HAVING enjoyed the pleasure of many acci

dental conferences with you on metaphyfical, moral, political, and religious fubjects; on which you ever seemed to converse with more fagacity, as well as more candor, than is ufual on the like occafions; I imagined it might not be unentertaining either to you, or myself, to put together my sentiments on these important topics, and communicate them to you from time to time as the absence of bufinefs, or of more agreeable amusements may afford me opportunity. This I propose to do under the general Title of an Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Evil; an Inquiry, which will comprehend them all, and which,

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which, I think, has never been attended to with that diligence it deferves, nor with that fuccefs, which might have been hoped for from that little that has been bestowed upon it. The right understanding of this abftrufe fpeculation, I look upon to be the only folid foundation, on which any rational system of Ethicks can be built; for it feems impoffible, that men fhould ever arrive at any juft ideas of their Creator, or his Attributes, any proper notions of their relation to him, or their duty to each other, without first fettling in their minds fome fatisfactory folution of this important queftion, Whence came Evil? Whilft we find ourselves liable to innumerable miferies in this life; apprehenfive of ftill greater in another, and can give no probable account of this our wretched fituation, what fentiments must we entertain of the juftice and benevolence of our Creator, who placed us in it, without our folicitations, or confent? The Works of the Creation fufficiently demonftrate his existence; their beauty, perfection and magnificence, his infinite power and wisdom; but it is the Happiness only, which we enjoy, or hope for, which can convince us of his Goodness.

Ir is the folution therefore of this important queftion alone, that can afcertain the moral Characteristic of God, and upon that only muft all human Virtue eternally depend.

If there's a Power above us,

(And that there is all Nature cries aloud
Thro' all her works) he must delight in Virtue,
And that which he delights in, must be happy:

But should this divine reasoning of the philofopher be at laft inconclufive; could we once entertain fuch blafphemous notions of the Supreme Being; as that He might not delight in Virtue, neither adhere to it himself, nor reward it in others; that He could make any part of his creation miferable, or fuffer them to make themselves fo without a just cause, and a benevolent end; all moral confiderations must be vain, and useless; we can have no rule by which to direct our actions, nor, if we had, any kind of obligation to pursue it: nor in this cafe can any Revelation in the leaft affift us, the belief of all Revelation being in its own nature subsequent, not only to the belief of God's existence, but of his juftice and veracity 3 for if God can injure us, he may also deceive us 3 and then there is an end of all diftinctions between good and evil, truth and falfehood, and of all confidence in God cr Man.

I MEAN not by this to infinuate the least poffibility of a doubt concerning the Juftice or Goodnefs of our Creator, but only to fhew the importance of this Inquiry, and the utility of it towards fettling

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settling our notions of his Attributes, and the regulation of our own behaviour in conformity to them. I intend not by it to prove the benevolence. of God, but to reconcile the miseries we see and fuffer, with that uncontrovertable benevolence: I defign not to fhew that God approves Virtue, but that the admiffion of moral Evil is not inconfiftent with that undoubted approbation: nor would I be understood to affert, that our obligation to be virtuous depends on this abstruse Speculation, but only that our right understanding it will remove all doubts concerning the nature of Virtue, and our obligation to pursue it, and fix them on the most firm, and immoveable Basis.

To find out therefore how Evil of any kind can be the production of infinite Goodness, joined with infinite Power, fhould be the first step in all our religious inquiries; the examination into which wonderful paradox will lead us into many useful and fublime truths; and its perfect comprehenfion, was that poffible for our narrow capacities, would, I doubt not, make as surprising discoveries in the Moral World, as mathematical and phyfical knowledge have in the Natural.

To clear up this difficulty, fome ancient Philofophers have had recourfe to the fuppofition of two firft Causes, one Good, and the other Evil, perpetually counteracting each other's defigns,

This fyftem was afterwards adopted by the Manichaan Herefy, and has fince been defended by the ingenious Monf. Bayle: but as the fuppofition of two firft Causes is even in itself a contradiction, and as the whole fcheme has been demonstrated by the best metaphyfical Writers to be as falfe as it is impious, all further arguments to difprove it would be needlefs.

Others have endeavoured to account for this by the introduction of a Golden Age, or Paradifaical State, in which all was innocence and happiness.

Pana metufque aberant, nec verba minacia fixo Ære legebantur, nec fupplex turba timebant Judicis ora fui: fed erant fine vindice tuti.

When Man yet new,

No rule but uncorrupted reafon knew,
And with a native bent did Good purfue;
Unforc'd by punishment, unaw'd by fear,
His words were fimple, and his foul sincere :
Needlefs was written law, when none oppreft,
The law of Man was written in his breaft:
No fuppliant crowds before the Judge appear'd,
No court erected yet, nor caufe was heard,
But all was fafe, for Confcience was their Guard.

Ver erat æternam, placidifque tepentibus duris
Mulcebant Zephyri natos fine femine flores;
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