^ ^^" 4? de Luc, . 157 160 Maclaunn, - * . 16 Maimonides .... 83 Marcellinus Ammianus - 9 Martin, J. Efq; ..... SO Maferes, Baron, - - - - 140 Maurice, Rev. T. - - 160 Melchizedeck, - - . 71 Milton, . 130. 141 Mirabaud, - > - - 20 Mohammed, . 99 103 More, Dr. Henry, - - . 144 Morris, .... vi Mofes, REFERRED TO. Page Mofes, - - 10. 33. 62. 74. 76. 7883. 99. 169 Nero - . .. . - - 120 Newcome, Archbifliop. - - 510. 212. 214 Newton, Sir I - 70 Noah, - - - - * 62. 68. 69. 75 Orpheus, - - 167 Park, Mungo, - - - 101 Parnell, Dr. - ... - 144 Pafcal, - - - - - - 170 Paul, - 94- Plutarch, .... 169 Pope, - - - - - - 47,48 Prieftley, Dr. - ... 84, 85 Shaftefbury, Earl of, - - ' - 25 4-O Socrates, - . - - . 87 92 Tillotfon, Archbifhop, - - - - 173177 Turgot, - - < - - 139. 14O Voltaire, : 8. 19. 134. 137 Wakefield - 173.214 Whichcot, Dr. - - 29 Whitby, - - .110 Wilberfofte 217 PASSAGES PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE QUOTED OR EXPLAINED. PAGE PAC-S GENESIS v. 24, 66 John xiii. 2, 27, 207 7 4> -' * 4 A 208 "Iv ? 146 AB.S iv. 25- r -28, - 146 A IV. O - Exodus xi. 10, 145 . n 211 . ^ V. 3, v - . xxiii. 31-. -33, 83 vii, 2, 176 Leviticus xvii, 7, 193 72 JDeut. vii. 1,2, - - 8.3 Y V 1 ft 15 xx. 10, 16, 83 *.- 1 f\ 2 12 xxviii. 1.0 e XVI. 14, - - 145 xxxii. 17, - - 193 wr** or\ 01 95 Jofhua ii. 9 13, ix 3, 82 Romans i. 18, - - . 91 * . iii. 5, vi. 20, 21 , 78 xvi. 20, 212 xi. 19, 20, - 83 1 Cor. v. 5, - - - 2 12 2 Kings ii, 3, - - 67 2 Cor. xi. 14, - . 2 12 Job i. 912, - - 209 1 Theff. xi. 9. . - 213 Pf. cvi. 37, 38, - - 194 1 Tim. iii. 6, 7, v. 15. Eccles. xi. 5. - 149 2 Tim. ii. 26, 213 Ifaiah xlv. 8, - 200 Hebrews xi. 5, - - 67 Matthew v. 44, 45, - 96 17 1Q 172 ~r i / --- i y t Cl\ Ofi 206 ir -, i| ~, , - - xxv. 41 46, 209 Eph. ii. 1, - - - 210 Mark x. 5, 6, - - 63 iv. 27. vi. 11, 213 iv. 15, 2.06 1 Peter v. 8, - - 214 viii. 33, . . 203 2 Peter ii. 4, - - 2lf Luke xiii. 16, xxii. 31, 209 6Q 75 o. -: viii. 12, - 206 Jude 6, - - - - 210 10 . 1 John ii. 13, - - 214 v *r * rnury truths, for inltance, of Chriit's religion, and of all true religion; namely, that Cod is to be loved and obeyed before all things ; that virtue, or the love of our fellowcreatures, fo as to leek their happinefs as our own, is to be cultivated by us: thefe and the like doc- trines have their proper evidence, founded in the nature of man and the relation between him and his Maker, independent of miracles, which can add nothing to them in that re- o fpech The proper province and defign of mira- cles is, to confirm the authority of a prophet or divine rneffensrer in what he delivers con- cerning DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 13 cerning the will and government of God, and men's future deftination, where their natural light and faculties fail them. And in this view, for this purpofe, Chrift conftantly appealed to them ; referring men to the works, which his father irapowered him to perform, as the evidence of his coming from God; of which they were the direcl: proofs. Although they are calculated, and may alfo be defigned to revive and powerfully to recall men's attention to important truths within their knowledge, but overlooked and neglected by them. Some, indeed, would prejudge and fet afide at once the .whole of the extraordinary and divine communications recorded in the fcrip- tures, as entirely fabulous, arguing it to be inconfiflent with the character and attributes of the great firft caufe, the fupreme, all- perfect Being, and therefore impoffible for him to alter the courfe of nature eflabliflied \)y himfelf, and to interrupt thofe laws of his pwn appointment, by which he governs and preferves the world. We 14 CONVERSATIONS OX THE We mould here take care, that we are not impofed on by words, that fignify nothing. For what do we mean by nature, but the art, if we may fo fpeak, of the great Creator, his workmaiifliip ; the regular fucceffion of caufes and effects appointed by him ; by which every thing is brought to pafs ? And who ihail take upon him to fay, that it is Unbe- coming him, or that his power is in any way limited and reftrained fo that he cannot in- terrupt the general order of things appointed by himfelf, to promote his wife and benevo- lent defigns ? Perhaps this prejudice and difficult}-, that has been darted againll all miraculous inter- poiitions, as implicating a weaknefs of con- duct in the fupreme Being, we may, on a nearer infpection, perceive to take its rife purely from men's imperfe6t conceptions of the divine agency and government. Here, we mud ever profefs ourfelves in the dark, and moft defective in our judgements, concerning the manner in which the deity acts ; and therefore fpeak with reverence and diffidence, Bui, DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 15 But, as we are perfuaded, from what we fee and know, that he made all things with moft confummate wifdojji, and for the beft purpofes of univerfal good, our higheft thoughts of him lead us to conclude, that when he created the world, all future events were before him, known -and forefeen in their caufes ; and every, the minuteft circumftance relating to every creature, contrived and di- re<5led ultimately to anfwer the end deiigned ; iince without this, his wile and kind defigns might be liable to be continually crofted and defeated. In agreement with this idea, the apoftle fays, Acis xv. 18. known unto God arc all his works from the beginning of the world. And we may humbly prefume, that we do not err, in fuppofing, that the Almighty did at firft, and originally, % fo devife and lay out his courfe of nature, as we term it, the whole train of caufes and effects, all that was to befall his whole creation and each individual in it, throughout ail future time, that thofe events, which we call fupernatural, flioukl be the refult oY eftabliihed laws, and a more compreheniive plan of things, though unper- ceived 16 CONVERSATIONS ON THE ceived by us ; as much as the mod ordinary events, our fuftenance and fupport in life, and that of all otJier animals, is the effect of thofe laws, that we fee to be eftablimed : So that in the eve of a being, who could take in the whole of the divine adminiftration and operations, thofe called miraculous, are as much the refult of general laws, as the moft ordinary events. The courfe of nature, of which we hear fo much, and cannot hear too much, if pro- perly viewed and coniidered by 115; thofe moil curious and exact laws, both in the na- tural and moral iyitem, by which the uni- verfe is upheld and preferred, we cannot fuf- iicitntly extoli and admire.' Thofe who have moll minutely fcanned and inquired into and beft imderflood them, -Barrow, Boyle, Mac- laurin, (to name a few only of our own coun- trymen) have not been able 'to contain them- felves from breaking out into fuch holy rap- tures in contemplation of that wifdom and goodness, which formed and preferves the whole of things, as might kindle a flame of devotion in the coldeil breail. i This DIVINE GOVERNMENT* 17 This may be a lefTon to us, in our ftudy of nature and its flupendous laws, not to lofe fight of the great being, who framed it. For we find fome fo fwallowed up in their dif- quintions and refearches into the wonderful contrivance with which all the parts of thevaft machine are put together, and fo doting on their difcoveries of fome of the fecret powers and energies by which it is conducted, as to imagine, that thefe powers and energies are fomething, as it were, inherent in matter, diftincl: from, and independent of its maker. And as all things feem to go on of them- felves, (for they fee not him whofe * fecret agency directs and fupports the whole) they are blindly led on to fpeculate, whether all things did not alfo begin of themfelves with- out him ; and thus fall into the gulph of Atheifm, which fees nothing fuperior to itfelf in the univerfe. Tp guard againft fo fatal a deluiion, I beg, my friends, you will excufe my urging it upon you, to hold faft the plain old argument for Deity, obvious to every underftan cling, and equally 18 CONVERSATIONS OX THE equally decifive to the higheft as the lowed ; viz. that next to the confcioufnefs and con- viftion which we have of our own exiltence, there is nothing, of which we can be fo abfolutely certain, or which is fo clearly de~ monftrable to us, as that there is a God, an intelligent firlt caufe, and benevolent author of all things ; becaufe, otherwife the world we live in, with all its furniture and inhabi- tants, conltructed with the molt confummate art, and abounding, at every view, the more it is fought into, with innumerable marks of wifdom and kind defign ; connected alfo and mutually dependent throughout all its parts, as far as we can defcry, muft have come into being of itfelf, without any original defigning mind : which is a fuppofition, not to be en- tertained by any one, whofe intellectual pow- ers are found and unimpaired. I remember D'Ahmbert, who was careful latterly not to concede too much upon this qu ftion, in his correfpondence with the King of Pruflla, is compelled to fay, " * I think * Je penfe en particulier, par rapport a Texiftence d'une intelligence fupreme, que ceux qui la nient avan- cent bicn plus qu'ils ne peuvent prouver, et qu'il n'y a da us DIVIDE GOVERNMENT. 19 think particularly, that with regard to the exiftence of a fupreme intelligence, thofe who deny it go much farther than they can warrant, and that in all this bufmefs there is an unreafonable fcepticifm. Certainly ho one can deny, that there is in the univerfe, and particularly in the ftruclure of plants and animals, fuch a combination of parts, as manifests intelligence, and proves the exift- ence of this intelligence, as a watch proves the exiftence of a watchmaker. This appears to be undeniable." The fame thought is taken up by Voltaire^ p. 4, of his Reply to the Syftem of Nature *. " Your dans cette matiere que la fcepticifrrve deraiforrable. Or* ne peut nier fans doute, qu'il n'y a dans 1'univers, et en, particulier dans la ftrudlure des animaux et des plantes, decombinaifonsde parties qui femblent deceler une intelli- gence ; elles prouvent I'exiftence de cette intef&gence, comme une montre prouve 1'exiftence d'un horloger; cela parait inconteftable. * Votre fauvage qui devine q.u*ttne montre eft faite par un horloger, parce qu'il a quelque idee de 1'induftrie humaine, eft precifement la preuve de 1'exiftence de Dieu. Je fuis le lauvage : la montre eft I'trnivsrs : 1'liorloger eft J* formateur de 1'univers, J'ai quelque idee de Tinduftrie c 2 en 20 CONVERSATIONS ON THE " Your favage, (fnys he, ch. v. p. 11, p. who guefles a watch to be the work of a watchmaker, becaufe he has fome idea of the effects of the induftry of man, is pre- cifely the prop/ I offer of the exiitence of God. I am that favage. The watch is the univerfe. I have fome idea of induftry in general. I behold the world, in which a wonderful induftry difplays itielf on all lides, and 1 adore the author." Mirabaud, or whoever was the author of that work, muft have been affected, when at the clofe of a fimilar argument, Voltaire turns to him *, " Why, my friend, why will you not let me adore that great intelligent being, who has beftowed life and thought upon me ? Let me add, Take care of being found un- en general : je vois le monde dans lequel une induftrie merveilleufe eclnte de toutes parts ; et j'adore 1'auteur. REPONSE au Syfteme de la Nature, page 12. *.Pourquoi ne voulez vous pas quc j'adore ce grand Etre intelligent et puiflant qui m'a clonne la vie et la penfee? J'ajouterai, craigne/, d'etre ingrat, vous a qui i! a clonni rant d'ef}M'it , re nVft pas certainement vous qui vous fetes donne". Ibid, page 11. grateful, O ' DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 21 grateful, you, to whom he has given fuch talents and powers ! It is certain, you have not given them to your/elf." It is not, however, entirely, mens doubts concerning the poffibiiity or reality of mira- cles, or concerning the truth of the facred hiftory connected with them ; nor any pre- fumed difcoveries of the hidden powers and energies of nature, that have put them on rejecting divine revelation, and led not few of them to deny the being of a God, and take refuge in the gloomy idea of a fatherlefs world. It is a difficulty of a more ferious kind, from which it fometimes origi- nates ; the perplexity that w r orthy thinking perfons are often thrown into, how to recon- cile appearances in the world of nature, and the imperfect and forlorn ilate of mankind with the fuppoiition of a perfectly wife and good moral adciiniftration. " If there be a being perfectly wife and good at the head of the univerfe, why iuch a miferable world, fo much natural evil, pain and lingering, and fo much vice and wretchednefs ? Why are not all men virtuous and happy ? And, why fo c 3 little 22 CONVERSATIONS ON THE little apparent amendment for the better among chriftians, and fo great a majority of them doomed to endlefs differing hereafter, or to annihilation, with fo great an expence of miracles and of a divine extraordinary power made to fo little purpofe ? Could we find a clue to lead us fafe out of this labyrinth, and to teach us how to juflify the dealings of God with mankind, con- fiftently with that perfect goodnefs, which we muft ever afcribe to him, if we believe him to be at all ; we ihall provide the beft remedy againft, and, in time, put an end to the prevailing fcepticifm. Here the company rifing up, Marcellimts, in the name of them all, declared their obli- gations to Photinits, for giving them caufe not to defpair of the fortunes and fuccefs of the gofpel, notwithstanding its prefent low condition ; and for fo feafonably reminding them of the iblid foundation, on which the belief of God, the infinitely wife creator and fupreme governor of all things was immove- ably placed ; as this muft lead the way to all fatis- DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 23 iatisfacliory enquiry concerning his difj^ofi- tions towards us and our expectations from him. He was alfo perfuaded, that he mould fpeak the fentiments of all prefent as well as his own, by fuggeiling, that if they could but engage the friend, to whom they already owed ib much, to favour them with thole farther thoughts which they knew he had well digelted upon this very weighty fubjecl, there would be nothing more for them to defire, and therefore he would take the liberty to be their fpokefman and entreat his compliance. To this Photinus frankly replied, that to take fuch a talk upon him on fo formal an invitation was quite formidable to a plain man, and implied too much expectation ; but if they could be contented with knowing in what manner he had endeavoured to fatisfy his own mind in a matter of fo much impor- tance, he mould not be unwilling to gratify them. But as they all might well be wearied with fuch a long grave difcourfe, he mould c 4 propofe 24 CONVERSATIONS ON THE propofe their taking up the fubje6l again at their next meeting. To this the company aflented, and the refult of our future conver- fation I mall take the firft opportunity of communicating. CON- DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 25 CONVERSATION II. SECTION I. ON the day fixed, the company being affembled, Volufian, who during the former conversation, had been very attentive, ex- prefled much fatisfaftion that all the party had been punctual to the appointment ; and addrefiing his difcourfe particularly to Pho- tinus, told him, that he had liftened with much fatisfa6tion to all that had fallen from him, but might probably have mifunderftood what he had advanced concerning thofe who rejected all divine revelation, as being com- monly induced to it from dark views of the prefent fcene of things and of the ways of providence, which indifpofed them towards the Deity, and all communications from him. This might -be true in fome inftances, but there were many exceptions to it, and one of great note, the noble author of the Cha- rtiieri/iicks, who . was well known to have admirably pleaded the caufe of a God and a providence ; that in the world we inhabit, the con- 26 CONVERSATIONS ON THE conftitution of things is perfectly moral, vice the road to mifery, and the virtuous of man- kind happy : although at times he was held too plainly to intimate his little value for the facred volumes, efpecially that of the Old Teftament. Photinus thanked him for his obfervations, and for giving him an opportunity of further explaining his fentiments. Pie had no doubt himfelf of the character of unbelievers of the prefent day being pretty much as he had defcribed it. But he was not infenfible that there were fome of a very different clafs, who acknowleged on all proper occafions, and fhewed a profound reverence for the Deity, and gave reafon to believe that they endea- voured in their actions to approve themfelves to him. If the author of the Char act err/ticks is to be reckoned in that clafs, few chriftians, it muft be confeflfed, feemed imprefled with fo full and conftant a fenfe of the divine pre- fence and benignity, and thofe chearful expec- tations of favour hereafter, with which it might be gathered that he was penetrated, from innumerable paflages in his writings, where DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 2? / where it is evident be 1'poke from the heart, and from the moft ferious conviction. One paffage, which I hope never to forget, in his " Inquiry concerning virtue," p. 57 befpeaks this in a high degree ; and I (hall gratify you, I am perfuaded, by repeating it: *' Where the theiitical belief," fays he, " is entire and perfect, there muft be a fteady opinion of the fuperintendency of a fupreme Bein, a witnefs and fpectator of human O 7 1 life, and confcious 6f whatever is felt or afted in the univerfe : fo that in the perfe&eft recefs, or deepeft folitude there mult be ONE flill prefumed remaining with us ; whofe pre- fence fmgly muil be of more moment than that of the moft auguft affembly upon earth. In fiich a Prefence 'tis evident, that as the iliame of guilty actions muft be the greateft of any, fo muft the honour be of well doing, even under the unjuft cenfure of a world.'* Of one thing however 1 cannot doubt, that if he ever reliriquifhed his belief of chrifti- anity, which is a thing by no means certain, he was much indebted to it for I hole leffons' of the moft pure and fublime morality, for which his writings are jqftlv admired. But 28 CONVERSATIONS ON THE But now we are thrown upon the iubjeft, as we are not limited in our time, it muv not . only be an amufement, but of fome ufe, to endeavour to ftate, whether there be any grounds for chriftians to reckon this cele- brated perfon one of their number. It is to be collected from thofe very fcantv memorials which are preferved of this third Earl of Shaft/bury, that from his infancy a very extraordinary care was taken to bring him acquainted with the learned languages of Greece and Rome, the key to all the knowledge of the antients, in which he after- wards excelled in an eminent degree ; and we may be affured an efpecial attention would alfo be paid to form the mind to every thing that bore relation to piety and virtue, as Mr. Locke is known to have been particularly confulted in the care of his education, His ferioufnefs in the profeffion of the chriftian religion, into which he was early initiated, is recounted on feveral occafions in his youth, and feems to have grown up with him. But what principally mewed his firm and rational conviction of the truth of the gofpel, I5IVINE GOVERNMENT. 29 gofpel, his high value for it, and "zeal and earneftnefs to bring others to the knowlege of it, and to imbibe its fpirit, was a publica- tion made by him., in 1698, when he was 27 years of age, of a volume of fermons by Dr. Whichcot, a Divine of the church of England, juftly. held in the higheft reverence and eileem. Thefe fermons this young man of quality was at the pains to fearch out and collect from perfons, who had taken them down in inert-hand as they were delivered from the pulpit, fuch being the modefty of this very celebrated preacher in his day both in the univerfity of Cambridge and after- wards in this great city, as would never let him print any of his difcourfes. The noble editor appears to have been very accurate in preparing the volume for the prefs, which he publimed with a preface of. his .own of fome length, but without his name. In this preface, Lord Ajliley, for his father was then living, fpeaks of chriftianity, as one that underilood and loved it ; as " a religion where love is chiefly enjoyned ; where the heart is exprefsly called for; and the out- ward a<5tion without that is difregarded ; and charity 50 CONVERSATIONS ON THE charity (or kimlnefs) is made all in all." And throughout the whole of the difcourfes, it is feen, what excellent creatures in all re- Ipects mankind would become, if influenced and governed by the principles of the gofpel. Several years afterwards, from February 1707, to July 1710, we have a feries of Let- ters, written after he came to his eftate and titles, to a young Student at the univerh'ty of Oxford, who was there, at his expence and under his direction, preparing for the miniftry in the church of England. Thefe letters befpeak the writer's high value for chriftianity, and mew in a moft edifying manner, thole fentiments of true piety and genuine goodnefs by which he was conftantly guided himfelf, and which he ft rove to inftil into this young perfon *. Soon * A beautiful edition of Lord Shaftfbury's Letters to a ftudent of the univcriity, was republifhed a few years ago, and diftributed by James Martin, Klq. the truly con- fcientious Member for Tewkefbury, as one way among many others in which he might enlighten and benefit mankind, ever his delire and delight. I would beg leave here to bear my teftimony to a truly laudable though rare cuflom, inflituted by the above gentle- 8 DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 31 Soon after this, in the year 1711? he went abroad on account of his health, \vhich had long been very delicate and precarious, and died at Naples, in the beginning of the year 1713, having barely com pleated his 42d year. A flight prefumption, ought not, it would ieem, to overfet the weight of this evidence for the author of the Chara&erifticks being a chriltian ; and yet we (hall meet with fome things that will caufe heiitation. We have his writings, which may be faid to contain his real fentiments, as they were revifed by gentleman, of daily collecting his children and family before breakfaft to hear a moral, or inftru&ive difcourfe or a fermon, as it happens, and concluding by a fhort addrefs to the Divine Being : thus beginning every day as a Chriflian ought ; and which cannot enough be recom- mended and followed. No company in the houfe interrupts this fervice, no bufmefs, either in town or country: And children thus inured to fit ftill and liften mull learn fomething, and when older are called to read the prayer aloud, getting by fuch means a habit and impreflions which can never wholly die away and be loft in their future intercourfe with the world. him 32 CONVERSATIONS ON Til ti him for ^publication, during the leifure, which his long (lay at Naples afforded him in the two lait years of his life. In them he appears to have contracted undue prejudices againft fome diftinguifhed characters and traniactions, which are fpoken of with commendation in the facrecl writings, o * betraying too great a willingnefs to fee things in the moft unfavourable point of view. This appears in his difpoiition to give credit to other hiftorians rather than thofe who were moft competent to the fads they treat of; in what he lavs concerning the rite of > Cv circumcilion among the Hebrews; in his in- finuations againft Abraham, and imputing his readinefe, at the known command of God, to have put his fon to death, to a pronenefs for human facrifices in thofe days, inftead of extolling the pious and right difpoiltions he mewed on that occaficn, which this noble author would not have failed to do, had he considered the hiltory and all its circum- ftanccs without prejudice : in bis i'cekin;; to depreciate and afperie the feiir unf potted name of Jofeph, governor of the country under Pharaoh, as combined with the prieits of GOVERNMENT. 