General Plan of Justice and Goodness disclosed in the Gospel.
Outline of that Plan, according to Scripture.

The Nature of the Atonement, and the Cause of our being
placed in a probationary State, above our Reason, but
not contrary to it; and analogous to other of the divine
Plans.

Concluding View of the Effect of moral Evil.

CHAP. IV.

On natural Evils, and those of civil Life. (Page 285.)

Different View they present to different Minds.

Natural Evils explained by a probationary State.

Death-its moral Effects.

Disease-its moral Effects.

Evils of civil Life. Their Extent.

Affluence not necessary to Happiness.

Force of Habit. Intelligence not wanting to the lower

Classes, in a Christian Country.

Superfluities only rendered necessary by Power of Custom.
Essentials of Happiness, Occupation and Health.

Conclusion.

CHAP. V.

On the Capabilities of Improvement in a State of ad-

vanced Civilization. (Page 328.)

State of Society in Great Britain.

admits of Melioration.

Question, whether it

Ignorance of the Poor, not a necessary Evil.

Indigence, its Alleviations and Preventives.

Parochial Banks for small Savings, recommended.

Practicability of these Improvements.

Detailed in the Case of a Parish of a thousand Souls.

Power of the lower Classes to save if Facility were given.
Its Advantages shown by Calculations.

Result of the Whole, in favour of the divine Goodness.

CHAP. VI.

On the Evils of an uncivilized State. (Page 368.)

General Remarks.

Situation and Number of the hunting Tribes considered.

Pastoral Nations considered.

Agriculture naturally tends to Civilization.

Compensations of uncivilized Life, among the hunting and
pastoral Tribes.

in the equinoctial Regions.

Actual Extent of the Evil; and Provisions for its Remedy,

in Commerce and Colonization.

No Situations inconsistent with a State of Probation.

CONCLUSION. (Page 417.)

Recapitulation.

Practical Consequences.

Objection from want of visible Interposition answered, first,
from the Nature of Virtue; and secondly, of Faith, as
essential to moral Trial.

Conclusion, as to the Duty incumbent on Mankind from

the Suggestions of natural Religion, confirmed by Reve-

lation.

THE argument, as far as it has hitherto advanced, has assured us of the being of one selfexistent, eternal, intelligent Creator.

We proceed farther, and affirm that the Creator is endued with infinite power, wisdom, and goodness.

These attributes are strictly deducible from. those that have been already argued. It is too

VOL. II.

B

evident to be denied, that no controul can by any possibility be exercised over the will or designs of that Being, who is himself the first and sole cause of whatever exists. The self-existent Creator, therefore, must of necessity, that is as being self-existent and the cause of all other existences, be possessed of infinite power.

Again, the Creator, as being the author of all things, must possess a complete and actual acquaintance not only with the things that exist, or have existed, at any definite point of time, but with whatever can possibly arise as consequences from things so existing, or be contingent upon them. Neither can He, on whose original will it depended that certain powers should contribute to produce certain effects, be possibly ignorant of the means which best conduce to any design, or of the end which may result from any particular means. And this perfect knowledge of all that is past and all that is present, and all that is dependent upon the past and present, is omniscience, or infinite wisdom.