c
"/-^d
LIBRARY
OF THE
Theological Seminary
PRINCETON, N. J.
Case, .^(Z:..^. .P^^'S'"'^
Snelf, Jy^U Seci'
T> 1 No, Book, ;
-^^-v-c
CHRISTIANITY
AS
OLD AS THE CREATION :
OR THE
GOSPEL,
A
REPUBLICATION
OF THE
RELIGION OF NATURE.
BY MATTHEW^^'INDAL, L. L. D.
rUE GENTILES, WHICH HAVE NOT THE LAW, DO BY NATURE THE THINGS
CONTAINED IN THE LAW. — -ROM. II. I4
GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS ; BUT IN. EVERV NATION. HE THAT
FEARETH HIM, AND WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS, IS ACCEPTED
WITH HIM ACTS X. 34,35.
The religion of the gofpcl, is the true original religion of reafon nnJ nature — And its precepts declarative of that original religion, whiili was
as old as the creation Dr. Sherlock.
God docs nothing in the government of the world by mere will and arbitrari-
nefs — The will of God always dotcrmines itfelf to acl acrcording to the
eternal reafon of things — All rational creatures are obliged to govern
thenifclvcs in all their adions by the fame eternal rule of reafor.
Dr. S. Clark.
NEWBURGH :
PRINTED AND SOLD BY DAi'ID DENNISTON—M,DCC.XCVnl
SHORT SKETCH
O F T II E
AUTHOR, AND OF HIS WRITINGS.
\TRACTED FROM THE BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.
IVIaTTHEW TINDAL, a inoa celebrated En- glifh writer, was the fonofa clergyman of Beer-Ferres, in Devonfliire, and born about 1657. He becanrie a commoner of Lincoln College, Oxford, in 1672, where he had the well knowA Dr. Hickes for his tutor, and thence removed to Exeter College. In 1676, he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and was after- wards elected fellow of All- Souls College. In 1679 he took Baclielor of Laws degree; and in July 1685 became a Do61or in that faculty. In the reign of James II. he delarcd liimfelf a Roman Catholic, but afterwards renounced that religion,
He was greatly diftinguifhcd in his time by two very extraordinary books which he publifhed, one came out in 1706, under the title of " The Rights of the Chriftian Church afferted, againfl the Romifli and all other Priefts who claim an independent power over it ; with a
( 4 ) Preface concerning the Government of the Church of England, as by law eftablifhed." The other came out at London, 1730, under the title of " Chriftianity as Old as the Creation : or, the Gofpel, a Republication of the Religion of Nature/'
Befides thefe two important works, he wrote a great number of fmaller pieces or pamphlets in defence of Ci- vil an(i Religious Liberty. He died at London, in Au- guft 1733, Fellow of AU-Souls-CoUege, and it appears that the facdlties'of his mind wore well ; for, although he was about feventy-ihree when he publifhed his " Chrillianity as Old as the Creation," yet he left a fe- coh'd volume of' that v/or.k. in manufcript, by w-ay of general- reply to all his anfwer&;. the publication of whi^h was prevented by Giblon, bifliop of London. He was indifputably a man of great rcafoning powers, Qrvd itefy ftifficient learnfng- and Churchmen mighj- have wiJhed with reafon,"ihat he had been one of them„
THE
CONTENTS,
C II H P. I.
THAT God, at all time s^ has given mankind fuffici- cnt means, of knowing whatever he requires of thc}}i J and what thoje means are. Page 9.
CHAP. II.
That the religion ej nature -conjijls m ohferving thofe things, which our reafon, by conjtdering the nature of God and man., and the relation we fiand in to him, and one another^ demonflrates to be our duty; and that thofe things are plain ; and likcwife what they are. p. 18.
C H A P. III.
That the perJeBion, and happinefs of all rational beings, fuprtme, as vjell as fubordijiate, conjifls in living up to the dictates of their nature. p. '25.
C H A P. IV.
That not only the matter of all God's la-cos, but the ^pcnal- fies annexed to them, arc for ihc good of mankind ; even thofe zv ho fajf'cr Jcr ihc breach of them. p. 3?.
CONTENTS.
CHAP. V.
That God requires nothing for his own fake ; no, not the worJJiip we are to render him, nor the faith we are to have in him. p. 4^,
CHAP. VI.
That the religion of nature is an ahfoltdely perfeEl religi- on ; and that external revelation can neither add to, nor take from its perfeBion\ and that true religion^ -whether internally, or externally revealed, mufl he the fame. 'p. 54.
C H A P. VII.
That natural and revealed religion having the fame end, their precepts mufl he the fame. P- 63.
CHAP. VIII.
That the not adhering to those notions reason ditlates, con- cerning the nature of God, has been the occafion of all stiper/lition, and those iunumerahle mischiefs, that man- kind on the account of religion, have done either to themselves, or one another. p. y6^
C H A P. IX. .
Human happiness being the ultimate defign, and end of all traditional, as well as original revelation, they mujl both prescribe the same mean?. ; fince those means, which, at one time,promots human happiness, equally promote It at all ti?nc<. p. 92
CONTENTS. VII
CHAP. X.
God does noi ad arbitrarily, or interpose unnectjjarily ; hut leaves those things, that can only be covfidered as means (and as such, are in their own nature mutable ;) to human discretion ; to determine as it thinks most conducing to those things, ivhich are in their own na- ture obligatory, p. 101.
CHAP. XI.
The suppojing things merely pojitive, to be made the in- gredients of religion, is inconfijlent with the good oj mankind, as well as the honour of Qod. p, 123.
CHAP. XII.
That they, who, to magnify revelation, -weaken the force of the religion of reafon and nature, flrike at all reli- gion ; and that there cannot be two independent rules for the government of human aUions. p. 154.
CHAP. XIII.
The bulk of mankind, by their reafon, mii/tbe able to dif- tinguifli between religion and fuperfUion ; otherwife they can never extricate thevifelves from that fuperjli- tion they chance to be educated in. p. 199.
CHAP. XIV.
Dr. Clarke's difcourfe oj the unchangeable obligation vj natural religion, and the truth, and certainty of the chriflian revelation ; confidered. And from thence is /Iiewn, how inconfijlent foever with the defign of that difcourfe, that nothing can be a part of religion, but what is founded on the nature, and reafon of things.
CHRISTIANITY,
AS OLD AS TUB
C R E A T I 0 N, ^c.
CHAPTER I.
That God, at all times^ has given mankind fufficunt means of knowing what he requires oj them ; and ■what thofe means are.
A. nPH IS early vifit, Sir, gives me hopes it will Jl not be a (hort one. B. I come to talk with you on a fubjeft which may, perhaps, keep m'' 1 )nger than you dcfirc.
A. Your unco nmon tern ler and candor, in debating even the moft impor ant points, will always make your convcrlation agreeable, though ever fo long : but pray what is to be the f :bjett of our morning's dilcourle ?
B. I was yefterday in company wi h a great many clergymen, it being our bifhop's p ima y vifnation ; where the complaint was general, of the coldn h and indifference, with which people received the fpeculative points of chriflianity, and all its holy rites ; for which forme' ly they had fhcwn fo great a zeal. This coldivls they chiefly imputed to thole low churchmen, who lay the main (Ircfs on natural religion ; and withal fo mag- nify the dotlrinc of fincerity, as «n eft'ert to pi. ice all re- ligions on a level, where the profeffors are alike fir.cere.
P.
10 CHRISTIANITY AS
The promoters ofthcfc notions, as well as ihefe notions themfelves, were cxpofed with warmrh, how jiiftly, I will not determirie, until we have talked the matter over with our ui'uA freedom : for which teafon I have made you this early vifit, and would be glad to know the fentiments of fo good a judge, on thefe two important points ; viz. Sincerity and Natural Religion.
A. I thfnk you for this favour, and fhall freely tell you, I fo little agree with thofe gentlemen in relation to fincerity, that I think a fincere examination into religi- ous matters cannot he too much prefled ; this being the only way to difcover true Chriftianity. The Apoflles thought themfelves obliged, in making profelytes, tore- commend an impartial fearch ; they both defired and required men to judge for themfelves, to prove all things, &c. this they thought necefi'ary, in order to re- nounce a religion, which the force of education had im- prefled on their minds, and embrace another dire6lly contrary to the notions and prejudices they had imbib- ed. Nay, even thofe very men, who molt ridicule the dofctrine of finceritv, never fail on other oceafions to affert, that infidelity is owing to the want of a fincere ex- amination, and that whoioever impartially confiders Chriftianity, muft be convinced of its truth. And I might add, that could we fiippofe, a fincere examination would not always produce this effe6t, yet muft it always make men acceptable to God ; fince that is all God can require, all that it is in their pov^er to do for the difco-^ very of his will. Thefe, in fliort, are my fentiments as (o this point ; and as to the other, I think, too great a ft; efs cannot be laid on natural religion ; which, as I take it, differs not from revealed, but in the manner of its being communicated: the one being the internal, and the other the external revelation of the fame unchange- able will of a being, whc^ is alike at all times infinitely wife and good.
B. Surely, Sir, this muft be extremely heterodox. Can you believe, that natural and revealed religion dif-
OLD a:. 1 in t ...... i i o;. . 11
fcr in nothing, but the inannoror their being conreyctl to us ?
A. As heterodox as ! may r.x»ni at prcftnt, I doubt not. but by aflcing you a Few qiKilioiis, to Icf vou i'rv. I advance nothing in either of" thele points without rca fon ; and in order to it, I defirc to be informed, ^vhe thcr Cod lias not, (Vom the bc'Tiiuun{T, given foinc rule, or law for their conduft ? and wliether the obiervin;; that, did not make them acceptable to him ?
B. There can be no doubt, but the obfer\ ing luch a law, mult have anlwered the end for which it was given ; and made men acceptable to God.
A. What more can any external revelation do, than render men acceptable to God ? Again,
If God, then, from the beginning, gave men a icli- gion ; I afl;, was that religion impeiTef:t or pcrfed ?
B. Moft perfcB, without doubt ; finee no religion can come from a being of infinite vifdom and perfec- tion, but what is abfolutcly pcrfetL
A. Can, therefore, a religion abfolutely perfeft, admit of any alteration ; or be capable of addition, or diminution; and not be as immutable as the author of it ? Can revelation, I fay, add any thing to a refolution (bus abfolutcly perfect, univerfal, and immutable ? Be fides, if God has given mankind a law, he mufl have given ihcm likcwife iufficient means of knowincr jt • he would, otherwife, have defeated his own intent in giv- ing it; finee a law, as far as it is unintelligible, ccal'cs to be a law. Shall we fay, that God, who had the forming of human underftanding, as well as his own laws, did not know how to adjufl the one to the other ?
If God at all times was willing all men fliould come to tiie knowledge of his truth, could not his infinite wildom and power, at all times, find fuflicient means, for making mankind, capable of knowing, what his in- finite goodnefs defigned they fhould know ?
B. I grant you, that God was always v.'illing that all ^nen fhould come to the knowledge of true religion ; a'ld we fay, that the Chriftian religion being the only
12 CHRISTIANITY AS
true, and abfolutely perfe6l religion, w^s what God, from the beginning, defigned for all mankind.
A. If fo, it follows, that the Chriftian R.ligion has exifted from the beginning, and that God, both then, and ever fince, has continued to give all mankind fuffi- cient means to know it ; and that it is their duty to know, believe, profefs, and praftife it ; fo that Chriflianity, though the name is of a later date, muft be as old, and as extenfiveas human natur - ; and, as the law of our crea- tion, muft have been then implanted in us by God himfelf.
B. It would be too prefuming in us poor mortals, to pretend to account for the methods providence takes, "an relation to the difcovery of its will ; and therefore, a perfon of lefs moderation might condemn your quef- tions, as captious, prefumptuous, and founded in hete- rodoxy.
A. If God never intended mankind*{houldat anytime be without religion, or have falle religions; and there be but one true religion, which all have been e\ er bound to believe and profefs; I cannot fee any hetero- doxy in affirming, that the means to effect this end of infinite wifdom, mult be as extenfive and univerfal as the end itfelf ; or that all men, at all times, mufl have had fufficent means to difcover whatever God defigned the" fliould know and praBice, I do not mean by this that al (hould have equal knowledge ; but that all ihould have what is fufficient for the circumftances they arc in.
E. Since you have aflied me queflions, let me, in my turn, demand of you, w iat are your fentiments in this amatter ? Particularly, what areth<>fe means, which, you iuppofe, God has, at all times, given to the whole race of mankind, to enable them to dilcover what he wills them to know, believe, profefs and praQife ?
