It appearing thus, that the Notion of Ne- CHAP. ceffity does not deftroy the Proof, that there VI. is an intelligent Author of Nature and natural Governor of the World; the prefent Queftion, which the Analogy before mentioned a fuggefts, and which, I think it will anfwer, is this: Whether the Opinion of Neceffity, fuppofed confiftent with Poffibility, with the Conftitution of the World, and the natural Government which we experience exercised over it; destroys all reasonable Ground of Belief, that we are in a State of Religion: or whether That Opinion be reconcileable with Religion; with the System, and the Proof of it.

Suppose then a Fatalift to educate any one, from his Youth up, in his own Principles; that the Child should reafon upon them, and conclude, that fince he cannot poffibly behave otherwise than he does, he is not a Subject of Blame or Commendation, nor can deferve to be rewarded or punished: Imagine him to eradicate the very Perceptions of Blame and Commendation out of his Mind, by means of this Syftem; to form his Temper, and Character, and Behaviour to it; and from it to judge of the Treatment he was to expect, fay, from reasonable Men, upon his

a p. 154.

PART coming abroad into the World: as the FataI. lift judges from this System, what he is to expect from the Author of Nature, and with regard to a future State. I cannot forbear ftopping here to afk, whether any one of common Sense would think fit, that a Child should be put upon these Speculations, and be left to apply them to Practice. And a Man has little Pretence to Reafon, who is not fenfible, that we are all Children in Speculations of this Kind. However, the Child would doubtless be highly delighted to find himself freed from the Reftraints of Fear and Shame, with which his Play-fellows were fettered and embarraffed; and highly conceited in his fuperior Knowledge, fo far beyond his Years. But Conceit and Vanity would be the leaft bad Part of the Influence, which thefe Principles must have, when thus reasoned and acted upon, during the Course of his Education. He muft either be allowed to go on and be the Plague of all about him, and himself too, even to his own Deftruction: or elfe Correction must be continually made use of, to fupply the Want of thofe natural Perceptions of Blame and Commendation, which we have fuppofed to be removed; and to give him a practical Impreffion, of what he had reafoned himself out of the Belief of, that he was in Fact an accountable Child, and to be punished for doing what he was forbid. It

is therefore in reality impoffible, but that the CHAP. Correction which he must meet with, in the VI. Course of his Education, must convince him, that if the Scheme he was inftructed in were not false; yet that he reasoned inconclufively upon it, and some how or other mifapplied it to Practice and common Life: As what the Fatalift experiences of the Conduct of Providence at prefent, ought in all reafon to convince him, that this Scheme is mifapplied, when applied to the Subject of Religion". But fuppofing the Child's Temper could remain ftill formed to the System, and his Expectation of the Treatment he was to have in the World be regulated by it; fo as to expect that no reasonable Man would blame or punish him, for any thing which he should do, because he could not help doing it: Upon this Suppofition, it is manifeft he would, upon his coming abroad into the World, be infupportable to Society, and the Treatment which he would receive from it, would render it fo to him; and he could not fail of doing fomewhat, very foon, for which he would be delivered over into the hands of civil Juftice. And thus, in the End, he would be convinced of the Obligations he was under to his wife Inftructor. Or fuppofe this Scheme of Fatality, in any other Way, applied to Practice, fuch practical Application of b p. 176.

I.

PARTit, will be found equally abfurd; equally fallacious in a practical Sense: For Inftance, that if a Man be destined to live fuch a Time, he fhall live to it, though he take no Care of his own Prefervation; or if he be deftined to die before that Time, no Care can prevent it: therefore all Care about preferving one's Life is to be neglected: which is the Fallacy instanced in by the Ancients. But now on the contrary, none of thefe practical Abfurdities can be drawn, from reafoning upon the Suppofition, that we are free; but all fuch Reafoning with regard to the common Affairs of Life, is juftified by Experience. And therefore, though it were admitted that this Opinion of Neceffity were fpeculatively true; yet, with regard to Practice, it is as if it were falfe, fo far as our Experience reaches; that is, to the whole of our present Life. For, the Conftitution of the prefent World, and the Condition in which we are actually placed, is, as if we were free. And it may perhaps juftly be concluded, that fince the whole Procefs of Action, through every Step of it, Sufpence, Deliberation, inclining one way, determining, and at laft Doing as we determine, is as if we were free, therefore we are fo. But the thing here infifted upon is, that under the prefent natural Government of the World, we find we are treated and dealt with, as if we were free, prior to all Confi

deration

Were this CHAP.

deration whether we are or not. Opinion therefore of Neceffity admitted to be VI. ever so true; yet fuch is in Fact our Condi-n tion and the natural Courfe of things, that whenever we apply it to Life and Practice, this Application of it, always misleads us, and cannot but miflead us, in a most dreadful Manner, with regard to our present Interest. And how can People think themfelves fo very fecure then, that the fame Application of the fame Opinion may not miflead them alfo, in fome analogous Manner, with refpect to a future, a more general, and more important Intereft? For, Religion being a practical Subject; and the Analogy of Nature fhewing us, that we have not Faculties to apply this Opinion, were it a true one, to practical Subjects; whenever we do apply it to the Subject of Religion, and thence conclude, that we are free from its Obligations, it is plain this Conclufion cannot be depended upon. There will still remain just Reafon to think, whatever Appearances are, that we deceive Ourfelves; in fomewhat of a like Manner, as when People fancy they can draw contradictory Conclufions from the Idea of Infinity.

From these things together, the attentive Reader will fee it follows, that if upon Suppofition of Freedom the Evidence of Religi