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'troverfies that are among Chriftians themfelves: Thefe Lectures to be on the First Monday of the refpective Months of January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November; in fuch Church as the Trustees 'fhall from time to time appoint: 2. To be 'affifting to all Companies, and encouraging them in any Undertaking for propagating the Chriftian Religion: 3. To be ready to fatisfie fuch Real Scruples as any may have concerning those Matters; and to answer fuch 'New Objections or Difficulties as may be 'ftarted, to which good Answers have not yet 'been made: You have been pleafed to believe me able in fome measure to perform thefe Offices, and to command this First Effay to be made publick. I am very fenfible of the great Honour, as well as the great Extent and Difficulty of the Task; and Shall endeavour to the utmost of my poor ability to answer the religious and generous Defign of that Excellent Perfon, and the good Opinion you have entertained of,

My most Honoured Patrons,

March 17. 1691

Your very obliged and humble Servant,

R. Bentley.

[1]

THE

Folly of Atheism,

And (what is now called)

DEISM:

Even with Respect to

The PRESENT LIFE.

The First SERMON preached March 7. 169.

Pfalm XIV. V. I.

The Fool bath faid in his Heart, There is no God; they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doth good.

I

Shall not now make any enquiry about the time and occafion and other circumftances of compofing this Pfalm: nor how it comes to pass, that with very little variation we have it twice over, both here the 14th. and again number the 53d. Not that these and fuch-like are not important confiderations in themselves; but that I

B

think

think them improper now, when we are to argue and expoftulate with fuch perfons, as allow no Divine Authority to our Text; and profess no greater, or, it may be they will fay, lefs Veneration for these Sacred Hymns, than for the profane Songs of Anacreon or Horace. So that although I my self do really believe, that all fuch as say in their Hearts, There is no God, are foolish and corrupt, both in Understanding and Will; because I see infinite Wisdom it felf has pronounced them to be fo: nevertheless this Argument would at present have no force upon these men, till in due time and method we have evinced the fufficient Authority of Holy Scripture. But however there are other Books extant, which they muft needs allow of as proper Evidence; even the mighty Volumes of vifible Nature, and the everlafting Tables of Right Reafon; wherein, if they do not wilfully fhut their Eyes, they may read their own Folly written by the Finger of God, in a much plainer and more terDan. 5. 5. rible Sentence, than Belshazzar's was by the Hand upon the Wall.

And as the impious Principles of thefe perfons do preclude any argumentation from the Revealed Word of God: fo they prevent us alfo from speaking at present to the second part of the Text. The whole Verfe hath apparently two Propofitions;

the

the one denoting the Folly of Atheism, The Fool hath faid in his Heart, There is no God: the second declaring the Corruption and Flagitiousness of Life which naturally attend it; They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doth good. Now this latter part to a genuine Atheist is meer Jargon, as he loves to call it; an empty found of words without any fignification. He allows no Natural Morality, nor any other diftinction of Good and Evil, Juft and Unjuft; than as Human Inftitution and the Modes and Fashions of various Countries denominate them. The most Heroical Actions or deteftable Villanies are in the nature of things indifferent to his approbation; if by fecrecy they are alike conceal'd from Rewards or Punishments, from Ignominy or Applause. So that till we have proved in its proper place the eternal and essential Difference between Virtue and Vice; we muft for

1

bear to urge Atheists with the Corruption and Abominableness of their Principles. But I prefume, the first part of the Text, the Folly and fottishness of Atheifm (which fhall be the subject of this Discourse) will be allowed to come home to their Cafe: fince they make such a noisy pretence to Wit and Sagacity; and I believe several of them first engage in that Labyrinth of Nonfenfe and Folly, out of an abfurd and prepofterous affectation of feeming Wifer than their Neighbours.

B 2

But

But before I proceed any farther, it will be neceffary to clear and vindicate this expreffion of the Pfalmift, The Fool hath faid in his Heart, There is no God. For I know not any Interpreters, that will allow it to be spoken of fuch, as flatly deny the Being of God; but of them, that believing his Exi ftence, do yet feclude him from directing the Af fairs of the World, from obferving and judging the Actions of Men. I fuppofe they might be induced to this, from the commonly received notion of an Innate Idea of God, imprinted upon every Soul of Man at their Creation, in Characters that can never be defaced. Whence it will follow, that Speculative Atheism does only subsist in Our speculatiwhereas really Humane Nature cannot be guilty of the crime: that indeed a few fenfual and voluptuous Persons may for a season eclipse this native Light of the Soul; but can never fo wholly fmother and extinguish it, but that at some lucid intervals it will recover it self again, and shine forth to the conviction of their Conscience. And therefore they believed, that the words would not admit of a strict and rigorous Interpretation; but ought to be fo temper'd and accommodated to the nature of things, as that they may describe those profane perfons; who, though they do not, nor can really doubt in their Hearts of the Being of God,

on;

yet