said to execute his office with ingenuity who did not represent them purely according to their Authors but who did blend them with other Principles A righteousness built on the Principles of Self-love Honour Conveniency Pleasure and such other Motives is a Righteousness built on a Heathen Foundation which cannot please God no more than we do think our selves obliged by Acts and Deeds which had no regard to us I would not be thought by this to exclude all respect to our Private and Personal Interest nor yet to disprove a humble and modest Enquiry into the reasonableness or excellency of the Divine Laws But as the surest Proof the clearest and shortest Demonstration of this is drawn from the Existence Nature Will and Authority of God Just as we best understand the Wisdom and Reasons of a Government by considering what the King is and what he proposes to himself So the only design of this Enquiry should be to encourage our Obedience to render it more ready and chearful by convincing us that he who has the Authority over us employs it most for our Advantage that so the Servitude which we owe by Nature may become voluntary that we may be incapable of revolting and tho' we could be free yet we may chuse rather to be Servants for ever like that Servant under the Law who gave his Ear to be bored thorow preferring out of love to his Master perpetual Bondage to his Freedom I know not whether it should move Indignation or Pity most to see how pleasantly Men delude themselves with Suppositions of Mankind their starting up free without all obligation except to consult their own Pleasure and Convenience Some who make these Suppositions deny a Deity and proceed without any Consideration of God Others own a Deity but they found our Obligation to him only on his possessing Wisdom Reason and Knowledge in greater measure But this state of Nature is a Dream and meer Romance and all their Suppositions are wild extravagant against Reason and Nature if Mankind had another beginning if we all owe our being to another for then we are not free our Creation subjects us to him We ought in the first place to regard his Will which is a Law of indispensible Obligation not by vertue only of the reasonableness of it or the conveniency it brings with it but by vertue of the Authority enjoining it He is an open Rebel who has no regard to this Authority at all and he who preferrs any thing to it or has any other thing in greater consideration has broke the first and greatest chain of Justice he is not truly Loyal but waits an opportunity to revolt Tho' Rewards and Punishments be proposed yet they are not intended for weakening the Authority of the Supream Lord but to preserve it from contempt and to heighten our regard for it Which Rewards we ought to consider and have always before us both that we may know the Nature and Importance of those things to which they are annexed and also that by them we may be the more capable to serve and glorifie God to whom we owe infinite Service if it were in our Power ESSAY IV. The Existence of God is most Evident FRom what hath been said it necessarily follows that the first Principle of true Righteousness the Foundation of all Morality and Religion is this Faith by which we firmly believe that God is and that we derive our Life and Being from him that he Rules and Governs the World and that he is a Rewarder of them who diligently seek him This comprehends all and all other things are but Deductions from this Shake this and all falls to the Ground the whole Fabrick of Religion and Morality shivers into pieces But then this cannot be shaken It stands like a Rock immoveable notwithstanding of all the furious blasts of insolent Men in the several Ages of the World and perhaps never any of the former made so many or so violent attacks as this present This Foundation is surer than that of the World it self for when the Foundation of the World shall be overturned this shall stand sure to all Eternity as it was before the Foundation of the World it self was laid 1. And as it is sure and certain so it is clear and evident This is not a Truth which lies hid or mysteriously wrap'd up which requires depth of Judgment vast Learning assiduous Study and great Pains to the digging it up We may come at this without undertaking long and dangerous Voyages without the wearisome Study of Languages without turning over many Volumes without the trouble of consulting all the Wise and Learned and collecting their Sentiments This lies open to every Man of common Sense and Judgment because it is what every Man should know believe and understand The Necessaries of Life are common every where and may be had in every Country by a reasonable Industry which is no ways uneasie What must be fetch'd from afar with much expence and labour doth rather please Fansie than serve Nature So they are only Indian Trifles for amusing and sustaining a vain Curiosity which for the most part are returned to us by the Laborious Travels of Learned Men. And tho' they produce also things Substantial to give solid Delight and Satisfaction yet even of these it must be said that they are not absolutely necessary to give us Wisdom and Knowledge to establish this Faith which is the Ground-work and Foundation of all What is necessary and sufficient for this is obvious and at hand that all may be without excuse for which cause I may apply these words of Moses This is not hidden from thee neither is it far off It is not in Heaven that thou shouldst say who shall go for us to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldst say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it but this word of Faith is very nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that thou mayst do it Deut. 30. 12. That is the Evidence of this Faith depends not on the knowledge of what is transacted in these upper Regions nor on what passeth in the remote Parts of the World but the Evidence of it lies in every Man 's own Bosom His own Mind if he hearken to it can make him conscious of this Truth That thing within him whatever it be which makes him sensible of other things can convince him of this 2. Because I intend to speak intelligibly to all what the meanest Capacity may comprehend I will not run into the Philosophical Debate about innate Ideas I will not enquire whether all be born with an Idea of God nor of what force that is to demonstrate his Existence but whether the Mind of Man come to the World void of all Notions or prepossessed with Principles by which it is to
