of one part of the Creation or another as he must be except nature were supplyed with greater assistance than that of Telescopes or of any device which invention hath yet found his knowledg must be said to be so imperfect that it is not probable the argument drawn from the Worlds Harmony should be prevalent when it meets with so much ignorance To speak all the little and uncertain knowledg of natures works rather disposeth man for admiration than full satisfaction of all doubts But that I may not seem to detract from humanity suppose the harmonious subordination of causes was understood this only implies that there is a power which restrains them from destroying or falling foul one on the other or makes them subservient to some end of which the Reasoner is and must be ignorant If this assertion seem too rigid which supposes man in the World as in Cimmercan darkness let it be granted that the mere Reasoner hath a partial knowledg of God if he will be content with the name of a partial Theist Let it be also consider'd that it is possible that the same contrivance may seem harmonious to one and appear not to be so to another The Inhabitants of the Northern Climates may admire and adore the Sun for its warm influence whilst those between the Tropicks breath imprecations because it scorches by more direct rays Let more be granted by saying that the Fabrick of the world is such if understood that it must be concluded to be a Divine work yet seeing there is a possibility that matter and motion as the French Philosophy teacheth might work it self into that order which is to be admir'd in the world the natural Reasoner will have little satisfaction to his doubts from the consideration of the worlds Harmony especially seeing the French Hypothesis is consistent with it self and solveth doubts on its own principles which will abate the force of the usual arguments against Chance and the Epicurean Philosophy It also appears that some have been sensible of the weakness of an argument drawn from this Topick of Harmony rather proving Gods existence from the gross consideration of matter mov'd than as it is modeliz'd into forms This way of arguing seems to press the conclusion with greater necessity than the other but nearly lookt into can make a man no more a Theist than the Idiot in the former instance The examination of this argument might end by the citation of a Poetical saying cited by St. Paul By him we live we move and have our being which motion I presume intended to be confin'd to the motion of the parts of mans body is equally if not more valid to prove the existence of God than that argument which is drawn from a more distant Topick viz. The first impress on matter But before I pass to another natural evidence of the being of God I cannot but confess that the harmonious Fabrick of the world is us'd in holy Scripture and by the antient Fathers as a confirmation of their doctrine and faith which might be examin'd and confirm'd by such contemplation yet I presume I shall not be injurious to Scripture or Fathers if I say that Method was us'd because it is more universal and agreeable to imagination and common reason than other arguments which are more artificial not that it was thought to be more cogent Besides it is an easie conjecture which supposes that such arguments were intended for believers or at least those who were dispos'd to entertain their Doctrine not for sceptical Reasoners If it be further urged that the holy Fathers have made Converts and confuted Atheism by this method yet it is not sure to find success with all persons especially such Reasoners as allow nothing to be certain which cannot recommend it self with an undoubted evidence or impossibility of being otherwise Suppose this pertinent question was propos'd to the Atheistical Reasoner If a man should find a Statue or an Altar with an inscription whether he would conclude it was possible some liquid substance like Aqua fortis corroding Iron might casually effect that which art should do and by the same reason press't to give his answer determining whether the World wrought it self into its lovely frame If the affirmative is answer'd 't is true that his conclusion is enough to denominate him a Mad-man but he will not value or think himself injur'd by such compellations who sceptically disputes for he will be so bold as to say that as Religion and true Faith was once preserved by one Athanasius so may truth be found only in one single person To give the Reasoner a fair tryal of his knowledge let the former instance be reveiw'd with a larger concession viz. That the Idiot who acknowledgeth the building to have some cause though the manner of expression is rude yet implyes the being of a builder as the saying the world was not its own cause doth assert the existence of God This being granted his ignorance will appear for it is possible and commonly observ'd that men may speak sentences and not understand what they imply or what may be inferr'd from them How many sayings which fall suddenly from some person whose sense