The Intendant, who was come to receive the Gift of the People, was perfectly well receiv'd by our Landlord, and a magnificent Entertainment was made for him, to which the Priest and the two Assessors of the Village were also invited. During the Conversation, they did not forget to talk of Messieurs the Clockmakers. The Governor who had the Curiosity to see our Machine, admir'd the Invention of it, and said a thousand fine Things in praise of us; but it had been better for us that he had known nothing of the Matter, because in the Sequel it did not turn out at all to our Advantage, as will be seen in its Place.
CHAP. VII.
A curious Conversation between the Author, the Judge, and the Priest of the Village concerning Religion.
After the Governor was gone, the Judge who had not forgot our Conversation, was impatient to hear me talk of my Religion, and that he might have the fairer Opportunity, he invited the Priest next Day to Dinner for the Purpose, and sent for me and my Comrade to be of the Party.
The first thing that gave occasion to the Priest to open the Discourse, was our saying Grace before Meat. As I knew his Opinion, and had before talk'd of it to my Landlord, I only told him, that the Notion I had of God as a Being sovereignly powerful, and perfectly good, inclin'd me to implore his Blessing on the Food which he gave me for the Nourishment of my Body, being convinced both from Reason and Experience, that his Word was infinitely more satisfying than Bread. He talk'd on this Subject much after the same Manner as the Judge did, and pretended to evade the Stress of my Argument by instancing in his Countrymen, and even most Animals who are as much nourish'd with what they eat, as we who perform this Ceremony: So that the Drift of what he said was the absolute abolishing of Prayer. Let us not trouble our Heads to dispute about it, said I, 'tis a Question that will resolve itself soon, and only depends on some other Truths which I shall clearly demonstrate to you.
In the Conversation I had t'other Day with the Judge, he himself own'd to me, that you unanimously confess the Existence of a God of all Perfection, which is a Truth that might be very easily prov'd to you by several undeniable Arguments, and especially by that ascrib'd to one St. Thomas, which he calls causalitas causæ efficientis, because by it we infallibly trace Effects to one first, intelligent, and necessary Cause of the Production of all Things.
I know it, said the Priest, and a Man must be quite devoid of Reason so much as to doubt of it. Well then, reply'd I, 'tis clear that 'twas this same God, and no other who has created the Universe, that is to say, Heaven, Earth, and in general every thing that exists, out of nothing. As for that, said the Judge, I don't well understand it, out of Nothing there comes Nothing. You are right, said I, with regard to us; but as to God the Case is quite otherwise; there is no supposing of Matter coexistent with God, without a direct Contradiction; for then there would be two Infinite, two independent Beings, which 'tis presum'd cannot be reconcil'd. But to have done with infinite Things which are out of our Reach, I think it sufficient in the main to know that God has made all Things and not puzzle ourselves as to the Matter, Manner, and Time.
We have a Book, I added, which tells us all this. Moses assures us that God made every thing by his Word, about 6000 Years ago; and that after he had imploy'd Six Days in it, he rested from his Labour. What did he do the first Day, reply'd the Judge? After having created the Heaven and the Earth, he said, Let there be Light, and there was Light, &c. On the Sixth Day he created Man out of Clay, and breath'd into his Nostrils the Breath of Life, &c. When he had endow'd him with Discernment, it was very just that he should live in a Dependence upon him, and own him for the only Lord of the Universe. He gave him Power over all things on the Earth, and only forbad him not to touch one single Tree that was planted in the midst of the delightful Garden in which Providence had plac'd him. The Submission he ow'd to his Creator, would no doubt have constrain'd him from contravening his Orders; but the Woman which he gave him for a Companion, being the weaker Vessel, and more inquisitive than he was, indulg'd her Curiousity, took the admirable Fruit of this Tree into her Hand, tasted it, and found it so excellent, that she gave it to her Husband, who was so unfortunate as to eat of it, and by consequence incurr'd the Penalty that was impos'd on him of dying an everlasting Death, that is to say, of suffering eternal Pains after his Death; a Punishment very harsh, and indeed cruel, considering the Offence, and the Person that committed it, but nevertheless very just, in consideration of the Majesty of the Being that was offended.
Having ran over the History of the Creation, the Deluge, the Patriarch, of Moses and his brother Aaron, and of the Miracles by which the Truth of this History was confirm'd, I entertain'd them with an Account of the Prophets and their Predictions, especially with regard to the Messiah; of our Saviour's coming into the World, how he was the Son of God, and by what means he redeem'd us from the Punishment we had deserv'd in the Person of the First Man, our Father. I show'd them the Necessity of Prayer, as well from the Dictates of Nature, as from the Documents of holy Men, and in particular of Jesus Christ. And, to conclude, I talk'd to them of the Resurrection of the Body, and its being repossess'd by the Son, and of an everlasting happy Life which the Son of God purchas'd for us, by suffering the ignominious Death of the Cross.