The Christian Life Part 2 Volume 1, Part 2 · Chapter 3

The Christian Life Part 2 Volume 1 · Part 2 · Chapter 3

p. 104CHAP. III. Of the necessity of believing that God is, in order to Mens being truly Religious.

HE that cometh unto God, saith the Apostle, must believe that God is, Heb. 11.6. where by coming to God is meant worshiping him, that is, expressing our Veneration of, and Affection to him, by outward and visible Signs and Actions; and unless our outward Actions in Religion proceed from an inward Veneration of, and Affection to him, they are not Worship but Mockery; but how is it possible a man should inwardly venerate God, when he believes there is no such Being in the World? For how real soever any thing may be in it self, if we believe it is not, it is to us as if it were not; and therefore tho God doth so necessarily exist, as that he cannot but be, the very Notion of him implying an infinite Distance from not being; yet while we believe he is not, our Thoughts can be no more concern'd about him, than about purchasing an Inheritance in Vtopia. So that this Proposition that God is, is the prime Fundamental of all Religion, and if p. 105this be removed, Religion must sink, and all its Sacred Obligations fly in sunder. But this is so self-evident that it would be very impertinent to insist upon the Proof of it. All that I shall do therefore in pursuance of this Argument shall be to endeavour to establish the Belief of this fundamental Truth upon which all Religion depends; and that First, by inquiring into, and removing the Causes of mens Infidelity in this matter; Secondly, by representing the Folly and Vnreasonableness of it. For as for the Proofs and Evidences of Gods Being, I shall reserve them till I come to discourse of his Providence, where I think there is enough said to satisfie any Man that is not desperately hardned against all Conviction.

p. 106SECT. I. Of the Causes of Atheism; shewing the great Absurdity and Unreasonableness of them.

CONSIDERING how loudly the Voice of Nature, the Consent of Nations, and the beautiful Structure and Contrivance of things do proclaim the Being of God, one would think it impossible there should be any such Monster as an Atheist among reasonable Beings; and indeed it hath been warmly disputed among the Learned whether there be any such or no? A Question, which these later Ages have determined in the Affirmative, by an Induction of too many woful Instances. But doubtless had men impartially attended to the Dictates of Reason, and not delivered themselves up to the Infatuations of their Lusts, and the inveterate Prejudice of a corrupt Imagination, it would have been impossible for so many gross Absurdities as Atheism implies, to have entred into their minds; but when once mens Wills and Affections have espoused a Proposition, p. 107they will make one shift or other, be it never so absurd, to impose it on their Vnderstandings; and considering how many Causes there are leading men to Atheism who are predisposed thereunto, I cannot think an Atheist to be so great a Wonder. For so long as mens Vnderstandings are led by their Wills, and their Wills are byassed with inclinations to Impiety, they can hardly forbear wishing there were no God; and then from wishing there were none to believing there is none, will be a very short and easie Transition. Since therefore their Atheism proceeds not so much from the Defect of their Reason as from the fault of their Wills, perhaps the most effectual way to cure it, is rather to detect and remove those faulty Causes in their Wills, than to attempt upon their Reason with the Proofs and Demonstrations of a Deity. And accordingly you see that when God had once erected this goodly Theatre of Beings, and imprinted on it so many glorious Characters of his own Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness, tho from time to time he hath wrought innumerable Miracles, to reduce men from Superstition, Idolatry and Wickedness, yet he never wrought one to reduce them from Atheism. And indeed to what purpose p. 108should he? it being highly improbable that they who will not be convinc'd of the Being of God by this standing Miracle, the World, in which there are so many ample Demonstrations of his Being, should be convinc'd of it by any other Miracles; for other Miracles are only the Disorders and Interruptions of Nature; and certainly the regular Course and standing Order of Nature, is a much more glorious Evidence of Gods Wisdom and Power, than the most miraculous Interruptions and Disorders of it. And therefore if men will be Atheists notwithstanding God hath imprinted so many Proofs of his Being on this visible Creation, 'tis plain it is not their Reason but their Wills that make them so; and if so, to what purpose is it to urge their Reason with the Arguments of Gods Being? since if they will not listen to those that are round about them, and are every where to be found in this great Volume of Nature, it is highly improbable that even Miracles themselves, which are Gods peculiar Arguments (and are therefore called the Demonstrations of his Spirit) should ever be able to perswade them. Wherefore to put a stop to this Pestilential Disease, which in these later Ages hath been so fatally propagated among p. 109all Degrees and Orders of men, I conceive the most proper way is to discover and remove those faults in their Wills which have such a malevolent Influence on their Vnderstandings; and the principal ones may be reduced to these nine Heads,

1. A perverse Opposition of Will to the Will and Nature of God.

2. Superstitious Misapprehensions concerning God.

3. Precipitant Rashness in prescribing to, and prejudging the Divine Providence.

4. Vain Affectation of Singularity in Opinion.

5. Custom of Drolling on, and Ridiculing the most serious things.

6. Taking up our Religion, or Opinions in Religion, without Examination.

7. Measuring the Truth or Falshood of Religion by the Practice of such as make high Pretences to it.

8. Placing Religion in the little Opinions that constitute the Sects and Parties we are engaged in.

9. Profane and careless Neglect of Publick Worship.

p. 110I. ONE great cause of Atheism is the perverse Opposition of mens Wills to the Will and Nature of God. For the natural Notion which men have of God is, that he is a most pure and holy Being, infinitely removed by the Perfections of his Nature from all Inclinations that are contrary to the Dictates of right Reason. And accordingly in all those Declarations which he hath made of his Will, they find him expressing an high Detestation of all Immorality and Wickedness, and commanding them to abstain from it under the most dreadful Penalties, which they know he hath both Right and Power to inflict when he pleases. Notwithstanding which, presuming on his Goodness and a future Repentance, they suffer themselves to be tempted and seduced into wickedness; the pleasure of which tolls them on from one Wickedness to another, till their Wills are captivated by Custom to inveterate Habits of Sinning. So that now their Sense of God, and of his Almighty Displeasure being no longer able to master the stubbornness of their Wills, only serves to fret and disturb them, to raise Terrors and Anxieties in their Consciences, and therewithal to imbitter the Pleasure of their Sin. For so long as this Sense remains alive in p. 111their Bosoms, they can never hope to sin quietly for it; and it being so, they have no other Remedy but either to part with that or their Sins. For while thy retain their Sins, the Belief of a God will grow an intolerable Vexation to them, unless by sophisticating their Belief with false Notions of Religion they can temper it into an amicable Compliance with their Lusts. And this is usually the Artifice of the duller sort of People whose Understandings are more easily imposed on, viz. to intermingle with their Belief of a God such Notions of Religion as may render it favourable and propitious to their Lusts. And hence I doubt not sprang most of those wicked Doctrines which from time to time have been foisted into Christianity, from the Desire which men have to accommodate the Difference between their Consciences and their wicked Wills, and reconcile their natural sense of God to their Sins. But alas these Artifices are all so thin and transparent, that 'tis a hard matter for men of Wit to impose them on their Understandings; and tho they have an equal Good-will to these wicked Doctrines with the duller sort of sinners, yet their Reason is too sharp-sighted to be Chouc'd and deceived by them. And therefore p. 112usually they go another way to work, and being sensible that they can never enjoy their sins in quiet, while they are awed with the Sense and Belief of a Deity, and yet obstinately resolved that they will enjoy them, they have no other Expedient but to muster up all their Wit and Reason to dispute the belief of a God out of their Minds; and being stifly resolved to persist in their Wickedness, they are obliged by their own Interest to wish there were no God to observe and punish them. And then facilè credunt quod volunt, they easily believe what they would have, and the slenderest probability will sway their Understanding to vote on the side of their Interest and Affections. So that when men are resolved to be wicked, Atheism is their Interest and Refuge, to which they are many times forced to fly in their own Defence, to avoid the Clamors and Persecutions of their Consciences. Had these men lived in those Good Pagan days wherein they might have rioted with Devotion, Sacrificed to the gods in drunken Bowls, and Worshipt in the Arms of a Strumpet, no men would have been more Religious than they; and could they now but Compound the matter so as that God should let them alone to enjoy their Lusts, there is no p. 113doubt but they would be well enough content to let him alone to enjoy his Being. But because their sense of him frets and galls them, they first grow impatient under it, and then set their Wits at Work to raise objections against it, and either to laugh or dispute it out of their Minds. And accordingly Plato makes mention of a sort of Atheists foreign; who in consequence of their Opinion that all things are void of Gods, have plunged themselves into intemperance of Pleasures and Pains being otherwise persons of great Memories and quick Understandings, De Leg. Lib. 10. But alas, how unreasonable is it in a matter of such vast importance for men to believe by their Interest and Affections! 'tis true could men put out the Sun with winking, or extinguish the Nature of things by an obstinate disbelief of them, it would be very justifiable for those men to believe there is no God whose Interest it is that there should be none. But alas, the Natures of things are unalterable and will be what they are whatsoever our Opinion is about them. If there be a God, there will be one, whether we think fit to believe it p. 114or no; and tho when the Interest of our Lusts requires it, we may possibly dispute our selves out of the Belief of his Being, yet he is not to be disputed out of his Being. We may indeed secure our selves from the Dread of his Vengeance by disputing our selves into a disbelief of him, but we can never secure our selves by it from the danger of his Vengeance. And what a sensless thing is it for a man to shut his eyes against an unavoidable danger, merely for fear of being frightned by it; and when he might shun Gods Vengeance by dreading it, instead thereof to shun the dread of it? What is this but to set his Reason at work to rock his Conscience asleep, that so he may destroy himself without fear or Disturbance.

II. ANOTHER great cause of Atheism is superstitious Misapprehensions concerning God; which tho they are Lodged in the Mind, yet are most commonly exhaled from the Affections, that like impure Bogs do generally breath up all those Meteors that darken and disturb the Region above. And indeed most of our ill apprehensions of God are transcribed and copied from our own Affections; which be they never so irregular, our own self-love will be apt to celebrate for Perfections. And then whatsoever p. 115we esteem a Perfection in our selves, we naturally attribute to God, who is the Source and Standard of all Perfection; and those Affections of our own Nature which we most injuriously attribute to God, we love or hate in him according as we love or hate them in other men. Thus the fond and indulgent, who are apt to doat upon others without reason, and to hug even their Vices and Deformities, are prone to attribute their own temper to God, and to look upon him as a Being that is infinitely indulgent to those whom without any reason he hath chosen for his Favourites. And because he who is fond of others, loves others should be fond of him, to be sure he will love his fond God too, and be far more devoutly affected towards this Idol of his own temper, than to the true God himself cloathed in all the native Glory of his own Attributes. But on the contrary, those who are stern and peevish and implacable can by no means indure their own temper in others; and therefore 'tis no wonder if they hate it in God to whom they are wont injuriouslly to attribute it. For how is it possible for them to affect a Divinity whom they have pictured in their own Minds with such a stern and terrible Aspect, with an Imperious p. 116Self-will that bears down all things before it by irresistible Might without any Respect to Right or Wrong, with bloody hands and a Vengeful heart, and a testy, peevish and unaccountable Nature that loves and hates without any reason, and is pleased or displeased as the …oy takes it. And having thus set up such a grim Idol of God in their Minds as they can by no means affect, they secretly wish there were no such Being, which is the brink of Atheism. Thus their ghastly Apprehensions of God meeting with the surly and churlish temper within them, instead of moulding them into Devotion to him, commonly inrage and canker them with Malice against him; and accordingly Plutarch well observes foreign, i. e, the Atheist thinks there is no God and he who hath dreadful Apprehensions of him wishes there were none; and he who wishes there were none is but one remove from believing there is none. Thus you see in what a direct Line Vice leads to Superstition, and Superstition to Atheism. For Pride and Wrath, Malice and Revenge are naturally apt to ingender in mens Minds horrid and frightful Apprehensions of God; which working on those sour and rugged Passions that begot p. 117them are as apt to exasperate and inrage them against him; and then their Reason immediately takes part with their Passion, and to gratifie its wish that there were no God, sets it self industriously to argue him out of his Being. But alas, what an unreasonable procedure is this, for men to pin their faults upon God, and dress him in their own Deformities, and when they have thus disguised him by putting upon him their own frightful tempers, as the old Persecutors did the Christians by wrapping them in Lions Skins, to set on their Wit and Reason to worry him out of his Being; what is this but to make a God as the Heathens did their Mercuries, and then fling stones at him; to transform him into a Monstrous Idol and then dislike him, and then dash him in pieces? But be not deceived, God will be what he is, a most perfect, glorious, and amiable Being, how inglorious soever he may appear to you through the false Medium of your own Diabolical temper, which like Crimson-coloured Glass will represent the fairest Objects to you bloody and terrible; But for you to hate God for no other reason but because your own hateful Passions do reflect to you such an inglorious Idea of him, and then to deny him because you p. 118hate him, is equally impious and unreasonable.

