off from the Reverence that is due to the Divine Majesty and the lewd Talk and Example of bad company gradually wear off all impressions of Virtue Vice is infectious and communicates its venom and malignity to such as come near it and therefore we are to keep at a distance from it and to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Fifthly To be arm'd against Atheism we must labour to be well grounded in the Principles of Religion and not to take up our Faith upon Trust without Examination A Tree you know that is not well rooted is liable to be shak'd with every wind and such as are not well-grounded in their Religion are easily toss'd to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine He that for want of instruction is unable to give a Reason of the Faith that is in him will be as unable upon any assault to give any Reason why he should keep it and such as take up their faith only upon trust will be as ready to lay it down again when a strong temptation calls for it If you observe it 't is the uncatechiz'd and ill-instructed part of Mankind that fall into irreligion and are carried captive by infidelity such as these for want of being well season'd in time with pious and sound Principles have nothing to hold them so that as they grow up if their Temper be Sanguine and Jolly they fall into Lewdness and Debauchery if more sour and melancholy they fall into Phanaticism and Divisions and both tho' going different ways meet at last in the Center of Atheism Again Mens shifting of Principles for want of steadiness in Religion and varying from sound and receiv'd Doctrines is undoubtedly a great occasion of Atheism for when Men openly relinquish what they have publickly maintain'd it makes many call in Question the Truth of Religion it self and to think that all other parts of it have no better grounds than that which they have rejected as groundless and tho' it be unjust in any to take this offence yet 't is no less unsafe for any to give it Wherefore Sixthly To prevent this Evil we must beware of being seduc'd or drawn into Sects or Parties for this hath begotten that giddiness and instability that hath shak'd the Faith of many and unawares led them into Atheism Religion hath its Name from binding and its chief Design is to keep Men firm to their Duty to God and Man now the relaxing of this Bond lets Men loose in both and that brings on Divisions in point of Worship and Corruptions in point of Manners both which naturally lead to Irreligion and Atheism and therefore the Wisdom and Piety of a Nation is best seen in prescribing good Laws to prevent all looseness and extravagance in both and as 't is the Duty of Superiors to Countenance a well-establish'd Religion by encouraging the Observers and punishing the Transgressors of it so is it the unquestionable Duty of Subjects to keep close to the Rules of it without corrupting its Doctrine by Heresie or breaking its Unity by Schisms and Divisions Seventhly To put a stop to Atheism we must take care to frequent the solemn Worship of God and diligently observe the stated Seasons of publick and private Devotion the neglect of this hath been an unhappy occasion of the growth of this impiety for the many pressing Affairs of this World are apt to croud in upon our minds to engross too much of our time and thoughts and thereby to beget an utter forgetfulness of God and the greater Concerns of another life to prevent which God Almighty to keep up the Remembrance of himself for our own good hath appointed some solemn Seasons in which he hath requir'd us to rest from all our worldly Cares and Labours that we may the better attend his Worship and Service Now the observing of these Seasons will help to take off our Minds from an inordinate pursuit of this World and fix them on a better 't will recollect our scatter'd Thoughts and preserve a due Sense of Piety and Religion the publick Instructions of those Seasons serve to awaken and stir us up to our Duty and our Zeal is increased by the concurrence and example of each others Devotion by which means the Sense and Fear of God is still kept alive in our Minds Whereas by a careless neglect of Pulick Worship God is in a manner excluded out of all our Thoughts we become wholly immers'd in the Cares and Pleasures of this Life and so naturally sink into Atheism and Impiety So that to continue sound and serious in Religion we must carefully frequent the Publick Worship and be mindful likewise of the Seasons of private and secret Devotion for these will withdraw our Minds from sensible Objects which are too apt to enveigle us and lead to the Contemplation of Divine and Heavenly things by which alone the Sense of God and Religion can be preserv'd Eighthly To this we must add the Exercises of a Holy Life without which the sense of Religion will insensibly wear off and decay A Profession of Piety without Practice is like a Tree without Fruit which commonly dies