Wrt'^  Pence -^    being  mercifiul 
 
 Lu.vi,  3<5.one  to  another,  as  he  is  ?nercifiul  to  them  all ;    and 
 ^^^-'^^''^l 'having  Cornpajfion  each  d?/7  his  Fellow-Servants,    as 
 God  has  pit  ^  on  T^hem.      Thus  from  the  Attributes 
 of  God,  natural  Reafon  leads  Men  to  the  Know- 
 ledge of  his  iVill:  All  the  fame  Reafons  and  Ar- 
 guments, which  difcover  to  men  the  natural  Fit- 
 neffies  or  Unfit neffes  ofi  Tmngs,  and  the  neceffary  Per- 
 fel^ions  or  Attributes  of  God  •,    proving  equally  at 
 the  fame  time,  that  *  That  which 
 *  Ita  principcm  Lc-gemH-     jg  j-^^^jy  ^^^  ^^^.^  ofi  Nature,  or  the 
 lam  2c  ultimam,  mentem  elie       „      r       c  cri  -  •     •     vy 
 
 omnia  rationeautcogcntisaut  Re afio n  ofi  Things,    IS  m  like  man- 
 
 vct2ir\xisBet,Ctc,deLeg.lib  i.  net  the  I'VUl  ofi  God.     And  from 
 
 QiiiE  vis  non  modo  fenior  hence  the  Sobereft  and  moft  In- 
 
 c.V=r?;d  ^;':rirmiS  telUgent  Penons  among  the  Hea- 
 
 cselum  atq;  terras  tuentis  8c  thens  in   all  Ages,    Very  rightly 
 
 iTgentisDei.    Neq;  en im  eiTe  ^nd  wifely   Concluded,    that  the 
 
 tfr''L^.'r^Hl'^^l^nfnrn\fn;  ^cft  and  ccrtaineft  part  of  Natu- 
 
 t€ir,  ncc  ratio  div:na  non  hanc  .    .  ..\  r    v 
 
 vim  in  reais  jn-a'vifq^  fmcten-    ral  Rciigion,    which  was  ot  the 
 dh  kibere.   ihid*  greatefl 
 
f  Vis  Deos  propih'are? 
 Bo'rius  efto.  Satis  illas  coluit, 
 qui  twit  ants  ejl.     Senec.  epifl, 
 
 Kai  yoi^   a'iivov  uv  nr;,  si  Trpoq 
 
 T^aa-iv  iiKhtev    04    S-25},    uXXot   fjjn 
 
 y.VA  Si>ca.i(^  o)v  rvy^vT}'  DoAAaJ 
 72  fX/a.XMv^  oifjucci,  •/)  -sar^oc,  ruq 
 TToAvTiXiTc,  reZruq  zyofjuTTcc^  n 
 Kscl  B-t'(rUq.  Flato  in  Alcibiath 
 1. 
 
 Colitur  autem,  non  tau- 
 rorum  opimis  corporibus  con- 
 trucidatis,  nee  auro  argentove, 
 fulpenfo,  nee  in  thefaurosfti- 
 pe  intufa  j  fed  fid  ^  recia  vo-^ 
 Inntnte.     Senec.  epi ft.  ii<5. 
 
 md  Revealed  RELiGioNa  245 
 
 greateft  importance,  and  where- 
 in was  the  lead  danger  of  their 
 being  miflaken  \  was  t  to  imitate 
 the  mora}  Attributes  of  God,  by 
 a  Life  of  Hohncfs,  Righteouf- 
 nefs  and  Charity  :  Whereas  in  the 
 External  part  of  their  Worlliip, 
 there  was  nothing,  but  Uncertain- 
 ty and  Doubtfulnefs :  It  being 
 abfolutely  impofiTible,  without  ex- 
 prefs  Revelation,  to  difcover  what, 
 in  that  particular,  they  might  be 
 fecure  would  be  truly  acceptable 
 to  God. 
 
 This  Method  of  deducinor  the 
 Will  of  God,  rrom  his  Attributes ; 
 is  of  all  others  the  befl  and  clear- 
 eft,  the  certaineft  and  moft  univerfal,  that  the 
 Light  of  Nature  affords.  Yet  there  are  alfo  ("as 
 I  iaid^  fome  other  collateral  Confiderations, 
 which  help  to  prove  and  confirm  the  fam.e  thing  ; 
 namely,  that  all  moral  Obhgations,  arifmg  from 
 the  Nature  and  Reafon  of  Things,  are  likewife 
 the  pofitive  Will  and  Command  of  God.     As 
 
 2.  This  appears  in  fome  meafure  from  the  con- ^nd  from 
 fideration  of  God's  Creation.     For  God,  by  C^^-^Z^^o/'^ 
 ating  things,  manifefts  it  to  be  his  Will,  that  Things  %'^j;^^^ 
 Jhould  he  what  they  Are,     And  as  Providence  won-^/  Gods 
 derfully  preferves  things  in  their  prefent   State  -,  creatm, 
 and  all  neceffary  Agents,  by  conftantly  and  regu- 
 larly obeying  the  Lav/s  of  their  Nature,    necefi'ari- 
 ly  employ  all  their  Natural  Pov/ers  in  promoting 
 the    fame  end ;     fo    'tis  evident   it    cannot    but 
 ^  be  the  IFill  of  God^  that  all  ra- 
 tional   Creatures,    whom    he    has         -^  Mens  humana  non  po^ 
 indued  with   thofe   fmgular  Pow-       teft  non  judicare,   eile  longe 
 
 ers  and  Faculties,  of  Underftand-     ^^.^Svl'^t^rtciirh: 
 mg,    Liberty   and  Free-Choice,     minibus  datum  eft  effe,  pari- 
 R  2  whereby 
 
244  27?^  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 ter  mallet  ipfos  porro  c^ie    whereby  they  are  exalted  in  Dig- 
 
 &  valere,  hoc  c(>,  confervari      j^j^-     ^^Q^g  ^\^^  reft  of  the  Wofld  ; 
 
 t^^^:^,  Tc^o t  «^°"Jd  ^^^  ''"pi^y  ^°fe  *eir 
 
 fos  collocavit. Sic  fciii-     extraordinary   Faculties    in   pre- 
 
 cet  e  volmtate  creanM,  cog-  ferving  the  Order  and  Harmom  of 
 ^utShtr/s/Erct:  the  Creation  and  not  in  intro- 
 tern  innotefcit  cbligcitio,  qua  ducing  Vijorder  and  Lonjujton 
 tenemur  ad  inferviendum  ei-  therein.  The  Nature  indeed  and 
 dem  voluntatinota-.  Cum-  R^i^^ions,  the  Proportions  and 
 *"         '^  Dilproportions,  the  Jbitnefles  and- 
 
 UnfitnefTes  of  Things,    are  eter- 
 nal and  in  themfelves  abfolutely  unalterable  5  But 
 this  is  only  upon  Suppofition  that  the  Things  Ex- 
 ift,  and  that  they  Exifl:  in  fuch  manner  as  they  at 
 prefent  do.     Now  that  Things  Exifl  in  fuch  man- 
 ner as  they  do,  or  that  they  Exifl  at  all,  depends 
 entirely  on  the  Arbitrary  Will  and  good  Pleafure 
 of  God.     At  the  fame  time  therefore,  and  by  the 
 fame  means,  that  God  manifefls  it  to  be  his  Will 
 that  things  Ihould  Exifl,  and  that  they  fhould  Ex- 
 ifl in  fuch  Manner  as  they  do  ;    (as  by  Creating 
 them  he  at  firfl  did,    and  by  Preferving  them  he 
 flill  continually  does,    declare  it  to  be  his  Will 
 they  fliould  ;)  he  at  the  fame  time   evidently  de- 
 clares, that  all  fuch  moral  Obligations,  as  are  the 
 refult  cf   the  necejfary  Proportions  and  Relations  of 
 Ihings^  are  like  wife  His  pfitive  Will  and  Command,  ■ 
 And  confequently,  whoever  ads  contrary  to  the 
 forementioned  Reafons  and  Proportion   of  Things  ; 
 by  difljonouring  God^  by  introducing  iinjuji  and  un- 
 equal  Dealings  among  Equals^  by  defraying  bis  own 
 Beings  or  by  any  way  corrupting^  abufing^  and  mif 
 applying  the  Faculties  wherewith  God  has  endued  him  ; 
 (as  has  been  above  more  largely  explained  :)  is  un> 
 avoidably  guilty  of  TranfgrelTing   at   the    fame 
 time  the  poftive  Will  and  Command  of  Gody    which 
 in  this  manner   alfo  is  fuificiently  difcovered  and 
 made  known  to  him. 
 
 3.  The 
 
and  Revealed  Religion^ 
 
 245 
 
 3.  The  fame  thmg      ^^^^^^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^^^^  ^^  ,^,  ^,,^^,  ,/ 
 
 tnay     llkewile     further      UoraUt^  to  the  Good  and  mppincfs  of   the 
 
 appear  from    the  fol-     vhole  World. 
 lowing   Confideratioi?. 
 
 Whatever  tends  du'edly  and  certainly. to  promote 
 the  Good  and  Happinefs  of  the  Whole,    and    (as 
 far  as  is  confiftent  with  that  chief  End)    to  pro- 
 mote alfo  the  Good  and  Welfare  of  every  particu- 
 lar part  of  the  Creation  ;    muft 
 needs  be  f  agreeable  to   the  JVill 
 of   God  \    who,    being    infinitely 
 Self-fufficient  to  his  own  Happi- 
 nefs, could  have  no  other  Motive 
 to  create  things  at  all,  but  only 
 that   he   might  communicate  to 
 them   his  Goodnefs    and  Happi- 
 nefs ;  and  who  confequently  can- 
 not but  expedl  and  require,  that 
 all  his  Creatures  fhould,  accord- 
 ing to  their  feveral  Powers  and 
 Faculties,  indeavour  to  promote 
 the  fame  end.     Now  that  the  ex- 
 ad  Obfervance  of  all  thofe   mo- 
 ral Obligations,    which  have  be- 
 fore been  proved  to  arife  necefia- 
 rily  from  the  Nature  and  Relati- 
 ons of  Things  ;  (that  is  to  fay, 
 •  Living  agreeably  to  the  unalter- 
 able Rules  of  Juftice,  Righteouf- 
 nefs.  Equity  and  Truth  •,)    is  the 
 certainell  and  diredleft  means  to 
 promote  the  Welfare  and  Happinefs,    as  well  of 
 Every  Man  in  particular,  both  in  Body  and  Mind, 
 as  of  All  Men  in  genera)  confidered  with  refped 
 to  Society  •,    is  fo  very  manifell,    that  even  the 
 greateft  Enemies  of  all  Religion,  who  fuppofe  it 
 to  be  nothing  more  than  a  worldly  or  State-poli- 
 cy^  do  yet  by  that  very  fuppofition  confefs  thus 
 
 R   3  —^ 
 
 f  Dubirarinonpoteft,  quin 
 Deu5,  qui  ita  naturalem  re- 
 rum  omnium  ordinem  con- 
 ftiruit,  ut  talia  fint  aftionum 
 humanarum  confequentia  er- 
 ga  ipfos  auftores,  fecitq;  ut 
 ordinariahsec  confequentia  ^b 
 ipfis  prcefciri  poflint,  aut 
 fummacum  probabilitate  ex- 
 pcdiarij  voluerit  hxc  ab  iis 
 coniiderari,  antequam  ad  a- 
 gendum  fe  accingercntj  atq; 
 COS  his  provilis  velut  argu- 
 mentis  in  L^gum  fanftione 
 contentisdeterminari.  Cum- 
 berl.  de  Leg.Nat.pag.  228. 
 
 Reftor,  feu  Caufa  prima 
 rationalis,  cujus  voluntate  res 
 ita  dilponuntur,  ut  homi- 
 nibus  fatis  evidenter  indice- 
 tur,  A6i:us  quofdam  illorum 
 elTe  media  necefTaria  ad  finem 
 ipiis  necefTarium;  Vult  ho- 
 mines ad  lios  Adtus  obligari, 
 vel    hos  Adtus  Iwperat.    Jd, 
 
 much 
 
2^6  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 much  concerning  it.     And  indeed  This,    ^tls  not 
 
 poffible  for  any  one  to  deny.     For  the  pra6life  of 
 
 7noral  Virtue  does  f  as  plainly  and 
 
 f  Pari  fane  raMone  {ac  in     undeniably  tend  to    the  Natural 
 
 Arnhmetics       operatwmbus)     (^.^j  ^f  ^^^  World  ;  as  any  Ph^- 
 
 DoCtrinceMoralis  vejifas  tun-       ,^     iTrr<n.  7\^  w  .•     ? -r      w 
 
 datur   in   immutabili   c.ohx-    jicd  Effc^-,  OX  MathematicabJrulo, 
 
 reniia  inter  Felicitatem  lum-      is    naturally     COnfequent     tO    the 
 
 mam  quam  Hominum    vi-     Principles  on  which   it  depends, 
 
 res  aflequi  va  enr,    &  Ac^as  i  <■  l-   l  •    •  i      i      j 
 
 Benevolently  univeilaiis.    uL     and  rom  which  It  IS  regularly  de- 
 ^ag.  1^,  rived.    And  without  fuchPraaice 
 
 in  fome  degree,  the  World  can 
 never  be  happy  in  any  tolerable  meafure  :  As  is 
 fufiiciently  evident  from  Mr  Hcbbs's  own  defcrip- 
 tion  of  the  extreme  miserable  condition  that  Men 
 would  be  in,  through  the  Total  Defect  of  the 
 Praftife  of  all  moral  Virtue^  if  they  were  to  live 
 in  That  State  which  He  ftiles  (falfely  and  contrary 
 to  all  reafon,  as  has  been  before  fully  proved,) 
 the  State  of  Nature  ,  but  which  really  is  a  State  of 
 the  groOell  Abufe  and  moil  unnatural  corruption 
 and  mifapplication  of  Men's  natural  Faculties, 
 that  can  be  imagined.  For  fince  God  has  plainly 
 fo  conftituted  the  nature  of  Man,  that  they  fland 
 continually  in  need  of  each  other's  Flelp  and  Af- 
 ilftance,  and  can  never  live  comfortably  without 
 Society  and  mutual  Friendfhip  •,  and  are  endued 
 with  the  Faculcies  of  Reafon  and  Speech,  and  with 
 other  natural  Pov/ers,  evidently  fitted  to  enable 
 them  to  afliil  each  other  in  all  matters  of  Life, 
 and  mutually  to  promote  univerfal  Love  and  Hap- 
 pinefs  ;  ^tis  manifeftly  agreeable  to  nature,  and  to 
 the  IVill  of  God  who  gave  them  thefe  P'aculties, 
 that  they  fhouid  employ  them  wholly  to  this  regu- 
 lar and  good  End.  And  confequently,  'tis  on( 
 the  contrary  evident  likev/ife,  that  all  Abufe  and 
 jVlifapplication  of  thefe  Faculties,  to  hurt  and  de- 
 flroy,  to  cheat  and  defraud,  to  opprefs,  infult, 
 ^nd  domineer  over  each  other  ,  is  diredly  contra^ 
 
 1 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  24^ 
 
 ry  both  to  the  di6tates  of  Nature  and  to  the  Will 
 of  God  ;  Who,  neceilarily  doing  always  what  is 
 Beft  and  Fittefl  and  mod  for  the  benefit  of  the 
 whole  Creation,  'tis  manifefl  cannot  Will  the 
 corruption  and  deftruftion  of  any  of  his  Creatures; 
 any  otherwife  than  as  his  Preferving  their  natural 
 Faculties,  (which  in  themfelves  are  good  and  ex- 
 cellent, but  cannot  but  be  capable  of  being  abufecj 
 and  mifapplied,)  neceflarily  imphes  a  coniequenti- 
 al  PermiiTion  of  fuch  Corruption. 
 
 And  This  now,  is  the  great  Aggravation  of  the 
 Sin  and  Folly  of  all  Immorahty  •,  that  it  is  an  ob- 
 ftinate  fetting  up  the  S elf -IFill  of  frail,  finite, 
 and  fallible  Creatures;  as  in  Oppofition  to  the  e- 
 ternal  Reafon  of  Things,  the  unprejudiced  Judg- 
 ment of  their  own  Minds,  and  the  general  Go^d 
 and  F/ elf  are  both  of  Themfelves  and  their  Fellow- 
 creatures  ;  fo  alfo  in  Oppofition  to  the  IVill  of 
 the  Supreme  Author  and  Creator  of  all  Things, 
 v;ho  gave  them  their  Beings  and  all  the  Powers  and 
 F'acuities  they  are  endued  with  :  In  Oppofition  to 
 the  IVill  of  the  All-wife  Preferver  and  Governor  of 
 the  Univerfc,  on  whofe  gracious  Prote6lion  they 
 depend  every  moment  for  the  prefervation  and 
 continuance  of  their  Beings  :  And  in  Oppofition 
 to  the  Will  of  their  greateil  Benefa5lor^  to  whofe 
 Bounty  they  wholly  owe  whatever  they  enjoy  at 
 prefent,  and  all  the  Hopes  of  what  they  expe6t 
 hereafter.  This  is  the  higheft  of  all  Aggravati- 
 ons ;  The  utmoft  Unreafonahlenefs^  joyned  with 
 obfbinate  Difobedience^  and  with  the  greatefl:  Ingra- 
 titude, 
 
 III.  'Though  the  fore-ynentioned  eternal  Moral  Oh^ 
 ligations^  are  incumbent  indeed  on  all  rational  Crea- 
 tures ^  antecedent  to  an^j  refpe^i  of  particular  Reivard 
 
 R   4  GT 
 
i4S  The  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 or  PunlJJjment ;  'jet  the^  muft  certainl'j  and  neceffa^ 
 ril'j  he  attended  with  Rewards  and  Punifhments. 
 Becav.fe  the  fame  Reafons^  which  prove  God  himfelf  to 
 he  necejfarily  Juft  and  Good-,  and  the  Rules  ofJujUce^ 
 Eqt'dty  and  Goodnefs^  to  he  his  unalterahle  TVill^  Law 
 and  Command^  to  all  created  Beings ;  prove  alfo  that 
 he  cannot  hut  be  pleafed  with  and  approve  fuch 
 Creatures  as  imitate  and  ohey  hi?n  hy  ohferving  thofe 
 Rules,  and  be  difpleafed  with  fuch  as  aut  contrary 
 thereto  ;  and  confequently  that  he  cannot  hut  fome 
 way  or  other ^  make  a  fuitable  Difference  in  his  deal- 
 ings with  the7n  ;  and  manifeft  his  Supreme  Power  and 
 ahfolute  Authority^  in  finally  fupporting^  maintain^ 
 ing,  and  vindicating  effeMually  the  honour  of  thefe 
 his  Divine  haws ;  as  hecomes  the  Juft  and  Righteous. 
 Governour  and  Difpofer  of  all  ^Things. 
 
 This  Propofition  alfo  is  in  a  manner  Self-evi- 
 dent. 
 That  the        For  ift,  if  God  is  himfelf  neceflarily  a   Being 
 Fraciice  of^^^  ^as  been  before  fhown)    of  infinite  Goodnefs, 
 vlcTmu/i    J^^^^^  ^'^"^  Holinefs  :    And  if    the  fame  Reafons 
 he^attend-  "vvhich  prove  the  Neceffity  of  thefe  Attributes  in 
 ed-with      God  himfelf,  prove  moreover    fas   has  likewife 
 ■Retc^rds     \^^^^^  fhown  already,)  that  the  fame  Moral  Obli- 
 nlkments,  g^tions  muft  needs  be  his  pofitive  Will,  Law  and 
 proved    '  Command,  to  all  rational  Creatures  •,    It  follows 
 from  the    alfo  ncceffanly,  by  the  very  fame  Argument,  that 
 ^f^Gof'^  He  cannot  but  be  Pleafed  with  and  Approve  fuch 
 ^^       *      Creatures,  as  imitate  and  obey  him  by  obferving 
 thofe  Rules  •,  and  be  'Difpleafed  with  fuch,    as  adt 
 contrary  thereto.     And  if  fo  %  then  in  the  Nature 
 of  the  thing  itfelf  'tis  evident,    that  having  abfo- 
 lute  Power  and  uncontroulable  Authority,  as  be- 
 ing  Supreme    Governour    and   Difpofer    of   all 
 Things,  He  cannot  but  Signify,    by   fome  means 
 or  other,    his  Approbation  of  the  one,    and  his 
 Difpleafure  againft  the  other.      And  this  can  no 
 ^vay  be  done  to  any  effectual  purpofe,    but  by  th 
 
 Annexmg 
 
and  Revealed  K  e  l  i  g  i  o  n*  249 
 
 Annexing  of  refpedlive  Rewards  and  Punijhfjients. 
 Wherefore  if  Virtue  goes  finally  unrewarded^  and 
 Wickednefs  impunifhed  ;  then  God  never  Signifies 
 his  Approbation  of  the  one,  nor  his  Difpleafure 
 againil  the  other  -,  and  if  fo,  then  there  remains 
 no  fufficient  proof,  that  he  is  really  at  all  Pleafed 
 or  Bifpleafed  with  either  •,  And  the  confequence  of 
 That,  will  be,  that  there  is  no  reafon  to  think 
 the  one  to  be  his  JVill  and  Conunand^  or  that  the 
 other  is  forbidden  by  him  :  Which  being  once  fup- 
 pofed,  there  will  no  longer  remain  any  certain 
 evidence  of  his  own  Moral  Attributes,  Contrary 
 to  what  has  been  already  demonftrated. 
 
 2.  The  Certainty  of  Rewards  and  PunifJoments  ^^^f^om 
 in  general^    may  alfo  fomewhat  otherwife   be  de-  ^''^^^^"•f^ 
 duced  from  their  being  neceflary  to  fupport  tht  that  there' 
 Honour  of  God  and  of  his  Laws  and  Government  -^(^mddbe 
 m  the  following  manner.     'Tis  evident  we  are  ^-  J^^lJ^^r 
 bliged  in  the   higheft  Ties  of  Duty    and  ^'^'^^^-  the  uonLr 
 tude,    to  pay  all  pofTible  Honour  to  God,  from  of  God's 
 whom  we  receive  our  Being,  and  all  our  Powers  ^^'^^ '^"^ 
 and  Faculties,  and  v/hatever  clfe  we  enjoy.     Now  ^^„^^  ' 
 'tis  plain  likewife,  that  we  have  no  other  way  to 
 Honour  God,  fwhofe  Happinefs  is  capable  of  no 
 Addidon  from  any  thing  that  any  of  his  Creatures 
 are  capable  of  doing,  J  than  by  Honouring,  that  is, 
 by  Obeying,    his  Laws.       The  Honour  therefore 
 that  is  thus  done  to  his  Laws,    God  is  pleafed  to 
 accept  as  done  i?n7nediately  to  himfelf     And  though 
 we  v/ere  indeed  abfolutely  obhged  in  Duty  to  ho- 
 nour him  in   this   manner,    notwithfbanding  that 
 there  had  been  no  Reward  to  be  expelled  thereup- 
 on ;    yet  'tis  necefiary  in  the  Government  of  the 
 World,  and  well-becoming  an   infinitely  wife  and 
 good  Governour,     that  thofe  who  Honour  Him  he  i  Sam.  ii, 
 pould  Honour  •,    that  is,    jfhould  diilinguifh  them  5°' 
 with  fuitable  marks  of  his  .Favour.     On  the  con- 
 trary :  Though  nothing  that  weak  and  finite  Crea» 
 
 cures 
 
i;0  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 tures  are  able  to  do,  can  in  the  leafl:  diminifh  from 
 the  abfolute  Glory  and  Happinefs  of  God  •,  yet, 
 as  to  Us,  the  diflionouring,  that  is,  the  difobsy- 
 ing  his  Laws,  is  a  difhonouring  of  Himfelf ;  tliat 
 is,  'tis,  as  much  as  in  Us  lies,  a  defpifing  his  fu- 
 preme  Authority,  and  bringing  his  Government 
 into  Contempt.  Now  the  fame  reafon  that  there 
 is,  why  Honour  ihould  be  "paid  to  the  Lav/s  of  God 
 at  ail  •,  the  fame  reafon  there  is,  that  That  Ho- 
 nour iliould  be  vindicated^  after  it  has  been  dimi- 
 nifhed  and  infringed  by  Sin.  For  no  Law-giver 
 who  has  Authority  to  require  Obedience  to  his 
 Laws,  can  or  ought  to  fee  his  Laws  defpifed  and 
 difhonoured,  without  taking  fome  meafures  to 
 vindicate  the  Honour  of  them,  for  the  fupport 
 and  dignity  of  his  own  Authority  and  Govern- 
 ment. And  the  only  way,  by  which  the  Ho- 
 nour of  a  Law,  or  of  its  Author,  can  be  vindi- 
 cated after  it  has  been  infringed  by  wilful  Sin,  is 
 either  by  the  Repentance  and  Reformation  of  the 
 TranfgrelTor,  or  by  his  PumJJ37nent  and  Beftru^i- 
 on.  So  that  God  is  neceiTarily  obliged,  in  vindi- 
 cation of  the  Honour  of  his  Laws  and  Govern- 
 ment, to  Punifli  thofe  who  prefumptuoudy  and 
 impenitently  difobey  his  Commandments.  \Vhere- 
 fore  if  there  be  no  diftincStion  made  by  fuitable 
 Rewards  and  Punifiments^  between  thofe  who  o- 
 bey  the  Laws  of  God,  and  thofe  who  obey  them 
 not ;  then  God  fuffers  the  Authority  of  his  Laws 
 to  be  finally  trampled  upon  and  defpifed,  with- 
 out ever  making  any  Vindication  of  it.  Which 
 being  impolTible  j  it  will  follow  that  thefe  things 
 are  not  really  the  Laws  of  God,  and  that  he  has 
 no  fuch  regard  to  them  as  we  imagin.  And  the 
 confequence  of  this,  mufl  needs  be  the  denial  of 
 his  Moral  Attributes  \  Contrary,  as  before,  to 
 what  has  been  already  proved.     And  confequent- 
 
 ly 
 
and  Revealed  Religion  251 
 
 !y  the  Certainty   of  Rewards,  and  FuniJIjments  m 
 general^  is  neceflarily  eilablifhed. 
 
 IV.  'J'bGUghj  in  order  to  eftablljh  this  fu'i table  Dif- 
 ference het-ivecu    the  Fruits  or  Ejfeols  of  Virtue  and 
 Vice^  fo  reafonahle  in  itfef^  andfo  abfoLutel^  necejfary 
 for  the  Vindication  of  the  Honour  of   God ;    the  Na- 
 'ture  of   nings^    and  the  Conjlitution  and  Order  of 
 God's  Creation^  was  originally  fuch^    that   the  ohfer- 
 "vance  of  the  eternal  Rules  of  Juftice^    Eq^uity   and 
 Goodnefs^  does  indeed  of  itfelf  tend  by  dire^  and  na- 
 tural confequence  to  make  all  Creatures  happy  ;    and 
 the  contrary  Pracfife^     to  make  thetn  miferable  :    Yet 
 fince^  through  fome  great  and  general  Corruption  and 
 Depravation^  (whencefoever  That  fnay  have  arifen^) 
 the  condition  of   Men  in  this  prefeni  State  is  fuch^ 
 'that  the  natural  Order  of  things  in  this  World  is  in 
 event  7nanifeftly  perverted^    and  Virtue  and  Goodnefs 
 are  vifibly  prevented  in  great  meafure  frofn  obtaining 
 their   proper  and  due  Effe^Is  in   eftablifhing  Mem 
 Happinefs    proportionable    to    their    Behaviour  and 
 FraElife  \  therefore  His  ahfolutely  impofible^  that  the 
 whole  Viezv  and  Intent  ion  ^  the  original  and  the  final 
 Defgn^    of  God's   creating  fuch   rational  Beings  as 
 Men  are^  and  placing  them  on  this  Globe  of  Earthy 
 as  the  chief  and  principal^  or  indeed  {to  fpeak   more 
 properly)  the  only  Inhabitants^  for  whofe  fake  alone 
 this  part  at  leaf  of  the  Creation  is  inanifeftly  fitted 
 up  and  accommodated ;    '^is  ahfolutely  impojfiUe  (/ 
 fay)  that  the  whole  of  God's  Dejign  in  all  this^  fhould 
 be  nothing  more^  than  to  keep  up  eternally  a  Succejfion 
 of  fuchfhort-Uved  Generations  of  Men^  as  we  at  pre- 
 fent  are  \  and  thofe  in  fuch  a  corrupt^  confufed  and 
 diforderly  State  of  'Things^  as  we  fee  the  World  is  now 
 in  i  vjithout  any  due  obfervation  of  the  eternal  Rules 
 of '  Good  and  Evil ;  without  any  clear  and  remarka- 
 ble EffeB^  of  the  great  and  moft  7ieceffary  Difference 
 of  Things  ^  and  without  any  final  Vindication  of  the 
 
 flondPJ" 
 
55  2-  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Honour  and  Lazvs  of  Gody  in  the  proportionable  Re- 
 ward of   the  heft^    or  Punifhment  of  the  worft  of 
 Men.     Jnd  corifeqiientl^  Uis  certain  and  necejfary^  {e- 
 ven  as  certain  as  the  moral  Attributes  of  God  before 
 demonflrated^)    that  inftead   of  continuing  an  eter- 
 nal Succcffion  of  new  Generations  in  the  prefcnt  Form 
 and  State  of  Things j  there  mufi  at  fo7ne  time  or  other 
 he  fuch  a  Revolution  and  Renovation  of  'Things^  fucb 
 a  Future  State  of  exiftence  of  the  fame  Per  fans  ^    as 
 that  by  an  exaoi  diftribution  of  Rewards  and  Ruyiift:- 
 7nents  therein^    all  the  prefent  diforders  and  inequa- 
 lities may  be  fit  right  ;  and  that  the  whole  Sche?ne  of 
 Providence^  which  to  Us  who  judge  of  it  by  only  one 
 fniall  portion  of  it,  feems  now  fo  inexplicable  and  con- 
 fufed ;  7nay  appear  at  its  confumtnation^    to  he  a  de- 
 fign  worthy  of  infinite  Wifdom^    Juftice  and  Good- 
 nefis. 
 That,  ac'        I .  In  order  to  eflablifli  a  juft  and  fuitable  DifFe  - 
 tord'mg  to   rence  between  the  refpedlive  Fruits  or  EfFe6ls  of 
 TonS^^^^'^^^^^  and  Vice  ;  the  Nature  of  Things,  and  the 
 m  of  things, ^on^itution  and  Order  of  God's  Creation,    was 
 virtue  r.»^/ Originally  fuch,  that  the  Obfervance  of  the  eter- 
 rice  are     ^^\  Rules  of  Piety,    Juftice,    Equity,    Goodnefs 
 'TthLx-    ^^d  Temperance,  does  of  it  felf  plainly  tend  by 
 turd  Re-   dircol  and  natural  Confiequence,  to  make  all  Crea- 
 voarcls  ^nd  tures  happy  *,  and  the  contrary  Pradice,  to  make 
 Tunt'Jo-      them  miferable.     This  is  evident  in  general  ;    Be- 
 caufe  the  practice  of  univerfil  Virtue,    is  fin  imi- 
 tation of  the  Divine  Goodnefsj    the-  practice  of 
 That  which  is  Beft  m  the  whole ;  And  That  which 
 tends  to  the  benefit  of  the  whole^  muft  of  neceffa- 
 ry  confequence,    origin alh  and  in  its  own  ISIature^ 
 tend  alfo  to  the  benefit  of  every  individual  Part 
 of  the  Creation.     More  particularly  :  A  frequent 
 and  habitual  Contemplating  the   infinitely  excellent 
 Perfections  of  the   All-mighty  Creator,    and  All- 
 wife  Governour   of  the  World,    and  our  moft 
 bountiful  Benefadcr  ^  fo  as  to  excite  in  our  Minds 
 
 a  fuit- 
 
 tnents. 
 
and Re'vealed  Religion.'  25  J 
 
 a  fuitable   Adoration,    Love,    and  Imitation  of 
 thofe  Perfcftions :     A  regular  iinplo'jing  all  our 
 Powers  and  Faculties^    in  fuch  defigns  and  to  fuch 
 purpofes  only,  as  they  were  originally  fitted  and 
 intended  for  by  Nature  :    And  a  due  [uhjeEling  all 
 our  Appetites  and  FaJJions  to  the  Government  of 
 fober  and  modeft  Reafon :    are  evidently  the  di- 
 redefl  means  to  obtain  {uch  fettled  Peace  arJ  folid 
 SatisfaBion   of  Mind,    as    is    the   firft   Foundati- 
 on, and  the  Principal  and  mofl  necefTary  Ingredi- 
 ent of  all  true  Happinefs.     The  temperate  and  mo- 
 derate  enjoyment  of  all  the  good  things  of  this  pre- 
 lent  World,  and  of  the  pleafures  of  Life,  accord- 
 ing to  the  meafures  of   right  Reafon  and  fimple 
 Nature  ;  is  plainly  and  confefTedly  the  certaineft 
 and  moil  dire6l  Method,    to  preferve  the  Health 
 and  Strength  of  the  Body.     And  the  pradife  of  u- 
 niverfal  Jufiice^  Equity  and  Benevolence  ;    is  mani- 
 feftly  fas  has  been  before  obferved j  as  dire6t  and 
 v^dasquate  a  means  to  promote  the  general  Wellfare 
 and  Happinefs  of  Men  in  Society^    as  any  Phyfical 
 Motion,  or  Geometrical  Operation,  is  to  produce 
 its  natural  Effed.     So  that  if  All  men  were  truly 
 Virtuous,  and  pradifed  thefe  Rules  in  fuch  manner, 
 that  the  Miferies  and   Calamities  arifing  ufually 
 from  the  numberlefs  Follies  and  Vices  of  Men, 
 were  prevented  ;    undoubtedly   this  great  Truth 
 would  evidence  it  felf  vifibly  in  Fa<5t,  and  appear 
 experimentally  in  the  happy  State  and  Condition 
 of  the  World.     On  the  contrary  :  Negkof  of  God, 
 and  Infenfiblenefs  of  our  Relation  and  Duty  to- 
 wards him  ;  Ahiife  and  unnatural  mifapplic alien,  of 
 '  the  Powers  and  Faculties  of  our  Minds  -,  Inordinate 
 Appetites^  and  unbridled  ajid  furious  Pajjions  ;    ne- 
 ceiTarily  fill  the  Mind  with  Confufion^  Trouble,  and 
 Vexation.       And  Intejnperance^    naturally    brings 
 Weahicfs,   Pains,  a/idSickneffes  into  the  Body.    And 
 mutual  btjufiice  and  Iniquity  -,  Fraud,  Violence  and 
 
 Opp7rffon  \ 
 
^54 '  T^he  Evidenced?  of  Nattiral 
 
 Oppreffwn  ;  TVars^  and  Defolations ;  Murders^  Ra^ 
 pne^  and  all  kinds  of  Cruelty  \  are  ftjfficiently  plain 
 caufes  of  the  Miferies  and  Cala?n'iies  of  Men  in  So- 
 ciety.     So  that  the  original  Conftitution,  Order 
 and  Tendency  of  Things,    is  evidently  enough  fit- 
 ted and  defigned,  to  eftablifh  naturally  a  jutt  and 
 fuitable  Diiierence  in  general  between  Virtue  and 
 Vice,  by  their  refpedlive  Fruits  or  Effects. 
 Hut  that        2.  But  tho'  originally  the  Conllitution  and  Or- 
 Z7rent^^"^^^  of  God's  Creation  was  indeed  fuch,  that  Vir- 
 mrZ,  the  ttie  and  Vice  are  by  the  regular  Tendency  of  Things, 
 natural      followed  with  natural  Rewards  and  Punifliments  : 
 Order  of    y^j-  ij^  Event ^    through  fome  great  and  general 
 L^^^/^)."^J/^  Corruption  and  Depravation,  (whencefoever  That 
 that  lice     may  have  arifen,    of   ivhich  more  hereafter  \)    the 
 often  pu-  condition  of  Men  in  the  prefent  State  is  plainly 
 ^cfeat'tro-  ^^^^'    ^^^^  ^^^''^^  natural    Order  of  things  in  the 
 fperity,  ^?;^  V/orld  is  manlfeftiy  perverted  :  Virtue  and  Good- 
 virtue  fulls  YitiS  are  vifibly  prevented  in  great  meafurc  from 
 ^^^^atJ^^  obtaining  their  proper  and  due  Effedl,    in  efla- 
 caUmities  blifhing  Mens  Happinefs  proportionable  to  their 
 of  Lfe,      Behaviour  and   Pradife  ;     and   Wickednefs  and 
 Vice    very    frequently    efcape   the    Punifliment, 
 which  the  general  nature  and  difpofition  of  Things 
 tends  to  annex  unto  it.     Wicked  Men,    by  Stupi- 
 dity, Inconfideratenefs,  and  fenfual  Pleafure,  of- 
 ten make  fhift  to  filence  the  reproaches  of  Confci- 
 ence  ;    and  feel  very  little  of  that  confufion  and 
 remorfe  of  Mind,    which  ought   naturally  to  be 
 confequent  upon  their  vitious   Pra6lifes.      By  ac- 
 cidental Strength  and  Robuftnefs  of  Conflitution, 
 they  frequently  efcape  the  natural  ill  confequences 
 of  Intemperance  and  Debauchery  ;  and  enjoy  the 
 fame  proportion  of  Plealth  and  Vigour,    as  thofe 
 who  live  up  to  the  Rules  of  flricfl  and  unblamea- 
 ble  Sobriety.     And  Injuflice  and  Iniquity,  Fraud, 
 Violence  and  Cruelty,  though  they  are  always  at- 
 tended indeed  with  fufficiently  calamitous  confe- 
 quences 
 
and  Re'vealed  Religion."  %s\ 
 
 quences  in  the  general-,  yet  the  mofl-  of  thofe  ill 
 Confequences  fall  not  always  upon  fuch  perfons  in 
 f  articular^  as  have  the  greatePc  iliare  in  the  guilt 
 of  the  Crimes,  but  very  commonly  on  thofe  that 
 have  the  leaft.  On  the  contrary  :  Virtue  and  Pie- 
 ty, Temperance  and  Sobriety,  Faithfuinefs,  Ho- 
 ncfty  and  Charity  ;  though  they  have  indeed  both 
 in  them.felves  the  true  Springs  of  Happinefs,  and 
 alfo  the  greateit  probabilities  of  outward  Caufes 
 to  concur  in  promoting  their  temporal  Profperi- 
 ty  •,  though  txhey  cannot  indeed  be  prevented  fi"om 
 atfording  a  Man  the  higheil  Peace  and  Satisfacti- 
 on of  Spirit,  and  many  other  advantages  both  of 
 Body  and  Mind  in  refpcdl  of  his  own  particular 
 Perfon  :  Yet  in  rcfpe6t  of  thofe  Advantages  which 
 the  mutual  Pra6life  of  focial  Virtues  ought  to  pro- 
 duce in  common,  'tis  in  experience  found  true, 
 that  the  Vices  of  a  great  part  of  Mankind  do  fo 
 far  prevail  againft  Nature  and  Reafon,  as  fre* 
 quently  to  opprefs  the  Virtue  of  the  Beft  ;  and 
 not  only  hinder  them  from  enjoying  thofe  publick 
 Benefits,  which  would  naturally  and  regularly  be 
 the  confequences  of  their  Virtue  ;  but  oft-times 
 bring  upon  them  the  greateil  temporal  Calamities, 
 even  for  the  fake  of  that  very  Virtue.  For  'tis 
 but  too  well  known,  that  Good  Men  are  very  of- 
 ten afflicted  and  im.poverifhed,  and  made  a  prey 
 to  the  Covetoufnefs  and  Ambition  of  the  Wick- 
 ed •,  and  fometimes  mofl  cruelly  and  malicioully 
 perfecuted,  even  upon  account  of  their  Goodnefs 
 it  felf.  In  all  which  Affairs,  the  Providence  of 
 God  feems  not  very  evidently  to  interpofe  for  the 
 Protedion  of  the  Righteous.  And  not  only  fo  ; 
 but  even  in  Judgments  alfo,  which  feem  more  im- 
 mediately to  be  inflicted  by  the  Hand  of  Heaven, 
 it  frequently  fuffers  the  Righteous  to  be  involved 
 in  the  fame  Calamities  with  the  Wicked,  as  they 
 
 are 
 
i  5  <5  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 are  mixed  together  in  Bufinefs  and  the  Affairs  of 
 the  World. 
 
 (viz.    that  there  is 
 
 3' 
 
 Which  things  being  fo 
 
 Re-wards 
 and  Pu~ 
 
 nijljments. 
 
 ihAt  there- 
 fore there  ^   plainly  in  Event  no  fufficient  diflindion  made  be- 
 
 mufi  needs  x  J  j    t--  •         i  i  i 
 
 ^^ifKmretween  Virtue  and  Vice;    no  proportionable  and 
 State  of      certain  Reward  annexed  to  the  one,   nor  Punifh- 
 ment  to  the  other,  in  this  prefent  World :)    And 
 yet  it  being  no  lefs  undeniably  certain  in  the  gene- 
 ral, as  has  been  before  fhown,    that  if  there  be  a 
 God,  (and  That  God  be  himielf  a  Being  of  infi- 
 nite Juftice  and  Goodnefs  ;    and  it  be  his  Will, 
 that  all  rational  Creatures  fhould  imitate  his  mo- 
 ral Perfections  ;  and  he  *  cannot 
 but  fee  and  take  notice  how  eve- 
 ry Creature  behaves  itfelf  j    and 
 cannot  but  be  accordingly  pleafed 
 with  fuch  as  obey  his  Will   and 
 imitate  his   Nature,    and  be  dif- 
 pleafed  with  fuch  as  ad  contrary 
 thereto  ;)  It  being  certain,  I  fay, 
 that  if  thefe  things  be  fo,    God 
 muft  needs. 
 Honour  of 
 vernment,   j 
 
 3.f^^ 
 
 fd/j 
 
 !,o\ 
 
 :^  B-io[Miin]q. — 
 Tal  i)  B-i-iCpiXiZ    oa-cc  ys  v:ro  S-i- 
 
 iecv  T  h  <7tivhoc  '^/iynTcci^  iotv  r* 
 Ij  votrcicy    K  rvr.   kAAa>  r  ootcav- 
 
 ctyec%v  Ti  TsX/jryiTii  C^a>'fU  »)  y^ 
 etTToS-ccvovl!.  'Ov  '^  ^m  VTn  yi 
 S-goJi^    "STori    UfjUiXiirxi,      'a    av 
 
 vt^^  y^  lyrtTijhuw  ^^^irvi'j  «5 
 acrov  ^woirov  kv^^^'^c^  of/jti- 
 SflS^  ^iZ,  Plato  de  Reptbl. 
 lib,  lo. 
 
 in  vindication  of  the 
 his  Laws  and  Go- 
 ignify  at  fome  time  or 
 other  this  his  Approbation  or  Dif- 
 pleafurc,  by  making  finally  a 
 fuitable  Difference  ber^^een  thofe 
 who  obey  him  and  thofe  who  o- 
 bey  him  not  :  It  follows  unavoidably,  either  that 
 all  thefe  Notions  which  we  frame  concerning  God, 
 2X^falfe\  and  that  there  is  no  Providence,  and 
 God  fees  not,  or  at  lead  has  no  regard  to  what  is 
 done  by  his  Creatures,  and  confequently  the 
 ground  of  all  his  own  moral  Attributes  is  taken 
 away,  and  even  his  Being  it  felf ;  or  elfe  that  there 
 muil  neceffarily  be  a  Future  State  of  Rewards  and 
 Punifhments  after  this  Life^  wherein  all  the  pre- 
 fent difficulties  of  Providence  Ihall  be  cleared  up, 
 
 by 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  ^^'f 
 
 by  an  exaft  and  impartial  Adminifiiration  of  Ju- 
 ftice.  But  now,  that  thcfe  Notions  are  "l^rue  ; 
 that  tliere  is  a  God,  arid  a  Providence,  and  that 
 God  is  himfelf  a  Being  indued  v/ith  all  moral  Per- 
 fections, and  expedis  and  commands  that  all  his 
 rational  Creatures  Ihould  govern  all  their  A6lions 
 by  the  fame  Rules  *,  has.  been  particularly  and  di- 
 ftind-ly  proved  .already.  'Tis  therefore  diredlly 
 Demonilrated,  that  there  mull  be  a  Future  State 
 of  Rewards  and  Puniiliments.  -  Let  not  thine  heart 
 env^  Sinners^  but  he  thou  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord  all 
 the  da'j  long  -,  For  furely  there  is  a  Reward^  and 
 thine  Expe^ation  /hall  not  he  cut  off^  Prov.  xxiii, 
 17  &  18.. 
 
 4.  This  Argument  is  indeed  a  common  one  \of  the 
 but  'tis   neverthelefs  ftrongly  conclufive  and  un- "^^^'"^^^  ^'. 
 anfwerable.      So  that,    whoever  denies  a  Future J^^'^^^^^^^^ 
 State  of  Rewards  and  Punifhments,    muil  of  nt-Self-fiiffi- 
 cefiity,  by  a  chain  of    unavoidable  Confequences,  '^'f«0'  ^f 
 be  forced  to  recur  to  downright  Atheifm.      yi^Q^^rmeto 
 only  middle  Opinion  that  can  be  invented,  is  Th^it  Happnefs] 
 Affertion  of  the  Stoicks^  that  Virtue  is  Selffujfci- 
 ent  to  its  own  Happinefs,  and  a  full  Reward  to  it 
 felf  in  all  Cafes,    even  under  the  greateft  Suffer- 
 ings that  can  befal  a  man  for  its  fake.     Men  who 
 were  not  C(?r/^i;/  of  a  Future  State,  (though  Moil 
 of  them  did  indeed  believe  it  highly  probable,)  and 
 yet  would  not  give  up  the  Caufe  of  Virtue, ;    had 
 no  other  v/ay  left  to  defend  it,    than  by  alTerting 
 that  it  was  in  all  Cafes  and  under  all  Circumftan- 
 ces  abfolutely  Selffuficient  to  its  own  Happinefs  : 
 Whereas  on  the  contrary,  becaufe  it  is  manifeftly 
 Tiot  Self-fufficieiit^  and  yet  undoubtedly  the  Caufe 
 of  Virtue  is  not  to  be  given  up  ;    therefore  they 
 ought  from  thence  to  have  concluded  the  Certain- 
 ty  of  a  Future  State.     That  Virtue  is  truly  wor- 
 thy to  be  chofen,  even  merely  for  its  own  fake, 
 S  without 
 
:Z5 8  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 without  any  refped  to  any  recompenfe  or  reward  ; 
 muil  indeed  necelTarily  be  acknowledged.  But  it 
 does  not  from  hence  follow,  that  He  who  Dies 
 for  the  fake  of  Virtue,  is  really  any  more  Happ'j^ 
 than  he  that  dies  for  any  fond  Opinion  or  any  un- 
 reafonable  Humour  or  Obftinacy  whatfoever  ;  if 
 he  has  no  other  Happinefs  than  the  bare  Satisfa6t_i- 
 on  arifmg  from  the  Senfe  of  his  refolutenefs_  in 
 perfilting  to  preferve  his  Virtue,  and  in  adhering 
 immoveably  to  what  he  judges  to  be  right  ;  and 
 there  be  no  Future  State  wherein  he  may  reap 
 any  Benefit  of  that  his  refolute  perfeverance.  On 
 the  contrary,  it  will  only  follow,  that  God  has 
 made  Virtue  neceffarily  amiable,  and  fuch  as 
 Men's  Judgment  and  Confcience  can  never  but 
 choofe  -,  and  yet  that  he  has  not  annexed  to  it 
 any  fufRcient  incouragement,  to  fupport  Men  ef- 
 feaiually  in  that  Choice.  Brave  indeed  and  admi- 
 rable were  the  Things  which  fome  of  the  Philo- 
 fophers  have  faid  upon*  this  Subjeft  ;  and  which 
 fome  very  few  extraordinary  Men  (of  which  Re- 
 gulus  is  a  remarkable  InftanceJ  feem  to  have  made 
 p-ood  in  their  Pradife,  even  beyond  the  common 
 Abilities  of  humane  Nature  :  But  'tis  very  plain 
 (as  I  before  intimated)  that  the  general  Pradife  ot 
 Virtue  in  the  World,  can  never  be  fjpported  up- 
 on this  Foot  •,  It  being  indeed  neither  poffible  nor 
 truly  reafonable,  that  Men  by  adhering  to  Vir- 
 tue fhould  part  with  their  Lives, 
 *  -ovy.  h^^c^  cTTo,,  f^x-^u^m  if  *  thereby  they  eternally  de- 
 Ixoxueu,  -jrooc,  />o>5^'v  u^oxat!,^.  pj-^ygj^  thcmfelvcs  of  all  poffibih- 
 ^^vr^.-ffP^'^.^y^^''..^^^^-";;     ^    ^   receivino;  any    Advantage 
 
 'tis  true,  in  its  proper  Seat,  and 
 with  all  its  full  Effefts  and  Confequences  unhin- 
 dred,  muft  be  confeffed  to  be  xht  (oief  Good  ■,  as 
 being  truly  the  Enjoyment,  as  well  as  the  Imitati- 
 
and  Revcaleci  Religion.  ij^ 
 
 bx\  bf  God.     But,  as  the  t  Pra- 
 diice  of  it  is  circumftantiared  in     r.M''''''  ^'^^^  Y''^"''  '^T 
 
 ,  .  f,         -^^j      ,j  ,    .         ,  iibi  bonorum   culmen  vendi- 
 
 this  prelent   World,    and  in   the  cet  humanorum,  quid  hie  a- 
 
 prelent  State  of  things  ;  'tis  plain  g2>  nifi  perpcma   belJa  cum 
 
 it  is  not  itfelf  the  chief  Good,  V'''^}  "ec  exrerioribus.    fed 
 
 ,     ^       .,      .1                   4.     -^            T3  inrerioribus ;  nee  anenis,  fed 
 
 but  only  the  means  to  it ;  as  Run-  pi^ne    noflrfs   &    propriis  ? 
 
 ning  in  a  Race,  is  not  it  felf  the     Abfic  er^o,  ut  quani. 
 
 Prize,  but  the  way  to  obtain  it.  f^  i"  l^oc   bello  int-flino 
 
 iumus,    jam    nos  beatitud!- 
 mm,   ad  quam  vincendo  vo- 
 lumus  per^enire,  adeptos  efTe  crcdamus.      Jwufiin.    tie  Ctvtidte  Dei,  lib, 
 19.  f.  4. 
 
 Non  enim  virtus  ipfa  cil  Snmmum  Bonum,  {td  efFcdtrix  3c  mater  efl 
 fummi  boni  i  quoniam  perveniri  ad  iJlud  fine  virtilte  non  potelt.  La^^ht, 
 lib.  3. 
 
 5.  'Tis  theF^fore  abfolutely  impofTible,  that  the  Frow 
 whole  View  and  Intention,    the  original  and  the  ^^^^"j^.^ ^^ 
 final  Defign  of   God's  creating  fuch  rational  ^t- of  a  Future 
 ings  as  Men  are  *,  endued  with  fuch  noble  ¥2iQu\- state  is 
 ties,    and  fo  necefifarily  confcibus  of  the  eternal  y^J^'''^" 
 and  unchangeable  Differences  of  Good  and  Evil :  '  "   * 
 'Tis  abfolutely  impOifrible  (I  fay)    that   the  whole 
 Defign  of  an  infinitely  Wife  and  Juft  and  Good 
 God,  in  all  this,  fhould  be  nothing  more  than  to 
 keep  up  eternally  a  SuccelTion  of   new  Generati- 
 ons of  Men  ;  and  thofe  in  fuch  a  corrupt,  confu- 
 fed,  and  diforderly  State  of   Things,     as  we  fee 
 the  prefent  World  is  in  ;  without  any  due  and  re- 
 gular Obfervation,  of  the  eternal  Rules  of  Good 
 and  Evil  •,  without  any  clear  and  remarkable  Ef- 
 fecfl,     of  the  great  and  moft  neceiTary  Differences 
 of  things  •,    without  any  fufHcient  Difcrimination 
 of  Virtue  and  Vice,  by  their  proper  and  refpedt- 
 ive  Fruits  -,  and  without  any  final  Vindication  of 
 the  Honour  and  Laws  of  God,    in  the  proporti- 
 onable Reward  o^  the  Bell,  or  Puniiliment  of  the 
 Worfl  of  Men.       And   confequently  'tis  certain 
 and  necelTary,    feven  as  certain  as  the  moral  At- 
 tributes of  God  before  demonftrated,)    that  in- 
 S  2  '  ftead 
 
26a  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 itead  of  the  continuing  an  ?€iBernal  SiiceelTi^n''  of 
 new  Generation^in  the.  pf efenc  f  prm  anc^^tate  of 
 Things,  there  inufb  at  Ibme  time  or  other  be  fuch 
 *'a  Revohation  and  R.ciiovation  of  T-fiihgs,  fuch  a. 
 Future  State  of  exiilence  of  the  fame  Perfons,  M^ 
 that  by  an  exacft  diftribution  of  Rewards  and  Ptf* 
 niihments. therein,  all  the  prefent  Diforders  and 
 Inequalities  may  be  fet  right  ;  and  that  the  whole 
 Scheme  of  Providence,  which  to  Us  who  judge 
 of  it  by  only  one  fiiiall  Portion  of  it,  feems  now 
 fo  inexplicable  and  much  confufed  ;  may  appear 
 at  its  Confummation,  to  be  a  defign  w^orthy  of  in- 
 finite Wifdom,  Juftice  and  Goodnefs.  Without 
 this,  All  ^  comiCs  to  Nothing.  If 
 
 *  Ita  fit,  ut  ii  ab  ilia  rerum     this  Scheme    be    once    broken  ;- 
 
 Summa,  quam  fupenus  com-  ^^.j-^  jg  ^^  Juftice,  nO  Goodnefe^ 
 prehentimuis,       aberravens  ,•  ^    ,  '^         -or 
 
 omnis  ratio  inferear,&  ad  ni-  no  Order,  no  Reafon,  nor  any 
 hilum  omnia  levertantur.  thing  upon  which  any  Argument 
 jjiciwt.  lib.  7.  in  moral  Matters  can  be  founded, 
 
 left  in  the  World.  Nay,  even 
 though  we  fii ould  fet  afide  all  confideration  of 
 the  Moral  Attributes  of  God,  and  confider  only 
 his  Natural  Perfe6tions,  his  infinite  Knowledge 
 and  Wifdom,  as  Framer  and  Builder  of  the 
 World  •,  it  would  even  in  That  View  only,  ap- 
 pear infinitely  improbable,  that  God  fhould  have 
 created  fuch  Beings  as  Men  are,  and  indued  them 
 with  fuch  excellent  Faculties,  and  placed  them  on 
 this  Globe  of  Earth,  as  the  only  Inhabitants  for 
 whofe  fake  this  part  at  leafl:  of  the  Creation  is  ma- 
 nifeftly  fitted  up  and  accommodated  ;  and  all  this 
 without  any  further  Befign,  than 
 
 ^,        ".  V  t  only  for  the  m-aintainin^  a  per- 
 
 -t-  Non  enim  remere,   nee  \  f^  rr-  r    r     \      n       ,. 
 
 fortuitofatiaccreati  fumusj     petual  Succeilion  of   fuch  Ihort- 
 
 fed  profeclo  Riit  qu^edam  vis,  lived  Generations  of  Mortals,  as 
 qu^  generi  confalcret  L  ma-  ^^e  at  prefent  are  ',  to  live  in  the 
 cuodTum^elamlVi^  utmoil  confufion  and  diforder  for 
 
 fies  labores>  mm  incidcret  <f!i     a  very  fev/  Years,    and  then  Fe-* 
 
 xlih 
 
and  Revealed  P.  e  l  i  g  i  o  k.  261 
 
 rifll      eternally      into        Nothing,      mortis  malum  rempiternum. 
 
 V/hat  ^  can  be  imagined  more     C;.^V^- <^^^^A  ^'^- 1; 
 
 -  ^        ,   ^  ,  *  Si  line  caula  ei^nimur  j 
 
 yam  and.  empty?  what  more  ab-     fj  i,,  hominibus  procreandis 
 
 iurd  ?      what    more    void      of    all      proviJcntia  nulla  verfaturj  fi 
 
 Marks  of  Wifdom,  than  the  Fa-  "r^"'^  jiobifmeripfis  ac  vo- 
 brick  of  tne  World,  and  tne  Cre-  ^^^ .  r^  ^i-.U  ^^^^  ^.^^fem 
 ation  of  Mankind,  upon  this  Sup-     fiimus:  quiJ  poteft  eiTetam 
 
 pofition?    But  then,    take  in    alfo     fnpcyv.zajnm,  i^^m  inane,  t^m 
 
 tne   Confideration   of   ^he  Moral    ^^uam  mlmdusipfc?  L.r7..^ 
 
 Attributes   ot    Goci ;    vvA   it  a-     in,,  j, 
 
 mounts  (as  I  have  faidj  to  a  com- 
 
 pleat  Dcmonitration,    that  there  muft  be  a  Fu- 
 
 ture  Slate. 
 
 6.  It  may  here  at  firfl  fight  feem  to  be  a  very  ^^^^v  ^^^^ 
 ftranse  thino;,  that  throush  the  whole  Syilem  of^f?^^f-'![Z 
 
 T.T  '       1  -7-1         •  •  •         1      (jodi>not 
 
 Nature  in  the  inateriai^    in   the  inanimate^    m  they^  dearly 
 irrational  ^^-^xt  of  the  Creation,    ever^  fi'^'S'^  thing  ^«^/ p/^{' /y 
 fliould  have  in  it  {oXi  fo  many  and  fo  obvious,  fo/^^"''^  -^-^ 
 evident  and  undeniable  marks,  of  the  infinitely  .;,;^«^<,y^^^ 
 accurate  Skill  and  Wifdom    of    their  Almighty  Moral  as , 
 Creator  -,  that  from  the  brio;hteil   Star  in  the  Fir-f /^-'^  ^J^' 
 mamentOi  Heaven,   to  tne  meaneit  rebble  upon ^y,,^^^/^^ 
 the  Face  of  the  Earth,    there  is  no  one  piece  ofmrUi 
 Matter  which  does  not  afford  fuch  inftances  of 
 admirable  Artifice  and  exad  Proportion  and  Con- 
 trivance, as  exceeds  all  the  Wit  of  Man,    (I  do 
 not  fay  to  imitate,  but  evenj  ever  to  be  able  fully 
 to  fearch  out  and  comprehend  :   And  yet,  that  in 
 the  management  of    the  rational  and  fnoral  Worlds 
 for  the  fake  of  which  all  the  reil  v/as  created,  and 
 is  preferved  only  to  be  fubfervient  to  it  ;    there 
 ihould  not  in  man^  Ages  be  plain  Evidences  e- 
 nough,  either  of  the  Wifdom,  or  of  the  Jufrice 
 and  Goodnefs  of  God,  or  of  lb  much  as  the   in- 
 terpofition  of    his  divine  Providence  at  all  ;    tOt 
 convince  Mankind  clearly  and  generally  of  the 
 World's  being  under  his  immediate  Care,  Infpedi- 
 €ii  zno.  Government.      This,    I  fay,    may  indeed 
 
 S3  'at 
 
7*6^  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 at  firft  fight  feem  very  wonderful.  But  if  we  corir 
 fider  the  matter  more  clofely  and  attentively,  it 
 will  appear  not  to  be  lb  ftrange  and  aftoniihing, 
 as  we  are  apt  to  imagine.  For  as,  in  a  great  Ma- 
 chine^ contrived  by  the  skill  of  a  confummate  Ar- 
 tificer, fitted  up  and  adjuiled  with  all  conceivable 
 Accuracy  for  fome  very  difficult  and  deep-pro- 
 jedied  Dcfign,  and  polifhed  and  fine-wrought  in 
 every  part  of  it  with  admirable  nicenefs  and  dex- 
 terity ■»  any  Man  who  faw  and  examined  one  or 
 two  Wheels  thereof,  could  not  fliil  to  obferve  in 
 xhofe  fingle  parts  of  it,  the  admirable  Art  and 
 exacl  Skill  of  the  Work-man  j  and  yet  the  Ex- 
 cellency of  the  End  or  Ufe  for  which  the  whole 
 was  contrived,  he  would  not  at  all  be  able,  even 
 though  he  was  himfelf  alfo  a  skilful  Artificer,  to 
 difcover  and  comprehend,  v/ithout  feeing  the 
 Whole  fitted  up  and  put  together  :  So  though  in 
 every  part  of  the  'natural  World,  confidered  e- 
 ven  fingle  and  unconne61:ed,  the  Wiidom  of  the 
 great  Creator  fufficiently  appears  •,  yet  his  Wif- 
 dom  and  Juftice  and  Goodnefs  in  the  Difpofition 
 and  Government  of  the  7noral  World,  which  ne- 
 ccfiTarily  depends  on  the  Connexion  and  IfiTue  of 
 the  whole  Scheme,  cannot  perhaps  be  diflindly 
 .ind  fully  comprehended  by  any  Finite  and  Crea- 
 ted Beings,  much  lefs  by  frail  and  weak  and  fhort- 
 iived  Mortals,  before  the  Period  and  Accomplifh- 
 ment  of  certain  great  Revolutions.  But  'tis  ex- 
 ceedingly reafonable  to  believe,  that  as  the  Great 
 Difcoveries  v/hich  by  the  Diligence  and  Sagacity 
 of  later  Ages  have  been  made  in  Aflronomy  and 
 Natural  Philofophy,  have  opened  furprizing 
 Scenes  of  the  Power  and  Wifdom  of  the  Creator, 
 beyond  what  Men  could  pofTibly  have  conceived 
 or  imagiued  in  Former  Times  :  fo  at  the  unfold- 
 ing of  the  whole  Scheme  of  Providence  in  the 
 Conclufion  of    this  prefent  State,    Men  will  be 
 
 furprizedl 
 
mid  Revealed  Religion.  265 
 
 furprlzed  with  the  amazing  Manifeflations  of  Ju- 
 ftice  and  Goodnefs,  which  will  then  appear  to 
 have  ran  through  the  whole  Series  of  God's  Go- 
 vernment of  the  Moral  World. 
 
 This  is  the  chief  and  grcateft  Argument,  on 
 which  the  natural  Proof  of  a  Future  State  of  Re- 
 wards and  Fumjhments^  mufl  principally  be  found- 
 ed. .  Yet  there  are  alfo  feveral  other  collateral  E- 
 vidences,  v/hich  jointly  confpire  to  render  the 
 fame  Thing  extreamly  credible  to  mere  natural 
 Reafon.     As 
 
 i/,  There  is  very  great  Reafon,  even  from  xkvtofthe  im- 
 bare  Nature  of  the  Thing  it  felf,    to  believe  the^'""'^^%. 
 Soul  to  be  Immortal :  Separate  from  all  moral  p^^_°f^^^^^^''> 
 guments  drawn  from  the  Attributes  of  God  \  iindnatural 
 without  any  Confideration  of  the  general  Syflem  ^^^^fi  ^^ 
 of  the  World,    or  of  the  Univerfal  Order  and^'"'^'''-^'^' 
 Conftitution,    Connexion    and  Dependencies   of 
 Things.    The  Immortality  of  the  Soul,  has  been 
 commonly  believed  in  "^  all  Ages 
 
 and  in  all  Places,  by  the  unlearn-        *  Et  primum  quidem  om- 
 ed  part  of   all    civilized  People,     "^ ,  ^''A'^"i^',^5'    ^^-     ^'^' 
 
 I\  Lin-  .     ^     ^      Tufc.  3ue(l.  lib.  i, 
 
 and  by  the  almolt  general  con-  j  '^  j 
 fent  of  all  the  mofl  barbarous  Nations  under  Hea- 
 ven ',  from  a  'Tradition  fo  ancient  and  fo  univerfal, 
 as  cannot  be  conceived  to  owe  its  original  either 
 to  Chance  or  to  vain  Imagination,  or  to  any  o- 
 ther  Caufe  than  to  the  Author  of  Nature  Himfelf. 
 And  the  moil  learned  and  thinking  part  of  Man- 
 kind, at  all  Times  and  in  all  Countries,  where  the 
 Study  of  Philolbphy  has  been  in  any  meafure  cul- 
 tivated, have  almoft  generally  agreed,  that  'tis 
 capable  of  a  juft  Proof  from  the  abltrad:  confi- 
 deration  of  the  Nature  and  Operations  of  the  Soul 
 it  felf  That  none  of  the  known  Qualities  of  Mat- 
 ter can  in  any  poffible  Variation,  Divifion,  or 
 Comppficion,  produce  Sfrifi  and  Thought  and  Rea^ 
 S  4'^  fon  > 
 
z  64  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 fon  ;  is  abundantly  evident ;    as  has  been  demon-^. 
 I  Demon-  ftrated  in  the  former  f  Difcourfe.      That  Matter 
 tlTZni  ^^"^^^s  ^f  innumerable,  divifible,  feparable,  and 
 md  Attri-^or  the  moil  part  adually  disjoyned  Parts  j  is  ac- 
 btites  of    knowledged  by  all  Philolbphers.     That,  fince  the 
 TlfoaLt'^-  ^^^'^^^^  ^^^^  ^^'^'^"''■^^'^^^  of  the  Soul  are  the  moft  re- 
 te/to  Mr  "^ot^  ^^^d  diflant  from  all  the  known  Properties  of 
 Dodwel,    Matter^  that  can  be  imagined  ;  'tis  at  leail  a  put- 
 JevV^A    ^^"SS^^^"^^  violence  upon  our  Reafon,  to  imaagine 
 }^lls\n7 ^]^^'^^  fuperadded  by  Omnipotence  to  one  and  the 
 Replies.      fame  Subfiance  •,  cannot  eafily  be  denied.     That 
 'tis  highly  unreafonable  and  abfurd,    to  fuppofe 
 the  Soul  made  up  of  innumerable  Confcioufnefles, 
 as  Matter  \%  neceiTarily  made  up  of  innumerable 
 Parts  ;  and  on  the  contrary,  that  'tis  highly  rea- 
 fonable  to  believe  the  feat  of  nought  to  be  a  firn- 
 pie  Subfiance,    fuch  as  cannot  naturally  be  divi- 
 ded and  crumbled  into  Pieces,  as  all  Matter  is  ma- 
 nifeilly  fubje6l  to  be ;  mull  of  neceffity  be  con- 
 felTed.      Confequently  the  Soul  will  not  be  liable 
 to  be  difTolved  at  the  dilTolution  of    the  Body : 
 And  therefore  it  will  naturally  be  Immortal,      All 
 this  feems  to  follow,  at  lead  with  the  higheil  de- 
 gree of  probability,    from  the  fingle  confiderati- 
 on  of  the  Soul's  being  endued  with  Senfe^    'Thought 
 or  Confcioifnefs.     I  carnot  hnagme^ 
 ^  * ''Oy  Toi  sya/ys,  Z-ssuihc,,     faith  ^   Cjrus^    (in  that   Speech 
 ^n  r^To^^-^joTi  i^L^yy,  ^;5     which  X^/z^/^Z?^// rclatcs  he    made 
 I,  ^a-  ircc.  ^e  r'.-r.k^cxLr,,     ^o  his  Children  a  little  before  his 
 T^.B-r^Kcv.    '0'j'Hyt:o~t>}c,^^.(p^m     Death,)  that  the  Soul,   while  it  is 
 ti-cci  -4  ^vx^  iTTu^v  jo^  «(p/jfl.     f;^  tii^  Mortal  Body,    lives  ;    and 
 ^y^«T^  ^^z^  y.r^c^,^  ^.     ^^     ^j       .    J   fi.^^^^ted  from  it, 
 
 uz^a\(^  e  KxB-npU  0  vas  hcKfi'  then  It  fhould  die.  I  cannot  per- 
 J^,  ^  Wjs  ,^  (p^o-^,ixjaTcircv  £;«35  fivdde  my  felf,  that  the  Soul,  hy 
 cyms  a^ud  xen.  ^^ -^^  fefaratedfrom  this  Body  which 
 is  devoid  of  Senfe,  fljould  thereupon 
 become  itfelf  li'ke-ivife  devoid  of  Senfe :  On  the  con- 
 trary; ^  It  ferns  to  me  7nore  reafojiable  to  believe^  thaty 
 
 etfVTVV  iivai. 
 
 c-n^'-i  fl  It 
 
and  Revealed  Religion. 
 
 when  the  Mind  is  feparated  from  the  Body,  it  JhouU 
 "Then  he  come  mo  ft  of  all  fenfihle  and  intelligent :  Thus 
 He.  But  then  further  ;  if  we  take  ahb  intp  the 
 Confideration  all  the  higher  and  nobler  Faculties^ 
 Capacities  and  Improvements  of  the  Soul  *,  the  Ar- 
 gument will  ilill  become  much  iironger.  /  am 
 perfwaded,  faith  f  Cicero,  when  I 
 confider  ivith  what  Szviftnefs  of 
 'Thought  the  Soul  is  indued,  with 
 what  a  wonderful  Memory  of  Things 
 paft,  and  fore-caft  of  Things  to 
 come  ;  hozv  many  Arts,  how  many 
 Sciences,  how  mayiy  wonderful  In- 
 ventions  it  has  found  out  %  that  That 
 Nature,  which  is  Fojjeffour  of  fuch 
 Faculties,  cannot  he  Mortal,  A- 
 gain ;  The  Memory,  faith  ^  he, 
 ^ which  the  Soul  has  of  Things  that 
 have  been,  and  its  Forejight  of 
 Things  that  will  he,  and  its  large 
 Comprehenfion  of  things  that  at  pre- 
 fent  are,  are  plainly  divine  Powers : 
 Nor  can  the  IVit  of  Man  ever  in- 
 vent any  way,  hy  which  thefe  Fa- 
 culties could  'pojfibly  co?ne  to  he  in  Men,  hut  hy  imme-- 
 diate  Com?nunication  frmn  God.  Again  j  Tho'* 
 fee  not,  faith  ^  he,  the  Soul  of 
 Man,  as  indeed  neither  are  we  a- 
 hle  to  fee  God:  Tet,  as  from  the 
 V/orks  of  God  we  are  certain  of  his 
 Being  ;  fo  from  the  Faculties  of  the 
 'Soul,  its  Memory,  its  Invention, 
 its  Swiftnefs  of  Thougjot,  its  noble 
 Exercife  of  all  Virtues,  we  cannot 
 hut  he  convinced  of  its  divine  origi- 
 nal and  nature.  And,  fpeaking 
 of  the  Strength  and  Beauty  of  that  Argument, 
 which^  from  the  wonderful  Faculties  and  Capa- 
 cities 
 
 265 
 
 f  Quid  multa  ?  Sic  mihi 
 pcrfuali,  fic  lentio  i  quum 
 tanta  ceicritas  animoriim  fit, 
 tanta  memoria  prceterirorum, 
 fururorum  providentia,  tot 
 artes,  tantx  fcientice,  tot  in- 
 venta;  non  pofTe  earn  natii- 
 ram,  quce  res  cas  continear, 
 effe  mortalem.      Cic.  de  fe- 
 
 *  Quod  6c  prxterita  te- 
 neat,  &  futura  provideat,  8c 
 compledti  poiTit  prxfentiaj 
 h&c  divina  iunt.  Nee  inve- 
 nietur  unquam,  unde  ad  ho- 
 minem  venire  poffint,  nifi 
 a  Deo.  Idem.  Tufc.  ^uefl, 
 1^6.  I.  J      -^  ^ 
 
 ve 
 
 *  Mentem  hominis,  quam- 
 vis  earn  non  videas,  ut  De- 
 um  non  vides ;  tamen,  ut 
 Deum  agnofcis  ex  operi- 
 bus  ejus,  lie  ex  memoria 
 rerum  6c  inventione  &  ce- 
 leritaie  Motas,  omniqj  pul- 
 chrirudine  virtutis,  vim  di^ 
 vinam  Mentis  agnofcito.  Id. 
 ibid. 
 
66 
 
 f  Licet  con  currant  ple- 
 beii  omnes  phiiofophi,  (iic 
 cnim  ii  qui  a  Vlatone  &;  io- 
 crate  5c  ab  ilia  famij'ia  difli- 
 dent,  appellandi  vidcntur.-) 
 non  modo  nihil  unquam  ram 
 deganter  explicabupt,  ied  ne 
 hoc  quidemiprum  quam  fab- 
 tilicer  conclufum  lit  intelli- 
 gent.   Id.  Ibid. 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 cities  of  the  Soul,  concludes  it  to  be  of  an  Imma- 
 terial and  Immortal  Nature  ;  Tho^  all  the  vulgar 
 and  little  Pbilofophers  in  the  Worlds 
 faith  t  he,  (for  fo  I  cannot  hut  call 
 allfuch.,  as  dijfent  from  Plato  and 
 Socrates  and  thofe  fuperior  Geni- 
 us's^) Jhould  put  their  Heads  toge- 
 ther 5  the^J  Will  not  onl-j  never ^ 
 while  they  live^  he  ahle  to  explain 
 any  thing  fo  ?ieatly  and  elezayitly  ; 
 hut  even  'This  Argument  it  felf^  they 
 will  never  have  under  ft  anding  e- 
 nough  fully  to  perceive  and  comprehend^  how  neat 
 and  heautiful  andftrong  it  is.  The  chief  prejudice 
 againft  the  belief  of  the  Soul's  exiiling  thus  and 
 living  after  the  Death  of  the  Body  ;  and  the  Summ 
 of  all  the  Objedlions  brought  againll  this  Dodlrine 
 by  the  Epicurean  Fhilofophers  of  old,  who  deni- 
 ed the  Immortality  of  the  Soul  ;  and  by  certain 
 Atheifdcal  Perfons  of  late,  who  differ  very  little 
 from  them  in  their  manner  of  reafoning  •,  is  This  : 
 That  they  *  cannot  apprehend 
 how  the  Soul  can  have  any  Serf  or 
 Perception  ^without  theBody  where- 
 in evidently  are  all  the  Organs  of 
 Senfe.  But  neither  t  can  they  any 
 better  apprehend  or  explain  how 
 the  Soul  in  the  Body,  (that  is, 
 the  Body  it  felf,  according  to 
 their  Opinion,  j  is  capable  of 
 Sejife  or  Perception^  by  means  of 
 the  Organs  of  Senfe.  And  befides : 
 This  Arpfument,     that  the   Soul 
 
 ■^ Si  immortalis  iia- 
 
 turaanimai  eft, 
 
 Et  fentire  potcft  fecre'a  a 
 corpore  noftroi 
 
 j^t^riqi  (ut  opinor)  eam 
 fscmndum  eft  fe^fbus  au- 
 ctam  .• 
 
 At  neq;  feorfum  o- 
 
 culi,  &c.     Lucret.  lih.  2. 
 
 Quod  autem  corpus  ar.imx 
 per  i'e  ?  quae  materia  ?  uhi  co- 
 gitatio  illi?  quomodo  vifus? 
 auditus?  aut  (]ui  tangit?  qui 
 nfus  ejus?  aut  quod  fine  his 
 bonum?     Pltn.  lib.  7. 
 
 Neqi  aliud  eft  qiiidquam  cur  incrcdibilis  his  animorum  videatur  xterni- 
 t^^,  niii  quod  nequeunc  qualts  (it  avimus  v.%cam  corpors  intelligere,  6c  cogi- 
 tarione  comprehendcre.     Cic.  Tnfc.  ^ueji.  l/b.  i. 
 
 f  Quail  vero  intelligain  qualis  in  in   ipfo  corpore. ^—JVIi'ni  quiden:^ 
 
 ';a*aiam  animi  intuenti,   muiro  difliciiior  occurrit   cogitatio,  mukoq;    ob- 
 icurior,  qualis  animu:  /?;  corpore  tit,  quam  cuaiis  cumexierit.     Id.  ibtJ. 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  %^7 
 
 can  have  no  Perception,  when  all  the  ways  of  Per- 
 ception that  we  have  at  prelent  Ideas  of,  are  re- 
 moved ;  is  exactly  the  very  fame  Argunient,  and 
 no  other,  than  what  a  Man  born  blind  might  make 
 life  of  with  the  very  fame  force,  to  prove  that 
 none  of  Us  can  poflibly  have  in  our  prefent  Bo- 
 dies any  Perception  of  Light  or 
 
 Colours  ;     as   I   have    explained     .  *  i^emonjlration  of  the  Be^ 
 1      1      •     -K^  Jn  f^.^^r..^      '^S    ^"(^    Attributes   of  Goil, 
 
 more  particularly  in  the  ^  former     ^  -^        ' 
 
 Difcourfe. 
 
 This  confideration,  of  the  Soul's  appearing  mThe  natu- 
 all    Reafon    to    be  naturally  immortal^    ail brded  ^^^^/^^^'' 
 great  Pleafure  and  Satisfadion  to  the  wifeft  -^mAtinloils 
 fobereft  Men  in  the  Heathen  World  -,  was  a  great  ^"«^^^- 
 Support  under  Calamities  and  Sufferings,    efpeci- ^'"'^^^'  */ 
 ally  under  fuch  as  men  brought  upon  themfelvesf^X  w/- 
 by  being  virtuous  •,  filled  them  with  great  hopes/?r  Kea,- 
 and  comfortable  expedations  of  what  was  to  come'^^"-'- 
 hereafter  ;    and  was  a  mighty  incouragement  to 
 the  pra6life  of  all  moral  Virtue,  and  particularly 
 to  take  pains  in  fubduing  the  Body  and  keeping  it 
 in  fubjeclion  to  the  Reafon  of   the  Mind.      P'lrft^ 
 it  afforded  great  Pleafure  and  Satisfaction  to  the 
 wifefh  and  fobereft  Men  in  the  Heathen  World, 
 from   the    bare    contemplation  of  the   Thing  it 
 felf.      No   body,    faith   t    Cicero, 
 
 Jhall  ever  drive  Me  from  the  Hope  t  Sed  Me  nemo  de  Im- 
 of  Im?nortalit^  :  And,  *  //  this  Tr'^^'%^''n  "^/T""'*  ^'''• 
 ■my  opinion  concerning  the  Inmor-  *  Quod  ii  in  hoc  erro,  quod 
 iality  of  the  Soul,  Jhould  at  laft  animos  hominumimmortales 
 prove  an   Errors    'set  'tis  a  very     ^^^'  crcdam,    libenter  erroj 
 
 1  T  1  .r  1  -n  A    J  T      -n  nec  mtht   nunc  errorem,  quo 
 
 delightful  Error  ;  And  I  will  never     deleftor,   dum  vivo,   extor- 
 fiiffer  my  felf  to  he  undeceived  in  fo     queri  volo.    Uemde  fcneciute. 
 pleafing  an  Opinion,    as  long  as  I 
 live.     Secondly,  it  was  a  great  Support  to  them  un- 
 der Calamities  and  Sufferings,  efpecially  under  fuch 
 as  men  brought  upo.n  themfeives  by  beingVirtuous  : 
 
 "rhefi 
 
*  His  &  talibus  addu£lus 
 Socrates,  nee  pationum  qua:- 
 fivit  ad  judicium  capitis,  nee 
 judicibus  fuppkx  tuit;  8c 
 iupremovitxdie,  de  horipfo 
 multadiiTeruitj  Scpaucisante 
 diebus,  cum  facile  poffeceduci 
 
 c  cullodia,  noluit. Ita 
 
 cnimcenfebat,  iraqj  difieruit, 
 duas  eiTe  vias,  duplici-iq:  cur- 
 fus  animorum  ,  e  corpore 
 cxced en tium,  6c c.  id.  Tufc. 
 ^tuJlJib.  I. 
 
 See  alfo  the  Pajfage  cf  So- 
 phocles, cited  above,  p.  212. 
 
 6$  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 I'hefe  and  the  like  Contefnplatiom^ 
 faith  *  Cicero^    had  fucb  an  Effect 
 upon  Socrates,  that  when  he  was 
 tried  for  his  Life^   he  neither  defired 
 any  Advocate   to  plead  his  Caufe^ 
 nor  made  any  Supplication  to  his 
 Judges  for  Mercy  •,  and  on  the  ve- 
 ry lafi  day  of  his  Life^  made  nian'j 
 excellent  Difcourfes  upon  this  Sub- 
 jecl ;  and  a  few  days  before^  when 
 he  had  an  opportunity  offered  hi??d 
 to  have  efcaped  out  of    Prifon,    he 
 would  not  lay  hold  of  it.     For  thus 
 he  believed^    and  thus  he  taught ; 
 that  when  the  Souls  of  Men  depart  out  of  their  Bo- 
 dies^ they  go  two  different  ways  -,    the  Virtuous  to  a 
 place  of  Happinefs^    the  Wicked  and  the  Senflial  ti 
 Mifery,     "Thirdly^  it  filled  them  with  great  Hopes, 
 and  comfortable  Expedlations  of   what  v/as    to 
 come  hereafter  :    O  happy  Day^ 
 faith  t  the  good  old  Man  in  Ci^ 
 cero^  when  Ifloall  go  to  that  bleffed 
 Affembly  of  Spirits^  and  depart  out 
 of  this  wicked  and  miferably  confii- 
 fedV/orld !     Lafrly,  It  was  a  migh- 
 ty incouragement  to  the  pradtife 
 of  all  moral  Virtue,  and  particularly  to  take  pains 
 in  fubduing  the  Body  and  keeping  it  in  fabjedion 
 to  the  Reafon  of  the  Mind  :    iVe 
 ought  tofpare  no  Fains ^  faith  ^  Fla- 
 to^  to   obtain  the  Habit  of  Virtue 
 and  V/ifdom  in  this  Life  •,  for  the 
 Prize  is  noble ^  and  the  Hope  is  ve- 
 ry great.     Again;    having  reck- 
 oned up  the    temporal    Advan- 
 tages of  Virtue  in  the  prefent  World,  he  adds  ; 
 
 ■f  O  prcTclarum  diem, 
 quum  inillud  animorum  con- 
 cilium ccEtumq;  prohcdcar, 
 8c  quum  ex  hac  turba  8c  col- 
 luvione  dilccdam!  idem  de 
 Seneci. 
 
 i,  IXTTi^  Usi^dM.     PUto  in  PhsL- 
 dme. 
 
 t  But  we  have  not  yet  meyitionea 
 the  greatcfi   and  chiefeft  Rewards^ 
 
 which 
 
yoi    yivoi^;     zru'i    yj    ^toc,    ys 
 
 ^5  ocv  sI't},      Plato  Je  Ke^ubh 
 Itc?.  lo. 
 
 4-  TaZru  TOivtw  aJVv  i^i  TrXvt- 
 3-£<  aJ's   fj(/iysB-£t  7rpo(;   £x.iivcc  ec- 
 
 vsi.     Idejn.  thai. 
 
 I'vBKcc  viK'^ij  2l^to  de  Leg'ib.  lib. 
 
 and  Revealed  Religion.^  269 
 
 *which  are  fro^ofed,  to  Virtue  \  For  aB-xcc^/nXnx,^^cc^ 
 IVhat  can  he  trul'j  great ^  info  finall 
 a  proportion  of  'Time  ?  the  whole 
 Age  of  the  longefl  Liver  in  this  our 
 pre  fen  t  PForld^  being  inconfiderahle 
 and  nothing  in  comparifon  cf  Eter- 
 nit^.  And  again  •,  Thefe  things^ 
 faith  I  he,  are  nothings  either  in 
 Number  or  Greatnefs^  in  coinpari- 
 fon  with  thofe  Rewards  of  Virtue^ 
 •nnd  Fumfbments  of  Vice^  which  at- 
 tend  Men  after  J^eath.  And,  to  mention  no  more 
 places  ;  Tfhe^^  faith  "^  he,  who  in 
 the  Games  hope  to  obtain  a  Vidor^ 
 in  fuch  poor  Matters^  as F/raflling^y 
 Runnings  and  the  like  ;  think  not 
 much  to  prepare  thcmfelves  for  the 
 Conteft  by  great  Temperance  and 
 Abflinence :  And  floall  our  Scholars  "* 
 in  the  Study  of  Virtue^  not  have 
 courage  and  refolution  enough^  to  perfevere  with  Pa- 
 tience^  for  a  far  nobler  Prize  ?  Words  very  like 
 thofe  of  St.  Paul^  i  Cor.  ix,  24.  Know  ye  ?iot^ 
 •  that  they  which  run  in  a  Race^  run  'all ;  And  every 
 man  that  ftrivethfor  the  Mafiery^  is  te?nperate  in  all  . 
 things  ?  Now  they  do  it  to  obtain  a  corruptible  Crown, 
 hut  we  an  incorruptible. 
 
 2.  Another  Argument  which  may  be  u fed  mrhe  Argu 
 proof  of  a  Future  State ^    fo  far  as  to  amount  to  a  ^^^^f  for 
 very  great  probabihty  ;  is  That  necejfary  Deftre  of^^J^ 
 I?7Wtortality,  which  feems  to  be  naturally  implant-  drin>:i 
 ed  in  all  Men,    with  an  unavoidable  Concern   ^or  from  Mem 
 what  is  to  come  hereafter.    If  there  be  no  Exiilence  ^fjf^^ ^f 
 after   this  Life  \    it  will  feem  that  the  irrational  immorta- 
 Cratures,  who  always  injoy  the  prefent  Good  witli-  %• 
 out  any  Care  or  Sollicitude  for  what  may  happen 
 afterwards^    are  better  provided  for  by   Nature, 
 than  Men,  whofe  Reafon  and  Fore-fight  and  all 
 
 other 
 
270 
 
 Anothevy 
 dravpn 
 from  Mens 
 Confcience 
 or  judg' 
 ment  of 
 their   own 
 ASiions. 
 Rom.  iij 
 I4»  '>•• 
 
 Another* 
 (Iravrn 
 froin  Man's 
 heing  by  na- 
 ture an  ac- 
 countable 
 Creatms. 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 other  thofe  very  Faculties,  by  which  they  af£ 
 made  more  excellent  than  Beafts,  ferve  them,  up- 
 on this  Suppofition,  fcarcely  for  any  other  pur- 
 pole,  than  to  render  them  uneafis  and  uncertain 
 zxid  fearful  and  foUicitous  about  things  which  are 
 not.  And  'tis  not  at  all  probable,  that  God 
 Ihould  have  given  Men  Appetites^  which  were  ne- 
 ver  to  be  fatisficd ;  Defres^  which  had  no  Objcois  to 
 anfwer  them  *,  and  unavoidable  Apprehenfions^  of 
 what  was  never  really  to  come  to  pafs, 
 
 3.  Another  Argument,  which  m.ay  be  brought 
 to  prove  a  Future  State^  is  That  Confcience  which 
 all  Men  have  of  their  own  Adions,  or  That  in- 
 ward Judgment  which  they  neceffarily  pafs  upon 
 them  in  their  own  Minds  :  Whereby  they  that 
 have  not  any  Law^  are  a  haw  unto  the77if elves ^  their 
 Confcience  hearing  JVitnefs^    and  their  'Thoughts  accu- 
 
 fing  or  elfe  excufing  one  another.  There  is  no  Man,- 
 who  at  any  time  does  good  and  brave  and  gene- 
 rous things,  but  the  reafon  of  his  own  Mind  ap- 
 plauds him  for  fo  doing  ;  And  no  Man  at  any 
 time  does  things  bafe  and  vile,  difhonourable  and 
 wicked,  but  at  the  fame  time  he  condemns  him- 
 felf  in  what  he  does.  The  one  is  neceffarily  ac- 
 companied with  good  Hope,  and  Expe6tation  of 
 Reward :  The  other,  with  continual  Torment  and 
 Fear  of  Punifhment.  And  hence,  as  before,  it 
 is  not  probable,  that  God  Ihould  have  fo  framed 
 and  conflituted  the  Mind  of  Man,  as  necelTarily 
 to  pafs  upon  itfelf  a  Judgment  which  Ihall  never 
 te  verified^  and  fland  perpetually  and  unavoida- 
 bly convidled  by  a  Sentence  which  Ihall  never  he 
 confirmed. 
 
 4.  Lailly  ;  Another  Argument,  which  may  be 
 drawn  from  right  Reafon  inproof  of  a  Future  State, 
 is  this  -,  that  Man  is  plainly  in  his  Nature  an  Ac- 
 
 ■  countable  Creature^    and  capable  of  being  Judged. 
 Thofe  Creatures  indeed,  whofe  Adions  are  all  de- 
 termined 
 
a7id  Revealed  Religion.'  271 
 
 cermined  by  fomething  without  themfelves,  or  by 
 v/hat  v/e  call  mere  inftindl ;  as  they  are  not  capa- 
 ble of  having  a  Rule  given  them,  fo  'tis  evident 
 that  neither  can  they  be  accountable  for  their  Adi- 
 ons.  But  Man^  v/ho  has  intirely  within  himfelf 
 a  free  Principle  or  Power  of  determining  his  own 
 A d:ions  upon  ;?2<?ri^/ Motives^  and  has  a  Rule  gi- 
 ven him  to  av5l  by,  which  is  Right  Reafon  •,  can 
 be,  nay,  cannot  but  be,  accountable  for  all  his 
 A6lions,  how  far  they  have  been  agre^ble  or 
 dilagreeable  to  that  Rule.  Every  Man,  becaufe 
 of  the  natural  Liberty  of  his  Will,  can  and  on^H 
 to  govern  all  his  A6lions  by  fome  certain  Rule, 
 and  give  a  Reafon  Tor  every  thing  he  does.  E- 
 very  moral  Action  he  performs,  being  Free  and 
 without  any  compalfion  or  natural  neceflity,  pro- 
 ceeds either  from  fome  Good  Motive^  or  fome  Evil 
 one  ;  is  either  conformable  to  right  Reafon^  or  con- 
 trar'j  to  it  •,  is  worthy  either  of  Fraife  or  Difpraife^ 
 and  capable  either  of  Excufe  or  Aggravation,  Con- 
 fequently  'tis  highly  reafonable  to  be  fuppofed, 
 that  fince  there  is  a  Superiour  Being,  from  whom 
 we  received  all  our  Faculties  and  Powers  ;  and 
 fince  in  the  riojn  Ufe  or  in  the  Abufe  of  thofe  Fa- 
 culties, in  the  governing  them  by  the  Rule  of 
 right  Reafon,  or  in  the  negledling  that  Rule,  con- 
 fifts  all  the  moral  Difference  of  our  Adions  ; 
 there  will  at  fome  time  or  other  be  an  Examination 
 or  Inquiry  made,  into  the  grounds  and  motives 
 and  circumftances  of  our  feveral  Adions,  how  a- 
 greeable  or  difagreeable  they  have  been  to  the 
 Rule  that  was  given  us  ;  and  a  fuitable  Judg- 
 7nent  be  palTed  upon  them.  Upon  thefe  confide- 
 rations,  the  Wifefl  of  the  Antient  Heathens  be- 
 lieved and  taught,  that  the  A6lions  of  every  par- 
 ticular Perfon  ihould  all  be  ftridly  tried  and  ex- 
 amined after  his  Death,  and  he  have  accordingly  a 
 jufl   aiid  impartial  Sentence   paiTed    upon    him. 
 
 Which 
 
^7z  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Which  Dodrine  though  the  Poets  indeed  wrapt 
 
 up  in  Fables  and  obfcure  Riddles,  yet  the  v/ifell 
 
 of  the  Philofophers  had   a  better  Notion  of  it, 
 
 and  more  agreeable  to  Reafon.     From  this  JvJg- 
 
 ment^  faith  ^  Flato^    let  7w  Man 
 
 *  TcuJt-,,  ^,,  ^Ur.,  Ui  u-'u     ^ope  to  he  able  ioefcape:  For  though 
 
 pjj^rols,  ovTi  It  uxx©^  u.Tvx^<i     you  could  defcend  into  the  very  Depth 
 
 ysvoy.^vf-  27rt6lyirut  7:sfuy,vi<3^^     ^f  ^,^^  Earthy  or  flic  OH  hiqh  to" the 
 
 ^  - '  .L  t,^.,\-'L^r\.  extre7?itties  of  the  Heavens-,  -set 
 m,  ^a-vi  KU7U,  TO  7^?  ^^5  ,«ci-  jhovM  yoii  never  ejcape  the  juft 
 ^©-    ev4  h'y.)>^c<;  yivo(/jiv(^      Judgment  of  the   Gods,    either  he- 
 
 h,r^.^cci.  ^.ccr:r^<rf  'A^^.,  ^i        r^^  ^^^       r^^^  j^^^^j^^       ^^  expreffi- 
 
 «v.  siV  h'^h\  y.sva>v,  itrs  y^  iv     on   Very   agreeable    to     that   ot 
 u^ii  ^Mz^c^ivB-it-,^,  ilB-s  y^  rourm     the  Pfalmift  ;    Pfal.    cxxxix  ;  8, 
 
 707TCV.     Flato    de    Legib,   lib.      -^'  ^^.     -        ^  - 
 
 jQ^  1  ntit,    1  lay,    are  very  good 
 
 and    ftrong   Arguments  for    th© 
 
 great  probability   ot     a    Future 
 
 State:  But  That  drawn,  as  above,  from  the  con- 
 
 fideration  of  the  Moral  Attributes  of  God,  feems 
 
 to  amount  even  to  a  Demonfhration. 
 
 V.  l^hough  the  neceffity  and  indifpenfahlenefs  of  all 
 the  great  and  moral  Obligations  of  Natural  Religion^ 
 and  alfo  the  Certainty  of  a  Future  State  of  Rewards 
 and  PuniJJjments,  he  thus  in  general  deducihle,  even 
 demonflrahly,  hy  a  Chain  of  clear  and  undeniahle 
 reafoning :  Tet  (in  the  prefent  State  of  the  Worlds 
 hy  what  means  foever  it  caine  originally  to  he  fo  cor- 
 rupted ♦,  the  particular  Circumflances  whereof,  could 
 not  Now  be  certainly  known  but  hy  Revelation  -,)  fuch 
 is  the  Carelefnefs,  Inconfideratene'^s,  and  Want  of 
 Attention  of  the  greater  part  of  M.fikind;  fo  jnany 
 the  Prejudices  and  falfe  Notions  taken  up  hy  evil 
 Education  ;  fo  flrcng  and  violent  the  nnreafonable 
 Lufts,  Appetites,  and  Defires  of  Senfe  \  and  fo 
 great  the  Bhndnefs,  introduced  by  fuperfbitious  O- 
 pinions,  vitious  Cuftoms,  <^;7^  debauched  Praftifes 
 
 through^ 
 
iind  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  I  o  JT,  3^75^ 
 
 tinrough  the  World  \  that  very  Few  are  able^  in  rea- 
 lity and  effeEl^  to  difcover  thefe  things  clearly  and 
 plainly  for  themfelves  :  But  Men  have  great  need  of 
 particular  Tt2.ching^  and  7nuc hJnUru^lion',  to  con- 
 vince the?n  of  the  1  ruth,  and  Gertatnty,  and  Im- 
 portance of  thefe  things  ;  to  give  them  a  due  Senfe, 
 and  clear  and  jufi  Apprehenfioris  concerning  them  ; 
 and  to  bring  them  effectually  to  the  Pradtife  of  the 
 plainefl  and  mofl  neceffar^  Duties, 
 
 I.  There  is  naturally   in   the   greater  part  ofMenhin^ 
 Mankind,  fuch  a'prodigious  Carelefsnefs,     Inconfi-  ^\^(l  jrom 
 deratenefs  and  Want  of  Attention  \  as  not  only  hin- '!!{j''unlt 
 ders  them  from  making  ufe  of  their  Reafon,  in  i'uchjianding 
 manner  as  to  difcover  thefe  things  clearly  and  effeClu-  religious 
 ally  for  themfelves  ;  but  is  the  caufe  of  the  grojfefi  J^^""/"  ^^ 
 and  mofl  flupid  Ignorance  imaginable.      Some  feem  nTflaml 
 to  have  little  or  hardly  any  Notion  of  God  at  all  •,  ^^^m  of 
 and  More  take  little  or  no  care  to  frame  yufi  and^^'^^^^^^^ 
 worthy  Apprehenfions  concerning  him,-    concern- 
 ing the  Divine  Attributes  and  Perfections  of  his  Na- 
 ture ;  and  fbill  many  More   are  entirely  negligent 
 and  heedlefs,  to  confider  arid  difcover  what  may 
 be  his  Will,     Few  make  a  due  ufe  of  their  Natural 
 Faculties,  to  diflinguifli  rightly   the  elTential  and 
 unchangeable  Difference  between  Good  and  Evil  \      ' 
 Fewer  yet,  fo  attend  to  the  natural  Notices  which 
 God  has  given  them,  as  by  their  own  Underiland- 
 ing  to  colled,    that  What  is  Good  is  the  exprefs 
 Will  and  Command  of  God,    and  what  is_  Evil  is 
 Forbidden  by  him  ;  And  ftill   Fewer  confider  with 
 themfelves  the  PFeight    and  Lnportance   of    thefe 
 Things,  the  natural  Rewards  or  Punif!j?nents  that 
 are  frequently  annexed  in  this  Life  to   the  Pradife 
 of  Virtue  or  Vice,  arid  the  much  greater  and  cer- 
 tainer  Difference  that  ihall  be  made  between  them 
 in  a  Life  to  come.     Hence  it  is,  that  (as  Travellers 
 affure  us)  e\^en  fome  whole  Nations  feem  to  have 
 very  little  Notion  of  God,    or  at  leail  very  poor 
 
 T  and 
 
274  27)^  E  V  I  D  E  N  c  E  s  of  Natural 
 
 and  unworthy   Apprehenfions  concerning  him  i 
 and  a  very  fmall  Senfe  of  the  Obhgations  of  Mo- 
 rality •,  and  very  mean  and   obfcure  Expeftations 
 of  a  Future  State.     Not  that  God  has  any  where 
 left  himfelf  wholly  -^nthout   Wttnefs  ;    or  that  the 
 Difference  of  Good  and  Evil,    is  to  any  rational 
 Bein<^  undifcernible  ;  or  that  Men  at  any  Time  or 
 in  a  °y  Nation,  could  ever  be  firmly  and  generally 
 perfuaded  in  their  own  Minds,  that  they  penfted 
 abfolutely  at  Death  :    But  through  Sitpne  ^eglt- 
 oence  and  IVanl  of  Attention,  they  let  their  Reafon 
 (as  it  were;  fleep,  and  "^  are  deaf 
 *  Multis  r.gnis  natura  c!e.     to  the  Didates  of  common  Un- 
 clarat  quid  vdit:  ob-     derftanding  ;     and,     like    Brute 
 
 furdefcimustamenncfcioquo      gg^j^j^     minding  Only  the   things 
 
 modo,  nee  audimus.   Cc.dz     ^j^j^^  ^^e  before  their  Eyes,   never 
 '^"""''  confider  any  thing  that  is  abftraft 
 
 from  Senfe,  or  beyond  their  prefent  private  Teni- 
 poral  Interefl-.  And  it  were  well,  if,  even  in  ci- 
 vilized Nations,  this  was  not,  very  nearly,  the 
 cafe  of  too  many  Men,  when  left  entirely  to 
 themfelves,  and  void  of  particular  Inftrudion. 
 .„^  U  2.  The  greater  part  of  Mankind  are  not  only 
 
 ZlyU.   Unattentive,  and  h:irt\y  Ignorant -,  but  commonly 
 jW-«,  Wjj^      l^ave  alfo,  through  a  carelefs  and  tvU  H-Au- 
 &,'''-    cation,  taken  up  early  Prejudices,  and  many  vmn 
 andfoolifh  Notions;    which  pervert  their  natural 
 Underftanding,  and  hinder  them  from  ufing  their 
 Reafon  in  moral  Matters  to  any  efteftual  purpo  e. 
 This  cannot  be  better  defcribed,     than    in   the 
 Words   of  Cicero:      If   i^e   had 
 +  Si   fales  nos  natura  ge-     come  into    the   World,    faith  t    he, 
 nuiiTct,  ut  earn  ipfam  intueri     -^j  /j,^/^  Circitmftances,    as   that  we 
 &  perfpicere,  .^'^q'    ^^re     coM    clearly    and    difiinmy  have 
 '^::T\^  eff^t  r^nf    difcerned  Nature  her  felf,  and  have 
 
 quod  qui'fquani    rationem  5c      j,^^^  ^ble  in   the  COUrfe  of  OUr  LlVeS 
 doflrinam  requirerct.     Nunc      ^^   ,  ^,^_.y  ^^^    ^,.„^  ^fiJ_  uncorrupted 
 
 verb  £vc.    c,..  Tnfi-  ^»'J'-    j^j^^cf^^^^  .    this  alonc  might  have 
 *»•  3-  }^en 
 
and  Revealed Ky. hi G lo "i^.  275 
 
 heenfufjicient^  and  there  would  have  Nunc  parvulos  nobis  dedit 
 been  little  need  of  'Teach'mg  and  In- 
 ftruution.  But  Now  Nature  has 
 given  us  onl^  fome  [mall  Sparks  of 
 right  Reafon^  which  we  fo  quickly 
 extinguijh  with  corrupt  Opinions 
 and  evil  PraBifes^  that  the  true 
 Light  of  Nature  no  where  appears, 
 Affoon  as  we  are  brought  into  the 
 Worlds  im??iediai;ely  we  dwell  in  the 
 midfi  of  all  Wickednefs^  and  are 
 furrounded  with  a  number  of  moft 
 perverfe  and  foolifh  Opinions ;  fo 
 that  we  feem  to  fuck  in  Err  cur 
 even  with  our  Niirfes  Milk,  Af- 
 terwards,^ when  we  return  to  our 
 Parents^  and  are  committed  to  Tu- 
 tors *,  then  we  are  further  flocked 
 with  fuch  Variety  of  Error s,^  that 
 Truth  becomes  perfeElly  overwhelm- 
 ed with  Falfhood ;  and  the  mofi  na- 
 tural Sentiments  of  our  Minds,,  are  entirely  fiifled 
 with  confirmed  Follies,  But  when  after  all  this,, 
 we  enter  upon  Bufinefs  in  the  World,,  and  make  the 
 Multitude,,  confpiring  every  where  in  Wickednef,, 
 our  great  Guide  and  Exainple  ;  then  our  very  Na- 
 ture it  felf  is  wholly  transforfned,,  as  it  were,,  into 
 corrupt  Opinions,  A  livelier  Defcription  of  the' 
 prefent  corrupt  eftate  of  Humane  Nature,  is  not 
 eafiJy  to  be  met  with. 
 
