3,ò tje parmonv of í e Zibitte ftttíbutcv Cha Y the 'natural Law, full Ind fufficient Direcìions for the whole Duty of Man, either as to the performing good, EPIC. 4. 17,18. or avoiding evil. TheMind is darkenedand defiled with error, that indifpofes it for its office. I will now proceed t© fhew how infufficient Philofo- phy is to direi us in our Duty to God, our felves and others. Firfi, In refpeéofPiety,which is thechiefDuty of the reafonableCreature, Philofophy is very defetive,nay in many things contrary to it: t . By delivering unworthy Notions and Concepti- ons of the Deity.Not only the vulgar Heathens changed the truth ofGod into a lie, when they meafured his Incom- prehenfible Perfections by the narrow compafs of their Imaginations, or when looking onHim through the ap- pearingdiforders ofthe World, they thought Him un- juft and cruel ; as the molt beautiful Face feems defor- med and monftrous in a difturbed fiream : But the molt renownedPhilofophers difhonoured Him by their bafe ap- prehenfions. For the true Notion of God lîgnifies a Being Infinite, Independent, the univerfal Creator, who preferves Heaven and Earth,the abfolute Director ofall Events ; That his Providence takes notice ofall AEtions, that he is a liberal Rewarder ofthòfe that feek Him,anda juft Revenger ofthofe that violate his Laws: Arift. Plat. Now all this was contradiled by them. ° Some affer- The Sroicks ted the World to be eternal, others that Matter was imagined that and in that denied Him tobe thefirfl Caufeofall things. Gad and the World made a Some limited his Being, confining Him to one of the eompleat Ani- Poles of Heaven : Others extended it only to the Am- He plitude ofthe World. The t Epicureans totally denied He mar the ' ' Soul. Vid. Aug. de Ciroit. Dei. c. 18. t Epicurei nee Philofophi in reba; fantlis,nec fanEli inPhilofoplua. ,elug. c. 7. derera Rel. Tò. NgxdeAov dpiuprov, átrrg e-ch, ;u ;el, ATE d.;,, uupíXet. rrri- dendum,agere curam rerum humanartam iliud quicquid et°fimmum.Anne tam trilli aul; mol- tiplici 'Mini-laic, nonpollui crcdamus dubitcmuflue i rim. lib. 2. C. 7, his
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