III. ANOTHER great cause of Atheism is Rashness and Precipitancy in prescribing to and pre-judging the divine Providence; and this also most commonly arises from some great Irregularity in mens Wills and Affections. For generally the rash Judgments which men make of the divine Providence, are grounded on those unequal Distributions it makes of the good things of this World in prospering the Bad and afflicting the Good, upon which we are too often ready to Charge it with being an unequal Arbitrator of mens Fates. The occasion of which is our immoderate Estimation of the Goods and Evils of this World. We so inhance the Goods of it in our Opinion, as to think them great enough to be the Crowns and Rewards of Virtue; and have such horrible Apprehensions of of the Evils of it, as to imagine them great enough to be the Plagues and Punishments of the most obstinate and notorious Offenders. Whereas by the whole Course of his Providence it appears that God hath a different esteem of them both; that he thinks the best things of this World to be bad enough to be thrown away upon the most despicable persons; and therefore to express his Scorn of these admired Vanities, p. 119he many times scatters them with a careless hand, as not thinking it worth the while to be so exact in the Distribution of them, as to put them in Gold Scales and weigh them out to Mankind by Grains and Scruples. And as for the worst things of this World he thinks them not so bad but that they may be indured without any considerable Damage to the Sufferer; and therefore many times suffers them to befall his own Favourites, as not thinking it of Moment enough to interpose his Providence to shield them against their impotent Impressions. And upon this difference of Judgment men too often ground an inveterate Quarrel against God, and because they doat upon this World, and thing the Goods of it good enough to be the Portion of good Men, and the Evils of it bad enough to be the Punishment of bad, they are angry with God for not being of their Opinion, and are ready to arraign his Providence, and to conclude that this World is govern'd by a blind Chance that drops her Favours at random, as the full plumed Hawk mews her loose Feathers and never cares who stoops to take them up. And this Ovid ingeniously acknowledges of himself.

Dum rapiunt mala fata bonos, ignoscite fasso,

Sollicitor nullos esse putare Deos; i. e.

p. 120While I behold ill Fates attend good men, I am tempted to think there are no gods.

Marmoreo Licinus tumulo jacet, at Cato parvo,

Pompeius nullo, quis putet esse Deos?

The wicked Licinus lies in a Marble Tomb, but Cato in a small one, and Pompey in none, who would think there were gods?

So also there are others, who beholding themselves in the flattering Mirror of their own self-conceit, are so taken with the Reflections of their own Merit and Excellency, as that they cannot see how 'tis possible but that if there be a God he must love and reward them; and therefore if instead of so doing, God either deprives them of those worldly Goods which they doat on, or frustrates them of those carnal Hopes for whose Accomplishment they have earnestly supplicated, they presently begin to murmur against him, and thence proceed to arraign the Justice of his Providence, and thence to deny both that and his Being. For thus it comes to pass, saith Simplicius, that such who have no grounded Belief of a Deity, when they observe the Miseries of good Men, and the Prosperities of bad, are without any Regard to the common Notions of a God, ready to cry out with p. 121with him in the Tragedian foreign, i. e. I dare affirm there are no Gods, because the wicked prosper that hurt me. Thus from their fond Affection to these worldly Goods, men frequently take occasion to quarrel with Gods Providence, for not appropriating them to be the Rewards of Virtue; and being once engaged in a Quarrel against his Providence, their next attempt is to dispute him out of his Being.

But what an unreasonable way of concluding is this? I value this to be best and that to be worst, and therefore God ought to be of my Opinion, and to proceed accordingly in his Providence over the World; for there is nothing can be better or worse within the Prospect of an infinite Wisdom than what I apprehend to be best and worst for Mankind; and therefore if he will do good to the Good, it must be in the Method that I shall prescribe him, that is to say, he must crown them with Rose-buds▪ and cloath them in Purple, and feed them with the fat of the Land; and if he punish the Wicked he must give me leave to give aim to his Arrows, and to direct him how, and what, and when, and where to shoot, and so long p. 122I am contented to allow him a Being in the World; but if he will presume to cross my Opinion of things, and steer his Actions by the unerring Compass of his own infinite Wisdom; if he will rather choose to do good to the Good by chastening than by prospering them, and to avenge himself upon the Wicked by fattening them with Prosperity for Slaughter, I shall look upon it as such an Affront to my judgment as will admit of no meaner Expiation than the stripping him out of his Providence and Being. And what can be more ridiculous than for men to deny the Being of God, because his Providence sometimes crosses their foolish Opinion of things, and doth not Govern it self by the crooked Rules which they are pleased to prescribe it.

IV. ANOTHER great cause of Atheism is vain Affectation of Singularity in Opinion; a Vice that hath been always incident to men of Speculation, who valuing themselves upon the stock of their Knowledg and deep Insight into the Nature of things, have always affected to start new Notions and advance contrary Hypotheses to the received Opinions of Mankind, that so they may be vogued for men of singular Knowledg, and seem to p. 123have taller Understandings than the rest of their Brethren, And this I doubt not hath been one great cause of speculative Atheism; for there is no Principle in Nature which hath been more universally received among Men than the Belief of a Deity; which doubtless is the main Reason why men who affect Singularity have been so prone to quarrel at it. It doth not comport with their Design of being thought wiser than the rest of the World, to submit their Understandings to common Notions and universal Doctrins; because should they think as other Men do, they might probably be thought no wiser. Perhaps had the Belief of a Deity been lately started, and only received by some singular Sect of Vertuosoes, these men might have beeen as forward to entertain it as they are now to reject it; but because it is an Old-fashion Doctrine, in which all Ages and Nations have concurred, they think it would be a discredit to their Understanding to wear it, and therefore they set their Wits at work to invent Atheistical Hypotheses to solve the Phaenomena of Nature without a Deity. And he that doth but impartially consider the haughty Genius of those Philosophers that laid the Foundations of Speculative Atheism, may easily p. 124perceive that the great Motive of their Infidelity was nothing but a proud Affectation of thinking counter to Mankind. And indeed could I but embrace the Doctrine of the Transmigration of Souls, I should be tempted to believe by the likeness of their Humors that it was one and the same Soul that pass'd through Democritus into Protagoras, through Protagoras into Epicurus and through Epicurus into Mr. Hobbs; And since they so exactly agreed in their Pride and haughty Ostentation of Knowledg, it is justly supposable that this was the main cause of their Agreement in Atheism; which being a Singular Doctrine and directly contradictory to the common Notions of Mankind, was upon that account more adapted to the humor of these arrogant Philosophers, And accordingly Plato describes the Atheists of his Age to be a conceited and scornful sort of People, and declares the cause of their Atheism to be foreign, a certain pernicious sort of ignorance that put on a semblance of the greatest Wisdom; and afterwards he calls Athetheism foreign, that which in the Eyes of some conceited people seemed to be the wisest of all Doctrines, de Leg. Lib. 10. p. 125And because these Atheistical Philosophers, who were some of them great Masters of Wit and Learning, had the good luck to be remarqued and gazed on like so many Anticks for their Singularity, they have always found Disciples and Followers among the people of little Sense and a great deal of Vanity, who being ambitious of the Reputation of Wits and Philosophers, but having neither Brains nor Industry enough to merit it, are fain to shelter their Ignorance in Atheism, and there to face it out with laughter and boldness; and because by laughing at God and Religion they deride the common Faith of Mankind, they fancy themselves singularly witty, and expect that others should fancy them so too; whereas in reality these little People are but meer Pretenders to speculative Atheism. For before they can be more, they must comprehend the whole System of the Atheistical Philosophy, and be able to describe all those supposed Laws of Motion, by which Matter without the Conduct of a Superior Wisdom and Power did originally range it self into this beautiful World, and to shew at least the possibility of all the strange Appearances in Nature, without supposing a God; which is such a task as their feeble Understandings durst p. 126never attempt; for the utmost they can pretend to is a few Terms of the Atheistical Philosophy, which they have learned by rote, and do cant and smatter with as much Skill and Understanding as Parrots do the Lessons that are taught them. And tho the brisk young Gentlemen will sometimes boldly affirm, and if you dare take them up will lay a Wager on it too, that Reason is nothing but a Train of Imaginations; that Choice is nothing but the last stroke of outward Object on the Fancy; and that there is nothing in Nature but Matter and Motion; yet should you be so rude as to ask them what they mean by these Phrases, you would uncase their Ignorance and utterly undoe them. So that such as these are only the Hawkers and Retailers of Atheism, that noise and cry it about; but have neither Wit not Industry enough to understand it, but do take it up with the same implicit Faith as the Papists do their Religion. Thus as the Ambition of being accounted wiser than others, causes men to affect Singularity in their Opinions, so the Affectation of Singularity in Opinion doth very often transport men into Atheism.

NOW tho I would by no means plead for Mens enslaving their Understandings to p. 127vulgar Opinions, so as to put a stop to all Advancements of Knowledge, and hinder the World from ever growing wiser; yet doubtless for men to quarrel at Opinions for no other reason but because they are vulgarly received, is not only a rude Affront to the Reason of Mankind; but also an effectual way to involve our selves in an endless Labyrinth of mistakes. For while I affect to be singular in my Opinion, I deprive my self of the Assistance of other mens Understandings, and in my travel for Knowledge chuse rather to go alone by my self through untrodden by-ways, than to keep the Road and follow the Tract of those that have gone before me. So that unless I am wiser than all the World, which is very unlikely, it is a thousand to one but I bewilder and loose my self; for how wise and sagacious soever I may be, it is certain that many Heads are wiser than one; and therefore when all heads concur in the same judgment, it is probable at least that that judgment is true; he therefore who rejects an Opinion because all or most do embrace it, affects to think counter to the strongest Evidence, and to believe against the greatest Probability. 'Tis true in many things the generality of men have been mistaken, which is a sufficient p. 128reason why we should not pin our Faith upon the Sleeve of Vulgar Opinions, but impartially examine before we confidently embrace them; but yet there is a Reverence due to the Judgment of Mankind, and the Laws of Modesty require us not to be confident against it without very great reason; but to affect to run counter to it, especially in such a matter of moment as the Belief or Disbelief of a Deity, is not only the highest Arrogance but the most extravagant Madness. For it is at least probable that there is a God, because all Mankind do believe one, and if there be one, it is of infinite Moment that we should believe it, and act accordingly; and therefore for men to turn Atheists out of mere Singularity, is not only to believe there is no God, because it is probable there is, but to play and dally with ones own Fate, and run the hazard of being eternally miserbale out of a wanton Affectation of contradicting the Judgment of Mankind.

