flight and venial fins us ailo by his Sophiftry the Famous Rhetorician. Totion, perfwaded the King of Egypt, that he ought to Sacrifice Pompey; and in this respect, we fee that Men are daily impofed upon one by another.

The internal caufes of our Errors and Prejudices are reduced to thefe Three; viz. The Senfes, the Imagination, and the Affections of the Heart: All these things are capable of mii-representing an Object to our Undert maing, and making it appear to us different from what it is in its own Nature. Thus because our Eves have always reprefented to as a Star like a Torch, we could not afterwards be eafily perfwaded that a Star was bigger than the Globe we inhabit, not being able to reconcile that little Idea we had of it from our Eyes, with that great one given of it by our Reason, Thus our Imagination makes us conceive the subStance of our Soul as extended and material, though 'tis not really fo; or if you deûre a lefs controverted Example, it reprefents the infinite division of Matter as impoffible, though Reason demonftrates that 'tis certain. Thus alfo the Heart prepoffeffed by its Paffions, makes us always look upon the beft fide of things which any ways concern us, but fets us at a diftance from thofe which have no relation to our intereft; which occafions our being continually deceived in the affairs of Civil Life, and in our Commerce with other Men. And we believe we may confidently affirm, there is no Error nor falfe Prejudice in the Mind of Man, but what may be referred to one of these Originals, and that no Example can be produced to overthrow this Propoli

tion.

We

We cannot therefore take a more effectual Method to destroy the Jealoufies of Incredulity, than by examining first of all, whether the Opinion Men commonly have of the Existence of God, be not a Prejudice proceeding from one of thefe Principles,

If we look to the External Causes of our Errors, we fhall find that they depend upon the Circumftances of Time and Place, and are therefore continually varying. Let us therefore search into the Hiftory of former Times, and confider the prefent ftate of things in the World; let us examine all the Errors that are now, or have been in vogue among Men, and we fhall find, that Example, Education, Sophistry, or the false Colours of Eloquence, have produced particular Errors but never general ones; they may have deluded fome Men, or all of them at certain times and in certain Places, but not all Men in all Places, and in all Ages. And in this confifts the exact difference between Nature and Education; Nature is alike in all Men that are, or ever have been; they are fenfible of Pleasures, defirous of Esteem; they love themselves now, juft as they did heretofore. And in this we ought to make the fame judgment of Qualities truly natural, and those which (according to our Opinion) are originally affixed to our nature, fuch as the Corruption of Sin, which this is not the proper place to speak of,

But 'tis not the fame thing with the principles of Education, which continually vary. The Succeffion of Time, Revolution of Affairs, the dif ferent Interests of Countries, mixture of Nations, and various Inclinations of Men, do ftrangely alter Education, give rife to new Maxims, and establish

establish different Rules of Honour and Decency. If then we find this Opinion, That there is a God, has been preserved amidst all these Revolutions in the publick Societies of Men, what other Conclufion can we draw from hence, but that it does not proceed from Education only, but is grounded on some natural Proportion there is between this firft Truth and our Understand

cbia Poëta.

In oratione pro Ar- ing? Cicero acknowledges that there is no Nation so Barbarous, but what hath some knowledge

of the Deity; and though he had not said it, the thing had not been the lefs true for that. We find that Men as foon as ever they come to be Men, that is, capable of Society and Reasoning, do all own this Truth. For as for the Example of fome Barbarous People who are ignorant of it, only because their Reafon doth not exert it self in them, nothing can be concluded from thence, For those that do not exercife their Reafon, are like them who have none at all; they are to be rank'd among Children, who live without making any Reflections, and seem to be capable only of Animal Actions: And as we ought not to conclude that it is not natural to Rational People to fhelter themselves from the injuries of the Weather, because there are fome Savages which do not trouble themselves about it, fo neither ought we to infer from the debasement of their stupid and brutish Understanding, that draws no manner of Confequence from whatever it fees, that it is not natural to Man to know the Wisdom of a God who acts in the Universe.

But however it be, it is certainly true, that Men who reafon and live together in Society, have always agreed to acknowledge this Fundamental

Truth.

"

Truth. The principles of Sciences have been changed, Arts have fucceded one another, and there have happened within our Knowledge, fome fecret, and fome remarkable, fome fudden, and fome unperceivable Changes in publick, Societies; they have been often feen to degenerate from Politenefs to Barbarity, and Barbarity has given place again to Politeness, Nations have been confounded together, Languages have been mix'd; but nevertheless this Principle has ftill remained stedfaft and immoveable in the Minds of Men, that there is a Sovereign Wisdom that acts in the World.

Moreover

the Incredulous dispute in vain when they attempt to fhew, that Education hath fome Share in the knowledge we have of God. We grant that Education joyns forces with Nature, and Nature with Education: For who doubts, but that Nature and Education act in Confederacy to oblige Parent's to love their Children, and Children likewife to honour their Parents?

The Lacedemonians loved Efteem heretofore, and Men exprefs no lefs a Zeal for it now: This is what Education cannot alter, and which must remain conftant and unchangeable, because it belongs to Nature. The Rules and Punctilios of our Honour, as well as thofe of our Morality teach us, that nothing is more base and mean than Theft howfoever committed: The Lacedemonians on the contrary look'd upon it when cunningly and dextrously performed, as a glorious Action; you fee what a difference here is, because this belongs to Education. In the like manner we may lay, that Education might have some share in the various Ideas which feveral Nations have framed to themselves of the Deity, because there

was

was nothing conftant or uniform in the reprefentations they made of it; but yet, that for all that, the truth of its Existence, which is the principle to which they have invariably adhered, mat needs have born a natural Proportion to their Understanding.

In effect, if it be from our Fathers alone, we bave received this Opinion, who taught it our Fathers? We mult run it up to Infinity, or acknowledge, that there have been fome Men who left it to their Children, without being indebted to Education for it themselves; and if so, to whom then did they owe it?

Here perhaps it may be Objected, this Opinion is owing to the Policy of fome Prince, who thought 'twould be as a Bridle to keep his Subjects firm in due Obedience to him. But this would be faid without any manner of Reafon or Probability. For First of all, The works of Policy depend on the various Changes and Revolutions that usually happen in the World; whereas this Principle has never received any change. Secondly, Before thofe famous Lawgivers of Antiquity, Solon, Lycurgus and Numa, who pafs for the firft that endeavoured by the Ceremonies of Religion, to foften the fierce Inclinations of Barbarous and Savage People, Men were perfwaded of the Exiftence of God. And though antient Hiftories tell us of those who first plowed the Earth, fail'd on the Sea, plantted Vineyards, &c. yet you find no History that pretends to tell you who first believed the Existence of a Supream Being. Thirdly, 'Tis not the fimple Knowledge of God that ferves the Defigns of Policy; for if you conceive an Idle God, as Epicurus did, or if, with the Heathens, you i

in any vitious and diffolute Deities, who con

fequently