And indeed I am of Opinion, that the Laws of Motion, neceflary to the Production and Pre- fervation of the Earth, and all the Stars in the Heavens, are redue'd to thefe Two: Firft, That inov'd Bodies tend to continue their Motion in a right line: Secondly, That when two Bodies meet, their Motion is diltributed to each, in proportion to their Magnitude; fo that after the Collifion NATURE and GRACE.
CoDifion they ought to move with equal degrees of Celerity. Thefe two Laws are the Caufe of all thofe Motions which produce that variety of Forms which we, admire in Nature.
XVI. 'Tis own'd notwithftanding, that the fecond is never manifeftly obfervable in the Experi- ments that can be made upon the Subject; but that comes from our feeing only what happens in vifible Bodies, and our not thinking on the invifible that furround them, which by the Efficacy of the fame Law, giving the Elajiicity to vifible Bodies, oblige them, to rebound, and hinder them from obferving it. But this I ought not to explain more at length.
XVII. Now thefe two Laws are fo Simple, fo Natural, and at the fame time fo Fruitful, that though we had no other Reafon to conclude they are obferv'd in Nature, we mould be induct ' to believe them eftablifh'd by Him who works always by the fimpleft Ways, in whofe Action there is nothing but what's fojuftly uniform, and wifely proportion'd to his Work, that He doe3 infinite Wonders by a very fmall Number of Wills.
XVIII. It fares not fo with the General Caufe, as with the Particular; with infinite Wifdom, as with limited Underftandings. GOD forefeeing, before the Eftablifhment of Natural Laws, all that could follow from them, ought not to have conltituted them, if He was to difinnul them. The Laws of Nature are conftant and immutable, and general for all Times and Places. Two Bodies of fuch degrees of Magnitude and Swiftnefs, meeting, rebound fo now as they did heretofore. If the Rain falls upon fome Grounds, and the Sun fcorches others; if a feafonable Time for Harveft is followed by a deftructive Hail •, if an Infant cones into the World with a monflrous and ufelefs Head growing from his Breaft, that makes him wretched h this proceeds not from the particular Wills of G 0 D, but from the Settlement of the Laws of Communica- tion of Motions, whereof thefe Effects are neceflary Confequences: Laws at once folimple and lb fruitful, that they ferve to produce all we fee Noble in the World, and even to repair in a lit- tle time the moll general Barrennefs and Mortality.
XIX. He that having built an Houfe, throws one Wing of it down, that he may rebuild it, betrays his Ignorance •, and he who having planted a Vine, plucks it up as foon as it has taken root, manifefts his Levity; becaufe he that wills and unwills, wants either Knowledge or Refo- lution of Mind. But it cannot be faid that GOD acts either by this Freakifhnefs, or Ignorance, when a Child comes into the World with fuperfluous Members that make him leave it again; or that an Hail-ftone breaks off a Fruit half ripe. If he caufes this, 'tis not becaufe he wills and nnwills j for G 0 D a£ts not like particular Caufes, by particular Wills -, nor has he eftablifh'd the Laws of the Communications of Motions,. with defign to produce Monfters, or to make Fruit fall before Maturity ^ it not being their Sterility but Fecundity, for which He will'd thefe Laws. Therefore what He once will'd, He ftill wills, and the World in general, for which thefe Laws were conltituted, will eternally fubfilt.
XX. 'Tis here to be obfervd, That the Eflential Rule of the Will Of GOD is Order; and that if Man, for example, had not finn'd, (a Supposition which had quite chang'd the Defigns,) then Order not fuffering him to be punifh'd, the Natural Laws of the Communications of Mo- tions would never have been capable to incommodate his Felicity. For the Law of Order, which requires that a righteous Perfon mould fuffer nothing againft his Will, being EiTential to GOD, the Arbitrary Law of the Communication of Motions muft have been necelTarily fubfervient to.it.
XXI. There are if ill fome uncommon Inftances where thefe General Laws of Motions ought to ceafe to produce, their Effect; not that GOD changes or corrects His Laws, but that fome Jvlirades muft happen on particular Occafions, by the Order of Grace, which ought to fuperfede the Order of Nature. Befides, 'tis fit Men mould know that G 0 D is fo Mafter of Nature, that if He fubmits it to His Laws eftablifh/d, 'tis rather becaufe He wills it fo, than by an abfo^ lute Neceffity.
