to grow popular at the dearest rate, are by many protected and applauded; fo there are places where a man, that has the affurance to own the belief of a Deity and a future ftate, would be expofed and laughed out of Hence many are tempted to conceal their notions of religion, for fear of blafting their reputation, and of being neglected and defpifed by thofe from whofe favour they expect profit or pro countenance. inotion. Immediately after the Restoration, the people, intoxicated with the pleasures of peace, and influenced by the example of a loose court, as well as from their great averfion to the former fanatical ftri&tnefs and feverity of converfation, which they detefted as hypocrify, indulged themselves in fenfual liberties, and by degrees funk deep into luxury and vice. Then it was that fome irreligious men, taking advantage of this growing diffolution of manners, began to propagate their deteftable notions, and fow the feeds of prophanenefs and impiety, which sprung up apace, and flourished in proportion to the growth of immorality. Thus vice and irreligion, mutually affifting each other, extended their power by daily encroachments; and the folid temper and firmnefs of mind, which the people once poffeffed, being flackened and diffolved by the power of riot and forbidden pleasure, their judgement foon became vitiated; which corruption of taste has ever fince gradually increased, as the confederate powers of vice and prophaneness have fpread their infection, and gained upon religion. While loose principles and impious opinions pervert the judgment, a petulant humour that inclines men to give an air of levity and ridicule to all their difcourfes, and turn every thing to mirth and raillery, does in proportion get ground; this being esteemed the moft fuccessful method to weaken the power and autho rity of religion in the minds of men. I would not here be understood as if I condemned the qualifications of wit and pleasantry, but only the mifapplication of them. I shall always retain a great value for ingenious men, provided they do not abuse and prostitute their talents to the worst purposes; I mean the deriding all fobriety of manners, and turning into jeft the principles which conftitute our duty here, and affure our happiness hereafter. But can any man who reveres a God, and loves his country, fland by unconcerned, while loofe and prophane wits fhew fo much zeal and diligence in propagating maxims, which tend fo directly to the dishonour of the one, and the ruin of the other? Should Atheism and corruption of manners, thofe infeparable companions, which, as causes and effects, mutually introduce and fupport each other, prevail much farther; fhould impious notions in any age hereafter generally infect the highest, as well as the inferior ranks of men; what confufion of affairs must enfue! It would be impoffible to find men of principle to fill the places of trust and honour, or patrons to promote them: merit would incapacitate and difqualify for the favour of great men, and a religious C character character would be an invincible obftruction to advancement; there would be no perfons of rank to.encourage men of worth, and bring neglected virtue in to fashion. On the contrary, the contemners of heaven and deriders of piety would be careffed, applauded, and promoted; the difpofers of preferment would confer all on those who embrace their opinions: and what a terrible temptation would this be to our youth, to accommodate their notions to thofe of the men in power, when they fhall fee that their favour is not otherwife to be procured! Is it not highly probable that, in fuch an age, clubs and cabals would be formed of fcoffers and buffoons, to laugh religion out of countenance, and make the profeffors of it the object of public fcorn and contempt? Befides, it is natural to believe that Magiftrates in a commonwealth, generally compofed of Atheists, would likewife proceed to violence, and perfecute those whom they could not perfuade to embrace their notions, as much as any fect of religion has ever done. For it is not religion, but corrupted human nature, that pushes men on to compulfive methods of obliging their adversaries to renounce their own, and affert the opinions of men in power. It is from the factious temper of a party, not the fpirit of piety, it is from pride and an impatience of contradiction, or from luft of dominion, or a violent defire of engroffing the places of honour and profit, that men endeavour, by cruel and coercive methods, to filence their opponents, and fup prefs prefs their competitors. And if it will be allowed that human paffions will always exert themfelves with uniformity, and therefore ftill produce the like effects; if we may foretel what Atheists when in power are like to do, from what they have done, as far as they had ability; we may be affured, when they do no want power, they will never want a will to employ violence, to extinguifh the notions of piety, and the hateful herefy of religion. It would not be ftrange if Atheistical tefts in fuch a flate of affairs fhould be formed and impofed, to keep men of dangerous principles out of all pofts of power and profit; and all that believed the being of a God, and the rewards and punishments of another life, fhould be looked on as difaffected to the government, and the disturbers of the public peace. And if fuch notions of impiety, and fuch a degenerate conflitution of manners, fhould ever prevail in this unhappy nation, any man without the gift of prophefy, and, indeed, with a very moderate penetration, may forefee, that the public will then be expofed to inevitable ruin. But before the interefts of virtue and religion are reduced to fo deplorable a ftate, it is to be hoped this once wife and fober nation will awaken from its lethargy; that, notwithstanding the prefent popularity of vice, levity, and impiety, it may one day recover its relish of folid knowledge and real merit; that buffoons themselves may one day be exposed, the laughers in their turn become ridiculous, and an Atheistical fcoffer be as much out of credit, as a fober and religious man is at prefent: virtue, seriousness, and a due reverence of facred and divine things, may revive among us; and it is the duty and interest of every man that loves his country, and wishes well to mankind, to make his utmost efforts to bring about fuch a happy revolution. This would the fooner be effected, if the virtuous part of ingenious men (for virtue has still a party) would not fupinely ftand by, and fee the honour and intereft of religion expofed and infulted; but, instead of an abject, unactive defpondence, would unite their endeavours, with vigour and refolution, against the common enemies of God and their country. It is great pity, that in fo noble a caufe any fhould fhow fuch poornefs of fpirit, as to be ashamed of afferting their religion, and ftemming the tide of impiety, for fear of becoming the entertainment of fcoffing libertines. I know the gentlemen of Atheistical notions pretend to refined parts, and pass themselves upon the world for wits of the first rank: yet in debate they decline argument, and rather truft to the decifion of raillery. But if it were poffible for thefe gentlemen to apply themselves in good earnest to the reafons alledged in proof of a Divine Being, in a manner that becomes an enquiry of fuch confequence, I fhould believe their conviction were not to be despaired of. But there is little appearance that they will be ever prevailed on to confider this matter with deliberate and unprejudiced thought; and, therefore, I am not |