vin THEISM; EVOLUTION OF THEOLOGY 181 



solid sense of Butler left the Deism of the 

 Freethinkers not a leg to stand upon. Perhaps, 

 however, he did not remember the wise saying 

 that " A man seemeth right in his own cause, but 

 another cometh after and judgeth him." Hume's 

 Epicurean philosopher adopts the main arguments 

 of the " Analogy," but unfortunately drives them 

 home to a conclusion of which the good Bishop 

 would hardly have approved. 



' c I deny a Providence, you say, and supreme governor of 

 the world, who guides the course of events, and punishes the 

 vicious with infamy and disappointment, and rewards the 

 virtuous with honour and success in all their undertakings. 

 But surely I deny not the course itself of events which lies 

 open to every one's inquiry and examination. I acknowledge 

 that, in the present order of things, virtue is attended with 

 more peace of mind than vice, and meets with a more favour 

 able reception from the world. I am sensible that, according 

 to the past experience of mankind, friendship is the chief joy 

 of human life, and moderation the only source of tranquillity 

 and happiness. I never balance between the virtuous and the 

 vicious course of life ; but am sensible that, to a well-disposed 

 mind, every advantage is on the side of the former. And what 

 can you say more, allowing all your suppositions and reason- 

 ings ? You tell me, indeed, that this disposition of things pro- 

 ceeds from intelligence and design. But, whatever it proceeds 

 from, the disposition itself, on which depends our happiness 

 and misery, and consequently our conduct and deportment in 

 life, is still the same. It is still open for me, as well as you, 

 to regulate my behaviour by my experience of past events. 

 And if you affirm that, while a divine providence is allowed, 

 and a supreme distributive justice in the universe, I ought to 

 expect some more particular reward of the good, and pun- 

 ishment of the bad, beyond the ordinary course of events, I 

 here find the same fallacy which I have before endeavoured 



