But as this Ground of Christianity has a weak Foundation, viz. The Creature's being only occasional Causes of our Pleasing Sensations, (which is neither proved, nor would support the Superstructure that is rais'd upon it, if it could be proved) So it is to be hoped, that if we reject what so few have receiv'd, or so much as thought of, we may yet be good Christians. And those seem more than a little to indanger Christianity, if not Deism also, who lay the great stress of their proof upon the Hypothesis of seeing all things in God. For in that, the whole Argument for both (by which Atheists or Sceptics are propos'd to be brought over to Deism, or Christianity) terminates; in the Conversations Chrestiennes of Mr. Malebranche, lately Translated into English, for the introducing amongst us that Unintelligible way of Practical Religion, above spoken of. And I doubt not, but if it were generally receiv'd and Preach'd by our Divines, that this Opinion of Seeing all things in God was the Basis upon which Christianity was built, Scepticism would be so far from finding thereby a Cure, that it would spread it self much farther amongst us than it has yet done; And that many who find Christianity a very Reasonable Religion in the Scriptures, would think it a very unaccountable one in a System that (laying down That for its foundation) adds also further, That the Desire we have to the Creature, is the Punishment of Sin, not the Institution of Nature: For this Concupiscence is transmitted to us from our first Parent. Qui voyoit clairement Dieu en toutes choses: Il sçavoit avec evidence, que les Corps ne pouvoient estre son bien, ni le rendre par eux mêmes heureux ou Malheureux en aucune maniére: Il estoit convaincu de l'opération continuelle de Dieu sur luy; Mais sa Conviction n'estoit pas sensible. Il le connoissoit sans le sentir. Au contraire il sentoit que les Corps agissoient sur lui, quoy qu'il ne le connût pas. Il est vrai qu'estant raisonnable, il devoit suivre sa lumiére, et non pas son sentiment; & qu'il pouvoit facilement suivre sa lumiére contre son sentiment, sa connoisance claire contre sa sensation confuse, parce qu'il arrestoit sans peine ses sentimens, lors-qu'il le vouloit, à cause qu'il étoit sans concupiscence. Cependant s'arrêtant trop à ses sens, se laissant aller peu-à-peu à les écouter plus volontiers que Dieu même, à cause que les sens parlent toûjours agréablement, et que Dieu ne le portoit pas à l'écouter par des plaisirs prévenans qui auroient diminué sa Liberté; vous concevez bien comment il à pû s'éloigner de Dieu jusqu'à le perdre de vûe, pour s'unir de volonté à une Creatùre,
Entr. iv. p. 106, 107. Who did clearly see God in all things, and evidently knew that Bodies could not be his true Good, nor properly make him in the least happy, or unhappy, and was fully convinc'd of God's continual Operation on him. But he had no sensible conviction: He knew this, but without feeling it. On the contrary, he could feel that Bodies acted on him, tho' he could not know it: Yet having Reason, he should have follow'd his Light, not his Sentiment; And could have done it; since he could stop his Sentiment when he pleas'd, being free from Concupiscence: However deferring to his senses, and suffering himself to hearken to them more willingly than to God, by reason the senses always move pleasingly, and God did not move him by pre-ingageing Pleasure, which might have lessen'd his freedom, it is easie to conceive how he came to remove himself so far from God as to lose sight of him, and to joyn himself to the Creature. The same Author also gives us an account how Adam's Posterity came to be infected; (which, it seems, was not from Adam, as is commonly taught, but from Eve) à cause de l'union que les enfans ont avec leur mere,
p. 110. By reason of the Union that Children have with their Mother. Il n'y a point de femme qui n'ait dans le cerveau quelque trace & quelque movement d'esprits, qui la sasse penser, et qui la porte à quelque chose de sensible. Or quand l'enfant est dans le sein de sa mere, il a les mêmes traces et les mêmes émotions d'esprits que sa mere; donc en cet état il connoît et aime les corps,
p. 111. And there is no Woman that has not some traces in her Brain, and motions of her Spirits, which carry her to something sensible. Now when the Child is in the Womb of its Mother, it has the same traces, and the same motion of the Spirits: Therefore in this estate it knows and loves Bodies, and consequently is born a Sinner. And this no holiness of the Mother can hinder; Since L'amour de Dieu ne se communique pas comme l'amour des Corps: Dont la raison est, que Dieu n'est pas sensible, et qu'il n'y a point de traces dans le Cerveau, qui par l'institution de la Nature representent Dieu, ni aucune des choses qui sont purement intelligibles.
Une femme peut bien se representer Dieu sous la forme d'un Venerable Vieillard: Mais lors qu'elle pensera à Dieu; son enfant pensera à un Vieillard: Lors qu'elle aimera Dieu, son enfant aura de l'amour pour les Vieillards,
p. 112, 113. The Love of God does not communicate it self like the love of Bodies; Of which the reason is, that God is not sensible, and there are no Vestiges in the Brain, which by the institution of Nature represent God, or anything that is purely intelligible.
So that the Children of Women who represent to themselves God in the form of a Reverend old Man, will love Old Men: And whenever the Mothers think upon God and love God, the Children will think upon Old Men and love Old Men. Wherefore from this Original Corruption, springs the Necessity of a Mediator, who must be both God and Man, &c.