I read this last night in Cotton Mather's [i:ff023c0948]Christian Philosopher[/i:ff023c0948] (formatting changed slightly, because it takes too long to italicize everything that he does):
"Atheism is now for ever chased and hissed out of the World, every thing in the World concurs to a Sentence of Banishment upon it. Fly, thou Monster, and hide, and let not the darkest Recesses of Africa itself be able to cherish thee; never dare to shew thyself in a World where every thing stands ready to overwhelm thee! A BEING that must be superior to Matter, even the Creator and Governor of all Matter, is every where so conspicuous, that there can be nothing more monstrous than to deny that God that is above. No System of Atheism has ever yet been offered among the Children of Men, but what may presently be convinced of such Inconsistences, that a Man must ridiculously believe nothing certain before he can imagine them; it must be a System of Things which cannot stand together! A Bundle of Contradictions to themselves, and to all common Sense. I doubt it has been an inconsiderate thing to pay so much of a Compliment to Atheism, as to bestow solemn Treatises full of learned Arguments for the Refutation of a delirious Phrenzy, which ought rather to be put out of countenance with the most contemptuous Indignation. And I fear such Writers as have been at the pains to put the Objections of Atheism into the most plausible Terms, that they may have the honour of laying a Devil when they have raised him, have therein done too unadvisedly. However, to so much notice of the raving Atheist we may condescend while we go along, as to tell him, that for a Man to question the Being of a GOD, who requires from us an Homage of Affection, and Wonderment, and Obedience to Himself, and a perpetual Concern for the Welfare of the Human Society, for which He has in our Formation evidently suited us, would be an exalted Folly, which undergoes especially two Condemnations; it is first condemned by this, that every Part of the Universe is continually pouring in something for the confuting of it; there is not a Corner of the whole World but what supplies a Stone towards the Infliction of such a Death upon the Blasphemy as justly belongs to it; Men being utterly destitue of any Principle to keep them honest in the Dark, there would be no Integrity left in the World, but they would be as the Fishes of the Sea to one another, and worse than the creeping Things, that have no Ruler over them. Indeed from every thing in the World there is this Voice more audible than the loudest Thunder to us; God hath spoken, and these two things have I heard! First, Believe and adore a glorious GOD, who has made all these Things, and know thou that He will bring thee into Judgment! And then be careful to do nothing but what shall be for the Good of the Community which the glorious GOD has made thee a Member of. Were what God hath spoken duly complied with, the World would be soon revived into a desirable Garden of God, and Mankind would be fetch'd up into very comfortable Circumstances; till then the World continues in a wretched Condition, full of doleful creatures, with wild Beasts crying in its desolate Houses, Dragons in its most pleasant Palaces. And now declare, O every thing that is reasonable, declare and pronounce upon it whether it be possible that Maxims absolutely necessary to the Subsistence and Happiness of Mankind, can be Falsities? There is no possibility for this, that Cheats and Lyes must be so necessary, that the Ends which alone are worthy of a glorious GOD, cannot be attain'd without having them imposed upon us.
"Having dispatch'd the Atheist, with bestowing on him not many Thoughts, yet more than could be deserved by such an Idiot...."
What is your view of Mather's apologetic?
"Atheism is now for ever chased and hissed out of the World, every thing in the World concurs to a Sentence of Banishment upon it. Fly, thou Monster, and hide, and let not the darkest Recesses of Africa itself be able to cherish thee; never dare to shew thyself in a World where every thing stands ready to overwhelm thee! A BEING that must be superior to Matter, even the Creator and Governor of all Matter, is every where so conspicuous, that there can be nothing more monstrous than to deny that God that is above. No System of Atheism has ever yet been offered among the Children of Men, but what may presently be convinced of such Inconsistences, that a Man must ridiculously believe nothing certain before he can imagine them; it must be a System of Things which cannot stand together! A Bundle of Contradictions to themselves, and to all common Sense. I doubt it has been an inconsiderate thing to pay so much of a Compliment to Atheism, as to bestow solemn Treatises full of learned Arguments for the Refutation of a delirious Phrenzy, which ought rather to be put out of countenance with the most contemptuous Indignation. And I fear such Writers as have been at the pains to put the Objections of Atheism into the most plausible Terms, that they may have the honour of laying a Devil when they have raised him, have therein done too unadvisedly. However, to so much notice of the raving Atheist we may condescend while we go along, as to tell him, that for a Man to question the Being of a GOD, who requires from us an Homage of Affection, and Wonderment, and Obedience to Himself, and a perpetual Concern for the Welfare of the Human Society, for which He has in our Formation evidently suited us, would be an exalted Folly, which undergoes especially two Condemnations; it is first condemned by this, that every Part of the Universe is continually pouring in something for the confuting of it; there is not a Corner of the whole World but what supplies a Stone towards the Infliction of such a Death upon the Blasphemy as justly belongs to it; Men being utterly destitue of any Principle to keep them honest in the Dark, there would be no Integrity left in the World, but they would be as the Fishes of the Sea to one another, and worse than the creeping Things, that have no Ruler over them. Indeed from every thing in the World there is this Voice more audible than the loudest Thunder to us; God hath spoken, and these two things have I heard! First, Believe and adore a glorious GOD, who has made all these Things, and know thou that He will bring thee into Judgment! And then be careful to do nothing but what shall be for the Good of the Community which the glorious GOD has made thee a Member of. Were what God hath spoken duly complied with, the World would be soon revived into a desirable Garden of God, and Mankind would be fetch'd up into very comfortable Circumstances; till then the World continues in a wretched Condition, full of doleful creatures, with wild Beasts crying in its desolate Houses, Dragons in its most pleasant Palaces. And now declare, O every thing that is reasonable, declare and pronounce upon it whether it be possible that Maxims absolutely necessary to the Subsistence and Happiness of Mankind, can be Falsities? There is no possibility for this, that Cheats and Lyes must be so necessary, that the Ends which alone are worthy of a glorious GOD, cannot be attain'd without having them imposed upon us.
"Having dispatch'd the Atheist, with bestowing on him not many Thoughts, yet more than could be deserved by such an Idiot...."
What is your view of Mather's apologetic?