away or else is cut down and cast into the Fire to make a fair shew of Religion without a suitable Conversation is but to deny God with the greater Solemnity and however such may seem to flatter him with their Lips they Read a Lecture of Atheism in their Lives and cause the Name of God to be blasphem'd And therefore that we may not deny God we must deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and live righteously soberly and godly in this present World These fruits of righteousness will redound not only to the glory of God but to the Credit of Religion which is best kept alive both in our selves and in others by this means the light of such good works will so shine before men as to make them glorifie God in the day of visitation Examples are wont to have a greater force than Precepts and most Men like Sheep are apt to go rather quaiter than qua eundum And therefore great heed is to be taken to our ways that we do not by bad Examples draw any from the Truth or mis-lead them into the paths of Errour and Wickedness And as this should be observ'd by all Men so more especially by such as have any higher Station in Church or State for these are like a City on a Hill which lies open to the view of all their actions are more visible and exemplary and leave either a good or bad influence behind them which should make them the more wary and circumspect that they give no offence or be unto any an occasion of falling By this means we shall banish Atheism and keep Religion in the World and thereby at once adorn our Profession here and secure the Reward annext to it hereafter Lastly To cure this Evil let us often ponder upon the
their own accord And yet This is far more easie to be imagin'd than for so Stately and Beautiful a Structure as this of the World to be rais'd without an Artificer Or the great Volume of the Universe to be compil'd without an Author But what Foundation hath this vain and incredible Hypothesis Why none but the bold confidence of Epecurus and his Followers grounded upon a desire of letting loose the Reins to his Appetite and enjoying sensual Pleasures without controul Indeed there can be no possible evidence of the World 's being thus made by chance For these Atomes of which he speaks are altogether invisible and for ought we know move only in the empty space of an Fpicurean Brain Yea there is all imaginable Evidence to the contrary For there are those apparent Marks of Infinite Power and Wisdom in the Frame of the World that render it altogether impossible to be the effect of Chance for since none could ever speak of a Structure where all the parts of it came together of themselves and we never read of any thing Great and Noble that was ever effected or came to pass that way how senseless is it to conceive that this glorious and regular Fabrick of the World which affords as many Wonders as Parts should be the work of any other than a Divine Hand So that the Folly of this Device of giving an account of the Being and continuance of the World without a Deity is very apparent for it contradicts the Reason and Sense of Mankind in all Ages and opposes a Truth that hath swim'd down the Current of time without interruption Neither is the Evil and Danger less visible than the Folly of it For this is the highest Affront and Indignity that can be offer'd to our Maker to rob him of the Honour of his Works and to deny him the Glory that should accrue from them There is certainly a Tribute of Honour and acknowledgment due to the Soveraign Lord and Maker of the Universe which is to be paid by all his Creatures but especially by Man who is made the visible Lord and Vice-Roy of this lower World Now to call in question his making or right of governing the World is to deny him this Homage and consequently to prove Rebellious to our Supreme Lord and Master which must needs be a matter of extreme and inconceivable danger Again 2dly 'T is a high piece of Ingratitude to disown our Maker and chiefest Benefactour from whom we receive Life and Breath and all things and to whom we owe therefore our loudest Praises and Thanksgivings And when all other Creatures in their way shew forth the Glory of God what Unworthiness is it in Man who was chiefly design'd for that end to with-hold it from him This is not only negligently to observe the Works of the Lord but utterly to disclaim and forget the Operations of his Hand Which must needs sink him who was made somewhat higher than the Angels into a Condition lower and worse than the Beast that perisheth 3dly Yea Thirdly This is not only a high piece of injustice and ingratitude to our Maker but a great injury to Mankind who are hereby depriv'd of that Assistance and Affiance they might have in a Supreme Being and consequently of that comfort and benefit they might receive from him We dayly see what impotent and feeble Creatures even the best of Men are liable to a thousand miseries and misfortunes which they