The Atheist himself fhews us plainly enough, what was the principle of his Incredulity, when fome times in a fharp Fit of Sickness, he abjures his Impiety; and we might very well put this Question to him, Why he has alter'd his Opinion? If his firft Opinion sprang from the lights of his Understanding, he ought to keep it ftill, fince his Understanding is rather more free, and more difintagled from all Extrinfecal Impreffions now, than it was before. What is it then that obliges him to change his Opinion, but only the change of his Heart? 'Tis because his first Opinion proceeded from the Paffions, but the Second fprings from the pureft Lights of the Understanding.

And certainly it is a very glorious thing for the truth of this grand Principle, that there are none but little Souls corrupted by the Vanity they have of imitating great Wits, and making a vain fhew of fuch Abilities as they are not furnifh'd with; or elfe Debauched Perfons who are Slaves to their Paffions, that make Profeffion of Doubting in this refpect. Whence we may perceive that this Monster is bred by the Paffions that are fruitful in Illufions and Errors, and is not the Iffue of found and right Reason.

He that knows how powerful the Passions are to feduce us, will not wonder at this, nor be furprised to fee fome of thofe Miferable Wretches that are deceived by their Paffions, continue their Incredulity and Obftinacy even to the Grave; the reason of this, is that the Habit which they have taken up of fubmitting their Understanding to the regular motions of the Heart, is become a Second Nature to them; 'tis because the impreffion of the. Paffions is more lafting in fome

than

than in others. A Soul continually imployed upon the Objects of Debauchery and Impiety, becomes at length incapable of making any right and juft judgment, Nature is constrained to yield to Custom; as when a Father is fo accustomed to hate his Son, that he can never recover any Affection for him again.

He that fhall confider how that one fingle Paffion of Pride was able in fome fort to destroy all the Knowledge of Man, by obliging him to doubt of every thing, will not in the least wonder, that all the Paffions together should fometimes render this one fingle notion of the Existence of God, Obfcure and Dark. Befides, the Paflions do very often make a Man forget him felf, and therefore may well be thought capable of making him forget God fometimes.

Two Principles then we find in Man continually ftrugling one with another in this respect. There is fo much Light in the Understanding, that 'tis hardly poffible it fhould be wholly extinguished by the Paffions of the Heart: And there are fo many irregular Paffions in the Heart, that it is hard for the purest Lights of the Understanding, to escape being dimm'd and obfcur❜d by them fometimes. But here lies the advantage, that the Light comes from common Senfe, a Fountain not at all to be fufpected; whereas the Obfcurity comes from the Heart, which is a Principle we have reafon to diftruft. So that we may properly conclude with these Words of the Wife Man, The Fool bath faid in his Heart, there is no God, Pfal. 14.

SECT.

SECT. II.

Wherein we shall prove the Truth and Neceffity of Religion against the Deists.

CHAP. I.

Four Principles to be proved, in oppofition to Four kinds of Deifts.

Having a Defign. Methodically to proceed in

proving the First Truths of Religion, we fhall take advantage only of the Principle we juft now establish'd; viz. The Truth of the Exiftence of God; for that Truth will immediately lead us to other Truths, by a connexion of allowable and natural Confequences.

First, We shall establish the Idea of God, by fuppofing the Truth of his Existence. Secondly, We fhall prove the neceffity of Religion in general, by the fimple Idea of God. Thirdly, The neceffity of Religion being well established will afterwards lead us to the Principles of Natural Religion. Laftly, The inefficacy of Natural Religion, from the time that Men have thus abused it by their Corruption, will guide us to the Knowledge of a Second Revelation, to be K fuper

fuperadded to that of Nature, for the Reforming the Disorders occafioned in Mankind by their corruption.

These are the Four Steps by which we shall conduct the Readers Mind in this Section; becaufe 'tis our Business here to refute those called Deifts, who may be reduced to Four different Orders; viz. First, Those who frame to themfelves an odd incongruous Idea of the Deity. Secondly, Those who seem at firft view to have a true Idea enough of God, and yet attribute to him an unconcernednefs at things done here on Earth. Thirdly, Those who hold that though God do really intermeddle in the Affairs of this World, yet imagine that he delights in the variety of Mens Superftitions and Errors. Fourthly and Laftly, Those who acknowledge that God has given Men a Religion to guide them by, but yet reduce its Principles to the natural Notions of Men, and look upon the reft as Fictitious. But the Extravagance of these Four kinds of Infidels, will beft appear, by the Opposition of the Four Principles we have already mentioned.

CHAP.

CHA P. II.

Wherein we shall prove the Idea of God. And firft, that he is a neceffary Being, and that he is neceffarily but one.

THe

He First Idea we ought to frame to our selves of that Deity, whofe Existence we have already proved, is, That it exifts neceffarily, and of it felf. This Idea is Original and Fundamental with refpect to all other Ideas, and yet may easily be proved.

For either God exists effentially of himself, or he has fome other Principle of his Existence. If he has fome other Principle of his Existence, we enquire further whether that Principle has any precedent Principle of its Existence, or whether it has none? If it has one, we must run up this Gradation to Infinity, or stop at fome Being that was not made, which we call by the Name of God. But if it has none, we must then own that God does neceffarily Exift, and of himself: There is no Medium; we muft either acknowledge an Infinite Subordination of Effects and Caufes, (which we have fhewed to be repugnant to Reason;) or we must own a neceflity of Being, whereof the Effence of God is compo fed.

Now from that neceffity of Being, which makes him be of himself, whatever he is, proceed all his other Attributes; from which alfo neceffarily refults his Independency. For if God derives from himself, all the Power, Glory and