3 of Egypt, to enflave the nation to the king, and put their whole property into his hands, from having married into the family of one of them. Equally uncandid and groundlefs were his accuiations of Mofes on fimilar fuf- picions and furmifes : for had he met with i'uch characters in Grecian ftory he would not have ceafed to applaud and admire them ; the hebrew youth, as a nioil amiable pattern of filial piety, generous fraternal affe6tion, and purity of manners ; and the hebrew legiflator, for his confummate wifdom, and o * for devoting himfelf and all his powers, with- out any felf-feeking, to the good of others. Such hafty condemnation, in thefe and fome other inftances, he would not have fuf- fered himfelf to pafs, if, without undue bias, he had calmly confidered ; that men chofen of God for important purpofes^ and therefore extraordinarily favoured by him, were not, nor was it neceilary they mould be$ faultlefs perforis ; that in the infancy of a common- wealth, of a nature fo peculiar as that of the hebrews, a hardier difcipline might at firft be needed : as for inftance, in adjudging the man (Numb, xv.) that gathered fticks on the i) fabbath 34 CONVERSATIONS ON THE iiibbath to be (toned to death, to reftrain and! deter others from the violation of its laws in future, and in things of greater moment. And with regard to the extermination of the idolatrous nations of Canaan, and the ieverities and deftruftion accompanying it, which have been much exaggerated, and may hereafter be noted ; may it not deferve to be confidered, whether in the inftance of a gene- ral deftruftion injoined of innocent children with perfons grown up, fuch proceedings might not be authorized by the righteous moral governor of the world, in mercy to the unfortunate fufferers themfelves ; whilft in putting an end to the lives of his crea- tures, he put an end to the moft horrid vice, (in which the young would have been trained, and others grown worfe) by continuing in which they would only have been more and more removed from, and with more difficulty recovered and brought back to virtue and to. true happinefs. Add to this, a moll; important confidera- tion, that fuch temporary feveritv tended immediately to deter and prevert the Ifrael- ites, 1 DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 55 ites$ and the nations around from becoming infecled with and going on in fuch pra&ices, for which thefe people were doomed to fuffer; I mean, the practices of a beftiality not to be named ; of the moft defiling, promifcuous commerce between the fexes ; and of that dreadful fuperftition which led them to make their children pafs through the fire to be confumed in it, in honour of their falfe gods* Had the pure, well-difpofed mind of Lord Shaft/bury, been fufficiently unwarped to behold thefe things in their true light, he would have been far from imputing blame here ; he who was penetrated with a full perfuaiion of the perfect unlimited goodnefs of the univerfal parent ; and of the prefent, being only a beginning progreffive ftate of his rational offspring, for their improvement in virtue and happinefs for ever ** However he might fometimes affe6t to (peak lightly of the argument from miracles, * See Lord -Shaftfbury's Letters, p. 20. Mr. Martin's edition. D 2 the 36 CONVERSATIONS OX THE the only one that can fully prove to us a divine revelation, he Ibmetimes {hewed that he under flood and valued it, and would by no means be thought to reject it. In the Charafterijikk*, Vol. II. p. 332, 333, 334 ? there is a fine pafiage to this purpofe, the whole of which deferves perafal. The noble writer begins with eitablithing, as he ftyles it, " a jult and rational foundation for our faith, on which we may give credit to a divine revelation ; namely, when it comes re- commended to us by the teftimony of thole whofe characters and lives might anfwer for them as to the truth of what they reported to us from God." And he then very pro- perly remarks, that miracles of themfelves are proofs only of fuperior power ; and that we muft be periiiaded that the power is under the direction of fupreme wifdom and good- nefs.; in fliort, that there is a God, who by his wife and good providence appoints and governs all things, before we can rely on any miraculous communications from him ; and then concludes in thefe words ; " To whom therefore the Laws of this Univerfe and ita Government appear juft and uniform ; to him they fpeak the Government of one JUST ONE ; DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 37 ONE ; to him they reveal and witnefs a God: and laying in him the foundation of this fir ft Faith, they fit him for a Jubfequent one. He can then hearken to Hijiorical Revela- tion : and is then fitted (and not till then) for the reception of any MefTage or miracu- lous Notice from above ; where he knows beforehand all is jufl and true. But this no power of Miracles, nor any Power betides his Heafan, can make him know or appre- hend." He who writes in this fort cannot juftly be pronounced a rejeclor of ail mira- cles, or difbeliever of divine revelation. It muft not be omitted, that in the year 1710, Lord Shaft/bury having been informed by the young man whom he had educated for the mimftry, at the univernty of Oxford, that he had been very lately ordained by Dr. Burnet, Biihop of Saiifbury; on re- ceiving this letter, his patron, thus, among other things, writes back to him. " July 10th, 1710, I hope whatever advice the great and good bithop gave you, will link deeply into your mind : and that your re- ceiving orders from the hands of fo worthy a o prelate will be one of the circumitances, p 3 which 38 CONVERSATIONS OX THfc which may help to infure your fteadinefs in honefty, good principles, moderation and true Christianity/' " As for my part of kindnefs and friendfhip to you, I ihall be fuf- ficiently recompenfed, if you prove (as you have ever promifed) a virtuous, pious, fober, and ftudious man, as becomes the folemn charge belonging to you/' " The thorough knowlege you have had of me, and the direction of all my ftudies and life to the promotion of religion, virtue and the good of mankind, will (I hope) be of fome good example to you: at leaft it will be a hindrance to your being feduced by infamies and calum- nies ; fuch as are thrown upon the men called moderate, and in their ftyle indifferent in re-. ligion, heterodox, and heretical/' " I pray God to blefs you in your new function, with all the true virtue, humility, moderation, and meeknefs, which becomes it, I am your hearty friend, S," It DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 39 It woulcl now feem from thefe fa&s, and authorities laid together, that we muft in all equity conclude, that this celebrated writer did not make the declarations we have feen in favour of chriftianity with a view to de- ceive ; that he was not acting a part, but was a real believer of that religion for which he o uniformly profeiTed fuch a high regard. We cannot certainly decide that his free notions and farcaftic raillery in which he in- dulged with refpeft fome of the hiftories in the Old Teftament, amounted to an intire rejection of its divine authority : but this we may conclude, that his fcepticifm in this re- fpeb, whatever it was, did not appear to him incompatible with a iincere belief and pro- feffion of chriftianity. Nor are we to think otherwife of him, for the iniinuations he fometimes throws out againft the gofpel-morality, as being deficient in teaching the duties of friendfhip, of the love of liberty and of our country ; objec- tions which ferve only to expofe his learned vanity and ignorance ; but it appears, as far as can be judged from his fentiments and r> 4 conduct, 4:0 CONVERSATIONS ON THE condu6t, that he was, and was delirous of paffing for a chriftian ; and alib wiihed fuch a judgment to be formed of him by posterity, We may then now perhaps be permitted to reprefent to ourfelves the manner in which the author of the Characierijiicks, would have been received by our divine mafter Jefus, if he had met with fuch a character in his walks through Judea. May we not image to ourfelves, that after fome heavy re- bukes for his high felf-conceit, and other grievous defects, bordering upon and fpring- ing from it, and after pointing out the necef- fity of the fevere difcipline to be exercifed over his imagination which had fadly milled him, our Saviour would, in favour of his general difpofition, and principles, have fpoken kindly to him and encouraged him, with the words of hope and coniblation, *< Thou art not far from the kingdom of God?' But it is high time to go on with our fubjeft, though we have not wandered far, if at all, out of our way, in this long digreffion ; for which we are much beholden to Vohtfian, as DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 41 as it has brought before us a moft amiable and accompliihed perfon, who thought, and who contributed to make others think, well of the world, and its maker, and therein is no finall encouragement to us. It is then with great pleafure, my friends, that 1 begin with noting, that as there is nothing, which we can poffibly be more con- cerned to know, than that the power that made us, is benevolently difpofed to us, and to all his creatures, he has not been wanting in furniming us with a knowlege fo neceffary to our peace. For although we do not be- hold him with our bodily eyes, we can fee in his works,, and dealings v.ith us, and with every living creature, how great and good he is. It may, indeed, be called the verdicl and fentimcnt of nature ; becaufe in all ages, where any believed in God, they believed him to be good ; feeing the-, marks of kind deiign every where, and in every thing, they could frame no other idea of the fovereign Creator, than as intending the happinefs of the things he had made ; not to receive any Benefit himfeii, for he wanted not any thing; ]jut to impart and communicate from his boundlefs 42 CONVERSATIONS ON THE boundlefs ocean of goodnefs to all. And it is a fat of great notoriety, that what put men at firft upon the thought of there being a powerful independent evil principle, was, their not being able otherwife fatisfaftorily to account to themfelves for the evil and mifery, which was in the world, and becaufe they were perfuaded, that nothing but good could come from God. But this univerfal fentiment and impreffion concerning the deity being found among all his rational offspring, that he is of the moft perfect goodnefs, though highly deferving attention, as the genuine teftimony which his works bear to the character of their author, does not prove him to be fuch to the anxious inquiring mind, whilft fo many things feem to wear a contrary afpe6fc. That can only be made to appear by fuch a refearch and par- ticular examination as will convince us, that all creatures are intended for happinefs, and put into the way of enjoying it. Now wherever we turn our eyes, to the beafts of the field, the birds of the air, the watery tribes, or the numberlefs infect race, we DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 43 we fee them chearful and happy, and their happinefs fecured to them in a manner fuited to their nature and conditions. It is moft obvious^ and mankind have very early noticed it, \vith regard to themfelves, as a mark of kind defign in their maker, that the organs x of their body, \vhich are of chief moment for comfort and well-being, and of moft con- ftant ufe, are moft ftudioufly guarded from injury, and advantageoufly placed ; the eye elevated on high for the better difcovery of objects ; the ear likewife for the greater ad- vantage of hearing ; fo likewife the organ of fmelling near the mouth, for a guide in the choice of food. And the lame kind attention and difpoiition of thefe principal organs is obfervable in the infinite variety of the diffe- rent fpecies of the animal creation, accom- modated to their form and way of life, And as the world is God's Houfe, and all the living creatures in it, part of his family, carrying on their different works and bufmefs in it, for a limited feafon ; and as he intended & fucceflion of its inhabitants to be continued, he has therefore made proper provifion for their propagation ; and alfo for their com- fortable 44 CONVERSATIONS ON THE fortable fupport ; which is either put in their immediate polieiiion, when brought into life, or fo placed within their reach, that by the eafy ufe of their powers, it may be fecured. The utmoft care is taken of all animals when young, and unable to provide for them- felves. This is generally done by their pa- rents, efpecially the mothers, who acquit themfelves therein with aftoniming perfe- verance, fidelity and tendernefs, which na- luralifts can never enough admire ; encoun- tering the greateit ditliculties and dangers in the protection of them, and mewing the greateit ielf-demal in procuring them fufte- nance. And it is fo ordered, that their na- tural affection and care ceafe, when there is no further call for them. Where this office is not performed by the parent, they are di- refted to lay their eggs, or produce their young, in places, where when born they in- ftantly find their nourilhment in the greateft abundance. All the different tribes of animals are fur- nifhed with their proper food, fo as not to interfere with each other ; and all know what is DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 45 is falutary for them by their feveral fenfes, their food being made pleaiant and inviting to them. Innumerable are the benevolent contrivances of the author of nature for their accommodation in this refpeft. , In thofe feafons of the year, when the food of fome animals is not to be obtained in one country, they are found to traverfe land and feas, exactly at the- proper feafons, to procure it in another, and fail through the air by a more certain intuitive guidance, than the mariner's compafs. Others are fa formed, that in winter, for inftance, when their food is not to be obtained, they fubiiit without it, and live concealed in their retiring places, tiil fpring approaches. Thole animals which are the molt generally uleful, are found in the greateft number, and almoft in all countries. And the more uncommon ones are to be feen only in thofe climates and iituations, where they are beft provided for, and moft ufeful and happy ; as the Rhen-Deer in Lapland, and the Camel in the hot countries, bordering on the fandy defarts. Nor is it any exception to the goodnefs of the creator, that many animals are made to prey 46' CONVERSATIONS ON THE prey and feed upon one another. Ravenous beafts, tigers, wolves, &c. are not numerous, are loon deitroyed where the earth is inha- bited and cultivated ; and, in the mean time, they call forth men's a6tive powers, are of ufe to prevent other animals from multiplying too fall. Allb, in general, they are only hurtful, when provoked by fome injury, or Itimulated by hunger. How often would the labour of the hufbandman be entirely fruf_ trated in his expectations from lowing his grain and feeds, if birds of prey did not live upon the maggots and worms, that infeft the tender blade and bud ? To prevent the like mifchievous effects, the wild boar and timid hare are deftined to be hunted down and deftroyed by other animals. The minuteil flies and infects furnifti food to the fmaller birds, that enliven our atmofphere by their notes and by their dexterity in their flights ; and was not the vafl multitude of thefe in fome countries to be the nourifhment of the feathered race, the aftoniihing 1 warms of them would, at times, darken the atmofphere, and render life uncomfortable. But DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 47 But by this kind contrivance, and multi- plication of living creatures an infinitely greater number enjoy exifience and are made happy by it, than would otherwife have taken place. And though it be very mort, they enjoy their little day of life, without any re- gret at parting with it, and make room thereby for others to fucceed, and be happy in their turn. And with refpect to thofe tamer domeftic animals, which mankind kill for their food, they become happier thereby from the extraordinary care taken of their health and nouriftiment. It is neceflary,, moreover, to deftroy them, as, otherwife, the earth would be overrun and fo filled by them, as not to yield fufficient food for mankind. It is a flri6t duty, however, for which all will be refponlible, to put an end to their being in the eafiefl and fhorteft way. And, as they have no prefentiment of what is to happen, to them, the abridging of their lives is no injury, as they fuffer lefs by this prema- ture death, than by dying of dileafe and old age. The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Had he thy reaion, would he Iklp and piay ? Pleas'* 48 CONVERSATIONS ON THE Pleas'd to the lad, he crops the flow'ry food, And licks the hand juft rais'd to ihed his blood. Oh ! blindnefs to the future, kindly given, That each may fill the circle, mark'd by heav'n 1 on Man. Ep. i. "\Ve, alfo, as partakers of the fame nature with our fellow-animals around us, have our full mare, as fuch, in the kindnefs and care of the common Creator. His goodneis meets us at our birth, and provides for us in our firlt helplefs ftate. He has contrived all the objects of our feveral fenfes to be pleafmg to us, indicating thereby that he intends us to be gratified by them. Pleafure is, indeed, our natural feeling, accompanying the application and exercife of all our powers, and difcovering itfelf moil remarkably, as has been obferved, in the playful difpontion of young children; which, when there is no reafon againit it, ought ever to be indulged. Nor is it any mark of unkindnefs or in- difference towards us, in our Creator, that \ve DIVINE GOVERNMENT* 49 we are fubjecl alfo to painful feelings^ but the contrary ; as they frequently a rife from what would be hurtful to us, and put us upon avoiding it. The pains of hunger and thirft, which are among the ririt we experience, and which continue through life, are not only conftant fources of delight to us, but are iieceffary to excite us to the care of our health and to labour, without which we mould be in danger of becoming torpid, ufelefs, and miferable. Some of the acutefl pains, to which we are expofed, are evidently the accidental, not the natural effects of our frame. Difeafes, in general are an effort of the constitution, to relieve from fomething, that would be pre- judicial to us ; for which providence* by the means of human induftry and ingenuity, hath furnifhed us with many effectual remedies, and by the fame induftry and ingenuity of men more are daily difcovered. And epi- demical difeafes, by alarming men's fears, put them on more minute invefhgation, in diligently ftudying their caufes, fo as to pre- vent them in future, and more lives are pre- ferved, E Nor 50 CONVERSATIONS OX THE Nor can \ve complain of a want of bene- volence, in there being fo many caufes at hand continually of the deftru&ion of us, as of other animals. For we and all animals were born to die. This is the condition of the prefent life. The manner of dying is in itfelf of little moment It is neceflary to make room for others of our fellow-creatures after us, to act their parts, whatever be the deiign of placing us on the itage of this world ; that as we have had our day and time of life, and fmiihed our parts, others may fucceed and fmim their's. And when, as fometimes happens, in vaftly greater numbers, the different actors are i'wept off the Rage by earth-quakes, by war, peiti- lence, and the like, the luff ere rs themielves have the leal! reafon of complaint, as the eafieft way of going out of the world is to be called out on the fudden. If this were to be the whole of our ence, as it may be, for aught we know, of our fellow-animals, there would be no reafon to murmur ; but to be thankful, for having lived in this fair world, and enjoyed an over- 1 balance DIVIXE GOVERNMENT; 51 balance of happinefs in it. For that happi- nefs abounds, is plain from this* that man- kind are univerfally fond of life, and cling to it with avidity to the laii, to its very dregs i which would not be, were it not pleafant to them. The very few who make away with themfelves, are not hurried on to it by any comparative view or feeling of the rniferies of life above its pleafures or enjoyments ; but., where the motive can be perceived, it is gene- rally found to be fome preffing anxiety of the moment, which they have not the courage to relift, whence they cowardly give way and fall under it. It is moft confolatory, that we can thus attain full latisfaclion concerning the happi- nefs of mankind and of all fentient beings in the prefent itate, as we have thereby full evidence of the goodnefs, of the Power, that gave us our being, by its effe6ts : for it might have left fome fufpicion, that all was not fair and kind above, if we had been referred to an unknown, untried future Itate for proof of the divine benevolence ; as it might have fuggefted itfeii' that \ve cannot but judge from what we feel and experience, and that if the >- 2 Deity 52 CONVERSATIONS OX THE Deity had (hewn himfelf lefs favourably dif- pofed to his creatures here,- they could have little ground to expect it hereafter. BUT, though fo kindly dealt with in our animal capacity, in what relates only 'to our prefent life, thanks ever due be given to our great creator for that moft important dif- tinction, and mark of favour, which his kind- nefs has farther beftowed upon us ; that we can contemplate ourfelves alfo as his crea- tures of an higher form ; as rational and moral ; capable of attaining the knowlege of him, the benevolent author of our being, and of recommending ourfelves to 'his favour by pious grateful acknowlegements and by obe- dience to his will, in doing good to others, as he does good to us and to all ; which Ls the higher! perfection and blifs. In this view of ourfelves, although we come out of his hands more helplefs and deftitute at firft, than other animals, this is amply fupplied by the appointed inftruments of our birth. The DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 53 The mind, our diftinguiming excellency, is at firft a perfect blank, titted and ready to receive whatever impreffions may be made upon it ; for which we are entirely dependent on thofe about us, and the circumftances, in which we are placed : which accounts for the infinite diveriity of characters that are in the world. Ever in a6tion, which is the fource of all our improvement, from our firft coming into life, and in every ftage of it, we are de- lighted in gaining continually new ideas, and powers, and knowlege of all kinds, The feveral parts of our make, our appe- tites, paffions, and affections, fpring up gra- dually in us, as they are called forth, and their obje6ls prefent themfelves ; all of them in themfelves good and right, and neceiTary for our well-being and perfection, yet without due reftraint and regulation, capable of being perverted, and of mifleading us ; for which, Reafon, the ruling faculty is given, to guide us to private and public good, Wholly the creatures of affociation and habit, our characters are infenlibly formed by the inflruction, converfation, and example of E 3 thofe 54 CONVERSATIONS OX THE of thofe we firft mix with, and the things and fcenes and perfons, to which we are accui- tomed, and among whom our lot is caft. And thus being from the