 3.  In  the  generality  of  Men,  ^t  Appetites  and  Andhyfen- 
 Befires  of  Senfe  are  fo  violent  and  importunate  -J"".^^  ^tP'f 
 the  Bufinefe  and  the  Pleafures  of  the  World,  take^,'„'''  IZl 
 up  fo  much  of  their  time  ;    and  their  Paflons  ^vGworLlIy 
 fo  very  ftrong  and  unreafonable  -,  that,  of  Them-  fi^/»e/^« 
 felves,  they  are  very  backward  and  unapt  to  em- 
 ploy their   Reafon,    and  fix  their  Attention  upon 
 moral  Matters  j  and  flill  more  backward   to  ap- 
 
 T   2  ply 
 
 Igniculcs,  quos  rcieritef  malis 
 moribus  opinionibufq;  depra- 
 vatis  lie  reftinguimus,  ut  ntif- 
 quam  Natura  lumen  appurefit. 
 
 Simul  arqj      editi  in 
 
 Lucem  Sc  fufcepti  lumus,  in 
 omni  continuo  pravitate,  6c 
 in  fumma  opinionum  per- 
 verfirate  verfamur  j  ut  pene 
 cum  lafte  nutricis,  errorem 
 fuxifle  videamur.  Cum  ve- 
 ro  parentibus  redditi,  deinde 
 magiftris  traditi  fumus,  turn 
 ita  vaiiis  imbuimur  errori- 
 bus,  ut  vanirati  Veritas,  6c 
 opinion!  confirmatje    natura 
 
 ipfa  cedar. Cum  vero 
 
 accedit  eodem,  quali  maxi- 
 mus  quidem  magifter,  pc- 
 pulus,  atq;  omnis  undiqj  ad 
 vitia  confentiens  multitudoj 
 turn  plane  inficimur  opinio- 
 num pravitate,  a  naturaqj, 
 ipfa  defcifcimus.    Uid. 
 
Z-jC 
 
 Arifiot.  Ethic,  lib.  2.  c.  2. 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 ply   theuilelves    to  the  Praofife  of   them.      'The 
 Love  of  Fleafure^  is  (as  Ariftotle 
 elegantly  "^  exprefTes  it;    fo  7wu- 
 r'ljhcd  up  with  us  from  our  very 
 Childhood^  and  fo  incorporated  (as 
 it  were)  into  the  whole  courfe  of 
 our  Lives  ;  that  'tis  very  difficult 
 for     Men     to     withdraw    their 
 Thoughts  from  Senfual  Objecls,  and  fallen  them 
 upon  things  remote  from  Senfe.     And  if  perhaps 
 they  do  attend  a  little,  and  begin  to  fee  the  rea- 
 fonablenefs  of  governing  themfelves  by  a  higher 
 Principle,    than  mere   Senfe  and  Appetite ;    yet 
 with  fuch  t  Variety  of  T^emptati- 
 072S   are  they  perpetually  incom- 
 paffed,  and  continually  follicited  ; 
 and  the  Strength  of  Paffions  and 
 Appetites.,    makes  fo  great    Op- 
 pofition  to  the  Motions  of  Rea- 
 fon  *,  that  commonly  they  yield 
 and    fubmit    to     pradife     thofe 
 things,    which  at  the  fame  time 
 the  Reafon  of  their  own  Mind  4. 
 condemns  •,  and  'what  the'j   allo'uj 
 not^  That  they  Bo,      Which  Ob- 
 fervation  is  fo  true  of    too  great 
 a  part  of  Mankind,    that  Plato 
 upon  this  Ground  declares  ^  All 
 Arts  and  Sciences  to  have  in  his  O- 
 pinion    lefs  of    dijficulty  in    thern^ 
 than   that  of  making  Men  Good  \ 
 Infomuch  that,  it  t  ^^  ^<?/4  faith 
 he,  if  Men  can  come  to  attain  a. 
 right  Senfe^    and  juft  and  true  No- 
 tions of  ihings^    even  by  that  time 
 they  arrive  at  old  Age, 
 
 f  Vitia  dc  mercede  follici- 
 tant:  Avaiiria  pecuniam 
 promittit:  Luxuria  multas 
 ac  varias  voluprates:  Ambitio 
 purpuram  Sc  phufunii  6c  ex 
 hoc  potentiani;,  6c  quicquid 
 potentia  ponit.    Senec.    Epiji. 
 
 Ftato  de  Lsgib.  lib.   i. 
 
 ■\- Video  meliora  pro- 
 
 boque,  Deteriora  fcquor. 
 
 *  ''e^c|£  ei,  7^1  vZv   iri  ^6KiT, 
 
 7CC,    o'j    (r(poc!^x   ^ccAiTrli    tlvca' 
 vo    /'£   Tiva,  rpJTTov   ^^li   yiyvi^ 
 
 Ftaio  in  EfmcmiAe. 
 
 ci^u^  /3sc(St«2i',    ivTV'jAc,   cTco   y.sci 
 <T^$  TO   yyt^a^  ^ccfiyvi'^.       Id. 
 
 4.  But 
 
and  Revealed  Pv e  l  i  g  i  o  nt.  277 
 
 4.  But  that  which  above  all  other  things,  mod  ^J"^  f°^^ 
 depraves  Mens  natural  Underftanding,    and    hin-  ^^^^^  ^^^'" 
 ders  them  from  difcerning  and  judging  rightly  of^/^  and 
 Moral  Truths,  is  this  •,  That  as  ftupid  and  care-  Pradifes. 
 lels  Ignorance  leads  them  into  fond  and  fuperiliti- 
 ous  Opinions,  and  the   Appetites  of  Senfe  over- 
 come and  tempt  them  into  Pradices  contrary  to 
 Eheir  Confcience  and  Judgment ;  fo  on  the  reverfe, 
 the  multitude  of  fuperjlitwus  Opinions^  vitious  Ha- 
 bits^ and  debauched  PratJifes^  which  prevail  in  all 
 Ages  through  the  greater  part  of  the  World,  do 
 reciprocally  increafe  Mens  grofs  Ignorance,  Care- 
 lefnefs  and  Stupidity.     Falfe  and   unworthy   No- 
 tions  of    God,    or  Superftitious  Apprehenfions 
 concerning  him,  which  Men  carelefly  and  incon- 
 fiderately  happen  to  take  up  at  firft  •,    do  (as  it 
 were)  blind  the  Eyes  of  their  Reafon  for  the  fu- 
 ture, and  hinder  them  from  difcerning  what  of  it 
 felf  originally  was  eafy  enough  to  be  difcovered. 
 ^hat  which  jnay  be  bwjvn  of  God^    has  been  w^^/i-Rom.ii 
 feft  enough  unto  Men  in  all  Ages  *,   for  God  hath  ^^'  ^^' 
 jhewed  It  unto  them  :  For  the  invifible  things  of  Hi?n 
 from  the  Creation  of  the  PForld  are  clearly  feen^  be- 
 ing   underftood  by  the  things  that  are  ?nade ;    even^ 
 his  eternal  Power  and  Godbead  :  So  that  they  who 
 are  ignorant   of  him,    cannot  but  be  without  ex- 
 cufe.     But  notwithflanding  all  the  Heathen  World 
 had  fo  certain  means  of  knowing  God  -,    yet  gene- 
 rally  they  glorified  him  not  as  God  \    neither  were 
 thankful^     but  became  vain  in    their  Imaginations^ 
 and    their  foolifh  Heart  was    darhied\    And  they 
 changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God,   into  I??m~ 
 ges  of    the  meaneft  and  moil  contemptible  Crea- 
 tures ;    and  worfhipped  and  ferved    the    Creature 
 more  than  the  Creator,  who  is  blejjed  for  ever.     The 
 natural  Confequence  of    which  abfurd  Idolatry, 
 and  alfo  the  juil  Judgment  of  God  upon  them  for 
 it,  was,    That  they  were  given  up)  to   a  rep^obate- 
 T  3  MlrJ^ 
 
278  The  Evidences^?/*  Natural 
 
 Mind^  to  Uncleannefs  and  to  all  vile  Affefilons  to 
 luch  a  degree,  that  not  only  their  Common  Pra- 
 (ftifes,  but  even  their  moil  Sacred  Rights  and  Re- 
 ligious Performances,  became  themfelves  the  ex- 
 treamefl-  Abominations.  And  when  Men's  Mo- 
 rah  are  thus  corrupted,  and  they  run  with  gree- 
 dinels  into  all  excefs  of  Riot  and  Debauchery  ; 
 then,  on  the  other  hancl^  by  the  fame  natural  Con- 
 fequence,  and  by  the  fame  jufb  Judgment  of  God, 
 both  their  Vltious  Cuftoms  and  A5iions^  as  well  as 
 Superflitious  Opinions,  reciprocally  increafe  the 
 Eph.ivi  Bhudnefs  of  their  Hearts^  darken  tht  Judgment  of 
 J  8,  19.      their   tfnderftaiidings^    ftupifie  and  fear  their  Con- 
 
 fciences  fo  as  to  become  paft  feeU 
 t  juf!os  naturaeffefaaos;     ing^  and  by  degrees  t  extinguifh 
 
 ^ tantam  autem  eife  cor-      ^^,j^^j|      ^j^^^.    ^^  ;^^    ^r    ^^^^^.^    -^^ 
 
 ab  ea  tanquim  i-niculi  extin-      their  OWn  Minds,     whlch  was  gl- 
 
 guantur  anatura  dan'i  exori-     ven    them    Originally    to    inable 
 snturqi  8c  confirmentur  vitia    ^^^^  ^^  difccrn  between  Good  and 
 
 wherefore       By  thcfe  means  it  comes  to  pafs,    that  though 
 Men  have  ^|^^  great  Obligations  and  the  principal  Motives  of 
 fo  be     "   Morality,    are   indeed  certainly  difcoverable  and 
 tmght  and  demonftrable  by  right  Reafon  ;    and  all  confide- 
 infiru^ed    j.^^^^  Men,   when  thofe  Motives  and  Obligations 
 ^cf^ReUghn.^^^  fairly  propofed  to  them,    muil  of    necelTity 
 Yas  has  been  fully  proved  in  the  foregoing  Pleads^ 
 yield  their  Aflent  to  them  as  certain  and  undenia- 
 ble Truths ;    yet   under  the   difadvantages  now 
 mentioned,  Y^s 'tis  the  cafe  of   moil  Men   to  fall 
 under  fome  or  odier  of  them,)  very  Few   are   of 
 nemfehes  able,  in  reality  and  effect,    to  difcover 
 thofe  Truths  clearly  and  plainly  for  themfelves  : 
 But   mod  men    have   great  need   of   particular 
 leaching  and  much  Inftruotion^  '  not  without  fome 
 weight  of  Authorit'^^  as  w^ell  as  Reafon  and  Per- 
 fwa^on  ; 
 
 •   ift.  To 
 
and  Revealed  Religion,  z79 
 
 17?.  To  raife  and  ftir  up-  their  Attention  ;  to 
 move  them  to  fhake  olf  their  habitual  Careleff- 
 nefs,  Stupidity  andlnconfideratcnefs  •,  to  perfuade 
 them  to  make  ufe  of  their  natural  Reaibn  and 
 Underftanding,  and  to  apply  their  Minds  to  ap- 
 prehend and  Itudy  the  Truth  and  Certainty  of 
 thefe  things.  For,  as  Men,  notwithftanding  all 
 the  rational  Faculties  they  are  by  nature  indued 
 with,  may  yet  through  mere  Negled  and  Inco- 
 gitancy  be  groffly  and  totally  ignorant  of  the 
 plaineft  and  mod  obvious  Mathematical  Truths  : 
 fo  Men  may  alfo,  for  want  of  Confideration,  be 
 very  ignorant  of  fome  of  the  plaineft  Moral  Ob- 
 ligations, which,  as  foon  as  diftinftly  propofed 
 to  them,  they  cannot  polTibly  avoid  giving  their 
 AfTent  unto. 
 
 2.  To  give  them  a  due  6'^;//^,  and  right  andjuft 
 Apprehenfions  concerning  thefe  things  -,  to  con- 
 vince them  of  the  great  Concern  and  vaft  Impor- 
 tance of  them  ;  to  corre6l  the  falfe  Notions,  vain 
 Prejudices,  and  foolifn  Opinions,  which  deprave 
 their  Judgment  •,  and  to  remove  that  Levity  and 
 Heedlefnefs  of  Spirit,  v/hich  makes  Men  fre- 
 quently to  be  in  their  pra6lice  very  little  influen- 
 ced by  what  in"  abftrad  Opmion  they  m.ay  feem 
 firmly  to  believe.  For  there  are  many  Men,  who 
 will  think  themfelves  highly  injured,  if  any  one 
 fhould  make  any  doubt  of  their  Believing  the  in- 
 difpenfible  Obligations  of  Morahty,  and  the  Cer- 
 tainty of  a  Future  State  of  Rewards  and  Punifh- 
 ments  •,  who  yet  in  their  Lives  and  Actions,  feem 
 to  have  upon  their  Minds  but  a  very  fmall  Senfe 
 of  the  Weight  and  infinite  Importance  of  thefe 
 great  Truths. 
 
 3.  To  Inculcate  thefe   things  frequently   upon 
 
 Them,  and  prefs  them  effeftually  to  the  pradice 
 
 of  the  plaineft  and  moft  neceffary  Duties  ,  to  per- 
 
 fwade  them  to  moderate  thofe  Paflions,    to  fub- 
 
 T  4  due 
 
^??, 
 
 Roin. 
 
 7 he  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 due  rhofe  Lufts,  to  conquer  thofe  Appetites,  to 
 defpife  thofe  Pleafures  of  Senfe,  and  (which  is 
 the  greatefl  Difficuky  of  ail  J  to  reform  and  cor- 
 rect thofe  vitious  Cuftoms  and  evil  Habits,  which 
 tempt  and  hurry  them  too  often  into  the  Com- 
 miffion  of  fuch -things,  as  they  are  convinced  at 
 the  fame  time,  in  the  Reafon  of  their  own  Minds, 
 ought  not  to  bepradifed.  For  'tis  very  polTible 
 Men  may  both  clearly  underltand  their  Duty, 
 and  alfo  be  fully  convinced  of  the  reafonablenefs 
 of  pradlifing  it  •,  and  yet  at  the  fame  time,  find 
 '  a  haw  In  their  Memhers  warring  and  prevailing  a- 
 
 '^*  gai?jft  the  Law  of  their  Mind^  and  bringing  thetn  in- 
 
 to Captivity  to  the  Law  of  Sin  and 
 f  Quidam    ad   magrihcas     Death.     Men  t  may  be  pleafed 
 
 voces  cA'cirantur,  £c  tranie-     ^j^h  the  Beauty  and  excellency 
 
 unc    in   attedtum  dicentJiim,         r  ^j-  j  i  r  r  • 
 
 alacres  vuitu  &  animo.  Ra-  ^t  Virtue,  and  have  fonie  taint 
 pit  iilosinftjgarq;  rerum  pul-  Inclinations  and  even  Refolutions 
 chritudo.— — juyat  prorinus     to  pradiife  it .;  and  yet  at  the  re- 
 
 umar  illi,  &  fcnt  .juales  ju-  t'^''"  °^  ^^eir  Temp:ations,_  con- 
 
 bentur,  fi  V.h  animo  forma  ftantly    fall   back   into   their  ac- 
 
 permaneat,  ii  non  impetum  cuftomed  Vices;    if  .the    great 
 
 llfm""  ,r'!™'   ■'"f"?  Motives  of    their  Duty   be    not 
 
 iioneiti     dillualor     excipiat.  ^  ,  in 
 
 Pauciillamquamconceperanc  very  frequently  and  very  itrong- 
 
 inentem,     domum    perferre  ]y  inculcated  Upon    them,     fo    aS 
 
 potuerunt,     ^er.ec.  e0.  lo^.  ^^   j-^^^u^    ^^^.^   ^^^p    ^^j    lading 
 
 imprefTions  upon  their  Minds  ; 
 and  they  have  not  fome  greater  and  higher  Af- 
 fillance  aliorded  them,  than  the  bare  Convi6lioa 
 of  their  own  fpeculative  Reafon. 
 
 For  thefe  Reafons  (I  fay)  'tis  abfolutely  necefTa- 
 ry,  that  notwithftanding  the  natural  demonflrable- 
 jiefs  both  of  the  Obligations  and  Motives  of  Mo- 
 rality, yet  confidering  the  manifefl  corruptnefs  of 
 the  prefent  Eftate  which  humane  Nature  is  in, 
 |:he  generahty  of  Men  muft  not  by  any  means  be 
 left  v/holly  to  the  workings  of  their  own  Minds, 
 to  the  ufe  of  thcirnatural  Faculties,    and  to  the 
 
 bare 
 
/ind  Revealed  Religion.  281 
 
 bare  convidlions  of  their  own  Reafon  -,  but  muft 
 ht  particularly  'Taught  and  InftruLted  in  their  Du- 
 ty, mull  have  the  Motives  of  it  frequently  and 
 Itrongly  prefTed  and  inculcated  upon  them  with 
 great  Weight  and  Authority,  and  muft  have  ma- 
 ny extraordinary  AfTiflances  afforded  them  ;  to 
 keep  them  eiTediually  in  the  Pradlife  of  the  great 
 and  plaineft  Duties  of  Religion. 
 
 And  hence  we  may,  by  the  way,  juflly  obferve  ^'^^  <^^'*' 
 the  exceeding  great  life  and  NecefTity    there  is,  Jilc^n^t^  j,f 
 of  eflablilhing  an  Order   or  SuccefTion  of    Men,  an  ordef 
 whofe  peculiar  Office  and  continual  Employment '^Z^^''^^'^^- 
 it  may  be,  to  Teach  and  Inllrud  People  in  their ^'^^* 
 Duty,    to  prefs  and  exhort  them  perpetually  to 
 the  Pra6life  of  it,  and  to  be  Inflruments  of  con- 
 veying to  them  extraordinary  AfTiflances  for  that 
 purpofe.      To  which   excellent   Inflitution  ;  the 
 Right  and  worthy  Notion  of  God  and  his  Divine 
 Perfedions,    the  juil  Senfe  and  Underflanding  of 
 the  great  Duties  of  Religion,    and  the   univerfal 
 Belief  and  due  Apprehenfion  of  a  Future  State  of 
 Rewards  and  Puniiliments  ;    which  the  generality 
 even  of  the  meaner   and  more  ignorant  fort  of 
 People  among  us,  are  now  pofTeil  of;    is  mani- 
 feflly  and  undeniably  almoft  wholly  owing.     As 
 I  fhall  have  Occafion  hereafter  more  particularly 
 to  obferve. 
 
 VI.  Though  In  abwft  every  Age  there  have  indeed 
 heen  in  the  Heathen  World  [0 me  wife  and  brave  and 
 good  Men^  who  have  ?nade  it  their  bufinefs  to  Jludy 
 and  praElije  the  Duties  of  natural  Religion  Them- 
 felves,  and  to  teach  and  exhort  Others  to  do  the 
 like  ;  who  feem  therefore  to  have  been  raifed  up  by 
 Providence^  as  Inftru7nents  to  reprove  in  fome  mea- 
 fare  and  put  fome  kind  of  check  to  the  extream  fuper- 
 jUtion  and  wickednefs  of   the  Nailons  wherein  they 
 
 lived  : 
 
282  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 lived :  Tet  none  of  thefe  have  ever  been  able  to  re- 
 form the  World^  voith  any  confiderably  great  and  u- 
 niverfal  Succefs ,  Becaufe  they  have  been  but  very 
 Few,  that  have  in  earnejl  fet  themfelves  about  this 
 excellent  JVork  •,  And  they  that  have  indeed  ftncerely 
 done  it^  have  themfelves  been  intirely  ignorant  of 
 fome  Do^rines,  and  very  doubtful  and  uncertain  of 
 otherSy  ahfolutely  neceffary  for  the  bringing  about  that 
 great  end  \  And  thofe  things  which  they  have  been 
 certain  of y  and  in  good  ?neafure  underfood,  they  have 
 not  been  able  to  prove  and  explain  clearly  enough  ; 
 And  thofe  that  they  have  been  able  both  to  prove  and 
 -explain  by  fufficiently  clear  Reafoning,  they  have  not 
 \et  had  Authority  enough  to  enforce  and  inculcate 
 upon  Men^s  Minds  with  fo  firong  an  Impreffion^  as 
 to  influence  and  govern  the  general  praElife  of  the 
 World 
 
 I.  There  have  indeed  in  almoft  every  Age  been 
 in  the  Heathen  World,  fome  V/ife  and  Brave  and 
 Good  Men,  who  have  made  it  their  Bufinefs  to 
 fludy  and  pra6tife  the  Duties  of  natural  Religion 
 Themfelves^  and  to  teach  and  exhort  Others  to  do 
 the  like.  An  eminent  Inftance  whereof,  in  the 
 Eallern  Nations,  the  Scripture  it  felf  affords  us 
 in  the  Hiftory  of  Job-,  concerning  whom  it  does 
 not  certainly  appear,  that  he  knew  any  pofitive 
 revealed  Inftitution  of  Religion,  or  that,  .before 
 his  Sufferings,  any  immediate  Revelation  was 
 made  to  him,  as  there  was  to  Abraham  and  the 
 reft  of  the  Patriarchs.  Am.ong  the  Greeks,  So-^ 
 crates  feems  to  be  an  extraordinary  Example  of 
 this  kind.  Concerning  whom  Plato  tells  us,  in  his 
 Apology^  that  ^  he  did  nothing 
 *  -OvH.  ycc.  ^AA.  ^^*rr^v  clfe,  but  go  continually  about, 
 s>j  dtAi<^yj^\tjii,  *i   5ri<3-6Jv  y-     perfwacling  both  old  and  young, 
 
 f/.iv   vjij     y£A,T^f5.5    ^^i    TTfir/SvA'         j^q^    fQ      ^g    {^      jJlUCh     foUlCitOUS     tO 
 
 f...  p,r.  .^.^..r.v  l^,..A.:^  .^^    ^   Appetites  of  the  Bo- 
 
 ^lAAtf  7.ui  »r»  <r(p^d}u,  ac,  t?s     dy,  or  to  heap  up  Weaith,  or  to 
 
 raife 
 
and  ReveakdK  e  l  i  g  i  o  n..  285 
 
 raife  themfelves  to  Honour,    or     4^;t^^^^'^«^?/'5  ^e^V»}  sv«r  ai. 
 gain    any    outward    Advantage     ^^  ^^^r...  .a?  f^f  J,  ;,J„'. 
 whatfoever  ;    as  to  improve  the     y^ccru.  e  ri^AAc*  rxyx%i  toT^ 
 Mind,  by  the  continual  Exercife     ^j/S-p^zs-A^s  uz^uvroc,   ku\  i^<^ 
 of    all    Virtue    and    Goodnefs :     ^ifaT'^^''    ^'^''' ^'^ '^^^'' 
 Teaching    them,    that   a  Man's 
 t:rue  Value  did  not  ariie  from  his 
 Riches,  or  from  any  outward   Circumftances  of 
 Life  •,    but   that  True  Riches,    and    every    real 
 Good,    whether  publick  or  private,     proceeded 
 wholly  from  Virtue.     After  him,  Plato  and  Ari- 
 ftotle  and  Others  followed  his  Example,    in  teach- 
 ing Morality.     And  among  the  Romans,  Cicero  ; 
 and  in  later  times,    Epfietus  and  Antoninus^    and 
 feveral  Others,    gave  the  World  admirable    Sy- 
 ftems  of  Ethicks,    and  noble  moral  Inilrudions 
 and  Exhortations,    of  excellent  Ufe  and  Benefit 
 to  the   Generations  wherein  they  lived,    and  de- 
 fervedly  of  great  value  and  efleem  even  unto  this 
 bay. 
 
 2.  So  that,  I  think,  it  may  very  juftly  be  ^n^i'Whofeem 
 pofed,  that  thefe  Men  were  raifed  up  and  defign-  to  have 
 ed  by  Providence,    (the   abundant  Goodnefs  oi^n'l^^il 
 God  having  never  left  it  [elf  wholly  without  ^it-  piovudee 
 nefs^  notwithfhanding  the  greateft  corruptions  d^ndtobearWit- 
 provocations  of  Mankind, J  as  Inflruments  to  re-  "/"^^T^ 
 prove  in  forne  meafure,    and  put  fome  kind  of^^^^y^^yr 
 check  to  the  extreme  Superftition  ^nd  Wickednefs /^?  a^^W- 
 of  the  Nations  wherein  they  lived;    or   at  leafl^^^J^^j;^- 
 to  bear  Witnefs  againfl,  and  condemn  it.      Con- !^^^/-^ '' 
 cerning  Job^    the  cafe  is    evident  and  confelTed. 
 And  for  the  fime  reafon,    fome  of  the  Antient- 
 eft  Writers  of   the  Church  have  not  fcrupled  to 
 t  call  even    Socrates    alfo,    and 
 
 fome  others  of  the  Beft  of  the  t  ^^'  "'*  ^^"^  ^"^'/"^  ^*^fr«v- 
 Heathen  Moralifts,  by  the  Name  ?''  ^^^'''^'K  'V\sJ^:  ^^^t 
 m    Lbrijnans  i>     and    to   aiirm,     Za-x^^t)}?   >^  'HfAyj^ui^^   e 
 
 that 
 
2S4  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 ii  'JfA^oioi  a/JToTv  ci  ^xpiixpoi^  that,  ^  as  ibe  Law  was  as  ic  were 
 ^  •ASoccuf^.  &c.  Jujiin,  jipo'     ^  Schoohncifler  to  bring  the  Jews 
 
 ^"'^^  t4;«  ^  '^^  ;rp5r/6t;^.W5  ^^^^  Chrifi,  fo  /n^^  7/;o;^^/  Philo- 
 Tor^  ''EAMo-iv^  eJ^'.*>>)  «  <piAo(ro-  j^/^/^v  was  to  the  Gentiles  a  Prepa^ 
 ^U  -iin,  T;e/-i  «  -T^"  '"'>/'"' »««-  rative  to  receive  the  Gofpel.  T'his 
 jeJy.;  ^  .^  «.vl  T^  'EAA...  perhaps  was  carrying  the  matter 
 xci^,  a<,  i  v'cyjoq  Tn^, 'e,q^m'ovi;  fomewhat  too  tar  :  But  to  be  furc, 
 «^*5  ;ifJ5-;>v  ^rpos-cipsicry.st^fl^^st  W*-  thus  much  we  may  fafely  afTert, 
 ,^^ ,  <p;Ma-f.^^,  ^^fo:.o.cZ^cc  ^^^^  y/hatever  any  of  thefe  Men 
 Mexand.strcm.  I.  Were  at  any  time  enabled   to  de- 
 
 4-  'o  3-ja5  ^  aJroT,;^  tccZ-     YiwtY  JVifelj  and  Profitably  and  yf- 
 T«,    r^  o<rcA    Kuxwci  i^ixi^cci     greeablj  to  Divine  Truth^  was  as  a 
 i^A'^i^us-i.      ng.  a  vetj.   ej.     j^j^fj^  jhiyung  lu  a  dark  Place^  de- 
 rived to  them  by  a  Ray  of  that 
 infinite  overflov/ing  Goodnefs,  which   does  good  to 
 all  even  both  Juft  and  Unjuft  ;  from  God  the  fole 
 Author  of  all  Truth  and  Wifdom  :    And  This, 
 for  fome  Advantage   and  Benefit  to   the  reil  of 
 the  World,  even  in  its  blindell  and  moil  corrupt 
 Eflate. 
 ^utyrt  3.  But  then,  notwithllanding  the  mofl  that  can 
 
 mne  of  \^^  made  of  this  Suppofition,  'tis  certain  the  Effe^ 
 ^t'lre  ti7r  ^^  ^^^  ^^^^  teaching  and  inltrudion  even  of  the 
 able  to  re-  befl  of  the  Philofophers  in  the  Heathen  World, 
 form  the  was  in  comparifon  very  fmall  and  inconfiderable. 
 tibrld  with  yj^      ^^^^^.  ^^^.^  ^i^ig  ^Q  reform  the  World  with 
 
 any  conn-  J  1  •         r  1  r>  r  i 
 
 Jerahie      ^^^J  great  and  univerlal  bucceis,  nor  to  keep  to- 
 
 SHceefs.      gether  any  confiderable  number  of    Men  in  the 
 
 knowledge  and  prad:ife  of    true  Virtue.       With 
 
 refpecl  to  the  Worlliip  of  God,  /(io/^/r)/ prevailed 
 
 univerfally  in  all  Nations  i   and,    notwithllanding 
 
 Men  did  indeed  know  God,  fo  as  to  be  without  ex- 
 
 Rom.ij     cufe^    yet  they  did  not  like  to  retain  hi  mi  in    their 
 
 ai,  &  ^^' Knowledge,  but  became  vain  in  their  Imaginations ^ 
 
 and    their  foolifJj    Heart   was  darkened,    and    they 
 
 changed  the  glory  of  the  uncorruptible  God  into  Images 
 
 of  the  vilefl  Creatures  •,  And   no  Philofophers  e- 
 
 vcr  turned  any  great  number  of  Men  from  this 
 
 abfiird 
 
mi  Revealed  Religion.  ±%$ 
 
 abfard  Idolatry,  to  the  acknowledgment  and 
 Woriliip  of  the  only  true  God.  In  refped:  of 
 ^.^ Mens  Dealings  one  with  another  ;  Honour,  and 
 Intereft,  and  Friendfhip,  and  Laws,  and  the  Necef- 
 fities  of  Society,  did  indeed  c^m^t  Jiijlice  to  be 
 pra6lifed  in  many  Heathen  Nations  to  a  great  de- 
 gree ;  But  very  Few  Men  among  them  were  Juil 
 and  Equitable  upon  right  and  true  Principles,  a 
 due  Senfe  of  Virtue,  and  a  conilant  Fear  and 
 Love  of  God,  With  refped:  to  Themfelves,  In- 
 t€?nperance  and  Luxury  and  unnatural  Undeannefs 
 was  commonly  pradifed,  even  in  the  mofl  ci- 
 vilized Countries  -,  and  This  not  fo  much  in  Op- 
 pofition  to  the  Dodlrine  of  the  Philofophers,  as 
 by  the  confent  indeed  and  incouragement  of  too 
 great  a  part  of  them.  I  fhall  not  enlarge  upon 
 this  ungrateful  and  melancholly  Subjed  :  There 
 are  Accounts  enough  extant,  of  the  univerfal 
 corruption  and  debauchery  of  the  Heathen  World. 
 St  Paul-%  Defcription  of  it,  in  the  whole  firil 
 Chapter  of  his  Epiftlc  to  the  Romans^  is  alone  fuf- 
 ficient  •,  and  *  the  Complaints  of 
 their  own    W"riters,    abundantly 
 
 the   belt    Moralllts,     at    Jealr   the      Hoc    monftrutn    puero,     vd 
 
 Pradifers  of  their  Dodrine,  were,        miranti  fub  aratro 
 
 in   their   own   Life-time,    very  f  ^^^"'^"^  ^"^""V^'    ^  ^^^^^ 
 
 ^                            1-1                      r  -^  compare  mulo'. 
 
 few  ;  as  too  plainly  appears  from  Ju-ven^L  sat.  i^. 
 
 the   evil  Treatment,    which  that  ^^^  ^Ifi  ^^e  places  cited  'a 
 
 ereat  Man  Socrates  met  withal  at  ^'^'f'  t'!'"^',.           ,      „ 
 
 Athens.       And  ^  at  their  Deaths,  J. —  fed   audiie  dcpofci- 
 
 their  Dodrine  in    great  meafure  mus^/^o/^fint  aut  faerint  nu- 
 
 dicdwith  them;  not  having  any     ^"°- ^-^^^^    ^«''' 
 
 fufRcient   Evidence  or  A uthori-  ^;;:;:^^\t^:, 
 
 ty  to  lupport  It.      And  their  Fol-      {ei\  ex  carteris  omnibus  sefii- 
 
 lowcrs  quickly  fell  back  into  the     "^^''i  convcnir.    Amct^.  ad- 
 common  Idolatry,    Superftition,     -^^'f- kernes,  li^.i. 
 Uncieannels     ana    Debauchery,     iracundus,  maiedku?,  effi^r. 
 
 Of 
 
2S6 
 
 natus;  pauciiTimis  Dei  verHs 
 tarn  placidum,  quam  ovem, 
 reddam.  Da  libidinofum, 
 "gcc. Ntimquis  hxc  Pht- 
 
 poteft?  LaHnnt.  lib.  5. 
 
 f®-,     c^c.      Origen.    adverf. 
 ,Cel[.Ub,  I. 
 
 y/&^  Evidences^/  Nattirat 
 
 Of  which,  the  Chara6ler  the  Ro- 
 man Writers  give  of  thofe  that 
 called  themfelves  the  Difciples  of 
 /o4>/>^£»r«;w  aut  unquam  prjcf-     Socrates^  is  a   particular   and  re- 
 titir,  aut  prrcftare,   li  velit, '  niarkable  inilance.       Thefe  con- 
 
 fiderations  (fo  very  early  did  they 
 appear  to  be   true, J    atrected  in 
 fuch  a  manner  that  great  admirer 
 of  Socrates^  Plato  ;  that  he  fome- 
 times  feems  to  give  over  all  Hopes 
 of  working  any  Reformation  in  Men  by  Philofo- 
 phy  ;    and  fays,    that  ^  a  good 
 Man^  when  he  confiders  thefe  T^hingi^ 
 would  even  choofe  to  fit  qu'iet^    and 
 Jhift  for  hhnfelf  \    like  a  Man  that 
 in  a  violent  Hurricane^    creeps  un- 
 der a  Wall  for  his   Bcfsnfe ;    and 
 feeing  the  whole  PForld  round  about 
 him  filled  with  all  manner  of  Wick- 
 ednefs^  he  content  /f,  preferving  his 
 fiingle  Self  from  Iniq^uity  and  every 
 evil  Work^     he  can  pafis  away  the 
 prefent  Life  in  Peace^    and  at  lafi 
 Die  with  tranquillity  and  good  Hope,     And  indeed, 
 for  many  Reafons,    it  was  altogether   impofiihle, 
 that  the  Teaching  of  the  Philofophers  fhould  ever 
 be  able   to  reform  Mankind,    and  recover  them 
 out  of  their  very  degenerate  and  corrupt  Eflate, 
 with   any  confiderably   great  and  univerfal  Suc- 
 cefs. 
 
 T.  In  the  firfl  place,  Becaufe  the  Number  of 
 thofe,  who  have  in  earneft  fet  themfelves  ?.bout 
 this  excellent  Work,  have  been  exceeding  Few, 
 Philofophers  indeed,  that  called  themfelves  fo, 
 there  v/ere  enough  in  every  place,  and  in  every 
 Age.  But  thofe  who  truly  made  it  their  bufinefs 
 to  improve  their  Reafon  to  the  height  -,  to  free 
 themfelves  from  the  Superflition,  which  over- 
 whelmed 
 
 ^»$  Kcirci7rifJ!j'!TXct.{a/Ji£<i  OiVOf/jtUq, 
 
 n  ivjuh  (iUv  Qiacnrcci,    (^  ry.v 
 uTciX>ioi,y\v,    ccutU    f^ircc  KuXii^ 
 
 P^uliTcn'     Plato  de  Repual.  lib. 
 6. 
 
 Becaufe 
 they  have 
 been  but 
 vjery  Teto, 
 that  have 
 in  earnejl 
 fet  them- 
 felves a- 
 hout  that 
 ^ccllent 
 Work, 
 
and Re'vealed  Religion.  ztf 
 
 Vvlielmed  the  whole  World  ;  to  fearch  out  the 
 Obligations  of  Morality,  and  the  \Vill  of  God 
 their  Creator  ;  to  obey  it  fmcerely  themfelves,  as 
 far  as  they  could  difcover  it  by  the  Light  of  Na- 
 ture ;  and  to  encourage  and  exhort  others  to  do 
 the  hke  :  were  but  a  very  few  JSames,  The  Do- 
 <5lrine  of  far  the  greateft  part  of  the  Philofo- 
 pliers,  confifled  plainly  in  nothing  but  Words, 
 and  Subtilty,  and  Strife,  and  empty  Contention  ; 
 and  did  not  at  all  amend  even  their  own  Manners ; 
 much  lefs  was  fitted  to  reform  the  W^orld,  "their 
 Scholars^  as  Ariftotle  t  excellently 
 defcribes  them,  thought  themfelves 
 greatly  improved  in  Philofophy^  and 
 that  they  were  become  gallant  Men^ 
 if  they  did  hut  hear  and  under  ft  and 
 and  learn  to  difpute  about  Morality  ; 
 though  it  had  no  effect  at  all^  nor 
 influence  upon  their  Manners,  Juft 
 as  if  a  fick  Man  floould  expe5f  to  he 
 healed^  by  hearing  a  Phyfician  dif- 
 courfe  ;  though  he  7iever  followed 
 any  of  his  Dire5iions.  Undoubted- 
 ly,, faith  he,  the  Mind  of  the  one,,  was  exactly  as 
 much  wiproved  by  fucb  Philofophy  ;  as  the  Health  of 
 the  other^s  Body,,  by  fucb  Pbyfeck,  And  no  won- 
 der the  generality  of  the  common  Hearers,  judg- 
 ed of  their  own  Improvement  in  Philofophy  by 
 fuch  falfe  meafures  •,  when  the  enormous  Vitioul- 
 nefs  of  the  Lives  of  the  Philofophers  themfelves, 
 made  it  plainly  appear,  that  ^ 
 their  Art  was  not  fo  much  in- 
 tended and  fitted  for  the  Refor- 
 mation of  Men's  Manners,  as  to 
 be  an  Exercife  of  Wit  and  Subtilty^ 
 and  an  Inftrument  of  Vain-Glory, 
 Excepting  perhaps  Socrates  and 
 PlatOy  and  fome  others  of  that 
 
 -f-  'AAA'  ot  JTcAA^i  TBtZr^  i^ 
 ii%^.T\iitrir  i7n  ^T  Myov  xa^ 
 roc(piuyovTn;    a'avTUt    ipiXca-cfpstv^ 
 
 rijiot.  Ethic,  lib.  i,  cap,  5, 
 
 *  Inclafos  rPhilofcpho!?^ 
 in  Angu'is,  facienda  prx- 
 cfpere,  c[U;e  ne  ipli  quidcm 
 faciunt  qui  loquunturj  6c 
 cjucniam  le  a  'veris  aS'.Sus 
 rcmoverunt  ,  apparet  €os 
 exercer;d£,  lingu&  caufa,  vcl 
 ail'vceanJi    graria,    arCcm  ip- 
 
 Rank  -, 
 
2g  g  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 famPhIIo^ophix^ep^riiIl^/:^-  Rank  ;  this  Account  is  too  plain- 
 Hanu  Ub.  5.  ]^  ^j.^jg  Qf  ^j-^^  greateil  part  of  the 
 
 Philofophers.     The  Argument  is  too  unpleafant, 
 to  inftance  in  particulars.     Whoever  pleafes,  may 
 in  Diogenes  Laerthis  and  other  Writers,    find  Ac- 
 counts enough,     of    the  lewdnefs  and  unnatural 
 Vices  of  molt  of  the  Philofophers.      *Tis  a  Jbame 
 for  Us,  fo  much  as  to  [peak  of  thofe  'things ^    which 
 were  done  of  the?n^  not  only  in  fecret^    but  even  in 
 the  moft  publick  manner.     I  fhall  here  only  add 
 the  Judgment  of  Cicero  •,    a  Man  as  able  to  pafs 
 a  right  Judgment  in  this  Matter,    as   ever  livedo 
 Do    'jou  think^    fays  *   he,    that 
 *    Sed  h^c  eadem    rum     ^M^^  "Things,    [meaning  the  Pre-^ 
 cenfcs  apud    eos  ipfos   va-     cepts  of  Morality]  had  any  influ-^ 
 lerc,    nifi  admodum  paucos,     g^^-g  ^p^y^  fj^^r^  Men,  (exceptinq^  on- 
 
 Ta. t';"fU";t  'tut  h  ^  ^eryfe^  ofth.n,)  ..ho  taught, 
 
 tus  enim  quifq;  Philcfopho-  and  writ,  and  difputed  ahout  them  ? 
 
 runt  invenitur,    qui   fit    ita  J^fo  ;   li^ho  is  there  of  all  the  Philo- 
 
 moratus     ita  ^"irno  ac  vita  ^    j           ^jr    -^-^^  ^^^^  j^.r        j 
 
 conftitums,   iir  ratio    poUu-  -'  ^          '           J                     77*^., 
 
 lat;     qui  diiciplinam  fuam  Manners  were  conformable  to  right 
 
 non  oflrentationem  fcienti^,  Reafon  ?  who  ever  made  his  Philo^ 
 
 icd  legem   vit^  putet^     qui  r    ^^  ^^  ^^    ^j^^   ^^^^   ^^^  j^^^j^      r 
 
 obtemperet  ipfe   libi,    &  de-  -^   f    -   _                                        -n      a         i 
 
 cretis  fu's  pareat?  Videre  his  Lije,  and  not  a  mere  boajt  and 
 licet  multos,  libidinum  fer-  Show  of  his  Wit  and  Parts  ?  who 
 T'/F,^''/;^  ?''*  T«/f«/^».  cbferved  his  own  InftruElions,  and 
 ^isjion.  t  .    .  lived  in  obedience  to  his  own  Pre- 
 
 cepts ?  On  the  contrary ;  7nany  of 
 them  were  Slaves  to  filthy  Lujls,  many  to  Pride,  ma- 
 ny to  Covetoufnefs,  i^c. 
 And  thofe  i.  Thofe/^w  extraordinary  Men  of  the  Philo- 
 fev^of  the  fophers,  who  did  indeed  in  good  meafure  fm-^ 
 pheru'tfho^^^^h  ^bey  the  Laws  of  natural  Religion  Them- 
 did  indeed  felves,  and  make  it  their  chief  Bufinefs  to  inftrudfc 
 fincenly  ^^^^  exhort  Others  to  do  the  fame ;  were  yet 
 *tfrlhrm  Themfelves  intirely  ignorant  of  feme  DocVrines  ab- 
 Mankind,  folutely  neccfllxry  to  the  bringing  about  this  great 
 vere  yet     End,  of  the  Rcformaiion  and  Recovery  of  Man- 
 
 thm/elve,  j^j^^^  J,^ 
 
and  Revealed  RELiGlorTi  289 
 
 In  general:  Having  no  knowledge  of  the  whole  entirely  Ig-^ 
 Scheme,  Order,    and  State  of   things,  the  Me-^/^^^f^^ 
 thdd  of  God's  governing  the  World,   his  Defign /n«ej  ^^- 
 in  Creating  Mankind,  the  original  Dignity  of  Hu-/"^^^^^f"/y  n£^ 
 mane  Nature,  the  Ground  and  Circumftances  of  ^f^''7/'^^ 
 Mens  prefent  corrupt  Condition,    the  Manner  oiing  about 
 the  Divine  Interpofition  neceflary  to  their  recove-^^^r^^e^^ 
 ry,  and  the  Glorious  End  to  which  God  intended  ^"^^* 
 finally  to  condudl  them  :    Having  no  knowledge 
 (I  fay)  of  all  This  \  their  whole  Attempt  to   dif- 
 cover  the  Truth  of  Things,  and  to  inftrud  Others 
 therein,  was  *   like  wandering  in 
 the  wide  Sea,    without  knowing 
 whither  they    were    to   go,    or 
 which  w^ay  they  were  to  take,  or 
 having    any    Guide    to   conduct 
 them.      And  accordingly   t  the 
 AVifefl  of  them  were  never  back- 
 ward to  confefs  their   own   igno- 
 rance and  great  blindnefs :    '•That 
 Truth  I  was  hid  from  them,  as  it 
 were,  in  an  unfathomable  Depth  : 
 ^hat  -^   they    were   much  in  the 
 Dark,  and  very  dull  and  fbupid, 
 not  only  as    to  the   profounder 
 things  of  Wifdom,  but  as  to  fuch 
 things  alfo,    which  feemed  very 
 capable   of  being  in   great  part 
 difcovered :    Nay,    That   even  f 
 thofe  things,  which  in  themfelves 
 were  of  all  others  the  mod   Ma- 
 nifeft,  ('that  is,  which,  whenever 
 Made  hiown^  would  appear  mofb 
 obvious   and  evident,^    their  na- 
 ^tural   Underilanding  was    of   it 
 felf  as  unqualified  to  find  out  and  a;pprehend,    as 
 the  Eyes  of  Bats  to  behold  the  Light  of  the  Sun  : 
 
 U  Th:it 
 
 *  Errant  ergo  velut  in 
 Mari  magn6,  nee  quo  feran- 
 tur  intelliguntj  quia  nee  viam 
 cernunt,  nee  ducem  fequun- 
 tur.    Ladctnt.  lib.  6. 
 
 t  Ex  caiteris  Philofophis," 
 nonne  optimus  6c  gravilTimus 
 quifq;  confitetur,  mult^feig- 
 norarej  &:  mulra  fibi  etiam 
 atq;  etiam  elTe  difcenda  ?  Cic, 
 Tufc.  ^Hdji.  3. 
 
 4-  'Ev  /3yS-ftJ  «A;}9-£j«. 
 
 *  Tui  ergo  te,  Cicero,  li- 
 bri  arguunt,  quam  nihil  a 
 philofophia  diii^ci  pofllt  ad  vi- 
 tarn.  Hsec  tua  verba  funt : 
 Miht  am  em  non  modo  ad  fati- 
 entiam  CAci  videmur;  fed  ad 
 en  ipfa,  quA  aliqun  ex  parte 
 cerm  ■videantur,  hebetes  ^  cb- 
 ttifi.     La£ianr.  lib.  g. 
 
 -|-  Sl(r7rfp  <yC)  (§■  m  T^  vvzrs- 
 ^A&uv  of/jf/iXTcc  7: foe,    TO  <piyy(^ 
 
 ryi  (pucret  (pavif-aTccree.  ttuvtuv^ 
 u^rijiot.  Metaphyf.  lib.  1.  c^ 
 i. 
 
2$0 
 
 pot  rioi  t5  c7eivT.5,    i'-'fi'-v  rs  :p- 
 
 Tcci  cc^vciTov.     PUto':nTirK£0. 
 
 ?vok£to  eos  ip'bs,  qui  ie 
 aliquid  cerfi  habere  arbitran- 
 tur,  addubi^are  coget  dodif- 
 iimorum  hominum  de  7naxi- 
 ma.  re  tanta  diflenlio.  Clc.de 
 Nintura  Deer.  lib.  i. 
 
 f  Urinam  ram  facile  vera 
 invenire  polTem,  quani  falia 
 convinceic.     Id.  Ibid. 
 
 M,6cl'.— —  K«;  _W/Oi  dXi(r(loCTz<i 
 
 ^iftwijlo^.      ^Uto    de    Re^ubl. 
 lib.  4. 
 
 TPje  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 'That  the  very  fir  ft  and  moft  ne- 
 cellary  thing  of  all,  ^  ^the  Na- 
 ture and  Attributes  of  God  him- 
 felf,  were,  notwithftanding  all 
 the  general  Helps  of  Reafon,  ve- 
 ry difficult  to  them  to  find  out 
 in  particular,  and  ftill  more  dif- 
 ficult to  explain  •,  it  bging  much 
 t  more  eafy  to  fay  what  God  was 
 not.,  thanv/hathe  ''jvas :  And  fi- 
 nally, that  the  Method  of  in- 
 firu6ling  Men  efieclually,  and 
 making  them  truly  Wife  and 
 Good,  w'as  a  thing  \.  very  ob- 
 fcure  and  dark,  and  difficult  to 
 be  found  out.  In  a  word  :  Socra- 
 tes himfelf  always  openly  pro- 
 feffed,  that  he  pretended  to  be 
 wifer  than  other  Men,  only  in  this 
 f  See  p/.'7/(7  one  thing,  that  he  was  duly  fenfibls  of  his  own 
 in  Apolc-  Ignorance,  and  f  believed  that  it  was  merely  for 
 gm  ocm-  ^^^^^  ^^^^  Reafon,    that  the  Oracle  pronounced 
 
 him  the  wifeft  of  Men. 
 Particu-         More  -particular^  :  The  Manner .^  in  which  God 
 Ur'y,  they  j-nighc  be  acceptably  ivorjhipped^    thefe  Men  were 
 Ignorlntla  ^^^^^^^7  ^^^^  Unavoidably  ignorant  of.     That  God 
 vhat  man-  oiight  to  be  ivorjhipped  i  is,    in  the  general.,    as  evi- 
 mr  Qod     (Jent  and  plain  from  the  Light  of  Nature,  as  any 
 Tctptall    ^^^"g  ^^^  ^^  •  ^i-^t  i^  '''^■''^^  particular  Manner.,  and 
 fforjhip^ed.  with  what  Kind  of  Service  he  will  be  worfhipped, 
 cannot  be  certainly  difcovered   by   bare    Reafon, 
 Obedience  to  the  Obligations  of  Nature,  and  Imi- 
 tation of  the  Moral  Attributes  of  God  •,    the  wi- 
 feft Philofophers  eafily  knew,    was  undoubtedly 
 the  moft  acceptable  Service  to  God.      But  fome  ex- 
 ternal Adoration  feemed  alfo  to  be  necefiary  ;  and 
 how  this  was  to  be  performed,    they  could  not 
 with  any  certainty  difcover.      Accordingly   even 
 
 the 
 
and  Revealed  Religion, 
 
 the  very  bed  of  them  complied  therefore  general- 
 ly with  the  outward  Religion  of    their  Country, 
 and  advifed  Others  to  do  the  fame  ;  and  fo,    not- 
 wichflanding   all  their  wife  Difcourfes,    they  fell 
 lamentably  into  the  praftife   of.  the  moft  foolifh 
 Idolatry.     LaBantlus  obferves  that  Socrates  him- 
 felf,  *  at  the  Conclulion  of    one 
 of  the  bravefl  Difcourfes  that  e- 
 ver   was  made  by   any   Philofo- 
 pher,    fuperflitloully    ordered    a 
 Sacrifice  to  be  offered  for  him  to 
 jEfculapius.     But  herein  Laaan- 
 tius  was  certainly  miftaken  :    For 
 Socrates  undoubtedly    fpake  this 
 in  mockery  of  JEfculapius  ;    look- 
 ing upon  Death  as   his  trued  De- 
 liverance.     Plato^     after    havincr 
 delivered  very  noble  and  almoft  divine  Truths 
 concerning  the  Nature  and  Attributes  of   the  Su- 
 preme  God,    t    weakly   advifes 
 Men  to  worfliip  likewife   Inferi- 
 our  Gods,     Daemons,    and  Spi- 
 rits i  and  dared  not  to  condemn 
 the  worfhipping  even  of  Statues 
 alfo  and  Images,    dedicated  ac- 
 cording   to  the   Laws    of    their 
 Country  ;    as  if    ■*  the  Honour 
 they  paid  to  lifelefs  Idols,    could 
 procure  the  Favour  and  Good- 
 will   of   Superiour  Intelligences. 
 And  fo  4-  he  corrupted  and  fp oil- 
 ed  the   bell   Fhilofophy    in    the 
 
 201 
 
 xXyiZiM      o<Pi(Xof»^      uXiK-T^vovot," 
 
 c-jji  f .     Fi;ito  m  PhdiJone . 
 
 lllud  vero  nonne  iummae 
 vanitatisj  quod  ante  mortem 
 familiarcs  luos  ro^avir,  ut 
 JEfiuLpio  gallum,  quern  vo- 
 verar,  pro  fe  facrarent.  Lacl-^ 
 ant.  iibt  3, 
 
 VlCl'i   UV  Tic,  3-io7c,  OiinoC   )Oi    ^'.•jTi^OC 
 
 ivcrt/iiici^  CTKOTTod  Tiy^voi.-  — 
 Miru  S-j»5  '^Tii(Th     (?   ro7<;  d'xU 
 
 ^v 'FTTcix.cXii^i'i  ^  OiiToi; 
 
 -m  vo  f/jov  o^yiu^o i^a,.    PUto  de 
 Lepb.  lib.  4. 
 
 Tic,   arxiPidq,   TlfA>SlJ(,S9.    ^    ')   SiKo- 
 
 World,     by   adding   Idolatry  to     y.f^7y  ^^xx^<ri,  xcaTr?^  u^ti-^'^vq 
 that  Worfhip,  which  he  had  wife-     ^T^^^'  ^'^"\°'-'?>^v^/f''^^^      fw.- 
 
 ly  and  bravely  before  proved  to 
 be  due  to  the  Creatour  of  all 
 Things.  After  him,  Cicero,  the 
 greateft  and  beil  Philofopher,  that 
 
 U  2 
 
 de  Leg'ib.  lib.    \  i. 
 
 Ro?ne 
 
292  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 %  r  (piAoTe<pov  ^Ija^  7cy.v  uvt^     Roim  Qx  pcrhaps  any  other  Nati- 
 on ever  produced,  allowed  *  Men 
 to  continue  the  Idolatry  of   their 
 Anceftors  *,     advifed  them    t  to 
 conform  themfelves  to  the  fuper- 
 ftitious  Religion  of   their  Coun- 
 try, in  offering  fuch  Sacrifices  to 
 different  Gods,  as  were  by  Law 
 eflabliflied  \    and   \.    diilipproves 
 and  finds  fault  witli    the  Perfian 
 Magi,    for  burning  the  Temples 
 of  the  Grecian  Gods,    and  aflert- 
 ing  that  the    whole  Univerfe  was 
 God's  Temple.     In  all  which,  he 
 fondly  contradi<5ls  himfelf,  by  tt 
 inexcufably    complying  with  the 
 Pra6lifes  of  thofe  Men,  whom  in 
 many  of  his  Writings  he  largely 
 and  excellently  proves  to   be  ex- 
 tremely Foolifh  upon  account  of 
 thofe  very  Pradbifes.       And    to 
 mention   no  more,    ffor  indeed 
 thofe  of  a  lower  Rank,    the  Mi- 
 nuter Philofophers,    as  I'ull^  calls 
 them,  are   not   worth  the  men- 
 tioning •,)    That  admirable  Mo- 
 rahfl  Ep'icletus^  who,  for  a   true 
 ^txiiz  of  Virtue,  feems  to  have  had  no  Superior  in 
 the  Heathen  World  5    even  He 
 alfo  ^  advifes  Men  to  ofier  Liba- 
 tions and  Sacrifices  to  the  Gods, 
 every  one  according  to  the  Re- 
 ligion and  Cuflom  of  his  Coun- 
 try. 
 But  ftill  more  particularly  :    That  which  of   all 
 other  things,  thefe  beft  and  wifefl  of    the  Philo- 
 fophers were  moil  abfolutely  and  unavoidably  ig- 
 norant of  j  and  yet  which,  of   all  other  things, 
 
 v/as 
 
 xc(.v  uvTca 
 vfriui   T   c^iuv    sva-iiSnet,    'mi  l- 
 
 verf.  Cflf.  lib.  6. 
 
 *  A  Patribus  acceptos  De- 
 cs placet  coii.  Cic.  de  Legib. 
 lib.  2. 
 
 f  Item  iHud  ex  inflitutis 
 Pontificum  8c  Arufpicum  non 
 mutandum  eft,  quibus  hoftiis 
 jmmolandum  cuio;  Deo.  Id. 
 ibid. 
 
 -I-  Nee  fequor  Magos  Per- 
 farum,  quibus  auftoribus 
 Xerxes  miiimmliit  rernpla 
 Graccias  dicitur,  quod  parie- 
 tibus  includerent  decs,  quo- 
 rum hie  mundus  omnis  tem- 
 plumelTet  &  domus.  Melius 
 Giaeciarq^  noftr',  qui,  ut  au- 
 gerent  pietarem  in  Dcos,  eaf- 
 dcm  illos,  quasno5,  urbes  in- 
 colere  voluerunr.     Jd.  ibid. 
 
 If  Video  te,  Cicero,  tcrre- 
 na  &  manufa6la  venerari. 
 Vana  effe  inteJligis,  &  tamen 
 cadem  facis,  qux  faciuRtipfi, 
 quos  ipfe  ftultilTimos  confite- 
 
 ris. Si  libenter   errant 
 
 etiam  ii,  qui  errare  fe  fenti- 
 unt,  quanto  magis  vulgusin- 
 dodium  ?  Laciant.  lib.  %. 
 
 MXtCO^iSui      KCC7Z6 
 
 38. 
 
 jind  in 
 
 what  Me- 
 thod Cod 
 v^ouU  be 
 teancikd 
 
 Jviiv,      X«{ 
 7ZSS      -TTCCTiiOC 
 
 Epiciet.  cap. 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  293 
 
 was  of  the  greateft  Importance  for  Sinful  Men  to  *^  return^ 
 know  ;  was  T:be  Method,  hj  'which  fucb  as  have  er-'"^^''""'''' 
 red  from  the  right  way,  and  have  offended  God,  may 
 yet  again  refiore  themfelves  to  the  Favour  of  God,  and 
 to  the  Hopes  of  Happi7iefs.  From  the  confiderati- 
 on  of  the  Goodnefs  and  Mercifulnefs  of  God,  the 
 Philofophers  did  indeed  very  reafonahly  hope^  that 
 God  woidd  fhow  himfelf  placable  to  Sinners,  and 
 might  be  fome  way  reconciled  :  But  when  we 
 come  to  inquire  more  particularly,  "djhht  Propitia- 
 tion he  will  accept,  and  in  what  Manner  this  re- 
 conciliation muft  be  made  j  here  Nature  flops, 
 and  expedls  with  impatience  the  aid  of  fome  par- 
 ticular Revelation.  That  God  will  receive  return- 
 ing Sinners,  and  accept  of  Repentance  inflead  of 
 perfed:  Obedience,  I'bty  cannot  certainly  know,  to 
 whom  he  has  not  declared  that  he  will  do  fo.  For 
 though  this  be  the  moft  probable  and  only  means 
 of  reconciliation,  that  Nature  fuggefts  -,  yet  whe- 
 ther this  will  be  alone  fufficient  •,  or  whether  God 
 will  not  require  fomething  further,  for  the  Vindi- 
 cation of  his  Juftice,  and  of  the  Honour  and  Dig- 
 nity of  his  Lav/s  and  Government,  and  for  the 
 exprefnng  more  eiTedually  his  Indignation  againft 
 Sin,  before  he  will  reftore  Men  to  the  Privileges 
 they  have  forfeited  -,  they  cannot  be  fatisfa6lori>/ 
 afTured.  For  it  cannot  pofitively  be  proved  from 
 any  of  God's  Attributes,  that  he  is  abfolutely  c- 
 bliged  to  pardon  all  Creatures  all  their  Sins  at  all 
 times,  barely  and  immediately  upon  their  Repent- 
 ing. There  arifes  therefore  from  Nature  no  Suffi- 
 cient Comfort  to  Sinners,  but  anxious  and  endlefs 
 Sollicitude  about  the  Means  of  appeafmg  the  Dei- 
 ty. Hence  thofe  divers  ways  of  Sacrificing,  and 
 numberlefs  Superflitions,  which  overrfpread  the 
 Face  of  the  Heathen  World,  but  were  fo  little 
 fatisfadlory  to  the  wifer  part  of  Mankind,  even 
 in  thofe  times  of  darknefs  ;  that  the  more  confi- 
 
 U  3  derin< 
 
 % 
 
294  'Tiie  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 dering  Philofopbers  could  not  forbear  frequently 
 •A  See  P/«- declaring,  that  *  they  thought  thofe  Rights  could 
 tos  Alcibi-^,,^^|-j.j_lg  ^j.  i^oi-}-ijj-jg  towards  appeafing  the  Wrath 
 
 through-     of  a  provoked  God,  or  making  their  Prayers  ac- 
 
 oui.  "        ceptable  in   his    Sight  ;    but  that  fomething   fcill 
 
 feemed  to  them  to  be  wanting,  though  they  knew 
 
 Andother    not  what. 
 
 Tbtlutl  .  3.  Some  other  Dodrines  abfolutely  neceffary 
 necejfary  ,„iikewife  to  the  bringing  about  this  great  End  of 
 ord^.rto  te  the  Reformation  of  Mankind  ;  though  there  was 
 ■^W  ^f' indeed  fo  much  proof  and  evidence  ot  the  Truth 
 hefivhllofo-^^  them  to  be  drawn  from  Reafon,  as  that  the 
 fhers  wereht^  Philofophets  could  not  by  any  means  be  in- 
 }l?mTuny'^^^^^  z^/^^r.-?///  of  them  ;  yet  fo  much  douhtfulnefs, 
 certain  T-  ^^^^^^'^'^t^^^^^J,  and  unfteddinefs^  v/as  there  in  the 
 lout.         Thoughts  and  AfTertions  of    thefe  Philofophers 
 
 concerning  them,    as   could  not 
 
 t  Pr?ct:rca  r.ihi!  apud  eos     but  f  Very  much  diminifh  their 
 
 «rti  eft,   nihil  quod  a  fci-     proper  Effed  and  Influence  upon 
 
 entia   vcn'.ari oi  nemo      ^y     v-r  ,  t  .  r  -^ /r      -^    t 
 
 paiet.  (^uia  nemo  vulr  ad  the  Hearts  and  Lives  of  Men.  I 
 incertum  jaborare.  LrM.ir2f.  inftance  in  the  Ivimortalit'j  of  the 
 ^^^-  ^  SguI^    the  Certainty  of  a  Future 
 
 Slate^  and  the  Rewards  and  Pu- 
 7iljljnients  to  he  dlfirihuted  in  a  Lfe  to  come.  The 
 Arguments,  which  may  be  drawn  from  Reafon 
 aKd  from  the  Nature  of  things,  for  the  Proof  of 
 thefe  great  Truths ;  feem  really  (as  I  have  before 
 fliov/n)  to  come  very  little  fhort  of  ftrid;  Demon- 
 ftration  :  And  accordingly  the  wdfefl  Philofophers 
 (as  has  likewife  been  Ihown  before)  did  indeed 
 fometimes  feem  to  have  reafoned  themfelves  into 
 a  firm  Belief  of  them,  and  to  have  been  fully 
 convinced  of  their  Certainty  and  Reality  ;  even 
 fo  far  as  to  apply  them  to  excellent  purpofes  and 
 ufes  of  Life.  But  then  on  the  other  hand,  a 
 Man  cannot  without  fome  pity  and  concern  of 
 Mind  obferve,  how  flrangely  at  other  times  the 
 weight  of  the  fime  Arguments  fcems  to  have  flipt 
 
 (as 
 
and  Revealed  Religion,  295 
 
 as  it  werej  out  of  their  Minds  ,    and  with  what 
 wonderfal    Dijfidsncc^    Wavering  and   Uiifteddinefs^ 
 they  dircourfe  about  the  fame  Things.     I  do  not 
 hete  think  it   of  any  very   great  moment,    that 
 there  v/ere  indeed  fome  v/hole  Se6i:s   of  Philoio- 
 phers,    who  abfolutely  denied  the    Immortality  of 
 the  Soul,  and  peremptorily  rejedled  all  kind  of  Ex- 
 pectation of  a  Life  to  come :  (Though,  to  be  fure, 
 this  could  not  iDUt  in  fome  meafure  fliock   the 
 common  People,    and  make  them  entertain  fome 
 fufpicion    about  the   ftrength  of  the   Argum^ents 
 ufed  on  the  other  fide  of   the  Quefiion  by  wifer 
 Men  :  Yet,  I  fay,)    it  cannot  be  thought  of  any 
 very  great  moment,    that  fome  whole  Se6ts   of 
 Philofophers  did  indeed  abfolutely   deny   the  Im- 
 mortality of   the  Soul ',    Becaufe  thefe  Men   were 
 weak  Reafoners  in  other  matters  alfo,  and  plainly 
 low  and  contemptible  Philofophers,    in  compari- 
 fon  of  thofe  greater  Genius's  we  are  now  fpcak- 
 ing  of     But  that  which  I  novv^  obferve,  and  which 
 I  fay  cannot  be  obferved  without  fome  pity   and 
 concern  of  Mind,  is  this  ;  that  even   thofe  Great 
 Philofophers  themfelves,   the  very  Beil  and   Wi- 
 feft,  and  moil:  confiderate  of   them  that  ever  li- 
 ved j  notwithftanding  the  undeniable  ftrength  of 
 the     Arguments,      which    fometimes    convinced 
 them  of  the  Certainty  of  a  Future  State ;  did  yet 
 at  other'  times  exprefs  themfelves  with  fo  much 
 hefitancy  and  unfleddi  lefs  concerning  it,  as,  with- 
 out doubt,  could  not  but  extremely   hinder  the 
 proper  Effed  and  Influence,  which  that  mofl  im- 
 portant Confideration  ought    to  have  upon  the 
 Hearts  and  Lives  of  Men.     /  am 
 
 now,  faid  f  Socrates  a  little  before        +  '^/^-'^^    ?    k;to^Mini 
 his  Death,    about    to     leave  this    ¥t   /^f-^/^^-'--  ^^VIT  ^ 
 Ivor  Id',  and  'js  are  ft  ill  to  continue     ^^^y^^^-'^^y^xov  T^ccvTi  vr)^yy 
 in  it:  Which  of  us  have  the  better     «  rsi  ^m.    BUto  in   A^oiog 
 Part  allotted  us^  God  only  knows : 
 
 iV^, 
 
 Socr. 
 
 V  A.  *  Seem  in  or 
 
 o 
 
2p6 
 
 *  Quod  prDCter  Deos  ne- 
 gat  fcire  quenqanm,  fcit  ip- 
 le,  utrum  melius  fit;  nam 
 dixit  ante.  Sed  fuum  iliud, 
 nihil  ut  affrmet,  tenet  ad 
 extremum.  Cic.  Tiifc.  ^t. 
 lib.  I. 
 
 B-ov<;,    xxt   rSS  /^  ^K   oiv    'nzirj 
 oiV^v^icxiiJt/yjv .     Plato  m  Thsid. 
 
 Tct  I  ivoidd 
 
 noi 
 
 •j*  "Ei   d"  Civ  o'tov    6i7re6-/',^y,<rei.i 
 
 y^Ufivec,  0}^  a  see.  ««*?  U(ri  ttk:- 
 Ttq  oi  ri^fna!Ti<i,  &C.  PUtoin 
 Apclo^,  Sect  at. 
 
 The  Evidences^  Natural 
 
 ^  Seeming  to  exprefs  fome  Doubt- 
 fulnefs,  whether  he  fhould  have 
 any  Exifcence  after  Death,  or 
 not.  And  again,  at  the  End  of 
 his  mod  admirable  Difcourfe  con- 
 cerning the  Immortahty  of  the 
 Soul  ;  I  would  have  you  to  know^ 
 faid  I  he  to  his  Friends  who  came 
 to  pay  him  their  lafl  Vifit,  that  I 
 ba've  great  Hopes  I  am  now  going 
 Into  the  Company  of  Good  Men  : 
 he  too  peremptory  and  confident  con- 
 cerning it.  But  t  if  Death  he  on- 
 ly as  it  were  a  ^l  ranfrnigration  frojii 
 hence  into  another  place  ;  And  thofe 
 Thifigs^  which  are  told  iis^  he  in^ 
 deed  true  •,  that  thofe  who  are  dead 
 to  Us.,  do  all  hive  there  :  'Then  &c. 
 So  likewife  Cicero^  fpeaking  of 
 fame  Subie(^ :  /  will  endeavour^  faith 
 *  he,  to  explain  what  you  defuse  ; 
 yet  I  would  not  have  you  depend  up- 
 en  what  I  fh  all  fay.,  as  certain  and 
 infallible  -,  But  I  may  guefs^  as  o- 
 ther  Men  do.,  at  zvhat  fJoall  feem 
 mofi  prcloalle  :  And  further  than 
 this,  I  cannot  pretend  to  go.  A- 
 gain  :  Which  of  thofe  two  Opini- 
 ons., faith  t  he,  {that  the  Soul  is 
 mortal,  or  that  it  is  immortal,] 
 he  True.,  God  only  knows  ;  IVbicb 
 of  them  is  7nofl  Probable.,  is  a  very 
 Great  ^ueJHon.  And  again  in  the 
 fame  Difcourfe,  having  brouglit 
 all  thofe  excellent  Arguments  before-mentioned  in 
 proof  of  the  Immortality  of  the  Soul ,  iv/  we 
 ought  not,  faith  t  he,  to  he  over- 
 f  Etii  nihil  nimis  oportet     confident  of  it :  For  it  often  happens 
 
 that 
 
 the 
 
 ■^  Ea,  qua:  vi?,  ut  poffro, 
 explicaboj  nee  tamen  quafi 
 Pythius  -Apollo,  cerra  lh  imt 
 &  fixa  qu3E  dixcroi  icd  ut 
 homunculus  unus  e  roultis, 
 probabiiia  conjedura  fequens. 
 Ultra  enim  quo  prcgrediar> 
 quam  ut  verilimiiia  videain, 
 non  habeo.  Cic.  T:tfc-  ^t^fi- 
 lib.  I. 
 
 f  Harum  fcntentiarum 
 <]use  vera  (i'',  Deus  aiiquis 
 videritj  qu^e  veriiimiilima, 
 magna  Qu^llio  tCi.  id. 
 ibid. 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.'  2^7 
 
 that    we    are  ftrongl^   affected   at     confidere.      Movemur  enim 
 firft^  with  an  acute  Argument  -,  and 
 yet  a  little  while  after ^    fi^^gg^^  ^^ 
 our  Judgment  a?td    alter  our    O- 
 
 pinion^    even   in 
 
 clearer   Matters 
 
 £epe  aliquo  acute  conclufo  ; 
 labamus  mutamufq;  fententi- 
 am  clarioribus  etiam  in  rebus  j 
 in  his  eft  fenim  aliqua  obfcu- 
 ricas.    U  ibid. 
 
 And 
 
 *  Nefclo  quomodo,  Jum 
 
 lego,  aflentior  j  cum  pofui 
 Jibrum,  &  mecum  ipfe  de 
 immorralirate  animorum  cce- 
 pi  cogitare,  aflenfio  omnis  ilia 
 elabitur.     Id.  ibid. 
 
 than  thefe  •,  For  the/e  T'hings  muft 
 he  confeffed  to  have  fome  ohfcurity  in  them. 
 again  :  /  know  not  how^  faith  ^ 
 he,  when  I  read  the  Arguments  in 
 ■proof  of  the  Soil's  Immortality.^  me- 
 thinks  I  am  fully  convinced  ;  and 
 yet  after  I  have  laid  afide  the  Book., 
 and  come  to  think  and  confider  of 
 the  Matter  alone  hy  my  felf.,  pre- 
 fently  I  find  my  felf  fallen  again  infenfiUyinto  my  old 
 Doubts.  From  all  which  it  appears,  that  notwith- 
 Handing  all  the  bright  Arguments  and  acute  Con- 
 clufions,  and  brave  Sayings  of  the  beft  Philofo- 
 phers  -,  yet  Life  and  hnmortality 
 were  f  not  fully  and  fitisfado- 
 rily  brought  to  Light  by  bare  natu- 
 ral Reafon  ;  but  Men  ftill  plainly 
 Hood  in  need  of  fome  farther  and 
 more  compleat  Difcovery. 
 
 f  Credebam  facile  opinlo- 
 nibus  magnorum  virorum, 
 rem  gratiffimam  \_mtjn£.  im- 
 mortalitatem  ]  fromittenttum 
 magis  quam  frobctntium.  Se- 
 nec.  epift. 
 
 02. 
 Adeo  omnis  ilia  tunc  fapi- 
 entia  Socratis,  de  induflria  venerat  confultce  azquanimitatis,  Don  de  fiducia 
 compertse  veritatis.     Tertullian.  de  Animci. 
 
 4.  Thofe  Things  which  the  Philofophers  were 
 indeed  the  moll  fully  certain  of,  and  did  in  good 
 meafure  underftand ;  fuch  as  the  Obligations  of  Vir- 
 tue., and  the  IVill  of  God  in  ?natters  of  Morality  ; 
 yet  they  were  never  able  to  prove  and  explain  clear- 
 ly and  diftin^ly  enough.,  to  Perfons  of  all  Capaci- 
 ties, in  order  to  their  complete  convidion  and  re- 
 formation. Firfi.,  becaufe  moft  of  their  Difcour- 
 fes  upon  thefe  Subjects,  have  been  rather  fpecula- 
 tive  and  learned,  nice  and  fubtle  Difputes  j  than 
 pradlcal  and  uniyerfally  ufeful  Inflrudions.  They 
 
 proved 
 
 And  thofe 
 things 
 which  they 
 loere  in- 
 deed cer- 
 tain of,  yet 
 they  were 
 not  able  to 
 prove  and 
 explain 
 clearly  and 
 difiincily 
 enough. 
 
29^  Tbe^YiD^i^c^s  of  Natural 
 
 proved,  by  ftrid  and  nice  Argumentation, 
 that  the  Pra^ife  of  Virtue  is  ijo'ife  and  reafonable  and 
 ft  to  he  chofen  s  rather  than  that 'tis  o^  plain,  neceffa- 
 ■yj,  and  indifpenfaUe  Obligation  ;  And  were  able  to 
 deduce  the  mil  of  God,  only  by  fuch  abftrad  and 
 fubtle  Reafonings,  as  the  generaUty  of  Men  had 
 by  no  means  either  Abihties  or  Opportunities  to 
 underfland  or  be  duly  affected  by.  Their  very 
 ProfefTion  and  manner  of  Life, 
 led  them  to  make  their  Philofo- 
 phy  rather  "^  an  Entertainment  of 
 leifure  time,  a  Trial  of  Wit  and 
 Parts,  an  Exercife  of  Eloquence, 
 and  of  the  Art  and  Si^ill  of  good 
 Speaking  •,  than  an  Endeavour  to 
 reform  the  Manners  of  Men,  by 
 flowing  them  their  plain  and  ne- 
 celTary  Duty.  And  accordingly 
 the  Study  of  it,  was,  as  Cicero  f 
 himfelf  obferves,  unavoidably 
 confined  to  a  Few,  and  by  no 
 means  fitted  for  the  bulk  and  com- 
 mon fort  of  Mankind  :  who,  as 
 they  cannot  judge  of  the  true 
 fbreno-th  of  nice  and  abflra6l  Ar- 
 guments,  fo  they  v/ill  always  be 
 fufpicious  of  fome  Fallacy  in 
 them.  None '''  but  Men  of  Parts 
 and  Learning,  of  Study  and  libe- 
 ral Education,  have  been  able  to 
 profit  by  the  fublime  Do6lrine  of 
 Plato^  or  by  the  fubtle  difputa- 
 tions  of  other  Philofophers  ; 
 whereas  the  Dodtrine  of  Morali- 
 ty, which  is  the  Rule  of  Life  and 
 Manners,  ought  to  be  plain,  eafy 
 and  familiar,  and  fuited  fully  to 
 the  Capacities  of  all   Men.     Se- 
 
 (ondy^ 
 
 *  Profefto  omnfs  ifloru-n 
 difputario,  quanquam  uberri- 
 mos  fonres  virrutis  dc  fcien- 
 tiae  conrineat,  tamen  collara 
 cum  horum  [qui  rempubli- 
 cam  gubernantj  adtis  psrfec- 
 tifqj  rebus,  vereor  ne  non  tan- 
 tum  videarur  attuliiTe  nego- 
 tiis  hominum  utilitatis,  quan- 
 tum Obleciationefn  qnandam 
 Oti't.     Cic.  deRepub.Vragm. 
 
 f  Eft,  inquit  Cicero,  philo- 
 fophia  pauciscontenta  judici- 
 bus,    multitudincm  confulto 
 
 ipfa  fugiens. -Maximum 
 
 itaqj  argumentum  eft,  philo- 
 fophiam  neq;  ad  fapientiam 
 tendcrc,  neq;  ipfam  efTe  fa- 
 pi'.ntiam  j  quod  myfterium 
 ejus,  barba  tantum  celebratur 
 &:  pallio.     L^aant.  lib.  3. 
 
 «y|2A£rSf5V     cCIXiCC     >t.      ';7^Cl'-/fJljXTi' 
 
 jc    yc,cc\iyuvT{>j]/'    i^i 
 T    t',     J\hureovct    ov 
 
 cvj    '   N  '  ■:  .    / 
 
 om 
 
 Celf.  lib.  6. 
 
 Ayp>:iuqrtpw  ivza)^  t 
 
 aii'verf. 
 
 ec<piq   It-  TO  ifjuoiTi-iVf     /^icj- 
 
and  Revealed  K  e  l  i  g  i  o  N. 
 
 29^ 
 
 S-jJK^rs?.   Id. lib. -J. 
 
 condly.  Another  Reafon  why  the 
 Philofophers  were  never  able  to 
 prove  and   explain  clearly  afid  di- 
 Jlinclly  enough^  even  thofe  things 
 of  which   they  were  the  7noft  Cer- 
 taWj  to  Perfons  of  all  Capacities,  in  order  to  their 
 complete  convidion  and   reformation  •,    was  be- 
 caufe  they  never  v/ere  able  to  frame  to  themfelves 
 any  complete,  regular,    and  confiilent  Syflem  or 
 Scheme  of  things  ;    but   the  Truths  which  they 
 taught,  were  f  fingle  and  fcatter- 
 ed,  accidental  as  it  v/ere,  and  hit 
 upon  by  chance,    rather  than  by 
 any  Knowledge  of  the  whole  true 
 ftate  of  Things ;  and  confequent- 
 ly  lefs  univerlaily  convi6live.  No- 
 thing could  be  more  Certain^  (as 
 they  all  well  knew,)    than  that 
 Virtue  vv^as  unqueflionably   to  he 
 chcfen^  and  the  Pra6tife  of  it  to 
 be    recommended    necefTarily  a- 
 bove   all    things  ;  And  yet  they 
 could  never  clearly  and  fatisfa^orily  make  out,  up- 
 on what  Principles  originally^  and  for  what  End  ul- 
 tir/iaiel]\  this  Choice  was  to  be  made  ;  and   upon 
 what  Grounds  it  was  univerfally  to  be  fupported. 
 Hence   they  perpetually   t  difa- 
 greed,  oppofed,  and  contradidled 
 one  another  in  all  their  Difputa- 
 tions  to  fuch  a  degree,    that  St. 
 Auftin  fomev/here  out  of   Varro 
 reckons  up  no  lefs  than  280  O- 
 pinions  concerning  that  oneQuef- 
 tion,  V/hat  was  the  Chief  Good  or  Final  Happinefs 
 of  Man.      The  Efted    of  all  which  Difi"erences 
 could  not,  without  doubt,  but  be  a  mighty  hind- 
 rance to  that  Convidion  and  general  Influence, 
 which  That  great  Truth,  in  the  C<?r/j;;//)' whereof 
 
 they 
 
 -}-  'OvK  on  ocXXoTfiu   I'^i  Tec 
 
 l\>.UTu^joe,  ^i-^^oiyfjtjXTei,  ^  XfirotJ' 
 
 «AA    on  cino   iifi  TTuvrvi   cfA/oicc, 
 
 aoi    1U,   rZv    aXXeuv.  --  s- 
 
 <r?rip[^ccriKou  S^jty  Aoyy  ro  (rvy-^ 
 
 Ok  3   rcc-uvTicc  ecuToTi^  h   KVtico- 
 rtpo;;    il'^Yiii^rie,,     cine     iTn^'^fjtj-^y 
 
 Xiyarov  cpt/McvTtCi  i^^Kivcci,  yw 
 /tin.  ^polog,  I. 
 
 f  Ner,  quid  defenderede- 
 beant,  fcifnres  ;  ncc  quid  re- 
 firare.  Ipcurfantq;  paffm 
 fine  dcl-d>u  cmnia  qua:  affe- 
 run%  quicunqj  difieRtiuiit. 
 La^iant.  lib.  7. 
 
00 
 
 *  Totara  igirur  verit2t?m, 
 Sc  omne  divinx  religionis  ar- 
 canum Philofophi  attigerunt. 
 Sed  alijs  reFellentibus,  defen- 
 dere  id,  quod  invenerant,  ne- 
 cuivcrunti  quia  fingulis  ratio 
 lion  quadraviti  nee  ea,  quae 
 vera  lenff.inr,  in  fumiiiqm 
 redigere  potuerunt.  Lat'iant. 
 lib.  7. 
 
 ac    iciens,    pote 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 they  All  clearly  agreed,  f namely,  that  thePradlife 
 of  I^irl lie  w:is  neceirary  and  indilpenfable,)  ought 
 to  have  had  upon  the  Minds  and  Lives  of  Men. 
 This  whole  Matter,  is  excellently  let  forth  by  Lac- 
 taniius  :  The  Pbilofophers^  faith  * 
 he,  take  them  All  together^  did  in- 
 deed dif cover  all  the  particular  Doc- 
 trines of  true  Religion  ;  But  hecaufe 
 each  one  indeavoured  to  confute 
 what  the  others  afferted\  and  no 
 One's  ftngle  Scheme  was  in  all  its 
 parts  confifienty  and  agreeaUe  to 
 Reafon  and  Truth  \  and  none  of 
 them  were  able  to  collet  into  One 
 whole  and  Entire  Scheme,  the  fever  al  "Truths  dif  per  fed 
 among  them  All ;  therefore  they  are  not  able  to  inain- 
 tain  and  defend  iV'hat  the'j  had  difcovered.  And  a- 
 gain  ;  having  fct  down  a  brief  fa  mmary  of  the 
 whole  Doclrine  and  Defign  of  true  Religion,  from 
 the  Original  to  the  Confummation  of  all  Things  ^ 
 This  Entire  Scheme^  fays  t  he,  be- 
 caufe  the  Philofophers  were  ignorant 
 of^  therefore  they  were  not  able  to- 
 comprehend  the  Truth  -,  noiwith- 
 ftanding  that  theyfaw  and  di [cover - 
 edftngly^  almoft  all  the  Particulars 
 of  which  the  whole  Scheme  cojfifts. 
 But  this  was  done  by  different  Men 
 and  at  different  Times  and  in  diffe- 
 rent Manners  -,  (with  various  Mix- 
 tures of  different  Errours,  in  what 
 every  one  difcovered  of  Truth 
 fingly  -,)  and  without  finding  the 
 Connexion  of  the  Caufes^  and  Confe- 
 quences  and  Reafons  of  Things  \  from 
 the  mutual  Dependencies  of  which y 
 the  Compleaknefs  and  Perfection  of 
 [he  zvhole  Scheme  arifes.     Whereas^ 
 
 haa 
 
 f  Quam  fummam,  quia 
 Philofophi  non  con^prehen- 
 derunti  nee  veritatem  ccm- 
 prehendere  potuerunt  J  quam- 
 vis  ea  fere,  quibus  funimaip- 
 fa  conftat,  Sc  viderint  &:  ex- 
 piicaverint.  Sed  diverli  ac 
 diverse i!!a  omniaprorulsrun*-, 
 non  annectentes  nee  caufiS 
 rerum,  ncc  conlequencias, 
 nee  rationcsj  ut  fummam  il- 
 lam,  quse  continet  univerfa, 
 &  compingerent  Sc  comple- 
 rent.     Laclant    lih.  7. 
 
 Quod  ii  exritiiTet  aliquis 
 qui  veritatem  fpariam  per 
 lingulos,  per  feftalq;  diftufam, 
 colligeret  inunura,  ac  redige- 
 yet  in  corpus i  is  profcdo  non 
 dlHenriret  a  nobis.  Sed  hoc- 
 nemo  facere,  nili  veri  perirus 
 
 f>. 
 
 V^eruni 
 
and  jRevealed  K  Eh  I  Gioi^l  501 
 
 had  there  heen  am  Man^  ivbo  could    autem  non  nil!  ejus  fcire  efl, 
 have  colle^ed  and  put  together  inOr-     q^i  ^^^ 'iodus  a  Deo.    /^.  1- 
 der  all  the  fever  al  Truths^which  were 
 taught  fingl'j  and  fcatteredly  by  Phi- 
 lofophers  of  all  the  different  Seofs^  and  have  made  tip 
 out  of  them  One  Entire  confiftent  Scberne  ;    truly  he 
 would  not  have  differed  much  from  Us  Chriftians  : 
 But  This^  it  was  not  pojfiblefor  any  ?nan  to  do,  with- 
 out having  the  true  Syftem  of  Things  frfi  Revealed  to^f'^  ^^€^ 
 
 him 
 
 things 
 
 -which  they 
 
 5.  Laflly  i  Even  thofe  Things,  which  xhtVhi-rpere  able 
 lofophers   were  not  only  Themfelves  certain  of,  ^^  P^^"^^ 
 but  which  they  have  alio  been  able  to  prove  ^"^^VilinTlear- 
 explain  to    Others,     with   fufficient  clearnefs   andiyanddl- 
 plainnefs ;  fuch  as  are  the  mofl  obvious  and  neceffaryji'^'i^h'  ^- 
 Duties  of  Life  ;    they  have  not  yet  had  Authority  "l^^^ff^ 
 enough  toinforce  and  inculcate  upon  Men's  Minds  not  pij^a- 
 with  fo  flrong  an  Impreffion,  as  to  influence  and^^^^-'-'^^-*?- 
 govern  the  general  Pradice  of  the  World.     The^'^^y^^ 
 truths  which  they  proved  by  fpeculative  Reafon,  Fraciice. 
 ^  wanted  ftill  fome  more  fenfible 
 
 Authority  to  back  them,  and  *  vUtonis  docamenta, 
 make  them  of  more  Force  and  quamvis  ad  rem  muitum  con- 
 Efficacy  in  Pradlice  -,  And  the  ^^     tf'""''  ''"^?  P^rum  habent 
 
 7^  /       1  •   1        1  1    •  J     J  Tirirnatis    ad   probandam    8c 
 
 Precepts  which    tney    laid    down,      implendam  veritatem.    Lza- 
 
 however  evidently  reafonable  and     fint.  iib.  7. 
 
 fit  to  be  obeyed,  feemed  ftill  to     rphiio^^hn^Tm"/'^'^''^-'"^^ 
 
 want  Weight,  and  to  be  but  the  tint  ^Imo  permulta,  Vzdvt 
 Precepts  of  Men.  Hence  t  none  rum  frequenter  acccdunt, 
 of    the    Philofophers,       even     of      ^"^^  "i^^'^  pnderis  habent  ilia 
 
 thofe  who  taught  the  cleareft  and  nX.r^^r.- TdT.' 
 certaineft  Truths,  and  offered  the     divina  ilJa,    carent.     Nemo 
 
 beft    and   wifeft    InflruElionS,    and      igitur  credit}  quia  tamfe  ho- 
 
 inforced  them  with  the  ftrongeft     "^"f'^f  ^-1'  ^^^ ■'''^'  '"^''' 
 
 ,  ^    .  ,  ,  ,  ,  ^  quam   ell    lUe   qui   praccipir. 
 
 Motives  that  could  be  ;  were  yet     Laaant  hh.  ^. 
 
 ever  able  to  work  any  remarka-        t"E<^e'pj  ^' «y  <^A>5-9-f £/'?<? r^5 
 
 ble  Change,    in  the  Minds    and     ^r'^^'^f-''  ^^^j'^^!,  rU^yc^- 
 
 Lives  of  any  confiderable   Part    i,  rir^.,  i™,  i;^,r^.   a,^,'- 
 
The  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 y^  ;^f.^ixn\  of  Mankind  ;  as  the  Preaching 
 of  Chrift  and  his  Apoflles  unde- 
 niably did.  Nor  does  it  appear 
 in  Hillory  that  .|.  any  Nufnber  of 
 Socrates's  or  Plato's  Followers, 
 were  convinced  of  the  Excellency 
 of  true  Virtue,  or  the  Certainty 
 of  its  final  Reward,  in  fuch  a 
 manner  as  to  be  willing  to  lay 
 down  their  Lives  for  its  fake  ;  as 
 innumerable  of  the  Difciples  of 
 Chriit,  are  known  to  have  done. 
 In  Speculation  indeed,  it  may  per- 
 haps feem  pofTible,  that  notwith- 
 {landing  it  muil  be  confefied  Phi- 
 lofophy  cannot  difcover  any  com- 
 pleat  and  fatisfi6lory  Remedy  for 
 paji  Mifcarriages,  yet  the  Pre- 
 cepts and  Motives  ofiered  by  the 
 befl  Philofophers,  might  at  lead 
 be  fufficient  to  amend  and  reform 
 Men's  Manners  for  the  future. 
 But  in  Experience  and  Fra"ice  it 
 hath  on  the  contrary  appeared  to 
 be  altogether  impofiible,  for  Phi- 
 lofophy  and  bare  Reafon  to  reform  Mankind  ef- 
 fedually,  without  the  AlTiftance  of  fome  higher 
 Principle.  For,  though  the  bare  natural  Poffibi- 
 lity  of  the  thing,  cannot  indeed  eafily  be  denied  ; 
 yet  in  this  Cafe  (as  Cicero  excel- 
 lently expreifes  t  it,)  in  like  jnan- 
 neras  in  Pbxfickit  matters  nothings 
 ivhether  a  JDifiafe  be  fuch  as  that 
 no  Man  does,  or  no  Man  can  re- 
 cover from  it  s  fo  neither  does  it 
 make  ani  difference^  '■whether  by 
 Phi  lofophy  no  Man  is,  or  no  Man 
 can  be  7nade  wife  and  good.     So 
 
 that 
 
 302 
 
 ^ifi      b"     OiTT'       CCUT^iy      X.C<.Aii[JCjiVii 
 
 iv  y^  KiXcroii  k  0  /i^^Xo  f/^ivoq , 
 Tivic,  ^iiiiB-weiv  Trm  Ximiu'j  ko- 
 
 t^v^ccyu^Zv.  Ongen.  adverf. 
 Celf.ltb.^. 
 
 ^cfj^uvy  5^  cine  oioce,    &i  oiunpoi;, 
 
 urio    ccu-arov  Kcti   fjtjCxB->}j,0Tu.7ii 
 
 uW  Uiil  y-nci  7raAA£4T>isfcr<s^5 
 CiTivsc,  ytvoy^^-voi  cr6.(ppjvav  X,o^i' 
 Idem.  lib.  •". 
 
 Da  mihi  virum  qui  iif  ira- 
 cundus,  iyc.  Numquis  hsc 
 Thilofophoritm  ^c.  La6tatSir. 
 lib.  2.  See  this  raffage  cited 
 fihove,  pag.  aSf.  286. 
 
