Of habituated or settled Atheism. Why this Disease was not so epidemical in ancient as in later Times. Of the Disposition or Temper from which Irreligion or Incogitancy of divine Powers (which is the first and lowest Branch of Atheism) usually springs.

1. THE Pharisee, though for his conversation and civil carriage precise and strict in respect of most his ancestors, did yet exceed them further in hardness of heart than he came short of them in outrageousness of passion. The sight of our Saviour's miracles, and experience of his good life, would (I am persuaded) sooner have won the most idolatrous or boisterous of his forefathers than him or his sober associates unto true belief. From consideration of this his temper, besides other inducements, I have elsewhere observed people ancient (whether in respect of the general course of the world, or of succession in several kingdoms) to have been usually more rash and impetuous in their attempts, but not so settled in resolutions which were impious, as their successors in time are and have been. The bent of their nature did sway a larger compass, and (to use the mathematician's dialect) described a greater circle by its actual motions. Hence were they more easily drawn by the peculiar enticements of those times to greater outrages than men of their rank commonly by ordinary temptations now are. Howbeit for the same reason they were more quickly reclaimed by such corrections as move not our minds once set amiss.

2. And this in part may be the reason why atheism was not so habituated, nor the denial or doubt of divine providence so stiff in them, as in the irreligious of our days. Consonant hereto are the causes before

assigned of posterity's mistrusting the reports of antiquity; unto which we may add this observation, not altogether the same with them, nor quite different : The visible characters of this great book of nature were of old more legible; the external significations of divine power more sensible, and apter to imprint their meaning: both purposely suited to the disposition of the world's nonage, which for secular cunning or artificial observation was for the most part rude and childish in respect of those times and countries wherein atheism through man's curiosity came to full height and growth.

3. Those mariners with whom Jonas sailed, in calling every man unto his god, and rousing their sleepy passenger to join in prayer with them, did no more than many of their profession in this age upon like exigencies do. A raging sea will cause the natural notions of God and goodness to work in such as have taken little or no notice of them by land, as one upon this experiment wittily descants, Qui nescit orare, discat navigare. But few of our time would trouble themselves in such perplexity with searching out the causes of sudden storms, or if they did, the causes ordinarily assigned by the experimental weather-wizard or natural philosopher would content them. Fewer, I think, would make inquiry for whose special sin their common prayers for deliverance were not heard, seeing God daily accustometh us to like repulses in particular dangers; the oftener, no doubt, because we examine not our hearts with like diligence in like extremities, nor pour forth our souls with such fervency as these mariners did. Their resolution to find out the author 852 of their ill success, as Joshua did Achan, by lot, persuades me the observations of grace and nature

did not then jar so much as now they do; They, saith the Psalmist, that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, and they go down again to the depths : their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still". The like good lessons had been communicated, at least to the wiser and more sober sort of heathens, (such as these mariners were,) by the remarkable experiments of those times. And their arrival at their desired haven was attributed not to their pilots' skill, or good structure of their ships, but to the mercy of their gods, as the Psalmist, having so good matter to work upon as these and the like known experiments, in that Psalm above others, reiterates his pathetical invitations to joy and sacred thanksgiving: Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders*.

4. Or if the parties whose reformation I seek distrust this story of these heathen mariners' devotion, and the issue, because not related by any heathenish writers, Xenophon's observation shall justify mine: he thought it no disparagement to the valour, but rather an argument of that noble general's wisdom whom he had chosen as a real pattern for posterity's * Ver. 31, 32.

u Psalm cvii. 23-29.

imitation, that he had fruitfully improved those experiments of religious navigators' favour with God, and good success unto the discipline of war. "Cyrus," saith this historian", "made account the religion and piety of his soldiers would be profitable unto him, herein following their resolution who upon good reason chose rather to sail with men known to be religious, than with such as are suspected to have committed some impiety"." The manifold deliverances of seafaring men (more devout than skilful in approach of danger) publicly testified by their solemn thanksgiving, and pictures consecrated to the memory of such mercy as they had found, did furnish another heathen with arguments to evince the providence of divine powers, and their flexible ears unto unfeigned prayers the quick reply of his adversary, "More have perished that have not been painted," whether uttered by way of disputation, in jest, or out of former resolution or good earnest, was not so witty as sophistical. For that the supplications of as many, which had perished and were no where painted, were not heard, this rather proves their demerits had made them uncapable of that favour which others found, than any way disproveth the former conclusion, that these were favoured by Divine Providence. Nor can the miscarriage of ten thousands prejudice the truth of one's confession, whose escape could not be attributed to his skill, or the working of second causes,

y So under correction I have good reason to esteem him, albeit Tully, as mere a child in eastern antiquities as mature in Roman oratory, otherwise censure him.

z Cyrus ipse religiosam suorum pietatem sibi quoque utilem ducebat esse, quum rationem

eandem sequeretur, quam illi qui certo judicio cum religiosis potius, quam cum iis, qui designasse aliquid impie videntur, navigare malunt.-Xenoph. de Instit. Cyri, hist. lib. 8. Vide Coppen in Psal. x. 14. col. 169.

but unto some latent disposer of their combinations, which did appoint the limits, times, and opportunities of their working or ceasing. And this divine disposal was more conspicuous when the interposition of man's industry, or inventions for his own good, was less; God then supplied the defect of artificial cunning in every kind by such eminent and outstretched branches of his providence, as we see yet overshadow children, and men scarce masters of themselves, whom 853 danger often approacheth, but seizeth not on them, though most unable to make resistance.

5. But after the world was grown ripe in judgment and experimental inventions, the Lord did alter those legible and conspicuous characters of the common book of nature fitted for the use of children, or elementary scholars, and set forth a newer and perfecter edition of his sacred will, but in letters less legible to beginners. Now, as his written word revealed (in the gospel especially) contains a far more exquisite model of his incomprehensible wisdom than in former ages had been manifested, so doth it require more mature, more diligent and observant readers; otherwise, as many weak brains, by light or confused tampering with artificial terms, which they are not able to master or digest, utterly poison common sense; so we by negligent, irreverent, or careless hearing, reading, or meditating on these great mysteries of the Spirit, shall quite extinguish that general light of nature which did shine unto the heathen; and by disuse forget to read the book of God's visible creatures. Such, notwithstanding, is the preposterousness of human choice, whereto the old serpent still enticeth us, that although it be the first rudiment of Christian religion to renounce that worldly carefulness wherewith the minds of best heathens were overgrown, yet no age or people since the