firft, and all along, the mbjects of perpetual care arid kindnefs and attention of parents and thofe about us, our good affections are gene- rated and excited : we are induced, we are prompted, we deiire, we feel it right, to be kind to others, as others have been kind to us, and take pleafure in adding to their hap- pinefs. As we grow up our wants conftrain us ftill more to feek the aid and afliftance of others, and our focial make inclining us not to live in folitude ; prompted alfo by nature to unite ourfelves with a tender companion for life, a way is opened from the conftructiqn of one family to the union of many families together, and the formation of larger communities for o fecurity, comfort, and advantageous inter- courie ; and thence to the eftablimment of government and laws ; which when built up and upheld by principles of equal liberty and the DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 55 the general good, are fruitful of the greatefi bleffmgs. In the morning of life, at reafon's earlieft dawn, we are transported with the fight of verdant fields, and lawns, and their various peaceful inhabitants grazing on them, with thofe combinations of different objefts, of hill and dale and groves, that prefent themielves in beautiful landfchapes ; heightened at the fame time with the harmony and mufic fur- nifhed by the chorifters of the woods and iky, rejoicing in their being, and calling upon us to join their fong : the whole fcenery to- gether forcing upon the beholder, the joyous, venerable idea of a parent almighty Mind ; n Power unfeen, of wifdom and goodnefs without bounds, which framed, adjutted, and preferves the whole, worthy to be loved and adored by all; as iUomefield,, in his artlefs numbers, happily defcribes it, There Jiis firft thoughts to Nature's charms inclin'd, Which ftamps devotion on th' inquiring mind. And indeed by the ufe of reafon, the light within us, every attentive mind may, from the view of his works, as well know that there E 4? is 56 CONVERSATIONS ON TIMi is a God, who made and governs the world ; as he may know, by the uie of his eyes ancj fenfes, that there is a Sun, which enlightens, the earth, and by its warmth cheriihes the growth of vegetables, and ripens the corn and fruits. This natural light moreover teaches us, that as we owe our exiftence and all its bleffmgs to our Maker's unmerited kindnefs and bounty, we mould be odious monfters were we ever to fail in the -gratitude, reverence and obe- dience, ever due to one fo much above us, who {hews himielf fo interefted for us and dehrous of our happmefs. And as the frame and constitution, which he, who giveth every thing to all, has bellowed upon us, is alfq fuch, that we cannot be happy ourfelves, without promoting to our power the happi- nefs of our fello\y -creatures : thefe plain in- timations within,, and interwoven in our very frame, of gratitude and love to Goa, and affection to our fellow creatures, can be.cqn- fidered as none other than the voice of God within us; hisfecret voice, by which he palls to the fons and daughters of men in all ages, and counti ie>, and teaches them their duty antj DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 57 &nd the road to their happinefs ; as once, by an audible voice at Mount Sinai, he delivered his folemn commands to one people. Thus are thofe primary duties of piety and benevolence engrafted in us, and proviiion is made for our happinefs as rational beings. This is the law written in the hearts of thofe who have no written law to guide them. And thus has the cauie of religion and virtue been kept up in the world, amongft all the rational creatures of God, and the means of virtue and liolinefs, of their prefent and future happmeis, afforded to all : not the fame means and advantages to all, but fuffi- cient for every one who can attain to no other. For no more will be required of any, than the honeit and faithful ufe and improve-, ment of the talents and advantages given, be they more or fewer. F hot in us having ended, the company paufed p, while, abforbed in involuntary iilence and reflection on what he had brought together, on the fupport and happinefs of all ientient beings that we are acquainted with, from man flown to the loweft worm. Marcellinus 58 CONVERSATIONS ON THE Marcellinwf Handing up, thanked him for furniihing them with iiich an exquifite moral treat; " How natural," exclaimed he, " on inch a profpect of the world we inhabit, for the pious mind to adopt thofe (trains in which the Hebrew poets firft led the way, mfpired by the fublime fubjecl, and called upon all nature to afiiit them in hymning and cele- brating in their longs the common creator arid benefactor : " Not only the young and old, and thofe of every age and clafs of the human race ; but all the irrational tribes of thole who fill the air, and walk the earth, and creep on the ground, or that glide along the watery ele- ment ; the different families of living crea- tures, who in their different ways lliew them- felves, bufy and chearful and happy i " And, not fatisficd with this tribute, ftill in bolder {trains they invoke the mountains and hills and plains, and every tree and mrub that grows, to contribute their (hare of praife, for being made 'to afford Ihelter and delight to fo many living beings, and for other num- berlefs ufes ; Nay, DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 59 " Nay, they invite even fummer and winter to join the general chorus of praife ; the changing feafons fo neceffary to the health of man and beaft, the growth and preferva- tion of each herb and fruit-bearing tree, and to the ripening of the fruits of the earth, by which the whole is fuftained and filled with gladnefs." And though thefe holy men were not fuch deep philofophers as we boaft ourfelves to be, they hereby mewed that they had attained to the chief end of all true philofophy, in having learned to read and trace out in his works the hand and kindnefs of the One Supreme, the benevolent creator, and divine artift. From thefe few inftances produced by you out of the inexhauilible flore that remains behind, we are able with fatisfaclion to fee that the creator loveth all bis creatures, and has brought them all into life to beilow upon hem a happinefs fuited to them. But what ftill more concerns us : You ha\ r e pointed out, and enabled us to difcern from \vhat 60 CONVERSATIONS ON THE \ \vhat fimple principles, and by what ealy natural proceiles, the rational, moral cha- racter is formed, and from primeval duil and clay, whence we were firit taken, be- comes capable of riling to fome faint, though infinitely diftant refemblance of the all good, and all perfect, being. Yet I fear that this will be regarded merely as beautiful theory ; and thefe fine capacities of the rational nature thought to be bellowed in vain* and never likely to be brought to maturity, when we take a furve'y of the world at large, and fcan what mankind have been in all ages, and ftili are, in a moral view. And I ihould be led almoft to defpair, if you, Photinys, were not to continue to give us your kind help to explore what the mo- mentous fubject will produce. At DIVINE GOVERNMENT. l At their next meeting, alter talking for fome time together upon indifferent matters, Marcellinus turned the difcourie, obierving, that as Photmus had ihewn to their intire iutisfa6tion, that the animal creation below us, in all their infinite variety and gradations, moft ufefully filled the places affigned them, and were happy therein as far as we could perceive and judge ; and was going on to in- veftis>-ate and afcertain how far the fame o could, be laid of the human race, he thought that to do full juftice to the fubjecl:, it would be neceflavy.to take in the hiftory of the origin of mankind as delivered in- our facred books ; and as there were different opinions entertained about it, to have it in fome mea- fure fettled among them, what credit was to be given to that moft antient hiftory of all others, how it is to be underftood, and what is to be gathered from it. Concerning thefe points, that the adj lifting of them might not divert Photinus from purfuing his main fub- je6t, he mould take the liberty to fubmit his* own fentiments to them, which he had reafon to believe were not much different from their own, as it was a matter that had often fallen iii their way. Now 62 CONVERSATIONS ON THE Now it feemed to be generally allowed, by thofe who had fearched into, and were beft qualified to form a right judgment con- cerning the cofmogony recorded in the en- trance of the book of Genefis, that the ac- count of things therein given had been handed down to Mofcs from the firft parents of mankind, through the channel of A'oa/i and his descendants ; which, from the lon- gevity of mankind at that period would not need to pals through many hands ; and their high importance would fecure diligence and fidelity in the conveyance. In the firft three chapters of the book, we have the molt momentous documents and in- formation concerning the one true God, and fole creator of all things, his character, and that of his creature, man. We there learn, what we might prefume to be the fact, that mankind were not left to themfelves, to the investigations of reafon, to fpell out and ac- quire the knowlege of the Being that made them, and of their duty to him ; which, though attainable by their natural powers, would have been a matter of very flow opera- tion and accomplishment ; but that they re- reived DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 63 ceived this knowlege directly from God him- felf ; deriving from the lame fource at the lame time, the knowlege of language necef- fary for their intercourfe with each other and with their Maker. From the tacts, and cir- cumltances of the narrative we have the moil probable grounds on which to build thefe concluiions. But how r this knowiege of a primitive language was inftilled or acquired, it is neediefs to afk, as it feerns impoffible to find out. And although men have differed, and will continue to ditier, in their interpretations of the language and drefs, in which thefe im- portant truths are clothed and conveyed ; namely, what is called the tree of the know- lege of good and evil ; the tree of life : the ferpent's temptation, and his converlation with Eve ; her eating of the forbidden fruit at his mitigation, and giving it to Adam to eat, and the fentence palled upon the feveral offenders by their creator and judge : much of it undoubtedly couched in allegory and figurative expreffion ; as alfo literally to be taken in other parts, which are at the foun- dation ; (fee the reference to it, Mark x. 5, 6.) yet 64 CONVERSATIONS Otf THE yet the moral inftruclion intended to be con- veyed by the whole is not difficult to be un~ derftood, and, in this there has been a very general harmony and concurrence. That, for inftance, there is one God, the maker of all things, and father of mankind, who formed them in his own image, their moral gover- nour, and judge ; who is deiirous of their happinefs, which can only be attained by their obfervance of the laws he has made known to them as a rule for their conduct, annexing rewards to their obedience, and threatening with punifhment their tranfgref- fions. I mail only add, that, not far from the entrance of Mr. Locke's " Reafonablenefs of Chriitianity as delivered in the Scriptures," is a_ fpecimen of the manner in which that judicious perfon was wont to interpret for himfelf the hiftory of the fall of our firil parents, which, I have no doubt, you think with me worthy of attention. When Marcdlinus had finifhed, Photinus immediately rifing up, remarked, that he had not any doubt of their being all much fatis- fied DIVINE GOVERNMENt. 65 fled with what had been now fuggefted con- cerning this moft interefting narrative of the remoteft antiquity. For his part, he could not but declare and acknowlege, that it would relieve him much in the talk their partiality had impofed on him.) to have iuch a foundation to proceed upon. With their leave then, he would begin, and remind them ; that having already (hewn, that man had a moral nature^ in diftin&ion from the animals around him, by which he was fitted for the fupreme happinefs, arifing from the knowlege and worihip of God, the fovereign all-perfe6t Being, and from a refemblance to him in goodnefs ; they were now to inquire whether man attains that happinefs ? and what his hiftory teaches us in this refpecl ? In the Bible, the oldeft and moft authentic hiftory of the world and of the human race, as far as it goes, we find our firft parents placed originally in a moft happy ftation, Avhere obedience to their kind creator, in ob- ferving his laws, injoined only for their good, was their eafy duty. But they ungratefully failed in it ; and as they \\cre forewarned* F paid 66 CONVERSATIONS OX THE paid the penalty of their tranfgreflion ; and, though not particularly informed of it, we may not doubt of their puniihment having its intended effect, in producing repentance and future obedience. The marks of human frailty did not alas ! ftop with them. Dire felliih paliions foon -crept into their fmall tamily, and prompted their eldeil ion, the monlu r Cuiii, through envy, to take away the life of his more pious, virtuous brother. But fell remorie and mifery fpeedily overtook him for the atrocious a6t. And the Ihock it would give to all that heard of it ; and the lefibns upon it which our firft parents would not fail to read, of the fatal effects of headitrong ungoverned paflion, would contribute to contain others in their duty, and be remembered for good. Of Enoch, one of the defcendants of before the flood, it is recorded, Gen. v. 24. that he ica/had tcith God, i. e. was one highly -approved by him ; and was not ; for God .biook him. The phrafe, KCIS not, in itfelf im- plies, that he died, ceafed to exiit : but as explained by what follows, for God took him, it DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 6? it here denotes, that he was removed out of the world without dying. For fo the word is rendered, Gen. v. 24. by the greek tranfla- tors : where alfo, in the original hebrew, the lame term is ufed, which is afterwards in 2 Kings ii. 3. in ipeaking of Elijah being taken up alive into heaven. And this fenfe is confirmed by the apoitle, Hebrews xi. v. By faith Enoch z?as translated, that heJJwuld not fee death ; and was not found, becaufe God had tranjlated him : for before his tranf* lation he had this teft.imony that he pleafed God. This ftriking event was an abfolute aflu- ranee to the antediluvians of a life after this, which could not fail of making the 'deeped impreffions upon them ; and its taking place at this early period would be of infinite fer- vice in teaching them, that the virtuous and good, living and dying, were the peculiar care of heaven. Very little is preferred to us concerning the generations of mankind before the flood. But we may prefume from the circumftanoes of trial and difficulty in which human crea- r 2 turss CS CONVERSATIONS OX THE tures are all placed, and their general belia* viour under them, that there would always be a mixture of characters, good and bad, more or lefs at different times. For a while, the good would prevail, till by degrees they fell away, and others lefs virtuous and regular fucceeded, and at length wickedneis and vio- lence, we learn, role to fuch a height, that the' almighty and merciful Being judged it expedient to defiroy the whole race of men from off the earth, all, except one righteous man and his family. This moft awful judicial act however of his moral government was not executed without giving them warning of his deiign, and trying to reclaim and amend them. For we are informed in our facred books, that for very many years Noah had a divine commifiion to warn that evil generation of the juft judge- ments impending over them, and to labour to bring them off from their pernicious courfes. Some, we may not doubt, would be wrought upon fo as to have their evil dif- pofitions changed and turned to God and goodneft, whether by the pious remonftrances of Noah alone, or of others joined with him ; although DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 9 although it was not poiTible to ftem the tor- rent of wickednefs, which by the decrees of heaven brought on the deitruclion of that incorrigible race. Yet we cannot refrain from remarking, how in the midft of judge- ment the Almighty remembered mercy, in iweeping them away at once by a death the. mod eafy of all others. Thus did they fuffer for their extreme wickednefs, and violation of the divine com- mands ; and became the means of exalting the virtue of Ihofe, who affectionately and earneilly {trove, though in vain, to bring them to virtue and an obedience to the divine will. It has not pkafed the Divine Wifdom to gratify us with many things that' we might have wimed to know concerning Noah, the leconcl father of our race : He that had feen the whole fpecies cut off for their fins, and his family alone fpared. How powerful and affeCtinji* fo Ions: as he lived muft have been o o Jiis teitimony of the one true God and Maker F3 of 7-0 CONVERSATIONS OX THE of all things ; of his goodnefs in bringing creatures into life to make them happy by an obedience to his laws ; his juft abhorrence of all fin and wickednefe. This knowlege he would be careful to inculcate on his children and his children's children in a long fuccef- fion. And that there was fuch important knowlege derived from this fource and circu- lated through all nations, is manifeft from the accounts of the flate of the world which are preferved to us. After the flood, the repeopling of the earth would be promoted by different families ori- ginating from Noah and his fons, which car- ried with them in their difperfions, thefe great truths. It is a noble atteftation to the truth of the Mofaic hiftory which is given by Sir Ifaac Newton, in his " Chronology of antient Kingdoms amended," by {hewing its agree- ment with the actual (late of the world and condition of its inhabitants, as exhibited in the imperfect accounts of them handed down to, us. He thence obferves, p. 188, " that ' JL ' tfie wbfftup.-QJnfhe true God continued to the time DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 71 -tune of Abraham and Melchizedek, and that it was not till tbeir days, that men fell away to the worihip of falie gods, which were pro- bably the heavenly holt, the fun, moon and ftars ; and that it WHS to avoid this, which then began in Chaldea, and fpread from thence, but had not yet reached the land of Canaan, that Abraham left Ur of the thai- deans, to go by Ilaran into the land of Canaan, being called out by divine provi- dence from amons: his kiridred, who were O * beginning to be inlet-ted with it ; and thiis great author concludes the firit chapter of his diligent and exact fearch into the Scrip- tures and antiquity, with this general deduc- tion, p. 190. " So then, the believing theft the world was framed by one fiiprcme God, and is governed by him ; and the loving and ipor/hipping him, and honouring our parents, and loi'ing our neighbours as our/'tlves, and being merciful even to brute beiifts, is the oldeft of all religions. He had juft before called this, the primitive religion of jews and ' chriftiam ; tiffiwh, adds he, ought to be the Jlanding religion of all nations, it being for the honour of God and the good of mankind. r 4 Hardly 7C \VKRSATIOKS ON TUL Hardly throughput all antiquity iliall we find a more dignified and accompHihed perfou than Abraltam ; of great wifdom and inte- grity ; of a generous independent fpirit, and true fortitude; famed over all the Ealt for his virtues, and diitinguimed as a worihipper of the one true God, in which he carefully mftru6j:ed his family and dependents : and in thofe days his known and avowed principles and example muft have been of fervice in difcountenancing and reftraining men from the worfhip of fali'e gods, which was then beginning to be fet up ; and the more, as his travelling into different countries would caufe him to be much inquired after arid known. i Much to be noted is the account given by the facred hiitorian of Abraham's interceflion with the Divine Being in behalf of the fmful inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha. This molt probably paffed in viiion, whilst he was praying ; (the like to which is recorded, in later times, of the devout roman centurion, and of the apoftle feter, A6b *.) for juft before it happened, Gen. xviii. 