 ^  2fc'x;p«T£<   Sp  ^    h^eic,  y 
 
 UTTo^niO-y-iVJ.        Xp5-a)  ai    TM    y,ci) 
 
 AoVoi  UQVOV  l~ii^r,(rxv,  oiAAiti 
 x-^jj  zccvTsXux;  idiaroci,  y-ai  diV)<i 
 rMi  (pd'oov  KXi  B-xveiTcv  Kciru(ppc- 
 yJia-xvrs^.  jujiin,  ^po'cg.  I. 
 
 f  Nam  fi,  confcnfu  cmni- 
 wm  Phibfophorum,  fapienri- 
 am  nemoalfequitur;  in  fum- 
 mis  malis  omnes  fumus,  qii> 
 bus  vos  optime  ccnfulrum  a 
 Diis  immortalibus  diciti?. 
 Nam  ut  nihil  inrerefl  utriim 
 nemo  v.ih.ityin  nemo  pojjit  V:i- 
 lere  ;   ilc  non  intelHgo   quid 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  305 
 
 that,   without  fome  greater  Help      interfir,  utrum   nemo  ft  [af^ 
 
 and  Affiftance,  Mankind  is  plainly     ^^  ^ roeotuif  ;:    ''"'' 
 
 left  in  a  very  had  State,  Indeed 
 in  the  original  uncorrupted  State  of  Humane  Na- 
 ture, before  the  Mind  of  Man  was  depraved  with 
 prcjudlcate  Opinions,  corrupt  Affe6tions,  and 
 vitious  Inclinations,  Cufcoms  and  Habits  ;  right 
 Reafon  may  juflly  be  fuppofcd  to  have  been  a 
 fufficient  Guide,  and  a  principle  powerful  enough 
 to  preferve  Men  in  the  conftant  Pra<5lice  of  their 
 Duty.  But  in  the  prefent  Circumilances  and  Con- 
 dition of  Mankind,  the  wifeft  and  moft  fenfible 
 of  the  Philofophers  themfelves  have  not  been 
 backward  to  complain,  that  they  found  the  Under- 
 ftandings  of  Men  fo  dark  and  cloudy^  their  IP^ills  {o 
 byajfed  and  inclined  to  Evil,  their  Pajions  fo  outra- 
 gious  and  'rebelling  againfi  Reafon  •,  that  they  lookt 
 upon  the  Rules  and  Laws  of  right  Reafon,  as  ve- 
 ry hardly  pradiicable,  and  which  they  had  very 
 little  Hopes  of  ever  being  able  to  perfwade  the 
 World  to  fubmit  to.  In  a  word,  they  confefied 
 that  Humane  Nature  was  ftrangely  corrupted ;  and 
 they  acknowledged  this  Corruption  to  be  a  Difeafe 
 whereof  they  knew  not  the  true  Caufe,  and  could 
 not  find  out  a  fufficient  Remedy.  So  that  the 
 great  Duties  of  Religion,  were  laid  down  by  them 
 as  Matters  of  Speculation  and  Difpute,  rather  than 
 as  the  Rules  of  Aclion  \  and  not  fo  much  urged  up- 
 on the  Hearts  and  Lives  of  Men,  as  propofed  to  the 
 Admiration  of  thofe,  who  thought  them  hardly 
 poffible  to  be  effcdually  pra6lifed  by  the  genera- 
 lity of  Men.  To  remicdy  all  thefe  Diforders,  and 
 conquer  all  thefe  Corruptions  \  there  was  plainly 
 wanting  fome  extraordinary  and  fupernatural  Af 
 fiftance ;  which  was  above  the  reach  of  bare  Rea- 
 fon and  Philofophy  to  procure,  and  yet  *vithout 
 which  the  Philofophers  them- 
 felves were  i^nHble  there  ^  COUJd  *  N.mo  unqiirmvir  mn^ 
 
 never  be  any  truly  Grfrt/ Men.  c  ato, 
 
 YII.  For 
 
504  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 VII.  For  thefe  Reafons  there  was  plainly  wanting 
 a  Divine    Revelation,    to  recover  Mankind  out  of 
 their  univerfally  degenerate  Eftate^  into  a  State  Juita- 
 hle  to  the  original  Excellency  of  their  Nature.    Which 
 Divine  Revelation.,  both  the  Neceffities  of  Men^  and 
 their  natural  Notions  of  God,  gave  thefn  reafonable 
 ground  to  expeEl  and  hope  for :  As  appears  from  the 
 achiowle  Segments  which  the  be  [I  and  wifejl  of  the  Hea- 
 then   Philofophers  themfelves  have   made,    of   their 
 Senfe  of  the  neceffity  and  want  of  fuch  a  Revelation  ; 
 and  from  their  Exprejfions  of  the  Hopes  they  had  en- 
 tertained, that  God  would  fome  time  or  other  vouch- 
 fafe  it  unto  them. 
 A  Bhme       j .  There  was  plainly  wanting  a  Divine  Revela- 
 ^llolutdy   ^^^^'  ^°  recover  Mankind   out  of  their  univerfal 
 necejfary    Corruption  and  degeneracy  ;  i\nd  without  fuch  a 
 for  the  re-  Revelation,    it   was  not  poflible  that  the  World 
 Mmind    ^^^^^  ^^'^^  ^^  effedually  reformed.     For  If  (^s 
 has  been  before  particularly  fhown)  the  grofs  and 
 ilupid  Ignorance,  the  innumerable  Prejudices  and 
 vain  Opinions,  the  flirong  PafTions  and  Appetites 
 of  Senfe,  and  the  many  vitious  Cuftoms  and  Ha- 
 bits, which  the  generality  of  Mankind  continually 
 labour  under  ;  make  it  undeniably  too  difficult  a 
 Work,  for  Men  of  all  Capacities  to  difcover  eve- 
 ry One  for  himfelf,  by  the  bare  Light  of  Nature, 
 all  the  particular  Branches  of  their  Duty  ;  but 
 Moft  m.en,  in  the  prefent  State  of  Things,  have 
 manifeftly  need  of  much  Teaching,  and  particular 
 Inftrudion  :  If  thofe  who  were  bell  able  to  difco-^ 
 ver  the  Truth  and  inftruft  others  therein,  namely 
 the  Wifeft.  and  Bed  of  the  Philofophers,    were 
 Themfelves    unavoidably  altogether  ignorant  of 
 fome  Doftrines,  and  very  doubtful  and  uncertain 
 of  others,  abfolutely  neccflary  to  the  bringing  a- 
 bout  that  great  End,  the  Reformation  of  Man- 
 kind :    If  thofe  Truths,    which  they  were  them- 
 felves 
 
and  Reveaied<^  e  1. 1  g  i  o  n.  505 
 
 felves  very  certain  of,  they  were  not  yet  able  to 
 
 prove  and  explain  clearly  enough,  to  vulgar  Un- 
 
 derfcandings  :    If   even   thofe  things  which  they 
 
 proved  fufficiently,    and  explained  with  all  clear- 
 
 nefs,    they  had  not  yet  Authority  enough  to  in- 
 
 force  and  inculcate  upon  Men's  Minds  with  fo 
 
 flrong  an  ImprefTion,    as  to  influence  and  govern 
 
 the  general  Padlice  of  the  Vv'orld  ;  nor  pretended 
 
 to  alTord  Men  any  fupernatural  Affiilance,  which 
 
 yet  v/as  very  necefTary  to  fo  great  a  Work  :  And 
 
 if,  after  all,  in  the  difcovery  of  fuch  matters  as 
 
 ■  are  the  great  Motives  of  Religion,  Men  are  apt  to 
 
 be  more  eafily  worked  upon,  and  more  ftrongly 
 
 affedied,   by  good  Tefcimony,  than  by  the  ftrid^ 
 
 efl-  abllrad  Arguments  ;  So  that,  upon  the  whole^ 
 
 'tis   plain   the    Philofophers  v/ere  never    by  any 
 
 means  well  qualified  to  reform  Mankind  with  any 
 
 confiderable  Succefs  :    T'ben    there  was  evidently 
 
 wanting  fome  particular  Revelation^  which  might 
 
 fupply  all  thefe  Defeds.    There  was  plainly  a  Ne- 
 
 ceifity   of  fome  particular  Revelation^  to  difcover 
 
 •*  in  what  Manner^  and  with  what 
 
 Kind  of   external    Service^     God        +\t     a/.     -       ^    , 
 might  acceptably  be  worfhipped,     t^.,  J;r.rs  ^,  toa^^Vj,  ;c«;,«. 
 There  was  a  NecefTity  of  fome     '^««'^''^,£'^*  ^ogcri/?s{«e,,  .Jr^  ^y^ 
 particular  Revelation^   to  difcover     ''^^'>^'>^''  r,,^^^'^-^  ttox^.sccv, 
 what    Expiation  God  ^  would  ao     t:^;7^V^±:;^: 
 cept /(?r  Sin  ;    by  v/hich  the  Au-     ''?  ^mrvicpCa-ii  rZv ron^rm TTBfi. 
 thority,     Honour,    and   Dio;nity     ^'"^^  tnEpmomide. 
 of  his  Laws  might  be  cffeft^ali;     .Jul  t^Z^^X 
 vinclicated,     1  here  was  a  neceffi-     -iW^^vr/?  n   7:0X1,  i^hvl  'Lxxa 
 ty  of  fome  -particular  Revelation      ^^"^''^s.^««  ^'^p  .»-»!'  £;tiOiW'£v,  A 
 to  t  give   Men  full  aifurance  of    r;:rl^^^'''^Vy '  ;^~ 
 the  1  ruth  of  thofe  great  Motives    pibt.  4. 
 of  Religion,  the  i^^w^rij  ^;?J  Pz/.        t  t^  4^  a'AjjS-/?,^  ^  |/v5,  ^<- 
 niflomefits  of  a  future  State-,  which      «''&^ /«^^^   ^7^5   n>^u^ 
 noiwithftandmg  the  ftrongefl  Ar-     1.,.    vhto  de  Legtb,  i,b\  u 
 guments  of  Reafon,    men  could 
 
3C6  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 not  yet  forbear  doubting  of.    In  fine,  there  was 
 a  Neceflity  of  fome  particular  Divine  Revelation, 
 to  t  make   the  whole  Do6Lrine 
 .  ^  ~      ^  r    V     /     ^        of  Rehg;ion  clear  and  obvious  to 
 fj,h  cpua-ii  ^v^i^rdU,  ^  -^wxio^     all  Capacitics,  to  add  JVeight  and 
 ^q  6  lov  ri  ju^>u^a  iCj  u^iTcc     Autlooritj   to    the    plalnefh   Pre- 
 ^^'^^  'Lh^^'''''":  '"'''  i^'^     cepts,  and  to  furnifh  Men  with 
 l^r/c7rc.     Flato    m    Epmo-     extraordinary   AJfiftances   to  ena- 
 node.  ble  them  to  overcome   the  Cor- 
 
 ruptions of  their  Nature.     And 
 without   the  Afiiftance  of  fuch  a  Revelation,  'tis 
 manifeft  it  w^as  not  polTible  that  the  World  could 
 ever  be  effedlually  reformed.     Te  ma-j  e'en  give  o- 
 ver^  faith  *  Socrates^  all  Hopes  of 
 ♦  Efrct  rhi  xcittIv  x^ovov  ku-     amending  Mens  Manners  for  thefu- 
 
 %^£;s.    ^'.j^r/i^Evos  hy.m,    viato     'jou  foviG  Other  perfon   to  mftru^ 
 
 in  Apohg.  socratis.  'jou.   And  Plato  .*  Whatever^  faith 
 
 t  U  ^M  m  f^^^r'^  ^»  7*     f  he,    is  fet  right  and  as  it  Jhould 
 
 X?  z ;:!j;r«^r:;rr ::  ^^  '■«  ^^^  ^-/-^  Evnjiateof  the 
 
 Airsiftiv,  ©EcD  jw/eipay  «t}ro  o-a!^-     World\  cau  he  fo  Only  hj  the  piarti- 
 trui.    Plato  de  Kfptdl.  lib.  6.       Millar  Inter pofitiou  of  God, 
 Thxt  it  2.  Since  therefore  there  was  plainly  and  confef- 
 
 vas  agree-  fedly  wanting  a  Divine  Revelation,  to  relieve  the 
 'dmu!oi  ^^ecefTities  of  Men  in  their  Natural  State  ;    And 
 liature      ^^ce  no  Man  can  prefume  to  fay,  that  'tis  incon- 
 and  right    fiftent  with  any  of  the  Attributes  of  God,    or  un- 
 ■Reafon,  to   becoming  the  Wifdom  of  the  Creator  of  all  things, 
 ^hop^^for     ^^  fupply  that  Want  ;  to  reveal  to  his  Creatures 
 fuch  a,  di-  more  fully  the  way  to  Happinefs  •,  to  make  more 
 -vine  Re-    particular  difcoveries  of  his  Will  to  them  ;   to  fet 
 'vflatm.    before  them  in  a  clearer  Light,  the  Rewards  and 
 Punifhments  of  a  future  State  •,  to  explain  in  v/hat 
 manner  he  will  be  pleafed  to  be  worihipped;  and  to 
 declare  what  Satisfadion  he  will  accept  for  Sin, 
 and  upon  v/hat  Conditions  he  will  receive  return- 
 ing Sinners  •,  Nay  fince,  on  the  contrary,  it  feems 
 morefuitabk  to  our  natural  Notions  of  the  Good- 
 
 nefs 
 
and  Revealed  R e  l i  g  i o  N^  lof 
 
 nefs  and  Mercy  of  God,  to  fuppofe  that  he  fliould 
 do  all  this,  than  not  :  It  follows  undeniably,  that 
 it  was  moft  reafonable,    and  agreeable  to  the  dic- 
 tates of  Nature,  to  expe^i  or  hope  for  fuch  a  di- 
 vine Revelation.     The  generality  of  the  Heathea 
 World,  who  were  far  more  equal  and  lefs  preju- 
 diced Judges  in  this  matter^  than  modern  Deifts  ; 
 were  fo  fully  perfwaded,  that  the  great  Rules  for 
 the  Condudt  of  Humane  Life,  muft  receive  their 
 Authority  from  Heaven  •,    that  their  chief  Law-^ 
 givers  thought  it  not  a  fufficient  recommendati- 
 on of  their  Laws,  that  they  were  agreeable  to  the 
 Light  of  Nature   ;    unlefs  they  pretended  alfo, 
 that  they  received  them  from  God.     But  I  have 
 no  need  in  this  Argument,  to  make  ufe  of  the 
 Examples  of  Idolatrous  Law-givers.     The  Philo- 
 fophers  themfelves,    the  Befl  and  Wifeft,  and  the 
 leafl  Superftitious  of  them,  that  ever  lived  ;  were 
 not  alhamed  to  confefs  openly,  their  Senfe  of  the 
 Want  of  a  Divine  Revelation  ;    and  to  declare 
 their  Judgment,  that  it  was  moft  natural  and  tru- 
 ly agreeable  to  right  and  found  Reafon,  to  hope 
 for  fomething  of  that  Nature.     There  is,  befides 
 the  feveral  places  before  cited,  a  moft  excellent 
 Paflage  in  Plato  to  this  purpofe  ;  one  of  the  moft 
 remarkable  PafTages  indeed  in  his  whole  Works  ; 
 though  not  quoted  by  any  that  I  have  met  with  9 
 which  therefore  I  think  highly  worthy  to  be  tran- 
 fcribed  at  large^   as  a  juft  and  unanfwerable  Re- 
 proach to   all  thofe  who  deny  that  there  is  any 
 Want  or  Need  of  a  Revelation. 
 
 It  feems  hejl  to  7ne^  faith  ^  Socra-  *  stiK^  £>*)  ^iv  »v  hrJi 
 tes  to  one  of  his  Difciples,  that  '^p«^'-»€-«v^  «T^'^/<^t;^>v  J;^:«..-- 
 we  e^pe5f  qmetly  ;  nay  'tis  ahfolute-  .,  ^^^  ^^^  ^^  ^^^v^  '^^^ 
 iy  neceffary^  that  we  wait  with  pa-  ^  rasiva-^^srs^^.ficxsrcS^.  aak. 
 tience^  till  fuch  time  as  we  can  n/^s  »y  ;retpsV««*  0  ;i^^v(^  arcs. 
 Learn  certainly,  how  we  ouqht  to  "  ^^r^^  $  i'  ^  """fz 
 bsbave  our  ferns  both  towards  God    i^{ii  rcZrcf  r  «^v^«^  -^'s  «>*• 
 
 X  2  mi 
 
^os 
 
 The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 SniC  :  Ovroe,  sfiv,a  psAJt  srg- 
 €A  troy'  AAAa:  doKsT  f/^a,  a)r~ 
 vnp  tS  AiciAi'/Ai  <pr,(ri  rv^v  'A- 
 ^r,vclv'^Oyjyip6<i  ciTzo  rcov  G<p^ciX- 
 yjuj  cc.(piXi7-j  rnv .  ocy^Xjv,  o<pp 
 iti  yiyvsG-'Aoi  iiujiv  Qsov  yj^l  ^ 
 eivdfa,    iiTco  y^  c-ou  ^6iv  cctto   ry.q 
 
 X^fJV,     J)    vZy    TTxpcvij-cc  rvy^oivii, 
 
 TOTiu/lKCiZr    Y.d/l  73-fOCr<p£aii1l  c)V    &v 
 
 l^i?^Xiic,  yva-G-i'S^  y,t/j\v  kcuccv  vi- 
 j)  iCj  1:Bacv'  vvv  fj(j]v  yi  £•£/« 
 civ  fjuoi   ooK^c;  ai'vtijyivcci.  .  AAK: 
 
 *A<pUipiiTi>J^      Sirs      QovXiTKi,     7>)» 
 
 ^;iiAU,  s'iTi  uXXor]"  he,  tyaTrti.- 
 
 c^i^  TTQT  s^iv  6  uyB-fcJTToq,]  uys' 
 f/jiXXciiAji  ^iXrico-i  ^-jioJ^.  SniC : 
 
 AAK  :  Ei'5  -rors  roivvv  y^  r^v  ^-y- 
 triccv  civx/SciXXix^  x^^nfcv  iivai 
 
 troi  ^oiii:  oi(r(pccXs^?pcv  ^S  gg-_ 
 riv,  y)  Trec^ccKivdvvsusiv  rotrourdt 
 xivi'vvcv.     AAK  :     Tcr^   dstn^   j 
 
 CTC6V  c/iitj 9  yj9  Ty,v  Y,yji^c(,y  iXB-S" 
 cccv  l/^&j'  'y.hi  ^"  is  D^y.  f/jXKfolj^ 
 riraiy  Fj-iXovrwv.  Pjato  in  AI- 
 cibiade  7 .  [if  it  be  fuppofcd 
 that  Socrates  in  this  p^jfige 
 means  Himfelf,  {which  is  very 
 difficult  j)  yet  it  never thelefs 
 tory  lively  reprefents  the  great 
 Senfe  which  the  moji  conjiderate 
 Heathens  hsid,  of  their  Want  of 
 pnu  Extrfiorciiufiry  Infirucii' 
 on.'} 
 
 and  towards  Men,     TVhen  will  thai 
 time  come;,    replies    the  Difciple  ; 
 and  ivbo-  is  it   that-  will  teach   us 
 this  1    For  metbinks  I  earneftly  de* 
 fire  to  fee  and  knew  Who  the  Per- 
 fin  isy    that  zvill  do  it.     ft  is  one^ 
 anfwers  Socrates y  who  has  now  a 
 Concern  for  yon.     But  in  like  man^ 
 ner  ^j  Homer  relates^  that  Mmcrva. 
 took    away    the  Alift  from   before 
 Diomedes.'j  Eyes.,  that  he  inight  be 
 ■  able  to  diftinguifj  one  Ferfon  from 
 another  \  fa  'tis  Jteceffary  that  the 
 fMiJ}    which    is    now    before   your 
 Mind.,    be  firft  taken  awdy^  that 
 afterwards  you  nlay  learn  to  diftin- 
 guifj rightly  between  Good  and  E- 
 vil\  for.,  as  yet.,., you  are  not -able 
 to  do  it.     Let  the  Ferfon  you  vien" 
 tioned^  replies  the  Difeiple,. .  take 
 away  this  .Mift.,    pr  whatever  ejfe 
 it  be.,  affoon  as  he  fleafes  :  For  I 
 am  willing  to  do  Any  thing  he  fb all 
 direof.,  zvhofoever  this  Ferfon  be.,  fo 
 that  f  7nay  but  heccme  a  good  Man. 
 Nay.,  anfwers  Socrates,  That  Fer- 
 fon has  a  wonderful  readinefs  and 
 willi?ignefs  to  do  all  this  for  you.    Ft 
 will  be  heft  then.,  replies  the  Dif- 
 ciple, to  forbear  offering  any  more 
 SaerifJces^    till  the   tifne  that   this 
 Ferfon   appears,  '    Ton  judge  very 
 well.,  anfwers  Socrates  ;  '^^  ''^'Ul  he 
 much  fafer  fo  to  do^    than  to  run  fo  great  a  hazard 
 cf  offering  Sacrifices.,    which  you  knozv  not  whether 
 they  are  accept aUe  to  God  or  no.     Well  then.,  replies 
 the  Difciple,  we- will  Fhen  make  cur  Offerings  to  the 
 Cod-'^^  w  hery 'That  Day  comes-'^  And  I  hope  ^  God  wil- 
 
he 
 the 
 
 rJj 
 
 and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  o  N,^ 
 
 ting^  It  ma^  not  he  far  off.     And  in  another  place, 
 the  fame  Author  having  given  a  large  Account  of 
 that  moil  excellent  Difcourfe,  which  Socrates  made 
 a  httle  before   his  Death,    concerning  the  great 
 Dodrines   of  Religion,    the   Immortality  of  the 
 Soul,  and  the  Certainty  of  a  Life  to  come  •, 
 introduces    one  of  his    Difciplcs  replying  in 
 following  manner  :  /  a7n^  faith  t 
 he,  of  the  fame  Opinion  with  'jou., 
 
 0  Socrates,  concerning  thefe  things , 
 that.,  to  difcover  the  certain  'Truth 
 of  them.,  in  this  prefent  Life.,  is  ei- 
 ther ahfolutel'j  impojfihle  for  us.,  or 
 at  leaft  exceeding  difficult,  Tet  not 
 io  enquire  with  our  utmoft  diligence 
 into  what  can  he  faid  about  them., 
 or  to  give  over  our  Inquiry  before 
 we  have  carried  our  fearch  as  far 
 as  pojfihle.,  is  the  fign  of  a  mean 
 and  low  Spirit,  On  the  co^itrary^ 
 we  ought  therefore  by  all  means  to 
 do  one  of  thefe  two  things  •,  either^ 
 hy  hearkning  to  TnflrucJiony  and  by 
 our  own  diligent  Study ^  to  find  out 
 the  Truth  ^  or.,  if  that  be  ahfolutely 
 impoffiUe.,  then  to  fix  our  Foot  upon 
 that  which  to  humane  Reafon^  af- 
 ter the  utnwft  fearch^  appears  heft 
 and  moft  probable  ;  andy  trufting  to 
 That.,  venture  upon  that  bottom  to 
 direct  the  ccurfe  of  our  Lives  accord- 
 ingly, Unlefs  a  Man  could  have  ftill  fome  more  fure 
 and  certain  Conduoi  to  carry  him  through  this  Life  5 
 fuch  as  a  Divine  Difcovery  of  the  Truth  would  be. 
 
 1  fhail  mention  but  one  Inftance  more,  and  that 
 is  of  Porphyry  ;  who,  though  he  lived  after  our 
 Saviour's  time,  and  had  a  moft  inveterate  hatred 
 to    the  Chriftiau  Revelation   ki  particular,    yet, 
 
 X  3  t   con-- 
 
 309 
 
 (B    cor  TV    fV-p    (TuOiq    iiSivat     CV 
 
 7Tciy^^?ii7rov  Ti'  to  [/jivroi  cC'jTZi 
 lleg :  TOj]  >ii7of/jivcc7ri^i  uvrm 
 yj'A    8:j;f   TTccv-n  r^z^a    iXiy}^^"^ 
 
 (TKO-SoCOV    OLZf.-^'/l   TIC,,    TTZiVV    fA>eC,?i~ 
 
 ^c<,y.5  ihai  ccva'^r^.  [Note  that 
 Ficmus  in  his  traiiilarion  of 
 this  pafiagc,  as  it    the   word 
 
 j?>;<  was  to  be  repeitcd  ccra 
 S^xior/S  with  Tf^ouiPi^u^ly  writes 
 iblird'y  rjon  dcjijlcre,  inftead 
 of  iiefiliere.']  Ar^i  yu^  tts^)  ccv.. 
 TO.  iy  ys  Ti  mro!'/  ^iaTt^xlx^cCi' 
 
 £i  TcwToc  oidVvci^v,  T  yovv  €'sA- 
 n^cv  T  ' AvB-f(()7rive<>vAoyeK>v  Xc6- 
 fsovru    }^   ovcriMyKToru'^'V,    Itti 
 
 ^'io(.<^,  KV/ovviutvTcc  ^^'^Muarca. 
 T  (ilor  u  (Jjy,  Tic,  KiUiia  oi(r<Psi- 
 ?iSTi^ov  ^  ocm\h>voTi[.ov,  izrl  /S/- 
 ^ccioTipiS  oyJ,^u.\<^^  l^  Asy« 
 ©SiSf  TWO?,  c)Wsro^X'^p^i.  I'la* 
 to  in  Vhdihne. 
 
%  id  T/j(^  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 t  confefifes   in   general^    that  he 
 +  Quum  autem  dicit  Tor-     was  fenfible    there   was   wanting 
 phyriHs.  in  iptimo  jie  Regrejfu     ^^^^  univerfal  Method  of   deliver- 
 uinim£  lihro,  nondam  recep-       .  -^       ,  ..   ^  „  ^ 
 
 tuminunamquandamfeaam      2^g     Mens   Souls,    whlch    no   Sed: 
 ^ux  univerfalem  viam  animx      of     Philofophy     had    yet    found. 
 contineat    liberandx,      non-      ^^^ 
 dumqi  in  fuam  notitiam  ean- 
 
 dem  viam  hiftoriali  cogniti-  .     r 
 
 oneperlatam;  procul  dubio  confitetur,  effe  ahquam  j  fed  nondum  in  fu- 
 am venifTe  notitiam.  Ira  ei  non  lufficiebar  qu'cquid  de  anima  liberanda 
 ftudioriffimedidicerat,  fibique,  vel  potius  aliis,  nofTe  ac  tenere  videbatur. 
 Sentiebat  enim  adhuc  fibi  deefTe  aliquam  pr^ftantiffimam  au6toritatem, 
 quam  de  re  tanta  fequi  oporteret.  Augujiin.  De  Civitate  Dei,  lib,  lO. 
 <r.  31. 
 
 rheunrea^      3.  This  Scnfc  of  the  Antient  and  Wifefl  Phi- 
 ^7^^fldf  lc>fophers,  is  much  departed  from  by  Modern  Be- 
 pei/s,  /»"  ift^-i  who  contend  that  there  was  no  Want,    no 
 denying  the  Need  of  a  Revelation  •,  that  Philofophy  and  right 
 mntaml   Rg^fon  was  of  it  felf  fufFiciently  able,  to  inflrud 
 %jcUtim^^^  preferve  Men  in  the  Pradiice  of  their  Duty  ; 
 and  that  nothing  was  to  be  expeded  from  Reve- 
 lation.    But  befides  what  has  been  already  intima^ 
 ted  concerning  the  extreme  Barbarity  of  the  prc- 
 fent  Heathen  World,  and  what  the  Philofophers 
 both  Greeks  and  Latins  have  confefTed  concerning 
 the  State  of  the  more  civilized  Nations  wherein 
 they  lived  ;  I  think  we  may  fafely  appeal  even  to 
 our  Adverfaries  themfelves,  whether  the  Teftimo- 
 ny  of  Chrifl^  (without  confidering  at  prefent  what 
 Truth  and  Evidence  it  has, J  concerning  the  Im- 
 mortality of  the  Soul,  and  the  Rewards  and  Pu- 
 nifhments  of  a  Future  State,  have  not  had    (not- 
 withilanding  all  the  Corruptions  of   Chriftians,) 
 vifibly  in  Experience  and  Effect  a 
 ^  greater  and  more  powerful  In- 
 >  ov.  «A;V«5,  'EAA,v«5  <?     fl^encc  uDon  the  Lives  and  Adi^ 
 
 ^iz?i  ^oc^^Tii  Jcy^v^^^^  vTsp  ons  of  Men,  than  the  Real  on  in  gs, 
 
 xpi^ietHo-fAeZ,  Iv'  uCriv  f/j\  i|o-  of  all  the  Philofophcts  that  ever 
 
 Pi^-t^ns.^'  iVs^  »J^J§  wT«  ^A,^8  ^gj-e  in  the  World  :    Whether  ere- 
 
 ^  dible 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  311^ 
 
 dible  Teflimony,  and  the  Belief  ^yf^^-^^i  Wk^rui  rciu,.  oW- 
 and  Authority  of  Revelation,  be  «?^«- ^^^^^'/-  ^J^/-  ^'^'  '- 
 not  in  it  felf  as  it  were  a  Light  held  to  the  Con- 
 fciences  of  flupid  and  carelefs  Men  •,  and  the  moll 
 natural  and  proper  Means  that  can  be  imagined,  to 
 awaken  and  rowze  up  many  of  thofe,  who  would 
 be  little  affeded  with  all  the  ftridt  Arguments  and 
 abftrad:  Reafonings  in  the  World.  And,  to  bring 
 this  matter  to  a  fhort  IfTue  *,  whether  in  Chriftian 
 Countries,  (at  lead  where  Chriftianity  is  profelTed 
 in  any  tolerable  degree  of  Purity,) 
 
 the  generality  even  t  of  the  meaner  +  ""«■«  r-'*''*^'''*  "^^'^  •"  ^'«- 
 and  mofl  vulvar  and  ignorant  ^«*^<>^/p^,;^f^?  ^*^«5  s^^^-'Vf 
 People  have  not  Truer  and  Wor-  ^;^^^.  ^^^^  ^^^u  ^m^, 
 thier  Notions  of  God,  more  jufh  /Supfiupav.  zufeb.  Vemonjlrat. 
 and  right  Apprehenfions  con-  ^'^^«<-?'^(u^'"^-J- ^--r 
 cerning.  his  Attributes  and  Per-  ..."j.^  fj^^^rvXrlt- 
 fedlions,  a  deeper  Senfe  of  the  ^^t;  t«4(5  ^^  7ru^oiKH<r(,  ^^u^m 
 Difference  of  Good  and  Evil,  a  UKXns-Uic,.  ix;  (pa^^pt^  nVtv  ct 
 greater  regard  to  moral  Obliga-^  '^''(^'^:  T.,yu^oUu.o^r>>^cyj. 
 tions  and  to  the  plain  and  molt  ^xyiTUr.,(t<rvyKe/<r^i^  ^txlo^u* 
 neceflary  Duties  of  Life,  and  a  iA«r1»s,  7rox>,z  K^ii^Piiiq  Tvy^^- 
 more  firm  and  univerfal  Expeda-  ''''  ^^^  cM/^Tcr?i^^/^es?<^KA>,^.5^; 
 tion  of  a  Future  State  of  Rewards  [j,'^^,ly  prin^red!^l>l£KTu- 
 and  Punifliments  ;  than  in  any  ftead  of  zroxxu-,  and  alfo  the 
 Heathen  Country,  any  confi4e-  Senfe  of  it  hurt  by  an  impcr- 
 rable  Number  of  Men  were  ever      ^^^  Tranflation.  Ong.adver, 
 
 raoie  i^umDer  or  ivien  were  ever     celf. lib.  ^. Edit. Cmt.  p.  128.-1 
 found  to  have  had.  ^         j 
 
 It  may  here  perhaps  be  pretended  by  Modern  '^'^^  S^^^^ 
 Deifls,    that  the   great  Ignorance  and  undeniable  ^^^ffj^^ ^.r 
 corruptnefs  of  the  whole  Heathen  World,  has  al-  Divine  Re- 
 ways  been  owing,  no;  to  any  abfolute  Infufficien-  -velatiQn. 
 cy  of  the  Light  of  Nature  it  felf,  but  merely  to 
 the  Fault  of  the  feveral  particular  Perfons,  in  not 
 fufficiently  improving  that  Light ;  and  that  Deifls 
 Now.,  in  places  where  Learning  and  right  Reafon 
 are  cultivated,  are  well  able  to  difcover  and  ex- 
 plain all  the  Obligations  and  Motives  of  Mora-. 
 
 J^  4  U^y-^ 
 
1 1 5  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 iity,  without  believing  any  thing  of    Revelation. 
 But  this,  even  though  it  were  true,  fas,  in  the 
 Senfe  they  intend,  it  by  no  means  is  v  becaufe,  as 
 has  been  before  Hiown,  there  are  feveral  very  ne- 
 cefTary  Truths  not  poilible  to  be  difcovered   with 
 any  certainty  by  the  bare  Light  of  Nature  •,    But) 
 fuppofing  it,  i  fay,  to  be  true,  that  all  the  Ob- 
 ligations and  Motives  of  Morality  could  pqffibly  he 
 ihfcovered   and  explainecij  clearly,    by   the    mere 
 Light  of    Nature  al6ne  ;    yet  even   This   would 
 nor  at  all  prove,  that  there  is  no  need  of  Reve- 
 lation.    For,  v/hatever  the  bare  Natural  Poffibility 
 was  5  'tis  certain  in  Faoi^  the  Wifeft    Philofopbers 
 f  See  an    of  Old,  f  never  v/ere.able  to  do  it  to  any  cffe6lU" 
 excdierj     ^j  purpofe,    but  a^ays  willir^ly  acknowledged 
 cilfoto  that   they    flill    wanted  j;ome  higher  AiTiilance, 
 tfjis  pur-     And  as  to  the  great  Pretenfcs  of    Modern  Deifis  •, 
 pfe  cited    5j-J3  ^q  j^g  obferved,    that'^'fhe  clearnefs  of   m.oral 
 '^^^^'^^^^'l^'Reafonings  was  much  improved,  and  the  Regard 
 ^    to  a  future  State  vo^y    much  increafed,  even  in 
 Heathen  Writers,    after    the   coming   of  Cbrift, 
 And  almoil   all  the  Things  that    are  faid  wifely 
 and  truly  by  modern  Deiits,  are  plainly  borrov/- 
 ed  from  That  Revelation,    which   they  refufe  to 
 •     imbrace  •,  and  without  which,     they  could  never 
 have  been    able  to    have-Taid    the  fame    things. 
 Now   indeed,    when  our  whole  Duty,    with   its. 
 irue  motives,  is  clearly  revealed  to  us  ;    its  Pre- 
 cepts   appear  plainly- .agreeable  to  Reafon  i    and 
 Cqnfcience  readily  approves  what  is  Good,    as  it 
 condemns  what  is  Evil :  Nay,  after  our  Duty  is 
 thus  made  known  to  us,  'tis  eafy  not  only  to  fee 
 its  ao;recm.ent  'with  Reafon,  but  alfo  to  be2;in  and 
 deduce  its  Obligation /r^k  Reafon.      But  had  we 
 been  utterly  deltitute  of  all  revealed  Light  j  then, 
 to.  have  difcovered  our  Duty  in  all  points,    with 
 the  true  motives  of    it,    merely  by  the  heip  of 
 Jt^.atural  Reafon  %   would  have  been  a,  work    of 
 
 NicetVs 
 
and  Revealed  R  ie  l  i  g  i  o  k^  3 1  j 
 
 Nicety,  Pains  and  Labour  *,  like  groping  for  an 
 unknown  v/ay,  in  the  obfcure  Twilight.       What 
 ground  have  any  Modern  Deifts  to  imagine,  that 
 it  they  themfelves  had  lived  without  the  l,ight  of 
 the  Gofpel,  they  Ihould  have  been  Vv'ifer  than  So^ 
 crates  and  Plato  and  Cicero  ?    How  are  they  cer- 
 tain, they  fhould  have  made  fuch  a   right  ufe  of 
 their  Reafon,  as  to  have  difcovcrcd  the  Truth  ex- 
 a.^ly,  without  being  any  v/ay  led  afide  by   Preju^ 
 dice  or   Negle6t  ?    If  their  Lot  had   been  among 
 the  Vulgar  \    how  are  they  fure  they  fhould  have 
 been  fo  happy,  or  fo  confiderate,  as  not  to  have 
 been  involved  in  that  Idolatry  and  Superflidon, 
 v/hich  overfpread  the  whole  World  ?  If  they  had. 
 joyned  themfelves  to  the  Philofopbers^  which  Se6t 
 would  they  have  chofen  to  have  followed  ?    And 
 what  Book  v/ould  they  have  refolved  upon,  to 
 be  the  adrequate  Rule  of  their  Lives  and  Conver- 
 fations  ?  Or,  if  they  fhould  have  fet  up  for  Tbern^ 
 iches,    how    are   they  certain  they   fhould   have 
 been  skilful   and   unprejudiced  eno-jgh,    to  have 
 deduced  the  feveral  Branches  of  their  Duty,  and 
 applied  them  to  the  feveral  Cafes  of  Life,  by  Ar- 
 gumentation and  dint  of  Reafon?  ■'Tis  one  thing  to 
 fee  that  thofe  Rules  of  Life,  which  are  before- 
 hand plainly  and  particularly  laid  before  us,    are 
 perfec^tly  agreeable  to  Reafon  ;    and  ajtotber  thing 
 to  find  out  thofe   Rules  merely  by  the  Light  of 
 Reafon,  without  their  having  hrft  been  any  other* 
 wife  made  known.      We  fee   that  even  many  of 
 thofe,  who  profefs  to  govern  their  Lives  by  the 
 plain  written  Rule  of  an  injtituted  and  revealed  Re- 
 ligion^   are  yet  moft  miferabJy  ignorant  of  their 
 Duty  ;  And  how  can  any  Man  be  fure  he  fliould 
 have  made  fo  good  Improvemient  of  his  Reafon, 
 as  to  have  iinderftcod  it  perfeBly   m  all  its  parts, 
 without    any   fuch  help  ?    We  fee  that  many  of 
 thofe,  v/ho  profefs  to  believe  firmly  that  great  ^and 
 
 everlafiing^ 
 
ti^  5"^^  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 everlafting  Happinefs,  which  Chrift  has  promlfed 
 to  Obedience  *,  and  that  great  and  eternal  Mifery, 
 which  Chrift  has  chreatned  to  Difobedience  ;  are 
 yet  hurried  away  by  their  Lufts  and  Pafiions  to 
 tranfgrefs  the  Conditions  of  that  Covenant,  to 
 which  thefe  Promifes  and  thefe  Threatnings  are 
 annexed.  And  how  can  any  Man  be  fure  he 
 Ihoiild  be  able  to  overcome  thofe  great  Tempta- 
 tions, if  thefe  mighty  Motives  were  le[s  diftin£fly 
 known,  or  lefs  powerfully  inf arced?  But  fuppofe 
 he  could,  and  that  by  ftrength  of  Reafon  he 
 could  demonftrate  to  himfelf  thefe  things  with 
 all  clearnefs  and  diftinoinefs  ;  yet  could  All  Men  do 
 fo  ?  Affu redly  all  Men  are  not  equally  capable  of 
 being  Philofophers,  though  all  Men  are  equally  o- 
 hliged  to  be  Religious.  At  leaft  thus  much  is  cer- 
 tain, that  the  Rewards  and  Punifhments  of  ano- 
 ther World,  the  great  Motives  of  Religion,  can- 
 not be  fo  powerfully  inforced,  to  the  influencing 
 the  Lives  and  Pradife  of  all  forts  of  Men,  by 
 one  who  fhall  undertake  to  demonftrate  the  rea- 
 lity of  them  by  abftrad:  Reafon  and  Arguments , 
 as  by  one  who  fhowing  fufficient  Credentials  of 
 his  having  been  himfelf  in  that  other  State,  fhall 
 aflure  them  of  the  Truth  and  certainty  of  thefe 
 things.  But  after  all,  the  Queftion  does  not  real- 
 ly lie  here.  The  Truth,  at  the  bottom,  is  plain- 
 ly This.  All  the  great  Things  that  Modern  De- 
 ifts  affecl  to  fay  of  right  Reafon^  as  to  its  fuffici- 
 ency  in  difcovering  the  Obligations  and  Motives 
 of  Morality  •,  is  only  a  Pretenfe,  to  be  made  ufe 
 of,  when  they  are  oppofing  Chriftianity,  At  other 
 times,  and  in  reality,  they  have  no  hearty  regard 
 for  Morality^  nor  for  the  natural  Evidences  of  the 
 Certainty  of  a  Future  State.  They  are  willing  e- 
 nough  to  believe,  that  Men  perifh  abfolutely  at 
 Death  ;  And  fo  they  have  no  concern  to  fupport 
 efteclually  the  Caufe  of  Virtue,  nor  care  to  make 
 
 out 
 
and  Revealed^  e  l  i  g  i  o  n,  ^ i $ 
 
 out  any  confiftent  Scheme  of  Things  •,  but  una- 
 voidably recur,  in  Truth,  to  downright  Atheifm, 
 At  leaft,  in  the  Manners  of  mofl:  of  them,  'tis  too 
 plain  and  apparent,  that  abfolute  Libertinifm  is 
 the  thing  they  really  aim  at ;  And  however  their 
 Creed  may  pretend  to  be  the  Creed  of  Deifls, 
 yet  almoft  always  their  Pradlife  is  the  Pradtife  of 
 very  Atheifls. 
 
 4.    To     return   therefore    to  the   Argument.  ^-^^  <^''^ 
 From  what  has  been  faid  upon  this  Head,    it  ap-  J/^/^^^/y 
 pears  plainly,    that  'tis   agreeable  to  the  natural  o^%<^,  t& 
 Hopes  and  Expe6lations  of    Men,     that  is,    of aford  Men 
 Right  Reafon  duly  improved;    to  fuppofe  God^^^'^J^P^ 
 making  fome  particular  Revelation  of  his  Will  to\j!^li^^^^^^ 
 Mankind,  which  may  fupply  the  undeniable  De- 
 feds  of  the  Light  of  Nature.     And  at  the  fame 
 time,  'tis  evident  that  fuch  a  thing  is  by  no  means 
 unworthy  of  the  Divine  Wifdom,  or  inconfiftent 
 with  any  of  the  Attributes  of  God  ;    but  rather, 
 on  the  contrary,  moil  fuitable  to  them.      Confe- 
 quently,  confidering  the  manifold  Wants  and  Ne- 
 celTities  of  Men,  and  the  abundant  Goodnefs  and 
 Mercy  of  God  -,  there  is  great  Ground  from  right 
 Reafon  and  the  Light  of  Nature,  to  believe,  that 
 God  would  not  always  leave  Men  wholly  deftitute 
 of  fo  needful  an  AlTiflance,    but  would  at  fome 
 time  or  other  adlually  afford   it  them.      Yet   it 
 docs  not  from  hence  at  all  follow,  fas  fome  have 
 imagined,^  that  God  is  Obliged  to  make  fuch  a  Re- 
 velation.    For  then  it  muft  needs  have  been  given 
 in  all  Ages,  and  to  all  Nations  ;  and  might  have 
 been  claimed  and  demanded  as  of  Juftice,    rather 
 than  wiihed  for  and  defired  as  of  Mercy  and  con- 
 defcending   Goodnefs.       But  the   forementioned 
 Confiderations  are  fuch. as  might  aiford  Men  rea- 
 fonable  ground  to  Hope  for  fome  Favour  of  this 
 kind,  to  be  conferred  at  fuch  Time,  and  in  fuch 
 Manner,  and  upon  fuch  Perfons,  as  fhould  fecm 
 
 bca 
 
Jt  5  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 befl  to  fupreme  infinite  Wifdom  :  At  leaft,    they 
 inighc  well  difpofe  a.nd  prepare  Men  before-hand, 
 whenever  any  Doclrine  fliould  come  accompanied 
 with  juil  and  good  Evidence  of  its  being  fuch  a 
 Revelation,  to  believe  and  embrace  it  with  all  rea- 
 dinefs. 
 ^^„^  ^jT         It  has  been  made  ufe  of,  by  f  a  modern  Author, 
 Unrjer/ali-  as  his  principal  and  ftrongeil  Argument  againft 
 /;/,  '>''/'#- the  reafonablenefs  of    believing  any  Revelation  at 
 ^TiTn^amft^^^  '  ^^^^^  '^''^  confelled  there  has  been  no-Revelati- 
 the  Truth   on  univerfdhj  owned  and  embraced  as  fuch,  either 
 of  a  Reve-  in  all  Ages,  or  by  all  Nations  in  any  Age.      He 
 +  oTi  I'-s  P^ct^^^^s  to  acknowledge,     that  if  the  Doctrine  of 
 ofReafonjChriftianity  was  univer/ally  entertained,,  he  would 
 f^'^s-  i97>  not  doubt  of  its  bMsing  truly  a  Revelation  of  the 
 ^c.  Will  of  God  to  Mankind.     But  fince,    in  Fad, 
 
 there  is  no  inftituted  Religion  umverfally  received 
 as  a  Divine  Revelation  ;  and  there  are  feveral  Nati- 
 ons to  whom  the  Chriitian  Doctrine  in  particular, 
 was  never  fo  much  as  preached,  nor  ever  came  to 
 their  knowledge  at  all ,  he  concludes,  that,  what 
 is  not  univerfal  and  equally  maade  knov/n  to  Jil 
 M^n^  cannot  be  needful  for  ^z^);  i  and  confequent- 
 ]y,  that  there  never  was  any  real  Want  of  a  Re- 
 velation at  all,  nor  any  ground  to  think  any  fur- 
 ther A  lliflance  necefTary  to  enable  Men  to  anfwer 
 all  the  Ends  of  their  Creation,  than  the  bare 
 Light  of  Nature.  This  is  the  Summ  and  Strength 
 of  this  Author's  Reafoning  •,  and  herein  all  the 
 Deniers  of  Revelation  agree  with  him.  Nov/, 
 (not  to  take  notice  here,  'that  'tis  by  no  means  im- 
 poiTible,  but  all  Men  may  be  capable  of  recei- 
 ving fome  Benefit  from  a  Revelation,  which  yet 
 a  great  part  of  them  may  have  never  heard  of;) 
 If  thefe  Mens  Reafoning  v/as  true,  it  would  fol- 
 low by  the  fame  Argument,  that  neither  was  Na- 
 rural  Religiojt  neceiTary  to  in  able  Men  to  anFvver 
 the  ends  of  their  Creadon.     For^  though  all  the 
 
 Truths 
 
and  Revealed  Religion^ 
 
 Truths' of  Natural  Religion,  are  indeed  certainly 
 difcoverable  by    the  due  ule  of  right   Reafon  a- 
 lone  ;    yet  'tis  evident  All  Men  are  not  indued 
 with  the  fame  Faculties  and  Capacities,  nor  have 
 they  All  equally  afforded  to  them  the  fame  means 
 of   making  that  difcovery  :    As  tiiefc  Gentlemen 
 themfelves  upon  fome  occafions  are  VN^illing  enough 
 to  own,  when  they  are  defcribing  the  barbarous 
 Ignorance  of    fome  poor   Indian  Nations.     And 
 confequeatly,  the  knowledge  of   Natural  Religi- 
 on being,    in  Fa6t,    by  no  means  univerfal  ^    it 
 will  follow  that  there  is  no   great  Neceffity  even 
 of  That ;  but  that  Men  may  do  very  well  with- 
 out it,  in  performing  the  Funftions  of  the  Ani- 
 mal Life,  and  directing  themfelves  wholly  by  the 
 Inclinations  of  Senfe.    And  thus  thefe  Gentlemen 
 muil  at  laft  be  forced  to  .let  go  all  moral  Obliga- 
 .tion.s,  :and:fo  recur  unavoidably  to  abfolute  Athe- 
 ifm.     The  Truth  is  :  ^  As  God  was   not  obliged^ 
 to  make  all  his  Creatures  equal  ;    to,  make  Men, 
 Angels  ;  or  to  endue  All  Men,  v/ith  the  fame  Fa- 
 culties and  Capacities  as ,  Any  ;    So  neither  is  he 
 bound  ,to  make  A.11  Men  capable  of  the  fa/uc  D^- 
 ^r<?^  or  the /2z/7z^  i^/W  of  Happinefs,    or  to  afford 
 All  Men  the  very  {-ccmQ means  and , opportunities  of 
 obtaining  it.     There  is  ground  enough,  from  the 
 confideration  of  the  manifeii:  corruption  of  Hu- 
 mane Nature,  to  be  fo  fir  fenfible  cf  the  Want  of 
 a  Divine  Revelation,    as  that  right  Reafon    and 
 the  Light  of   Nature  it;  felf  will  lead  a  wife  and 
 confiderate  Man  to  think  it  very  probable,  that 
 the  infinitely  merciful  and  good  God  may  actually 
 vouchfafe  to  afford  Men  fome  fuch  fupernatural 
 Affiftance  :    And  conf^quently  fuch  a  Perfon  will 
 be  very  willing,  ready,    and  prepared  to  enter- 
 tain^a  Doctrine  which  fhaJI  at  any  time. come  aj:- 
 tenaed  with  juft  and  good  Evidence  of  its  being 
 truly  a  Revelation  of  the  Will  of  God.     But  it 
 
 does 
 
 31^ 
 
%1  i  The  Evidences  <?/  Natural 
 
 does  not  all  from  hence  follow,  either  that  God 
 is  abfolutely  bound  to  make  fuch  a  Revelation  5' 
 or  that,  if  he  makes  it,  it  muft  equally  be  made 
 to  All  Men  ;  or  that,  fince  in  Fad  it  is  not  made 
 to  All,  therefore  there  is  no  reafon  to  believe  that 
 there  is  any  Need  or  any  Probability  of  its  being 
 made  to  Any. 
 
 VIII.  Ihere  is  no  other  Religion  nozv  in  ths 
 Worlds  hut  the  Chriftian^  that  has  any  juft  pretenfi 
 or  tolerable  appearance  of  Reafon^  to  be  efteemed  fuch 
 a  Divine  Revelation  :  And  therefore,  if  Chrijlianity 
 he  not  true^  there  is  no  Revelation  of  the  Will  of  God 
 at  all  ?nade  to  Mankind. 
 
 This  Propofition   will  eafily  be  granted   by  all 
 Modern  Unbelievers  -,   and  therefore  I  need  not  be 
 particular  in  the  Proof  of  it. 
 of  the  The  Mahometan  Religion,    was  founded  by  a 
 
 Mahome-  vitious  Perfon,  propofes  ridiculous  and  trifling 
 /^»  e  tgt'  £)Q(^i.ines  to  be  believed,  was  propagated  merely 
 by  violence  and  force  of  Arms,  was  confirmed  by 
 no  publick  and  unconteilable  Miracles,  promifes 
 vain  and  fenfual  Rewards  to  its  ProfelTours,  and 
 is  every  way  incompafled  with  numberlefs  fuch 
 Abfurditles  and  Inconfiflencies,  fas  thofe  who 
 have  given  us  Accounts  of  the  Life  of  Mahomet^ 
 and  the  Nature  of  his  Religion,  have  abundantly 
 made  out  ;  and  is  fufficiently  evident  even  from 
 the  Alcoran  it  felf;)  that  there  is  no  great  Dan- 
 ger of  Its  impofing  upon  rational  and  coniiderate 
 Men. 
 fyfthe  The  Jewiflj  Religion,  was  founded  wholly  up- 
 
 JiTof^^'  ^"  ^^"^^  Expedlation  of  a  Meffiah  to  come.  And 
 '^'^  *  the  Time  of  his  appearance  was  limited  by  fuch 
 plain  and  determinate  Prophefies,  that  what  diffi- 
 culties foever  there  may  be  in  computing  the  ve- 
 ry nice  and  exadt  Time  of  their  Completion  ;  or 
 what  different  Periods  foever  may  be  fixed,  froni 
 
 whence 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.'  "31^ 
 
 v/hence  to  begin  feveral  Computations  ;  yet  the 
 time  of  their  being  fulfilled,  is  now,  in  all  pofli- 
 ble  ways  of  computing,  fo  very  far  clapfed,  that, 
 if  the  Chrtftian  Dodrine  be  falfe,  there  is  no  Sup- 
 pofition  left,  upon  which  the  Jewijh  Religion  can, 
 with  any  Colour  of  Reafon,  be  believed  to  be 
 true. 
 
 It  being  evident  therefore,  that  either  the  Chri- 
 flian  Revelation  is  true,  or  elfe  (how  great  Want 
 foever  there  may  be  of  itj  there  is  no  fuch  thing 
 as  Revelation  at  all  :  It  remains  that  I  proceed  to 
 confider  what  pofitive  and  dire5f  Evidence  there  is, 
 to  prove  the  adual  Truth  of  this  Divine  Revela* 
 tion. 
 
 IX.  'The  Chrillian  Religion,  conftdered  in  its  pri- 
 mitive Simplicity^  and  as  taught  in  the  Holy  Scrips 
 tures^  has  all  the  Marks  and  Proofs  of  being  a^iu- 
 ally  and  truly  a  Divine  Revelation  ;  that  any  Divine 
 Revelation^  fuppoftng  it  was  true,  could  reafondbly  he 
 imagined  or  defired  to  have. 
 
 The  neceflary  Marks  and  Proofs  of  a  Religion  The  Marks 
 coming  from  God,  are  thefe.  Firft^  That  the^/^R^^*- 
 Duties  it  enjoyns,  be  all  fuch  as  are  agreeable  to  ^'"^ ^^'^jf-^ 
 our  natural  Notions  of  God  ;  and  perfedtive  of 
 the  Nature,  and  conducive  to  the  Happinefs  and 
 Well-being  of  Men.  And  that  the  Do^rines  it 
 teaches,  be  all  fuch  ;  as,  though  not  indeed  dif- 
 coverable  by  the  bare  Light  of  Nature,  yet> 
 when  difcovered  by  Revelation,  may  be  confift-' 
 ent  with,  and  agreeable  to,  found  and  unpreju- 
 diced Reafon.  For  otherwife,  no  Evidence  what- 
 foever,  can  be  of  fo  great  force  to  prove  that 
 any  Do6trine  is  True  ;  as  its  being  either 
 Contradidory  in  it  felf,  or  wicked  in  its  Tenden- 
 cy, is,  to  prove  that  it  muft  neceflarily  be  Falfe. 
 Secondly^  For  the  fame  Reafon,  the  Motives  like- 
 wife,  by  which  it  is  recommended  to  Mens  Belief 
 
 and 
 
^26  The^ viDENCEs  of  Natural 
 
 and  Praaife  ;  and  all  the  peculiar  Circiimllancef^ 
 with  which  it  is  attended  ;  mull  be  fuch  as  are 
 fuitable  to  the  excellent  Wifdom  of  God,  and 
 fitted  to  amend  the  Manners,  and  perfe6t  the 
 Minds  of  Men.  Lafthj^  It  mull:  moreover  be  'po- 
 fitivel^  and  direBly  proved  to  come  from  God,  by 
 fuch  certain  Signs  and  Matters  of  Fa5l^  as  may  be 
 undeniable  Evidences  of  its  Author's  having  actu- 
 ally a  Divine  Commiffion.  For  otherwife,  as  no 
 Evidence  can  prove  a  Doclrine  to  come  from 
 God,  if  it  be  either  Impofllble  or  Wicked  in  it 
 felf ;  fo  on  the  other  hand,  neither  can  any  de- 
 gree of  Goodnefs  or  Excellency  in  the  Dodrine 
 it  felf,  make  it  certain,  but  only  highly  probable, 
 to  have  come  from  God  ;  unlefs  it  has  moreover 
 fome  pofitive  and  direcl  Evidence  of  its  being 
 adliually  Revealed. 
 
 The  entire  Proof  therefore  of  this  Propofition, 
 muft  be  made  by  an  Indudion  of  Particulars,  as 
 follov/s. 
 
 X.  Firfb,  i:he  Pra6tical  Duties  which  the  Chriftu 
 
 an  Religion,  enjovis^  are  all  fuch^  as  are  ??ioft  agi'ee- 
 
 ehle  to   our  natural  Notions  of  God.,  and  inoft  per- 
 
 '    fe^ive  of  the-  Nature^  and  conducive  to  theHapph- 
 
 nefs  and  V/ell-heing  of  Men,      nat  is  ;  Chriftianity 
 
 even  in  this  fngle  refpecl^  as  containing  alone  and  in 
 
 one  confiftent  Syfteni  all  the^  zvife  and  good  Precepts^ 
 
 {and  thofe  improved^  augmented^  and  exalted  to  the 
 
 higheft  degree,  of  Perfeclion^)  that  ever  were  taught 
 
 ftngly  and- fiatteredly^  and  7nany  times  hut  verj  cor- 
 
 ruptly  by  the  feveral  Schools  of  the  Phllofophers  ;  and 
 
 this  without  any  7?uxture  of  the  fond^  ahfurd^  and 
 
 fuperftitious  Pra^ifes  of  any   of  thefe  Phllofophers  ; 
 
 ought  to  he  e?nhraced  and  praciifed  hy  all  rational  and 
 
 confidering  Beifis,   who  will  a^-  confidently^  and /led- 
 
 ■dily  purfue  the  confequences  of  their' own  Principles  ; 
 
 m  at  leaf  the-hejl  Scheme  and  Se^  of  PMlofophy^  that 
 
 ever 
 
^nd  Revealed  Religion.  322 
 
 ever  was  fet  up  in  the  JVorld ;  and  highly  prohaUe^ 
 even  though  it  had  no  external  Evidence^  to  be  of  Di- 
 vine Original, 
 
 This  Propofition  is  fo  very  evideht,  that  the  t/a'P^-^^^- 
 greateft  Adverfaries  of  the  Chriflian  Inftitution^'^^''.^'^^*^ 
 have  never  been  able  to  deny  it  any  otherwife,  f^rnnlin- 
 than  by  confounding  the  Inventions  of  Men,  t\\Q  fames  of 
 Superftitious  Praftifes  of  particular  Perfons,  or^^O'* 
 the  corrupt  Additions  of  certain  particular 
 Churches  or  Societies  of  Chriflians,  with  the  pure 
 and  fimple  Precepts  of  the  Gofpel  of  Chrift,  In 
 all  thofe  Inftances  of  Duty,  which  pure  anduncor- 
 rupt  Chriflianity  enjoyns,.  tife  Propofition  is  ma- 
 nifeft  and  altogether  undeniable.  The  Duties  of 
 Love^  Fear,  and  Adoration,  which  the  Chriflian 
 Rehgion  obhges  us  to  render  unto  God,  are  ^o 
 plainly  incumbent  upon  us  from  the  confideration 
 of  the  excellent  Attributes  of  the  Divine  Nature, 
 and  our  relation  to  him  as  our  Creator  and  Pre- 
 ferver ;  that  no  Man  who  conHders,  can  think 
 himfelf  free  from  the  Obligations  which  our  Re- 
 ligion lays  upon  him  to  praftife  thefe  Duties  ; 
 without  denying  the  very  Being  of  God,  and  ad- 
 ing  contrary  to  the  P^eafon  and  all  the  natural 
 Notions  of  his  own  Mind.  Irs  placing  the  true 
 and  acceptable  Worfhip  of  God,  not  fo  much  in 
 any  poficive  and  ritual  Obfervances,  as  in  ap- 
 proaching him  with  pure  Hearts  and  undefiled  Bo- 
 dies, Vv^ith  unfeigned  Repentance  for  all  paft  Mif- 
 carriages,  and  fincerc  Refolutions  of  conftant  O- 
 bedience  for  the  future  ;  in  praying  to  him  for 
 whatever  we  want,  and  returning  him  our  mofc 
 hearty  Thanks  for  whatever  good  Things  we  re- 
 ceive ;  \^ith  fuch  Dependence  and  Humility,  fuch 
 SubmifTion,  Truft  and  Reliance,  as  are  the  pro- 
 per Affedrions  of  dutiful  Children  •,  all  this  is 
 plainly  molt  agreeable  to  our  Natural  Notions 
 and  Appreloenfions  of  God.    And  that  the  Pr^.yers 
 
3  22  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 of  finful  and  depraved  Creatures,  fincerely  re- 
 penting, fliould  be  offered  up  to  God,  and  be- 
 come prevalent  with  him,  through  and  by  the 
 IntercefTion  of  a  Mediator  -,  is  very  confonant  to 
 right  and  unprejudiced  Reafon  :  As  I  fhall  have 
 occafion  to  fhow  more  particularly  hereafter,  when 
 I  come  to  confider  the  Articles  of  our  Belief.  A- 
 gain  ;  The  Duties  of  Ji(fttce^  Equity^  Charity^ 
 and  Truths  which  the  Chriftian  Religion  obliges 
 us  to  exercife  towards  Men^  are  fo  apparently 
 reafonable  in  themfelves,  and  fo  dire6bly  condu- 
 cive to  the  Happinefs  of  Mankind  -,  that  their  un- 
 alterable Obligation  is  not  only  in  great  meafure 
 deducible,  from  the  bare  Light  of  Nature  and 
 right  Reafon  *,  but  even  Thofe  Men  alfo,  who 
 have  broken  through  all  the  Bonds  of  natural  Re- 
 ligion it  felf,  and  the  original  Obligations  of  Vir- 
 tue, have  yet  thought  it  neceffary  for  the  pre- 
 fervation  of  Society  and  the  well-being  of  Man- 
 kind, that  the  Obfervation  of  thefe  Duties  to  fome 
 degree,  fhould  be  inforced  by  the  Penalties  of 
 humane  Laws.  And  the  additional  Improve- 
 ments, which  our  Saviour  has  made  to  thefe  Du- 
 Mm.  y.  ties,  by  commanding  his  Difciples  to  be  as  it 
 i6,  &c.  were  Lights  in  the  World,  and  Examples  of 
 good  Works  to  all  Men  ;  to  be  fo  far  from  in- 
 juring others,  that  on  the  contrary  they  fhould 
 not^indulge  themfelves  in  any  degree  of  Anger  or 
 Paflion  's  to  feek  reconciliation  immediately  upon 
 any  Difference  or  Orlence  that  may  arife  ;  to  bear 
 injuries  patiently,  rather  than  return  evil  for  evil; 
 tc  be  always  willing  to  forgive  one  another  Their 
 trefpalTes,  as  they  all  expe6l  forgivenefs  at  the 
 Hands  of  God  ;  to  be  kind  and  charitable  to  all 
 .Men  ;  to  afTiil  readily,  and  be  willing  to  do  all 
 good  Offices,  not  only  to  their  Friends,  but  even 
 to  their  bittereit  Enemies  alfo  -,  in  a  word,  to 
 raife  their  Virtue    and   Goodnefs   far  above  the 
 
 common 
 
 i 
 
and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  <^  i  o  i^.  32^ 
 
 common  Pradlife  of  Men,  extending  their  Chari- 
 ty univerfally  in  imitation  of  the  Goodnefs  of 
 God  himfelf,  who  maketh  the  Sun  to  rife  on  the 
 evil  and  on  the  good,  and  fendeth  Rain  on  the 
 jufl  and  on  the  unjuft  :  Thefe  Precepts,  I  fay, 
 are  fuch,  as  no  unprejudiced  Philofopher  would 
 have  been  unwilhng  to  confefs  were  the  utmoil 
 Improvements  of  Morality,  and  to  the  higheil 
 degree  Perfedlive  of  humane  Nature.  In  hke 
 manner  ;  The  Duties  of  Sobriety^  temper  ance^  Pa- 
 tience and  Contentmsnt^  which  our  Rehgion  injoyns 
 us  to  pradife  in  Our  felves^  are  fo  undeniably  a- 
 greeable  to  the  inward  Conflitution  of  humane 
 Nature,  and  fo  perfcdive  of  it,  that  the  principal 
 Defign  of  all  true  Philofophy  has  ever  been  to 
 recommend  and  fet  off  thefe  Duties  to  the  befl 
 Advantage  ;  Though,  as  the  Philofophers  them- 
 felves  have  always  confefTed,  no  Philofophy  was 
 ever  able  to  govern  Mens  pradife  effedually  in 
 thefe  refpeds.  But  the  additional  Precepts,  and 
 the  new  Weight  and  Authority,  which  our  Savi- 
 our has  added  to  his  Inilrudions  of  this  kind  , 
 teaching  his  Difciples  to  govern  their  very  ^^'^''-  "^^ 
 Thoughts,  Defires  and  Inclinations  j  to  contemn  ^^^,,V^  ^i 
 and  get  above  all  the  Defires  of  this  prefentVp.i^.&c, 
 World,  and  to  fet  their  Affections  principally 
 upon  that  which  is  to  come  ;  Thefe  are  the  things, 
 which,  when  the  ChriHian  Religion  was  in  its  pri'- 
 mitive  and  pureft  State,  worked  Men  up  adually 
 to  fuch  a  Pitch  of  cheerful  and  generoas  Obedi- 
 dence  to  the  Laws  of  God,  and  taught  them  to 
 obtain  fuch  a  compleat  Vidory  over  the  World, 
 and  over  all  the  Defires  and  Appetites  of  Senfe  ; 
 as  the  beft  Philofophers  have  acknowledged,  their 
 Inftrudions  were  never  able  to  do.  Laftiy,  e- 
 ven  thofe  pofitive  and  externa^  Ohfervances,  fthe 
 ^wo  Sacrafnents,)  which  are  inftituted  in  the  Chri- 
 ftian  Religion,    as  means  and  afiiilances  to  keep 
 
 Y  2  Mi:a 
 
3 24  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Men  ftedfafl  in  the  pra(5life  of  thofe  great  and  mo- 
 ral Duties  which  are  the  zveightier  Matters  of  the 
 Laiv  %  even  thofe  pofitive  Inflitiitions  (I  fayj  are 
 fo  free  from  al]  appearance  of  Superftition  and 
 Vanity,  and  fo  wifely  fitted  to  the  end  for  which 
 they  were  defigned,  that  no  Adverfaries  of  Chri- 
 flianity  have  ever  been  able  to  obje6t  any  thing 
 at  all  againfl  the  things  themfelves,  but  only  a- 
 gainfl  certain  Corruptions  and  Superftitions, 
 which  fome,  who  call  themfelves  Chriftians,  have, 
 dire6lly  in  oppofition  to  the  true  Defign  of  Chri- 
 ftianity,  introduced  and  annexed  to  them.  For, 
 what  reafonable  Man  can  pretend  to  fay,  that  'tis 
 any  way  unreafonable  or  Superftitious,  for  every 
 Member  of  the  Society  to  be  folemnly  admitted 
 into  his  Profeflion,  by  a  plain  and  fignificant  Rite, 
 intiiiing  him  to  all  the  Privileges,  and  charging 
 him  with  all  the  Obligations,  which  belong  to  the 
 Members  of  that  Society  as  fuch  ?  which  is  the 
 Defign  of  One  of  the  Sacra?nents  :  Or,  that  'tis 
 unreafonable  and  Superftitious,  for  Men  frequent- 
 ly to  commemorate  with  all  Thankfulnefs  the 
 Love  of  their  greateft  Benefaftor,  and  humbly 
 and  folemnly  to  renew  their  Obligations  and  Pro- 
 mifes  of  Obedience  to  him  ^  which  is  the  Defigia 
 of  the  Other, 
 ^^■^  ^  Let  now  any  impartial  Perfon  judge,  whether 
 
 gre;!fEvl-  this   be  not  a  wife   and   excellent   Inftitution    of 
 dence  of  a  praffical  Religion  ;  highly  conducive  to  the  Hap- 
 ^omt''     P^"^^^  ^^  Mankind  ;  and  worthy  to  be  eftablifhed 
 frcmCoJ.    by  a  Revelation  from  God,  when  Men  had  con- 
 fefiiedly  corrupted  themfelves  to  fuch  a  degree, 
 that  not  only  the  Light  of  Nature  and  right  Rea- 
 fon  was  altogether  infufiicient  to  reftore  true  Pie- 
 ty, but  even  That  Light  it  felf  (as 
 
 * ut  Natunc  Lumen     Cicero  ^  expresfly  acknowledges) 
 
 nufquam  appareat.  Or.  Tu/c.  j^       appeared.    Let  any  im- 
 
 ^li.lih.  2.  See  this  Taffage  ci'  •   i  -r.     .^-^     •    j  i.    ^u^.,  ^ 
 
 udbejoreatUrge,fag,r:^.        partial  Perlon  judgc,    whether  a 
 
 Religion    that  tends   thus  mani- 
 
 feftly 
 
and  Revealed  R  e l  i  g  i  on.  325 
 
 feflly  to  the  recovery  of  the  rational  part  of  God*s 
 Creation,  to  reftore  Men  to  the  Imitation  and 
 Likenefs  of  God,  and  to  the  Dignity  and  higheft 
 Improvement  of  their  Nature  ;  has  not  within  it 
 felf  an  intrinfick  and  very  powerful  Evidence  of 
 its  being  truly  Divine.  Let  any  one  read  the 
 fifths  fixth  and  feventh  Chapters  of  St,  Mathew's 
 Go/pel,  and  judge  if  they  do  not,  as  it  were,  fet 
 before  his  Eyes  fuch  a  lovely  Image  and  Reprefen- 
 tation  of  true  Virtue,  as  Plato  -^ 
 
 faid  could  not  but  charm  Men        *  Tormam  ipfam,  8c  tan- 
 with  the  higheft  degree  of  love     S-  '^Z!^^:^. 
 and    admiration   imaginable,     in     amores,  ut  ait  p/;»/o,  exciiaret 
 a  Word  •,  let  any  Man  of  an  ho-     Sui.   ck.  cUofficltb.  i, 
 neft  and  fincere  Mind  confider, 
 whether  That  praftical  Dodrine  has  not  even  in 
 it  felf  the    greateft  marks  of  a  Divine  Original  \ 
 wherein  whatfoever  things   are  tnie^    whatfoever 
 things  are  honeft^  whatfoever  things  are  ;'///?,  what- 
 foever  things  are  pure^    whatfoever   things   are  phil.  iv,  8. 
 lovel'j^    whatfoever    things    -xx^  of  good  report^    \i 
 there  be  any  Virtue^  if  there  be  any  thing  praife- 
 worthy  •,  all  thefe,  and  thefe  only,  are  the  things 
 that  are  earneftly  recommended  to  Mens  pradife. 
 What  wife  Precept  was  ever  delivered  by  any  Phi- 
 lofopher  of  any  Se61:,  which  is  not  more  plainly 
 laid  down  by  our  Saviour  and  his  Apoftles  ?  And 
 not  only  fo  *,  but  inforced  moreover  with  greater 
 Efficacy  and  Strength  ?  founded  upon  nobler  and 
 more   confiftent  Principles  ?    urged  with  greater 
 V/eight  and  Authority  ?    and  prefled  with  more 
 powerful  and  affedling  Arguments  ?    Nay,  nei- 
 ther  is  This  all   the  difference,  even   in  refped: 
 barely  of  the  Excellency  of  the  Dodrine  it  felf. 
 For  the  Philofophers  taught  indeed  many  excel- 
 lent moral  Truths  ;  but  fome  upon  one  occafion 
 and  upon  one  Set  of  Principles,  fome  upon  ano- 
 ther 3   and  every  one  of  them  \^ere  miftaken  in 
 
 y  3  fome 
 
3-6  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 ibme  Inflances  of  Duty,    and  mingled  particular 
 
 Superftitions    and  falfe  Notions  with  their  good 
 
 Inftrudions,  and  built  their  DoFirine  upon  no  fure 
 
 Foundation  of  confillent  Principles  \    and  All  of 
 
 them  (as  has  been  before  fhown)  were  very  im- 
 
 perfed  and  deficient,  and  far  from  being  able  to 
 
 make  up  an  entire  and  compleat  Scheme  of  the 
 
 ,     whole  Duty  of  Man  in  all  Cafes. 
 
 T..*  ^'^l^^^^'^^^^V^  *>'  ^,    But  now,    *  to  put  together   all 
 
 x^^^oZ'  a/  ic.  Sc  U  Wvr;^     ^he  ^vife  and  good  Precepts  that 
 
 oujcicc-  |»ot'p  ih^  7u  T  u-KXccv.     ever  were  delivered  by  any  wife 
 
 . ^i^jj-r^  ^  rt?,  LA  pr.     Men  of  any  Sed  and  in  any  Age  ; 
 
 %.u  ^  .^[^,  ,,,.,  ..,.^  i'^  i"^prove  and  exalt  every  one 
 i<P'^7h^'rr>---'6ccch'SHio^ -Tril-  c>t  them,  to  the  higheft  polTible 
 c-t  y.ot>ji',  il^i^Tcii,  ii^sv  Tuv  degree  of  excellency  and  perfe6li- 
 '^?.n«.i.  .v.:    Jufm.  Apolos.     on  ;  to  feparate  and  lay  afide  all 
 
 Qiiod  h  extitiiTct  ahVuis,  ^^^^  fuperftitious  Opinions  and 
 qui  verit.ircm  iparfam  per  Pra6lifes,  that  had  been  mixed 
 iingulos,  per  Fcaafq,  diffu-  by  all  or  any  of  the  different  Sedls 
 rediecretiii  corpiis  j  is  pro-  of  Philofophers,  or  Teachers  of 
 feao  non  diiient'irec  .a  nobis.  Rchgion  in  any  Nation,  with 
 Scd  hoc  nemo  facere,  nifiveri  their  refpedive  moral  InllruvSli- 
 ^:::Z::^Z^t^^  ^"^  •.  ^^^  to  fupply  an  thofe  Doc. 
 efl-,  qui  iit  Godtus  a  Deo.  trines,  wherein  both  moral  rhi- 
 tfi$*nt.  Uh:  J.  lofophy  and  the  additional  Infli- 
 
 tutions  of  all  Religions  in  the 
 World,  had  in  the  whole  been  hitherto  altoge- 
 ther deficient  *,  and  all  this,  in  one  plain,  entire^ 
 and  regular  Syftem,  upon  the  Foundation  of  cer- 
 tain and  confiftent  Principles  ;  This  is,  the  pecu- 
 Jiar  Charaifler  of  the  ChViftian  Inftitution  ;  and 
 all  this,  cannot  with  any  colour  of  Reafon,  be 
 imagined  to  have  ever  been  done  by  any  Man, 
 but  one  fent  immediately  from  God.  Upon  this 
 confiderarion  alone,  all  fincere  Deifts  ("if  any  fuch 
 there  be)  who  really  are  what  they  pretend  to  be, 
 who  believe  the  Being  and  Attributes  of  God, 
 and  are  firmly  convinced  of  the  Obligations  of 
 
 Virtue 
 
and  Revealed  Pv  e  l  i  g  i  c  n.  B  s^ 
 
 Virtue  and  natural  Religion,  and  the  certainty  of 
 a  Future  State  of  Rewards  and  Punifliments  ; 
 mufl  needs  by  their  own  Principles  be  ftrongly 
 inclined  to  embrace  the  Chriftian  Religion  •,  to 
 believe,  at  leaft  to  hope  confidently,  that  a  Doc- 
 trine fo  plainly  fitted  to  recover  Men  out  of  tneir 
 univerfally  corrupt  Eftate,  and  reflorethem  to  the 
 Knowledge  and  Favour  of  God,  is  truly  Divine  ; 
 and  to  entertain  it  with  all  cheerfulnefs,  as  what 
 in  itfelf  has  thofe  manifold  Marks  of  Goodnels 
 and  Perfedion,  which  are  themfelves  fufficient  to 
 fatisfy  a  good  Man,  that  it  cannot  be  any  thing 
 elfe  than  a  Revelation  from  God, 
 
 even  f  though  it  had  wanted  all        t  Sedfi  velcaOiidefficercf, 
 thofe   outward   Proofs,    and  di-     'T^t^^""^)^^ 
 
 vine  and  miraculous  1  eitimonies,       leftimoniis  ilh  dekndere,  ta- 
 which  fliall  hereafter  be   mention-      rr.cn  fe;plam  Veritas  i!iu:'ia>ct 
 
 ed  in  their  proper  place.  ^^^  ^""^'"^-    '^^^'^^«^-  ^'^'  7- 
 
 XI.  Secondly,  ^be  Motives  hy  ivbicb  the  Chru 
 Jlian  Religion  inforces  the  Pra^iife  of  the  Duties  it 
 injoyns,  are  fucb  as  are  77ioft  fuitahle  to  the  excellent 
 WiUom  of  God  •,  and  moft  anfwerahle  to  the  natural 
 Ex pe  51  at  ions  of  Men. 
 
 I .  The  Acceptahlenefs  of  4rue  Repentance ,  in  the  ^f  ^^^ 
 fight  of  God  ;    and  the  certain  AJfurance  of  Par-  '^^frl^lr 
 don  upon  fuch  Repentance  *,  which  the  Chriftian  ^^rw^  r^- 
 Religion  affords  us  :    is  a  moft  powerful  and  ne-/'^«^^»<^^» 
 cefTary  Motive  to  frail  and  finful  Creatures,  to  Ju-^^^^^^"^' 
 courage  and  fupport  them  effedlually  in  the  prac- ^ew'/ewfe. 
 tife  of  their  Duty,     'Tis  indeed  in  general  evi- 
 dently   moft  agreeable  to  right  Reafon,    and  to 
 Mens  natural    Notions  of  God,    to  believe  him 
 placable  and  merciful  and  willing  to  forgive.    But 
 fince  at  the  fame  time  it  cannot   be  proved  by 
 9.ny  Arguments  from  Reafo;i,    that  God  is  ahfi^ 
 lutely  obliged  to  forgive  j  ^nd  'tis  confeftedly  evi- 
 dent, th^t  it  becomes  the  Supreme  Governour  of 
 
 Y  4  the 
 
) 2S  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 the  Univerfe,  to  vindicate  the  Honour  aad  Au- 
 thority of  his  Laws  and  Government,  to  give 
 lome  Evidences  of  his  Hatred  and  Indignation  a- 
 gainft  Sin,  and  fometimes  by  inflances  of  Severity 
 to  prevent  Sinners  from  abufing  his  Mercy  and 
 Patience  ;  no  lefs  than  that  'tis  agreeable  to  his 
 infinite  V/ifdom  and  Goodnefs,  to  fufier  his  An- 
 ger to  be  by  fome  m.eans  appeafed  :  No  Motive 
 in  this  Cafe  can  be  imagined  more  expedient  and 
 powerful,  to  incourage  Sinners  to  return  to  the 
 praftife  of  their  Duty,  and  to  perfwade  them  to 
 continue  therein  immoveable  for  the  future  *,  no- 
 thing can  be  imagined  more  feafonable  and  fatis- 
 faftory  to  the  Mind  of  Man,  and  more  agreeable 
 to  the  excellent  Wifdom  of  God,  and  worthy  of 
 the  fupreme  and  infinitely  merciful  Governour  of 
 all  Things  •,  than  fuch  a  pofitive  Declaration  of 
 the  Acceptablenefs  of  fincere  Repentance^  and  fuch 
 an  authentick  AHlirance  of  Pardon  and  Forgive- 
 Jiefs  thereupon,  as  under  the  Chriftian  Difpenfa- 
 tion  the  Divine  Goodnefs  and  Mercy  has  found 
 means  to  afford  unto  us,  in  fuch  manner  as  is  at 
 the  fame  time  abundantly  confifcent  with  the 
 Honour  and  Dignity  of  the  Laws  of  God,  and 
 with  his  irreConcileable  Hatred  againft  all  Un- 
 righteoufnefs  and  Sin. 
 
 of  ihedi'       2.  ^at  divine  and  fiipernatural  AJfi fiance^  which, 
 
 ■vhejjjifl'  under  the  Chriftian  Difpenfation,    they  who  fin- 
 
 Tmther      ^^"^^^Y  endeavour  to  obey  the  Will  of  God,  have 
 
 Motive  to   incouragement  to  hope  for,    upon  all  necelTary 
 
 Obeditnce,  occafions  ',    is   another  pov/erful  Motive^    to  fup- 
 
 port  Men  eftcdually  in  the  Pra6life  of  their  Duty. 
 
 The  wifeil  of  the  Philofophers,  were  fo  far  fenfi- 
 
 ble  of    the   great  Corruption   and  Depravity  of 
 
 Humane  Nature  in  its  prefent  State  ,  they  were 
 
 fenfible  that  fuch  was  the  Carelefsnefs,  Stupidity, 
 
 *^nd  Wa.nt  of  Attention,  of  the  greater  part  of 
 
 Mankind  i 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  32$ 
 
 Mankind  j  fo  many  the  early  Prejudices  and  falfe 
 Notions  taken  in  by  evil  Education  •,    fo   ftrong 
 and  violent    the  unreafonable  Lulls,    Appetites 
 and  Defires  of  Senfe  ;  and  fo  great  the  Blindnefs, 
 introduced  by  fuperftitious  Opinions,  vicious  Cuf- 
 toms,     and    debauched    Pradifes    through    the 
 World  j    that  Cas  has  been  before  lliown,)  they 
 themfelves  openly  confefTed,   they  had  very  little 
 hope  of  ever  being  able  to  reform  Mankind  with 
 any  confiderably  great  and  univerfal  Succefs,    by 
 the  bare  force   of  Philofophy  and  right  Reafon  ; 
 but  that,  to  produce  fo  great  a  change,  and  en- 
 able Men  efieftually  to  conquer  all  their  corrupt 
 Affedions,    there  was  need  of  fome  fupernatural 
 and  divine  Afliflance,    or  the  immediate  Interpo- 
 fition  of  God  himfelf.     Now  This  divine  affiftance 
 is  vouchfafed  to  Men  under  the  Chriftian  Difpen- 
 fation  in  fuch  a  manner,  as  (^from  what  has  been 
 already  faid  concerning  the  Judgment  of  the  Wi- 
 fefl  of  the  Antient  Philofophers  in  this  matter) 
 appears  to  be  undeniably  agreeable  to  the  natural 
 Expectations  of  right  Reafon,  and  fuitable  to  the 
 beft  and  worthiefl  Notions   that  Men  have  ever 
 by  the  Light  of  Nature  been  able  to  frame  to 
 themfelves  concerning  the  Attributes  and    Per- 
 fections of  God.     ^f  ye^  fays  our  Saviour,   heinghuk, -Kt, 
 Evily  know  how  to  give  Good  Gifts  unto  your  Cbil-'^3' 
 dren  s    bow  7nuch  more  Jhall  jour  heavenly  Father 
 give  the  holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him  ?     The 
 Effed  of  this  divine  AfTiilance,  evidenced  it  felf 
 in  a  very  vifible  and   remarkable  manner  in  the 
 Primitive  Times,  by  t  the   fud- 
 
 den  wonderful  and  total  Refor-  ^  ^^  ^j^j  ^j,^^^  -^^^ 
 mation  of  far  greater  Numbers  iracundus,  maledicus,  etfrac- 
 of  wicked  Men,  than  ever  were  "^tus  i  pauciffimis  Dei  verbis 
 brought  to  Repentance  by  the  J:?,,^  Da'bidlSm:^:: 
 i  caching  and  Exhortations    or    jLnannt.  Hi.  3 
 
 all 
 
3  3  0  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 TJtc^  f^  rors^EAA^w  ili  r*5,     all  the  Philofophers  in  theWorld. 
 
 t   °'rk.f^:^e':^    t^i'^'^^r,    this  Day,  notwich- 
 tihve,  ^2ig.  loi.  itanding   all  the  Corruptions  in- 
 
 troduced among  Chriftians,  I 
 think  it  can  hardly  be  denied  by  any  Unbelievers 
 of  Revelation,  but  that  there  are  among  us  ma- 
 ny more  Perfons  of  all  conditions,  who  worfhip 
 God  in  fincerity  and  fimphcity  of  Heart,  and 
 live  in  the  conftant  pradlife  of  all  Righteoufnefs, 
 Holinefs,  and  true  Virtue  *,  than  ever  were  found 
 in  any  of  the  moft  civilized  Nations,  and  mod 
 improved  by  Plylofophy  in  the  heathen  World. 
 Of  the  3.  The    Reivards  and  Pumjhments    which    the 
 
 clear  Dif-  Chriftian  Rejigion  propofes,  to  Obedience  or  Dif- 
 fmi7e  Re-  obedience  ;  are  a  Motive^  perfedjy  agreeable  to 
 wards  and  Mens  natural  Hopes  and  Fears,    and  worthy  of 
 Pmiflj'      God  to  make  known  by  pofitive  and  exprefs  Re- 
 ^nother^  velation.     For  fmce  'tis  confefTedly  fuitable  to  the 
 lAotlve  to  divine  Wifdom,    to  make  variety  of    Creatures, 
 Obedience,  ^^ndw&d  with  very  different  Powers  and  Faculties, 
 and  capable  of  very  different  kinds  and  degrees  of 
 Improvement  ;    and  fince  all  rational  Creatures, 
 by  reafon  of  that  natural  Liberty  of   Will  which 
 is  effentially  neceflary  to  their  being  fuch,    can- 
 not but  be   capable  of  exalting  and  improving 
 their  Nature  by  the  pradile  of  Virtue  and  the  Imi- 
 tation of  God,  and  on  the  contrary  of  depraving 
 and  debafing  their  Nature  by  the  pradife  of  Vice 
 and  Alienation  of  themfelves  from  God  j    It  fol- 
 lows undeniably,    (as  has  been  before  fhown  by 
 a  more  particular  deduction,)  that   'tis  highly  a- 
 greeable  to  the  Light  of    Nature  and    to  right 
 Reafon  to  fuppofe,  that  God,    the  Supreme  Go- 
 vernour  and  Difpofer  of  all  things,    will  finally 
 make  a  juft  and  fuitable  diflindion  between  his 
 Creatures,  by  the  diilribution  of  proportionable 
 Rewards  and  Punifhments.      Neverthelefs,    both 
 the  Truth  it  felf  of  thefe  final  Rewards   and  Pu- 
 niihrnents,  was  fo  far  called  in  queftion,  and  ren~ 
 
 dred 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  531 
 
 dred  ddubtful  and  uncertain,  by  the  Difputations 
 even  of  the  Wifeft  Philofophers  that  ever  hved  \ 
 and  thofe  who  did  in  general  believe  the  Truth 
 and  Certainty  of  them,  had  yet  fo  very  blind  and 
 obfcure  Notions  of  What  Nature  and  Kind  they 
 were  to  be  \  having  their  Imaginations  ftrangely 
 prejudiced  with  poetical  Fidlions,  and  fabulgus 
 Stories  \  that  the  fetting  this  matter  clear  and 
 right,  and  the  fupplying  this  fmgle  defedt  in  the 
 Light  of  Nature,  was  a  thing  highly  worthy  of 
 Divine  Revelation  :  It  being  plainly  a  very  diffe- 
 rent thing,  and  of  very  ditterent  Force  as  to  the 
 influencing  Mens  Adions,  for  Men  to  be  able  to 
 argue  themfelves  into  a  reafonable  Expectation  of 
 future  Rewards  and  Punifhments  ;  and  to  be  cer- 
 tainly  affured  of  the  reality  of  them  by  exprefs 
 Teftimony  of  Divine  Revelation.  And  accords 
 ingly  by  Divine  Revelation  in  the  Gofpel,  this  de- 
 fed  of  the  Light  of  Nature  Is  now  actually  fup- 
 plied  in  fuch  a  manner  \  Life  :^.nd  Immortality 
 are  fo  brought  to  Light  5  and  the  Wrath  of  God 
 h  fo  revealed  from  Heaven  againil  all  Ungodli- 
 nefs  and  Unrighteoufnefs  of  Men  ;  that  this  very 
 thing,  the  clear  and  diftind  and  confident  Ac- 
 count which  the  Gofpel  gives  us  of  thefe  final 
 Rewards  and  Puniiliments,  ("which,  though  in- 
 deed in  themfelves  fo  abfolutely  necefiary,  that 
 without  them  no  tolerable  Vindication  could  be 
 made  of  the  Attributes  of  God,  yet  neither  by 
 the  Light  of  Nature,  nor  by  any  pofitive  Infti- 
 tution  of  Religion,  excepting  only  the  Chriftian, 
 were  they  ever  fo  clearly  and  plainly  reprefented 
 to  Mankind,  as  to  have  their  full  and  proper 
 effed  upon  the  Hearts  and  Lives  of  Men  •,)  This 
 very  Thing  (\  fay,J  the  clear,  diftind,  and  con- 
 fiftent  Account,  which  the  Gofpel  gives  us  of 
 thefe  final  Rewards  and  Punifhments,  is  it  felf  no 
 contemptible  Argument  of  the  Truth  and  Di- 
 vine 
 
3  3  -  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 vine  Authority  of  the  Chriflian  Revelation.  By 
 the  certain  Knowledge  of  thefe  Rewards  and  Pu- 
 nidiments  it  is,  that  the  pradife  of  Virtue  is  now 
 eflabhllied  upon  a  fure  Foundation.  Men  have 
 now  abundantly  fufficient  incouragement,  to  fup- 
 port  them  in  their  Choice  of  Virtue,  and  in  their 
 conftant  adherence  to  it,  in  all  Cafes  and  under 
 all  Circumilances  that  can  be  fuppofed.  There 
 is  nov^  fufficient  Weight  on  the  fide  of  Virtue  to 
 enable  Men  to  conquer  all  the  Temptations  of  the 
 Devil,  the  Flelli,  and  the  World  ;  and  to  def- 
 pife  the  fevereft  Threatnings,  even  Death  it  felf 
 l^hls  IS  the  ViBor'j  that  overcometh  the  Worlds  even 
 cur  Faith,  The  only  DifHculty  in  this  matter,  a- 
 rifing  from  the  Duration  of  the  final  Punifliment 
 of  the  Wicked,  fliall  be  confidered  when  I  com.e 
 to  difcourfe  of  the  Articles  of  our  Belief, 
 
 XII.  Thirdly,    'J he  -peculiar  Manner  and  Cir- 
 cumilances, with  which  the  Chriftian  Religion  in- 
 joyns  the  Duties^    and  urges  the  Motives  hefbre-inen- 
 tioned  ;  are  exa^ly  confonant  to  the  Dilates  of  found 
 Reafon^  or  the  unprejudiced  Light  of  Nature  j   and 
 moft  wifely  perfeufive  of  it. 
 The  Tropo-     For,  what  can  be  more  agreeable  to  the  Light 
 fition  frQ-  of  Nature,  and  more  evidently  perfedive  of  it  ; 
 ^tuJiT' ^"^^^  to  have  thofe  Duties  which  Nature  hints  at 
 fancei,  ''^'  only  in  general^    explained  fully  and  largely^   and 
 ur<^ed    in    particular,,    and   inculcated    upon   the 
 meanefl  Capacities  with  great  Weight  and  Autho- 
 rity^ and  exemplified  in  the  Lives  of  holy  Perfons 
 propofed  as  Patterns  for  our  Imitation  ?    What 
 can  be  more  perfedive  of  the  Light  of  Nature, 
 than  to  have  thofe  ^rt2L\:  Motives  of  Religion,  the 
 Rewards  and  Punifhments  of  a  Future  State,  which 
 Nature  only  obfcurely  points   at,    defcribed  to  us 
 moft  plainly^  afe5lionately,  and  lively  ?  Whatcan 
 be  more  perfedive  of  the  Light  of  Nature,   than 
 
 to 
 
and  Renjealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  onJ  $  5  % 
 
 to  have"  tKe  means  of  atoning  for  Sin^  which  Na- 
 ture dKcoYcrs  only  the  want  of  ,  ^hinly  declared  and 
 exhibited  to  us  ?  What  can  be  more  perfedlive  of 
 the  Light  of  Nature,    than  fuch  a  difcovery   of 
 
 the  heinoufnefs  of  Sin  and  the  necejfity  of  HoLinefs^ 
 as  the  Death  of  Chrifi  and  the  Purity  of  the  Gof 
 pel  does  make  unco  us  ?  In  fine.  What  can  more 
 effeaually  perfect  the  RcHgion  of  Nature,    than 
 the  gathering  together  the  h^orfhippers  of  the  True 
 God,  into  One  Body  ?  the  caufing  them  to  enter  into 
 folemn  Obligations,  to  live  fuit ably  to  their  Holy  Pro- 
 feffion .?     the  giving   them  gracious  Affurmces  that 
 true  Repentance  jhall  be  accepted  for  what  is  paji-^ 
 and  fincere  renewed  Obedience  for  the  future  .?  the  u- 
 niting  them  by  a  few  pofitive  Rites  in  one  Religious  as 
 well  as  Civil  Cojnjnunion,  for  mutual  Affiftance  and 
 Improvement  ?    and  the  eflablifhing  a  certain  Order 
 or  perpetual  Succe/ion  of  Men,  whofe  conftant  Buji- 
 nefs  it  may  be,  to  explain  the  great  Duties  of  Reli- 
 gion to  perfons  of  meaner  Capacities  ;  to  urge  and  in- 
 force  the  PraBife  of  them  ;    to  fet  before  Men  the 
 reafons  of  their  Duty,    and  the  Necejfity  of  it ;    /^ 
 fhow  them  clearly  and  impartially  the  danger  of  neg- 
 leEling  it,  and  the  great  advantage  of  performing  it 
 /merely  ;  in  a  word,    to  inflruB   the  Ignorant,  and 
 to  admonifh  the  Wicked ;  to  reduce  thofe  that  err,  to 
 comfort  the  doubting,  to  reprove  the  obflinate ;    and 
 to  be  Inftruments  of  conveying  to  Men  all  proper  Af- 
 fiftances,  to  enable  them  to  perform  their  whole  Du- 
 ty effe5fually  ? 
 
 If  thefe  things  be  the  Ordinances  of  One,  who 
 came  to  contradid  the  dldates  of  right  Reafon, 
 and  not  to  perfed  the  Law  'of  Nature,  but  to 
 deflroy  it ;  then  let  all  wife  Men  for  ever  forfake 
 the  Afiemblles  of  Chriftians,  and  profefs  them- 
 felves  again  Difciples  of  the  Philofophers.  But 
 if  thefe  things  be  perfedly  agreeable  to  Nature 
 and  right  Reafon,    and  tend  exceedingly  to  the 
 
 fupplying 
 
333  T^he  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 fupplying  the  Deficiencies  thereof;  then  let  nonc^ 
 under  pretenfe  of  maintaining  Natural  ReJigion, 
 revile  and  blafpheme  the  CbrtJHan  v  Jcafl  they  be 
 found  Liars  unto  God. 
 jlnAn/wer      Thc  many  Contt;nlions  md(icd,    about  Opinions 
 to  the  Ob'  of  great  Uncertainty  and  httle  Importance,  which, 
 '^rl^n       ^^  ^^^  ^^^y  g^^?^  Scandal  of  Chriilianicy,  have  in 
 from  the     feveral  Ages  of  the  Church,  been  with  unreafon- 
 vivijions    able  Zeal  kept  up,  inftead  of  promoting  the  uni- 
 ThrlLm,  ^^^^^^  Tntereft  of  true  pradical  Religion  and  Vir- 
 '  tue  ;  have,  it  muft  be  confelfed,    given  fome  Oc-- 
 cafion  to  the  Enemies  of  our  moft  holy  Religion, 
 to  blafpheme  and  revile  both  It,  and  the  Teachers 
 of  it.     But  though  fuch  things  as  thefe,  have  in- 
 deed afforded  them  too  plaufible  an  Occafion^    yet 
 they  have  not  given  them  any  jufl  Reafon^  fo   to 
 do.     For  the  acknowledged  corruption  of  a  Do- 
 ctrine or  Inflitution  in  any  particular  part  or  re- 
 fpe6l,  is  by  no  means  a  weighty  or  real   Objedli- 
 on  againft  the  Truth  of  the  whole.      And  there 
 has  always  been  extant  a  fufficient  Rule,  to  ena- 
 ble fincere  Perfons,_^  in  the  midil  of   the  greatefl 
 difputes  and  contentions,    to  diftinguilh  the  Bo- 
 5lrine  which  is  of  God^  from  the  Opinions  of  Men  -, 
 The  Doctrine  of  Chrift  having  been  plainly  and 
 fully  delivered  in  our  Saviour's  own  Difcourfes, 
 and  in  the  Writings  of   his  immediate  Followers 
 the  Apoftles  ;    who  cannot  with  any  Reafon  be 
 imagicied  either  to  have  mifreprefented  it,    or  to 
 have  reprefentcd  it  imperfedly.      But  befides  :    I 
 think  it  can  hardly    be  denied  even  by  our  Ad- 
 verfaries  themfelves,    but  that  in  all  Times  and 
 Places,  whei  ein  Chriftianity  has  been  profefled  in 
 any  tolerable  degree  of   Purity  j    whatever  con- 
 tentions and  difputes  may  have  arifen  about   par- 
 ticular,   and  perhaps  iinnecejfar'j  Doctrines  ;    yet 
 the  great,    the   mofl:  neccflary,    and  ftmdamental 
 Doctrines  of  Religion  •,  concerning  God,  and  Pro- 
 vidence J 
 
and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  o  i^i  ^4^ 
 
 vidence  •,    concerning  the    gracious  Method,    of 
 God's  Reconciliation  with  penitent  Sinners  ;   con-, 
 cerning  the  neceflity  of  true  Piety,  Righteoufnefs, 
 and  Sobriety  ;  concerning  a  Judgment  to  come, 
 and  the  final  Reward  of  the  Righteous,    and  the 
 Punifliment  of  wici<ed  Men,  in  fuch  a  manner  as 
 will    effcdually  vindicate  both    the  Juflice    and 
 Goodnefs,  the  Wifdom  and   Honour  of  God  ; 
 thefe  things  (I  fayj  have,  notwithftanding  all  Dif- 
 ferences concerning  fmaller  Matters,  been  never - 
 thelefs  at  the  fame  time  univerfally  and  conftantly 
 taught,  prelTed  and  inculcated  upon  Perfons  of 
 all  Capacities,  by  the  earneft  and  continual  Preach- 
 ing of  all  the  Minifters  of  the  Gofpel  •,  with  an 
 ehed  infinitely  more  confiderable  and  vifible,  both 
 in  Extent  and  Duration,  than  by  the  Teaching  of 
 any  Heathen  Philofophcrs  that  ever  lived.   Which 
 fhows  undeniably  the  Excellency  at  leaft,  ^  if  not 
 the  Divine  Authority  of  the  Chriflian  Inftitution, 
 in  this  particular  refped. 
 
 XIII.  Fourthly  :  All  the  [Credenda,  or]  Doc- 
 d:rines,  which  the  true^  pnpl^-t  ^^^  uncorrupted 
 Chrijiian  Religion  teaches  ;  (that  is,  not  only  thofe 
 plain  Do5frines  which  it  requires  to  hehelievedas  fun- 
 damentaland  of  necejjity  to  eternal  Salvation,  hut  <?- 
 ven  All  the  DoBrines  which  it  teaches  as  Matters  of 
 ^ruth\)  are,  thou^  indeed  man^j  of  them  not  difcc- 
 verahle  by  bare  Reafon  unajjifted  with  Revelation^ 
 yet,  when  difcovaned  by  Revelation,  apparently  mofi 
 acrreeable  to  found  unprejudiced  Reafon  i  have  eve- 
 ry one  of  them  a  natural  Tendency,  and  a  direff 
 and  powerful  Influence,  to  reform  Mens  Minds^ 
 and  corre6t  their  Maimers  ;  and  do  together  7nake 
 up  an  infnitely  more  confiflent  and  rational  Scheme 
 of  Belief,  than  any  that  the  wifeft  of  the  a?itient  Phi- 
 lofophers  ever  did,  or  the  cunningefi  of  modern  Un- 
 believers  can  invent  or  cQ7itrive. 
 
 I,  Toat 
 
5 3 <5  The  Evidences  oJ  Natural 
 
 of  the  One  j,  ^at  there  is  One  only  living  and  true  God  ; 
 ^^12"^'  exifting  of  himfelf,  by  the  Neceffity  of  his  own 
 Nature  :  abfolutely  Independent,  Eternal,  Om- 
 niprefent.  Unchangeable,  Incorruptible  ;  without 
 Body,  Parts  or  Paffions  ;  of  infinite  Power, 
 Knowledge,  and  Wifdom  ;  of  perfed  Liberty, 
 and  Freedom  of  Will ;  of  infinite  Goodncfs,  Ju- 
 ftice  and  Truth,  and  ^W  other  pofilble  Perfedi- 
 ens ;  fo  as  to  be  abfolutely  Self-fufficient  to  his 
 own  infinite  and  unalterable  Happinefs  :  This  is, 
 not  only  the  firft  and  principal  Article  of  the 
 Chriftian  Faith,  but  alfo  the  firft  and  moft  evi- 
 dent Truth  that  the  Light  of  Nature  it  felf  tea- 
 ches us  ;  being  clearly  demonftrable,  upon  cer- 
 tain and  undeniable  Principles  of  right  Reafon.'' 
 ofth,  2.  Voat  this  Supreme  Self-exiftent   Caufe   and 
 
 TXnT^^^^'^''  ^^^^^  ^^^^g^'    ^^d  before  all  Ages,    in  an 
 GoL         incomprehenfible  manner,  by  his  Almighty  Power 
 and  Will,  beget  or  produce  a  Divine  Perfon  ;  fti- 
 ^  ^ .    ,    ^  ~    .       ,         led  the  Lngos^  the  IVord^  or  Wif- 
 
 *  esc;  tK   O?oy,    in  centra-        r  c  r  r^     ^       1^7-'^ 
 
 dffimciion  to 'Avr^^^c,  ^^^«.   Or  6"^;/,   of  God  ;   ^  God,   of 
 
 God',  in  whom  dwells  the  ful- 
 nefs  of  Divine  Perfe6bions,  (excepting  abfolute 
 Supremacy,  Independency,  or  Self-Origina- 
 Col.  i,  is-tion  ;;  being  the  hnage  of  the  Invifihle  God-,  the 
 '^A^JyJl^^'^^^^^^'^J'^^J'  h'^^  Father' sGlor'j,  and  the  exprefs  /- 
 /oe.«*TS?^<;.  ^^z^F  rf  ^-^^'-^  Perfo7t  ;  having  been  in  the  beginning 
 In^  kvroZ.  with  God,  partaker  with  him  of  his  Glory  before 
 Job.  i,  2.  /,v  World  was ;  the  Upholder  of  all  things  by  the 
 Heb!  C  ^^^ordof  his  Power  ;  and  himM^  over  all  (by  Com- 
 Rom.ix,  j.munication  of  his  Father's  Glory  and  Dominion) 
 &]oh.  -God hlejfed forever:  ThisDodrinc  (I  fay,)  though 
 '    *  not  indeed   difcoverable    by    bare  Reafon,    yet, 
 
 when  made  known  by  Revelation,  appears  plain- 
 ly very  confiftent  wi'th  right  Reafon,  and  ('tis 
 manifcft)  contains  nothing  that  implies  any  man- 
 ner of  Abfurdity  or  Contradidion  in  it. 
 