can neither prevent nor remove Now the only comfort or relief we can have against These is in the Apprehensions of a God who is of infinite Power and Goodness and consequently both able and willing to help us There we may safely repose our Trust and Confidence with well-grounded hopes of a supply of all our wants and a happy issue out of all our afflictions Now by calling in Question the Truth of such a Being who is the Author and disposer of such Events Men bereave themselves of all these comfortable expectations and make themselves miserable by their own Infidelity So that this Device of the Atheist is as imprudent as 't is unreasonable for it deprives him of all that comfort which he might have in this Life and excludes him from all that happiness to which he was design'd in the next These are obvious Truths on which I shall not need to enlarge and shall therefore leave them to your farther Meditation I am SIR Your true Friend A. B LETTER III. SIR IN your last I find you readily own the works of Creation and Providence to be palpable Demonstrations of a Deity and wonder at the Atheists blindness or boldness in so easily overlooking or gainsaying them I proceed in this to another Device to the same purpose and that is the silencing the Voice of Conscience and stifling the frequent Notices and Alarms it gives of a Supreme Being Among the other witnesses that God hath left us of himself that of Conscience is none of the least which for the clear and uncontrolable Evidence of its Testimony hath been reckon'd more than a thousand witnesses That we might not be left without sufficient Light in a matter of so great moment God Almighty hath not only Engraven his own Image and Superscription upon the Works of his Hand that by the frequent viewing thereof we might be still minded of him but hath likewise set up a constant Monitor in every Man's Breast that by hearkening to it we might never forget him This is that which is stil'd the Light of Nature and by some the Light within them which if rightly understood must be meant of this Directive Light of their own Mind or Conscience Soloâ—â—â— stiles it the Candle of the Lord to light us in the way that we should go The Prophet Isaias calls it a voice behind or within us saying this is the way walk in it when we are turning either to the right hand or to the left St. Paul told the Gentiles that tho' they had no written Law yet they were a Law to themselves their Conscience bearing witness and their thoughts accusing or excusing one another Rom. 2. And withal adds that as God hath not left himself without witness having given sufficient notice of his Being so he had left them without excuse if they did not Worship and Glorifie him as they ought But how does Conscience give this notice and conviction of a Deity Why sundry ways as First By its secret motions and suggestions which oft-times awakens our Mind and powerfully stirs us up to our duty to him If we observe it we shall find and feel something within us moving and loudly calling upon us to that which is good and secretly whispering and dissuading us against that which is evil Now these are the private Notices of Conscience which God hath set up as a Remembrancer and witness of him within our Breasts Again 2dly We feel an inward delight and complacence in well-doing and are fill'd with joy and peace
The thing appears in it self unpracticable for how is it possible for the wisest Politician to rivet such a Notion into the Minds of all Men that should never get out where is the Person that ever did such a feat and if no such one be any where to be found we may safely conclude the deep and lasting impressions of a Deity upon Mens Minds to proceed not from the Art of Man but from the Finger of God Beside this is an improbable way of compassing the design for the subtlest Politicians are wont to work upon the inclinations they find planted in Mens Nature but do not hope to put new ones into them They are wise enough to know that Men are more easily led than driven and therefore chuse rather to make use of those Principles they find them already possess'd of than go about to infuse new Hence it comes to pass that Princes reap the benefits of Peace and Order from Principles they never sowed in the hearts of their Subjects but found planted there and 't is most certain that the People are much more aw'd and kept to their duty by the natural impressions of Religion than by any artificial Methods of Policy or Contrivance So that Politicians promote their ends not by making but finding Religion in the Minds of Men for tho' Reason of State may cherish it can never create the Notion of a Deity But have Princes or Politicians been more free from the Fears of a Deity or the Terrors of another World than other Men This would be if Religion were only a Device or Engine of State whereas we see and find the quite contrary for they have the same sense and impressions of