A. I aflc'd you thefe few qucflions at prefent, not to di'termine the point, but only to let you lee you had no yeafon to be furpnfed at my faying, natural and revealed religion only differ as to the manner of their being com-
OLDASTHECREATIOS. I3
iniinicnted. I fh^ll now readily anfwer your qurflions : and. as I think it mv duty never lo difow i my teliojous fentitnents, fo I freely declare, that the ule of" thole fa- culties, by which men are diltinnuifhed from brutes, is the only means they have to dilcern, whether (here is a God ; and whether be con ems himfelf wi'h human af- fairs, or has given them any laws ; and what thoic laws are ? and is men have no other faculties to judge with, fo fheir ufing thefe after the befl; manner they can, mult anfw r ihc end for which God gave them, and juflify their conduM. For,
If God will judge mankind as they are acrountahle, that is, as they are rational ; the judgment muf> hold an cxaft proportion to the ufc they mike of their reafon. And it would be in vain to ufc it, if the ui'c of it would not ju<bfy ihem before God ; and men wou d be in a miferable condition r.deed, i^ whether they u'-.d it or not, they fhould b'" alike criminal. And if God defign- ed mankind fhould at all times know, what he wills them to know, believe, profefi and pra6tiie ; and has givea them no other means for this, but the u(e of re.ilbn ; reafon, human realon, mull then be th.t means; fi^r as God has made us rational creatures, and reafon tells us, that ii is his will that we a6t up to the digniy of our natures, fo realon mult tell us when we do fo. What God requires us to know, believe, profcfs, and pra^i'l*, mult be in iifelf a reafonable fervice ; but whether what is offered to us as fuch, be really fo, it is reafon alone which muft judge. As the eye is the folc judge of wh-it is vifible ; the ear of what is audible ; fo reafon, of what is reafonable. If then reafon was given to bring them to the knowledge of the will of God, that muft he fuilicient to produce its i'Uended cffeB, and can never bring men to take that for his will, which he defignfd thty, by ufing their reafon, fliould avoid as conir<;ry to it.
B. If men, having done all in tlieir power, all diat God requires th m, tofind outhisw-ill, fhould fall in o oppofitefentimenls ; muft it not be the will of God that
14 CHRISTIANITY AS
it fhould be fo ? Can God will fuch a previous exami- nation, and not will what he foreknows mull be the ne- ceffary confequence ?
A. There is, I think, no way to avoid this obje6lion, of God's willing contraries ; but by fuppofing he requires /lothing of men, but what is founded on the nature of things, and the immutable relations they bear to one an- other ; and what, confequently, they are. as far as con- cerns them, capable of knowing. But this objection is unanfwerable bv thofe who believe the will of God is not always thus founded; but may contain many merely pofitive things ; fince men may, after having taken all poffible care to be in the right, have very oppofite fenti- ments, and be obliged, by the will of God, to hold and a6l contrarieties.
B. Though this fubjetl: is attended with the utmoft difficulties, yet I find little or nothing faidto folve them I, for my part, know not how to deny men being accepta- ble to God, whatever their opinions may be, after hav- ing u fed all the means God has endowed them with for the difcovery of his will ; and yet I do not know how to admit it ; for then, what religion foever men arc of, ifthryhave duly ufed fuch means as God ordained for the difcovery of his will ; that, how oppofite iocver to Chrirtianity, muft be the religion God defigncd them. And, on the other hand, Ihould I own, that the duly ufing diofe means would have caufed men to have been all of one religion ; vei I cannot fee how that could be the Chriftiau religion, except it has exilled from the bc- ginnmg ; and all men, at all times, have had fufficient means to difcover i^. For,
If God was always willing, that all men fhould come to the knowledge of his trnth; and there never was a time when God intended men fliould have no-4-cligion, or fuch an imperfect leligion, as could not anuver the end of its being inftituted by an infinitely wife legifla- tor ; this feera-s to my bewildered reafon, to imply, that there was, from the beginning, but one true reli- gion, which ail men might know was their duty to em-
OLD AS THE CKl. ATION.
brace. And ifihis is true, I cannoL well conceive how this chara^er can confill with Chridianity ; without al- lowing it, at the fame time, to be ns old as the creation. And yet, notwithllandin^ all thcfe Teeming diflicultic!? I am confident the chriftian rcli'^ioii is the only true ler ligion. But fince thcfe dillieiihics are of your raifing, I may, in jufticc, expert that you fhould folve thcni.
A. This I nuift own is a difficult point ; however, I fhall tell you my fentimenls ; jvhich I, far from being adogmatizer, am ready to give up, if you can frame any other hypothehs, not liable to the fame objcftions, or others equally (Irong ; though I may venture to^ fay, that I lake mine to to be the only one that can give any tolerable fatisfatlion to your prefent doubts. And therefore I fhall attempt to fliew you, that men, if tliey fmcerely endeavour to difcover the will of God, will perceive, that there is a law of nature, or reafon ; which is fo called, as being a law which is common, or na- tural, to all rational creatures ; and that this law, like its author, is abfolutely pcrfeft, eternal, and unchange- able ; and that the defign of the Gofpel was not to add to, or take from this law ; but to free men from that load of fuperftition which had been mixed with it : So that true chriftianity is not a religion of yefterday, but what God, at the beginning, diftated, and ftill conti- nues to diftate to chriliians, as well as others. If I am fo happy as to fucceed in this attempt, I hope not only fully to fatisfy your doubts, but greatly to advance the honor of external revelation ; by fhewingthc perfe61 a- greement between that and internal revelation ; and by fo doing, dellroy one of the moft ft^ccefsful attempts that has been made on religion, by fetting the laws of God at variance.
But firfUI mufl premife, that in fuppofing an external revelation, I take it for gr^mtcd that there is hilficient evidence of the perfon's being fcnt from God who pub- liflied it : and I further own, that this divine perfon, by livitig up to what he taught, has fct us a noble exam- pie ; and that as h^^. was ri.s:htlv exalted for fo doing, [(y
l6 CRRICTIANITY AS
ve, if we life our beft endeavctirs, may expe6l a faita- ble reward, This, and every other thing of the fa)r!e narure, I free'y own, which is not inconfiOen with the law of God's being the fame, whether internally or ex- ternally revealed.
B. Yourdcfij^n I muft own is highly commendable; bill in order to fucceed you are to prove two t ings. Fait, that the fupreme governor of mankind ha^ given his iuhjefls an univerfal law, which tliey, when they come to the ufe of their reafon, are capable of knowing. ^econdly, that the divine ])recepts niuft be the fame, V hether internally or cxternclly revealed. If you prove thefe tw,> points, you will ent rely clear my doubts ; but I plvroft defpair '>f your doing it, fmce you feem to me t advance a nevv hypoth- fis.
A. Hear he evidence, and then judge. But before I produce it, left the fuppofed novelty of the opinion may prejudice y(Hi. I fna.I put you in mind of what Archbifhop Laiid fays upon alike occsfion : "That wnen errors are grown by age and continuance to f^rength ; they who Ipeak for the truth, though hi older, are ordinarily challenged for bringing in new opinions ; a-^d there is no greater ab urdiiy ftirring this day in Chriftendom." Now,
By pvittingme to prove, that there is a law of natiire, you, I fuppofe, have a mind to hear what I can fay on this fubjett. Since none then that believe there i^ a God, who governs mankind, but believe he has given them a law for the governing their aftions ; this being implied in the very notion of governor and governed ; and fmce the law b'. which he governs men. and his govcrnme t mi ft commence together, and extend alike 'to all h s fubjer s , '^ Is it not. as bifhop Ttllotfon ob- ferves^ a great miitake, to think that the obligation of moral duties does folely depend upon the revela;ion of God's will made to us in the hoi) fcriptures.? Ts it not p?ain, that mankind was always under a law, even be- fore God made ar external or extraordinary revelation ? Wfe, how could God judge the world ? How fhuuld
OLD AS THS CREATION. I7
they, to whom the v^ord of Ood nf'vcr ca-^e, be ac- qui'tcd or condemned at ihe laR cl,w ? for where ihtreis IV) liiw, there can neither be obedience nur iranfgrcf-
If ihcn, it is abfurd to fuppofc, that men, though ih y lived ever (o impioufly and immorally, did nothing which God had forbid them ; or if ever (o pioufly and virtiioufly, noihinj; that God had co.-nmandcd them ; mnfl there not always have been an univerfal law, fo fully promul^dicd to mankind, that they could have no juft plea from their ignorance, not to be tried by ir. And could any ihin<; lefs than its being foimdcd on the nature ol thin^^s and the relati )n men fla .d in to God, and one another, vifible at all times to a)l, make it thus univerfally pro:iiul^-Jted. But further to illudraie this matter ; can it be imagined, that if God has been Ui good to a I other animals, as to give ihem, not in one coun- try only, but in all places whatfoever fufTiciiL-nt means to afci for their own prefervaiion ; that he has bad Icfskind- nefs for the immoral fouls of thofe made after his owii image, and has n t given them, at one lime as well as another, and at one place as well as another, fufhcient means to provide ft)r their eternal happincfs ? Or,
Cart It ir. be fnppofed, an infinitely good and gracious being, who gives men notice, by their fenfes, what does good (.r hurt to their bodies ; has had lefs regard for tlieir immortal pa. ts, and has not given :hem, at all lim-s, by the light of their unJerHanding, fufficient means to difcover\vhat makes for the good of their fouls ; but has necefTitatcd them, or any of them, to continiie fron age to age, in deltruBive ignorance or error ? To prefs this matter further, let me afl^ you, whether there is not a cK^ar and diflintl tight, that' enlightens all aen ; and which, the moment they attend to it. makes them per- ceive thofe eternal truths which are the foun:!aiion of all our knowledge ? And is it not God himfclf who il-
' Pief.rc t.o \V!lk.:a» of N-tural Rclijj'.on.
CHRISTIANITY AS
luir.inales them ? What otber reafon car. ou a/Tign, why infinite wifdom fhoulci aftthus; but • %\\'c mankind ftandiiig rules to diftin^uifli, truth inm falftvood, efpe- cially in mailers of the highefl confequ.nce to their e- iernal as well as temjH>ral happin^fs ?
There has, no doubt, been a great number of tradi- tional eiigions uccccdincT one another ; and as far as we know, there i•~^ no (rnditionai religion, which has, except in name, continued the I'ame lor any long time; and though there are a great number of fe6\s, who :, o under t e huw coipinon denomination, yet thev a e abnoft a^ much divided among themfelvc.^, as if they owned dif- ferent religions, and accordingly charge one another with err ng funda ^ entally ; yet all thefe agree in acknow- ledging a law of nature, and that tiiey are indifpenfably obliged to obey its diftates : So that this light of nature, like that of the fun. is univerf?! ; and would, did not men fhut the eyes of their underdanding, or fuffer others to blind them, foon dilperfe all thofe mills and fogs, which ar.fe eiiher from falfe traditions, or falfe interpre- tations of the true tradition.
CHAP. II.
Thaijhe religion of nature conji/ls in obferving thofe things, which our reafon., by confidering the nature of Gcd and man, and. the relation we Jland in to him and one' another, demonfiyates to be our duty ; and that thcfe things are plain ; and likewife what they are.
'HAT we may the better konw whether the law, or religion of nauire is univerfa , and the go'pel a republication of it, and not anew rel gion ; Ide-- fire you will give a definition of the religion of n 'tare. / A. B natural religion, I underfland the belief of the exidence of a God, and the fenfe and practice of thofe duties which rehiU fiom the knowledge we, by
^iir reafon, have of him ana his peiTefUans ; hnd of the relation we Hand in 10 him ar.d c-ur Ifllov. treaiuresj^ fo ihat 'the religion of naure takes in every thing ihat is founded on the reafon wild nature ofihiiii^s. Hence Grotius dc'fities 'hr law of nature 10 be diflutum rcclcr.o^ j^ ratinnis, indicaju aBui al'cm, ex ejxtsconveni.entiaaut~/'^i difconve.nientia cum tpfa natura 7-aticnali^ ir.ejje^ moralem/c *-** turpituduuvi^ out, nccrljnattrii r:Gi\ilrm^ ac confcqiienter'*- ^ ah au^ore natura: ^Jjco ta. ~ru7>i aut vetari aut
prcccipi.
I fuppofe you will iillov;, that it ii evident by the light of nature, that there is a God ; or in other words a lk-ingabf(*jiufely pcrfeft, and infinitely bappy in him- feif, who is the fourcc of all other beings ; untj that what pev'fettions foever the creaiuies have, they are wholly derived from him.
jB. Thi<;, no {ioubr, has been demonftrated over and over ; and I muft own, that I cannot be more certain of niy own t'-xiiience, thiin of the exiileuce of fuch a being. . _ .
A. Since then it is denionftrable there is fuch a being it iv equally cenionft'ablj, that the creatures can neither add to, nor take from the happinefs of thai being ; and that he could hive no rhotive in fiaming hi* crea ures, or in giving laws to fuch of them as he rr.rtde capable of kn'>wing his will, but their own good.
To inriagine he created them firll for his own fake, and has fince required things of i hem for that reafon, is. to fu jpoie he was not perfe6\ly happy in hinifclf before the creation ; and that the creatures, by either bbferving or not obferving the rules prefcribed them, ''could add to, or !a!;efroni his happinefs.