XXII. If then it be true, that the General Caufe ought not to produce His Work by particular Wills, and that GOD ought to fettle certain conftant and invariable Laws of the Communica- tion of Motions, by the Efficacy whereof He forefaw the World might fubfift in the State we find it j in one Senie it may be raoft truly faid, that GOD defires all his Creatures mould be perfect * chat He wills not the Abortion of Children; nor loves monftrous Productions -, nor has made the- Laws of Nature with defign of caufing them; and that if it were poflible by ways fo fimple to nuke and preferve a perfecler World, He would never have eftablifh'd thofe Laws, whereof fo great a Number of Monfters are the neceflary Refults: But that it would have been unworthy His Wifdom to multiply His Wills to prevent fome particular Diforders, which by their Diver- litv make a kind of Beauty in the Univerfe.
'XXIII. GOD has given to every Seed a Cicatricle, which contains in Miniature the Plant and Fruity another Cicatricle adjoining to the former, which contains the Root of the Plant j which Root contains another Root ftill, whofe imperceptible Branches expand themfelves into the two Lobes or Meal of the Seed. Does not this manifeft, that in one molt real Senfe He de- fleas all Seeds fhould produce their like? For why mould He have given to thofe Grains of Corn He defign'd fnonld be barren, all the Parts requifite to render them Fecund? Neverthelefs, Rain being neceflary to make them thrive, and this falling on the Earth by General Laws, which diitribute it not precifely on well manur'd Grounds, and in the fltteft Seafons, all thefe Grains come not to good •, or, if they do, the Hail, or fome other mifchievous Accident, which is a Neceflary Confequence of thele fame Natural Laws, prevents their earing. Now GOD having c'onitituted thefe Laws, might be faid to will the Fecundity of fome Seeds rather than others, it" B we F. Malebranche Concerning we did not otherwife know that, it not becoming a General Caufe to work by Particular Wills, nor an infinitely wife Being by Complicated Ways •, GOD ought not to take other Meafures than He has done for the Regulating the Rains according to Time and Place, or by the Delire of the Husbandman. Thus much is iufficient for the Order of Nature; Let us explain that of Grace a little more at large, and efpecially remember that 'tis the fame Wifdom, and the fame Will ± in a word, the fame GOD who has eftablilh'd them both.
PART II.
Of the Necejpty of the General Laws of GRACE.
XXIV. jf~~~t 0 D loving Himfelf by the Neceflity of His Being, and willing to procure an In- finite Glory, an Honour on all Hands worthy of himfelf, confults His Wifdom for the accomplishing His Defires. This Divine Wifdom, fill'd with Love for Him from whom He receives His Being, by an Eternal and Ineffable Generation, fee- ing nothing in all poffible Creatures worthy of the Majefty of His Father, offers Himfelf,.to efta- blilh to His Honour an Eternal Wormip, and to prefent Him, as High Prieft, a Sacrifice which through the Dignity of His Perfon, mould be capable of contenting Him. He reprefents to Hirri infinite Models, for the Temple to be rais'd to His Glory • and at the fame time all poffible Ways to execute His Defigns. 'Mongft all which, that which inftantly appears Greateft, and moft Mag- nificent, moft Uniform, and Comprehenfive, is that whereof all the Parts have moft Symmetry with the Perfon who conftitutes the whole Glory and Sanftity of it: And the wifeft way of exe- cuting that Defign, is the Eftablifhing certain moft fimple and fruitful Laws to bring it to its Perfe- ction. This is what Reafon feems to anfwer to all thofe who confult it with Attention, when following the Principles which Faith teaches us. Let us examine the Circumftances of this Great Dejgn, and then endeavour to difcover the Ways of executing it.