22. it is faid, Abraham flood before Gml, i. e, was praying to DIVINE GOVERNMENT, 73 to him, as the phrafe is underftood by the belt interpreters. How edifying this firft reprefentation that is handed down to us, in the annals of the world, of a creature admitted to cpnverfe by prayer with his creator j and what a pat- tern of devotion to us even in thefe enlight- ened times ! AbraJ^m requefts nothing for himfelf, but with profound humility, moved by a benevolent concern for the mofi horrible crimes of his fellow creatures, he, by various arguments in their behalf, pleads for their being favecj from impending de- ftruction, that they might have fpace to re- pent. Whilfl on the pther hand, with infi- nite condefcenfion ancl kindnefs, the Almighty IHtens and replies to his pleas, convincing him, that had not their difpofitions been turned to evil beyond a poffibility of being changed by any ordinary means, his prayer would have been granted and they would have been fpared. With regard to the particular fin of the inhabitants of thofe cities, for which the divine 74 CONVERSATIONS OX THE divine judgments were ready to fall on them, and which this pious good man prayed might be averted ; it is a crime which befpeaks the higheft depravity, if not a total moral infen- fibility and alienation of mind from God and goodnefs. And it. is probable that fuch an early declaration from heaven againft it, in the deftruetion of Sodom and Gomorrha by fire, the traces of which remain unto this day, difplayed in fo tremendous a manner before Abraham and his family ; with the fevere ftigma and condemnation paiTed upon all fuch crimes afterwards, in the law of Mofes : thefe circumftances, all together, fixed and left fuch a deep indelible impreffion and horror upon the minds of his chofen race, as have been the means of preferving them at all times, from fuch unnatural: de- baling vice. For we never find their pro- phets, in the long catalogue of their crimes, laying this particularly to their charge. And in their difperfion into other countries, fore- told by their prophets, whilft the heathens among whom they fojournecT were many of them, infamous for it, the greeks and romans in their moft polilhed and improved ftate by no DIVINE GOVERNMENT. , ? no means excepted ; and the followers of Mahomet horribly guilty, the nation of the jews has in general been unpolluted with it. Of Lot, the nephew of Abraham, it is recorded, 2 Peter ii. 6, 7 8. that he was filled with deep concern for the extreme wickednefs of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha, a mark of a truly virtuous mind, to be concerned for Cod and his holy laws, and the liappinefs of his fellow-creatures in their obedience to them. But concerning thefe diftinguimed perfons, Noah, Abraham, and Lot, and fome other worthy characters among the anceftors of the Israelites in thofe early ages, there are unqueftionably fome things recorded which are by no means to their credit, or to be imitated by us : a cir- cumftance which does honour to the facred hiftorian, ihewing him to be actuated by a regard to truth only in what he related, and refolved to tell things as they really happened, however it might make againft fome of the moft favourite characters of his nation. Of 76 CONVERSATIONS ON THE Of Mofes the divine lawgiver of the Ifrael- ites, and his early preference of virtue and obedience to God to the highefl worldly dignities and enjoyment, we have an impor- tant teftimony, Heb. xi. 24, 25, 26, con- firmed by every thing we know concerning him. From the time that he had a divine call to deliver his countrymen out of bondage in Egypt, and to fettle them in the land of Canaan, he led a life of inceffiint toil, and anxiety, and contradiction, in having to flruggle with their low bafe minds, and ob-> ftinate untraclable tempers, which their long flavery had generated and rivetted in them ; by which his patience and magnanimity were called forth and exercifed ; devoting himfelf and all his powers to bring them off from this ilavery of vice and evil paffions, the worft of all others : for which he had no re- ward to look for in this world, but the fatis- fa6lion of doing them good and approving himfelf to God. His wifdom and virtues we find were known and revered far and near among the gentiles ; and the excellent laws which he laid down for his people, taught and excited many DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 77 many in different countries to honour the true God, and to be ferviceable to their fellow creatures in bringing them from a rude and favage and immoral life to a fubjec- tion to laws for the public good. No one can rife up from perufmg the hiftory of his life and times, as given us by himfelf ; the admirable laws and inftitutions he prescribed, to teach the Ifraelites the knowlege and worihip of Jehovan, the one true God, and of him alone ; the laws for their living together in fociety, and promoting their mutual happinefs, with the mighty works he was enabled to do in Egypt for the eftablifhment of his divine miffion, and for the emancipation of his countrymen, and to preferve them afterwards in their duty and obedience ; without feeing throughout the extraordinary hand and leading of God. And it is againfl all credibility, that one, governed by fuch excellent principles ; exhi- biting in all his actions fuch an example of true piety and goodnefs ; fuggeftiiig continu- ally to his countrymen the great things God had done for them, appealing to them fre- quently 78 CONVERSATIONS ON TUB quently at the time, and upon the very fpot, and exhorting them to gratitude and obedi- ence on that account ; mould be under a de- luilon himfclf, or fliould in all this be acting a part and deceiving them. The mind re- volts at the fuppolition : An unperverted un- derftanding can need no other proof that Mojes had a commifiion and authority from God to teach and to act as he did. And in the fame way of argument, it was not in the nature of things, if human beings were the fame then as now, that the Ifraelites fliould be perfuaded of their being delivered out of Egypt by a miraculous interpofition from heaven in their favour, and of their being fupported afterwards by the divine power in the wildernefs ; fliould continue to be affifted in the fame extraordinary way in overcoming their enemies, by walls of defence (Joflma vi. 20, 21.) falling down before, them ; by rivers dividing (Jofhua iii. 5, to the end) to make way for their pafling them ; that thefe and the like miraculous events in their favour fliould be the theme of their iacred fongs and public hymns of thankf- giving to God their almighty deliverer at the DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 79 tlie time and ever after to this hour, and yet - never to have really taken place, but to have been a mais of prieftly and political con- trivance ; in which the whole nation com- bined or were impofed on, till in thefe later ages the impoiition was difcovered. ArTuredly thofe perfons are true objects of pity, who through ibme unfortunate bias on their minds, are led to reje6t an hiftory of fads fo well authenticated as thofe which have Mojes for their author ; which, befides this moil cogent internal proof now produced, is fupported by all the external evidence which can reafonably be required ; for which Grotius, and others may be confulted by all who are competent to make the refearch. One is the more concerned for this incre- dulity, becaufe the rejection of the im- portant truths conveyed in thefe books, moft commonly fprings from a fixed determination not to admit any accounts, however well at- tefted, of divine extraordinary communica- tions and revelations to mankind ; by which they deprive themfelves of the unfpeakable fatis- 8 80 CONVERSATIONS ON TIlE fatisfaftion thereby afforded, that the world and all things in it, especially the moral world, have been from the firft and are under the fpecial government and direction of its creator ; who appoints the different and fuc- ceffive advantages of light and knowlege, and means of virtuous improvement* Indeed where any one. for inftaiice* is pcr- fuadetl, that Mofes in his hiltory afcribes to the Almighty what is inconfiftent with his attributes of juftice and goodneis ; or intro- duces him as injoining or giving encourage- ment to any thing vicious or immoral, or that is injurious to their fellow-creatures ; fo long as he remains under this perfuafion, and can- not be brought to fee his error by the argu- ments laid before him, you can only be forry for him, and with him a mind more teachable and better informed. \Vith regard to the extermination of the o Canaanitifh nations, the great {tumbling-block of the day, and objection to the reception of Mofes as a divine prophet and law-give? ; and the particular command given by him not to fpare infant children where a general de- iiruflion. DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 81 ftruetion was to take place ; it feems not to be needed to fkreen and jufiify it by a refe- rence to the fame thing taking place in the divine natural government, where whole dif- tri6ls, infants and grown perfons are pro- niifeuoufly dettroyed by earthquakes and the like ; as tliis is a defence, which fome are dif- iktisfied with, not holding the cafes to be parallel. It^was a fufficient juftification for the thing, that there was the divine com- mand for it ; fufficient for all, w ho believe in a God of all perfe6tion and goodnefs, the moral governor of his creatures, and we can have no difpute with any others : for he can command nothing but what is beneficial and good to all, even to thofe w ho at prefent fuffer by it. It is only neceflary to be fati.sfled that it is his command, and we are to obey. Now we have feen above, that there can be no ground to quefiion the veracity of ]\Iofes, in what he fo frequently declares, that it was the command of God to the Ifraelites by him, to exterminate thofe nations and take pofleftion of their^land, for that moft important reafon fo often affigned, lejl they make thee Jin againft me. , G The 85 CONVERSATIONS ON THE The liraclitos allb, bclides the command of God given them by J\IoJis, were further allured, from the divine extraordinary afiiit- ance Vouchfafed to> them in overcoming the Canaanites, that thcv a6ted by a divine com- mand in invading and taking pofiemon of the country ; in which, without exprefs en* couragement from the Almighty, they would have been no better tlmn robbers and mur- derers. The Canaanites themfelves alfo had notice and warning given them of what was corning upon them, and for what caufe ; which is plain from what Rahah the hoflefs related to the fpies whom ihe had concealed, Jomua ii. 9, 10, 1 I, 12, 13. and what the Gibeonites afterwards declare to Jo//uia, ix. 3, &c. fo that the body of the people were perfuaded that the Ifraelites came againft them by a commifiion from the fupreme God and pof- i'eflbr of heaven and earth ; who in acling by bis authority, violated no law of nature, nor did any injury to the Canaanites in difpoflefs* them. Th< DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 83 The feverity however of thefe awful judg- ments upon thefe nations, for their extreme wickednefs, of which the Israelites were made the inllnmieuts, was not in that degree, or to that extent which has been fuppofed. This has been maintained with great ftrength of argument, by learned and impartial judges; Mai/)ionides and others of the firft account among the jews ; and by very many chriflians of our own and other countries, in particular by Grotius, who, on Deut. xx. 10, maintains that the law Exod. xxiii. 31, 32, 33, and Deut. vii. 1, 2, was to be extended only to iiich of thefe people as did not furrender themfelves on being fummoned ; as is evident from Jofhua xi. 19, 20. Their being com- manded to lave alive nothing that breatheth, Deut. xx. 16, is to be underftood only in cafe they did not furrender when fummoned, but rejected the conditions of peace offered to them. But perhaps with regard to that extreme inhumanity and barbarity which is imputed to the Ifraelites, and fuppofed to be injoined by Almighty God to be exercifed upon the Canaanites to their utter extermination, the G 2 belt 84 CONVERSATIONS ON THE belt refutation, is the fa<5t itfelf, that they wen; by no means all deftroyed or extermi- nated : but were left and continued to dwell among the Israelites under their judges and their kings, men 'David himfelf; who cer- tainly would not have permitted what was directly forbidden by God. It is ever to be remembered, that it was not merely for their idolatry, though that alone be oiten named ; but as it was con- nected with moft abominable impure as well as inhuman rites, which made a part of it, and with which it was always accompanied, that thefe nations of Canaan were to be ex- terminated. For it is not for his own lake that the Almighty requires or declares hinif felf to have pleafure in our religious worfhip and homage of himfelf alone and of no other befides him ; but becaule it is necellary for our own perfection and happinefs, and to keep us from falling into the groffeft igno- rance, bigotry and fuperitition, and moft cruel malignant difpofitions to our fellow- creatures *. * See, in many parts of It, that laft and moft invalu- able work, his Comparifon of the Injiitutions of Mofes tliofe of the Hindoo*-, of my moft beloved friend, Dr. DIVINE GOVERNMENT. &5 The expedience and need of this great Severity againft the idolatry of the Canaanites, to check and prevent its fpreadjng, appeared from the pronenefs of the Ifraelites, and their continual relapfing into it under their judges and their kings, till their captivity in Babylon. And the honeft, unflattering account which their hiftorians throughout give of their cri- minality in this refpecl, is a proof of the genuinenefs of their narratives, which muft be agreeable to all lovers of truth, though they will lament the horrid degeneracy which they^ defcribe. But in the midft of it, in the worft times, there were many thoufands who did not bow the knee to Baal ; and even fome of their princes had the virtue and the courage to attempt a reformation ; and not a few among their prophets fell a facrifice to their boldnefs and efforts to bring their countrymen off from their abominable vice and vvorihip of their falfe Gods, Heb. XL 3638, DnPrieftley. Although now far feparated during this tran- fitory life, on the verge of which we both ftand, there is humble hope of meeting again when the fleep of death is over. His numerous works will continue to enlighten the world, till the only true God be more univerfally known ; and the pure goipel of Jefus, his meflenger, have its natural influence. G 3 During 86 CONVERSATIONS ON THK During the many ages, whilft the Ifraelites were a6ling, fome worthily, others much the contrary, under their greater light and ad- vantages; among the reft of the nations, thofe efpecially who dwelt neareft and had intercourfe with them, enjoyed the means of becoming acquainted with the knowlege of the one true God ; and muft have benefited much by it, and alfo by obferving the punifh- ments which this people of God drew on themfelves, by falling off to the impure rites and worihip of falfe gods : and under their difpenfation, and with their lefler light, many wife and excellent characters were formed, who laboured to do good and improve others. Among thefe heathens there might be, and certainly there were, many diftinguifhed patterns of excellence, who were blefiings to mankind, although they met with no hifto- rian to hand down their merits and example to thofe that came after them. But we have undoubted records of one perfon, who fhewed by his moral and intellectual acquirements, how far the light of nature could go, and what philofophy was able to effect. And it may ferve to humble, and to fhame us into a better DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 87 a, better conduct, to reflect how far we fall mort of his attainments, and creep below him in moral excellence, many of us, in the midft of our blaze of light and advantages from divine revelation, This was Socrats, the fon of Sophronifcus, an Athenian ftatuary, bred to his father's profeffion, in which he pracltifed for a while and excelled ; but very loon applied himfelf wholly to the ftudy of philofophy, principally that branch hitherto little cultivated, which related to the knowlege of nature and its author, and the duties men owed to him and to one another : lie thus flood forth at once the mofl extraordinary example the world had ever yet feen, of devoting himfelf, his time and talents to inftru6l his fellow-citizens, and reform their lives and manners ; with great fimplicity addreffmg himfelf to all he met with to do them good ; feeking no benefit for himfelf, nor ever taking money of the numerous fcholars who attended him, as did other philofophers ; contented to live in poor circumftances the better to promote his vir- tuous . purpofes, when, had he not refufed them, he might have enjoyed great riches. G 4 In 8S CONVERSATIONS OX THE In the midft of all, he difcharged the duties of a good citizen ; in time of war with iingular courage and humanity in defence of his country ; and at other times filling the diffe- rent offices he was called to in his turn, in the commonwealth, with fidelity to his truft, and the moft perfect difintereftednefs. His general manner was, with chearfulnefs and pleafantry to join in conversation with thofe that fell in his way, when by apt and cafy queftions, without orientation or pre- tences to fuperior wifdom he fought to draw them forth, and lead them by degrees to the point he aimed at; which was to find out their own ignorance, and defeats, and to correct them. In this work,, for which he believed himfelf 1 to have a divine call, he was unwearied ; and going on in the fame virtuous train, through the courfe of a long life, in the midft of obloquy and contradiction from many, but moft highly revered and efteemed by others, he was at laft put to death moft unjuftly, on the accufation of two of his fellow-citizens, whom he had exaf- DIVINE GOVERNMENT, 89 pxafperated by the feverity of his rebukes. This however would not have taken place, had not envy of his fuperior virtue, which they \yere afraid of, wrought upon his fellow- citizens and the people at large, to connive at fuch vile and iniquitous proceedings. It is a very humiliating confideration, that in thefe molt pohfhed times of Greece, when fcience and philofophy were at their higheit fummit, nothing effectual was done to dimimih or put an end to the groffeft public idolatry, in the worfhip' of gods, who had been men and women of infamous characters ; but grave magiftrates and philofophers, even Socrates among the reft, were feen promifcuoufly fre- quenting their temples, and joining the com- mon herd of their worfliippers. The in- dictment however, under which he fuflered, may feem to imply the contrary. It was in this form. " Socrates violates the law in not believing the gods which the ftate believes, but introduces other new gods. He violates like wife the law in corrupting the youth. The puniihment death." And he certainly was not guiltlefs of this charge. For in his public 90 CONVERSATIONS OX THE public lectures, and general intercourfe with his fellow-citizens, he frequently took occafion to mew the abfurdity of the popular belief, in pointing to the fcandalous hif lories of their gods and goddeiTes, endeavouring to inftil j ufter fentiments of the deity into their minds ; to which his profecutors, in their accufation of him, plainly alluded : ib that he unquef- tionably died a martyr to his zeal for virtue, and againft the worfhip of falfe gods. Here Volujian interpofmg, begged leave to fay, that he believed few venerated that in- comparable perfon more than himfelf ; but he was apprehenfive that fo high a teftimony of him as that juft now given, would not eafily pafs, unlefs fome farther apology was made for him, for his appearing to diflemble his better knowlege, and giving countenance, by frequenting it, to the worfhip of their gods, whofe characters and examples he muft have detefted. It is a very fevere fen- tence, which a learned and worthy man* has * A Defence of a Difcourfe on the Impojjjibility of proving a future State by the Light of Nature ; p. 100. 101. By Jofeph Hallet, junior. London, printed for Noon. 1731. patted DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 91 pafled upon him in this refpe6t, where he obferves, " It has been pleaded in behalf of Socrates, and other philoibphers, that though they have attended on the idolatrous worfhip in the heathen temples, they ftill re- tained the knowlege and belief of the one true God, and perhaps \\orfhipped him in their clofets and in their thoughts. If this be fa6t, proceeds the fame author, then it muft be fuppofed, that thefe are the very men whom the apoftle fpeaks of as holding the truth in unrighteottjhefs, i. e. imprifon- ing, fuppreffing and concealing in their own minds, in an unrighteous manner, that know- lege of the true God, to which they had at- tained by the contemplation of his works. Againji fuch, the apoftle faith, the wrath of God is revealed. Rom. i. 18." This was advanced in the heat of contro- verfy, which feldom allows us to judge with calmnefs and equity. It may be alleged how- ever, in defence of the conduct of Socrates; that the worfhip of the one God and of none other befides him, might not appear of that confequence to him, which it moft juftly does to us chriftians, and to the jews, who > have 92 CONVERSATIONS ON THE have the benefit of divine Revelation. He might alib think it better for his countrymen to have fome religion, however corrupt, than to be wholly without any ; and might hope, that his unceafmg labours to combat their errors and prejudices, and throw light into their minds, especially thofe of the rifmg generation, and to guard them againlt fuper- ilition ; would in time lead to purer fentk ments of God and religion ; and that the feed he had taken fuch pains to fow, would come up and bear fruit. But his principal defence muft be refted on this ; that he did not ufe any compliances in the worfliip of the gods of the country, out of any mean views to his own intereft, or fafety, or from any other unworthy motive ; but purely for the good of his fellow-citizens, the better to bring them to truth and virtue ; which appeared by his calm fortitude and noble manner of voluntarily giving up his life at laft, when he might eafily have retained it : than \vhich nothing equally edifying is to be found in all heathen antiquity. DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 0:3 In the interval that followed, during the bright days of Greece and Rome for the fpa.ce of 400 years, trial was made what -was the utmoft erlet of that light which had been lent to mankind, whether as derived hy tra- dition from our firft parents ; or when that grew faint and dim, what was farther {truck out by their natural powers and the improve- ments of fcience to meliorate the condition and reform the manners of the human race, and lead them to virtue and the true knowlege of God. . \V hat progrefs was made in thefe refpects is to be gathered from the hiftorians and writers that have come down to us, Cicero more efpecially, w r ho flourifhed towards the clofe of this period, and was the beft man of thofe trying times in which he lived, and the fineft moral writer, as well as the moft en- lightened, before the world was illumined bv o the gofpel. By him, and by all that had gone before him, who filled the firft ftations in their diffe- rent commonwealths, and who wimed well to mankind, the character of Socrates was held 1 in f)4 COWERS ATI OXS OX THE 111 the highflt vew ration and invariably com- mended ; but no one had the courage to follow his example. The utmoft reformation aimed at was the introduction of wifer plan.s of government, for the prefervation of good order and the peace of fociety. Nothing was done to put men upon attending to the inward principle of their actions, and amend- ing their difpoiitions, in which all true virtue coniifis. Nothing could even be expected to be attempted of a public nature to recover men to the knowlege of the true Cod and their obedience to him, whilft the public re- ligion, everv where, in nil countries, coniifted in the adoration of gods, who had been mortal men, guilty of great: crimes and im- moralities, and whole worihip was carried on by rites and ceremonies of the mofl profligate nature, whieh decency forbids to name ; and to which the bulk of the people in all coun- tries \vi.iv immoderately attached. The lea fon now approached, when as Paul tells the Athenians, the maker and governor of all things, who had at no time tailed to cherifh DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 5 cheriih and fupport all his rational offspring, of which he was the common parent ; having hitherto left the heathen world to themfelves and to the guidance of their natural powers and faculties, which ought in all reafon to have led them to God and their duty to him, and to each other ; did now in the councils of his fovereign wifdom, judge proper not to fuffer them to go on any longer in their own ways, without warning them of their departure from their allegiance to him, and from their true happinefs. The times of this ignorance, fays the apoftle, {landing in the midft of the court, where cognizance was taken of fuch matters, God winked at; but now com- mandeth all men every where to repent : be- caufe he hath fixed a day in the which he will judge the world according tojujiice, by a man whom he hath appointed; whereof he hath given affurance unto all men, in that he hath raifed him from the dead. A6ls xvii, 30, 31. A new sera was now to commence among the rational creatures of God, to all of whom, every where, this his folemn decree and com- mand was to be made known by the preach- ing of the gofpel. 