Chap. s.. Atheifis Obje ions Arifwered. Introdu&, I. That there was a time when there was no fociety among them, but that they wandered promifeuoufly like Beafts. 2. Thatby the wifdome of fome excellent man, theywere reduced into Society; and became fociablc, being made a political body. 3. That to containmenwithin their Duties, and to preferve this Society, Laws wereenafied. 4. That theft Laws no't being able to bridle them, and keep them in order, ano- thercourfewas invented : which was, to perfwade men, that there was alius oculist, an inviRble Power,'that took notice of mens fecret anions, and would punifh them for theiroßences, eitherin this life, or hereafter, and that feverely, as well in Soul as Body. Thisthey fay, but provenothing, and yet themfelves will yield to nothing, nor beperfwaded to any thing without great proofs and demonftrations, and fo condemn themfelves by their own praEtife. Nor can they alledge Reafon or Authority, all thefe grounds being falfe. For firft, If there were Nomades', fach kind ofpeople, as they alledg,yet theybecame fo; not Generando, By Creation, but Degenerando, by Degenrating from that where-. unto they were Created : either being Out-lawed by others, or fequeftring themfelves from fociety, for tome notable offence committed by them. z. That a focietywas made from theft Nomado. , is as untrue : for homo aprima in- f itutei el? animal politicsnn.- Of himfelfman is naturally a politick and.fociable crea- ture : and political focieties began firft in Families; and from Families they encreafed to Villages, a?a from them to Cities,&c. 3. Laves were made after Religion , Religion was long before Lawes; as the ve- ry Poets and other Heathen Writers tettifie. For in Horner.; time there was Religion, and yet no Laws other than the wills and pleafures of Princes , known then : and their own Ponies teftifie that Laws came into the World i000 years after Religion. But when men began to degenerate, and that Religion became tooweak, not powerful enough to keep fuçh bruitifh people within their bounds; thenwere Laws enafted,tó be as bridles to untamed and unruly horfes. But more particularly of there. r. The univerfality of the perfwafion of the worfhip of God , is not onely written I in the heart of every man , but it is confirmed by the confent of all Hiftory; for therm i's nò Hiftory but it defcribes as well the Religion; as the manners of the people, and therefore it is impolible to be the inventionof man. As for inftancc: The Nations and Countreys that have been difcovered within theft hundred years,by the Spaniards and Portdgals in the Americanepart of the World, both in the South andWeft; which had no tntercoúrfe or commerce with any other Nations : the Natives whereof,though in a manner they feemed barbarous, as having no apparel to cover them, nor Laws to gövern them, vet were they not without a kind ofReligion, and fornething theyhad which they called and worfhipped as a god, though they had nothing, but either na- tural inftinft to lead and direft them to ir, or general and unqueftioned Tradition, continued from the firft Parents ofMankind. z. Nor can it be truly affirmed, that Mete Nations fbould have learned their Reli= kion meetly from others bode ing upon them; in refpedt of the difference and diver- fity of Religion among them: there being as much variety therein as ispolEble; and without the leaft proportion or likenefs of one Religion to another, though in conditions they be very like. But all inventions will have fome analogy with the fire. For as foot as the Jews came to worihip an invilble thing, God himfelf; all the Gentiles worfhipped things vifible, as the Heavens, Stars; Planets; Elements, Birds, Bealts, Plants, Garlick and Onions, force a piece ofred cloaeh hanging upon a pole; fume, the thing they firft met with, they worfhipped all the following day.: There- fore it is evident, that Religion came not meetly by Propagation from one Nation to another. 3. Falfhood can claim no kindred with time, for Truth only is Times Daughter, or rather we mayfay more truly, thatTruth is beyond all Time. Opinionúm commened delet diet, nature indicia confirmat. Time obliterates the 8dlions of erroneous opini- ons, but confirmes the right and true didtatcs of nature. - Therefore whatfoever is be- fides truth, and brought in by mans invention, or any other way, wears %tut, but Re- ligion is; was;and Thad be perpetual, never Wears out.
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