being measur'd by the bare interpretation of the words is but trivial or ordinary but by deduction will bear a higher meaning whence it must be infer'd that those conclusions which are gather'd as consequences of the words which seem'd not to import so much cannot be properly call'd his who spake the words but must be own'd by him who advanced them to a higher sense Idiots sometimes are like Oracles and Prophets whose high effusions are not understood by those who speak such are the sentences of some Philosophers and Poetical Raptures which according to the Authors words or sense savour'd of a low and mean degree of wisdom till some Christians reading their Books Consecrated them by Comments and Conclusions of which they could never have thought Hence it is that the Books of some ancient Philosopher are now like the fam'd Ship which was so oft repair'd till no old Plank remain'd Many wise Conclusions appear in Heathenish writings but are as mysterious Characters and Cyphers which only the Religious by comparing them with Revelation can understand These Effata or sayings are like signs which Deaf and dumb men make who neither have advantage of nature to understand or speak whose Interpreters are as Mouths and understanding too whilst they stretch their Interpretations beyond that which the Significators design'd or could declare Hence it appears that the Reasoner in this particular quest whilst he utters divine sentences not understood by himself but to be Consecrated by the Commentator may not be put in the Catalogue of Theists except it can be imagin'd implicit Reason may be allow'd as much as implicit Faith Hitherto it being consider'd what degree of knowledge may be acquir'd by the Idiot for in this Quest the Reasoner must be content to be so
is prov'd from the goodness of God which cannot be imagin'd to have deluded his Creature with a false draught of himself This argument is of so great force that I know none so cogent if it meet with a mind praedispos'd for the Reception of truth but is not strong enough to beat the Sceptick off his ground because the very sinews of this argument borrow their strength from a supposition one attribute of God being necessarily suppos'd viz. His goodness before the Reasoner can put himself in a capacity of arguing However it must be granted that supposition doth not destroy the certainty of finding truth for to suppose Falsity in some cases is a sure way to find Truth as in the Rule of false in Arithmetick But this method fails in this case for in those Operations the suppositions are raz'd out and laid by when the work is perfected but in this argument the supposition can never be laid aside for the truth of the Conclusion depends on the goodness of God as known to be such as would not impose on his Creature which the Sceptick will look on as but suppos'd If it be urged in favour of the former argument That Reason concludes the being or existence of the Deity and understands the attributes of God by rules equally certain with those in the Arithmatical instance seeing the Souls faculties are as a Standard by which it can measure the Divine perfections and find what is goodness or wisdom in God by measuring them with the notion or footsteps of them left in the mind The argument thus managed must be acknowledged to be of great value and serviceable to the casuist in solution of doubts but the defect of Reason being necessarily supplyed with a supposition in this way of arguing without which mans faculties may be suspected as false it is not probable the Sceptick will be perswaded out of his affected ignorance After this new Method let old arguments be consider'd which seem more Catholick and easie being drawn from the common appearance or Phaenomena's of Nature and observation of Providence with those from other Topicks by which the Soul is fetter'd so that it cannot evade an assent to the existence of God yet it will appear that the strength and evidence of this argument cannot command that assent without confusion of Thoughts which implyes ignorance and extravagancy which are not tolerable in a Guide That argument which is most obvious is drawn from the admirable Fabrick of the World which must be allow'd to have its due force when it meets with a ductile mind far remov'd from Sceptical stiffness made so by a Divine disposition for receiving Truth without which it is so far from conducting men to the knowledge of God that it will rather incline the mind to Idolatry Heathens practice is an undeniable evidence of this Truth For it may be a reasonable conjecture that Idolatry took its rise from the gross consideration of Wisdom and Power which appear'd in the lovely frame of the World and afterward this power was divided and subdivided into several ranks of Gods and Semi-Gods That the whole World was but as one great Idol may appear from Poetical sayings which Authority may pass in this case Poets being the only Divines in the Heathenish ages who wrapt Religion and that Secular wisdom in verse who Deified the World under that great name Pan. If