PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

:!6~ DUly lind i'jiicacy of Pro),!; •
is enough; for the question with the petitioner b
not from which, out of many moth"cs, God may
grant his petition, or in \vha t particular manlIer he is
1110ved by u~e supplicati.:)ns {)f his creatures; but
",hetber it l.e con~:~t~!Jt
with his nature to be moved
at all, and \\!"hether there be any conceivahle Inotiv~s,
which may dispose the divine will to grant the petitioner
what he wants, in consequence of his praying
for it. It is Silfficicnt for the petitioner that he gain
~is en.1. I t is not necessary to devotion, perhaps
not '.~ry c(/ns!stent \\J'ith it, that trJe circuit of causes,
by \\:hich his praye.rs prevail, should be knov;n to the
petitioner, much less that they should be present
to his ilnagination at the time. All that is nece~sary
is, tll:}t there be no impossibility c.pprehended in the
matter&
Thus much must be conceded to the objection :
!hat pra}·er cannot reasonably be offered to God \\?ith
all the same \7ie\\Ts, ,,-ith \\·hich we oftentimes address
our entreaties to men (views \vhich are not commonly
or easily separated from it) viz. to inform them of our
\\rants or desires; to teaze them out by importunity ;
to \vork upon their indolence or compassion, in order
to persuade them to do \\'"hat th~y ougl!t to ha\'e done
bcfoI·C~ or ought not to do at all.
But suppose there existed a prillcc, ,,·110 ,,·as kno\,'"n
b,- his subjects to act, of his o\\rn accord, al\vays and
invariably -for the best; the situation of a petitioner,
\\,ho solicited a favour or parJo~1 frOnl such a prillcc,
,\-ould sufficiently resemble ours: and ttle qtlcstion
\\"itll hill), as with us, would be, \\:hetl1cr, the character
of the prince being considered, there remained
;my chance that he should obtain from him by prayer,
\v hat he \vould not ha\yc received \\'ithout it. I do not
C{)llCei,·e, that the charactel of such a prince would
e
:lcc~'s:-,ari1y exclude the eft(~ct of his subject's prayers;
:or \\:hC:l that prince re1Iected, tIlat tIle earnestn{lf,S
and humility of the surplication had generated in
tI~~ Sllppliant a fr:,llne of Inind, 11}1011 \vllicl1 tl1c par­
:1·.~:1 ()r fa,·our a~l~cd '~'otlld pr()liucc a per!11(\lj('!1~