IN RELIGION. 159 robbed that recent rabble of the merito- rious claim to original wickedness. Vanini's object was to exterminate the very idea of a God, and for this he adopted a most singular method. He undertook to prove there was no God by stating the general idea of God. He strangely fancied that to define the idea was to destroy it ; and that to pretend to say what God is, was the surest way to disprove his existence ! His definition is so artfully made out, and part of it is so ingeniously written, that while he thought he was drawing only the crea- ture of his imagination, it appears as if he were enthroning rather than deposing his Creator. A marvellous delusion to argue against the being of God from the very magnitude of his perfections ! Let the delirious metaphysics of modern times alone, and we had almost said they will also argue themselves into the abyss of forgetfulness. * * For a fuller accouneof this metaphysical atheist, see Mr. Saurin's sermon on " The deep Things of God."
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