<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2008-11-04</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080928.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B03288">
<STC T="W">E544</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99884918</BIBNO>
<VID>182680</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 14 -->
<HEAD>THE ATHEIST ANSWERED, AND HIS ERROUR CONFUTED</HEAD>
<BYLINE>By <HI>George Elliot,</HI> Author of Gods Warning-Piece to <HI>London.</HI></BYLINE>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><L><HI>Each Spire of Gra&s;s, and every &s;illy Flie,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Bias us take heed how we a God deny;</HI></L>
<L><HI>This whole Creation with a &s;weet con&s;eat,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Proclaim a Being that's Omnipotent.</HI></L></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<L>DEny a God!? blind Athie&s;t ca&s;t thine Eye</L>
<L>Up to the Sun, View well the Starry Sky,</L>
<L>Tho&s;e glittering Orbs, how they in Order &s;tand,</L>
<L>Each in his place, &s;ince Heavens mighty hand,</L>
<L>Fir&s;t &s;et them there; See how the watry Cloud</L>
<L>Flies &s;wiftly o're thy Head, proclaiming loud,</L>
<L>Its Makers prai&s;e: there's not one drop doth fall</L>
<L>Till God bids go, and then he numbers all</L>
<L>That comes from thence, yea Heavens Eye doth look</L>
<L>On every &s;ingle Drop:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Contrary to the Nature of the Element.</NOTE> in Gods great Book</L>
<L>It is Recorded: and when they have done,</L>
<L>How &s;wift to other Regions they do run?</L>
<L>For to refre&s;h the dry and parchy Ground,</L>
<L>And thus they fly about this mighty Round,</L>
<L>For not a Minute will they longer &s;tay,</L>
<L>In any place when God bids come away,</L>
<L>What thing can make it &s;elf before it be?</L>
<L>That is impo&s;&s;ible, 'tis onely he</L>
<L>Who nere beginning had that doth and can</L>
<L>(VVho&s;e fi&s;t doth Fathom Heaven with a Span)
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark tris.</NOTE></L>
<L>Create all things; can that a being give?</L>
<L>Unto it &s;elf? or make another Live?</L>
<L>Thats void of life it &s;elf? O fools and blind!</L>
<L>VVhat frantick Folly doth po&s;&s;e&s;s your mind?</L>
<L>VVholly be&s;otted?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nothing can make it &s;elf.</NOTE> void of common &s;ence?</L>
<L>To let a Bea&s;t have the preheminence</L>
<L>Above a Man: by what way doth the Light?</L>
<L>Divide it &s;elf? how comes the day and Night?</L>
<L>Such order for to keep? the Sun to Ri&s;e?</L>
<L>At his appointed time? in one day flies</L>
<L>About this mighty Globe, can any &s;tay,</L>
<L>His fiery Chariot? who dare in his way,</L>
<L>Vouch&s;afe to &s;tand? with what Maje&s;tique Ire?</L>
<L>(This Lamp of Lights, the Element of fire?)</L>
<L>Views all the Heathen World? and on their face</L>
<L>Doth &s;et a Brand, and &s;tamps a foul di&s;grace</L>
<L>On every Athie&s;t, who doth God deny;</L>
<L>To let us &s;ee how Heaven doth defy</L>
<L>That &s;in Athie&s;ticall. Ob&s;erve the Snow,</L>
<L>How &s;oft it falls: and how the winds do blow</L>
<L>At Gods command, and when he faith be &s;till</L>
<L>They cea&s;e their rage, mo&s;t humbly to his Will</L>
<L>They do &s;ubmit: for all things him obey,</L>
<L>He &s;peaks the word, and who dare &s;ay him nay?</L>
<L>Can any &s;top the Tide? how doth it keep</L>
<L>Its con&s;tant cu&s;tome when we are a&s;leep?</L>
<L>So doth the Sun, Moon, Stars, and every thing</L>
<L>Which from the Bowells of the Earth doth Spring,</L>
<L>As Corn and Gra&s;s:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob&s;erve this &amp; believe.</NOTE> without our care doth grow,</L>
<L>The Heavens o're our heads, all things below</L>
<L>Cries our there is a God; this mighty round</L>
<L>On which we live and die, the very Ground</L>
<L>VVhereoe we tread, proclaimes a God, yea all</L>
<L>That live and move on this va&s;t ma&s;&s;y Ball</L>
<L>VVith joynt con&s;ent their Makers prai&s;e doth &s;ing.</L>
<L>(It is ab&s;ur'd to think that any thing,</L>
<L>Can make it &s;elf:) the Lilly and the Ro&s;e,</L>
<L>One to the Eye the other to the No&s;e</L>
<L>Gives &s;weet content: theres not the &s;malle&s;t Clod</L>
<L>We trample on: but proves there is a God.</L>
<L>What fragrant Flowers doth the earth produce?</L>
<L>And all things nece&s;&s;ary for our u&s;e?</L>
<L>Can it take care for us? or know what need</L>
<L>We have of things? or how can fruit proceed</L>
<L>From out its Bowells without Providence?</L>
<L>That man mu&s;t needs be void of common Sence,</L>
<L>As &s;tupid as a Stone, to think it can</L>