6 Men 9(> CONVERSATIONS ON THL Men were not now to reft in any letter attainments in virtue ; but to aim at the. higheft excellency, a refemblance in goodneis to the Divine Being himfelf. For this i.s what the great teacher lays doAvn, and which he exemplified in all his actions ; a finilhed pattern of piety and goodneis in a creature, beyond which our higheft ideas cannot go. Mattli. v. 44, 45. I fay unto you, love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which defoite fully ufe you, and perfecute you ; that ye may be the children of your father which /.s in heaven, for he maketh his fun to rife on the evil and on the good, and fendeth rain on thejuft, and on the wijuJL "\\ hen he immediately adds ; For if ye love them zchic.h love you, what reward have ye to expect ? Do not even the publicans the fame f and if ye falute your brethren only, what do yon more than others ? Do not even the pub- lic am fo ? as though he had laid ; The mod felfilh will take pains to do good, and to ferve others, whilfl they find their prefent account and advantage in it. But a different con- duit was required, a more fublime morality was prefcribed to his followers. Whatever flittering or injurious ufage they might meet with DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 97 \vith from others, they were not to be hin- dered thereby from doing them all the good in their power ; and they were to make it their bufmefs to promote the virtue, the pre- fent and future happinefs of their fellow- creature, at the rifque of their own eafe and comfort, aii(,l even, when duty called them, of life itfelf. Efforts like thefe, according to their dif- ferent lituations, opportunities^ and abilities, are inchipenfably bound upon all chrifiians, without exception. This was the new doftrine promulged from heaven, holding forth the iiipreme love of God the common creator and benefactor, manifefting itfelf in the love of their fellow-creatures, and feeking their good as their own, as the fum and fubftance of all human duty and of all true religion, and leading to the higheft perfection and happinefs. Moft confpicuous were the happy efFe&s of the gofpel at firft, in reforming the lives of thole in every country who received it : And if mankind had been contented with it, as delivered by its firft great teacher, it is not H too 98 CpXVBRSATIOXS OX THE too much to lay, that long before this day, tl>e whole world \vould have been won over to embrace it. But when it became perverted rpm its genuine iimplicity ; and to profelyte men to the belief of certain opinions was held the chief point, and not to convert them from vice to virtue and a .good life, it foon began to lofe its falutary efficacy upon the minds of men ; and though multitudes con- tinued to be added to the number of its pro- ftflbrs, they did not become better men in practice. Endlefs difputes and quarrels about their feveral fuperftitious notions, and inventions in religion, grafted on the gofpel, loon filled them with rancour and implacable animoiities againft each other, which often proceeded, to blopdmed; and they lolt, what was moft valuable in religion, their charity towards each other, whilit contending for., ihadows. And in the courfe of a few centuries, and at the beginning of the fe.venth, chnitians were ome not only .moil horridly depraved in moral- practice, and funk into. the riioft abject ;iuper(i-ition ; but4iad multiplied to thcmielves to many different objects of. worlhip, the '- mother DIVINE toother of Chrift and other dead perfons, called Saints, male and .female ; a trinity of three perfons in God* inftead of the fingfe perfon of the God and father of the univerfg, the God and father of our Lord Jefus Chrift and of all mankind ; that to preferve this moil important doclrine from being over- whelmed and loll in chrijtian idolatry, m alfo to punifh chriftians for their neglect An4 abufe of the fuperior light they enjoyed, tt) divine providence ieems tcr have permitted the Arabian impoftor Mohammed to fucceed in his ambit ious dengns, and in fpreading his new religion over a great part of the globe. This new religion he profeffed to build upon the foundation of the Divine Unity, as taught by Mofes> and by Jefus Chrift ^ which waSj as he too juftly maintained) intirely cor- rupted and abandoned by the followers of the latter. And fome refpe6lable hiflorians, who are difpofed to be candid towards this extraordinary perfon, relate ; that he at rft let out under ferious impreffionSj and lincete concern of mind at the prevalence of idolatry among his countrymen the Arabians, as .well as the chriftians univerfally. tt 2 That 100 CONVERSATIONS ON THE That he fhould afterwards take fuch a horrible.wav to put down idolatry, and to propagate the knowlege and worfhip of one God only, by the fword and utter deftruc- .tion, where any refufed or hefitated to em- . brace his new religion when propofed to them, was to proclaim immediately the falfe- Jiood of his own p retentions to be a prophet .from God, to all who had any right difcern- nient what God is. For it is impoffible that a Being, in whom dwelleth the moft perfect truth and goodnels, can be pleafed with, or approve the compelling of his miftaken and misjudging creatures to abandon their errors concerning himfelf by outward force and in- timidation ; for thefe can only produce a feigned a/Tent, and not real conviction which can alone be brought about by argument and perfuafion. ...Moil unhappy have been the effects of tins violence againrt their fellow creatures on account of differences in religion, this into- lerant and anathematizing fpirit againft chrif- tians as idolaters, taught and enjoined by this falfe prophet to his followers. Thus planted and rooted in them, as a principal part 4 DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 10J part of their religion, it has from the firft," infpired them every where, who are computed to make one third at leaft of the habitable world, with the moft bitter hatred and en- mity to all that bear the name of chriftian, coniidering them as idolaters, ajid hated of God ; fo as in general even to refufe them the common offices of humanity on that ac- count, and to afford them no better appella- tion than that of dogs, and treat them with all manner of indignity, where they have no further power to hurt them. Of which temper, at this very day, Mr. Mungo Park has lately given us fome curious facls. For many long ages after Mohammed, his fucceflbrs, by the furioufnefs of their zeal to propagate his religion and put down idolatry, \vere the inltrunieiits of providence in inflict- ing the moft dreadful calamities upon chrif- tians, which were obferved to fall on thofe countries, where the groileft corruptions of religion had prevailed; in Greece and in the Eaftern parts of the roman empire ; and in the progrefs of their arms and fuccefs, they feized and porTefled themlelves of many of the countries they conquered. So that in 3 the 103 CONVERSATIONS ON THE the councils of heaven, and according to the jhethods of the divine government, by which nations as Well as individuals, are often ob~ ferved to be deprived of the light and advan- tages which they flight and mifufe ; thefe fierce invaders were permitted nearly to extin- guim the light of the gofpel, in many places where it had been fucceisfully preached and planted by the apoftles of Chrift ; and ftrove 40 eftabhih by force the doctrine of their falfe prophet in its room ; where among thole of them who unhappily embraced it, it re- mains to this day, in all the darknefs, imbeci- lity, narrownefs and cruelty, which fuch in-* tolerance in religion naturally engenders, and in which it mult ever terminate. here paufmg a little, with fome emotion ftarted up, crying out; what mail we fay, Phot inns , to the fyftem of religion, which- you have been exhibiting, pretending to come- from God, when it's firfl article is a direel: violation of the laws of na-^ tare and of God, in compelling by force to acknowlege and worihip him', Afliiredly DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 10S Affuredly thefe horrible effects mew the pretended prophet who teaches fuch a doc- trine, not to be of God, but the angel of the bottomlefs pit, of the infernal regions, as Mohammed and his fucceflbrs are defcribcd, Revelation ix. 11. Behold here the fatal confequences of forcing the conferences of men. So far from being of fen ice in bringing tljjem to piety and virtue and a due reverence for and obe- dience to that Almighty Being, the oe only God, for whofe honour Mohammed and his followers profefs to be particularly zealous and concerned, we may appeal to the expe^- rience and teftimony of twelve hundred years (for fo long this religion has been widely fpread and eitabliihed) whether it's numerous converts, inltead of becoming wifer, and better, and happier thereby in any degree, have not been made far worfe in all thefe re- fpe6ts, and at fome times, and in forne pkces, more abominably vicious and addicted to the vileft pafiions, and lying heavier upon the peace and happinefs of their fellow creatures, and more holtile and cruel towards them, than if they had been without any religion, or belief of God at all. H 4 Yet 104 CONVERSATIONS OX THE Yet it becomes not chriftians to condemn Mohammedans for their intolerance and cru- elty, in forcing the conferences of other men, or to nino- the firfl ftone at them on that ac- o count. For the fpirit of domination over the minds and confluences of others ; of dic- tating to them what they were to believe to obtain the favour of God, and of puniihing them in various ways, by lofs of fame and of worldly fubflance, by bodily tortures, im- prifonment, lofs of liberty and life at laft, if they did not comply and fubmit to them, began early amongft chriftians, as foon as they were permitted to aflume a temporal autho- rity over their brethren ; and has continued to this hour. To what a degree it took place in the great churches of the JSafl and \\efr, and their numerous dependencies, needeth not to be named: All ecclefiaftical hiitory is full of if. At. the Eeformation, thofe countries which fcjvanited themfelves from the church of Rome, and relinquifhed fonie of it's error?, retained this the greateft of all, a tyranny over the confeiences of their fellow chriftians. It is to be lamented, that the different con- DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 105 gregations of Proteftants among ourfelves, whether thole endowed by the State, or dil- fenters from the eftablifliment, have not yet learned, that other chriftians are equally en- titled to the favour of God with themfelves, though they fhould apprehend differently of the Divine Being and of the perfon and character of Chrift, and of many other points of his religion, vvhiltt they endeavour to the beft of their power, to underftand and prac- tice what Chrift taught. How defirable to find a cure" for this dif- grace of the chriftian name, the narrownefs, contempt, and hatred and jealoufies of chrif- tians of different feutimejits towards one ano- ther! The allowance of no power, emolu- ment, credit, .or advantage whatibever, to perfons for being of one opinion in religion more than another, would do much towards healing thefe feliiih bafe pallions ; when it would l)e of no worldly benefit to them, to be of one church, or of one religious opinion, more than another. But it would go farther to remove the root of the evil, if we could but prevail with and 106 CONVERSATIONS ON THi: and induce men to fee and confider, that there is no foundation in fcripture, or reafon, though it is ignorantly taken for granted, that chrijtians only can be faved ; that they alone will obtain the favour of God and eternal life. For this doclrine, wherever embraced, leads chriftians to extravagant and over-high opinions of themfelves, and un- charitable conclufions concerning others. It o tends to make them put an undue import- ance upon the " mere belief of chriitianitv ; to conceit that they are the favourites of tf heaven folely for embracing it ; and that it is meritorious to bring men over to their re- ligious opinions, though they become not more virtuous by it. . And what is worft of all ; this appropriating of falvation to themfelves, to their own church or feet or party, makes them of courfe uncharitable towards all thofe who do not hold with them in opinion, or who oppofe their fentiments ; and in the end leads them to perfecute others and to do them all manner of harm, as enemies and oppofe rs of God and hi.s truth. This is what we fee every day exemplified. The DIVINE GOVERNMENT, 107 The real ftate of the matter is this. It is an ineftimable privilege and happinefs to be born within the found of the gofpel ; where we have the means and opportunities of in- forming ourfelves of it's truth, and of enjoy- ing and profiting by thofe powerful motives and afiiftances which it affords. But thofe who are not fo happy as to enjoy thefe advantages ; who live where the gofpel is not known ; or where it is fo perverted and corrupted, that inftead of inviting men, it alienates their minds from it, their igno- rance, or averfion even to chriftianity under fuch circumftances, will not be imputed to them; and they will only have to give ac- count of the right ufe of tlie light, and talents and advantages they fliall have re* ceived. And in this conclufion I am per- fuaded you will all agree with me ; that in teaching Chrift's religion, we ftiould never teach young perfons in particular, nor indeed teach any perfons, that chriftians only can be faved ; much lefs, chriftians only of this or that particular church or feel; ; but that all perfons will be faved, who are made pious and good by their religion; and none elfe. You 108 CONVERSATIONS ON THE You have gratified us all, when Volnfian had ended, immediately replied Photmm ; in giving fuch an exa6l though frightful pic- ture of that religion, which the Almighty feems to have permitted for the trial and punifhment of corrupt chriflians ; and in pointing out the unhappy refemblance which chriftianity bears to fome of its word features. It remains now however to go on with our fubjeft, and to remark, that on the taking of Conftantinople in the year 1453, and putting an end to the empire of the Eaft, by this deftruclive power, of which we have been largely fpeaking, a new and better pro- fpe6l of things opened on thefe weflern parts, through the difperfion of many learned Greeks, and the revival of literature by their means ; and a fpirit of free enquiry with it, cherimed and brought forward by the pro- vidential difcovery of the art of printing about that period. Noble efforts were made by many excel- lent peribns among chriflians, at the hazard, and fometimes with the lois of life, to revive and reftore the knowlege and wormip of the one true God, and vindicate the unalienable right DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 109 right of all men to judge for themfelves of the things of God, of the duty they owed him, and the worfhip they were to pay him, without any dictatorial authority or inter- ference of the prieft or magiftrate. And by the continuance of thefe efforts and the im- mortal writings of many for thefe laft 300 years, in different countries, much has been done : the rights of confcience and of pri- vate judgment have been clearly demon- ftrated and generally acknowleged ; but never, never fairly and really admitted and allowed by any of the great civil and ecclefiaftical powers, who have been univerfally combined againlt them. The fubjecls of a mighty neighbouring State, did indeed fome few years iince, on principles at firft approved by the liberal and good, let up their jufl claim to thofe natural. rights of which for ages they had been de- prived : and happy would it have been for them and for many, if they had adhered to and not ftepped beyond their firft righteous demands. In their deviation from them, and the dreadful fcenes which have enlued, they have brought an umleferved itain and dif- C? grace 110 CONVERSATIONS ON THE grace on the caufe of liberty, and of the juft rights of man, in which they firft ftood up and were engaged. And as is the way- ward difpofition of mankind, and frequent courfe of human affairs, they havs been the caufe of alarming many out ,of their calm and equal judgment, .and of throwing them into the unhappy extreme of a dread of all juft reform, and have thus become the means, for a time, of extinguifhing light and truth. Yet mod juftly as thefe lad exceflcs and many of their atrocious confequences are to be deplored, we can fee great good refulting from the evil ; in the aboliihing of no fmall portion of baneful fuperftition, through the whole vaft dominions of the French and their dependencies ; efpecially in the prohibition of carrying about in procefiion, in the ftreets and on the highways, and requiring every paflenger to bow down to and adore, the wafer God, or breaden God, Dcumpanarhim t as hcneft old Whitby fcrupled not in derilion to call it, in James nd's days; that moil grofs debasement of the Divins being, which, with other things of the fort and kin to it in the popim \vorftiip, was the legitimate parent of DIVIXE GOVERXMEXT. Ill of that Atheifm, with which the french na- tion hath been branded, and which ibme of its noble emigrants are laid to have imported into the Britim dominions. , But the moft defirable bleffmg which di- vine providence hath brought out of thefe dreadful evils, has been the putting an utter end to all temporal power \\hatfoever in reli- gious men, leaving them no authority what- ever over others to promote religion, but that which alone belongs tw it, of argument and perfuaiion. From this mort glance (for it can be called nothing better) of man, and of his moral itate and condition from the beginning, which this prefent fitting" hath afforded us, fome idea may be collected of the progress and moral attainments, for which he was princi- pally made. And though the little effect of genuine virtuous principle, and the defective knowlege of God, have fhewn themfelves, and ftill too much appear, in the wars almoil continually waging between nation and na- tion ; and in the hatred and animofities on account of difference of religious fentiments; yet CON'VKRSATIONS OX THE yet it would be unfair and unjuft, in the moil ioeptical, not to admit that knowlege and virtue have been upon the whole progrefiive, and that very many eminent examples of both, have been formed, and are forming, in every age and country. PHOT ix us here pouting a little to make ibme apology for his difcourfe running out to fo unavoidable a, length, exprcfTed his appre- henfions that the account that had been given of the moral ftate of the world from the be- ginning might be thought to exhibit too humiliating a picture of man placed at the head of the creator's works here below, by thofe who looked for perfection all at once in every thing that comes from him. But < as we are convinced, that a Beins; of all ' O goodnefs has in tact appointed otherwife; and as we certainly do not love our fellow- creatures, or deiire their improvement and happineis more earneitly than he that made them, and his wifdom can belt judge and direct how to attain that happineis, we may probably, on a more particular examination, find DIVIXE GOVERNMENT. 113 find the methods he has actually (jhofen fully fuited to and likely to anfwer this end, though we may not fo immediately fee it. For it is ever to be attended to* that as far as we know or can judge, rational crea- tures could not become permanently happy as their maker intends them to be, without the exertion of their own voluntary powers, by learning virtue and obedience to his will, ever their trueft happinefs, in the midft of temptations and difficulties to thwart and oppofe, and even at times to miilead them. This may account for our coming out of his hands at firft, weak and frail creatures, wholly unformed ; the good or evil of our charac- ters not born with us, but acquired after- wards, by a proper ufe or the contrary, of the powers, faculties, capacitiesj and means of improvement beftowed upon us* And all are brought into life in fituations and circum- (lances, in which, in different degrees, they are taught what makes for their true happinefk We are alfo, all of us, under the divine moral government, whether we attend to it or not. If we indulge ourfelves to excefs in. I the 114 CONVERSATIONS ON THE the gratification of our appetites, difeafe and furTering are in general the confequence ; and thefe tend to correct and reftrain us in future. The felfifh and ambitious lofe all that blifs and calm enjoyment which arife from virtue and a fenfe of the divine favour, and are ieen fometimes to fall the victims, even in this life, to thofe excruciating tortures, which fooner or later overtake all thofe who have accuftomed themfelves to make light of human mifery, and to flight and neglect the various ways and means in their power of doing good to others. And we are fo formed, that the more we Jay ourfelves out to relieve the bodily wants and miferies of others, or to throw light into their dark minds, and bring them to God and goodnefs, the more defirous we are of being fo employed, and delighted with it; fo as to think the day loft in which we have not had an opportunity of thus ferving and being ufeful to our fellow-creatures. It has alfo been noted as a mark of the care and attention of heaven for the virtuous improvement of mankind, that in all times, the PIVINE GOVERNMENT. 