V. ANOTHER great Cause of Atheism is custom of drolling on and ridiculing the most serious things; a humour which hath strangely prevailed in this pleasant and jocular Age, wherein the wild rovings of mens Fancies into odd Similitudes▪ startling Metaphors, humorous Expressions, and p. 129sportive Representations of things are grown more acceptable in almost all Conversations, than the most solid Reason and Discourse, and 'tis generally lookt upon as a far more genteel and fashionable Quality for a man to be witty than Wise. Now though I do not deny but that Wit in it self is a very useful and valuable Indowment, and serves to many excellent purposes; as namely to pollish and adorn the most serious Truths, and represent them to mens Minds in the most comely and affecting Dresses; to expose what is apparently base and ridiculous, and lash it with the Satyrs it makes against it self; to quicken and give life to a solid ArguMent, and render it more piercing and convictive; and in a word, to indear our Society, and give a relish and picquancy to our Conversation, and to recreate our Minds after we have been tired out or cloyed with severer Occupations; though Wit, I say, be a very useful Quality as to all these good purposes, yet unless a wise Man hath the keeping it, that knows when and where and how to apply it, it is like Wild-fire that flies at rovers, runs hissing about, and blows up every thing that comes in its way without any respect or discrimination. And indeed the more p. 130grave and serious any thing is, the more prone it will be to expose and ridicule it. For the life of Wit consists in the surprisingness of its Conceits and Expressions, in making such smart or uncouth Representations of things as are most apt to raise a pleasing Wonder and Amazement in those that hear us. Now there is nothing more surprising in its own nature, than to see or hear a serious thing sportfully represented, and drest up in an antick and ridiculous Disguise; the very exposing it in a Garb and Figure so unexpected because so very unlike and unsutable to it self, is apt of its own Nature to surprise and amuse the Spectators or Hearers; which surprise, if he be a vain person, will tickle him into Laughter, but if he be serious, will affect him with Detestation and Horror to see a serious thing so contemptibly treated. But the greatest part of Men being of vain and trifling Spirits, that are whisled up and down in little levities of Fancy, there is nothing commonly doth more gratefully surprise them and provoke their Laughter, than ridiculous Representations of serious Arguments; and hence it comes to pass that 'tis grown a great Instance of wit among the generality of men to sport and play with serious things, to burlesque the p. 131sense of them, and apply them to ridicuculous purposes; whereas in reality this mistaken sort of Wit is nothing but dull and impudent Buffoonery, and a very little Wit joyned with a great deal of Sauciness will enable a Man to make sport with the most serious Arguments. For 'tis but cloathing them in rude and porterly Expressions, or misconstruing them to a profane or ludicrous sense, or debauching the Phrases by which they are expressed to a silly or a wicked meaning, and it shall be presently cried up for an excellent Jest, and the Author of it dubb'd a Wit Laureat. This therefore being so easie a way for dull people to advance themselves to the Reputation of Wits, hath of late years especially been mightily frequented by the impotent Well-wishers to Wit and Ingenuity; and because Religion hath been always esteemed the most serious thing in the World, therefore they fix upon that as the common Theme of their Raillery, considering that the more serious it is, the more it will surprise men to hear it burlesqued and drolled on. So that if they do but speak slightly and irreverently of God, or never so clownishly ridicule a Mystery of Religion, or cloath an obscene Thought in a Text of Scripture, their Sauciness will supply the p. 132defect of their Wit, and men will laugh not so much at the Picquancy of their Conceit, as at the Boldness and Presumption of it; and because their Discourse hath the luck to be laughed at, they think themselves celebrated for the Oracles of Wit, and are thereby emboldened to proceed in this their impious Buffoonery, till at last they have drolled themselves into a Contempt of God, and from thence into downright Atheism. For tho a Jest be no Argument nor yet a loud laughter a Demonstration, yet if you inspect the generality of our little Pretenders to Atheism, you will find this is the main Foundation that their Irreligion depends on; for their gift consists not in arguing and demonstrating, but in such a Sett of fine Phrases and terse Oaths; and all the Stock of Learning they pretend to is a few shavings of Wit gathered out of Plays and Romances, and these they pin upon Religion, as you have seen unhappy Boys do Rags at mens Backs, to expose it to Scorn and Derision; and having accustomed themselves to treat it with such rude and porterly Contempt and Disingenuity, it grows by degrees cheap and vile in their Eyes, and at last is rejected by them as a ridiculous Imposture; and if now when they are urged with Evidences of p. 133Religion, they have but Wit enough to answer Reason with Drollery, and to retort a Jest to a Demonstration, how gloriously do they imagine they have acquitted, themselves, and with what triumphant Shrugs do they celebrate their Victory over the little man in black.

NOW tho for men to deride what they do not understand, savours neither of Learning nor good Manners, and is equally unbecoming a Gentleman and a Scholar; and tho for a man to venture to be damned for deriding of God and Religion, is such a Triumph of Wit as argues the utter Defe… of his Reason, yet so long as there are vain men enough to be tickled with this profane sort of Drollery, to be sure there will never want Fools enough to venture on it. For when a Fop will needs aspire to the Reputation of a Wit, he hath no other way but to dress up Religion in a Fools-Coat, and expose it for a Spectacle of Derision, and then how dull soever the Conceit be, the stupendous Presumption of it will suprise and amuse the Company, and men will admire him just as they do Ropedancers for daring to perform what a wise Man would tremble to attempt; and being thus emboldened by the Admiration and Laughter of his Company, which the vain p. 134Creature mistakes for a Proof and Evidence of his Wit, he grows more pert and confident, and so fools and fleers on till he hath toyed and laughed himself out of all sense of Religion.

BUT alass! what a desperate piece of Folly is this, for men thus to sport and dally with the Almighty, whose Vengeance they can neither withstand nor indure; to point and make Mouths at him to his Face, and set him up as the Finger-butt of their Scorn and Derision! For certainly if there be Sins that can raise a Cry loud enough to reach Heaven, this, as a great Author of our own hath expressed it, will be so far from whispering there, that 'twill give an Alarm to the Vengeance of Heaven, whose Inflictions like Stones tumbling from the tops of Towers, will by so much the more fatally crush those they light on, by how much the longer they are falling upon them. And therefore for Men thus to dally with their own Fate, to venture to be damn'd that they may be thought to be witty, and expose themselves to endless wailing and Wo only to raise a present fit of Laughter, is doubtless a far more desperate Attempt than 'twould be to play at the mouths of Canons while they are spitting Fire, or to lay hold on a Thunderbolt p. 135as it comes roaring down from the Clouds.

BUT suppose there were neither Evil nor Danger in this impious Practice, yet for men to conclude there is no God because they have the Confidence to scorn and despise him, is altogether as ridiculous as their despising him is impious. For there is nothing in Nature so real or serious but may be drolled and Rallied on; if a man will set his Wits at work he may break Jests upon Pain, and entertain his Company with Comical Representations of the Groans and Agonies of dying; but it would be a Jest indeed should be droll himself into a Belief that there are no such things as Pain or Death; but alas, things are not to be altered by laughing at them, and how merry soever we may make our selves with the Belief and Nation of a Deity, we shall one day find in earnest that he is not to be jested out of his Being.

VI. ANOTHER cause of Atheism is taking up Religion or Opinions in Religion without Examination. The generality of men do embrace their Religion as a part of their Fate, as the Temper of their Clime, or the Entail of their Ancestors; and the reason why they are Christians is, because Christianity had the luck to bespeak p. 136them first, and by its timely Interposure to prepossess and forestall them. So that in all probability had Mahometism plied them first, they would have had as much Faith for the Alchoran as they have now for the Bible. Now when Men thus take up their Religion they know not why, their minds must needs be left naked and defenceless to all the Temptations of Atheism. For when a Man can render no …eason for his Religion, his Faith hath nothing but blind Prejudice to support it; and 'tis with his Will that he believes and not with his Vnderstanding; so that he may chuse whether he will believe or no, because he hath no Evidence to determine his Vnderstanding. And how unstable and insecure must his Faith needs be, when it hath no other Foundation but a fickle and inconstant Will; when it lies at the mercy of his Humour and Inclinations, and it is in his power to determine his Assent to that side of the Question which is most for his Interest? For now his Faith being determined by his Will, and his Will by his Interest, whenever he thinks it his Interest that there should be no God, to be sure he will be ready enough to believe that there is none; and consequently as soon as he grows wicked enough to need p. 137Atheism for a Refuge from his Conscience, he will betake himself thither in his own defence▪ and endeavour by an obstinate Disbelief of Gods Being, to shelter himself from the Dread of his Power. Thus when mens belief is not grounded upon Reason and Evidence, but stands tottering on the fickle Foundation of their Wills, it is liable to be blown down by every Blast of Temptation. And hence I doubt not in a great measure proceeds the Irreligion of the Age we live in; for if you surveigh the present Sticklers for Atheism, you will find they chiefly consist of the hair-brain'd and uncatechised Youths of the Town▪ who never troubled themselves to understand the first Principles of Religion, nor to consider the Dependence and Connexion of its Doctrines, and know nothing at all either of the admirable Contexture of the Parts of it, or of the Reason and Evidence of the Whole. For alas, their Study hath been employed another way, viz. in courtly Forms of Speech and Punctilioes of Action, in fashionable Garbs and Oaths and artificial Luxuries, in conning of fine Jests and Modes of Address, and retailing Fragments of Wit from Plays and Romances; but as for the severer and more useful Studies they bequeath them to the dull men of Sense and Reason.

p. 138SUCH as these for the most part are the Sages that droll upon Religion and make jests upon the Scripture; and what wonder is it that such as these turn Infidels, who were never able to render any Reason of their Faith? For how weak soever the Arguments of Infidelity are, it is a hard case if it cannot baffle that Faith which hath no Reason on its side to guard and defend it; especially when they are seconded with a mans Lusts and Inclinations, as to be sure the Arguments of Infidelity will always be. For when a man hath no Reason for his Faith, but a great many Lusts against it, the slenderest shews of Probability will suffice to make him an Infidel. But what an horrible Neglect is it for Men that have Reason to distinguish between Truth and Falshood, to take no care to enquire into the Truth and Evidence of their Religion in which their greatest Interest is involved; but to wink hard and believe at a venture they know not why nor what? what is this but to cast Lots for their Souls, and throw Cross or Pile for their eternal Salvation? They resolve, they say, to adhere to the Religion of their Ancestors, but whether that be true or false they never inquire; so that if it be true, they may thank their Stars for it, but if it be false, p. 139they have the worse Luck. Thus they wholly commit themselves to the Conduct of Chance to be conducted to Heaven or Hell, as it happens; and as if those distant Fates were indifferent to them, they concern not themselves to inquire whether the way they are in be the Broad or the Narrow, the Right or the Wrong, but e'en leave the Event to determine it. And can any thing in the World be more wild or extravagant, than for men who are so solicitous about their smaller concerns, who will not purchase an Acre of Land without examining the Deeds and Evidences by which the Right to it is Conveyed, thus to take up their Religion upon Trust, and stake their everlasting Fate upon such a desperate venture? But then for men to take occasion to despise and reject Religion from their own sottish Neglect to inquire into the Truth of it, is such an height of Extravagance as no Bedlam can parallel; it would be as reasonable for a man to put out his Eyes, and then resolve not to believe there is a Sun in the Firmament because he doth not see it, or to stop up his Ears, and then peremptorily deny the Being of Sounds because he do's not hear 'em; for for men thus to graft Infidelity upon Ignorance, is only to heap one Extravagance on another; if they understand not the p. 104Evidence of Religion the more Shame it is for them, but methinks it might very well become them to be modest and teachable till they do; and in the mean while to take care to inform themselves better; but thus immediately to leap out of Ignorance into Atheism, is first to play the Fool, and then run stark mad upon it.