these things with other Men and can no more rid their Minds of them than the meanest of their Subjects History tells us how some of the Roman Emperors were wont to be frighted with the noise of Thunder as thinking it to be the voice of God We read how Caligula us'd to creep under a Bed at the sound of it taking it for a sign of the anger and displeasure of Heaven and we read of many other great Persons and States-men who have been alarm'd with the fears of a God and the terrors of another World Now if Religion were only a Juggle of State or a politick Device of cunning Men how come they to be thus terrified with their own Contrivance Men are not wont to be affrighted with Bugbears of their own making or to tremble at that which they know to be a mere scarecrow 't is plain the greatest and wisest persons that have ever been have known of no such Cheat in Religion for if they had no account could be given of those fears and troubles of Conscience which they in all Ages had about it Beside 't is hard to conceive how all the Princes and Potentates of the Earth should agree together to entertain a Fiction and tho' they have such different Designs and Interests should yet conspire to devise and promote a Notion that is void of all Reason or Truth Or if they could how is it to be imagin'd that the People should be all so ready to receive it They are not wont so easily to believe their Governours upon their bare Word or embrace a Notion that hath so plain a design upon their Peace and Welfare Yea the more subtle and politick they take their Governours to be the more they are apt to suspect them and to pry into the Reasons of their Counsels and Intentions Lastly if the Notion of a God were only a politick Contrivance to keep the World in awe or a Device fram'd in some Mens heads to cozen others into obedience to them how comes it to pass that this was never discover'd in any Age Sure it would have been found out one time or other Cheats do not always continue undiscover'd Truth commonly breaks out and Time lays open the Imposture if then this pretended Secret was never known or discover'd by any but remains still as much a Secret as ever we may very well conclude it to be it self a Juggle and Fiction of some Mens brain or a Device of the Atheist to cozen and deceive himself I am SIR Yours A. B. LETTER VIII SIR WHen the Atheist is driven out of the Refuge of State-policy and can neither tell the person by whom or the time when this Engine of State was invented He flies to Another Device which is to resolve the Notion and Belief of a God into common Compact An account whereof is briefly this That Mankind for the better preservation of Human Society by common Consent form'd this Notion of a God which they generally agreed together to embrace and finding the benefit and good influence of it upon the publick welfare have by common Compact preserv'd and kept it up ever since A notable Account indeed which shews that some Men will believe any thing rather than what they should However this account farther grants the Usefulness of Religion to the welfare of Human Society which is indeed so necessary to it that 't is impossible it should long subsist or continue without it for Religion is the Bond or Cement that holds all the parts of it together and gives all the force and efficacy to the Laws by which 't is upheld All the Obligations of Conscience which alone can keep Men to their duty result from the Belief of a God without which no ties of Oaths Promises or Engagements could hold Men either to Honesty or Obedience So that the usefulness and necessity of this Notion to the welfare of Mankind should methinks encline all Men to entertain it to wish it true and to give all the strength that may be to the Arguments brought to confirm it for he that endeavours to evade this Truth is an Enemy not only to himself but to the Happiness and Tranquility of Human Society and does what in him lies to destroy the Peace and Welfare of Mankind But when and where was this general Meeting of Mankind in which they form'd this Notion of a Deity and enter'd into this solemn Compact to Believe and propagate it Who summon'd or call'd them together from all the remote parts of the World Or did they happen luckily to come and meet together by Chance Sure some History or other of the World would have Recorded this grand Assembly of Mankind for this purpose which if it ever were was one of the most memorable things that hath been ever acted in it But since no account hath been ever given of such a Meeting we may conclude it to be a meer figment to be met with no where but in an Atheistical brain But if the Atheist could get over this difficulty which is indeed insuperable there are many other in this unaccountable Compact in which he must be unavoidably intangl'd for how came all the inhabitants of all places and Countries so unanimously to jump and agree together in this Notion When
