A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ...…

Well! but perhaps you will by this time have so much sense, as to confess that Threatenings and Punishments, Hopes and Fears of the State of another Life are necessary to the well governing of this world. And if so, I desire no more, to satisfy any man that believes that there is a God, (and that is any man that hath not drowned his wits in sin.) For 1. This will then show that the Nature of man, is formed for another life: and God did not make him such in vain. 2. And certainly if everlasting Motives must be put into the Laws that govern us, and into our Hopes and Fears, then it is not possible, but such things there are to be expected. For any man to imagine that God would make a world, which he cannot Govern but by falsehood and deceit, this is to say that God is no God. For all lying and falsehood comes either from a want of Power, or Wisdom, or Goodness, when men either cannot make good their words or otherwise attain their ends; or when they have not wit to know what is, or was, or will be, or when they are so bad as to be disposed to deceive. But he that ascribeth any of these to God, doth worse then to say that there is no God. If I hate deceit and Lying my self; the God that gave me all that little Good which I have, must hate it more. Dream not of any but a worm, or fool, or impious tyrant, that needs or loves deceit and falsehood to attain their ends. Judge by the frame of Heaven and Earth, and by that little Good that is in Good men, whether the living God be one that needs such Hellish Engines to Rule the world.

Well! but perhaps you will by this time have so much sense, as to confess that Threatnings and Punishments, Hopes and Fears of the State of another Life are necessary to the well governing of this world. And if so, I desire no more, to satisfie any man that believes that there is a God, (and that is any man that hath not drowned his wits in sin.) For 1. This will then shew that the Nature of man, is formed for another life: and God did not make him such in vain. 2. And certainly if everlasting Motives must be put into the Laws that govern us, and into our Hopes and Fears, then it is not possible, but such things there are to be expected. For any man to imagine that God would make a world, which he cannot Govern but by falsehood and deceit, this is to say that God is no God. For all lying and falshood comes either from a want of Power, or Wisdom, or Goodness, when men either cannot make good their words or otherwise attain their ends; or when they have not wit to know what is, or was, or will be, or when they are so bad as to be disposed to deceive. But he that ascribeth any of these to God, doth worse then to say that there is no God. If I hate deceit and Lying my self; the God that gave me all that little Good which I have, must hate it more. Dream not of any but a worm, or fool, or impious tyrant, that needs or loves deceit and falshood to attain their ends. Judge by the frame of Heaven and Earth, and by that little Good that is in Good men, whether the living God be one that needs such Hellish Engines to Rule the world.