VII. ANOTHER cause of Atheism is mens measuring the Truth or Falshood of Religion by the Practice of such as make the loudest Pretence to it. When a man is unwilling to undergo the trouble of satisfying his own Reason of the Truth of his Religion, his usual Method is to inquire what other men think of it, who by the zealous Profession which they make may be supposed to understand it better than himself; but because mens Thoughts are secret and invisible, and do not always correspond with their Words and Professions; therefore to satisfie himself what other men think of Religion, he concludes the safest way is to judge by what they do, and not by what they profess; and so far indeed he is in the right. For to be sure mens Actions are a much more certain Index of their Thoughts than their Words; and therefore when he sees those who profess Religion act as if they did not believe it, p. 141and observes how their Words do run atilt at their Practice, and how broadly their Lives give the lie to their Professions, he presently concludes that whatever they pretend they are Infidels in their Hearts; and being once persuaded that those whom he thinks do best understand Religion do not believe it, he thence immediately concludes that they find no reason to believe it, and do only put on the Profession of it as an Angelical Vizor, being minded to play the Devils in it with more Credit and Security. And by this Popular way of reasoning they conclude Religion to be nothing but a Politick Device and Engine which wise men have contrived to beguile and manage the simple; and that whatsoever is pretended for it, it is a mere jugling-box which Knaves play tricks with to delude and cozen Fools. And of this way of mens reasoning themselves into Atheism the Age we live in is full of wofull Instances; for now adays to scorn and despise Religion is no longer the Prerogative of Wits and Vertuosoes, but the Infection is spread and propagated into Shops and Stalls, and the Rabble are become Professors of Atheism. Now whence should this proceed? alas, it is not to be supposed that such persons as these should ever be able to Philosophise p. 142themselves into Infidelity, and turn Atheists either upon Aristotle's or Epicurus's Hypotheses; no, no, their Argument lies nearer home, and more open to their Capacities; they have seen a world of vile tricks played in our Religious Carnivals and Masquerades; some making their Religion a Sanctuary for their Treasons and Rebellions; others gilding over their Faction and Sedition with a specious Pretence of zeal for Gods glory: some prosecuting their own Revenge and Ambition under the Ensigns of pure Worship, and true Protestant Religion; others commuting for their Excesses of Riot with a clamorous zeal for Decency and Order, and others picking Pockets with one hand while they have been lifting up the other to Heaven in Devotion; the sight of which hath tempted the rude and unthinking Vulgar to look upon Religion as a mere Castle in the Air, that hath no Foundation▪ but in the Invention of Knaves▪ and in the Faith of Fools.

NOW tho there is no doubt to be made but that these vile Hypocrites who have laid this Stumbling-block in mens way, shall one day dearly answer for the ruin of those whom it hath occasioned to fall, and for thus exposing the Credit and Reputation p. 143of Religion to the misprisions of those that do not understand it; yet it is a most inexcusable piece of folly for men thus to infer Atheistical Conclusions from the ill Example of Hypocritical Professors. For in the first place, to conclude a Man an Infidel because his Actions run counter to the Faith he pretends to, is very rash and fallacious. For do we not see Men very often act against their Consciences, and fly in the face of their own Convictions? why may we not then as fairly suppose those wicked Actions we argue from to be the effects of an obstinate Will as of an Infidel Judgment; but suppose it were true that those men were all Infidels that do thus act against their Faith, doth it therefore follow that you must turn Infidels too? if it be so unsafe and so unworthy of a man to carry his Brains in other Mens Heads, what a shame is it to carry them in other Mens Heels, and to suffer his Faith to be lead by the Tract of their Examples through all the wild Mazes of Irreligion and Atheism?

BUT you will say, by these Mens Examples you plainly see what a Mystery of Iniquity there is in religious Pretences; and what then? must Religion be a Cheat because bad Men play tricks with it, and p. 144make it a Cloak for their Knavery? if so, then the best things in the World are liable to Suspicion; because there is nothing so good but what is capable of being prostituted to very ill purposes. I confess when we see so many Cheats acted under the Masque of Religion, we have just reason to call it to a more severe Examination, and to inquire more narrowly into the Proofs and Evidences upon which it is founded; but presently to reject Religion because Knaves and Hypocrites make bold to disguise themselves in it, is every whit as absurd and ridiculous as if a man should deny that there is any such Virtue as Chastity in the World, because there are common Prostitutes that pretend to it.

VIII. ANOTHER cause of Atheism is Divisions and Schisms formed out of little Opinions in Religion. For it is natural to men to place a great part of their Religion in those Opinions, for whose sake they divide and separate from each other; so that if hereafter they happen to be dissatisfied with those Opinions of which they are excessively fond at the present, they will be under a great Temptation to suspect Religion it self, as if that were as ill grounded as those little Opinions which they laid so great a stress on, and so after p. 145they have run through several Sets of Opinions, and in fine have discovered them to be all Delusions, they are ready to conclude Religion it self to be nothing but a System of Lies and Impostures. For as weak Heads when they perceive the Battlements shake are apt to suspect the Foundations, so weak Understandings will be prone to suspect even the Fundamentals of of Religion, when once they perceive those darling Notions totter which they have confidently presumed to superstruct thereupon.

AND upon this account I make no doubt but that the Irreligion of this Age is very much to be attributed to the Sects and Divisions of it. For how many woful Examples have we of Persons who had once a great Zeal for and Satisfaction in Religion, that upon their causeless Separation from the Churches Communion, have run from Sect to Sect, and from one extravagant Opinion to another, till at last being convinced of the Cheats and Impostures of them all, they have totally discarded Religion it self, and made their last Resort into Atheism. And as separating into Parties upon little Differences in Religion exposes the Separatists themselves to great Temptations to Atheism, so it doth those p. 146also who are Indifferent on both sides, and stand ingaged on neither part of the Separation. For whilst these men behold the State of Religion thus miserably broken and divided, and the Professors of it crumbled into so many Sects and Parties, and each Party spitting Fire and Damnation at its Adversary; so that if all say true, or indeed any two of them in five hundred Sects which there are in the World, (and for all I know there may be five thousand) it is five hundred to one but that every one is damn'd, because every one damns all but it self, and it self is damn'd by four hundred and ninty nine; so that 'tis a mighty Chance if in so great a Volly of Anathemaes which every one hath levelled at it, any one escape: When, I say, unengaged persons that are not able to distinguish between the disputable Opinions that constitute these Sects, and the Necessaries and Essentials of Religion, shall reflect upon this tumult and confusion of Faiths, they will be apt to conclude without farther Inquiry, that Religion it self is nothing but an infinite Maze of disputable Opinions, wherein Men wander about in the dark and justle and rancounter one another without any certain Clew on either side to guide and direct their Inquiries; under which p. 147Misapprehension they will either damn all Religion for a Cheat, or hover about in eternal uncertainty, not knowing where in so great a Confusion of Religions to fix and settle their Faith. And hereunto I doubt not is to be attributed a great part of the Irreligion of this Age. For while some Men by running themselves out of Breath in pursuit of those Ignes fatui or New Lights, that have broken and divided our Communion, have at length quite tired out their Zeal and religious Pretences, and so are at length lain down in the Mire of Irreligion and open Profaneness; others by looking on and beholding the wild Divisions which these new Lights have made, have been tempted to run away from Religion it self, as if that were only a Labyrinth of uncertain Opinions contrived on purpose to distract and bewilder mens Brains.

NOW tho the Authors of these Divisions, whosoever they are, are doubtless highly accountable to God for all that Irreligion which attends them, yet for Men from hence to draw Atheistical Conclusions is much more imputable to the perverseness of their Wills than to the Weakness of their Vnderstandings.

p. 148FOR in the first place, What if you have discovered some Opinions ln Religion to be false and erroneous, of the Truth of which you were once very confident; doth it therefore follow that there is nothing certain in Religion? If so, you may as well conclude that there is nothing certain in the Mathematicks neither, since some men have been as confident of the Truth of false Axioms in Geometry as ever you could be of false Propositions in Religion. That you were once over-confident in a disputable Matter was your own Fault and Folly, but must it therefore follow that Religion is a Cheat because you have been rash and inconsiderate? and what tho you once laid the great stress of your Religion upon an Opinion which you now discern is erroneous, must Religion needs suffer for your Mistake, and be branded for an Imposture because you took that for Religion which was not? For there are a thousand Propositions about Religion, which have been Zealously disputed for and against, which have torn men into Sects, and been the Religion of the separate Communions they have formed and denominated, that yet are very remote Superstructures on the true Foundations of Religion, and may be true p. 149or false, believed or disbelieved without any damage to Religion. And therefore before you suspect the Truth of Religion it self upon your discovering the Falshood of any particular Opinion, you ought in all Reason to consider whether that Opinion be so essential to Religion as that it cannot subsist without it; for if it be not, 'tis the most unreasonable thing in the World, to infer a suspicion of the Truth of Religion from the Falshood of Propositions that have little or no Dependence on it, and to reject the Gold and the precious Stones for the sake of the Wood, and Hay, and Stubble that have been superstructed upon them. And then

2. What can be more absurd than for Men to reject Religion because Mens Opinions about it have been so divided? For if you survey the several Divisions of Christians, you will find they generally concur in all the necessary and essential Doctrines of Religion, and that the Opinions wherein they divide, are for the most part such unnecessary Speculations, as that it is almost indifferent to Religion whether they be true or false; And with what Reason can we suspect the Truth of necessary Doctrines wherein all are agreed, because there are Disagreements in unnecessary ones? p. 150Because there are some Propositions in the Mathematicks, about which the Opinions of the Mathematicians are divided, shall we therefore suspect the Truth of all those wherein they are agreed? For if their Disagreement be an Argument of the Falshood of the former, why should not their Agreement be as good an Argument of the Truth of the later? But how much soever Mens Opinions about Religion may be divided, all that can be thence inferred is, that some Men are mistaken; and while some Men judge of Religion by their Passions and Interests, and others by the Prejudices of their Education, it is impossible it should be otherwise. But for men in the midst of such apparent causes of Difference, to resolve to be of no Religion till all are agreed in one, is just as wise, and as rational as if they should determine not to go to Dinner till all the Clocks in Town strike Eleven together.

