This is to. II. We have often declared that Evils are chiefly tally ex- to be avoided, nay that they are prohibited by tirpating Mankind. God, because they are prejudicial to human Nature, but how much worse would it be to take that Nature entirely away? They therefore who require this of the Divine Goodness, defire the greatest Evil of all as a Remedy for Evils. The fame Perfons also, that with fuch Earneftness defire a Change of their Condition, are afraid of Death, forgetting that this Change of their Condition is what they dread the most of all in Death. God in due time will tran III. Mankind believes indeed from the Light of flate good Nature, that God will tranflate good Men into a Men to a better State, but it is neceffary that they should better ftate be prepared here, as Plants in a Nurfery, before prefent is they be removed into the Garden where they are to bear Fruit (80.) God has therefore decreed this but the as necef fary as Seed-time is to Harvest. NOTES. Life (80.) Bayle objects, that our Author's comparifon here is not a just one, fince God cannot be ty'd to the use of common means, and a flow Progress of second Causes. He is not obliged to nurfe us up as a Gardener does his Plants, but might as well have produced us adult and ripe in Perfection, and have made us happy at once. But perhaps it may appear a little doubtful to a Perfon who attentively confiders Note 19, whether this could be done even in natural Pleasure. However, I think, 'tis abfolutely inconceivable how it fhould be effected in Moral Happiness. If we confider the Nature of Virtue and of Man, it will not be poffible for us to imagine how this could be implanted in him at first, or infused into him afterwards, or he be in any wife made morally perfect or good on a fudden. The Idea of Virtue confifts in a repetition of free Acts, and therefore it cannot be receiv'd paffively: and tho' the Difpofition might be thus communicated, yet to compleat its Nature, and make it actually productive of true moral Happinefs, there must neceffarily be requir'd due time for Exercife, Experience and confirmed Habits, as may be gather'd from the Preliminary Differtation; and will farther appear from Notes 82 and 83. From Life to be as it were the Paffage to a better. Thus this Earth is replenish'd with Inhahitants, who being NOTES. From the Nature of Man alfo, or a Being in his imperfect State, we may fairly infer that he could not have fo great an Idea of the moral Perfections of the Deity, nor fo clear an ap prehenfion of the contrary Qualities, nor confequently, a fuitable affection for the one, and an abhorrence of the other, if he had not fome experience of both [.] We know not the real Value of a good thing, we cannot be duly fenfible of its Excellence, except we have been in fome measure acquainted with its Oppofite, or at least have perceiv'd the want of it on fome occafion. "Does any one (fays Leib"nitz [k] fufficiently relish the Happiness of good Health who "has never been fick? Is it not moft times neceffary that a "little Evil fhould render a Good more fenfible, and confe quently greater?" See alfo Note 19. The fame holds ftronger ftill in Moral Good: which is a confirmation of the Alternative that Lactantius speaks of []; and which is well defcrib'd by A. Gellius [m]. It does not therefore feem poffible for us to have a due Knowledge of Virtue if we had never feen Vice. Without this Knowledge of Virtue, we could not ardently defire it, without fuch a defire, and a fedulous profecution of that defire, we could not attain to the proper exercise of it, and without this attainment we could not have any consciousness of defert, any comfortable felf approbation, or true Moral Happiness. It appears then that Virtue is an Act of our own, that a Series of thefe Acts is requifite to conftitute an habit of Virtue, and of confequence that this cannot be inspired into any Being, or however not produced in one of our weak frame on a fudden: and in the laft place, that this prefent State is neceffary (as our Author fays) to train us up, and fit us for a better. That this Life is properly a State of Tryal and Probation, and the Virtues of it abfolutely neceffary to the Happiness of the next, fee Rymer's General Reprefentation of Reveal'd Religion, Part 2. Ch. 3. p. 385, &c. and Scott's Chriftian Life, Vol. 2. Ch. 4 [i] See Note 67. [k] Memoirs of Literature, v. 3. Art. 25. p. 118. ing educated under Difcipline for a while, till they have finish'd their Courfe, fhall depart into another State fuited to their Deferts. They who find fault with this in God, feem to me to do the fame as if one who is ignorant of Agriculture and Harveft should laugh at the Sower for throwing away his Corn. For there is no doubt but the prefent State of things is as neceffary, not only to the Earth left it fhould be void of Inhabitants, and to the Animals, which for the most part depend upon the Labours of Men, but also to Men themfelves: NOTES. Ch. 4. §. 3. p. 321, 335, &c. 8vo. and Sherlock on Death, C. 1. §. 