XXV. The Holy Scripture teaches us, That 'tis J ejus Chriji who ought to make all the Beauty, the Sanftity, the Grandeur, and Magnificence of this Work. If Holy Writ compare it to a City, 'tis Jejus Chriji who makes all the Luftre^ it not being the Sun and the Moon, but the Glory of Apcc 21. God, and the Light of the Lamb that mine upon it. When reprefenting it asa Living Body, where- 2?-. of all the Parts have a wonderful Proportion, 'tis Jejus Chriji who is the Head of it. 'Tis from Cci. i. 1 8. pxjm tjie kpij-j,. an(j Life are communicated into all the Members that compofe it. Speaking of Ephef. i. ^ as a Temple, jjefus Chrifl is the Chief Corner-ftone, which is the Foundation of the Build- 12. ing. 'Tis He who is the High Prieft, and Sacrifice of it. Ail the Faithful are Priefts^ but as they participate of his Priefthood, they are Victims, only as partaking of HisHolinefs; it being in Him and through Him alone they continually offer themfelves to the Majefty of God. In fine, 'tis only from the Analogy they bear to Him, that they contribute to the Beauty of this Auguft and Venerable Temple, which has always been, and will eternally continue, the Objeft of the good Pleafure.of God.
XXVI. Reafon Hkewife evinces thefe fame Truths: For what Proportion is there between Crea- tures, how perfect foever we fuppofe them, and the Aftion that produces them > How can any Creatures which are finite, be equivalent to the Aftion of God of infinite Worth > Can God re- ceive any thing from a mere Creature that determines him to aft? But be it fo, that God made Man with Hopes of being hOnour'd by* him •, whence comes it, that thofe who difhonour Him make the greateft Number? Is not this a.fufficient Indication that God is very negligent of His pretended Glory, which He receives from His Work, if feparated from His Well-beloved Son; that it, was in Jefm Chriji that He refolv'd to produce it, and that without Him it would not fubfift a moment.
. XXVII. AManrefolves upon a Work, becaufe he has need of it, or has a Mind to fee what Effeft it ivill have; or, laftly, becaufe by this Effay of his Strength he learns what he is able to produce. But God has no need of his Creatures; nor is He like Men who receive new Impreffi- ons from the Prefence of Objefts. His Ideas are Eternal and Immutable. He law the World be- fore it was form'd, as well as he fees it now. Laftly, Knowing that His Wills are efficacious, he perfeftly knows, without making trial of his Strength, all that He's capable of producing! Thus Scripture and Reafon allure us, that by Reafon of Jejus Chriji the World fubfifts, and through the Dignity of his Divine Perfon receives an additional Beauty, whiefi renders it well pleafing in the Sight of God.
XXVIII. From which Principle, methinks, it follows, that Jejus Chriji is the Model by which we are.made -, that we were ffam'd after His Image and Similitude, and have nothing comely in us any farther than we are the Draught and Eflypenoi' Him •, that He is the End of' the Laxv,. and the Archetype of the Ceremonies and Sacrifices of the Jews. That to determine that • Succefiion of Generations preceding His Birth, they mutt needs have had fome certain Agree- ments with Him, whereby they became more pleafing to God than any other. That fince Jefus Chriji was to be the Head and Husband of the Church, 'twas requifite he fliould be typified by the Propagation of Mankind from one Perfon • as related by MoJes, and explain'd bv" St. FjuL In a word, from this Principle it follows, that die prefent World ought to be the Figure of the future » NATURE and GRACE. 'f future • and that as far as the Simplicity of General Laws will permit, all the Inhabitants of it have been or fliall be the Figures and Refemblances of the Only Son of God, quite from AM in whom he was facrificed, to the laft Member that mall conftituteHis Church XXIX. We judge of the. Perfection of a Work by its ConfOrmiry with the Idea afforded us by Eternal Wifdom: For there is nothing Beautiful or Amiable, but as related to Eifential, Necef- lary, and Independent Beauty. Now that Intelligible Beauty, being made fenfible, becomes even in this Capacity the Rule of Beauty and Perfection. Therefore all Corporeal Creatures ought to receive from it all their Excellency and Luitre. All Minds ought to have the fame Thoughts and the fame Inclinations as the Soul of jefm, if they would be agreeable to thofe who fee no- thing Beautiful, nothing Amiable, lave in what is conformable to Wifdom and Truth. Since therefore we are oblig'd to believe the Work of GO D to have an abfolute Conformity with Eter- nal Wildom, we have all Reafon to believe, that the fame Work has infinite Correfpondencies with Him who is the Head, the Principle, the Pattern, and the End of it. But who can ex- plain all thefe Agreements > XXX. That which makes the Beauty of a Temple, is the Order and Variety of Ornaments that are found in it. Thus, to render the Living Temple of the Divine Majefty worthy of its Inhabitant, and proportionate to the Wifdom and infinite Love of its Author, all poffible Beauties are to make it up. But it is not fo with this Temple rais'd to the Glory of God, as with Mate- rial ones. For that which conftitutes the Beauty of the Spiritual Edifice of the Church, is the infinite Diverfity of Graces, communicated from Him, who is the Head of it, to all the' confti- tuent Parts. "lis the Order and admirable Proportions fettled among them, 'tis the various De- grees of Glory fhining and reflecting on all fides round about it.