115 the general fentiment has been in favour of the higheft inftances of virtue and goodnefs, and grofs impiety and immorality, excite horror, and have been ever ftigmatized with infamy : thefe fentiments being univerfal, can only have proceeded from the difpofitions imbibed by all from the circumftances in which they are brought into the world, and which are all of divine appointment. Hence from the moft antient times of which we have any record^ it has been held a duty for men to facrifice their lives for the good of others ; to fave their country, for inftance^ from im- minent danger, and particularly to deliver it from flavery, which is worfe than death, as it takes away and extinguimes all excitement to whatever is excellent. Such examples have ever been applauded ; and to have re- garded life, when by hazarding it they could have been of fuch eminent fervice to others Would have been held the utmoft difgrace. It is to be deplored, that the practice of mankind has not kept pace with their better principles ; and that they have not had the fortitude to relift the various temptations to evil, which by degrees have drawn many on. I 2 to 116 CONVERSATIONS ON THE to the commifiion of crimes, by w hich Imman life has fomelimes been rendered a fcene of mile-ry and confutlon. Yet in the midft of all, it mult give infinite falisf action, that the balance has been always greatly on the iide of virtue and goodnefs. We are lliocked with indeed, and know not how to reconcile, the horrid fcenes which prefent themielves before our eyes, 'at particular junctures, efpe- cially in times of war and civil commotions. But we can as little form a true judgment of the moral itate of men from what pafles at fuch feafons, as we can decide of the health and ialubriouihels of a country in the time of a raging infectious fever. In the ordinary courfe of things, in quiet times, the lefs fre- quent inftanccs of crueltv, fraud and opprct- fion, and other evils, (which will in fome de- gree always be going on, and cannot entirely be prevented) will be counterbalanced by* a general friendlinefs and probity, and mutual kind endearments and fervices, , And in all places, it mull be confeiied, the bulk of man- kind are and have ever been employed in ufeful labours for their families, and in doing good offices to others, their friends, neighbours and acquaintance, and in giving or procuring relief DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 117 relief and affiftance \vhere needed, and in a thoufand beneficent actions. As this however is very much a matter of experience and obfervation, whether there be a preponderance of moral good in the prefent riate, or not ; I {hall beg leave to produce a teftimony in favour of it, from an eminent perfon of great learning and knowlege of the world, who might be fuppofed to be biafled to the other fide of the argument by the pre- judices of his profefiion, and fhall read it to you as I find it publiihed by Dr. Law, the late Bifliop of Carlifle, with approbation. Thus then fpeaks Dr. King, Archbifhop of Dublin, fome time after the beginning of the laft century, to an anonymous opponent, who had laid " that the prevalence of wicked- nefs, or moral evil, was a thing fo -certain, that he was confident, no one could have the leaft doubt of it, and he durft fay, that the Author himfelf believed it." " The Author profeffes himfelf to be of a quite different opinion," replies the Arch- biihop. " He firmly believes, and thinks he very well comprehends, that there is much i 3 more 118 CONVERSATIONS ON THE more moral good in the world than evil. He is fenfible there may be more bad men than good, becaufe there are none but do amifs fometimes, and one ill act is fufficient to de- nominate a man bad. But yet there are ten good acts done by thofe we call bad men for one ill one. Even perfons of the very word character may have gotteri it by two or three flagrant enormities, which yet bear no pro- portion to the whole feries of their lives. The author muft profefs, that among fuch as he is acquainted with, he believes that there are hundreds that would do him good for one that would do him hurt ; and that he has received a thoufand good offices for one ill one. He could never believe the doclrine of Hobbs, that all men are bears, wolves and tygers to one another ; that they are born enemies to all others, and all others to them ; thaj^hey are naturally falfe and perfidious ; or that all the good they do, is out of fear, not virtue. Nay the very authors of that calumny, if their own characters were called in queftion, would take all poffible pains to remove the fufpicion from them ; and declare that they were fpeaking of the vulgar, of the bulk of mankind, and not of themfelves. Nor DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 119 Nor in reality do they behave in this manner toward their friends and acquaintance ; if they did, few would truft them. , Obferve fome of thofe who exclaim againft all man- kind for treachery, difhonefty, deceit and cruelty; and you'll find them diligently cul- tivating friendihip, and difcharging the feveral offices due to friends, their relations and their country, with labour, pain, lofs of goods, and hazard of life itfelf ; even where there is no fear to drive them to it, nor inconvenience attending the neglect of it. This you'll fay proceeds from cuftom and education. Be it fo : However the world then has not fo far degenerated from goodnefs, but the greater part of mankind exercife benevolence, nor is virtue So far exiled as not to be fupported and approved, praifed and pra6tifed, by com- mon confent, and public fufFrage, and vice is Hill difgracefiil. Indeed we can fcarce meet with one, unlefs preffed by neceffity, or pro- voked by injuries, who is fo barbarous and hard hearted, as not to be moved with com- panion, and delighted with benevolence to others ; who is not delighted to mew good-will and kindnefs to his friends, neighbours, chil- dren, relations; and diligence in the dif- j 4 charge 12CV CONVERSATIONS ON THE charge of civil duties to all ; who does not profefs fome regard for virtue, and think himfelf affronted when he is charged with immorality. If any one take notice of his own or another's actions for a day together, he will perhaps find one or two blameable, the reft all innocent and inoffenfive. Nay, it is doubtful whether a Nero or Caligula, a Commodm or Caracalla, (though monfters of mankind, and prone to every at of wicked- nefs and fury) have done more ill than inno- cent aclions through their whole lives *." Thefe juft obfervations on the general cha* rafter and conduct of men, ftiew, that far from being altogether wicked and worthlefs, they are fuch as in their firft ftate might be expected, from their frail and imperfect frame, and the good and evil influences to which they are fubjeft ; liable to fall by yielding to the various temptations to which they are expofed ; and on the other hand, by nobly * Eilay on the Origin of Evil, by William King* Archbifhop of Dublin, tranflated from the Latin with notes by Edmund, Bilhop of Carlifle (p. 388) The fifth edition reviled. London, by Faultier. 1781. % . refiftiqg DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 121 refilling them, capable of being carried for- wards to that which is moft excellent. And thus the wifdom and goodnefs of the creator are vindicated ; that he has not made mankind in vain ; that he was not difap- pointed in this the nobleft work of his creation here below ; and that in the dangerous trials and difficulties to which it was neceffary to ex- pofe his rational offspring, as they could not in any other way become virtuous and happy as he intended them to be, while many fell away for the prefent, many alfo cleaved to truth and goodnefs, and became purified, and confirmed therein ; and the world has been from the firft and all along, a nurfery for vir- tuous, noble and ufeful characters, The company after fome general conver- fation, and appointing a day for the farther difcum'on of thefe fubje&s, now feparated. CON- CONVERSATIONS ON Tilt CONVERSATION IV. i \VIIEN the party was next atfembled, Marcellinus detired to exprefs his fatisfh6tion in the progrefs made in the difquiiition before them. It was moft pleafing, he faid, to fee it fo clearly made out, that mankind were- far from being fo miferable or wicked as they \vere commonly prefumed to be, and that the contrary -was rather the truth and the fa6t. But clouds and darknefs ftill hung over the profpecl, through which he ihould be glad to fee fome light appear. The road through life, which many of the human fpecies were deftined to tread, was fo difmal and dreary, along fuch dreadful paflkges of pain and mifery, as to make one fhudder at the thought of it; and the difpothions and habits were fo depraved, malignant, horridly felfifh, cruel and vicious, which many were feen to carry out of the world with them, that fome better folution than had yet appeared was earneftly to be willied for, how fuch a conftitution of things o DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 125 things could have its origin from, or be com- patible with, a benevolent principle. If thefe evils and diforders were to be at* tributed, as fome philofophers have main- tained, to the rugged untraclable nature of matter, or of whatever it be, of which we are compofed, and that it was through this or fome other unavoidable impediment, and not from want of good-will in our creator, but of power to execute to the full his benevolent purpofes, that we were made fubjeft to fuch harlh conditions of exiltence, \\hich was faid to have been, for fome time, the opinion of the late enlightened friend of his country and mankind, Mr. Dai/ *, though he afterwards relinquiihed it, and embraced j niter fenti-* ments of the divine power and goodnefs : Or, if, as revelation has been thought to inculcate, it was owing to fome powerful evil Being, whofe interference in the affairs of mankind was unavoidable, that we were ex- pofed to fuch a variety of fufFerings and temptations, and oft-times milled to ruin by ^ Author of Sandfprd and Merton. yielding 124 CONVERSATIONS ON TIIK yielding to them : in either of thde cafes, we muft fubnnt and make the belt of what we cannot avoid or amend. But all gloom would vaniili and day-light difclofe its beautiful rays, if it could be fhewn, with fuch evidence as might fatisfy the rational mind, that the great whole of things is in fuch fort from God ; that natural and moral evil, pain and fuffering, fin and wicked nefs, are all of his appointment, and permitted for good ; he could then chearfully acquiefce and reft contented, whatever came to pafs, fecure that we were in the beft hands ; and that however fad and difaftrous at times, and in fome particular cafes, appearances were, all was for the beft, and would in the refult turn out favorable and happy. This was the great difficulty ; the Gordian knot, which he alinoft defpaired of ever feeing untied .* Photinus, here, who had been obferved to be more than ordinarily attentive and wrapt in thought, whilft Marcellinus was fpeaking, fuddenly rofe up, and with greater earneft- nefs and folemnity than he was accuftomed to; " Be aflured, my friends, fays he, that we DIVINE GOVERNMENT. we do not any of us deem fo highly of the boundlefs mercy and goodnels of the fove- reign creator and parent of all things, as his works, and dealings with us and with all his creatures call for and demand, or M r e fhould entertain more exalteu thoughts of him, and live under his government, with a more un- interrupted joy and confidence than we feem to do, fo as not to admit any, the lead doubt or miftruft that his goodnefs will in the end bear down every opposition. For what do we behold, every where and in all things, but marks and tokens of wife contrivance and intentions of kindnefs for the creatures he has made ; and alfo at the fame time, plain indications, that if any comfort or fatisfaetion is denied or withdrawn from them, that might minifter to their prefent iiappinefs ; or pain and mifery infh&ed in the levereft degree, it has been for good. Thefe his kind intentions and beneficence to the whole fentient inferior creation, throughout the planet we inhabit, we have lately feen exemplified by a large induction of particular mftances, which might be extended without bounds, and which pofterity in their invefti- gations 126 CONVERSATIONS ON THE gations will takepleafure in enlarging through* out all future ages^ and literally never be able to exhauiL i Arid with regard to his rational creation, formed in the image and likenefs of their great creator and to be happy, may we pre-^ fume to fpeak it, with his own happinefs ; always remembering, that fuch is the frame and conftitution beflowed-upon us, that our true happinefs cannot be a thing infufed into us, but muft arife from our own voluntary exertions and labour, in furmounting diffi- culties in our way, and acquiring thofe tem- pers and difpofitions, wherein it confifts, and by which it is confirmed and mufl be per- petuated ; namely 4 the difpofitions of a fu- preme love to Him w : ho gave us our being and all our pow r ers, and an invincible affec- tion to all our fellow-creatures and to all to whom our good offices can extend ; which effects, the moral difcipline we are put under however painful and fevere, from our ow r n pafiions and the world without us, is exactly calculated to produce : Thefe DIVINE GOVERNMENT.. 12? Thefe fads being eftablifhed ; and taking along with us, that this happinefs, for which we were made, the higheft of which we or any created nature are capable, is a happi- nefs which alone is permanent and for ever increaiing : It feems a folid foundation of reafoning, on which we may fafely rely ; that as the univerfe and all things in it are the work of a being of infinite wifdom and power, and of the moft perfect goodnefs, and calculated for the beft purpofes, the happinefs of the things he has made ; and as there was nothing to over-rule him in his operations, or to in- duce or compel him to adopt any meafures for accomplishing his. kind defigns, but fuch as he judged the moil proper and fuitable: Therefore, as he has placed us in a world, wherein, though happinefs greatly prepon- derates, there is fuch a mixture of pain and fuffering, of vice and mifery, as fills us often with melancholy apprehenfions and difmay ; we may be fully perfuaded, that fucji a dif- cordant, revolting mixture would not have been admitted into his fair creation, but be- caufe 128 CONVERSATIONS ON THE caufe he. faw it necefiary for its perfection, and the fulfilment of his benevolent pur* pofes ; or rather, becaufe thofe purpofes could not be obtained without it : for molt afiuredly. he would not have chofen evil on its own account, the mifery and defilement of his creatures, but for the good that he faw would be derived from and procured by it. And what we thus argue from the cha- racter and perfections of the deity, manifefted in his works ; that evil, natural and moralj pain and fuffering, vice and mifery, were only admitted by him, on account of the fuperior good accruing from them, not othenvife to be attained ; we alfo find to be true in fact and by experience. For if there had been no moral evil 01 wickednefs, mankind would have been defti- tute of thofe difpofitions and affections, which are their higheft perfection, and the fource of their purefl happinefs. AY here would have been patience and forgivenefs of injuries ; where the godlike difpoiition of returning good DIVINE GOVERNMENT. g6od for evil, if there had been no fraud, of cruelties, or oppreffion exercifed ? " Had the! good and virtuous of mankind been wholly profpefous in this world," fays an excellent perfon ; " had goodnefs never met with op- pofition, where had been the trial* the vi6tory, and the crown of virtue ?" It is by a refift- ance to the alluring enticements to unlawful o gratification of the inferior appetites and paf~ fions, and refolutely turning away from fafci- nating pleafure, that habits of temperance, chaftityj and a virtuous felf-denial are ac- quired. If by {lifting that kind* mutual affe&ion, which is nature's dictate to all, we had not become eager to grafp every advan- tage to ourfelves, feeking only our own in- dulgence by every means, ambitious* envious, unjufl, trampling upon the rights and happi- neis of other men, impatient of rebuke and contradiction* revengeful* unaWed by any fear of God, and his juft awards ; there would have been no dangers to encounter with; no hardflups or miferies^ no'perfecu- tions in the caufe of truth and virtue to en- dure } no -conflicts between an unlwerving integrity and honelly on the one hand, and a compliance with the mean views of intereft, K and 130 CONVERSATIONS ON THE and worldly greatnefs on the other ; arid \ve fliould have wanted thofe noble examples of undiflembled piety, of meekneis, fortitude, magnanimity, dilinterefted zeal for and pur- fnit of the public good, not of one nation, but of all mankind, which have ftimulated the good in all ages to the like virtuous ex- ertions and attainments. So that as it has been juftly laid of natural evil, pain, difeafes and the like, in vindication of the divine goodnefs, that there is no iifelefs evil : So muft we lay of moral evil, fin and wicked- nefs ; that in the hands of God, every evil of every kind is made an inflrument of greater good, and higher felicity, than would other- wife have been enjoyed. Photinus was going on, as if he had fome- thing farther to produce, when I olujian ftart- ing up in a kind of extacy, uttering the words of our' great poet, s Jnft are the ways of God, And juuifiable to men ; Un'eis there be who think not God at all : If any be, they walk obfcure * : * Sampfon Agonifles. 8 JOIVINE GOVERfrMENT, 131 You will pardon me, my friends, faid he, this abrupt interference, and I hope Photinus will excuie me thus rudely breaking in upon him, to give vent to the happiriefs I feel thk day in hearing from him fo defirable a vin- dication of providence, in refpecl; of the cala- mities and painful fufferings, the abounding; vice and mifery of this lower world ; that the whole has its origin in, and will in the end be found to be a part of the divine goodnefs. This is the clue fo earneftly wiflied and fought for by us in the courfe of our argu* ment and inquiry, to guide us through the might)/ maze, and quiet the mind under the ferious perplexities that arife from the view of thefe fad appendages of human life. In all ages, in feeking to account for fuch- d, ftate of things, confidently with the divine attributes, learned and thoughtful men, among other devices, have moft commonly had re- courfe to the fuppofition, that it was in con- fequence of crimes committed in a former period of exiftence* that mankind were tliruft into thefe dfeafy abodes of pain and mifery, to expiate their previous guilt, and that this amply juftified the divine Being in bringing K"2 us CONVERSATIONS ON THE us into fuch a world. But this was always found to be a fairy-land of imagination merely, without any facts or reality to fup- port it; no pafTenger of all the Ions or daughters of men, ever having retained in memory the fainteft trace of fuch a itate ; and the fond fuppoiition ferved only to amufe and foothe the inventors and their followers. In deed and in truth, this, with which Photbius hath furnifhed us, is the only key that effectually unlocks the intricate wards of the divine government, and folves the diffi- culties of man's lot and deftiny in this firft ftage of his exiftence. I hope he will excufe my repeating his argument in a few words, that he may fee I have not niiftaken him. " That a Being of infinite wifdom and power, and the mod perfect goodnefs, de- lirous of the happinefs of his creatures, has made, appoints and regulates all things :" " That according to certain laws, per- ceived and acknowleo-ed by all who will be w +f ' - ' ' * ' at DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 153 at the pains to confider his works, he governs the world of nature ; feeds and preferves in life and happinefs the whole fenfitive inferior creation of birds and hearts, infefts and fifties, Sec. for their deitined term of exift* ence, longer or ihorter ; and renews and con- tinues the fpecies of each from age to age ;" " That he allb takes care of and governs his rational creation, according to their dif- ferent natures, leading them to their chief good, to piety and virtue ; all their powers and all their good actions proceeding from him ; and all that is bad and evil and irre- gular in them alike being from him, and un- der his controul, and permitted only to a certain degree and limit, fo as to promote his defigns of univerfal virtue and happi- nefs/' For want of feeing the perfect benevolence of the Deity in the light in which this juft reprefentalion places him, as connected with a rjghteous moral government, begun here 9 K 3 and 134 CONVERSATION'S ON THE and going on to its completion in another ftate* fome great chara6ters have funk into jnoft unhappy and baneful errors, The late king of Pruffia, Frederick, the great, as he is called, here (tumbled and fell, fo as never to recover : And as I perfuade myfelf it will not lead us out of the way of our prefent in- quiries, I would crave your permiffion to dwell a little on his flory, from the materials with which he himfelf has furnimed us. From the writings probably of Leibnitz, and others, and the penetrating refearches of an ardent mind, this prince was led very early to embrace fentiments concerning the neceiTity of human actions, which in the end he appears to have carried much farther than his teachers would have approved. On his firft acquaintance and correfpondence with M. de Voltaire, begun in 1737> when only prince royal, we find him thus expreffing himfelf at the clofe of his defence of thefe fentiments, in reply to the objections of that celebrated, writer ; I will- DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 135 " 1 will add one remark *," fays he, " to what has gone before ; which is, that neither freewill nor neceffity, exculpate the Deity from being a party to the crimes of his crea- tures. For whether he gives us a liberty to do evil, or direftly prompts us to it, it is all the fame ; it is (till his doing. In going back to the origin of evil, you muft afcribe it to God, unlefs you efpoufe the fentiment of the Manicheans concerning two principles, one of them the author of evil ; which how- ever is loaded with the greateft difficulties." He could however never bring himfelf to a lafling fafisfa6lory perfuaiion, that the pite- * Je n'ajouterai qu'une reflection a celles que je viens de faire ; c'eft que ni le franc arbitre, ni la fatalite abfo- lue, ne difculpent pas la Divinite de fa participation au crime : car que Dieu nous donne la liberte de mal faire, ou qu'il nous pouffe immediatement au crime, cela revi- ent a pen pres au meme ; il n'y a que du plus ou da mains. Remontez a 1'origine du mal, vous ne pouvez^ que I'attribuer a Dieu, a moins que vous ne voulez em- brafler 1'opinion des Manicheens touchant les deux prin- I'ipcs ; ce qui ne laifle pas d'etre he rifle de difficultes. Le 17 Fcvrier, 1738. Corrcfpondance da Frederic n. Roy de Prufle, Tome Pi-em icr, 1789. p. 225. K 4 fent 136 CONVERSATIONS ON THE fent conftitution of things was for good ; though he fometinies fpeaks moil feejingly of it, and of its benevolent author. Nor could he relieve or remove the anxious thoughts on the fubje6t, which at times would unavoid- ably obtrude themfelves, by looking forward to a future ftate of being, where all evils and irregularities would be healed and corrected. For he appears to have been alienated in very early youth, to a mod unreafonable de- gree, againft the jewifh and chriftian revela^ tions, which might have given him light here, and been fome ballaft to his wavering mind. In confequence of thefe moil unfor- tunate prejudices, he feems to have been without any, or at leaft to have got rid of all fentimerits of the moral government of God, which may have contributed to make him more eafy in the thought, with \yhich at lail lie became unalterably impreffed, that all was over with man, when he clofed his eyes upon thefe prefent fcenes ; concerning which he * and his friend D'Alembert fpeak at times * Du Roi, 9 Sppt. 1775. Savez vous bien queje fuis yjeux, (63) et que fi je ne vous revois dans ce monde-ci\ DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 137 itraes with a gaiety and unconcern which is not natural, and indeed feems affected. The fame early prejudices hindered him from profiting by the wife leflbns, and from all beneficial intercourfe with the mod liberal and eminently learned M. de Beaufobre, whom neverthelefs he moft highly efteemed to the laft, whence it happened, that his con- verfation chierly lay with M. de Voltaire and the french philofophers, who were darker, and if pofiible more fteeled and fet againil all juft and proper inquiry into the fubje6l of religion than himfelf. So that this eminent perfon of courfe plunged deeper and deeper in fcepticifm and uncertainty, and was driven at length to take refuge in the forlorn fyftem pf the world being eternal ; and that there^ je vous donnerai rendez-vous a pure perte dans la vallee de Jofaphat. De M. D'Alcmbert, 15 Sept. 1775, Je lui envie bien fmcerement le bonheur qu'il a eu d'approcher de V. M. et je defirerai de jopir de ce bon- Jieur an moins encore une fois, avant de rendre mop corps x elemens qui ne tardcront pas a le redemander. Ditto. Tome cinquienie. 