IX. And Lastly, ANOTHER great cause of Atheism is the profane and careless Neglect of Gods Publick Worship. For Men of Secular lives whose Minds are always engaged in this eternal hurry of worldly Affairs, are too prone to forget God, and all their Concerns in Religion and another World; and even their conversing p. 151so much with these sensitive things which are always before them, and are continually crouding in upon their Thoughts, doth naturally indispose them to exercise their Faculties about divine and spiritual Objects, and render their Minds foreign unfit and unable to ascend to the Contemplation of God. And therefore God hath appointed the stated Times of Publick Worship, on purpose to withdraw Men from their secular Pursuits, that so they be at leisure to retire into themselves, to recollect their scattered Thoughts, and awake their Minds to a sense of Piety and Religion; which can by no way so effectually be performed as by the Solemnities of Publick Worship, wherein our remembrance of God is not only refreshed, and our Piety to him excited and directed by the publick Instructions, but our natural Sense of Religion is also actuated and intended by the mutual Concurrence and Example of each others Devotion. Thus after our Religion hath been slackned by our worldly Cares and Delights, it is duely wound up again by the Returns of our Publick Worship, and so the sense of God is still kept alive in our Minds. When Men therefore turn their Backs upon the Publick Worship, and devote p. 152the holy Seasons of it to their secular Business or Pleasures, it is not to be wondered at that their sense of a divine Power, which they seldom or never think of, should by degrees decay and wear off, and that that being extinguished they should sink into Irreligion and Atheism. For when once Men have worn out their Sense of a Deity, and as the Consequence of that are broke loose from all the Ties and Obligations of Conscience, they can have no other Principle but Atheism to warrant their Actions; and when once they have abandoned all Sense and Remembrance of God, so that he is not in all their Thoughts, they are in a fair forwardness to Infidelity. For tho as yet they do not actually disbelieve his Existence, so neither do they actually believe it; for how should they actually believe that which they have no Sense or Thought of; so that in this insensible State their Faith is concerned neither one way nor t' other, nor are they at all solicitous whether there be a God or no. Thus from their profane Neglect of Gods Worship Men naturally slide into an habitual Senslessness and Incogitancy of him, and from thence to not believing; and from thence to disbelieving him is an easie and almost necessary Transition.

p. 153OF the Truth of which the Age we live in will furnish us with too many sorrowful Instances. For as this Nation which hath been always remarqued for a grave, serious and religious Genius, was never so generally tainted with Atheism as now; so neither was it ever chargeable with such a general Neglect of the Publick Worship of God, which for several Ages after the Reformation, was duly frequented, and devoutly celebrated, till by the Prevalence of our restless Sects and Factions, the Discipline of the Church was gradually weakned, and at last totally destroyed; in the happy Days before which the Families of each Parish went hand in hand together to the House of God, and with one Heart and Voice celebrated his Praise and Worship; and to absent ones self ordinarily from the Publick Assemblies, was hardly consistent with the Reputation of being a Christian. By which means their natural Sense and Dread of the divine Powers, being continually awakened and revived, they were not only secured by it from all Atheistical Impressions, but also animated and excited to a pious and sober Conversation. But the spirit of Schism prevailing against the Power and Discipline of the Church, till it had uttterly disabled it p. 154from restraining the Wantonness of that crooked and perverse Generation; some incorporated themselves into separate Communions, and others under Pretence of so doing withdrew from the Publick Assemblies to the common Resorts of Idleness, Drunkenness and Debauchery; and whilst the Masters took the Liberty of Conscience to go to Conventicles, the Servants pretending to be of a different Perswasion assumed the Liberty of Will to go to Taverns and Ale-houses; insomuch that it grew a common Observation, that there have been more young People debauched on the Lords Day than all the Week after, whilst under pretence of joyning with a different Communion, they have taken occasion to withdraw themselves from the Inspection of their Parents and Masters. And till once our Schisms and Divisions are cured, it will be impossible to prevent this ill Practice, unless we will be so unjust as to deny that Liberty of Conscience to our Servants which with so much Clamour and Confidence we demand of our Governors. And thus by degrees Profaneness hath insinuated it self under the Covert of Schism, and Liberty of Conscience became a common Sanctuary for the licentious Neglect and Contempt of Gods Worship, p. 155till at last it grew so common and fashionable, that it almost ceast to be scandalous. Yea, so far at length hath this impious Humour prevailed, that to go to Church and be devout is among too many Men grown a Note of Disgrace, and the Character of a Priest-ridden fool; and a Man is hardly lookt upon as fit for genteel Conversation, that knows any other use of a Holy-day, but only to be at leisure to lie abed, or to Game or Drink and Debauch; by which Neglect and Contempt of the Worship of God, that natural Sense of him, which should have been quickned and cherished by it, hath been gradually worn out of Mens Minds; the Consequence of which is, all that Atheism and Infidelity that overspreads this present Age. For when once Men have renounced the Worship of God, and in Consequence are abandoned of their natural Sense of his Majesty, they are upon the brink of Atheism, into which their own vile Lusts, whose Interest it is that there should be no God, will easily precipitate them. But alas, how ridiculous as well as impious is it for Men to take occasion from their own Neglect of Gods Worship, to renounce the Belief of his Being; what is this but to tail one folly to another, and to second Extravagance with p. 156Madness? It would make one amazed to think that ever reasonable Beings should be so besotted, as to live in a World over which an Almighty Being presides, who sees all their Actions, and in whose Hands all events are which concen them, and even the everlasting Fate of their Souls; and yet take no more notice of him, pay no more Respect or Veneration to him, than if he were the merest trifle or most insignificant Cypher in the whole Creation. But sure when Men have been guilty of such a black and horrid Impiety▪ one would think their wisest Course for the time to come should be to repent of it, and to endeavour to compensate for their past Profaneness by the strictness and Sincerity of their future Devotion; but for Men to proceed from neglecting Gods Worship to denying his Being, is to do worse because they have done ill, and thereby to inflame the Provocation, as if they were resolved to render their Condition desperate, because they have been so fool-hardy as to render it dangerous.

AND thus I have given a short Account of the common Causes of Atheism, which you see are all derived from Mens Wills and not from their Reason. For this I do most firmly believe, that the Arguments p. 157of Gods Existence are so plain and convincing, that no Man ever was or can be an Atheist without some inexcusable fault in his Will.

SECT. II. Of the inexcusable Folly and Unreasonableness of Atheism.

THE next thing I proposed was to endeavour to confirm and establish this great Principle of Religion, viz. the Belief of a God, by representing the great folly and unreasonableness of Atheism. In discoursing which I shall meddle no more than needs must with the Proofs and Arguments of a Deity, because as I have shewed before, 'tis not for want of Arguments that Men turn Atheists, but for want of Consideration and an honest Will; and that the Byass that carries them towards Infidelity is not in their Vnderstandings, but in their Wills and Affections; that 'tis only their Partiality to their Lusts, that inclines them to Atheism; and that the Reason why they are so ready to believe that there is no God, is, because they wish in their Hearts that there were none. To p. 158establish the Belief of a God therefore, I shall endeavour to represent the folly and unreasonableness of Mens being partial on the side of Atheism, supposing it were disputable whether there be a God or no; and this will evidently appear in the following Particulars.

1. The Atheist concludes against the Dignity of Humane Nature, and renders it not only mean but ridiculous.

2. He concludes against the very Being and Well-being of Humane Society.

3. He concludes against that which is the main Support and Comfort of Humane Life.

4. He concludes for that side of the Question which is infinitely the most unsafe and hazardous.

5. He concludes for the unsafest side of the Question upon the highest uncertainties.

6. He plainly contradicts himself in his Conclusion.

I. THE Atheist concludes against the Dignity of Humane Nature, and thereby renders it not only mean but ridiculous. For the chief Worth and Dignity of Humane Nature consists in its Relation to God, without whom its noblest and most excellent Faculties are in a great measure useless p. 159and insignificant; for if there be no God, the objects of our Five Senses are the sole Entertainment of our Understanding and Will, and we have no other use of these mighty Faculties, (which if there were any such thing as an infinite Truth and Goodness are naturally capable of enjoying them) but only to consult and choose the Gratifications of our Sense, and the Pleasures of this perishing Body. For excepting God there is no such thing in Nature as a spiritual enjoyment, no Good to be found, but what is prepared to entertain the boundless Liquorishness of our carnal Appetites; and had we none but such as these to consult for, our Reason which is the Crown and Glory of our Natures, would have nothing else to do but to Cater for our Flesh, and we should have an Understanding and Will to no other purpose, but to enable us to play the Brutes with more Skill and Sagacity. And indeed setting God aside we are so far from having the advantage of Brutes by being rational, that we are rather so much the more wretched and despicable than they. For as for the Happiness of this Life which wholly consists of sensual Good, the Senses and Appetites we have in Common with the Beasts that perish are sufficient for the enjoyment of p. 160it; and with these we might relish it as well without our Reason as with it; we might Eat and Drink and Sleep, and enjoy all the Pleasures of a Brute with as much Gust and Savour as we do now with our Reason. For if we were Brutes we should do as Brutes do; we should weary our selves no longer with vain pursuits, nor vex our selves with fruitless Expectations, nor torment our selves with the fears of a Disappointment, but e'en take our Pleasures when our Appetites craved 'em, and they freely offered themselves to our Injoyment. And tho our Reason doth sometimes cook the Injoyments of our Sense, and give them a higher Relish and and Luxury, yet this advantage is very much out-weighed by the many Regrets, and Remorses, and stinging Reflections it intermingles with our Pleasures; So that had we only the Faculties of Brutes, I am verily perswaded we should more sincerely enjoy the Happiness of the brutal Nature; but to be sure we should bear our Miseries with much more Ease and Chearfulness. For supposing there is no God, our Reason can afford us no solid support under any Calamity; the main Arguments of Comfort, as I shall shew by and by, being derived from the Consideration of God and p. 161his Providence; which being taken away, I doubt not but we should bear our miseries without our Reason much better than with it. For then we should neither be terrified at the approach of them, nor tormented with Despair under them; then we should neither multiply them with false Opinions, nor inrage them with bitter Reflections on the Causes of them; but whenever they happened, bear them as Beasts do, without any other Pain or Uneasiness than what they necessarily impressed on our Senses, which would render them a thousand times more tolerable to us, than all our Arguments can do, supposing we have no God nor Providence to argue from.

So that were that true which the Atheist concludes for, viz. that there is no God, it would follow that Reason in a Man serves to no other purpose, but to render him more wretched and despicable. If there be a God indeed, our rational Faculties are of excellent Use; as having an Object commensurate to their widest Capacities, and every way fit and worthy to employ and exercise them; an infinite Truth for our Vnderstanding to dive into, and an infinite Good for our Wills and Affections to pursue and embrace. But if there be nothing to be enjoyed by us but what is p. 162Carnal and Sensual, our Reason is so far from being our Ornament and Perfection, that it is the Plague and Disgrace of our Natures.

