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CHA P. XVI.

Containing feveral Comparisons of the Two Opinions, in order to fhew the extravagant Folly of Atheists.

WE

TE have feen what the principal proofs are which establifh the Truth of the Exiftence of God, and confidered the principal Objections that either are, or may probably be made against this grand principle. There may be made Five feveral Comparisons between the Two Opinions, which will fully confirm the Truth we have already proved; the First of which confifts in this, That the Opinion of the Atheists is fingular and extraordinary, and ours has the advantage of Confent and Agreement. Secondly, That it is our Intereft, and that an honeft and reasonable Intereft, to believe there is a God, whereas it is only the interest of our Lufts and irregular Paffions not to acknowledge any. Thirdly, that our Opinion is attended with many happy Confequences, and on the contrary, Atheism is liable to a Thousand dreadful Inconveniences Fourthly, That there is more Obfcurity and Difficulty in the opinion of those who deny a God, than in the opinion of those who believe one. Fifthly, and Laftly, That there are abundance of Reasons to perfwade us of this first Truth; whereas there is not one to be alledged, that can reasonably pass for a proof of the contrary.

To make good the First of these Five Comparisons, it is fufficient to obferve, that there

are

are Five forts of Confents, that prove the Exifence of God; viz. First, The Confent of Natural things, to reprefent to us the Wisdom of their Maker, which we have already mentioned. Secondly, The Confent of all Supernatural things; if I may be allowed fo to exprefs the agreement of all Events or Matters of Fact that are Supernatural and Miraculous, to confirm this grand Principle. Thirdly, The Confent of Men who have lived in all Ages. Fourthly, The Confent of all the Lights and Faculties of Man. Fifthly and Laftly, the general confent of all Sciences, which terminate in this first and capital truth, as their common center.

Were there but one thing in the World to inform us of this truth, we should have lefs reafon to wonder that it fhould be called in queftion: But we have already feen, that all the parts of Nature do with one accord fet it plainly before our Eyes. The Stars, the Earth, the Heavens, Fire, Water, Winds, Whirlwinds, Clouds, Night and Day, Light and Darkness, Plants, Animals, Men, and fo many other things link'd to one another, notwithstanding their distance, and gathered into one Mass; notwithstanding their Difperfion, in order to compofe this great and wonderful frame we are furprised to behold. All these things fhew us by their greatness, by their variety, by their fubordination, by the just temper and mixture of their qualities, by their relations and wonderful proportions, and by that Divine Order which ties them altogether, that the World is the workmanship of that Sovereign Intelligence to which we affix the Name

of God.

I fhall not here infift upon the agreement of all Supernatural things, to teach us the fame truth, nor the abfolute neceffity there is of acknowledging the Existence of God, if but one of all the Supernatural things we have ever heard of be true, whether of those that have a relation to Religion, or those afcribed to the power of Magick. This is not the proper Place for fuch a confideration, because it depends upon a Foundation which is not yet established.

But this I may confidently affirm, that we cannot but be moved at the confideration of the general Confent of Men, thofe who are now Living, and those that are Dead, the Learned and Ignorant, Happy and Miferable, Innocent and Guilty, those who expect another Life after Death, and thofe who profefs not to hope for any thing after this Life; the Sadducees who dread no Judgment to come, and therefore are not prepoffeffed by their Fears; the Stoicks, who have the infolence to prefer themselves before the Deity, when they applaud themselves for their Wisdom, and who are not ingaged in Error by a fuperftitious refpect; the Epicureans who make it the prerogative of God, not to concern himself with what we do; the Heathens who represent the Deity as Vitious and diforderly; and even the Deifts themselves of these Times, who have no Scruples to retain them from fpeaking what they think.

And this Confent is fo much the more confiderable in this occafion, because Men are so far from admitting of this grand Principle through any Prejudice, that they all agree to receive it, even against all their Prejudices, and against all the Principles of their Errors, as we have already fhewed.

By

By this Reflection, we are perfwaded to think that this is a Confent of Reafon and common Senfe, which is of fuch weight and confideration in the common Affairs of Life, that this alone fuffices, without any further Examination, to make us receive almost an infinite number of Truths, and to treat fuch as Mad Men and Enthufiafts who dare call them in question. Judge therefore of what force that Agreement of the Understandings of all Men is, which by their pureft Lights and most common Notions, leads us to the knowledge of God, and the general Consent of their Hearts, which by their Inclinations and natural Sentiments, make us fenfible of the fame Truth; and the Union of their Hearts with their Understandings, which agree in this, though contrary enough upon other occafions; and the agreement of Reafon and Confcience, Nature and Education which are fo perfectly united together in this respect.

Since therefore all our Faculties agree to receive this great and important Truth, we ought not doubt but the Sciences will lead us likewife to it, as to their common Center. We cannot learn from Anatomy, the Symmetry, the Ufes and Design of the feveral parts of our Body, without being perfwaded from thence, that there is fome Wisdom that has ordered and difpofed them after fuch a wonderful and furprifing manner. We know from Chymistry, better than from any other Science, the Action of Matter, and the Effects of Motion, which Chymistry diverfifies a Thousand ways by its Operations and Mixtures; but by fhewing us wh

and Motion can produce, it makes distinctly understand, Thought can r

n

from either of these Causes, which puts us under a neceffity of acknowledging a God, who is the Author of Spirits, or Spiritual Acts. Neither can we obferve by the help of Aftronomy the Order, Distance, Proportions and Uses of those immenfe Globes which enlighten us, without having an Idea of a Sovereign Wifdom which has placed them after fuch a manner. All the Axioms of Civil Law are founded upon those common Maxims of Equity and Justice, which are lodged in the Souls of all Men, and which if the Existence of God be once taken away, immediately fall to the Ground: For in that cafe, having no nobler an Original than Chance or blind Matter, they ought not to puzzle Men any longer with vain Scruples. If you confult Hiftory, it will fet before you the progress of Arts and Sciences, the newness of the World, the Deluge and the Creation, Principles that have an evident connexion with the Truth of the Exiftence of God, and can never be called in queit on, unless we renounce the most certain part of Hiftory, and deftroy the memory of things paft. If you take a view of Morality, it will give you fuch an Idea of Goodness and Vertue, as you will be forced to approve, at the fame time you are difpofed to think the contrary; and yet this Goodness and Vertue is nothing, if you take away the grand and only Principle of our Duty, which is God. Study Nature, and what Syftem foever you follow, it will lead you to the Knowledge of its Author. The Doctrin of Ariftotle by a Subordination of Motions, which he owns to be in Nature, will lead you to a primum mobile. Defcartes will tell you, that it is by the free Choice of a Sovereign Intelligence, that

Matter

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