If then a being infinitely happy in himfelf, auild not comnand his creatures any thing for his own good ; noi an ail-wife being things to no end or purpofe ; nor all alUgood being any thing but for their good ; Ii-nnavoid- ably follow?, nothing can be a part of the divine law, but what lends to promote tho co'nuKm inteie't, aticl
20. • ' CHRJSTlAN^l'TvY Ai
miitml happinefs of his rational creatures ; and every thing that does To, muit be a part of it.
As God can reqiire nothing oF us, but what makes for Gilt happinefs; fo he, who cannot envy us any hap- pinefs our nature is capable of, can forbid us thofe things only, which tend to our hurt ; and this we arc as certain of, as that there is a God infinitely happy in himfelf, infinitely good and wife; and as God can de- fign nothing by his laws but ourgood. fo by being infi- nitely powerful, he can bring every thing to pafi which hedefigis for that end.
From the confideration of thefe perfeQions, we can- not but have the highe I ven'='ration5 nay, the greateft adoration and love for this fupreme being; who, that vJc may not fail to be as happv as podib'.e for (uch creatures to b^, has made our atling for our preTent, to be the orily means of obtaining our future happinefs ; fo that we cannot finagain!l hi'n, but by a£ling againll ourfelves, that is, our realbnable naiures : thcfe reflec- tions, which occur to every one who in the leaft confi- ders, mufl gi -e us a wonderful and furprifing fenfj of the divine goodriefs, fill U5 wi'h admiiation, tranfport and extacy ; (of which we daily fee among contempla- tive perfons, remarkable inftances) : and not only force us to exprcfs a never-failing gratitude in raptures of the nigheft praife and ihankfgiving, but make us ftrive to imitate him in ourextenfive love to our fellow-ceatures, and thus copying the divine original, and taking God himfelf for our precedent, muft conform us to his im- age, who is all perfeBion and all happinels ; and who mull; have an inexhauftable love fo.- all, who thus en- deavor to imitate him. And here.
The difference between the fuprems being, infinitely ^lappy in himfelf, and the creatures who are not fo, is, that all his aflions, in relation to his creatures, flow from a pure difinterelled love ; whereas the fpring of all the a6}ions of the creatures i^ their own good : We love God, becaufe he fird loved us ; and confequent- ly, our lo.e to him wili'be in proportion to our lenfe
OLD AS THE CREATION'. fit
of his goodncfs to u^. Nor can we in the leaf! vary from th:)('e fcntiments, which the confidcr.iiion of thi: divine atiribiiies implant in us but we mu'l in propor- tion take off from the goodnefs of God, and from ihufe motives we have to love him as we oui^ht.
Our reafon, which gives us a dcmonflration of the divine perfedions, affords us the fame concerning the nature ofthofe duties God requires; not on'y with rcr- laiion to himfelf, but toourfelvcs, and o-ic another : thefe wc cannot but fee, if we look into ourfclves, con- fidiT our own natures, and the ci;C(im!Uaces God has placed us in with relation to our fellow-cre.ifures, and v!iat conduces to our mutual happinefs : our fcmfes, our reafon, the experience of others as well as our own, caniiot fall to give us fu hcient information.
With relation to ourfelvcs, wc cannot but know how we are to a£l ; if we confirier,that God his endowed man with fuch a nature, as makes him n;fccfl'arilv (iefne his own good ; and thert'fjre, may be lure, that God, who has beHowfd this nature on him, cou'd not require any thing of him in prejudice of it ; hut on the contr-iry, that he fhonid do every thing which tends to pnnn >ie the good of it. The health nf the body, and the vi- gor of tlie mind, be.ng highly conducive to our good, we m ift bfc ferifiblc we offen i our maker, if we indulge our fenfes to th • pr jtidice of ih.^fe ; and hecaul'tf noc only all irregular pafiions, all unfriendly affcdit)ns car- ry their own torment with them, and endleTs incoveni- cnces attend theexccfs of fcrif'nal delights ; and all im- moderate defircs (hum in natu!e being able to bear but a certain proportion) diforder both mind and body; we cannot but know we ought to ufe great moderation with relation to our palfions, or in other words, govern nil our aflions by reafon ; that and our true intcrelt being infeparablc. y\,nd in a word, whoever fo regu- lates his n itural appetites, as will conduce mofi to imc cxercife of his reafon, the health of his body, and tlic picafure of his (cnles, taken and confidcrcd logeth^^r (fince h.rein his happinefs conlifts) may be certain he-'
22 CH.jf-IS r lAiV ITY Ab
can^ never offend his maker ; who, as he governs all thing;; according to their natures, cannot but expetl'his rational creatures fliould acl according to their natures.
As to what God ex|3e8:s from man with relation to each other ; every one mufi; know his duty, who coHii- ders that the common paretu'of manki^^d has the whole fpecies alike under his pro e6lion, and wiliequaily pun- iih himforinjuringothers.ashe would others for injuring him ; and confequenrly, that jt is dutyto ded vvith them as he expefts they fhould deal wiiH him in the like circumtances. How much this tshis duty, every one mull perceive, who coiifiders himfelf as a weak' creature, not able to fubfi'l without the alliflance of other5,.who have it in their power to retaliate the ufage he gives them : and that he may expeft, if he breaks thofe rules which are neceffary for mens mutual happinels, to be treated like a common enemy, not only by the perfons iujured, but by all others; who, by the common ties of nature, are obliged to defend. and a'fiiteach other. And not only a mans own p:irti:ular irjterelt, but; that of his children, his iattiily, Und alf that is de ir to him^ obliges him to promote the common happinefs, and to endea- vour to convey the fame to po{ler!iy.
All moralijis-dp'^t^ thatiiuman nirure is f» conftitu- ted, diat men cAnnot live without focietv arid mutual affiftance ; and that God ha? end -)wed them with rea'fon, fpeech, and other faculties, evidentiv^fitted to enabi6 them to ailifl: each other iaall the concerns of life ; that; therefore, it is the v;ill of God who gives them this na- iUre, and 'endotvs them wi'th thofe faculties, that they fliould eii^.ploy theA fdr their common benefit and mu- tual allifla^ice. Ahd-'the philofopJisrs^ who faw that all focietv would be dilf M.ved, and men foon become deRi- tute even of the necelfaries of life, and be a prey to one ahothsr, if each man wasdniy to mind hiiiifelf, and'hi^ own finglb intereft ; «nd that evey thing pointed Out the nvjcelfuy of mutual benevolence among mankind ; did therefore rightly jndgt;, thit minwere by their na- ture fra:n::;d io_ be ufcfui to one another ; ai i'fndds codj^:roj/'yJyjfQ'.is honuizzi h'jniiiizv.i n-ztiini ''T". f'.-"; Cicero.
OLD. AS THE CRK ATION. 23
Tbcrf fore, every man, for the fake ofother? as well as hinifcif, is not to difablc his body or mind by fuch iiTcgulariiics, as make him Icfs fcrviteablc lo thi'm.
In fhort, confidcrin^T ibc varicfy of circumftanccs men are under and thefc continually changing, as well as being f(ir the mofl part unforefeen ; it is jjupoHiMp to have rules laid down by any external revelation for ^ -^^tn* every particular cafe ; and therefore, thtre mufl be fome ftanding rule, difcoverable by the light of nature, to diretl us in all fuch cafes. And we cannot be more certain, that it is the will of God, that ihofc effc61s which flow fiom natural; caufes fhould fo flow ; than wc are, that it is the will of God, that men fliould obferve, whatever the nat(jrc of things, and the re ation they have to one another, make fit to be obfcrved ; or in o- ter words, /we caimot but know, if we in the Icafl coiThN fidcr, that, w a»ever circumdances men are plaeed in, by the univerfal caufc of all things ; that it is his eternal and immutable will, bv his placing them in thfTo cir- cumftanccs, th t they aft as thefe requiie. |1t is itbfurd to imagine we arc obliged to att thus in fome cafes, and not in others ; when the reafon for a6iing thus in all is _-y^j..>*i^ the lame.-|This confidcration alone will direct a maa^^ ^e^-i^ how loatl in all conditions of life, whether father, fon, >if ^..t**- hiifbnid, fervant, fubjccl, matter, king, &c.jThuswe /^-n^/^-^'''^ fee how the reafon of things, or the relation they have 'd'^^^-^^'^* to each other, teaches us our duty in all cafes whatfoe- 4^ et^uM^ ver. , And I may add, that the better to caufe men to -«" '^f't^^^. oblerve thofe riil(.s, whicli make for their mutual bene- i-Cic K •! fit, infinite goodnefs has fown in their hearts feeds of '
piiy, humanity and tendcrnefs, which, without much difhculty, cannot be er.'.dicafcd ; but nothing opcratC5 more flrongly than that defirc nun have of being in cf- tcem, credit, and reputation with their fellow crii-aturci, not to be obtained without acting on the principles of natural jidlice, er,uity, benevolcnc;:, <S:c.
In a word, as a moft beneficent difpofiiion in the Su- preme being is the lourcc of ail his atV.ons in rein; ion Ki /JIh-,7
f^ CHRISTIANITY A3
his CT*^a*nre»^ ; fo he has implanted in mm, vh'^m he ha» made after his own imatj,e, a love for hi > fpecies ; the grafifvin^ of which, indoingaftsof benevolence, com- paflion and t;ood will, produces a ple^ Pure that never i-Miates; as, cu the conirary, aBions of ill-nature, en- w, malice, &c. nevtT fail to produce fliame, and ever- loiting ffff reproach.
And now let a'iy»one fay, how it is poTihle God could more fullv make known his will to ail intelligent crea'ures, than by makingevery thmo within, and with- out them a declaration of it, and an argument for ob- icrving it.
Having thus difcovered our duty, we may be fure j' wifl always be the fame ; fince inconftancy, as it ar- jiues a defect either of wifdoni or power, cannot belong loa being infinitely wife and powerful; what nnejring ■wifdom has once inftitut-d, can have no defefls ; and 2s God is entirely free from all partiality , his laws muft alike extend to all times and places.
From thefe premi fes, I think, we may boldly draw this conclufion, that if religion confifts in the pra6hce of thofe duties, that refult from the relation we Hand in to G(k1 and man, our religion mud always be the fame. If God is unchangeable, our duty to him muft be fo too; if human naiure continues the fame, and rnen at all tiines Hand in relation to one another, the duties which refult from thence too, muft always be the fame: and conlequently our duty both (o God and man muft, from the beginning of the world to the end remain un- slierable ; be alvj^ays cibke plain and perfpicunus ; nei- ther changed in whole, or part : which demonftrates that no perfon, if he comes from God, can teach us any ohcr religion, or give us any precepts but what are frunded on ihofe relations. Heaven and earth fliall fooner pafs away, than one tittle of this eternal law fhall either be abrogated or altered.
'j'o fum up all in few words; as nature teaches men to uni e for their mutual defence and happinefs, and government was inihtuied foLly for tl.is end ; (o to
OLD AS TlIE CR EA TION. 25
make this more cfFe8ual, wn^ religion, which reaches the thoughts, \vholly ordaiti'd ; it heirnT impolfihlc for God, in govcrniniT the Wf)vld, to propofe 10 hinifclf an- other end than the good of the governed; and confe- quendy, whoever does hix hpfl for the good of his fel low creatures, does all djat God or man requires. Thu? from the confidcrotion of cuir own imperfctlions, which v;e coniinually feel ; and t!ie pcrFcttions of our creator, which wc conftantiv find in all his works; we may ar- rive at the kno\Jcdgc of our duty, both to our creator and fellow-creatures. Hence. I iliii'^^ 've may define true religif)n to rci\f}ft jfffi^ C^ftttfiiffof^^iofX ^ f mind 10 do all the _<7' '..■I .v<> r ' ... M,..\irv' render onr- felves acceptable to Gofl in anfwering the end of his « / crcatic^n. i^c^y^,
CHAT. III.
Tii.ii ii'it ■ijerjccllon and ha.Opinrfs ef oil rniioval beinf^s^ Jupreme as zuell as fubordinatc^ tcnjifts in living iip to the didatcs of their nature.
TO make this, (fincc ail our happinefs depends oti it) if polfihle, more plain: The principle fro;-;! which ail human anions flow, is die defire ofhappinels ; and God, who dors nothing in vain, would in vain have implanted t!iis principle, this only innate princi- ple in mankind, if he Iiad not given rhem reafon to dif- cern what anions make for, and againfl: iheir happineP.
