CHA P. XV.

A continuation of the Objections of Atheists.

S we propofe the Oeconomy of our Thoughts

and Paffions, the Subordination of the Motions of our Heart, Natural Law, Confcience, and those Inclinations which unite Men together into Society, as fo many proofs of the Existence of a Supream Wifdom, which has skilfully contrived the Compofition of Man; fo Atheists on the contrary endeavour to prove their Opinion, by the Disorders of the Thoughts and Paffions, and by thofe Crimes God fuffers Men to comnit.

Vanninus in Am

phitheatro Providen

tie.

For, fays the Atheist, if there be a God, either he cannot prevent Sin, and then he must want Power; or he will not, and then we conceive him to be Wicked. The First Reflection to be made in answer to this Objection, is, that we must distinguish Power confidered as purely Abfolute and Supream, from the fame power confidered as temper'd by Wif dom, Fuftice and other Vertues. If you confider only the Abfolute Power of a King, he may caufe half his Subjects to be put to Death in one Day. But if you confider this power as tempered by his goodness, and his other Vertues, you will own that he cannot do it, and that it is a happy and commendable impotence which denotes his Strength, and which fprings from his Perfections: So that to know, not what God, but

what

what a fimple Monarch may prevent or permit, it is not fufficient to confider his Power only, but we muft take a view of him in all the extent of his Relations, and know all his other Vertues which temper and allay his Power. As Gond, he may do a thing, which he cannot as Fuft; and as Fuft, he may do another thing which he cannot do as Wife And unless you are throughly acquainted with his Interests and Perfections, Rights and Vertues, you cannot resolve what he may prevent or permit ; and if this holds when Man confiders Man, how much more when Men confider God?

Bot after what we have faid, we have this to observe ftill, that even according to our weak Jacas, 'tis not without reason, that God permits Si I fhall not here affert, that as Monsters in Nature do ferve to illuftrate the order, conMexion, and oeconomy of regular Beings; so likewife the Disorders of Sin are of ufe to make us better understand the value and advantages of Keafon, Confcience, and natural Religion, which are all violated by Crimes. This is one of the least confiderations that might be made on this Subt, though it is not altogether without Foundation.

To this we may add, that Sin gives occafion to most part of our Vertues, to exert and fhew themselves, that the patience of the oppreffed, appears by the Violence of their Oppreffors; that Humility would be of very little ufe, were there no Pride for it to overcome; that the difficulty ofnquering our Lufts, makes Temperance fo

ed; that Justice would have no business rld, but for Self-intereft and Covetousin fine, there are a great many other

Vertues

Vertues which owe their birth and manifestation to Vices.

Further, It is certain, that feveral Vertues belonging to God, are difcovered by occasion of Sin, which had otherwife layn concealed from us. If it had not been for Sin, we should have been for ever ignorant of the Mercy and Justice of God, that is, we fhould have been ignorant of what renders him most amiable and moft terrible to our Souls.

We may affirm, that the blotting out the Sins of Men by the Mercy of God, or the severe Punishment of them by the Laws of his inexorable Juftice, do create everlasting motives of Fear and Love, and fuch motives as were neceffary to counterpoise the Propenfions Men have to all fenfible Objects, or even to retain within the bounds of their Duty. Some other, Creatures we know not. For we are to think, that God deals with Men, as with rational Creatures, and confequently that he ought to influence them by. certain Motives or Objects, which he proposes to them, and not by a blind impreffion; and to ask why Men fhould be governed after this manner, is to ask why they are Men.

Certainly we cannot doubt, but that as Gods Wisdom is infinite, fo is alfo the Scheme of his Designs, and that answerable to that Scheme, there is an infinite Succeffion of Objects, united to one another. This World, this Life, and all that we have ever feen, or learnt of things, prove another Succeffion of Objects, which enter into God's Defign; fo that thefe are but a point in respect of that Eternal Succeffion of Objects which perpetually roul along, (if I may fo fpeak) in the Divine Intellect. The Wisdom of

God

1

God is fo immense, that it makes the greatest Events depend upon an Accident, and turn upon a Point, as upon an immoveable Axel-Tree. Let us for a while, for the better clearing this matter, fuppofe the thing in queftion: A Vapour in Pharaoh's Head, produces a Dream, which Dream is the occafion of the advancement of Jofeph, and the coming of the Children of Ifrael into Egppt, and of fo many other Illuftrious Events, which ail turn upon this Dream as upon a point. The deliverance of the People of Ifrael, their Profperities, their Victories, and all thofe continued Bleffings heaped upon them by the favour of Heaven, do all at length terminate in the Birth of Jesus Christ, which feems but a very inconfiderable Event. And yet, this laft Event is the fixt Axel-tree which fupports the Calling of the Gentiles, the Establishment of God's Kingdom, the Abolishing of Idols, and the Converfion of the World; and thefe very last mention'd Objects which fill our Souls, and aftonish us by their vaftness, are perhaps but another point or hinge which fuppofe an infinite Succeffion of other Objects and Oeconomies that shall eternally tend to the Glory of God.

As therefore a Man who had lived in Jacob's time, and had been a witness of the Selling and Imprisonment of the Chafte and Innocent JoSeph, would have wondered at Gods thus permitting Vertue to be oppreffed, only through ignorance of what the Wisdom of God defigned to effect by that means; and as those who believed in Jefus Chrift, and were Spectators of his Death, were furprised at it, only because they did not perceive the mighty Benefits the Mercy of God purpofed to draw from it, fo in

like manner, the only reason why God's permitting of Sin in general, does surprise us, is because we do but in part, and confufedly know, what good the Wisdom of God will bring about by those means.

I may, I hope, be allowed to make use of thefe Examples, fince I do not bring them as Proofs, but only as Illuftrations which ferve for a double purpose; the Firft whereof, is to Thew us, that there is not a more false or despicable Argument than this; viz. I do not throughly understand the Defigns and whole extent of the Wisdom of the Deity: Therefore there is no fuch Deity at all. God permits Evil, therefore he is Wicked; becaufe fuch an Argument cannot be conclufive, unless our Understanding were infinite, and had the priviledge of knowing all things. The Second ufe of thefe Examples, is to fhew us, that the common and most plaufible Objections of the Atheists, are infenfibly overthrown by the Principles of that Religion against which they were at firft levelled.