of such a thing But is nothing to be believ'd but what we have some information of from our Senses How then shall we believe we have a Soul of which none of our Senses can give us any information for if it be at all it must be a Spiritual and immaterial Substance which cannot incur into or be discern'd by any of them Beside are there not many noble Effects and Operations that proceed from an invisible Cause Do we not find that we can reason judge and inferr one thing from another tho' we see not the Principle from whence they come Have we not an Understanding Will and Affections to know chuse and affect things tho' the Spring of them occur not to any of our Senses Do we not find a World made and preserv'd tho' we see not that invisible hand that first did the one and still continues the other Indeed had we no higher Principle of knowledge in us than our Senses it would be hard to form a Notion of God or any Spiritual and immaterial Substance because these things cannot be the Object of Sensation but having a superior Principle that is a Mind within us that can raise us above all gross and Corporeal Objects 't is easie to conceive that a Spiritual Substance may be discern'd by the Mind tho' it cannot be the Object of our Senses Are there not many Truths in all Arts and Sciences that fall not under the Cognizance of any of our Senses Yea are not the Essences of all things invisible and discoverable only by the Powers and Sagacity of the Mind which from the outward Effects can judge of the inward Nature of the Causes The Understanding can penetrate much farther into the inside of things than our Senses or Fancy can enable us to do we find the Mind can and frequently does correct the Errors of Sense and Imagination of which many instances might be given if it were needful to enlarge But this is sufficient to make it evident that there is a higher Principle of Knowledge within us than that of our outward Senses and that many things are knowable and intelligible by the one that are not convey'd by the other So that 't is false Reasoning to infer that the Mind cannot have a Notion or Idea of a Spiritual and immaterial Substance because it cannot be the Object of Sensation Again the Atheist tells us that the Notion of a God supposes him to be Infinite and Incomprehensible and therefore it must be altogether unconceiveable by Human Understanding which cannot grasp Infinity or comprehend what is Incomprehensible But may not the Mind apprehend something of a Deity tho' it cannot comprehend the whole of him Is it wise arguing because we have not all knowledge therefore we have none at all If we know as much of him as the greatness of the Object and the slenderness of our Faculties will admit that is if we know him to be a Being absolutely and eminently perfect without the least degree of defect or imperfection is not this sufficient to create a Notion and Belief of him There is scarce any inferior Being that we can fully comprehend and because we understand not all Mysteries in Nature shall we conclude from thence that we are quite ignorant and can have no Notion or Idea of any thing This will lead to downright Scepticism and make us believe we know nothing Beside we may know as much of him as 't is fit for us now to know we are not at present able to receive the full knowledge and splendor of the Deity a great part whereof is reserv'd for the Happiness of a future State when we shall see God as he is and tho' we here know but in part shall then know even as we are known and therefore 't is monstrously unreasonable to quarrel with the Notion and Idea of a God or think it altogether unconceivable because we cannot comprehend his infinite Perfections in this present imperfect state wherein we know but little of any thing else But how does the Atheist account for all these noble Effects and Operations of the Mind without the Notion of a Spirit Why by resolving all into Matter and Motion For he tells us that some of the finer and more subtle parts of Matter call'd Atoms being in continual motion luckily fall into those configurations by which all this is perform'd without the help or direction of a Deity And that some happen to be wiser and more knowing than others proceeds from some of those more refined parts of Matter falling accidentally into more happy forms and contextures in them than they do in others and so instead of believing in God they believe only in Matter and Motion A great piece of Subtilty indeed to sublimate Matter into Spirit and to ascribe the Noblest Acts and Operations in the World to the most unactive and sluggish of all things in it But whence should Matter have this Motion which neither is nor hath in it any self-moving Principle Why of this no account can be given without some Spiritual Being that must give it all its activity Can dull Matter of it self infer one thing from another and perform those reflex Acts which we find in rational