FOR for any Nature to have more Faculties than what are necessary to its Happiness, is monstrous; and therefore had we nothing to enjoy but the Happiness of Brutes, 'twould be a Deformity to our Natures to have the Faculties of Angels; because these Faculties would be in vain, there being no adequate Object in the Nature of Things to employ and entertain them. So that were the Doctrine of the Atheist true, it would cashier our Reason for a vain and useless Faculty; a thing that serves our Nature to little other purpose, but only to vex and disquiet it. And what Man that hath any Regard or Reverence for himself, would ever be fond of a Belief that thus sinks and depreciates him, and lays the Glory of his Nature in the Dust? For if it be true that there is no God, it is as true that Man is a most despicable Creature, that his Reason upon which he so much values himself is a frivolous and impertinent Faculty; a Faculty that can serve him to no higher purpose than only to be a Cook and a Taylor to his Body, to study Sauces and Fashions for it; and that while it serves him in this, disserves him in a p. 163thousand other Instances, in mingling his Pleasures with Gall and Wormwood, with Fears and Impatiences, Anxieties and Remorses, and in aggravating and putting Stings into his Griefs and Calamities. So that when all is done, the only thing that makes it worth the while for a Man to be reasonable, is, that there is a Being of infifinite Perfection to be known, and loved, and imitated and adored by him; and to deny the Existence of this blessed Being, is infinitely to undervalue our selves, and to eclipse the Glory and Dignity of our Natures. So that by being partial to Atheism we are partial to our own Shame and Disgrace, and industriously consult the Reproach and Infamy of Humane Nature; for the Devil himself cannot affix a blacker Scandal on our Reason than what is implied in this Assertion, that there is no God.

AND as it lays the greatest Reproach upon our Nature, so it also renders us the most Ridiculous of all Beings. For there are certain Affections interwoven with Humane Nature, which if there be no God are shamefully ridiculous; such as the Dread of invisible Powers, the Sense of Good and Evil, and the anxious Expectation of a Judgment to come; all which are so deeply inlaid in our Beings, as that with all our p. 164Arts and Reasoning we cannat totally erase them. And even the Atheists themselves who have tried all possible ways of extinguishing them, have found by Experience that the utmost they can do is, to damp and stupifie them at present; but that in despight of them they will revive and awake again when Death or Danger approaches them. Now how ridiculous are these Affections in Humane Nature, if there be no such Being as a God? For upon this Supposal we have Passions that have no Objects in the Nature of things, that have nothing in the World to move and affect them, but wild Chimeraes, flying Dragons, and Castles in the Air; and whereas all other Beings have real Objects in Nature corresponding to their several Instincts and Affections (for so the Hare hath a natural dread of a Dog, the Sheep of a Wolf, the Mice of a Cat, the Toad of a Spider, all the Objects of which dread have a real Existence) Poor silly Man, supposing there is no God, naturally trembles at an invisible Nothing, and is horribly afraid of the Shadow of an Imagination. So that if the Atheists Opinion were true, the Ape that looks pale at the sight of a Snail, and flies as if he feared lest that slow Creature should overtake and devour p. 165him, would be a great deal less ridiculous than timorous Man, whose Nature is thus hagg'd with frightful Imaginations of invisible Powers and a Judgment to come.

AND what Man that hath any Reverence for the Humane Nature within him, would ever suffer himself to be bribed for an Opinion that doth not only undervalue but deride and Ridicule it. Should you hear your self branded with a contemptible Character, or ranked among Apes or any such ridiculous Animals, you would doubtless be so far from courting the Author of it, that you would resent it as a great Affront, and think your selves obliged in honour to return the Provocation; and yet for the sake of a few base Lusts, which are the Shame and Scandal of your Natures, you espouse the Cause of Atheism, tho it derides and affronts you to your Face, and stains the Glory of your Natures with the most contemptible and ridiculous Character in the World.

II. THE Atheist concludes against the very Being and Well-being of Humane Society. For the Soul that penetrates through all Humane Society, and compacts and unites it in a regular Body, is Religion, or the Sense and Acknowledgment of a Divine Power, without which all the Parts of the p. 166Corporation of Mankind, like the Members of a dead Body, must necessarily disband and flye abroad into Atoms. For a form'd Society which is an united Multitude consists in the Harmony and Consent of its Members mutually united by Laws and Agreements, and disposed into a Regular Subordination to one another, neither of which can any Humane Society long continue without the Belief and Acknowledgment of a God.

FOR without this in the first place, 'tis impossible that the Parts of any Society should continue united by Laws and Agreements. For 'tis from the Belief of a God, that all the Obligations of Conscience are derived; so that take that away and these must dissolve; and when the Obligations of Conscience are dissolved, there is nothing but Mens temporal Interests can oblige them to conform to those Laws and mutual Agreements, by which they are united to one another. And if it be their Interest only that obliges them to be just and faithful to their mutual Agreements, they will be equally obliged to be unjust and unfaithful, when ever it is their Interest to be so. So that this Principle which only obliges them to be honest while it is for their Advantage, will as effectually oblige p. 167them to be Knaves when ever the Case is altered; and things being reduced to this Issue, there remains no Foundation of Trust and mutual Confidence among Men. For what can any Mans Promise signifie, if he be under no Obligation but Interest? To be sure if it be for his Interest he will do what he says without any Promise; but if it be not, what Promise can oblige him? You will say it is his Interest to keep his Word, because otherwise he will forfeit his Reputation for the future? But pray what Reputation can a Man have to forfeit, that owns no other Law or Obligation but his Interest? or who will ever presume upon that Mans Word and Engagement, whose avowed Principle it is to be honest no longer than he can gain by it? Thus Atheism you see, resolves all our Obligations into our worldly Interest, which is so fickle and mutable a Principle, so dependent upon Chance and the Inconstancies of Fortune, that there is no hold to be taken of those that are governed by it. For that which is their Interest to Day may be their Disadvantage to Morrow, and if it should so happen, they must steer a contrary Course, or else act contrary to their leading Principle. So that for Men to trust each other upon this fickle Principle, is all one as to p. 168relie upon the Constancy of a Weathercock, which every contrary Wind turns to a contrary Position. And things being once reduced to this Issue, that Men can place no Trust or Confidence in one another, their Society will soon become their greatest Plague and Vexation. For every Man will be forced to stand upon his Guard against every Man, and keep himself reserved and retired within himself; till at last out of mutual Distrust and Jealousie of one another, they are forced to withdraw their Society, and to live apart in separate Dens for fear of being intrapt and devoured by each other.

AND as Atheism cuts in sunder those Ligaments of mutual Trust and Agreement, by which the Parts of Humane Society are united; so it also dissolves that Regular Subordination that is between them. Plutarch observes in his Treatise against Colot, foreign, i. e. It seems to me more possible for a City to stand without Ground, than for a Commonwealth to subsist and continue without the Belief of a God; which is … only firm Foundation whereup… … and Society depends. For p. 169if there be no God, what should oblige any to own any Superiour, or pay any Submission? And if his Interest be his only Obligation to his Superiours, when ever he can mend his Fortune by Rebelling against them, that very same Interest which at present restrains him from it, will with equal force invite him to it; nor will it signifie any thing that we are obliged to the contrary by Oaths of Fidelity and Allegiance; for if it be our Interest to be faithful to the Government, our own Prudence and Discretion will oblige us to it without such Oaths as well as with them; but if it be not our Interest, and this be the only Principle that obliges us, no Oath or Engagement can hold us. So that in this State of things all the Security that Governors can have of their Subjects, is, that they will not Rebel when they are not able; but as soon as they think it safe, to be sure they will think it lawful; which being once admitted will undermine the very Foundations of Government, and utterly dissolve that regular Subordination by which Humane Society is supported. Whereas admitting that the Laws of our Prince are bound upon us by the Authority of a Sovereign Lord, who can render us eternally happy or miserable, we are p. 170obliged to obey him by all that we can hope or fear, and have all the Engagements to Loyalty that the Reflections on a happy or miserable Eternity can lay upon us. What a prodigious piece of Folly is it therefore for Men to embrace Atheism as their Interest, which doth thus directly tend to deprive us of all the Comforts of Society, by involving us in eternal Confusions and Disorders? For if once we take away mutual Trust and Government from the World, both which have a necessary Dependence on the Belief of a God, we break all the Harmony of Humane Society, and convert it into a Commonwealth of Canibals. And what Man in his Wits would ever be found of an Opinion that proclaims open War with Mankind, and is pregnant with Consequents so fatal and destructive to the World? Can we think it more advantageous to us that Atheism should be true, than that Humane Society should be upheld and perpetuated? or are the Pleasures we reap from the Lusts which incline us to Atheism, comparably so valuable as the Benefits which acrue to us from being formed and united into regular Corporations? If not, how apparently do we engage against our own Interest, when we espouse the Cause of Irreligion?