1j. Wherein do v^u take the happinefs of ration?! creatures to confift ? Wiihoui: knowing that, this con- troverfy cannot be determined ; and when it is known, n,:r difptue niufl foon be ended.
yj. ^ he happincfs of all beings whatcvfr confius ii ^ the perfeflion.s of their nature ; and the nature of a ra- tional being i<? moll perfcft, wh:n it i^ perleftiv ratirn- rd ■, '■>'^' •■•. • '; ^'^ it governs all it:; atlions hvihe rules
D
26 CHRISTIAN IT"i' AS
of light reafbn ; for then it arrives at the rnoft pcrfcS, and confequcnily the happiell Hate a rational nature can iifpire to : and every deviation from the rules of right rcafon, being an imperfeftion, muft carry with it a pro- portionable unhappinefs; and a man's happinefs and duty nuift coi.fili in the fame things, fmce no one can be obliged to do any thing that does not fome way or other contribute to his happinefs; and confequenily, ac- cording to the fenfe men have of their own happinefs, and of the means which will naturally procure it, they may alfuredly attain the knowledge of their refpe6Uve
duties. ,,^ .. ntAWfif. *'»' -'-'^
B. If we know wherein the happinefs of God, who is neccfiarily happy, confifls, we might judge wherein confifts the happinefs of man made after God's own im- age; and Vv'heiher happinefs, or mifery, are the necef- fary confequence of his aBions.
A. Becaufc this is a point of the higheft confequence, I Ihall fpcak tny fentjments (that they may the better pafs with you) in the words of the judicious Dr. Scott, who fays, " That which renders God fo infinitely hap- py in h'mfclf, is not fo much the almighty power he has to defend himfelf from foreign hurts or injuries, as the exa6\ agreement of all his actions, with the all com- prehending reafon cf his own mind. God loves not bimfelf merely bfcanfe he is himfelf, but becaufe he is in all rerpe8.> n^.orally good, and his will and pov,-er perfeflly compliant with the infalible diBates of his own reafon : Hence arifes his infinite complacency in himfelf, that there is nothing in him but what his own ■ cafon pcrfettly approves; no inclinations in his will or .■ature, but what are exa6lly agreeable to the fairelt - Jeas of his own mind.''
If the perfcBicn, and conlequently the happinefs of (;od, confifts in the purity and rcfciitude of his nature, we, as far as we can arrive to a like purity and retli- tude, muft be fo far ncccifarily happy; fince by living according to the rules of right reafon, we more and more implant in us the moral pcrfcBions of God, from
OLD AS THE CREATION'. 1J
v.hich his happincfs is infeparablc. Wc then, if I mav fo fav live the life oj God ; thai in, wc, in our place and (lation, live after the fame maniK-r, and by the lame rules as he docs in his; and wc do what God himrdf would do was he in our place ; and there would be no other difference between his life and ours, but what arifcs from our different dates and relations; fince the fame rules would determine our wills as determine his will ; and by our repeated a8s of virtue, we fhould be continually making nearer and nearer approaches to the mod pcrfetl and the moll happy being. By this con- du61, wc, as the fcriptures afturc us, ffiould be made partakers of the divine nature, be born of God, and be pcrfetl as our heavenly father is pcrfe6i ; and can that be without being as happy as wc are pcrfefi? Hence we may contemplate the great dignity of our rational nature, fince our reafon for kind, though not for de- gree, is of the fame nature as that of God's; nay, it i.-? our reafon which makes us the image of God himfelf, and is the common bond which unites Heaven and Earth; the creatures and creator; and if our happinefs is limited, it is becaufe our icafon is fo : It is God a- lone, who has an unlimited reafon and happinefs.
The excellent author jult now mentioned, lays, " The beft thing we can receive from God is himftlf, and him- felf we do receive in our ftri6t compliance with the eter- nal laws of goodnefs ; which laws being tranfcribcd from tijc nature of God, from his eternal rightcoufnefs and goodnefs, we do, by obeying them, derive God's nature into our own; fo that while we write after the copy of his laws, we write out the perfeFiions of his being ; and his laws being the feal on which he has en- graven his nature, wc, in obeying them, take im- prefTion from them, and ftamp his blefled nature on «uir own." Which, certainly, niufl make us ncccflarily happy, as a contrary condu6l would make us unhappy. And, I think, I may venture to fay, that could wc fuppofe God himfelf to ai-l othcrwifc, he would ihen be as unhappy as he now is happy ; and his omnipo-
28 CHRISTIANITY AS
tcncy could not hinder him from being coniinually e.\ pofed to the reproach of his own infallib e reafon.
From ther:f premifcs, I think, we may conclude, that nun, according as ihey do, or do not partake of the nature of God, mufi: unavoidably be either happy or miferable: And herein appears the great wifdom of God, in making men's mifery and happinefs the necef- fary and infeparable confequsnce of their ci6tions ; and that rational a61ions carry with thi-m their own reward, and irrational their own punifhinent: This, I think, can not be denied, as long as the|r are fome aftions natural- ly beneficial to us, and others as hurtful ; and that there is no virtue, 'l^ut what has fome good infeparablv annexed to it; and no vice, but what as neceflarily carries with it fome evil : and if our rational nature is to be the fame in the next life, as it is in this, our ac- tions muft produce effefls of the fivme kind, and that too in a much higher degree.
In this life, it is true, we cannot be perfeBly happy ; as lubjeft to difeafes and difaders : We aie imperfect ourlelves, and have none to converfe with but imper- fect creatures; and yet if we act according to the dic- tates of right reafon, we fhall receive, even here, true inward comfort and fatisfaction ; and her(?after, when "we are freed from thofe imperfeQions, complete happi- nefs: on the contrary, the man who abandons his rea- fon, behdes the mifery of all forts of irrational condufl "will bring on him, muft feel in his mind, pain and an- guifli even in (his life; and in the life to come, when there are no fejifnal things to divert his thoughtSjinfup- portable grief and miferv.
Though human law-givers are forced to have rccourfe to punifhmenis, which are not conneQed with the things they forbid; yet a being of infinite power is uot thus ftraitened, but may make one thei^cctflarv coniequcncc of the other; And, indeed, how can it I'C odicrwife, £nce good and evil have their fcmndation in the clfen- tial difference of things, and their nature is fixed and immoveable : And cord'equenily, our happinefs de-
OLD AS THE CRtATION. 29
pcnds on the intiinfic nature bf the one, and our mifery on the intrinlic naiuicofihc other.
As Ood, Nvhofe inlinile wifdoin ftls him above being deceived, or iiilluenced by any wrong affetlions, a6ls in coiill.mt coiiforinity to the rcafon and nature of things; and it is a coniraditlion to his nature for him to di) any fhing that is not fit and reafonable ; fo he u'ould have framed our nature in contradiftion to his own, if he liad obliged us to at\ oiherwife. No, God can never give us commands repugnant to his own na- ture, or require us to do \vh:U he himfelf abhors to do. '1 he end lor which God has given us reafon, is to com- pare things, and the relation they (land in to each other; and from thence to judge of the fityefs and unfitncfs of. aBiotis ; and could not our reafon judge foundly in all fuch matters, it could not have anfwcred the end for vhich infinite wifdom and goodnefs heftowed that ex- cellent Gif: ; and f )r which we cannot adore enough the goodnefs of God.
Had God, from time to time, fpohe to all mankind
in their feveral languages, and Iiis words had miracu-
louflv conveyed the fame ideas to all perlons; yet he
could not f|)eak more plainly than he has done by the
things ihcmfelves, and the relaiion which reaion fhews
there is between thern : Nay, fmce it is impoHible in
any book, or books, that a particular rule could be
given for every cafe, we muft even then have had re-
courfe to ih.e liglit of nature to teach us our duty in
molt cafes ; efpecially confidering the numberlefs cir-
cumftances which attend us, and which, perpetually
varying, and make the fame adions, according as men
■ differently affected bv them, cither good or bad.
...id I may add, that molt of the particular rules laid
. down in the gofpel for our direction, are fpokcn after
fuch a figurative maimer, that except we judge for their
' meaning, not merely by ilie letter, but what the law of
Ji.iiure antecedently declares to be our duty, they are
apt to lead us wrong ; And if precepts relating to moral-
i'Y arc delivered after :■" -'•:)• vriner. when ihey
30 CHRISTIANITY AS
might have been delivered otherwife; what rcafon can you affign for its being fo, but that infinite wifdom meant to refer us to that law, for the explaning them? Sufficient inftances of this nature I (hall give you here- after; though I mufl; own, I cannot carry this point fo far as a learned divine, who reprefcnts the fcriptures more obfcure (which one would think impoffible) than even the Fathers. He tells us, '• That a certain author (viz. Flaccus Illyricusj has furnifhed us with one and fifty reafoas for theobfcurity of the fcriptures;" adding, *' I think, I may truly fay that the writings of the pro- phets and apoftles abound with tropes and metaphors, types and allegories, parables and dark fpeeches; and are as much, nay, much more unintelligible in manv places, thajn the wrftings of the ancients." It is well this author, who talks of people being fl:ark.^2^/<?-m^!^, ftoppedhere; and did not with a celebrated wit* cry, The truly illuminated books are the darkeft of all.
The writer above-mentioned fuppofes it impoffible, that God's will fhould be fully revealed by books; '* Except, fays he, it might be faid perhaps without a figure, that even the word itfelf could not contain the books which fiiould be written." But with fubmiflion to this reverend perfon^ I cannot help thinking, but that (fuch is the divine goodnefs) God's will is fo clear- ly, and fully manifefted in the book of nature, that he who runs may read it.
This cannot be denied, if the book of nature fhews us in charaBer legible by the whole world, the relation vc (land in to God and our fellow-creatures, and the duties refulting from thence; for then it mull teach us the whole of our duty, fince it would be unjufl and tyrannical in any being, to require more of others than the relation they (land in to him makes it their duty to pay; it being that relation alone which gives him his jufl power and authority. We are encompaffed with many artificial relations, fuch as governor and govern- ed, mifter and fervant, hufbind and wife, &c. and the end of thefc relations teaches us what they require; and ^ D^-an Sw;;:.
OLD AS THE CREATION. 3I
ihey beinpj entered into for the fake of each other's af- fi<iance, either \ ariy is injured by the others not ob- fcrving what thcle relations demaiid, or by cxaBing more than ihc end of entering into them requires.
Though the elation we (land in to God, is not arti- ficial as mofl are amongd men, who want each other's afTiItance; but is natural at leaft on our part; yet this does not hinder, but that wc may know by reafon, the end he had in being related to us as creator and govern- or ; and what he requires oFhis creatures and fubjefts : This the divine nature, which contains in itfelf all per- fcttion, and all happincfs, plainly points out to us. And if we are once certain of the end of God's enter- ing into this relation with man, wc may be as certain from his wifdom and goodnefs, and all h.is divine per- fe6lions, that he will require no more of us than the end he had in entering into this relation requires.
If it would be uiijult and tyrannical in an earthly go- vernor, to cxaft things of his fubjefls, that do not con- tribute !o the end for which this relation between them was entered into ; can we fuppofe a governor of infi- nite wifdom and goodnefs, who has always in his mind the end for which he governs mankind, will a6l the ty- rant, and put them under fevere penalties for not ob- ferving fuch things as have no relation to the end for which he created, and governs them ?
There is no relation among men without a mutual obligation arifing from it ; parents owe a duty to chil- dren as well as children to parents; but are not we in a hricler fenfe, the children of God, and parents only inftruments in his hands? fince it is God, who from nothing brings us into being, frames us after the man- ner that beft plcafes him, imprints on us what faculties, inclinations, defires and paffions he thinks lit: And is not God from his innate goodnefs and equity, under an obligation to treat us more kindly than earthly parents do their beU-belovedchildren,who beget them without riefign? Whereas God,whofe a6ions are governed by infinite goodnefs, could have no motive to bring us in-
32 christiaxitv as
to being (which of itfelf is no blefTing) but our good > ind for the fame rcafon preferves us in being: nor can o kind and tender a parent play the tyrant, rfnd impofe -rommands on us, which do not flow from the relaiions ve ftand in to him, and to one another.
If we corifider what our reafon informs us of the nature of our great creator and governor, we cannot ^ail of knowing our duty; for as Dr. Scott juflly nb- ferves, "Ir you will ferve the great king of the world in fuch ways as are pleafing and acceptable to him, yoti mnW ftudy his nature, and inform your felves wh;ch <vay his infinite perfe61ions incline, that yoti.may know how to comport your felves towards him, and to render Sim fuch ferviccs as are agreeable to his nature ; for ■here is no rule in the world, but only than of his na- ure. -by which you can certainly conclude what will
plcafe him. So that in all cur enquiries what 13
pleafing to God, our lafi: appeal mufl be to his nature, which is the great flandard of good and evil; by which we are to meafure what is pleafing and difpleafing to him."
If then, with this -judicious author, you allow, that we are to meafure what is pleafing and difpleafing to God, (which takes in the whole of religion) from what jMir reafon teaches concerning his nature, you allow all 1 contend for.