<L>By its own Power for the u&s;e of Man</L>
<L>Produce all things, and wi&s;ely to provide</L>
<L>For Man and Bea&s;t. And in each order guide</L>
<L>Each Species in its kind: how can a Clod?</L>
<L>(Without the Ble&s;&s;ing of Almighty God</L>
<L>Wh is Omnipotent) have any power?</L>
<L>Unto a Spire of Gra&s;s, or &s;malle&s;t Flower</L>
<L>To give a being? no that cannot be,</L>
<L>It is impo&s;&s;ible, theres none but he,</L>
<L>VVho with a word did out of nothing call</L>
<L>This mighty Round, Earths va&s;t and Ma&s;&s;y Ball</L>
<L>The goodly Golden Canopy the Skies</L>
<L>With every Fowl that under Heaven flies.</L>
<L>Who in the twinkling of an Eye can turn</L>
<L>Earth into nothing: in a moment burn</L>
<L>The Heavens o're our Heads, who with a frown</L>
<L>Can pull the Pillars of Earths Fabrick down</L>
<L>Unhinge the Heavens, (and the lowe&s;t Hell</L>
<L>Wherein the Devils and the Damned dwell)</L>
<L>In far le&s;s &s;pace than th' twinkling of an Eye
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gods infinite Power.</NOTE></L>
<L>Can make tho&s;e fierce, unruly Spirits lye</L>
<L>As dead as any Stone. Tis by his Power</L>
<L>And his alone, that every fragrant Flower</L>
<L>Hath its peculiar Scent, that bread doth give</L>
<L>Such &s;trength to Man, &s;o that he cannot live</L>
<L>VVithout it long; that Cloaths do keep us warm,</L>
<L>Le&s;t that the Cold &s;hould do our Bodies harm&punc;</L>
<L>VVhat care can Nature take? can &s;he provide?</L>
<L>For all things living? or how can &s;he Guide</L>
<L>This Great Creation? and in Order keep</L>
<L>All this va&s;t Bulk? and when we be a&s;leep</L>
<L>Doth &s;he watch o're us? or can &s;he defend</L>
<L>In time of danger? on a &s;udden &s;end?</L>
<L>A &s;peedy help? that's void of Life and Sence?</L>
<L>It is in vain to expect Providence</L>
<L>From &s;uch a one: did &s;he make Earth to hang</L>
<L>'Ith open Air? when all the Angels Sang</L>
<L>Aloud for Joy, and clapt their Heavenly Wings,</L>
<L>To &s;ee how God in order plac'd all things</L>
<L>VVherein they keep: and in that order &s;tand,</L>
<L>E're &s;ince that day that Heavens mighty hand</L>
<L>Fir&s;t plac'd them there: with what equality,</L>
<L>Both Sexes in all things produced be,</L>
<L>Men, Bea&s;ts, and Birds, and every kind of thing,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">This utterly convinceth the Athie&s;t, for by Nature it is impo&s;&s;ible.</NOTE></L>
<L>VVhich do by Carnal Copulation bring</L>
<L>Their Young ones forth: there is not any lack</L>
<L>Of Male or Female, Nature unto wrrck</L>
<L>Long before this VVorld run. (It is not &s;he,</L>
<L>That can appoint what every thing &s;hall be,</L>
<L>VVhen in the VVomb its put) if &s;he were left</L>
<L>To Guide her &s;elf, &s;he &s;oon would be bereft</L>
<L>Of all her Children: She'd not long remain,</L>
<L>But to a Chaos quickly turn again.</L>
<L>How many thou&s;ands with their Lips confe&s;s
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The practicall Athei&s;t.</NOTE></L>
<L>The being of a God? who neverle&s;s</L>
<L>Are perfect Athie&s;ts? for they him deny</L>
<L>(As well as tho&s;e who openly defy</L>
<L>Their Great Creator) for to wi&s;h a Cur&s;e</L>
<L>Upon our &s;elves, how can the Devil wor&s;e</L>
<L>Deprive us of all hopes? for how can we?</L>
<L>At that Great Day expect to Saved be?</L>
<L>Pray to be Damn'd? and in this time of Grace,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">That execrable Oath.</NOTE></L>
<L>Defy Salvation, and in Heavens Face</L>
<L>In Scorn to Spit? is &s;uch a horrid Sin,</L>
<L>(Though in this Age too many live therein)</L>
<L>The Devils dare not own: they would be glad</L>
<L>That any gracious pro&s;&s;ers might be had</L>
<L>VVhereby they might be Sav'd, though all in vain.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Again&s;t Bla&s;|phemy.</NOTE></L>
<L>Nor can we Read the Devi's do bla&s;pheme</L>
<L>Gods Holy Name: or any where deny,</L>
<L>Their Great Creator, but doth give the Lye</L>
<L>To every Athie&s;t: for they fear and quake</L>
<L>Like A&s;pen Leaves: with horrid tremblings &s;hake</L>
<L>And do believe a God: when on a Flame,</L>
<L>He &s;ets this World: then his mo&s;t Holy Name</L>
<L>VVill be admir'd, every Athie&s;t then</L>
<L>Unto his prai&s;e will freely &s;ay <HI>Amen.</HI></L>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by E. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"> for for <HI>Thomas <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 word"></HI> <UNCLEAR>Book Seller</UNCLEAR> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 span"></P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
