Natural Theology, Title page – Dedication
Natural Theology, OR, THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, FROM THE WORKS of CREATION; Accommodated, and Improved, to the Service of CHRISTIANITY.
By Matthew Barker M. A. Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Whom therefore ye ignorantly worſhip, him declare I unto you;
Act. 17. 23.
He that cometh to God muſt believe that he is,
Heb. 11. 6.
LONDON, Printed for Nathaniel Ranew, at the Kings Armes in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1674.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
To whom I ſhould Dedicate this mean Script I know not, unleſs To this preſent AGE.
EVery Man owes ſomething to the Age wherein he lives; And as he will give but a bad account of his Life, that hath been Inſtrumental to make it Worſe; So he will not be able to give a good account of it, that hath not been an Inſtrument in making it better: Though Men have their ſeveral Sphaeres to move in, as the Stars in their ſeveral Orbs; yet This motion ſhould be Common to all to be doing good in the World: And the known ſaying of that ſage Heathen,Cato. Toti Genitum ſe credere Mundo, ſhould ſhame Chriſtians out of that private Spirit, whereby they live only to themſelves, and much more out of thoſe unworthy practiſes whereby they do hurt unto others.
And I can truly ſay, the deſign of this Treatiſe is for General good; what ſucceſs it may find I know not, or what Cenſures it may paſs through in this Critical Age through the weak management of it. But as to its Subject, I cannot but promiſe my ſelf fair Quarter from every Reader, ſeeing it treats of Principles that are owned by the Light of Nature, and ſuch as are approved of, in the higher Light of Chriſtianity.
My thoughts in the courſe of my Studies have been exerciſed upon various Subjects; and yet I could never obtain of my ſelf to expoſe any thing to publick View, unleſs that which is not worth the mentioning; And why I ſhould make an Eſſay now, and why upon this Subject rather then another, I can give little Account, but only that after my Conceptions about it had been Communicated in the hearing of ſome, it was ſuggeſted to me, ſuch a Diſcourſe might be uſeful in this preſent Age; wherein Atheiſme is ſecretly inſinuating it ſelf into the Hearts of Men, and getting ground Conſiderably more then in former Ages.
Not that we have many that deny his Being, but the Conviction of it upon their Hearts doth grow very weak and languid, and the imbred Character of it in Mens Conſciences are much obſcured and ſullied through the defilements of ſin. Now to brighten theſe Characters, and to convince Mens Reaſons, to awaken their ſleepy Souls, to a Practical acknowledgment of his Being, is the chief deſign of this ſmall thing: And the ſmaller, becauſe it is but the leſſer half of what I intended, and of what I have lying by me in Papers upon this Subject: And which doth better juſtifie and explicate the Title, then what is here preſented unto publick view. But whether I may have opportunity and leiſure to Tranſcribe them for others uſe, I yet know not: I find Writing is tedious, and takes up more time then I can well ſpare from other imployments that daily attend me.
I have for ſome time, by the help of a Friend, had ſome Meditations upon another Subject tranſcribed into a legible Hand, which to ſatisfie the deſires of ſome, it may be, may in time come abroad, if they may be of any uſe; but my thoughts having been more lately exerciſed upon this preſent Subject, I thought method required they ſhould march in the Van, ſeeing they proceed upon the moſt Fundamental Principles in all Religion.
And being convinced by mine Obſervation, as well as the Information of others, that the preſent Age is ſinking a pace into the dreggs of Atheiſme, by debauching their Conſciences, and ſtifling the very Light and Law of Nature, that preach a Deity to all Men; I thought no better way to recover it, then to ſet God before Men's view in the Works of his Creation. And from thence to demonſtrate the neceſſity of his Being, and the ſeveral Attributes of his being viſible therein: And from thence to gather ſtrength to the enforcing of that reſpect that Men owe to the Great Creator of the World, and the Author of their Being: And not only in thoſe Duties that are Cognoſcible to the Light of Nature, but even thoſe that are made known by Supernatural Revelation in the Word. Specially conſidering that the Creation of the World is attributed to him that is the Redeemer of it; and who is that Eternal Word whence the whole Written Word derives its Original, as well as this viſible World.
