4 ATHEISM EASILY REFUTED. do you think so?" said Kircher; "how is it that you will not believe that this small body originated in mere chance, when you would contend, that those heavenly bodies above us, of which it is only a very faint and diminutive resemblance, came into existence without order or design?" Very long before the time of Kircher, indeed, a similar appeal had been made to the sphere of Archimedes; not to confute or convince Atheists, but to correct some overforward Theists, who observing the orderly and regular manner in which the heavenly bodies kept their courses, were for enduing them with intelligence, and making gods of them. Lactantius (for he is the author I refer to) very wisely argued with them, that if Archimedes' sphere, in which these bodies and their movements, were so admirably imitated, was received as a proof of the great skill and contrivance of a known artificer, the heavenly bodies themselves could only deserve to be regarded as the workmanship of one as much transcending Archimedes in intelligence and power, as the stars in the firmament surpassed his artificial imitation of them; while the undeviating regularity of their motions, which excited so much wonder, as plainly showed that so far from being gods, they were not moved by any will or intelligence of their own, but were only operating in strict obedience to certain laws imposed on them by an extrinsic cause, equal to effects, infinitely surpassing the present comprehension of man. So simple is the refutation of Atheism upon the principles of common sense-so irresistible the inferences to be drawn from a mere inspection and consideration of the products of human art, especially PROCEEDS CHIEFLY FROM THE HEART. 5 when applied to the purposes of science. In such cases, who was ever known to doubt for one moment of the existence of an intelligent artificer, as indispensably necessary to the production of the several objects? It has been questioned, whether a truly systematic Atheist ever did, or ever will exist. There are, however, so many reasons why men of loose principles, profligate and idle habits, or even careless lives, should wish rather to live without God in the world, than to fix upon themselves all the responsibilities of accountable beings, during their short sojournment upon the earth, that it need never excite much wonder in our minds, to hear occasionally the most palpable truths disavowed and denied, if they stand in the way of persons reputed to be accountable; but to deny, and to disprove truths, evident to others, are totally different things: we may be very certain, therefore, that if any really systematic Atheist should at any time exist, his infirmity would not be found to be very contagious. There never could be many in the world capable of being imposed upon by Kircher's insidious negations, that his artificial sphere had been made by nobody, and had come into the corner of his chamber quite by chance; and till this is the case, we may be assured that Atheism, in the strictest sense of the expression, can have no chance of becoming general, though there may be always some, and probably far too many of that description of persons, loose in the world, disposed, like "the fool" in the Psalms, to "say in their hearts," without the trouble of consulting their heads, "that there is NO GOD!" Admirably has the learned Chillingworth expressed himself upon this very text. "The words," says he, "do not run thus, the fool being convinced by the 6 ST. PAUL'S ADDRESS TO THE CORINTHIANS. evidence of reason and demonstration hath concluded there is no God: no, this is no heathenish philosophical fool; he is quite of another temper: this is a worldly, proud, malicious, projecting, wise fool; a fool who knows it is for his advantage to put God out of his thoughts; and, therefore, doth forcibly captivate, and wilfully hoodwink his understanding, and thinks he hath obtained a great victory, if he can contrive any course to bring himself to that pass, that no cold melancholy thoughts of God or hell, may interrupt and restrain him from freely wallowing in the lusts and uncleanness of his heart, without remorse; it is for his heart's sake, the love that he bears to the lust thereof, that makes him an Atheist." "I speak," said St. Paul to the Greeks at Corinth, "as unto wise men, judge ye what I say." This was a delicate way of securing their attention by a compliment; for the Greeks at Corinth "were all wise in their own conceit,” and much" puffed up," to use the apostle's own expression, on that account. He does not therefore go out of his way, to disparage their understandings without necessity, but appeals to their own judgment as to the case in hand, as though they were really already sufficiently wise for his purposes; but after all, we shall find him relying more on the decision of their hearts than of their heads, as in the case of his own countrymen, the Hebrews, whom he especially cautions against "an evil heart of unbelief;" that is, an infidelity proceeding rather from a vicious or faulty disposition of mind and affections, than from the head or understanding. Those who may be disposed to think that the credulity of believers is an unreasonable bias, would do well to consider that incredulity is quite as likely ON ATHEISTICAL INDIFFERENCE. 7 to proceed from a bias; for certainly, every vicious inclination which a man is resolved to pursue, is a strong bias upon his mind towards infidelity, or at least towards such false or corrupt notions of God and religion, as insensibly lead men to it. Infidelity besides may often arise from pride and self-conceit, which disposes men of parts and learning to an affectation of singularity, and a desire of seeming wiser than other people, by maintaining paradoxes, and contradicting all opinions that are vulgarly received, for that very reason, because they are so1. At all events, what men do not like, they are very unwilling to understand, and still more backward to believe. If the above several causes do not lead to an absolute incorrigible pitch of infidelity, they may yet reduce a man to that melancholy state of unconcern about the very being of God, and a future state, which cannot be better described than as it has been rightly enough called, a most dangerous, if not altogether an atheistical indifference. Now as this is a state, into which many may fall inadvertently, not through any want of education, understanding, or even learning, (to speak generally), but merely for want of having certain particular truths, so brought home to their minds, as to be secure against any subsequent disturbance, (of which there is always more or less danger,) I propose to show, that even the best educated persons, those endowed with the highest gifts of understanding, nay, even the most "Illis quieta movere magna merces videbatur."—Sallust. "They thought the very disturbance of things established, sufficient hire to set them to work."-Hooker. 8 YOUNG ON THE CONTRARIETIES IN MAN. learned, to a certain extent, may yet be labouring under a most fatal ignorance, if any untoward circumstances should have led them to neglect, much more to despise, the history of the EARTH and of MAN, contained in the Bible. For though, the great advancement of knowledge and science, must in one point of view have appeared to lessen our importance, by reducing our history to that of only one small planet, of one circumscribed system, out of myriads and myriads perhaps of other systems and other planets, yet it should be considered, that after all, the Bible history is undeniably the only history that connects us with the universe at large, and what is more, with the ineffably great, omniscient, and omnipotent Author of the Universe itself: it is the only history that can help us to clear up certain difficulties attending our situation here, and which without some such help, must remain inexplicable, most mortifying, and melancholy mysteries; Man himself perhaps the greatest, as has been well, and not extravagantly shown both in poetry and prose. "How poor, how rich, how abject, how august, |