vening Iniquity of others. By the vitiated Elections of fome, a Stop is put to the Wickedness of

NOTES.

many;

from it. Confeffors and Judges in criminal Cafes know very well how small a part of common Fame is true, how little it is ever to be trusted.

6thly, We must diftingush, and the Law itfelf fometimes does, between fuch things as proceed from Malice and premeditated Wickedness and those that arise from violence of Paffion and diforder of Mind. The guilt is very much extenuated when the Perfon offending is under Provocation, and as it were tranfported beyond himself by a fudden Fit of Refentment.

These things are all known to our moft equitable Judge, who will pass a merciful, and not a rigorous Sentence on us: and for thefe Reasons, we believe, he forbad us to judge any thing before the time. We only know the outfides of things, and 'tis poffible that fuch as feem to us the greateft Crimes, wou'd upon feeing the whole procedure, and making proper Allowances, appear to be the leaft. Many Virtues as well as Vices lie in the Mind invisible to human Eyes: 'tis speaking at random therefore to pronounce upon the number of one or other, and he that wou'd from thence infer the neceffity of an Evil Principle ought to be esteem'd a rafh Judge, and an Ufurper of God's Tribunal.

Laftly, it may be obferv'd that the continuance and Increase of Mankind is a fure proof that there is more Good than Evil in the World. For one or two acts may have a pernicious influence on many Perfons, nay all immoral Actions tend to the deftruction of Mankind, at least to the common detriment and diminution of them: Whereas a great many, even numberless good actions muft neceffarily concur to the prefervation of each individual. If therefore bad Actions exceeded the Number of the good there would be an End of human kind. We have clear Evidence of this in thofe Countries where Vices multiply, the Number of Men continually decreases and the Place grows defolate; but upon the return of Virtue and Goodness 'tis again ftock'd with Inhabitants.

may

This is a fign that Mankind cou'd not fubfift if ever Vice were prevalent, fince many good acts are neceffary to repair the lofs which attends one bad one. One fingle Action take away the Life of a Man, or of feveral; but how many acts of benevolence and humanity muft neceffarily contribute to the bringing up, educating and preferving every one?

From

many; and the Virtue and Happiness of a great many is confirmed and increased by the Mifery of

NOTES.

a

From what has been faid I hope it appears that there is more good than evil among Men, and that a good, God might make the World, notwithstanding the Argument drawn from the contrary Suppofition. But almost all of this is unneceffary, fince the whole Universe may have ten thousand times more Good than Evil, tho' this Earth of ours had no one good thing in it. This World is too fmall to bear any proportion to the whole Syftem, and therefore we can form but a very unequal Judgment of it from hence. It may be the Hospital or Prison of the World, and can any one judge of the Healthfulness of a Climate from viewing an Hospital where all are fick or of the Wifdom of a Government from a Place of confinement where there are only Madmen? or of the Virtue of a People from a Prifon where there are none but Malefactors? Not that I believe the Earth is really fuch a Place, but I fay it may be fuppofed fuch, and any fuppofition which fhews how a thing may be, destroys the Manichean Argument drawn from the impoffibility of accounting for it.

In the Interim I look upon this Earth as an Habitation abounding with Delights, in which a Man may live with Comfort, Joy and Happiness; I own with the greatest Gratitude to God that I myself have lived fuch a Life, and am perfuaded that my Friends, Acquaintance, Servants, have all done the fame and I believe that there's no Evil in Life but what is very tolerable; especially to those who have hopes of a future Immortality.

For a Proof that the god of both kinds in the World is fuperior to the evil, fee Sherlock on Providence C. 7: Hutchefon on the Paffions, p. 177. &c. Leibnitz, Effais de Theodicee, or Memoirs of Lit. Vol. 3. or Chubb's Supplement to the Vindication of God's Moral Character. Tras p. 281, &c. or Lucas's Enquiry after Happiness. Vol. 1. Sect. 2. C. 2.

Chap. V a few nay an Opportunity of doing Good is offerd to fuch as are to difpofed, which never could have been if none had abufed their Choice. (83.) SUBSECT.

NOTES.

(83) Upon the whole, from that little which we know of the Scheme of Divine Providence in the Formation and Government of the Moral World, it seems very reasonable for us to conclude concerning this, in the fame manner as we did concerning the Natural World, viz. That no confiderable part of it can be alter'd for the better; or that no Evil in it could either have been originally avoided, or may now be removed, without introducing greater.