In fliort, if the relations between things, and the fit- lefs refuhing from thence, be not the fole rule of GodV aftions, mufl: not God be an arbitrary being? and then what a mifcrable condition will mankind be in! Since an arbitrary will might change cveiy momenr, and thofe things which entitled men to God's favor to day, might make them incur his difpleafure to-morrow: Nay, hc> might at the fame time have a fccret will oppoiite to his' revealed will ; or have different wills for every differ- ent perfon ; or might reveal his arbitrary commands fo obfcurely, as to caufe the utmofl; confufion; hut if God only commands what the nature of things fliew to be fvt, it is fcarcc pofiible, that men (though now end-
OLD AS THE CREATION.
33
lefsly divided upon the account of their different tradf- lionsj fliould midake the duty ; fince a mind that is attentive can as eafily diflinguifh fit from u: fit, ,,$ the C) e can beauty frcnn defornniy, or the ear harmony from difcord: and if no commands can alter the na- ture of things, or make that fit which is in itfelf unfit, external revelation mu^^ attend the nature ;iiid rela- tion of things, and can only fpcuk what thole fpeak. As for iiirtance, it is not in our power, though ever fo often commanded, to love the Deity, while we con- ceive him an arbitrary being a61ing out of humor and caprice; nor could any commands fuppofing fach pof- fible, oblige us not to Une him, while wc believe him a kind and benifi^ent being; fo that as long as we have rig'u notions of God, we cannot but love, and adore him as we ought.
Thus, I tliink, I have fully proved from the nature of God and man, and the relations we ftand in to him and one another, (hat the divine precepts cannot vary; and that th-^fe relations, which are the permanent voice of God, by which he fpeaks to all mankind, do at all times infallihly point out to us our duty in all its vari- ous circumllances of life.
Should revelation require lefs than thofe relations re- quire, would it not be an imperfe6l rule? And if it en- joins more, would it not argue the author of it to be of a tyrannical nature, impofing on his fnbjcCfs, and under moft fevcre penalties, unnccefTiry thitjgs; and likewife fliew a defign, not of being beloved, but hated and dreaded ; And therefore, tho e who fee the confe- quences of things, dcicribe the chriftian religion as i*e- quiring fuch things only, as confidering the relations we itand in to God and one another, are apparently for our good.
The mod accurate Dr. Barrow gives this charafler of the chriflian religion, '• That its precepts are no o- ther than fuch as phvficians piefcnbe for the health of our bodies; as politicians would allow to be needful forihe peace of the ftatc ; as Epicurian philofophers re-
1
3;^ CHRISTIANITY AS
commend for the tranquility of our minds, and ptea- i'ures of our lives; fuch as reafon ditiates, and daily fhevvs conducive to our welfare in all refpe6ts; which confequcntly, were there no law enacting them, we fhould in wifdom choofe to obferve, and voluntarily impofe them on our felves; confeffing them to be fit matters of law, as mofh advantageous and requifite to the good, general and particular, of mankind."
That great and good man Dr. Tillotfon fays, " That all the precepts of chriftianity are rcafonable and wife, requiring fuch duties as arc fuitable to the light of na- ture, and do approve themfelves to the belt reafon of mankind; fuch as have their foundation in the nature of God, and arc an imitation of the divine excellencies; fuch as tend to the perfe8ion of human nature, and to raife the minds of men to the higheft pilch of good-
nefs and virtue, They command nothing that
is unneceffarv, they omit nothing that may lend to thT glory of God, or the welfare of men, nor do they re- Itrain us in any thing, but what is contrary to the re- gular inclinations of nature, or to our reafon, and true iniercit ; they forbid us nothing but what is bafe and un- vorthv to ferve our humors and paffions, lo make our-
felves fools and beafls. In a word, nothing but
what tends to our private barm, or prejudice, or to public diforder and confufion."
The late Dean of Canterbury, in a fermon preached in defence of chriftianity, fays, " What can be more powerful incentive to obedience, than for a rational creature clearly to difcern the equity, the necefTiiy, the benefit, the decency and beauty of every afction he ir. called to do, and thence to be duly fenfible how graci- ous a mafler he ferves ; one that is fo far from loading him with fruielefs, arbitrary, and tyrannical impofitions, that each command abllraftcd from his command who iffues it, is able to lecommend itfeif; and nothing re- quired but what every wife man would choofe of his own accord; and cannot without being his own enemy, wifh to be exemnted from." And this charafter of
OLD AS Tll£ CREATION. 35
chriftianit^ he makes to be cirential to its being from God, and therefore nui(t make it the fame with natural religion, which has this charatler impreflcd on it.
" There was none of the dodrines of our faviour ffays the late archbi(hop of York] calculated for the gratification of mens idle curiofities, the bufying and amufing them with airy and ulelels fpeculations ; much lefs were thcv intended for an excrcile of our crcduliiv, or a trial how lar we could brini» our reafon to fubmit to our faith : But as on the one hand they were plain and fnnplc. and fuch as bv their agreeahlencfs to the rational faculties o? mankind, did highly recommend themfelves to our belief; lo on the other hand they had an immediate relation to prattice, ai^d were the genuine principles and foundation, upon which all human and
divine virtues were naturally to be fuperflrutled."
Does not every one fee, that if the religion of nature had been put indead of chriRianity, thele defcriptions would have exactly agreed with it?
The judicious Dr. Scott affirms, *' God never im- pofes laws on us pro imperic, as arbitrary teds and tri- als, of our obedierrce. —The great defign of them,
fays he, is to do us good, and dircd our actions to our own intereft. — This, if v;e firmly believe, will infinite- ly encourage our obedience; for when I am fure God commands me nothing but what my own health, cafe, and happinefs requires; and that every law of his is both a necefl'ary aud fovercign prefcription again (t the difeafes of my nature, and he could not prefcribe lefs than he has, without being defeftive in his care of my recovery and happinefs ; with what prUdence and mo- derty can I grudge to obey him ?"
Xay, the mo(i confiderable men, even among the Papills, do not fcruple to maintain there is nothing in religion but what is moral. The divines of Port-Royal for in Ranee fay, '• All the precepts, and all the mylle- ries that are expreffcd in lb many different ways in the holy volumes, do all center in this one commandment, of loving God with all our heart, and in loving our
g6 CHRISTIANITY AS
neighbors as Ourfelves : For the fcripture (it is St. Auf- tin "uho fays it) forbids but one only thing, which is concupifence, or the love of the creature ; as it com- mands buc one only thing, which is, charity, and the lo^'e of God : Upon this double precept is founded the whole fyflem of the Chriftian religion; and it is unto this, fay they, according to the expreflion of Jefus Chrift, that all the ancient law and prophets have reference ; and we may add alfo, all the myfte- ries, and all the precepts of the new law : For love, fays St. Paul, is the fulfilling of the law." And thefe divines likewife cite a remarkable paffage of St. Auftin on this fubjeft ; viz. " He that knows how to love God, and to regulate his life by that love, knows all that the fcripture propounds to be known." They alfo have quoted a known faying of his father, Omnia feccaia funt in univerfum contra rationem £f? natures le- gem. And I mi^nt add the authority of a greater man, and a Papift too, who fays, " Religion adds nothing to natural probity, but the confolation of doing that for love and obedience to our heavenly Father, which reafon itfelf requires us to do in favor of virtue." And the famous Pert Ouefnelle fays orr AHs 2- 21. Le vrai culte n'ejl plus attache a nh peuple ; le Chrijiianifmc ejl tine religion umverfelle.
J5. Do divines always give this charafter of chrifli- anity, do they never diftinguifh it from the religion of nature, by fuppofmg it contains certain arbitrary pre- cepts ?
A. When they confider how repugnant it is to the nature of God to give any arbitrary commands, then indeed the force of truth obliges them to declare there is nothing in religion but what tends to the good of mankind ; but if at any time they talk otherwife, it is for the fake of fuch things as either dire^lly or indi- reftly farve their intereft. But to remove all fcruples, 1 fliall more fully prove.
OLD AS THE CREATIOM. 37
CHAP. IV.
V
That not only the matter of all God's laws, hut the penaU ties annexed to them, are for the good of mankind; even for thofe who fujfcr Jor the breach cfthcm. .^^
B. QHOULD I allow you, that the natural know- ^B
O ledge wc have of Gc)cl is the foundation of all religion, and tha^ arguing from the divine attributes is a uiofl certain way of reafoning, yet is not God's glory one of his divine attributes ? And does not the wifefl of men fay, tl)at God made all things for him- felf, and the wicked for the day of evil ;* :ind con- lequently God's glory, rather than the good of man, occafioned the almighty to create man, and to give him laws ?
A. As to this text, I fhall anfwer you from archbi- fhop Tillollon ; that *' If by God's making all things for himfeif, be meant, that he aimed at and intended the manifeilation of his wifdom, power, and good- nels in the creation of the world, it is mod true, that in this fenfe he made all things for himfclf ; but if we underfiand ic fo, as if the goodncfs of his nature did not moce him thereto, but that he had fome defign to ferve, ends and nereffities of his own, upon his crea- tures, this is far from him; but it is very probable, that neither of thefe are the meaning of the text, which may be rendered with much better fenfe, and nearer to the Hebrew thus; God hath ordained every thing to that which is fit for it, and the wicked hath he or- ' dained for tlie day of evil ; that is, the wifdom of God haih fitted one tiling to another; punilhment to (in, the evil day to the evil doers." This is the fenfe that Grotius, and moft of the befl commentators \vAt on the text. And here let: mc add, that if there nre in-
• Prov. 16 4.
58 CHRISTIANITY AS
numerable places as capable of different interprela- tions, even with relation to God and his attributes, this, fure, will be no argument not to adhere to what the light of nature teaches us in this matter; fmce where texts may be taken in different fenfes, things are as much left to be determined by our reafon, as if there were no fuch texts. And when we meet with expreffions of God's doing any thing for his own glo- ry, they can only mean, that fuch is the tranfcendent excellency of his nature, fuch the inexpreffible marks of his wifdom and power in all his works, that he could not have given greater, had he defigned nothing but his own glory. And when we impute the glory of all we do to him, we thereby lignify, that we have no power, but what we derive from him ; and that we dcfire to acknowledge him the author of whatever is 2:)raife-worthy in us.
B. Though it be allowed, that God framed his laws, and confequently, the fandions that make them laws, for the good of man ; yet a due regard to his own ho- nor, the dignity of his laws and government, w^ill o- blige him to punifh thofe, who violate his laws, as for an injury done to himfclf, diflinfcl; from the harm that bv the breach of them accrues to his creatures.
A. As no man breaks the divine laws out of con- tempt to his maker, or imagines he can do God an in- yny ; fo God does not make laws for one end, and re- quire the obferving them for another; that being in- confiftent with the dignity of the divine legiflator, his iaws and government! But as it was for the fake of man that he gave him laws, fo he executes them pure- ly for the fame reafon; fince upon his own account, ne cannot be in the leaft affe£led, whether his laws ue, or be notobferved; and confequently in punifh- ng, no more than rewarding, does he a6i: as a party, nuch lefs an injured party, who wants {atisfa6lion, or ..'paration of honor. And indeed, to luppofe it, is highly to difhonor hi'm, fmce God, as he never can be injured, lo he can never want reparation ; and he who
0LD AS THE CREATl0^i. 39
is infinitely fatisfied in himfelf, can aain no additioi of fatisladion by his creatures obl'crving his laws ; noi can he, by their not oblerving them, be reduced to a condition of wanting fatisfaftion, or reparation of ho- nor, or any of thofo things, which, depending on the opinion of others, are main ingredients in ht\- man happinefs : and yet even among men, none ought to be punifhcd, (fince what is pad cannot be helped) but to prevent a future breach of the law ; and all laws being defigned for the good ol" the governed. '' Tiie grcatell monarch is not to punifli the breach of his laws any otherwife, than the moll petty flate :" And though all own, it would be tyranny in an earthly governor to multiply punifhments, on pretence of vindicating the honor of the legiflator; oras the breach of law is an injury done to him, and inch like; yc: fome are not alhamed to impute fuch tyranny to God, and thereby take off from that elleem and love men mud have for him, did they believe he only puniftied when, and no further than their good required.
Do not we bring Cod down to ourfelves, when we fuppofe he a£ls like us poor indigent creatures, in feek- ing worfhip and honor for his own lake ; way do wq not cloath him, who has neither parts nor paflions, with the worft of our infirmities, if we leprefent him as an ambitious, fufpicious, wrathful, and revengeful being ?
If wc dare eonfult our reafon, it will tell us that jealoufy in point of honor and power, love of fame and glory can only belong to limited creatures ; but are as ueceifarily excluded from unlimited, abiolutelv pevfeft being, as anger, revenge, and luch like pal- iions ; which would make the Deity reiemble the weak, womanilh, and impotent part of our nature, rather than the manly, noble and generous.
Could God, ftriftly fpeaking, be made angry, pro- voked, or grieved by the conduQ of us wretched mor- tals, he would not enjoy a moment's quiet; b'lt mufl: be mucii more miferablc than the moft unhappy of his creatures. Or,
40 CHRISTIANITY A*
Had God any comfort or fatisfa^ion to gain from the thoughts and a6l ons of his creatures, he would never have been without an infinity of them jointly contribut- ing to this end.
