Besides, there is little in that tract, but what he stole from Pomponatius; the strength of which, to support Cardan's paradox, hath been considered already; or what Mr. Bayle hath borrowed from him; the force of which shall be considered hereafter: But that little is so peculiarly his own, that as no other can claim the property, so no one hath hitherto usurped the use. Which yet, however, is remarkable; for there is no trash so worthless, but what some time or other finds a place in a Free-thinker's system. We will not despair then but that this paltry rubbish may one day or other have an honourable station in some of these fashionable fabrics. And, not to hinder its speedy preferment, I shall here give it the reader in its full force, without answer or reply. He brings the following argument to prove that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is even destructive to society;— "From this flattering notion of a FUTURE STATE, ill 46 men get opportunity to compass their wicked designs and, on the same account, good men suffer "themselves to be injuriously treated. Civil laws, "relying infidelity. However, thus he speaks of his own amiable turn of mind: "In diem viventem, nugacem, religionis contemptorem, injuriæ illatæ memorem, invidum, tristem, "insidiatorem, proditorem, magum, incantatorem, suorum "osorem, turpi libidini deditum, solitarium, inamonum, "austerum; sponte etiam divinantem, zelotypum, obscœ num, lascivum, maledicum, varium, ancipitem, impurum, "calumniatorem," &c. We have had many Free-thinkers, but few such Free-speakers. But though these sort of writers are not used to give us so direct a picture of themselves, yet it hath been observed, that they have unawares copied from their own tempers, in the ungracious drawings they have made of HUMAN NATURE and RELIGION. Q4 66 relying on this fanciful assistance, relax their necessary severity; and thus is the opinion productive of "much mischief to mankind *.” And then, by another argument as good, he shews the benefits accruing to the state from the belief of the soul's mortality: "Those who maintain that the soul dies "with the body, must needs be, by their principles, "honester men than others, because they have a "peculiar interest in preserving their reputation; "this being the only future property they pretend to "And the Profession of the Soul's mortality being "generally esteemed as scandalous as that of usury, "such men will be most exact and scrupulous in point "of honour, as your usurer, to keep up the credit of "his calling, is of all men the most religious observer " of his word t.” SECT. IV. MR. BAYLE, the last supporter of this parodox, is of a very different character from these Italian Sophists: A writer, who, to the utmost strength and clearness of reasoning, hath added all the liveliness, and delicacy of wit; who, pervading human nature at his ease, struck into the province of PARADOX, as an exercise for the unwearied vigour of his mind: who, with a soul superior to the sharpest attacks of fortune, and a heart practised to the best philosophy, had not yet enough of real greatness to overcome *De immortalitate animorum, cap. ii. that that last foible of superior minds, the temptation of honour, which the ACADEMIC EXERCISE OF WIT is conceived to bring to its professors. A writer of this character will deserve a particular regard for paradoxes, which in the hands of a Toland or a Tindal end in rank offensive impiety, will, under the management of a BAYLE, always afford something for use or curiosity: Thus, in the very work we are about to examine*, the many admirable observations on the nature and genius of polytheism, happen to be a full answer to all which the Author of Christianity as old as the Creation hath advanced against the use of Revelation. For a skilful chemist, though disappointed in his grand magisterium, yet often discovers, by the way, some useful and noble medicament; while the ignorant pretender to the art, not only loses his labour, but fills all about him with the poisonous steams of sublimate. The professed design of Mr. Bayle's work is to enquire, which is least hurtful to mankind, ancient idolatry, or modern atheism: And had he confined himself to that subject, we had had no concern with him, but should have left him in the hands of Mess. Jacquelôt and Bernard. I freely own they are both stark naught: All the difference is, that Atheism directly * excludes and destroys the true sense of moral right and wrong; and Polytheism sets up a false species of it. *Pensées diverses, ecrites à un docteur de Sorbonne à l'occasion de la comete qui parût au mois de Decembre, 1680. &-Continuation des Pensées diverses, &c. ou Reponse à plusieurs difficultez, &c. But the more particular, though less avowed, purpose of this elaborate treatise is to prove, that Atheism is not destructive of society; and here he falls under our notice; no distinct answer, that I know of, having been yet attempted to this part of his performance. His arguments in support of this Paradox, are occasionally, and so without any method, interspersed throughout that large work: But, to give them all the advantage they are capable of, I have here collected and disposed them in such order, that they mutually support, and come in to the aid of one another. It had been generally esteemed a proof of the destructive nature of Atheism to Society, that this principle excludes the knowledge of moral good and evil; such knowledge being, as will be seen, posterior to the knowledge of a God. His first argument therefore for the innocence of Atheism is, I. "That an Atheist may have an idea of the moral "difference between good and evil, because Atheists, as well as Theists, may comprehend the first prin"ciples of morals and metaphysics, from which this "difference may be deduced. And in fact (he says) “both the Epicurean atheist, who denied the provi"dence of God, and the Stratonic atheist, who denied "his Being, had this idea *.” This often repeated argument is so loosely expressed, that it is capable of many meanings; in some of which *Voiez les Pensées diverses, cap. clxxviii. & suiv. & l'addition à ces Pensées cap. iv. Reponse à la 10 & à la 13 objections, & la Continuation des Pens. div. cap. cxliii. the the assertion is true, but not to the purpose; in others to the purpose, but not true. Therefore before any precise answer can be given to it, it will be necessary to trace up moral duty to its first principles. And though an enquiry of this sort should not prove the most amusing either to myself or my reader, it may be found however to deserve our pains. For a spirit of dispute and refinement hath so entangled and confounded all our conclusions on a subject, in itself, very clear and intelligible, that I am persuaded, were MORALITY herself, of which the ancients made a Goddess, to appear in person amongst men, and be questioned concerning her birth, she would be tempted to answer as Homer does in Lucian, that her commentators had so learnedly embarrassed the dispute, that she was now as much at a loss as They to account for her original. To proceed therefore with all possible brevity: Each animal hath its instinct implanted by nature to direct it to its greatest good. Amongst these, Man hath his; to which modern philosophers have given the name of 1. The MORAL SENSE: whereby we conceive and feel a pleasure in right, and a distaste and aversion to wrong, prior to all reflexion on their natures, or their consequences. This is the first inlet to the adequate idea of morality; and plainly, the most extensive of all; the Atheist as well as Theist having it.-When instinct had thus far, gone 2. The reasoning faculty improved upon its dictates; For, men led by reflexion to examine the foundation of this moral sense, soon discovered that there were real |