A

CONFUTATION

OF

ATHEIS M

FROM THE

Origin and Frame of the World.

PART I.

The Sixth SERMON preached October 3. 1692.

Acts XIV. 15, &c.

That ye fhould turn from thefe vanities unto the living God, who made Heaven and Earth and the Sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times paft fuffer'd all Nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless, he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us Rain from Heaven, and fruitfull Seasons, fil: ling our hearts with Food and Gladness.

A

LL the Arguments, that can be brought, or can be demanded, for the Existence of God, may, perhaps not abfurdly, be reduced to three General Heads: The First of which

will

will include all the Proofs from the Vital and Intelligent portions of the Universe, the Organical Bodies of the various Animals, and the Immaterial Souls of Men. Which Living and Understanding Subftances, as they make incomparably the most confiderable and noble Part of the naturally known and vifible Creation; fo they do the most clearly and cogently demonftrate to Philofophical Enquirers the neceffary Self-existence, and omnipotent Power, and unfearchable Wisdom, and boundless Beneficence of their Maker. This firft Topick therefore was very fitly and divinely made ufe of by our Apostle in his Conference with Philofophers and that Chap. 17. inquifitive People of Athens: the latter spending their

V. 2.

time in nothing elfe, but either to tell or hear fome New thing; and the other, in nothing, but to call in queftion the most evident Truths, that were deliver'd and receiv'd of Old. And thefe Arguments we have hitherto pursued in their utmoft latitude and extent. So that now we fhall proceed to the Second Flead, or the Proofs of a Deity from the Inanimate part of the World; fince even Natural' Reafon, as well as Pfal. 19. Holy Scripture, affures us, That the Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament sheweth his Jer. 51.15. Handy work, That he made the Earth by his power, He

hath established the World by bis wisdom, and hath stretchPfal.148.5 ed out the Heaven by his understanding; That He com

manded

manded and they were created; be bath alfa eftablished them for ever and ever; He covereth the Heavens with 147.8. Clouds, He prepareth Rain for the Earth, He crown 65.2. eth the Year with his Goodness

part of

Lucret. 5. Priterea cœli ra-· tiones ordine certo, Et varia annorum cernebant tempora verti : & lib. 6. Nam bene qui didice

re Deos fecurum agere avum, Si

tamen interea mirantur,&c. Cic.

de Nat. Deor. lib. 2. Quis hune

hominem dixerit, qui cum tam

ftrorum ordines, &c. Plutarch.

de

certos cali motus, tam rates a plac. phil. 1. 6. 088 5 ErTra νοιαν ἔχον ἀπὸ τῶν φαινομένων αςέρων, ὁρῶντες τέτες μεγάλης

These Reasons for God's Existence, from the Frame and Syftem of the World, as they are equally true with the Former, so they have always been more popular and plaufible to the illiterate Mankind; infomuch as the Epicureans, and fome others, have observed, that mens contemplating the most ample Arch of the Firmament, the innumerable multitude of the Stars, the re gular Rifing and Setting of the Sun, the periodical and conftant Viciffitudes of Day and Night and Seasons of the Year, and the other Affections of Meteors and Heavenly Bodies, was the principal and almost only ground and occafion, that the Notion of a God came first into the World: making no mention of the former Proof from the Frame of Humane Nature, That in God we Live and Move and have our Being. Which Argument being so natural and internal to Mankind, doth nevertheless (I know not how) feem more remote and obfcure to the Generality of Men; who are readier to fetch a Reason from the immense distance

parias vasaities, & TEταγμένας ἡμέρανε καὶ νύκτα,

χειμῶνα τε καὶ θέρος, ανατολάς

τε καὶ δυσμάς.

distance of the ftarry Heavens and the outmoft Walls of the World, than seek one at home, within themselves, in their own Faculties and Conftitutions. So that hence we may perceive, how prudently that was waved, and the Second here infift ed on by St. Paul to the rude and fimple Semi-barbarians of Lycaonia: He left not himself without witnefs, in that he did good, and gave us Rain from Heaven, and fruitfull Seafons, filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness. Which words we shall now interpret in a large and free Acceptation; fo that this Second Theme may comprehend all the Brute Inanimate Matter of the Universe, as the Former comprized all visible Creatures in the World, that have Underftanding or Senfe or Vegetable Life. These two Arguments are the Voices of Nature, the unanimous Suffrages of all real Beings and Subftances created, that are naturally knowable without Revelation. And if, Laftly, in the Third place, we can evince the Divine Existence from the Adjuncts and Circumftances of Humane Life; if we find in all A. ges, in all civiliz'd Nations, an Universal Belief and Worship of a Divinity; if we find many unqueftionable Records of Super-natural and Miraculous Effects; if we find many faithfull Relations of Prophecies punctually accomplished; of Prophecies fo well attefted, above the fufpicion of Falfhood; fo

remote

remote and particular and unlikely to come to pass, beyond the poffibility of good Gueffing or the mere Forefight of Humane Wildom; if we find a moft warrantable tradition, that at fundry times and in divers manners God spake unto Mankind by his Prophets and by his Son and his Apoftles, who have deliver❜d to us in Sacred Writings a clearer Revelation of his Divine Nature and Will: if, I fay, this Third Topick from Humane Testimony be found agreeable to the standing Vote and Atteftation of Nature, What further proofs can be demanded or defired? what fuller evidence can our Adversaries require, since all the Claffes of known Beings are fummoned to appear? Would they have us bring more Witnesses, than the All of the World? and will they not ftand to the grand Verdict and Determination of the Univerfe? They are incurable Infidels, that perfift to deny a Deity; when all Creatures in the World, as well fpiritual as corporeal, all from Humane Race to the lowest of Infects, from the Cedar of Libanus to the Mofs upon the Wall, from the vaft Globes of the Sun and Planets, to the smallest Particles of Duft, do declare their abfolute dependance upon the first Author and Fountain of all Being and Motion and Life, the only Eternal and Self-exiftent God; with whom inhabit all Majefty and Wisdom and Goodness for ever and ever.