If religion in general, and every part of it was not llfeful to mankind, there would be no reafon why they ihould know it more than other animals; who though they have wonderful talents (in many of which they ex- ceed men) given them by God forpreferving themfelves and their fpecies, yet are utter ftrangers to religion, as a thing wholly ulelefs to them.
The fum of Vt^hat I have been faying is fully exprelT- cd by Job in thefe words; If thou hnneft, what doft thou againft him? Or if thy tranfgreffion be multiplied, what doft thou unto him ? If thou be righteous, what giveft thou him ; Or what receivcth he at thy hands ? Thy wickednefs may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteoufnefs profit the fon of man.* Or, as Efdras fays, What is man that thou fhouldft take difpleafure at him ? Or what is a corruptible generation, that thou Ihouldft be fo bitter towards it.t
Our greated felicity confilts in having fuch an im- pirtial and difinterefted judge as well as legiflator, that whether he punifhes, or rewards, he a6ls alike for out good; that being the end of all his laws, and confe- quently of the penalties as well as rewards which make them laws: whereas your common fyftems of divinity reprefent him full of wrath and fury, ready to glut himfelf with revenge for the injuries he has fufFered by the breach of his laws.
B. Is not God's juftice as well as his mercy a divine attribute, and will not that as much oblige him to pun- ifh the breakers of his laws, as if he had been, as he is fometimes reprefented, full of anger, wraih and re- venge ?
A. Though juftice and mercy cannot at the fame time be exercifed in one and the fame inflance on the fame fubjeft; yet your fyftem-writers., left they fhould
* Chap. 35. 6. fa Efdras 8. 34.
miVj AS THE CREATIOM. 4I
limit thefe two aMribures in God, extend them alike to all pcrlbns, which i> making him neither juft, nor nur- ciful ; hecaiile ihelc atirihiites drawing contrary wav^, nr.ifl hinder each others efteft.
B. I mii't confeTs I do not fise how the Time aft ca\i be ail atl both of jiiftice and me cy in relation to ihe fame perfon : or how it can be laid that God does juf- ticc to a finner, when he fhcws mercy to him; and \et we mult ruppolc ihcjulliccas well as mercy of God to be infinite.
A. Thejuflice by which I'iod is ri*»hteovis in all his a6lions, and ihc mercy by whicii he is -ood o benefi- cent, are infinite, and eternally inherent in thedi,ine nature ; but ihefe ohli^ ■ not God either to i uiiifh or pardon any further dian his infinite wildom fees fit ; and fuch punifhmjT and pardoning arc tranfient afcfs the ef- fcds (dT his will, not properties belonging to his nature. Julticeand mercy among men relate to different fubjefts: when the magiltrate punifhes acriminal, it is an act of juf- tice to the j)u!ilic . and w'len he pardons him, it is an aft of mercy to the criminal, though an aft of injufticti to the public ; except in fuch circumftances, where he has ground to believe that pardoning hmi may be nodif- advaniage to the public, whole intereft it is not to Icle a ufeful member.
The greateft difference in this cafe between God and man is, that the mod p werful monarch on earth is of the fame nature with his fiibjefts, and his good involved in the good of the whole, and by the breach of his laws may be injure d ; atid as a party injured, may exact re- paration and latisfaclion : But diis without blafphemy cannot be laid of God. whok; nature is infinitely hap y in himfelF before there was any crca'ure fo adore him, or be obedietit to his will ; fo he muft flill be fucli, though none of them did obey hislaws, or acknov ledge his being; and thcrefoie, in doing afts of jufiice he catmot, like the monarchs of this world, propofe any fecurity to himfelf, but afts purely for the good of his creatures, and the clfefts oP his jultiee (ihey never cx-
E
42 CHRISTIANITY AS
lending to annihilation) rauft not be only for the good of others, but even of the perfons puniflied; becaufe God, whoTe love infinitely exceeds that of mortal pa- rents, chaftifes his children (and all mankind are alike his offspring] becaufe he loves them, and defigns their amendment: And the reafon why God in fcripture is faid to be love, muft be becaufe all his a8s, by what name foever you call them, are a£ts of pure, impartial, and difinerefled love.
All punifhment for punifhment's fake is mere cruelty and malice, v;hich can never be in God- n^i can he hate any thing that is made, or be fubjed to fuch weak- dqCs or impotence as to aft arbitrarily, or out of fpiie,. wrath,, revenge, or any felf intereti ; and confequently^ whatever puniibment he inflifts, muft be a mark of his love, in not fuffering his creatures to remain in that m ferable Rate, v/hich is infeparable from fin and wick- ednefs.
As God's infinite goodnefs appears in the fanftions aa well as matter of his laws, fo his infinite wiidom knows bow to adjud the punifhment to the offence ; that it may he exactly fitted to produce th-e defired amendment.
B. Does not your fuppofing that God has no other motive in executing his laws, than he had in making them ; viz. the good of his creatures; and that all pun- ifhtnent mud bear an exaft proportion to the offence it is defigned to amend, flrike at the abfolute eternity of hell-torments? Since there is no proportion betwen temporary injuries done to all men, and eternal mifery of but one man; nor can everlafting torment work a- mendmenf.
A, I fliall at prefent refer you to Dr. Burnet dc Statu Mortuorum^ and only fay with archbifliop Tillotfon, " The right that God hath in his creatures is founded in the benefits he hath conferred on them and the obliga- tion they have to him on that account. Now there i* none, who becaufe he has done a benefit, can have, by virtue of that, a right to do a greater evil than the good he has done amounts to; and I think it next to madnefs
OLD AS THE CRKATIONT. 4^
) doubt, ^vhether extreme, and eternal mifery be not ,; greater evil than fimple being is a good." But at a proper time I fhall conlider what may be faid from fcrip- lure as well as realbn, for the dotlrincof the abfolute eternity o( torments; and what will be the condition of thofc, who die before they are capable of undergoing a trial ; or knowing any thing of religion. A fubjcd, which, I think, has icarce been confidered by any one.
CHAP. V.
That God requires nothing for his own fake ; iin^ not the worjliip we are to render him, nor the faith we are to have in him.
.CVTOUR arguing from the nature of God, that e- X very thmg, coniequently faith in him, and even the worfhip and fervice we render U) him. is wholly for our own fake, will hardly go down with the bulk of mankind, who imagine, they by tho(e afls do him fomc real fervice.
A. If they think fo, it is a fign they have not been well inftrufted; the mofl eminent of our divines would teach them, that prayer iti'elf, God knowing befo e hand what we will afk, chiefly becomes a duty, as it raifes in us a due contemplation of the divine attributes, and an acknowledgement of his great and conRant goodnefs, and ferves to keep up a conflant fenfe of our depend- ence on him ; and as it difpofcs us to imitate thofe per- fe6lions we adore in him, in being kind and beneficent to one another. There are few fo grofs as to imagine, we can dire8. infinite wifdom in the difpenlation of pro- vidence, or pcrfuadc him to alter thofe laws he contriv- ed before the foundation of the world for putting things in a regular courfe.
" It is, fays archbifliop Tilloifon, a great condcfccn. tion and goodnefs in him, to accept our imperfcd piaif-
44 CHRISTIANITY AS
es, and ignorant admiration of him; and were lie not as \vronh'.ly good, as he is gre t and glorious, he would not fuffer us to fully his great and glorious name by taking it in our mouths ; and were it not for our advan- tage and happinefs to own and acknowledge his benefits, for any real happinefs and glory that comes to hmi by it, he couid veil enough be without it, and difpenfc "With us for ever entertaining one thought of him ; and were it not for his goodnefs, might defpife the praifes of his creatures, with infinitely more reafon ihan wife men da the applaufe of fools."
" To imagine, as Dr. Scott obfe^ ves, that God needs ©ur fcrvices, and requires them to ferve his own inte- reit, is to blafpheme his all-fufficiency. and fuppofehim a poor indigent being, who for want of perfect fatisfac- tion within himfelf, is forced to roam abroad, and raife taxes on his creatures, to enrich and fupply himfelf: So that whatlbever fome high flown enthufiafts may pre- tend, that it is fordid and mercenary to lerve God for our good, I am fure, to ferve him for his good, is pro- fane and blafphemous."
As able a div ne as this, or perhaps any other age has produced, Le Clerk, obferves, that " nothing can he more falfe, or contrary to the nature of the gofpel, th<in to fancy God in part defigned to (hew he was maf- ter, by enjoining fome commands, which have no re- lation to the good of mankind; religion was revealed for us, and not for God , who, abfolutely fpeaking, neiiher wants what we think of him. nor the worfhip we pay him, but has manifefled himfelf tons only to make us hap.y." An J therefore, if from excefs of devotion, a man negleQs the duties of civil life, he is fo far from doing a thing acccpfable to God that he millakes the end of religion, which is to render liim as pcrfeft as may be in all moral duties whatever.
If any command was ever given for the fake of God, jt muft certainly be relating to the indiiution of the lab- ■ bath ; and yet we find it faid. The fabbath is made for : jraan, and not man for the fabbath: So true is it in di-
• LD AS THE CREATION'. 4/J
vinity as well as politics, that The good of tlie people is (he (iipremc law.
In fliort, the wnrfhip God ri^quires. is either for his own fiike, which fujjpofcs his hippincls fomc way or o- thcr depends on it ; or rife (except he rrqmrcs thini»<; to Mi> purpolej for the f^ke of urn, to raile and keep m their minds the contemplation of an infinitely (rood be- ing, and of his laws, all f*uindcd an a difintereQed love to the whole race of nia-ikind. To imi^me the wor- ih.p of G'td is f)rdained(>n any other account, not only de Iroys one of the t^rcatelt motives of mens doing good to one another ; but (iipoof s (}()d not (a^ficient for, or infinite^ happy in Inmlblf: hot kihjcd to the [)airions of .unhitioiiN and vain glorion.s mortals.
The generaliiy of Chridiaiis not only believe, that in worfhipping God th y do hi n real fervicr, but thini: he is extremely ^lncaf^^ if public woifhip is not per- formed in lurh a manner, and ^iih fuch rites and cere- monies; and being endlefsly divided about thelc trifles, ihink they make their court to heaven, and hi.;hlv o- fclige an omnipotent being, in dcdroying thofc formida- ble enemies of God, who prefume, without their leave, !o worfliip him aficr that manner they judge agreeable to his will. And,
There are no meaftres, though e -cr fo deflruRive, Inn what they, who do not confider the end of God's laws, may be brought into; as all hiilory fufficienily proves. The Jews not only ihoughi that doing the greateft good on their fahhath, was prrifaning the dav ; but were fuperl^irious as to think, thai all-lelf defence was tken unlawful ; and thcrefbre dur(t not lift up their bands againd their enemies, who butchered them as th v pleafed ; And many of the p;imiiivc fathers iho't the gofpel forbid all felf-defence ; and herein thev arc followed by a modern fed, who arc their flrid iii;itat!)r'« in moll things.
It is no wonder, if fomc ccclefiadics havo not been very forward to teach people, that what worfhip (U^d requires of ihcm, is for iheir own fakes; lince then
46 CHRISTIANITY AS
they could not, on pretence of that worlhipi have claimed fuch powers and privileges, as are inconfiHent with the cominon good ; and people might then think it their duty fo to regulate matters, as that their priefts, upon the whole, confidering the charge of niaintaiuing them, and other incidents, (hould do more good than hurt: Which can never happen, till men are taught it is their duty to do good to all, notwithftanding their \vide(t differences as to worfhip, or any other matter of meer religion; and it is to the honor of our clergy at prefent, that fo many of them now endeavor to infiife fuch. humane and benevolent principles into a people, who, not long fince, thought they fliewed a fufficient zeal for religion, in haling thofe dieir priefts hated, 'without know.ng wherefo e ; and, fired by their pulpit inveBives, thought it their duty to pull down houfes of religious v\;or{hip, and were ready at the direftion of their impious leaders, to have perpetrated worfe crimes.
B. There is one difficulty, which to me feems infup- erable, how to make the faith reqaired by the religrion of nature and of the gofpel, to have the fame views, and tend to the fame end.