3. p. 77, &c. 4th Edit. or Rel. of Nat, delin. p. 213, 214. To the fame purpose is that excellent Paper in the Spectator, No. 447----"The laft ufe I fhall make of this remarkable "Property in human Nature, of being delighted with those "Actions to which it is accustomed, is to fhew how abfolute"ly neceffary it is for us to gain habits of Virtue in this Life, "if we would enjoy the pleafures of the next. The State of "Blifs we call Heaven will not be capable of affecting those "Minds which are not thus qualify'd for it; we must in this "World gain a Relish of Truth and Virtue, if we would be "able to tafte that Knowledge and Perfection which are to "make us happy in the next. The feeds of thofe Spiritual "Joys and Raptures which are to rife up and flourish in the "Soul to all Eternity must be planted in her during this her "present State of Probation. In fhort, Heaven is not to be "look'd upon only as the Reward, but as the natural Effect "of a Religious Life." See alfo Tillotfon's Serm. 1ft vol. Fol. p. 51, 82, 85, &c. and the 78th Serm. 2d vol. p. 591. Concerning the true End of Man, and the Means of obtaining it, and the Nature both of thofe Virtues which will conftitute the greatest part of Heaven, and of those Inftrumental Duties by which we are to acquire, improve, and perfect these Heavenly Virtues, or make our own Heaven, fee Scott's Chriftian Life, vol. 1. particularly Ch. 3. which Notion is alfo well defended by Dr. Rymer in the Chap. above-mention'd. See alfo Dr. Laughton's Serm. on Rom. 6. 23. felves and as requifite in the Divine Adminiftration, in order to fome better Life, as Seed-time is to Harveit, (). SUBSECT (7) But it is ask'd, fince Man is capable of a better State, why did not God place him in it immediately? Can it be agreeable to an infinitely good Being to delay fo great a Benefit, and make his Creatures wait for it with a long train of Sufferings, when he might have placed them in that happy Condi ion at first? Wou'd we count him a kind beneficent Man that ferv'd his Friends thus, and made them buy his Favours with a long attendance and a fevere exercife of Patience? Is it not a Rule that he that gives frankly gives twice, and that benefits lofe their grace when d fpenfed with a flow hand? To this I reply, that we fhou'd not be surprised if we were able to give no reafon for God's conduct in this particular. For fince it's impoffible that we fhou'd have a perfect view of the contrivance and whole fabric of the Univerfe, 'tis likewise impoffible that we should be able to discover the reason of every thing in it. But if in thole parts that we are acquainted with, we difcern apparent footsteps of Wisdom and Goodness, we ought to conclude that the fame go thro' all the reft, tho' we can't trace them. But 2dly. Tho' this answer be true and fufficient, it happens that we have no occafion for it at prefent. For we believe that we are able to give a very good account why God did not place Mankind in the fame certainty and Degree of Happiness that we expect in Heaven. In order to this let us confider, ift That the World fo far as known to us is one intire Machine, in which all the parts have a mutual respect, and dependance on one another, and contribute to the fupport and preservation of the whole. This is a proof of the Unity and Wifdom of the Maker.. zdly. That in fuch a vaft Machine it was impoffible all the . parts fhou'd be of the fame fort or have the fome Offices, and of confequence there must be in the feveral parts of the Syftem different Bodies of different Conftitutions and Qualities. 3dly. That every one of thefe were capable of fubfifling and fupporting animals, but then it was impoffible that all thofe animals fhou'd be of the fame kind, or have the fame qualifications or conveniencies. 4thly. The Cafe being thus, all that cou'd be expected from the framer of the whole was that he fhou'd fill each of thefe parts Some Objections propofed concer ning the Rarity of Happy Perfons. SUBSE CT. VI. Concerning the Scarcity of Happy Perfons, and the General Corruption of Mankind. UT it may feem ftrange, that of fo a Multitude of Men, fo few fhould attain to Happiness. For whether that be supposed to arife from the fruition of fuch things as are agree NOTES. able parts of the Univerfe with proper Animals, which might en joy themselves and live as conveniently as the circumstances of the place allow'd; and where the circumstances of the station wou'd not afford conveniencies greater than the inconveniencies that attended it, that place fhou'd be left void, fince that was better than to fill it with miferable Creatures. By miferable I understand, as the Author does, creatures whofe Being, taken in the whole duration of it, has more evil than good. 5thly. If we conceive fome of these Creatures of such a nature that they may either forfeit, or lofe the place in which they are, or grow unfit for it by the imperfections that attend their bodies or circumftances, a cafe which we fee often happen to Men in this life; then it will be agreeable to the wif dom and goodness of the common Author to contrive the Matter fo that thofe in a worse station fhou'd grow up to a capacity of fitting and filling thofe Habitations which the others deferted or became incapable of poffeffing any longer. We fee fuch tranfmutations and tranflations happen among the Ani mals. Thus Infects being generated and prepared in Water, at a proper time defert their Womb of Water or Earth, get Wings and mount into the Air, which then affords them a more con venient habitation." 6thly, The |