examine all things afterwards it is certain that it is capable of discerning things when duely set before it as the Eye is capable of distinguishing objects and colours in a clear light and at a due distance If the Mind cannot refuse an assent to some things if upon every representation of them it owns a Conviction and cannot without violence work it self into a denial it is all a matter whether this be from innate Principles or the natural Evidence of these things themselves And that there are some things clearer and more evident than Demonstration it self appears from this that even Mathematical Demonstration proceeds upon the supposition of this and requires them as Postulata Now the Mathematicians have only considered such Axioms as relate to Lines Figures and Bodies There are other Principles as self-evident as these whence comes that the Voice of Nature is Uniform and that there is a common consent of Mankind Wherefore it is no Paradox to say that the Existence of God and the Principles of Morality is not only as certain but more evident than the Propositions of Euclid because the generality of Mankind have always easily by the very bent of their Nature given an assent unto them and that the greatest Barbarity and Corruption could never entirely deface them Some Mens Genius is not capable of Mathematicks but all are capable or Morality and the reason of it is so plain that every unbyass'd Mind assents to it That there are Debates about some Moral Principles and particularly this of a Deity is no more an Objection against the Evidence thereof than the Arguments of Zeno against the Possibility of Motion or the Sophistry of the Scepticks against the certainty of these things which fall under our senses There are some things which a Child can distinguish as well as any of riper Years and which a Country Clown may Judge of as well as a Philosopher and consequently common Sense and Reason may be known from the one as well as the other nay very often better for the one speaketh what his Mind naturally dictates whereas the other being amused with the Notions he hath read which his Head always runs upon He discourseth according to these and so perverteth his Natural Reason The most simple Person can at first sight distinguish Natural Things from Artificial and without hesitation without waiting a deduction of Logical Inserences is presently convinced that both the one and the other has a cause and did not spring from themselves None was ever so sensless as to think a House was built without Hands and any of common sense seeth that Natural Things far excelleth these of Art being more curiously wrought more admirably contrived being more beautiful serving to more uses and in a word every way more perfect Therefore leave Men to the freedom of their own reason they would as readily believe a God as that a House had a Builder or a Watch an Artificer 3. Some will not yield that there are or can be real Atheists because it implies such absurdity But we see daily instances of Mens swallowing very gross Absurdities Nay there is hardly any absurdity which some or other has not received which should teach the wisest to walk with fear and to preserve their reason carefully If there be no Atheists some take a great deal of Pains to no purpose for they are at much ado to perswade us that they themselves are and to bring others to be Atheists But as I see no reason to doubt that there are such tho' very much reason that there should be none So Mens Athèism proceeds either 1 st From their Vitiousness which first breeds in them a dislike of God and then carries them to dispute his Providence and at last his Existence Just as they who are embarked in some Design which makes them dread the King first Quarrel with his Government and then deny his right and title Or 2 dly It arises from the Difficulties which they meet with in the Contemplation of his Nature and Attributes because they cannot clear or comprehend these therefore they deny his Being thinking it better to deny what is plain and evident than to own their Ignorance or the shortness of their Reason than which nothing can be more unreasonable as we may have occasion to shew afterwards Is it reasonable to deny plain and common things because there are some things without our reach Shall I put out my Eyes because they fail me in some particulars because they do not reach beyond the Clouds nor penetrate into the Secrets of Nature Difficulties which are insuperable may put a stop to further Enquiries and make it reasonable not to determine any thing positively in these Matters where we find them but they can never make it reasonable to deny what was clearly perceived before these occurred Tho' the Divine Essence he incomprehensible because infinite and because it does not fall under our sense tho' the ways and Workings of God be unsearchable and past finding out yet plainer and more certain Evidences cannot