from voluntary

tion.

evidently abfurd; therefore it must receive its. Being from without itself, or from fome other Caufe different from itself; and this firft Cause we name God. And this Reafoning holds good of all the various Kinds of Beings yet obferved, and even of Man himself, the chief of all: For nothing is more certain, than that the Power of giving or retaining Life, either in himself, or any other Creature, is not in Man, and confequently in no other Being but God himself.

The Second BUT more particularly, the Being of a God is. Argument pro- evident from the bare Confideration of the Proving a God perties of Matter: For Matter, 'tis plain, is of itAnimal Mo- felf not capable of Motion or Reft, but is entirely liftlefs and indifferent to both. But fince all the animal Creation is endow'd with the Power to move or reft at pleasure, 'tis evident this Faculty is not from Matter itself, of which alone all Things confift; therefore it must be from fome other Principle or Caufe, viz. from God.

The third Ar

AGAIN; if that Motion and Rest in Animals, gument, from which is at their Will, be not of themselves, involuntary much lefs can that Motion which is perform'd in Mction of Animals and other Animals without their Will, (I may fay also Things. without their Knowledge) be first from them

From the

Motions of the heavenly Bodies, abfolutely confider'd.

felves; as the Motion of the Heart, Lungs, Blood, and other Fluids of the Body, which all move, during the Period of Animal Life, from one inceffant Caufe; which, fince it is not fubject to the Will and Power of the Animal, muft neceffarily be from the general and the first Cause of all Things, God.

THIS is most certainly evident from the abfolute and conftant Motions of the heavenly Bodies, which ever keep turning round one common Center in Orbits nearly circular. For fince these Bodies, I mean the Planets, are only huge Maffes of mere Matter, they are not of themselves

capable

capable of any Motion at all; therefore they were first fet in Motion by fome first Mover, which is able to communicate that Power to Matter; which is God only, as before proved.

lar Motions.

BUT this is ftill more obvious from the Man- Alfo from their ner of their Motions, which is circular; for when conflant circuMatter is put into Motion, it naturally proceeds in a direct or right Course; that is, ftrait forwards, and not in a crooked or circular Courfe or Orb, as the Planets all do. Now the Air is not of that Thickness or Density in those Regions, as to ftop the rapid Course of fuch great Bodies, and turn them from a direct to a curve or circular Motion; but fince it cannot proceed from the Air, it must be the Refult of fome Caufe in those Bodies themselves, and that is Gravity, whereby they tend to their common Center of Motion from a right Course, yet so adjusted, with respect to the Force of the first or direct Motion, that together they form the circular Courfe; and fo neither fly off in Right Lines to infinite Distances, nor fall at once to the Center, and there lofe all Motion. Now all this most admirable Power and Contrivance plainly points to that great Author, of whom the heavens are the works of his Pfal. viii. 3. fingers, and the moon and stars are of his ordaining.

Final Causes.

FROM the Confideration of Final Caufes flow Arguments to a thousand Arguments to prove the Exiftence of prove a God, God. By Final Caufes, I mean the Ends for taken from which Things are evidently made, or intended to anfwer. Thus when we confider the Light was created to render Things vifible, the Eye made on purpose to behold them; when we confider the Air a Means to convey Sounds and Scents, and the Ear and the Nofe made and contrived on purpose to hear and smell the fame: That in the Body there are Nerves which convey the Ideas received by thofe outward Organs of Senfe

