155 



It is natural to suppose that the impression of these awful 

 judgments on the surviving few, must at least deter them 

 from the most enormous crimes of their vile progenitors ; 

 but their jaundiced eye would scarcely discriminate between 

 lesser offences and virtues : and the corruption of the extin- 

 guished generation would still entail some portion of its poison 

 on the succeeding. Want of temperance, of filial piety, 

 of chastity would soon be apparent; and. more atrocious 

 vices, in time might renew such inveterate an^ irremediable 

 habits, as could only be destroyed with the communities 

 they afflicted. Reason however would have ampler exercise,, 

 and would not always yield the triumph to the passions. But 

 reason itself would naturally stray from truth ; and, as yet, 

 an unskilful guide, would lead mankind into a thousand per- 

 nicious errors and absurdities. 



Reflecting on the mixture of good and evil, the human 

 understanding perversely hunting after subtilties, would na- 

 turally overlook the eftect of the passions, and ascribe the 

 existence of vice and misery to an imaginary Principle oA' 

 evil, contending for ever witb God the Principle of goodj 

 «n<l almost sharing with him his omnipotence. To this phan- 

 tastie Being tlie apprehensions of men would unavoidably 

 lead them to bow in adoration. They would gradually mul- 

 tiply him into as many divinities, as they fancied there were 

 objects of dread : and all trace of God himself would be 

 lost in a sitoilar distribution of his attributes, among as many 

 objects of bcnevolonce and power. Reason itself would ac- 