be desired of united Wisdom and Power than what we have continually before us nay carry about with us in our own selves As soon as one casts his Eye seriously upon them he shall be convinced He that considers them shall acknowledge them and therefore a Third Cause of Atheism is want of Consideration and Reflection Some are Atheists because they do not think their Souls are always asleep and they never open the Eyes of their Mind to behold by a wise regard the many Prodigies of Omniscient Power the beautiful Scenes the curious and admirable contrivances of Almighty Wisdom with which the World is filled They are like these sensual dull and uninquisitive Souls which creep about the Palaces of Princes on the account of the Meat and Drink which is to be had there in plenty They mind nothing but the crambing their Bellies and are altogether insensible of the Stately Magnificence the Curious Architecture the fine Sculpture and Painting which draws Strangers thither from all Parts of the World He who leads such a life should be set to graze with the Beasts for his life is not much better than theirs and his Soul seems to be altogether sensitive It is the Property of Man to think his Dignity above the other Creatures lies in a power of discerning and understanding things their Nature Ends and Uses their relation to each other their cause and contrivance and what else may enlarge the Mind with Wisdom and Knowledge to which he bends when free as naturally as a Stone to the Earth He who does not employ his Thoughts these ways abdicates the Dignity of his Nature and he who thus carefully maintains it will be full of God if I may so speak God will be in all his thoughts for he shall see him every where before him behind him on every side and in every thing As the foolish Iews asked a sign of Jesus Christ when according to
being capable to produce them And there are artificial Contrivances regular Proceedings and wise Adaptation of things to Ends and Purposes far above the Power and Capacity of any thing which is existent These and many such things follow the Denial of a God which are not only great Difficulties but such gross and senseless Absurdities as no thinking Person can either swallow or digest As therefore Deformity sheweth Shape and Proportion beautiful so the Belief of a Deity appears more reasonable by the Absurdity and Unreasonableness of Atheism which contradicts common Sense overturns the agreed Principles of Knowledge and Reason confound Chance and Contrivance Accident and Design and which has its Recourse to Wild Romantick and most precarious Hypotheses for they cannot shun the owning an Infinity and the Existence of something from Eternity and they are forced to acknowledge that things are framed according to the Rules of Art and Proportion Now is it not more reasonable to ascribe the constant Observance of these Rules to an Intelligent Being than to Chance or no Cause For there is no middle thing betwixt them to be fixed on either the one or the other must take place Nature which they talk so much of is an Obscure Word for concealing their Thoughts and Sentiments If by this they mean something distinct from Matter which moves and directs it their Nature is God in Disguise and if they must flee to this for a rational Account of the Production of things why do they quarrel at the Word God which carries a clearer Idea and in the Sense of which all the World is agreed Tho' this Nature of theirs be equivalent yet it is more mysterious and therefore it smells of some designed Perverseness as if by the Use of this Word and the Disuse of the other they would turn Peoples Thoughts from God and God from the Honour of being the Creator of all things But if by Nature they only understand certain Laws and I know not what Ordinances by which things must move is this sufficient to explain the first Productions of things For tho' it should be true that Matter cannot move but according to these Laws and that moving by them in process of Time the Work could have been produced as it is at present after that Romantick Manner of Cartesius yet there was no Necessity that Matter should move at all nor could it move of it self Wherefore whether they will or not they must own the Existence of something prior to Matter it self or the Motion of it which Cartesius was sensible of and therefore he could not build his airy and fanciful System without supposing the Existence of a Deity And if he had kept his Eye upon this infinitely perfect Being and considered the World and all particular things as his Work if instead of a vain curious Enquiry how things should have been if Matter once moved had been left to it self he had shewed how things are and explained the admirable Contrivance of them if he had given us a History of Nature and described the Wisdom of God in the Make Order Place and Relation of particular things I say If Cartesius had done this as he seems to have been able for it the World would have been more obliged to him his Philosophy should have been more rational and satisfactory more useful to others and of more lasting Fame to himself Whereas now by turning his Thoughts from the Ends and Uses of things and the Wisdom of the Author and Contriver he has turn'd his Back upon the only true Light that was to have guided him he has grop'd in the Dark and produced nothing but useless Conjectures and the extravagant Ravings of his Brain which tickled Men at first as all Novelties use to do but which wise inquisitive and thinking Men will and must disgust because there wants Solidity As God is the first Cause and Author of all things so the Belief of a Deity is the Foundation of all solid Reason what is not built on this is Nonsense and