Twenty Directionsfor denyiNg Life. 197 much lefs another alfo. Is any Creature wile enough to order the world and the affairs thereof ? Is any Creature poiverfasil enough, to difpofe ofthe world and all things in it? Is any Creature good enough todo it without the Communication of its imperfeetion which would diforder and deftroy all? I know youmake no doubt of any of thefe things. No Creature is fit to be God ; and therefore none is fit to undertake the work ofGod ; And therefore it must be God or none that must have the Difpofal of your lives and you. But I know what it is that Pelf would have ! You would have the Difpofal of your ow" lives, or elfe have God to di- fpofe of them as you would have him, which comes all to one. But how unreafonable is this ? Would you alone have the Di- fpofal of your own lives? or would you have all men elfe in the world alfo to have the Difpofal of theirs? If all should have this Priviledge, what a miferable priviledge would it prove ? Noman then would die, and then either you mull forbear marriage, or what would you do with your pofierity,when there were no room on earth?And then youcould not punifh a Malefatior withdeathlAnd what a world would it be,if all men, were Difpofers of themfelves, when there would be as many different ends and minds as men ? every man would be for himfelf, and an enemy to others;and the world would run eve- ryman onhis own head ; and a madder confufion then can be imagined, would feizeon all. If you would have every man have the difpofe of his own life you wouldhave as many Gods as Men , and fo have no God ; and you would have as manyKings or Rulers as men, and fo have no Ruler ? and you would have the world be no world, when God were to them as no God. And ifyou would not have it thus with all, what reafon have you to defire it for your felf ? What are you more then all the world, that you fhoulcI be exempted from the common flate.ofmortals,andbe at your own difpofal more then they, and be inftead of God unto your (elves ? 5. You think it neither cruelty or injustice, that the lives of bruits should be much at your difpofe I Your poor fellow creatures mutt die when you require it. Birds and Beaftsand C c 3
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