tion of another; for, according to them," it is the firft Cause which properly speaking does all, and there is no Effect but what is caused by an infallible Confequence of the first Impulse impreffed on the Universe ; 'tis therefore to this firft Impulse, and by confequence to the divine and firft Mover, that we must impute the Opinions of those who look upon the Syftem as the most extravagant Imagination that the Mind of Man, by its own Fault, was ever mifled by. WHEN Mr Pope adds, Verfe 51, 52, Refpecting Man whatever wrong we call; he borrows the Language of the Syftem which he defigns no doubt to cry down, in order to humble Man; for what can be more mortifying than to find one's felf in an Incapacity of difcerning what is really juft from that which is not fo? God is equally the Caufe of every Thing in this System, and an Attention to the Will of this fupreme Being ought to make us look upon every Thing that happens with an equal Efteem and Veneration. When When the proud Steed shall know, why Man restrains His fiery Courfe, or drives him o'er the Plains; When the dull Ox, why now he breaks the Clod, Now wears a Garland, an Egyptian God; Then fball Man's Pride and Dullness compre Why doing, fuff'ring, check'd, impell'd; and why This Hour a Slave, the next a Deity. WHAT muft we conclude from that unless it be that no one is ever in the wrong? he is only what he could not help being. If any one fall into Slavery, it is not his own Fault, the Good of the whole required that he should do fo. If any one finds a Pleasure in feeing himself ador'd, and believing himself a God, this too is for the Advantage of the whole. To what End is it then to exclaim fo against the Pride of Men? To what purpofe is it for any one to write a Book in order to inftruct and reform others, if it is not known what we are, and what we ought to do. WHEN Mr Pope adds, that the fupreme Being · fees with equal Eye, as God of all, A Hero perish, or a Sparrow fall, Atoms, or Syftems, into ruin hurl'd, what are we *They fay not Man's imperfect, Heav'n in Say rather Man's as perfect as he ought; felves wifely, or plunge ourselves into the most enormous Brutality, whateved happens to us, it is the Almighty Power of God that acts both within and with outlusd sind ai strove of Fra SINCE I give myfelf leave to killa Sparrow, why should I make any Dif ficulty to affaffinate or poison: a Hero, whenever any Intereft fhould prompt me to it, and I can commit the Fact with Security? God fees the Falli of the one, and the Fall of the other with an equal Eye. (a) How (a) Had the ingenious, Author of the Exmination regarded the Whole of this Paffage, which he fo much objects to, and not only a Part of it, he would perhaps have given a more. favourable Interpretation:* Heaven from all Creatures hides the Book All but the Page prefcrib'd, their Prefent State, know, Or who could fuffer being here below? The How could it enter into the Head of those who think after this Manner, to say that God was inevitably deter mined to give Existence to the Univerfe, and to create it in the highest Perfection, fince they have no Idea of Perfect or Imperfect, of Ufe or Abuse, and that the Knowledge of thefe Things is above the Reach of human Underfanding, co WHEN 1 st bas эпо сит За The Lamb thy Riot dooms to bleed to day, Had he thy Reafon, wou'd he skip and play? "Pleas'd to the laft, he crops the flow'ry Food, And licks the Hand juft rais'd to fhed his Blood. Oh! Blindness to the future! kindly given, That each may fill the Circle mark'd by Heav'n, Who fees with equal Eye, as God of all, A Hero perish, or a Sparrow fall, Atoms, or Systems, into ruin hurld, And now a Bubble burst, and now a World! From Verfe 73, to 86. |