Mexicani Trapa rid. Acıftam, lib.

rerum American, Gerard, Joann Vim de Idololatria Gentili, in add. Lib. 1.

rek fequently feem obliged not only to permisz, or but authorize Sin, this Knowledge proves rather st pernicious than ufeful to a State. No, there's here nothing but the fear of being punish'd after this Life for Crimes committed, or the hope of being rewarded for good Actions afeter Death, that can be certainly and effectually useful to keep Subjects in Obedience. Now thofe other Principles have been often changed with the Times; and befides the Sadducees, there have been, and are still whole Nations, who be lieve the Existence of a God, without having any Idea of the Pains or Rewards that attend them after Death. Fourthly, Princes, Politicians, and to fay fomething more, those who were not only, capable of governing Commonwealths, but also of making new Laws, and establishing new States, the Socrates's and Plato's, who laughed at the Superftitions made use of by Politicians to amuse the People, derided alfo the plurality of Gods, but yet fincerely believed the Existence of one God; as it appears by the Letters they wrote with great confidence to one another. Fifthly, and Lastly we must observe, there are Two forts of Means which Policy makes ufe. of to attain its end; the one it invents, the other it fuppofes, without doing any thing else but putting them in Execution: And thefe Two ways the Roman Politicians formerly made ufe of to gain the Affections of the People. For First, they made use of the Vanity of the People, as a Spring that was not of their own Contrivance, but was much more antient than their Designs. And in the Second Place, they employed Games, Shews, diverse

kinds

kinds of Crowns and Pompous Triumphs, as Inftru ments to fet this firft Spring a going, or to flatter this Vanity. I can eafily grant then, that Numa Pompilius took advantage of the Opinion the People had, that there was fome Deity, and of all other Principles of Natural Religion; but he only made use of this principle which his Policy fuppofed, and not contrived. He inftituted divers Sacrifices and other Ceremonies, to move this first Spring, or to render the People Socia ble, by propofing fome certain Object to fix thofe loofe Principles of Religion and Confcience, he supposed in them. For as he that first invented the use of Mills, did not produce the force requifite to turn about those great Machins, but only fuppofed it in the Wind, and in the Water, whofe Motion he directed by his Art; fo likewife we may say, that Policy only fuppofes, but does not frame this natural knowledge God, which is a Bridle to keep Men within the bounds of Duty.

CHA P. III.

In which 'tis further demonftrated, that the Opinion we have of the Existence of God, is no Prejudice.

As

S to those Causes of our Errors which we have called internal, because as they are found in all Mankind, and every one has Senses, au Imagination, and a Heart, all capable to deceive him, though it is accidental that they do so,

there

therefore we do not dery, but they may produce conftant and univerfal Errors.

Thus the Difcuity there was in conceiving there should be Inhabitants upon that Surface of the Earth oppofte to ours, who without falling flood with their Feet directly again our Feet, hath till these laft Ages occation'd the rejecting the Opinion of thole who believed the Aztipodes. Thus the Valga Fank of all Times and Countries, imagine that the Sam is not abore a Foot in breadth, and that the Stars are moch less than the San appears to be; not to mention in this Place, the Orizion of Copernicas, who taxes all other Men as being in an Error as to thofe points.

But what can Men find to object further, if the Knowledge we have of the Exiftence of God, not only proves to be no fake Preiadice, ariing from the Senses, Imagination or Alations of the Heart, but is rather directly contrary than conformable to those Three Principles of our ErTOTS?

I confess the Senses, the Imagination and the Heart, do not of themselves inform us that there is no God, fince thofe Three Faculties were not given us to be the Causes of Error and Illufion; but it happens by Accident, through the ill ufe we make of them, that from them proceed most of the Difficulties we meet with in the Knowledge of this Truth.

The Custom we have taken up of submitting our Reason to our Senses, and rejecting as too fpeculative, what we neither fee nor feel, makes one of the Prejudices of the Atheifts, who do not believe there is any God, because they don't fee him. The difficulty they have to imagin

what

what God is, and what he did before he created the World, produces a Second Prejudice in their Mind. In fine, all the Affections of the Heart, oppose the Truth of the Existence of God, because this Truth mortifies them all, it humbles Pride, cramps up Voluptuoufnefs within narrow bounds, ftops the career of Injustice and Intereft; and though this Principle doth not always entirely correct the Disorders of the Passions, yet at least it restrains them, and puts a stop to their Violence. But it is not very necessary to infift upon this point, for Atheifts themselves acknowledge, that the Idea of God curbs Humane Paffions, fince they pretend that Policy is fuccef ful in making ufe of this Bridle to restrain the Disorders of Ambition', and to keep Men under due Obedience to Civil Laws.

Suppose therefore that the Senfes, and the Imagination have accidentally produced univer fal Errors, and that the Heart be, (as it was ever acknowledged,) a fruitful fource of Illufions and false Measures in the business of Civil Life; this confideration makes for us, fince we here take part only with Good Senfe, which affures us, that there is a God; against all the Negative Reasons of the External Senses, which do not perceive this Deity; against the difficulties of the Imagination, which is not able to represent to it self an Object so far above its reach, and against all the reluctancies of the Affections of the Heart, which this Object doth afflict and curb. And is it not very furprising, that during fo many Ages, the Senfes, the Imagination and the Affections of the Heart, have continually fuggested to the Minds of Men, fuch forcible Prejudices againft this Truth, and yet have not been able to extinguish its Light?

?Tis

'Tis true, the not bang me fiffe this truth, Men had not prog.only digest and that Irregulation de Tire Causes of our Errors we have dry a UVL For to content the Sens, er 12t made the Deity ville, ether a regelen.ng I by Le tues, or imagining to dated Hiner Sror; 8 to fatisfe the imeṛaava tamnotal tow

to conceive fo many Terties, whole effets dail ly appear in Nare, to be centred in one and the fame Simple Sobet, they rac maplet me 1 Deity, attributing to tact part of the Omerk, and to each Element is particular Provance And in fine, to facile the end kainations o their Hearts, they had fried to Coa, EVEL their Pagons and as, framing to thendetes Debauched and Diffolute Letter, that by the | Examples wich Region feemed to have cons crated, they might the better excufe tier oWI Extravagancies.

Eut at length, notwithanding our proper. fion to judge of Objects only by the Senter, not withftanding the Difficulties and Reluctancies of our Imagination, in fpite of all thofe Pallon of our Hearts, which for their own intereft, codtinually raife Scruples in our Minds, all Men have at all times acknowledged, that there is a Sovereign Wisdom which acts in the Driverje.

After what hath been faid, let any one judge whether the Incredulums have any reafon here to entertain any difruit; and if on the contrary, we have not good reafon to fufpect the Scruples our Paffions fuggeft, and the Prejudices which vifibly take their rife from all the known Principles of our Errors.