Therefore the Jewish Religion and Society were supported by an extraordinary Providence...

And again,

III: The Ancient Lawgivers universally believed, that a Religion without a future State could be supported only by an extraordinary Providence.

Moses, an Ancient Lawgiver, learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians (the principal branch of which wisdom was inculcating the doctrine of a future state) instituted such a Religion:

Therefore Moses believed that his Religion was supported by an extraordinary Providence.

This is the ARGUMENT OF THE DIVINE LEGATION; plain, simple, and convincing, in the opinion of the Author; a PARADOX, in the representation of his Adversaries: Attempts of this nature being still attended with the fortune they have long undergone. William of Newbourg, speaking of Gregory the Eighth, tells us, that he was, "Vir plane & sapientiæ et vitæ sinceritate conspicuus, æmulationem Dei habens in omnibus secun"dum scientiam; et superstitiosarum consuetudinum quarum in Ecclesia per quorundam rusticam simplicitatem citra Scripturarum auctoritatem multitudo inolevit, Reprehensor acerrimus. Unde a quibusdam minus discretis putatus est turbato per niniam absti"nentiam cerebro delirare." This curious passage shews what hath been, and what is likely to be, the fate of all opposers of foolish and superstitious practices and opinions, when opposers are most wanted, that is to say, to be thought mad. Only one sees there was this difference between William's age and our own. In the time of good Gregory, they were the People of least discretion who passed this judgment on every Reformer's head-piece; whereas in our times, they are the more discreet who have made this discovery,

Our Author's adversaries proved to be of two sorts, FREE

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FREETHINKERS and SYSTEMATICAL DIVINES. Those denied the Major of the two Syllogisms; These, the Minor: yet one could not be done without contradicting the universal voice of Antiquity; nor the other, without explaining away the sense, as well as letter, of sacred Scripture. Had it not been for this odd combination, my Demonstration of the Divine Legation of Moses had not only been as strong but as short too as any of Euclid's whose theorenis, as Hobbes somewhere ob serves, should they ever happen to be connected with the passions and interests of men, would soon become as much matter of dispute and contradiction as any moral or theological Proposition whatsoever.

It was not long, therefore, before I found that the 'discovery of this important Truth would engage me in a full dilucidation of the three following Propositions

1. "That inculcating the doctrine of a future state of "rewards and punishments, is necessary to the well-being "of civil Society."

2. "That all mankind, especially the most wise and "learned nations of Antiquity, have concurred in believing and teaching, that this doctrine was of such "use to civil Society."

3. That the doctrine of a future state of rewards "and punishments is not to be found in, nor did make "part of, the Mosaic Dispensation."

-Neither a short nor an easy task. The two first requiring a severe search into the Religion, the Politics, and the Philosophy of ancient times: And, the latter, a minute examination into the nature and genius of the Hebrew Constitution.

To the first part of this enquiry, therefore, I assigned the first Volume of this work; and to the other, the second.

I.

I. The first Volume begins with proving the MAJOR of the first Syllogism, that whatsoever Religion and

Society

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Society have no future State for their support, must be supported by an extraordinary Providence. In order to which, the FIRST PROPOSITION was to be inforced, That the inculcating the doctrine of a future state of rewards and punishments is necessary to the well-being of Society.

*

This is done in the following manner-By shewing that CIVIL SOCIETY, which was instituted as a remedy against force and injustice, falls short, in many instances, of its effects as it cannot, by its own proper force, provide for the observance of above one third part of moral duties; and, of that third, but imperfectly and further, which is a matter of still greater importance, that it totally wants the first of those two great hinges on which Government is supposed to turn, and without which it cannot be carried on, namely, REWARD and PUNISHMENT. Some other coactive power was therefore to be added to civil Society, to supply its wants and imperfections. This power is shewn to be no other than RELIGION; which, teaching the just Government of the Deity, provides for all the natural deficiencies of sivil Society. But this government, it is seen, can be no otherwise supported than by the general belief of a future state; or of an extraordinary Providence, that is, by a Dispensation of things very different from what we see administered at present.

This being proved, the discourse proceeds to remove objections.-The Reader observes, that the steps and gradations of this capital truth advance thus,-A future state is necessary as it supports Religion-Religion is necessary as it supports Morality-And Morality as it supports (though it be reciprocally supported by) civil Society, which only can procure such accommodations of life as man's nature requires. Hence I concluded, that the Doctrine of a future state was necessary to civil Society, under the present administration of Providence.

Now there are various kinds or rather degrees of LIBERTINISM. Some, though they own Morality to be necessary

necessary to Society, yet deny Religion to be necessary Others again deny it even to Morality.-As both equally attempt to break the chain of my reasoning, both come equally under my examination. And, opportunely for my purpose, a great Name in the first instance, and a great Book, in the second, invited me to this entertainment.

1. The famous M. BAYLE had attempted to prove, that Religion was not necessary to Society; and that, simple morality, as distinguished from Religion, might well supply its place which Morality too, an ATHEIST might completely possess.. His arguments in support of these propositions I have carefully examined: and having occasion, when I came to the last of them, to enquire into the true foundation of Morality, I state all its pretences, consider all its advantages, and shew that OBLL GATION, properly so called, proceeds from WILL, and from WILL only. This enquiry was directly to my point. as the result of it proves that the morality of the Atheist must be without any true foundation, and consequently weak and unstable. It had a further propriety, as the Religion, whose divine original I am here attempting, to demonstrate, has founded morul obligation in Will only; and had a peculiar expediency likewise, as it is become the fashion of the times to seck for this foundation any where but there where Religion has placed it.

2. But MANDEVILLE, the Author of the Fable of the Bees, went a large step further; and pretended to prove that MORALITY was so far from being necessary to Society, that it was vice and not virtue which rendered states flourishing and happy. This execrable Doctrine, that would cut away any Argument by the roots, was presented to the People with much laboured, art and plausible insinuation. It was necessary therefore to confute and expose it. This I have done with the same. care, but with better faith than it was inforced.

In this manner I endeavoured to prove the MAJOR · PROPOSITION of the first Syllogism: and with this,

the

the first book of the Divine Legation of Moses concludes.

II. The second Book begins with establishing the MAJOR of the second Syllogism, That the ancient Lawgivers universally believed that a Religion without a future state could be supported only by an extraordinary Providence. In order to which, the SECOND PROPOSITION was to be inforced, That all mankind, especially the most wise and learned nations of Antiquity, have concurred in believing and teaching, that the Doctrine of a · future state was necessary to the well-being of civil Society.

The proof of this proposition divides itself into two parts-The conduct of the LAWGIVERS; and the opinion of the PHILOSOPHERS.

The first part is the subject of the present Book; as the second part is of the following.

In proving this proposition from the conduct of the Lawgivers, I shew,

1. Their care to PROPAGATE Religion in general, 1. As it appears from the effects, the state of Religion every where in the civilized World. 2. As it appears from the cause, such as their universal pretence to inspiration, in order to instil the belief of the Divine Superintendency over human affairs; and such as their universal practice in prefacing their Laws, in order to establish the belief of that Superintendency. And here it should be observed, that in proving their care to propagate Religion in general, I prove their care to propagate the doctrine of a future state of Rewards and Punishments; since there never was a formed Religion in the World, the Jewish excepted, of which this Doctrine did not make an essential part.

2. But I shew, in the second place, their care to propagate this Doctrine, with more than common attention and assiduity. And as the most effectual method they employed-to this end was the institution of the MySTE