Considerations of the existence of God and of the immortality of the soul, with…

II. 'Tis objected, that the belief of the Deity was at first introduced by the special invention ⟨p. 93⟩of some in power to preserve the civil Sate; and that Religion is only a politic curb to restrain the wild exorbitance and disorders of the multitude. This admits of an easy refutation.

II. 'TIs objected, that the belief of the Deity was at first introduc'd by the special invention ⟨p. 93⟩of some in power to preserve the civil Sate; and that Religion is onely a politick curb to restrain the wild exorbitance and disorders of the multitude. This admits of an easie refutation.

1. Those corrupted minds that from pride or sensuality presumed to exempt Men from the Tribunal of Heaven, yet affirmed that a City might rather be preserved without Fire and Water, the most necessary Elements, than without the religious belief of a God. Egregious lovers of mankind! and therefore worthy of esteem and credit, since they divulge that Doctrine, that if believed, the World must fall into dreadful confusion by their own acknowledgement. But such is the Divine force of Truth, that its enemies are constrained to give Testimony to ⟨p. 94⟩it; For is it conceivable that an error not in a light question, but in the Supreme Object of the Mind, should be the root of all the Virtues that support the Civil State, and Truth if discovered should have a fatal consequence on Government, subvert all Societies, and expose them to the greatest dangers? How can they reconcile this with their declared principle, that the natural end of Man is the knowledge of Truth? It were less strange that the constant feeding on deadly Poison, should be requisite to preserve the natural life in health and vigour, and that the most proper food should be pernicious to it. So that the objection if rightly considered will confirm the Religious belief of a Deity. Indeed 'tis evident that all Civil Powers suppose the