XXXI. It follows from this Principle, that to the eftablffhing that Variety of Rewards, which make up the Beauty of the Heavenly jenij'akm, Men ought to be fubjeCt upon Earth, not only to Purgative Afflictions, but alfo to the Motions of Concupifcence, which make them gain fo many Victories by adminiftring fuch a multitude of various Combats.
XXXII. The BlefTe'd in Heaven, no doubt, will be endow'd with a SanCtity, and Variety of Gifts, perfectly correfponding to the Diverfity of their Good Works. Thofe continual Sacrifices, whereby the Old Man is deltroy'd and annihilated, will enricfi the Spiritual Subltance of the Ncio Man with Graces and Beauties. And if it were neceiTary that Jefi/s Chriji fhould fuffer all forts of AffliCtions before He entefd on the Poflefiion of His Glory; Sin, which introduc'd into theW^orld the Miferiesof Life^ and Death, which follows it, were neceiTary, that Men after their Trial upon Earth might be legitimately crown'd with* that Glory, the Variety and Order whereof fliall make the Beauty of the future World.
XXXIII. 'Tis true, that Concupifcence which we feel in us is not neceflary to our Meriting: For J ejus Chriji, whofe Merits, are infinite, was riot fubjeCt to it. But though He abfolutely controll'd it, He was willing to admit in Himfelf the moft vexatious Motions and Senfations, that He might merit all the Glory that was prepared for Him. Of all Senfations, that which is moil repugnant to a Soul willing, and deferving to be happy, is Pain $ wbich yet He was willing to fuffer in the moft exceflive degree. Pleaftrre makes actually Happy the Perfon that actually enjoys it, which yet he willingly deny'd Himfelf. Thus he has offer'd, like us, innumerable Sa- crifices, through a Body which he took like ours: But thefe Sacrifices were of a different kind from thofe of the greateft Saints; becaufe he voluntarily rais'd in Himfelf all thofe painful Sen- fations, which in the reft of Men are the neceiTary Confluences of Sin •, which being thus ptrfeCUy voluntary, were therefore more pure and meritorious.
XXXIV. If I had a clear Idea of the Bleffed Spirits, who are not embody'd, I perhaps could clearly refolve a Difficulty that arifes from their Confideration. For it may be objeCfed, either that there is very little Variety in the Merits or Rewards of Angels, or that it was to ill pur- pofe tor God to unite Bodies to Spirits, which are, Whllft united, fo dependant on them. I confefs I do not fee any great Diverfity in the Rewards anfwering the Merits of purely intelli- gible Subftances, efpecially if they have merited their Recompence by one fole ACt of Love.' For being not united to a Body, which might be an Occafwn to God's giving them, by moft Sim- pie and General Laws, a Train of different Thoughts and Senfations, I fee no Variety in their Combats, or Victories \ But polTibly another Order has been eftablifli'd, which is unknown to me -, and therefore! ought not tofpeak,of it. And 'tis fufricient thatl have eftablifli'd a Prin- ciple, from w;hence may be concluded, that God ought to create Bodies, and unite Minds to them, that by the moft fimple Laws of Union of thefe two Subftances, He might give us in a general, conltant, and uniform manner, that gteat Variety of Senfations and Motions, which is the Principle of the Diverfity of our Merits and Rewards.
