manifest the Religion we Astreadans profess to be more rational than what can be urg'd to the contrary by any opposite Persuasion The Grecian Senator very gravely observ'd the preceding Discourse and though he was inclin'd to esteem the Laws and Usage of his Country both on the Divine and Civil Account he readily acknowledg'd that neither of those were valuable if not of sound and unbiass'd Construction wherefore he was very desirous to attend the Period of this considerable Debate When the Philosopher his Associate who had been positively educated in the Athenian School acknowledg'd by the World for the most exquisit Seminary of Letters where he had gradually arriv'd to the height of Philosophical Science was somewhat earnester than the Senator to understand if reverential Worship could be apparently deducible from the exterior and sensible Acts of Providence assuring the Priest his Companion That unless he could make out his particular method of Adoration the Altars and Sacrifices however beneficial they had been to Men of his Function would sink in Repute notwithstanding the Esteem they had formerly received At which words the Priest being not a little concern'd and rubbing of his Forehead hard with not a little Priestly Confidence began in this manner I well know that Universal Providence however it may seem disguis'd or perplex'd by the various Opinions and Religions of the World ought to have a Divine Attribute revereâ—c'd by Mankind and that the Conviction is no less apparent than that there is Day and Night Heat and Moisture and other elementary qualities by which the Universe do's subsist That not a few of profound Erudition have affirm'd That the whole Bulk and Fabrick of the Universe is animated preserv'd and govern'd by one Soul or Providence on which Account they acknowledge that there is an actual Supreme Conduct as clearly manifest as we know by Sense that Earth Water or Air have their proper Qualities and Beings But this general Soul of the World being impossible to be view'd or resembled by Shape or Figure no more than the Soul or Life that actuates the Body of Man is to be seen or describ'd they allow it a supreme and essential Conduct on which the conservation of all above and below depeâ—ds For which Reason they hold it absurd to give a definitive Name to any thing that is not perceptible to Sense how excellent soever they grant its Being and Conduct And though I am of the Priesthood my Ingenuity do's oblige to grant that it is not easie to give a Denomination to an invisible Power or a supreme Cause whose Essence is absconded and can no otherwise be reverenced than by the Effects it produceth On which ground they argue That an uncertain Name or Notion of Divine Power as it may be signified by the Word Providence is less temerarious and of more practicable Intelligence than Definitions of Men that pretend to explain a deified Essence And thus continu'd the Priest we are severely censur'd and pretendedly recriminated for proposing to the World such Tenents as undertake to furnish the Understanding with a more superlative Intimacy with the Divine Power than by any Fact or Conduct of Heaven is manifestly explain'd And likewise reflect on our usual Worship as the Catalogue of superstitious Frauds and Devices notwithstanding it be clear both to us and them that unless it be granted that Devotion be explain'd after our manner of Adoration in reference to Divinity Religion can have no Certainty or practical Observance The Fidefendon reply'd that the Athenian Priest had conceded enough in that he granted That the Omnipotent or Supreme Being might have an implicite Demonstration though not the essence known by the word as in the example you mention'd of the Soul in the Body of Man the word Soul does not explain the Being of the human Soul though by its conceiv'd Operation we give it a name by which we rather would know than certainly able from thence to express its nature In like manner We Astreadans after the rational form of Worship profess'd by us attribute to the Denomination of Providence an Omnipotency or Divine Conservator and Disposer of the total World as it is either compos'd of whatsoever we behold or of what we do neither discern or apprehend And yet we do not definitively infer from any of these Expressions the Essential Nature or Modality of Existence in reference to the Supreme Power which we devoutly celebrate In your City of Athens where Literature has been so anciently Famous you deify an Omnipotent Being but instead of defining his Essence you dedicate your Worship to the unknown God as the publick Inscriptions on your Temples and Altars declare By which it is evident That you renounce all Tenents that pretend to Definitions of the Nature of the Deity you adore by which the Prudence of your Republick judiciously avoided the intolerable Absurdities that otherwise would have been propagated amongst you And had your Citizens been allow'd the freedom of Discussing or suffer'd any Tenents that had undertook to explain the Divine Essence your City had been infectd with more contagious Errors relating to Belief than you do at this day profess For if you had allow'd any Corporeal