it be said that Shepheards had this name given them by Poets yet it is plain that the mystery was terminated in higher beings as Plutarch allows Pan to have influence on the Oracles as Superintendent and some have applyed the story of his death to Christ's suffering which is enough to shew he was more than a Shepherd or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For that age as others before consider'd the World and its Creator in one grosse notion which they expres't by Pan as may be prov'd from the account which Orpheus gives of that Idoliz'd name in another place further to be consider'd But seeing this way of argument from Practice may not appear so convincing as that of Theory because all do not tread the same steps with equal success and the question is not what knowledge of God hath been but what may be learn't from the Creation To this demand a short answer may be return'd When a man takes a serious prospect of the World one of these thoughts will arise either that it had a beginning of it self or that it was the work of some Architect if he is inclinable to allow the former all that Reason can do in order to his conviction is to shew the impossibility of the World 's being its own cause or maker This prov'd can only remove him from Atheism or at least dispose him for a belief of the existence and knowledge of God He therefore who arrives to this degree of knowledg in strictness and propriety of speech deserves not the name Theist any more than a man comeing out of a Cell or Wilderness seeing a Diamond or Jewel hath only so much knowledg to pass sentence that it is not of the same kind of stones which he treads on deserves the name of a Jeweller or seeing a stately Pallace hath only skill to conclude that the stones did not meet by mutual consent as the fabulous story sayes of the building of Thebes for erecting that Fabrick neither did grow so uniformly out of the Earth may be said to know an Architect or a Builder If in defence of this argument it is said that he who denyes that a Fabrick can raise it self tacitly implyes the necessity of the being of some Builder This granted will not relieve the Idiot for the Builder can be no otherwise said to be known by him than under the general notion of a Cause Now who will be so ridiculous as to say that a man understands what an Architect is and what kind and degree of knowledge gives him that name who hath only a general notion of him by which he calls him the cause of a House which description is so rude that it cannot be allow'd except Logick can justifie it by terms of Art unknown to the Idiot however it cannot acquit him from the imputation of grosse ignorance which will appear greater when he considers the nice operations of nature For if Creatures are look't upon which are most expos'd to common view nature sitting in them as on the stage it is but little and that conjectural knowledge he can pretend to let the Heavenly bodies be an instance to prove mans ignorance of their nature and influence who will pretend to know except from Astrologer as ignorant as bold for what design the Heavens so regularly muster their forces till the event shews it or to determine what dependance the World hath on some of the Stars and positively conclude that they are not Worlds though not of the same frame with this of which Men are Inhabitants Now if man is ignorant of the dependance
to assent that it can be sooner confounded than diverted except it have pass'd the exact Inquisition of the understanding by discourse Besides he may suppose or doubt whether that general consent was the result of natural knowledg or the Doctrine of some wise men whose open profession of that truth occasioned the vulgar in process of several ages to conclude it natural knowledg These thoughts in the Reasoner can be look't upon no otherwise than a mere cavil he being not able to shew how when or where this notion was fram'd as it well observ'd by a late Author yet the suggestion will not shake the sceptical mind for he who will be so bold to conclude the whole Worlds Representatives in a Council may err will not boggle in saying the general consent of all Nations might be terminated in an Error Thus far the World hath been consider'd as to its Harmony of parts from which 't will be an easie digression to the Harmonious disposition of mans mind which inclines him to a civil life From this Topick no weak arguments are drawn for the proof of the existence of God seeing mans regular because civiliz'd life is as great a wonder in Policy as the subordination of causes in nature which prevents mutinies amongst the Elements and hinders mutual destruction Now this bond of civil Society borrowes its strength from the supream Law-giver who by his Divine Empire in mans mind disposeth it for mutual agreement with equals and subjection to Superiours This argument must have its allowance of validity but it must be acknowledged that this as the former wants its due force except the existence of God is suppos'd which the strict Reasoner will have prov'd before he