 Indeed 
 
md  Revealed  Religion^  33^ 
 
 Indeed  if  any  Men,  pretending  to  be  wife  dbo'de 
 and  beyond  what  is  written^  have  at  any  time  gi* 
 ven  fuch  Explications  of  the  Manner  how  the  Son 
 of  God  derived  his  Being  from  the  Father,  or 
 have  offered  fuch  Accounts  of  his  Nature  and  At-^ 
 tributes^  as  can  by  any  juft  and  neceffary  confe* 
 quence  be  reduced  to  imply  or  involve  any  Con- 
 tradidion  •*  (which  perhaps  ma- 
 ny of  the  t  Schoolmen  have  but  t  It  is  not  to  be  denied  bue 
 too  juftly  been  accufed  of  doing  ■)    f,:^^;^  intfaTlei^^rc, 
 
 fuch   Explications  are  without  all      though  very  few  among  them 
 COntroverfy   Falfe,     and  very  in-      had  either  exad:  Skill  in  the 
 
 jurious  to  Religion.     But  as  this     ?^i^  ^,'Tr  V' '"  !'1'° 
 ^^r^     „    .       .     ,   ,P  ,  .     ^     .  ualtical   Antiquity,    and   the 
 
 Doctrine  is  dehvered  in  bcripture  %      Writings  of  the  antient  Fa- 
 I  think,    there  is  nothing    in  it   in      thersoftheChriftian Church: 
 
 any    degree  contrary    to  Right  I  %,  it  cannot  be  denied  but 
 
 -r^  ^  r      ^  Ti  ^r     ^  ■  that    thcfe    fpcculative    and 
 
 Reafon  -,    as  I  have  elfev/here  in-  very     acute     Men,     who 
 
 deavoured  to  fhow  in  a  particular  v/rought  a  great  part  of  their 
 
 Difcourfe,    to    which  I   refer  the  pi^mity  out  of  their  own 
 
 -p"^     J    *^  Brains,  as  Spiders  do  Cobwebs 
 
 Keaaen  o^^.  ^^  ^i^^-^^  ^^^^    Bowels, 
 
 have  ftarted  a  thoufand  Sub- 
 tilties  about  this  Myflery,  fudh  as  no  Chrifiian  is  bound  to  trouble  his  iriead 
 withal  j  muchlefs  is  it  neceflary  for  him  to  underftand  thofe  Niceties,  which 
 we  may  reafonably  prelume  that  they  who  talk  ot  them  did  themfejves 
 never  throughly  underftand j  and  Jeaft  of  all,  is  it  neceffary  to  believe 
 them.  Arch-Bp.  Tiliotfon,  Serinon  conccrnivg  the  Unity  of  the  Divine  N^- 
 tnre. 
 
 It  were  to  be  wirhed,  that  fome  Religionip  did  not  here  fymbolize  too 
 much  with  the  AtheiJIs,  in  affeaing  to  repreienc  the  Myflcry  of  the  Chriftian 
 7r:nity,  as  a  thing  dire6lly  contradidory  ro  all  humane  Reafon  and  Under- 
 hand uig.     Cndworth's  Sjftemy  p^g.  ^60. 
 
 Now  the  fame  that  is  faid  of  the  Son^   may  m  of  the  ^ 
 like  manner,  with  little  Variation,  be,  very  agree- '^^^•^^'- 
 ably  to  right  Reafon,  underllood  concerning'  the'^^^* 
 Original  Procejjion  or  Maimer  of  derivation  of  the 
 Hoh]  Spirit  likewife  from  the  Fathen, 
 
 3.  "That  the   Univerfe,    the   Heavens   and  thtof  the 
 Earth,  and  all  things  that  are  therein,  were  Crea-*"^''^''^'^'^ 
 ted  and  Made   by  God  ,    and  this,    through  the^;^;,.,; 
 Operation  of  his  Son,    That  Divine  JFord,    or        ^ 
 
 2^  JVifdom 
 
i  3  S  The  E  V  i.D  E  N  c  E  s  <?/  Natural 
 
 Wij2o7n  of  the  P'ather;    h^^  whom^    the  Scripture 
 Beh.  i,  1.  fays  that  God  made  the  Worlds ;    that  ^7  /w;^  God 
 Co/"  "''16 "created  all  things ;  that  I'j  him  were  all  things  crea- 
 '  ted^  that  are  in  Heaven^  and  that  are  in  Earthy  Vi^ 
 Jible  and  Invifihle^  whether  they  he  "Thrones  or  Do?7ii- 
 nions^  or  Principalities  or  Powers ;    all  things  were 
 created  by  him  and  for  him^  and  he  is  before  all  things, 
 fob  I    2  ^^^  ^y  ^^^^  ^^^  things  confift ;    that  all  things  zvere 
 ""'  7nade  by  him,    and  without  him   was  not  any  thing 
 7nade  that  was  made :  All  this  likewife,    is  very  a- 
 greeable  to  found  and  unprejudiced  Reafon.     For, 
 that  neither  the  whole,  nor  any  part  of  the  World  ; 
 neither  the  Form,  nor  Motion,  nor  Matter  of  the 
 World,  could  exift  of  it  felf  by  any  Neceffity  in 
 its  own  Nature  -,  is  abundantly  demonfbrable  from 
 undeniable   Principles    of  Reafon  ;    as  has  been 
 ihown  in  my  former  Difcourfe.      Confequently, 
 both  the  whole  World,    and  all   the  Variety  of 
 things  that  now  exift  therein,    muft  of  Necefiity 
 have  received  both  their  Being  it  felf,    and   alfo 
 their  Form  and  Manner  of  being,  from  God  the 
 alone  Supreme  and  Self-exiftent  Caufe  ;  and  muft 
 needs  depend  upon  his  Good-pleafure  every  mo- 
 ment,   for  the  continuance  and    prefervation  of 
 that  Being.     Accordingly,  if  we  fet  afide  the  Epi- 
 cureans, (whofe  abfurd  Kypothefis  has  long  fince 
 been  given  up  even  by   all  Atheifts  themfelves  ;) 
 and  feme  very  few  others,  who  with  no  lefs  Al> 
 furdiry  (^as  I  have  alfo  at  large  fhown)  contended 
 that  the  World  was  in  its  prefent  Form   Self-ex- 
 ifient  and  Neceffary  ;  All  the  Philofophers  of  all 
 r      ^%^^->  (even  t  not  excepting  thofe  who   held  the 
 Jn-rv/^"  Et^-nity  of  the  World,)  have  unanimoufly  agreed 
 liim.  pag.  in  this  §.'eat  Truth,  that  the  World  evidently  owes 
 3°'  &-'     both  its  Being  and  Prefervation  to  God  the   Su- 
 preme Caufe  and  Author  of  all    Things.      And 
 tn.en,  that  God  made  the  World  Z^)?  the  Operation 
 of  his  Sq?i  j     though  this   could  not    indeed   be 
 
 known 
 
and  Revealed  KeLig  I  on]  33^ 
 
 known  certainly  without  exprefs  Revelation  ; 
 yet  is  it  by  no  means  incredible,  or  contrary  to 
 right  Reafon.  For,  to  the  judgment  of  Realbn, 
 'tis  one  and  the  fame  thing,  whether  God  made 
 the  World  immediately  by  himfelf,  or  mediately 
 by  the  Miniftration  of  a  Second  Principle.  And 
 what  Plato  and  his  Followers  have  faid  concern- 
 ing a  Second  Nayj  or  Mind,  whom  they  fre- 
 quently ftile  A5,,M.*oypyc5  the  Mimfler  or  Workman 
 by  whofn  God.  framed  all  things  ;  proves  undeni- 
 ably thus  much  at  leaflr,  that  the  Dodrines  de- 
 livered in  Scripture  concerning  this  Matter,  can- 
 not be  rejeiled  as  inconfiflent  and  irreconcileable 
 with  right  Reafon. 
 
 4.  That^  about  the  Space  of  6000  Years  fince,  of  the  Tori 
 the  Earth  was  without  For?n  and  Void,  that  is,  a  ^/^^'^^^  ^f 
 confufed  Chaos  ;  out  of  which  God  framed  this  cen.  i,  1.' 
 beautiful  and  ufeful  Fabiick  we  now  inhabit,  and 
 flocked  it  with  the  Seeds  of  all  kinds  of  Plants, 
 and  formed  upon  it  Man,  and  all  the  other  Spe- 
 cies of  Animals  it  is  now  furnifhed  with  ;  is  alfo 
 very  agreeable  to  right  Reafon.  For  though 
 the  precife  Time  indeed,  when  all  this  was  done^ 
 could  not  now  have  been  known  exadlly,  with- 
 out Revelation  j  yet  even  at  this  day,  there  are 
 remaining  many  confiderable  and  very  flrong  ra- 
 tional Proofs,  which  make  it  exceedingly  proba- 
 ble, ("feparate  from  the  Authority  of  Revelation,) 
 that  this  prefent  Frame  and  Conftitution  of  the 
 Earth,  cannot  have  been  of  a  very  much  longer 
 date.  The  univerfal  "tradition  delivered  down 
 from  all  the  moil  antient  Nations  of  the  World, 
 both  learned  and  barbarous  \  The  conftant  and 
 agreeing  DoFtn.ne  of  all  antient  Philofophers  and 
 Poets,  concerning  the  Earth's  being  formed  with- 
 in fuch  a  Period  of  Time,  out  of  Water  or  a 
 Chaos  ;  The  manifold  Abfurdities  and  Contraditli" 
 ms  of  thofe  few  Accounts,    which  pretend  to  a 
 
 ^  2  mucli 
 
5 40  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 much  greater  Antiquity  '*,    The  Niwiher  of  Men^ 
 with  which   the  Earth  is  at  prefent  inhabited  ; 
 The  late  Original  of  Learning  and  all  iifeftd  Arts 
 and  Sciences  •,  The  hnpofjibilit^^  that  univerfal  De- 
 luges, or  other  Accidents,  fhould  at  certain  long 
 Periods  have  oft-times  deflroyed  far  the  greateft 
 part  of  Mankind,    with   the  Memory  of  all  for- 
 mer Actions  and  Inventions,    and  yet  never  have 
 happened  to  deilroy   them  All  ;    The  changes 
 that  muft  neceffarily   fall   out  naturally  in    the 
 Earth  in  vafh  length  of  Time,    by  the   Sinking 
 and  Wafhing  down  of  Mountains,  the  Confump- 
 tion  of  Water  by  Plants,  and  innumerable  other 
 fuch  like  Accidents  ;    Thefe   (I  fayj  and  many 
 more  Arguments,    drawn  from  Nature,   Reafon 
 and  Obfervation,  make  That  Account  of  the  Time- 
 of  the  Earth's  Formation  exceedingly  probable  in 
 it  felf,    which  from  the  Revelation  delivered  in 
 Scripture-Hiflory  we  believe  to  be  certain. 
 Of  the  eon-      5-  That  the  fame  God  who  created  all  things 
 iinual  Go-  by  the  Word  of  his  Power,  and  upholds  and  pre- 
 'verTvj^ent  fej-yes  them  by  his  continual  Concourfe,  does  alfo 
 dence,    '  ^7  ^^^  All-wife  Providence  perpetually  govern  and 
 diredl  the  iflues  and  events  of  things  \  takes  care 
 of  this  lower  World,  and  of  all,  even  the  fmalleft 
 things,  that  are  therein  ;  difpofes  things  in  a  re- 
 gular Order  and  SuccelTion  in  every  Age,  from 
 the  beginning  of  the  World   to  its  final  Period ; 
 and  infpec^s,    with  a  more  particular  and  fpecial 
 regard,  the  moral  Adlions  of  Men  :  This,  as  it 
 is   far   more  expreslly,    clearly,    and  conflantly 
 taught  in  Scripture,  than  in  any  of  the  Writings 
 of  the  Philofophers  ;    fo  it  is  alfo  highly  agreea- 
 ble to  right  and  irue  Reafon.     For,  that  an  Om- 
 niprefent    and    iii finitely  Wife  Being,  cannot  but 
 know  every   thing  that  is  done  in  every  part  of 
 the  Univcrfe,  and  with  equal  Eafe  take  notice  of 
 the  minuteit  things  as  of  the  greateft  j    That  an 
 
 infinitely 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.'  Y^i 
 
 infinitely  powerful  Being,  muft  needs  govern  and 
 dired  every  thing  in  luch  manner  and  to  fuch 
 ends,  as  he  knows  to  be  bed  and  fitteft  in  the 
 whole  -,  fo  far  as  is  confiftenc  with  that  Liberty  of 
 Will,  which  he  has  made  efTential  to  all  rational 
 Creatures  ;  And  that  an  infinitely  Juftand  G.od 
 Governour,  cannot  but  take  more  particular  and 
 exad  notice  of  the  moral  Adions  of  all  his  rati- 
 onal Creatures,  and  how  far  they  are  conform- 
 able or  not  conformable  to  the  Rules  he  has  fet 
 them  ;  All  this  (I  fay)  is  moft  evidently  agreea- 
 ble to  right  Reafon,  and,  as  has  been  before 
 fhown,  dcducible  from  it. 
 
 6.  'That  God,  after  the  Formation  of  the  Earth,  ofpara: 
 created  Man  at  firft  upright  and  innocent^  and  V'^^-^theuffof 
 ced  him  in  a  happ'j  and  paradifiacal  State,  where  j^  ^^5;;^. 
 he  injoyed   plenty  and  abundance  of  all  things 
 without  labour  or  forrow  ;  And  that  Sin  was  the 
 original  Caufe,  that  now  on  the  contrary  the  very 
 ground  is  curfed  d,nd  b:irvtn  for  our  fake^    and  inGen.iili';, 
 forrow  we  eat  of  it  all  the  Days  of  our  Life  ;   that  ^^  "^  ^^5 
 thorns  alfo  and  thiflles  are  brought  forth  to  us,  and 
 in  the  fweat  of  our  face  we  eat  bread,  till  we  return 
 unto  the  ground'.  This  likewife  is  very  reafonable 
 and  credible  in  it  felf  :  As  appears,  not  only  from 
 the  abflraft  confideration   of  the  nature  of  the 
 thing  ;    but  alfo  from  the  general  Opinion  that 
 the  antient  learnedefb  Heathens  entertained,   up- 
 on very   obfcure  and  uncertain  Tradition,  that 
 the  original  State  of  Man  was  innocent  and  fim- 
 pie,  and  the  Earth,  whereon  they 
 
 dwelt,  *  fruitful  of  it  felf,  and  ^  ^o  ^aP^utov  sri^vr  w  «A^<i 
 abundant  with  all  plenty-,  but  that  '"*!  ?  ^^''^'''  ""'Mi  """fV,^ 
 (aod,  for  the  inn  oj  Man^  changed  piev, «/ ^  i' J^q©-,  y^Aax'©-> 
 this  Happy  Conflitution  of  things^  u>^>ictr  Kca  of/^owq  ut  p' (A,L\^(i^^, 
 and  made  Labour  neceJTary  for  the  ""'  ^'  "V  Vf''}'^'^''^  ^''\ 
 fupport  of  our  Lives.  r^,,^-,,^  ,tc  ;ij3^^  li^^^c,.  z^j^. 
 
 ue'i  TTunm^  K«ti  $i(€  ^cm  n  12m  uxihilt.  Cahnui  Indus apud  StrahnAik^if^ 
 
 Z  3  'J. -That. 
 
V42"  'The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 of  the  7.  nat  in  procefs  of  Time,    after  the  firfl  en- 
 
 mod,        trance  of  Sin  into  the  World,    Men  by  degrees 
 
 corrupted  themfelves   more   and  more   ;    till  at 
 
 length  God,  for  the  t  punifhment 
 
 ,  ,     ,  ,  .   ^         -  of  their  Sin  and  incorrisiblenefs, 
 
 - ''>^"^J^'^?'^'^T     brought    upon    them   \    general 
 
 Af  -.f  ^vnra  (?  %cx>.<kKi<^  km-     rlooci^  v/Hich  deftroycd  them  all, 
 
 xt^xnvi/,sy7),  ro  h  kvB-fa>-ivov  l-     cxccpt  a  few  Ferfons,  preferved 
 
 ^c,j^s,cfc^r«,  T^r.G5^,  0^©.^,     £qj.    ^Yi^  reftoration  of   humane 
 
 rc^cZrc^,  h,owcc<i  yivc^  imii'Ar,  ^^ce  V  IS  a  Truth  delivered  down 
 uhxiat,  tfUT;S-s>^oy,  ^Uy,v  u-j,  to  US,  not  Only  by  Authority  of 
 tc-,ixr^Hmi^^An^^:<i.^c,TU-  Scripture,  but  alfo  by  the  con- 
 tomCr^mf^^eAtlanuco,  ^^^^,^^^^  Tefiimony  of  almoft  all 
 
 Heathen  Philofophers  and  Poets  : 
 And  the  Hifuories  of  all  Nations  backv/ards,  ter- 
 minate in  it  :  And,  (which  is  the  mofi:  remarka- 
 ble thing  of  all,  becaufe  it  is  a  demonilrative 
 and  ocular  Proof  of  the  Univerfality  of  fi?7ie  fi{cb 
 kind  of  DifTolution  -,)  the  prefent  vifible  Frame 
 and  Conilitution  of  the  Earth  throughout  •,  the 
 Difpofition  and  Situation  of  the  feveral  Strata  of 
 difterent  kinds  of  Matter,  whereof  it  is  compo- 
 fed  ;  the  numberlefs  Shells  of  Fifhes,  Bones  of 
 other  Animals,  and  parts  of  all  kinds  of  Plants, 
 which  in  every  Country  and  in  almoft  everyplace 
 are  at  great  variety  of  Depths  found  inclofed  in 
 tarth,  in  Clay,  in  Stones,  and  in  all  forts  of 
 Matter  ^  are  fuch  ap;parent  Demonftrations  of  the 
 fearth's  having  been  m  Sc7?ie  Former  Times,  and 
 perhaps  m.ore  than  Once,  (the  whole  Surface  of  it 
 at  Icait )  in  a  ftate  of  Fluidity  ;  that  whofoever 
 has  feen  the  Colledlions  of  this  kind  made  by  the 
 very  ingenious  Br  JVoodward  and  others,  muft 
 'ofGofsre'{^  a  manner  abandon  all  Ufe  both  of  his  Senfes  and 
 T'^mI.  Reafon,  if  he  can  in  the  leaft  doubt  of  this  Truth, 
 fhePatri-  B.  Tkat  God,  after  the  Plood,  made  particular 
 fi.ychs,  and  Revelations  of  hA^^fdf    and  of  his  Will  to    the 
 
 ^ivmgthe  pap^i^,^chsi  is  a  thing  very  credible  in  it  fdf,  foi" 
 L,i^  torn  v>      J  ■       ^   ,_ 
 
and  Revealed RELicioNr  345 
 
 the  fame  reafons  that  I  have  before  fliown  in  ge- 
 neral, that  the  Expedation  of  fome  Revelation 
 from  God,  was  a  reafonable  and  probable  Expec- 
 tation.    And  that,  after  this,  God  flioiild  vouch- 
 fafe  by  Exprefs  Revelation  to  give  a  Lazv  to  the 
 whole  Nation  of  the  Jews^  confifting  very  m  .1  ii 
 in  Sacrifices,  and  in  external  Rites  and  ceremoni- 
 ous Obfervances  *,  cannot  with  any  jufc  reafon  be 
 rejected  as  an  incredible  Fad:  -,    if  we  confider, 
 that  fiich  a  kind  of  Inftitution  was  neceiTary  in 
 thofe  Times  and  Circumftances,  to  prelerve  that 
 Nation  from  the  Idolatry  and  Worfhip  of  falfe 
 Gods,  wherewith  the  Countries  aroimd  them  were 
 overfpread  ;  that  thofe  Rites  and  Ceremonies  were 
 typical  of,  and  preparative  to,  a  higher  and  more 
 excellent  Difpenfation  ;    that  the  Jews  were  con- 
 tinually told  by  their  Prophets,  that  their  obfer- 
 vance  of  thofe  Rites  and  Ceremonies  was  by  no 
 means   fo  highly  acceptable  to  God,  nor  fo  abfo- 
 lutely  and  indifpenfably  infilled  upon   by  him,  as 
 Obedience  to  the  Moral  Law  ;  and  that  the  whole 
 matter  of  Fa6t  relating  to  that  Revelation,  is  de- 
 livered down  to  us  in  a  Hiftory,    on  which  the 
 Polity  of  a  whole   Nation  was   founded,    at    a 
 time  when   no    body    could  be  ignorant  of  the 
 truth   of  the    principal  Fads,     and   concerning 
 which  we  can  now  have  no  more  reafon  to  doubt, 
 than  of   any  Hiftory  of  any   antient  matter   of 
 Fad:  in  the  World.     The  moft  confiderable  and 
 real  difficulty,  viz,  why  this  Favour  was  granted 
 to  th^it  fingle  Nation  only,    and   not  to  all  the 
 reft  of  the  World  likewife  *,    is  to  be  accounted 
 for  by  the  fame  Reafons,    which  prpve  (as  has  z-^^.  316', 
 been  before  fhownj  that  God  was  not  obliged 
 to   make  knov/n  the  Revelation  of  the  Gofjjel^  to 
 all  Men  alike. 
 
 9,  That  all  the  other  particulars  of  Scripture- of^^^  ^^ 
 Hijhry  contained   in  the  OM  Tejlament^  are  truQ^JJ^^f. 
 
 Z   4  Relations  5crJ|/riire^ 
 
1 44  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 B'ftory  in   Relations  of  Matter  of  Fa6l  -,  (not  to  infift  now 
 2^^J,^^„^^  on  the  many  Arg.imcnts  wnich  prove  in  general 
 'the   Antiquity,     Genuinenefs,     ind  Ai  :hority  of 
 the  Books  themfelves  •,)  will  to  a  rarion.ii  Inquirer 
 appear  very  credible  from  hence  -,  uili  very  ma- 
 ny of  the  particular  Hifcories,  and  fome  even  of 
 the  minuter  Circurnftanccs  alfo  of  thofe  Hiilo- 
 ries,    are  confirmed  by    concurrent  Teftimonies 
 of  profane  and  unqueilionably  unprejudiced  Au- 
 thors.    Of  which  Qrotius^    in  his  excellent  Book 
 f  lib.  I.    ^^  t  the  "Truth  of  the  Chrifiian  Religion^  has  given 
 c,  i6.  and  US  a  large  Colhclion.     As  particularly  -,  that  the 
 lib,  3.  c.   manner  of  the  Formation  of  the  Earth  out  of  a  Chaos ^ 
 feetreS-^^  mentioned  by  the  Antienteil  Phcenvian^  jEgypti- 
 tations  at  ^^h  I^^dian  and  Greek  Hiftonans  ;  the  very  Names 
 h'^g^'        of  Adam  and  Eije^  by  Sanchuniatbon  and  others  ; 
 the  lonqcevit'^  of  the  Antediluvians^  by  Berofus  and 
 Maneihos^  and  others  \  the  Ark  of  ISloah^  by  Be- 
 rofus \    many  particulars  of  the  Flood,  by  Quid 
 and  others  ■,    the  Family  of  Noah^    and  two  of  e- 
 very  kind  of  Animals  entering  into  the  Ark  with 
 him,    mentioned  by  Lucian  himfelf,    as  a  Tradi- 
 tion of  the  Antient  Grcecians   5    The  Dove  which 
 Noah   fent   out  of  the  Ark,    by 
 ,  Ab)denus    and   ^  Plutarch  -,    the 
 
 A^r^-'rWIX  b-'lding  of  Bahd,  by  Ab~sdenus_  ; 
 iixiy^ijux  ^^i^",  yj-iy,a)^,6<i  i^  ei.  the  burning  of  Sodom,  by  Vio-^ 
 ^0}  7[-uXtv  iv^vof^i^v,  ivkui  ^'  dorus  Siculus  and  Strabo  and  5"^- 
 WScr^v.  Tiutarch:  utrum  ^'.^^^^  ^^^  others  ;  fevcral  partis 
 ii^plushabeantfolerti^,  culars  of  the  Hiftory   ot  Abra- 
 
 ham and   the   reil  of  the    Patri- 
 archs, by  Berofus  and  others  *,    many  particulars 
 of  Mofes's  Life,  by  feveral  antient  Writers  ;  the 
 eminent  Piety   of  the  moft  anti- 
 ^  o^  h  [Aw;jv]  hcchlitfjui,    ent  Jews,  by  '^  Strabo  and  Juftin  •, 
 ««^  %^ivfc-5  ^.s^  T<v«5  c;.  TO??  «:;-     divers  Adions  o^  David  and  6V/^- 
 ^  ^.co-fe  h,  u>Jz,  ;W.;     ^>'^^^^    in  the   Phoenician  Annals^; 
 "^^cr^^T  Svc, ///^o  id.  fome  of  the  Adions  of  Elijah^ 
 
 Sv  Alenander^    aud  confelied  by 
 
and  'Revealed  Religion^  345 
 
 Julian  himfelf  •,  the  Hiftory  of  Jonah^  under  the 
 name  of  Hercules^  by  Lycophron  and  yEneas  Gazce- 
 us  \    and  the  Hiftories  of  the   following  Times,  f'^^eS"^//- 
 by  many  more  Authors.     Befides  that  (as  t  learn- '''^-'';'^."^ 
 ed  Men  have  upon  exceeding  probable  grounds  ^^^'^J/^';'^' 
 fuppofed,)  many  of  the  molt  antient  Scripture- c«/>.5-.  And 
 hiftories   are   acknowledged   and  affertcd    in  i^^^ochani 
 Writings  of  the  Poets,  both  Greeks  and  Latins  '-^^f^f^ 
 the  true  Hiftories  being  couched  under  fMitious  idoiola- 
 Names  z.ndi  fabulous  Reprefentations.  tria. 
 
 10.  I'bat  God,  in  the  fulnefs  of  Time  ;  that  is,  of  God's 
 at  that  time  which  his  infinite  Wifdom  had  fort- [ending  his 
 appointed,  which  all  the  Antient  Prophecies  had^^'*^^^^ 
 determined,  and  which  many  concurrent  CivcwmyJ ^^J^^^ 
 ftances  in  the  ftate  of  the  Jewifh  Religion,    ^n6.  .le^^pion 
 in   the  difpofition  of  the  Roman  Empire,    hzdofMan- 
 made  a  fit  Seafon  for  the  reception  and  propa-^"^^* 
 gacion  of  a   new  Inftitution  of  Religion    :    that 
 God  (I  fay)  at  That  Time,  ^ov\d  Jend  his  Only- 
 begotten  Son^  That  JVord  or  Wifdoin  of  the  Father, 
 That  Divine  Perfon  ly  whom  (as  has  been  before 
 fliownj  he  created  the  World,  and  by  whom  he 
 made  ail  former  particular  Manifeftations  of  him- 
 felf unto  Men  •,  that  he  fhould  fend  him,  to  take 
 upon  him  our   humane  Nature,    and  therein  to 
 make    a  full  and   particular  Revelation   of  the 
 Will  of  God  to  Mankind,  ('who  by  Sin  had  cor- 
 rupted themfelves    and  forfeited    the  Favour  of 
 God,  fo  that  by  the  bare  Light  of  Nature  they 
 could  not  difcover  any  certain  means  by  which 
 they  could  be  fatisfadorily  and  abfolutely  fecure 
 pf  regaining  that  Favour  0  ^^  preach  unto  Men 
 Repentance  and  Remiflion  of  Sin,  and,  by  giv- 
 ing himfelf  a  Sacrifice  and  Expiation  f©r  Sin,  to 
 declare  the  Acceptablenefs   of  Repentance,    and 
 the  Certainty  of  Pardon  thereupon,  in  a  Method 
 evidently  confiftent  with  all  necelTary  Vindication 
 &i   the    Honour  and  Authority   of  the  Divine 
 
£4^  The  Evidences/?/  Natural 
 
 Laws,  and  with  God's  irreconcileable  Hatred  a-" 
 gainft   Sin  i    'To  be  a  lylediator  and   Intercefibr, 
 between  God  and  Man  ;    To  procure  the  particu- 
 lar Afliflance  of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  which  might 
 be  in  Men    a  new   and  effedual   Principle  of  a 
 Heavenly  and  Divine  Life  ;    in  a  word,  To  be 
 che  Saviour   and  Judge  of  Mankind,  and  finally 
 to  bring  them  to  Eternal  Life  :    All  this,  when 
 clearly  and  expresily  revealed,  and  by  good  Tefti- 
 mony  proved  to  be  fo  revealed  ;    is  apparently 
 agreeable  and   very  credible    to  right  and    true 
 Reafon.     As  ("becaufe  it  is  the  main  and  funda- 
 mental Article  of  the  Chriftian  Faith,)  I  fhall  en- 
 deavour to  make  out  more  largely  and  diftinctly^ 
 by  Ihowing  in  particular,    that  none  of  the  feve-- 
 ral   Objections,    upon  which  Speculative  Unbelie- 
 vers rejedb  this  DocStrine,    do  at  all  prove  any  in- 
 eonfiftency  in  the  belief  of  it,  with  found  and  un- 
 prejudiced Reafon. 
 rhnt  'th        ^"^^5  -^^''0^  5  it  cannot  be  thought  unreafonable 
 mfunrea-  to  be  believed   in  the  general,    that  God  fhould 
 fomMe  to   niake  a  Revelation  of  his  Will  to  Mankind  *,    lince 
 mlklnq^  a  ^^  ^^^  Contrary,  fas  has  been  before  proved  at 
 ■Revelation  large,)  it  is  very  agreeable  to  the  Moral  Attri- 
 ej  his  mil  butcs  of  God,  and  to  the  Notions  and  Expecfta- 
 30  Men.     ^^^^^  ^£  ^1^^  Wifeft    and  moft  rational  Men  that 
 
 lived  in  the  Heathen  World, 
 That  'tis        Secondly^  It  cannot  be  thought  unreafonable  to 
 r.ct  unrea^  be  believed,  that  in  fuch  a  Revelation,  wherein 
 fon^SU  to   God  freely  proclaims  Remiliion  of  Sin,  and  the 
 IhatGod    -^cceptabienefs  of  Repentance,    he  Ihould  never- 
 ypotdd  af'  thelefs  have  appointed  fuch  a  Sacrifice  or  Ex pia^ 
 pint  etsa-  tionfor  Sin^  as  might  at  the  fame  time  be  a  fuffi- 
 £xrLZn  ^'^^^^  Teftimony  of  his  irreconcileable  Hatred  a» 
 fersiJ,^'^  gainft  it.     For  though,  by  the  Light  of  Nature^ 
 it  was  indeed  exceeding  probable  and  to   be  ho- 
 ped for,  that  God  would  forgive  Sin  upon  true 
 Repentance  s  yet  it  could  not  be  proved,  that  he 
 
 was 
 
^and Revealed  Religion?  \ 4; 
 
 'was  abfolutely  obliged  to  do  fo,  or  that  he  would 
 certainly  do  fo.  On  the  contrary,  there  was  rea- 
 fon  to  fuppofe,  that,  in  Vindication  of  the  Ho- 
 nour and  Dignity  of  his  Laws,  he  would  require 
 fome  further  Satisfa61:ion  and  Expiation.  And 
 accordingly  we  find  the  Cuftom  of  Sacrificijig^ 
 to  have  prevailed  univerfally  over  the  Heathen 
 World  in  all  Ages  :  Which,  how  unreafonable 
 foever  an  expectation  it  was,  to  think  that  the 
 Blood  of  Beails  could  truly  expiate  Sin,  yet  thus 
 much  it  plainly  and  undeniably  fhows,  that  it 
 has  been  the  common  Apprehenfion  of  Mankind 
 in  all  Ages,  that  God  would  not  be  appeafed  nor 
 pardon  Sin  without  fome  Punifhment  and  Satis- 
 faClion  ;  and  yet  at  the  fame  Time  they  had 
 good  Hopes,  that,  upon  the  Repentance  of  Sin- 
 ners, God  would  accept  fome  other  Satisfaction 
 initead  of  the  Deftrudtion  of  the  Offenders.  'Tis 
 therefore  plainly  agreeable  to  right  Reafon,  to 
 believe  that  God,  in  Vindication  of  the  Honour 
 of  his  Laws,  and  for  a  Teftimony  of  his  Hatred 
 againil  Sin,  fliould  appoint  fome  Sacrifice  or 
 Expiation  for  Sin,  at  the  fame  time  that  he  for- 
 gives the  Sinner  upon  his  true  Repentance. 
 
 'Thirdly^  It  cannot  be  thought  unreafonabic  to  That  V/V 
 be  believed,  that  a  Mediator  ox  Inter cejfor  lhould«o/ ««r^^- 
 be  appointed  between  God   and  Man,   through/^^"*^^^  ''^ 
 and  by  w^hom  the  Prayers  of  Sinners  may  be  of-  fh^t'l'Mc- 
 fered  up   fo   as  to  be  acceptable  in  the  Sight  ofjiator 
 God.     'Tis  well  known,    the  generality  of  the  fi^^^^^f^ ^^ 
 wifefl  Heathens  thought  it  agreeable  to  Reafon,  f/^^^'f/f 
 to  make  ufe  of  Subordinate  Intelligences,  D^e-  c'od  and 
 mons  or  Heroes,    by  whom  they  put   up  their  Man. 
 Prayers  to  the  Superiour  Gods  ;    hoping  that  by 
 the  Mediation  of  thofe  Intercefiburs,  the  unwor- 
 thinefs  of  their  own  Perfons,  and   the  defeCts  of 
 thefe  Prayers  might  be  fuppliid  ;  and  they^mighc 
 obtain  fuch  merciful   and   gracious  Anfwers  to 
 
 their 
 
^4?  The  Evidences  of  Nattird 
 
 their  Prayers,  as  they  could  not  prefume  to  hope 
 for  upon   their  own  Account.     Wherein   though 
 thoie  Pagans  laboured  indeed  under  very  greatUn- 
 certainty,  in  doing  a  thing  for  which  they  had  no 
 fufficient  Warrant,  and  in  ufing  Mediators  whom 
 they  neither  knew  diilindly  to  have  any  Being, 
 ror  could  they  however  have  any   good  Securi- 
 ty that  fuch  Mediation  would  be  acceptable  to 
 tlie  Supreme  God   ;    Yet  at  the  fame  time  this 
 undeniably  proves,    that  'tis  by  no  means  incon- 
 fiftent  with  right  Reafon,  to  believe  that  a  Me- 
 diator may  by  Divine  Authority  be  appointed  be- 
 tween God  and  finful  Men,  to  be  their  InterceiTor 
 and  Advocate  with  a  juftly  offended  God. 
 a^theoh'      ^<^^^^^^6''  ^^^  greateil  real    Difficulty   in  this 
 idVm       Matter,  to  the  Judgment  of  right  Reafon,  feems 
 drtZTPfi       to  arife  from  the  confideration  of  the  Dignity  of 
 Jr&m  the  ^  f^-^g  Perfon^  v/hom  we  believe  to  have  given  himfelf 
 fhTv?rfon  ^  Sacrifice  and  Propitiation  for  the  Sins  of  Man- 
 -wh&f^i-ms  kind;  viz,  how  'tis  poflible,  that  the  0;?/)'-^^^v^-. 
 Mieveto   ig^i  ^Q^  Qj^  Qq^  fhould  be  Incarnate  and  become 
 S^^r^^'  ^^'^^ '  ^^^  '^^^  conceivable  that  God  fliould  con- 
 A^  Re-    defcsnd  fo  far  as  to  fsnd^  and  the  Son  of  God  con- 
 ^^mir.     CidctvA  v/illingly    to  be  fenty  and   do  fuch  great 
 things  for  his  Creatures  •,    and  above  all,  how  'tis 
 confiilent  with  Reafon,  to  fuppofe  God  conde- 
 fcending  to  do  fo  much  for  fuch  frail  and  weak 
 Creatures  2j&  Men^  who,  in  all  appearance,  feem 
 to  be  but  a  very  fmai),  low,  and  inconfiderable 
 part  of  the   Creation.     And  here  indeed  it  muft 
 readily  be  acknowledged,    that   humane  Reafon 
 could  n^vtT  have  difcovered  fuch  a  Method  as 
 t\\\%  for  the  reconciliation  of  Sinners  to  an  offend-^ 
 ed  God,  V;^ithout  exprefs  Revelation.     But  then 
 neither  on  the  other  Side,  when  once  this  Method 
 is  made  known,    is  there  any  fuch  Difficulty  or 
 Inconceivabienefs  in  it,  as  can  reafonably  make 
 %  wife  and  coniiderate  Man  call  in  queftion  the 
 
and  Revealed  ReLigioNo  5 ^gf 
 
 truth  of  a  well-attefted  Revelation,  merely  upon 
 that  account  :  Which  indeed,  any  plain  Abfurdi- 
 ty  or  Contradidion  in  the  Matter  of  a  Dodrine 
 pretended  to  be  revealed,  would,  it  muft  be  con- 
 feffed,  unavoidably  do.  For,  as  to  the  Pqffibili- 
 iy  of  the  Incarnatmi  of  the  Son  of  God  ;  whatever 
 Myfterioufnefs  there  confelTedly  was  in  the  Man- 
 ner of  it,  yet,  as  to  the  thing  it  felf,  there  is  evi- 
 dently no  more  unreafonablenefs  in  believing  the 
 pofTibiHty  of  it,  than  in  believing  the  Union  of 
 Our  Soul  and  Body,  or  any  other  certain  Truth 
 which  we  plainly  fee  implies  no  Contradidion  in 
 the  thing  it  felf,  at  the  fame  time  that  we  are  fen- 
 fible  we  cannot  difcover  the  manner  how  it  is  ef~ 
 fe6led.  Again  -,  As  to  the  incredibility  of  the 
 Do5lrine^  that  God  Ihould  make  fo  great  a  Con- 
 defcenfion  to  his  Creatures  ;  and  that  a  Perfon  of 
 fuch  Dignity  as  the  Only-begotten  Son  of  God, 
 fhould  vouchfafe  to  give  himfelf  a  Sacrifice  for 
 the  Sins  of  Men  :  He  that  duly  confiders,  how 
 *tis  no  diminution  to  the  Glory  and  Greatnefs  of 
 the  Father  of  all  things,  to  infped,  govern,  and 
 diredt  every  thing  by  his  All-wife  Providence 
 through  the  whole  Creation  ;  to  take  care  even 
 of  the  meaneit  of  his  Creatures,  fo  that  not  a 
 Sparrow  falls  to  the  ground  or  a  hair  of  our  head 
 fertfhes  without  his  knowledge  ;  and  to  obferve 
 exadly  every  Particle  even  of  inanimate  Matter 
 in  the  Univerfe  :  he  (\  fay)  who  duly  confiders 
 This,  cannot  with  Reafon  think  it  any  real  Dif- 
 paragement  to  the  Son  of  God,  ("though  it  v/as 
 indeed  a  moft  wonderful  and  amazing  Inftance  of 
 HumiUty  and  Condefcenfion,)  that  he  Ihould 
 concern  himfelf  fo  far  for  finful  Men,  as  to  ap-^ 
 pear  in  Their  Nature  to  reveal  the  Will  of  God 
 more  clearly  to  them,  to  give  himfelf  a  Sacrifice 
 and  Expiation  for  their  Sins,  and  to  bring  them 
 to  Repentance  and  Eternal  Life*     The  greateil 
 
 Enemies 
 
550  The  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 Enemies  and   Deriders  of  Chriftianity,  have  af- 
 
 ferced  things  far   ?nore  incredible,    to  have  beerl 
 
 done  upon  far  lefs  Occafions  :    Wicnefs  what  Ju- 
 
 Han   the  Apoftate  ^  thought  fit 
 
 **0'JiZ:-v<i|J«y7cy  r'Ar-     ^^  beHeve   concernins;  yElcidapi- 
 
 ^U  rij,  U  yor.^.^  C-^5  hi.  ^-^  s  coming  down  from  Heaven, 
 <pY,nr  circi;  i.r\  yi^s  l|  cd^ccvoZ  and  converllng  upon  Earth  in  a 
 •zrot'^a-uf/^ivoi  77^o^^ov ,  i.osij^o);  yifible  Form,  Only  to  teach  Men 
 ..^i.  ^.pj  r..  -E.^^^.r  ^?^^^-     the  Art  of  healing  Difeafes.  And 
 
 Modern  Unbelievers,  who  feem 
 willing,  in  the  contrary  Extreme,  to  deny  God's 
 having  an'j  regard,  or  taking  any  care  in  any  re- 
 fpe6t,  for  the  Welfare  and  Happinefs  of  his  Crea- 
 tures •,  are  forced,  if  they  will  go  about  to  give 
 any  account  or  explication  of  things,  to  invent 
 much  more  incredible  Hypothefes,  diHionourable 
 to  God,  and  utterly  inconfifcent  with  his  Divine 
 Attributes.  Indeed,  if  we  will  confider  things 
 impartially  ;  fo  far  is  it  from  being  truly  any  di- 
 minution of  the  Greatnefs  and  Glory  of  God,  to 
 fend  his  Son  into  the  World  for  the  Redemption 
 and  Salvation  of  Mankind  ;  that,  on  the  contra- 
 ry, 'tis  a  Means  of  bringing  the  very  greateft 
 Honour  to  the  Laws  and  Government  of  God, 
 that  can  be  imagined.  For,  What  can  be  imagin- 
 ed more  honourable,  and  worthy  of  the  Supreme 
 Lord  and  Governour  of  all  things  ;  than  to  fhow 
 forth  his  Mercy  and  Goodnefs,  in  forgiving  the 
 Sins  of  frail  and  fallible  Creatures,  and  fuifering 
 himfelf  to  be  reconciled  to  them  upon  their  true 
 Repentance  ;  and  yet  at  the  fame  time  to  caufe 
 fuch  an  Expiation  to  be  made  for  Sin,  by  the  Suf- 
 ferings and  Death  of  his  own  Son  in  Their  Nature, 
 a9  might  be  an  abundant  Evidence  of  his  irrecon- 
 cileable  Hatred  againil  Sin,  a  juft  Vindication  of 
 the  Authority  and  Dignity  of  his  Laws,  and  a 
 fu fficient  and  eliedual  Warning  to  deter  Men 
 from  Sin,  to  create  in  them  the  greateft  Dread 
 
 and 
 
and  Revealed^  e  l  i  g  i  o  No  {^  i 
 
 and  Deteftation  of  it,  and  for  ever  to  terrify  them 
 from  venturing  upon  wilful  Tranfgreflion  and 
 Difobcdience i  'Tis  true,  no  Man  can  take  upon 
 him  certainly  to  fay,  but  God  by  his  abfolute 
 Sovereignty  and  Authority,  might,  if  he  had  fo 
 pleafed,  have  pardoned  Sin  upon  Repentance, 
 without  any  Sacrifice  or  Expiation  at  all.  But 
 This  Method  of  doing  it  by  the  Death  of  Chrift, 
 is  more  wife  and  fit,  and  evidently  more  proper 
 and  effe6lual  to  difcountenance  and  prevent  Pre- 
 fumption,  to  difcourage  Men  from  repeating 
 their  TranfgrefTions,  to  give  them  a  deep  Senfe 
 of  the  heinous  Nature  of  Sin,  and  to  convince 
 them  of  the  excellency  and  importance  of  the 
 Laws  of  God,  and  the  indifpenfable  NecelTity  of 
 paying  Obedience  to  them  ;  Forafmuch  as  it 
 fhows  us,  that  at  the  fame  time  that  God  was 
 willing  to  fave  the  Sinner,  yet,  leaft  incourage- 
 ment  fhould  be  given  to  Sin  by  letting  it  go  un- 
 punilhed,  he  did  not  think  fit  to  forgive  the 
 Tranfgreflions  of  Men  without  great  Sufferings 
 in  Our  Nature,  and  to  put  away  the  guilt  of  our 
 Sins  but  upon  fuch  difHcult  Terms  as  the  Death 
 of  his  own  Son.  So  that  in  this  Difpenfation^, 
 Juftice  and  Mercy  and  "Truth  are  met  together^ 
 Righteoufnefs  and  Peace  have  kijfed  each  other.  And 
 by  how  much  the  greater  the  Dignity  of  the  Per- 
 fon  was,  who  gave  himfelf  thus  a  Sacrifice  for 
 the  Sins  of  Men  ;  of  fo  much  the  greater  Weight 
 and  Force  is  this  Argument  to  deter  Men  for  the 
 future  from  Sin,  and  to  convince  them  of  the 
 NecelTity  of  Obedience.  Wherefore  fo  far  is  it 
 from  being  true,  that  the  cofinderation  of  the 
 Dignity  of  the  Perfon  fuffering,  is  a  real  Objedli- 
 on  againfl  the  credibility  of  the  Dodlrine  ;  that, 
 on  the  contrary.  That  very  Confideration  con^ 
 tains  the  highefl  Vindication  imaginable,  of  the 
 Greatnefs  and  Honour  and  Authority  of  the  Laws 
 
 of 
 
Ij 2  ^^^  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 of  God  ;  and  at  the  fame  Time,  the  greateft  pof- 
 fible   Inftance  or    Exprefllon  of  his   Mercy  and 
 CompalTion  towards  Men,  agreeable  to  our   na- 
 tural Notions  of   his   Divine  Attributes.      And 
 then,    as  to  the  laft  pare  of  this  Difficulty,  viz, 
 how  it  can  be  confident  with  Reafon,  to  fuppofe 
 God  condefcending  to  do  fo  very  great  Things 
 for  fuch  Tfiean  and  weak  Creatures,    as  Men  are  *, 
 who  in  all  appearance,    feem  to  be   but  a  very 
 frially  lovj  and  inconfiderahle  part  of  the  Creation  ; 
 forafmuch  as  the  whole  Earth  it  felf,   is  but  a 
 little  Spot  that  bears  no  proportion  at  all  to  the 
 Univerfe  *,  and,  in  all  probability  of  Reafon,  the 
 large  and  numberlefs  Orbs  of  Heaven  cannot  but 
 be  fuppofed  to  be  filled  with  Beings  more  capa- 
 ble, than  we,  to  fhow  forth  the  Praife  and  Glo- 
 ry of  their  Almighty  Creator,    and  more  worthy 
 to  be  the  Objeds  of  his  Care  and  Love  :  To  this 
 part  of  the  DiiBculry,  I  fay,    the  Anfwer  is  very 
 eafy  •,  That  the  Mercy  and  Love  of  the  infinitely 
 good  God,  is  extended  equally  over  all  hisWorks^ 
 'Thai^  let  the  Univerfe  be  fappofed  as  large,  and 
 the  rational  Creatures,  with  which  it  is  furnilhed, 
 as  many  and  excellent,  as  any  one  can  imagine  % 
 yet  Mankind  is  plainly  the  chief,  indeed  the  only 
 Inhabitant,    for  whofe  fake   'tis  evident  this  our 
 Globe  of  Earth  was    formed   into    a   habitable 
 World  •,  and  this  our  Earth  is,  as  far  as  we  have 
 any  means  of  judging,  as  confiderable  and  worthy 
 of  the  Divine  Care,    as  moft  other  parts  of  the 
 Syftcm  -,    and  this   our  Syftem,  as  confiderable, 
 as  any  other  fingle  Syflem  in  the  Univerfe  :    and 
 finally,  that^  in  like  manner  as  the  fame  Divine 
 Providence,    which  prefides  over  the  whole  Crea- 
 t'on,    does  particularly  govern  and  dired  every 
 thing  in  this  our  lower  World,  as  Well  as  in  every 
 other  particular  part  of  the  Univerfe  •,  fo  there  is 
 no  real  Diilicuky  to  right  Reafon,  in  conceiving 
 
 that 
 
and  Revealed  Religion-  3  i\ 
 
 tti^t  the  fame  Divine  Logos^  the  Word  or  Meffen^ 
 ger  of  the  Father,  who  in  various  Difpenfations, 
 according  to  the  particular  Needs  and  Exigencies 
 of  Mankind,  has  made  various  Manifellations  of 
 God  and  Difcoveries  of  the  Divine  Will,  to  Us 
 here  upon  Earth  ;  may  alfo,  for  ought  we  know, 
 have  to  other  Beings^  in  other  parts  of  the  Uni^ 
 verle,  according  to  their  feveral  Capacities  or 
 Wants,  made  ditferent  Manifellations  of  God  and 
 Difcoveries  of  his  Will,  in  ways  of  which  we  can 
 know  nothings  and  in  which  we  have  no  Concern  : 
 There  being  nothing  in  this,  at  all  contrary  to  the 
 Nature  of  God,  or  the  Condition  of  things. 
 
 Fifthly  and  Laftly  ;  If  any  one  thinks  it  unrea-o/Mg  oh*^ 
 fonable  to  be  believed,  that  God  fhould  fend  hisje^ion 
 Son  into  the  World  for  the  Redemption  of  Man-  'i^^^^^ r 
 kind  •,  and  yet  that  this  appearance  of  the  Son  of  cLnjiLn 
 God  upon  Earth,  fhould  not  be  till  the  latter  Ages  Rexeiathn 
 of  the  World  ;    and,  after  he  has  appeared,    ^^ty^J'^'^g*^ 
 his  appearance  not  be  made  known  equally  to  all^^l^jj^'^ 
 Nations :  Such  a  one  ^  muft  likewife  for  the  fame  *  see  a- 
 Reafon  affirm,  that  'tis  unreafonable  to  believe  the  ^''^^^  P^g* 
 Neceffity  and  Obhgations  even  of  Natural  Reli-^^  * 
 gion  it  felf,  becaufe  'tis  plain  all  Men  are  not  fur- 
 nilhed  equally  with  the  fame  Capacities  and  Op- 
 portunities of   underflanding  thofe  Obligations  ^ 
 And  confequently  no  Deift  can,  confiftently  v/ith 
 his  own  Principles,    make  This  Objedlion  againft 
 the  Truth  of  Chriftianity.     He  mud  likewife  for 
 the  fame  Reafon  affirm,  that  God  is  obliged  in  all 
 other  relpeds  alfo  to  make  all  his  Creatures  e- 
 qual  ;  to  make  Men,  Angels;  to  endue  AH  Men 
 with  the  fame  Faculties  and  Capacities,    as  Any  ; 
 at  leaft,  to  make  all  Men  capable  of  the  very  fame 
 Kind,  and  the  fame  Degree  of  Happinefs,    and  to 
 aiford  to  All  of  them  all  the  very  fame  Means  or 
 Opportunities  of  obtaining  it  :    In  a  word,    he 
 muft  aifert,  that  infinite  Wifdom  cannot  reafon- 
 ably  be  fuppofed  to  have  a  Right  of  making  va- 
 Aa  rietj; 
 
^l  54  The  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 riety  of  Creatures  in  very  various  Circumflances  t 
 Which  is  an  AlTertion  palpably  mod  abfurd,  in 
 Experience  falfe,  and  a  very  unjuft  diminution  of 
 God's  Sovereignty  in  the  World.  Bur  befides: 
 Though  the  Redemption  purchafed  by  the  Son  of 
 God,  is  not  indeed  at^lually  made  known  unto  All 
 Men  \  yet  as  no  Man  ever  denied,  but  that  the 
 Benefit  of  the  Death  of  Chrift  extended  back- 
 wards to  thofc  who  lived  before  his  Appearance  in 
 the  World  •,  fo  no  Man  can  prove,  but  that  the 
 fame  Benefit  may  likewife  extend  it  felf  forwards 
 to  thofe  who  never  heard  of  .  his  Appearance, 
 the'  they  Uved  afler  it. 
 
 r^fihs  a-        II.  q^l):it  the  Hijlcry  of  the  Life  of  Chrijf,  con- 
 
 'wf'"^'f  ^^^^'"^"^^  ^^  t^'-^  ^^""'^  Teftament,  is  a  true  Relation  of 
 
 Scnp'/Jte-   Matters  of  FaM^  ("not  to  infifl  here  on  the  Tefti- 
 
 h^orv  coK'  mony  of  his  Difciples  and  Followers,  which  fhall 
 
 Ij^'^l^f'     be  confidered  hereafter  in  its  proper  place  -,)   will 
 
 TcpnZn.  to  a  rational  Inquirer  appear  very  credible  from 
 
 hence  ;  that  very  many  Particulars  of  that  Hhlo- 
 
 ry,    are  confirmed  by  concurrent  Teftimonies  of 
 
 profane  and  unqueflionably  unprejudiced  Authors. 
 
 That,  beford  the  coming  of   our  Saviour,  there 
 
 was  a  general  Expectation  fpread  overfall  the  Ea- 
 
 f!:ern  Nations,  that  out  of  JudcBa  fhould  arife  a 
 
 Perfon,  who  ihould  be  Governour  of  the  World  ; 
 
 is  expreffly  affirmed  by  the  Ro- 
 
 *  Percrebuerar  Oriente  ro-     man  Hlilorians,  *  Suctonius  and 
 
 to  vetus  &c  co:^ilans  opinio.     |  q'acitiis.       That  there  lived  in 
 
 ^:::^{.^:l!::t:^  J^i-^^^     f  the  dme  which  the 
 
 t  Pluribus   perfuaiio  ine-  Gofpel  relates,  fuch  a  Perl  on  as 
 
 rat,    antiquis     Saccrdotum  Jefus  of   Nazareth',    IS  acknow- 
 
 libris  contnieri.  eoipio  tern-  ^^.^^ ,     ^jj  Authors,  both  Jew- 
 
 pore  fore,     ut   valeiferet  O-  o  /  '  V 
 
 ricns,  proftaioue  Judcea  re-  ifn  and  Pagan,  who  have  written 
 lum  potirentur.  Tacit,  lib.  fince  that  Time.  T\it  Star  that 
 ^'-  *' •  appeared  at  his  Birth^    and  the 
 
 *  seethe  riace  ared   by      j^^  ^f     //,,  CZWJ..^;z    Wife 
 
 n^  Rd-.gicai.-,  lih.  3.  c,  24..      Men^  IS  mentioned  by  J  Chatcidi' 
 
 us 
 
B5I, 
 
 f  Cum  audiflet  \^Aug^' 
 fl'*s,'\  inter  pueros  cuos  ill 
 Syria  HeroJes  Rex  judseorum 
 intra  bimatum  juflir  inter fici, 
 filium  quoq;  ejur-  ©ccifum; 
 air.  Melius  <fi  Ihrodis  for  cum 
 ejjc  qpi:i7n  fduiVT.  Macrob.  lib* 
 2,  cap.  4.  [A  Teftimony  fo 
 very  remarkable  and  perti- 
 nent, that  'tis  flrange  how 
 GfottHS  could  omit  to  menti- 
 on ir  in  the  place  nov\r  cited. J 
 
 *  See  the  "^.hcts  cited  by 
 Gfoiius,  de  Veritate  Chrifti^ 
 Rel.  lib.  2.  cap.  f. 
 
 and  Revealed  Religion, 
 
 usx\\t  Platonifl.  Herod's,  caufing  all  the  Children  in 
 Bethlehen  under  two  Years  old  to  be  Slain,  and  a  Re- 
 flexion made  upon  him  on  that  occafion  by  the  Em- 
 perour  Auguftus^  is  related  by  t 
 Macrobhts,  Many  of  tlie  Miracks 
 thatjefus  worked  in  his  Life-time^ 
 are,  as  to  matters  of  Fa6t ;  ("par- 
 ticularly his  healing  the  Lame 
 and  the  Blind,  and  calling  out 
 Devils  •,)  eXprefdy  owned  by  the 
 mod  implacable  Enemies  of 
 Chriftianity,  by  ^  Celfus  and 
 Julian^  and  the  Authors  of  the 
 Jezvijh  Talmud,  And  how  the 
 Power  of  the  Heathen  Gods  cea- 
 fed  after  the  coming  of  Chrift, 
 
 is  acknowledged  by  "^  Porphyry^  who  attributes*  ^^^W* 
 it  to  their  being  Angry  at  the  fetting  up  of  the 
 Chriftian  Religion,  which  he  ftiles  impious  and 
 profane.  Many  Particulars  of  the  collateral  Hi- 
 llory,  concerning  John  Baptift^  and  Hcrcd  and 
 Pilate^  fnot  to  mention  the  famous  Tcflimony 
 concerning  Jefus  himfelf,  becaufe  'tis  by  Some 
 fufpe^Lcd  not  to  be  genuine,  notwithflanding  it 
 is  found  in  all  the  ancient  Copies  -,)  are  largely 
 recorded  by  Jofephus,  The  Crucifixion  of  Chriil 
 under  Pontius  Pilate^  is  related 
 by  ^Tdcitus  :  And  diverfe  of  the 
 moft  remarkable  Circumilances 
 attending  it,  fuch  as  the  Earth- 
 quake and  rniraculous  Darknefs^ 
 were  recorded  in  the  ^  publick 
 Roman  Regiilers,  commonly  ap- 
 pealed to  by  the  firfl  Chriftian 
 Writers  as  what  could  not  be  denied  by  the  Ad- 
 verfaries  themfelves  •,  and  are  in  a  very  particular 
 manner   atteiled    by    |  Pblegon, 
 
 Then,  as  to  the  Refurredion  and         f  n  ^   ^•    ~    ^^  f/s.^'ci 
 Alcenlion  of    Chnir  ;    thefe  ae-    awcfV^^^.g  hiXiih'^<i,  h  /3«cri,W. 
 A  a  2  pend 
 
 f  Ttherio  i  ni  peri  tan  te,  per 
 procuratorem  Vontium  Tila-^ 
 turn,  fupplicio  affedus  erat.v 
 li(>,  15-. 
 
 *  Eum  mondi  cafum  re-' 
 latum  in  Arcanis  vejiris  habc;j 
 tis.     TertnUian.  A^oL 
 
3  56  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Bi'ic^  ^  0  'ii5«r»?  Va^'is''   *Vefy-     p end"  OH  thc  general  Proofs  of  th^ 
 .^;4.  ^  ^Tjg^  rfv  p£:^«>.^;.  t/-     credibility  of  his  Difciples  Tefti- 
 
 ^..VW^  '^^  'i^A^'v^".    o^^^^«-     ^^^^y'  '^^'^.  °^^^^  following  Evi- 
 
 adverf.  Ceif.  I'h.  2,  ^^//f^j  -,  whicli  Will  be  confidercd 
 
 tewVo,  J*'  ini  T-A^  ^iuxocri'     hereafter  in  their  proper  place. 
 
 iyiiiro  'sKXei-<i/i<i  iiXii^,    /^sy/rr;)   rcov    lyvo^itrf^m   TT^n^ev'    text    vJ|    af^e6  «»rjf 
 
 o/  //^^D^7      X2.  nat  God  has  appointed  aDay^  wherein  he 
 "^J'^'^aml  ^'^'^^^  i^'^^^  ^'^'^  JVorld  in  Righteoufnefs^  by  T/6^/  Per- 
 chrijl  'the  fin  whom  he  has  ordained,  in  order  to  reward  e- 
 Ju'Jge.       Very  Man  according  to  his  Works  ;    is  a  Dodrine 
 perfedly  agreeable  to   right  Reafon,    and  to  our 
 Natural  Notions  of  the  Attributes  of    God  :    As 
 may  appear  more  particularly  from  what  has  been 
 before    faid   concerning  the   NecefTity  and  Cer- 
 tainty of  another  Life  after  this  j    and  is   evident 
 from  the  Opinion  of  all  the  wifer  Heathens  con- 
 cerning this  Matter.     Nor  may  it  perhaps  be  al- 
 together  impertinent  to  obferve   here,    that  the 
 Poets  both  Greek  and  Latin  have  unanimoufly  a- 
 greed  in  this  one  particular  Circumftance,    that 
 Men  after  Death  fliould  not  have  Judgment  pafTed 
 '   upon  them  immediately  by  God  himfelf,    but  by 
 
 juft  Men  appointed  for  that  purpofe. 
 Rf-      13.  nat^  in  order  to  this  final  Judgment,  not 
 
 t!oe 
 
 Tthe'Z-  ^^^y  ^^^  ^^'-^^  ^^^^  furnve  the  DifTolution  of  the 
 ^,..  '  '  Body,  but  the  Body  it  felf  alfo  lliall  be  raifed  a^ 
 gain  ',  This  Doclrine,  though  not  indeed  difcover- 
 able  v/ith  any  kind  of  certainty  by  the  bare  Light 
 of  Nature  •,  becaufe  the  belief  of  the  Soul's  Im- 
 mortality (for  ought  that  appears  to  Reafon  a- 
 lone)  is  fuHicient  to  anfwer  all  the  purpofes  of  a 
 Future  State,  as  far  as  is  difcoverable  merely  by 
 the  Light  of  Nature  •,  Yet  this  Dodlrine  (I  fay> 
 of  the  RefurriufioH  of  the  Body,  v/hen  made  known 
 by  Revelation,    evidently  contains  nothing  in  it 
 
 in 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  357? 
 
 In  the  leaft  contrary  to  right  Reafon.  For,  what 
 reafonable  Man  can  deny,  b4t  that  'tis  plainly  al- 
 together as  eafy  for  God  to  raife  the  Body  again 
 after  Death,  as  to  create  and  form  it  at  firfl  ? 
 Some  of  the  ^  Stoical  Philofo- 
 phersfeem   to   have  thought   it     .  !  ^^^»\^5^^^'' ^^f^^r^y  r,«.i 
 
 not  only  pofTible,  but  even  pro-  ^,,  ^,^,,Xv  ,,.5.  r;.:;^.w  x^c" 
 bable :  And  many  of  the  Jews,  v^,  si\  'd  vZv  ia-f/jiv  ^t^okututk- 
 who  had  no  exprefs   Revelation     '^*'^  ^''/^«-    chryfippus,  c'uHt. 
 
 J- J         ^  K    r  •*.      «  Laciant.  lib.  7. 
 
 concermng  it,  did  yet  believe  it  ^ 
 
 upon  an  ancient  Tradition  -,  as  appears  from  all 
 their  Writings,  and  particularly  from  the  Tranf- 
 lation  of  the  laft  Verfe  of  the  Book  of  Jch^  which 
 according  to  the  Sevef^ty  runs  thus  ,  So  Job  died, 
 being  old  and  full  of  Days ;    hut  t 
 
 ^tis  written  that  he  jloall  rife  again        t  ^h^^-'^^^i'  5  alrl))  7ru>..> 
 with  ihofe  whom  the   Lord  raifes    r";^^^'%  f^'^'  ^\  ^  ^H^"^ 
 Up.      The  only  real   difficulty  in 
 this  Do6trine,    feems  to  arife  upon  putting  the 
 Suppofition  of  one  Body's  being  turned  into  the 
 Nourifhment,    and  becoming  part  of   the  Sub- 
 fiance  of  another  •,  fo  as  that  the  fame  parts  may 
 equally  belong  to  two  Bodies,  to  both  of  which 
 it  fhall  neverthelefs  be  abfolutely  impofTible  that 
 the  fame  parts  ihould  be  reftored.     But  this  Ob- 
 jedion,  as  great  and  principal  a  Difficulty  as  it  is, 
 is  really  but  a  great  Trifle.     For  there  does  not  at 
 all  appear  any  abfolute  Neceflity,  that,    to  con- 
 ftitute  the  fame  Body,  there  muft  be  an  exad  re- 
 flitution  of  all  and  only  the  fame  Parts.      And  if 
 there  was  any  fuch  Neceffity  ;  yet  even  ilill,  with- 
 out making  that  hard  Suppofition  (which -^    Gr^-*DeVeri- 
 tins  and  others  have  done)  that  God  by  a  miracu-^^J^^^^^^j* 
 lous  Providence  always  interpofes  to  prevent  the^^f.' jo*. 
 Parts  of   one  humane  Body  from  incorporating 
 with  and  becoming  the  Nourifhment  of  another  *, 
 (for  I  cannot  fee  any  fufficient  Ground  to  deny, 
 but  that  it  may  be  polTible  in  Nature,    for  barba- 
 
 A  ^  3  rou$ 
 
158  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 rous  Cannibals^  if  any  fuch  there  be,  to  fubfiil  fof 
 fome  time  and  live  wholly  one  upon  another,  if 
 deprived  of  all  other  Suftenance  :)  Without  any 
 fuch  hard  Suppofuions  as  thefe  (I  fay,)  'tis  eafy 
 to  imagin  many  ways,  by  which  the  Refurredion 
 of  the  fame  Body,  properly  fpeaking,  Ihall  ne- 
 verthelcfs  be  very  pofiible  •,  and  the  whole  Foun-. 
 dation  of  this,  and  all  other  Difficulties  of  this 
 kind,  concerning  the  Parts  and  Forms  and  Mag- 
 nitudes and  Proportions  ot  our  future  Bodies,  be 
 entirely  taken  away, 
 o/  the  Re-  As,  Fir;}  j  No  Man  can  fay  'tis  improbable, 
 f'Arreatm    r^r^^  ^\^^y  ^^i^q  j-^^^yg  130^,-^  ^q^  ^^ J  l^^fl  verfcd  in 
 
 of  the  a7m  ^  ..         r         ■      ^  i^x  r  •  *.!  •    i      •  ^ 
 
 ^ojy/  Microfcopicai  Obiervations,  think  it  more  than 
 probablej  that  the  criTinal  Stamina^  which  con- 
 tain all  and  every  one  of  the  folid  Parts  and 
 VeiTels  of  the  Body,  not  excepting  even  the 
 minutefi  Nerves  and  Fibres,  are  themfelves 
 the  entire  Body  ^  and  that  all  the  extraneous  Mat- 
 ter^ v/hich,  coming  in  by  way  ot  Nouriihment, 
 fiJls  up  and  extends  the  minute  and  infenfible  Vef- 
 fels,  of  which  all  the  vifible  and  fenfible  VefTels 
 are  compofed,  is  not  firictly  and  properly  Pari: 
 of  the  Body.  Confequently,  while  all  this  exlra^ 
 fieous  Matter^  which  ferves  only  to  fwell  the  Bo- 
 dy to  itsjuil  magnitude,  is  in  continual  Flux ^  the 
 original  Sttimina  may  continue  unchanged  ;  and  fo 
 no  Cpnfuficn  of  Bodies  will  be  pofiible  in  Na- 
 ture. There  may  be  made  many  very  confidera? 
 ble  Obfervations,  concerning  the  determinate  Fi- 
 gure into  which  every  refpedive  Body  unfolds  it 
 ieif  by  Grcwch  i  concerning  the  Impoffibility  of 
 the  Body's  extending  it  felf "  by  any  Noqrifnment 
 whatfoever,  beyond  that  certain  Magnitude^  to 
 which  the  original  VeiTels  are  capable  ^^  being  un- 
 folded ;  and  concerning  the  Lnpojpbility  of  refto^ 
 ring  by  any  Nourifliment  any  the  fmalle'ft  VclTel 
 <pr  fplid  part  of  die  Body,    that  has  at  any  time 
 
 happened 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  359 
 
 happened  to  be  mutilated  by  any  Accident  ;  Ail 
 which  Obfervations,  often  and  carcfaily  made, 
 will  feem  very  much  to  favour  fome  fuch  Specula- 
 tion as  This. 
 
 Secondly :    It  may   alfo  be  fuppofed  otherwife, 
 not    without    good    probability,  ..   .,       <i,   ^ 
 
 that  "^  in  like  manner  as  in  every     ^  *  'h/aS?^  ^v  t^(pcii4  t\ 
 Grain  of  Corn  there  is  contained     ^^^'"P^?  f^  .^^j;  ^^,^„_  ^^^Vi  r 
 a  minute  inlenfible  feminal  I'nnci-     ^M^^itfi^ra  v^icm.,  S  <"'•!■!!•  m'- 
 ple,  which  is  itfelf  the  entire  fu-     ■/>}>.«  If,  ii-^j  iV<?K9'<'--» 
 ture  Blade  and  Ear,  and  in  due     I?  %:'" '" v''f="''' ^f  VT 
 Scafon,  when  all  the  reit  ot    tne     ^^' ,•  ^,;  <p,^,,p,^,s'vcy  .Vi;^.rca 
 Grain,  is  corrupted,  evolves  and     to  (rc7y,ci  C4/ ^^-^apo-j^.    ori- 
 unfolds    it  feif  vifibly    into  that    ^^«.  ^-d-^^Kf-  ^'(f-  ^'^'  >"• 
 Form  -,  fo  our  prefent  mortal  and 
 corruptible   Body  may  be  but  the  Exuvi^^  as  it 
 were,    of  fome   hidden  and  at  prefent  infenfible 
 Principle,  (poffibly   the  prefent  Seat  of  the  Soul^^) 
 which  at  the  Reiurre6lion  lliall  difcover  itfelf  in  its 
 proper  Form.     This  v/ay  alfo,    there   can  be  no 
 Confufion  of  Bodies,    poffible  in   Nature.     And 
 ^tis  not  without  fome  Weight,  that  the  Antienteft 
 Writers  of  the  Church  have  always  made  ufe  of 
 this  very   Similitude  ;    that  the  Apoftle   St  Paul 
 himfelf,    alleges  the  fame  Comparifon  ;    and  that 
 the  Jewifh  Writers   feem  to   have  had  fome  ob- 
 fcure  glimpfe  of  this  Notion,    when    they  talked 
 of    a    certain    incorruptible   part  of   the  Body   ; 
 "though  thefe  latter  indeed  explained  themfelves 
 very  weakly  and  unphilofophically. 
 
 Many  other  ways  perhaps  may  be  imagmed, 
 by  v/hich  the  fame  thing  may  be  cxplaiiied  intel- 
 ligibly. But  thefe  Speculations  are  nice  and  fub- 
 tie,  and  neither  needful  nor  proper  to  be  enlarg- 
 ed upon  in  this  place.  Only  the  bare  mention  of 
 them,  fhows  the  manifold  poffwility  of  the  Dod:- 
 rine  of  the  Refurredion  ;  againft  the  Objeaions 
 Qt  thofe  who  v/ould  liavc  it  feem  contradi^ory, 
 A^  A,  14.  Laftly  i 
 
'3  6o  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 of  the  <?.  14.  Laftly  *,  '^hat  after  the  Refurredlion  and 
 ^!l^^^.  r  the  general  Judgment,  wherein  every  Man  fhall 
 ofltT'^  be  judged  according  to  his  Works  •,  they  that 
 :Blef[ecl  have  done  well,  fliall  go  into  everlafting  Happi- 
 and  the  ^^.f}  .  ^nd  they  that  have  done  evil,  into  everlafl- 
 Z\lhLnt^y^'^%  P//my^?/2^;^/  :  is  a  Doftrine  in  it  felf  very  ere- 
 the  D^ii}.''  dible,  and  reafonable  to  be  believed.  Concern- 
 ^^^'  ing   the  everlafting  Happinefs   of   the  Righteous, 
 
 there  is  no  difpute  ;  it  being  evident  that  God  in 
 his  infinite   Bounty  may  reward  the   fincere  Obe- 
 dience of  his  Creatures,  as  much  beyond  the  Me- 
 rit of  their  own  weak  and  imperfed:  Works,  as 
 he  himfelf  pleafes.     But  the  everlafting  Punijhment 
 threatned    to  the  Wricked,  has  feem'd  to  Many, 
 a  great  difficulty  ;  fince  'tis  certain  from  our  Na- 
 tural Notions  of  the  Attributes  of  God,  that  no 
 Man  fhall   be  punifhed  beyond   the  juft  demerit 
 of  his  Sins.     Here  therefore  it  is  to  be  obferved  ; 
 firft^  that  no  Man  can  fay  'tis  unreafonable,  that 
 they  who  by  wilful  and  ftubborn  Difobedience  to 
 their  Almighty  Creatour  and  moil  merciful  Bene- 
 faftor,  and  by   the  habitual  Pradife  of  unrepent- 
 ed  Wickednefs,  have,  during  the  State  of  Trial, 
 made  themfclves  unfit  for  the  enjoyment  of  that 
 Happinefs  which  God  has  prepared  for  them  that 
 Jove  and  obey  him  *,    fliould  be  eternally  rejected^ 
 and  excluded  from  it,     Thus  much,  the  wickedell 
 of  Men  are  wiUing  enough  to  believe  :    And  if 
 bare  Deprivation  of  Happinefs  was  all  the  Puniili- 
 nient  they  had  reafon  to  fear,  they  would  be  well 
 content  to   fit   ftill  in  their  Wickednefs.     But  is 
 it  at  all  agreeable  to  Reafon  to  believe,  that  the 
 Punifhment  to  be  inflifted  by  the  final  Wrath   of 
 a  provoked  God  upon  his  mod  obftinate  and  in- 
 corrigible  Enemies,     fhould  be    merely    fuch  a 
 thing  as  is  in  its  own  Nature  lefs  dreadful    and 
 terrible,  than  even  thofe  Afflidlions  which  by  cer- 
 tain  Experience  wc  fee  in   this  prefent  Life  fajl 
 
 fomecime§ 
 
md  Revealed  Religion.  36t 
 
 fometimes  upon  fuch  Perfons  with  whom  God  is 
 rxoc  angry  at  all  ?  Is  it  agreeable  to  reafon  to  be- 
 lieve, that  God,  who  (as  is  evident  by  experience) 
 fufFers  the  very   beft  of  his  own  Servants,  for  the 
 Puniihment  of  their  Sins,    or  even  only  for  the 
 Tryal   of  their  Virtue,  to  fall   fometimes  under 
 all  the  Calamities  and  Miferies,  which  'tis  poffible 
 for  the  cruelleft  and  moft  powerful  Tyrants  to 
 invent  and  execute  ;    Ihould  punifh  his  moft  ob- 
 ftinately  rebellious  and   finally  impenitent    Crea- 
 tures,   with  nothing  more  than  the   Negation  of 
 Happinefs  ?  There  muft  therefore  in  the  next^l^c^ 
 be  fomefenfible  and  pofitive  Funipnent^    befides 
 the  mere  negative  Lofs  of  Happinefs.     And  who- 
 ever ferioufly  confiders  the   dreadful  Effeds  of 
 God's  Anger  in  this  prefent  World,    in  the  In- 
 ftance  of  die   general  Deluge,    the  Overthrow  f)f 
 Sodom  and    Gomorrha,     the   amazing  Calamities 
 which  befel  the  whgle  Jewijh  Nation  at  the  De- 
 ftrudion   of  Jerufalem,    and  other  fuch  like  Ex- 
 amples -,  in  fome  of  which  Cafes,   the  Judgments 
 have  fallen   upon   mixt  multitudes  of  good  Men 
 and  bad  together  ;    f not  to  mention  the  Calami- 
 ties which  fometimes  befall  even  good  Men  by 
 themfelves  :)    Whofoever,  I  fay,  ferioufly  confi- 
 ders all  this,    cannot  but  frame  to  himfelf  very 
 terrible  Apprehenfions   of   the  Greatnefs  of  that 
 Punifnment,  which  the  defpifed  Patience  of  God 
 Ihall  finally  infiid   on   the  impenitently  Wicked 
 and  Incorrigible,    when  they  fliall  be  feparated 
 and  be  by  themfelves.     And  then,  as  to  the  Du- 
 ration of  this  Puniihment  \    no  Man  can  prefume 
 in  our  prefent  State  of  Ignorance  and  Darknefs 
 to  be  able  truly  to  judge,  barely  by  the  ftrength 
 of  his  own  natural  Reafon,    what  in  this  Re/pen 
 js  or  is  not  confiftent  with  the  Wifdom  and  Juftke 
 and  Goodnefs  of  the  fupreme  Governour  of  the 
 World  j    fince  we  neither  know  the  Place,  ^nov 
 
3  60  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Kind^  nor  Manner^  nor  Circumftances^  nof  D<f- 
 ^r^^j,  nor  All  the  Ends  and  Ufes  of  the  final  Pu- 
 nifliment  of  the  Wicked.  Only  this  one  thing  we 
 are  certain  of,  that  the  Juftice  of  God  v/ill  abun- 
 dantly vindicate  it  lelf,  and  all  Mouths  fhall  be 
 Hopped  before  him,  and  be  forced  to  acknow- 
 ledge the  exacb  Righteoufnefs  of  all  his  Judg- 
 ments, and  to  condemn  their  own  Folly  and 
 Wickednefs  i  forafmuch  as  the  Degrees  or  Intenfe- 
 nefs  of  the  Punifhment  which  fhall  be  inflidled  on. 
 the  Impenitent,  fliall  be  exaftly  proportionate  to 
 their  Sins,  as  a  Recompence  of  their  Demerit,  fo 
 that  no  Man  fliall  fuffer  more  than  he  has  deferv- 
 ed.  This  being  once  clearly  eftablifned  ;  the 
 Difticulty  about  the  Duration  of  the  Punifhmenc 
 will  not  appear  fo  infuperable  to  right  Reafon. 
 For  nothing  can  be  more  evident,  than  that  God 
 may  jufily  banifn  the  Wicked  eternally  from  his 
 Kingdom  of  Glofy,  and  from  that  Happinefs 
 which  is  his  Free  and  undeferved  Gift  to  the 
 Righteous  :  And  the  pofitive  Punifhment  v/hich 
 fiialt  be  inflicled  upon  them  in  that  State  of  E- 
 ^^'•' /'■^f;  ternal  Rejeclion,    fliall  undoubtedly  be  fuch  and 
 
 ^O.  Shall      ^  ^    .  '  A/r,T-.r^  i7^'i 
 
 Setormint^'^  proportionated  to  Men  s  Deferts,  as  the  Righ- 
 ea 'x:thFir et^oiis  Judgc  v/ill  then  make  appear  before  Men 
 ^^v^^'^'a  and  Angels,  to  be  juft  and  wife  and  necefliiry, 
 ■{t!r^l,^'^'w^and  fuch  only  ns  becomes  the  iiifinitely  Wife  and 
 iheHoly  Good  Lord  and  Governour  of  the  Univcrfe  to 
 -^'^/^^^■'-"^^iniiid.  The  Wlfeft  of  the  Heathen  Philofophers, 
 ''"zr^rf  rL^'^'^'^^^'^^  the  help  of  Revelation,  have  taught,  and 
 '^La772b.       did  believe   ip   agreeable  to   right   Reafon,    that 
 
 *  the  Punifhment  of  the  incorri- 
 gible mould  be  [-ij-wvie?]  without 
 any  determinate  or  known  End, 
 And  JVe  cannot  tell  how  many 
 Wife  Defigns  God  may  ferve 
 thereby.       We  know   not    but 
 
 thatj 
 
 *  O;     ')    oiv    cozens  11 
 
 CC-JlUTH!^ 
 
 ?'^r.y    :i4J.  ru  ^.'^iyi^Tj 
 
 Tuv     ex.- 
 
 j/jy.ori:;^r:<!y,      7-^rcvc, 
 
 'a  TTpecr^. 
 
 ?f<:v/r<36  yjoifcf.    c'trr?*  hc, 
 
 .  ^ ,  T^'^i- 
 
 "TXfo'j,     oir*?  .i'r7:Tc  '  S/i 
 
 ,2i6.viii(ri. 
 
 P.iuo  m  I'hi.: 
 
'and Re'vealed  Religion.^  ^6i 
 
 tliat,  as  God  has  ^/o'le;  difcovered  "^^-T^t^  f^  xoXua-Bi<i  uu^Uj' 
 to  Us  in  fome  meafure  the  ball  ,^^1^^  .'|,vWs  'r^>^ru\  r\ -^ 
 and  Puniiliment  of  evil  Angels ^  fjuv?a.yoiyoi.  Celf.  apud  ori^- 
 to  be  a  warning  to  Us  ;    fo  he    g^'^.  Mh.  S. 
 
 or  the  Paniilimcnt  or  VAcked  and 
 incorrigible  Men^  to  be  a  means  ofpreferving  other 
 Beings  in  their  Obedience.  And  many  other  Con- 
 fiderations  there  may  pofTibly  be,  very  necefiliry 
 to  enable  us  to  judge  rightly  concerning  this 
 Matter  ;  ■  which,  in  this  prelent  State,  wc  hnve 
 no  iulncient  means  of  coming  to  the  Knowledge 
 of. 
 
 Thus  all  the  Credenda^  or  Do^rines,  which  tlie 
 Chriftian  Religion  teaches  •,  (that  is,  not  only 
 thofe  plain  Dodrines  which  it  requires  to  be  be- 
 lieved as  fundamental  and  of  necefTity  to  eter- 
 nal Salvation,  but  even  All  the  Dodrines 
 which  it  teaches  as  Matters  of  Truth  -,)  are  in  the 
 Firjl  place,  though  indeed  many  of  them  not  dif- 
 coverable  by  bare  Reafon  unaiTifled  v/ith  Revela- 
 tion,   yet,    when   difcovered  by 
 
 Revelation,  apparently  mofl  t  f  t'o^  t«?  ^nV^i^?  h^S^  t*.?^ 
 a^^reeable  to  found  and  unpreiu-  "^"":^^  c..^.,  V^.^.  --- 
 diced  Reajon.  celf.  lib.  5. 
 
 In   the  7iext  place  ^  Every  one  of  thefe  Doc-  ^7^^7  ^'"^ 
 trines,    has  a  natural  Jende?ic\\  and  a  dire6i;  andy  ^'^'f  ^ 
 
 r  ^    T    n  r  ii  >         t  •  .  has  (^^  diren 
 
 powerful  lufliience^  to  reform  Mens  Lives,  and  cor-  Temlemy 
 reel  their  Manners.     This  is  the  great  End,  and  anil  fo-xsr- 
 ultimate  Defign,  of  all  true  Religion  ;    and  'tis  a/j"^'  ^"f'^'' 
 very  great  and  fatal  Miilake,    to  think  that  ^^y  form  Men? 
 Poclrine  or  any  Belief  whatfoever,    can  be  any  uanmrs^ 
 otherwife   of  any  Benefit  to  Men,  than  as  it  is 
 fitted  to  prom.ote  this  m^ain  End.     ^hjre  was  none 
 of  the  Doctrines  of  our  Saviour^  (as  an  ^  excellent  "^  ,^''^f' ^f 
 Prelate  of  our  Church  admirably   exprefies  thisg^^^^J^^ 
 
 matter  j  befor.e  uV- 
 
^64  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Queen  on  matter  J  calculated  for  the  gratification  of  Mens  idle^ 
 Cnrift-  Curiofities^  the  hufying  and  amufing  them  with  airy 
 1704,  ^f^d  ufelefs  Speculations  j  Much  lefs  were  they  in- 
 tended for  an  Exercife  of  our  Credulity^  or  a  i'ryal 
 how  far  we  could  bring  our  Reafon  to  fuhmit  to  our 
 Faith  :  But^  as  on  the  one  Hand  they  were  plain 
 and  fimple^  and  fuch  as^  hy  their  agreeahlenefs  to  the 
 rational  Faculties  of  Mankind^  did  highly  reco7nmend 
 themfelves  to  our  Belief  \  fo  on  the  other  Hand  they 
 had  an  immediate  relation  to  FraUife^  and  were  the 
 genuine  Principles  and  Foundation  upon  which  all 
 humane  and  divine  Virtues  were  naturally  to  befuper- 
 Jlru^ed.  Particularly,  What  can  be  a  more  necefla- 
 ry  and  excellent  Foundation  of  true  Religion, 
 than  That  Dodrine  which  the  Chriftian  Religion 
 dearly  and  diftin(5t:ly  teaches  us,  concerning  the 
 ivfature  and  Attributes  of  the  One  only  true  God  ; 
 without  any  of  that  Ambiguity  and  Doubtfulnefs, 
 thofe  various  and  inconfiitent  Opinions  and  Con- 
 jedures,  thofe  uncertain  and  oft-times  falfe  Rea- 
 fonings  concerning  the  Nature  of  God,  which, 
 notwithftanding  the  natural  pofTibility  of  difco- 
 vering  very  many  of  the  Attributes  of  God  by 
 the  Light  of  tru^  Reafon,  did  yet  in  Fadt  over- 
 fpread  the  greatefl  pare  of  the  Heathen  World 
 with  Polytheifm  or  Atheifm  ?  What  can  be  fo 
 certain  a  Prefervative  againft  Idolatry,  and  the 
 Worfhip  of  falfe  Gods  ;  as  the  Doftrine,  that  the 
 Univerfe^  the  Heavens  and  the  Earthy  and  all  things 
 contained-  therein^  are  the  Creatures  and  Worhnan- 
 /hip  of  the  One  true  God,  and  have  a  continual  de- 
 pendence upon  Him  for  the  Prefervation  of  their  Be- 
 ing ?  What  can  be  fo  fure  a  Ground  of  true  Piety 
 and  Reliance  upon  God,  as  the  clear  Chriftian  Doc- 
 trine concerning  Providence^  concerning  God's 
 perpetually  governing  and  direding  the  lifues  and 
 JF^vencs  of  all  Things,  and  infpecling  with  a  more 
 ffpcnal  regard  the  moral  Adions  of  Men  ?  which 
 
 Dodrine 
 
and  Revealed  Religion:  '5^^ 
 
 Poftrine  was  perplexed  by  the  Philofophers  with 
 endlefs  Difputes.     What  can  be  fo  juft  a  Vindica- 
 tion of  the   Goodnei3  of  God,  and  confequently 
 fo  neceflary  in  order  to  our   maintaining  in  our 
 Minds  worthy  and  honourable  Notions  concern- 
 ing him  •,  as  the  Doftrine^  that  God  created  Man 
 arjirft  Upright^    and  that  the  Original  of  all  Evil 
 and  Mifery  is  Sin  ?  the  want  of  a  clear  Knowledge 
 of  which  Truth,    extremely   perplexed  the  Hea- 
 then  World,  and  made  many  recur  to  that  moft 
 abfurd  Fidion  of  a  Self-exillent  Evil  Principle, 
 What  can  be  a  more  proper  Motive  to   Piety, 
 than  the  Dodlrine  that  the  Deluge  and  other  Re- 
 markable Calamities  which  have  befallen  Man- 
 kind, were  fent  upon  them  by  God's  immediate 
 Direction,    as  Punijbments  for  their  Wickednefs  ? 
 What  can  be  a  greater    incouragement   to    the 
 Pradife  of  Holinefs,  than  the  Dodrine,  that  God 
 has  at  fever al  times  vouchfafed  to  make\feveral  par- 
 ticular Revelations  of  his  Will  to  Men,  to  inftrudt 
 and  fupport  them  more  effeaually  in  that  Prac- 
 tife  ?  But  above  all ;    What  Dodrine  could  ever 
 have  been  imagined  fo  admirably  fitted  in  all^  re- 
 fpe6ls  to  promote  all  the  Ends  of  true  Religion, 
 as  that  of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God  ?  Which 
 way  could  Men  have  been  filled  with  fo  deep  a 
 Senfe  of  the  Mercy  and  Love  of  God  towards 
 them,    and  have   been    inftru6led  in   all  divine 
 Truths  in  a  Method   fo  well  accommodated  to 
 their  prefent  Infirmities  ;    as  by  God's  fending  his 
 Only-hegotten  Son^    to  take  upon  him  our  Nature^ 
 and  therein  to  make  a  general  Revelation  of  the  Will 
 of  God  to  Mankind?  How  could  the  Honour  and 
 Dignity  and  Authority  of  the  Laws  of  God  have 
 been  fo  effeftually  vindicated,    and  at  the  fame 
 time  fo  fatisfadory  an  afiurance  of  Pardon  upon 
 true  Repentance  have  been  given  unto  Men  ;  as 
 by  this  Method,  of  the  Son  of  God  giving  hi??ifelf  d 
 
 Sacrifice 
 
3  64  T^^^  Ev  IT)  ti^  CES  of  Natural 
 
 Sacrifice  and  Expiation  for  Sin  .^  ^What  could  have 
 been  a  more  glorious  Manifeilation  of  the  Mercy 
 and  compafiion  of  God,  and  at  the  fame  time  a 
 more  powerful  means  to  difcountenance  Mens 
 Prcfumption,  to  difcourage  them  from  repeating 
 their  Tranfgreflions,  to  give  them  a  deep  Senle 
 of  the  heinous  Nature  of  Sin,  and  of  God's  ex- 
 treme Hatred  and  utter  Irreconcileablenefs  to  it, 
 and  to  convince  them  of  the  Excellency  and  Im* 
 portance  of  the  Laws  of  God  and  the  indifpenfa- 
 ble  Neceflity  of  paying  Obedience  to  them  ;  than 
 this  Expedient  of  fiving  Sinners  by  the  Sufferings 
 6ind  Death  of  the  Son  of  Gcd^  and  by  eflahli/Jjing  with 
 them  a  neiv  and  gracious  Covenant  upon  the  Merits . 
 of  that  Satisfaftion  ?  How  could  Men  be  better 
 er?couraged,  to  begin  a  religious  Life  ;  than  by 
 havinp;  fuch  a  Mediator^  Advocate^  and  Inierceffor 
 for  them  with  God,  to  obtain  Pardon  of  all  their 
 Frailties  ;  and  by  being  afiured  of  the  J [f fiance 
 tf  the  Spirit  cf  God^  to  enable  them  to  conquer" 
 all  their  corrupt  Affedtions,  and  to  be  in  them 
 an  effeflual  Principle  of  a  heavenly  and  divine' 
 Life  ?  In  fine  ;  What  ilronger  and  more  power- 
 ful Motives  could  poiTibly  have  been  contrived, 
 to  pcrRvade  Men  to  live  virtuoully,  and  to  de- 
 rcrr  them  from  Vice  ;  than  the  clear  Difcovery 
 made  to  us  in  the  Gofpel,  of  God's  having  appoint- 
 ed a  Day  J  wherein  he  will  judge  the  JVorld  in  Righ-^ 
 icGufiirfs^  every  Man- according  to  his  JVorks  ;  and  that 
 they,  who  have  done  wsll^  fnall  be  adjudged  to  everlaft- 
 ing  Happinefs ;  and  they  that  have  done  evil,  to  endlefs 
 Pun\fJjnient :  of  which  the  Ligjat  of  Nature  afforded 
 Men  but  obfcure  Glimpfes  ?  And  maay  we  not  here, 
 upon  the  whole,  appeal  now  even  to  our  Adverfa- 
 iries  themfelves,  whether  m  all  aad  every  one  of  thefe 
 Doftrincs  there  be  not  a  more  powerful,  a  more 
 eliedtual  Method  laid  down,  for  the  reforming, 
 humane  Nature,    aild  obliging  the  whole  World 
 
and  Renfeaied  Religion.  3  65 
 
 to  forfake  their  Sins,  and  to  lead  holy  and  virtu- 
 ous Lives  •,  than  v/as  ever  taught  before  :  nay, 
 or  than  v/as  poflibie  to  have  been  contrived  by 
 all  the  Wit  of  Mankind  ?  This  is  the  great  and 
 higheft  recommendation  of  the  Ghriflian  Doc- 
 trine :  This  is  what,  to  a  well-difpofcd  Mind, 
 would  well-nigh  fatisfadlorily  j5rove,  even  with- 
 out'the  addition  of  any  external  Teftimony,  that 
 the  Revelation  of  Chriflianity  could  not  pofTibly 
 but  come  from  God  •,  Seeing  that,  not  only  all 
 its  pra6lical  Precepts,  but  even  all  its  Articles  of  Be- 
 lief alfo,  tend  plainly  to  this  one  and  the  fame 
 End,  to  make  Men  univerfally  amend  and  re- 
 form their  Lives  ♦,  to  recover  and  reftore  them 
 to  their  original  excellent  State,  from  the  Cor- 
 ruption and  Mifery  which  had  been  introduced 
 by  Sin  •,  and  to  cftablifh  upon  Earth  the  Pradife 
 of  everlafting  Righteoufnefs,  and  entire  and  hear- 
 ty Obedience  to  the  Will  of  God  :  Which  would 
 have  been  the  Religion  of  Men  (had  they  conti- 
 nued Innocent)  in  Paradife,  and  now  is  the  Re- 
 ligion of  Angels,  and  for  ever  will  be  the  Re- 
 ligion of  Saints  in  Heaven.  Vain  Men  may  value 
 themfelves  upon  their  fpeculative  Knowledge, 
 right  Opinions,  and  True  and  Orthodox  Belief, 
 feparate  from  the  Pradlife  of  Virtue  and  Righte- 
 oufnefs j  But,  as  fure  as  the  Gofpel  is  true,  no 
 Belief  whatfoever  Ihall  finally  be  of  any  Advan- 
 tage to  Men,  any  otherv/ife  than  only  fo  far  as  it 
 correc5ls  their  Praclife,  hinders  them  from  being 
 IVorkers  of  Iniquity^  and  makes  them  like  unto  God.i^^.xiii,;; 
 
 Laftly  •,  All  the  Doftrines  of  the  Chniihn  ^.nd  all  of 
 Faith,  do  rogetber  make  up  an  inBnitely  morej^-^^^ 
 confiftent  and  rattonal  Scheme  oj  Behej,  than  any^^^^^^^^^ 
 that  the  v/ifell  of  the  Antient  Philofophers  ever confjlent 
 did,  or  the  cunningell  of  Modern  Unbelievers  ^^^^HfHf^^ 
 invent  or  contrive.     This  is  evident  from  a  ^^^^-^f  BAi'fir, 
 
3^8  7he  Evidences  of  Rattiral 
 
 mary  View  of  the  forementioned  Scheme  of  thd 
 Chriflian  Dodrines  ;  Wxherein  every  Article  has  a 
 jail  dependence  on  the  foregoing  ones,  and  a 
 clofe  connexion  with  thofe  that  follow  ;  and  the 
 whole  account  of  the  Order  and  Difpofition  of 
 Things  fj-om  the  Original  to 'the  Confummation 
 of  all  Things,  is  one  intire,  regular,  compleat, 
 confident,  and  every  way  a  moil  rational  Scheme: 
 Whereas  the  Wifeft  of  the  Antient  PhilofopherSy 
 that  is,  thofe  of  them  who  hit  upon  the  greateft 
 Number  of  fingle  Truths,  and  taught  the  feweil 
 Abfurdities  ;    were   yet  ^  never 
 
 ♦  Dn-erri  ac  diverse  omnia     able  to  make   Out  any  univerfaL 
 
 protuierunt,     non    annc<ftcn-  -  j         i  on.  /- 
 
 tcs  nee   oufas    rerum,     nee      ^^^^^^>.     ^"^^    coherent    Syitem    of 
 
 conicquenria.s  nee  ra'Jones  i     Dodrines,    and    Scheme   of  the 
 ut  i>.r,.rv..m  iram.  q..:^  con-     jVhok  State  of  Things,  with  any 
 
 tinet  ui'iv-ria,    Sc  eompinf>e-  r  i     i  -r  a     j     l 
 
 rent&compleient.    ilaant.     m^^nner  of  probability  :    And  the 
 /i^.  7.  cunmn^t^r  o^  Modern  Deifts^    (be- 
 
 fides  that  they  muft  needs,  ia 
 their  own  Way,  believe  fome  particular  Things 
 H ranger  and  in  themfelves  more  incredible  than 
 'Any  of  the  forementioned  Chriftian  Do6lrines,) 
 cannot  in  the  whole,  as  has  been  before  iliown, 
 frame  to  themfelves  any  fixt  and  fettled  Princi- 
 ples, upon  which  to  argue  confiilently  ;  but  muffc 
 unavoidably  either  be  perplexed  v/ith  inextricable 
 Abfurdities,  or  confelfedly  recur  to  down-righc 
 Atheifm.  There  have  indeed  even  among  Chri- 
 fcians  themfelves,  been  many  Differences  and 
 Dilputes  about  particular  Dodlrines  :  But,  (ex- 
 cepting fuch  as  have  intolerably  corrupted  th6 
 very  fundamental  Dodlrines,  and  even  the  main 
 Defign  it  M^  of  the  v/hole  Chriftian  Difpenfation  ; 
 of  which  there  are  too  many  Inflances  in  Writers 
 of  the  RoiPJlli  Church  efpecially  ;)  thefe  Dif- 
 putcs  among  Chriftians,  have  not  been,  like  thofe 
 among  the  Philofophers,  de  rerum  fumrfia^  con- 
 €<M-ning  the  v/holc  ^Scheme  and  Syftem  of  things^ 
 
 buc 
 
and  Revealed  Religion,  3  (5^^ 
 
 but  only    concerning  particular   Explications  of 
 particular    Dodlrines   ;      Which 
 
 kind  of  Difputes  do  not  at   all    ^  *  ^ed  perturbat  nos  opinf- 
 
 affed  the  Certainty  of  the  wnole     ^i^enfio.    Ec  quia  nonidem 
 
 Religion    it  ielf,      nor    ought     in      contingit    in    lerlibus,     hos 
 
 reafon  to  be  any  raanner  of  hin-     natura  certos  putamusj  ilia* 
 J  -^  ♦-u     X  T7a~  xv   ,„i  :^u  ^1,        <^"2e  aliis  lie,  aliis  lecus,  nee 
 
 derance  to  the  tEftea  which  the    l^,^^    ^,„,p,,   „„^    ^^^^ 
 
 plain  and  weightier  and  confelled-  viJcntur,  fida  efTe  dicimus. 
 
 ly  more    important  fundamental  Quod  eft  longe aliter.  cicdQ 
 
 Dodlrines    ought   to   have  upon  '^^^l  'J     \ 
 
 the  Hearts  and  Lives  of  Men.  '  i'  ^    .ii^ 
 
 XIV.  Fifthly  ;  Js  this  Revelation^  to  the  Judg- 
 ment  of  right  and  foher  Reafon^  appears  of  it  felf 
 highly  credible  and  probable  ;  and  abundantly  recom-^ 
 7nends  it  felf  in  its  native  Simplicity^  merely  by  its 
 own  intrinfick  goodnefs  and  excellency^  to  the  praUife 
 of  the  fuoft  rational  and  confidertng  Men^  who  are 
 defirous  in  all  their  AElions  to  have  fatisfoMion  and 
 comfort  and  good  hope  within  themfelves^  from  the 
 Confcience  of  what  they  do  :  So  it  is  moreover  pofi- 
 tively  and  direUly  proved^  to  be  aEiually  and  imme- 
 diately fent  to  us  from  God  ;  by  the  many  infallible 
 Signs  and  Miracles,  which  the  Author  of  it  worked 
 fublickly  as  the  evidence  of  his  divine  Comiiiilfi.on  \  by 
 the  exa^l  completion  both  of  the  Prophecies  that  went 
 before  concerning  him,  and  of  thcfe  that  He  himfelf 
 delivered  concerning  thirgs  that  were  to  happen  af- 
 ter :  and  by  the  Teftimony  of  his  Followers  % 
 which,  in  all  its  Circumftances,  was  the  mofi  credi- 
 ble, certain,  and  convinciyig  Evidence,  that  was  ever 
 given  to  any  matter  of  Fa5f  in  the  World. 
 