Beings Can it range the Universe in Thought and Contemplation Or dive into profound Speculations No these things require another and higher Principle than stupid and senseless Matter and owe their rise to some more refin'd spiritual and intelligent Being In short The Notion of a Spirit is so necessary to the solving of these and a thousand other difficulties that none but such as are wholly immers'd in Matter can doubt or disbelieve it I am SIR Yours A. B. LETTER X. SIR ANother Device of the Atheist is his taking occasion from the unequal distribution of Earthly Things to question both the Being and Providence of a God They see Good Men afflicted and the Wicked in great prosperity which they think could not be if the World were govern'd by so Wise Just and Excellent a Being as is pretended This is a Quarrel of an ancient date or an old stumbling Block that hath trip'd up the Heels of many We read of it in David's days who was himself in great danger of stumbling at it for himself tells us that his Feet were almost gone and his Steps had well nigh slipt when he saw the Wicked in great prosperity that they were not in trouble like other folk not plagued like other Men but were lusty and strong their Eyes standing out with Fatness having as much as heart could wish whilst better men than they look'd meager and thin being pinch'd with want and chastened every morning This made him begin to doubt whether there were any wise and Supreme Being that order'd these things I beheld saith he the Vngodly flourishing like a green Bay-tree and the Righteous Man at the same time drooping and hanging the head like a whither'd leaf verily I have cleans'd my heart in vain
yea have maintain'd false Problems even in the Mathematicks themselves and will any conclude from thence that they are all lies and falsities This Principle would destroy all knowledge and lead Men to deny and disbelieve every thing There have been no doubt Hereticks and Schismaticks in all Ages who have espous'd many Errors and mistaken Opinions about the Worship of God and will any infer from thence that all Religion is imposture Certainly this is very bad arguing and will lead Men to the heighth of Scepticism and Infidelity Again What tho' Men differ about some things will it follow thence that they agree in nothing And if as one hath well observ'd their disagreement be an Argument of the falshood of some things why is not their Agreement as good an Argument for the truth of other The differences in Religion are commonly about the Circumstances of it as about the Modes of Worship and Discipline whereas Men generally agree in the Matters of Faith and Essentials of Religion and indeed there is nothing wherein all Mankind do more universally agree than in the Belief and Worship of a God And is it not unreasonable because they may differ in some things to suspect the Truth of that wherein they are all agreed He that finds himself inclin'd to make this bad use of Mens disputes and to improve these petty differences into Atheism may do well to sit down and consider how far Religion is concern'd in them which if he can be perswaded to do he will soon see that these things do not affect the Truth and Foundation of it in which they are all agreed but only the beauty and ornament of the Superstucture they refer rather to matters of Speculation than Practice And if any have various Sentiments about the Ornaments and Out-works of a Building sure that can be no Reason either to distrust or subvert the Foundation I am SIR Yours A. B. LETTER XII SIR I Shew'd in my last the perverse use which the Atheist makes of the Disputes and Differences that are found in the World about matters of Religion I proceed in this to Another Device much like it which is his taking occasion from the Hypocrisie and bad lives of some pretenders to it to conclude all Religion to be false and from thence to fall into Atheism and Infidelity This is a frequent and fatal practice of which our Age does afford many sad and doleful instances there are some who will be at no pains to examine the truth or falshood of any Religion but take it upon trust as the Custom of the Country where they live or as 't is deriv'd down to them by their Parents or Ancestors Now these lie open to all the assaults of Atheism and being altogether unguarded against them are but too ready to surrender upon any summons and to yield to every temptation to it Their Faith for lack of being Catechiz'd and well-principl'd in the beginning hath no firm bottom but lies wholly in the power of a corrupt and inconstant Will which will move as interest and inclination lead it so that as soon as they become wicked enough to need Atheism for a Refuge they will be ready to flie to it And therefore we are bid to try and examine the Truth of Doctrines and be ready to give a Reason of the Faith and Hope that is in us when ever we are ask'd or call'd to it that being well-grounded