SER M. times prevail'd among those who profefs'd to III. believe it, were fo abfurd, that fome were

tempted by them to doubt of, or deny it altogether. When the glory of God was changed into the image of corruptible men, and of birds and four-footed beafts and creeping things; and the Godhead was parcell'd out among a multitude of things, or rather inconfiftent notions which had no manner of likeness to the true God; when the doctrine of Theifm was thus mifrepresented, it is not very much to be wondered at, that fome fhould be led to reject it in the lump, who had not understanding, candor and patience enough to examine things narrowly, that they might diftinguish between truth and falfhood. The tranfition from Polytheism to Atheism, and from a foolish, immoral and barbarous religion to none at all, was only a tranfition from one abfurdity to another.

But in the last place, above all, the vicioufnefs of mens tempers and the wickedness of their lives, which they were unwilling to part with, was the prevailing fnare whereby they were led into this greatest of all errors. They must have been very unattentive to what may be commonly obferv'd in the world, and indeed to the conftitution of the human mind, who do not know that it is often biafs'd by

its affections, and mifled in its judgment of SERM. things by interest and paffion. Men are dif- III. ficultly perfuaded to embrace difagreeable opinions, and too easily induc'd to believe what they wish to be true. The flendereft appearances of reason on the fide of inclination, pass for strong arguments, and infuperable difficulties against it are neglected as trifling objections. Now, as the idea of God always takes in authority over men, his infpection into their affairs and their accountableness to him, and is therefore accompanied with a fufpicion at least, that the crimes with which their confciences charge them, will meet with his difapprobation, and a punishment from him, of which they know no measure nor end; 'tis this which fills them with a dread of his Being; and because they are obftinately unwilling to reconcile themselves to the thoughts of it, and make it fit easy on their minds by a refolution of forfaking their vicious courses, they are led at last to an utter denial of it, that so they may get rid of those uneasy apprehenfions which arise in them from the confideration of his moral character.

But the generality of bad men treat the principles of religion with neglect; they don't carry their oppofition to them so far as to form any thing like a consistent scheme

SERM.of Atheism, in which their minds may reft III. fatisfied as truth, but rather endeavour to

bury them in forgetfulness, applying their thoughts to other affairs and amusements in which they take greater pleasure. They greedily entertain a bold jeft or a fally of wit which tends to countenance their vices. But the main fupport of them is ftupid inconfideration, which has all the effects of infidelity, with regard to any influence on their practice; for principles not at all attended to, can no more excite the affections and regulate our conduct, than if they were not believ'd. Nor is inconfideration lefs criminal; for the guilt of wrong opinions arifing wholly from negligence, prejudices and bad difpofitions, where-ever thefe are equally prevalent, they are equally faulty, whether they produce errors in judgment or not.

It may be alledg'd on the other hand, that virtuous minds are prejudic'd in favour of Theifm. As morality appears to them most amiable, they are apt to imagine, perhaps without fufficient evidence, fuch a conftitution of things in the universe as is favourable to it: to intitle it to a perfect understanding of which they think it is worthy, and put it under the protection of irrefiftible power. I acknowledge this is fo far true, that I be

lieve it is hardly poffible for a fincere lover SER M.
of virtue, not to have his affections engag'd III.
to the Deity; not to wish his Being earnest-
ly, if it should appear at all doubtful, or that
any fufpicion lies against it; and not to re-
joice in it when he is fully perfuaded that it

is true.
Let an Atheist call this prejudice if
he will, I should never be asham'd of it. A
principle which has a neceffary connexion
with virtue, is its chief support, and with-
out which it cannot prevail in the world;
fuch a principle is not dangerous if it can
poffibly be a mistake, tho' its excellent ten-
dency, I may fay abfolute neceffity to the
happiness of mankind, is a ftrong prefump-
tion of its truth. But if this be the prepof-
feffion of virtuous minds, the contrary tem-
per difposes to a contrary opinion. Let these
two be fet against each other, that we may
judge which is the most becoming human
nature, and has the greatest probability of
leading us to a right judgment. I believe
at last the cause of religion and virtue muft
ftand or fall together, and the hearty friends.
of the latter cannot be enemies to the other.

But still it may seem strange that this great fundamental article fhould be liable to any controverfy; that fince it is of fo great importance to the duty and happiness of intelliG 3 gent

SER M. gent creatures to acknowledge the fupreme
III. Being, the evidence of his existence and his

attributes is not fo ftrong as to exclude all
poffibility of doubt. If this be meant as an
objection against, or ground of suspicion
concerning the truth of that grand article,
the Being of God, it has no colour of ar-
gument to that purpose. For the only prin-
ciple it can rest upon is this, that Nothing
is to be certainly believ'd, which can at all
be contradicted: and if that be allow'd, our
knowledge will lie within a very narrow com-
pass. Except our own being, and fome few
axioms of very little ufe, without fuch applica-
tions of them, and confequences from them,
as may be involv'd in difpute, almost nothing
will pafs for certain. The exiftence of mat-
ter, the poffibility of motion, and even geo-
metrical truths have been argu'd against and
deny'd; nay, perhaps there is fcarcely any
propofition capable of proof, but what is ca-
pable of being contradicted, thro' the weak-
nefs, inattention, or prejudices of men.
the pretence that the evidence of the divine
Being and Attributes is not fo fatisfying as
might be expected, at least not fo neceffita-
ting as to exclude all poffibility of doubt; if,
I fay, the pretence be carried no farther
than as an alledged inftance of defective-

If

nefs