 Fir  ft.  The  Chriftian  Revelation  is  po  fi  tively 
 and  dire6lly  proved,  to  be  a6luaily  and  immedi- 
 ately fent  to  us  from  God,  by  the  many  infallible 
 Signs  and  Miracles,  which  the  Author  of  it  work- 
 ed publickly  as  the  Evidence  of  his  Divine  Com- 
 :^ilIion, 
 
 E  b  Befides 
 
370  7 he  E  V  I D  E  N  c  E  s  of  Natural 
 
 Beridrjs     the     great 
 of  theVfe  and  a^r.aer  ^  m^s^^kttr,  as     Excellency    and    Rca.- 
 
 :tn  evsuence  or  the  irath  of  the  Ci'jr:[iian  Re-       r        it         r       r     ^      ^^ 
 
 i^eUiton,  J  J  fonabJenefs  of  the  Boc- 
 
 trine  coniidered  in  it 
 felf,  of  which  I  have  already  treated  •,  'l^is  here 
 of  no  fmall  momeni:  to  obferve,  that  tlic  /juthor 
 of  it  (feparat^e  from  all  external  Proof  of  his  Di- 
 vine Commiirion)  appeared  in  all  his  Behaviour, 
 Words  and  Adions,  to  be  nci- 
 *  ni=y^i^v  ^)  kvtZi^^^  M  W     ther  an  "^  Impolhr  nor  an  JL-thu- 
 
 f,r«.,  >rr..iT,T©^  -^  l^^..U,,  M'-     His  Lue  was  Innocent  and 
 
 ,roi'Pfr(ei'-¥,  n  k^  tm  uxx/ii  ic-  Spotlefs,  fpent  entirely  in  fervirig 
 
 fiT?«  i,iUTy.-i.>&'  TiXc,  ci.na.Ta-  [fig  Ends  of  HoHncfs  and  Cii-i- 
 
 >..».., r.o^i, ««.©.&<:  r«-  rity,  in'doing  good  to  the  Souls 
 
 ea.  Dc'tonftr.-t.Evangeuc.  Ltd.  J^  f  Pr  •  t 
 
 ,^2^  and  Bodies  oi  Meij,  m  exhorting 
 
 them  to  Repentance,  and  inviting 
 them   to  ferve  and  glorify  God.     Vvhcn  his  bit- 
 terefb  Enemies  accufed  him,  in  order  to  takeaway 
 his  Life  i  they  could  not  charge  him  w^ith  any  ap- 
 pearance of  Vice  or  Immorality.     And  fo  flir  was 
 he  from  being  guilty  of  what  they  did  accufe  him 
 of,  namely  of  Vain-glory  and  attempting  to  move 
 Sedition  \    that  once,  when  the  admiring  People 
 would  by  force  have   taken  liim  and  made  him 
 their  King,    he  chofe  even  to  work  a  Miracle  to 
 avoid  that,  which  was  the  only  thing  that  could 
 ht  imagined    to  have  been   the  Deiign  of  an  /;;/- 
 ■poftor.     In  like  manner,  whoever  feriouOy  confi- 
 ders  the  Anfwers  he  gave  to  all  QueRions  v/he- 
 ther    moral  or  captious,  his  occafional  Difcourfes 
 to  his  Difciplcs,  and  more  efpecially  the  Wifdom 
 and  Excellency  of  his  Sermon   upon   the  Mount, 
 \yhich  is  as  it  were  the  Syftem  and  Summary   of 
 his  Dodlrine,     manifeftly  furpafiing  all  the  moral 
 Inflru6lions    of  the  moft  celebrated  Philofophers 
 that  ever  lived   -,    cannot,    w^ithout  the  extfemeil 
 i^'Lilice  and  Obftinacy  in  the  Vvorld,  charge  him 
 W  i ch  E  ntbujtafifi- , 
 
 Thefc 
 
'and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  o  n,^  i  j  i 
 
 Thefe    Confiderations    cannot    but    add  greri  o/?^^  a^/- 
 •Weight  and  Authority  to  his  Dodlrine,  and  make  ^^^j^^^^  ^f^ 
 his    own  Teftimony   concerning   himfelf  exceed-  ^y?,^  £^.7. 
 ingly  credible.     But  the  pofitive  and  dire^  proof  d,'^>ce  of  hh 
 of  his  Divine  Commifllon,'  are  the  Miracles  which  ^'"^"^^ 
 he  worked  for  that  purpofe  :     His  healing    the  ^^^^^'•'^^"^ 
 Sick  :  His  sivins;^  Sight  to  the  Blind  :  His  caftino, 
 out  Devils  ;  His  railing  the  Dead  :  The  Wonders 
 that  attended  his  Crucifixion  :  His  own  Refurrec- 
 tion  from  the  Dead  :  His  Appearance  :\fterwards 
 to  his  Difciples :    And  his  Afcenfion  viffbly  into 
 Heaven. 
 
 Thefe,  and  the  reft  of  his  ftupendous  MiracleSj 
 were,  lo  the  Difciples  that  faw  them^  fenfible  De- 
 monftrations  of  our  Lord's  Divine  CommilTion; 
 And  to  thofe  who  have  lived  fine e  that  Age^  they 
 are  as  certain  Demonftrations  of  the  fame  Truths 
 as  the  Teilimony  of  thofe  fir  ft  Difciples,  who 
 v/ere  Eye-witneiTes  of  them,  is  certain  and  true. 
 
 To  the  Dijciples  that  faiv  the?n^  thefe  Miracles 
 were  fenfible  and  compleat  Demonftrations  of  our 
 Lord's  Divine  Commifiion  -,  becaufe  they  v/ere 
 fo  great,  and  fo  ??iany^  and  fo  publiek^  and  fa 
 evident^  tlrac  i-t  was  abfolutely  impoiTible  they 
 fnould  be  the  Eite6t  of  any  Art  of  Man,  of  any 
 Chance  or  Fallacy  :  And  the  Doftrine  they  v/ere 
 brought  to'  confirm,  was  of  fo  good  and  holy 
 a  Tendency,  that  it  v/as  impofTible  he  fhould  be 
 inabled  to  v;ork  them  by  the  Power  and  AfTift- 
 ance  of  Evil  Spirits  :  So  that,  confequently,  they 
 iTiuft  of  neceffity  have  been  performed,  either  ijn- 
 mediately  or  mediately,  by  God  himfelf. 
 
 But  here,  becaufe  there  have  been  many  Quef- 0/ ^'"^^"  , 
 lions  raifed,  and  fome  Perplexity  introduced,   by  '^^"  ?  ^^'^ 
 the   Difputes  and   different   Opinions   of  learned 
 Men,'. concerning  the  Pozver  of  fVorkina  Miracles^ 
 and  concerning  the  Extent  of  the  Evidence  which 
 Miracles    give   to  the  Truth   of  any  Dodrine  *, 
 
 B  b  2-  And 
 
372  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 And  becaufe  it  hath  been  much  controverted, 
 whether  true  Miracles  can  be  worked  by  any  Icfs 
 Power,  than  the  immediate  Power  of  God  ♦,  and 
 whether,  to  compleat  the  Evidence  of  a  Miracle, 
 the  Nature  of  the  Doclrine  pretended  to  be  pro- 
 ved thereby,  is  requifite  to  be  taken  into  the  Con- 
 fideration,  or  no  :  It  may  not  perhaps  be  impro- 
 per, upon  this  Occafion,  to  indeavour  to  fet  this 
 whole  Matter  in  its  true  Light,  as  briefly  and 
 clearly  as  I  can. 
 
 7hat  in  re-      ift.  then  :  In  refpedl  of  the  Power  of  God,  and 
 
 fpeci  of  the  jj^  i-efpecl  to  the  iSature  of  the  things  themfelues  ab- 
 
 God! M     folutely  fpeaking,    all  things  that  are  pofTible  at 
 
 thmgi  are  all,  that  is,  which  imply  not  a  direct  contradidli- 
 
 pAike  eafy.  qj-j^  ^^g  equally  and  alike  eafy  to  be  done.     The 
 
 Power  of  God,  extends  equally   to  great  things, 
 
 as  to  fmall  •,  and  to  many,    as  to  few  :    And  the 
 
 one  makes  no  more  Difficulty  at  all,  or  Refiflance 
 
 to  his  Will,   than  the  other. 
 
 That  there-     'Tis  not  therefore  a  right  Diflinftion,  to  de* 
 
 fore  Mira-  f.^^  or  difiinguifh  a  Miracle  by  any  ahfolute  Biffi- 
 
 tltto%'^  r///^')!  in  the  Nature  of  the  thing  it  felf  to  be  done  i 
 
 defined  by  As  if  the  things  we  call  natural^    were  abfolutely 
 
 anyabfo-     and  in  their  own  Nature  caficr  to  be  effeded,  than 
 
 iHtedtffi-    t:hofe  that  we  look  upon  as  iniraculous.      On  the 
 
 duty  m  ttye  r  i      •   i  i  i         ,  • 
 
 n.%fHre  of  Contrary,    tis  evident  and  undeniable,  that  'tis  at 
 the  things  leaft  as  great  an  A61  of  Power,    to  caufe  the  Sun 
 fole'^Z  ^^  ^  Pla^^i^i  to  Move  at  all  -,  as  to  caufe  it  to  fiand 
 '  'jJill  at  any  Time.     Yet  this  latter,    we  call  a  Mi- 
 racle 5  the  former,  not.     And,  to  reftore  the  dead 
 to  Lfe^  which  is  an  Inltance  of  an  extraordinary 
 Miracle  ;  is  in  it  {q\^  plainly  altogether  as  eafy, 
 as  to  difpofe  matter  at  firft  into  fuch  order,  as  to 
 form  a  huraane  Body  in  that  which  we  commonly 
 call  a  natural  way.      So   that,    abfolutely  fpeak- 
 ing, in  This  ftria  and  philofophical  Senfe  ;    either 
 710 thing  is  miraculous,    namely  if  we  have  refpe6l 
 
 to 
 
md  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  o  nJ  3  73 
 
 to  the  P5Ver  of  God  ;  or,  if  we  regard  our  own 
 Power  and  Underftanding,  then  almoft  ever'j  things 
 as  well  what  we  call  natural,  as  what  we  call  fu- 
 pernatural,  is  in  this  Senfe  really  miraculous  ;  and 
 *tis  only  ufualnefs  or  iinujualnefs  that  makes  the 
 diilindion, 
 
 2.  What  degrees  of  Power  God  may  reafonably  whatde. 
 be  fuppofed  to  have  communicated  to  ^^^^^^^  ^^"f^^l^J^^^j 
 ingSy  to  fuhordinate  Intelligences^  to  good  or  evil  An-        ^^^^ 
 gels  *,  is  by  no  means  poffible  for  us  to  determine,  cemmmi' 
 Some  Things  abfolutely  impofllble  for  Men  to  ef-  '^^^^'^^^ 
 fed,  'tis  evident  may  eafily  be  within  the  natural  ^^'^^'^  .^ 
 Powers  of  Angels ;  and  feme  Things  beyond  the  not  pojfible 
 Fower  of  inferiour  Angels^  may  as  eafily  be  {uip-forusto 
 pofed  to  be  within  the  Natural  Power  of   others  ^^^^rmme, 
 that  are  fnperiour  to  Them  \  and  fo  on.     So  that, 
 excepting   the  original  Power    of   Creating^    the 
 Power  of  bringing    things   originally   into   Being  ; 
 which,  to  the  beft  of  our  Apprehenfion,  appears 
 not  communicable  to  Things  which  were  them- 
 felves  created  \  we  can  hardly  affirm  with  any  Cer- 
 tainty^ that  any  particular  EfFed,  how  great   or 
 miraculous  foever  it  may  feem  to  us,    is  beyond 
 the  Power  of  all  Created  Beings  in  the  Univerfe 
 to  have  produced. 
 
 'Tis  not  therefore  a  right  Diftindion,  to  define  That  therei 
 a  Miracle    ("as  fo  me  very  learned  and  very  pious  z'''^"^^.*^^" 
 Men  have  done,)  to  be  fuch  an  Effed,    as  could  J^^^^J^^""^^^ 
 not  have  been  produced  by  any  lefs  Power  xkidin  fined  to  be 
 xho-Divine  O?nnipotence,     There  is  no  Inftance  of/^^  ^» 
 any  Miracle  in  Scripture,    which  to  an  ordinary  ^^^j^^J 
 Spectator  would  necejfarily  imply   an  immediate  ha've  been 
 Creation  of  fomething  out  of  nothing  :  And  con-  produced 
 fequently  fuch  a  Spedator  could  never  be  certain^  %7erlfan 
 that  the  miraculous  EfFed  was  beyond  the  Power  ^y  -Drum 
 of  all  created  Beings  in  the   Univerfe  to  produce,  omnipo-^ 
 There  is  one  Suppofition  indeed,  upon  which  the  ^^^^^' 
 Opinion  of  all  Miracles  being  neceffarily  the  imme- 
 
 E  b  3    *  ^/^/£ 
 
i  7r  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 dlate  Effe5ls  of  the  B'robie  Omnipotence^  may  be  de- 
 feridcd  j  And  that  is,  if  God,  together  with  the 
 natural  Powers  wherewith  he  hath  indued  all  fub- 
 ordinate  Intelligent  Beings,  has  likewilc  given  a 
 Law  or  Reftraint,  whereby  they  be  hindred  from 
 ever  interpofing  in  this  lower  World,  to  produce 
 any  of  thofe  Eh'eds  which  we  call  miraculous  or 
 fapernatiiral :  But  then,  how  certain  fpever  it  is, 
 that  all  Created  Beings  arc  under  fome  particular 
 Laws  and  Reflraints  •,  yet  it  can  never  be  pro- 
 ved, that  they  are  under  fuch  Reflraints  univer- 
 fally,  perpetually,  and  without  exception :  And 
 without  this,  a  Spe>5i;ator  that  fees  a  Miracle, 
 can  never  be  certain  that  it  v.\asnot  done  by  fome 
 Created  Intelligence.  Reducing  the  natural  Power 
 of  Created  Beings  to  as  lev/  a  degree  as  any  one 
 can  defire  to  fuppofe,  will  help  nothing  in  this 
 matter  ;  For,  fuppoung  (v/hich  is  very  unrea- 
 fonable  to  fuppofe)  that  the  natural  Powers  of 
 the  higheil  Angels,  were  no  greater  than  the  na- 
 ,tural  Powers  of  Men.  -,  yet  fince  thereby  an  An- 
 gel would  be  inabled  to  do  all  That  invifibly, 
 which  a  Man  can  do  vifibly  ;  he  would  even  in 
 this  Suppofition  be  naturally  able  to  do  number- 
 iefs  things,  which  wx  fnould  efteem  the  gre;iteft 
 of  Miracles. 
 ^M  things  3,  All  things  thdX^rtBone  in  the  World,  are 
 ihM  are^  ^^^^  either  immediately  by  Dod  himfelf,  or  by 
 %lil'Ze created  Intslli^^^  Matter  ht'in^  evidently 
 
 iionee]rher  not  at  all  Capable  of  any  Laws  or  Powers  what- 
 iw^f//f^rff-^Q(.y£j-^  ^r^y  niore  than  it  is  capable  of  Intelli- 
 %%^ftr  gence  ;  excepting  only  this  One  Negative  Power, 
 hy'crlatccl  that  evcvy  part  of  it  will,  of  it  felf,  always  and 
 hteltigcnt  necefiariiy  continue  in  that  State,  v/hether  oi  Reft 
 %*'"'^'  ,    or  M^jtion^  wherein  it  at  prefeat  is.     So  that  all 
 
 Gutter  b(-^^      ^      ,.    '  s  .    ,  ^  1       r  .1,       T2C' 
 
 Ing  cip.rbuih.Qk  things  whica  we  com.moniy  lay  are  the  Lt- 
 of  m  Lavps  f^Cis  of  the  Natural  Pozvers  of  Matier^  and  Lavos 
 ':.r  fa^ns  •  r  jyi^f.^.^^ .  of  Gra'uitatiou.,  Aitracliou^ '  or  the 
 ^^^^.'^^!''^'  -'•-•■••  '    -  ■    ■       ■■•'  ^ likei 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  375 
 
 like  ;  are  indeed    (if   we  will   Ipeak  ftridly  and  q'^^^t'y^ 
 properlyj  the  Effedis  of  God's  atting  upon    Mat-  TZriy 
 ter  con-dnualjy  and  every  moment,    either  immt-  fpeakmrr.n 
 diately  by  himielf,  or  mediately  by  lome   created A'^^  ^^-H 
 intelligent  Beings :    CWhich  Obfervation,     ^Y  ^^^'comfe  or 
 way,  furnillies  us,  as  has  been  before. noted,  with /oii^r  c/ 
 an  excellent  natural  Demonflration  of  Provid^ rice.)  N^t^^fi-. 
 Confequently  there  is  no  fuch  thing,  as  what  Men^'^^*  ^^^' 
 commonly  call  the  Conrfi  cf  Nature^  or  the  Po-iver 
 of  Nature.     The   Coiirfe    of    Nature,  truly  and 
 properly  fpeaking,  is  nothing  elfe  but  the />'///  cf 
 God  producing  certain  Effects  in  a  continued,   re- 
 gular,   conftant   and   uniform   Manner  :     Which 
 Courfe  or  Manner  of  A6ting,  being  in  every  Mo- 
 ment perfectly  Arhitrar^j.,  is  as  eafie  to  be  allcred 
 at  any  time,  as  to  be  preferved.     And  if,  fas  fecms 
 moil  probable,;  this  continual  AcSling  upon  Mat- 
 ter,  be  performed  by  the  fubferviency  of  created 
 Intelligences  appointed  to  that  purpofe  by  the  Su- 
 preme Creator  -,  then  'tis  as  cafy  for  any  of  Them, 
 and  as  much  within  their  natural  Power,    (by  the 
 Permiiflion  of  God,)  to  alter  the  Courfe   of  Na- 
 ture at  any  time,  or  in  any  relped,  as  to  j.'referve 
 or  continue  it. 
 
 ^Tis  not  therefore  a  right  Difrindion,  to  ds^nQ  That  there- 
 a  Miracle  to  be  That  which  is  agmnft  the  Courfe  off^'^  ^.  ^''' 
 Nature :  meaning,   by  the  Courje  of  Nature,    the  y,„}^;iy  j^. 
 Power  of  Nature.,  or  the  Natural  Powers  of  Crea- fined  to  be 
 ted  Agents.      For,    in   this  Scnfe,  'tis  no  more  a-  '^^^^  ^'^''^^ 
 gainfl  the  Courfe  of  Nature,  for  an  Angel  to  ^^e^^l^^^furfe 
 a  Man  from  finking  in  the  V/ater^    than  for  a  Man^?/  Kctture, 
 to  hold  a  Stone  from  falling  in  the  Air,    by  over-  ^^  ^^°^^ 
 powering  the  Law  of  Gravitation  ;    And  yet  ^\'^<^^pll^r7of 
 one   is    a  Miracle,    the  other  not   fo.      In    like  created 
 manner,  'tis  no  more  above  the  natural  Power  of  ^g^^-f^* 
 a  created  Intelligence,   to  flop  the  Motion  of    the 
 Sun  or  of  a  Planet,    than  to  continue  to  carry  it  on 
 ;n  Us  ufual  Courfe  ',  And  yet  the  former  is  a  Mira- 
 B  b  4  cle. 
 
$_76  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 cle,  the  latter  not  fo.      But  if  by  the  Courfe  of 
 'Nature^  be  meant  only  (as  it  truly  fignifies)    the 
 conftant  and  unifonn  manner  of  God's  aCling  either 
 immediately  or  mediately  in  preferving  and  con- 
 tinuing the  Order  of  the  World  ;    then,    in  That 
 Senfe,    indeed  a  Miracle  may  be  rightly  defined 
 to  be  an  Efte<5l  produced  contrary  to  the  ufual 
 Courfe  or  Order  of  Nature,  by  the  unufual  Inter- 
 pofition  of  fome  Intelligent  Being  Superiour   to 
 Men  ;  As  I  fhall  have  occafion  prelently  to  ob- 
 ferve  more  particularly, 
 Thz  timea-      And  from  this  Obfervation,  we  may  eafily  dif- 
 jorMmcfs  cover  the  Vanity  and  Unreafonablenefs  of   that 
 ZhoYen-j    ^c>ftinate  Prejudice,    which  Modern  Deifts  have 
 tke  Tcljl^i'  univerfally  taken  up,  againfl  the  Belief  of   Mira- 
 hty  of  Mi' cits  in  general.     They  fee,  that  things   generally 
 ^rcrXat     S^  ^^  ^"^  ^  conflant  and  regular  Method  •,    that 
 "^  "  tho.  Frame  and  Order  of  the  World,  is  preferved 
 
 by  things  being  difpofed  and  managed  in  an  Uni- 
 form manner  ,  that  certain  Caufes  produce  cer- 
 tain Effedis  in  a  continued  SuccelTion,  according 
 to  certain  fixed  Laws  or  Rules ;  And  from  hence 
 they  conclude,  very  weakly  and  unphilofophical- 
 ly,  that  there  are  in  M-z//^r  certain  necefiary  Laws 
 or  Powers^  the  Refult  of  v/hich  is  That  which 
 they  call  the  Courfe  cf  Nature  -,  which  they  think 
 is  impofTible  to  be  changed  or  altered,  and  con-^ 
 fequently  that  there  can  be  no  fuch  thing  as  Mu 
 racles.  W^hereas  on  the  contrary,  if  they  would 
 confider  things  duly  y  they  could  not  but  fee,  thap 
 dull  and  lifelefs  Matter  is  utterly  uncapable  of  o- 
 beying  any  Laws^  or  of  being  indued  with  any 
 Powers  •,  and  that  therefore  That  Order  and  Dif- 
 pofition  of  Things,  which  they  vulgarly  call  the 
 Courfe  of  Nature^  cannot  poffibly  be  any  thing 
 t\{^^  but  the  Arbitrary  Will  a?:d  Pleafure  of  God 
 exerting  it  felf  and  a6t:ing  upon  Matter  continual- 
 ly, cither  immediately  by  it  k\^^  or  mediately  by 
 
 fome 
 
lind  Renjeakd  R  e  l  i  g  i  o  n^  57/ 
 
 fome  fubordinate  Intelligent  Agents,  according 
 to  certain  Rules  of  uniformity  and  proportion, 
 fixed  indeed  and  conftant,  but  which  yet  are  made 
 fuch  merely  by  Arbitrary  Conftitution,  not  by  a- 
 ny  fott  of  NecefTity  in  the  things  themfelves  \  as 
 has  been  abundantly  proved  in  my  former  Dif 
 courfe:  And  confequently  it  cannot  be  denied, 
 but  that  'tis  altogether  as  eafy  to  alter  the  Courfe 
 of  Nature^  d.s  to  preferve  it ;  that  is,  that  Mira- 
 cles, excepting  only  that  they  are  more  unufual, 
 are  in  tbmfehes^  and  in  the  Nature  and  P^eafon  of 
 the  things  ^s  credible  in  all  refpe^ts,  and  as  eafy 
 to  be  believed,  as  any  of  thofe  we  call  natural 
 Effecls. 
 
 4.  Thofe   Effe£ls  which  are  pnf?duced  in  the  Some  -Ej- 
 World  regularly  and  conftantly,  which  we  call  theA'^^/"'^'^* 
 JVorks  of  Nature  ;  prove  to  us  in  general,  the  Be-  pyly"l^^g 
 ing,  the  Power,  and  the  other  Attributes  of  God.  ofcoj,  and 
 Thofe  Effeds,  which,  upon  any  rare  and  e%tm^l^^'^^ 
 ordinary  Occafion,  are  produced  in  fuch   manner,  '.^^^^^^ 
 that  'tis   manifeft  they  could  neither  have  httn  jnterpofai- 
 done  by  any  Power  or  Art  of  Man^    nor  by  what  or.  cither  of 
 >ve  call  Chance^  that  is,    by  any  Compofition  01  ^J^^'^"^' 
 refult  of  thofe  Laws  which  are  God's  conflant  and  fj^g  "[J.i, 
 uniform  Adtings  upon  Matter  ;  Thefe  undeniably  Ugent  Be- 
 prove  to  us  the  immediate  and  occafional  Interpo- '"^  ^^^^J^^ 
 fition  either  of  God  himfelf,  or  at  ieaft  of  fome^^'^  ^  '^'^• 
 intelligent  Agent  Superiour  to  Men,  at  That  par- 
 ticular Time,    and  on  That  particular  Account. 
 For  infbance :  The  regular  and  continual  Effedls 
 of  the  Power  of  Gravitation^  and  of  the  Law^  of 
 Motion  \  of  the  Mechanick^    and  of   the   Afii?nal 
 Powers ;    All  thefe  prove  to  us  in  general,  the 
 Being,  the  Power,  thePrefence,  and  the  conftant 
 Operation,  either  immediate  or  mediate,  of  God 
 in  the  World.     But  if,  upon  any   particular  Oc- 
 cafion,  we  fiiould  fee  ^  Stone  fufpended  in  the  Air^ 
 
 or 
 
'^7^  The  Ev  I  DEiJ  CE  s  of  Natural 
 
 or  a  Ad'an  walking  upon  the  Watc}\  without  any' 
 vifible  fupport  \  a  chronical  Dlfcafc  cured  by  a  word 
 /peaking^  or  a  dead  and  corrupted  Body  rejlored  to 
 life  in  a  inomeni ;  We  could  not  then  doubt,  but 
 there  was  an  extraordinary  Interpol] tion  either  of 
 God  himfelf,  in  order  to  fignify  his  Plealure  up- 
 on that  particular  Occafion  -,  or  at  lead  of 
 fome  Inteihgent  Agent  far  fuperiour  to  Man,  in 
 order  to  bring  about  fome  particular  Defign. 
 
 ff^rether  5-  Whether  fuch  an  Extraordinary  Interpofition 
 fnch  Inter- of  fome  Power  Superiour  to  M(in,  be  the  imme- 
 ]>cJition  be  ^j^^^  Interpofition  of  God  hi7?ifelf^  or  of  {omtgocd 
 tiZteirork  ^^'g^K  oi'  of  fome  evil  Angel ;  can  hardly  be  di- 
 cfGod,  or  ftinguifbed  certainly,  merely  by  the  Work  or  Mi~ 
 of  Some  racle  it  felf:  (except  there  be  a  plain  Creation  of 
 ]?^^^^^'^^^"foniething  out  of  nothing,  which,  as  I  have  faid, 
 can  handy'  th^vt  does  not  certainly  appear  to  be  in  any  of  the 
 he  difcove-  Miraclcs  recorded  in  Scripture  :)  Becaufe  'tis  im- 
 rcd  merely  ^q^.Jq\q^  for  Us  to  know  with  any  certainty  J  either 
 Work  it  that  the  natural  Pov/er  of  good  Angels,  or  of 
 J'eif.  evil  ones,  extends  not  beyond  fuch  or  fuch  a  cer- 
 
 tain Limit ;  or  that  God  always  reft  rains  them 
 from  exercinng  their  natural  Pov\^ers  in  producing 
 fuch  or  fuch  particular  Elfe6LS.  Some  fmgular 
 Miracles,  fuch  as  Raifing  the  Dead^  there  is  indeed 
 all  the  Keafon  in  the  W^orld  to  believe  are  abfo- 
 lutely  beyond  the  power  of  evil  Spirits  to  effed: , 
 becaufe  we  have  the  greateft  Reafon  to  believe, 
 that  the  Souls  of  Men  are  in  the  Hand  of  God, 
 and  cannot  be  removed  by  the  natural  Power  of 
 any  interiour  Beings.  But  there  are  not  many  o- 
 ther  Inftances,  w^herein  we  can  certainly  fay  or  de- 
 term.ine,  that  this  or  that  particular  thing  is  abfo- 
 lutely  beyond  the  natural  Power  of  Good  or  Evil 
 Spirits. 
 
 'Tis 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  370' 
 
 *Tis  not  therefore  a  right  DiiLin<5tion,  to  fup-  That  thtre 
 pole  the  Wonders  which  the  Scripture  attributes  ^^'^"^"^'''^^^ 
 to  evil  Spirits,  to  be  mere  'Pr(i:jlmce^  Sleights^  or  all  thJ^^^ 
 Ddtif:^s.     For  if  the  Devil  has  any  natural  Power  iva,iders 
 of  doing  any  thing  at  all,  even  but  fo   much  as  J^''^'^'', 
 the  nleaneft  of  Men  •,    and  be  not  reftrained  ^J  stints' to 
 God   from  exercifing  that  natural   Power  *,    'tis  he  mere 
 evident  he  will  be  able,    by  reafon  of  his  Invifibi-  ^^^^tijions, 
 lity,    to  work  true  arid  real  Miracles.     Neither  is 
 it  a  right  Diflinfftion,  to  fuppofe  the  Miracles  of 
 Evil  Spirits,    not   to   be  real  Ejjetls  in  the  things 
 where  they  appear,     but  Impofi lions  upon  the  Sen- 
 fcs  of  the  Spedators  :  For,  to  impofe  in  this  man- 
 ner upon  the  Senfes  of  Men,  (not  by  Sleights  and 
 Delufjons  •,  but  by  really  fo  aiiecring  the  Organs 
 of  StrSc.,    as  to  make  things  appear  what   they 
 are  not ;)  is  to  all  Intents  and  Purpofes  as  true  a 
 Miracle,     and  as  great  an  one,    as  making  real 
 Changes  in  the  Things  themfelves. 
 
 6.  When  therefore   upon  any  particular  Occa-  ^^^  ^^. 
 fion  •,  for  Infliance,  when  at  the  Will  of  a  Perfon  c,^^^-^^^'* 
 who  teaches  fome  new  Dodirine  as  coming  from  Miracles 
 God,    and   in  Teilimony  to   the  Truth  of  that  ^'^•^'-/^:'^  ^>; 
 Dodrine,    there  is   plainly  and  manlfeftly  an  In-  JmyjZ 
 terpofition  of  fome  Superiour  Power,    producing  pochme, 
 fuch  miraculous  Effedls  as  have  been  before  men-/^c^^  th?  ^ 
 tioned    :    The  only  polTible   ways,    by  which  a  ^'''''.f f/^ 
 Spedtator  may  certainly  and  infallibly  diitinguilh,  ^;^.^ 
 v/hether  thofe  Miracles  be  indeed  the  Works  ei- 
 ther immediately  of  God  himfelf,  or,  (which  is 
 the  very  fame  thing,J  of  fome  good  Angel   em- 
 ployed by  him  ;  and   confequently  the  Doctrine 
 vvitneiTed  by  the  Miracles,    be  infallibly  true  and 
 divinely  attefted  ;  Or  v/hether,  on  the  contrary, 
 |he  Miracles  be  the  Works  of  Evil  Spirits,    and 
 confequently  the  Dodrine  a  Fraud  and  Impoiiti- 
 ,on  upon  Men  :    The  only  poffible   v/ays  (I  fay] 
 rf  diftin2;uirnin!^  this  matter  certainly  and  infaili- 
 
 bly^ 
 
§SO  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 bly,  are  thefe.  Jf  the  Dodrine  attefted  by  Mi- 
 racles, be  in  it  felf  mpious^  or  manifeftly  te'nding 
 to  promote  Vice  \  then  without  all  queftion  the 
 Miracles,  how  great  foever  they  may  appear  to 
 Us,  are  neither  worked  by  God  himfelf,  nor  by 
 his  CommifTion  ;  becaufe  our  natural  Knowledge 
 of  the  Attributes  of  God,  and  of  the  neceflary 
 difference  between  Good  and  Evil,  is  greatly  of 
 more  force  to  prove  any  fuchDodlrine  to  be  falfe, 
 than  any  Miracles  in  the  World  can  be  to  prove 
 it  true.  As,  for  example  \  fuppofe  a  Man  pre- 
 tending to  be  a  Prophet,  fhould  work  any  Mi- 
 racle, or  give  any  Sign  or  Wonder  whatfoever, 
 in  order  ro  draw  Men  from  the  Worfhip  of  the 
 True  God,  and  tempt  them  to  Idolatry,  and  to 
 the  PravStife  of  fach  Vices,  as  in  all  Heathen  Na- 
 tions have  ufually  attended  the  Worfhip  of  Falfe 
 Gods  -,  nothing  can  be  more  infallibly  certain, 
 than  that  fuch  Miracles  ought  at  firft  fight  to  be 
 D  ut  x"ii  ^^j^^^d  ^s  Diabolical.  If  the  Dodtrine  attefted 
 .1,  e^V  '  by  Miracles,  be  in  it  felf  indifferent,  that  is,  fuch 
 as  cannot  by  the  Light  of  Nature  and  right  Rea- 
 fon  alone,  be  certainly  known  whether  it  be  true 
 or  falfe  ;  and  at  the  fame  time,  in  oppofition  to 
 it,  and  in  proof  of  the  diredb  contrary  Do6lrine, 
 there  be  worked  other  Miracles,  more  and  greater 
 than  the  former,  or  at  leaft  attended  with  fuch 
 Circumftances,  as  evidently  fliow  the  Power  by 
 which  thefe  latter  are  worked,  to  be  fuperiour 
 to  the  Pov/er  that  worked  the  former  ;  then  That 
 Poftrine  which  is  attefted  by  the  Superiour  Pow-^ 
 er,  muft  neceffariiy  be  believed  to  be  Divine. 
 This  was  the  Cafe  of  Mofis,  and  the  jEgyptian 
 Magicians.  The  Magicians  v/orked  feveral  Mira-- 
 cles  to  prove  that  Mofes  was  an  Impoftor,  and 
 not  fent  of  God  ;  Mofes^  to  prove  his  Divine 
 CommiiTion,  worked  Miracles  ??wre  and  greater 
 than   theirs  ^     or  t\i^^    (which  is  the  very  fame 
 
 thing,}  ^ 
 
and  Revealed  Religion*  i^x, 
 
 thing,)  the  Power  by  which  He  worked  his  Mi- 
 racles, reflrained  the  Power  by  which  "^hey  work- 
 ed theirs,    from  being  able  at  that  time  to  work 
 all  the  fame   Miracles  that  he  did  -,   and  fo  ap- 
 peared evidently  the  •S'/^^m^z^r  P^u^d-r;  Wherefore 
 it  was    necelTarily  to  be    believed,    that  Mojes's 
 CommifTion  was  truly  from  God.    •  Jf^  in  the  laft 
 place,   the  Doctrine  attefted  by  Miracles,  be  fuch 
 as  in  its  own  Nature  and  Confequences  tends  to 
 promote  the  Honour  and  Glory  of  God,  and  the 
 pradtife  of  univerfal  Righteoufnefs  amongft  Men  •, 
 and  yet  neverthelcfs  be  not  in  it  felf  demonilra- 
 ble,  nor  could  without  Revelation  have  been  dif- 
 covered   to  be  adlually  true  \    (or  even  if  it  was 
 but  only  indifferent  in  it  felf,  and  fuch  as  could 
 not  be  proved  to  be  any  way  contrary  to,  or  in- 
 confiftent  with  thefe  great  Ends  ;)  and  there  be 
 no  pretenfe  of  more  or  greater  Miracles  on  the 
 oppofite  Side,    to  contradid   it  j    fWhich  is  the 
 Cafe  of  the  Bo^rine  and  Miracles  of  Chrift  :)  Then 
 the  Miracles  are  unqueftionably  Divine,    and  the 
 Dodlrine    muft  without  all  Controverfy   be   ac- 
 knowledged as  an  immediate  and  infallible  Reve- 
 lation from  God  :  Becaufe,  (befides  that  it  cannot  Matt.xii,' 
 be  fuppofed  that  Evil  Spirits  would  overthrow  ^^ 
 their  own  Power  and  Kingdom  \)  fliould  God  in 
 fuch  Cafes  as  thefe,  permit  Evil  Spirits  to  work 
 Miracles  to  impofe  upon  Men,  the  Errour  would 
 be  abfolutely  invincible  ;  and  That  would   in  all 
 refpeds  be  the  very  fame  thing,  as  if  God  worked 
 the  Miracles  to  deceive  Men  himfelf.     No  Man 
 can  doubt,  but  Evil  Spirits,  if  they  have  any  na- 
 tural Powers  at  all,  have  power  to  deftroy  Mens 
 Bodies  and  Lives^  and  to  bring  upon  Men  innu- 
 merable other  Calamities  ^  which  yet  in  Fall  *tis 
 evident  God  rcflrains  them  from  doing,  by  hav- 
 ing fet  them  Laws  and  Bounds  which  they  can- 
 not pafs.    Now,  for  the  very  fame  Reafon,  'tis 
 
 infinitely 
 
iS2.  The  Evidences  of  Naturat 
 
 infinitely  certain  that  God  reftrains  them  likewiff^ 
 from  iiiipofing  upon  Men's  Minds  and  Underftand- 
 higs,  in  all  ilich  Cafes  where  Wife  and  Honeil 
 and  Virtuous  Men  would  have  no  polTible  way 
 left,  by  which  they*-could  difcover  the  Impofi- 
 tion. 
 
 t;.../#-  ,^"^'^  ^5^^  ^^^  ^^^  the  difference  between  Thofe 
 rence'he-  who  bcIicve  that  all  Miracles  necefiarily  require 
 /.,r.r.;M«;nhe  immediate  Power  of  God  himfelt  to  eifed' 
 ^'  /2r  ^^'^^'  -'•-  :^^o^  ^^^o  ^c^^eve  created  Spirits  able 
 
 i?mnui':ate  to  work  Miracles,  is  nor  very  great.  They  who 
 f.r^^i'r  of  believe  all  Miracles  to  be  efiected  only  by  the 
 iiod.^or  h...edlate  Tower  of  God,    muil    do  it  upon,  thi 
 
 ■iotiotn. 
 
 ^,^,K'yre^  Ground,  that  they  fuppofe  God  by  a  perpetual 
 c^iftifio  Law  reflrains  all  fubordinate  intelligent  Ao-ent^ 
 //-.jwA-  from  interpofing  at  any  time  to  alter  the  regular 
 A?7r'r/^,s  courle  or  things  m  this  lower  World  \  (for,  to 
 /.  notxe-:'^  fay  that  created  Spirits  have  not  otherwife  a  Na- 
 gr-at  at  tiiral  Powsr,  v/hcn  unr  eft  rained,  to  do  wliat  we 
 cad  Miracles  -,  .  is  faying  that  thofe  invifible  A« 
 gents  have  no  Power  naturally  to  do  any  thing  at 
 a]].}  Avi^i  they  v/ho  believe  that  y/zZ^ir^/;;^/^  Be- 
 ings havi  Power  to  work  Miracles,  mufl  yet  of 
 nccedity  fuppofe  that  God  reftrains  them  in  all 
 i^Lich  Cafes  at  lead,  where  there  would  not  be  fuf- 
 ficient  Marks  \dl,  by  which  the  Frauds  of  evil 
 Spirits  could  be  clearly  diftinguifhed  from  the 
 TefLiirony  and  CommiiTion  of  God. 
 
 And  now   from   thefe  it^i  clear  and  undeniable 
 Propofitions,  it  evidently  follows  ; 
 
 i;l  ihat  the  true  Definition  o{  2.  Miracle,  in 
 f/';  vJ;^^.  1^^'^  Theolopcal^  Senfe  of  the  Word,  is  this  ;  that  it 
 is  a  vv-ork  erTeded  in  a  manner  itniifiial,  or  diffe- 
 rr:nt  from  the  comm.on  and  regular  Method  of 
 Providence,  by  the  interpofitiori  either  of  God 
 himfelf,  or  of  fome  Intelligent  Ao;ent  fuperiour 
 fp  ^''}-'^"^J^l  the  Proof  or  Evidence  of  fome  par- 
 ticjla-r  Dodrine,  or  in  atteftation  to  the  Autho- 
 rity 
 
 tYHS  ijh 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  3  S  j 
 
 tity  of  fome  particular  Perfon.  And  if  a  Mira- 
 cle fo  worked,  be  not  oppofed  by  fome  plainly 
 fuperiour  Power  \  nor  be  brought  to  acteft  a 
 Dodrine  t\i\\(t'c  contraditfor^j  in  it  lelf,  or  vitious  in 
 its  confequences  ;  (a  Do61:ria'e  of  which  kind,  no 
 Miracles  in  the  World  can  be  fafficient  to  prove  ;) 
 tlien  the  Dodlrine  fo  attefted  mufc  neceflarily  be 
 lookt  upon  as  Divine,  and  the  Worker  of  the 
 Miracle  entertained  as  having  infallibly  a  Com- 
 miiTion  from  God. 
 
 2.  From  hence  it  appears,    that  the  compleatx-^^ 
 De??ionp.ration  of  our  Saviour's  being  a  Teacher A'"<?^^//' 
 fent  from  God,  v/as,  to  the  Difciples  who  faw  his'^^^^f^^^ 
 Miracles^   plainly    This  :     That  the    Bocfrhie  \\(t  our  Savl- 
 taught,     being  in  it  felf  poiribje,     and  mils  con- our' s  Mir  ^t-^ 
 feqaences  Tending    to  promote  the  Honour  of^*"' 
 God  and  true  Righteoufncfs  among  Men  ;  and  the 
 Miracles  he  v/orked,    being  fuch,  that  there  nei- 
 ther was  nor  could  be  any  pretenfe  of  more  or 
 greater   Miracles   to  be   fet  up  in,  oppofition  to 
 
 them  ;  it  was  as  infallibly  certain  that  he  had  tru- 
 ly a  Divine  Commifiion,  as  it  was  certain  that 
 God  v/ould  not  himfelf  impofe  upon  Men  a  ne- 
 cefifary  and  invincible  Errour. 
 
 3.  From  hence  it  appears  how  little  reafon  there  awr^m^f 
 is,  to  objed,  as  fome  have  done,  that   we  iproy^th'-ohjeai- 
 in  a  Circle  the  D.?.'7;'W  by  xhft  Miracles,  and  the^"' ^^^^^J^^^^ 
 Miracles  by   the  Dooirine.     For  the  Miracles,    in  ^  Cirde 
 this  way  of  reafoning,  are  not  at  all  proved  by  the  Mir^t- 
 the  BoEirine  ;  But  only  the  Pojjlbilitj  and  the  gocd'^''}'^/''^ 
 Tendency,   or  at  lead  tht  Indifferency  of  the  Doc-^„//^e' 
 trine,   is  a  necelTary  Condition   or  Circumftance,  Dodrine  by 
 without  v/hich  the  ho^rrine  is  not  capable  of  being  ^^'^  ^'^'*" 
 proved  by  any  Miracles.     *Tis  indeed  the  Mira- 
 cles only,    that  prove  the  Boofrine  ;    and   not  the 
 BotJrine,   tiiat  proves   the  Miracles  :  But   then  in 
 
 order  to  this  End,  that  the  Miracles  may  prove 
 
 the 
 
3  84  The  E  V  idences  of  Natural 
 
 the  Do^rine^  'tis  always  necefTarily  to  be  firft  fup- 
 pofed  that  the  Dorcrine  be  fuch  as  is  in  its  nature 
 capable  of  being  proved  by  Miracles,     The  'DoC" 
 trine  muft  be  in    it  {^\^  poffihle   and  capable  to  he 
 proved^  and  then  Miracles  will  prove  it  to  be  ac- 
 tually   and  certainly    true.      The   DooJrine  is  not 
 firft  known  or  fuppofed  to  be  triie^  and  then  the 
 Miracles  proved  by  it  i  But  the  DoBrine  muft  be 
 fir  ft  known  to  be  fuch  as  is  pojjihle  to  he  iriie^  and 
 then   Miracles   will  prove  that  it  actually   is   fo. 
 Some  Dotlrines  are  in  their  own  nature  necejjarily 
 and  demonftrahly  true,  fuch  as  are  all  thofe  which 
 concern   the  obHgation  of  plain  moral  Precepts  -, 
 And    thefe    neither   need   nor    can    receive   any 
 ftronger    proof  from  Miracles,    than  what  they 
 have  already  (though  not  perhaps  fo  clearly  in- 
 deed  to  all    Capacities,^    from   the  Evidence  of 
 right  Reafon.     Other  Doctrines  are  in  their  own 
 Nature    necejTarily  falfe  and  impoffihle   to  he  true  ; 
 fuch  as  are  all  Ahfurdities  and  Coniradi^ions^  and 
 all  Dod:rines  that  tend  to  promote  Vice  ;     And 
 thefe    can   never  receive   any    degree  of   proof, 
 from  all  the  Miracles  in  the  World.     Laftly,  O- 
 ther  Dodtrines  are  in  their  own  Nature  indifferent^ 
 or  pojjihle^  or  perhaps  probable  to  be  true  •>    And 
 rhcfe  could  not  have  been  known  to  be  pofitively 
 true,    but  by    the  Evidence  of  Miracles,    v/hich 
 prove  them  to  be  certain.     To  apply  this  to  the 
 'Doctrine  and  Miracles  of  Chrift.     The  moral  part 
 of  our  Saviour's  Doclrine  would  have  appeared 
 infallibly  true,  whether  he  had  ever  worked  any 
 Miracles  or  no.     The  reft    of  his  Dodlrine  was 
 what  evidently  Tended  to  promote  the  Honour 
 of   God,    and    the  practife   of   Righteoufnefs  a- 
 mongft  Men  :     Therefore  That  part  alio  of  his 
 Dodtrine,    was  poffible  and  very  probable  to  be 
 true  •,  But  yet  it  could  not  from  thence  be  known 
 to  be  certainly  true,  nor  ought  to  have  been  re- 
 ceived 
 
and  Revealed  Religion;  l^i 
 
 celved  as  a  Revelation  from  God,  unlefs  it  had 
 been  proved  by  undeniable  Miracles,  And  the 
 Miracles  he  worked,  did  indeed  undeniably  prove 
 it  to  be  the  Dodtrine  of  God.  Neverthelefs,  had 
 his  Dodtrine.in  any  part  of  it  been  either  abfurd 
 and  contradi6lory  in  it  felf,  or  vicious  in  its  Ten- 
 dency and  Confequences  -,  no  Miracles  could  then 
 pofTibly  have  proved  it  to  have  been  true.  'Tis' 
 evident  therefore  that  the  Nature  of  the  Doclrine 
 to  be  proved,  muft  be  taken  into  the  Confidera- 
 Eion,  as  a  neceflary  Cireumftance ;  and  yet,  that 
 only  the  Miracles  are  properly  the  Proof  of  the 
 Dokrine  ;  and  not  the  Do5lrine^  of  the  Miracles, 
 
 4.  From  hence  it  follows,  that   the  pretended  of  the 
 Miracles  of  Apollonius  'Tyaneus^  Afifteas  Procomte- pretended 
 Jlus^  and  fome  few  others  among  the  Heathens,  e-  ^l^^^^^^^i^f^ 
 ven  fuppofing  them  to  have  been  true  Miracles^  ^nd  others. 
 (which  yet  there  is  no  Reafon  at  all  to  believe,  be- 
 eaufe  they  are  very  poorly  attefted,  and  are  in 
 themfelves  very  mean  and  trifling,  as  has  been  ful- 
 ly (hown  by  Eufebius  in  his  Book  againll  Hierccles, 
 and  by  many  late  Writers  5  but  fuppofing  them, 
 I  fay,  toh2iVchG:cn  true  Miracles  J )    yet   they  will 
 prove  nothing  at  all  to  the  difadvantage  of  Chri- 
 Itianity  -,  Becaufe  they  were  worked  either  with- 
 out any  pretenfe  of    confirming   any  new  Do^- 
 rine  at  all  ;    or  elfe  to  prove  abfurd  and  foolifh 
 Things  ;  or  to  cftablilh  Idolatry  and  the  Worfhip 
 of  Falfe  Gods  -j  And  confequeittly  they  could  not 
 be  done  by  the  divine  Power  and  Authority,  nor 
 bear  any  kind  of  "^  comparifon 
 
 with  the  Miracles  of  Cbrifi,  which  *  ^.^  ^.^,^>  ^  ^.^cccrumz 
 were  worked  to  atteft  a  Dodlrine  fjuie^q  tk?  i;r«7ysAA6|U,jv«?  rx^ 
 that  tended  in  the  high^ft  degree  <^y«//^«'?  iltrua-e^Av  k-A  rdZ 
 to  promote  the  Honour  of  God  f'  "^  '"^^^^l^  ,^  ^  i^c^^cMv. 
 the  general    Reformation  of     ^;>^^,,  ^  uv^^^t-^,^  H  ,k  "5* 
 
 Mankind,  %'^   tTrccvo^B-oa-iv ;     Origm.  ad^ 
 
 *uerf.  Csif,  lib,  z. 
 C  C  Mm-*!' 
 
3  86  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Mjcrcv  Toiviw  a-atmv  r«V«?  r  f  o  rcturil  therefore  to  the  Ar=^ 
 
 5^»     ^5      J    r-        J  gument.      1  he  iVliracles    fl  lav) 
 
 «  ^'>j  £»  TotJ  az-c,ex^i(^,  -^  T  which  our  Saviour  worked,  were, 
 
 6)(piAcv^<.ivuv  ih  iij-^v  hx'4^5-a.  tQ  the  Bifciples  that  faw  them^  fen- 
 
 c-.^^.A^^.«v.Wp^.  r  lA  ^^i^,^  DemonR-rations   of  his  di- 
 
 r^Tt'ev  ,«>e,£v  <J;5  c:5x  i^ssi  y.^o-  viHc  Lommiflion.      And  /c?  tbofe 
 
 fjjivcie,  Tcu,  Tffi  'i^o-oy  i<F6Fcv>/ji-  ijuho  hdve  Hvedfince  that  Age^  they 
 
 ,..5.  c:;;,;)  3  T.K  ^.f)  Tii,  Hfo-  ^^^  ^^  Certain  Demonftrations  of 
 
 /3r.A.p/v>)  l^re^^^*^  t^:  ^^f.  T  ^^^  fame  I  ruth,  as  the  teftimon^ 
 
 Ap^i^iuv    TTd^kicc   iT^^ccyfjuec.  of  thofe  firfl  Difciples  who  were 
 
 t/.V5,  ;$  T.  ^•4)s>K?(r«*  rf  7z:?v  Eve-witneiTes  of  them,  is  certain 
 
 "f '"":  'l;rCrr.l\^v..T  and  true  :  Which  I fiall  have  occa^ 
 
 6-jK  'Ixiii  xiyiiv.    Id.  lib.  3.  fion  to  confider  prejeutl'j. 
 
 of  ihs  fnl-     Secondly.,  The  Proof  the  Divine  Authority  of 
 fiUmgthe   ^i^g  Chriftian  Revelation,  h  confirmed  and  afcer tain- 
 
 Pycthsacs  -»  ^  j 
 
 di  an  Eri- ^^ ■}  by  the  Exdvl  Completion  hoth  of  all  thofe  Pro 
 drnce  cf     phecies  that  went  before  co?icerning  our  Lord.^    and  of 
 oursavi'    ^^gj-^  ^jj^j^i  iig  Himfelf  delivered  concerning  things  that 
 Znl  Com-  '^^^^  ^^  happen  after. 
 
 niifjion.  Concerning  the  MefTiah  it  was  foretold,  (Gen, 
 
 ^/'/^^r'^^'   I  O.J  xh-M\\tJJjot{ldco77ie.,  before  the  Scepter  de- 
 
 l,enaefor!,P^'^'^^^^  And  accordingly  Chrifl  ap- 
 
 conctrnmg  pcared  a  little  before  the  Time,  when  the  Jewifh 
 
 theMrjj:^tj.  Government  v/as  totally  deftroyed  by  the  Romans. 
 
 It  was  foretold  that  he  fhoald  come  before  the  De- 
 
 ftru(51:ien  of  the  fecond  Temple,    (Hagg.    2,  7  ;J 
 
 The  Drfire  of  all  Nations  Jfjall  come.,  and  I  will  fiU 
 
 this  Houfe  zvith  GlorVy  faith  the  Lord  of  Hofts  ;  tht 
 
 Glory  cf  this  latter  Houfe  JJj all  he  greater  than  of  tht 
 
 former :  And  accordingly  Chrift   appeared,  fomc 
 
 time  before  the  DellruSion  of  the  City  and  Tem= 
 
 pie.     It  was  foretold  that  he  fhoald  come  at  th( 
 
 End  of  490  Years,    after  the  reftoring   of  Jeru- 
 
 faleui  which  had  been  laid  waile  during  the  Cap' 
 
 tivlry,   (Ban.  9,    7.4  ;)  and  that  he  fliould  he  cu 
 
 ^ff;  andthat^  aficr  That,  the  City  and  Sanoluar'^ 
 
 JJmdt 
 
dnd  Revealed  Religion.  3  8  j^ 
 
 Jhould  he  deftroyed  and  made  de folate :  And  accord- 
 ingly^ at  what  time  foever  the  beginning  of  the 
 four  hundred  and  ninety  Years  can,  according 
 to  any  Interpretation  of  the  Words,  be  fixt ;  the 
 End  of  them  will  fall  about  the  Time  of  Chrift's 
 appearing  -,  and  'tis  well  known  how  entirely  the 
 Cily  and  Sanofuary  were  deftroyed  fome  Years  after 
 his  being  cut  off.  It  was  foretold  that  he  fhould 
 do  many  great  and  beneficial  Miracles  ;  that  the 
 Eyes  of  the  Blind  (Ifai.  35,  5.}  fnoiild  he  o-pened^ 
 end  the  Ears  of  the  Deaf  imftopped  ,  that  the  lame 
 ManjJjould  leap  as  an  Fiart^  and  the  Tojigue  of  the 
 Dumhfing:  And  this  was  literally  fulfilled  in  the 
 IVIiracles  of  Chrift  ;  The  Blind  received  their  Sights 
 (Matt.  II,  5.J  and  the  Lame  walked-,  the  Deaf 
 heard^  &'c.  It  was  foretold  that  he  fhould  die  a 
 violent  death,  (Ifai.  53^  throughout^)  and  That 
 710 1  for  hi?nfelf^  (Dan.  9,  26^)  but  for  our  T'ranf 
 grejjions^  (Ifai.  p,'^ -,  5,  6,  &  12, J  hr  the  Iniquity 
 of  us  all,  and  that  he  might  bear  the  Sin  of  many: 
 All  which,  was  exadlly  accompHihed  in  the  Suffer- 
 ings of  Chrift*  It  was  foretold,  (Gen.  49^  10.^ 
 that  to  him  fliould  the  gathering  of  the  People  he^ 
 and  {Pfal.  2^  8, J  that  God  would  give  him  the 
 Heathen  for  his  Inheritance,  and  the  utmofl  Parts  of 
 the  Earth  for  his  Poffeifwn  :  Which  was  punftually 
 fulfilled  by  the  wonderful  Succefs  of  the  Gofpei^ 
 and  its  univerfal  fpreading  through  the  World. 
 Laflly,  Many  minuter  Circumftances  were  fore- 
 told of  the  MefTiah  \  that  he  fhould  be  of  the 
 T'ribe  of  Judah,  and  of  the  Seed  of  David  ;  that 
 he  fhould  be  born  in  the  Town  of  Betblehe?n  (Mic. 
 5,  2  \)  that  he  fhould  ride  upon  an  Afs  in  humble 
 Triumph  into  the  City  of  Jerufalem,  (Zech,  9. 
 9  *,)  that  he  fhould  be  fold  for  thirty  Pieces  of  Sil- 
 ver, fZech.  II,  12  ; J  that  he  fhould  be  Scour- 
 gedy  Buffeted^  and  Spit  upon,  (Ifai,  50,  6  ;)  that 
 *  Cc  a  fc 
 
3 S 3  The  Evidences  of  Natttrat 
 
 Ms  Hands  and  Feet  fhould  be  piereedy  CPfal.  22^ 
 16;^  that  he  fhould  be  numbfed  among  Male- 
 faftors,  (Ifdl  S3^  ^^  0  that  he  fhould  have  Gall 
 ^ ;7 J /^i/^-f^^^' offered  hhn  to  drink,  (Pfal.  69,  21  -,) 
 that  they  who  faw  him  crucified,  fhould  ??iock  ac 
 him,  and  at  his  trufting  in  God  to  deliver  him,  fPfal. 
 22,  8  ',)  that  the  Soldiers  fhould  caft  Lots  for  his 
 Garments,  (Pfal,  22,  18  ;)  that  he  fhould  make 
 his  Grave  zuith  the  Rich^  (Ilai.  53^  9  ;)  and  that 
 he  fhould  rife  again  without  feeing  Corruption^ 
 ("Pfal,  16,  10  j)  All  which  Circum fiances  were 
 fulfilled  to  the  greatefl  pofTible  exaclnefs,  in  the 
 Perfon  of  Chrift  :  Not  to  mention  the  number- 
 lefs  t 'Epical  Reprefentations,  which  had  likewife 
 evidently  their  complete  Accomplifhment  in  Hi7n, 
 And  'tis  no  lefs  evident,  that  none  of  thefe  Pro- 
 phecies can  polTibly  be  applied  to  any  other  Per- 
 fon, that  ever  pretended  to  be  the  MefTiah* 
 Qfjhe  Further  ;  The  Prophecies  or  Predidions  which 
 
 prophecies  Chrifl  delivered  Himfelf,  concerning  things  that 
 ^t^^r'if'^'  ^^^^  ^^  happen  after ;  are  no  lefs  ftrong  Proofs 
 liTerld^^' ^^  the  Truth  and  Divine  Authority  of  his  Doc- 
 concernivg  trine,  than  the  Prophecies  were,  which  v/ent  he- 
 thingithat  f^^f-g  Concerning  Him.  He  did  very  particularly 
 Vatpm  pf-  '^^'^^  ^^  feveral  times  foretell  his  own  Death,  and 
 ter.  '  the  Circumflances  of  it,  (Matt.  16,  21-,)  that 
 the  chuf  Priefts  and  Scribes  fjjould  condemn  him  to 
 ^\^'  Death,  and  deliver  him  to  the  Gentiles,  that  is,  to 
 
 Pilate  and  the  Roman  Soldiers,  to  7nock  and 
 fcourge  and  crucify  hi?n,  (Matt.  20,  18  &  19?) 
 that  he  fhould  be  betrayed  into  their  Hands,  ("Matt. 
 20,  18  ;)  that  Judas  Ifeario t  WcLS  thtFcrion  who 
 would  betray  him,  (Matt,  26,  23  -,)  that  all  his 
 'Difciples  v/o\ild  for/a ke  him  and  flee,  (Matt.  26, 
 31  -5)  that  Peter  particularly,  would  thrice  deny 
 hi'm  in  one  Night,  (Mar.  14,  30.^  He  foretold  fur- 
 ther, that  he  would  rife  again  the  third  JDay^ 
 (Matt.  i(S,  21  •,)   that  atW  his  Afcenfion,    he 
 
 would 
 
and  Re'oeded  R  t  l.  r 
 
 i  O  i- 
 
 ^sa 
 
 would  fend  down  the  Holy  Ghoil  upon  hb  A 
 poftlcs,    O^^'    ^S^    '^^0    which    fhould    enable 
 them  to  work  many  Miracles,    (Mar.  i6,    17.) 
 He  foretold  alfo  ihe  Definition  of  Jerufakm  with 
 fuch  very  particular  Circumftances,  in   the  whole 
 2^th  Chapter    of  St  Matthew^    and  the    i^tk  of 
 St  Mark^  and  21/  of  St  Luke  ;  that  no  Man  who 
 reads  t  Jofephiis's  Hiftory  of  that 
 dreadful  and   unparallelled   Cala- 
 mity, can,   without  the   greateft 
 Obllinacy   imaginable,   doubt  of 
 our  Saviour's  divine  Fore-know- 
 ledge.    Laftly,  He  foretold  like- 
 wife    many    particulars    concern- 
 ing the  future  Succefs  of  the  Gof- 
 pel,  and  what  fhould  happen  to 
 feverai  of  his  Difciples  :  He  fore- 
 told what  Oppofition  and  Perfe- 
 cution    they  fhould  meet  withal 
 in    their    preaching,    {Matt.   10, 
 17  ;^  He  foretold  what  particu- 
 lar kind  of  Death  St  Peter  fhould 
 die,  (Job,   21,  18  -jj  and   hinted, 
 that  St  John  fhould  live  till  after 
 the  deftru6tion  of  Jerufalem,  Qoh. 
 21,  22  •,)  and  foretold,  that  not- 
 withilanding   all  Oppofition   and 
 Perfccutions,    the  Gofpel  fhould 
 yet  have    fuch    Succefs,     as    to 
 fprcad  it  felf   over    the  World, 
 (Matt.    16,     18  -,    24,    14  i    28, 
 19.)    All  and    every   one  of    which  particulars, 
 were  exactly  accomplinicd>  without  failing  in  any 
 refped. 
 
 Some  of  thefe  things  are  of  permanent  and  vi- 
 fible  Effeds,  even  unto  this  Day.  Particularly 
 the  captivity  and  difperfion  of  the  Jews,  through 
 all  Nations,  for  more  than  1600  Years :,  and  yet 
 
 C  ^  their 
 
 f  Very  remarkable  alfo  U 
 the  Hillory  recorded  bv  a 
 heathen  "^v.xtT,  of  what  hap- 
 pened upon  Jultan's  attempt- 
 ing to  rehuna  the  Temple. 
 Imprij  fui  memcrixm  magni' 
 iudine  cperum  gejl'ssns  propa- 
 gare,  ambitiofum  quondam  a- 
 pud  Jietrofolymdm  templutn, 
 quod  pojl  mult  A  (y^internecivn 
 cerrumina  obfidente  VeJp^Jmno 
 fojhd<i;  Tito  -e^q^re  ejl  expugna- 
 tum,  indaurare  fumpttbus  cO' 
 gitabat  immoJicu  ,  j^^egotiumq; 
 maturAndu7n  Alypi9  dederat 
 Antiocherijt^  qm  dim  Britan- 
 nia s  cur  aver  at  pro  Tr^fe^is. 
 Cum  ftaq,  ret  idem  injiaret 
 Aiyp'.uSi  juvarefq;  provina<& 
 reBor ;  metuendi  globi  finmma- 
 rum  prope  fundamsnta.  crebrii 
 affulttbfts  erumpentes  fecere  h' 
 cum  exujiis  aliqHotiei  operari- 
 ttbus  tnacccjfum  ;  Hocq;  mode, 
 elemento  dejlinatilis  repellente^ 
 cejfdvit  mceptui/}.  Ammitn. 
 Marcellin,  iib.  ii.  fub  ini* 
 tio. 
 
[jp®  The  Evidences  oj  Natural 
 
 their  continuing  a  diilind  People,  in  order  tO 
 the  fulfiUing  the  Prophecies  of  Things  ilill  fu- 
 ture :  This  (I  fay)  is  particularly  a  permanent 
 Proof  of  the  Truth  of  the  Antient  Prophecies/ 
 But  the  greatefl  pare  of  the  Inftances  above- 
 mentioned,  were  fenfible  and  ocular  Demonft rations 
 of  the  Truth  of  our  Lord's  Do6lrine,  only  to 
 thofe  Perfons  who  lived  at  the  Tims  when  they 
 happened  :  The  Credibility  of  whofe  Tefiimony 
 therefore,  Hiall  be  confidered  prefently  in  its  p'O'* 
 j'cr  Place. 
 
 o^^ieaions  ^P^  before  I  proceed  to  This  ;  it  may  not  be 
 ^^^wcrcd.  improper  in  this  placCj  to  take  notice  of  Some 
 Ohjecrions^  which  have  of  late  been  revived  and 
 urged  againft  this  whole  notion  both  of  the  Pro- 
 phecies tbenijehes-^  and  of  the  Application  of  them  to 
 Chrljl,  The  Sum  and  Strength  of  which  Objedi- 
 ons,  is  briefly  This  : 
 
 U^hat  all  the  Promifes  fuppofed  to  be  made  to 
 the  Jews  before  Chrifl's  time,  of  a  Mefftas  or  De- 
 liver  cr  ;  were  under  (toed  and  meant  of  fome  "  Tevi- 
 ''  poral  Deliverer -^  only,  who  fhould  reftore  to 
 the  Ifraelites  a  mere  worldly  Kingdom  *,  ^^  ivith- 
 '*'  01^  t  the  ieafi  hnapnaiionof  a  Spiritual  Deliverance^^* 
 or  of  any  Such  Saviour  as  is  preacht  in  the  New 
 Tellament. 
 
 I'hat^  confequei^tly,  "  All  the  Prophecies  "  Xn 
 tht  Old  Teftament,  applied  to  Chrift  by  the  A- 
 pofties  in  the  New  j  are  applied  to  him  in  a 
 Jb'enfe  merely  ^^  iypicaU  miliical^  allegorical^  or  enlg- 
 <^  fnaiical  j  '^  in  a  fenfe  ^.'■'different  from  the  ohvi- 
 "  ous  a  fid  literal  Senfe  ;  *'  by  '.'  new  inter pretati^ 
 ^^  qns  put  upon  them^  not  agreeable  to  the  obvious 
 **  dtzd  literal  meaning  of  thofe  ^Books  "  from  whence 
 they  are  cited.  That  is  to  fay  ;  That  the  Pro- 
 phecies were  z\\  of  tliem  intended  concerning  O- 
 'ihcr  Pe^'fjns^  and  Other  Perfons  Only  \    and  there^ 
 
 fore 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  391 
 
 fore  are  i^l^oiy  and  groundlefsly  applied  either  to 
 Chrift  in  particular,  or  in  general  to  the  expedla- 
 tion  of  An^  fuch  Mejfiah  as  lliould  introducQ  a  6"//' 
 ritual  and  Eternal  Kingdom. 
 
 l^hat  there  are  feveral  Paffages,  cited  by  the  A- 
 poftles  out  of  the  Old  Teltament  \  which  are  €\- 
 zh.tr  7tot  found  xhtvt  at  all ',  or  elfe  are  very  diffe- 
 rent in  the  Text  itfelf,  from  the  Citations  alleged  •, 
 and  confequently  are  by  the  Apoftles  either  7?iijun- 
 derftood  oviinifap plied. 
 
 ^hat  even  Miracles  themfelves,  "  can  never  ren- 
 '^  der  a  Foundation  valid^  which  is  in  itfelf  invalid  ; 
 "  can  never  fnake  a  Falfe  inference^  true  ;  can  ne^ 
 *'  ver  fnake  a  Prophec'j  fulfilled^  which  is  not  fulfiU 
 led',  "  can  never  make  thofe  things  to  be  fpoken 
 concerning  Chrifi^  which  were  not  fpoken  co7uerning 
 Chrift.  And  confequently,  that  the  Miracles  faid 
 to  have  been  worked  by  Chrift,  could  not  poiTibly 
 have  been  really  v/orked  by  him  ;  but  muft  of  ne- 
 cefTity,  together  with  the  IVhole  Syftefn  both  of  the 
 Old  and  New  Teftamentjhave  been  wholly  lYitEffeoi 
 of  Imagination  and  Enthufiafin,  if  not  of  Impofture, 
 
 Now  in  order  to  inable  every  careful  and  fincere 
 Reader,  to  find  a  Satisfactory  Anfwer  to  Thefe  and 
 all  other  Objedions  of  the  hke  nature  •,  I  would 
 lay  before  him  the  following  Confiderations. 
 
 I .  I  fuppofe  it  to  have  been  already  proved  in 
 the  foregoing  part  of  this  Difcourfe,  that  there 
 IS  2l  god  \  and  that  the  Nature  and  Circum- 
 llances  of  Men,  and  the  neceflary  Perfedions  of 
 God,  do  demonftrate  the  Obligations  and  the  Mo- 
 tives o^  N  ATU  R  A  L  RELIGION',  that 
 is,  that  God  is  a  MO  RAL  as  well  as  Natural 
 Governour  of  the  World.  Whoever  denies  Ei- 
 ther of  thefe  affertions,  is  obliged  to  invalidate 
 the  Arguments  alleged  for  proof  of  them  in  the 
 Former  part  of  This  Book  *,  before  he  has  any 
 C  c  4  Righc 
 
192  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Right  to  intermix  Atheiftical  Arguments  and  Obr 
 jedions,  in  the  prefent  Queftion.  It  being  evi- 
 dently ridiculous,  in  All  who  believe  not  that  God 
 is,  and  that  he  is  a  Moral  Judge  as  well  as  Natural 
 Governoiir  \  to  argue  at  all  about  a  Revelation  con- 
 cerning Religion^  or  to  make  any  Inquiry  whether 
 it  be  fyoyn  God,  or  no. 
 
 2.  As  God  has   in  fa5f  made  known  even  de- 
 
 *  Sec  a.  monflrable  Truths,  ^  Natural  and  MoralTrwthSy 
 bove,  not  to  All  men  equally  ;  but  in  different  degrees 
 Prop.  VII,  and  proportions^  to  fuch  as  have  a  Difpofition  and 
 |4-/'^j-   J)efireto  inqiiire  z^itx  xk\tv^\    So  'tis  agreeable  to 
 
 •  *         Reafon  and  to  the  Analogy  of  God's  Proceedings, 
 
 to  believe,  that  he  may  poJ}ibl)\  by  Revelation  and 
 Tradition^  have  given  '{ome  further  degrees  of  Light ^ 
 to  Such  as  are  fmcerely  defirous  to  know  and  o- 
 he^Y  him  •,  fo  that  they  who  will  Do  his  Will,  may 
 Know  of  thedodtrine  whether  it  be  of  God.  As 
 our  Natural  Knowledge  of  Moral  and  Religious 
 truths  in  fa-fb  /i,  fo  Revelation  polTiWy  may  fur- 
 ther he^  as  it  were  a  Light  Shining  in  a  dark  place. 
 
 ^^  It  appears  in  I-Iiftory,  that  the  Great  Truths 
 and  Obligations  of  Natural  Religion,  have  from 
 the  Beginning  been  Coifirmed  hy  a  perpetual  Tradi- 
 tion in  particular  Families^  wiio,  though  in  the 
 rnidll  of  Idolatrous  Nations,  yet  iledfaltiy  adhe- 
 red to  the  V/orJhtp  of  the  God  of  Nature^  the  One 
 God  of  the  Univerfe.  And  by  the  Nation  of  the 
 Jews  (notv/ithftanding  all  their  Corruptions  in 
 Pra^llfe^  yet  in  the  Syfiem  and  Confiitution  of  their 
 Religion)  has  the  fame  Ti'adition  been  continually 
 preferved.  Whereby  they  have  been  as  it  were  a 
 Ci!-}  Upon  a  HilU  Ajfandi7ig  "tejlimony  againft  an  I- 
 dolatroiis  World. 
 
 4-,  Among  the  VvVitipgs  of  all,  even  the  mofl 
 antient  and  learned  Nations,  there  are  None  hut 
 the  Bookj  of  the  Jews^  which  ("agreeably  to  the 
 dcve  de?no7'ifirated  Truths  concerning  the  God  of 
 
 I^aturs 
 
and  Revealed  B.  i:  l  i  g  J  o  n  ^  ^^  ;5 
 
 Nature  and  the  Foundanons  of  Natural  Rdi^'o.;, ) 
 have,  exclufive  of  Chan:^  and  of  NeceffitK^  aicrl^ 
 bed  either  the  Original  of  ;  tj^r  Untnerje  in  gf^ner^i, 
 fan  UniverJ}  fall  of  infinite  Fari^'tv  and  Choic^^  .  re 
 the  Will  and  Operation  of  an  b:'dlig!'nt  and  i-.  vr 
 Caufe  5  or  given  any  tolerable  Account  m  parr,. 
 cular,  of  the  Formation  of  this  our  Earth  into  its 
 prefent  habitable  State '^ 
 
 5.  But  in  T^hefe  Books,  there  is,  not  only  (in 
 order  to  prevent  Idolatry  J  a  full  Account  (agree- 
 able to  the  Principles  of  natural  Reafon,J  how 
 the  Heavens  and  the  Earth  and  all  things  therein 
 contained  are  the  Creatures  of  GO  D  ;  but  more- 
 over, an  uniform  Series  of  Hiftory,  from  the  In-* 
 fancy  of  mankind  ;  confifient  with  itfelf  and  with 
 the  State  of  the  Jeijvijh  and  Chrifiian  Church  at 
 this  day^  and  with  the  Fq/Jibilitics  of  the  predicted 
 fories  for  the  future  ;  for  feveral  Thou  finds  of 
 years.  Which  confifiency  luith  the  Poffihilities  of 
 fuch  predi6led  future  Events,  could  not  be  by 
 Chance^  (as  I  fhall  fliow  prefently  -,)  but  is itfelf  a 
 great  and  ftanding  Miracle. 
 
 6.  In  "Thefe  Books,  agreeably  to  the  Hopes  and 
 Expectations  naturally  foufided  on  the  Divine  Perfec- 
 tions^ God  did  from  the  Beginning  make,  and  has 
 all  along  continued  to  his  Church  or  "True  IVorjhip- 
 pers^  a  Promife  that  '^ruth  and  Virtue  ihould  fincill'j 
 prevail,  ihould  prevail  over  the  Spirit  of  Err  our 
 and  JVickednefs^  of  Delufion  and  Difobedience,     That 
 
 the  Seed  of  the  Woman  fhould  (i)    bruife  the  Ser-^^s^^^j 
 penfsHead'-  Thu  3.inong  Her  Pojferity^  Ihould  a- ij-. 
 rife  a  Deliverance  from  the  Delufion  and  Power  of 
 Sin,  by  which  Satan  (2)  iliould  be  bruifed  under (j,)  Rom, 
 their  Feet,     That  in  particular  from   the   Seed  ofi^*  ^o, 
 Abraham^  and  from  the  Family  of  Ifaac^  and  from 
 the  Pofterity  of  Jacobs    and  from  the  Houfe  of 
 David ^  fhould  arife  the  Accomplifhment  pf  all  God's 
 fromifes  to  his  Church,  and  all  the  Blefjlngs  included 
 
 in 
 
594  'I'^^  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 in  God's  Covenant  with  his  True  Worfhippcrs, 
 ^qj)  If.  II.  Thar,  at  length,  the  Earth  {o^)  fhould  be  full  of 
 9'^  the  Knowledge  of  the  Lordy  as  the  Waters  cover  the 
 
 ^T\y  i^r  *  *^^'^  •*  ^^^^^  ^'^^  ^^"^^  Kingdoms  of  this  world  fnould  he- 
 Dan,  7,  come  the  Kingdoms  of  the  Lord:  That,  in  the  ("5) 
 27-  ^  lajl  days,  unto  the  Mountain  of  the  Lord^s  houfe^ 
 (^:^j£.^^"' the  Seat  of  his  True  Worlhip,  fhould  all  Nations 
 \^  '  fio'w,  Ti'iat  God  would  (6)  create  JNew  Heavens^ 
 (7}  2  ^^^-  and  a  New  Earth,  (y)  wherein  dwelleth  righteouf- 
 \\\i:  60  ^^^f^'  Wherein  (8;  the  People  ihould  he  All  righte^ 
 a  I  •  65-,2  5-;'^^^-^5  ^^^  inherit  the  Land  for  ever  ;  fhould  be  All 
 II,  9 i  »»  (())  Holy,  even  every  one  that  is  (lo)  written  among 
 -<^*  ^  ^^-^^  Living,  That  God  would  (11)  fet  up  a  King^ 
 Oo)  or',^'^^'^^  which  ihould  never  he  deftroyed,  hut  Jland  for 
 Tffrtttsnun-ever :  Andthatfiij  the  Saints  of  the  moft  High 
 toLifcy  fhould  take  the  Kingdom,  and  poffefs  the  Kingdom  for 
 pjv'n7   ^"^f^^'-,  even  for  ever  and  ever. 
 
 So  D..'/2.        7.  All  the  Great  Promifes  therefore,  which  God 
 
 ^ ''  ' '       has  ever  made  to  his  C  HURC  H,    to  his  P  £  O- 
 
 ;^7fi'il  PLE,  to  the  FAMILIES  or  NATIONS 
 
 he  jcimd    of  his  True  IVorfloippers  \  are  evidently  to  be  all  a- 
 
 T!%%'^  long  fo  underftood,   as  that  Wicked   and  Unzvorthy 
 
 o"i)Dan.  Pcrfons,  of  whatever  Family  ox  Nation  or  Profeft' 
 
 2,  44.       c;?c/  religion  they  be,    fhall  be  excluded  from  the 
 
 (ii)  D?.n.ggp^gf^j-  of  Thofe  Promifes,    Ihall  be  cut  off  from 
 
 ly^lii  II]  God's  People-,  And  ^F^r/Z?)!  perfons  of   All  Nati- 
 
 tcf.  '  ens,  from  the  Eafi  and  from  the  V/efi  and  from  the 
 
 North  and  from  the  South,  fliall  be  accepted  in  Their 
 
 flead.     That  is  to  fay  :  In  like  manner  as  the  Pro- 
 
 mife  v>7as  made  originally,  not  to  All  the  children 
 
 of  Abraham^  but  to  Ifaac  only  •,    and  not  to  Both 
 
 t^e  Sons  of  I/aac,  but. to  Jacob  only:    And,    a-^ 
 
 mong  the  Poilerity  of  Jacob,  All  were  not  Ifrajl, 
 
 which  were  Of  Ijrael :,    but,    in  Elijah's-  days-,    fe-~ 
 
 ven  tlioufand  only  were  the  True  Ifrael  •,  and,  in 
 
 I'lo.  i2.  the  time  of  Ifaiah,   thougjj  the  Jtumher  of  the  chil- 
 
 V--   y,    ^^ren  of  Ifrael  was  as  the  Sand  of  the  Sea,  yet  a  rem- 
 
 "'""•  na^it  only  was  tQ  he  faved  \  And  in  Hofea  God  fays, 
 
 I  will. 
 
a7id  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  o  nJ  395 
 
 J  will  call  Them  m'j  people^  which  were  not  my  peO''^oLz,^'^: 
 ple^  and  Her  beloved^    which  was  not  beloved :    So  ^^^'  ^' 
 "'tis  all  along  evidently  to  be  underflood,    that  the^^" 
 children  of  the  Promife  in  the  literal  fenfe  according 
 to  the  FleJJo^  the  Vijible  Church  or  Profejfed  JVor- 
 Jhippers  of  the  'True  God,  are  but  the  Type  or  Re- 
 prefentative  of  the  Real  invifible  Church  of   God, 
 the  (i)  true  children  of  Abraham  in  the  fpiritual {i)Kom* 
 ^nd  religious  fenfe,  the  (2)  Saints  of  ihetnoft  High^  ^>  ^B.  5, 
 V7ho  fh  all  pGjffefs  the  Ki?igdo7n  for  ever,  even  for  ever"^/^^'^^' 
 and  ever,  even  (3j  every  one  that  is  Written  among [l,)T>^n.y, 
 the  Living.  iS. 
 
 8.  It  being  evident  that  God  cannot  be  the  GodS^^      ^ 
 of  the  dead,  but  of  the  Living-,  and  that  All  Pro-^' 
 mifes,  made  to  Such  Worfhippers  of  the  True  God 
 as  at  any  time  forfook  All  that  they  had  and  even 
 Life  itfelf  for  the  fake  of  That  Woriliip,    could 
 be  nothing  but  mere  Mockery,    if  there  was  No 
 Life  to  co7ne,    and  God  had  no  Power  to  reft  ore 
 themfrom  the  J(?^i.*  This  (I  fay  J    being  Self-evi- 
 dent, it  follows  neceffarily,    that  when  the  time 
 comes  that  The  Promifed  Kingdofn  fhall  take  place, 
 the  dead  mufb  be  raifed  -,    and  the  Saints,    which 
 have  died  in  the  intermediate  time,    mufl  live  a-  W  ^^»i 
 gain,  and  (4)  ftand  in  their  Lot  at  the  End  of  the  J^'  ^^^j 
 days.     When  God  ftiles  himfelf  (p,)  THE  God  ofy,  6,  \6, 
 Abraham,  Ifaac,  andjacob -,  and  faid  to  Abraham,  {^)  ^^^^ 
 (6)  I  am  T  HT  exceeding  great  Reward;  and,  (7))1\q'q 
 
 T  will be  a  God  unto  THE  E,  and  to  thy  feed  17,  7. 
 
 after  thee ;,  and,  (8  j  /  will  give  the  land  unto  THEE,  W  Gen. 
 and  to  thy  feed  after  thee  ;    and  repeated  the  very  '7'  S-  ^5  > 
 fame  Promifes  to  (i)  Ifaac  iind  to  (2)  Jacob  per-^[^  q^I^^ 
 finally,  as  well  as  to  (3)  their  Pofterity  after  them  ;  2^,  ?• 
 arid  yet  (4.)  gave  Abraham  none  Inheritance  in  the(^^  ^^^• 
 Land,  though  he  promifed  that  he  would  give  it  i^^?2)Deut. 
 HIM  and  to  his  Seed  after  him  \    but  Abraham  u  8. 
 himfelf  (5  J  fojourned  only  in  the  land  of  Promife,  asU)^^^7' 
 ^i  ajirah^e  country,  dwelling  in  tabernacles  with  Ifaac  J\  ^^^ 
 ;'      '  and II,  g. 
 
(7) 
 47. 
 
 Gen. 
 9- 
 
 (8j 
 J7» 
 
 Gen. 
 i8. 
 
 (9) 
 1 6, 
 
 Gen. 
 
 10. 
 
 395  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 andjacoh^  the  Heirs  with  him  of  the  fame  Promife  ; 
 (6)Heb.    who  all  (6)  confeffed  that  they  were  Strangers  and 
 II,  13.     Piigrms  on  the  Earth  ;  and  Jacob  particularly  com- 
 plained, that  (J)  the  days  of  the  years  of   his  Pil- 
 grimage had  been  Few  and  Evil ;  And,  in  blefTing 
 Jfaac  2Lnd.IfhmaeI^  God  promifed  to  (Z)  make  Ifh- 
 7naet  fruitful y  and  to  multiply  him  exceedingly ^    fo 
 that  he  fhould  beget  t-ibelve  Princes,  and  God  would 
 make  him  a  great  Nation,  and  (<))  multiply  his  Seed 
 exceedingly^  that  it  fhould  not  be  numbred  for  multi- 
 tude ;  and  yet  in  the  very  fame  featence,  expresfly 
 by  way  of  oppofition,  and  of  high  and  eminent  di- 
 fiinofion,  declares  that,    notwithftanding  all  this, 
 {xo)Gtn.yet    Cio;    his  COVENANT,     his    EVER- 
 ^ly^9>^'f^'LAS'TING  Covenant,    he  would  eftablifh  with 
 Jfaac :  When  all  This  CI  fayj    is  confidered,    the 
 Inference  of  the  Apoftle  to  the  Hebrews  cannot 
 but  appear  unanfwerably  jufb,    that  thefe  Patri- 
 (0  Heb.    archs  (i)  looked  for  a  City  fomewhat  more  than 
 II,  xo.      Temporal,  even  a  City}  which  hath  Foundations, 
 ci)  Heb.    whofe  Builder  and  Maker  is  God  -,  and  that  (i)  they 
 i  i ;  i^,  16.  ^^IjqJ}iI^^,  Such  things,  declared  plainly  that  they  fQUght 
 a  Country,  a  better  country,  that  is,    a^i  heaveyily  y 
 and  that  for  This  reafon  God  was  not  ajhamed  to  be 
 called  THE.  I R  God,  becaufe  he  had  prepared  for 
 ih?m  a  City.     And  if  this  Inference  v/as  neceiTari- 
 (f)  TIeb.    ly  True  concerning  the  Patriarchs,  who  {^)  con- 
 feffed that  they  were  Strangers  and  Pilgrim^  on  the 
 Heb.    Earth  ^    much  more,  concerning  thofe  who  f 4) 
 were    tortured^    mt  accepting  deliveraiice^    mufl  it 
 nztd'c^  be  true,    that  tlie'  only  pofTible   reafon   of 
 this  their  Choice,    was,  that   they  j?nght  obtain  a 
 better  Refurre^ion.. 
 
 Other  Notices  in  the  Old  Teflament,  that  the 
 JForfhippers  of  the  True  God  in  every  Age  of  the 
 World,  fhould  at  the  End  have  their  Lot  in  the 
 Kingdom  promifed  to  the  Saints  of  the  Moft  High  •, 
 
 are^ 
 
 II 
 
 iJ,  ?f 
 
and  Revealed  Religion 
 
 are,  the  (^)   Tranllation   of  E- 
 noch^    (6)    that  he  Jhould  not  fee 
 death  i  and  the  ("])  taking   up  of 
 Elijah  into  Heaven.    Aliufions  to 
 it   at  lead,    if  perhaps  yiot  direui 
 AiTertions,  are  the  Words  of  OJ 
 'Joh  :  (i)  I  know  that  7ny  Redeem- 
 er liveth^  and  that  he  Jhall  ft  and  at 
 the  latter  day  upon  the  Earth  :  And 
 though  after  my  Skin^  wo?y?is  deftroy 
 this  Body^     yet  in  my  Flefh  fijall  1 
 fee  God,      And   thofe  of    Ifaiah: 
 (^ )  Thy  dead  men  Jhall  live :  toge- 
 ther with   my  dead  body  Jhall  they 
 arife :    Awake  and  fmg^    ye    that 
 dwell  in  duft  -■,  for  thy  dew  is  as  the 
 ^ew  of  herbsy   and  the  Earth  Jhall 
 caft  out  the  Dead.     And,  (^)  Tour 
 Bones  JJjall  flourijh  like  an  herb. 
 in  Hofea:  (^)  I  will  ranfom  them  from  the  Power  (5-)  Hof. 
 cf  the  grave  \    Twill  redeem  them  from  Death,     O  ^3' H* 
 Death ^  I  will  be  thy  plagues  *,  O  grave ^  I  will  be  thy 
 Deftru^ion.       And  That  in  Ezekiel :  (6)    Behold^  (6)  Ezek. 
 »  the  Bones  came  together^    Bone  to  his  Bone  ;  37^  7.  8, 
 
 And  ■  the  Sinews  and  the  Flefh  came  up  upon  '®*  ^^* 
 
 the^n^  and  the  Skin  covered  them  above  \  ■  and 
 
 the  Breath  came  into  them^  and  they  livedo  and  flood 
 
 up  upon  their  feet :  ^- .-  Behold,  0  my  people^ 
 
 J  will  opvn  your  graves,    and  caufe  you  to  come    up 
 out  of  your  Graves,  and  bring  you  into  the  land  of 
 Ifrael,       Again:    The    words    of    Ifaiah-,     (7)  fj)ic.  ^yi 
 The  Righteous  perifheth,    and  ■  is  taken  away  i,  a. . 
 
 from  the  evil  to  come  ;  He  Jhall  enter  into  PEACE: 
 What  more  natural  fignification  have  they,  than 
 that  which  the  Book  of  JVifdom  expreffes,  ch.  3  ; 
 1,3;  The  Souls  of  the  righteous  are  in  the  hand  of 
 
 God', Tioey  are  in  Peace?    And  What,  but 
 
 the  Future  State,  can  the  (i)  Conclufion  of  Ifai-  ^')^^-  ^ 
 
 S97 
 
 Cf)  Gen.  5",  24.  [6)  Heb. 
 11,;-.  Wifd.4, 10.  Ecclus44, 
 16.  49,  14.  (7)  a  Kings 
 2,  II.  Ecclus  48,  9.  I  MacG. 
 2,  58.  (i)  Job  19,  25-. 
 (2)  The  introduftion  to 
 thcfe  words  is  very  folemn : 
 Oh,  that  my  Words  -were  no-a> 
 
 ^ graven  rvhh    an  iron 
 
 fen,  a?id  Lead,  in  the  rock  for 
 ever.  And  how  they  were 
 antiently  underftood,  appears 
 from  that  Addition  to  the  End 
 of  the  book  of  Job  in  the 
 LXX,     y'iyfxTTTott    3,     kvrof 
 
 y.uei<^  uvi<rr,(nv.  So  ^ob  died, 
 being  old,  and  fuU  cf  Days : 
 *'  But  'tis  written  that  he  Jlyall 
 "  rife  again,  vith  Thofe  vphom 
 *'  the  Lord  raifes  up. 
 (3)11.  16,  19.  (4)  If.  66,  14. 
 
 And  that  Paflase 
 
 ah*s 
 
 7.  66i 
 
 )t 
 
 22,2 
 
 3,24. 
 
398  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 aJfs  Prophecy  reafonably  be  referred  to  ?    BehoU^ 
 
 I  create  new  Heavens  and  a  new  Earth : ■ — .  As 
 
 the  ne-w  Heavens  and  the  new  Earth  which  I  will 
 make^  Jhall  remain  before  me^  faith  the  Lord  •,  fo 
 
 [ball  'jGur  feed  and  'jOur  name  remain.      And — 
 
 all  fie fh  fi all  come  to   worfhip  before   me^   faith  the 
 
 Lord,     And  they  /hall  go  forth  and  look  upon  the 
 
 Car  cafes  of  the  men  that  have  tranfgreffed  againfi  me : 
 
 For  their  V/orm  (hall  not  die^  neither  Jlj all  their  Fire 
 
 be  quenched^    and  they  fJoall  he  an  abhorring  unto  all 
 
 (i)  Ezek.  Fltfh,     In  like  manner  ;  ffho?n  does  God  fpeak  of 
 
 p)'^i)'^'^Y  Ezekiel,  when  he  fays,  (2)  The  Sons  of(Q,)  Za- 
 
 pil^,  Thc^ock^  that  kept  the  charge  of  my  Sanoliiaryy  JVHEN 
 
 Sons  of       the  children  of  Ifrael  went  aflray  from  me  *,    [which 
 
 Rigmcoiif-  ^^j  ^,^,^^  ^.^^   aflray^    when   the  children  of   Jfrael 
 
 (.^)*Ez-k   ^^'^-^^^  ^A^'^}S] they  fh all  enter  into  my  Santlua- 
 
 48,  II.     ry  ?  And  to  what  do  the  following  words  of  the 
 
 fame  Prophet  molt  naturally  re- 
 {1}  Zaeh.^j;  c^,  iz,  com-     fer  ?  (i)    Eviry  thing  Jhall  live^ 
 
 paredwirhR.r.22;i,2.  He      .^,/;f//,^^    the    Rivcr    COmCth  I 
 
 Ji-eTved  ?7Je  a  pure  Rner  or  wa-         ^     ?  7        7      tt  7       r.       r 
 
 tcr  of  Life :  - And  of  el-     ^^'"  ^^  ^he  Rivcr^  lipon  the  Bank 
 
 tUr  iu'c  of  the  River,  rt>aj  there     thereof,    on  this  fide  and  on  that 
 the  Tree  of  L:fe    rfr/.  t^are     n^    fhallv'ow  all  "Trees  for  Meat i 
 
 trosive  manner  cf  friitts,    and     -^     1     r    t       c   n     n         j.    r   j  -w 
 
 yeUedher  Fruit  ez^ery  Month,      "^M^  Leaf  [hall   not  fadc^    neither 
 find  the  Len-jci  of  the  'Tree  -were      fhalhthe  Fruit  thereof  be  C07  filmed  : 
 
 for  the  Healin.  of  the  Nations,  Jt  fhall  bring  forth  7UW  fruit  ac- 
 cording to  his  Months^  becaufe  their  waters  they  iffu-- 
 ed  out  of  the  S an oi nary  •,  And  the  Fruit  thereof  fjj all 
 be  for  Meat^    and  the  Leaf  thereof  ftr  Medicine, 
 
 (2)  Dan.    SiiW  niore  ilrong,  is  that  Allufion  in  Daniel:   (2) 
 
 7>9>  10.  J  j^gij^y^  iill  the  Thrones  were  cafi  down,  [till  the 
 Thrones  were  placed,]  a?id  the  Antient  of  days  did 
 fa : — — A  fer  y  ftr  earn  iff  tied  and  came  forth  from  be- 
 fore him:  Thoufand  thoufands  ?niniftred  unto  him^ 
 .  and  ten  Thoufand  times  ten  thoufand  flood  before  hi?n : 
 The  Judgment  was  fet,,  and  the  Books  were  opened. 
 But  the  following  words  of  the  fan^iC  Prophet,  are 
 
 ^fl^T'    ^^^^^'^^^  exprejs ;  (^)  Many  of  them  that  fleep  in 
 
and  Revealed  B.  e  l  i  g  l  o  k.'  5  99 
 
 the  diift  of  the  Earth  Jh all  awake,  fome  to  everlafting 
 Life,  [ever J  one  f 4;  that  fhall  he  found  written  in  (4)  ^^r-  *5 
 the  Book,]    andfo?ne  to  JJjame  and  Everlafting  Con- 
 tempt.      And  the^  that  he  wife,   fhall  floine  as  the 
 bright nefs  of  the  firmament  \  and  thej  that  turn  ma- 
 
 ny  to  right  eouf nefs,  as  the  Stars  for  ever  and  ever, • 
 
 But  go  thou  th-j  way,  till  the  end  he :    For  thou  fialt  j 
 
 reft,  and  fjjalt  ftand  in  thy  Lot  at  the  end  of  the 
 days.  Can  any  one,  who  confiders  thefe  Texts, 
 with  any  Truth  or  Reafon  affirm,  that  All  the 
 Promifes  fuppofed  to  be  made  to  the  Jews  before 
 Chrift's  time,  were  meant  of  fome  "  Temporal'* 
 Deliverance  only,  "  without  the  leaft  Lnagination 
 *''  of  a  Spiritual  Deliverance  ?  " 
 
 9.  There  are  in  the  Old  Teftament  m.any   hiti- 
 tnations,  and  fome  dire5i  Pra^di^ions,    that  all  the 
 Great  Promifes  of  God,  made  to  his  True  Wor- 
 fliippers,  Ihall  receive  their  final  Accompliflimenc 
 by  means  of  a  Particular  Perfon,  anointed  of  God 
 for  That  purpofe  •,  who,    after  the  reduction  of 
 all  Adverfaries,  fhall  fet  up  the  Evcrlafling  King- 
 dom.    The  Seed  of  Abraham,    in  which  All  the 
 Nations  of  the  Earth  were  to  be  Bleffcd  \    fand  in 
 like  manner  the  Seed  of  the  Woman,    which  v/as  to 
 hruife  the  Serpent's  Head-,)  might  originally  v/ich  e- 
 qual  propriety,  and  in  as  realbnable  and  natural 
 a  fenfe    of   the  words,    be  underftood  to  fignify 
 ("what  St  Paul  afterward  (i)  af- 
 
 ferts  it  did  fignify, J  in  the*  fingu-        (')  cd.  3,  i5.  Hcfaithvot, 
 lar   fenfe,    ^  Particular  Vtv^on^     ^"^V''n"\''/tf2  w 
 
 as,     in  the   plural  fenfe,    a    JSu7n-      That  is  to  fay;  In  the  Pro- 
 Z'fr  of  perfons.      The  ("2)     Shiloh      mifc  to  Abraham,  the  Scrip- 
 
 which  was  to  come,  and  to  whom     ^"^'^ ,  ^/",    ^^^.  ^if''^'''''', 
 
 T      r^      1      '  n     1  7  word,  Seed,  not  )n  the  Plural 
 
 the  Uatbering  of  the  people^  was  to     fenfe,  but  in  the^/^^^fi/^r  fenfe. 
 he  ;  f  the  Proinife  laid  up  in  Store,  (2)  Gen.  49, 10, 
 
 Tzl  uTTox^l^ct  uvTf^  jg  the  LXX  xtvi- 
 der  \t ;)  by  its  oppofition  in  the  Text  to  the  Terms 
 Sceptre  and  Lawgiver^    mod  naturally  fignifies  a 
 
 Single 
 
400  7be  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Single  perfon  zvbo  ivas  to  reign  ;  and,  by  the  grada^ 
 tion  in  the  words  of  the  Text,  Somewhat  of  Su- 
 perior Dignity  to  that  of  a  Sceptre  and  a  Lawgiver, 
 (i)  Num.  The  words  of  Balaam  ;  {2)  Ifljall  fee  hi?n^  but  not 
 ^fy^y^v-  nozv  ;  I  jlmll  hchold  him^  hut  not  nigh  :  "There  Jhall 
 coDu?  a  Star  out  of  Jacol\  and  a  Sceptre  foall  rife  out 
 
 of  Ifrael : out   of  Jacob  fh all  come  be  that  fijall 
 
 have  'Dominion :  are  words  fo   put  in  his  Mouth, 
 
 as  ?noJl  properly  afid  chvioufly  to  defcribe  a  much 
 
 Greater  Perfon  than  perhaps   He  thought  of,    a 
 
 much    Greater  Perfon  than  one  who  fliould  finite 
 
 the  Corners  of  A'loab^  and  deft  re  y  all  the  children  of 
 
 (i]  Deut.  Shetb.     Again  :    That  the  words  of   Mofes ;    (3  j 
 
 jS,  ly.      q-'fjg  Dord  thy  God  zvill  raife  up  uiito  thee  a  Prophet 
 
 from  the  midft  of  thee^  like  unto  Me^  unto  Himfhall 
 
 ye  hearken  ;  Were  not  meant  barely  of  Jofhua^    or 
 
 of  '^  ^  Succeffon  of  Prophets^  '*  but  of  One  who 
 
 fliould  have  as  eminent  l  legifative   Authority   as 
 
 Mofis ;  may  reafonably  be  gathered  fromi  the  oc- 
 
 cafion  of  their  being  fpoken,  not  merely  by  Mo- 
 
 Jes,  upon  a  general  Reliance  and  Trufb  that  God 
 
 Would  provide  him  a  Succefibr  -,  bat  by  God  him^ 
 
 (4.)  Deut.  frf^  upon  the  peoples  (4.)  defiring  in  Horeh^  — . — - 
 
 i^i  10,      faying^  Let  me  not  hear  again  the  Voice  of  the  Lord 
 
 ^7'io>  ^9- jjiy  God^  neither  let  me  fee  this  great  Fire  any  7nore^ 
 
 that  I  die  72ot :  Then  the  Lord  faid^  They  have  ivell 
 
 fpoken: 1  v:jill  raife  them  up  a  Prophet  from  a- 
 
 ??iong  their  brethren^  like  unto  Thee^  and  'will  put 
 my  words  in  his  Mouthy  and  he  (ball  fpeak  unt& 
 ibemall  that  I  command  hi?n  :  And  it  fJoall  come  to 
 pafsj  that  wbofoever  will  not  hearken  unto  my  words 
 which  he  fhall  fpeak  in  my  'iiame^  I  will  require  it 
 of  him.  And  that  the  words  were  Antiently,  long 
 before  the  Application  of  them  by  the  writers  ot 
 the  New  Teftament,  thus  underftood,  and  not 
 concerning  fofcua  or  a  Succe^ff  on  of  Frophtts  ;  ap- 
 pears from  thofe  additional  words,  at  the  conclu- 
 ()-)  Deur.  (jQQ  of  the  Boak  of  Deuteronomy  :  (5)  Jofjua  the 
 3-fi  9>  '3>  Son 
 
and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  on,  4®i^ 
 
 ^on  of  Nun  was  full  of  the  Sprit  of  Wifdom  ;  for 
 
 Mofes  had  laid  his  hands  upon  him, But  there  a- 
 
 rofe  not  a  Prophet  ftnce  in  Ifrael^    like  unto  Mofes^ 
 
 whom  the  Lord  knew  face  to  face.     The  PnEclidlion 
 
 of  Ifaiah,  is  ftill  clearer  :   (i)    unto  Us  a  Child  fr'O  If.  j?} 
 
 born,  unto  Us  a  Son  is  given^    and  the  Government^*  7» 
 
 fhall  be  upon  his  Jhoulders  ^    and  his   Na7ne  fljcill  be 
 
 called  (2)    Wonderful,    Counfellor, 
 
 the  mighty  God,  the  everlafting  Fa^     ^^,^1^^'^^  /^,  ^^^'  fn 
 
 ther,  the  Prince  of  Peace :    Of  the     |- j^^X,  Mev^a,^  ^cvx^^  uyy.^ 
 
 increafe  of    his    Government    and     ;\o^- asAi^/.g,  i,  0  «ry£'^o?'"?5 
 
 Peace  there  fhall  be  no  end,     upon     ^•^^'^''-'j^']  t^e  Mighty,  thePc- 
 
 ^1     cri  r   T\       -J        J       ^  7-        tentoniy  theTat^jerof  the  Age 
 
 the  Throne  of  David  and  upon  his     ^^^,^^^;  j-^^,gg^  pluerfuturi 
 
 Kingdom,  to  order  it,    and  to  efia-     fecuu.    Compare H^^.  a,  5.] 
 
 blifh  it  with  judgrnent  and  with  ju- 
 
 Jlice from  henceforth  even  FOR  EVER:  'The  zeal 
 
 of  the  Lord  of  Hofls  will  perform  this.       Again  : 
 
 C3)  Hhere  fid  all  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  th-j  ftem  0/(3)1^-"' 
 
 Jeffe, He  fhall  not  judge  after  the  fight  of  his  Ey.s^  i>  3'  <^»  9* 
 
 neither  reprove  after  the  hearing  of  his  Ears :  But 
 with  righteoufnefs  fhall  he  judge  the  Poor,  and  reprove 
 with  equity  for  the  meek  of  the  Earth  -,  and  he  fhall 
 fmite  the  Earth  with  the  rod  of  his  mouth,  and  with 
 
 the  Breath  of  his  Lips  fhall  he  flay  the  Wicked, 
 
 'The  Wolf  alfo  fhall  dwell  with  the  Lamb,    Sec  —— 
 
 They  fhall  not  hurt  nor  deflroy  in  all  7ny  Holy  Mom:- 
 
 tain  ;  For  the  Earth  fhall  be  full  of  the  Knowledge  of 
 
 the  Lord,  as  the  Waters  cover  the  Sea,     And  ("4^  (4)  if.  42  j 
 
 Behold  my  Servant^ — — mine  ele5f,  in  whom  my^>  ^4- 
 
 Soul  delighteth :  I  have  put  fny  Spirit  upon  him ;— rr.  ^^^^'  '*» 
 
 A  bruifed  reed  fhall  he  not  break  ;_^^  fhall  bring 
 
 forth  judgment   unto  Truth: till  he  have  fet 
 
 judgment  in  the  Earth,  and  the  Ifles  fhall  wait  for  his 
 Law.     The  Prophet  Jeremiah  no  lefs  plainly  :  (5)  [^)  Jer.i^^ 
 /  will  raife  unto  David  a  righteous  Branch,  and  aS'^'Z"^'* 
 King  fhall  reign  and  profper,  and  fhall  execute  judg-  '^'  ^^' 
 ment  and  jujlice  in  the  Earth  :■••   ^ -"•>»»  And  This  is  his 
 Name  whereby  he  fhall  be  called^    THE    LORD 
 Dd  OUR 
 
402  The  Evidences^?/'  Natural 
 
 OUR    RIGHTEOUSNESS.    And Ezekiel: 
 (0  Ezek.  (i)  I  will  fet  Up  one  Shepherd  over  them^    and  he 
 
 l\\'^'i^'^^'lh  all  feed  them^'  even  my  Servant  B  avid  \ — ' . 
 