in the Truth of Religion we may adhere to it against all opposition and stand the shock of the fiercest Temptations Again There are others who think sometimes upon Religion and make some enquiry into it but yet judge of the truth or falshood of it not by the soundness of its Precepts but by the Lives and Practices of those that make the greatest profession of it These likewise to save the trouble of a deep and impartial search into the grounds and principles upon which Religion stands enquire what others think of it who by their pretences seem best to understand it and because Mens Actions are the best discovery of their thoughts and opinions of things they judge of what they think in these matters by what they see them do so that when they see such Mens Practices give the Lye to their Profession and find them act as as if they did not believe what they say this makes them think that there is no Reason to believe it and that Religion is nothing else but a cunning Device made use of by some Men to carry on their worldly Interest and Designs This no doubt hath drawn many into Atheism and harden'd others in it The many vile tricks that have been play'd under the Mask of Religion the gilding of Treason and Rebellion with a specious pretence of Zeal for God's Glory and hiding Faction and Sedition under the colours of Reformation have made many suspect the whole for a Contrivance and to cast it off as a System of Lies and Impostures But is it a true and safe Rule to judge of the truth of Religion by the lives of those that profess it No a very unsafe and crooked one For Though the Hypocrite that plays this game shall dearly rue hereafter for all the Evil done by this means tho' his portion of misery and damnation will be heavier and hotter than others for laying such a stumbling block in their way by which so many fall to their Eternal Ruin yet this will not excuse the folly of such as suffer themselvs to be miss-led and betra'y'd by it nor justifie such Atheistical Conclusions drawn from it Example you know is a false and fallacious Rule to walk by for since the generality of Men leave the way in which they should walk to follow them or infer our Duty from them is for the most to go astray But they draw this Conclusion they say not from the loose and debauch'd part of the World that have no sense of Religion but from the stricter sort that make the highest pretensions to it and seem to have the deepest impressions of it and if these make it evident by their lives that they believe little or nothing of it what can we think of it but as a mere Delusion But do not Men act sometimes against their own persuasion And are not too many carried away by the sway of their Lusts and corrupt Designs against the convictions of their own Mind That Men sometimes knowingly and wilfully commit great sins and cover vile enormities under a cloak of greater sanctity is a matter indeed to be lamented but cannot reasonably be urg'd as an Argument against Religion Will any think that a Cheat because some that do ill things are found to be so And if these act so bad a part shall any be encourag'd by it to act a worse Sure this is very bad arguing and such as cannot well be own'd by any that would be thought Men of Sense and Reason 'T is not unusual for Mens words to be
manifest breach of Civility and good Manners to scoff at and deride them The Laws of Conversation require to treat all Men with due respect there is none can hear with patience his Father or his Friend expos'd to Scorn and Derision and what an unparallel'd affront must it be to Mankind to make God and Religion the dearest things to them in the world the subject of Contempt and Raillery Again 2dly The mighty influence which the belief of a God hath upon the publick welfare may convince any considering Man of the great Evil of deriding it he that despises Religion cuts the Sinews of Government and dissolves the firmest Bond of Human Society for when Men have laugh'd away the Fear of God and the Sense of Religion all Obligations of Conscience are gone with it and nothing remains to keep them to their duty but the fear of Men which is a loose Principle that will vary or cease as opportunity interest or humour lead it Moreover 3dly To jest at and expose Religion is the grossest abuse of Wit that can be made of it for it turns one of the chiefest Ornaments of Virtue into an Encouragement of Vice and makes that which was given to recreate the Mind and sweeten Conversation to become the Bane and Pest of both Wit as a great Man hath observ'd is a keen Weapon as apt for bad as good purposes and therefore a wise Man should have the keeping of it to prevent the mischief and danger of its ill management There is a good use of Wit in many Cases as to adorn Virtue and recommend it to the best Advantage to expose Vice and render it as it deserves Ridiculous to season Conversation and to ease and relieve the Mind under the