p. 171III. THE Atheist concludes against that which is the main Support and Comfort of Humane Life. For while we are in this World, our best and securest Condition is exposed to a world of sad and uncomfortable Accidents, which we have neither the Wisdom to foresee, nor the Power to prevent; So far are we from being self-sufficient as to our worldly Happiness, that there are a thousand Causes upon which we depend for it, that are not in our Power to dispose of; and in such a State of uncertainty wherein we are continally bandyed to and fro, and made the Game of inconstant Fortune, what Quiet or Security can we enjoy within our selves without believing that there is a God at the Helm, that steddily over-rules all events that concern us, and steers and directs them by the invariable Compass of his own infinite Wisdom and Goodness. For considering how poor and indigent our Nature is, how we are fain to seek abroad and to go a begging from Door to Door for our Happiness; how we depend upon Chance, and are secure of nothing we possess, or desire, or hope for; how prone we are to be alarmed with the Prospect of a sad Futurity, and to magnifie distant Evils in our own Aprehensions; how apt we are to aggravate p. 172our Miseries by our Impatience and Despair, and to pall our Enjoyments by expecting more from them than their Natures will afford; considering these things, I say, which way can we turn our selves without a God? or where can we repose our restless Thoughts but in his Providence? Verily, could I be tempted to believe that there is no God, I should look upon Humane Nature in its present Circumstances as the most forlorn and abandoned part of the Creation, and wish that I had had the Luck to be of any other Species than that of a Rational Animal. For in the State I am I find my self liable to a thousand Dangers against which I have no Sanctuary, and under which I have no Support, if there be no God to govern the World; and having such a dismal Prospect of things before me, and a busie Mind within me that will be continually working on and aggravating the Evils of it, what can I do with my self, or how can I enjoy my self without a God to relie on? Upon the supposal that he is, and that he governs the World I can easily relieve my self under the most dismal Apprehensions; I can fairly conclude and safely depend on it, that if I take care by my submission to Gods Will to make him my Friend, he p. 173will either prevent the Evils I apprehend, or support me under them, or convert them to my good, either of which is sufficient to set my Heart at ease, and instate me in a quiet Enjoyment of my self. But now by giving up the Belief of a God, I throw away all these Considerations, and leave my self utterly destitute and supportless. For what solid ground of Support can I have when I have no manner of Security either that the Evils I dread shall be prevented, or that I shall have a Proportionable Strength to bear them, or that I shall ever reap any good or advantage from them; without which Considerations every Evil that threatens or befals me is pure unmingled Misery, against which there is no Fence or Cordial in Reason or Philosophy. For suppose I should argue with the ancient Moralists, that every ill Accident that befalls me is fatal, as being the Effect of some necessary Cause that is without my Power or Disposal, and therefore 'tis unreasonable for me to grieve at it; this will be so far from any way mollifying the Anguish of my Mind, that 'twill rather inrage and inflame it. For that my Calamity is fatal, so that it is not in my Power to avoid or remove it, is rather an Aggravation than a Diminution of it. Or suppose p. 174I should reason as the same Moralists otherwhiles do, Why should I grieve at the Evils that befal me, when alas! my Grief will be so far from lessening them that 'twill rather encrease and multiply them, contribute new Venome to their Stings, and render them more pungent and dolorous; What a faint Cordial would it be to my oppressed Mind, to consider that my Grief will but augment my Load? It is some Ease to a dejected Soul to vent its Griefs in Moans and Lamentations, which while she seeks to smother in a sullen silence like imprisoned Wind will breed a Collick in her Bowels; and is it not a sad thing that I must deny my self the only Solace of a miserable Man, for fear of augmenting my Misery? Again, suppose I should reason thus with the same Authors, that Afflictions are indifferent things, and in themselves neither good nor evil, but indifferently improvable into Mischiefs or Benefits; this I confess were a good Argument supposing that the Affliction came from a good God, who can extract Good out of all our Evils, and render the rankest Poyson Medicinal; but otherwise you will find 'tis but a cold Comfort to call your Misery by another Name; For if there be no God to temper our Evils, and p. 175to ordain and direct them to wise and good Ends, we shall find in the issue they will prove themselves Evils to us by what soft Name soever we may call them. Again, and to name no more, Suppose I should reason thus, as these Masters of Morality do, that to bear Afflictions with an unconcerned Mind is brave, and manly, and generous; that it is an Argument of a great and Heroick Mind, that hath raised it self above the reach of Misfortunes; I readily confess so it is, supposing a Man hath good reason thus to bear his Afflictions, which is the Question in debate; for then it is the Triumph of Reason over Passion, and an illustrious Instance of a well fortified Mind; but if we have no reason for it, all these glorious Words, Generous, Brave, &c. are nothing but empty Flash and mere Rodomontado. For for a Man to be unconcerned with Evils without reason, is so far from being generous and brave, that 'tis an Argument of his brutal Stupidity and Fool-hardiness. But yet supposing that there is no God, these are the main Arguments we have to support our selves under any Calamity. But alas, such real Griefs of ours are not to be redress'd with pretty Sayings and grave Sentences, which tho they may look takingly at a Distance, p. 176will when we come to apply and experience them force us to pronounce as Job did of his Friends, miserable Comforters are ye all, and Physicians of no value. So that were we left destitute of God and a Providence, and of all those blessed Supports we derive from thence, we were of all Creatures the most miserable. For in this state of things we are compassed about with Miseries and Misfortunes, and which without God is our greatest Misfortune, we have a thing called Reason within our Breast, which is very ingenious in giving Stings to our Miseries, and vexing us with cutting Reflections on them, but is not able to qualifie one Grief, or minister one dram of solid Comfort to us.

BUT when we lift up our Eyes to God, there are such vast and innumerable Comforts flowing down to us from the Consideration of his Nature and Providence, as are sufficient not only to allay our Sorrows, but to convert them into Joys and Triumphs. For in him we behold not only an infinite Wisdom that always knows what is best for us, but also an infinite Goodness that always wills what it knows to be so, and an infinite Power that always does what it wills; and whilst we see and consider this, there is nothing in the World p. 177can happen amiss to us; Welcome Pain, welcome Pleasure, welcome Loss, welcome Gain, welcome Disgrace, welcome Honour; for if we have but God our Friend, we may securely depend upon it, that whatever befalls us is best for us.

WHO but a Mad-man therefore would ever espouse the Cause of Atheism, or make it his Interest to exclude God out of the World? Indeed were he an envious, malicious, or tyrannical Being, that repined at the Happiness of his Creatures, and watched all Opportunities to plague or destroy them, 'twere but reasonable we should endeavour to quit our Minds of the Belief of him; but to imagine it our Interest to believe there is no such Being in the World as a Good God, that out of the immense Benignity of his Nature espouses our Interest, and takes care of our Happiness; that understands our Wants, and compassionates our Sufferings, and is able and willing to support and relieve us; that requires nothing of us but what is for our good, and will infinitely reward us for doing that which is best for our selves; that connives at our Follies, and pities our Infirmities, and upon our unfeigned Repentance is ready to be reconciled to us, even when we wilfully and presumptuously p. 178provoke him; to Imagine it, I say, our Interest to shake off the Belief of such a blessed Being as this, is the utmost height of Folly and Madness. For 'twere doubtless a thousand times more tolerable for Men that the Sun should be pulled down from the Firmament, and all the Lights of Heaven extinguished, than that the Belief of a God should be banished from the World, the absence of which would overspread Mankind with such a dismal Night of Horror and Despair and Blackness of Darkness, as would render all wise and considering Men aweary of their Beings, and cause them to wish a thousand times over, as for the utmost Good they could devise for themselves, O that there were such a Being as a God at the Helm of the World, that so the Affairs of it might be steered by an infinite Power, that is always directed by an infinite Wisdom, and always byassed and inclined by an infinite Goodness! What then can be more brutish or irrational, than for the sake of a few base Lusts that are the Scandal of our Nature, the Bane of our Society, the Vexation of our Lives, and the Disturbance of all our Happiness, to banish the Belief of a God from our Minds which is the Foundation of our Hope, and the only support we can rationally depend on.

p. 179IV. THE Atheist concludes for that side of the Question which is infinitely the most unsafe and hazardous. He who believes there is a God and acts accordingly, runs a very small and inconsiderable Venture if in the issue of things he should chance to be mistaken; he only ventures the dissatisfying a few extravagant Lusts, the crossing some irregular Inclinations of his Nature, which if he had gratified would have vexed and tormented him, and entangled his Life with a thousand ill Circumstances; he only ventures some Prayers and some Tears, some Watchings and Sruglings and Contentions with himself, and perhaps some Reproaches and Persecutions for Righteousness sake, in Exchange for which he hath commonly a healthful and a prosperous, an even, safe and contented Life, a quiet and a Triumphant Conscience, and a joyous Expectation of a blissful Eternity to come, which do outweigh all the Incommodities he ventures, all the Pains he undergoes, and all the Pleasures of which he debars himself; and if in the Conclusion when he resigns up his Breath, it appears that there is neither God nor Heaven nor Hell, his Condition will be altogether as good as the Atheists, with whom he will sleep quietly in the same Dust under the same everlasting Insensibility.

p. 180BUT on the contrary, the Atheist by believing that there is no God and acting accordingly, runs the most desperate Hazard in the World. For besides that he throws away the main Support and Comfort of his Life, and lays himself open to all Contingencies, and resigns up the Satisfaction of a good Conscience together with the Hopes of a blessed Futurity, and all the innumerable Joys it abounds with; besides all which, I say, he ventures to be eternally wretched and miserable in the World to come, and exposes himself naked and defenceless to the unquenchable Wrath of an everliving God; in Exchange for all which he hath no other present Compensation, but the Pleasures of a riotous and tumultuary Life, which do always die away in the Enjoyment, and are generally dasht and sophisticated with a thousand very sad and uncomfortable Circumstances. And then if when he concludes this present Scene of Life, he should find himself mistaken in his Atheistical Confidence, and be unexpectedly summoned to the Tribunal of that God, whose Being and Authority he hath so peremptorily denied and affronted, and from thence be transmitted into a dismal Eternity, there to languish out an everlasting Existence in remediless Woes and unpitied p. 181Lamentations; how would it astonish and confound him to find his confident Infidelity baffled by such a woful Experiment, when instead of being asleep in a state of Silence and Insensibility, which was the thing he depended on, he shall find himself wasted to a strange Shoar, and there landed among Devils and miserable Spirits, in a state of endless, easless and remediless Calamity! How blank and forlorn will the Fool look to find himself thus fatally mistaken? and yet for all he knows this may be the Result and Issue of things. So that 'tis a very small Hazard you see that good Men run, compared with that of the Atheist; for should they be mistaken, their Condition will be as good as his at the winding up of the Bottom; but if they should not, it will be infinitely better.

IT is storied of a certain Hermite, who being retired from the World, led a very severe and mortified Life, that being one day met by two Cardinals, who were riding by with a very Pompous Equipage, was thus acosted by them, Father, why should you thus mortifie and macerate your self by retiring from the Glories and Pleasures of this Life? Suppose now that after all your Religious Severities, there should be p. 182neither a God nor a future World to reward you, would it not be egregious Folly in you thus to throw away present Enjoyments for future Nothings? To which the good Man presently returned this Answer; But Sirs, suppose there should be a God and a future World to punish you, would it not be egregious Folly in you, to run such a desperate Venture as you do of being everlastingly miserable, for the sake of a few momentary Honours and Advancements? Upon which, as the Story saith, the Cardinals being convinced, went away very pensive. And herein doubtless the honest Hermite was very much in the right. For were it a Moot-point whether there be a God or no, one would think in a matter of such unspeakable Moment, and where the Hazard on each side is so infinitely unequal, there is no Man in his Wits but would choose the safest side, and make that his Rule and Principle to live by. In this therefore the Atheist is justly chargeable with the most desperate Folly, that whereas at least he might be safe, if not eternally Happy, by believing that there is a God and acting accordingly, he rather chooses to venture being eternally Miserable, by believing there is none and acting as if there were none. In short, this p. 183is the plain state of the Case, if I believe that God is and act consonantly, I shall be safe if he be not, and eternally happy if he be; whereas if I believe that he is not, I ame sure to be miserable for ever if he be, and am only safe from being miserable for ever if he be not; and this being the Case, I leave any Man to judge which of the two is in Prudence more eligible, the peradventure of being happy for ever or of being miserable for ever, supposing both to be equally probable. But

V. The Atheist concludes for the unsafest side of the Question upon the greatest Vncertainties in the World. One would think before a Man assented to a Conclusion, the Consequence of which, if he should be mistaken, will be for ever fatal to him, he should be so wise at least as to look before he leap, and satisfie himself of the Grounds he concludes on, and not to give up his Assent upon every doubtful and uncertain Appearance. Now that part of the Question which the Atheist Assents to, is of such mighty Consequence as that should it prove false he is lost for ever; and therefore one would think it concerned him to be very sure of his hand, and take care that his Assent be founded upon very strong and p. 184undeniable Evidence, instead of which he assents at a venture, and grounds his Belief upon the most sandy Foundations. For

1. He concludes for a pure Negative.

2. He concludes for it upon a bare Possibility.

3. He concludes for it against the best Evidence that the Contrary will admit.

I. HE concludes for a pure Negative. All Men are agreed that 'tis a very hard thing to prove a Negative; but to prove a pure Negative is impossible, unless the Existence of the thing which it denies implies an express Contradiction. 'Tis true, where a thing visibly exists so that we can perceive as well how it doth not exist as how it doth, we may with as good Evidence deny as affirm; but as for pure Negatives which deny the very Existence of such things as may possibly exist, it is impossible to be certain of them without an infinite Understanding. For before we can be sure that what is not in our Understanding is not in Nature, we must be sure that whatsoever is in Nature, is in our Understanding, otherwise a thousand things may be tho we do not understand them. As for Instance, Unless I were sure that I had the perfect Map or Geography of such a Country in my Head, it is impossible I should p. 185be sure that there is no such Town, or City, or Region belonging thereunto; and so unless I were sure that the Cosmography or Vniversal Map of Nature were perfectly delineated on my Vnderstanding, I cannot positively affirm that such or such a Being doth not actually exist. So that as a great Divine of our own hath well observed upon this very Argument, after all that can be said against a thing this will still be true, that many things possibly are which we know not of, and that many things more may be than are. For unless our Understanding were extended to the whole Compass of Nature, there may be, for all we know, ten thousand things in Nature which are not in our Vnderstanding. So that concerning pure Negatives we can never be certain, unless the things which they deny be absolutely impossible, and imply, in the very Notion of their Existence, a plain Contradiction; which cannot be said of the Existence of God. For by God we mean nothing but a Being endowed with all possible Perfections; and to say that it is impossible that there should be any such Being as is endowed with all the Perfections that 'tis possible for a Being to be indowed with, is to assert Possibilities impossible, which is a Contradiction in Terms. Since therefore p. 186this Negative that there is no God, denies that which is possible in its Nature, and which implies not the least Shadow of Contradiction, it is impossible, supposing it were true, for any finite Understanding to be certain of it. What Man in his Wits then would ever presume to deny the Being of God, and to Stake his everlasting Fate on it, when he knows beforehand that he cannot be sure that his Denial is true, and that if it prove false he is lost for ever! Alas! what is this but to throw Dice for our Souls, and to venture our Salvation on a wild Vncertainty?