 \-,\;^,\^.And  I  will  make  with  them   a  Covenant   of  Peace  ^ 
 
 Hof.  3,5-.  &c. One  King  [hall  he  King  to  them  All ;  — — 
 
 neither  Jb all  they  defile  themfelves  any  more  with  their 
 
 Idols ', and  they  all  jhall  have  One  Shepherd  \ 
 
 They  fi all  alfo  walk  in  my  judg?nents^  -■ and  my 
 
 fervant  David  Jhall  be  their  Prince  FO  R   EVER, 
 
 By  Haggai  is  the  fame  prasdidled  : 
 
 (i)  Ihgg,  1 }  6,  7.    Heb.     (2)  Tet  once^    it  is  a  little  while^ 
 
 ^^)^^^u  ciiL  .«.«,  hr.r^  and  I  will  J}jake  the  Heavens  and 
 
 (3)  The Shiloh,  untownom  ,7-        ;               /t    j    1              -r^  r 
 
 JJ;ailthe  Gxtherwg  of  the  Peo-     the  Eartb^^ ^  And  tbe(^)  Deftre 
 
 'fie  he.  Gen.  49, 10.  of  all  Nations  Jhall  co7?ie.     And  by 
 
 (4}Zech.9  5  9,  10.  Matt.      Zechary :    (^)    Behold,    thy  King 
 
 *^'^'  Cometh  unto  thee:    He  is  juft,    arid 
 
 having  Salvation  ;    loivly,    and  riding  upon  an  Afs^ 
 
 and  upon  a  Colt  the  Pole  of  an  Afe  i^^^^He  Jhall 
 
 fpeak  Peace  unto  the  Heathen  \    and   his  Dominion 
 
 Jhall  be  from  Sea  even  to  Sea,  and  frofn  the  River  e- 
 
 ven  to  the  ends  of  the  Earth,       And  by  Malachi : 
 
 {3)  Mai.    (^)  'The  LO  RD  whofn  ye  feek,  Jhall  fuddenly  come 
 
 ^' '•         to  his  Tejnple  \   even  the  Mejjenger  of  the  Covenant. 
 
 But  moil  expresfly  of  all,  hyDa- 
 
 (4)  Dan.  7;  i?,  14.  ^^^>'^'    (^)     ^ /^'^  ^^  ^^^  mght-vifi^ 
 (5-)  wi'h  reference  to  T^/'j     ons,  a?id  behold,  one  like  (^)    The 
 
 it  is,  thatChrift  in  the  Gofpcl      g^^  ^j  j^,^^^^^    ^^^^^  rj^l^j^  the  Clouds 
 
 lalTmIn,  [ndonct T^on  of  Heaven,  and  Came  to  the  AntU 
 
 of  lunrchich  is  in  [which  i?i  ent  of  days,  and  they  brought  him 
 
 the  Prophecy  is  deicrihed  as  ^^^^  before  him:  And  there  was  gi- 
 
 coming  in   the  Clouds  of]  ^^^  ^^-^^^  Dominion,  and  Glory,  and 
 
 lie'iven,    Jon.    3,    13.      -And  77    t>        1         -\r 
 
 tciis  his  Difciples.  that  they  a  Kingdom ',  that  alt  People,  JNa- 
 fhailfce  the  Son  of  i.un  com-  fions,  and  Languages  floould  ferve 
 :nsin  the  clouJscf  Hea.en,     ^.       ^-^  dominion  is  an  Everhji^ 
 
 Matr.  14, 30.     And  rhe  High-       .         7       -    -  7  •  7     /?     77        .         r 
 
 Pr-ie*.  Oc:-xi  Hereufer  ye  fliAi     %ng  dominion,  wbicb  J/jaU  not  pajs 
 fee  the  Son  of  Man  fitting  en     away  ;     and    his    Kingdom,     that 
 
 the  rt^ht  ^.a^ui  of  Ponder  and '  ^^j^-^j^  n^^j^  ^^^  ^^  dcflro^ed.  And 
 covimq-   in  the  Lioudi  ct  KSA-  ■        .-'.      .  /-      i        tt    1       r>. 
 
 xm,  Matt.  2^,  64.  the  Anointing  of  the  Holy  One, 
 
 this 
 
and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  o  n^  405 
 
 this  Prophet  calls  (6)  the  Sealing  up  of  the  Vifton{^)^^^-99- 
 and  Prophecy^    and   the  fini[hing  of  franfgrejjion^'^^' 
 and  the  making  an  end  of  Sins^    and  the  ?naking  re- 
 conciliation for  iniquity^  and  the  bringing  in  Ever- 
 lafting  Right eoufnefs,     (Do  all  thefe  things  denote 
 nothing  but  ^-^  Temporal"  Deliverance,  '-'■  without 
 *'  the  leaf  imagination  of  a  Spiritual  Deliverance  ?  ") 
 And  in  the  words  next  following,  he  is  ftyled  by- 
 name, Meffiah.     (i)  Know  therefore^  [yiHI  Know(0^a"» 
 Alfo]  and  underftand^   that  from  the  going  forth  of  9^  ^^' 
 the  Conwiandment  to  reflore  and  to  build  Jerufcdem^ 
 unto   the  Meffiah  the  Prince,  jhallbe    (2)  Seven  (x^  Seven 
 
 IVeeks,  Seprena- 
 
 ries  for 
 weeks)  of  Years,  (as   the  word  is  ufed,   Cen.  29,  27.)  That  is  to  fay. 
 Forty  nine  Ti: an  i    the  number  of  Years  appointed  un-il  the  Jubilee,  Levit. 
 ^fi'S,  9,  10.     Concerning  the  O/^^^r  Numbers  of  D^w/W  in  this  place,  I 
 Ihall  have  occafion  to  ipeak  prefently. 
 
 10.  Concerning  this  Meffiah^  in  the  fetting  up 
 of  whofe  Kingdom  All  the  Promifes  of  God  ter- 
 minate, 'tis  clearly  prasdifted  in  the  Old  Tefta- 
 ment,  that  he  fhould  arife  particularly  from  the 
 Tribe  of  Judah^  from  the  Family  of  David^  and 
 in  the  Town  of  Bethlehem, 
 
 Thcfirft  of  thefe  particulars  is  expreffed  in  thofe 
 emphatical  words  of  Jacob:  (^)  Judah^    thou  art(^)  Gen:  ^ 
 
 be  whom  thy  Brethren  fhali  praife^ thy  Fathers ^9'-  ^»  ^^■ 
 
 children  fhall  bow  down  before  thee : 'THoe  Scepter 
 
 Jhall  not  depart  from  Judah^    nor  a  Lawgiver  from 
 between  his  Feet^  until  Shiloh  come^    [LXX,    ^'*'5  ^»' 
 ix^n  7^  liTTOKu'^cc  kvrS^    till   the   accomplilhment   of 
 the  Prom.ifes  which  God  has  laid  up  in  ftore  for 
 him,]  and  unto  Hifn  fhall  the  gathering  of  the  Peo- 
 ple be.      To  which  the  Writer  of   the  Chronicles 
 feems  to  refer,  when  he  fays :    (^)    The  Genealogy  (4.)  i  Chr^ 
 is  not  to  be  reckoned  after  the  Birth-right :    For  Ju-)->  ^»  *'^ 
 dah  prevailed  above  his  Brethren,  and  of  him  came 
 the  chief  Ruler.  [i:dD  lUi^l  and  from  Hi?n  was  it 
 D  d  2  prophe- 
 
404  The  Evidences  oj  Natural 
 
 prophefied  the  Ruler  fhould  arife.]       And    the 
 {^)  Pf.  60,  pfalmiil  *,  (^)  Judah  is  m^  Lawgiver. 
 7.  108,8.      Thtfecond  is  exprelTed  in  That  Promife  to  Da- 
 
 (z)  2  Sam.  -vid  •,  (1)  Thine  Houfe^  and  thy  Kingdo7nJhall  be  efta- 
 
 7*  ^^'        hli/hed  for  ever  before  thee^  [LXX,  ^^^^^^^  f^oo,  before 
 
 Me ;]  Th'^  Throne p^ all  be  eftablifhedfor  ever.    Which 
 
 words  might  indeed,    of   themfelves,    be  under- 
 
 ftbod  concerning  a  Succejfon  of  Kings  in  the  Houfe 
 
 of  David,     But  that  God  had  a  further  and  a 
 
 greater  Meaning  in  them,  he  very  clearly  explains 
 
 (^)  If.      hy  the  following  Prophets.     By  Ifaiah  :  (^)  There 
 
 11, 1  &c.  jjj^iii  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  Stem  of  Jejfe^    and 
 
 rTv^T,^  7  ^  Branch  fh all  grow  out  of  his  roots  \  And  then  fol- 
 
 5-.  f.  Z2,  lows,  through  the  whole  chapter,    a  glorious  de- 
 
 ^^'  fcription  of  an  everlafting  Kingdom  of  Righteouf- 
 
 nefs^  over  both  Jews  and  Gentiles.      By  Jeremiah : 
 
 ('4)  Jer.    C4.J  I  will  raife  unto  David  a  righteous  Branchy  and 
 
 ^3'  >*■♦       (I   King  Jhall  reign  and  profper^    and  JJjall  execute 
 
 Judgment  and  Juftice  in  the  Earth :  jdnd  this 
 
 is  his  Name^    whereby  he  floall  be  called^    IHE 
 LORD      OUR      RIGHTEOUS  NESS, 
 (1)  Ezek.By  Ezekiel :  (i)  They  fJj  all  be  my  people^  and  I  will 
 57  >  ^'^'  ^be  their  God  :  And  David  my  fervant  Jhall  be  King 
 'over   them\    and  they  all  fhall  have  One  Sepherd : 
 —  and  my  Servant  David  fhall  be  their  Prince 
 FO  R    EVER:    Moreover  I  will  make  a  Cove- 
 nant of  peace  with  them^    it  flmll  be  an  Everlafting 
 fi)  Hof.   Covenant,     And  by  Hofeah  :    (2)  The  children  of 
 5'  ^'         Ifrael  (hall  abide  Many   Days  without  a  King  and 
 
 without  a  Prince^  and  without  a  Sacrifice : — 
 
 Afterward  fhall  the  children  of  Ifrael  return^  and 
 feek  the  Lord  their  God,,  and  David  their  King ; 
 and  fJoall  fear  the  Lord  and  his  Goodnefs^  in  the 
 LATTER  days. 
 
 The /^iri  particular,  is  expreiTed  in  thofe  words 
 
 (3)  Micaaof    Mlcah :    (o,)    But   thou,,  Bethlehem   Ephratah,, 
 
 f,-2.Matt.  ^7^^^^^^  thoube  little  among  the  thoufands  of  Judah^ 
 
 yet  out  of  thcc  fball  He  come  forth  unto  me^  that  is 
 
 tQ 
 
and  Revealed  R  e  l  i  g  i  o  n^  405 
 
 to  he  Ruler  in  Tfrael :  JVbofe  Goings  forth  ha^e  he'en 
 from  old^  from  Everlafting.  After  the  PafTages 
 now  cited  out  of  the  foregoing  Prophets,  what 
 can  be  more  jejune,  than  to  underiland  thefe  words 
 of  Micah  concerning  Zorohahel,  only  as  having 
 been  of  an  Antient  Famil-j  ? 
 
 II.  In  the  Books  of   the  Old  Teflament  'tis 
 expresfly  predided,  that  the  Kingdom  of  the  Mef- 
 fiah  fhould  extend,  not  over  the  Jews  only,    but 
 alfo  over  xhe  Gentiles,     The  (i)  Promife  made  to  (O  Gen. 
 Abraham  and  fo  often  repeated  to  Him,    and  to  '^'  ?•  *| 
 Jjaac  and  to  Jacob,  that  in  'Their  Seed  Jhould  All  the  '5' "'  ^3^ 
 Nations  of  the  Earth  be  blejjed  \  is  thus  opened  and  14. 
 explained  by  the  Prophets,     fzj  There  Jhall  be  a(^)  ^^• 
 root  of  Jejfe,  which  fh  all  ft  and  for  an  Enfign  of  the^^*  ^^' 
 people ;  To  it  (hall  the  Gentiles  feek,   and  his  Reft 
 /hall  be  glorious,      (2)    Behold  my  Servant^— ^ in  (^)  K. 
 
 whom  7nySoul  delighteth -, be  /hall  bring  forth  "j^^  ^y^- 
 
 Judgnient  to  the  Gentiles: /  will 1^^^ li,  *''^' 
 
 thee  for  a  Covenant  of  the  people,  for  a  Light  of  the 
 Gentiles,     (4)  It  is  a  light  thing,  that   thou  /houldft(^)  ^H 
 he  my  Servant  to  raife  up  the  Tribes  of  Jacob,   and  to  ^^'  ^* 
 reftore  the  preferved  of  Ifrael  -,  /  will  alfo  give  thee 
 for  a  Light  to  the  Gentiles,    that  thou  mayeft  be  my 
 Salvation  unto  the  End  of  the  Earth,     (i)  Alfo  the  (i^  in 
 Sons  of  the  Stranger,    that  joyn  themfelves  to   ther^y^'7^^^ 
 
 Lord, even    Them   will  I  bring    to   my  Holy^^'^^* 
 
 Mountain,  and mine  Houfe  Jhall  be  called  an 
 
 Houfe  of  Prayer  for  All  people.  The  Lord  God^ 
 which  gatheretb  the  Out-cafts  of  Ifrael,  faith  ;  Tet 
 will  I  gather  Others  to  hi?n,  befides  thofe  that  are 
 gathered  unto  him.     (2  J  The  Strangers  that  fojourn  a- ^^)  ^^2.t^^ 
 
 mong  you, Jhall  have  an  Inheritance  with  you^j,  i*. 
 
 among  the  Tribes  of  Ifrael,      (^)  From  the  Rifing  of(-f)  MaL 
 the  Sun  even  unto  the  going  down  of  the  fame,   ?ny^'^^' 
 Namefiall  be  great  among  /^^  Gentiles  *,  and  in  Eve-^ 
 yyplace^  Incenfe  /hall  he  offered  unto  my  Name,  and 
 D  d  3  a  pure- 
 
4g6  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 a  pure  Offering  ;  For  inj  Name  /hall  be  great  among 
 the  Heathen,  faith  the  Lord  of  Hofts, 
 
 12.  Conctrning  iht  Same  Meffiah^    of  whom  fo 
 great  things  are  fpoken,    and  whofe  Kingdom  is 
 to  be  an  Ever  lading  Kingdom-,    'tis  flill  dxpres/Iy 
 predicted  by  the  Prophets,  that  he  fhould  Suffer 
 and  be  Cut  off.     Concerning  the  very  fame  perfon, 
 who,  (^with  refpedl  to  his  coming  to  Reign ^  and  to 
 f+}  Heb.  introduce  the   everlafling  Jubilee  or  (4.)    Reft  to 
 4,0.  a;^/3.j-|^g  people  of    God,)    is   flyled  (^)  Mejfiah  "The 
 ^   V  *£)^j^  Pn;;tv  ^  Concerning  the  very  y-^wz^  perfon,    I  fay, 
 9,  2f.       '"ris  in  the  very  fame  fentence  ex p  res  fly  prasdi6ted 
 (6)  Dan.  that  he  fhould  (6)  be  Cut  off^  but  not  for  himfelf^ 
 9,  26.       j-.L,  ^.^^  ^^,^^;  ^^^  People  fiouUnot  Then  be  His ;  unto 
 fO  C-cn.  Himfjould  not  Then  (i)  the  Gathering  of  the  peo^ 
 '^^'  ^°'     pk  be,']     For  ivhtch  P^eafon^    and  alio  becaufe  the 
 v/ords  can  with  no  tolerable  Senfe  be  applied  to  a- 
 ny  Other  perfon^  and  becaufe  moreover  the  Connexi- 
 on of  the  Whole  Prophecy  leads  to  the  fame  inter- 
 pretation ;    the  5,qi  chapter  of  Jfaiah  likewife,  is 
 moil  juilly  underftood  to  be  fpoken  of  the  Mefft- 
 ah  :  (2)  There  fb  all  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  ftem 
 
 of  Jeffe  : « — (o,)  With  righteoufiefi  Jhall  He 
 
 judge  the    Poor: --—(4)  Behold  My    Servant, 
 
 mi?2e  EkB  in  whom  my  Soul  delighteth  % . 
 
 ->  he  foall  not  cry^  nor  lift  up ^  nor  caufe  his  Voice  to 
 be  heard  in  the  fireet :  A  bruifed  reed  Jhall  he  not 
 breaks  and  the  fnoaking  fax  Jhall  he  not  quench  i  he 
 foall  bring  forth  judgjnent  unto  'Truth, (§)  Be- 
 hold,   My  Servant  Jhall  deal  prudently  ^ (6.) 
 
 f*i,  I'^Qo^^'^^h    He  hath   born    our  Griefs  \ he  was 
 
 wounded  for  cur  tranfgreffions^    he  was  bruifed  for 
 
 our  iniquities: he  is  brought  as  a  Lamb  to  the 
 
 jlaughter^  and  as  a  fheep  before  her  fnearers  is  dumb^ 
 Jo  he  openeth  not  his  Mouth :  He  was  taken  from 
 ^prifbn  and  frotn  judgment y  andWho  fhall  declare  his 
 generation'^ — ^for  the  tranfgreffwn  of  my  people- 
 was  heftricken],    And  he  made  his  Grave  with  the 
 
 Wicked^ 
 
 h) 
 
 If. 
 
 (3) 
 
 I. 
 
 If. 
 
 u. 
 
 41 J 
 
 ^ 
 
 r 
 
 (r) 
 
 yr. 
 
 <6) 
 
 ■7- 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.^  407 
 
 Wicked^  and  with   the  Rich  in  his  Death : — 
 
 PFhen  thou  /halt  make  his  Soul  an  offering  for  Sin  \ 
 
 . My  righteous  Servant  Jhall  juftify  Many^  for 
 
 he  Jhall  hear  their  iniquities  : He  was  numhred 
 
 with  the  ^ranfgreffors^  and  he  hare  the  Sin  of  Ma-^ 
 ny,  and  made  Interceffion  for  the  'Tranfgreffors, 
 
 1 3 .  All  Prophecies  of  BlefTings  to  the  Worfhip- 
 pers  of  the  True  God,  expreifed  either  as  being 
 to  happen  in  the  Latter  Days^  or  in  words  which 
 imply  a  Lafting  Duration  -,  are  in  reafon  to  be  un- 
 derftood,  as  having  reference  to  the  Times  of  the 
 promifed  Kingdom  of  the  Meffiah  ;  of  whom  'tis 
 expresfly  faid,  that  he  fhall  (i)  hring  in  Everlajl- (i)  Dan: 
 ing  Righteoufnefsy  and  that  (2)  his  Do7ninion  is  an^'^^'   . 
 Everlafiing  Dominion  which  (Jo all  not  pafs  away^  anay  ^f^' 
 his  Kingdom  that  which  fhall  not  he  deflro^ed.    Some 
 Prophecies  of  this  kind,    are  direh  and    exprefs. 
 Others,  beginning  with  Promifes  of  particular  in- 
 termediate BlefTings,    and  proceeding  with  general 
 expre.flions  more  great  and  lofty ^  than  can  natural- 
 ly be  applied  to  the  ^e7nporal  Bleffing  immediately 
 fpoken  of  •,    are  mod   reafonably  underflood  to 
 have  a  perpetual  View  and  Regard  to  That  Great 
 
 and  General  Events  in  which  all  God*s  Promifes  to 
 his  true  Worfhippers  do  center  and  terminate  ;  and 
 of  which.  All  intermediate  Blejfings  promifed  by 
 God,  are  juflly  looked  upon  as  Beginnings^  Types^ 
 Pledges^  or  Earnefis, 
 
 1 4.  For  fince  from  the  exprefs  Prophecies  be- 
 fore cited  of  the  MeffiaJfs  everlafiing  Kingdom  of 
 Righteoufnefey  it  appears  that  God  had  infa£i  a  View 
 to  That,  as  the  Great  and  General  End  of  all  the 
 difpenfations  of  Providence  towards  his  true  Wor- 
 fhippers froni  the  Beginning  ;  and  (3;  no  Prophe-{^)  a  Pet: 
 cy  of  the  Scripture  is  of  any  Private  interpretation^  '*  10. 
 Cchat  is,  the  Meaning  of  Prophecies  is  not  what 
 perhaps  the  Prophet  himfef  might  imagine  in  his 
 pivate  judg7nent  of  the  State  of  things  then  pre- 
 
 D  d  4  fentj 
 
408  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 lent,)  becaufe  the  Prophecy  in  old  time  came  not  ly 
 the  JV I L  L  of  MaUy  hut  Holy  men  /pake  as  they 
 were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghoft :  there  may  therefore 
 very  pofftbly  and  very  reafonaUy  be  fuppofed  to  be 
 many  Prophecies,  which,  though  they  may  have 
 a  prior  and  immediate  reference  to  fome  nearer  E- 
 vent^  yet  by  the  Spirit  of  God^  (whom  'Thofe  Pro- 
 phecies which  are  Exprefs^  fliow  to  have  had  ?i  fur- 
 ther View,J  may  have  been  diredled  to  be  uttered 
 Ja  fuch  words,  as  may  even  more  properly  and 
 more  juftly  be  applyed  to  the  Great  Event  which 
 Providence  had  in  view,  than  to  the  intermediate 
 Event  which  God  defigned  as  only  a  Pledge  or 
 Earned  of  the  Other.  For  inftance  :  Suppofe 
 (i)  D.n.  thefe  words  of  Daniel  ;  (i)  I  beheld  till  the  thrones 
 7  i  9y  '<^=  w.ere  cafi  dozvn^  [till  the  Thrones  were  placed,]  and 
 
 the  Antient  of  Days  did  fit : A  fiery  ft  ream  iffu- 
 
 cd  and  came  forth  from  before  him  ;  thoufand  'Thou- 
 
 funds  miniftred  unto  him^  and  ten  thoufand  times  ten 
 
 'Thoufand  ftocd  before  him  ;  the  Judgment  was  fet^  and 
 
 the  Books  were  opened :  Suppofe  (I  fayj  thefe  words 
 
 li)  v5r.     -^vere  fpoken  concerning  the  (2)  flaying  of  a  wild 
 
 *''  Beaft^    or  the  deftrudiion   of  a  Temporal  Empires 
 
 yet  What  reafonable  man,  who  had  ever  elfewhere 
 
 met  with  any  Notices  of  a  Judgment  to  come^  could 
 
 doubt    but   the  Deftruffion  there  fpoken  of,  was 
 
 therefore  exprelTed  in  Thofe  words,  '  that  it  might 
 
 be  underflood  to  be  the  introduction  to  the  Ge?2e- 
 
 ral  Jud.g?neni?   The  exa5i  and  very  particular  de- 
 
 fcription  of  2i  Refurre5iion^  in  the  37/^  of  Ezekiel  y 
 
 fuppofmg  it  to  be  indeed {ipok^n  of  a  TemporalRG- 
 
 itoratipn  of  the  Jews,  yet  Who  can  doubt  but  it 
 
 was  So  worded  with  Defign^  to  allude  to  a  real  Re- 
 
 fr)  Vi\c%\i  furreBion  of  the  Dead?  The  -^ords  of  Micah  \{\) 
 
 J'  *.         Thou^  Bethlehem^     though  thou  he  little  among   the 
 
 Matt,  i,     thoufands  of  Judah^  yet  out  of  Thee  fhall  He  come 
 
 forth  unto  me^  that  is  to  he  Ruler  in  Ifrael ;  whofe. 
 
 ^oiyigs  forth  have  been  fro?n  of  Old,  from  Everlaft-. 
 
and  Revealed  P.  e  l  i  g  i  o  kl  409 
 
 hg :  fuppofing  it  pofTible  they  could  be  fpoken  of 
 Zorohahel^  yet,  if  afterwards  there  fhould  arife 
 out  of  Bethlehem  One  in  whom  were  found  all  the 
 Other  prophetick  characters  of  the  promifed  Mejji- 
 ah^  Who  could  doubt  but  the  words  were  intend- 
 ed either  folel-^  or  at  leafl  chieji^j  of  the  Latter  ? 
 T\it  vjovds  oi  Jeremy  \    {2)  Babylon  hath  been  a(t)jcr^ 
 
 golden  Cup  •, the  Nations   have  drunken  of  her^'  j^^^X" 
 
 wine^  therefore  the  Nations  are  mad :  Flee  out  of 
 the  midfi  of  Bahylon^ he  not  cut  off  in  her  ini- 
 quity : My  People^  go  ye  out  of  the  ?nidft  of  her ^ 
 
 and  deliver  ye  every  Man  his  Soul  from  the  fierce 
 anger  of  the  Lord  :    Who,  that  confiders  the  Na- 
 ture and  charauler  of  the  Babylon  in   Jeremidh'*^ 
 time,  and  compares  it  with  the  Nature  and  cha- 
 raBer  of  the  Babylon  defcribed  by  5/.  John^    can 
 doubt    but    the  Spirit  which  influenced  Jeremy^ 
 forefaw  and  iyitended  to  allude  to  That  Babylon^  which 
 had  (i)  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand^  full  of   abomina-(i)  Rev.' 
 tions,  (2)  and  the  Inhahiters  of  the  Earth  have  been  ^7'  4- 
 made  drunk  with   the  wine  of  her  fornication^    (Ij^  '^^' 
 and  the  Kings  of  the  Earth  have  committed  fornication  (-i^)  ch. 
 
 with  her :  —  Coj?ie  out  of  her ^  my  people^  that  18  i  5,  4, 
 
 ye  he  not  partakers  of  her  Sins^  and  that  ye  receive 
 not  of  her  Plagues  ?  For  the  words  of  Jeremy  are 
 moreftri^ly  applicable  to  this  latter  Babylon^    than 
 to  That  in  his  own  time.     Again  :  The  words  of 
 Ifaiah  y  (4)  Behold,  a  Virgin  fh all  conceive  and  hear  (^^)  If, 
 a  Son,  andfhall  call  his  Name  Immanuel,  that  is  to  1,  H- 
 fay,  God  with  us :  Suppofmg  Ifaiah  himfelf  could  ^'^^^•^' ^'' 
 polTibly  ^^  T*/?^^  ^m^- underfland  them  concerning'' 
 a  Son  of  his  own,  concerning  a  Son  to  be  born  of 
 a  young  woman  afterwards,    who  at  the  time  then 
 prefent  was  a  Virgin  ;  and  that  his  being  llylcd  Im* 
 manuely    meant  nothing  more,    than  that,  before 
 This  Child  was  grown  up,  Judah  fhould  be  deli- 
 vered from  the  then  threatned  incurfions  of  Ifrael 
 ^nd  Syria  y  (all  which,  notwithflanding  the  feerning 
 
 connexioA 
 
4IO  The  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 connexion  of  the  words  in  the  place  they  ftand, 
 is  very  difficult  to  fuppofe  \)  yet  if  afterwards  any 
 perfon,  comparing  the  Solemn  Introdu5lion  where- 
 with the  words  are  brought  in,    {Hear  je  now^  O 
 houfe  of  David  ;  Is  it  a  [mall  thing  for  you  to  weary 
 men^  hut  will  ye  weary  my  God  alfo  ?    therefore  the 
 Lord  h imf elf  p3 all  give  you  a  Sign  \    Behold^  a   Vir- 
 gin (hall  conceive  &c.)  If  any  one,  I  fay,  comparing 
 this  Solejnn  Introduction  with  the  Promifes  repeated 
 to  the  Houfe  of  David  in  Other  pafiages  of  the  Pro- 
 phets, that  there  fhould  be  born  unto  them  a  Son, 
 (i)  If.     who  fhould  {i)  fit  upon  the  I^hrone  of  David  and 
 9'!'  -'^•^^' upon  his  Kingdom  for  ever ^    and  of  the  increafe  of 
 37>  ^y*      whofe  government  and  peace  there  fhould  he  no  end  ; 
 and   confidering  moreover  the  chara6ter  of  this 
 (r)  Dan.  promifed  Son,  that  he  fhould  (2 J  finifh  tranfgreffi- 
 9>  ^4-       on,  and  make  an  end  of  Sins,  and  make  reconciliation 
 for  iniquity,    and  hring  in  everlafting  Righteoufnefs  : 
 If  a  perfon  confidering  and  comparing  thefe  things, 
 fhould  in  his  own  days  find  a  Son  really  horn  of  a 
 Virgin,  attefled  to  by  numerous  Miracles,   and  by 
 God's  Command  named  Jefus   (which  is  Synony- 
 mous to  Immanuel,  a  Potent  Saviour  or  God  with 
 ('r^Matt.  us,)  becaufe  ht  (i)  fhould fave  his  People fro?n  their 
 ','  ^jj      Sins,  that  is,  fhould  (2)  make  reconciliation  for  ini- 
 V^zi      '  quity,  and  hring  in  everlafting  Righteoufnefs :   Could 
 fuch  a  perfon  pofTibly  entertain  the  leafl  doubt, ' 
 whether  God  who  fent  Ifaiah  to  repeat  the  fore- 
 cited  words  to  the  houfe  of  David,  did  not  intend  ' 
 thereby  to  defcribe,    if  not  wholly  and  folely,  at 
 leaft  chiefly  and  ultimately,  this  Latter  Saviour  ?  In 
 like  manner  :  Suppofe  thofe  great  Promifes  to  Da-^ 
 {^)iS2m.vid,  (3j  concerning  the  eftablijhment  of  the  Throne 
 ^J  '^'  ^"^^of  his  Son  for  ever,  were  by  David  and  by  the  Pr<7- 
 phet  hiinfelf  that  delivered  them,    underflood  (''"ir 
 ic\^  sTTix^ii^  as  St  Peter  fpeaks, )  concerning  Solomon 
 and  a  Succeffion  of  Kings  in  his  Family  ;    yet,    when 
 following  Prophecies^  clearly  and  expresfly  declared, 
 
 that 
 
and  Re'vealed  Religion.  411 
 
 that  out  of  the  root  of  Jeffe  fhould  arife  a  Mejfiah 
 who  fhould  reign  for  ever  •,  no  reafonable  man  can 
 doubt,  but  that  th^  former  and  lefi  clear  Prophecy- 
 was  Hkewife  intended  of  God,  and  therefore  rightly 
 applied  by  the  Apoftles  of  Chrift,  to  the  fame  pur- 
 pofe.     To  give  but  One  Inftance  more  ;    Suppofe 
 the  words,  (^4)  nou  zvilt  not  leave  my  Soul  in  Hell,  (4)  PC. 
 neither  wilt  thou  fuffer  thy  Holy  One  to  fee  corrupti-  '^»  »o- 
 en  •,    were   by  David  fpoken  concerning  Himfelf^ 
 (which  however  can  no  way  be  proved  -,)  yet  Who, 
 that  (i;  knew  David  hhnfelf  to  be  a  Prophet  •,  and  CO  A^s 
 that  had  compared  the  Other  Prophecies,  con-''^''* 
 cerning  the  (2)  Branch  out  of  the  roots  of  Jejfe,  thefij  if. 
 (3;  One  Shepherd  of   Ifrael,  even  God's  {\)  ^^^-'/'.'^^ 
 vant  David  who  fhould  be  their  Prince  for  ^"^^^^7;^:^^ 
 and  yet  was  to  be  (5)    Cutoff  before  he  {\\o\x\^(^)  ver. 
 reign  for  ever ',  and  that  had  himfelf  feen  fas  St^f- 
 Peter  did;  and  adlually  converfed  with  Chrijl  ri-(^{^^^^ 
 fen  from  the  dead-.  Who  (I  fayj  in  thefe  Circum-^'^,  ^;,.  ' 
 ilances  could  poffibly  doubt,  but  that  {6)  theSpi-{6)  2  Sam. 
 rit  of  the  Lord  which  fpake  by  David,  intended  thc^3»*- 
 forementioned  words  fhould  be  underflood  of,  and 
 applied  to  Chrift  P  And  the  like  may  be  faid  con- 
 cerning fome  Other  Prophecies,  which  are  vulgar- 
 ly fuppofed  to  be  applied  typically  to  Chrift. 
 
 15.  'Tis  not  agreeable  to  Reafon,  or  to  the  A- 
 nalogy  of  Scripture,  to  fuppofe  that  the  Jews  be- 
 fore our  Saviour's  time,  could  have  a  Clear  and 
 •  Diflin^  Underflanding  of  the  Full  Meaning  even 
 of  the  Exprefs  Prophecies,  much  lefs  of  thofe 
 which  were  more  obfcure  and  indire^l »  when  Both 
 were  intended  to  be  only  (i)  as  it 
 
 were  a   Light  fhinin<i    in   a  dark       (0  See  above,  ^<ig.  39^ 
 Place.     But  thus  much  is  evident,     and  Prop.  VII.  §4.  ^^^  5 1^. 
 that  the  Jews  both  before  and  in 
 our  Saviour's  time,     had  from 
 
 thefe  Prophecies  (2)  .general...     .f^LIrrX ^pS 
 peCtatlon  of  a  Mejj:ab^    and  that     elTe  in  faris,  ut  -juUa  pro- 
 
 this 
 
4i  2  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 fefti  rerum  potirentur.     Sue-     this  Mejfmh  was  to  be,   not  merely 
 
 *^\^    -k  r  r     '  ^.^     ^''''  "temporal''    Deliverer,    but 
 
 Pmribus   perfuafio    mcrat,     ^     ^^^      -A   ^        ^         •    o       7-        , 
 antiqtits    Sacerdotum    libris     ^y^^X,  Fater  futuri   Seculi,    the 
 
 contineri,  eo  ip^o  tempore  fore.      Head  of  the  future  flate,     as  Well 
 
 iit  valefceret  oriens,  profec-     as  of  the  ^r^}^;//.     Nor  does  it  at 
 xL^         rerum  potirentur.     ^^j  ^^^^^^  ^j^^^  ^^^  ^^^^,^  j^.^^._ 
 
 pies,  when  they  (^)    thought  he 
 
 (5)  Luke  24,  21.  would  have  Redeemed  Ifrael^    or 
 
 (4)  Aas  I,  6.  ^j^^j^  ^j^gy  ^^>j  ^^^^^  .^  j^^  ^^^1^ 
 
 at  This  Time  reftore  again  the  Kingdom  to  Ifrael  -,  I 
 fay,  it  does  not  at  all  appear  that  they  expeded 
 MERELT  z  ''Temporal''  Kingdom;  but 
 their  Errour  was  in  expeding  a  Prefent  Kingdom  ; 
 and  therefore  our  Lord's  Anfwer  to  them,  is  not 
 concerning  the  Nature  but  the  TijJie  of  the  King- 
 dom. And  the  modern  Jews  at  this  Day,  who  to 
 be  fure  have  entertained  no  Prejudicate  Notions 
 from  the  New  Teftament  Writers  interpretation  or 
 application  of  Prophecies  •,  have  (I  think)  ilill  an 
 univerfal  expedation,  that  the  Meffiah  Ihall  be 
 their  Prince  in  the  future  State  as  well  as  in  the 
 prefent, 
 
 16.  V^htnjefus  Chrijl^  by  (i^  the  Works  which 
 he  did  in  his  Fathers  name^  and   (2)  which  his  Fa- 
 ther gave  him  to  finiJJj^  had  Proved  himfelf  to  be 
 Sent  of  God ;    fwhich  Truth  the  Apoftles  likewife 
 confirmed  by  Their  Teftimony,  by  their  Works^  and 
 by  layatg  down  their  Lives^  not  for  their  Opinions^ 
 which  pofTibly  Erroneous  and  Enthufiaftick  Per- 
 fons  may  fometimes  fincerely  do,  but  in  Attcfta- 
 tion  to  Fa^s  of  their  own  Knowledge  \)  and  it  ap- 
 peared moreover,  that  there  was  wanting  in  Him 
 no  CtrcumParice^  no  fine  qua  fion^  no  Chara^er,  ap- 
 propriated by  any  of  the  Antient  Prophets  to  the 
 promifed  Mefjiah  ;  He  had  then  a  clear  Right  to  ap- 
 ply to  himfelf  Jll  the  Prophecies^  which  either  di- 
 reWj  fpoke  of  the  Meffiah^  or  whichj  through  a- 
 
and  Revealed  Religion*  41  B 
 
 ay  intermediate  Events^  pointed  at  him,    and  were 
 applicable  to  him. 
 
 17.  The  Application  of  this  latter  fort  of  Pro- 
 phecies to  Chrill,  is  not  Allegorical  *Tis  not  an 
 allegorical  Application,  much  lefs  an  allegorical  Ar- 
 gument or  Reafoning.  But  they  are  apphed  to 
 Hi?n^  as  being  really  and  intentionally^  in  the  Viev/ 
 of  Providence,  the  End  and  complete  Accomplijh- 
 ment  of  that,  whereof  the  intermediate  Blejfing  was 
 a  Fledge  or  Beginning. 
 
 18.  The  Application  of  this /^//^ry^T/  of  Pro- 
 phecies to  Chrift,  was  never  by  reafonahle  Aden  urg- 
 ed as  being  itfelf  a  Proof  that  Jefus  was  the  true 
 Meffiah,     Nay,  the  Application  of  the  moil  direB 
 and  exprefs  Prophecies  whatfoever,    (unlefs  when 
 the  Chara^ers  be  fo  particular  as  not  to  be  at  all 
 compatible  to  different  perfons,  or  the  Marks  of 
 Time  be  very  definite  and  exa5f^)    has  not  of  itfelf 
 the  nature  of  a  direct  or  pofitive  Proof-,    but  can 
 only  be  ?iftne  qua  non^   an  Application  of   certain 
 Marks  or  Chara6ters,    without  which  no  perfon 
 could  be  the  promifed  Me  (pah.     Many  men  were  of 
 the  Seed  of  Abraham^  and  of  the  'Tribe  of  Juda^ 
 and  of  the  Family  of  David^  and  horn  in  Bethlehem 
 of  Jud^a^  and  Suffered^    and  were  cut  off\  And 
 yet  neither  Any  nor  All  of  thefe  Charaders,  could 
 -prove  any  man  to  be  the  promifed  Meffiah  \  But  the 
 Want  of  any  one  of  them,    would  prove  that  any 
 man  was  not  He.      The  Proof  of  7^i  being  //6t? 
 Chrifl^  were  (i^  the  JVorks  which  his  Father  gave{i]  ]oh, 
 him  to  finifh.     The  Application  oidireul  and  exprefs  S>  l^- 
 Prophecies  to  him,  is  nothing  but  fuch  a  Congruity 
 
 of  Marks  or  Chara5fers^  as  removes  all  Objedi- 
 ons  by  which  an  Adverfary  would  indeavour  to 
 prove  that  it  was  not  He.     Ought  not  Chrift  (2)'  to(i)  Luke 
 havefuffered  thefe  things^  and  to  enter  into  his  Glory  ?  ^4-*  2.6. 
 is  not  Proving  from  his  Sufferings,  that  Jefus  was 
 ?he  Chrift  >  but  removing  the  Objedion^  by  which 
 
 Some 
 
414  The  Evidences/?/  Natural 
 
 Some  were  apt  to  infer  from  his  Sufferings^  that  he 
 could  not  poffilly  be  the  Chrift.  The  Apphcation 
 of  indireof  Prophecies  to  him,  is  only  a  giving  of 
 farther  Light,  from  the  analogy  and  conformity 
 of  the  Old  Tcftament  to  the  New,  by  way  of  //- 
 luft ration  and  Confirmation^  to  fuch  as  have  been 
 before  convinced  by  tht  dire^  Proofs,  The  Proof 
 therefore  of  the  Truth  of  Chriilianity,  does 
 not  Jiand  upon  the  Application  of  Prophecies  :  But 
 the  IVorks  by  which  Chrift  proved  himfelf  to  be 
 fent  of  Gody  gave  him  a  Right  to  apply  to  himfelf 
 the  Prophecies  concerning  the  McJJiah  ;  And  the 
 Marks  or  CharaElers  of  the  promifed  Meffiah^  gi- 
 ven by  the  Prophets,  were  fo  many  Ti?/?j  by  which 
 his  Claim  was  to  be  tried.  "  Miracles  ^^  indeed 
 *'  can  never  render  a  Foundation  valid ^  which  is  in 
 *'  itfeif  i?ivalid ',  can  never  make  a  Falfe  Inference ^ 
 *'  true  •,  can  never  make  a  Pro phefy  fulfilled^  which 
 *'  is  not  fulfilled ',  can  never  mark  out  a  Meffi as y  or 
 *'  Jefusfor  the  Me  [pas  y  if  Both  are  not  marked  out 
 *'  intheOld^eftament : '^  But  Miracles  can  give 
 a  man  a/z//  and  undeniable  Clai?n  to  be  received  as 
 the  promifed  MelTiah,  if  the  prophetick  Chara- 
 cters of  the  MelTiah  be  applicable  to  him.  And 
 ^his  it  is,  by  which  Jefus  was  proved  to  be  l^h^ 
 Chrift, 
 
 19.  From  what  has  been  faid  concerning  the 
 Application  of  indireol  Prophecies ^  'tis  eafy  to  ob- 
 ferve  the  Nature  and  Ufe  of  1'ypes  and  Figures^ 
 and  Allegorical  manners  of  fpeaking  :  That  Ihefe^ 
 were  much  lefs  intended  to  be  ever  alleged  for 
 Proofs  of  the  Truth  of  a  Dodrine  ;  and  yet,  in 
 their  proper  Place,  may  afford  very  great  Light 
 and  Afiiilance  towards  the  ri^^iot  underftanding  of 
 it.  An  Inftancc  or  two,  will  make  this  mjatter 
 obvious.  There  is  a  very  remarkable  Pafiage 
 in  the  Epiftle  to  the  Galaiians^  where  the  Apo- 
 flle  himfelf  flyles  the  thing  he  is   fpeaking    of, 
 
 an 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  415 
 
 an  (i)  Allegory,  that  is,  he  draws  an  Argument  CO  Gal, 
 d/imilL  The  Allegory  or  Similitude  he  makes  ufe^'^^- 
 of,  is  not  alleged  by  him  as  a  "  Proof*  of  the 
 ^ruth  of  the  Doclrine  he  is  aflerting  •,  but  as  a  Proof 
 of  the  Falfenefs  and  Groundlefnefs  of  2i  particular  Ob- 
 je5iion  urged  by  the  Unbelieving  Jews  againfl  it. 
 The  Bo^rine  the  Apoftle  aflerts  Cboth  in  the  Epi- 
 file  to  the  Romans^  and  in  nis  to  the  Galatians^) 
 is  •,  that  Cbriftians  of  the  Gentiles^  who  imitate  the 
 Faith  and  Obedience  of  Abraham^  (being  circumcifed 
 with  the circufncifion  ■  ■  of  Chrift^  Col.  2,  ii,J 
 
 are  equally  capable  of  being  admitted  to  the  Be- 
 nefit of  God's  Promifes  to  his  People,  as  the  Jews 
 of  the  literal  Circumcifion,  who  were  lineally  de  • 
 fcended  from  that  Patriarch.  In  oppofition  to 
 this,  the  Jews  alleged,  that  fmce  to  the  Ifraelites 
 confefTedly  {^)  pertained  the  Adoption,  and  the(i)  Rom^ 
 Glory,  and  the  Covenants,  and  the  Giving  of  the  9*  4-  , 
 Law,  and  the  Service  of  God,  and  the  Promifes  ; 
 fince  1'heirs  confefTedly  were  the  Fathers  or  Patri- 
 archs, to  whom  all  the  Promifes  of  God  were  ori- 
 ginally made  ;  it  could  not  pofTibly  be  true,  Jior 
 confiflent  with  the  Promifes  of  God  made  to  their 
 Fathers,  that  thefe  Ifraelites  who  had  been  all  a- 
 long  the  peculiar  people  or  Church  of  God,  fhould 
 at  lall  be  rejeded  for  not  receiving  the  Gofpel ; 
 and  that  Believers  from  among  the  Gentiles  of  all 
 Nations,  fhould  be  received  in  Their  Head.  Now 
 in  Reply  to  this  Objedlion,  the  Apoflle  argues 
 with  the  greatefl  Juftnef  and  Strength,  from  the 
 Analogy  of  a  like  cafe  acknowledged  by  Themfelves,  in 
 which  the  Reafon  of  the  thing  was  the  fame ;  even 
 from  the  Analogy  of  God's  Method  and  Manner 
 of  proceeding,  in  the  giving  of  l^hofe  very  Origin 
 nal  Promifes  to  the  Patriarchs,  upon  v/hich  This 
 Prejudice  of  the  Jews  was  founded.  (2)  Tell  me,  (2.)Gal 
 fays  he,  ye  that  defire  to  be  under  the  Law,  do  ye  not^,  ii^^'s^c 
 hear  the  Law  ?  That  is  %  Will  ye  not  attend  to  the 
 
 Analog'^ 
 
41 6  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Analogy  of  God's  Method  of  proceeding,  in  ^hofi 
 Very  Protnifes  on  which  ye  depend  ?  For  it  is  writ- 
 ten^  that  Abraham  had  Two  So?iSy  the  one  by  a  Bond- 
 viaid^  the  other  by  a  Free  Woman :  But  he  who  was 
 cf  the  Bond-wofK-an^  was  born  after  the  Flejb ;    but 
 he  of  the  free  woman^  was  by  Fro-mife  :  JVbich  things 
 are  an  Allegor),  i^c.     That  is  to  fay  :  Even  origin 
 nallyy  the  Promife  was  not  made  to  All  the  chil- 
 dren of  Abraham^  but  to  Ifaac  only :  Which  was, 
 from  the  Beginning,  a  very  plain  declaration,  that 
 God  did  not  principally  intend  his  Promife,  to  take 
 fr^  Rom, place  in  (O  Abraham's  Defcendents   according  to 
 9>  S.         ibe  FlefJj  ;  but  in  thofe  who,  by  a  Faith  or  Fidelity 
 like  His,  were  in  a  truer  and  higher  fenfe  the  Chil- 
 dren and  Followers  of  that  Great  Father  of  the 
 FaichfuL     In  like  manner,    and  for  the  fame  rea- 
 (aJRom.fon,  the  Promife  was  not  not  made  (2)  to  Both 
 ^  ^'^^       the  Sons  of  Ifaac^    but  to  Jacob  only  :    And,  a- 
 i^)^  Rom.  j^Qpjg  j-}^^  Pofterity  of  Jacobs  All  (^  )  were  not  If- 
 {^)  Gal.  ^^^K  '"^^hich  were  Of  Ifrael.     What  ye  (^)  yourfelves 
 4>  II.       therefore,  iddth  St  Paul^  who  are  {o  defer ous  to  be 
 under  the  Mofaick  Law^  cannot  but  acknowledge 
 to  have  been  origj-nally  and  akvays  true  ;  the  fame 
 ff)  r.r.   is  true  (s)  Now,     What  was  true  concerning  the 
 ^9'  two  Sons  of   Abraham^    and  likewife  concerning 
 
 the  two  Sons  of  Ifaac^    who  were  the  Patriarchs 
 with  whom  God's  Covenant  was  originally  made  5 
 is,  by  continuance  of  the  fame  y^;7<^/^^}',  true  con- 
 cerning tlie  Covenant  ellablifhed  with  the  Fami^ 
 lies^  and  with  the  Nation  of   the  Jews,  defended 
 from  thofe  Patriarchs  •,    'tis   true  concerning  the 
 Church  of    God,    through  all  fuccefTive   Ages  , 
 ^i^Gal.    'tis  true  concerning  the  (i)  Jerufaletn  which  Now 
 J' '>*       is.  and  concerning!:  "That  which  is  to   come.     As 
 \^[    '"    (2)  Ahrakuwi  bad-Two  SoHS^  the  one  by  abond-maid^ 
 (^J  vrr.    the  other  by  a  free  woman  :  And  as  f 3 )    the  Son  of 
 :®-  the  Bund-maiJ^  though,    according  to  the  Flefj,  no 
 
 kfs  truely  his  Natunil  Defccndent  than  the  Other, 
 
 yet 
 
and  Revealed  K  Y.  1.1  CI  oii,  417 
 
 yec  was  not  to  be  Co-Hiir  with  Him  who,  by  the 
 Promife  of  God,  was  appointed  to  inherit :    Soj 
 fays  the  Apoftle,  the  C4)  Jerufalem  ivhich  Noia  is,  (^'x^-. 
 and  IS  tn  bondage  -Kith  her  children  ;  the  vifiMe  earth-  '->'  ^<^- 
 ly  Church,  which  received  the  external  ceremonial 
 Law  fi-om  Mount  Sim  ;    is  not,    by  that  cutzvard 
 general  denomination,  indtled  to   the  eternal  fa- 
 vour  of  God  :  But  the  Jerufalem   which  is   above 
 ivhtch  IS  the  Mother  of  us  all,  of  JH  who  by  true 
 Faith  and  fincere  Obedience  are  pleafing  to  God  -, 
 This  heavenly   Jerufalem,     this  'fpiritual    invifible 
 Church  or  City  of  the  Living  God  it  is,  to  which  all 
 thtPromifes  of  God,    made  in  All  Ages  to  his 
 Church,  are,  in  reality,  originally  and  finally  ap- 
 propriated. ^ 
 
 From  this  remarkable  Inftance,  'tis  well  worth 
 obfervingbycheway,  that  when  the  Apoftles  are 
 luppofed  50  argue  with  the  Jews  ad  Hominem,  the 
 Meaning  is  that  Arguments  alleged  by  the  Apo- 
 Ides  to  the  Jews  in  particular,  ditfer  from  Argu- 
 ments  brought  to  the  Gentiles,  in  This  ;  not  that 
 they  were  at  any  time  Arguments  drawn  from 
 t\iiags  acknowledged  by  the  Jews,  and  «  themfelves 
 otherwife  inconclufive  ;  but  that  they  were  drawn, 
 jujtly2.ndftrongly,  from  things  well  known  among 
 the  Jews,  though  what  the  Gentiles  were  Strangers 
 
 The  correfpondencies  of  types  and  Jntitym, 
 though  they  are  not  themfelves  proper  Proofs  of 
 the  Truth  of  a  dodrine,  yet  they  may  be  very 
 reafonable  Confirmations  of   the  Foreknowledge  of 
 
 j%  '  r.^r  "r"''"'"'"'  ^''"'^  "/  Providence  ulider 
 different  Bifpenfations;  of  the  Analogy,  Harmony, 
 and  Agreement  between  the  old  Teftament  and  the 
 
 ;    ,•■    ,     .^T^'r','"   ^^^  Law,    concernine  one 
 particular  kmd  of  death  ;  (i)  He  that  is  hanged,  »(,1  Deuf 
 accurfedof  God;  can  hardly  be  conceived  to^^ve^.-S 
 been  put  m  upon  any  other  account,  than  with  a 
 £.  e  Viein 
 
41 S  The  EviDENCES^Tf  Natural 
 
 View  and  Forefight  to  the  application  made  of  it 
 (i)  Gal.    by  (2)  St  Paul     The  Analogies  between  the    (^) 
 5'  y-   ^    Pafchal  Lamb^  and  the  Lamh  of  Godfiain  from  the 
 iiiii,.^6.  Foundalion   of  the  Worldly    between  xht  Egyptian 
 Joh.  1,19.  Bondage^  and  the  tyranny   of  Sin-,    between  the 
 19. 3<5.      ^^j  Baptifen  of  the  Ifraelites  in  the  Sea  and  in  the 
 (4)  i  Cor.  ^loud^  and  the  Baptifm  of  Chiflians  -,  between  the 
 105  J,  1,  (^)  Pajfage  through  the  JVildernefs^    and   through 
 (5-)  Heb.     the  Prefcnt  JVcrld  -,    between    (6)    Jefus  SJcfnua] 
 i'jifi.g!  bringing  the  People  into  x\\q,  promijed  Land^  and 
 1  Co'r.'ioi  Jefus  Chrift  being  the  Captain  of  Salvation  to  Be» 
 1— II.      lie  vers  i  between  the  Sabbath  of  (J)   Refi  promi- 
 ^.  g  ^  "   fed  to  the  people  of  God  in  the  earthly  Canaan^  and 
 (7)  Heb.     the  Eternal  Refi  promifed  in  the  Heavenly  Canaan  ; 
 A->  f.  9'  I-  between  the  ^8  j  Liberty  granted  from  the  time  of 
 ^^^^^"""^^^ihtBeathofthe  High  Priefi,  to  him  that  had  fled  into 
 ^pj  Heb.  '  ^  ^^^y  ^f  ^^fi'g^->  ^n^  the  Redemption  purchafed  by 
 9.25-.       the  Death  of  Chrijf ;  between  the  (g)  High  Priefi 
 (ro)   ^^'^^-ent ring  into  the  Holy  place  every  year  with  Blood  of 
 9^  12,  H>  Qi^^f^^  3^nj  Chrill's  Cio)  c?;/r^  entring  with  his  own 
 (i)  Col.     blood  into  heaven  itfelf  to  appear  in  the  pre  fence  of 
 i>  17-        God  for  us:  Thefe  (i  fayj  and  innumerable  other 
 (2)  He  .     jinalogies^  between  the    (i)  Shadows  of   things  to 
 (2)' Heb,    co7ne^  the  (2)  Shadows  of  good  things  to  co?ne^    the 
 ^' ^-         (3  J  Shadows  of  heavenly  things^  the  (4)  Figures  for 
 (4)  Heb.    ^jj^  ^-^^^^^  ^j^^yj^  prefent^  the  (5)  patterns  of  things  in  the 
 (f)  Htb.    heavenSy  and  (6j  T7^^  Heavenly  Things  Themfelves  ; 
 9,  25.       cannot,  without  the  force  of  flrong  Prejudice,  be 
 [6]  Heb,   conceived  to    have  happened    by   Mere  Chance, 
 ^'  ^'         without  Any  Foreftght  or  Defign,      There  are  no 
 fuch  Analogies y  much  \dsfuch  Series  of  Analogies , 
 found  in  the  Books  of  mere  enthufiaftick  TVriters, 
 much  lefs  of  erAhufiaftick  JVriters  living  in  fuch  re- 
 mote Age'  from  each  other.     'Tis  much  more  cre- 
 dible, and  reafonable  to  fuppofe,  fwhat  6"/  Paul 
 (7}  I  Ccr.  aflirmSjj  that  (^)  thefe  things  were  Our  examples  \ 
 ^^'    '       and  that,  in  the  uniform  courfe  of  God's  Govern- 
 (8;  ver.     ment  of  the  world,   (8)  all  thefe  things  happened  un-- 
 i''  to 
 
mid  Revealed Ki£.LiGi 0^1  j^i^ 
 
 to  fhem  of  old  for  enfamples^    and  thcj  are  wriiun 
 for  Our  admonition^    upon  whom  the  Ends   of   the 
 World  are  come.     And  hence  arifes  that  Aptnefi  of 
 Similitude,  in  the  application  of  feveral  Legal  Per- 
 formances to  the  Morality  of  the  Gofpel ;    that  it 
 can  very  hardly  be  fuppofed,    not  to  have  been 
 ^n^z;/^//3^  intended.     As,  Ci)   Know  ^  not  that  a  (i)  t  Cot! 
 little  Leaven  leaveneth  the  whole  Lu?np  ?    Pm^e  out  Si  <5,  7X 
 therefore  the  Old  Leaven,  that  y  may  he  a  new^hanp^ 
 as  Y  are  unleavened.     For  even  Chrift  our  Paffover 
 is  facrificed  for  us,     Therefore  let  us  keep  the  Feaft^ 
 not  with  old  Leaven,  neither  with  the  Leaven  of  Ma^ 
 lice  and  Wickednef,  hut  with  the  unleavened  Bread  of 
 Sincerity  and  Truth.     Again  ;  (2)  WE  are  THE  (^^  ^^'^ 
 Circumcifton,  which  worjhip  God  in  the  Spirit,    and  ^'  ^• 
 rejoice  in  Chrift  Jefus,  and  have  no  confidence  in  the 
 FlefJj.     And  ;  (^3)  Tou  heing  dead  in  your  Sins  and(^^  ^^I. 
 tn  the  Uncircujncifion.of  your fie/h,    hath  Gcd  quicks  ^'  '^'^^^' 
 ened  together  with  Chrift',  -.^-.    "in  whom  alfo  ye  are 
 circumcifd  with  the  circumcifion  made  without  hands, 
 inputting  off  the  Body  of  the  Sins  of  theflefh,  hy  [the 
 Chriltian,  the  Spiritual  circumcifion,]  the  circuin- 
 cifion  ofCMft.     And  :  (i)  Bo  ye  not  know,    that  (t)  i  Cor: 
 they  which  ^-^  wait  at  the  Altar,  are  par  takers  with  9'-  '^'4. 
 the  Altar?    Even  fo  hath  the  Lord  ordained,  that]^^^, 
 they  zvhtch  predch  the  Gofpel,  fhould  live  of  the  Gof  isT      ^' 
 pel.  -—  Say  I  thefe  things  as  a  Man  ?   or  faith  not 
 the  Law  the  fame  alfo?  For  it  is  written  in  the  Law 
 ofMofes,  Thoufljalt  not  muzzle  the  mouth  of  the 
 Ox  tmt  treadeth  out  the  Corn.     Both  God  take  care 
 for  Oxen  t  or  faith  he  it  altogether  for  our  fakes  ? 
 
 Some  Applications  of  Texts  out  of  the  OJd 
 Teftament,  are  7nere  Allufions,  That  is  ^  Nothing 
 more  IS  intended  to  be  affirmed,  than  that  th? 
 words  fpoken  m  the  old  Teftament  are  as  Truly  ' 
 and  as  Juflly  applicable  to  the  prefent  occafion, 
 as  they  were  to  That  upon  which  they  were  ori' 
 ^^mally  fpoken.     Of  this  kind,  I  think,  is  that  of 
 
420  The  Evidences  oj  Natural 
 
 (2)  Matt.  St  Matthew  :  (2)  Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was 
 a>  17  )^^'fpoken  by  Jeremiah  the  Prophet^  faying  -,  In  Rama 
 ^  *  ^ '  was  there  a  Voice  heard,  la??ientation  and  weejjir^g 
 and  great  Mourning  \  Rachel  weeping  for  her  Chil- 
 dren, and  would  not  be  comforted,  becaufe  they  are 
 (\^  1  Cor.^;^/,Xhus  likewife  Sc  Paul:  \i)I mean  not  that  other 
 Si  13'  ^'^' Men  be  eafed,  and  you  burdened:  But  by  an  Equali- 
 '^ '  ty,  AS  It  is  written.  He  that  had  gathered  much^ 
 
 had  nothing  over  •,  and  he  that  had  gathered  little,  had 
 (2)  If. 6,    no   lack,    "Again:    What  (1)    Ifaiah   fays  of  the 
 9'         '   Jews,  ('fuppofing  he  did  not  fpeak  there  propheti- 
 cally,   though    the   Solejnnity   of   the  Introdu^ion 
 mnkes  it  much  more  reafonable  to  beheve  he  did: 
 But,  fuppofing  he  fpake  of  the  Jews  in  his  own 
 ti?ne,)  Go  and  tell  this  People,  Hear  ye  ijideed,    but 
 miderftand  not  -,  and  Jee  ye  indeed,  but  perceive  not  : 
 make  the  heart  of  this  People  fat,    and  make  their 
 Ears  heavy,  andjhut  their  Eyes ;  leafl  they  fee  with 
 their  Eyes,  and  hear  with  their  Ears,  and  underfland 
 with  their  Heart,  and  convert  and  be  healed:  was  (3  j 
 fulfilled,  was  verified,  was  equally  true,  equally  ap- 
 plicable  to  the  Jews,  in  our  Saviour's  days.     Of  the 
 fame  kind  feems  to  be  (4)  St  Matthew's  explicati- 
 on of  that  Paflage  in  (s)    Ifaiah  -,  Surely  he  hath 
 horn  our  Grief,  and  carried  our  Sorrows,     The  fenfe 
 of  the  words  in  the  prophecy,  is,  what  St  Peter 
 (i)  1  Pet.exprefTes  •■>  (i)  WI:)o  his  oivnfelf  bare  our  Sins  in  his 
 *'  H-       own  bed)  on  the  Tree  -,  And  the  Apoftle  to  the  He- 
 (1)  Heb.  hrezvs,  (1)  Chrift  was  once  offered,  to  bear  the  Sins 
 ^')  m'      ^f  Many,     Yet  St  Matthew  fays  ;    (^)  He  healed 
 ^i-  icH) .^^'^  //;.?/  were  Sick,  TJoat  it  might  be  jiilfilled  which 
 'was  fpoken  by  Efaias  the  Prophet,  faying  ;    Himfelf 
 took  our  infir?nities,    and  bare  our  Sickneffes,     His 
 Meaning  is  :  Chriil  healed  Difeafes  in  fuch  a  man- 
 ner, that  even  in  That  fenfe  alfo,  the  words  of  Ifai- 
 ah were  literally  verified.     To   give  but  One  In- 
 ^4)  Matt,  fiance  more.     (4)  M  thefe  things  ("fiith  the  Evan- 
 » 3  >  3+'  3  f  gelifl)  fpake  Jefus  unto  th/?nultitude  in  Parables,^— ^]i 
 
 thar 
 
 (?) 
 
 Matt. 
 
 »3' 
 
 14. 
 
 (4) 
 
 Ma^t. 
 
 8, 
 
 •7- 
 
 (5-) 
 
 If. 
 
 SI 
 
 4. 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  *4Ti 
 
 that  it  jnight  he  fulfilled  which  was  fpoken  hy  the 
 Prophet^  faying^  I  will  open  my  mouth  in  Parables^ 
 I  will  utter  things  which  have  been  kept  fecret  from 
 the  Foundation  of  the  IForld :  That  is,  the  words 
 (5j  of  the  Pfalmifl  wereas/r^/'^fr/);,  as  truly^  and ^f)  PC] 
 as  ;/<//}' appHcable  to  the  things  which  our  Lordf^*  ^' 
 fpoke,  as  to  the  occafion  upon  which  they  were 
 originally  fpoken  by  the  Pfabnijl, 
 
 To    fuch   as  are  accuftomed  only  to  Modern 
 Languages,  and  underftand  not  the  nature  of  the 
 Hebrew  and  Syriack  fpeech,  it  may  feem  very  fur- 
 prifing,  that  in  the  (i)  Tv/o  laft-mentioned  Paf-CO  Marrr 
 iiigcs,    the  Citations  are  introduced  with  Thefe^"  ^7-  i?. 
 words,  ^hatit  might  he  fulfilled  which  was  fpoken^^* 
 by  the  Prophet^  fa'j^^g-,  ^(^'     But  All  who  under- 
 ftand thofe  Languages,  well  know,  that  the  Phrafes 
 anfwering  to  thefe  exprelTions,    '^^-  ttx^.^c^j'^^    ij^^i  f^ 
 7night  be  fulfilled  \  mean  nothing  more  than.  Hereby 
 was  verified^  or,  6"^  that  hereby  was  verified^  or  the 
 like.    And  they  who  underftand  not  the  Languages, 
 may  yet  eafily  apprehend  this,  by  confidering  the 
 nature  and  force  of  fome  Other  expreffions  of  the 
 ¥ike  kind.     As  :  (i)  They  prophefy  a  lie  in  my  Name^  (2)  Jer. 
 "Thai:  I  might  drive  you  out,     (0,)  Behold^  I  fend)'^\^^' 
 
 unto  you  Prophets, THAT  upon  Tou  may  come  AlP^].  ^^f  * 
 
 the  righteous  Blood,    With  (4)  Many  other  PafTages  %S' 
 of  the  fame  nature  :  Where  the  words,  "  TH ATM  Exod. 
 *'  fuch  a  thing  7?iay  he,  "  do  not  at  all  fignify  thQl*''^;^^l' 
 Intention,  "-  To  the   E7td  that'll  May  be  ^  "    but  32, 14..  Pf! 
 merely  the  Event,    «'  So  that  it  Will  he,  "    In  the5"i»  4-  Jer. 
 cafe  of  the  7noft  Direct  and  Exprefs  Prophefies  ofli^^*  ^ 
 all;  the  words,   ''  This  vms  done,  THATit  jnight^^^  ^^!'^^' 
 *'  be  fulfilled  which  was  fpoken  hy  the  Prophet^ "  never 
 do,never  pofTibly  Can  fignify  literally,that  the  thing 
 was  done  For  that  End,  that  the   Prophefy  might 
 be  fulfilled  ;    becaufe,    on  the  reverfe,    the  reafon 
 why  any   thing  is  predicted,  always  is,  becaufe  the 
 thing  was  {before  That  prfedidion)  appointed  to  he 
 
 E  e  3  done. 
 
41^  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 done.  Much  more  therefore,  in  the  cafe  of  indi^ 
 re^  Prophecies  ;  the  words,  T/ois  was  done^  TH AT 
 it  might  he  fulfilled  which  wasfpoken  by  the  Prophet  \ 
 neceflarily  and  eyidently  mean  This  only,  that  the 
 thing  was  fi)  done,  as  that  thereby  or  therein  Was 
 verified  what  the  Prophet  had  fpoken. 
 
 20.  It  cannot  therefore^  with  any  fort  of  rea« 
 fon  or  juflice,  be  inferred  from  finch  citations  out 
 of  the  Old  Teftament  as  I  have  now  mentioned, 
 that  the  Apoftles  either  mifiunderftood  or  epthufii^ 
 aft:ically  mifiappUed  the  Writings  of  the  Prophets, 
 Nor  can  Any  juft  Argument  be  drawn  againft 
 fhe  Authority  of  the  Books  of  the  Old  and  New 
 Teftament,  from  fuch  Topicks  as  Thefe  ;  that 
 the  Copies  of  the  Law,  in  the  times  of  the  idola- 
 trous Kings  of  Judah  and  Ifrael,  were  well  nigh 
 loft  y  that  fome  Texts  cited  put  of  the  Old  Tefta- 
 ment by  the  Writers  of  the  New,  are  not  Now 
 found  in  the  Old  Teftament  at  all  j  that  other 
 texts  are  read  differently  in  the  Old  Teftament  it- 
 felf,  from  the  Citations  of  the  fame  Texts  record- 
 ed in  the  New  ;  and  the  like.  Which  things  have 
 indeed  given  occafion  to  Weak  and  Ridicidous  Wru 
 ters^  to  invent  ccxldAnfienfielefis  Rules  or  Regulations  \ 
 according  to  which,  men  may  at  any  time  rightly 
 make  v/hat  ^Fr^/-/^  Quotations  they  pleafe.  But 
 in  truth,  the  things  themfelves  I  am  here  fpeaking 
 of,  are  nothing  but  what  muft  of  necefTity  hap- 
 pen in  a  long  Succefiion  of  Ages. 
 (0  a  Chr/  When  (i)  Hilkiah  the  prieft  ("in  the  days  of 
 14,  14.  Jofiah^^  fiound  in  the  houfie  ofi  the  Lord^  a  Book  ofi 
 the  Law  ofi  the  Lord^  given  by  Mofies ;  'tis  very 
 probable  indeed,  from  the  Circumftances  of  the 
 Hiftory,  that  Copies  of  the  Law  were  then  very 
 fcarce  \  and  that  This  found  by  Hilkiah^  was,  to 
 his  Surprize^  an  authentick  or  original  Copy.  But 
 that  the  Whole  fliould  have  been  at  that  time  a 
 'Forgery  of  Hilkiah^  is  evidently  impoITible  ;    be- 
 
 caufe 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  423 
 
 caufe  the  very  Being  and  Polit'j  of  the  Nation,  as 
 well  as  their  Religion^  was  founded  upon  the  Ac- 
 knowledgment; of  the  Law  of  Mofes  \  how  much 
 foever  idolatrous  Kings  might  at  certain  times  have 
 corrupted  that  Religion,  and  caufed  the  Study  of 
 the  Law  to  have  been  negledled.  And  in  the  Nt- 
 x^  fame  book,  wherein  the  account  is  given  of  this 
 -particular  FaEi^  of  Hilkialfs  finding  a  Copy  [an 
 authentick  Copy]  of  the  Law  -,  'tis  expreslly  and 
 at  large  recorded,  how,  im,  foregoing'RoA^n^    the 
 
 King  (i)  fent  to  his  Frinces  to  teach  in  /y^d-CO  iChr: 
 
 Cities  of  Judah  j  and  with  the^n  he  fent  Levites  and^'^*'^'^'^' 
 
 Priefls  ; and  they  taught  in  Judah^  and  had  the 
 
 Book  of  the  Law  of  the  Lord  with  them^  and  went 
 about  throughout  all  the  Cities  of  Judah^  and  taught 
 the  people. 
 
 That,  in  length  of   time,    fome  whole  Books  J 
 
 fhould  have  been  lofl  \  is  nothing  wonderful 
 There  are  feveral  Books  expresfly  cited  in  the  Old 
 Teftament,  of  which  we  have  now  nothing  re- 
 maining. That  in  the  Books  which  remain,  there 
 fhould  fometimes,     for  want  of 
 
 (i)  InfalUbilitj  in  Tranfcribers,  (0  I"  ^^mc  few  places, 
 happen  OmifTwns,  rranfpofttions,  ^.^"'^  ''  7^^^"?^^^  ^^^""^ 
 ^.no.  various  Readings  \  is  Itill  lefs  for  Inftance,  pf.  22,  16: 
 to  be  WOndred  at.  Nothing,  but  Wherethei-ra/e  moft  evidently 
 perpetnal  Miracle,  could  prevent     ^^owsir  o«^/p/ to  be  read,  and 
 
 •*.        T-L  u      1  CI  -11^  theLXXVerfionfliowsit  an- 
 
 it.     They  who  have  Skill  to  co?n-     ^iendy  «,^.read,nHD  ornD. 
 
 pare^   in  the  Original^    certain  Paf-      "  they  Vierced  my  Hands  and 
 
 fages  in  the  Books  of  Chronicles^  '*  my  Feet; " the  jewiih  Mart- 
 wich  the  correfponde,a  places  in  the  T/eW  Editnt'har;H"  n 
 Books  of    Kings',    or   the    iSth    it,  nW  «»  as  a  lio^  my 
 
 Pfalm,  with  2  Sa?n.  ch.  22,  which  "  hands  and  my  Feet."  Which 
 is  aTranfcript  of  tht  fame  Pfalm  ;  ^''  "o  tolerable  fenfeatalU. 
 or  the  i4.th  Pfalm  with  the  e^^d^  which  are  alfo  one 
 and  the  fame  Pfalm  tranfcribed  ;  and  much  more, 
 they  who  can  compare  the  Septuagint  Tranflation 
 with  the  Original  \  wiil  be  able  to  find  Inflances  of 
 E  e  4  thefe 
 
ij,24  ^^^  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 thcfe  things,    and  very  often  alfo  to  fee  plainly 
 how  and  ivhence  they  happened  :    (All  which,    far 
 from  diminifhing  the  Authority  of  the  Books,  are 
 ftrong  Arguments  of   their  Antiquity,    and  againfi 
 their  having  been  forged  by  Efdras,    or  any  other 
 hand.)     What  Wonder  then  is  it,  that  among  the 
 numerous  Texts  cited  in  the  New  Teftament  out 
 of  the  Old,  one  or  two  fliould  i^ow  not  be  found 
 in  our  prefent  Copies  of  the  Oldl'eftament  s  and 
 that  fojne  others  Ihould  be  read  differently  in  the  Old 
 Teftament,  from  the  Citations  of  the  fame  Texts 
 recorded  in  the  New  ?  Or  how  does  this  at  all  af- 
 fed  the  Authority  of  Either  \  when  much  the^r^^^- 
 efi  Part  of  the  Texts  cited,  agree  perfe5fly  either  in 
 iVords  or  at  leaft  in  Senfe  \  and  the  Whole  Series ^ 
 Harmony^  Analog'<!^  Connexion,  and  Uniformity  of 
 Both,  compared  with  the  Syftem  of  Natural  and 
 Moral  'Truths,  and  witJi  the  Hiftory  of  the  World 
 and  the  State  of  ISations,  through  a  long  Suceeffton 
 of    Ages  from  the  days  of   Mofes    to   this    prefent 
 time ;  fhows  that  the  Books  are  not  the  refult  of 
 rando?n  and  enthufiafiick  hnaginations,  but  of  long 
 fore-figfot  and  Befign  ?  For,  the  Spirit  of  Enthufi- 
 afm  is  very  hardly  co?ififtent  with  itfelf  through  the 
 Writings  of    one  ftngle  perfon.     How  then  is  it 
 poffihle,    that    for  3000  years  together,  and  pre- 
 tending too  (through  all  That  Time)  to  an  uni- 
 form ^Series  of  Predi5fions,  it  fliould  HAF  PEN 
 never  to  have  fallen  into  Such  a  Trad  of  expe6b- 
 ed  Events,  as  the  Nature  and  I'ruth  of  'Things  and 
 the  Situation  of  the  Kingdoms  of  the  JVorld,    fhould 
 have  rendred abfolutely  IMPOSSIBLE-,  and 
 altogether    INC  A  P  ABLE    of    any  farther^ 
 much  lefs  of  any  final  completion  ? 
 
 21.  I  ill  all  conclude  This  Head,  with  pointing 
 at  fome  particular  extraordinary  Prophecies,  whicH 
 deierve  to  be  carefully  confidered  and  compared 
 •^ich  the  Events,  whether  they  could  i'^^  have 
 
 prpceecjed! 
 
and  Revealed  B.  e  l  i  g  i  o  jtr.  4^5 
 
 proceeded  from  Chance  or  from  Enthuftafm,  So??ie 
 of  chem  are  of  fuch  a  nature,  as  that  they  can  on- 
 ly be  judged  of  by  perfons  learned  in  Hijiory  -,  and 
 ^befe  I  ihall  but  jull  mention.  Others  are  obvi- 
 ous to  the  confideration  of  the  lobok  IVorld ;  and 
 with  thofe  I  fhall  finifh  what  I  think  proper  at 
 this  time  to  offer  upon  this  Subjed. 
 
 Concerning  Babylon^  "  it  was 
 *'  (i)  particularly  foretold^    that     (^)Frickau:cConv,tyAov.,V^.rt 
 
 "  it  {2)jhouldheJhutup,  and  he-.     ^'^Lli!fy^l:ut'^''^' 
 *'  fieged  by  the  Medes,  Elamites, 
 
 *'  ^;z^i  Armenians  :    'That  the  River  (^)  /hotdd  he{3)7^^'9o, 
 «'  dried  up :    That  the  City  (hould  be  taken  in  the^^^^^i^* 
 *'  time   (4j    of   a   Feaft^    while  her --^--^mighty  '^^/^   '^^ 
 «'  7nen  were  drunken  •,    Which  accordingly  came  to 
 «'  pafs  ''  when  "  Bel/Ijazzar  and  all  bis  thoufand 
 <c  Princes^  who  were  dru7ik  with  him  at  the  feaft^  '* 
 
 were  (s)  *■'  fl^^^f^  hy  Cyrus'' s  Soldiers. 'Alfo  it(^)  Cyro- 
 
 was  particularly  foretold,    "  that  God  would  inake^^'^^^'  ^'^• 
 *'  the  Country  of  Babylon  (6)    a  Pojfeffion  for  the"^^^^  j{;  ^^ 
 "  Bittern,  and  Pools  of  Water  ;  V/hich  was  accord-  25. 
 *'  in^^  fulfilled  by  the  overflowing  and  drowning  of 
 *'  it,  on  the  breaking  down  of  the  great    'Damm  in 
 *'  order  to  take  the  City.  "     Could  the  correfpon- 
 dence  of  Thefe  Events  with  the   Predictions,    be 
 the  refult  of  Chance  ?    But  fuppofe  nefe  Prediuii- 
 €?2S  y^trt  forged  After  the  Event :  Can  the  follozuing 
 ones  alfo  have  been  written  Jfter   the  Event  ?  or, 
 with  any  reafon,  be  afcribed  to  Chance?    (i)  'Thei^)]^- 
 
 Wild  Beafts  of  the  defert fhall  dwell  I'here.,  ^°'  59" 
 
 and  the  Owls  fhall  dwell  therein :  And  it  fhall  be  N  O 
 MORE  inhabited  for  EVER,  neither  fhall  it  be 
 dwelt  in  froin  generation  to  generation :    As  God  o- 
 ver threw  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  ■  &c.  (^)    They  floall  C^)  J^- 
 mt  take  of  thee  a  Stone  for  a  corner, —        but  thou^\'  ^  ' 
 
 Jhalt  be  defotate  For  E  VE  R,  faith  the  Lord : .  ^''^    "^^ 
 
 Babylon  flmll  become  Heaps,  a  dwelling  place  for  Dra- 
 gons^ an  aftonifhmcnt  and  an  hiffmg  without  an  Inha- 
 bitant : 
 
4^6  The  Evidences^/  Natural 
 
 hltant : It/ljallfink^  andfljallnot  rife  from  the 
 
 C5)  If.  1 5  Evil  that  I  will  bring  upon  her,  (^)  Babylon^  the 
 j5>,2o,  2.i.Qi^^y  ^yf  Kingdofns^ JJmU  be  as  when  God  over- 
 threw Sodom  and  Gomorrah :  It  fhall  NEVER  be 
 inhabited^  neither  fhall  it  be  dwelt  in  from  generation  to 
 generation  :  Neither  flj all  the  Arabian  fitch  Tent  there, 
 neither  fhall  the  Shepherds  make  their  Fold  there :  But 
 wild  Beafts  of  the  Defer t  fjall  lie  there,  and  their 
 Houfes  fhall  be  full  of  doleful  Creatures,  and  Owls 
 fhall  dwell  there. 
 
 Concerning  Egypt^  Was  the  following  Predicfi- 
 on  forged  after  the  Event  ?  or  can  it,  v/ith  any  rea- 
 
 (i)  Ezelc.  fon,  be  afcribed  to  Chance?  {i)    Egypt fhall 
 
 ^9>  ^^>^T'be  a  BASE  Kingdom  :  It  fJoall  be  the  BASEST 
 of  Kingdoms,  72either  fJoall  it  exalt  itfelf  ANT 
 MORE  above  the  Nations  :  For  I  will  diiniiiifh 
 them,  that  they  fhall  N  0  MORE  RULE  over 
 the  Nations. 
 
 Concerning  Tyre,  the  Prediclion  is  no  lefs  re- 
 (^)  Ezek.  markable ;  (2)  I  will  7nake  thee  like  the  Top  of  a 
 2(5  i  14,21.^^^^  .  Thou  f J  alt  be  a  place  to  fpread  Nets  upon-. 
 
 Thou  ftmll  be  built  NO  MORE-, .  Thou  fJoalt 
 
 C2)E2ck.  he  NO  MORE',  (3 J  The  Merchants  among  the 
 *7»  30.  people  [hall  hifs  at  thee^  thou  fhalt  be  a  Terrour,  and 
 (4)  Ezek.  NEVE  R  floalt  be  any  more,  (4J  All  they  that 
 ^^»  Jp-  know  thee  among  the  people,  ffoall  be  Aftonifljed  at 
 thee. 
 
 The  Defer iption  of  the  Extent  of  the  dominion 
 
 of  That  People,  who  were  to  poiTefs  Judcea  in  the 
 
 latter  days  ;  Was  it  forged  after  the  Event  ?    or 
 
 (i)Dan.    can  it  reafonably  be  afcribed  to  Chance?    {i)  He 
 
 1 1  i  4-^>^^*f^all  come  « — -  with  Horfe-men,  and  with  7nany  Ships^ 
 
 and fhfall  overflow  and  pafs  over :  He  fhall  enter 
 
 (2)  Ver,     fylfo  into  the  Glorious  Land,  [and  (2)  fhall  plant  the 
 ^^'  Tabernacles  of  his  Palace  between  the  Seas  in  the  Glo- 
 
 rious Holy  Moujitain  j]  Aiid  many  Countries  fhall  be 
 overthrown :  But  Thefe  fhall  efcape  out  of  his  hand, 
 even  Edom  and  Moab  and  the  chief  of  the  children 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  427 
 
 of  Ammon,  He  jhall  ftretch  forth  his  hand  alfo 
 upon  the  Countries^  and  the  land  of  Rgypt  Jhall  not 
 efcape.  But  he  fjjall  have  'power  over  ihe  'Treafures 
 of  Gold  and  of  Silver^  and  over  all  the  precious  things 
 c/ Egypt ;  and  the  Libyans  and  Ethiopians  [C-'ti^D] 
 Jhall  be  at  his  Steps, 
 
 When  Daniel^  in  the  (i)  Vifi- 
 on  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  Image, 
 foretold  (1)  Four  Great  Succejjive 
 Monarchies :  Was  This  written 
 after  the  Event  ?  or  can  the  con- 
 gruity  of  his  defcription  with  the 
 things  themfelves^  reafonably  be 
 afcribed  to  mere  Chance  ? 
 
 When  the  Angel  fays  to  Dani- 
 el :  f3  j  Seventy  Weeks  (4)  are  de- 
 termined upon  thy  people^  and  up- 
 on thy  Holy  City^  to  finijh  the 
 tranfgrejjion^  and  to  ??iake  an  end 
 of  Sins^  and  to  ?nake  reconciliation 
 for  iniquity,  ^c.  Was  This  Written  after  the  E- 
 vent  ?  Or  can  it  reafonably  be  afcribed  to  Chance^ 
 that  from  (i)  the  Seventh  year  of    Artaxerxes  the[\ 
 
 King,  ("when  Ezra  went   up  from  Babylon iin-  7  ■ 
 
 to  Jerufaleyn  with  a  CommilTion  to  reftore  the  Go- 
 vernment of  the  Jews  J  to  the  Beath  of  Chrift  -, 
 [from  ann.  Nabonajf,  290,  to  ann.  Nabona(f, 
 780,]  Ihould  be  precifely  490  [7^  "^^^-'^^  ^f] 
 years  ? 
 
 When  the  Angel  tells   Daniel,  that  (2)  Three  ■  {1)  Dm, 
 fcore  and  two  Weeks   the  ftreet  [of  Jerufalem]  fhaU9>  ^5^ 
 be  built  again,  and  the  Wall,  even  in  troublous  times, 
 [uD'nyn  plltDS    ^^.^   '^^^i^  ^'^^  Troublous  times,  not 
 like  thofe  ^  that  fhould  be  under 
 
 Meffiah  the  Prince,  when  he  lliould        *  This  and  the  following 
 come  to  reign  ;]  Was  This  written     Obferv^ation  v^ras  extr.tiedo^t 
 
 r.        .1      T-    ^ 'i     r\  '  of  a  MS  communicated  by  Sir 
 
 after   the  Event  ?^    Or  can  it  rea-     jj-^^^  Newton;  and  was  pib^ 
 .fpnably    be    ilfcnbed    to    Chance^      Ufied  in  his  life-time  in  the 
 
 that 
 
 (1)  The  Fame  of  which, 
 was  To  early  fpread  ^  that 
 Ez^ekiel,  who  was  contemp-, 
 rary  with  Daniel,  plainly 
 alludes  to  ir,  when  he  fays 
 cf  ihs  Piince  of  Tyre,  ch. 
 28,  %*  Thou  art  roifer  than 
 Danifl  j  there  ts  no  Secret , 
 that  thy  can  hide  from  th^e, 
 
 (2)  Dan.  2,  J  58-4^. 
 
 (l)  Dan.  9.  24. 
 
 (4}  Weeks,  or  Septenaries, 
 of  Tears.  Compare  Gen.  25, 
 27.  Num.  14,  34.  Ez.ek, 
 4,  6. 
 
 Ezra 
 6,  7,  8. 
 
Difcourle,  with  his  exprefs 
 conicnr. 
 
 Xo^of^y.B-Tt  TO  T£;^(^,  oy^oy  kcJ 
 iiKo^ca    Til?   Cipiov    3oi(nXitcte,    s- 
 
 T«;^5i'  AecooyTfe^v,  gcc,  jtofephu.', 
 Antiquit.  judaic,  lib.  11, 
 /r^/j.  f.    Compare  Nche??i.  j-, 
 
 ,    (4;  Dan;  9,  27. 
 
 42 $  37:?^  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 ^^egoing   Edirions  of  this     that  from  the  (^)  Twenty  Eighth 
 
 of  ArtaxerxeSy  when  the  Walls 
 were  finifhed,  to  the  Birth  of 
 CbriJI^  [from  ann.  Nabonajf.  3 1  t  , 
 to  ajin,  Nahonajf.  .  745,]  fliould 
 be  precifely  434  [62  weeks  of] 
 years  ? 
 
 When  Daniel  further  fays  :  (4) 
 And  he  fid  ail  coyifirm  [or  iSeverthe- 
 lefs  he  fhall  confirm]  the  Covenant 
 *iinth  Many  for  One  Week:  Was  This  v/ritten  after 
 the  Event  ?  Or  can  it  reafonably  be  afcribed  to 
 Chance^  that  from  the  Death  of  Cbrijl^  (ajino  Do7n. 
 33  J  to  the  Command  given  iirft  to  6"/  Peter  ta 
 preach  to  Cornelius  and  the  Gentiles^  (anno  Dom. 
 40, j  fhould  be  exa6lly  Seven  [One  week  of] 
 years  ? 
 (t)  Dan.  When  he  flill  adds:  (\)  And  in  the  viidft  of 
 9' 27.  the  Week  [yU^^H ''I'm,  And  in  Half  a  Week]  he 
 Jhallcaufe  the  Sacrifice  and  the  Oblation  to  ceafe.,  and 
 for  the  overfpreading  of  Abominations  he  fhall  make 
 it  deflate :  Was  This  written  after  the  Event  ?  Or 
 can  it  with  any  reafon  be  afcribed  to  Chance.,  that 
 from  Vejpafian's  marching  into  Jndcea  m  the  Spring 
 Anno  Dom,  6y^  to  the  taking  of  Jerufalein  by  Ti- 
 tus in  the  Autumn  Anno  Dom.  70,  fhould  be 
 [Half  a  Septenary  of  Years,]  Three  Tears  and  a 
 half? 
 
 When  the  lame  Daniel  foretells  a  Tyrannical 
 Power,    which  fnoiild  zvear  out  the  Saints  of  the 
 Mojl:  High.,  and  they  fhould  he  given  into  his  hand  un- 
 till  (^)  a  Time  and  Times  and  the  Dividing  of  Ti?ne  ; 
 and  (2)   again,   for  (4)  a  Time., 
 Tifnes^  and  a  Half:    ("Which  can 
 no  way  be  applied   to  the  Short 
 Perfecution  of  Antiochus.,  becaufe 
 thefe  Prophecies  are  expresfy  de- 
 cLired  to  be  CO  for  many  Days ; 
 concerning 
 
 U)  Dan. 
 7»  if. 
 
 (^5)  Dan.  11,  7. 
 
 (^)  Three  X^^rs  and /t  Halff 
 or  1260  Days,  is,  according  to 
 fhe  Analog';  of  all  the  foreaicn- 
 tioned  Numbers,    1260  Teats. 
 
 (x^Dan.  3/j6. 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  429 
 
 concerning  {1)  what  Jhall  hefal  th'j  people  in  the  (i)  Dan. 
 Latter  daySy   for  yet  the  Vifion  is  for  Many  Days  •,  ^°'  H- 
 concerning    (3  J    the  Time  of  the  End  \    (4)  what  il)  ^^h. 
 Jhall  he  in  the  Laft  End  of  the  indignation  ;    con-  ^\^J^ 
 cerning  thofe  who  (5^  ftjall  fall  by  the  fword  ands,  19.' 
 and  by  fla?7ie^    by  captivity    and  by  Spoil,    Many  is)  <^h. 
 Da\s  \  (6)  to  tr^  them^    even  to  the  Time  of   the  ^j*  35- 
 hnd^    becaufe  it  ts  yet  for  a  time  appointed  \    con-  ,/^  ^^^ 
 cerning  (7^  a  Time  of  Trouble^  fuch  as  never  was  (j)  ch. 
 fince  there  was  a  Nations  the  time  (8)  when  God^^>  ^^ 
 Jhall  have  Accomplifhed  to  fcatter  the  Pozver  of  l^'^  \l\[ 
 Holy  people  ;  (q)  the  time  of  the  End,    till  which  (pj  d. 
 the  words  are  clofed  up  and  fealed  \    (10)    to  which  i^.  9- 
 the  Prophet  is  commanded  to  Jhut  up  his  words^  ^^'^°^  '^"' 
 and  feat  the  Book,    for  7nany  Jhall  run  to  and  fro^ 
 and  Knowledge  Jhall  he  increafcd  \    even    (it J  //-^^(n)  ch. 
 End,  till  which 'Daniel  was  to  ref,  and  xhen  (land  n,  13. 
 in  his  Lot  at  the  End  of  the  Bays.)     When  Dani- 
 el,   I  lay,    foretells  fuch  a  Tyrannical  Power,  to 
 continue  fuch  a  determined  period  of  Time  ;  And 
 St  y^/^;2  prophefies,  that  the  (12)    Gentiles  Jbould(ii)  r^y, 
 trend  the  Holy   City  under  foot.    Forty   and  Two  n,  2« 
 Months  -,  which  is  exadly  t\\cfa?ne  period  of  time, 
 with  that  of  D^^//>/ :  And  again,    that  (13)  Two(^it^-)  Rcf. 
 Witnefjes,  cloathed  in  Sackcloth,    JJjould  prophefy  ^  n,  3. 
 Thoufand  two  hund'red  and  three  fore  days  •,    which 
 is  again  exactly  the  very  fame  period  of  time :  And 
 again,  that  the  {\)  JVoman  which  j^t'i  into  theWiU  TO  Rer. 
 dernsfs  from  Perfecution,    fhould  continue  there  ^^*    * 
 a  Thoufand  two  Hundred  and  threefcore  days :   And 
 again,  that  flie  fhould  (2)  fly  into  the  JVildernefs,  (^^  ^^^* 
 for  a  Time,  and  Times,    and  Half  a  Time  ♦,    which  ^^*   ^' 
 is  ftill  the  very  fame  period ;    And  again,    that  a 
 WildBeaft,  a  Tyrannical  Power,  CsJ  ^0  whom  it(i)  (h, 
 was  given  to  inake  JVar  with  the  Saints^  and  to  over-.  ^3'  7* 
 come  them,  was  (4J  to  \  continue 
 Forty  and  two  Months,   Cftill  the        (4)^^.13,5- 
 very>;.period   of   time  )     and        j^^hete has preWu'ed among 
 to  have  ( 5^  Fowsr  QUer  AU  Km*      Learned  men  a  very  Imfor" 
 
 dredSf 
 
4^0  The'Ev 
 
 tant  Errour,  as  if  the  i>6o 
 Days  (or  Years)  here  fpoken 
 of,  took  their  Beginning  from 
 the  Rife  of  the  Tyranny  here 
 defcribed.  Whereas,  on  the 
 contrary,  the  words  of  D^??/?/ 
 are  exprefs  that,  not  from 
 the  Time  of  his  Rifcy  but 
 nfter  his  having  made  V/ar 
 with  the  Saints,  and  from 
 the  time  of  their  beinf^  given 
 into  his  hand,  fhould  be  a 
 Tttne,  a,nd  Times,  and  the  Di- 
 'vidtng  of  Time^  ch.  yj  7.4, 
 a  5-.  And  St  John  no  lefs  ex- 
 prefily  fays,  that  the  time, 
 not  of  the  Tn>o  Wuneifes  Fro- 
 fhcfying,  (for  in  Part  of  Thnt 
 rime  duy  had  Great  Vower,) 
 but  of  their  Frophefying  in 
 Sackcloth,  lliould  be  a  thou- 
 Jrnd  two  hundred  and  three- 
 Jcore  ihys.  Rev.  11,3.  And 
 the  pe'rfecuted  Woman,  after 
 her  Flighty  was  to  be  aft- 
 uaily  in  the  Wildernefs,  (and 
 in  her  Pi  zee  there,  of  Riches 
 and  Honour,)  a  thoufand  tvoo 
 kundrcd  and  Threefcore  daySy 
 ch.  12,  6.  Wherefore  alfo 
 rh^  fony  and  tv^o  months ^ 
 ("the  very  fame  period,)  dur- 
 jn.f^  which  time  Former  was 
 given  ur.to  the  Wild  Beafi  to 
 Coniinue,  (in  the  original  it 
 is,  Trayitroit,  to  do  what  he 
 picafl-d,  Rr-v.  15,  5,^  evi- 
 dent!' oughc  not  to  be  rec-. 
 lioned  from  his  Rife,  or 
 tr'  m  the  time  when  the  ten 
 Ki»gs  (ch.  17,  12,)  received 
 Vower  V/:th  htm ;  but  from 
 the  time  of  his  having  to- 
 (ajiV  overcome  the  Sr.ints,  and 
 of  his  h^'w.^Worflnppedby  jiU 
 that  d^xeil  upon  the  Earthy 
 ch.  13  J  7>  8. 
 
 iDENCES^/  Natural 
 
 dreds^  and  'Tongues^  and  Nations^ 
 fo  that  All  that  dwell  upon  the 
 Earth  fhould  JVorJhip  hhn  :  Is  it 
 credible  or  po[fihle^  that  ignoroM 
 and  Enthufiafiicd  Writers  Ihould^ 
 by  mere  Chance^  hit  upon  fuch 
 Coincidencies  of  [occult]  Numhers  ? 
 efpecially  fince  St  John  could  not 
 poflibly  rake  the  Numbers  from 
 Daniel^  if  he  underfliood  'Daniel 
 to  mean  nothing  more  than  the 
 Short  Perfecution  of  Antlochus. 
 And  if  he  did  underfland  Daniel 
 to  mean  a  much  Longer  and  Grea- 
 ter and  7nore  Remote  Tyranny, 
 which  John  himfelf  prophefied  of 
 as  in  His  time  ft  ill  future  *,  then 
 the  Wonder  is  ftill  infinitel'^  Great- 
 er^ that  in  "Thofe  earl^  Times^ 
 when  there  was  not  the  leaft  Foot- 
 ftep  in  the  World  of  any  yi/rZ?  Power 
 as  6"/  John  diftindlly  defcribeSj 
 (but  which  Novj  is  ver^y  Conspi- 
 cuous^ as  I  fhall  prefenrly  ob- 
 ferve  more  particularly  •,Jitfliould 
 ever  enter  the  Heart  of  man  ta 
 conceive  fo  much  as  the  Poffihili' 
 ty  o^  fuch  1  Power,  fitting,  not 
 upon  the  Pavilion  of  Heathen 
 Perfecutors,  but  expresfy  (2  Theftl 
 2,4)  in  the  temple  and  upon  the 
 Seat  of  God  himfelf. 
 
