ACTS XVII. 27. That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him: though he be not far from every one of us; for in him we Live, and Move, and have our Being. I N my former Difcourfes, to which I must refer you, I have endeavour'd to prove, that Humane Race was neither (1) from Everlasting without beginning; nor (2) owes its beginning to the Influence of Heavenly Bodies; nor (3) to what they call Nature, or to the neceffary and mechanical motions of dead fenflefs Matter. I proceed now to examin the fourth and last Plea of the Enemies to Religion and their own Souls, That Mankind came accidentally into the World, and hath its Life and Motion and Being by mere Chance and Fortune. We need not much wonder, that this laft Opinion should obtain almost universally among the Atheifts of these times. For whereas the Other do require fome fmall stock of Philosophy to understand or maintain them: This Account is fo eafy and compendious, A 2 that that it needs none at all; and confequently is the more proper and agreeable to the great Industry and Capacity of the most numerous Party of them. For what more easy to say, than that all the Bodies of the first Animals and Plants were fhuffled into their feveral Forms and Structures fortuitously, that is, these Atheists know not how, nor will trouble themfelves to endeavour to know? For that is the meaning of Chance; and yet this is all, that they say, or can fay to the great Matter in queftion. And indeed this little is enough in all reafon; and could they impose on the rest of Mankind, as easily as delude themselves with a notion, That Chance can effect a thing; it would be the most expedite and effectual means to make their Caufe victorious over Vertue and Religion. For if you once do allow them fuch an acceptation of Chance, you have precluded your self (they think) from any more reasoning and objecting against them. The Mechanical Atheist, though you grant him his Laws of Mechanism, is nevertheless inextricably puzzled and baffled with the first Formation of Animals: for he must undertake to determin all the various Motions and Figures and Pofitions and Combina tions tions of his Atoms; and to demonstrate, that fuch a quantity of Motion impreffed upon Particles fo fhaped and fituated, will neceffarily range and difpofe them into the Form and Frame of an Organical Body: an attempt as difficult and unpromifing of fuccefs, as if he himself should make the Essay, to produce fome new Kinds of Animals out of fuch fenflefs Materials, or to rebuild the moving and living Fabrick out of its duft in the grave. But the Atheist, that we are now to deal with, if you do but concede to him, that Fortune may be an Agent; doth prefume himself safe and invulnerable, fecure above the reach of any further disputes. For if you proceed to ask questions, and bid him affign the proper Causes and determinate Manner of that fortuitous Formation: you thereby deny him what you granted before, and take away the very Hypothefis and the Nature of Chance; which fuppofeth that no certain Caufe or Manner of it can poffibly be affigned. And as the ftupidity of fome Libertines, that demand a fight of a Spirit or Humane Soul to convince them of its Existence, hath been frequently and defervedly exposed; because whatfoever may be the object of our Sight,must not be be a Soul or Spirit, but an opake Body: fo this Atheist would tax us of the like Nonsense and Contradiction; if after he hath named to us Fortune or Chance, we fhould expect from him any particular and diftinct account of the Origin of Mankind. Because it is the very effence and notion of his Chance, to be wholly unaccountable: and if an account could be given of it; it would then no longer be Chance, but Mechanism, or a neceffary production of certain Effects from certain Causes according to the Universal Laws of Motion. Thus we are to know, that if once we admit of Fortune in the Formation of Mankind; there is no further Enquiry to be made, no more Difficulties to be folved, and no Account to be demanded. And who then can admire, if the inviting eafiness and compendiousness of this Affertion fhould fo dazle the eyes of our Atheist, that he over-looks thofe grofs Abfurdities, that are fo confpicuous in it? (1) For firft, if this Atheift would have his Chance or Fortune to be a real and fubftantial Agent; as the Vulgar feem to have commonly apprehended, fome making it a Divinity, others they do not conceive what he is doubly more ftupid and more fupinely ig : norant |