that Mr Pope (a) has actually adopted. this Syftem? I anfwer you, that I refufe to believe this, till I am forced toit by more Proofs than I find of it in his Book: For after all, ought a. Reader to take the Liberty of making, a celebrated Author guilty of a Con-tradiction? Laugh where we must, be candid where we can ; ; But vindicate the Ways of God to Man. Ver. 15 THIS is the great End that Mr Pope in exprefs Terms takes upon himfelf. Shall we dare affirm that, after this magnificent Promife, he all on a fudden miftakes, and instead of jufti (a) See Mr Pope's Univerfal Prayer, the third Stanza... Yet left me in this dark Estate, fying the Ways of God, juftifies Man, who has it not in his Power to aVoid any one thing of all he does, fo that the Creator alone ftands charged with all the Horrors and Confufi ons that make the Reproach of Human Nature? on ; ANOTHER palpable ContradictiWHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT, fays he, at the End of his first Book. At the Sight of King Charles the Firft's lofing his Head on a Scaffold, he ought to have faid, THIS IS RIGHT. At the Sight of the Judges who condemn'd him, he must have faid too THIS IS RIGHT. On feeing fome of thofe very Judges taken and condemned for having done what was acknowledged to be RIGHT, he must have cried out, DOUBLY RIGHT. When his dear Friend, Lord Bolingbroke, was dif graced, the System required that he fhould fay, THIS IS RIGHT.. But Mr Pope himfelf makes this Prediction: When When Heroes, Statesmen, Kings in Dust repose, What should they blufh at? At that which is right? They could not blush at any Thing elfe, for WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT You will ask me too, Sir, perhaps with more Impatience, How it comes to pass that Mr Pope fix'd on this Episode? I answer, that it is quite ufeful to his End; his great Design is to humble Man, and what can be more mortifying for Man than a System full of Horror, invented, colour'd, drefs'd up, and publish'd by a Man who knew how to acquire a great Reputation. "Tis on this Occafion that one may afk, "O human "Soul, weak, bounded, and blind, who "dost not know thyfelf, how darest thou "undertake to found the Depths of the "Divine Nature? How dareft thou rely "fo confidently on thy weak Understand❝ing, as not to dread the terrible Confequences which flow fo naturally and " inevi 6.6 inevitably from thy daring Princi"ples ?" Is it permitted to a Man to believe that he is well enough affured of the Depths of Divine Knowledge, and has an Idea of it just enough to conclude from thence, that it was not poffible for this infinite Intelligence to form different Plans of the Universe, every one of which, upon the whole, should be as perfect, and as worthy of the Choice of its divine Author as the reft? He alone is the abfolutely perfect Infinite; it is impoffible that what is produced from nothing can have a Perfection equal to his; and among Beings whofe Perfection does not reach to an infinite Degree, why may there not be fome equal to one another? Even if one should be eafy enough to agree to this strange Paradox, that two finite Beings diftinct from one another, but entirely equal, Should be but one and the fame Being; of two different Things, why might not one have as much Perfection as the other? To deny that the Divine Power extends to fuch a Pro Production, feems to me one of the most daring Pieces of Temerity. The GOD ftands in need of nothing. perfect Infinite is felf-fufficient. one dare to think that he was not enough fatisfied with himself, till after he had exercised his Power in the Production of Creatures? Without them he is THE ETERNAL, THE INFINITE, THE PERFECT, THE BLESSED GOD; 'tis by a Choice of his Goodness, entirely free, that he was determined to create, rather than not to create. It is not enough to fay that he was not forced to it, we must add that he was willing it fhould be fo by a Choice perfectly free; 'tis not enough that happy Intelligences congratulate themselves on holding their Existence from an Almighty Principle, which could not help producing, and producing them fuch as they are: Their Obligation to give him Thanks is of quite another Force, their Gratitude of a much more lively Nature, and their Admiration of his Goodness raises itself to |