Figure or Being to what you Divinely celebrate you must have represented it in the likeness of Humanity or other Animal On the contrary if you had given it a spiritual Attribute you had then determin'd more Exorbitantly and less Intelligible Because the understanding can have no comprehension of any spiritual Existency that is in no kind the Object of Sense Nor can any however confident they seem to be with the least shadow of Reason affirm That a bodily Eye can discern that which hath no Body which were a Contradiction to the undoubted Principle of Opticks and no less wide from the Understanding or impossible to fall within the compass of its knowledge according to that clear Philosophical Maxim That nothing is in the Intellect of Man but was first the Senses whereas it is evident from what is here alledg'd That a spiritual Being cannot be in any kind the Object of the Understanding or Senses To conclude Whatsoever is not to be seen or felt is impossible to be apprehended or notional to human Conception And I think no Man will undertake to demonstrate that a Spirit is either to be touch'd or seen And these Reasons I conceive enough to invalidate all spiritual Definitions and Notions by whomsoever asserted And yet I grant said the Fidefendon That from the sublime Effects and Proprieties of a Cause sensibly apparent I may concede that it is supreme and ineffable by Reason of the actual dignity of its Operation notwithstanding it be far impossible for me to apprehend the manner of its Existence or Being as is manifest from the Example of Providence before mention'd the excellency of whose actual and continual Benignity in the wonderful Order and Conservation of the Universe and all things it contains is apparent to
our Understandings by the undeniable allowance of all our Senses as Seeing Hearing Tasting Smelling Touching these assure us of a Providential Being How remote soever or absconded the Modality of its Existence is from our Apprehensions Like to some admirable Structure from whose Composure Furniture Parts and Proportions I admire the perfect Abilities of the Architect and Founder though unknown to me the superlative Skill and Materials that compleated the Fabrick And I cannot but reiterate That there is nothing more fallible or absurd than positively to affirm That in allowing of a Supreme Cause they must necessarily grant a spiritual Existence it being very possible that such an Efficient howsoever superlative allow'd in its Essence may be no Spirit as some undertake to define nor of bodily substance in any corporeal Sense or Attribute that can be apprehended by us And in Speculation we may acknowledge that an extraordinary Cause may be notionally understood to be of a refin'd Nature yet not therefore term'd Spiritual no more than the Notion of a distinct fifth Essence which Philosophers attribute to the Aetherial Bodies of the Sun and Stars does imply a spiritual Being or contrarily any Similitude of Subsistence if likened to Elementary Composition If the World did explain by any Work or Thing the Cause of its own Original or any Creature that subsists in it we could not be destitute of knowing nay seeing of it as perfectly as we do our selves Though we must not conclude from thence that the total Compass of the World doth not diffuse the Cause of its Being And it were a very groundless and improper Notion to imagine that any such Original Cause should have an Existence beyond the vast Extent of the Universe which were no less absurd than to imagine that something may subsist where there is nothing For I take it as granted by all of us that the capacity of the World above and below must be large enough to include its supreme Cause We ought therefore to conclude that the Reason why it cannot be discern'd is because it is absconded by its effectual conduct and manner of Operation in order to the conservation of the Universe For if it animate all things or be diffus'd as a Soul of which every individual Being participates as was precedently mention'd it cannot be perceptible in whole or in part no more than the human Soul is to be discern'd in its Figure or Proportion that gives Life and Motion to the Body All which does sufficiently manifest that a Supreme Cause may be visibly existent in the Effects it produceth yet so as not to be otherwise defin'd or apprehended On which grounds we of this Island of Astreada adore Providence without giving to it the name of Deity or obliging our selves to give a denomination to a Being or Essence that we cannot intelligibly express and so be necessitated to devise an equivalent Term or Notion of Divinity at a Venture Whereas we conceive that we are pertinently devout if sensible of its Effects however obscure its Being if we pay our Adoration in that method for the Benefits we receive And that as an undiscernible Foreseer Provider and Disposer of all things for the Glory of it self and humane preservation and subsistence we celebrate Providence not with less reverence than such as would be thought strictly to worship and implore what they think fit to deifie 'T were more tedious than necessary should â— entertain you who are Strangers to our Climate with