thus united they form a light which approaches the full brightness of an irresistible demonstration. It is thus that they combine in true religion: not only many convincing proofs, but a multitude of probable arguments, join themselves to sustain the system of piety; and against these the Atheist can oppose nothing except a few difficulties drawn from our want of knowledge of the nature of the Supreme Being, which neither attack nor shake in any degree the existence of God or the truth of religion. Is it for any one presumptuously to say, that religion is false because he cannot comprehend clearly all the actions of the Deity? To do so is palpable absurdity and gross injustice.

With regard to demonstrations, they are of two kinds; one founded upon the evidence, which the object itself affords, and upon the connection the effect has with the cause, which necessarily produces it. The other consists of facts, which have actually taken place, but which might or might not have happened, inasmuch as, out of the cause which produced them, it was not absolutely necessary in the nature of things that those effects should have arisen: for instance, eclipses are of the first class, because they are necessarily produced. We know, that, by the interposition of the earth between the sun and the moon, an eclipse of the moon is produced; and by the interposition of the moon between the earth and the sun, we have an

eclipse of that great luminary. But in such facts as the following,-that there is a town in France which is called Paris; that Julius Cæsar formed the Roman Republic into an empire; or that Charles the Fifth was an emperor, there are no demonstrations founded on the evidence which the object itself affords, because all these things have not necessarily come to pass, because these effects were not the consequences of any absolutely controlling cause. Those, who built Paris, might have left the ground unoccupied. Julius Cæsar need not have altered the government of Rome; and Charles the Fifth might never have been elected emperor. Nevertheless no one attempts to deny these facts; they have their clear and decided proofs; and we are as well convinced of them as of the truth of an eclipse.

Now religion possesses these two kinds of facts, and she affords also the clearest demonstration of both. Many wonderful acts of the Almighty are related in the Holy Scriptures. We shall establish the truth of them by arguments of much more force, and in far greater number, than any which can be brought forward to prove, that Julius Cæsar or Charles the Fifth did once exist. Is it not then the height of injustice to give credence to these historical relations, while we reject those which are to be found in the sacred writings? He, who believes in history of any kind, must then,

if only to escape the charge of inconsistency, acknowledge the truth of revelation. The very foundation of religion consists of truths, which are susceptible of the clearest demonstrations, as certain as those of an eclipse; and are, properly speaking, no other than the consequences of the principles which we have here laid down.

I shall reduce these truths into two propositions, which are, first, That there is a God; secondly, That the soul of man is spiritual, and consequently

immortal.

These two assertions being proved, where is the person, who can, for an instant, doubt the truth of Revelation?

CHAPTER II.

ON THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.

THE existence of a Supreme Being has been so amply discussed in the numerous dissertations which have been composed on the subject, and it has been so completely proved that such a belief is in perfect conformity with right reason, that I shall content myself with retracing in few words some of the most powerful arguments in its favour.

It is indisputable, that there is a Being self-existent, and perfectly independent of all other beings. This proves itself by the following clear demonstration.-We know, and see, that there are numerous bodies both animate and inanimate ; some of these being capable of motion, such as men, animals, &c., while others discover only vegetative powers, such as plants, trees, and many other substances: among all these we are not acquainted with one, which is not subject to destruction, or liable to decay. Now, can we believe, can we imagine, that this would be the case, if they each contained within them an independent, selfexistent power? If we admit, that these bodies do not

contain any such power, then they can only exist at all, by the influence of some Cause more powerful than they are themselves: and if we do not allow this Cause to be a Being of self-existent power, we shall fall into manifest contradictions; for even though we may speak of being beyond being, till the powers of reason are lost in endless calculation, in fact, we shall be saying the same thing; and by admitting a still more powerful Being beyond all those, though we may refuse to acknowledge it in so many words, we do allow of a Being of self-existent power, independent of any other cause whatever, at once producing those effects with which we are acquainted.

Let us

Then there is a Being self-existent. proceed to another demonstration. Has this Being intelligence, or has it not? If this Being has not intelligence, from whence does man, that being who cannot even exist by his own power-from whence does man, I say, derive his understanding; how is he able to procure to himself intellect? An effect has nothing belonging to it, which it does not receive from the cause which produces it. This, we must remember, is one of the first principles of reasoning; and a most clear and certain axiom it is. Since then, nothing can only produce nothing, human intellect must necessarily have a First Cause from whence it is derived; and what