138 CONVERSATIONS OX THE fore, as there was no creation, it was in vain to feek to account for any thing : grounding and repofing himfelf on that aphorifm of feveral of the antient philofophers, ex nihllo nihil jit, nothing can come from nothing : which muft be acknowleged to be true, when fpoken of beings of limited powers, but is not applicable to God, whofe power is in- finite. For although to produce things out of nothing argues a power wholly incon- ceivable by us, there is no contradiction in it. D'Alembert's * letter to the king from Paris', Nov. 30, 1770, on this very fubje6t > is * Enfin, en admettant cette intelligence, qui a pre- fide a la formation de 1'univers, et qui prefide a fon en- tretien, on fera oblige de convenir au moms qu'elle n'eft ni infiniment fage, ni infimment puifTante, puifqu' il s'en taut bien, pour le malheur de la pauvre humanite, que ce trifte monde foit le meilleur de mondes poffibles. Nous fommes done reduits, avec la meilleure volonte du monde, a ne reconnaitre et a n'admettre tout au plus dans I'univers qu'un Dieu materiel, borne, et dependant ; je ne fais pas fi c'eft la fon compte, mais ce n'eft furement pas celui de partifans zeles de 1'exiftence de Dieu ; ils nous aimeraient autant athees que fpinofiftes, comme nous le fommes. Pour les adoucir, tefons-nous fceptiques, et repetona DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 139 is full of much ill placed wit and indecent raillery, to f'peak in the fofteft terms, againft thole who believed in the exiflence of a creator and moral governor of the world, and mews how miferable he and his royal friend and patron were made by the princi- ples they had embraced ; -and likewiie what wretched reafoners and pitiable beings men of the brighteft and moil cultivated talents and abilities degenerate into, when they feek to extinguifh the light that is in them, and turn away from God, It would have been moil happy for them both, if they had been pofferTed of and in- fluenced by the like amiable views of the conilitution of nature, and of its divine al- mighty author, with Monf. Turgot, Minifter , of ilate for fome time to the unfortunate Louis xvi, their contemporary, and not un- known to them ; in learning and abilities not inferior to either, in moral qualities far above them ; which led him (though with preju- vepetons avec Montagne, que fals je? A Paris ce 6 Noverabre 1770. * Ditto, Tome quatrieme, p. 176. dices 140 CONVERSATIONS ON THE dices againft revelation, in France, at that period fcarce avoidable by a rational mind) to look forward to a future ftate of exiitence, in which all prefent evils, and diforders and obliquities would be remedied and rectified*. * For the high character of this virtuous minifter of the unfortunate Louis xvi, Monf. Turgot, fee Monf. Senac de Meilham (a) : for which I am indebted, among many other favors for near thirty years, to one, whofe liberal, benevolent and generous labors are conftantly exerted in various ways to benefit mankind, and promote (he caufe of true religion and virtue (b}. To his fuggeflions jointly with thofe of another very able and moft valuable chriftian character (r), (to whofe friendfhip, virtues, and memory, my heart pays the moft affectionate and grateful tribute) was owing the variation made in the laft edition of the Reformed Liturgy in 1793 after the model of the excellent Dr. Samuel Clarke, by changing the threefold addrefs retained in the Litany, into one folemn and appropriate one : They juilly obferving, that a threefold addrefs would keep up the old impreffion of a threefold nature in the Deity, fo contrary to the Scriptures. (a) Du Governement, des Mceurs, et des conditions en France, avant la Revolution. (b) Francis Maferes, Efq. Curfitor Baron of his Majefty's Court of Exchequer, and Author of the Moderate Reformer. (r ) John Lee, Efq. Solicitor General under Lord Rocking- hara's Adminiftration, But DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 141 But I have done, fays Volujian, and have now to hope Photinus will excufe my rude- nefs and impetuofity Not merely excufe, replies Photinus, but thank you mod heartily for it, and for the good fruits it has produced. Take care, however, you do not bring yourfelf into a dilemma you cannot eafily get out of, by your too lavifh com- mendations of us, and citation from our great poet in our favour ; when others may retort upon you, that he moft affuredly muft have had us in his eye, as a fet of well meaning, melancholy mortals attempting to account for what is beyond their reach ; where he defcribes fome of his inhabitants of Pande- monium, who reafon'd high Of providence, foreknowlege, will and fate, Fixt tate, freewill, foreknowlege abfolute, And found ns end, in wandering mazes loft. But the inftances of the two memorable chara6ters you have produced are much to our purpofe, in fo dire6lly pointing out the fatal darknefs and wretchednefs that muft ever enfue, when in an age fo enlightened as that 142 CONVERSATIONS ON THE that we live in, any can be fo blinded as not to fee a God, and a wife providential care exercifed over all creatures for their good, efpecially all the rational part pf them. You have fully (hewn however that it was by their acquired moral ignorance that they were fo fatally mifled, and not by their opinion of the neceffitv of human actions, on which */ - fome would lav blame. ) It is however matter of the higheft exul- tation and joy, in which we may juftly tri- umph, to be fully allured, that mere arbi- trary will and fovereignty, from which we could never know what we were to expect, hath no fway in the divine government under which we are placed ; and that original love and goodnefs, are the beginning and end, the ipring and mcafure of all the actions of the Deity, and of all his dealings with us. Hence with the moft perfeft confidence, we con- clude, that every evil of every kind is or- dained for prefent or ultimate good : Xot only iicknefs, and pain, and difeafe in all it* ftmpes, deiblating fiorms, earthquakes, m- mine, peililence, wars, and the ordinary -. DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 143 the lefs common calamities of life ; but the horrid cruelties, injuvtice, oppreffion, &c. with which individuals and fometimes whole coun- tries have had to druggie for a longer or Ihorter fpace : All thele natural and moral evils are from God and under his fovereign controul, fo as to be permitted to fpread no farther, and continue no longer than his purpofes of good are ferved by them ; dic- tating, in his fupreme all-ruling providence, to wicked tyrants and opprefibrs of mankind, and to every inflrument of evil, Hitherto jhalt thou go, and no further ; here Jliall thy proud waves be flayed. Job xxxviii. In the folution we have offered, of the origin of the evil there is in the world, it is conceded, that the Almighty knowingly and deiignedly appointed it, for the fuperior good, that he faw would be derived from it. We his frail and ignorant creatures however are on no account to tranfgrefs the plain rule of moral duty, to do evil that good may come : becaufe our understandings are weak and limited ; 144 CONVERSATIONS OX THE limited ; and we cannot be Cure that the we intend will happen. But our Maker, tfs- we have feen at large, out of that limited quantity of evil, which he judges fitting to appoint and permit, continually produces virtue and every good. This is pleafmgly exhibited to us in the well known beautiful ftory of the Hermit, who being perplexed to account for the ways of providence, quitted his cell for a time, in queft of fatisfaclion to his anxious mind* The narrative is given us in " Divine Dia- logues concerning the attributes and provi- dence of God, London printed l66'8 ;" a work of the pious Dr. Henry More of Cam- bridge : but is better known in the poetical drefs of Dr. Paniell. We {hall avoir! fome of the perplexity ami difficulties, in which good minds are wont to be involved, from the idea of the evil a6tions of men being of divine appointment, as- though God himfelf were the immediate author of fin and wickednots ; if we coniider, that the Almighty Bei-mr, if we may & ipeak, acteth DIVINE GOVEBNMMT* 145 að not immediately himfelf in dire6ling the actions of men, and influencing them to good or evil : but it is by the intervention of inftruments employed by him, of fecond caufes, as we term it, in the natural courfe of things, and according to laws eftablimed by himielf, that He the firft great caufe in- fluences and governs all things, and bringeth them to pafs. In other words, it is by the different motives that arife in our minds, from our fituation and circumftances, which are all of divine appointment, that we are led to evil and to good. Thus are we to underftand what is faid, A6ls xvi. 14. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia to attend to the things fpoken of Paul', i. e. her pious and virtuous mind, thofe good difpofitions which me had imbibed from her fituation and circumftances, all of them originally from God ; inclined her to liflen to Paul. Thus alfo, The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh ; Exod. xi. 10. i. e. being a man void of all juft fenfe and knowlege of God, and totally indifpofed to him, he became only the more alienated from obeying his commands by thofe miracles, which had a L natural 146* CONVERSATIONS ON THE natural tendency, and were wrought to pro- duce obedience. It is matter of conftant obfervation, and verified in the lacred and in all hiilory, that Divine providence oftentimes makes ufe of the evil pafiions and \vickednefs of men, to promote its good defigns. That moft horrid at of destroying the life of the holy and in- nocent Jefus was brought about by the treachery of one of his own difciples, and the mean temporizing fpirit and conduct of Pontius Pilate, the roman governor of Judea, v. 2528. And the book of Genefis furnifhes a re- markable example of the Almighty turning the wickedneis of men to ferve his own bene- volent purpofes, in the pleating narrative of Jofeph and his brethren. It teas not yt that fent ?ne into Egypt : for God did fend me before you to prefervc life, Gen. xlv. 5. laid Jofeph to his brethren, to foothe them under their fears of being made to fufler for their cruel and unnatural behaviour. God was concerned in this act of 1 DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 147 of theirs, by having brought them into life in fuch a fituation, wherein he forefaw they would meanly give way to a vile envy againft their younger brother on account of his being of a more fprightly and amiable difpoiition than themfelves, and more beloved by their father, which ftirred up their bad paffions to feek his deftru6tion, and fell him into Egypt- On this -hiftory* an old writer" thus fe~ marks ; " Such an" ordering and overruling hand hath God in all the evil actions of men. When Jofeph's brethren fell him into Egypt> God is laid to fend him. Human malice and divine providence may be together in the fame a<5l. Wherein men have an evil hand, God hath a good one; who brings light out of darknefs and turns evil in the end to good." Burthogge on Divine Good- nefs, p. 44. It is however to be remembered,* that whatever we define concerning the divine o agency and government over mankind and their affairs, and the manner of it, of which we muft ever conceive and fpeak, like chil- dren, mod imperfectly ; and although we L 2 .- cannot 148 CONVERSATIONS ON THE cannot but be perfuaded that all the a6tions' of men are under the antecedent direction and appointment of God. for how could he otherwife govern the world? Yet mankind are not a mere piece of clock-work, a fet of unconfcious machines. They acquire volun- tary powers, by which they do what they pleafe ; chufe for themfelves and follow their choice ; take blame to and condemn them- felves for whatever they do that is impious, or wicked, or hurtful to others : and more than this, think themfelves not unrighteoufly or inequitably dealt with in being made to fuffer for their evil difpofitions and actions in order to correft and amend them, under the divine government in the prefent world ; nor, if they continue unreformed and unchanged, expect to efcape punifhment in a future ftate. So that if God be charged in any way with being the author of men's fins, it is not in any fuch fenfe as to acquit the perpetrators, or fo as to excufe them even in their own eftimate from being refponfible at the tribunal of that Being, whofe laws, calculated, for their own and the general good of all, they have violated. I DIVINE GOVERNMENT. J4.9 In a word ; we are confcious that we are act mere puppets acted upon; but agents, refponiible for what we do. We are alfo folly perfuaded, that all we do is beforehand known to God, and appointed by him. How this divine foreknowlege and appointment are to be reconciled with the freedom and refponfibility of our a6lions, is beyond our eomprehenh'on. Nor need we to be at all concerned about it. And in this conelufion, Mr. Locke, may quiet our minds, and alfo read us an wfeful leffon of modefty and can-, dour in our judgments concerning the word and the works of God; who, in his fecond anfwer to the Bifhop of Worcefter, that had accufed him of advancing fomething con- cerning the nature of the foul, which implied that men were not free agents, thus replies to the charge >; " It is not for me to judge how far your Lordmip's fpeculations reach ; but finding in myfelf nothing to be truer than what the wife Solomon tells me, Ecclef. xi. 5. as thou knoweji not what is the way ofthefpirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child', even fo thou knoweji not L 3 the 150 CONVERSATIONS ON THE the works of God wlio makcth all things : I gratefully receive and rejoice in the light of revelation, which fets me at reft in many things, the manner of which my poor reafon can by no means make out to me : omnipo- tence, I know, can do any thing that con- tains in it no contradiction ; fo that I readily believe whatever God has declared, though tfiy reafon find difficulties in it, which it can- not mafter. As in the prefent cafe, God having revealed that there ihall be & day of judgment, I think that foundation enough to conclude men are free enough to be an- fwerable for their actions, and to receive according to what they have done ; though how man is a free agent, furpafs my explica- tion or comprehenfion." Synejius fcemed now inclined to take part in the debate, but the reft of the company propofing that the farther difcuffion of the fubject (hould be deferred to another oppor- tunity, he acquiefced in their willies. DIVINE GOVERNMENT. CONVERSATION V. SYNESIUS*, who was an old common friend, and of all their parties, though in many points he differed from them ; and formerly in their Converfations on chriftian idolatry, had endeavoured on that account, to divert Volujlan from quitting the worfhip of the cftablilhed church, put himfelf forward at the next meeting, and pleafantly cried out, that he was quite tired of being fuch a cypher among them, but thought it became him firft to make his confeffion, that they might admit him as a true penitent, i I mud plainly tell you- then, fays he, I had been much hurt at the freedoms you ufed in calling in queftion what was eftablimed by authority in the church of England, as I thought it was unfettling people, and taking away the little foundation they had for their * See, for a character of this perfon, Converfations on Chriftian Idolatry, page 6-k L 4 demeanour ' CONVERSATIONS ON THE demeanour as quiet and good fubjecls, fetting them loofe from all reftraints, and leaving them in poiTeffion of nothing. For I had been wont to confider the chriftian religion principally as it concerned the ftate, and was ufeful to keep the people in order and fub- jeftion; and indeed, all the while I contended fo earneftly for it, entertained not a few doubts about its doctrines, and even its fpun-< elation^. But I have been for fome time convinced, that ferious doubts and djfputes about reJi- gion do by no means lead men away from, moral practice, but the contrary ; as they fober the mind, bring us acquainted with ourfelves and our own characters, and the principles well founded or otherwife, on which we act, and thereby tend to fix us in a courfe of right conducl. Nor can any damage or difturbance ever refult to the State, from difputes, or differences of opinion in religion, if the State will only do its duty, and a6l as becomes it, by holding an equal hand over all its fubje6ts, and reftrain them, from injuring or hurting one another for their- religious differences, DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 153 But that I have not been of late an indif- ferent hearer, though I- have taken no part in your debates, you will believe, when I tell you, that I have found my mind as fully relieved by them from many doubts on im- portant fubje6ls with which I had been per- plexed, as if I had laid them before you for the purpofe. 1. I was wont to be much difturbed, that we were creatures fo framed, that there was little pure happineis to be found, and fo much pain and mifery of one kind or other mixed in our cup, as if we had been the work of fome envious Being, who had grudged us our enjoyments. But I am now perfuaded, that it was the happinefs of the unthinking brute animals that I coveted, and not of a rational being ; which is not to be attained without labour and difficulty. 2. The firft chapters of our facred books feemed to be a moil ft range exhibition of the God and creator of all things, and of the iirft origin of our fpecies, fo inveloped in figure and allegory, that with difficulty can any tolerable fenfe be made of it; for I expected, 154 CONVERSATIONS ON THE expected, that the proofs of his exiftence* and of his love and regard for his creatures, if he had really been poileiled of thefe qualU ties, would have been pointed out to us in a brief energetick manner. But I am now perfuaded, that Divine AViiclom hath judged better for us in the methods which Mofes has been directed to purfue. For that there is one God, and that he is good, his works of nature teach ; and have been fo unclerftood by all who have coniidered them, a very few perfons excepted-, of pitiable mental or bodily miirmities, or both. But fuch an authoritative hiftorical account, as is furnifhed us in the Bible, of a God, as I may fay, really exifting and act- ing, as our creator and moral governor, makes ftronger imprefiious, gives fuller con^ viction, and is better calculated to operate upon the minds of human creatures, and carry down to all ages the momentous truth, than fpeculative arguments ; which would be liable to perpetual difpute and quibble ; as we find to have been the fa&, in antient times, and in our own. 3. I DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 155 3. I had been much hurt in perilling, and iirongly tempted to flight the whole account of the Deity given in the Bible, for his being represented from the tirfl and throughout, not as a benevolent creator, and patron and -encourager of virtue arid goodnefs, but an arbitrary, capricious, malevolent Being * ; bringing into exiitence a race of creatures, and ibon repenting of what he had done, and deitroymg them ; and upon renewing their race afterwards, conducting himfelf towards them in the fame unfteady partial manner, felecting as the objects of his fpecial favour, characters by no means worthy of it. But you have fatisfied me, that I con- demned what I did not underfiand : that it was riot the plan and defign of the Creator to bring creatures any how to happinefs, but by degrees, and by fuitable difcipline to form them to piety and goodnels, the true telicity of. rational beings. This is plainly indicated * Upon this fubjeft I would beg leave to recommend ii ferious perufal ot the admirable and eloquent difcourfes on the Providence and Government of God, by a late excellent man and highly efteemed friend, the Rev. N. Cappe, of York, 156 CONVERSATIONS ON THE in the account of the firft creation of our fpecies, and is the ke} T , with which we may open and explain many things belonging to our prefent ftate. 4. I -had Rumbled, with many others, at the divine command todeftroy the Canaanitifh nations, being perfuaded that it could not come from a benevolent creator, and that it was all the work and contrivance of priefts and politicians, who had taken pofiefiion of the minds of the multitude, and prefumed to reprefent as God's commands what was the di6late of their own implacable temper and ambition. But you have contributed to put me on farther inquiry and to convince me, that it was not unbefitting the moral governor and the lover of his creatures, to interpofe in the way Mqfcs has defcribed, to prevent the horrid practices that prevailed throughout thofe nations, at leait to give a check, if not intirely to eradicate them ; and alib to make his favoured nation the instruments of his judgments; favoured, not for their own fakes, for they, as he told them, were not better than other, , but for the fake of their more deferring progenitors. And throughout the facred DIVINE GOVERNMENT. facred hiftory, from the beginning, I fee no omnipotent tyrant, no Moloch, furious king, as he has been defcribed* delighting himfelf with the miferies and deitruction of his crea- tures ; but a kind creator and moral governor, concerned for their beft interefts, and to bring them to true happinefs* 5. I have alfo peculiar pleafure in noting throughout the books of Mofes and the other facred writers of the Old Teftament, their vaft care and attention to teach and to hold forth at all times, that there i-s one God only, and no other bejides him ; not a God com- pofed of many perfons, which is a thing of anti-chriftian invention, but a God in the fmgle perfon of Jehovah, God of Ifrael, God of the univerfe. I am the more induced to name this, not only becaufe it is a truth that lies at the foundation, and is of the greateft concern- ment ; but alfo through a deiire to mention to you a late publication that may not have fallen in your way, of a refpeclable Swifs gentleman among us ; Mr. De Luc, who enjoys the office of Reader to the Queen, 5 and 158 CONVERSATIONS OX THE and has been made by the King Profeflbr of philofophy and geology in the univeriity of Gottingen, arid who dedicates his tract, which is in the french language, to the king of PruiTia. As I had been led to efteem the author, I was concerned and much difap- pointed, that he ihould at this day, upon fuch flight and imaginary grounds, let him- felf to deprive us of the one true God and father of the univerfe, and introduce in lieu of him, a God confiding of three perfons, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, in the unity of his e/Jcncc ; alluding in fupport of this to the text in 1 John v. 7> of the three heavenly witnefles ; a text now almott unani- moufly given up as fpurious, and not written by the apoftle. Of which fentiment, the prefent biihop of Lincoln, to the credit of his judgment and integrity, hath lately de- clared himfelf in expreffive terms. " I purpofely omit the contefted pailage in the firft epiltle of St. John : There are three that bear record in heaven, the lather, the fon and the holy ghofi : and thefe three are one. In any cafe it would be improper to produce a doubtful text in fupport of fo im- portant a doctrine as that of the trinity ; but I mutt DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 159 I muft own, that after an attentive coniide- ration of the controverfy relative to that paf- fage, I am convinced that it is fpurious *"." Mr. De Luc farther grounds this doclrine of his on the plural termination of one of the hebrew names of God; where his words are., referring his reader to the language of Moles in the beginning of Genefis *f ; " The denomination of the Divinity, lays he, is plural ; that is Elohim, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit in the unity of his e [fence J. M * Elements of Chriftian Theology, vol. ii. p. 90. t " MOISE commence la GENESE par la fixation de ces idees, qui font la bafe du Chnftianifme. Des ce debut, dis-je, la denomination de la Divinite eft uiv plurier; c'eft ELOHIM; Ie Pere, la Parole et 1' Effrit dans 1' unite de fon ESSENCE." Lettres fur 1'education religieufe de 1'enfance, pre- cedees et fuivies de details hiftoriques dediees au Roi, par J. A. De Luc, Ledeur de fa majefte La Reine de la Grande Bretagne, ProfefTcur de phi- lofophie et geologic a Gottmgue. A Berlin. 1800. pag. 1S8. J See on this fubjeft, Mr. Fren^'s excellent Animad- yer'fions on the Elements o f Chriftian Theology, Letter XII. in which is a clear confutation of the vain fuppo- fition of a plurality of perfons in God from the uf<* of a plural termination in one of his names. Ridgway. 