So that I pitched upon this Subject, not becauſe it is the moſt Sublime, but becauſe it is the moſt Radical and Fundamental to all Religion, and moſt convincing to the Reaſon of all Men. And while I have ſought to improve Natural Light to the utmoſt extent of it; I have alſo ſhewed the Deficiency of it, that no Man might reſt in it. And have conſidered the Creation, not only in its firſt ſtate under the firſt Adam, but as elevated into an higher ſtate, and higher improvement under the ſecond Adam: Though conſidering the ſmallneſs of this, I had almoſt ſaid, Pamphlet; It cannot be expected I ſhould be able to Enlarge upon any particular herein: And I was the willinger to Contract, becauſe I find few Men can, or at leaſt will find Time or Money for larger Volumes.
Though I have always thought that good Books are the beſt part of a man's Furniture in his Houſe, and the beſt Ornaments for Ladies Cloſets. Certainly what doth enrich the mind is to be valued far above thoſe things that only pleaſe the Sence.
And if Men object, what needs any more Writing, the World is full of Books; and what can be more Printed then already is? Yes verily, new Books in every Age excite people to Read, when they will not regard the very ſame things in old Authors. And hereby old Truths come to be newly minted as it were in every Age, and ſo they paſs off the more currently with Men; beſides what further improvements are made of them in every Age.
And ſometimes reſpect to the Author makes people read Books, which elſe they would not concern themſelves about. And it is not amiſs to pleaſe Men to their Edification. Aud if ſome Writings do not match men of the higeſt Parts and Learning, let them not deſpiſe them, they may match men the better that are a degree or two below them, who have alſo moſt need of Inſtruction.
And though high Speculations may pleaſe beſt the Fancy, yet Practical Writings do beſt tend to make a better World. And I would account it no burthen, but rather an honour, and advantage to the Age to be well furniſhed with them; if they be not ſlight and trivial. It is a mercy to this Nation that the Preſs is ſo open for the propagating of Knowledge; for it is obſerved in thoſe Centuries wherein Popery was in its higheſt Elevation and wideſt extent, there was the leaſt written, and ſo there is the leaſt account given of thoſe times,
But to Conclude with reſpect to this Treatiſe now preſented to this preſent Age; If any ſay, Other Pens have been Employed upon the ſame Subject with it: I would anſwer, It is not eaſie to pitch upon any Theme that hath never had an exerciſe upon it, or, to walk in any path wherein are not found the Traces of any Man's foot. But this I can ſay, I have not knowingly followed any Man that went before me; And though there are ſome Learned diſcourſes in the World about Atheiſme, yet I find them too abſtruſe for Common underſtanding; and meddle little with the Practical Improvements which are to be made of that which is ſtyled Natural Theology; which I chiefly aimed at in this undertaking; though I have performed it but in part in what is now Publiſhed: Having in a Reſerve by me in my Papers, an account of thoſe ſeveral Attributes of God that are Evidenceable from the Works of his Creation, with Practical Inferences upon them for the advancement of true Goſpel holineſs: But I cannot reach ſo far at preſent. I have taken ſome ſpare hours to Tranſcribe theſe few Meditations for the Preſs; wherein I have Inſerted a few Quotations as they did occur to me; for my Reading hath been but ſmall: Though it may be what I have Inſerted may make what I have written not more acceptable to many Readers: How ever, Printed Books being expoſed to the view of all, let every one take the benefit as he can.
I have nothing farther to offer here, but to begg of the Reader to pardon the Errata's both of the Author, and the Printer; and to pray that God would both pardon and amend the great Errata's of the Age; That the Supreme Deity of Heaven and Earth, and true Religion, that is relative to him, may find more Cordial and Practical reſpect from this preſent Age; wherein is wrapt up Mens Eternal Intereſs, and the preſent Intereſs of our own Nation. And that any Eſſays to this end may be attended with a Divine Bleſſing, and particularly this, that is ſincerely intended towards it, how ever weakly managed, by a poor unworthy Inſtrument.
Novemb. 17. 1673. Matthew Barker.
Natural Theology: OR, The Knowledge of God from the Works of Creation; Accommodated and improved to the Service of Chriſtianity.
ROM. 1. 20.
For the Inviſible Things of Him from the Creation of the World are clearly ſeen, being underſtood by the things that are made, even his eternal Power and God-head, ſo that they are without excuſe.