2 A View of tbe DEis TIcAL Writers. Let. 25.

yAVING conſidered the attempt made by Lord Bolingbroke againſt God's moral attributes and againſt the doctrine of providence, as exerciſing 2a carée and inſpection over the individuals of the human race, I now come to another part of his 3 ſcheme, and which ſeems to be deſigned to fet aſide the immortality of the ſoul, and a future ſtate of retri- butions. I join theſe together, becauſe there is a cloſe con- nection between them, and his lordſhip frequently repreſents the one of theſe as the conſequence of the other.

That I may make a fair repreſentation of his ſentiments, I ſhall firſt produce thofe paſſages, in which he ſeems to expreſs himſelf very favourably with reſpect ro the doctrine of a future ſtate, and then ſhall compare them with other paſſages which have a contrary aſpeét, that we may be the berter able to form a juſt notion of his real deſign.

Hèe obſerves, that“the doctrine of the immortality of the „ ſoul, and a future ſtate of rewards and puniſhments, began *to be taught long before we have any light into antiquity;

* „and when we begin to have any, we find it eſtabliſheda:

«That it was ſtrongly inculcated from time immemorial; „« and as carly as the moſt ancient and learned nations appear ** to us.“ And he exprelly acknowleges the uſefulneſs of that doctrine to mankind, as well as its great antiquity He de- clares, that"the doctrine of future rewards and puniſmments, *¹ which ſuppoſes the immortality of the ſoul, is no doubt a ¹e great reſtraint to men b.“ That“ it was invented by the *« antient theiſts, philoſophers, and legiſlators, to give an ad- *« ditional ſtrength to the fanctions of the law of nature; and «« that this motive every man who believes it may and muſt ‧c apply to himſelf, and hope the reward, and fear the puniſh- «« ment for his ſecret as well as public actions, nay, for his „¹thoughts as well as his actions e:“ That“ the greater part * of the heathen philoſophers did their utmoſt to encourage «c the belief of future rewards and puniſhments, that they «« might allure men to virtue, and deter them from vice the * more effectually d.“ He obſerves that e the hypotheſis of «e a life after this ſerved two purpoſes: The one was, that it « furniſhed an anfwer to the objections of the atheiſts with re-

a Vol. v. p. 237. p Vol. iii. p. 559. c Vol. v. p. 288. d Ibid. p. 220.