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Eight Sermons Preach'd at the Honourable Robert Boyle's Lecture, in the First Year, MDCXCII

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Eight Sermons Preach'd at the Honourable Robert Boyle's Lecture, in the First Year, MDCXCII Eight Sermons Preach'd at the Honourable Robert Boyle's Lecture, in the First Year, MDCXCII. Author(s): Bentley, Richard (1662-1742) Publisher: Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library i Contents Title Page 1 Prefatory Material 2 The Epistle Dedicatory 2 The Contents 4 Serm. I. The Folly of Atheism, and (What is Now Called) Deism: Even with Respect 5 to the Present Life. Serm. II. Matter and Motion cannot think: or A Confutation of Atheism from the 20 Faculties of the Soul. Serm. III. A Confutation of Atheism from the Structure and Origin of Human 35 Bodies. Serm. IV. A Confutation of Atheism from the Structure and Origin of Human 48 Bodies. Part II. Serm. V. A Confutation of Atheism from the Sturcture and Origin of Human Bodies. 62 The Third and Last Part. Serm. VI. A Confutation of Atheism from the Origin and Frame of the World. Part 76 I. Serm. VII. A Confutation of Atheism from the Origin and Frame of the World. Part 92 II. Serm. VIII. A Confutation of Atheism from the Origin and Fram of the World. The 109 Third and Last Part. Of Revelation and the Messias. A Sermon Preach’at the Public Commencement at 126 Cambridge. July 5th. 1696. Indexes 141 Index of Scripture References 142 Index of Scripture Commentary 144 Greek Words and Phrases 145 Latin Words and Phrases 148 Index of Pages of the Print Edition 150 ii This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. The mission of the CCEL is to make classic Christian books available to the world. • This book is available in PDF, HTML, and other formats. See http://www.ccel.org/ccel/bentley/sermons.html. • Discuss this book online at http://www.ccel.org/node/3587. The CCEL makes CDs of classic Christian literature available around the world through the Web and through CDs. We have distributed thousands of such CDs free in developing countries. If you are in a developing country and would like to receive a free CD, please send a request by email to [email protected]. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a self supporting non-profit organization at Calvin College. If you wish to give of your time or money to support the CCEL, please visit http://www.ccel.org/give. This PDF file is copyrighted by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It may be freely copied for non-commercial purposes as long as it is not modified. All other rights are re- served. Written permission is required for commercial use. iii Title Page Title Page EIGHT SERMONS i Preach’d at the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE’s LECTURE, In the FIRST YEAR, MDCXCII. By RICHARD BENTLEY Master of Arts. THE FIFTH EDITION. To which is now added a SERMON Preach’d at the Publick-Commencement at Cam- bridge July V. MDCXCVI. when He Proceded Doctor in Divinity. CAMBRIDGE: Printed for Cornelius Crownfield, Printer to the University; And are to be Sold by James Knapton and Robert Knaplock, Booksellers in LONDON, 1724. ii 1 Prefatory Material ThePrefatory Epistle DedicatoryMaterial To my most Honoured Patrons, TRUSTEES, Appointed by the Will of the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq; The Right Reverend Father in God, THOMAS, Lord Bishop of Lincoln, Sir Henry Ashurst, Kt and Baronet, Sir John Rotheram, Serjeant at Law, John Evelyn senior, Esquire. Most Honoured, GOD having disposed the Heart of that incomparable Person, the Honourable Robert Boyle Esquire, lately deceased, the Glory of our Nation and Age, whose Charity and Goodness were as universal as his Learning and Fame; 'To settle an Annual Salary for some Divine or Preaching Minister, who shall be enjoyned to perform the Offices following: 1. To preach Eight Sermons in the Year, for proving the Christian Religion against notorious Infidels, viz. Atheists, Deists, Pagans, Jews and Mahometans; not descending to any Controversies iii that are among Christians themselves: The Lectures to be on the First Monday of the respect- ive Months of January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November; in such Church as the Trustees shall from time to time appoint: 2. To be assisting to all Com- panies, and encouraging them in any Undertaking for propagating the Christian Religion: 3. To be ready to satisfy such Real Scruples as any may have concerning those Matters; and to answer such New Objections or Difficulties as may be started, to which good Answers have not yet been made: You have been pleased to believe me able in some measure to perform these Offices, and to command this First Essay to be made public. I am every sensible of the iv great Honour, as well as the great Extent and Difficulty of the Task; and shall endeavour to the utmost of my poor ability to answer the religious and generous Design of that Excellent Person, and the good Opinion you have entertained of 2 The Epistle Dedicatory My most Honoured Patrons, Your very obliged and humble Servant March I7. 