not the distinguishing marks of his character; yet, ordinarily he has the trueft enjoyment of those things which he poffeffeth. He may indeed fall with the wicked, in a wide ruin! and fo far, one event, may be faid, to have been to them both. But his ftate and condition is not the fame with respect to the confequences of that ruin. So that the objection can only be true, in some instances taken from the external appearance of things: for the favour of God, has the good man for its object; and his difpleafure, has the wicked man for its object; which make the difference of infinite moment and importance.

I might have added, without a particular providence there could have been no express revelation, nor those special interpofals, called miraculous. But the credibility of these will be fhewn, in the following obfervations on Mr. Chubb's posthumous works. And thereby, the demonstration will be farther illuftrated.

CHA P. I.

How far the evidence of Mr. Chubb's chriStianity feems to arife, from his Pofthumous Works.

IN

N canvaffing the writings of any author, great care fhould be taken to do juftice to his argument; and, as far as we are able, we fhould find out his fentiment and view. When this is duly attended unto, it is very allowable to point out what inconfiftencies or abfurdities have place in his performance. If he reafons from profeffedly approved principles, which he avows as the guides of his operation, we then may fo far apply them in fupport of the ufe he would make of them; or otherwife, as the manner of his handling the fubject will admit. If, on the other hand, a writer profeffeth to be in doubt, or scep

acknow

tical in respect to the truth and certainty of any tenet; we are to confider in what ftate he has left the tenet, or what degree of evidence he has given it, in his reafonings. The fame method fhould be taken whilft we are examining into opinions, or fentiments that he would expofe and refute, as falfe, or erroneous.

Under thefe rules I will endeavour to guide my pen, whilft I am animadverting upon Mr. T. Chubb's pofthumous works; and will treat his performance with a careful regard to Truth, or, as I could wifh mine fhould be treated. :

I fhall first introduce the article of prayer. Article I. Prayer, he says, if confidered as a pofitive inftituThe ufe- tion, or fomething of like kind, the ground of which fulness of is not previous in nature, but only in the use of it prayer it may be fubfervient to the petitioner's good, by inledged. troducing in him fuch proper reflections, and, thereby, proper affections and actions, as, otherwife, his affairs and advocations would divert him from; I fay, if this be the cafe, then the forementioned difficulties feem to vanish. And, in this view of the cafe, God is not mocked by being invoked; for, as the invoker does not propofe to inform the Deity, nor to make any alteration in him, by his prayers, but only ufes God's name by way of petition, &c. in order to raife in his own mind fuch proper reflections, and, thereby, fuch affections and actions as will render him pleafing to his Maker; fo, he neither defires nor expects to have his prayers anfwered, in any other way than in the natural courfe of things. Pofthumous works, Vol. I. p. 282, 283.

This is faying the thing one would wish him to fay and I chiefly differ from him in confidering it a pofitive inftitution, or fomething of like kind, the ground of which is not previous in nature. Which he has indeed himself made impro

forafmuch as he fuppofeth that prayer may per; introduce in man fuch proper reflections, and thereby proper affections and actions, as, otherwife, his affairs and advocations would divert him from. But then, this is to give up the propriety of his calling prayer a positive institution, the ground of which is not previous in nature: unless he could prove that a man can be fo fitu ated, as that his affairs and advocations will not divert him from fuch proper reflections, and proper affections and actions, which prayer is fo proper a means of introducing. But if prayer is a proper mean to fuch an end, it has a previous ground in nature, i. e. in the prefent fituation of man. And its having fuch an effect, he may defire and expect that it will have fuccefs in the courfe of God's providence; becaufe for the reafon of its having fuch an effect, it must alter the natural courfe of things, relative to him, from what they would have been,, had no such effect taken place.

This conclufion will be supported from a declaration made by this writer, who says, that whoever, from an evil difpofition, or bafeness of mind, chufes to be mifchievous and hurtful to the intelligent world, and employs his abilities in answering fo vile a purpofe, fuch a one thereby renders himfelf the proper object of diflike and resentment to every other intelligent being, as he is a common enemy, whether each one has been an immediate fufferer by him, or not. And, in this view of the cafe, fuch a man may not improperly be faid to be an enemy, and to be injurious to God, confidering God to be an intelligent being: feeing he stands, difpofed to contribute to his maker's burt, were it poffible fuch a thing could be. Vol. I. p. 389.

The wide difference made by prayer, as the mean of introducing proper reflections, and there

by,

by, proper affections and actions, from that of the mischievous man, will place them in as wide a fituation respecting the natural course of things; unless we can suppose that God, an intelligent holy being, can look upon them as equally enemies and injurious to him.

: If Mr. Chubb has contradicted the laft representation given of a hurtful man, in a following page, no man can help it: the reasoning muft ftand as it is. He fays, I think it must be acknowledged, that no man ever defigned, or intended to do difbonour to God, or to be injurious to him in his character, or otherwife. Vol. I. p. 391.

I do not fee any reafon of this opinion, or how a man may be properly faid to be an enemy and injurious to God, without any design or intention. For whatever extravagant notions they may have entertained, all wicked men know, that they are contemning the authority of God, whilst they are committing theft, murder, and violence. But moreover, defign and intention have no fmall place in moral action. When a man cafts off the fear, and infults the very name of God, can he be fuppofed to do it without any defign or intention to dishonour him, or to be injurious to him, in his character, or otherwife?Indeed were we to understand the propofition as confined to fanatics; I mean, perfons who disturb the peace of the world, who injure and perfecute, under the pretext of religion: of fuch, Jefus has declared, that they think they do God fervice, tho, at the fame time their conduct proves, they do not know him. But the poftulatum is too full for this restriction: viz. I think, it must be acknowledged, that no man ever defigned, or intended to do difbonour to God, or to be injurious to him in bis character, or otherwife. Every vicious man, or every fool, fays in his heart, fecretly

wifheth, that there was no God: nay, it is the manifeft language of his actions. In works they deny God as they would confound and destroy the eternal difference of good and evil, right and wrong. We had better therefore abide by the fentiment of a wicked, mischievous man being the proper object of diflike and refentment to every other intelligent wife being; not only as he is a common enemy of mankind, but as he is properly an enemy and injurious to God; i. e. difpofed to contribute to bis maker's burt, were it poffible fuch a thing could be.

The right application of these principles, laid down, will naturally evince the usefulness of prayer.

Table.

Even the practice among pious people of Say- Art. II. ing grace, (as it is called) both before and after Of blefmeat, Mr. Chubb has recommended; for he fays, fing the that by thefe acts of piety, or devotion, a fenfe of God's providential goodness may be impreffed upon the mind, with a thankful remembrance thereof; and to call this mocking of God, feems, at least, to be an hard faying. V.I. p. 284.

Yet, as to prayer, a question may arife, whether it is a part of natural religion, or whether it is to be confidered as a pofitive inftitution, or something of like kind? which question, perhaps, may much more easily be asked, than answered. p. 277, 278.

The difficulty, in Mr. C.'s idea, appears to be from a fuppofition he has made, that if prayer be a part of natural religion, then it seems to fuppofe that God not only hears, but also that be anfwers the requests of his creatures, by giving them what they pray for, if the request be reasonable, and for the petitioners good, and that this is generally the cafe; because, otherwife, perhaps, we fhall be at a lofs to difcover what there is in

nature,