will own him or any deductions which depend on it For as it is confess'd that the distinction of Good and Evil is the foundation of humane Society so it must be allow'd that actions are no otherwise called Good or Evil but as they have relation to the natural Conscience which supposeth the existence of God Hence the defect of the argument appears seeing he who proves God's existence by this method necessarily supposeth a being which endow'd his mind with such knowledg which could point out Good and Evil. Seeing therefore the truth of Conclusions drawn by this method depends on a supposal of the existence of that being which should be prov'd it cannot be imagined to have much force to convince the Sceptick for he supposition makes him retire to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suspecting the whole argument as weak Suppositions and Hypotheses being like flaccid Nerves which want spirits to fortifie them only serving to knit Paralytical members together but without strength If it is said that some Heathens who had little or no knowledg of God or at least own'd a false Deity which is aequivalent to none did many Heroical and good Acts which implies the notion of good and Evil. This may be granted yet their actions could no further be called Good or Evil than they had respect to a Deity of which they had only a confus'd notion For the conformity of an action with the Law of nature which is a Divine impress on the mind makes it to be good being the formal reason of it as the disconformity makes it vitious Hence it follows that those actions which were good were not known to be so but as they were measur'd by the goodness of God which implies the former supposition Then next part of this Disquisition shall be the examination of the force of that argument which is drawn from terrours of Conscience upon Evil committed which is of so great force with a due allowance of Heavenly assistance Grace and Revelation that it storms the Atheist's strongest holds and so beats him off his ground that he knows not where to secure himself but without it is as little forcible as those drawn from other Topicks For it being prov'd that no action can be said to be Good or Evil but as it hath relation to the Divine Goodness and Will either as it is written in mans mind in the natural frame of his Soul or by external conveyance by revelation it is a praeposterous proof from that Topick of fear that God punisheth Evil before it is granted which cannot be that reason knows what is Evil without the Consideration of a Deity without which fear is so far from being a Medium to help the Reasoner in his Conclusions that it is more probable to hinder him in his natural Quest That which leads men to certainty according to the Reasoners method must inform the understanding and consequently determine the will after such a free manner as must exclude compulsion but fear or any argument taken from it which cannot be so fram'd but that passion will interpose it self is so far from doing either that it cannot determine the will without some kind of violence done to it so he that acts out of fear cannot so properly be said to be a free Agent Neither is it less prejudicial to the understanding casting a mist before the eye of the mind by its turbulency The Philosopher was sensible of this who concluded its removal necessary from the mind in the search of Truth Si vis lumine claro cernere verum gaudia pelle pelle timorem Boet. de Consol Phil. Fear is plac't in the Soul as tempests in the lowest Region through which it is as difficult for the mind to have a free and clear prospect as for the Sun to discover its lustre through a Cloud Let it not be argued from Holy Scripture that sear was a necessary introduction to the knowledg of God as appears from the apprehension the People had of wonders on Mount-Sinai and the Mosaical appeal to them if ever they saw such astonishing wonders This tends not so directly to justifie the former argument for it may be reasonably presum'd that this method was us'd rather to confirm them in the belief of a Deity before entertain'd and to prevent Apostacy than to be their first Tutor to instruct them in the first Article of the Jewish as well as Christian Creed The most direct way to wisdom as it respects speculation is not by fear excited in the mind although it hath great influence on practice as the sense of that holy saying imports which calls the fear of God the beginning of wisdom for in that sentence the existence of God is suppos'd before fear takes its place in order to instruction However it was a necessary defensative against Idolatry to which the Jews were too inclinable In such particular cases such turbulent passions may usher in Devotion but generally consider'd rather confound than inform the mind For it seems not design'd for the Christian but that part of the world which may be call'd the Devil's Province in which he is ador'd by numerous votaries led to that adoration by fear which gives occasion of considering how that turbulent passion rather disposeth man