XXXV. Laftly, 'twas requifite that God alone fhould have all the Glory of the Beauty and Perfection of the future World. This Work, which infinitely excels all others, ought to be a Work of pure Mercy. It was not for Creatures to glory in having any other part in it, than Rom. u. that the Grace, of j'ejus Chriji had given them. In a word, 'twas fit that God fhould fuffer all ^ Men to be involved in Sin, that He might iheW them Mercy in Jefus Chriji.
XXXVI. Thus the firft Man, being impower'd by the Strength of His Charity, to perfevere in Original Righteoufnefs, God ought not to have fiYd him to his Duty, by preventing Pleafures -, tor having no Concupifcence to conquer, God ought not to prevent his Free Will by the Delecta- tion of His Grace. In ih'ort, having all in general that was neceiTary to his meriting his Reward, God, who works nothing in vain, ought to leave him to himfelf though Heforefaw His Fall, fines!
Fie He defign'd to raife him up in Jef/ts Chrifi, put Free Will to confufion, and manifeft the Greatnefs of His. Mercy. Let us now endeavour to difcover the Ways whereby God executes His Eternal Purpofe of the San&ification of His Church.
XXXVII. Though God in the Eftablifhment of the future World" a£ts in Ways very different from thofe by which He preferves the prefent •, yet it ought not to be imagin d that difference is fo great as to take from the Laws of Grace the Character of the Caufe that made them. As it is the fame God, who is" the Author both of the Order of Grace and Nature; thefe two Orders muft agree in all thofe included Symptoms, which difcover the Wifdom and Power of their bounder. Therefore fince God is a Genn\il Caufe, whofe Wifdom has no Bounds, He.muft needs, for the Reafons before given, act asfoch in the Order of Grace, as well as in that of Nature -, and His own Glory being His End, in the Conftru&ion of His Church •, He mult eltablim melt Simple and General Laws, and which have the greatelt Proportion of Wifdom, and Fertility with their defign'd EffecF.
XXXVIII. The more wife an Agent is, the more comprehenfive are his Wills. A very limi- ted tlnderftanding is conftantly taking frefh Defigns, and in the Execution of any one of them em- ploys more Means than areufefuL In a word, aftraitned Capacity does not fufficiently compare the' Means with the End •, the Force and the Action, with the Effeft to be produced by them.
On the contrary, a Mind of great Reach and Penetration collates and weighs all things •, forms not Defigns, except upon the Knowledge of the Means to diipatch them •, and when it has ob-. ierv'd in rhefe Means a certain Proportion of Wifdom with their Effects, he puts them in pra- ctice. The more fimple are the Machines, and more different their Effecls, the more Marks they bear of an intelligent Workman, and more worthy they are to be efteem'd. The great Number of Laws in a State, are commonly a Proof of the want of Infight and Extent of Thought in their Founders; it being rather the Experience of their Exigency, than a wife Fore-light that eiiablifli'd them. God therefore, whofe Wifdom is infinite, ought to employ the fimpleft and molt comprehenfive Means in the Formation of a future World, as well as in the Prefervation of the prefent. He ought not to multiply His Wills, which are the executive Laws of His Defigns, fave when Neceffity obliges Him to it •, but muft a£t by General Wills, and fo fettle a Conitant and Regular Order, by which He forefees, through the infinite Comprehenfion of His Wifdom, that a Work fo admirable as His muft needs be form'd. Let us fee the Conlequences of this Principle, and the Application we may make of it in the Explication of thofe Difficulties which ieem very puzzling and perplex'd.
XXXIX. Holy Writ on one hand teaches us, that God wills all Men fhould be fav'd, and come to the Knowledge of the Truth; and on the other, that He does whatever He wills-, and vet Faith is not given to all Men; and the Number of thofe that periih. is greater than that of the Predeitinate. How can this be reconcil'd with His Power?
XL. God forefaw from all Eternity Original Sin, and the Infinite Number of thofe whom Sin mould call: into Hell \ and neverthelefs created the'Firft Man in a State from whence He knew He mult fall h and likewifehas appointed fuch Relations betwixt this Man and his Polterity, as mult communicate his Sin, and render them all worthy.. His Averfionand His Anger. How is this to be reconcil'd with His Goodnels?
