Glows in the Stars, and blossoms in the Trees, WHAT he adds to correct these furprizing Affertions, forms Antithefes ftill more paradoxical. A Follower of Spinoza would exprefs himself after this Manner; for Spinoza would acknowledge only one Subftance, to which he granted the Name of God, left he should be accused of not allowing any; and he pretended that we ourselves, and all that to which we give the Name of Creatures, are nothing else but this Subftance, differently modified. I am obliged to Father Tournemine for having thought how to foften the Expreffions of Mr Pope, and to remove them, as well as their Author, from a Sufpicion of Spinozism. It is not because Mr Pope is born a Catholic, that I take Pleasure in thinking that when he speaks of God, as he that Warms in the Sun, refreshes in the Breeze, his Expreffions amount to this, that it is God who made the Sun proper to warm, and the Trees to bloffom. I confefs to you, Sir, however, that I love to fee God spoken of with great Reverence, and great Caution; and I am not edify'd, when an Author, in fpeaking of fo great an Object, indulges himself in Turns of Wit and Antithefes, which may lead to very false Ideas. I remember to have read in Vanini Heaps of pompous Antithefes, by which he feem'd to teach wonderful Things; and yet he connected thefe Terms together only becaufe he thought them contradictory, and had a Mind to make the Idea to which they were apply'd, pafs for a Collection of Contradictions. GLOWING Stars, and blooming Trees, prefent us with pleafing Ideas: But if thefe Expreffions are juft and well grounded, the following will be fo too: 'Tis the univerfal Caufe, 'tis the Soul of all Noture; in a Word, 'tis God who flatters in Courtiers, is impofed on in the Prince, lyes in the Lawyer, who is perjur'd in the falfe Witnefs, who fells Justice in the the Judge, blafphemes in the In fidel, pronounces ridiculous Prayers in the Superftitious, metamorphofes himself into all Sorts of Figures in the Idolater, denies himself in the Atheist; who, in Spinoza, is every thing and nothing, hid under undeterminate Expreffions, which give nothing real to lay hold on: In another Author he is the great Monade, eternally attentive to the Play of an infinite Number of Corporeal Machines, and an infinite Number of Monades, whofe Thoughts are directed by a neceffary Chain of Caufes, though to themfelves they feem free, and which imagine continually that they direct the Motions of Machines, upon which they have no Influence, and from which they receive no Impreffion: 'Tis this great Monade which devours Men in the Iroquois, that mixes the deadly Draught in the Poifoner, that pronounces the formidable Sentence in the Prefident against the unfortunate Convict, who however did nothing but what was impoffible for him not to do, or, as they love to fpeak it, inevitable. His Machine did it neceffarily, and,. by by virtue of the pre-establish'd Harmony, his Soul willed it inevitably. 'Tis too the fame univerfal Caufe that executes the given Sentence, and makes the unhappy Wretch expire in Torments. He boasts in St Peter, afterwards denies, and at last weeps and repents, and in Judas hangs himself. WHEN a Man perfifts in the System which leads fo directly to fuch horrible Confequences, can it be wonder'd if that he falls under the Sufpicion of Atheism? What Sentiments of Religion is it poffible to conceive in a Man, who indulges himfelf in fuch Ideas of God as ought to make all who adore him tremble? HOMER has reprefented his Gods contending with one another. The Syftem which Mr Pope defigned to fhew the Extravagance of, reprefents God as contrary to himself, Author of the Crime in the Wicked and Reprobate, and Author of the Punishment in the Judges who condemn them; for, according to it, every Thought in a human Monade is the natural and inevitable Confequence of those which preceded it. LET LET us again ftop a little to confider the Verfes which finifh the firft Book. Verse 275. This kind, this due Degree Of Blindness, Weakness, Heaven bestows on thee. ICONSENT to this Expreffion (kind) and do not wrangle about it, it may be render'd in a good Sense. In effect, our Ignorance and our Weakness turn to our Happiness, by the Endeavours which we make to enlighten and ftrengthen ourselves. God is pleased to take account of these our Endea vours, and as a tender and equitable Father looks upon them as a Merit, and rewards us for them. But it will not be the fame with thofe who take no Pains to get out of their Ignorance and Weaknefs. Verse 277. Submit ------- in this, or any other Sphere, Safe in the Hand of one difpofing Pow'r, IF thefe Words fignify, Give yourself up to the Direction of your Inclinations and your |