169½. R. BENTLEY. v 3 The Contents The Contents THE CONTENTS. SERMON I. THE Folly of Atheism, and (what is now called) Deism; even with Respect to the Present Life. Psalm XIV. v. 12. The Fool hath said in his Heart, There is no God; they are corrupt, they have done abom- inable works, there is none that doth good. Pag. 1 SERMON II. Matter and Motion cannot think: Or, a Confutation of Atheism from the Faculties of the Soul. Acts XVII. 27. That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him; though he be not far from every one of us: for in him we Live, and Move, and have our Being. p. 45. SERMONS III, IV, V. A Confutation of Atheism from the Structure and Origin of Human Bodies. vi Acts XVII. 27. That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him; though he be not far from every one of us: for in him we Live, and Move, and have our Being. p. 85, 122, 163. SERMONS VI, VII, VIII. A Confutation of Atheism from the Origin and Frame of the World. Acts XIV. 15, &c.. That ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, who made Heaven and Earth and the Sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffer’d all Nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless, he lest not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave us Rain from Heaven, and fruitful Seasons, filling our hearts with Food and Gladness. p. 203, 246, 293. Commencement SERMON. vii I Peter III. 15. Be ready always to give an answer to every Man, that asketh you a reason of the Hope that is in you. p. 343 4 Serm. I. The Folly of Atheism, and (What is Now Called) Deism: Even with¼ Serm. I. The Folly of Atheism, and (What is Now Called) Deism: Even with Respect to the Present Life. Serm. I. 1 THE Folly of Atheism, And (what is now called) DEISM: Even with Respect to the PRESENT LIFE. The First SERMON Preached March 7. 179½. Psalm XIV. verse 1. The Fool hath said in his Heart, There is no God; they are corrupt, they have done abom- inable works, there is none that doth good. I Shall not now make any enquiry about the time and occasion and other circumstances of composing this Psalm; nor how it comes to pass, that with very little variation we have it twice over, both here the 14th. and again number the 53d. Not that these and such like are not important considerations in themselves; but that I think them improper now, when we are to argue and expostulate with such persons, as allow no Divine Authority to our Text; and profess no greater, or, it may be they will say, less Veneration for these Sacred 2 Hymns, than for the profane Songs of Anacreon or Horace. So that although I my self do really believe, that all such as say in their Hearts, There is no God, are foolish and corrupt, both in Understanding and Will; because I see infinite Wisdom it self has pronounced them to be so: nevertheless this Argument would at present have no force upon these men, till in due time and method we have evinced the sufficient Authority of Holy Scripture. But however there are other Books extant, which they must needs allow of as proper Evidence; even the mighty Volumes of visible Nature, and the everlasting Tables of Right Reason; wherein, if they do not wilfully shut their Eyes, they may read their own Folly written by the Finger of God, in a much plainer and more terrible Sentence, than 1f defaced. Whence it will follow, that Speculative Atheism does only subsist in Our speculation; whereas really Humane Nature cannot be guilty of the crime: that indeed a few sensual and voluptuous Persons may for a season eclipse this native Light of the Soul; but can never so wholly smother and extin- 3 guish it, but that at come lucid intervals it will recover it self again, and shine forth to the conviction of their Conscience. And therefore they believed, that the words would not admit 1 Dan. 5. 5. 5 Serm. I. The Folly of Atheism, and (What is Now Called) Deism: Even with¼ of a strict and rigorous Interpretation; but ought to be so temper’d and accommodated to the nature of things, as that they may describe those profane persons; who, though they do not, nor can really doubt in their Hearts of the Being of God, yet they openly deny his Providence in the course of their lives.
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