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CHA P. XVII.

Wherein we continue to shew the Abfurdity of Atheism, by comparing it with the true Opinion.

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IS certain, that a Man who believes there is a God, hazards nothing or very little, if he be deceived, to use the Atheists Expreffion; and on the contrary, he that does not believe a God, runs an infinite hazard, if he be in an error, there being no manner of proportion between the disorderly pleasure which Religion makes us loofe, and the Eternal Salvation which Atheism makes us renounce, were the Two 0pinions equally probable, which they are very far from being.

A Little Book in. vituled, La Delica telle.

It has been objected to Monfieur Pafcal, who has endeavoured to illuftrate this Reflection, that we fhould not always believe what we defire; and if we find our felves perfwaded of any thing that way, we fhould diftruft an Opinion arifing from our Defires, and therefore that we ought to prove the Exiftence of God, and not to fhew that it is our intereft to believe it.

Those who reafon thus, are not acquainted with the right ufe of this Reflection, which is not designed to convince the Understanding, but to take away the Averfion of the Heart to this Truth, and to answer thofe fecret Objections

jections of Self-Love: viz. But how if Religion fhould not be true? How if there were no God?

And there is no reason to fear this nice kind of interest we find in believing the Existence of God fhould delude us. We have Two very different Interests, one of which always deceives us, and the other never; viz. The Intereft of Man, or the Rational Creature, and the Interefts of our Lufts and Paffions. The latter deceives our Reafon, because it prevents all Reflections of the Mind; but 'tis impoffible the former fhould impofe upon our Reafon, becaufe 'tis from the pureft Lights of Reafon it self, that it fprings. Thus an Honest Man finds it his Intereft to be Temperate, Juft, and Charitable; and this is a reasonable Intereft that never deceived any Man, and which we are not wont to diftruft. A Vitious Man on the contrary, finds it his Intereft to Revenge himself, to be debauched, or to fatisfy himself any manner of way. But this is the interest of his Appetite and Lufts which are used to deceive, and which we know we ought to beware of.

Since therefore it is evident, that it is the common Intereft of all our Paffions, to oppose the Truth of God's Existence; and that on the contrary, it is the intereft of our Reason, and whatever thwarts onr Paffions within us, to embrace that Truth; it follows from hence, that it would be meer folly to deliberate one Moment which of thofe Two Opinions were to be chofen.

This Truth will more evidently appear, if we confider in the Third Place, the dreadful Confequences of Arbeifm. If the Opinion of the Atheist

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Atheist takes place, Vertue is nothing but a Chi mera, a Combination of Atoms, a meer Name; Probity is nothing but a vain Scruple; Sincerity, only Simplicity or Hypocrifie; all Truft and Confidence among Men ceafes. For who would truft thofe Men who owning no Deity, own no Law neither, more Sacred than that of their own Intereft? If that Opinion be admitted, Conscience is but a Prejudice, the Law of Nature but an Illusion, Right and Justice but an Error; the Kindness and Good Will Men have one for another, has no longer any Foundation; the Bonds of Society are all loofed, Fidelity is taken away; the Friend is ready to Betray his Friend; the Citizen to deliver up his Country; the Son to affafinate his Father, that he may enjoy his Estate, as foon as ever Opportunity ferves, or Authority or Secrefie will fecure him from the Secular Power, which is all that is then to be feared; the most inviolable Rights, and the most Sacred Laws, are no longer to be regarded, but as Dreams and Vifions.

But I confefs, I cannot conceive any thing more ridiculons and extravagant, than to imagin, that all the kinds of Vertue, Sincerity Probity, Juftice, Humility, Temperance, Fidelity, all the Bonds of Society, the juftelt Laws, and moft equitable Rules and Orders, the best established Tribunals, the right use of our Reafon, the Government and Command of our Paffions, Wisdom, Confcience, natural Law, every thing in fine, that raifes the Character of Man, and diftinguishes him from other Animals; there is nothing, I fay, more ridiculous, than to imagine that all these things should be the iffue and product of fuch a fuppofed Error,

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as our Opinion of the Existence of God. And that on the contrary, Sin and Debauchery, Isjustice, Perfidiousness, Hypocrife, the caftorbance of Society, whatever canies the overthrow of States and Families, the ill tie of our Reafon, Irregularity, all our most confeted Pations and Vices, and the greateft diforders that can be committed, should fpring from a Truth, as the Opinion of the Abeifts would be, if their fenfeless Suppofition fhould take place.

But if you had rather compare the Discl ties of these Two Opinions, than the Confequences of them, we agree to it. Eternity and Infinity are the Two Springs from whence are derived all the Difficulties Incredulous Perfons find in our Principle. And yet the Arbeifts themfelves are forced to attribute thofe Two Qealities to Matter. For if there be no avowed Principle that has limited Extension, Reason will have us conceive it, without any bounds. And though we could not prove Bulk or Magnitude Infinite, yet the Demonstrations of Geometry will force us to acknowledge Infinity in Smallness. Neither can they avoid afcribing Eternity to the World, that is, to Matter, or to the whole frame of Things, or to the Atoms which Bodies are compofed of; because these having no principle for their Existence, must either in themselves, or at least with respect to the parts they are compofed of, fubfift from all Eternity.

What Extravagance then is this in the Atheist, to renounce the light and evidence of his Understanding, and the general confent of Men, only to fall into all the fame Difficulties he objects against the true Opinion?

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But we do not yet fay enough, thefe Difficulties are greater in the Atheist's Hypothefis than in ours: We do not affirm, that the Eternity of God is fucceffive, but Atheists make the duration of the World Succeffive. But as in all Succeffion of Duration, we may reckon by Months, Years, Ages, &c. it follows from hence, that if Eternity be Succeffive, it includes an Infinity of Ages; and an Infinite Succeffion of Ages, can never be exhausted or run out; that is, we can never fee an end of it; because if it fhould once be exhaufted, it would be no more infinite. From whence we conclude, that if the duration of the World had been fucceffively Eternal, or that an infinite Succeffion of Ages must have paffed fince the World fubfifted, it would be impoffible, that it should have reacht to this present time; because that could not be done, without paffing through an infinite diftance; and an infinite distance cannot be past through, because it would be then both infinite and not infinite. Who therefore is able to folve this difficulty which fwallows up all our Thoughts and our Conceptions?

We may further alledge, that infinite greatnefs or fmallness, is liable to greater Difficulties than infinite perfection: For who can conceive the end of Extenfion, or the utmost term of Division? Or if we must needs acknowledge an unlimited Extenfion, and an infinite Divifibility, who can falve the terrible Difficulties that arife from that Principle? If, for Example, when we divide the Globe we inhabit, from thofe immense Spaces that incompass it, we believe that thofe Spaces ftill continue infinite; it follows, that I can augment Infinity; fince to

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