1800. After 160 CONVERSATIONS OK Tll After this, Mr. De Luc proceeds to con-" firm thefe pofitions, by referring (I give his words) to Mr. Thomas Maurice, one of the keepers of the Britifli Mufeum ; who, in his Indian Antiquities, lately publimed, profefles to find the doctrine of a Trinity, or -j- plu- rality in the unity of God, among thofe na- tions of antiquity, who, he thinks, muft have received it from anceftors, that were in pof- feffion of it, anterior to the time of Mofes ; and thus furniih a frefh authority, as is fup- pofed, for the doctrine of a Trinity in unity in God, independent of the facred writings. But both thefe arguments of thefe two learned gentlemen ; the one, from the plural termination of Elohim, one of the hebrew names of G od ; the other from the high an- tiquity of the do6irine of a Trinity in Unity and Plurality in God; without going into any other confutation of them, are fet afide by the fiinple and molt obvious confideration furnifhed by Mojes and the Prophets, and the whole hebrew fcriptures ; namely, that whenever God is introduced in the facred ^ Lc me me. p. 159. writings, DIVINE GOVERNMENT. l6l Citings, as f peaking of himfelf, orfpoken of by others, or is himfelf addrejfed, the perfonal pronouns, I, thou, he, are invariably ufed; which demonftrates to every underftanding, that it is one (ingle perfon, and not more than one, who is the God of Mofes and the pro- phets and of the people of Ifrael, and confe- quently the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and of all mankind. This plain argument, which has been a thoufand times produced, it is to be hoped will at laft have fome little attention paid to it, being nothing lefs, to thofe who refpecl; the Scriptures, than the authority of God him- felf deciding the matter. For my part, I. fee more reafon every day of my life, to be thankful for thofe divine records, which have been preferved to us by Mofes and the people of the Jews ; as I fear, without them, what with the refinements of philofophy, on the one hand, and the idolatrous fuperftitibn of chrif- tians on the other, the one true God would have been overlooked and unknown. For thefe reafbns, honouring that moft antient nation of the Jews with that high honour which is due to it, and grieved when I fee M them 162 CONVERSATIONS ON THE them undefervedly fcouted and defpiied and ill treated by Chriftians, I am almoft tempted, whenever I meet a Jew, to move my hat to iiim, as one to whom I am under infinite ob- ligations, as a martyr and confeflbr to the one true God. 6. It had given me much difturbance, that chriftianity,' which was ufliered into the world, as we read, with fuch a profufion and expence of miracles, and is mod truly a fcheme to conduct his creatures to virtue and true hap- 'pinefs, worthy of the benevolent parent of mankind, mould not have better made its way, and mould have done fo little to reform the world, than it has hitherto been found to have done : I have been formerly often ready to reject it on this account. But you have helped much to quiet my mind, and have cured my fcepticifm in this refpeft, by pointing out in what manner thefe powerful means of true piety and virtue have been blunted and impeded, and the falutary effects of this excellent do.clrine counteracted by the corruptions that have been grafted upon and blended with it; and ckieily by its 4 being DIVINE GOVERNMENT. being poifoned and perverted alrnorV in its cradle as foon as the powers of the world began to give it their countenance, as an in- ftrument of ambition and worldly defigns and aggrandifement ; a fervice which it dii- dains ; by which it is fure to be polluted, and to have its true end and defi _ i their long captivity in Babylon, they had incorporated thefe do6lrines into their theo- Jogy, as being thofe of their own facred writings, although thefe writings not only taught them nothing of the kind ; but con- tinually condemned them. And although by the time that Chrift made bis appearance, I 202 CONVERSATIONS ON THE they were much come off from fuch a hea- theniih doclrine, yet their language, which had been framed and accommodated to it, would remain in common ufe, and to that our Saviour and his apoftles would confirm themfelves, though there be no good reafon to think that either the one or the other gave credit to the reality of this evil being. It being however thus the popular belief, that all fin and evil was from Satan, the devil, or the evil one, the apoftles of Chrift having to defcribe how and by what hard trials and temptations their great Mafter's piety and virtue were exercifed and ftrength- ened, to fit him for his arduous and impor- tant office of Saviour and Reformer, endowed with extraordinary divine powers to qualify him for it : According to the accounts of Matthew and Luke, who alone mention this iingular tranfaction, it is Satan, the devil, in conformity to the general creed that all evil was from him, whom they defcribe as the agent in this Trial or Temptation of Chrift : Who is reprefented as employed in endea- vouring to corrupt his virtue and integrity, by drawing him from his truft and dependence upon DIVINE GOVERNMENT. upon God alone, and prompting him to make uie of his miraculous powers to gratify his own vanity and worldly views : Although no evil being whatlbever was concerned in the matter ; which we are compelled to conclude from the utter improbability of the literal account, but which may otherwife be fatis- faclorily accounted for. Let us then take into consideration our Lord's fentiments concerning Satan. 1. We may obferve that Chrift very com- monly ufes the words Satan, Devil, in their proper and primary fenfe, as fignifying an enemy, adverfary, traitor, or the like ; and not an evil being. Matth. xvi. 23. But he turned and faid unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan ! thou adverfary. Archbp. Newcome. Mark viii. 33. He rebuked TPeter, faying, Get thee behind me, Satan ! thou adverfary. Archbp. Newcome. t John CONVERSATIONS ON THE John vi. 70- Jeftis anfacrcd them, Hate not I chofen you tzceltc, and one of you is a devil ; and yet one of you is a falfe accufer. 2. There is no ground to conclude from Chrift fometimes ufmg the terms, Satan, the Devil, the evil one, as tigniiying the fuppofed evil being, that he would thereby imply, or have others underftand him to implv, that there was in reality fuch an evil being. This we learn from himfelf, in very many pafTages of the gofpel hiftory. Among others, I would mention his reply to his diiciples on their return- from a com- million in which he had been employing them, to preach the gofpel of repentance and remiffion of fins, in. his life time. When, upon their telling him with exultation, that by the power they derived from him, they had been enabled to heal difeafes, which in thofe times were afcribed to demons ; Luke x. 17, 18. And the feventy returned again with joy, faying, Lord, even the demons are iubjecr. unto us through thy name ; He faid unto DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 205 unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. In this anfwer, he foretels for their encouragement, the farther happy effe6ls which would attend the preaching of his gofpel. To fall from heaven, (fee that fine defcrip- tion of the king of Babylon, to which there is allufion, Ifaiah xiv. 12.) is to be deprived of power and authority. How was Satan to lofe or be deprived of his power and autho- rity by the preaching of the gofpel, which is calculated to change and to cure men's wicked and evil difpofitioris, but cannot have any efifecl: on Satan an invifible, powerful, wicked being, fuppofmg there were any fuch? As this, then, as a thing impoffible, we are unavoiclably led to underfiand our Lord as expreifmg himfelf in the well known eaftern itile, to which his difciples and countrymen were ac.cuftomcd, and to fpeak of Satan, as a pei'fon, or living agent, when he thereby only meant thofe felfiih worldly cleiires, that hatred of God and goodnefs, Which are fup- pofed to characterize fuch a being. There is then, by Chrift's own interpretation,' no fuch evil being as we call Satan or the Devil. And 206 CONVERSATIONS ON THE And Satan, or the Devil, is not a powerful evil being without us, but impious, malignant, cruel tempers and difpofitions within us, which leaji us to fin againft God, and to hurt and deftroy the peace, virtue and happinefs of our fellow r -creatures. 3. This our Lord's fentiment of the nul- lity of Satan or the devil, or the evil one, AVC find confirmed in other patfages. Luke viii. 12. The devil cometh and taketh the word out of their hearts. Matth. xiii. 19. The evil one cometh and fnatcheth away that which was fown in their hearts. Matth. xiii. 39- The enemy that foweth -the tares is the devil. Mark iv. 15. Straightway cometh Satan and taketh away the word which was fown in their hearts. Satan, the devil, the evil one that enters into men's hearts in thefe inftances, can mean nothing DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 207 nothing but thofe evil pafiions and worldly defireS, which extihguiih the love of God, of truth and virtue in the hearts of men. John xiii. 2. the devil having now put it into the heart of Judas Ifcariot, Simon's fon to betray him. 27- And after the fop, then Satan en- tered into him. Luke xxii. 3. Then Satan entered into Judas Ifcariot. Pride, malice, difappointment in thofe worldly views which had led Judas at firft to become one of Chrift's difciples, and morti- fication and revenge at finding the wicked- nefs of his heart discovered ; thefe were the Satan, the devil that entered into and rankled in the bread of this mod unhappy man, and excited him to betray his beft benefactor and friend, who anxioufly fought to make him good, into tlie hands of his enemies. For this black ingratitude he very foon openly condemned 208 CONVERSATIONS OX THE^ condemned himfelf with bittereft remorfe, " I have finned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood/' - Matth. xxvii. 4. In this declaration he furnifhes a (landing, perpetual teftimony to the imlpotted excellency of our Lord's private character; to the reality of the miracles afcribed to him, and to the truth of his religion, -hardly to be refifted, which muft pleafe and affect every rational enquirer and lover of truth, All the other inftances in which our Lord ufes the term Satan, &c. admit of an eafy explanation. John viii. 44. The deiil is your father^ and ye willingly perform the lu/h of your father. He was a man-flayer from thejirft) and continued not in the truth, becaufe there is no truth in him. A flayer of men'] in being the caufe of the death of the firft progenitors of the human race- DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 209 race. An allufion to the common opinion of the fall. Gen. iii. 5. Luke xiii. 16. And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo ! thefe eighteen years, to be loqfed from this bond on the fabbath day ? In the popular language of the Jews, difeafes and infirmities were attributed to Satan. See alfo Acts x. 38. Luke xxii. 31. And the Lord faid: Simon, Simon, behold! Satan hath ob- tained leave tojiftyou all like wheat. Our Lord warns his difciples of a great and dangerous trial being near ; an allufion to the hiftory of Job, i. 9 12. Matth, xxv. 41 46. Then will he alfo fay to them on his left hand: Away from me ye curfed ! into that ever- lajlingfire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Lere 210 CONVERSATIONS ON THE Here is a reference to fome fabulous ftorv. */ and molt probably of heathen origin ; for there is no mention in the fcriptures of any fuch beings, as a devil and his angels, except in this (ingle paflage ; for which, had there been any juft foundation, it would not have been named in this paflage only, and in fuch an incidental way. We find the prince of the powers of the air alluded to in Ephef. ii. 1. According to the Prince of the powers of the air, which Archbimop Newcome tranflates, according to the powerful ruler of the air ; and then adds ; St. Paul adopts this description as well known to Jews and Gentiles without averting its truth ; as much as to fay, according to the head of evil fpirits, whom you Ephth'ans (peak of under tins character. .This points to the do6trine of evil fpirits being a heathen doctrine, as we know r from other fources, to which our Lord might allude in. the paflage -.-*- before us. It has alfo been ably (hewn by a French .' ' " ' "" WTiter, in *Bekker of Amfterdanu> works, that the tranilation of Ju$e\ ver. 6, ihould be, not 8 the DIVIDE GOVERNMENT. 211 the angels, but the me/fingers, who kept not their firit eilate, c> And alfo the parallel paifage, %et. ii.^L fhould be, not if God fpared not the angels, but the meflengers which finned, caft them down to Hell, &c. And the fame writer has clearly proved, that there is no re- ference here to talien angels, but to the hiftory of the perlbns fent out by Mofes to fpy out and make report of the land of Ca- naan ; and to their falfe and wicked account, fo as to difcourage their countrymen from obeying the divine command. The Apoftles of Chrift, like their great Mailer, feem not to have underflood that there was any devil, or evil being without them, whom men need to be afraid of, but only evil pafilons and worldly defires, and the wickeduefs into which theie lead them. A els v. 3. Then faid Peter : Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to de- ceive th% holy f pint ? Here Satan was .the vile, fraudulent and avaricious deiires that poileiTed him. P2 A6ts 212 CONVERSATIONS ON THE A6b xiii. 10. full of all guile, and of all craftinefs ! Son of the Devil ! enemy of all righteoufnefs. i. e. re- fembling fuch a fuppofed being, not infti- gated by him. Romans xvi. 20. and the God of peace quickly trample Satan under your feet : i. e. bad men, his inftru- ments,] according to Dr. Whit by, the perfecuting Jews. 1 Cor. v. 5. to deliver fuch an one to Satan. See Luke xiii. 16. 2 Cor. xii. J. J Tim. i. 20. An allufion perhaps to Job being put into Satan's power to inflict fuffering upon him to a certain degree. Some bodily difeafe was to be intii&ed, to bring the offender to repentance. This mode of punifhment how- ever was confined to the age of miracles. See Archbiihop Newcome upon the place. 2 Cor. xi. 14. And no Bonder; for Satan him/elf putteth on the appearance of an angel of light. Perhaps St. Paul had in view, Jqb i. 6. Eph. DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 213 Eph, iv, 27- neither give place to the devil, or as it is in Mr. Wdkefield's tranf- lation, nor give any room to the accufer. vi. 11. -Jland againft the wiles of the devil, or, againft the devices of the accufer. 1 Theff. xi. 18. Satan hindered us : i. e. wicked men, instruments of evil. 2 Theff. xi, 9- according to the working of Satan ; the operations of evil, with fraud ancl delufion and falfe miracles. 1 Tim. iii. 6, 7. 2 Tim. ii. 26. In thefe twopaiTages the fnare of the devU 9 fhould be rendered, the fnare of the accufer. 1 Tim. v. 15. -forfome have already turned ajide after Satan] that is, fome women have behaved ill. p 3 1 Peter 214" CONVERSATIONS OX THE 4 1 Peter v. 8. Your adverfary the devil walkelh- about feekhig whom he may devour ;] That is, fpies and informers who accufed them before the heathen magiftrates, 1 John ii. 13. Ye hare overcome the wicked , o?/f, by the po%yer of chriftian principles. Archbifhop New come * and Mr. the two laft tranflators of the New Tefta- ment, * It. is highly to the credit of Archbifhop Newcome, that he U-aves out of his tranflation of the New Teflament, the fpurious text, 1 John v. 7. of the three heavenly witnefl'es, the Father, the word, and the holy ghoft, with- out any referves or intimations, as if the dqftrine gene- rally held to be contained in that text, was fupported by other paflages of Scripture ; and that, at the fame time, he gives fuch a clear and intelligible explanation of the wnofe paflage as fnews that he himfelf made no fuch con- cfufibns from it. It is not to be doubted, that if it had pleafed the divine providence to fpare Mr. Wakefield's moft valuable life, he Would have availed himfelf of the Archbifho^'s verfion in his own proje61ed new edition, as the Archbifhop had profited by his improvements. Indeed the pious and ufeful labours of this excellent prelate in illuftrafing the (acred DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 215 inent, in their juft and rational interpretations of the facred volume, have not found it neceffary to bring in a fuppofed great evil fpirit, or being, to iblve the accounts that are given of the Devil or Satan which it con- tains, as the whole is more eaiily and naturally explained by cohiidering thefe terms not as defcriptive of any perfbn or thing without us, but as referring to thofe wicked paffions and tempers within us, whence all evil proceeds. And thefe being fufficient to account for the whole, it is wrong to feek or require any other caufe. So that the Devil or Satan is not any per- fon or thing without us, but felfim, Jalous, envious, malignant, cruel, impure, fraudulent, facred volume, deferve particular attention. And it is a great advantage in the.prefent 'age, that from the verfions now given of the fcriptures by perfons ot great eminence in learning, every engliih reader may attain to a compe- tent and fatistaftory knowlege ot divine truth. It may be recommended to ali families, who ufe the vulgar tranf- lation made under the aufpices oi James the firfi, to cor- rect the prejudices which they have been led into frorn its various pervcrfions ot the text, by comparing together this t ran flat ion with fome other of our muie valuable modern verfions. T 4 ambitious, 216 CONVERSATIONS ON THE ambitious, clefires and tempers indulged in us, and which tempted our firil parents to fin and difobey the divine commands, and have unhappily induced their pofterity in all ages to follow the lame evil courfes. As to the interference of any evil being or fpirit of a nature and powers fuperior to man- kind, we may not fcruple to affert, from the declarations in our facred books, that there are no fuch evil beings or fpirits who have any concern with human affairs. All fuch beings, who are recorded at any time to have had influence over mankind, have been of heathen device and invention, as has before been pointed out ; fuch, for inflance, as St. Paul fpeaks of in his epiftle to the chriftians of Ephefus, by the phrafe the Prince of the powers, of the air, one of their objects of worihip. In all times, the more ignorant mankind have been of the one great author of nature, and of his works, and of thofe holy writings which make farther revelation of him, the jnore have they been found to be addicted to fuch blind and baneful fupcrftition. The DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 217 The fum of what has been faid, is to vin- dicate the Scriptures from the imputation of teaching the exiftence of a wicked Spirit, called the Devil or Satan, by {hewing there is no fuch being, but that the evil that is in the world is produced from men's evil paffions and difpofitions, which are therefore called his works. There is therefore no evil in the world but what takes its rife from men themfelves : Nor any devils but fo far as men extremely wicked and abandoned may deferve the name. And to uphold fuch evil beings is to en- graft heathenifm upon chriftianity *. To * The Rev. Thomas Belfham, my honored and much efteemed friend, has in an able general way, in his Review of Mr. Wilberforce's Treatife, p. 34, fhewn the falfity of the opinion vulgarly entertained on evil fpirits, and in his convincing manner, proved it to be contrary to the principles of philofophy and the uniform tenor of the fcriptufes. The whole work is admirably calculated to remove various other errors. The world is alfo indebted to the fame author for a late publication intitled " Elements of the Philofophy of the 4 218 CONVERSATIONS, &C. To thefe conclufions the .whole company gave their hearty concurrence, and after fome converfation, repeated their thanks to Sy- nefms for the clearnefs with which he had fummed up this fuppofed intricate queflion. Thefe repeated friendly conferences here ended, and the party then feparated to return to their refpeftive homes, and duties, more fully impreffed M ith their obligation as Chrif- tians, to ftudy the word, and works of God, to add practice to knowlege, and to commu- nicate to others that light and truth, which lead to eternal life. the mind," where candor to his opponents, and a clear expofuion of his own fyflein, evince his fuperior talents, and the deep piety of his own mind ; both of which, with a moil ex aft critical knowlege of the fcriptures, qualify him as a mo ft eminent public teacher. INDEX. INDEX. Page ABRAHAM, call of . 7 1 greatnefs of his chara&er - - 72, 7S jblemifties in it - - 75 vindicated - - . 171 opinions of Archbifhop Tillotfon on his faith 173, 177 defigns of God in his trial . 178, 179 Angels, fallen . 211 Animals, goodnefs of God towards 45 C. Canaanites, extermination of - - 80 not unconditional 84- expedience of * - - 85 neceflity for 156 Chriftianity, reafons for its little progrefs 162 jChriftians have imitated idolaters - H Cla*ke, Samuel Dr. endeavoured to reform the church Z D. Devils, term improperly ufed in the tranflation of the Pentateuch . 193 E, Eternity, of punimment - 180 in what fcnfe true , . .182 meaning of terms eternal, &c. in fcripture 184 Eternity, INDEX. Page Eternity, opinion of Hartley 187 Eve, temptation of . 65 Evil permitted 142 origin of - 143 Evil being, Satan or Devil, enquiry into his exift- ence and interference 190 not known to Mofes ~ . 193 whence the notion derived . 200 no reafon for fuppofuig that our Saviour taught the exiftence of this evil being 204 10 nor his apoftles - 211 what the devil really is - - 216 important conclufions on the nature of evil 217 F. France might have been brought to the worfhip of one God - ,3 its hoitility to the chriiiian religion accounted for 5,7 G. God plain old argument for belief in 18 goodnefs of, towards animals - 42 4S towards man - 49 52 difficulty with refpeft to his government 124 removed from the confideration of his charac- ter 125 128 of the praftice of mankind - 129 important propofjtions relative to his govern- ment 132 mode of his aclions - - 144 imperfection in our language concerning them 147 immutably good - 155 God, INDEX. Page God, not compofed of feveral perfons 157 plain argument that he is only one perlon . 161 Gofpel, firfl effeft of the - - 98 inftances of early departure from - 99 forged on the confciences of men by intolerant and perfecuting chriflians - 104 I, Intolerance of Mohammedans - 102, 103 of Chriftians - - 104 how to be cured - - 105 Efforts made to deftroy it - 109 M. Man, the creature of aflbciation and habit 53 taught by God - . '- 56 moral ftate of - 60 hiftory of from revelation - - 62 ftate of Antediluvians - 67 <. under the divine moral government 113 pratice of, not confident with his duty 116 general character of 120 not a mere machine - 148 not the work of an envious being 153 Miracles, province of ; 12 argument of Mr. Humected . 165 confuted 167 171 Mohammed, to what his fuccefs is to be attributed 99 intolerant fpirit of 100 fatal confequences of his zeaj - 10S Nature, INDEX. N. - Nature, what it is - courfe of . - - in fearching after nature, fome lofe fight of its God P. Philofophers of France oppofe religion why 7 fome good men oppofe it from other caufes 1 Plurality of perfons in the godhead falfely main- tained - 159, 160 R. Revelation favourable to the interefts of mankind 9 made known by Mofes and our Saviour, forms one f'yitem - - 10, 1 1 S. Satan, meaning of the term - 196 206 ufed in a popular fenfe by the apoftles 202 Scriptures indited in the beft manner 154- Shaftefbury, Earl of r inquiry into his character 26 his fenfe of the prefence of the Deity 27 publimes Dr. Whichcot's fermons 29 his prejudices againft facred perfons and tilings 3:?, 33 his opinion of miracles - - 87 letter to a young clergyman - 38 poflefled of a good difpofition, with great defefls 40 Socrates, character of - - 87 a martyr " . .. , 90 Socrates. INDEX. Page Socrates, not without faults - 91 vindication of - 92 Spurious text in the firfl epiftle of John, rejected by the Bifhop of Lincoln - 158 and by Archbifhop Newcome rp Tranfiation of the Bible corrupt, and how to be corrected - - T HE END. BY JYX AN LAW, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE, CLKKKENWELt. Publijlied by the fame Author. 1. An Apology for refigning the Vicarage of Catterick, 8vo. 1773, 4th edit. 1782, 3s. fewed. 2. A Sequel to the Apology, 8vo. 1776, 6s. fewed. 3. 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