 But  Thefe  Prophecies,  which 
 either  relate  to  Particular  Places^ 
 or  depend  upon  the  computation 
 of  Particular  Periods  of  'time^  are 
 (as  I,  faidj  of  fuch  a  nature,  as 
 that  they  cannot  be  judged  of, 
 
 but 
 
md  Revealed  Religion.  431 
 
 but  by  perfons  sUlled  in  Hlftory.  There  are  fome 
 Others  more  General^  running  through  the  Whole 
 Scripture^  and  obvious  to  the  confideration  of  the 
 IVhole  World, 
 
 For  Inflance :    It  was  foretold  by  Mofes^    that 
 when   the   Jews   forfook  the   True   God ,    they 
 Ihould    be    (i)    removed    into   all    the    Kingdo7ns ('i)v>c\it, 
 of  the  Earth',  fhould  be  (2)  fcattered  among  the'^^^'^S-, 
 Heathen^  (o,)  a7nong  the  Nations^  (^)  a?nong  all  feo-  ^^^  ^^^^' 
 pie  from  the  one  end  of  the  Earth  even  unto  the  other  ;  (3)'  Deut. 
 fliould  'There  he  (5^  left  Few  in  number  among  the^-  ^7- 
 Heathen^  and  (6)  pine  away  in  their  iniquity  in  their  ^t*  7^^"^* 
 Enemies  lands  ;  and  fhould  (y)  heco?ne  an  aftonifh-  {y)  Oeut. 
 vient^  a  proverb^  and  a  By-word^    ajnong  all  Nati-  4'  ^7- 
 ons  \  and  that  (8)  among  thefe  Nations  they  fhould  ^^J  ^"^^^^* 
 find  no  Eafe^    neither  fhould  the  Sole  of  their  Foot  fy )  Deut. 
 have  Reft  j  but  the  Lord  fhould  give  them  a  Trem-  28,  37. 
 hling  Hearty    and  failing   of  Eyes^    and  forrow  of  (8)  ^^^^^^• 
 Mind',  and  (<))  fend  a  Faintnefs  into  their  Hearts^  ^  >'  LeVif 
 in  the  Lands  of  their  Enemies  \  fo  ^that  the  found  of  i6,  36. 
 a  fj'joken  Leaf  Ihould  chafe  them.     Had  any  thing 
 like  This,  in  Mofes^s  time,   ever  happened  to  Any 
 Nation  ?  Or  was  there  in  Nature  any  Probability, 
 that  any  fuch  thing  Jhou Id  ever  happen  to  any  Peo- 
 ple ?  '  that,    when  they  were  conquered  by  their 
 Enemies,  and  led  into  captivity,  they  fhould  nei- 
 ther continue  in  the  place  of  their  captivity,  nor 
 be  fwallowed   up  and  lofl  among  their  Conque- 
 rours,    but    be  fcattered     among    all    the  Na- 
 tions of   the    World,    and   hated     by    all    Na- 
 tions for  many  Ages,  and  yet  continue  a  People  ? 
 Or  could  Any  defcription  of  the  Jews,  written  at 
 this  day,  polTibly  be  a  more  exa6l  and  lively  Pi- 
 dlure  of  the  State  they  have  Now  been  in  for  ma- 
 ny Ages ',  than  this  Prophetick  defcription  given 
 hy  Mofes^  more  than  3000  Years  ago? 
 
 The 
 
41  %  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 The  very  fame  thing  is  in  Hke  manner  contlnu* 
 ally  predidled  through  all  the  following  Fro^ 
 COJcr.p,  phets  ;  that  God  would  (i)  fcatter  them  among  the 
 16.  Ezck.  iJg^iJjgfi  J  t}^at  he  would  (i)  caufe  them  to  he  re?no- 
 Ti)]cr.i^, ^'^J  bito  all  Kingdofns  of  the  Earth  -,  that  he  would 
 4.  24,  9.  C3)  fcatter  them  into  all  theV/inds^  and  {\)  difperfe 
 i9,  18. 34.,  fijgjj^  through  the  Countries  of  the  Heathen  :  that  he 
 ^2)  Ez-ek.  would  (^)  fft  them  among  all  ISiations^  tike  as  Corn 
 ^i  10,  M.is  fifted  in  a  Sieve  ;  that  (6)  in  all  the  Kingdoms  of 
 (^)  ^2.ek.  fjjg  Earth,  whither  they  Ihould  be  driven,  they 
 *^'^^'^^'fhould  be  a  Reproach  and  a  Proverb,  a  'Taunt  and 
 (f)  Amos  a  Curfe,  and  an  Aftanijh?nent,  and  an  Hijfing  :  and 
 9.9.  that  they  fhould  (y)  abide  MANT  BATS 
 ((>)  ]^^'  without  a  King,  and  'without  a  Prince,  and  without 
 jg'  a  Sacrifice,  and  without  an  hnage,    and  without  an 
 
 (-7^Hof.  ephod,  ard  without  teraphi7n.  And  here  concern- 
 ?'  4-  ing  the  Pra^diclions  of  Ezekiel  'tis  remarkable  in 
 ^.J^t^^^j^  I, particular,  that  they  being  fpoken  (S)  in  the  ve- 
 3,  II.  I  My  time  of  the  Babylonian  Captivity,  'tis  therefore 
 24-  evident  from  the  Ti^ne  of  his  Prophefying,  as  well 
 
 as  from  the  Nature  and  defcription  of  the  thing  it 
 felf  that  he  muft  needs  be  underilood  of  that  Lat- 
 ri}Tobitter  (1)  "  captivity  into  all  Places,'^  which  was  to 
 U»  T-       happen  after  the  "-"-^ Fulfilling  the  Time  of  'That  Age  " 
 wherein  God  was  firft  to  "  bring  them  again  "  (out 
 of  the  Babylo'nian  Captivity  J  "  irAo  the  Land  where 
 ''  they  fhould  build  a  Temple,  '"'  but  not  like  to  that 
 which  afterwards  ("after  their  Final  Return)  Ihould 
 ^"^  be  built  for  ever  with  a  Glorious  Building.  "     The 
 forecited  Prophecies  (I  fay)  muft  of  necefTity  be 
 underilood    of  that  Wide  and   Long  Difperfion, 
 which  in  the  New  Teftament  alfo  is  expresfly  men- 
 (i)  Lul:e  tioned  by  (2)  Our  Saviour  diVidihy  (3)  St  Paul. 
 ?''  Rom       '^^s  alfo,    further,    both   largely  and  difiin^y 
 \\]  i.-.    'predicted,    as  well  by  Mofes  himfelf,  as  by  All  the 
 following  Prophets;    that,    notwithftanding  this 
 U)Us\x.uncxa7?ipl2d  Difperfion  of  God's  People,    C4J  yet, 
 i6,  4+.     jr^^  ^11  ^i^^^^  .^,^^,^  ,p^^^  j^.  ^^  ^^^  Land  of  their  Ene- 
 
 mieSy 
 
and  Revealed  1^  e  l  i  g  i  o Na  43  j 
 
 mies^  Cod  will  not  d^ftro^  them  utterly  -,'' hut,  ("5 )  Tf  >)  E)eue^ 
 when  they  /ball call  to  7nind  among  all  the  'Nations  wbi-  3 ^ '  ^  >  ^» 
 ther  God  has  driven  thejUy  andjhall  return  unto  the 
 Lord,  he  zvill  turn  their  Capivity,  and  gather  them 
 
 from  all  the  Nations, from  the  outmofi  parts  of 
 
 Heaven, (i)  even  in  the   L  A'T't ER  days:{i)  Deut; 
 
 That  (i)    though  be  makes  a  full  end  of  all  other  ^'  3 o- 
 Nations,  yet  will  he  not  make  a  fall  end  of   Them  •,  ^^^  ^'^^ 
 but  (3 J  a  Remnant  of  thejnfhallhtpxdtxvtd^  andf5)If.  ioi 
 return  cut  of  all  Countries  whither  God  has  driven  "^^^  ^^--  <>* 
 them  :  That  he  (4;  will  fift  the  Houfe  of  Ifrael  a-  ^^;^l:^'^* 
 mong  all  Nations,  like  as  Corn  is  ffted  in  a  Sieve  ;  6;  8,  9/ 
 yet  (hall  net  the  leaft  Grain  fall  upon  the  Earth :  (4)  Amos 
 That  (S)  the  Lord  fh all  fet  his  hand  again  ^-^^  A  ?' ? Jf  , , 
 cond  ti?ne,    to  recover  the  Remnant  of  his   People,  ^j^^'^. 
 ^         i^and  fh  all  fet  up  an  Enfign  for  the  Nations, i-j^  13. 
 and  /hall  ajfemhle  the  Out-cafts  of  Ifrael,  and  gather 
 together  the  dfperfed  of  Judah,  from  the  Four  Cor-- 
 ners  of  the  Earth :  For  (6)  I  will 
 
 bring  thy  Seed  from  the  Eaji,  faith        (^)  i^-  43  i  r>  ^-    i^^-  '^» 
 the  Lord,    and  gather  thee  from     '^' ^^' JJ  ^V^V  t?""I^ 
 IheWeft  ',  I  will  fay  to  the  North,     \6,  17.  20,  41.  28,  i^.  34; 
 Give  up  ;  and  to  the  South,  Keep     12.  i^  3^>  H-  57»  ^J-  39> 
 710 1  hack  ;  Bring  my  Sons  from  far,     ^7'  ^^'  2.9. 
 and  my  Daughters  from  the  Ends  of  the  Earth :   (7  J  C?  J  ^^-  45»» 
 Behold,  I  will  lift  up  7n.y  hand  to  the  Gentiles,  and  fet  ^^'  ^°'^l^ 
 up  my  Standard  to  the  People  ;    and  they  fJoall  hring^, 
 thy  Sons  in  their  Arms,  and  thy  Daughters  fhall  he  (8)  If.  ^4; 
 carried  upon  their  Shoulders:  (^)  For  afmalhnomentT'/^^^  ^^^ 
 have  Iforfdken  thee,  hut  with  Great  Mercy   will  I'^hlper^ 
 gather  thee :    In  a  little  Wrath  I  hid  my  face  from 
 thee,  for  a  Moment ;  hut  with   Everlafting  Kindnefs 
 will  i  have  mercy  on  thee.      And  that  thefe  Pro- 
 phecies might  not  be  applied  to  the  Return  from 
 the  70  Tears  Captivity  irl  Babylon,  fwhich  more- 
 over was  not  a  Difperfion  into  All  Nations^)  they 
 z\'t  expresfly  referred   to  the  LAI^I^ER  Days,  (9)  ^^^^^ 
 not  only  by  (^)  Mofes,  but  by  (loj  Hofea,  who^;^^^"^^^^ 
 Ff  "      lived  3. \^.; 
 
7  vr     >{    • 
 
 434  7he  E  V  I D  e  n  c  e  s  of  Natural 
 
 lived  long  after,  {For  the  children  of  Ifrael  JJjall  a^ 
 
 bide  MANY  DATS  without  a  King,  and  -uuith^ 
 
 cut  a  Prince^  and  without  a  Sacrifice;    AFTER- 
 
 IFARD  they  /hall  return^  and  feck   the  Lord  their 
 
 God,  and  David  their  King,  and  [hall  fear  the  Lord 
 
 and  his  Goodnefs  in  the  LATTER  D  Al^S  ',)And 
 
 (n)  Ezek.by  Ezekiel,  who  lived  in  the  Captivity  icfelf  •,  (ii) 
 
 3S>  ^3,  l^•  After  MA  NT  DATS  [fpeaking  of  Thofe  who 
 
 ^^'  ^  '      fliould  oppofe  the  Return  of   the  Ifraelitcs,]  thou 
 
 JJoalt  he  vijited ;     in  the  LATTER    TEARS 
 
 thoujijalt  come  into  the  Land  •, upon  the  Peo- 
 
 pie  that  are  gathered  out  of   the  Nations ; In 
 
 that  Day,  when  rny  People  of  Ifrael  dwelleth  fafely, 
 
 »    ■       thou /halt  co7ne  up  again  ft  them, it/hall 
 
 he  in  the  LATTER  D  ATS.  lliefe  Pr^didi- 
 ons  therefore  neceflarily  belong  to  That  Age,  when 
 (t)  Luke  (i)  the  Times  of  the  Gentiles  fhall  he  fulfilled,  and 
 21,24.  ^2)  the  Fulnefs  of  the  Gentiles  he  co7ne  in.  And 
 115  ^7!^9.  ^^'^^^'>  through  all  the  Changes  which  have  happen- 
 ed in  the  Kingdoms  of  the  Earth,  from  the  Days 
 of  Mofes  to  the  prefent  Ti7ne,  v/hich  is  more  than 
 3000  Years  \  nothing  fliould  have  happened,  to 
 prevent  the  POSSIBILITY  of  the  Accom-- 
 plijhjnent  of  thefe  Prophecies  ;  bur,  on  the  con- 
 trary, the  State  of  the  Jewifi  and  Chriftian  Nati- 
 ons at  this  Day,  fliould  be  fuch  as  renders  them 
 eafily  capahle,  not  only  of  a  figurative,  but  even 
 of  a  literal  completion  in  every  Particular,  if  the 
 Will  of  Godht  io  ;  this  ('I  fay)  is  d, Miracle,  which 
 hath  nothing  parallel  to  it  in  the  Ph^enomena  of 
 Nature. 
 
 Another  Infl:ance,  no  lefs  extraordinary,  is  as 
 f  t)  Dan.  follows.  D^;2zV/ foretells  (i)  a  Kingdom  upon  the 
 7'  ^3-  Earth,  which  Jhall  he  divers  from  All  Kingdoms, 
 (^)ye^.-j.  (2)  divers  from  all  that  were  hef ore  it,  ("3)  exceed- 
 ^'' j  ver'z^'  ^'^5  dreadful,  (4J  andfJjall  devour  the  Whole  Earth: 
 '  That,  among  the  Powers  into  which  this  Kingdom 
 (.f)ver.H-fliaIl  be  divided,  there  fliall  arife  One  Power  (s) 
 
 divers 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  435 
 
 divers  from  the  reft,  who  (6)Jhallftihdue  unto  him-  r<5>er.8, 
 felf,  'THREE  oi  the Firft  Powers,  and  he  fhalP°'  "^• 
 
 have  (7)  (^   Mouth  fpeaking  very  great  things^  andf7.)ver.S, 
 a  Look  more  Stout  than  his  Fellows,       He  fhall  (8)  ^°-  ^^^^ 
 make  War  with  the  Saints^  and  prevail  againft  them^l/  ^^'"' 
 (g)  Jnd  he  JJjall /peak  great  words  againft  the  moft  (^)sqt, 
 High^  andjhall  wear  out  the  Saints  of  the  inoft  High^  2,5-. 
 and  think  to  change  'Times  and  Laws ;  and  they  fhall 
 he  given  into  his  hand^    for   a  long  feafon  -,    even 
 
 till  (io)  the  Judgment  fhall  fit  ^    and the  King- (lo)yev: 
 
 do7n  under  the  whole  Heaven  fijall  he  given  to  ^^^^  P^^-l^'^V^^^ 
 pie  of  the  Saints  of  the  ?noft  High,     (n)    He  fJjall\  \y^^  ^^[ 
 exalt  hi??tfelf  and  magnify  himfelf  above  every  God, 
 and  fl3 all  f peak  ynarvellous  things  againft  the  God  of 
 Gods-, ^Neither  Jh all  he  re- 
 gard (11)  the  God  of  his  Fathers,     .  OO,  The  God  of  Gods,  as 
 
 /       ^      ^1       T\  r         r    Tzr  in  the  torepoinp;  verie. 
 
 nor  (13;    the  Defire  of   Women,        ^,^)  ^frbuUmg  ta  many, 
 
 nor  regard  any  God,   for  he  fhall  i  Tim.  4, 3. 
 
 magnify  himfelf  above  all.     And  in 
 
 his  eflate,  [ball  he  honour  (i)  the  (0  Gods-TmeHors,  2s 'tis 
 
 /^  J      c     -t  .  ..  ■      ^,.:i  /^  \    ^    r^^j  in  the  marein  ot   the  Bible; 
 
 God  of   Eorces ',    and  (2)  a   God    ^,  saints-pLcion . 
 
 who?n  his   Fathers  knew    not,  fhall  [x)     changing    Times    and 
 
 he  honour, .        »1hus  fljall  he  do  in     Laws,  ch.  7,  ly  -,  fetting  up 
 the  moftftrong  Holds  with  a  Strange     ^^^'^  Religions. 
 God,    whom  he  fhall  acknowledge 
 and  increafe  with  glory  ;    and  he  fhall  caufe  them  to 
 rule  over  many,  and  fhall  divide  the  Land  for  Gain. 
 Suppofe  now  all  this  to  be  fpoken  by  Daniel,    of 
 nothing  more  than  the  Short  Perfecution  under  An- 
 tiochus  Epiphanes  \    Which  that  it  cannot  be,    I 
 haveftiown  C3)  above.     But  fuppofe  it  were,  andr3)pag: 
 that  it  was  all  forged  afl^r  the  Event :    Yet  This4-^§>  4^91 
 cannot  be  the  Cafe  of  St  Paul,  and  St  John,    who 
 defcribe  exa6l]y  a  Like  Power,  and  in  like  Words ; 
 fpeaking  of  things  to  come  in  the  Latter  Days,  of 
 things  ftill  Future  in  Their  time,    and  of   which 
 there  was  Then  no  Footfteps,  no  Appearance  in 
 die  World.     The  day  of  Chift^  faith  fzi)  St  Paul,  (4)  ^'Th: 
 *   F  f  2  Ihall'-^^^''^- 
 
4  i  ^  The  E  V  J  D  E  N  c  E  s  oj  Natural 
 
 fJoall  not  come^  except  there  cofne  a  Failing  awa'j  firfi^ 
 and  'That  Man  of  Sin  he  revealed^  the  Son  of  Perdi- 
 tion ',  PVbo  oppojeth  and  exalteio  bifnjelj  above  all  that 
 is  called  God^  or  that  is  wordipped  \    jo  that  he^  as 
 
 ,  .    _.    ,      ^  God^  fitteth  (<)  in   the  'Temple  of 
 
 (cj   Tis  therefoie  a  Chri-      n   j       n        •        i  •     rir    .l    ,     i       ■ 
 fltm    {not  ^n    Infidel)    PoTver,      ^'^^^     //^ewing    hwif elf    that    he  .  IS 
 
 that  he  here  fpcak sot.  God: —   F/hofe  Coming    is  after 
 
 the  Working  of   Satan^     with  all 
 Pozter^    and  Signs^    and  Lying  l^^onders^    and  'with 
 (j^^  I  Tim.  all  deceivaMenefs  of  Unrighteoufnefs.      Again:    (i) 
 4,  I,  6cc.    qj^^  spirit  fpeaketb  expresjly^  that  in  the  Latter  times 
 Some  Ihall  depart  from  the  Faith^  giving  heed  to  fe- 
 (1)  Doarines  concerning     diicing  Spirits,    and   (2)    doBnnes 
 -Dur.ony,  that  is,    chofis  or     of  Dcvils ',. — -Forbidding  to  mar- 
 Souls  of  (good  or  bad;  men     ry^  a;:d  commanding  to  ahftainfro?n 
 ^'P^'^^  '^'  meats,  &c.  St  John  in  like  manner 
 
 prophefies  of    a  Wild  Beaft  or  'Tyrannical  Poiver^ 
 C5)  Rev.   to  whom  was  given  (^)    Great  Authority,    and  a 
 
 and  Blafphemies :  And 
 he  my  again jl  God :  And 
 given  unto  him  to  make  JVar  with  the  Saints^ 
 and  to  overcome  the?n  -,  and  Power  ivas  given  him^  c- 
 ver  all  kindreds  and  tonzues  and  Nations :    And  all 
 
 that  D-w ell  upon  the  Earth,  fjallworfJjip  him, ■ 
 
 And  he  that  exercifeth  his  Power  before  hi?n, doth 
 
 great  Wonders, and  Deceiveth  them  that  dwell 
 
 on  the  Earth,  by  the  means  oj   thofe  Miracles  which 
 
 he  had  power  to  do. And  he  caufeth that 
 
 no  man  might  buy  or  fell,  fave  he  that  had  the  Mark 
 
 or  the  Name  of  the  Beaft,     And  the  Kings  of  the 
 
 (2)  Rev,   Earth  ( i )  have  one  Mind,  and  (hall  give  their  Pozver 
 
 17 ,  13,15-,  andftrenq^th  unto  the  Beaft  ; even  peoples,  and 
 
 '^*  ?)Lultitudes,    and  nations,    and  tongues. For  God 
 
 bath  put  in  their  hearts  [in  the  hearts  of  the  Kings,] 
 io  fulfill  his  Will,  and  to  agree,  and  give  their  King- 
 dom unto  the  Beaft,  untlll  the  words  of  God  fhall  be 
 fulfilled.     The  Nam.e  of    the  Perfon,    in   whofc 
 (i)Rev.    hands  the  ("i)  Reins  or  Principal  Dire^ion  of  the 
 
 Exercife 
 
 »  :>»  / 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  437 
 
 E^mifeoi  this  Power  is  lodged,    is  (z)  M^jler],{%)'^t^> 
 Babylon  the  Greats  the  Mother  of  Harlots^    andA-'^T'^' 
 hominations   of    the   Earth:     (a,) 
 
 mth  whom  the  Kings  of  the^ Earth        {4)  ^r.r.^^^  ^^^  .^^^^^^^^^ 
 (5;    have  committed    Fornication^     trms  Ptadijes, 
 and  the  Inhabitants   of  the  Earth 
 have  been  made  drunk  with  the  IVine  of  her  fornica- 
 tion:   And  She   herfelf  is   (6)    drunken  with  the  i^)  ^^y^ 
 Blood  of  the  Saints,  and  with  the  Blood  of  the  Mar-  '7'    ' 
 tjrs  of  Jefus:  And  (7 J  bj  her  T^;  .  ^        _ 
 
 Sorceries,  are  All  Nations  deceived :        [^)  .^r^J^/ ^f^^t;  ^^^_ 
 And  in  Her  is  found  the  Blood   of    f^y,oii,]  ^Met/mis  of   makmg 
 
 Prophets,    and    of    Saints,     and  of     men  Reltgious  -ivithout  Virtue. 
 
 All  that  are  flain  upon  the  Earth. 
 
 And  This  Perfon,  [the  ;?^/i/i^^/ Perfon,]  to  whom 
 
 thefe  Titles  and  Charaders   belong,  is  (i)  that(i)  R^v. 
 
 Great  City,  fflanding  (2)  upon  Seven  Mountains,) '^l^ ^^^'^ 
 
 which  Reigneth  over  the  Kings  of  the  Earth, 
 
 If  in  the  days  of  St  Paul  and  St  John,    there 
 was  any  Footftep  of  fuch  a  Sort  of  Power  as  This, 
 in  the  World  ;  Or,  if  there  ever  had  been  any  fuch 
 Power  in  the  World  ;  Or  if  there  was  Then   any 
 Appearance  of  Probability,    that  could  make   iu 
 enter  into  the  heart  of  Man  to  imagine,  that  there 
 ever  could  be  any  fuch  Kind  of  Power  in  the  JVorld, 
 muchlefsin  (3)  the  I^emple  or  Church^/   Gc'^  ;(3)2The{r, 
 And,  if  there  be  not  Nozv  fuch  a  Power  adually  ^'4" 
 and  confpicuoufly  exercifed  in  the  World  \    And 
 if  any  Pi6ture  of  this  Power,    drawn  after  the  £- 
 ijent,  can  now  defcribe  it  more  plainly  and  exact- 
 ly, than  it  was  originally  defcribcd  in  the  words  of 
 the  Prophefy :  I^hen  may  it  with   fome  degree  of 
 plaufiblenefs  be  fuggefled,  that  the  Prophecies  are 
 nothing  more  than  Enthufiaftick  Imaginations. 
 
 ^thirdly  \  The  chief  Evidence  of   the  FaEfs  on  0/  ihe  tti^ 
 which  the  Truth  and  Certainty  of  the  Chriftiany^'^^'^^"/ 
 Revelation  depends,    to   Us  who  live  ?iow  at  this  l^\^  ^^ 
 F  f  3     •  ciiftanc^ciples,  as 
 
438  Yhe  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 i^n  Et;/-  d'lHance  of  Time,  is   the  Teftimony  of  our  Saviour's 
 
 theVL  ^'^^'^''^' '  Which,  in  all  its  Circumilances,    was 
 
 of  the  the  moil  credible,    certain,    and  convincing  Evi- 
 
 chrijlian  dence,  that  ever  was  given  to  any  Matter  of  Fa6t 
 
 Revekti^  in  the  World. 
 
 To  make  the  Teflimony  of  our  Saviour's  Fol- 
 irhat  lowers  a  fufiicient  Evidence  to  Us  in  This  Cafe, 
 things  are  there  can  be  required  but  thefe  three  things      li} 
 
 '^^:eT  ^^^'""^  '"  ^^  ^''^^'^"'  ^^'^  Apoftles  could  not  be  im! 
 T^[itmo7r^  Po^^'^  ^^poH,  Thcfjiflves.  2.  That  it  be  certain, 
 of  cur  5".?-they  neither  had  nor  could  have  any  defign  to  iin- 
 
 'In^hs'a^'^'^^^  "P^"  ^^^'"'^^       "^^"^  3-  ^^^^  ^^  t>e  certain, 
 ^cotnplc'te     ^^^^^  Teihmony  is  truly  conveyed  down  to  us,  unto 
 -Euuimcs.    this  Day.     All  which  things  are  indeed  abundant- 
 ly certain,    and  clear  enough  to  fatisfie  any  rea- 
 fonable  and  unprejudiced  Perfon. 
 S?if '         ^^^  ^'  '^^'^^  ^^^  Apoftles  could  not  be  impofed 
 ciXi  not    ^^P^^^  Themfelves,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  al- 
 he  Inpojed  ready  faid  concerning  the  Nature  and  Number  and 
 ufon^them-P-ublicknefs  of  our  Saviour's  Miracles,     They  con- 
 iehes.       verfed  from  the  beginning  with  our  Saviour  him- 
 fclfj  Tihey /ji'^r^  with  their  Ears,    and  faw  with 
 their  Eyes  ;    they   looked  upon,    and   they  handled 
 ivitb  their  Hands  of  the  Word  of  Life,    as  St  John 
 expreffesit,   i  Johnj,   i.     They  fliw  all  the  Pro-- 
 phecies  of  the  Old  I  eframent  precifely  fulfilled  in 
 his  Life  and  Douirine,    his  Sufferings  and    Death, 
 They  Hiw  him  confirm  what  he  taught,  with  fuch 
 mighty  and  evident  Miracles,    as  his   bitterefl  and 
 moll  ip.alicious  Enemies  could  not  but  confefs  to 
 be  fupernatural,  even  at  the  lame  time  that  they 
 obftinately  blafphemed  the  Holy  Spirit  that  work- 
 <ed  them,      1  hey  faw  him  alive  after  his  Paffion^ 
 bv  many  infallible  Proofs  -,  he  appearing,    not  only 
 to  one  or  two,    but  to  all   the  Eleven,    feveral 
 times,  and  once  to  above  five   hundred  together. 
 And  this,  not  merely  in  a  tranfient  manner  i    but 
 they  converfed  with  him  familiarly  for  no  lefs  than 
 
 forty 
 
and  Revealed Ke hiG  JO u.  419 
 
 forty  Days  ;    and  at  laft  they  beheld  him  afcend 
 vifibly  into  Heaven  •,  and,  foon  alter,  they  recci- 
 ved  the  Spirit,  according  to  his  Promile.       1  hele 
 were  fuch  fenfible  Demonftrations  of  his  being  a 
 Teacher  fent  from  Heaven,  and  confequently  that 
 his  Dodrine  was  an  immediate  and  exprels   Reve- 
 lation of  the  Will  of  God  •,  that  if  the  Apofcles 
 even  though  they  had  been  men  of   the  weakejt; 
 judgments  and /r^;/^2;^/nmaginations  that  can  be 
 luppofed,  could  be  all  and  every  one  of  them  de- 
 ceived in  all  thele  feveral  Inftances  •,  men  can  have 
 no  ufe  of  their  Senfes,  nor  any  poffible  Proot  ot 
 anyFadlswhatfoever;  nor  any  Means  to  diitin- 
 guiOi  the  beft  atteiled  Truths  in  the  Worid,  from 
 Enthufiaftick  Imaginations.  .  ,       ,     ,         ^r      , 
 
 2.  'Tis  certain,  the  Apoftles  neither  ^^ Z'^'^;!,^^ 
 could  have  any  defign  of  impofing  upon  Others,  -^jj^  ^^^^,^ 
 This  is  evident  both  from  the  Nature  ot  the  things  „,  ,/,^^.„  o] 
 thev  did  and  fuffered,  and  from  the  Charafters  oitK^^pofmg 
 the  Perfons  themfelves.       They  confirmed  what«^--^- 
 they  taught,  by  Signs  and  Miracles :  they  lived  ac- 
 cording to  the  Dodrine  they    preached,    though 
 manifetlly  contrary  to  all  the  Interefls  and  Plea- 
 fures  of  this  prefent  World-,  .and,  which  Decei- 
 'vers  can  never  be  fuppofed  to  do,    they  died  with 
 all  imaginable  cheerfulnefs  and  joy  of  Mind,    for 
 the  Testimony  of  their  Dodlrine,  and  the  conhr- 
 mation  of  their  Religion.     This,  I  fay,    is   what 
 Deceivers  can  never  polTibly  be   fuppoied  to  do. 
 For,  'tis  very  remarkable,  the  Apoftlcs  did  not 
 lav  down  their  Lives  for  their  Opinions,    (which 
 Enthujiafts  may  pofTibly  be  fuppofed  to  do,,)    but 
 in  Atteflation  to  FaBs  of    their  own  Knowledge. 
 They  were  innocent  and  plain  Men,  Men  that  had 
 no  bad  Ends  to  ferve,  nor  Preferment  to  hope  for 
 in  the  World.     Their  ReHgion  it  felf  taught  them 
 to  exped,  not  dominion  and  glory,  not  the  praife 
 of  Men,  not  riches  and  honour,    not  Powe'r  and 
 F  f  4  E^ie^ 
 
440  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 Eafe,  not  pleafu re  nor  profit ;    but  poverty  and 
 want,  trouble  and  vexation,  perfecution  and  op  • 
 prefRon,  imprifonments,  banifhments,  and  death. 
 Thefe  things  are  not  the  marks  and  tokens  of  Im- 
 poilors.     Befides,  The  Succefs  and  Event  of  their 
 Undertaking  •,  that  plain  and  illiterate  Men  fliould 
 be  able  to  preach  their  Dodlrine  to  many  different 
 Nations  of  different  Languages,  and  prevail   alfo 
 in  eilablifhing  the  Belief  of  it ;    that  t:hey  fhould 
 all  agree  exactly  in  their  Teftimony,    and  none  of 
 them  be  prevailed  upon  either  by  Hopes  or  Fears 
 to  defert  their  Companions  and  difcover  the  Irn- 
 poilure,    if  there  had  been  any  •,     Thefe  things 
 plainly  fhov/,  that  their  Dodrine  was  more  than 
 Hum.an,  and  not  a  Contrivance  to  impofe  upon 
 the  World.     This  Argument  is  excellently  urged 
 by  Eufehius :  Is  it  a  thing  pojjible   to  he  conceived^ 
 faith  ^'  he,  that  Deceivers  and  un- 
 learned Men^  Men  that  underJlGod 
 no  other  Language  hut  their  Mother- 
 tongue^  JJjould  ever  think  of  attempt- 
 ing fo  extravagant  a   things    as   to 
 travel  over  all  Nations  ?    and  not 
 only  fo^    hut  that    they  Jhould  he 
 ahle  alfo  to  accompUflj  their  defign^ 
 and  eftablifJj   their  doctrine  i?i   all 
 parts  of  the  IForld  ?  Confder  more- 
 over how  rejnarkahle  a  thing  it  is, 
 that  they  ftdould  in  no   refpeci  dif 
 agree  one  from  another^  in  the  Ac- 
 count they  gave  of  the  A5l.ions  of 
 Chrifl,     For  if  in  all  ^eftions^  of 
 Fa5l^    and  in  all  trials  at.  Law^ 
 and  in  all  ordinary  Difputes^    the 
 agreement,  of  fever al  Witneffes  is  al- 
 ways accounted  fufficient.  to  deter- 
 mine  fatiifi^fonly    the   Matter  in^ 
 Quejlion  j    is   it  not  an   ahundanl 
 '"-  '         "  Evidence 
 
 ^AVitiSJi;,  TO  ^AOj<5   ■z-:^ic«;  %^    ;- 
 
 ■.^CJ- 
 
 MOV    f|jvJV>C2w    T^sfi     T    Ttpccliuy 
 ■r&jv  ccuj<PiyvciifXjivii!v  /T^xy/^rcjv , 
 
 uv   VI  ciXy,B-iix  }o.  iTH   'rZvh    ry- 
 i-Uii)^   dhjifsxcc  fjtjiv  cv7av  ' Attoi^o- 
 
 f/,V£/iOV  71  7rXyiB-0V<i    76'J7Ct)V     liCToqy 
 
 ^m  yi  rcTq    vtto  toZ  'I/ja-flt;  5rf- 
 
and  Revealed  B.  e  l  i  g  i  o  m.'  44^ 
 
 Evidence  of  the  'Trittb  in  T'bis  cafe,     ?  ficc<r^'^^  ys-e^sy;;?,  ^  -^trm 
 that^^eWe  Apoftks,  and  Seventy     2^^:::^.  ut^  %. 
 Vifciples^     and   innumerable  other     ^^ 
 Believers,  have  born  witnefs  to  the 
 AElions  of  Chrijf,  vjitb  the  fnojt  exacl  and  perfecf 
 Agreement  among  themfelves  -,  and  not  only  fo,    but 
 have  endured  alfo  all  kinds  of   torments,   and  even 
 Death  it  felf,  to  confirm  their  ^eftimony  ?  Again  ; 
 That  illiterate  Men,    faith  f  he, 
 Jhould  preach  the  ISame  of  Chrifi 
 in  all  parts  of  the  World  ;  feme  of 
 them  in  Rome  itfelf,    the  imperial 
 City  •  others,  in  Perfia  ;  others,  in 
 Armenia  ;  ethers,  in  Part  hi  a  \  o- 
 thers,    in  Scythia  ;    others  in  India 
 and  the  firthefl  Parts  of  thelVof^ld-, 
 and  others,    beyond  the  Sea,  in  the 
 Britifh   Ifles :    ms    I  cannot  but 
 think  to  be  a  Thing  far  exceeding 
 the  Pozver  of  Man  ;    7nuch    more, 
 the  Po'zver  of  ignorant  and  unlearn- 
 ed Men  j  and  fiill  much  more,  the 
 Power  of   Cheats  and    Deceivers. 
 And  again  :  No  one  of  them.,  faith 
 ■^  he,     being  ever  terrified    at  the 
 Torments  and  Deaths  of  others,  for- 
 fook  his  Companions,  or  ever  preach- 
 ed contrary  to  them,    arid  detected 
 the  forgery.     Nay,  on  the  contrary. 
 That   Ofie,    who    did  forfake    his 
 Mafter  in  his  Life-tifne,  and  betray 
 him   to   his  Enemies  \    being  Self- 
 condemned,    deftroyed  himfelf  with  his  own  Hands, 
 And  much  more  to  the  fame  purpofe,    may  be 
 found  excellently  faid  by  the  fame  Author,  in  the 
 Seventh  Chapter  of  the  Third  Book  of  his  Demon- 
 ftrafvo  Evangelica. 
 
 Q^,     'Tis  very  certain,  that  the  A^o^lzsTt^i-T^^.n  the 
 inony  concertina;  the  SVorks    and    Doclrine    of-^M'*"^ 
 I    ■-.  ^   -..    -  Chrifi, ^^'^^^^^.^ 
 
 4-  KTjevTliiv    cV   uy^emevc  ao^ 
 ecx^  ii(i'7m»TU^  TO  ^  'I>jcr5  oto-. 
 
 x«4  «y  7nx,Xiv  iv  XkvB-c^v,  ■rivci',at 
 
 Vl^)}     KUi     i7r'    eCVTU.      '^     OiKiSliifiT:^ 
 
 iXB^iTv  Tu  ci>ccoc,    i-m  ti  tjjv  'Iv- 
 uTrif    Tcv  'Q.y.sccycv  TTocei^siv  fV] 
 
 U  yi  'x.XTti.   iDTiXiii;  y,cn  ioic^ra^^ 
 vru^.     Id.  tbid.  cap.  7. 
 
 TtC   TVf/jScCjTCt    T0'.<;   rreocCvye/itf/i' 
 
 ■"AAAas    y.cii    0    Tv-/ta    ■z;rsohvy:u 
 TeXujyi(rx<;      cc'jtcv,       ccvroyjif.cc 
 
 9U   S^ 
 
 xiiv  i7Fi(r7m(ru^.     id.  tbid. 
 
 xotS"'  ixvToZ  S>^fl£/i|''i,'A£4  r»»  d. 
 
44^  Tl^e  lE^viDENCESof  Natural 
 
 hath  been  Chrifl,  is  trul'j  and  without  corruption  conveyed 
 XeyldTov'J^'''^^  /^  Us,  even  unto  this  Day.  For  they  Mt 
 to  Us,  this  their  Teftimony  in  their  Writings :  Which 
 Writings  have  been  delivered  down  to  us  by  an 
 uninterrupted  SuccefTion  through  all  intermediate 
 Ages.  Their  Books  were  all  tranllated  very  ear- 
 ly into  feveral  Languages,  and  difperfed  through 
 all  parts  of  the  World  ;  and  have  moft  of  them 
 been  acknowledged  to  be  the  genuine  Writings 
 of  thofe  whofe  Names  they  bear,  even  by  the 
 bitter  eft  Enemies  of  Chriftianity  in  all  Ages. 
 PafTages,  containing  the  moft  material  Dodlrines, 
 have  been  cited  out  of  them  by  numberlefs  Au- 
 thors, who  lived  in  every  Age  trom  the  very  Days 
 of  the  Apoftles  unto  this  time  :  So  that  there  is 
 no  room  or  pofTibility  of  any  confiderable  ccr- 
 ruption,  fuch  as  might  in  any  wife  diminifh  our 
 certainty  of  the  Truth  of  the  whole.  In  Summ  ; 
 There  is  no  matter  of  Fa6l  in  the  World,  attefted 
 in  any  Hiftory,  with  fo  m^any  circumftances  of 
 credibility,  with  fo  many  collateral  Evidences, 
 and  in  every  refped  attended  with  fo  many  Marks 
 of  Truth  ;  as  This  concerning  the  Do6lrine  and 
 Works  of  Chrift. 
 of  the  Ah-  And  here,  by  the  way  'tis  to  be  obferved, 
 ihonty  of  j-j^^^-  ^j^^  peculiar  Authority  which  we  attribute  to 
 ef^Holy^  the  Books  of  Holy  Scripture  contained  in  the  Nevj 
 impure.  'Teftameut,  is  founded  in  this ;  that  they  were  writ- 
 ten or  dictated  by  the  Apoftles  them/elves.  The 
 Apoftles  were  indued  with  the  miraculous  Gifts 
 of  the  Holy  Ghoft,  at  Pentecoft :  And  This  not 
 only  inabled  them  to  preach  the  Do6lrine  of 
 Chrift  with  Power,  but  alfo  eftedlually  fecured 
 them  fromx  making  any  errour,  miftake,  or  falfe 
 reprefentation  of  it.  And  the  very  fame  Autho- 
 rity that  by  this  fingular  Privilege  was  added  to 
 their  Preaching,  'tis  manifeft  ought  for  the  fame 
 reafons  to  be  equaliv  attributed  to  their  Writings 
 
 alib. 
 
and  Re^vealed  Religion. 
 
 alio.  Now  all  the  Books  of  the  New  Teftament 
 were  either  ivritten  by  the  Apoftles  ;  or,  v/hich 
 is  the  very  fame  thing,  approved  and  authGrized 
 by  them.  Moll  of  the  Books  were  uncontrovert- 
 edly  written  by  the  Apoftles  themfelves  •,  St  Paul 
 having  been  made  one  of  that  number  by  a  Com- 
 mifTion  from  Heaven,  no  lefs  vifible  and  fenfible, 
 than  that  which  was  granted  to  the  reft  at  Fente- 
 coft.  And  thofe  Books  which  were  v/ritten  by 
 the  Companions  of  the  Apoftles,  were  either  di- 
 ctated or  at  leaft  approved  and  authorifed  by  the 
 Apoftles  Themfelves.  Thus  Eufcbius  expresfly 
 tells  us,  that  St  Peter  reviewed  and  approved 
 the  Gofpel  of  St  Mark^  and  that 
 ^  it  was  this  approlation  that  au- 
 thorifed it  to  he  received  by  the 
 Churches,  And  Irenceus  \  that  f 
 what  St  Mark  wrote^  was  dila- 
 ted by  St  Peter  ;  and  that  •**  the 
 Gofpel  of  St  Luke,  was  only  a 
 Tranfcript  of  St  Paul'i  preaching. 
 And  Tertullian  in  like  manner; 
 I  St  Mark  was  only  St  Peters 
 Scribe^  and  St  Luke  St  Paul's. 
 And  Eufehius  ;  that  St  John  ft 
 alfo  reviewed  the  G  of  pels  of  St  Mark 
 and  St  Luke,  and  confirmed  the 
 Truth  of^  them.  And,  to  menti- 
 on no  more,  the  fame  Hiftorian 
 tells  us,  that  (befides  fome  fmaller 
 reafons  drawn  from  fome  mifta- 
 ken  Paftages  in  the  Book  it  Mf  ) 
 the  chief  reafon  why  the  Autho- 
 rity of  the  Epiftle  to  the  Hebrews 
 was  queftioned  by  fome,  was  t 
 hecaufe  they  thougrjt  it  not  to  be 
 l^n'itten  by  St  Paul  Imnfelf 
 
 443 
 
 iiillor.  L  I.e.  1 5-. 
 
 f  Marcu:  dilcipulus  Sc  in- 
 ter prcs  Pe(ri,  quae  a  Petro  an- 
 nuntiara  crant,  edidir.  Iren, 
 lib,  5.  c.  I. 
 
 **  Lucas  Testator  P.-iuU, 
 quod  ab  illo  prxdicabatur  E- 
 vangcliura  in  iibro  condidit. 
 Id.  ibicl.  Vide  8c  Tertutiian. 
 ad'v.  Marcion.  lib.  4. 
 
 -I-  I'icet:  8c  Marcus  quod 
 edidir,  F^-^nadfii  metur,  cujus 
 iiiterpres  Marcus:  nam'& 
 Luc&  DigcfiLim,  Taulo  ad- 
 fcribere  folent.  Tertull.  ad-j. 
 Marc  ton.  It  6.  4,, 
 
 f  f '  H.^!;;  ^£  Msiojcso  Kcii  Acv;fol 
 
 TTohlcf.^^  yjiv  <pci.nv,  uXy,?Tiia.v  kii- 
 
 Hifl.l.  3.   c.  24. 
 
 r/y  kiTiXiyt^  <pK!rc6VTi^.  UL  Iw, 
 3.C.  3. 
 
 XV.  Laill 
 
 }' 
 
444  3^^^  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 XV.  hafil-^  ;  ^^^}'  iJ^ho  will  not^    hy  the  Argu^ 
 
 vients  and  Proofs  before-mentioned^  he  convinced  of  the 
 
 "Truth  and  Certainty  of  theChriftian  Religion^  and  he 
 
 ^erfwaded  to  make  it  the  Rule  and  Guide  of  all  their 
 
 Anions  \  would  not  he  convinced^  (f  fcir  as  to  influence 
 
 their  Praofife  and  refonn  their  Lives y)  hy  any  other 
 
 j,^^f  fT.^  Evidence  whatfoever  ;  no^  not  though  one  fhould  rife 
 
 Tftdence    on  ^urpofe from   the  Bead  to  indeavour  to   convince 
 
 rohich  Go^  them. 
 
 tTofthf"^  From  what  has  been  ^lid  upon  the  foregoing 
 Truth  of  Heads,  'tis  abundantly  evident  that  Men  are  not 
 curKeligi'  called  upon  to  believe  the  Chriflian  Religion  with- 
 *dant''tT^^^  very  reafonable  and  fafficient  Proofs  much 
 fident  lefs  are  they  *  required,  to  fet  up 
 
 *''A-kMi<,K'oiTMm\hic,^k-  Faith  in  oppofition  to  Reafon\ 
 iTohiKTiy.k  oi  ht^riio-tm  Ml.  i-  Qj.  ^Q  believe  any  thing  for  That 
 ^/ ^Q  ,  >^  ^'^^  .  i  '„.  'V  verv  reafon,  becaule  it  is  mcrc- 
 t5  K^Voy  h^-^^S^'ov)  '^i  n^rsy;  dible.  On  the  contrary,  Uod 
 c-w,  tfWio-r/oyjt^sf*  o-ot,  roi^rov  Si',  j^^^g  criven  US  all  the  Proofs  of 
 r«.  u:v  0..1;,  ,4.  I  ^'.hf^iv®^     ^     ^    ^  ^^  ^yj.  Religion,  that 
 
 'cc^^^u. '0-.;^  ^^^.v,  r«;.     the     Nature      of     the       1  hing 
 
 Tv{  Kul  f,r^xxov  TTiTiva-ot.  Orig,  would  bear,  or  that  were  reafbn- 
 adv.  celf.llh.  I.  ^I^le   either  for  God  to  give,  or 
 
 Mentoexpecl.  And  unlefs  God  fliould  work 
 upon  Men  by  fuch  Methods,  as  are  wholly  incon^ 
 iident  with  the  Defign  of  Religion  and  the  Na- 
 ture of  Virtue  and  Vice  i  which  we  are  fure  he 
 will  never  do  •,  nothing  could  have  been  done 
 more,  than  has  already  been  done,  to  convince 
 Men  of  the  Truth  of  Religion,  and  to  perfwade 
 them  to  embrace  t'leir  own  Plappinefs.  And  in- 
 deed no  reafonable  Man  can  fail  ot  being  perfuaded 
 by  the  Evidence  we  nov/  have.  For  if,  in  other 
 Cafes,  we  aiTent  to  thofe  Things  as  certain  and 
 demonftrated^  which,  if  om  Faculties  of  judging  and 
 reafoning  do  not  neceifarily  deceive  us,  do  upon 
 the  moft  impartial  view  appear  clearly  and  plainly 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  445 
 
 to  be  true  ;  there  is  the  fame  Reafon  why  In  Mo- 
 ral and  Religious  Matters  We  fhould  look  upon 
 thofe  things  Hkewife  to  be  certain  and  demonftrated^ 
 v/hich,  upon  the  exadteft  and  moft  deHberatc  Judg- 
 ment we  are  capable  of  making,  do  appear  to  us 
 to  be  as  clearly  and  certainly  true,  as  'tis  certain 
 that  our  Faculties  do  not  necejfarilj  and  unavoidably 
 deceive  us,  in  all  our  Judgtnents  concerning  the  Na- 
 ture of  God,  concerning  the  proper  Happinefs  of  ^ 
 Man,  and  concerning  the  Difference  of  Good  and 
 Evil  And  if,  in  other  Cafes,  we  always  a6l  with- 
 out  the  lead  hefitation,  upon  the  Credit  of  good 
 and  fufficient  T'efimony  -,  and  look  upon  that  Man 
 as  foolifh  and  ridiculous,  who  fuflains  great  Lofles, 
 or  lets  flip  great  Opportunities  and  Advantages  in 
 Bufinefs,  only  by  diftrufling  the  moft  credible  and 
 well-attefted  Things  in  the  World  ;  'tis  plain  there 
 is  the  fame  Reafon,  why  we  fhould  do  fo  alfo  in 
 Matters  of  Religion.  So  that  unlefs  our  Actions 
 be  determined  by  fome  other  Thing,  than  by  Rea- 
 fon and  right  Judgment ;  the  Evidence  which  we 
 have  of  the  great  Truths  of  Religion,  ought  to 
 have  die  fame  Effedl  upon  our  Lives  and  A  dtions, 
 as  if  they  were  proved  to  us  by  any  other  fort  of 
 Evidence  that  could  be  defired. 
 
 'Tis  true  ;  the  Refurreftion  of  Chrift,    and  his     ^^^^^^« 
 other  mighty  Works,  muft  after  all  be  confeffed  ^^^^{^^^^^^^ 
 not  to  be  fuch  ocular    Demonftrations  of   tht iief,isnot 
 Truth  of  his  Divine  Commiflion  to  After-Genera- w^«^  of 
 tions,  as  they  were  to  thofe  Men  who  then  lived^f^^^^  f'^^" 
 
 .  dcnc€  to 
 
 ^ndfaw  him  and  coyiverfed  with  hi?n.     But  fince  thtp^ove  tht 
 Matters  of  Fad  are  as  clearly  proved  to  Us,   2iS  great 
 'tis  poffible  for  any  matter   of  Facl  at  that  di-'^"^^.^  ^f 
 (lance  of  Time  to  be  ♦,  fmce  the  Evidence  of  This,  ^^^'^'^"' 
 is  as  great  and  greater,    than  of  moft  of  thofe 
 Things  on  which  Men  venture  the  whole  of  their 
 fecular  Affairs,  and  on  which  they  are  v/illing  to 
 fpend  all  their  Time  and  Pains :  Since  (I  hy)  ^^^ 
 
 cafe 
 
44^  The  Evidences  (?/  Natural 
 
 cafe  is  thus  ;  He  that  will  rather  venture  all  that 
 he  can  poiTibly  enjoy,  or  fufFer  •,  he  that  will  run 
 the  hazard  of  lofing  Eteinal  Happinefs,  and  fall- 
 ing into  Eternal  Mifery,  rather  than  believe  the 
 moji  credible  and  rational  Thing  in  the  World, 
 merely  becaufe  he  does  not  fee  it  with  his  Eys  ; 
 'tis  plain  that  That  Man  does  not  disbelieve  the 
 thing  becaufe  he  thinks  the  Evidence  of  it  not  fifp- 
 cienlly  Jlrong,  but  becaufe  'tis  contrary  to  fome par- 
 ticular Vice  of  his^  v/hich  makes  it  his  Interefl  that 
 it  fhould  not  be  true  -,  and,  for  that  Reafon,  he 
 might  alfo  have  disbelieved  it,  tho'  he  had  feen 
 it  himfelf  Men  may  invent  what  vain  Pretences 
 they  pieafe,  to  excufe  their  Infidelity  and  their 
 .  Wickednefs :  But  certainly  That  Man,  who  can 
 defpife  the  Authority  both  of  Reafon  and  Scrip- 
 ture in  conjundior-  ;  v/ho  can  elude  the  plainefl 
 Evidence  of  matter  of  Fad ;  w4io  can  be  deaf 
 to  all  the  Promifcs  and  kind  Admonitions  of  the 
 Gofpel,  and  to  all  the  threatnings  and  terrible 
 denuntiations  of  the  Wrath  of  God,  made  known 
 in  good  meafure  by  the  Light  of  Nature,  and 
 coniirmed  by  the  addition  of  exprefs  Revelation  •, 
 Certainly  CI  fiyj  That  Man  mull  have  fome  other 
 Reafon  for  his  Unbelief,  than  the  pretended  Want 
 of  fufficient  Evidence.  Did  Men  follow  the  un- 
 prejudiced Judgment  of  their  own  Minds,  and 
 the  impartial  Didates  of  natural  Reafon  •,  the  leaft 
 poiTibility  of  obtaining  eternal  Happinefs,  or  the 
 leaft  fufpicion  of  falling  into  endlefs  Mifery, 
 would  immediately  determine  them  to  make  it  the 
 great  Study  and  Bufmcfs  of  their  Lives,  to  ob- 
 tain the  One,  and  to  avoid  the  Other.  If  then 
 we  fee  Men  ad  diredlly  contrary  to  this  natural 
 Principle,  and  almoU:  wholly  neglecl  thefe  Things, 
 not  only  when  there  is  a  fair  Appearance  and  Pro- 
 hahilily  of  their  being  true,  which  the  Light  of 
 Nature  it  felf  affords  -,  but  alfo  when  there  is  all 
 
 reafonable 
 
and  Revealed  Religion.  447 
 
 reafonable  Evidence  given  of  their  being  Certain- 
 ly true,  by  exprefs  Revelation  in  the  Goipel  j  Is 
 it  not  very  plain,  that  fuch  Men  are  governed, 
 not  by  Realbn  and  the  force  of  Evidence,  but 
 by  fome  Other  very  different  Caufe  of  their  Ani- 
 ons ? 
 
 What  that  Caufe  is,  is  very  apparent  from  the    ^^  t^^^^ 
 Lives  and  Adions  of  moft  of  thofe  Perfons,  ^"^o^^fj^f 
 pretend  want  of  Evidence  to  be  the  Ground  oivemed 
 their    Infidelity.       Their    Lufts^    their  Appetites^  ^«A  (^re 
 their  AffeElions  are  intereiled:  They  are  Lovers  of^^  °fy  ^ 
 Vice  and  Debauchery,  and  Slaves  to  Evil  Habits  objiinlte 
 and  Cufloms  :  And  therefore  they  are  not  willing  infideltty. 
 to  difcern   the  Evidence,    which   would  compel 
 them  to  believe  That,  which  yet  they  cannot  be- 
 lieve with  any  Comfort,    fo  long  as  they  refolve 
 not  to  part  with  their  beloved  Vices.    Their  Hearts 
 and  Atfe6lions  are  habitually  fixt  upon   Things 
 here  below  j  and  therefore  they  will  not  attend  to 
 the  force   of  any  Argument,    that  would  raife 
 their  Affe6lions  to  Things  above.      They  are  in- 
 flaved  to  the  fenfual  Pleafures  and  finful   Injoy- 
 ments  of  Earth  ;  and  therefore  they  will  not  hear- 
 ken to  any  reafonable  Convidtion,    which  would 
 perfwade  them  to  relinquilh    thefe  prefent  Grati- 
 fications,' for  the  future  and  more  Spiritual  Joys 
 of  Heaven,     The  Love  of  this  prefent  World  has 
 ^  blinded  their  Eyes ;    and  there- 
 fore they  receive  not  the  T^hings    of        ,  cor.  2,  14, 
 the  Spirit  of  God  ;    For  they  are        *"E*«ot  h7::oKix,viJijiv6v^  szovn 
 foolifJjnefs  unto  them  •,   Neither  can     '"^^^  o<p^c^>^u.ob<i    kcs,  ^,  /SAi. 
 they^  know  ihem,    hecaufe  they  are     ^^  ^->,  ^'iv'-^.   "^z^^^  ^^- 
 fpiritually  difcerned.       In  a  word  :     y.iXMy^ivov<i  r»?  o(p^axu.^^  ng 
 The  true  and  only  Reafon,    why     ^''X^'^  ^^^  ^^^^  "^f;  ^.w-s^pr^j^^. 
 
 Men  love  Darknefs    rather   than     --\-^^ ^H-b'^^ J'^y^^^ ^^- 
 y.   r  .  '    .'.      ,         --^    J    .      _^      .  may,    Theophil.  Antioch,  L.  i, 
 
 Ltgbt  •,  IS,  bccauje  their  Deeds  are 
 'Evil 
 
 And 
 
44S  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 AHtifo  long     And  This  Reafon,  affords  a  fufficient  Account 
 ^^^^'^^^J' indeed,    why  Men  fliould  be  very  unwilling   to 
 Dgrrmiort    belie vc  the  Do6lrines  of  Chriftianity.     If  they  ^re 
 of  their      refolvcd  Hot  to  refoHTi  their  Lives,  'tis  no  won- 
 lujh.  '^O'der  they  care  not  to  difcern  the  Evidence  of  thofe 
 Ttlon-vin-  Truths,  which  nuifl:  needs  make  them  very  unea- 
 crd,  though  {y  in  the  midil  of  the  Injoyment  of  all  their  fin- 
 theEvi^     f^^i  pieafures.     In  this  Cafe,  were  the  Proofs  of 
 t^^Z^L^TthQ  Truth  of   our  Relio;ion  niuch  ftronp;er  than 
 even  muchxhtj  ate,  Or  than  they  can  be  imagined  or  deiired 
 fironger      ^-q  j^g  .^  yet  ftill  thefe  Men  would  be  in  the  very 
 than  It  li.    fr^^Q  Cafe,    and  perpetually  want  ftrongef    and 
 ftronger  Evidence.     'Tis  true  ;  many  Men,  who 
 now   are  confcious  and  willing  to  acknowledge, 
 that  they  act  contrary  to  all  the  reafonable    Evi- 
 dence and  Convidions  of  Religion  ;  are  neverthe- 
 iefs  very  apt  to  imagine  within  themfelves,    that 
 if  the  great  Truths  of  Religion  were  proved  to 
 them  by  feme  ftrcnger  Evidence,  they  Jhoidd  by 
 that  means  be  worked  upon  to  a6t  otherwife  than 
 they  do.     But  if  the  true  Reafon  why  thefe  Men 
 ad  thus  foolifhly,  is  not  becaufe  the  'DoElrines  of 
 Religion  are  not  fufficiently  evidenced,  but  becaufe 
 Tbe'^  themfelves  are,    without    allowing  themfelves 
 time  for  Confideration,  hurried  away  by  fome  un- 
 ruly Paffions  to  act  directly  contrary  to  all  Rea- 
 fon and  Evidence  ;  'tis  plain  funlefs  God  fhould 
 irrefiftibly  compel  themj  they  might  well  conti- 
 nue to  ad:  as  they  do,    though  the  Evidence  of 
 thefe  Things  were  really  greater  than  it  is.    They 
 are  willing  fondly  to  imagine,    that  if  they  had 
 lived  in  our  Saviour's  time  ;  if  they  had  heard  his 
 Preaching,  and  feen  his  Miracles  ;  if  they  had  had 
 the  Advantage  of  beholding  thofe  mighty  Works 
 which  he    performed  for  the  Proof  of  his  Divine 
 CommifTion,  as  the  Jcv/s  then  had :    they  fliould 
 not  like  Tliem  have  rejeoied  the  Counfel  of  God  a- 
 gzlnft  thenifdvesy  but  with  all  cheerfulnefs  have  be- 
 lieved 
 
dftd  Revealed  R  £  l  i  g  1  0  ^^  449 
 
 iieved  his  Dodlrine,  and  embraced  his  Religion. 
 They  flmcy,  they  fhould  immediately  have  be- 
 come Difciples  of  Chrift  ;  and  that  the  Truths 
 which  he  taught,  would  have  had  a  mod  pov;er- 
 ful  Influence  upon  the  whole  courfe  of  their  LiveSo 
 And  if  their  Hearts  and  Affe6lions  were  not  fet 
 Upon  l^his  Worlds  more  than  upon  the  next  \  if 
 they  valued  not  the  prefent  finful  enpynents  of 
 Senfe^  above  the  ex pe Elation  of  the  Glory  that  fhail 
 he  revealed ;  mofl  certainly  they  would  do 
 the  fame  now.  But  if  their  Hearts  he  fet  uport 
 earthly  Things,  and  their  PafTions  he  ftronger  than 
 all  the  Arguments  of  Reafon  •,  if  chey  do  indeed 
 fo  love  the  Pleafures  of  Sin  now,  as  that  they  can- 
 not perfuade  themfelves  by  all  the  Motives  of  Re- 
 ligion to  live  hke  Chriftians  •,  we  need  not  doubt 
 to  affirm,  that  they  might  very  well  have  been 
 in  the  fame  Cafe,  though  they  had  lived  in  our 
 Saviour's  time.  The  Jews  are  a  notorious  and 
 Handing  Inftance,  how  far  Prejudice,  Envy, 
 Pride  and  Affedion,  are  able  to  prevail  over  the 
 flrongeft  Convidions.  When  our  Saviour  began 
 to  preach  that  he  was  fent  from  God  to  inftru6t 
 them  in  their  Duty,  they  required  a  %;^  of  him,  ■ 
 and  they  would  helieve  him  ;  but  when  he  had 
 worked  fo  many  Miracles,  that  even  the  World  it 
 felf  could  not  contain  the  Books  if  zli^y  froould  all  be 
 -written,  they  perfifted  flill  in  their  Infidelity. 
 When  they  faw  him  hanging  upon  the  Crofs,  and 
 thought  themfelves  fecure  of  him,  they  faid,  Let  ^^^'  ^ll 
 him  now  come  down  from  the  Crofs,  and  we  will  he-  ^^' 
 lieve  him:  But  when  he  arofe  out  of  the  Grave, 
 wherein  he  had  lain  three  Days,  which  was  a  much 
 greater  and  more  convincing  Miracle  ;  they  grew 
 more  hardened  and  obftinate  in  their  Unbelief, 
 
 Others  there  are,  who  imagine,  that  if  they  could     ^'^-^'  f^^ 
 but  be  convinced  of  the  Truth  of  another  World,  ZT/oulJ 
 by  the  appearance  of  one  fent  directly  from  thatr^^  onpur^ 
 G  g  unknown  P^fi  f^^^ 
 
45 o  The  E  V  I D  E  N  c  E  s  of  Natural 
 
 the  Dead  unkiiown  State,  they  would  immediately  become 
 '^■^'''''  new  Creatures.  But  if  God  fhould  fatisfy  their 
 unreafonable  Demands,  by  fending  one  on  pur- 
 pole  from  the  Dead  to  convince  them  ^  there  is 
 little  Room  to  doubt,  but  as  they  hearkened  not 
 to  Mofes  and  the  Prophets^  to  Chrifc  and  his  Apo- 
 liles  ;  fo  neither  zvouldthe'^  he  perfuadedh'j  one  rifing 
 on  purpofe/r^;/7.  the  Dead.  They  might  indeed  be 
 at  firil  fur  prized  and  terrified,  at  the  Appearance 
 of  fo  unufual  and  unexpeded  a  MeiTenger.  But 
 as  wicked  Men  upon  a  Bed  of  Sicknefs,  at  the  a- 
 mazing  approach  of  Death  and  Eternity,  refolve 
 in  the  utmoft  Anguifli  of  Horrour  and  Defpair, 
 to  amend  their  Lives  and  forfake  their  Sins  ;  but 
 as  foon  as  the  Terrour  is  over,  and  the  Danger  of 
 Death  pafl,  return  to  their  old  Habits  of  Sin  and 
 Folly :  So  'tis  more  than  probable,  it  would  be 
 in  the  prefent  Cafe.  Should  God  fend  a  Melfen- 
 ger  from  the  Dead,  to  afliireMen  of  the  Certain- 
 ty of  a  future  State,  and  the  Danger  of  their  pre- 
 fent Wickednefs  •,  afibon  as  the  Fright  was  over, 
 and  their  prefent  terrible  Apprehenfions  ceafed, 
 'tis  by  nO  means  impoiTible  or  improbable  that 
 their  old  vicious  Habits  and  beloved  Sins,  fhould 
 again  by  degrees  prevail  over  them.  Some  there 
 are  in  our  prefent  Age,  who  pretend  to  be  con- 
 vinced of  the  "Being  of  Spirits,  by  the  powerful 
 demonftration  of  their  own  Senfes  ;  and  yet  we  do 
 not  obferve,  that  their  Lives  are  more  remarkably 
 eminent  for  exemplary  Piety,  than  other  good 
 Men's,  vv'ho  being  convinced  by  the  rational  Evi- 
 dence of  the  Gofpel,  go  on  iji  a  fober,  conftant, 
 and  regular  Ex^rcife  of  Virtue  and  Righteoufnefs. 
 rh:^t there-  'Tis  not'tncrcfore  for  v/ant  of  fufficient  Evi- 
 fp>v/o?«.i/cf  (lence,  thfit  Men  disbelieve  the.  great  Truths  of 
 f^'htrV'  ^^-^^^^g^c>n^  kit- plainly  for  want 'of  Integrity,  and 
 Ihe  ^ivi  ^'^  dealing  ingcnuoufly  and  impartially  with  them-* 
 i^incecf  Re- (elves  ;  that  they  fuffer  not  the  Arguments  of  Re-,' 
 
 lisnon 
 
and  Revealed  Religion*  451 
 
 ligiori  to  have  that  Weight   and  Influence   upon  I'^gion,  it  is 
 them,  which  in  the  judgment  of  right  reafon  they  '^^^'^^^•5'. 
 ought  manifeftly  to  have.     So  long  as  Men  per-  "ITS  *^ 
 mit  their  Paffions  and  Appetites  to  over-rule  ih^ix  place,  that 
 Reafon,  'tis  impofTible  they  fhould  have  due  Ap-^'iy"-i'  ^- 
 prehenfions  in  matters  of  Religion,  or  make  "^^Y^dtel^tufl 
 right  and  true  Judgment  concerning  thefe  things.  ■7ui?rUiont 
 Men  that  are  fbrongly  biafled  and  prejudiced  even^%  f^- 
 in  worldly  affairs y  'tis  well  known  how  hard  d.nd^^^'^^^.'fl'' 
 difficult  it  is  for  them  to  judge  according  to  rea- ^////«re /^ 
 fon,  and  to  fuifer  the  Arguments  and  .Evidences ''^^'^r^'^^  ^-H 
 of  Truth  to  have  their  due  AVeight  with   them.  ^''''^'^'  ^'ff 
 Hov/  much  more  in  matters  of  Reiigion^X-doki  con-^l^/JJig 
 cern  things  future  and  remote  from  Senfe,    mufto%fl//- 
 it  needs  be,  that  Mens  prefent  Intereils,  Lufrs  and  ^''^'  ^^'^^ 
 PaiTions,  will  pervert  their  judgment,    and  blind  j^^^^-^^^ 
 their  underflandings  !  Wherefore,  Men  that  pre-/^e  made 
 tend  to  be  follov/ers  of  right  Reafon,  if  they  v/ill ''"»«'»  fo 
 judge  truly  of  the   reafonablenefs  and  credibility '^^'^^ 
 of  the  Chriftian  Revelation,  'tis  abfolutely  necef- 
 fary  that  in  the  firft  Place,  in  order  to  that  End, 
 they  become  impartially  willing  to  embrace  what- 
 ever fliall  upon  the  whole  appear   to  be  agreeable 
 to  Reafon  and  Truth,  and  grounded  upon  good 
 Evidence,  without  interefling  their  Lufts  and  Ap- 
 petites in  the  judgment  •,  and  that  before  all  things 
 they  refolve  to  be  guided  in  all  their  Adions,    by 
 whatever  P.ule  fhall  at  any  time  be  well  proved  to 
 them  to   be  the  Will  of   God.     And  when  they 
 have  put  themfelves  into  this  Temper  and  Frame 
 of  Mind  -,  then  let  them  try  if  they  can  any  lon- 
 ger rejed  the  Evidence  of  the  Gofpel.       If  anjjoh.j,  x{, 
 Man  will  do  his  will,  he  fhall  knozv  of  the  Bo5lrine 
 whether  it  he  of  God.     For,  thern,  that  are  meek,  Godpf,z^,  8„ 
 will  guide  in  judgment ;  and  fuch  as  are  gentle,  them 
 he  will  learn  his  TVay. 
 
 Indeed,  Men  that  are  of  this  good  Difpofition,  T^^r  Men 
 willing  to  be  governed  by  Reafon,  and  not  r>rtvd-^f  f'''^  ^ 
 G  g  2-  diced^^^^^^'^^ 
 
45 2  The  Evidences  of  Natural 
 
 tpould       diced  by  Liifts  and  Vicious  Appetites  •,  could  not 
 
 /t!r  t.^-  ^'^^  S^^"^  ^^'^^^*  ^^^"^  ^°  ^^^  Dodrines  of   Chrifti- 
 tefliv:j\lom  anicy,  upon  account  of  the  very  intrinlick  Excel- 
 to  be  truly  lency  and  Reafonablenefs  of  the  Things  themfelves, 
 reh^iGus,     ^^^^  thouo;h  the  external  Evidence  of  their  Cer- 
 the  Evi-     tainty  h^d  been  much  leis  than   it  at  prefent  is. 
 tlenci-i  of    Nay,  were  there  hardly  any  other  Evidence  at  all, 
 ^^-''^'<^^      than  barely  the  Excellency  and  Reafonablenefs  and 
 /^^/X^'^' natural  Probability  of  the  great  Truths  of  ReJigi- 
 thcy  arc.     on,  together  with   the   Confideration  of  the  vaft 
 Importance  of  them  •,  yet  even  in   That   Cafe  it 
 would    be   infinitely  wifeft  and  moft  agreeable  to 
 Reafon,  for  Men  to  live  according  to   the  Rules 
 of  the  Gofpel.     And  though  their  Faith  extend- 
 ed no  further,  than  only  to  a  Belief  of  the  Pojfi- 
 hility  of  the  Truth  of  the  Chriftian  Revelation  ; 
 yet  even  This  alone  ought  in   all    reafon  to  have 
 Weight  enough  to    determine  realonable    Crear 
 tures,  to  live  Jcberh\  ri^oteoujly  and  godly.       For, 
 is  it  not  plainly  moft  reajonahle^    as 
 •  Nop.  purior  ratio  efl,  ex     *  an  antienc  Writer  exprcffes  it, 
 f^uobus  incertis  c^  in  ambi-     if   each  of  the    odpofite  Opinions 
 
 guaexpedtaricnependemibu-s      ^^^^  ^      douhtful    and   ttticer-^ 
 
 id    ponus  Credere,    quod  all-  .  in  •     7 ' 
 
 qui?  'pes  terat,  quam  quod  ^^z^,  K^  ^v  all  means  to  'morace 
 
 nulbs?    In  illo  enim,  pericu-  and  entertain  ^hat  which    brings 
 
 li  n,hi!  ef>,   ii,    quod  dicitur  r^^,^^  ^^.^    ^/^        ^^-^^     -^       ^^^^^^, 
 
 mminerc,  calTum  hat  &   va-  -^  ^        i-  1    ,    -  9      77 
 
 ciiUTi^  ,•  in  hoc.  d.imnum  c(l  ^'^^^i  H^^H  "^-'hich  brings  iwne  ^  For 
 nr.ximum  (id  crt,  falutis  3-  on  onc  fide  of  the  ^lefiion  there  is 
 iriiiVioO   ii,  rum  teir.pus  ad-     ^^  danqer  at  all  of  incurring  any 
 
 vcnni-,    ap.-ruiur    hoc   t-uuie       ^    ,       e  ,  ^i     /      7-7  77- 
 
 nendaclum.  uirnob.  llv.  Calamity,  tf  toat  whtch  zvc  bekeve- 
 Gaaes,  lib,  1.  and   expetl^  Jhoiild    at  laft  prove 
 
 falfe  j  But  on  the  other  fide^  there 
 is  the  greateft  Hazard  in  the  Worlds  the  lofs  of  eter- 
 nal hifc^  if  the  Opinion  ivhich  Unbelievers  rely  tipon^ 
 fljoiild   at  laft  prove  an   Errow\ 
 a- Quid  dici;is   o   neicii,     And  t  again  :  What  fay  ye,  O  ye 
 
 ^;^''^.^-;".^''  miferanone  ™,.^,,^  ;Vf.7/,  ye  Men  of  idfera- 
 di,Pill;'-ni?   i:a  ron  tarn  ex-       ^  n    j     ]       77     r^  77     0    n 
 
 tiftefcitis,  txc  toite  hsec  ve-     ble  and  moft  deplorable  toUy  f  Can, 
 
 ye 
 
vobis  6c.  p  aibcnt  matenam 
 rii'us?  nee  laltern  vubiicum 
 lub  obfcuris  cooitaticnibus 
 volvitis,  ne,  quod  hocdiecie- 
 dere  obltinaca  renuiris  perver- 
 Inate,  redarguat  ferum  tem- 
 pus,  &  irrevocabilis  poenitea" 
 tiacaftiget?  id.  .Si4, 
 
 XfYi  TTOCVTU,     TTClii 
 
 Fh&d. 
 
 y    City's     OtpS' 
 
 To   ci'i'Xoi'f 
 
 Flato  in 
 
 and  Re'oealed  Religion.  455 
 
 '^e  forbear   fearing     within    'joiir     ra  fint,  quae  funt  defpeftui 
 felves^   that  at  leaft  thofe  things  may 
 polltbly  prove  true^  which  ye   now 
 defpife  and  mock  at  ?    Have  ye  not 
 at    leajl  fome  mifgivings  of   mind^ 
 leaft  poffibly  'J hat  which  ye  now  per- 
 verfely  and  ohftinately  rejufe  to  be- 
 lieve^  ye  jJjould  at  laft  be  convinced 
 of  by  fad  experience^  when  it  will  be  too  late  to  re^ 
 pent?  Nor  is  this  the  judgment  of  Chriftian  Wri- 
 ters only,  but  alfo  of  the  wifeil  and  moft  con- 
 fiderate  Heathens,      We  ought  to  fpare  m  painSy 
 fixith  *  Plato y  to  obtain  the  Habits 
 of  Virtue  and  Wifdom  in  this  pre- 
 sent Life ;  For  the  Prize  is  noble^ 
 and  the  Hope  is  very  great.     And 
 t  Cicero  :  "^rhey  have  gained  a  great 
 Prize  indeed^  who  have  perjwaded 
 themfelves    to  believe^    that    when 
 Death  comes^  they  Jhall  perifh  ut- 
 terly :  What  comfort  is  there^  What 
 is  there  to  be  boafted  of^  in  that  O- 
 pinion  ?     And  again  :     If    after 
 Death,  faith  4.  he,    as  fome  little 
 and  contemptible  Philofophers  think^ 
 I  f to  all  he  nothing  •,    yet  there  is  no 
 danger^  that  when  we  are  all  dead, 
 thofe   Philofophers  Jhould  laugh  at 
 me  for  my  Errour, 
 
 But  this  is  not  Our  Cafe.  God  has  afforded 
 Us,  as  has  I3een  largely  and  particularly  fhown  in 
 the  foregoing  Dilcourfe,  many  and  certain  Proofs 
 of  the  Truth  of  our  Religion  -,  even  as  certain^ 
 as  any  matter  of  Fa^l  is  capable  of  having.  And 
 we  now  exhort  Men  to  beheve,  not  what  is  barely 
 pojfible,  and  excellent,  and  probable,  and  of  the  ut* 
 moft  Importance  in  itfelf  ;  but^  what  moreover  they 
 G  g  3  '  have 
 
 f-  Pra;clarum  rcfcio  quid 
 adepri  funr,  quididicerunt  fe, 
 cum  tempus  mortis  venif- 
 fet,  totos  efle  periruros. — 
 Quid  habet  ifta  res  aut  Jaera- 
 bije  autgloriofum?  Cic,  Tufc, 
 
 ^H.lib.  I. 
 
 4-  Sin  morfuus,  ut  quidam 
 minuti  Philofophi  cenfent-, 
 nihil  fentiam  j  non  vereor  ne 
 hunc  crrorem  meum  mortu 
 philofophi  irrideant.  Oc.  Dg 
 Sene^, 
 
454  The  Evidences  of  Natural^  &c.^ 
 
 have  all  the  pofitive  evidence^  and  all  the  reafon  in 
 thj  World  to  oblige  them  to  believe. 
 
 That  Gpd 
 fUAy  re- 
 quire us  to 
 tiike  iiotice 
 pf  certain 
 thtnr^s,  and 
 to  inqiire 
 into  m  m 
 ami  conji  tier 
 them,  rt 
 
 To  conclude :  No  Man  of  reafon  can  pretend 
 to  fay,  but  God  maj  require  us,  to  take  notice  of 
 fome  things  at  our  peril,  to  inquire  into  them,  and 
 to  confider  thern  throughly.  And  pretenfe  of  want 
 of  greater  Evidence,  will  not  excufe  Carclefsnefs  or 
 unreafonahte  Prejudices ;  Vv^hen  God  has  vouchfafed 
 us  all  That  Evidence,    which  was  either  Fit  for 
 
 inn  to  giant, 
 r  indeed  whic 
 be  proveci,  was  capable  of 
 
 or  Reafonable  for  Men  to  defire  ; 
 
 or  indeed  which  the  Nature  of  the  Thing  it  felf  to 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 S  E  V  E- 
 
SEVERAL 
 
 LETTERS 
 
 T  O    T  H  E 
 
 Reverend  T>  CLARK  E, 
 
 F  R  O  M    A 
 
 Gentleman  in  Gloceflerjhire^ 
 
 Relating  to  the 
 
 FIRST    VOLUME 
 
 O  F    T  H  E 
 
 Foregoing  SERMONS; 
 
 W  I  T  H    T  H  E 
 
 2)"  ANSWERS 
 
 THEREUNTO. 
 
 ^be  Fourth  Edition. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed  for  James  and  John   Knapton,  at 
 
 the  Croiufi  in  Sr.  Paul's  Church- Yard,     1728. 
 
AiT 
 
 The   FIRST 
 
 LETTER. 
 
 Reverend  Sir^ 
 
 Suppofc  you  will  wonder  at  the  prefent 
 trouble  from  one  v/ho  is  a  perfect  Strano-er 
 to  you,  tho'  you  are  not  fo  to  him  ;  but 
 I  hope  the  Occafion  will  excufe  my  Bold- 
 ''  nels.  I  have  made  it,  Sir,  my  Bufmefs  ever 
 ''  fince  I  thought  my  felf  capable  of  fuch  fort  of 
 *'  Reafoning,  to  prove  to  my  Self  the  Being  and 
 ^'  Attributes  of  God.  And  being  fenfible  that  'tis 
 "a  matter  of  the  lafl  confequence,  I  indeavoured 
 *'  after  a  demonflrative  Proof ;  not  only  more  fully 
 "'  to  fatisfy  my  own  Mind,  but  alfo  in  order  to 
 *'  d:fend  the  great  Truths  of  Natural  Religion, 
 ''  and  thofe  of  the  Christian  Revelation  which 
 ^^  follow  from  them,  againft  allOppofers :  But  muil 
 own  with  concern,  that  hitherto  I  have  been 
 unfuccefsful ;  and  tho'  I  have  got  very  probable 
 Arguments,  yet  I  can  go  but  a  very  little  way 
 with  Bemonjiration  in  the  Proof  of  thofe  things. 
 When  firil  your  Book  on  thofe  Subjeds  (which 
 ^  by  all,  whom  I  have  difcourfed  with,  isfojuft- 
 ly  efteemedj  was  recommended  to  me  ;  I  was 
 ^''  in  great  hopes  of  having  all  my  Enquiries  an- 
 "  fwered.  But  fince  in  fome  places,  either  thro* 
 ''  my  not  underftanding  your  Meaning,  or  what 
 *'  diz  I  know  not,  even  Tfe/  has  fliiled  me  ;  I 
 ^^  almoil  defpair  of  ever  arriving  xo  fuch  a  ^atis- 
 ^^■^  fatlion  as  I  aim  at,  unlefs  by  the  method  I  now 
 '*■  Ule,     You   can't  but   know,  Sir,  that  of  two 
 
 "  diiferent 
 
 $c 
 
 %^ 
 
458  The Firji  Lett T.1S.I 
 
 «'  different  expreffions  of  the  fa?ne  thing,  tho'  e- 
 "  qually  clear  to yc?w^Perfons,  yet,  toothers^  one 
 *'  of  them  is   fometimes  very  obfcure,  tho'  the 
 "  other  be  perfectly  intelhgible.       Perhaps  this 
 "  may  be  my  Cafe  here  ;  And  could  I  fee  thofe 
 *'  of  your  Arguments,  of  which  I  doubt,  diffe- 
 *'  renrly  propofed,   poflibly  I  might  yield  a  ready 
 *^'  aflent  to  them.     This,  Sir,  I  cannot  but  think  a 
 ''  fufficient  Excufe  for  the  prefent  Trouble ;  it  be- 
 *'  ing  fuch  an  one  as  I  hope  may  prevail  for  an  An- 
 ''  fwer,  with  one  who  feems  to  aim  at  nothinsf 
 "  more  than  that  good  Work  of  inftrudting  others. 
 "  In  your  Demonftration  of  the  Being  and  Attri- 
 *Pag.^^,  «'  hutes  of  God^  Prop.  VI.  -^  [Edit.  2d.  p.  69  and 
 r^//.  ^th.  cc  *^Q J  yQ^  propofe  to  prove  the  Infinity  or  Ojnni- 
 :Eiii^^th.  "  ^^^y^^'<^^  of  the  Self-exiftent  Being.    Tht  fcnner 
 p^jT.  45.    '«  part  of  the  Proof,  feems  highly  probable  •,  but 
 ^^^'7'      "  the /^//Vr  part,  which  feems  to  aim  at  Demon- 
 *'  ftration,  is  not  to  me  convincing.      Th^  latter 
 *'  part  of  the  Paragraph  is,  if  I  miilakc  not,  an 
 ''  entire  Argmnent  of  it  felf^    which   runs  thus  ;  '* 
 'ito  fuppofe  a  finite  Being  to  he  Self-Exiftent^  is  to  fay 
 that  'tis  a  Contradi^ion  for  thai  Being  not  to  exifi^ 
 the  ahfence  of  ivhich  inay  yet  he  conceived  without  a 
 Contradiulion  ;    Which  is  the  great  eft  ahfurdity  in  the 
 World.     "  The  fenfe  of  thefe  Words  [the  ahfence 
 *'  of  which']  feems  plainly  to  be  determined  by  the 
 *'  following  Sentence,    to  mean  its  abfence  from 
 "  any  particular  Place.     W^hich  Sentence,    is  to 
 "  prove  it  to  be  an  Abfurdity  j  And  is  this :  " 
 For  if  a  Being  can^  zvithout  a  Contradicfion,    he  ah- 
 fent  from  one  place  ;  it  may^  without  a  Contradi^ion^ 
 he  ahfsnt  from  another  place.,    and  froju  all   'places, 
 "  Now  fuppofing  this  to  be  a    Confequence,    all 
 "  that  it  proves  is,  that  if  a  Being  can,    without 
 *'  a  Contradiclion,  be  abfent  from  one  place  at 
 •'  one  tiv/i?.,  it  may  without  a  Contradidlion  le  ab- 
 ''^  fent  from  another  place,  and  fo  froi.n  all  p  aces, 
 
 '^  at 
 
TheFirJll.^TTv.K]  '459 
 
 ^^  at  different  times ;  (for  I  cannot  fee,  that  if  a 
 ''  Being  can  be  abfent  from  one  place  at  one  time^ 
 *'  therefore  it  may  without  a  Contradidtion  be  ab- 
 ''  fent  from  all  -places  at  the  fame  t'lme^  i,  e,  may 
 ''  ceafe  to  exijl.)  Now,  if  it  proves  no  more  than 
 «'  this,  I  cannot  fee  that  it  reduces  the  Suppofi- 
 «'  tion  to  any  Abfurdity.  Suppofe  I  could  demon^^ 
 *f  Jlrate^  that  any  particular  Man  fhould  live  a 
 "  Thoufand  Years  ;  this  Man  might  without  a 
 "  Contradiction  be  abfent  from  one^  and  from  all 
 "  places^  indifferent  times-,  but  itv/ouldnot  from 
 ''  thence  follow,  that  he  might  be  abfent  from  all 
 ''  places  -It  i\\t  fame  time ^  i.  e.  that  he  might  ceafe 
 "  toexijl.  No;  this  would  be  a  Contradidlion, 
 ''  becaufe  I  am  fuppofed  to  have  demonflrated  that 
 ''  he  fhould  live  a  Thoufand  Years.  It  would  be 
 "  exadlly  the  fame,  if,  inllead  of  a  Thoufand  Tears^ 
 "  I  fhould  fay,  for  ever  \  And  the  proof  feems  the 
 "  fame,  whether  it  be  apphed  to  a  Self-Exijtent 
 ''  or  a  Dependent  Being. 
 
 ^'^  What  elfe  I  have  to  offer,  is  in  relation  to  your 
 *'  Proof  that  the  Self-Exiflent  Being  muft  of  nc- 
 *'  cefTity  be  but  One.  Which  Proof  is  as  follows,  in 
 *•'  Prop.  VII,   -^[Edit.  2d.  p.  74,]  Tofuppofetwo^vag.A.^, 
 or  more  different  Natures  exifling  of '  themfehes^    ne-  -^'^-  ¥^' 
 ceff^arihj    a?id  independent  from    each  other.,    implies  £%"  ^'^l^ 
 this  plain  Contradittion  \    that  each  of  them  being  Pag.  ^6^ 
 independent  from  the  other.,  they  may  either  of  them  ^'^^^'  7- 
 he  fuppofed  ta  exift  Alone  \  fo  that  it  will  he  no  Con- 
 tradlulion  to  imagine  the  other  not  to  exift.,    and  con- 
 fequently  7teither  of  them   will  be  neceffarily  exift ing, 
 ''  The  Suppofition  indeed  implies,    thsitftnce  each 
 ''  of  thefe  Beings  is  Independent  from  the  other.,  they 
 "  ?nay  either  of  them  exift  Alone,  i.e.  without  any 
 ''  relation  to,   or  dependence  on  the  other  :  But 
 ''  Where  is  the  if/:?frj  Idea,   to  conned  this  Propo- 
 *'  fition  and  the  follov/ing  one,  viz.  fo  that  it  will 
 *'  he  no  Contradiolion  to  iiruvyine  the  other  not  to  Ex~ 
 
 '^  ift? 
 
4<5o  The  lirfi  Letter.' 
 
 "  ifi'^  Were  this  aConfequence  of  the  former  Pro- 
 
 *'  pofition,  I  allow  it  would  be  DcmGnflraiion^  by 
 
 *P^^.  i6,  «  thtfirjl  Corollary  o^  Prop,  III,   ^  [2d  Edit.  p. 
 
 liife  &^6/^  "  ^^'^  -^"^  ^^"^^  ^^-^^^^  ^^^  Propofitions,  [they  may 
 &  7/^.  '"  either  of  them  be  fuppofed  to  exifl  aione^]  and,  [Jo 
 "  /Z?^/  it  will  he  no  Contradiofion  to  imagine  the  o- 
 *'  ther  not  toexifly]  ^rc  very  w'lddy  different ;  fince 
 *'  likewife  'tis  no  immediate  Confequence,  that  be  • 
 *'  caufe  Eicher  may  be  fuppofed  to  exift  independent 
 *'  from  the  other,  therefore  the  other  may  be  fup- 
 '^  pofed  ;/^/  to  exift  at  all ,  how  is  what  was  pro- 
 ''  pofed,  proved  ?  That  thePropofitions  are  difft- 
 "  rent,  I  think  is  plain  ;  and  whether  there  be  an 
 *'  immediate  Connexion,  every  Body  that  reads  your 
 *'  Book,  mud  judge  for  themfelves.  I  mull  fay, 
 *'  for  my  own  part,  the  Abfurdity  do's  not  appear 
 "  at  firft  fight,  any  more  than  the  Abfurdity  of 
 '"=  faying  that  the  Angles  below  the  Bafe  in  an  I» 
 "  fofceles  Triangle  are  unequal ;  which  though  it 
 *'  is  abfolutely  falfe,  yet  I  fuppofe  no  one  will  lay 
 *'  down  the  contrary  for  an  Axiom  -,  becaufe,  tho' 
 *'  it  is  true,  yet  there  is  need  of  a  Proof  to  make 
 "  it  appear  fo. 
 
 ''  Perhaps  it  may  be  anfwered,  that  I  have  not 
 ''  rightly  explained  the  Words,  to  exift  alone  \  And 
 *'  that  they  do  not  mean  only,  to  exift  independent 
 "  from  the  other  \  but  that,  exifting  Alone,  means 
 "  that  nothing  exift  $  with  it.  Whether  this  or  the 
 *'  other  was  meant,  I  cannot  determine:  But,  which 
 *'  ever  it  was  •,  what  I  have  faid,  will  hold.  For  if 
 *'  this  laft  be  the  Senfe  of  thofe  Words,  [T'hey  ei- 
 *'  ther  of  them  may  he  fuppofed  to  exift  alone  ;]  it 
 *'  indeed  implies  that  it  will  be  no  Contradidlion  to 
 ''  fuppofe  the  other  not  to  exift :  But  then  I  ask, 
 "  how  come  thefe  two  Proportions  to  be  conncB- 
 "  ed\  that,  to  fuppofe /x'c /^i^dT^/// Natures  exift- 
 ^'  ing  of  themfelves  neceffirily  and  independent  from 
 ''  each  other,  implies  that  each  of  them  may  be  fup- 
 
 ^'  poied 
 
ne Firjl  Letter.  461 
 
 pofed  to  exift  Alone  in  'This  Senfe  ?  Which   is 
 exa61:ly  the  fame  as  I  faid  before,  only  applied  to 
 different  Sentences.     So  that  if  Exifting  Money 
 be  underftood  as  Ifirft  took  it ;  I  allow  it  is  im- 
 plied in  the  Suppofition  \  but  cannot  fee  that  the 
 Confequence  is,  that  it  will  be  no  Contradiction  to 
 fuppofe  the  other  not  to  exift.    But  if  the  words, 
 Exijiing  Alone ^  are  meant  in  the  /^//^r  Senfe  ;  I 
 grant,  that  if  either  of  them  may  htfiippofed  thus 
 to  exift  Alone^    it  will  be  no  Contradiction  to 
 fuppofe  tlie  other  not  to  exiil :  But  then  I  cannot 
 fee,  that  to  fiiDpofe  two  different  Natures  exift- 
 ing^  of  tbemfel    %  neceffarily  and  independent  fro7ti 
 each  other ^  imr     ^  that  either  of  them  may  be  fup  - 
 pofed  to  exift  Alone  in  This  Senfe  of  the  Words  ; 
 but  only,  that  either  of  them  may  be  fuppofed 
 to  exift  without  having  any  relation  to  the  other ^ 
 and  that  there  will  be  no  need  of  the  exiftence  of 
 the  One  in  order  to  the  exiftence  of  the  other.     But 
 though  upon  this  Account,  were  there  no  other 
 Principle  of  its  exiftence,  it  might  ceafe  to  ex- 
 ift 3  yet  on  the  account  of  the  neceffity  of  its 
 own  Nature,    which  is  quite  diftincl  from   the 
 other,  'tis  an  abfolute  Abfurdity  to  fuppofe  it 
 not  to  exift, 
 
 ''  Thus,  Sir,  I  have  propofcd  my  Doubts,  with 
 the  Reaibns  of  them.  In  which  if  I  have  wreft- 
 ed  your  Words  to  another  Senfe  than  you  de- 
 figned  them,  or  in  any  refpe6l  argued  unfairly, 
 I  affure  you  it  was  without  defign.  So  I  hope 
 you  will  impute  it  to  miftake.  And,  if  it  will 
 not  be  too  great  a  Trouble,  let  me  once  more 
 beg  the  Favour  of  a  Line  from  you,  by  which 
 you  will  lay  me  un(lQ.r  ?i  particular  Obligation  to 
 be,  what,  with  the  reft  of  the  World,  I  now  am, 
 Reverejid  Sir^ 
 
 Tour  mcft  Obliged  Servant^  Sec, 
 Nov.  thsi  Athy  1 7 13* 
 
 THE 
 
4-62 
 
 THE 
 
 ANS W  E  R 
 
 T  O    T  H  E 
 
 Firft  LETTER. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 DI D  Men  who  publifh  controverfial  Papers, 
 accuftom  themfelves  to  write  with  that 
 Candour  and  Ingenuity,  with  which  you 
 propofe  your  Difficulties  ;  I  am  perfwaded  almoft 
 all  Difputes  might  be  very  amicably  terminated, 
 either  by  Men's  coming  at  laft  to  agree  in  Opini- 
 on, or  at  leaft  finding  Reafon  to  fuifer  each  other 
 friendly  to  differ. 
 
 Your  Two  Ohjecfions  are  very  Ingenious,  and  ur- 
 ged with  great  Strength  and  Acutenefs.  Yet  I  am 
 not  without  hopes,  of  being  able  to  give  you  Satis- 
 fusion  in  Both  of  them.  To  your  Firft  therefore, 
 I  anfwer.  Whatever  may,  without  a  Contradicti- 
 on, be  abfent  from  any  one  Place  at  an'j  one  Time  ; 
 may  alfo,  without  a  Contradidion,  be  abfent  from 
 all  Places  at  all  Times,  For,  whatever  is  ahft)lutely 
 neceJJ'ar'j  at  all,  is  abfolutely  neceifary  in  ever'j  part 
 of  Space^  and  in  every  point  of  Duration,  Whatever 
 can  at  any  time  be  conceited  poffMe  to  he  abfent 
 from  an^]  One  part  of  Space^  may  for  the  fame  Rea- 
 ibn,  [viz.  the  implying  no  Contradidtion  in  the  na- 
 ture of  Things,]  be  conceived  po^jfihle  to  be  abfent 
 
 from 
 
The  Answer  to  465 
 
 from  ever^  Other  part  of  Space  at  the  fame  tinte  ;  ei- 
 ther by  ceafing  to  be^  or  by  fuppofmg  it  never  to  have 
 begun  to  be.      Your  Inftance  about  dejnonflrating  a 
 Man  to  live  toco  Years,  is  what  (I  think j  led  you 
 into  the  Miflake  s    and  is  a  good  Inftance  to  lead 
 you  out  cf  it  again.     You  may  S  up  p  of  a  Man /hall 
 live  1 000  Years,  or  God  may  reveal  and  promife  he 
 Jhall  live  1000  Years  ;  And  upon  'T^hat  Suppofiiion, 
 it  fhall  not  be  pojfible  for  the  Man  to  be  abfent 
 from  all  Places  in  any  part  of    that  time.      Very 
 true  :  But  wh^  fhall  it  not  be poffible  ?  Only  becaufe 
 'tis  contrary  to  the  Suppofition^  or  to  the  Pro??iife  of 
 God  \    but  not  contrary  to  the  abfolute  Nature  of 
 things  ;  which  would  be  the  Cafe,  if  the  Man  ex- 
 ifted  necejfaril^^    as  every  part  of  Space  does.     In 
 Suppofing  you  could  Demonfirate^    a  Man  fhould 
 live  1000  Years,  or  one  Year ;  you  make  an  tjn- 
 pofpibk  and  contradiofory  Suppofition.     For  though 
 you  may  know  certainly,  fby  Revelation  fuppofe,j 
 that  hc.willVivQ  fo  long  ;  yet  this  is  only  the  Cer- 
 tainty of  a  thing  True  in  Faot,  not  in  it  felf  necef- 
 fary  :  And  Demonftration  is  applicable  to  nothing 
 but  what  is  necejfary  in  itfdlf  neceilary  ///  all  Places 
 and  at  all  ^imes  equally. 
 
 To  your  fecond  Difficulty,  I  anfA'er.  What  ex- 
 ifts  necejfarily,  not  only  mufl  fo  exift  Alone,  as  to 
 be  independent  of  any  thing  elfe  -,  but  Cbeing  Self- 
 fufficient,)  may  alfo  fo  exift  Ahne,  as  t?hat  every  thing 
 elfe  may  pofjibly  (or  without  ay.\  Contradiciion  in  the 
 Nature  of  Things)  be  fuppofed  not  to  exijl  at  all : 
 And  confequently,  f  fince  That  which  may  poffibly 
 be  fuppofed  not  to  exift  at  all,  is  not  necefjarily  ex- 
 iftent,)  no  other  thing  can  be  neceffartly  exift  en  t. 
 Whatever  Is  neceffarily  extfting,  there  is  need  of  its 
 exiftence  in  order  to  the  fuppofal  of  the  exiftence  of 
 any  other  thing  -,  fo  that  nothing  can  poffibly  be  fup- 
 pofed to.  exift,  without  prefuppofing  and  including 
 antecedently  the  exiftence  of  that  which  is  veceffary, 
 r  ,:  V:.  For 
 
4^4  the  Fir  ft  Letter. 
 
 For  inflance  ;  The  fuppofal  of  the  exigence  of 
 au'^  thing  whatever^  includes  necelTarily  a  Prefup- 
 fofttion  of  the  cxillence  of  Space  and  ^i-me  -,  and 
 if  any  thing  could  exift  without  Space  or  Time^  it 
 would  follow  that  Space  and  Time  were  not  necejfa- 
 rily-exifting.  Therefore,  the  fuppofing  any  thing 
 fqffibly  to  exift  Alone ^  fo  as  not  necejjarily  to  include 
 the  prefiippofal  of  fojne  other  'Things  proves  demon- 
 ftrably  that  "That  other  Thing  is  not  N eceffarily exift- 
 ing ;  becaufe,  whatever  has  NeceJJity  of  exift ence^ 
 cannot  poflibly,  in  any  conception  whatfoever,  be 
 fuppofed  Away.  There  cannot  poflibly  be  any 
 Notion  of  the  exiftence  of  any  Things  there  cannot 
 poflibly  be  any  Notion  of  exiftence  at  all,  but  what 
 Ihall  neceflfarily  pra^include  the  Notion  of  11  hat 
 which  has  necejfary  Exiftence.  And  confequently 
 the  Two  Propofitions  which  you  judged  indepen- 
 dent^ are  really  necejfarily  connecfed.  Thefe  forts  of 
 things  are  indeed  very  difficult  to  exprefs,  and  not 
 eafle  to  be  conceived  but  by  very  Attentive  Minds : 
 But  to  fuch  as  can  and  will  attend,  nothing  (1 
 tliink)  is  more  demonfl:rably  convidive. 
 