an elaborate Repetition of our Forms of Prayer and manner of Devotion which in sums is no other than that we reverence on our Knees the ineffable Disposer and Giver of the Blessings we receive like to a Man that should have a Bounty convey'd to him by an unknown hand and who in that Case would not think himself tacitely oblig'd to return his acknowledgment though he was ignorant of the Motive Nature and Dignity of the Person that was the Bestower On what account the Tenents and Superstructures of others not to reflect on their notorious Frauds and Devices have hood-wink'd the understandings of Men that are not united to us by the sensible method of our Persuasion I leave concluded the Fidefendon to your judicious Examination The Philosopher observing that his Countryman Priest was somewhat troubled to reply or ruminating of what Argument waâ— fittest to be insinuated in defence of his Persuasion spoke to the Fidefendon in these words I am apt to grant both as a Philosopher and as far as Reason ought to convince me that there is an implicit Reverence as you have judiciously maintain'd due to the sensible operations of Providence all which I do as clearly perceive as that the Sun has warmness in his Beams and that Day and Night have a reciprocal management as they beneficially vary and commode the several Climates of the Universe or that Mankind and every Animal and Vegetive is nourish'd and supported by operations of a Cause predominately absconded To which I likewise condescend That you aptly give the denomination of Providence without undertaking to define its Essence as he that sees Light feels the effects of the Suns heat is capable of understanding what he intends by either of the words but not therefore apprehensive of the composition or essential nature of the substance from whence they proceed Neither can I dissent from you as you celebrate under the Notion of Providence the Devotion you apply in respect that what I am rationally oblig'd to admire as an ineffable Supporter and Disposer of all things I may undoubtedly worship in a general Sense without other definition to explain which the Reasons you have precedently alledg'd are so many and perspicuous as they need no Illustration So that as a rational Man and a Philosopher I readily concede that the Belief you Astreadans profess is both Natural and Philosophical neither can any other religious Proposal however reputed divine or inspir'd deter me from allowing my highest Admiration and Reverence to the methods of that Persuasion that is evidently familiar to my Soul and Senses in the same manner as you deduce your Creed from the conduct of Providence and why the Devotion of the World should not be universally united in that primitive one entire and obvious meanâ— of Worship is not easily understood To which the Fidefendon readily answer'd â—elling the Philosopher that he had proceeded ingeniously in his Concession relating to what had been discuss'd And that he concluded with a very considerable mark on the deplorable Folly of Mankind in being so absurdly divided by their Beliefs considering that as the World is one so there can be but one true Proposition or Motive in order to worship As in the Instance that has been given of Providence if that be clearer to the apprehension as it must be because sensibly perceiv'd than any Notion different from it that ought to be made the Proposition that should generally unite and terminate humâ—ne Worship And I
Laws and publick Constitutions And I doubt not said the Priest looking earnestly on the rest that our sacred Office may claim as sublime Reputation if not more considering the dignity of our Function To conclude We do not undertake to prove with the same evidence of Sense as you do the operations of Providence that by whomsoever our Precepts were originally convey'd on which were first founded our Priestly Qualifications and Capaciâ—ies that he was either inspir'd or convers'd with a Deity But rather affirm that he ought in one kind or other to be so reputed in respect of the credit and value allow'd to the Principles of Worship convey'd by him After this manner the titular Grandeur of heroical and excellent Persons receiv'd divine Names and Epithites not that they in nature were so near of Kin to Heaven as to be half way deified as of old some were entitled but from the admiration paid to their actions and endowments that highly tended to the benefit of others And since the World will not be easily persuaded that there ought to be such a sensible Worship as you propose which I confess was to be wish'd Particular Nations will stand upon the Credit of their Priests and what they receive from their Instructions nay hold themselves oblig'd to support and defend as much as in them lies the esteem of one sort of Priesthood above another Moreover when we assert a Proposition in Religion that is not demonstrative as by declaring in what manner the Deity is represented or personated or how operative on Men by way of Inspiration It ought to be receiv'd as our way of speaking whereby we teach Men more superlatively to reverence the Doctrines we deliver which could not be receiv'd with plausible respect and