burden of its Cares and whilst it keeps within these Bounds 't is a useful and commendable Quality but when it transgresses these Rules and breaks in upon God and Religion it loseth its name and degenerates into Insolence and Impiety Yea such as would be thought Wits by jesting upon sacred and serious things do but betray the greatest folly 't was the fool that said in his Heart there was no God and Solomon tells us that none but Fools make a mock of Sin or think of mocking God who neither can nor will be mocked In a word all prophane Wit is the heighth of folly and tho' it have never so much Salt cannot be savoury but nauseous and offensive to all wise Men. Lastly The unspeakable hazard the Atheist runs in deriding Religion is enough to shew the danger and folly of this impious practice For if the Atheist shall find at last that there is a God as undoubtedly he will what will he say for those rude scoffs and affronts he hath put upon him What account can he give for all this impudent Buffoonry What horrour and confusion of Face must needs seize them when the Maker and Judge of the World shall avenge this insolence upon them and vindicate his Honour in their Eternal Destruction This is a matter well worth their serious and timely consideration that they may repent and return no more to this Folly Otherwise if they will continue to laugh on and scoff at Religion God Almighty will shortly take his turn too and will laugh at their Calamity and mock when their Fear cometh In short then this drolling upon Sacred Things is so far from giving any just encouragement to Atheism that 't is an high Aggravation of the Impiety and all such Mirth will end at last in the deepest Sadness I am SIR Yours A. B. LETTER XIV SIR I Proceed now to the last tho' none of the least Artifices to support and countenance Atheism For when the Atheist is beaten out of all the former subterfuges he hath recourse to another Device suggested to him by his sensual Lusts and Appetite And that is To charge Religion with a foolish Bargain and that such as embrace it act upon slender and insufficient Motives To prove which they tell us That to part with present Certainties for uncertain Futurities can be no Act of Wisdom for in doubtful Cases the greatest Evidence should sway Now we are sure say they of what is present but can never be so of what is future and therefore he charges it with folly to deny themselves the present Pleasures Profits and Honours of this World for a few vain Hopes of better things in another which perhaps may never come to pass and of which none could ever yet give them any certain Evidence This tho' own'd indeed by few is yet the Sense and Language of most mens Lives and Actions which shew them to be fond to excesse of these Earthly enjoyments but to have little or no regard to the weightier Concerns of Heaven and Eternity and with Martha to be cumber'd about many things with the neglect of the one thing necessary The Epicures Song is let us eat and drink for to morrow we die the present time is ours and all that we can call so for the time to come we know not whose it may be and therefore 't is wisdom to enjoy what we are sure of and not to defer or suspend our happiness upon any such future uncertainties But be not deceiv'd saith the Apostle Evil Communications corrupt good Manners yea such vain communication corrupt mens Minds debauch their Reason and makes them act like Fools when they would be thought to talk most wisely For First The present Enjoyments of this World how confidently soever we may call them our own are infinitely vain and uncertain and when we think to enjoy most of them frequently leave and lurch our expectations Riches take to themselves wings and fly away when we think to hold them fastest The Pleasures and Delights of the World are all fleeting and momentany yea they are imbitter'd with a Sting and mingled with Sorrow Honour is a puff of wind that is quickly gone and he that admires these things sets his heart upon that which is not So that the Atheist is mistaken in his Supposition for these present things are not so certain as he takes them Neither are they so much the Happiness as the Trouble and Misery of human life the wicked Man knows many times that he plays the Fool in gratifying his Lusts and owns that he ought to do otherwise he feels a regret and trouble upon his mind and does not so much enjoy as disquiet himself in indulging of them However The Atheist here tells us that the pleasures of this life affect his Senses he feels himself in some measure pleas'd and delighted with them and why should he abridge himself of such sensible Delights for Future Things of which he hath no tast and can have no assurance As for the pleasures of Sense they are in the most innocent use of them vastly exceeded by the pleasures of Virtue and Religion for these have a sweeter Relish on the Mind and leave far more lasting impressions of joy