God often fheds abroad His Graces, without having the Effe£t for which His Goodnels obliges us to believe He gives them. He increafes Piety in Perfons till towards the End of their Days, and Sin triumphs over them at Death, and throws them headlong into Hell. He makes the Rain of His Grace to fall on hardned Hearts as well as on prepar'd Grounds, which Men refill: and render ineffectual. In a word, God continually does and undoes $ and feems to will and nill again. How fhall this be reconcil'd with His Wifdom?
Lo here great Difficulties. And the whole (economy of Religion; the Idea we have of a Good, Wife, Powerful God, conitant in His Defigns, regular in His Aftion; and a thoufand places in Scripture furnifh us with feveral others, contrary to what we experimentally find every Day in the Order of Grace -, and though very Learned Men have anfwer'd them, to me they feem inca- pable of a fatisfa£tory and clear Refolution, without the fore-eftabliflf d Principle.
XLII. For my own part, I always believ'd that God would have all Men faved. Reafon and Scripture will not fuffer me to doubt it. And though the Authors whom I honour with a very profound Reverence, have in the preceding Ages given out various Explications of this Truth, I have ever been uneafie to receive luch", as without any Neceffity' feem'd to me to give Bounds to the Extent of God's Goodnefs and Mercy. Therefore confulting the Idea which all Men have of God, I enter'd on this Opinion, which I now expofe tO the Cenfure of all thofe who mall be willing to examine it attentively, and pals an equitable Judgment on it.
XL1II. God being oblig'd to a£t always in a manner that becomes Him, by ways Simple, Ge- neral, Conitant, and Uniform: In a word, fuitable to the Idea we have of a General Caule, whofe Wifdom has no Bounds^ ought to fetue certain Laws in the Order of Grace, as I haveprov'dHe has done in the Order of Nature. Which Laws, by Reafon of their Simplicity, muft necelTarily have unhappy Confequences in reference to us. But thefe COnfequences are not of fuch Account, as fhould caufe God to change thefe Laws for more compounded; as having a greater Proportion of Wifdom, and Fecundity to the Work they produce, than all that could be eftablifh'd for the i'lme Defign •, fince he always acts in the wifelt and perfe&eft manner. 'Tis true, God could re- drefs thele unhappy Confequences by an infinite Number of particular Wills: But Order will not fuller him. The Effect producible by each Will would not countervail the Attion that fhould produce produce it. And confequently God is not to beblanfd for not difturbing the Order and Simi city of his Laws by Miracles, which would be very welcome to our Exigencies, but very repi hant to the Wifdom of God, whom it is not lawful to tempt.
XLIV. Therefore, as 'twould be unreafonable in us to be angry at the Rajtfs falling in I where 'tis ufelefs, and efcaping Seeded Grounds where 'tis neceflary -, fince the Law; « munication of Motions are molt Simple, molt Exuberant, and perfectly worthy of their Autl Wifdom j and that by thefe Laws it is impoihble the Rain fhould fall rather on the Earth th i Sea, fb we ought not to complain of the feeming Irregularity, by which Grace is given to Men. Tis the Regularity wherewith God works; 'tis the Simplicity of the Laws he obferves; 'tis the Wifdom, and Uniformity of his Conduct, which is the Cauie of that feeming Irregularity. 'Tis neceflary by the Laws of Grace eftablim' d by God in favour of his Elect, and for the Conlrru- cfion of his Church, that Celeftial Rain mould fall as well on hardn'd as prepar'd Hear ts • and if it be Ihed in vain, 'tis not becaufe God a&s without Defign 5 much lefs with Defign of making Men more culpable by the Abufe of his Favours: But becaufe the Simplicity of General Laws permits not that Grace which is loft in a corrupt Heart, to fall upon another where it would have been effectual. Since this Grace is not given by a particular Will, but in purfinmcc of the Im- mutability of the General Order of Grace h if this Order produces a Work proportioned to the Simplicity of its Laws, it fuffices to render it worthy of the Wifdom of its Author. For, in f hort, the Order of Grace would be lefs perfect, lefs admirable, and amiable, if it were mo; e complex'd.