Absurdity I know the Atheists arrogate to themselves Wit and Judgment and Knowledge above others and do think that it is the Ignorance and Credulity of the Bulk of Mankind as one lately Words it which make them to be of another Belief But I pray you must they carry away Sense and Understanding from others because they are so vain as to think it Do not those in Bedlam think themselves wiser than others All the rest of the World are Fools in their Eyes and those who keep them there not only Fools but Oppressors and most unjust And yet Atheism is a more extravagant and pernicious Madness which it is the Interest of Mankind to keep from spreading But alas it has been suffered to take Root and spread nay it is cherished and encouraged Men walk the Streets and publickly act this Madness In every Corner they throw their Squibbs of Scoffs and Drollery against the Almighty Author of their Being They meet in Companies to concert how they may most wittily expose him and what is the readiest way to render him ridiculous in the Eyes of others A Clinch or Jest or puny Witticism is received and entertained as an useful Discovery and carried about with all Diligence Tho' there be no Reason why the Atheist should be a Zealot there being no Obligation on him to propagate his Opinions and because the less they are entertained by others he is the more secure yet no Sect is become more zealous of late than Atheists and their Fraternity who maintain their Cause by an affronted Impudence by the Exercise of a froathy Wit more than Reason and by Jesting and Drollery rather than serious Argument And is this a reasonable or commendable way of handling a Matter so serious and important Should Impudence run down Evidence Should a Jest or a Witticism be of more Weight than the Dictates of common Sense and sober Reason If these Men were capable of Counsel I would ask them whether they are absolutely sure that they are in the right Are they able to demonstrate that there is no God This is more than any ever yet pretended to and if they cannot pretend to this ought they not to walk very cautiously If there be a God as there may for any Assurance they have to the contrary what then have they to expect for these bold Insults and that wicked Opposition to him A modest Enquiry into Truth even into the Existence of God himself is reasonable and cannot offend either God or Man But Spite and Insolency cannot by any Means be justified It shews a Desire that there should be no God more than Doubts and Scruples about his Existence which must needs provoke the most hight God and draw down his Judgments both on those who are guilty and on the Land which cherisheth them The CONCLUSION THO' the Existence of God be most evident yet I thought my self obliged to insist the longer upon proving it because it is of such Importance for it is the Foundation of all Knowledge and Certainty as well as of all Morality and Religion The Belief of a Deity is the first Article of the Christian Creed upon which the Truth and Certainty of the rest depend And therefore 't was necessary to shew that this is no vain Hypothesis or imaginary Supposition but a Truth loudly proclaimed and strongly confirmed not only by Reason but every part of the World So that whatever the Atheist may arrogate to himself and whatever Esteem may be paid to him unjustly in this corrupt Age yet he is so far from being wiser than others that by the universal Voice of Nature as well as Scripture he will be declared a Fool who saith that there is no God When I have proved that this God doth rule the World which is also included in this first Faith I shall then consider what it is to live by it and shall shew how necessary it is to the being just and righteous And I hope that there is such Satisfaction given in these Essays that who shall read them will be desirous of the other that are promised ERRATA PAge 1. line 2. read is p. 3. l. 7. r. Scripture p. 7. l. 29. r. Principle p. 12. l. 12. r. so well p. 13. l. 17. for touchos r. touch p. 19. l. 8. f. Squares r. Square p. 23. l. ult for is r. are p. 40 l. 31. r. as well ibid. l. 33 r. a part p. 42 l. 25. r. the f. their p. 43. l. 22. r. exceedingly p. 45. l. 13. f. be r. is p. 46. l. 21. f. should r. would p. 47. l. 14. r. conjoined p. 57. l. 20. r. there FINIS * By the latest and exactest Calculation of the Modern Mathematicians there goes 69 Miles and a Tenth Part to a Degree so that the Periphery or Circumference of the Earth is 24876 English Miles It s Diameter is 7915 and the whole Solidity may be reckoned Two Hundred Fifty Nine Thousand Five Hundred Seventy and Eight Million Nine Hundred Thrity Three Thousand Four Hundred and Five Cubical Miles The Earth is greater than Mercury or Mars for the First bears only the Proportion to it which an 100 hath to 347 and the other of an 100 to 334 That is the Earth is more than three times greater than any of these But then it is much less than the rest of the Planets for in respect of Venus the Earth has only the Proportion of 43 to an 100 to Jupiter as 121 to 10000 to Saturn as 296 to 10000 and to the Sun as 1 to 1367631. The Magnitude of the fixed Stars cannot be conjectured but there are Demonstrations offered to prove them greater than any of the Planets seeing they shine so bright at amost stupendius Distance For a Telescope which multiplieth 200 times doth not shew them bigger than they appear to the naked Eye but rather less Whence it follows That this planetary Orb is but as a Point in respect of the Distance of the fixed Stars and consequently That the Vniverse which comprehends the Planets and all the Stars visible and invisible each of which has a particular Orb must be Immense beyond all Imagination and Apprehension