A. If faith in God hirafelf, no more than la any o- iher a6l of religion, is not required for God's fake, but our own; can faith in one fent by God be required for any other end ? Efpecially confidering, that no perfon is ever the more known to pofleriiy, becaule his name is tranfmitted to them. When we fay, Cscfar conquered Pompey, we have no idea of either, can only mean, fome-body conquered fome-body ; and have we more dillin6l ideas of Jefus and Pilate? And though we had a perfonal idea ot the former, he could receive no ad- vantage, or difad vantage by what we thought of him. And if faith in him was required for a caufe antecedent to his being fo fent, founded in his and our nature, and the relation we always flood in to him ; would not the eternal reafon of things have made it tnanifeft ? That which concerned all, muR: be knowable by all, for which reafon the apoftle fays, That which may be
OLD AS THE CRKATIOM. 47
known oFGad (and none can know that which may not be knovs'n) vas manifcll in the gcniilcs. yVnd,
The end of ChriR's coming fccms not to teach men new duties, but (repentance being the firQ thing preach- ed by him and his apoftles bodi to Jews and Gentiles) to repent of the breach of known duties. And Jefus does not fay, He was fent to all Ifrael, but to the loft fliccp ofihe houfe of Ifrael;* and that the Son of man is come to fave that which was loft :t And his parable about the loft ftieep, fuppofcd all were not loft.J And when it was objecled to him, t!;ar he kept company with fniners, he owns ihc charge, and fays, The whole need no phylician, but they that are fick;^ which would have been an improper anfwer, if he thought that all ftood in need of him, and his fpiritual phyfic. And to conOm this, he adds, I am not come to call the righ- teous, but Tinners to repentance: and that there is more joy in Heaven for one (inner that repents, than ninety- nine jud perfons that need no repentance. j| Which is dividing mankind into two parts, the whole or righte- ous, and the Tick or Tinners; and that his bufincfs was intirely with the latter. The not obferving this diftinc- tion, has been the occafion of many uncharitable and groTs mi (takes ; and it is Tomewhat ftrange, that JeTus, who beft knew how far his commiftjon extended, fliould not be credited in this matter; efpecially conTidering that in religion there are no noftrujns, or fecrets, but ail- may know what God requires of all ; and there is bur. one univcrfal remedy for all fick perfons, repentance and amendment. And if God, who is no refpe61er oF perfons, will judge the world in righteoufnefs; and they that in every nation fear him, and work righteoufnefs. fhall be accepted of him; they certainly, are whole, and need no phyhcian, who do of themfelves what wiU make them acceptable to him; living as thofe whom Chrift came to reform were taught to live : Is it not ab- furd to fuppoTe, that till then none had fufficient means
• Matt. 15. 24. t I'). I?,. IT. H-"kc 15. 7. § Matt. 9. it. H lb. ij.
^8 CHRISTIANITY AS
given them to anfwer the end for which all were cre^ at«-d ?
The Catholic epiftleof St. Barnahas will inform you of the fentimenis of the ancients on this head. This gr^-at apoflle fas'tranfl-Med hy Dr. Wake) fays, " That Jefns, when he chofe hii apoftles, which were after- wards to I ubiifh the gofpel. took men who had bceit ver\ s^reai finners; that therebv he might plainly fhcw^ that He came not to call the riuhteous, but finners to repentance '* The w'ords are fuller in the Orioinal^
ONTAS HUPER PAS AN HAMARTIAN A N O M O T E R O U :i.
JB. This may be a f^rg d paffage.
A. Origen ownt^ i to be p>enuine, for when Celfas (I will give you 'v.s- own words in the lat in iraiiflation] fays, Jefum ajcitis drcevt nndecimve. fawnji hommibtis^ publicanis nautifque neqijfinus^ cum his ultra citjoqiiefu- gitojje^ corroganiern cibosjordide ac turpiter. Origen fays, extat fane in Barnabx caiholica tpijlola Jcriptum^ ad apojiolicam JunBinnf'm ehgijje homrne^ omni iniquitat: iniqiaores. And it may be faid in fupport of St. Bar- nabas, that the apodles firil: became Jefus's difciples upon temporal motives; and the belief of Chrift's tem- poral kingdom was lo firmly rooted in tlism, that [efus neither during his life, nor even after his refurreCtion was able to remove it. At the lad fuppc2r iljere was a ftrife amongft them, Who fliould be accoumed the greateftPt *' The ineaneit (as bifliop Parker expreffes h) hoped at leaft to have been made Lord Mayor of Capernaum." And even at his affention the only quef- tion his difciples afi^ed was. Lord, wih thou at this time reftore again the kingdom to Ilrael ?^
But to take away all fubterfuges, what can be more required than fuch qualifications as will make Jefus in the laft day declare, Come ye bleffed of my father, in- herit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world? And what are thofe qualifications, but living up to the law of reafon, in exercifing a6ts of be-
* Matt. 9. 13. f Luke Z2. 24. } Ads i. 6.
OLD AS THJt CREATION. 49
Tievolencc, goodnerj, Szc. ? That this was thett/iMw 7ic- cc/faritim is plain from his anfwer, depart from m:-, ye that work iniquity, made to ihofe who had omitted ilicfe things; though they pleaded, they had prophcficd in his name, and in his name cafl out devils, and done many wonderful works * St. Paul, in his firft chapter to the Romans, flicws, that the Gentiles could not plead ignorance of their duty, cither to God or man, and as finnmi^ a;»ainft knowledge, were iiiexculahle ; and pur- fuinj; the fame fubjeft in the fecond, he fays, that God ■who is no refpetler of pcrfons will deal with every one both Jew and Gentile according to their deeds ; and ihofe by which they are to be judged are either moral or immoral : and had there been any thing elfe required by the written law, it could not be faid that the Gentiles, , who were ignorant of their duty cither to God or man, did by nature the things contained in the law.
And does not St. Paul, in another place, put our fu- ture ftate on the fame foot, in fuppofing we fhall be I dealt with at the laft day according to what ^ve have done ( in the body, whether good or bad.t In fliort, if the tree is to be known by its fruit, and it brings forth good fruit, the means by which this good fruit is to be pro- duced are not material ; but if it does not, no means whatever can hinder it from being hewn down and ca(t inio the fire.t *• The grand deciding quellion (fays Dr. Southj at the laft day, will be not w hat you have (aid, or what you have believed : but what you have done moic than orhers. God is plcafed to vouchfafe the bed he can give, only to the beft we can do." But to go on to the bottom of this matter :
Faith confidered in itlclf can neither be a virtue, or a vice; becaufe men can no othcrwife believe than as things appear to them : nay, can there be an higher af- front to God than to I'uppole, he requires men lo judge otherwife than the faculties he has gi\enthem enable them to do ? Or what can be more abiurd than to im- agine, that God will fhew his favor to one for believing
• M:.:t. 7, ai, 13. f 1 Cor. j i> \ Matt. 7 19.
F
50 CHRISTIANITY AS
what he could not but believe; and his difpleafure to another for not believing what he could not believe? And therefore, faith is only to be efteemed by the works it produces ; for the frrongeft faith may be worfe than no faith at all. The devils themfclves (who are held the mod wicked being*? in the univerfe) believe, and tremble. Happy had it been for Chriftendom. if zeal for what the prevailing parlies called, the orthodox faith, had made none but themfeUes to tremble !
Dr. Whitby expreffey himfelf very accurately on this point: "Belief, or difbelief, can neither be a vir- tue, or a crime in any one, who ufes the bell means in his power of being informed. If a proportion is evident, we cannot avoid believing it; and where is the merit or piety of a necefifary affent ? If it is not evident we cannot help rejefling it, or doubting of it : And where is the crime of not performing impoffibilities, or not believing what does not appear to us to be true ?" What worfe opinion can we have of the divine goodnefs than to imagine a mean denial of our reafon, or a wretched affeftation of believing any point too hard for our underftanding, can entitle us to the favor of God.
If charity, which comprehends doing all poffible good to our fellow creatures, is to be deftroyed for the fiike of faith; or if incapacities, fines, imprifonments, I'ods, gibbets, racks and fire, are ••narks of charity, the Chriftian world has outdone all mankind in afts of cha- rity : but the defcription St. Paul gives of charity, is fo far from requiring us to make others fuffer, that itfelf fuffers long, feeks not her own, bears all things, endures all things ;* and (iriftly injoins us fo to do.
Here is the praftice of the Christian world on the fide of faith, facrificing charity, and all that is valuable to it -. and on the other fide, Chri^^ a d his apoftles pre- ferring char-ty b fore it. ' St. Paul, fpeakingof hi nfelf, fays, iho I have the gift of prophecy, and underftand all my'lerics, nndall knowledge; and though I have all faithj and could remove mountains, and have no chari- ^' 1 Cor. 13.
OLDASTIIECREATIO><. ri
ty, I am nothing ; or ihouprh I give my body to be burnt, (which fhcws the highcfl att of faith) and have not charity, it proCteth nothing.* And in another place he fays, above all things put on charity, which is the bond (;f pcrfefhicfs.t And again ; the end of the com- mandment is charity; and love is the fulfilling of the law. 4! Y\nd, if any provide not for his own, cfpccial- ]y tliofc of his own houfe (which is but one fp? cies of charity] he has denied the f^ith, and is worfethan an in- fidel.^ And St. Peter likewile (peaks as highly of it in faying, above all things, have fervent charity among yourfclves, for charity fhall cover a multitude of fins ;j| xvhich cannot be faid of faith, becaufe that without charity profiteth nothing; in notanfwering the end for which it was given. And St. James calls love the roy- al law. H And St. John fays, if any man' fays I Jo^'C God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar.** And is not he likcwife a liar, who fhews all the marks of ha'red to his brother, and yet pretends to love him, and makes ihofe very marks an argument of his love. In Jefus Chrift, fays the apoftle Paul, neither circumcifion, nor uncircumcifion availeth any thing, but faith which work- eth by love.tf — For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this, thou fiiak love thy neighbor as thyfclf+J And Chrift, in faying, by this fhall all men know ye arc my difciples, if ye love one another ;§§ fuppoCi^s the love of men one to another fo eflential to Chriftianity, as by that token alone all men may know who are his difci- ples ; and if they who thus love one another areof courfe his difciples, whole dilciples then are they, who as all men know, make people hate andharrals one another ; and pretend Chrifl's commifFion for fo doing ?
Origen, fpeaking of the faith of Chriltians, could not (was there any thing peculiar in their fjii.h) have faid, " It is the conformity of our faith with the com- mon innate notions of all mankind, that has given it en-
* 1 Cor. 13. + Col. 3. 14. ^ I Tim, 1. ,5. Rom. 13. 10. 1 Tim. 5. 8. || 1 Pet. 4. 8. 5 James 2. 8. *** 1 John 4. flo. • t Gal. .5. 6. +X Ver. i.j. jy John 13. 35.
52 CHRISTIANITY AS
trance into the minds of candid and ingenuous hearers." Our divines ffince the liberty they enjoy has enabled them to think, and fpeak their thoughts more freely than formerly) when they write in defence of Chriftianity, en- d«"av(yur to ihew that the faith the fcripture requires, is conformable to what Origen calls, the common and in- nate notions of mankind. I do not find, that the Dean of Sarum is cenfured for affirming in defence of chrif- tiiruy, that, " the (cripture notion of faith is very "p'iHin and obvious, viz. not a fpeculative and philofo- phical, but a religious and praBical faith ; and it is built on this principle, that God is, and that he is a rewarder of hcin that diligently feek him ; that religious faith is a full conviftion of mind, that an eternal, immenfe be- ing, infinitely wife, juft, and good, not only aBually €xi(h, but is the governor of the world; prefcribes laws to the confciences, and to the actions of men ; takes notice of their compliance with, or tranfgreffion of them ; and will certainly reward or punifli them, according as their works have been. To live under this fcnfe and expe8ation, is to live a life of faith, and is co-incident "with a life of virtue. All the fpecies, or particular in- ftances of faith may be reduced to this, as fo many- branches fpringing from it ; and to explain them in any other fenfe, as if faith and reafbn were oppofed to each other, and religion and virtue two different things, is to bind thef underftanding of men, and confound the plain- eft, and moft numerous texts of fcripture."
Another learned divine, in defence of the chriftian religion, fays ; "if it fhould happen, that we cannot fo fatisfaflovily evince the certainty of the fcripture-hif- tory agaiinft fcrupulous, nice, and fceptical wits, yet "we find ourfelvcs obliged to the belief and praBice of "what is really the Chriftian religion ; becaufe it is no- thing elfe, as to the faith and morals of it, but natural religion.'*
The great Grctius, in a difcourfe owned to be the bcft that was ever wrote in defence of Chriftianity, lays it down as a maxim, that " it is abfolutcly repugnant
OLD AS THE CREATION.
53
to the jToodnefs of God, thatthofc, who without rcfpcft to worldly advantage, feck after the way which leads to eternal happincfs : imploring withal the divine afTiftance, and ("iihmitting themfelvcs entirely to his providence, , fhould^be able to find it." And if this is too evident to be denied, can there be any thing either in relation to faith or manners in the way that leads to eternal happi- ncfs, but may be found at all times and places of ev- crv one, who dilij;enily fearches after it.
And an ermncnl di vine, who is not looked on to have altogether fo extenfivc a charity as Grotius, yet fayy, " I ^hink we may pronounce fafeiy in this matter, that the goodnefs and mercy of God is fuch, that he never deferts a linccre perfon, nor fuffers any one that fhall live (even according to thcfe meafures of fincerity) up to what he knows, to perifh lor want of any knowledge neceflary ; and what is more, fufTicient to fave him." Which fuppoles no faith, or knowledge neceffary to falvation, hut what all are capable of acquirinjr by vir- tue of that light, which lighteih every man that cometh into the world.* And our (avior himfelf fa\'s, feek, and you (hall find.t By this you may fee what faith is rc- juired, and for what end.