admiration if not suppos'd to have proceeded from a Divine Founder Insomuch that the Poâ—emicks of Nations on which depend their controverted Creed have no other Original than which of them ought to be prefer'd as they relate to the celebrated Qualifications of their first Proposers The Athenian Senator observing that the Priest his Associate was more perplex'd and obscure in vindicating of his Tenents than he expected from his Undertaking gravely told him that he thought it would be no advantage to his Creed to debate it farther And turning to the Fidefendon gave him thanks for the Explanation he had given them of his Astreadan Persuasion adding withal That it would be no less grateful to him and the Philosopher his Countryman if he pleas'd to deliver what waâ— the Doctrine receiv'd in that famous Island tending to the Immortality of the Soul and the Condition of Mankind after this Life The Fidefendon soberly reply'd That by his precedent Discourses he doubted not but it was apparent to all of them that Religion was clearly the Object of Sense and convey'd by universal Providence on which account all particular Beliefs and singular Perâ—uasions whereby this or that People annex'd â—heir Creeds on pretence of Divine Inspiraâ—ion revealed by written Records or Relaâ—ions of Men tending to that purpose were Notions no less absurd than impossible because no Miracle written or related is an equivalent proof of a Miracle in Fact so â—hat if a Man do's not palpably discern what he is told or reads it cannot be hiâ— actual Conviction Neither can any Man be otherwise persuaded but he must particularize and limit Providence as he supposeth that it has convey'd his profession of Faith in a partial Bounty as â—t respects one sort of Men or Nation more than the generality of Mankind This obvious Reflection plainly discovers the erronious and contradictory grounds of such as would be thought singularly illuminated in order to their Forms of Worship All which â— thought fit previously to instance as being necessary to the explaining of our Opinion of the World which you Grecians call the other If humane Understanding has no actual Evidence by what means or fact the Earth we tread on or the Globe of the Universe which our eyes with admiration behold was produc'd how is it possible that the Intellect of Man should display any sufficient Notion of an undiscernable World And whereaâ— Providence has given us a sensible assurance as has been already prov'd of its Operations in the Universe we inhabit we have no such Conviction of any other And it were no less then a Contradiction to affirm that this World is sensibly perceiv'd but not that which some term the t'other and consequently that thiâ— only was providentially dispos'd in order to the conviction of our Senses which must render Providence defective and opposite to it self or visible here but an invisible Guide as to our Perception by its means of another World And whosoever shall assert a Tenent oâ— this unintelligible Extent do's in effect affirm the existency of two distinct Deities that by a dissimulary Conduct govern thiâ— and t'other mundane Place and Situation For if the Order and Operations of the Supreme Power be perciptible only in such Objects as are familiarly apparent to our Understandings and Senses as has been already the Being of another World must be totally different from this as also the nature and effects of the Omnipotent Cause by which it is actuated and preserv'd in no kind of similitude to the Rule and Disposition of the Universe we inhabit or that there is a spiritual World and Being ordain'd for the Reception of the humane Soul as they conceive it an immortal Spirit Neither can any sufficiently alledge Divine Inspiration as has been observ'd by me to corroborate a Doctrine so opposite to humane discernment because no one Man can explain to another by what means he was inspir'd or how he was illuminated by a spiritual Conversion It being widely impossible to Reason that he who sensibly understands not the existency of a Spirit should apprehend the possibility of a spiritual Dialogue betwixt God and Man The most ancient Recorders of the delusory and various Beliefs of the World were either Poets or Priests or both none of your Grecians can deny as is manifest from the esteem you give to their Traditions and Writings Yet the most anciently celebrated of these as were Orpheus Hesiod and the like taught Men to believe that Gods did beget one another as their Deities of both Sexes were suppos'd to engender A Notion as absurd as monstrous because it implies that one Infinite thing can beget another Infinite or one spiritual Being procreate its like in Essence which Doctrine however extravagant must be conceded by all that attribute the denomination and nature of Spirit to the Deity and grant that it may communicate its substance in any respect And I very much fear that in the Worship by which many would be thought most devoted to an Omnipotent Power that they render iâ— impossible to be reverenc'd in the method they propose unless they can prove as instanc'd before how an undeterminate or infinite Being can be a sensible Object and comprehensively