fear, it is in vain to attempt to expel it: for whatever violence may be offered to nature, by endeavouring to reafon men into a contrary perfuafion, nature will fill recoil, and at laft return to itfelf, and then the fear will be augmented from the apprehenfion of the dangerous confequences of fuch an impiety. So that nothing can create more trouble to a man, than to endeavour to difpoffefs him of this conceit; because nature is but irrita. ted by the contest, and the man's fears will be doubled upon him.

But if we fuppofe this apprehenfion of a Deity to have no foundation in nature, but to have had its rise from tradition, which hath been confirmed in the world by the prejudice of education, the difficulty of removing it will almost be as great as if it were natural; that which men take in by education being next to that which is natural. And if it could be extinguifhed, yet the advantage of it will not recompence the trouble of the cure for, except the avoiding of perfecution for religion, there is no advantage that the principles of Atheifm, if they could be quietly fettled in a man's mind, can give him. The advantage indeed that men make of them is, to give themselves the liberty to do what they pleafe; to be more fenfual and more unjust than other men; that is, they have the privilege to furfeit themselves, and to be fick oftener than other men, and to make mankind their enemy, by their unjust and difhonest actions; and, confequently, to live more uneasily in the world than other men.

So that the principles of religion, the belief of a God, and another life, by obliging men to be virtuous, do really promote their temporal happiness. And all the privilege that Atheism pretends to is, to let men loose to vice; which is naturally attended with temporal inconveniencies. And if this be true, then the Atheist cannot pretend this reafon of charity to mankind, which is the only one I can think of, to dispute against religion, much lefs to rally upon it. For it is plain, that it would be no kindnefs to any man to be undeceived in thefe principles of religion, fuppofing they were falfe: because the principles of religion are fo far from hindering, that they promote a man's happiness even in VOL, L.

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this world and as to the other world, there can be no inconvenience in the mistake; for when a man is not, it will be no trouble to him that he was once deceived about thefe matters.

And where no obligation of confcience nor of reason can be pretended, there certainly the laws of civility ought to take place. Now men do profefs to believe that there is a God, and that the common principles of religion are true, and to have a great veneration for thefe things: can there then be a greater infolence, than for a man, when he comes into company, to rally and fall foul upon those things for which he knows the company have a reverence? Can one man offer a greater affront to another, than to expofe to fcorn him whom he owns and declares to be his best friend, the patron of his life, and the greatest benefactor he hath in the world? and doth not every man that owns a God fay this of him?

But when the generality of mankind are of the fame opinion, the rudeness is ftill the greater. So that, whoever doth openly contemn God and religion, does delinquere in majeftatem populi, et humani generis:

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does offend against the majefty of the people, and that reverence which is due to the common apprehenfions "of mankind, whether they be true or not;" which is the greatest incivility that can be imagined.

This is the first confideration, and it is the least, that I have to urge in this matter; but yet I have infifted the longer upon it, because it is fuch a one as ought eSpecially to prevail upon thofe who, I am afraid, are too often guilty of this vice; I mean those who are of better breeding, because they pretend to understand the laws of behaviour, and the decencies of conversation, better than other men.

2dly, Suppofing it were doubtful, whether there, be a God or not, and whether the principles of religion were true or not, and that the arguments were equal on both fides; yet it would be a great folly to deride these things. And here I fuppofe as much as the Atheift can, with any colour of reason, pretend to. For no man ever yet pretended to demonstrate, that there is no God, nor no life after this: for thefe being pure negatives,

negatives, are capable of no proof, unless a man could fhew them to be plainly impoffible. The utmost that is pretended is, that the arguments that are brought for these things are not fufficient to convince. But if they were only probable, so long as no arguments are produced to the contrary, that cannot in reafon be denied to be a great advantage.

But I will, for the prefent, fuppofe the probabilities equal on both fides. And upon this fuppofition, I doubt not to make it appear to be a monftrous folly to deride these things; because, though the arguments on both fides were equal, yet the danger and hazard is infinitely unequal.

If it prove true, that there is no God, the religious man may be as happy in this world as the Atheist: nay, the principles of religion and virtue do, in their own nature, tend to make him happier; because they give fatisfaction to his mind, and his confcience by this means is freed from many fearful girds and twinges which the Atheist feels. Befides, that the practice of religion and virtue doth naturally promote our temporal felicity. It is more for a man's health, and more for his reputation, and more for his advantage in all other worldly refpects, to lead a virtuous, than a vitious courfe of life and for the other world, if there be no God, the cafe of the religious man and the Atheist will be alike; because they will both be extinguished by death, and infenfible of any farther happiness or mifery.