Since the whole Controverfy depends upon the truth of this general Conclufion, 'tis proper that we fhould be as fully fatify'd as poffible about the ground of it. But to attempt to demonftrate it by an Induction of Particulars would be infinite, I fhall therefore choose rather to illuitrate it by a review of fome of the Principles before laid down. In the first place then the Deity is fuppofed out of pure Benevolence to have created as many immaterial Beings of the noblest kinds as were agreeable to the Order and Convenience of his System; for his Benevolence, being unbounded, feems to require this as much as it does the Creation of any Beings at all: The fame Benevolence alfo prompted him to produce more imperfect, mix'd ones, becaufe even those were better than none. He endow'd thefe with an abfolutely free Principle of Volition and Action, becaufe fuch Freedom was abfolutely requifite to their Happiness in every refpect, especially to that for which he chiefly defign'd them; viz. Goodness, Virtue, or a refemblance of his own Moral Qualities, which is the fupream and only Happpiness of a rational Being. He continues this Freedom to them, tho' many abuse it to the Corruption of their Natures, and Introduction of the greatest Mifery; because this abufe proportionably improves the Nature, and increafes the Felicity of others, and fo Liberty ftill tends to the Good and Perfection of the whole and this it may be conceived to do in the following manner. The miferable Effect of the abufe of Freedom by fome in this World, makes all others much more fenfible of the Nature and Confequences of Sin, and more careful to avoid it, and renders them confcious of a double Pleasure in ufing their Powers aright. it exercifeth fome Virtues in them which could have no place without it; it preferves, improves and exalteth others, and confe

quently

SUB SEC T. VII.

Wherein the Princples before laid down are apply'd to the Solution of fome Objections.

Moral E

I. ROM the foregoing Principles it feems not FR impoffible to answer fuch Objections as are vils are commonly brought against the Goodness and Pro- not necefvidence of God. For in the first place, when it fary in reis objected, that Moral Evil is not a neceffary con- fpect of comitant of human Nature, and therefore is vo- Will, but luntarily permitted by God, and that no Benefit they are arifes from the permiffion of it, as there does from neceffary Hunger, Thirft, and the Paffions: We must re

NOTES.

ply,

quently raises their whole Nature to a higher degree of Perfection than it could otherwife acquire. By parity of Reason we may believe in the next World alfo the Goodness as well as Happiness, of the Bleffed will be confirmed and advanc'd by reflections naturally arifing from their View of the Mifery which fome fhall undergo: which feems to be a good reasort for the Creation of thofe Beings who fhall be finally miserable, and for the continuation of them in their miferable Exiftence*.)

"To have escaped Hell, and to find ourselves in the un"changeable Poffeffion of Salvation by the free Mercy and "Goodness of God, and by the Death of his own Son, are "Thoughts which must create a new Heaven as it were in "Heaven itself; I mean, they will enlarge our Souls to the "utmoft Capacity of our Natures, and fill and actuate them "with fuch Divine Ardors of Love, as if we had been kept "neceffarily from all Sin, feem impoffible to have been raised "in ust.

*See the Appendix, §. 2. par. 9.

Jenkin, 2d vol. Ch. 12. P, 244, &c. 5th Edit.

This

Free

with re

gard to God, fo

that he

muft ei

ther tole

rate these or greater,

Cicero's

taken from

a Phyfican who

gives his

Patient.

Wine

when he

he will

die of it:

ply, that Liberty of Choice is a neceffary Concomitant of our Nature, and that the Exercise of it cannot be hinder'd, as we have feen, without greater Evils: In refpect then of our own Will, Moral Evil is not neceffary, but in refpect of God it is, i. e. he must either tolerate this Evil or a greater; from hence alfo proceeds no fmall Advantage to univerfal Nature, as well as to Mankind.

66.

II. Secondly, Hence we perceive the Answer Objection to Cicero's Objection in his third Book, De Natura Deorum, where Cotta is introduced arguing in this manner: "If a Phyfician knows that his Patient, "who is order'd to drink Wine, will drink too "much and dye of it immediately, he is greatly "blameable for allowing him it. Thus is this knows that Providence of yours to be blamed, which has given reafon to fuch as it knew would make a perverfe and wicked Ufe of it." He proceeds Or a Father who alfo to confute those Perfons who endeavour to leaves his excufe Providence, by faying, "that it does not Eftate to a follow that we are not very well provided for Prodigal by the Gods, because a great many use their "Gifts perversely; fince many make a bad use of "their Paternal Eftates, and yet thefe cannot be "faid to have no Benefit from their Fathers." To which he replies in these Words: "I wish the "Gods had not bestow'd that Cunning upon Men "which very few make a right ufe of: Infomuch "that

Son.

NOTES.

This then we may with Reverence prefume to have been the principal Defign of God in permitting all Mankind to bring themfelves into fuck a dangerous Eftate, and fome of them to fuffer under it; and perhaps the fame reason will hold for his permitting the Fall of Angels: For I think it plainly appear'd from Note 13. that the Good or rather Goodness, of the Creature, is propely the ultimate End of

all