to the Brain, which is the Seat of the Mind in Animals, to be there made ufe of for the Service, and at the Discretion of the Creature, in the feveral Occafions of Life: I fay, when we confider fuch a wonderful Furniture of Means appointed fo evidently to answer fuch a Series of proper and neceffary Ends, it forces our Affent to the Doctrine of a Deity, who alone can be supposed capable of performing fuch wonderful Things. From a general AGAIN; from a due and nice Examination Survey of the of all the larger Parts of the Creation, such as the Earth and the Globe of Earth on which we live, the great VaHeavens. riety of its Produce in Animals, Plants, and Minerals; the exact Contrivance of animal Bodies to fuit them for the Medium in which they live; the Man, and larger Beafts for Land, the Fifhes for fwimming in Water, the Fowls for flying in Air, the infinite Species of Creatures for the dark Abodes within the Body of the Earth; the rich and beautiful Variety of Herbs for the Pasturage of the Beasts, and Service of Man; with all the mineral Tribes in the Bowels of the Earth; the great and useful Variety of Mountains, Vallies, Rivers, Springs, &c. with which its Surface is diverfified: As they all jointly ferve the Ufes and Neceffities of Mankind, fo they call most emphatically upon us to acknowledge and adore the divine Author for difplaying and expending fo much of his boundless Power and Providence in our Behalf. In like manner, the wondrous Orb of Air furrounding the Earth, ferving to the Generation of Winds, Rain, Luftre of Daylight, &c. abfolutely neceffary to the State of Man and Beafts: Alfo the whole Frame and Structure of the Heavens; the Sun which rules by Day, and the Moon which rules the Night, with the Stars alfo, will unavoidably induce us to confefs, that 'tis GOD who bath laid the foundations of the

earth,

earth, and that the heavens are the work of his bands.

ANOTHER, and not the leaft Argument for The univerfal the Being of a God, is taken from the manifeft Confent of all Confent of all Nations with whom Reason and Nations, an Argument of

Morality hath appear'd in any Degree, and whofe God's Exiflence

Barbarity hath not brought them to a level with mere Brutes. For whereas that which results from the Will, Humour, or mere Opinion of Men, is never the fame among all People, as this Notion of God's Exiftence is; that is always mutable; this always and every where the fame; all the World contend about Matters of Opinion, but all jointly agree to, and endeavour to establish this Point. With respect to Articles of Faith, amongst Jews, Mahometans, and Pagans, as well as amongst Chriftians, scarce any one hath remained uncontefted but this; this ftands first and the fame in all the Creeds of all Nations: And it hath been often feen, that tho' a very great Body of People may maintain an erroneous DoEtrine, yet it never fails of being fooner or later detected and confuted to the Satisfaction of all Parties; a Fate which this facred Doctrine only hath never yet been fubject to. Much more may be faid on this Head, but let this fuffice here. Now from whence fhould this univerfal Perfua- This univerfion concerning a Deity-proceed? May we not fal Confent, anfwer, from the cogent facred Oracles of Nature? Is not every Part of Nature vocal on this Occafion? and doth not the most contemptible Animal thunder in our Ears the tremendous Name of its Maker? It is impoffible then, but that all fhould know and univerfally confefs that it is GOD who hath made the heavens and the earth, Aas xvii. 24. and all things therein; that he hath given to all life, 25, 26, &c. breath, and all things; and that he hath made of

one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of

B 4

the

whence.

Atheists, an Ob ection of no Force again of God's Exi

the Doctrine

fence.

the earth; and therefore that in him we live, move, and have our being.

It is an Objection of no Force, to fay there have been feveral particular Perfons who have denied this facred Truth, the Being of a God: For (1.) it may be anfwer'd, that thefe Perfons, take them all together in all Ages, have been exceeding few; and their impious Opinion therefore ought not to be thought of any Weight against the avowed Judgment and Confent of all Nations. (2.) It is poffible this was not really the Sentiment of their Minds, and Language of their Confcience, tho' they might, for feveral Reafons, dare in Words to profefs they believed no God; nothing being more common, in other Affairs of Religion, than for fome Men to profefs what they do not really and seriously believe in their Minds. (3.) Several who have been once fo unhappy as to fall into this dreadful Suppofition, have afterwards, upon Conviction, renounced it with Abhorrence, and wonder'd at their Stupidity. (4.) There are fome People who make no Scruple of denying the Evidence of all the Senfes of the Body, when they contradict their declared Tenets; and thefe by whole Nations together; no Wonder then that here and there one fingle Perfon fhould refufe to hearken to the internal Senfes of the Mind: For all Nations believe that Bread is not Flefh; that Animals have Senfe of Pain and Pleasure; that fome Things are certain and true; as well as that they all believe a God; and yet they have all been denied, as well as this. (5.) If any have been The Atheist is really of this Opinion, they muft neceffarily have been devoid of Reafon; for right Reafon dictates the contrary: So that 'tis a juft Remark of the Pfalmift, That 'tis the FOOL who bath faid bis heart, There is no God. The Atheist then is a Fool;

a Fool.