But then, if the contrary opinion fhould prove true, that there is a God, and that the fouls of men are trans mitted out of this world into the other, there to receive the juft reward of their actions; then it is plain to every man, at firft fight, that the cafe of the religious man and the Atheist must be vastly different : then, where fhall the wicked and the ungodly appear? and what think we fhall be the portion of thofe who have affronted God, and derided his word, and made a mock of every thing that is facred and religious? what can they expect, but to be rejected by him whom they have renounced, and to feel the terrible effects of that power and justice which they have defpifed: So that, though the argu ments on both fides were equal, yet the danger is not fo. On the one fide there is none at all, but it is infi

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nite on the other. And, confequently, it must be a monftrous folly for any man to make a mock of those things which he knows not whether they be or not; and if they be, of all things in the world they are no jefling matters.

3dly, Suppofe there be a God, and that the principles of religion are true, then it is not only a heinous impie-ty, but a perfect madness, to fcoff at these things. And that there is a God, and that the principles of religion. are true, I have already, in my former difcourse, endeavoured to prove, both from the things which are made, and from the general confent of mankind in thefe principles; of which univerfal confent, no fufficient reafon can be given, unless they were true and fuppofing they are fo, it is not only the utmost pitch of impiety, but the highest flight of folly that can be imagined, to deride thefe things. To be difobedient to the commands of God, is a great contempt; but to deny his being, and to make sport with his word, and to endeavour to render it ridiculous, by turning the wife and weighty fay ings of that holy book into raillery, is a most direct af. front to the God that is above. Thus the Pfalmift de-. fcribes thefe Atheistical perfons as levelling their blafphemies immediately against the majesty of heaven : They fet their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth; they do mifchief among men, but the affront is immediately to God.

Befides that this profane fpirit is an argument of a moft incorrigible temper. The wife man every where fpeaks of the fcorner as one of the worst fort of finners, and hardest to be reclaimed; because he despiseth inftruction, and mocks at all the means whereby he should be reformed.

And then, is it not a moft black and horrid ingratitude, thus to use the author of our beings, and the patron of our lives; to make a fcorn of him that made us; and to live in an open defiance of him, in whom we live,. move, and have our beings? But this is not all. As it is a most heinous, fo it is a most dangerous impiety, to defpife him who can deftroy us, and to oppose him who, is infinitely more powerful than we are. Will ye (fays, the Apostle) provoke the Lord to jealousy? are ye ftrong

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er than he? What Gamaliel faid to the Jews, in another cafe, may, with a little change, be applied to this fort of men: If there be a God, and the principles of religion be true, ye cannot overthrow them therefore refrain from fpeaking evil against these things, left ye be found fighters against God.

I will but add one thing more, to fhew the folly of this profane temper; and that is this, That as it is the greatest of all other fins, fo there is in truth the leaft temptation to it. When the devil tempts men with riches or honours to ruin themselves, he offers them fome kind of confideration: but the profane perfona ferves the devil for nought, and fins only for fin's fake; fuffers himself to be tempted to the greateft fins, and into the greatest dangers, for no other reward but the flender reputation of feeming to say that wittily which no wise man would say. And what a folly is this, for a man to offend his confcience to please his humour; and, only for his jeft, to lose two of the best friends he hath in the world, God, and his own foul?

I have done with the three things I propounded to fpeak to upon this argument. And now I beg your patience, to apply what I have said to these three purpofes.

I. To take men off from this impious and dangerous folly of profaneness, which by fome is mifcalled wit. 2. To caution men, not to think the worfe of religion because fome are fo bold as despise and deride it.

3. To perfuade men to employ that reafon and wit which God hath given them to better and nobler purposes, in the service and to the glory of that God who hath bestowed thefe gifts on men..

ift, To take men off from this impious and dangerous folly. I know not how it comes to pafs, that fome men have the fortune to be esteemed wits, only for jesting out of the common road, and for making bold to fcoff at those things which the greatest part of mankind reverence: as if man fhould be accounted a wit for reviling thofe in authority; which is no more an argu ment of any man's wit, than it is of his difcretion. A wife man would not fpeak contemptuously of a great prince, though he were out of his dominions; because he remembers that kings have long hands, and that

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