II. THE Atheist concludes for a pure Negative upon a bare Possibility. One would think in a Matter of such infinite Moment, Men should at least be so wise as not to conclude without strong Probabilities, where they can find no Certainty to relie on; but so desperately fool-hardy is the Atheist as to suspend his Faith, and with that his Salvation, upon the bare Possibility that there may be no God. For when he is urged with those Arguments of Gods Being, that are drawn from the beautiful Contrivance of the World, he hath no other way to evade them, but by endeavouring to demonstrate how by the necessary Laws of Matter and Motion, things p. 187might possibly be shuffled together as they are without the Agency and Direction of a God; and yet even in this Attempt so many inextricable Difficulties present themselves as have puzled and confounded the acutest Wits that were ever engaged in it; and while with all their Art and Contrivance they have been framing their Hypothesis of the Existence of this World without a God, they have been forced not only to beg some Principles, but also to assert others that upon Examination have been found repugnant to the Nature of things; and when all is done, if both were true, yet are they altogether insufficient to solve a thousand Phainomena in Nature. So that the utmost that the most learned and inquisitive Atheist could ever pretend to, was to advance Atheism to a Grand perhaps, and by endeavouring to demonstrate how things might possibly be as they are without a God, to prove that 'tis possible there is none; and yet when all is done, their most ingenious Endeavours are only a Demonstration that the most acute and witty Men may be mistaken. For what a hopeless kind of Task is it to shew how that may be the Effect of a blind Chance or Necessity, which hath all the Characters of a wise Design and Contrivance fairly imprinted on it? p. 188How is it possible for an undesigning Chance to fit Means to Ends, or Ends to Natures, or so to proportion Parts to one another as to make a comely Symmetry in the whole, and this in ten thousand Instances and not fail in one? How often, as the above named Author from Tully discourses, might a Man after he hath shaken together a Sett of Letters in a Bag, fling them out upon the Ground, before they would fall into an exact Poem, or make a good Discourse in Prose? And may not a little Book be as easily made by Chance as the great Volume of the World, in which there is such an inexhaustible Treasure of rich Sense and Contrivance? Or how long might a Man be in sprinkling Colours upon a Canvas with a careless Hand, before they would happen to fall into the exact Picture of a Man? And is a Man easier made by Chance than his Picture? Why may we not as well conceive the most regular Building in the World to be framed by a casual Concourse of Stone and Iron and Timber, as that these blind and rambling Parts of Matter should chance to place themselves so orderly in the World, and to observe such an exact Harmony and Decorum as if they kept Time with the Musical Laws of some almighty Mind, that composed p. 189their Measures and regulated their Motions up and down in the Universe?

BUT granting the Atheist what he so eagerly tho unsuccessfully contends for, that it is possible all this might happen by mere Chance, and consequently that there may be no God in the World, would any Man in his Wits found his Faith upon a mere Possibility, when 'twill be as much as his Soul is worth if he should happen to be mistaken? It is possible that should he throw himself from the Top of a high Steeple, the Air between may be so condensed as to bear him up and preserve him from being dasht in pieces by his Fall; but would you not think the Man slark mad that should venture his Neck upon that Possibility? And yet it is a far more desperate Venture that the Atheist makes, by thus hazarding his Soul to everlasting Destruction, upon a bare possibility that there may be no God to destroy him.

III. THE Atheist concludes against the best evidence that the Contrary will admit. For that there is a God we have as full Evidence as the Matter could bear if there were one, and to require more is absurd and unreasonable. For let us at present suppose, but for Argument-sake, that there were such an infinite Spirit in the World; p. 190a Spirit that were as wise, and as good, and as powerful as he whom we call God is supposed to be; supposing, I say, there were such a Spirit actually existing, we could not have greater Evidence of it than we have already that he actually exists. For we could not see him with our Eyes, because we suppose him to be a Spirit, we could not demonstrate his Existence à priori or from any Cause, because being the first Cause he must be un caused or Self-Originated. It remains therefore that the only Demonstration we could give of his Being, is that which we call à posteriori or from such sensible Effects as can only be ascribed to the Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness of such a Being; and of such Effects as these we have infinite Instances before us. For in sum, we have all this visible World about us, whose changeable Nature demonstrates it to be the Effect of some superior Cause, and whose unspeakable Vastness, Beauty, and Contrivance argues it to be the Effect of some most wise, and good and powerful Cause. For as to the first, whatsoever is changeable cannot self-exist, but must necessarily proceed from some superior Cause; because whatsoever Self-exists is necessarily, and whatsoever is necessarily is always the same; that which is without p. 191any Cause cannot but be, and that which is thus or thus without any Cause, cannot but be so or so for ever; and consequently if the World were of it self without any Cause, it would not only be necessarily, but also be such as it is necessarily and unchangeably; but contrariwise we plainly perceive that it runs a perpetual Course of Change and Alteration, that its Parts are continually altering their Figure, and shifting their Places with one another, whereas if this Part were of it self necessarily, as it must be if the Whole be so, it would necessarily be where it is and what it is eternally.

AND since the Mutability of this World argues it to be the Effect of some superior Cause, I would fain know whether considering the Vastness, and Beauty, and Contrivance of it, it be not most reasonable to attribute it to such an all-good, all-wise, and Almighty Cause as we suppose God to be. For what less than an infinite Power can bear a due Proportion to such a vast and immense World? Should you enter into a vast and magnificent Palace, and find no Creature in it, but a company of Mice or Weasels, could you possibly believe that these impotent Vermin built it? And yet the building of the most Royal p. 192Palace doth not so much exceed the Power of these weak Animals, as the building of this World doth the Power of any Cause but a God. But then if we consider the infinite Number of Beings in the World that are capable of Happiness, and the vast Provisions that are made to entertain them according to their several Capacities, we cannot but thence conclude that the Power which made them was acted by an infinite Goodness. Lastly, if we consider the rare and admirable Contrivance of the several Parts of the World; how perfect each one is in its Kind, how exactly fitted to each other, and what a lovely Symmetry and Proportion they all make in the whole, how can we otherwise imagine but that that Power and Goodness which caused it was directed by an infinite Wisdom? So that the World is such an Effect as openly proclaims its Cause to be a God; and if this Evidence of Gods Existence will not convince Men, they are impregnably fortified against all Conviction; and if God should carry them into those infinite Spaces that are beyond the Limits of this World, and there command a New One into Being, while they stood looking on, and saw it springing out of nothing, they might with as good reason conclude that World to be p. 193nothing but a fortuitous Concourse of insensible Parts of Matter, as they now do that this is so. So that in fine, he that denies God after all these Demonstrations which he hath given of himself, is out of the reach of Argument, and if he pursue his own Principles, can never be convinced by any possible Reasons. And what a desperate Folly is it for Men to embrace a Belief, which should they be mistaken draws after it everlasting Ruin, when they have all the Reasons to the contrary that the Matter is capable of? What is this but to shut their Eyes, and cast themselves blindfold on their own Destruction, and to resolve to wink hard and believe against all possible Reasons, that so they may ruin themselves without any Interruption?

VI. and Lastly, THE Atheist plainly contradicts himself in his own Conclusion. For by denying that God is, he necessarily denies the Possibility of his Being. For if he be not, it is impossible he should ever be; because Eternity of Being is included in the Notion of him. For when we speak of God, we mean by him a Being that is before all Causes, and the Cause of all Causes, and that therefore oweth not his Being to any prior Cause, but doth necessarily, independently, and eternally exist. p. 194So that if he be not now, he cannot be at all, because he must begin to be, which is contradictory to the very essential Notion and Idea of him. For if he should ever begin to be, he cannot be Eternal, and if he be not Eternal he cannot be God. So that to say God is not, is by necessary Consequence to say he cannot be at all; and yet by a God we mean at the same time a Being that is endowed with all the possible Perfections that a Being is capable of. Wherefore as by saying that God is not, we do by Consequence assert that it is impossible he should ever be, so by asserting that it is impossible he should ever be, we do in effect assert this gross Contradiction; that it is impossible such a Being should ever be as includes all the Perfections that are possible to a Being. Thus in the same Breath we pronounce that God can and cannot be, that 'tis possible he is, and yet impossible he should ever be. For by saying that he is a Being endowed with all the possible Perfections of Being, we expresly affirm that it is possible he may be; but by saying that there is no such Being actually existing, we do as expresly assert that it is impossible he should ever be. He therefore who asserts that God is not, doth by necessary Consequence assert this express p. 195Contradiction, that it is impossible there should ever be a Being as perfect as it is possible. And when if there be a God, Mens eternal Fate depends but upon believing that he is and acting accordingly, what a monstrous Folly is it for Men to contradict themselves to deny him; what is this but to stake their Souls upon it, that the very first Principle of reasoning is false, and put their Fate upon this desperate Issue, that unless both Parts of a Contradiction prove true, they must inevitably perish for ever?

And now having shewn you from what malignant Causes Atheism springs, and how desperately foolish and unreasonable it is in it self, let us all endeavour by the serious Consideration of what hath been said, to fortifie our Minds against it. And since this Proposition that God is, is the prime Foundation of all Religion, it concerns us all to use our utmost Diligence to establish our Minds in the firm and stedfast Belief of it; and this we cannot fail to do, if we heartily endeavour it. For the Arguments of Gods Being do shine all round about us with such a clear and convincing Light, that we need do no more than just open our Eyes to it, and dispel those mischievous Causes from our Wills, that hide and obscure it from our Vnderstandings. p. 196And when once we have throughly setled the Belief of Gods Being in our Minds, it will mightily influence all our Powers of Action; it will invite our Hope, and alarm our Fear, and Address to every Passion in us that is capable of Perswasion, and be an everliving Spring of Religion within us; for God is an Object so infinitely Great in himself, and of such infinite Moment and Concernment to us, that 'tis next to impossible we should firmly believe that he is, without being vigorously impress'd with religious Affections upon the Consideration of his Being.