 If  any  thing  fliill  fl:icks  with  you  in  This,  or  a- 
 ny  other  Part  of  my  Books  •,  I  fliall  be  very  wiil° 
 ing  to  be  informed  of  it  ;  who  am, 
 
 S  I  Ry.  Tour  affured  Friend^ 
 Nov.  lo. 
 
 1 7 13.  and- Servant^  S.  C 
 
 P.  S.  Many  Reiiders,  I  obferve,  have  mifunder- 
 flood  my  Second  General  Propoficion  ;  as  if  the 
 Words  [Some  One  unchangeable  and  independent  Be^ 
 
 ing,]  meant  [One  Only Being.]    Whereas  the 
 
 true  Meaning,  and  all  that  the  Argument  there 
 requires,  is,  [Some  O;/^  at  leafl:.]  That  there  caln 
 be  But  One,  is  the  thing  proved  afterwards  in  the 
 Seventh  Propofition, 
 
 THE 
 
465 
 
 THE 
 
 Second   LETTER, 
 
 Reverend  Sir^ 
 *'  ^  Have  often  thought  that  the  chief  Occafi- 
 I     "  ons  of  Mens  differing  fo  much  in  their 
 
 JL  "  Opinions,  were,  either  their  not  under- 
 ^'  flanding  each  other  •,  or  elfe,  that  inflead  of  in- 
 ^'  genuouily  fearching  after  7>7^.^y6,  they  have  made 
 ''  it  their  Bufinefs  to  find  out  ArgumiCnts  for  the 
 ''  Proof  of  what  they  have  once  afferted.  Hov/- 
 ''  ever,  'tis  certain  there  may  be  other  Reafonsfor 
 ''  Perfons  not  agreeing  in  their  Opinions :  And 
 «'  v/here  it  is  fo,  I  can't  but  think  with  you,  that 
 *'  they  will  find  Reafon  to  fuffer  each  other  to 
 "  differ  friendly  ;  every  Man  having  a  way  of 
 ''  Thinking,  in  fome  refpeds,  peculiarly  his  own. 
 
 "  I  am  forry  I  muft  tell  you,  your  Anfwers  to 
 *'  my  Objedions  are  not  fatisfadlory.  The  Reafons 
 *'  why  I  think  them  not  fo,  are  asfoUov/. 
 
 "  You  fay,  "  whatever  is  ahfolutel'j  necejfar'j  at 
 all^  is  abfolutely  necejfar^  in  every  part  of  Space^  and 
 in  every  point  of  Duration,  "  Were  this  evident, 
 "  'twould  certainly  prove  what  you  bring  it  for  •,  " 
 viz.  that  whatever  may^  without  a  ContradiBion.,  he 
 abfent  from  one  place  at  one  ti?ne^  may  alfo  he  ah- 
 fent  fro?n  all  places  at  all  tijnes.  ''  But  I  do  not 
 *'  conceive,  that  the  ldt3.  of  Ubiquity  is  contained 
 "  in  the  Idea  of  Self-Exiiience,  or  direcfly  follows 
 ^'  fro?nit;  any  otherwife  than  as,  whatever  ex- 
 ''  ids,  muii  exid:  fojne where.  You  add  •,  "  J'VJoat- 
 €vcr  can  at  any  time  he  conceived  pclTihly  to  he  ahfenj 
 H  h  from 
 
4^6  7he  Second  L  e  T  x  e  Rc 
 
 from  cin^  one  part  of  Space^  may  for  the  fa?ne  rea* 
 fin  [viz.  the  implying  no  Contradiction  in  the  nature 
 of  things,]  he  conceived  pojfihly  to  be  ahfent  from  eve- 
 ry other  part  of  Space,  at  the  fame  tirne.  "  Now  I 
 ''  cannot  fee,  that  I  can  make  thefe  two  Suppofi- 
 "  tions  for  t\it  fame  Reafon,  or  upon  th&faj?ie  Ac- 
 *'  count.  The  Reafon  why  I  conceive  this  Being 
 ''  may  be  abfent  from  one  Place,  is  becaufe  it  doth 
 "  not  contradidl  the  former  Proof  [drawn  from 
 ''  the  nature  of  things,]  in  which  I  proved  only 
 "-  that  it  muft  neceflarily  exijl.  But  the  other  Sup- 
 *'  pofition,  viz,  that  I  can  conceive  it  poflible  to 
 "  be  alfe?it  from  Every  part  of  Space  at  one  and 
 <t  the  fame  time,  diredly  contradicts  the  Proof 
 *^  that  it  mufi  exifl  S  O  MEW  HE  RE^  and  fo 
 ''  is  an  exprefs  Contradiction .  Unlefs  it  be  faid, 
 '  t  that  as,  when  we  have  proved  the  three  Angles 
 «'  of  a  Triangle  equal  to  two  right  Ones,  That 
 '«  relation  of  the  equality  of  its  Angles  to  two 
 *'  right  Ones,  will  be  where-ever  a  Triangle  ex- 
 "  ids  ;  fo,  v/hen  we  have  proved  the  neceffary 
 '^  Exiftence  of  a  Being,  this  Being  muft  exifl: 
 "  every  where.  But  there  is  a  great  difference  be- 
 '«  tween  thefe  two  things :  The  one  being  the 
 «'  Proof  of  a  certain  Relation,  upon  Suppofition 
 '«  of  fuch  a  Being's  Exiftence  with  fuch  particu- 
 ''  lar  Properties  ;  and  confequqntly,  where-ever 
 ''  this  Bf^ing  and  thefe  Properties  exift,  this  Re- 
 '«  lation  muft  exift  too:  But  from  the  Proof 
 ''  of  the  neceffary  Exiftence  of  a  Being,  'tis  no 
 "  evident  confeqaence  that  it  exifts  every  where, 
 "  My  ufing  the  word  Demonftration,  inftead  of 
 "  Proof  which  leaves  no  room  for  doubt,  was  through 
 ''  negligence,  for  I  never  heard  of  ftri6t  J^/«i?;^r^- 
 "  iion  of  Matter  of  Fa 61. 
 
 ''  In  your  Anfwer  to  my  Second  Difficulty,  yoii 
 '^  fw  ^  '*  whatfoever  is  necejfarily-exifiing,  there  is 
 Need  of  its  Exiftence,  in  order  to  the  fiippofal  of  the 
 
 Ex^ 
 
The  Second  Letter.  4^7 
 
 E^iftenceof  aw^  other  thing,     ''  All  the  Confequeri" 
 *«  ces  you  draw  from  this  Propofition,    I  fee  pro- 
 *«  ved  demonflrably  *,  and  confequently,  that  the 
 *'  two  Propofitions  I  thought  independent,    are 
 "  clofely  connected.     But  how^  or  upon  what  ac- 
 ''  county  is  there  need  of  the  Exiflence  of  what- 
 ''  ever  is  neceffarily-exifling,  in  order  to  the  Ex- 
 "  iflence  of  any  other  thing  ?  Is  it  as  there  is  need 
 *'  of  Space  and  Duration^  in   order  to  the  Exiil- 
 "  cnce  of  any  thing  •,  or  is  it  needful  only  as  the 
 ''  Caufe  of  the  Exiftence  of  all  other  things  ?    If 
 *'  the  former  be  faid,  as  your  Inftance  feems  to 
 ''  intimate  :  I  anfwer  ;  Space  and  Duration  are  ve» 
 *'  ry  abftrufe  in  their   Natures,    and,     I  think, 
 ''  can't  properly  be  called  'Things^    but  are  confi- 
 ''  dered  rather  as  Affe5fions  which  belongs    and  in 
 *«  the  order  of  our  ^Thoughts  are  antecedently  neceffa- 
 **  ry,  to  the  Exiflence  of  all  'Things,      And   I  can 
 *'  no  more  conceive  how  a  neceffarily-exifling  Be- 
 *'  ing  can,  on  the  fame  account  or  in  the  fame  man- 
 *'  ner  as  Space  and  Duration  are,  be  needful  in  or- 
 *'  der  to  the  Exiflence  of  any  other  Being,    than 
 *'  I  can  conceive  Extenfion  attributed  to  a  Thought : 
 *'  That  Idea  no  more  belonging  to  a  Thing  ex'ifl- 
 *'  ing,  than  Extenfion  belongs  to  Thought,     But  if 
 *'  the  latter  be  faid,  that  there  is  Need  o^  the  Ex-- 
 *'  iftence  of  whatever  is  a  neceflary  Being,  in  or-- 
 '^  der  to  the  Exiftence  of  any  other  thing  •,    only 
 *'  as  this  Neceffary  Being  muft  he  the  Caufe  of  the 
 *'  Exiflence  of   all  other  things :    1  think  this    is 
 "  plainly  begging  the  Queftion  ;    For   it  fuppofes 
 ''  that  there  is  no  Other  Being  exifts,    but  whst  is 
 *'  Cafual,  and  fo  not  neceffary.      And  on  what  O- 
 "  ther  account,  or  in  what  Other  manner  than  one 
 ''  of  thefe  two,  there  can    be  Need  of  the  Exift- 
 '^  ence  of  a  nece0ary  Being  in  order  to  the  Exift- 
 *'  ence  of  any  thing  elfe,  I  cannot  conceive. 
 
 H  h  2  1^  Thus, 
 
4^  s  The  Second  Letter^ 
 
 "  Thus,  Sir,  you  fee  I  entirely  agree  with  you 
 ^^  in  all  the  Confeq^uences  you  have  drawn  from  your 
 "  Suppofitions^  but  cannot  fee  the  Truth  of  the 
 *'  Suppofitions  themfelves. 
 
 "  I  have  aimed  at  nothing  in  my  Stile,  but  on- 
 ''  ly  to  be  intelligible  •,  being  fenfible  that  'tis  very 
 ''  difficult  (as  you  obfervej  to  exprefs  one's  felf 
 "  on  thefe  forts  of  Subjeds,  efpecially  for  one  who 
 ''  is  altogether  unaccuftomed  to  write  upon  them. 
 
 "  I  have  nothing  at  prefent  more  to  add,  but 
 "  my  fmcereft  Thanks  for  your  Trouble  in  an- 
 "  fv/ering  my  Letter,  and  for  your  profefTed  rea- 
 ''  dinefs  to  be  acquainted  with  any  other  Difficul- 
 *'  ty  that  I  may  meet  Vv^idi  in  any  of  your  Wri- 
 ^'  tings.  I  am  willing  to  interpret  this,  as  fome- 
 *'  what  like  a  Promife  of  an  Anfwer  to  what  I 
 *'  have  now  v/ritten,  if  there  be  any  thing  in  it 
 ''  which  defer ves  one. 
 
 ^  /  am^ 
 
 Reverend  S  I R^ 
 
 Tour  moft  Obliged  Humble  Servant^ 
 
 Nov.  23, 
 
 THE 
 
4^9 
 
 THE 
 
 ANSWER 
 
 T  O    T  H  E 
 
 Second   LETTER. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 IT  feems  to  Me,  that  the  Reafon  why  you  do 
 not  apprehend  Ubiquity  to  be  necellarily  con- 
 ne6led  with  Self-Ei<iftence,    is  becaufe,  in  the 
 order  of  your  Idea's,  you  firft  conceive  a  Being,  Ca 
 Finite  Being,   fuppofe  -,)    and  then  conceive  Self- 
 exiftence  to  be  a  Property]  of   That  Being  ;    as  the 
 Angles  are  Proper  ties  of  a  Triangle,    when  a  'Tri- 
 angle exiils  :  Whereas,  on  the  contrary,    Neceffity 
 of  Exifience,  not   being  ^  a  Property  Confequent'^Seethe 
 upon  the  Suppoficion  of  the  Things  exifcing,    but^^^"^.'"'^^ 
 Antecedently  the  Caufe  or   Ground  of    that  Exift-  ^^fwer  ro 
 ence  •,  'tis  evident  this  NecefTity,    being  not  ii7?ii'  the Se-jcmh 
 ted  to  any  Antecedent  Subjed,  as  Angles  are  to  a  Letter. 
 Triangle  ;  but  being  itiejf  Original^    Abfolute^    and 
 fin  order  of   Nature)    antecedent   to  all  Exiftence  ; 
 cannot  but  be  every  where,    for  the  fame  Reafon 
 that  it  is  any  where.     By  applying   this  Reafoning 
 to  the  Inftance  of  Space  ;    you  will  find,  that  by 
 Confequence  it  belongs  truly   to  That  Suhftance, 
 whereof  Space  is  a  f  Property,  as  Duration  alfo  is.  f  or.  Mode 
 What  you   fay  about  a  Neceffary  Being  exift  in  g^^^'^^J' 
 Somewhere,  fuppofes  it   to  be  Finite  ; '  and   being 
 Finite^  fuppofes  fome  Caufe  which  dcter?nlned  that 
 H  h  3  fuch 
 
•476  The  Answer  to  the  Second  Letter? 
 
 fuch  a  certain  ^antity  of  That  Being  fliould  ex- 
 ift,  neither  more  nor  lefs :  And  Ihat  Cauje^  muft 
 either  be  a  Voluntary  Caufe  ;  or  elfe  fuch  a  necejfa- 
 ry  Caufe^  the  ^antity  of  whofe  Power  muft  be 
 deter?nined  and  limited  by  fome  Other  Caufe.  But 
 in  original  ahfolute  Necejfity^  antecedent  (in  order 
 of  Nature^  to  the  exiftence  of  any  thing  ;  nothing 
 of  all  This,  can  have  Place  -,  but  the  Neceffity  is, 
 necejfarily  every  where  ahke. 
 
 Concerning  the  Seco?td  Difficulty,  I  anfwer. 
 ^hat  which  exijls  necejfarily^  is  needful  to  the  exift- 
 ence of  any  other  thing  ;  Not  confider'd  now  as  a 
 Caufe^  (for  That  indeed  is  begging  the  Queftion) 
 but  as  2ifine  qua  ?ion  ;  in  the  fenfe  as  Space  is  necef- 
 fary  to  every  thing,  and  nothing  can  poflibly  be 
 conceived  to  exift,  without  thereby  prefuppofing 
 Space  :  Which  therefore  I  apprehend  to  be  a  Pro- 
 perty or  Mode  of  the  Self-exiftent  Subftance  ;  and 
 that,  by  being  evidently  necefTary  itfelf^  it  proves 
 that  the  Subftance^  of  which  it  is  a  Mode,  muft 
 alfo  be  Jiecejfary  %  Necejfary  both  in  itfelf^  and  need- 
 ful to  the  exiftence  of  any  thing  elfe  whatfoever. 
 Extenfion  indeed  does  not  belong  to  nought^  be- 
 caufe  thought  is  not  a  Being  ;  But  there  is  Need 
 pt  Extenfion  to  the  exiftence  of  every  Beings  to  a 
 Being  which  has  or  has  not  Thought,  or  any 
 pther  Quality  whatfoever, 
 
 J  amy  Sir^ 
 
 T$ur  real  Friend  and  Servant^ 
 
 JuondoHy  Nov^ 
 
 THE; 
 
471 
 
 THE 
 
 Third  LETTER. 
 
 Reverend  Sir^ 
 
 I  Don't  very  well  underfland  your  Meaning, 
 ' '  when  you  fay  that  you  think,  in  the  or- 
 "  der  of  fuy  Idea's  I  Jirft  conceive  a  Beings 
 (finite  fuppofe,)  to  exift^  and  then  conceive  Self- 
 exiftence  to  be  a  Propert'j  of  that  Being,  If  you 
 mean  that  I  ^v^  fuppofe  2l  finite  Being  to  exift 
 I  know  not  why  ;  affirming  neceffity  of  Exift ence^ 
 to  be  only  a  confeqiient  of  its  Exiftence  ;  and 
 that,  when  I  have  fuppofed  it  Finite.^  I  very 
 fafely  conclude  it  is  not  Infinite  \  I  am  utterly- 
 at  a  lofs,  upon  what  Exprefllons  in  my  Letter 
 this  Conjedlure  can  be  founded.  But  if  you 
 mean,  that  I  firft  of  all  prove  a  Being  to  Exift 
 from  Eternity^  and  then,  from  the  reafons  of 
 things,  prove  that  fuch  a  Being  muil  be  eternally 
 Necejfary  *,  I  freely  own  it.  Neither  do  I  con- 
 ceive it  to  be  irregular  or  abfurd  ;  For  there  is 
 a  great  difference  between  the  order  in  which 
 things  exift ^  and  the  order  in  which  I  prove  to 
 my  felf  that  they  exift.  Neither  do  I  think  my 
 faying  a  necefTary  Being  exifts  Somewhere.,  fup- 
 pofcs  it  to  be  finite  ;  it  only  fuppofes  that  this 
 Being  exiils  in  Space^  without  determing  whe- 
 ther here^  or  there^  or  every  where, 
 "  To  my  fecond  Objedion,  you  fay :  l^hat 
 which  exifts  neceffarily^  is  needful  to  the  Exiftence 
 of  any  other  thing.,  as  a  fine  qua  non  ;  in  the 
 fenfe  Space  is  necejfary  to  every  thing :   Which  h 
 
 "  proved 
 
472  The  Third  Letter. 
 
 «<  proved  (yon  fay)  h^  'This  Confideration^  that 
 *'  Space  is  a  propert'j  of  the  Self-exiftent  Suhftance  ; 
 "  and^  being  both  NeceJJlzry  in  it  felf  and  needful  io 
 '*  the  Exifience  of  every  thing  elfe  -,  confequently  the 
 "•  Siibfiance^  of  which  it  is  a  property^  mufl  be  jo 
 ''  too.  Space,  I  own,  is  in  one  Senfe  a  properly 
 *'  of  the  Self-exiilent  Subitance  J  but,  in  the  fame 
 ''  Senfe^  'tis  alfo  a  property  of  all  other  Subftan- 
 *'  ces.  The  only  difierence,  is  in  refped  to  the 
 "  Quantity.  And  fmce  every  part  of  Space,  as 
 ''  well  as  the  whole ^  is  neceilary  j  every  Subftance 
 "  confeqiiently  muft  be  Self-exiitent,  becaufe  it 
 "  hath  this  Self-exijlent  Property.  Which  fmce 
 "  you  will  not  admit  for  true  •,  if  it  diredly  fol- 
 '''  lows  from  your  Arguments,  they  cannot  be  con- 
 "  clufive. 
 
 ''  What  you  fay  under  the  firft  Head,  proves 
 ^'  (I  think)  to  a  very  great  ^r^Z'^^i/i/);,  though  noc 
 "  to  Me  with  the  evidence  of  Dejnonjlration  :  But 
 *'  your  Arguments  under  the  fecond^  I  am  not  a- 
 ''  bie  to  fee  the  force  of. 
 
 *'  I  am  fo  hv  from  being  pleafed  that  I  can 
 '^'  form  Objedions  to  your  Arguments  ;  that,  be- 
 ^'  fides  the  Satisfa5iion  it  would  have  given  me  in 
 "  my  own  Mind,  I  fhould  have  thought  it  an 
 ^'  Honour  to  have  entered  into  your  Reafonings, 
 "  and  feen  the  force  of  them.  I  cannot  defire  to 
 "  trefpafs  any  more  upon  your  better  employed 
 ''  Time  5  fo  fliail  only  add  my  hearty  Thanks  for 
 '^'^  your  Trouble  on  my  account,  and  that  I  am 
 ^*  with  the  greateft  refped, 
 
 Reverend  Sir, 
 
 Tcur  moft  Obliged  Humble  Servant, 
 
 pec.  the  ^th^ 
 
 THE 
 
47  J 
 
 The    A   N   S   Ay   E   R 
 
 T  O    T  H  E 
 
 Third  LETTER. 
 
 SIR 
 
 T Hough,  when  I  turn  my  Thoughts  every 
 way,  I  fully  perfuade  my  felf  there  is  no 
 defed  in  the  Argii?nent  it  felf ;  yet  in  my 
 manner  of  Expreffion  I  am  fatisfied  there  muft  be 
 fome  want  of  clearnefs,  when  there  remains  any 
 Difficulty  to  a  Perfon  of  your  Abilities  and  Saga- 
 city. I  did  not  mean  that  your  faying  a  neceffary 
 Being  exifls  Somewhere^  does  neceffaril^  fuppofe  it 
 to  ht  finite-,  but  that  the  manner  of  Expreffion  is 
 ap  to  excite  in  the  Mind  an  Idea  of  a  Finite  Be- 
 ings at  the  fame  time  that  you  are  thinking  of  a 
 Neceffary  Beings  without  accurately  attending  to 
 the  Nature  of  that  Neceffty  by  which  it  exifts. 
 Necefiity  abfohite^  and  antecedent  (in  order  of  Na- 
 ture) to  theExiftence  of  AnySubjed,  has  nothing 
 to  liijiit  it  •,  but,  if  it  operates  at  all,  (as  it  muft 
 needs  do,)  it  muft  operate  fif  I  may  fo  fpeak,) 
 every  where  and  at  all  times  alike.  Determination 
 of  a  particular  ^cantity^  or  particular  Time  or 
 Tlace  of  Exiftence  of  any  thing,  cannot  arife  but 
 from  fomev/hat  external  to  the  thing  itfelf  For 
 Example :  Why  there  fhould  exift  juft  fuch  a 
 fmali  determinate  Quantity  of   Matter^    neither 
 
 more 
 
474  ^^^  Answer  to  the  ThirdL^rr'ER. 
 
 more  nor  lefs,  interfperfed  in  the  immenfe  Vacui- 
 ties of  Space ;  no  reafon  can  be  given.  Nor  can 
 there  be  any  thing  in  Nature,  which  could  have 
 deter7nined  a  thing  fo  indifferent  in  it  felf,  as  is  the 
 Meajure  of  that  ^antitj  ;  but  only  the  Will  of  an 
 Intelligent  and  free  Agent.  To  fuppofe  Matter y  or 
 any  Other  Subilance,  Necejfarily-exifting  in  a  Fi- 
 mte  determinate  Quantity  ;  in  an  Inch-cube,  for 
 inftance  ;  or  in  Jny  certain  number  of  Cube- 
 Inches,  and  no  ?nore  •,  is  exadlly  the  fame  Abfur- 
 dity,  as  fuppofing  it  ,to  exift  Necejfarily^  and 
 yet  for  a  Finite  Duration  only :  Which  every 
 one  fees  to  be  a  plain  Contradidion.  The  Ar- 
 gument is  likewife  the  fame,  in  the  Queftion  a- 
 bout  the  Original  of  Motion,  Motion  cannot  be 
 72ecejfarily-exijting  *,  becaufe,  it  being  evident  that 
 All  Determinations  of  Motion  are  equally  poffihls 
 in  themfelves,  the  original  Deterinination  of  the 
 Motion  of  any  particular  Body  this  way  rather 
 than  the  contrary  way,  could  not  be  neceffary  in  it 
 felf^  but  was  either  caufed  by  the  Will  of  an  In- 
 ielligent  and  Free  Agent,  or  elfe  was  an  Effe^ 
 produced  and  determined  without  Any  Caufe  at 
 all  y  Which  is  an  exprefs  Contradidion :  As  I 
 have  lliown  in  my  Demonftration  of  the  Beijig  and 
 Attributes  of  God,  pag.  14,  [Edit.  4th.  and  5th.] 
 pag.  12,  [Edit.  6th  &  7th.] 
 
 To  the  Second  Head  of  Argument,  I  anfwen 
 Space^  is  a  Property  [or  Mode]  of  the  Self-exifl- 
 ent  Subflance  ;  but  not  of  any  other  Subftances. 
 All  other  Subftances  are  /  N  Space^  and  are  pene- 
 trated by  it  ',  but  the  Self-exiilent  Subflance  is 
 not  IN  Space^  nor  penetrated  by  it^  but  is  it  felf 
 (if  I  may  fo  fpeak)  the  Subftratum  of  Space^  the 
 Ground  of  the  Exiflence  of  Space  and  Duration  it 
 felf  Which  [Space  and  Duration']  being  evident- 
 ly neceffary .,    and  yet   Themfelves  not  Subftances., 
 
 buc 
 
The  Answer  to  the  Third Li^tt-e^. 
 
 but  Properties  or  Modes ;  fhow  evidently  that  the 
 Suhjlance^  without  which  thefe  Modes  could 
 not  fubfifl,  is-itfelf  much  more  fif  that  were  pofli- 
 ble)  Kleceffar'j,  And  as  Space  and  Duration  are 
 needful^  (i.  e.  ftne  qua  non^)  to  the  Exiftence  of 
 every  thing  elfe  ;  fo  confequently  is  the  Subftance, 
 to  which  27?<?/^  M^^d'j  belong  in  that  peculiar 
 manner  which  I  before  mentioned. 
 
 4-75 
 
 Decern,  lo. 
 
 Tour  Affemonate  Friend 
 and  Servant. 
 
 THE 
 
47  <^ 
 
 THE 
 
 Fourth  LETTER. 
 
 Reverend  Sv\ 
 «c  "^^THatever  is  the  Occafion  of  my  not  fee- 
 
 "  ing  the  Force  of  your  Reafonings,  I 
 ^'  cannot  impute  it  to  fwhat  '^cu  d.o)  the  want  of 
 *'  Clearnefs  in  your  Expreflion.  I  am  too  well  ac- 
 "  quainted  with  my  felf,  to  think  m'j  not  undcr- 
 ''  franding  an  Argument,  a  fuflicientReafon  to  con- 
 *'  elude  that  it's  either  improperly  expreffedjOr  not 
 *'  conclufive  ;  unlels  I  can  clearly  Shozv  the  De- 
 ^'  fe5f  of  it.  'Tis  with  the  greatefl  Satisfad'ion  I 
 ''  m.ufl:  tell  you,  that  the  more  1  reflcd  on  your 
 "  firft  Argument,  the  more  I  am  convinced  of 
 "  the  Truth  of  it ;  and  it  now  feems  to  me  alto- 
 "  gether  unreafonable  to  fuppofe  Abfolute  Necejfft^ 
 ••'  /}' can  have  any  Relation  to  one  Part  of  Space 
 "  more  than  to  Another  •,  and  if  fo,  an  Jbfolutely- 
 "  necejfiir-j  Being  muft  exifb  ever'j  where. 
 
 "  I  wilh  I  v/as  as  well  fatisfied  in  refpedl  to  the 
 "  other.  You  fay  ;  allSuhftarices^  except  the  Self- 
 "  exiftent  one^  are  In  Space.,  and  are  penetrated  hy 
 "  it.  AH  Subilances  doabtlefs,  whether  Body  or 
 "  Spirit,  exift  in  Space:  But  when  I  fay  that  a 
 ''  Spirit  exifts  in  Space.,  were  I  put  upon  telling 
 ''  my  meaning,  I  know  not  how  I  could  do  it 
 ■'  any  other  way  than  by  faying,  fuch  a  particular 
 ■'  quantity  of  Space  terminates  the  Capacity  of  aof- 
 ''•  i;:^  in  finite  Spirits  at  one  and  the [ame  time  \  fo 
 '  that  they  cannot  a6t  beyond  that  determined 
 •'  Qaantity.  Not  but  that  I  think  there  \%  fomC" 
 •^  "ivbat  in  the  manner  of  Exiitence  of  Spirits  in 
 
 ''  refpedb 
 
The  Fourth  L  £  t  T  e  Ro  477 
 
 ^^  refpeft  of  Space^  that  more  directly  anfwers  to 
 *«  the  manner  of  the  Exiilence  of  Body  ;  but  what 
 *'  'That  is,    or  of   the  Manner  of  their  exiftence,  I 
 '-'•  cannot  pofTibly  form  an  Idea.     And  it  feems  (if 
 "  pofTibleJ  much  W(9r^  difficult  to  determine  what 
 "  relation  the  Sef-exiftent  Being  hath  to  Space,  To 
 ''  fay  he  exifts /;/ iS^^rf  5  2iher  the  fame  7nanner  thzt 
 "  other  Subjlances  do,     (fomewhat  like  which  I 
 "  too  rafhly  afferted  in  my  laft,)    perhaps  would 
 "  be  placing  the  Creator  too  much  on  a  level  with 
 "  tht  Creature  \  or  however,  it  is  not  plainly  and 
 *'  evidently  true  :  And  to  fay  the  Self-exiftent  Sub- 
 *'  fiance  is  the  Suhftratum  of  Space,  in  the  common 
 ^'  fenfe  of  the  Word,  is  fcarce  intelligible,    or  at 
 *'  leafl  is  not  evident.     Now  tho'  there  may  be 
 *'  an  hundred  Relations  diftin^f  from  either  of  thefe ; 
 *'  yet  how  we  fhould  come  by  Ideas  of   them,    I 
 *'  cannot  conceive.     We  may  indeed  have  Ideas  to 
 ''  thelVords,  and  not  altogether  depart  from  the 
 ''  common  fenfe  o^  them,  w^hen  we  fay  the  Self- 
 "  exiftent  Subilance  is  the  Subjfratmn  of  Space,  or 
 *'  the  Ground  of  ks  GxiUcncc  :  But  I  fee  no  Rea- 
 *'  fon  to  think  it  True  ;  becaufe  Space  feems  to  me 
 "  to  hQ  as  ahfolutely  Self-exiftent,  as 'tis  poiliblc  any 
 *'  thing  can  be :  So  that,  make  what  other   Sup- 
 *'  pofition  you  pleafe,    yet  we  omnot  help  fup- 
 *'  pofing  Immenfe  Space  ♦,  becaufe  there   muft  be 
 *'  either  an  Infinity  of  Being,  or  (if  you'll  allow  the 
 *'  ExprefTion)  an  Infinite  Vacuity  of  Being.      Per- 
 "  haps  it  may  be  objeded  to  this,  that  tho'  Space 
 *'  is  really  Neceflary,  yet  the  reafon  of   its  being 
 ''  Necelfary,  is  its  being  a  Property  of   the  Self- 
 "^  exiflent  Subftance  ;    and  that  It  being  fo  evi- 
 "  dently  Neceffary,  and  its  dependence  on  the  Self- 
 ''  exiftent  Subftance  not  fo  evident,  v/e  are  ready  to 
 *'  conduch  it  abfolutely  Self-exiftent,  as  well  i\s  ne- 
 *'  cejjary  ;  and  that  this  is  the  reafon  why  the  Idea 
 *'  of  Space  forces  itfelf  on  our  Minds,  antecedent 
 
 "  to. 
 
473  The  Fourth  L  e  t  t  e  R. 
 
 *^  to,  and  exclufive  of  ("as  to  the  Ground  of  Its 
 *'  exiftencej  all  other  things.  Now  this,  tho'  it 
 "  is  really  an  Obje^ion^  yet  is  no  direct  Anfwer  to 
 *'  what  I  have  faid  j  becaufe  it  fuppo/es  the  only 
 *'  thing  to  be  proved^  viz.  that  the  ?'eafon  why 
 *'  Space  is  neceffary,  is  its  being  a  Property  of  a 
 "  Self-exiftent  Subflance.  And  fuppofing  it  not 
 ''  to  be  evident,  that  Space  is  abfolutely  Sdf-exiftent  ; 
 *'  yet,  while  it  is  doubtful,  we  cannot  argue  as 
 *'  tho'  the  contrary  were  certain,  and  we  were 
 "  fare  that  Space  was  only  a  Property  of  the  Self- 
 *'  exiftentSubllance.  But  now,  if  Space  be  not 
 *'  abfolutely  Independent,  I  don't  fee  what  we  can 
 *'  conclude  is  fo  :  For  'tis  manifeflly  Necejfary  It 
 *'  felf,  as  well  as  antecedently  needful  to  the  exift- 
 ''  ence  of  all  other  Things,  not  excepting  ("as  I 
 "  thinkj  even  the  Self-exiflent  Subftance. 
 
 *'  All  your  Confequences  I  fee  follow  demon- 
 *"  ftrably  from  your  Suppofition  ;  and  'wtrtl'hat 
 *'  evident,  I  believe  it  would  fervc  to  prove  feveral 
 *'  other  things  as  v/ell  as  what  you  bring  it  for. 
 ''  Upon  which  account,  I  fhould  be  extreamly 
 ''  pleafed  to  fee  it  proved  by  any  one.  For  as  I 
 ''  defign  the  Search  after  Truth  as  the  Bufinefs  of 
 "  my  Life,  I  fhall  not  be  afnamed  to  learn  from 
 "  any  Perfon  \  tho'  at  the  fame  time  I  can't  but 
 *'  be'fenfible,  that  Inftrudion  from  fome  Men,  is 
 *'  like  the  Gift  of  a  Prince,  it  reflec^ls  an  Honour 
 "  or.  the  Perfon  on  whom  it  Jays  an  Obligation. 
 
 /  am^ 
 
 Reverend  Sir, 
 
 Tour  Ohlmd  Servant. 
 .Dccetnb.  the  i6th^ 
 
 THE 
 
47Si 
 
 THE 
 
 ANSWER 
 
 T  O    T  H  E 
 
 Fourth  LETTER. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 MY  being  out  of  Town  moft  part  of  the 
 Month  of  January,  and  fome  other  acci- 
 dental Avocations,  hindered  me  from  anfwering 
 your  Letter  fooner.  The  Sum  of  the  Difficul- 
 ties it  contains,  is  (\  think)  this :  That  '//i  di^- 
 cult  to  determine,  what  Relation  the  Self-exiftent  Suh^ 
 fiance  has  to  Space :  That,  to  fay  It  is  the  SubftratU7n 
 of  Space,  in  the  common  Senfe  of  the  Word ;  is  fcarce 
 intelligible,  or,  at  leaft,  is  not  evident :  That  Space 
 feems  co  he  as  Abfilutely  SelfExiftent,  as  *tis  pojfihle 
 any  thing  can  he :  And  that,  its  being  a  Property  of 
 the  Self-exiftent  Subftance ;  is,  Suppofing  the  thing 
 that  was  to  he  Proved,  This  is  entring  indeed 
 into  the  very  bottom  of  the  Matter ;  and  I 
 will  endeavour  to  give  you  as  brief  and  clear  an 
 Anfwer  as  I  can. 
 
 That  the  Self-Exiftent  Subftance,  is  the  Subfira- 
 turn  of  Space,  or  Space  a  Property  of  the  Self-Ex- 
 iftent Subftance,  are  ?iot  perhaps  very  proper  Ex- 
 prejjions  •,  nor  is  it  eafy  to  find  fuch.  But  what  I 
 mean,  is  This.  The  Idea  of  Space,  fas  alfo  of 
 l'i?ne  or  Duration,)  is  an  Abftra^  or  Partial  Idea  ; 
 an  Idea  of  a  certain  ^ality  or  Relation,  which  we 
 
 evidently 
 
4S0 
 
 57?^  Answer  to  the  Fourth  1.ettt.k. 
 
 evidently   fee  to  be  necejjarily-exijling  •,    and    yet 
 which  (^not  being  itfelf  a  Suhfiance^)    at  the  fame 
 time   neceiTarily  frefuppofes  a  Subftance^    without 
 which  it  could  not  exifl  ;  Which  Subftance  confe- 
 quently,  muil  be  itfelf  ("much  inore^   if  poflible,^ 
 jmeffhrilyrExijling,      I  know  not  how-to  explain  % 
 this  fo  well,  as  by  the  following  Similitude.       A 
 Blind  Man,  when  he  tries  to  frame  to  himfelf  the 
 Idea  of  Bod\\    his  Idea  is  nothino;  but   That  of 
 Hardnefs.     A  Man  that  had  Eyes^    but  no  power  • 
 of  Motion^  or  fenfe  of  Feeling  at  all  ',  when  he  tri- 
 ed to  frame  to  himfelf  the  Idea  of  Body,  his  Idea 
 would  be  nothing  but  that  of  Colour.      Now  as, 
 in  thefe  cafes,  Hardnefs  is  not  Body  ;•  and  Colour  is 
 not  Body  ;  but  yet,  to  the  Underiianding  of  thefe 
 Perfons,  thofe  Properties  necell'irily  infer  the  Be- 
 inp-  of  a  Subftance,    of   '-d;hich  Suhfiance  it  felf  the 
 Perfons  have  no  Idea  :  So  Space  to  Us,  it  not  itfelf 
 Subjlauce,  but  it   neceffarily  infers  the.  being  of  a 
 Subftance,    which  atiefls  none    of    our   prefent 
 Senfes  •,  And  being  itfelf  Necejfary,  it  follows  that 
 tlie  Suhfiance,  which  it  infers,  is  (much  morej  iV>- 
 cejfary, 
 
 I  am,  Sir^ 
 
 Tour  affectionate  Friend  , 
 
 Jan.  2Q, 
 
 1713.  and  Servants 
 
 THE 
 
4^5 
 
 cc 
 
 THE 
 
 Fifth  LETTER. 
 
 Reverend  Sir^ 
 
 YO  U  have  very  comprehenfively  ex^prefled 
 in  fix  or  feven  Lines,  all  the  Difficulties  of 
 my  Letter  ^  which  I  ihould  have  endeavoured 
 to  have  made  Shorter,  had  I  not  been  afraid  an 
 improper  ExprefTion  might  poiTibly  occafion  a 
 miftake  of  my  Meaning.  I  am  very  glad, 
 the  Debate  is'  come  into  fo  narrow  a  compafs  •, 
 For  I  think  now  it  entirely  turns  upon  this,  whe- 
 *'  ther  our  Ideas  of  Space  and  Duration  are  partial^ 
 *'  fo  as  to  prcEfuppofe  the  exiftence  of  fome  other 
 *'  Thing.  Your  Simihtude  of  the  BhndMan,  is 
 *'  very  apt^  to  explain  your  Meaning,  (which  I 
 *'  think  I  fully  underftand  -,)  but  does  not  feem  to 
 *'  come  entirely  up  to  the  Matter.  For,  what  is 
 "  the  reafon  that  the  Blind  Man  concludes  there 
 *'  mu^ht  Somewhat  external^  to  give  him  that 
 *'  Idea  of  Hardnefs  ?  'Tis  becaufe  he  fuppofes  it 
 *'  impoffible  for  him  to  be  thus  aiTedted,  unlefs 
 '^  there  were  fome  Caufe  of  it  -,  which  Caufe, 
 "  fhould  it  be  removed,  the  Effe6l  would  imme- 
 *'  diately  ceafe  too  ;  and  he  would  no  more  have 
 *'  the  Idea  of  Hardnefs^  but  by  Remembrance. 
 ''  Now  to  apply  this,  to  the  Inflance  of  Space 
 *'  and  Duration,  Since  a  Man,  from  his  having 
 *'  thefe  IdeaSy  very  jullly  concludes  that  there 
 '^  muil  ht  foii'iewhat  External.^  which  is  the  Caufe 
 ''  of  them-,  confequently,  fnould  This  Caufe 
 "  (whatever  it  is j  be  taken  away,  his  Ideas  would 
 ''   be  fo  too  :  Therefore,  if  what  is  fuppofed  to  he 
 
 11  '  '      .   "  the 
 
4S^  The  Fifth  Letter, 
 
 *'  the  Caiife  be  removed,  and  yet  the  Idea  remains, 
 
 "  That  Suppofcd  Caiife   cannot   be  the   Real  one, 
 
 "  Now,  granting  the  Self-Exiftent  Subftance  to 
 
 "  be  the  Siihjlratum  of  thefe  Ideas  ;  could  we  make 
 
 "  the  Siippofition  of   its  ceafing  to  be,    yet   Space 
 
 "  and  Duration  would   ftill     7'e7nain    unaltered : 
 
 "  Which  feems  to  fhow,    that  the  Self-Exiflent 
 
 "  Subilance  is  not  the  6'///jy?r^///;/2  of  Sjace  andDu- 
 
 ^'  ration.     Nor  would  it   be  an  Aniwer  to  the 
 
 "  Difficulty,    to   fay   that   ever-j  Property  of  the 
 
 "  Self-Exillent  Subftance,    is  as  neceffary  as   the 
 
 "  Subftance  itfilf ',  fince  77j^^  will  only  hold,  While 
 
 *'  the  Subftance  itfelf  exifts :  For  there's  implied  in 
 
 *'  the  Idea  of  a  Property,  an  impoflibility  of  Sub- 
 
 "  fifiing    v/ithout   its  Subft:ratUf?i,      I  grant,  the 
 
 .''  Suppojition  IS  abfurd:  But  how  otherwife  can  we 
 
 ""  know  whether  any  thing  be  ^Property  of  fuch 
 
 ''  a   Subftance,    but  by    examining    whether  it 
 
 "  would  ceafe    to  be,    if  its  fuppos'd  Subftance 
 
 ''  ihould  do  f o  ?    Notwithftanding  what  I  have 
 
 "  now  faid,  I  cannot  fay  that  I  believe  your  Ar- 
 
 "  gument  not  conclufive  -,  for  I  muft  ov/n  my  Ig- 
 
 "  norance,  that  I  am  really  at  a  lofs  about  the 
 
 "  nature    of    Space  and   Duration.       But  did  it 
 
 "  plainly  appear  that  they   were  Properties  of  a 
 
 "  Subftance,    we   fhould  have  an  eafie  way  with 
 
 "  the  Atheifts :  For  it  would  at  once  prove  de- 
 
 .  '^  monftrably  an  Eternal,  Necejjary,    Self-exiftent 
 
 *'  Being  ',  that  there  is  but  One  fuch  j  and  that  he 
 
 "  is  needful  in  order  to  the  exiftence  of  all  other 
 
 "  Things.     Which  makes  me  think,  that  tho'  it 
 
 ^'  may  be  true,  yet  'tis  not  obvious  to  every  Capa- 
 
 ''  city  :    Otherv/ife  'twould  have  been  generally 
 
 '^  ufed,    as  a  fundamental  Argument  to  prove 
 
 ''  the  Being  of  God. 
 
 ''  I  muft  add  one  thing  more  -,  that  your  Argu- 
 ^"^  ment  for  the  O^nniprefnce  of  God,  feemed  aU 
 *'  ^aass  to  me  I'ery  probable.     But  being  very  de- 
 
 *'  firou5 
 
The  Fifth  Letter.'  483 
 
 *'  firous  to  have  it  appear  demonftraUy  conclufive^ 
 "  I  was  fometimes  forced  to  fay  what  was  not  alto- 
 •'  gether  m'j  Opinion :  Not  that  I  did  this  for  the 
 ''  fake  of  dif pitting^  ("for  befides  the  particular  dif- 
 *'  agreeablenefs  of  this  to  my  own  Temper,  I 
 "  ihould  furely  have  chofen  another  Perfon  to 
 "  have  trifled  with  •^)  but  I  did  it  to  fet  off  the 
 *'  Objedlion  to  Advantage,  that  it  might  be  more 
 '^  fully  anfwered.  I  heartily  wifh  you  as  fair 
 *'  Treatment  from  your  Opponents  in  Print,  as  I 
 *'  have  had  from  you :  Tho',  I  muft  own,  I  can- 
 "  not  fee,  in  thofe  that  I  have  read,  That  unpre- 
 "  judiced  Search  after  Truth,  which  I  would  have 
 "  hoped  for. 
 
 tmn^  Reverend  Sir, 
 
 T'otir  7nofi  Humble  Servants 
 
 Feb.  3. 
 17x3, 
 
 I  i  1  T  H  E 
 
>484 
 
 The   ANSWER 
 
 T  O     T  H  E 
 
 LETTER. 
 
 I 
 
 "  N  a  multitude  of  Bufinefs^  I  miflaid  your  laft 
 Letter  *,  and  could  not  anfwer  it,  till  it  came 
 again  to  my  Hands  by  Chance.  We  feem  to 
 have  puflied  the  Matter  in  queftion  between  us,  as 
 far  as  it  will  go  ;  and  upon  the  whole,  I  cannot  but 
 take  notice,  I  have  very  feldom  met  with  Perfons 
 lb  reafonable  and  unprejudiced  as  your  felf,  in  fuch 
 Debates  as  thefe. 
 
 I  think  all  I  need  fay  in  Anfwer  to  the  Reafoning 
 
 in  your  Letter,  is  ;  that  your  granting  the  Ahfur- 
 
 flily  of  the  Suppofilion  you  were  indeavouring   to 
 
 make,  is  confequently  granting  the  necejfary  Truth 
 
 of  tny  Argument.     If  ^  Space  and 
 
 *  Ut  partium  7empris  Or-     Duration  neceiTarily  remain^  even 
 
 ^f  '""T^f^^  ''ir    -after  they  iftfuppofed  to  be  taken 
 
 veanmr  hse  de  Iccis  fuis,'2c     fiway  ;    and  be  not  (as    tis  plain 
 
 inovebuntur  rut  iradicam)de     they   are  not)    Themfelves   Suh- 
 
 f  Bern  non  ell  ^termtas  whofe  Exiftence  they  depend,  will 
 vel infinitas,  fed  -^ternus  gc  in-  fiecejfariix  rerna'in  likewife,  even  af- 
 finhus ;   non  ell:  Durjttio  vel     ^^j.  -y.  -3  q^ppofed  to  be  taken  awav  : 
 
 Durat  /i^^pef^    &  Mefi  ubi-      ^l^ch    H^.OWS   Tbat  SuppofetlOH  tO 
 
 que,-  &  exijiendo  Temper  £c     be  hnpofjihle  and  contradiEfory. 
 uhique,  DtirMwneni  Sc  s^c^u-         ^^  ^.'^       ^j.  Obfervation  at  the 
 
 tcm,  ,=nl>:nut.  Cum  unsquxa;     End  of  y  our  Letter ;  that  the  Ar- 
 gument 
 
The  Answer  to  the  Lifth  Letter. 
 gument  I  have  infifted  on,    if  it    sp^^'^'^  particula 
 
 were  obvious  to   every   Capacity, 
 iliould  have  more  frequently  been 
 ufed  as  a  Fundamental  Argument 
 for  a  Proof  of  the  Being  of  God : 
 The  'True  Caufe  why  it  has  been 
 feldom  urged,  is,  I  think.     This  *, 
 That  the  Univerfal  Prevalency  of 
 Cartes's  abfurd  Notions,  ('teaching 
 that  t  Matter  is  neceffaril'j  Infinite 
 2Lnd  necejjarily  Eternal^  and  afcrib- 
 ing  all  things  to  mere  Alechanick 
 Laws  of  Motion  J    exclufive  of  fi- 
 ral  Caufes,    and  of  all  Will  and 
 Intelligence  and  Divine  Providence 
 from  the  Government  of  the  World  \)    hath  in- 
 credibly blinded  the  Eyes  of  Co??i?non  Reafon^  and 
 prevented  Men  from  difcerning  Hi?n  in  whom  they 
 live  and  move  and  have  their  Being,     The  like  has 
 happened  in  fome  Other  Inllances.     How  univer- 
 fally  have  Men  for  many  Ages  believed,  that  Eter- 
 nity is  no  Duration  at  all,  and  Infinity  no  Ampli- 
 tude ?  Something  of  the  like  kind  has  happened 
 in  the  matter  of  Tranfuhftantiation^  and  (I  think} 
 in  the  Scholaftick  Notion  of  the  'Trinity^  dec. 
 
 485. 
 
 fit  Semper', 
 6<:  unumquodq,-  Durationu  in' 
 divilibilemomentum,  Ubique  i 
 certe  rerum  omnium  Fabri- 
 cator ac  Dominus,  non  erit 
 Nunquam  Nufquam.  Omni- 
 praeiens  eft,  non  per  Virtutem 
 folam,  fed  etiam  per  fubflan- 
 t'mm :  nam  virtus  {inefubftan- 
 tia  fubiiftere  non  potefl.  In 
 ipfo  cont.nentur  8c  movent ut 
 ILjiverfa,  &ic.  NEJVTON, 
 Frincip.  Mathejnnt.  Schol  ge^ 
 nerd,  f lib  finem. 
 
 f  Pure  implirare  contrad'r 
 B'tonem,  ut  Hunclus  [meaning 
 the  Material  World'\  lit  Finitfts, 
 Cartes. Epiji.  69.  Partis priw^ 
 
 I  am.  Sir, 
 
 Tcur  Aj^eFiicmte  Friend  and  Servant, 
 
 Apr.  8, 
 
 li 
 
 THE 
 
48<s 
 
 THE 
 
 ANS  W  E  R 
 
 T  O     A 
 
 Sixth  LETTER. 
 
 Being  Part  of  a 
 
 Letter  writ  to  Another  Gentleman, 
 who  had  propolcd  fcvcral  of  the  lame 
 Objedions  with  the  foregoing. 
 
 Y 
 
 SIR, 
 
 O  U  will  give  me  leave,  without  any  Pre- 
 face or  Apology,  to  propofe  direclly  the 
 beft  Anfwer  I  can,  to  the  Objedions  you 
 have  offered. 
 
 There  are  but  ^i!)o  ways,    by  which  the  Being, 
 
 and  All  or  An^  of  the  Attributes  of  God^  can  pof- 
 
 fibly  be  proved.     The  one,   a  priori ;    the  other, 
 
 a  pofteriori. 
 
 f  -Rom.  I,      The  Proof  a  pofteriori^   t  is  level  to  y^// Mens 
 
 zo;The     Capacities  :  Becaufe  there  is  an  endlefs  gradation 
 
 !  V7^r'%     of  '-Lvife  and  ufefid  phsenomena  of  Nature,  from 
 
 Him\7om  the  moll  obvious  to  the  moft  abftrufe  •,    v/hich  af- 
 
 the  Creati-i'ord  (^at  leaft  a  7noral?.nd  reaft)nahle)  Proof  of  the 
 
 onofj^^     Being  of  God,  to  the  feveral  Capacities  of  All  un- 
 
 cUnrh^    prejudiced  Men,  who  have  any  Probity  of  Mind. 
 
 feen,  ''hcing  And  this  is  what    (I  fuppofej    God  expects  (as  a 
 
 mderftoocl   ■  ■  .    .  \  Moral 
 
The  Answer  to  the  Sixth  Letter.  4S7 
 
 M^r^/ Govcrnour,)    t\x2X  Moral  %;?/i  ihould  be^>^./^^^  ^^^^^ 
 
 determined  by.  ^      .  ^  ,t    ,    v       n  n.  -ai    ^''^ '^''^'^.' 
 
 The  Proof  a  priori^  is  fl  mlly  believe)  ltrictly,^f„  /,ri 
 
 demonfirative,  but  rUke  numberlefs  ^Y^^l^'^'^^^'T^prrL./ 
 -Demonftratlons,)  capable  of   being  underftood   by^,^^^^^^^^ 
 only  a  fevj  attentive  Minds  -,    becaule  'tis  ot    uyf, 
 only  againft  Learned  and  Metapbyjlcal  Difficulties. 
 And  therefore  it  muft  never  be  expeded,    that 
 this  Ihould  be  made  obvious  to  the  Generality  of 
 Men,  any  more  than  Jfironomy  or  Mathematicks 
 
 can  be.  • 
 
 This  being  premifed  m  general,  1  proceed   to 
 
 Particulars.  ^r  -n  -n  1 
 
 Concerning  the  Notion  of  Self-Exiltence,    1  ex- 
 plain my  felf  thus.     Of  every  thing  that  Is,  there 
 \%2.Reafon  which  now  does,  or  Once  or  Always 
 did,  determine  the  E:^iSlence  rather  than  the  Bon^ 
 exiftence  of  that  Thing.     Of  That  which  derives 
 not  its  Being  from  Any  Other  thing,    this  Keafon 
 or  Ground  of  Exiftence,    (whether  we  can  attain 
 to  any  Idea  of  it,  or  no,;  intift  be   In   the  Thing 
 itfelf.     For  though  the  bare  proof  by  Ratiocinati- 
 on, that  there  cannot  hut  exift  fuch  a  Being  •,    does 
 not  indeed  give  us  any  diflind  Notion  ot    Self-ex-, 
 ijlence,  but  only  fhov/s  the  Certainty  of  the  thing  .* 
 yet  when  once  a  thing  is  known,    by  reafoning  a 
 foileriori,    to  be  Certain  ;    it  unavoidably  foltows 
 that  there  Is  in  Nature  a  Reafon  a  priori,    (whe- 
 ther we  can  difcover  it  or  no,)  of  the  Exiftence  of 
 That  which  we  know  cannot   but   exift.       Since 
 therefore,    in  that  which  derives   not    its   Being 
 from  any  Other  Thing,  the  Ground  or  Reafon  wh^ 
 it  exijh  rather  than  not  exifts,  muft  be  in  tiie  thing 
 it  feif ',  and  'tis  a  plain  Contradidion  to  fuppofe 
 its  own  IVill^  by  way  of  efficient  Caufe,  to  be  the 
 reafon  of   its  Exiftence  -,    it  remains  that  ahfolute 
 Neceffity  fthe  fame  NccefTity  that  is  the  Caufe  of 
 the  unalterable  Proportion  between  2  ,and  4,)  .be, 
 
 114  ^^y 
 
'4-SS  The  Answer  to  the  Skth  LETtERii 
 
 by  way  of  Formal  Caufe,  the  Ground  of  That  Ex- 
 iftence.  And  this  Necefllty  is  indeed  antecedent^ 
 though  not  in  Twie^  yet  in  the  Order  of  Nature, 
 to  the  Exigence  of  the  Being  itfelf :  Whereas  on 
 the  contrary,  its  own  ^Fili,  is,  in  the  Order  of 
 Nature,  fubfequent  to  the  Suppofition  of  the  Ex- 
 iftence  of  the  Being  •,  and  therefore  cannot  be  the 
 formal  Caufe  of  that  Exi Hence. 
 
 Nothing  can  be  more  ahfurd,  than  to  fuppofe 
 that  any  thing  for  any  Circumftance  of  any  thing) 
 is  *,  and  yet  that  there  be  abfolutely  no  reafon  PFhy 
 it  Is,  rather  than  not.  'Tis  eafy  to  conceive,  that 
 IVe  may  indeed  be  utterly  ignorant  of  the  reafons, 
 or  grounds,  or  caufes  of  many  things.  But,  that 
 any  thing  is-,  and  that  there  is  a  real  reafon  in  Na- 
 ture why  it  is,  rather  than  is  not  •,  thefe  two  are 
 as  neceflariJy  and  elTentially  conneded,  as  any 
 two  Correlates  whatever,  as  Height  and  Depth,  &c. 
 
 The  Scliolaftick  way  of  proving  the  Exiftence 
 of  the  Self-exiilent  Being,  from  the  ahfolute  per- 
 fection of  his  Nature  -,  is  '»^^?°^  tt^otzsov.  For  All  or 
 Any  perfections,  prefuppofe  Exiftence  •,  Which  is 
 Petitio  Principii.  But  bare  Neceffity  of  Exiftence^ 
 does  not  prefuppofe,  but  irfer  Exiftence.  That 
 which  exifts  by  abfolute  Neceffity  of  Nature,  will 
 always  fv/hether  you  will  or  no  J  be  fuppofed  or 
 included  in  any  pofTible  Idea  of  Things,  even 
 where  you  never  fo  exprefsly  indeavour  to  exclude 
 it  :  Juil  as  the  Proportion  between  2  and  4,  re- 
 mains included  in  the  very  Terms,  wherein  any 
 man  would  endeavour  exprefsly  to  deny  it. 
 
 To  exlfv  at  all,  and  to  exifl  every  where,  are 
 one  and  the  very  fame  thing,  where  the  Caufe  or 
 Ground  of  the  Exiftence,  is  not  either  confined  to, 
 or  operates  only  in,  (oyuq  particular  Place.  For  2 
 and  4  to  have  at  all  a  certain  proportion  to  each 
 other,  and  to  have  That  fame  Proportion  every 
 
 where  \ 
 
The  Answer  to  the  Sixth  Letter.  489 
 
 whers  •,  is  the  very  fame  thing.  And  the  like  ig 
 true,  of  every  thing  that  is  7iecejffary  in  itfelf.  To 
 fuppofe  (as  you  fuggeil)  that  the  Self-exiftent  may 
 be  limited  by  its  own  Nature  ;  is  prefuppofing  a  Na- 
 ture^  or  liiiiiting  ^ality :  Whereas,  in  this  cafe, 
 here  mull  nothing  be  prefuppofed  ;  no  Nature^ 
 no  ^ality  whatfoever,  but  what  arifes  ("and  con- 
 fequently  every  where  alike)  from  a  Neceffity  abfo- 
 lute  in  itfelf^  and  antecedent  (m  the  Order  of  our 
 IdeasJ  to  any  Nature^  Place^  ^uality^  "Time  or 
 ^hing  whatfoever. 
 
 When  I  fay,  that  Neceffity^  ahfolutely  fuch  in  it- 
 felf^ has  no  relation  to  T'ime  or  Place :  My  meaning 
 is,  that  it  has  no  relation  to,  or  dependence  up- 
 on, any  particular  Time  or  Place,  or  any  thing  in 
 any  particular  Time  or  Place  ;  but  that  it  is 
 the  Same  in  All  'Time^  and  in  All  Place.  What  you 
 mean  by  'Time  and  Place  being  finite^  I  under  • 
 Hand  not.  The  Schoolmens  Notion  of  Timers 
 depending  on  the  Motions  or  Exiftence  of  the  Ma- 
 terial World,  is  as  Senfelefs^  as  the  fuppofing  it  to 
 depend  on  the  turning  or  not  turning  of  an  Hour- 
 glafs.     The  fame  alfo  is  true  of  Place, 
 
 Infinite  «S/^^^<?,  is  m^imtt  Ext enfion :  and  Eterni- 
 ty^ is  infinite  Duration.  They  are  the  Two  firft 
 and  mod  obvious  and  fimple  Ideas,  that  every 
 Man  has  in  his  mind.  Time  and  Place  are  the 
 fine  qua  non  of  all  other  things^  and  of  all  other 
 Idea's.  To  fuppofe  Either  of  them  Finite^  is  an 
 exprefs  Contraction  in  the  Idea  itfelf  No  m.an 
 does  or  can  pofTibly  imagine  Either  of  them  to  be 
 finite  ',  but  only,  either  by  non-attention^  or  by 
 choice^  he  attends  perhaps  to  Part  of  his  Idea, 
 ^ndi  forbears  attending  to  the  remainder.  All  the 
 Difficulty  that  has  ever  arifen  about  this  Matter, 
 is  nothing  but  Buft  thrown  by  mens  ufing  JVords 
 (or  rather  Sounds  only)  in  their  Philofophy,  inftead 
 of  Ideas.     And  the   Arguments  drawn  from  the 
 
 Jargon 
 
490  The  Answer  to  the  Sixth  LktterJ 
 
 Jargon  of  the  Schoolmen,  will  equally  prove  eve- 
 ry Axiom  in  Euclid  to  be  uncertain  and  unintelli' 
 gihle. 
 
 They  who  remove  the  Idea  of  Infinity^  for  of  a 
 Being  whofe  Attribute  Infinity  is,)  by  fuppofing 
 Space  to  be  nothing  but  a  relation  hetisjeen  two  Bo- 
 dies ;  are  guilty  of  the  Ahfurdity  of  fuppofing  That, 
 which  is  Nothings  to  have  real  Qualities.  For  tJoe 
 Space  which  is  between  two  Bodies^  is  always  un- 
 alterably juft  what  it  was  ;  and  has  the  very  fame 
 Di?)ienftons^  Quantity,  and  Figure  ;  whether  Theje 
 or  any  other  Bodies  be  there^  or  any  where  elfe,  or 
 not  at  all :    Juft  as  'Ti7?ie  or  Dura- 
 
 *  Eadcm  eft  Duratio  feu     tion  is  the  *  fame,    whether  you 
 
 pcrfcverantia  Exiftentixre-  turn  yOUr //^/^r-GV^^/j,  or  no ',  or 
 rum  ;   five  Motus  lint  eeleres,  i     .u       ^u     c       ^  A-      j 
 
 five  tarji,  five  ««/.7.  N£^^-  whether  the  SuH  moves,  or  flands 
 TON.  frincip,  Mathcm.  Schol.  flill  ;  or  whether  there  was^  or 
 adDefinjt.  8.  -y^j  ;7^/  ^;7^  5'//;/,  or  any  Material 
 
 World  at  all. 
 The  Schoolmens  Diflindions,  about  Spirits  ex- 
 iting in  Uhi^    and  not  in  Loco  *,    are    7//^/'^  empty 
 Sounds^  without  any  manner  of  figfiif cation. 
 
 To  fet  Bounds  to  Space,  is  to  fuppofc  it  bounded 
 by  fomething  which  itfelf  takes  up  Space  ;  and 
 That's  a  ContradicTwn  :  Or  elfe  that  'tis  bounded  by 
 Nothing  ;  and  then  the  Idea  of  That  Nothing,,  will 
 ftill  be  Space  \  Which  is  another  Contradidion.  Be- 
 ings which  cxift  in  Tune^  and  in  Space,,  ("as  every 
 finite  thing  muft  needs  do,J  prefuppoje  Time  and 
 Space  :  But  That  Being,,  whofe  Exigence  makes 
 Duration  and  Space,  muft  be  infinite  and  eternal ^ 
 becaufe  Duration  and  Space  can  have  no  Bounds. 
 Not,  that  Duration  and  Space  are  the  Formal  Caufe  ■ 
 of  That  Eyifience  \  but,  that  necejfary  Attributes 
 do  necejfiarily  and  injeparably  infer,,  or  7/^;?^  to  us  a 
 Necejfary  Suhftance  •,  o''  which  Subftance  itfelf  v/e 
 have  770  hnagc,,  becaufe  'tis  the  Ob]e5l  of  none  of 
 our  S:'nfes :    But  we  perceive  its  Exiftence  by  its 
 
 Ef^erts  J 
 
The  Answer  to  the  Sixth  Letter.         491 
 
 Effe^ls  ;  and  the  Necejfitj  of  that  Exiflence,  by  the 
 Necejfit'j  of  certain  Attributes ;  and  by  other  Ar- 
 gi(?nents  o^  Reafon  and  Inference.  To  fuppofe  Space 
 removed^  dejfroyedy  or  taken  away  ;  amounts  to  the 
 abfurd  Suppofition  of  removing  a  thing  away/r^jw 
 itfelf.  That  is;  If  in  your  igtnagination  you  anni- 
 hilate  the  PFhole  of  Infinite  S pace ^  the  JVbole  Infinite 
 Space  will  ftill  remain  ;  and  if  you  annihilate  any 
 Part  of  it,  That  Part  will  ftill  neceffarily  remain  ; 
 as  appears  by  the  unmoved  fit  nation  of  the  Reft. 
 And  to  fuppofe  it  divided  or  Divifible^  amounts  to 
 the  fame  Contradidlion. 
 
 The  Objection,  of  Im?nenfity  being  inconfiflenf 
 with  Spirituality  and  Simplicity  ;  arifes  merely  from 
 thtjargon  of  the  Schoolmen  :  ¥/ho  (m  order  to- 
 help  out  Jranfubftantiation)  have  ufed  themfelves 
 to  fpeak  of  This  and  of  many  other  things,  in 
 Phrafes  which  had  no  Meaning  or  Ideas  belonging 
 to  them.  By  denying  the  real  Immenfity  and  the 
 real  Eternal  Duration  Q^  Qo^.,  they  in  true  Confe- 
 qiience  (though  'tis  reafonable  to  fuppofe  they  faiu 
 not  That  Confequence,)  denied  his  Being.  The  hii- 
 menfity  of  Space,  fit  being  throughout  alfolutely 
 umfor7n  and  ejjentially  indivifible^)  is  no  more  in- 
 confiftent  with  Si?nplicity,  than  the  unifo/'m  fuc- 
 ceffive  flowing  of  the  Parts  of  Duration .,  (as  you 
 moft  rightly  obferve,J  are  inconfiftent  with  Sim- 
 j>Ucity,  There  is  no  Difficulty  at  all  in  this 
 Point,  but  a  mere  Prejudice^  and  Falfe  Notion  of 
 Simplicity. 
 
 As  to  Spirituality  :  The  individual  Confcioufnels 
 of  the  One  Immenfe  Being,  is  as  truly  One ;  as 
 the  prefent  Moment  of  Time  is  individually  One^ 
 in  all  Places  at  once.  And  the  One  can  no  more 
 properly  be  faid  to  be  an  Ell  or  a  Mile  of  Con- 
 fcioufnefs^  ("which  is  the  Sum  of  your  Objedion, J 
 than>  the  other  can  be  fiiid  to  be  an  FJl  or  a  Mile 
 
 of 
 
492  The  Answer  to  the  Sixth  Letter^ 
 
 of  Time,     This  Suggellion,  feems  to  dcferve  par* 
 ticular  confideration. 
 
 To  the  Objedion,  that  the  fiippofing  God  to 
 be  really  2Lnd  fiibfiantially  Omniprelent,  is  fuppo- 
 fing  him  to  be  the  Soul  of  the  World  :  I  anfwer  -, 
 This  is  a  great  Miftake.  For  the  v/ord,  Soul^  fig- 
 nifies  a  Fart  of  a  Whole ^  whereof  Bod-j  is  the  O- 
 ther  Part  -,  And  they,  being  united,  mutual^  af- 
 fe5l  each  other,  as  Parts  of  the  fame  Whole.  But 
 God  is  prefent  to  every  part  of  the  Univerfe,  not 
 as  a  Soul^  but  as  a  Governoiir  ;  fo  as  to  a^  upoft 
 every  thing,  in  what  manner  he  pleafes  ;  himfelf 
 being  a^ed  upon  by  Nothing. 
 
 What  you  fugged  about  Space  having  no  PartSy 
 becaufe  'tis  Infinite  *,  is  a  mere  gabble  indeed,  and 
 has  nothing  in  it.  The  meaning  of  Parts^  (in 
 Queilions  of  this  Nature,^  is,  feparable^  compound- 
 ed^ iin-united  Parts,  fuch  as  are  the  Parts  of  Mat- 
 ter :  Which,  for  That  reafon,  is  always  a  Com- 
 pound,  not  a  fimple  Subftance.  No  Matter  is  One 
 Subflance,  but  a  Heap  of  Subftances,  And  'That  I 
 take  to  be  the  Reafon,  why  Matter  is  a  Subject 
 incapable  of  Thought.  Not  becaufe  'tis  extended  ; 
 but  becaufe  its  Parts  are  diftin^  Subjlances,  un-uni- 
 ted,  and  independent  on  each  other.  Which  (\  be- 
 lieve) is  not  the  Cafe  of  Other  Subftances.  The 
 Kinds  of  Subftance  may  perhaps  be  More,  and  more 
 J|y>r^;2/ from  each  other,  than  we  (2it  prefent,)  for 
 want  of  more  Senfes,  are  aware  of.  Matter  and 
 Spirit,  is  no  other  Divifion,  than  Matter  and  not- 
 Matter  :  Jufl  as  if  one  fhould  divide  the  Species 
 of  Animals,  into  Horfes  and  not-Horfes. 
 
 As  to  the  Queftion,  why  Abfolute  JSIeceffity  will 
 not  admit  of  the  Exiftence  of  Two  diftin5f  Inde- 
 pendent Beings,  as  well  as  of  different  Attributes  and 
 Properties  in  One  Independent  Being  ;  I  anfwer  : 
 Abfolute  Neceffit-^j,  in  which  there  is  no  where  any 
 Variation^  cannot  be  xli^Gromidof  Exiftence,  of  a 
 
 Nil  mber 
 
The  Answer  to  the  SixthLETLER.        493 
 
 Number  of  Finite  Beings,  however  agreeing  and 
 harmonious  ;  becaufe  That  {viz.  Number^  or  Fi- 
 nitenefsj  is  itfelf  a  manifell  Bifformit'j  or  Inequality, 
 But  it  may  be  the  Ground  or  Exiftence  of  One 
 l/nifortn  infinite  Being.  The  different  Attributes 
 of  which  One  uniform  Being,  are  not  a  Variety  of 
 Parts^  or  an  un-UniformneJs  (\f  I  may  fo  fpeak; 
 of  the  NecefTity  by  which  it  exifts ;  but  they  are 
 All  and  each  of  them  Attributes  of  the  F/hole^  At- 
 tributes of  the  One  fi^yiple  infinite  Being :  Jufl  as  ' 
 the  Powers  of  Hearing  and  Seeing^  are  not  Inequa- 
 lities or  Difformities  in  the  Soul  of  Man  s  but  each 
 of  them,  Powers  of  the  Whole  Soul. 
 
 As  to  the  Lafl;  Argument  you  refer  to  :  My 
 Meaning  therein  is  This  -,  that  'tis  a  Contradidion 
 to  fuppofe  I^wo  (ox  More;  necejfarily-exifting  Be- 
 ings •,  becaufe  Each  of  them,  by  the  Suppofiiion, 
 being  independent,  and//(,^aV;?^  to  icfelf,  tho' the 
 Other  were  fuppofed  not  to  exifi  -,  they  thereby 
 Each  of  them  7nutually  deflroy  the  fuppofed  necefi. 
 ty  of  the  Others  Exiftence  \  and  confequently  Nel^ 
 ther  of  them  indeed  will  be  neceffary  or  Independent. 
 For  inftance  :  If  Matter,  or  Spirit,  or  any  Other 
 Subftance  could  aspoffbly  be  conceived  to  exift  with, 
 out  that  in  which  they  all  exift,  as  ^at  in  which  they 
 all  exift  can  be  conceived  to  exift  without  ne?n  ; 
 then  there  would  be  neceJfary-Exiftence  on  Neither 
 part. 
 
 As  to  the  Queftion  concerning  the  poffible  P///- 
 rality  of  Infinites :  'Tis  certainly  true  that  the  In- 
 finity of  Space,  neither  excludes /;ir/V^  Bodies  nor 
 fi?nte  Spirits,  nor  infinite  Body,  nor  infinite  Spirit. 
 But  it  excludes  every  thing  of  the  fame  Kind,  whe- 
 ther/;zzVc'  or  infinite.  Which  is  all  that  my  Argu- 
 ment requires.  There  can  be  but  One  Infinite Space^ 
 and  but  One  Infinite  Time,  and  but  One  Infinite 
 Spirit,  Ctaking  Spirit  to  mean  a  particular  pofitive 
 diftind  Subftance,  and  not  the  mere  negative  non- 
 matter 
 
4^4 
 
 The  Answer  to  the  Sixth  LETTERr 
 
 matter^  of  which  there  may  be  innumerable  Kinds  :) 
 And,  if  M^/.Vr  could  be  infinite,  there  could  like- 
 wife  be  but  One  hinnite  Body  ;  and  fo  on.  For 
 One  Infinite  in  all  dimenfions,  exhaufts  always  the 
 whole  pofilbility  of  n-at  Kind^  though  it  excludes 
 not  Others. 
 
 The  Ubi  of  Spirits^  being  their  Perception  only  ; 
 and  the  Omniprefence  of  God,  being  his  infi.nite 
 Knowledge  only  ;  are  mere  Words,  without  any 
 Senfe  at  all.  And  by  the  like  Confufion,  any  thing 
 may  be  faid  to  be  any  thing  -,  and  we  have  in  us 
 no  Principles  of  Knowledge  at  all,  nor  any  Ufe 
 either  of  Words  or  Ideas. 
 
 i^our  affured  Friend 
 
 and  Servant^  &c» 
 
 THE 
 
49  S 
 
 ANSWER 
 
 T  O    A 
 
 Seventh  LETT  E  R, 
 
 Concerning  the   Argument   a  priori. 
 
 To  the  Reverend  Br  "^  ^  ^ 
 
 Y 
 
 OUR  Objc6lion  againft  arguing 
 at  all  a  priori^  concerning  the  Ex- 
 iftence  and  Perfe6tions  of  the  Firft 
 Caufe  •,  is  what  Many  Learned  Men  have  indeed 
 ftuck  at.  And  it  being  evident,  that  Nothing  can 
 be  prior  to  the  Firft  Caufe ;  they  have  therefore 
 thought  it  fufficient  to  fay,  that  the  Firft  Caufe 
 exifts  "  ahfolutel^  without  Caufe  \  "  and  that 
 therefore  there  can  be  no  fuch  thing,  asreafoning 
 or  arguing  about  it  a  priori  at  alL  But  if  you 
 attend  carefully,  you  will  find  This  way  of  fpeak- 
 ing,  to  be  by  no  means  fatisfadory.  For  though 
 'tis  indeed  moft  evident^  that  no  ning^  no  BetJtg^ 
 can  be  prior  to  nat  Beings  which  is  the  Firft  Caufe 
 and  Original  of  all  things  \  yet  there  muft  be  in 
 nature  a  Ground  or  Reafon^  a  permanent  Ground 
 
 or 
 
496        The  Answer  to  the  Seventh  Letter. 
 
 or  Reafon^  of  the  exiftence  of  the  Firft  Caufe,  O- 
 therwile  its  Exiftence  would  be  owing  to,  and  de- 
 pend upon,  7nere  Chance,  And  all  that  could  be 
 laid  upon  This  Head,  would  amount  to  ^his  on- 
 ly j  that  it  exifts,  hecaufe  it  exills  \  that  it  there- 
 fore does  and  always  did  exift,  hecaufe  it  does  and. 
 always  did  exift.  Which  the  Followers  of  Spino- 
 za  will,  with  equal  ftrength  of  reafon,  affirm  con- 
 cerning every  Suhftance  that  exifts  at  alL 
 
 If  the  Idea  of  an  Eternal  and  ^ 
 
 *  Nothingy    is   That,    of    Infinite  Nothing,    were   a  pojfihle 
 
 ^^hich  every  thing  can  truly  /J^^  ^^^  ^^^  contract ory  in  it- 
 he  denied,    and    no  thing  can       ^.r        ^i         j?    -  a  c     ^t       r?-   a 
 
 truly  be  affirmed.  So  that  the  M'^  the  Exiftence  of  the  Firft 
 ideA  of  Norhing,  (if  I  may  Caufe  would  not  bc  fiecejfary  : 
 fo  fpeak,)   is  abfolutely    the     ^p^j.  Neceffityof  hein^,    and  Pojfi- 
 
 Kcvation  of  All  Ideas.      The      \.j.         r      \  i^  •  ^       ,      r  r- 
 
 Idea  therefore  either  of  a  F/-      ^'^'^1  ^f  ^^^^  ^''%i   ^te  contradictory 
 
 nite  or  infimti  Nothing,  is  a  Ideas.)  And  it  the  Exiftence  of 
 contradiction  in  Terras.  the  Firft  Caufi,  was  not  necejjary  \ 
 
 it  would  be  no  contradi^lion,    to 
 fuppofe  it  either  not  to  have  exifted  in  time  paft, 
 or  to  ceafe  to  exift  at  any  time  to  come.     The  Ex- 
 iftence therefore  of   the  Firft  Caufe,    is  Necejfary  : 
 NeceiTary  ahfolutely,  and  in  itfelf.      And  therefore 
 Jhat  Beceffity  is,  a  -priori^  and  in  the  Order  of  Na- 
 ture, the  Ground  or  Reajon  of   its  exiftence.     For 
 Thar,  which  exifts  Necejarily  -,  or  in  the  Idea  of 
 which,  Exiftence  and  Necejfity  are  infeparably  and 
 necejfarily  ConneBed ;  muft  either  therefore  be  necef- 
 ftiry,    becaufe  it  exifts  •,    or  eife  it  muft  therefore 
 exift,  becaufe  its  Exiftence  is  Necejfary,      If  it  was 
 therefore  neceflary,    hecaufe  it  exifted  -,    then,    for 
 the  fame  reafon,  every  thing  that  exifts,  would  exift 
 r.ecejfarily ',  and  either  every  thing,  or  nothing,  would 
 be  the  Firft  Caufe,     On  the  contrary  •,  if  the  Firft 
 Caufe  does  therefore  exift,    hecaufe  its  Exiftence  is. 
 Necejfary  •,  then  Necejft'^   is  the  Ground  or  Reafon 
 or  Foundation  of  that  Exiftence  :    And  the  Exift- 
 ence 
 
The  Answer  to  the  Seventh  Letter.  497 
 ence  does  not  infet\  (that  is,  a  priori^  or  in  the 
 order  of  Nature  and  Confeqiience^  antecede)  the  A^^- 
 cejfit'j  of  Exifting  -,  but  the  Neceffit^  of  exijiing  docs 
 on  the  contrary  bifer^  (^that  is,  a  priori^  or  in  the 
 order  of  nature^  antecede)  the  Suppofition  of  the 
 Exiftence.     Which  is,  what  I  propofed  to  prove. 
 
 The  Argument  a  pofterioriy   is  indeed  by  far  the 
 mofl  generally  ufeful  Argument,    moll:  eafy  to   be 
 underflood,  and  in  fome  degree  fuited  to  all   Ca- 
 pacities ;  And  therefore  it  ought  always  to  be  di- 
 ilindly  infilled  upon.       But   forafmuch  as  Athe- 
 illical  Writers  have  fometimes  oppofed  the  Being 
 and  Attributes  of  God  by  fuch  metaph^fical  Rea- 
 fonings,  as  can  no  otherwife  be  obviated,  than  by 
 arguing  a  priori  ;  therefore  This  manner  of  argu- 
 ing alfo,  is  ufeful^  and  necejfary  in  its  proper  place. 
 The  Eternity  6f   God,    can  no   otherwife  be 
 proved,  than  by  confidering  a  priori  the  Nature  of 
 a  Necejjary  or  SelfExiftent  Caufe.     The  Temporary 
 phsenomena  of  nature,    prove  indeed  demonftra- 
 bly  a  pofieriori^  that  there  is^  and  has  heen  from  the 
 Beginning  of  thofe  phmiomenay    a  Being  of  Power 
 and    Wifdom  fiifficient  to  produce   and  preferve 
 ,  thofe  phasnomena.     But  that  This  Firfl  Caufe  has 
 exilled/r<?w  Eternity^  and  Ihall  exifl  to  Eternity^ 
 cannot  be  proved  from  thofe  Temporary  phceno^ 
 7nena  ;  but  muft  be  demonllrated  from  the  intrin- 
 fick  Nature  of  Necejfary- Exifl  ence.     If    the  Firft 
 Caufe  exills    "  ahfolutely  without  any   Ground  or 
 '•''  Reafon  of  Exiftence  \  "  it  might  as  pofTibly  in 
 Times  pall,  without  any  Reafon^  have  not  exilted  \ 
 and  may  as  polTibly  in  Times  to  come,  without  a- 
 ny  reafon^  ceafe  to  exill.     Can  it  be  proved  a  po- 
 fteriori,  that  the  Firft  Caufe  of  ail  things  will  exift 
 to-morrow  ?  Or  can  it  be  proved  any  otherwife, 
 than  by  fhowing  that  Neceffity  is  a  certain  ground 
 of  Future  as  well  as  of  Prefent  exiftence  ?    And  if 
 K  k  fo :, 
 
49 S        The  Answer  to  the  Seventh  LetterJ 
 
 fo  ;  then  the  Ground  or  Reafon^  upon  which  the 
 Firfl  Caule  now  does,  and  hereafter  always  will,, 
 and  cannot  hut  exift  •,  is  the  very  fame  Ground  or 
 Reafon^  upon  which  he  always  ^/J  exift  :  And  con- 
 fequently  it  cannot  with  Truth  be  affirmed,  that 
 the  Firft  Caufe  exifts  ''  ahfolutely  without  Any 
 *'  Ground  or  Reafon  of  Exijlence,  '*  'Tis  true  ^in- 
 deed, there  is  no  antecedent  reafon  why  Necejfity  is 
 Necejjity.  'Tis  in  itfelf  eflentially  immediate  ;  and 
 'tis  abfurd  to  fuppofe  that  it  can  be  perceived  o- 
 therwife  than  iynmediately  2Si^  intuitively.  Yet,  I 
 think,  it  is  not  an  abfurd  Queftion  to  ask,  why 
 that  which  \%Now  -x  Necejjary  Beings  muft  equally 
 in  all  paft  time  have  been,  and  in  all  future  time 
 continue  to  be,  a  Neccffary  Being.  And  the  An- 
 fwer  to  That  Queftion,  will  exprefs  fully  all  that 
 I  mean,  by  affirming  the  Neceffity  to  be  the  Ground 
 or  Rxafon  of  the  Exiftence.  When  Atheiftical  Wri- 
 ters affirm,  that  the  ?naterial  Univerfe,  and  every 
 exifting  Subftance  in  particular,  was  Eternal  "  ab-^ 
 .  *-'-  folulely  without  any  Ground  or  Reafon  cf  Exift- 
 *'  ence  ;  "  can  This  afTertion  be  confuted  by  Him, 
 who  ftiall  himfelf  affirm,  that  Godwzs  Eternal  ah- 
 folutely without  Any  Ground' or  Reafon  of  Exiftence  ?^ 
 Or  can  it  be  any  other  way  confuted  at  all,  than 
 by  ffiowing  that  Something  muft  be  neceffarily-exift- 
 ent,  (elfe  nothing  would  ever  have  exifted  ;)  and 
 that  "777^//  which  is  neceffarily-exiftent^  cannot  pffi- 
 My  be  either  Finite,  or  Moveable,  or  at  any  time 
 capable  of  Any  Alterations,  Limitations,  Variati- 
 ons, Inequalities,  or  Diverfif  cations  whatfoever,  ei- 
 ther in  whole,  or  in  part,  or  in  diferent  parts  ei- 
 ther of  Space  or  Tiine  ? 
 
 In  like  manner,  the  Infinity  or  Im7nenfity  or  Om- 
 ni pre  fince  of  God,    can  no  otherwife  be  proved, 
 han  by  confidering  a  priori  the  nature  of  a  Ne- 
 eeffary  or  SelfExiftent  Caufe.      The  Finite  phjeno-^ 
 mena  gf  nature,    prove  indeed    demonftrably    a 
 
 pofterioriy 
 
The  Answer  to  the  Seventh  Letter*        499 
 
 p^eriori^  that  there  is  a  Being  which  has  Extent 
 60 Power  and  JVifdom  fufficient^  to  produce  and 
 preferve  all  thefe  phasnomena.  But  that  This 
 Author  of  ISlature  is  Himfelf  abfolutely  hmnenfe  or 
 Infinite^  cannot  be  proved  from  thefe  Finite  phse- 
 nomena  ;  but  muil  be  demonftrated  from  the  in-t 
 trinfick  nature  of  Necejfary  Exiftence.  Jf  the  Firlt 
 Caufe  exifts  "  abfolutely  without  any  Ground  or 
 ''  Reafon  of  Exiftence  -,  "  it  may  as  poflibly  be 
 Finite^  as  Infinite ;  it  may  as  poflibly  be  Limited^ 
 as  be  Immenfe.  It  may  as  polTibly  in  Other  places^ 
 without  any  reafon^  not  exift ;  as  it  does,  without 
 any  reafon^  exift  in  'Thofe  Places^  where  the  fhcetio^ 
 mena  of  nature  prove  that  it  does  exift.  Can  it 
 be  proved  a  pojieriori^  that  That  Governing  JVif 
 dom  and  Power,  which  the  phenomena  of  Nature  in 
 this  materialW orld  demonftrate  to  be  prefent  Here ; 
 muft  therefore  be  hnmenfe.  Infinite,  or  Omnipre- 
 fent  ^  muft  be  prefent  likewife  in  thofe  boundlefs 
 Spaces,  where  v/e  know  of  no  phenomena  or  Ef- 
 fe^s  to  prove  its  exiftence  ?  Or  can  the  hmnenfit'j 
 and  Oi?iniprefence  of  thQ  Firft  Caufe,  be  ^^^// pro- 
 ved any  other  way,  than  by  fhowing  that  Neceffity 
 cf  Exiftence  is  capable  of  no  Limitation  •,  but  muft 
 for  the  fame  reafon  be  the  ground  of  Immenfe  or 
 Omniprefent  exiftence,  as  'tis  the  Ground  or  Foun- 
 dation of  any  Exiftence  at  all  ? 
 
 Again  :  The  Unity  of  God,  ("which,  I  think,  has 
 always  been  allowed  to  be  a  Pri?iciple  of  Natural 
 Religion  ;  Otherwife  SzPaul  could  not  juftly  have 
 blamed  the  Heathen  as  inexcufahle,  in  that  they  did 
 not  like  to  retain  God  in  their  Knowledge,  and  that, 
 when  they  knew  God,  they  glorified  hi?n  not  as  God: 
 The  Unity  of  God,  I  fay,  j  can  no  otherwife  be  de- 
 monftrated, than  by  confidering  a  priori  the  na-  ' 
 ture  of  a  Neceffary  or  Selfexiftent  Caufe.  The  Phce- 
 nomena  of  Nature  v/hich  come  within  the  reach  of 
 Oar  obiervation,  prove  indeed  4emonftrably,  that 
 Kk  2  there 
 
500        The  Answer  to  the  Seventh  Letter^ 
 
 there  is  a  Siiprejne  Author  and  Dire^or  of  Thai  Na- 
 ture^ or  of  i'hofe  phceno?nena^  whereof  we  have  any 
 Knowledge.  But  that  This  Supreme  Author  and 
 Governourof  THIS  NATURE,  ovofTHES^ 
 j'hcenofnena,  is  likewife  the  Supreme  Author  and  Go- 
 vernour  o^  UNIVERSAL  Nature  ;  cannot  be 
 proved  by  Us  from  our  partial  and  imperfe5l  Know- 
 ledge of  a  Few  phocnomena,  in  thd.t  fmall  part  of  the 
 Univerfe,  which  comes  within  the  reach  of  Our 
 Senfes  *,  but  muft  be  demonftrated  from  the  intrin- 
 fick  nature  of  necc/piry  exiftence.  If  the  Firft  Caufe 
 exilts  "  abfolutely  without  any  Ground  or  Reafon  of 
 "  exiftence  •,  "  'tis  altogether  as  poflible,  and  as 
 probable,  and  as  reafonable  to  fuppofe,  that  there 
 may,  without  any  reafon,  exifb  nurnherlefs  Finite  in- 
 dependent co-exiftent  Firft  Caufes  (either  of  like  Na- 
 ture  and  Suhftance  to  each  other,  or  of  different  Na- 
 ture and  Suhftance  from  each  other,J  in  different 
 Parts  of  the  immenfe  Univerfe  ;  as  that  there 
 fhould,  without  any  reafon,  exifl:  One  only.  Infi- 
 nite, hnmenft',  Omniprcfent,  Firfti  Caufe,  Author, 
 and  Governour  of  the  Whole. 
 
 That  there  is,  and  cannot  hut  be  One,  and  One  on- 
 h,  [i\ch  Ftrft  Caufe,  Author  and  Governour  of  the 
 Univerfe  ;  is  (I  conceive^  capable  of  ftridl  Demon- 
 ftratio'i,  including  That  part  of  the  Argument 
 Vv^hich  is  deduced  a  priori.  The  SuhjetJ  of  the 
 Queflion,  is  no  Trifle.  If  any  fober-minded  man 
 is  perfwaded,  he  can  find  any  Flaw  in  That  De- 
 monflration  \  or  cares  not  to  examine  it,  leafl  a- 
 ny  of  its  Confequcnces  fnould  prove  inconfiftent 
 with  fome  other  notions  he  may  perhaps  through 
 prejudice  have  imbibed  •,  I  fliould  be  very  Thank- 
 ful  to  him,  to  fhow  How  the  Unity  of  God  ("the 
 Firft  Principle  of  Natural  Religion)  can  at  all  be 
 proved  by  Reafon  i?  pofteriori  only. 
 
 Some  fuch  confidcrations  as  thefe  fl  fuppofe) 
 they  were,  or  others  of  the  like  nature,    which 
 
 moved 
 
The  Answer  to  the  Seventh  Letter^  501 
 
 moved  Mr  Liinborch  to  write  thus  to  Mr  Lock  :  *  *lar^VFa- 
 Argumentum  defiderat  Vir  7?iagnificus^    quo  prohetur  ^^^^^^  ^^"^* 
 Ens^  cujus  emftentia  eft  yiecejjaria^  tantum  pojfe  ejfe  ^^^^  ^^^' 
 Unum  •,  ^  quidem  ut  id  argiimentum  a  necejjitate  ex- 
 iftentice  defumatur^  ^  a  priori  {ut  in  Scholis  loquMn- 
 tur^)  non  a  pofteriori  concludat  \  hoc  eft^   ex  naturd 
 necejjarud  exiftentice  probetur^  earn  pluribus  non  pojfe 
 ejfe  commiinem.     To  which  Mr  Lock  replies  :  f  Les  f  iOil  pag,' 
 neologienSy  les  Pbilofopbes^  ^  Defcartes  Iwj-mcme^  ^^^^  ^"^"b^, 
 fuppofent  /'  Unite  de  Bieu^  fans  la  Pr Oliver,     After  . 
 which,  having  fuggeiled  his  Own  Thoughts,  he 
 thus  concludes  .*  C  eft  la^  felon  mo'j^  une  Preuve  a 
 priori,  que  /'  Etre  eternel  independent  n^eft  qu^  Un. 
 
 To  argue  therefore  a  priori  concerning  the  Ex- 
 iftence  and  Attributes  of  the  Firft  Caufe^  is  no  abfur- 
 dity.  For  though  ISIo  Things  no  Beings  can  indeed 
 be  prior  to  the  Firft  Caafe  •,  yet  Arguments  jnay^ 
 and  muft^  be  drawn  from  the  Nature  and  Confe- 
 quences  of  nat  neceffit)\  by  which  the  Firft  Caufe 
 exills.  Mathematical  Nece^fary  'Truths^  are  ufu- 
 aliy  demonftrated  a  priori ;  and  yet  nothing  is  prioi: 
 to  Truths  eternally  neceffary.  To  confine  therefore 
 the  Vfe  of  the  Term^  to  argumentations  about  Such 
 things  only,  as  have  Other  Things  prior  to  them 
 in  Time  ;  is  only  S^iibbVing  about  the  Signification 
 of  Words, 
 
 To  the  Objedion,  that  an  Attribute  cannot  be 
 the  Ground  or  Reafon  of  the  Exiftence  of  the  Sub- 
 fiance  itfelf  v/hich  is  always  on  the  contrary  the 
 Support  of  the  Attributes:  I  anfwer ;  that,  ia 
 ftriftnefs  of  Speech,  Necefity  of  Exiftence  \s  not  an 
 Attribute^  in  the  Senfe  that  Attributes  are  properly 
 fo  ftyled  ;  but  'tis,  [Sui  generis,,]  the  Ground  or 
 Foundation  of  exiflence,  both  of  the  Subftance^  and 
 of  All  the  Attributes.  Thus,  in  Other  Inftances  ; 
 Ivimenfity  is  not  an  Attribute^  in  the  Senfe  that  Wif* 
 dom.  Power,  and  the  like,  are  ft ridly  fo  called  j 
 but 'ds  [Sui  gsneris^l  ^  M/^dc  of  Exiftence^  both  of 
 
 tk 
 
^^02         The  Answer  to  the  Seventh  Letter. 
 
 the  Suhftance^  and  of  All  the  Attributes.  In  like 
 manner  ;  Eternity .,  is  not  an  Attribute  or  Property^ 
 in  the  fenfe  that  other  Attributes,  inhering  in  the 
 Sabftance,  and  fupported  by  it,  are  properly  fa 
 called  ;  but  'tis,  [Sui  generis,]  the  Duration  of  ex- 
 iftence^  both  of  the  Subftance,  and  of  All  the  At- 
 tributes, Attributes  or  Properties^  ftridlly  fo  call- 
 ed, cannot  be  predicated  one  of  another.  JVifdom 
 cannot  properly  be  faid  to  be  Powerful ;  or  Power 
 to  be  IVife,  But  Im??ienjity,  is  3,  MOD  E  of  ex- 
 ijlence,  both  of  the  Divine  Subflance,  and  of  All  the 
 Attributes,  Eternity,,  is  the  D  U  R  A 'T 10  N  of 
 exiftence,  both  of  the  Divine  Subflance^  and  of  All 
 the  Attributes.  And  Neceffity,  k  the  GROU ND^ 
 or  Reafon,  or  Foundation  of  Exijlence,  both  of  the 
 Divine  Subjlance^  and  of  All  the  Attributes. 
 
 I  am,  Sir, 
 Your  very  humble  Servant,  i^C' 
 
 BOOKS 
 
BOOKS  Written  hi  the  Reverend  Dr.  S  a  m  u  e  l  ' 
 Clarke-,  And  Printed  for  J.  and  J.  Knap^- 
 TON,  at  the  Crown  in  St.  Paul' J  Church- Yard. 
 
 ADifcourfe  concerning  the  Being  and  AttribHtes  of  God,  the 
 Obligations  of  Natural  Religion,  and  ;be  Truth  and  Cer- 
 tamcy  of  the  Chr./lianRevebtion:  In  Anfwer  to  Mr.  HMs,  Sp.^ 
 n^Ithc  Author  cf  the  oracles  of  Reafon,  and  other  Den.ers  of 
 Naturaland  Revealed  Religion.  Being  fixteen Sermons  Preached 
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 fideration  of  the  Severity  ot  the  Dirciplme  of  the  Primit  ve- 
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 ment  of  the  Charitable,  116  for  5-/.  bound. 
 
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 ticularly anfwered,  and  the  judgment  ot  the  Tethers  concerning 
 that  Matter  truly  reprefented.  Together  with  lour  Letters  m 
 Anfwer  to  the  Author  of  Remarks  on  the  Lett.f  to  Mr  BodwelL 
 To  which  is  added,  fome Refleaions  on  that  Part  ot  a  Book 
 called  ^;m«/.r,  or  the  Defenfe  of  Milton's  Life  which  relates  to 
 the  Writings  of  the  Primitive  Fathers,  and  the  Canon  ot  tUe 
 New-Teftament.     The  Ffth  Edition,  pr.  4^. 
 
 A  Colledlion  of  Papers,  which  pailed  between  the  late  Learn. 
 
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 With  an  Appendix.     To  which  are  added,  Letters  to  Dr  Carke 
 
 concerning  Liberty  and  Necefllty,    from  a  Gentleman  of  the 
 
 Univerfity  of  C^.;/;^/-/^^^-,  with  the  Dodor's  Anfwer s  to  them, 
 
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 Seventeen  Sermons  on  Teveral  Occafions ,;    Particularly,   Of 
 
 the  great  Duty  of  univerfal  Love  andlCharitj,    Ot  the  Govern- 
 
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 to  his  Apoftles,  belong  univerfally  to  all  Chriftitns.     The  id  Edi"» 
 
 Jacobi  Rohaulti  Phylica,  Latine  vertit,  recenfuit,  &  uberio- 
 ribus  jam  Annotationibus  ex  illuftriiTimi  Ifnaci  Newtoni  Philofo- 
 phia  maximam  partem  hauftis,  ajrjplificavit  8c  ornavit  S.  Clarke, 
 S.  T.  P.  Accedunt  etiam  in  hac  Quarto,  Editione,  novse  ali- 
 ttuot  Tabulse  ssri  incifae  j  &:  Annotationes  multum  funt  auftaer, 
 Svo.  pret.  8i. 
 
 //.  Newioni  Optice.     Latine  reddidit,  S.  Clarke,  S.  T.  P. 
 
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 Sv.  MSS.  optimis  collataj  ^c.  Acceilerunt  Annotationes  S,  Clarke, 
 S.  T.  P. 
 
 The  Script ure'Do.^rwe  ot  the  Trinity.  In  three  Parts.  Where- 
 in uiLL  the  Texts  m  the  New  Teflament  relating  to  that  Doc- 
 trine, and  the  principal  Pafiages  in  the  Liturgy  of  the  Church 
 of  England,  are  colledied,  compared,  and  explained.  ThcSecond 
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 A  Letter  to  the  Reverend  Dr.  fVells,  Re£Vor  of  Cotesbach  in 
 LeiceJlerJJjtre.     In  Anfwer  to  his  Remarks,  (^c,  pr.  i  s. 
 
 A  Reply  to  the  Objeftions  of  Robert  Nelfon,  Eiqi  and  of  an 
 Anonymous  Author,  againfl  Dr.  CUrke's  Scripture-Dodlrine  of 
 the  Trinity,  (^c.  pr.  ^s. 
 
 Books  written  by  J.  Clarke,    D.  D,  Prehendary  of 
 Canterbury,    a?id  Chaplain  in    Ordinarx  to  bis 
 
 MAjEsrr. 
 
 An  Enquiry  injo  the  Caufe  and  Ongn  of  Natural  and  Moral 
 Evil:  In  which  the  principal  Phaenomena  of  Nature  are  explain- 
 ed, according  to  the  true  Principles  of  Philofophy.  The  prefent 
 State  and  Condition  ot  Mankind  is  confidered  and  explained  up- 
 on the  true  Principles  of  Morality  and  Revelation;  and  the  Ob- 
 jcftionsof  the  Antient  and  Modern  Defenders  of  the  Manich&an 
 Scheme  of  two  Independent  Principles,  particularly  Mr.  Bayky 
 are  fully  anfwered.  Being  the  Subftance  of  Sixteen  Sermons 
 preach'd  in  the  Years  17  19,  and  Jjzo,  at  the  Le6lure  founded 
 by  the  Honourable  Robert  Boyle,   Efq;     In  2  Vols.  8^p.  price  9  s. 
 
 RohauU's  Syftem  of  Natural  Philof|5my,illuftrated  with  Dr.  5"^- 
 9f?uel  Clarke's  Notes,  taken  jnortly  out  of  Sir  Ifaac  Sevpton's  Phi- 
 loibphy.  With  Additions.  Done  into  Englifii  by  John  Clarke^ 
 V.  D.    In  i  Vols.  Svo. 
 
 The  Truth  of  the  Chriftian  Religion.  In  Six  Books,  by  Hu^o 
 Grotius.  Correcfled  and  illuftrated  'with  Notes,  by  Mr.  Le  Clerc. 
 To  which  is  added,  a  Seventh  Book,  concerning  this  Queilion, 
 ffijTtChriJiian  Church  Tve  ought  to  join  ourfehei  tof  Tranllatcd  by 
 DT.JohnCUrke.     The  Second  FJicicn,  wiih  Additions. 
 
1U 
 
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