evil, which, by my condition in nature, I was not qualified to fecure myfelf from, or he would now interpofe and deliver me out of it; but he has not, nor does interpofe, as aforefaid, therefore, he is not wife nor good, at least, he must be defective in one, or other of these. And,

As this is the cafe with refpect to the animals below us, fo it is the fame with refpect to our own species. Each flave who is forced to bear, or fuffer many evils and miferies from the fuperior power which a tyrannical governor is poffeffed of, may take up his complaint, and fay, that if God were wife and good, he would interpofe and restrain the tyrant from exercifing his power, as aforefaid, feeing not only himself, but many more are forced to fuffer the like evils, it not being in their power to prevent them, or to deliver themselves from them. It is equally the fame to a man, whether his misfortunes are brought upon him by the fuperior power, or craft of another; and it would be equally as kind and good for God to interpofe and prevent, or remove them, whether they be introduced by the fuperior power, or craft of a visible, or an invifible agent. And,

As men are not a match for each other in a variety of cafes, fo, particularly, with regard to delufion and impofition; and that too in matters of religion. And here it may be proper to fuppofe that Mahomet was an impoftor, tho', indeed, this may minifter just ground

ground of complaint to the Mahometans; because they may infift, that their prophet ought to be proved an impoftor, and that we ought not to take it for granted that he was fo. But this is a queftion which the prefent argument is not concerned with, and it is only fuppofed for argument fake, to illustrate the point now in hand. Suppofing then that Mahomet was an impoftor, and that no invifible agent was concerned, either in contriving, or propagating the impofition; yet seeing it did Jucceed, and that not only over a great part of the world, but also through a course of many ages, and is like to fucceed through many more; therefore, the queftion arifing from hence will be, whether it would not have been equally as kind and good, for God to have interpofed and prevented the Mabometan delufion, as the cafe now ftands, as it would have been, fuppofing it had been introduced by the power, or craft of an invifible agent. And the answer to this question may, poffibly, appear to fome, very evident, namely, that goodness is as much concerned, and would be equally fhewn in one case, as in the other; and from hence they may argue, that seeing God has not interpofed to prevent delufion in one cafe, therefore, no good argument can poffibly be drawn from his wisdom and goodness, to fhew that he would have interpofed in the other. Again,

It may be further urged, that man is endowed with a faculty of understanding, by

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the right use and exercife of which, he is qualified to guard against the Mahometan, or any other delufion, provided it be not backed with the power of an invifible agent, in working miracles for its confirmation.

To which it may be farther answered, that if men would rightly use, and follow their understandings, they would thereby be guarded and fecured from every delufion, (or, at least, from all that are hurtful,) tho' backed with the power of an invifible agent, as aforefaid; because then every man would be affured, from the nature and reafon of the thing, that no power, how great foever, could poffibly be of God, which directly and immediately tended to the hurt and damage of mankind. And, confequently, if this were the cafe, then there would be no place for the exercife of divine wisdom and goodness, in preventing the delufion of mankind. But this is not the cafe, feeing the generality of men are fo far from ufing, and following their understandings in this particular, that, on the contrary, they are too apt to follow every one who takes upon him to guide them, and are very easily milled and deluded; fo that the honeft, plain, fimple part of mankind, are not an equal match for the more fubtile and crafty. And it is in this view that man is to be confidered. The proper queftion, therefore, is this, viz. confidering the bulk of mankind in their prefent circumftances, fo liable to be deluded and impofed upon, whe

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ther it would not be equally kind and good, for God to interpofe and prevent their delufion, as well when an invifible agent is not concerned in promoting and forwarding it, as when he is. And if the divine wildom and goodness is equally concerned, and would be equally fhewn in both cafes, (which some men think must be allowed,) then, fay they, feeing God does not interpofe to prevent delufion in one cafe, therefore, no good argument can be drawn from his wisdom and goodness, to prove that he would interpofe in the other. But farther, it may be answered,

As it is most evident that delufion does take place, fo it is alike evident that God must permit and fuffer it, whilft there are fuch things as free creatures in being. Men will be at liberty, whilft they are agents, to exercise their natural abilities in ferving what purposes they please. Take away that liberty, and their agency ceafes, or is deftroyed. And this must be the cafe of all intelligent, free beings, whether visible, or invifible, and whether their natural power, (that is, the power arifing from their natural conftitutions) be greater, or lefs. So that to fay, it is morally unfit for God to fuffer his creatures to delude or injure one another, is the fame as to fay, that it is morally unfit for God to call free creatures into being. But then,

It may be yet farther urged, that tho' God will fuffer invifible agents (fuppofing there are fuch) to exercife their power in

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ferving what purpose they please, yet seeing they do not frequently exercife their power upon this globe, it becomes a question, whether they do at any time exercise it amongst mankind. For if invifible agents can, and fometimes do exercise their power as aforefaid, then there is juft ground to prefume that they frequently do fo, because they have frequent occafions and opportunities for it; but whereas it is evident they feldom (if ever) do; therefore it is highly probable that they do not exercise their power here at all. And though we cannot discover what may be the motives to invifible agents to intereft themfelves in human affairs, yet seeing the tranfactions which take place amongst mankind are generally a round of the fame things; fo from hence arifes a probability that the motives to action (if there are any fuch) to invifible agents frequently take place upon this globe, and thereby become frequently the grounds and reafons of actions to them. So that if invifible agents do interest themselves at all in the affairs of this world, then it is to be prefumed, that they frequently do fo (as was ob ferved above) because there are frequently occafions for, and excitements to it. But feeing they feldom if ever do, therefore it is highly probable, that they do not exercise their power here at all; efpecially if it be confidered, that in many instances, in which it has been pretended, that fuch power hath been exerE cifed,