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ALL this was no more than a fecond Trial, and the only Remedy for their Tranfgreffion : But it is not fo in Man's Account. To erroneous human Understanding it appeared a fevere Punishment. Our firft Parents were doubtless averse to dying: But a Life of Labour and Sickness pleased them as little. All the Good promised them is at a vast Distance, and all the Evil prefent. How different is the laft State from the first!

I THROW a Veil over the unnatural Tragedy, which happened foon after by the two firft Brothers, and which gave the last Thrust towards the utter Overthrow of Fidelity and Affection among Men. The active Principle of natural Love, not daring any longer to truft to external Objects, collected all its Agency within itself: And hence arofe what we call Self-love, that almoft unfurmountable Obstacle to the Love of our Neighbour, which is so much the more pernicious, as it is often imperceptible, and continually circumvents us by innumerable Disguises.

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CHA P. V.

ROM this brief Narrative, which is taken, without any presumptuous Alteration, from that of Mofes, it is clear, that nothing more could be done for intelligent Creatures, than what the Creator did, to fix their eternal Happiness on a stable Basis, enjoining them to live in a perfect Love to him and to themselves.

It also lays open, with the fame Perfpicuity, how this admirable Work was at once ruined, and Mankind fell into Weakneffes, Darkness, and enormous Depravation, which were the almost neceffary Confequences of the firft Error. That such a Train of Misfortunes immediately fucceeded, is the Fault of human Reason only: For, when once it has thrown off the Yoke that is fit for it, and leaped over the Limits of Divine Revelation, there is no End of its Errors and wild Sallies.

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To be convinced of this, you need only confider the prefent Ignorance of this fo much boasted Ratiocination in regard to God, our Neighbour, and even to Love it felf, though infeparably annexed to it; and then judge whether it is fafe to truft to it alone, for the Truths of Religion and the Rights of Princes.

The univerfal Corruption having gradually eftranged Men from the fenfible Presence of their Creator, and Tradition perfifting immoveably to maintain the Existence of a first Eternal Being, the Author of Mankind, but under different Afpects, as above-mentioned; fometimes as an indulgent Father, fometimes as a rigid Judge, fometimes as almighty, and fometimes bearing with the Oppofition of rebellious Spirits, and the Ruin of his Mafterpiece; human Reason immediately fet about feeking and forging a thoufand Extravagancies, in order to reconcile all this, according to the Caprices and Paffions of Men.

If you only caft an Eye upon antient Idolatry, and the different Forms of Worship that obtained even amongst the most policed Na

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tions, the frightful Abuses of right Reason and common Sense, ftare you in the Face. The Philofophers, who came afterwards, agreed no better among themselves; fome drawing from clear Fountains, others from the Puddles of their own Imaginations, which produced Chimera's worse than Idolatry itself. In fine, when all Mankind confented in the Existence of an eternal almighty God, there was at the fame Time an univerfal Jarring about the Idea to be formed of him, and the Worship to be paid to him.

As great was the Discord about the Word Neighbour: And this Difpute spread its Roots fo, that not a few Shoots of it are seen in our Days. One fets out with afferting, that to be a Man, is to be a Neighbour; and another knows no other Neighbours than those of his own Religion; others again will have Country, Language, Confanguinity, Friendship, Favours, to be its conftituent Parts: In general, he is our Neighbour, who can be made to turn to any Account; and, as for any others, an Alms is all their due.

MANKIND has ever been compounded of worthy and religious Perfons, of Friends, Parents,

Parents, and Brothers, on one Hand; and on the other, of Villains and Libertines, of Ene→ mies and Traitors, befides Millions whofe Characters are unknown. All these cannot be faid to have the fame Claim to our Affection: To refuse it to fome, would be Injustice; to grant it to others, Stupidity. But, what is more perplexing, the fame Men often fhift from one Character to another, whilst others never change. It is to no Purpose to bring thefe Cafes before Reason's Tribunal: We shall still be as deficient in the Theory, as we too generally are in the Practice.

BUT the most extraordinary Circumstance is, what we shall remark relatively to Love, a Sentiment which all Men equally partake of, and not, liable one would think, to any Abufe from Understanding, as it needs only to reflect upon itself. Now, every Man, when he loves, is pleased with loving; and the inward Satisfaction which he feels, immediately fixes his Thoughts upon the beloved Object, in whom, by this Contemplation, he difcovers or imagines fresh Beauties, which ftrengthen the Attachment, fo that every other Idea is troublefome and difguftful. In this State of Paffion, nothing delights us more than to be talking

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