If man, as our divines maintain againfl Hobbs, is a focial creature, who naturally loves his own fpecies, and is full of pity, tendernefs and benevolence; and if reafon, which is the y)roper nature of man, can never lead men to any thing butuniverfal love and kindnefs, and there be no part of natural religion, or any faith it requires, but higiily tends to improve this kind and be- nign temper; how conies it to pafs, that whac is taught for religion in fo many places of Ch.riltendom, has transformed this mild and gentle creature into fierce and cruel ; and made him aft with rage and fiyy againfl thofe who never did, or intended him the lead harm ? Is not This chiefly owing to fuch a faith as works not by love ; ;ind fuch a zeal as, not lacing according to knowledge, has dcllroyed all good works ; and is uuerly inconfilt- * John 1. o ^ M.itt. 7. 7.
^4 CHRISTIANITY AS
ent with the end of all religion ? But no wonder, if men, who moll unchariiably d.,mn one another for fuch matters of faith as they dare not truft reafoif to judge of, fliould hate and perfecute each other on the fame account.
The Epicureans, though they had exalted notions of their gods, yet becaufe they afleried ii beneath their dig- nity to concern themfelves with human affairs, were at all times ccnfured as atheifts ; which fhews that it was accounted much the fame to believe no ^ods, as to be- lieve them ufelefs to mankind : but certainly, believing the deity to be indolent, cannot be fo bad as believing him lo cruel, as to oblige Chriftians to perfecute, ruin, and deltroy even their brethren, for things too, no ways contributing to the good of mankind ; fince this is downright demonifm : And yet in what age of the church could not thofe confcientious people, that chanced to be undermoft, have thought themfelves happy, if the men in power had not had a worfe notion of the deity, than that of indolence.
CHAP. vr.
That the religion of nature is an ahjolutely perJtB, religion; and that external revelation can neither add to^ nor take from its perfeBion ; and that true religion^ whe- ther internally or externally revealed^ muji he the fame.
HAVING proved, that God requires nothing for his own fake ; I fhall now, the way being thus pre- pared, fhew you, that the religion of nauve is abfolute- ly perfeft ; and that external revelation can neither add to nor take from its pe-feftion : and in order to it, let me afk you, why you believe the gofpel a law of abfolute perfeftion, incapable of any addition, diminution, or alteration ?
J5. Becaufe it is the laftlaw of God's giving.
OLD AS THE CREATION. ^5
A. Was it not fuch in itfelf, that could not make it fo ; fince the law given to the Jews was for many agei ihc only external law ; and yet, I ruppofc, you grant that this abrogated law was far from deferving (uch a charafcter j but were there any thing in this argument, it makes wholly for the law of nature, fince that is not only thefird, but th.- la(i law of God's giving ; if that can be faid to be laft, which is eternal : a lav^', by which God governs his own aciions ; and by which he expcfts all the rational world fhould govern theirs. And there- fore, notwithftanding the promulgation of the gofpel, he continues daily to implant it in the minds of all men Chrillians as well as others ; and confequenlly, it is as neceflary for them as for others ; as neccfTary fince, as before the coming of Chrift : And I may add too, not only neccfTary to be ooferved in this world, and ten thoufand more, were there fb many, but in heaven ilfelf, and that too forever.
B. Should I grant, that my argument, from the gof- pel's being the laR law of God's giving, does not fully prove its abfolute perfe6lion; yet it will undeniably fol- low from the great agreement there is between that and the law of nature; it neither forbidding what that re- quires, nor requiring what that forbids ; and in a word, containing nothing in it unworthy, but every thing wor- thy, of an abfolutely-perfeft Law-giver.
A. In faying this, you own the law of nature to be the flandard of perfe8ion ; and that by it we mud judge, antecedently to any traditional religion, what is, or is not a lawabfolutely perfect, and worthy of fuch a being for its legiHator.
B. Indeed it mufl be owned, that divines as well as others, make the fame conceffions in relation to natural religion, which Dr. Pridcaux does in his celebrated let- ter to the Deifts, at the end of Mahomet's Life : '• Let what is written in all the books of the New Teflament be tried by that which is the touchflonc of all religions ; I mean, that religion of nature and rcafon, which God has Nvritlen in the hearts of every one of us from the firlt
^6 CHRISTIANITY AS
Creation ; and if it varies from it in any one particular, if it prefcribes any one thing which may in the minuteft circumflances thereof be contrary to its righteoufnefs, I "will then acknowledge this to be an argument againft us, ftrong enough to overthrow the whole caufe, and make all things elfe that can be faid for it totally inef- feflual for its fupport."
A. I defire no more than to be allowed, that there is a religion of nature and reafon, written in the hearts of every one of us from the firft creation ; by which all mankind muft judge of the truth of any inftituted religi- on whatever; and if it varies from the religion of na- ture and reafon in any one particular, nay in the minut- eft circumftance, that alone is an argument which makes ;:)' things elfe that can be laid for its fupport totally in- '-ifeflual. If fo, muft not natural religion and external revelation, like two tallies, exaftly anfwer one another, ■vithout any other difference between them, but as to the manner of their being delivered ? And how can it be fUherwife ? Can laws be imperfeft, where a legiflaior is abfolutely perfeft? Can time dilcover any thing to him, which he did not forefee from eternity ? And as his wif- dom is always the fame, fo is his goodnels ; and confe- quently, from the confideration of both thcfe, his laws muft always be the fame. — Is it not from the infinite wif- dom and goodnefs of God, that you fuppofe the gofpcl a moft perfeft law, incapable of being repealed, or al- tered, or of having additions ; and muft not you owu the law of nature as perfetl a law, except you will fay, that God did not arrive to the perfection of wifdom and goodnefs till about feventeen hundred years fince ?
To plead', that the gofpel is incapable of any addi- tions, becaufe the will of God is immutable, and his laws too perfefct to need them, is an argument, was Chriftianity anew religion, which deftroys itfelf ; fince from the time it commenced, you muft own God is mu- table ; and that fuch additions have been made to the •all-perfeft laws of infinite wifdom, as conftitute a new- religion. The reafon why the law of nature is immuta-
OLV AS f
>- /
t>le, t»f l^ecaufe it is foimdt'd on m'^le realoti
of things; but if God is an •' ..lii;, and can
coimnaiid ihings men ly fro;. .iplealure; Ionic
things to-day, and others to-morrow ; there is nothii ^ either in (he nature of God, or in the things ihrmfeh > -, to hinder him from perpetually changing his mind. If he once commanded things without reafon, there cat: be no reafon why he aiay not endlefsly change fuch com- mands.
J thi ik, no man has more fully done jidtice to the law of nature, than a divine of that church which re- quires io many things contrary to that law ; I mean the celebrated Ciiarron, in his rreatife of wildom, who'c authority is certainly not the lefs for being trandated by the late Djan of CanterDury : he Tiys, " The law of na- \ ture, by which I mean univerfal realbn and equity, is I the candle of our maker, lighted up in every b eaft. to ' guide, and fliine perpetually. This is the dictate of Godhimfelf, he is the king, and this is the fundamental law of the univerfe; a ray and beam of the divme na- ture, which flows from, and has a neceffary connedion and dependence upon that eternal and immutable law, which the Almighty prefcribes to his own a6ions. A man, who proceeds on this principle, is his own rule ; for he aQs in agreement with the nobleft, and moil va- luable part of his nature : the honeily of this man is ef- feniidl to, and infeparable from him, not precarious and uncertain, and owing merely to chance and occa- fion ; for this light and law is born with, and bred in US; a pece of our frame and conniiution ; and from thence obtains the name of nature, and the law of nature : fuch a man, by confequeme, will be a good man con- flanily, and at ail times his virtue will be uniform, and every place, every em.Tge.icy will find hi:n the fame; for this law of nature is perpetual, the obli- gation of it is lalting and inviolable; the equity Jiid realon of it are eternal, written in large and inedible characlers, no accidcn. can deface them, no Ifnoili of lime walte or wear them out. — Tliele firll principles,
G
^3 CHRISTIANITY AS
which are the ground of all moral inftitutions, admit of no change, no increafe, no abatement, no fits, no ftarts, no ebbiiigs and flowings. — Why then, vain man, doft thou trouble thvfelf to feek abroad for lome law or rule to mankind ? What can books or mailers t' 11 thee, which thou mighteft not tell thyfelf ? What can ftudy or travel fliew, which, without being at the expence of fo much pains, thou mighteft not fee at home, by defcending in- to thy own confcience, and hearkening attentively to its own admonitions ?
" To what purpofe /s all this labor and coft ? The toilfome tumbling over of codes and inftitutes ? — The two tables of Moles, the twelve tables of the Greeks, the law written in the hearts of thofe who had no law ; and in fhort, all the rules of equity and good laws, that haveany where been enafted, and ob ained in the world, are nothing but copies and tranfcripts produced in open court, and publifhed from that original, which ihou keepeft clofe within thee, and yet all the while pretend- eft to know nothing of the matter, ftifling and luppref- fing as much as in thee lieth the brightnefs of that light, which fliines within thee. As this invifible fountain within is more exuberant and plenteous, fo it is more lively, pure, and ftrong, than any oi the ftreams derived from it J o-f which we need but this fingle teftimony, that when any difputes arife about the rig'.t meaning of any pofrtive law, the conftant, and beft method of un- derftaiiding the equity and trueintent ofit, isby running back to its head and obferving what ismoft agreeable to the law of nature : this is the teft and touch, this is the level, and the truth, by which the reft are to be judged."
And in tiuth all laws, whether the law of nations, or thofe of particular countries, are only the law of nature adjufted, and accommodated to circumftances, nor can religion, even in relation to the worfliip of God, as it is a reafonable fervice, be any thing, but v^hat neceflarily^ flows from the confideration of God, and the creatures^ and this made the gre t Mr. Selden fay, in an expreftion fomewhai homelv, '* that men look after religion, as the
OLD AS THE CREATION.
59
l)iitcherdicl after his knife, when he liad it in his mouth." The religion of nature is fo entirely calculated for the good of human fot ieiy, that thouc»!) a man, hurried uith the violence of his pallions, breaks it himlcif, yet he would have all others molt llridiy obferve it ; and ac- cordingly all leCTJflators punif]! the breach of it : wherj- a^ no min rejetls any pofiii e inftituiion himfelf, but is willing that all others fliould do fo too ; which plai.-ly ihews men d,'> not apprehend it to be for the general g>»od of mankind. And the contending parties in re|i. •gion with equal confidence cry, " That if our religion be not true, God mult be wanting to mankind, in what concerns their eternal happinefs ; he mull be wanting to himfeir, and to his own attril)utes of goodnefs, jiiltice and truth : it is repugnant to the very notion of a God, to let men be ignorant in a matter of fuch importance without anv help or remedy." This reafoning, if true, necedarily infers fome univerfal law, knowable at dl times ; and cannot be applied to any particular religion unknown to the world for many ages ; and, as not being difc(nerabJe by reafoii, fliil unknown to the greateft part of it.
In a word, if the highef} internal excellrnce, the greaielt plainnefs and fiinplicity, unanimity, univerfali- ty, antiquity, nay, eternity, can recommend a law ; all thefe, it is owned, do, in an eminent degree, belong to the law of nature. A law, which does not depend on the uncertain meaning ot words and phrafes in di.:ad lan- guages, much lels on types, metaphors allegories, pa- rables, or on the flcill or honclty of weak or dcfigning tranfcribers (not to m.'^ntion tranflntorsj for many ages together, but on the immutable relation of things e^ ft* vifible to the whole world : and thcrefo-e Dr. Scott juft- ly fays, " Moral obligations are not founded likepofi live ones upon mutable ciicumllances (which fuppc;{e <hey can only oblige in certain circum(tances) but upon firm and everlafting reafons ; upon reafons that, to ^ill eternity, will carry with them the fame force and necef- Cty ; as long as we arc creatures of an infinitely perleO.
60 CHRISTIANITY AS
cr( iitor, It will be as n urh our duty, as it is now, to fubmii our w II and afFo6iions to our reafon ; a: d as long a^ V e arc related fo oih r reafonable creatures, it will b( a^ iDuch our duiy as now, to be kind jufl, and pcacf.abl in all our intercourfes with ihem : fo that thefc aie I'icb duties as no will can dilpenfe with, no reafon abrogate, no circumftances difannul ; but as lonj:; as God i.s what he is, and we are what we are, they muft, and Will oblige us."
J could, trom man}'^ other confiderations, fhew you % the ab(olute perfe6lion of natural religion : for in- ^ fiance, niuft we not, except we fpeak without any meaning, or have no true meaning of the word God, intend by it a being of all perfeftions, free from all thofe defeats, which belong even to the moft perfeft creatures ? and muft we not have an idea of thefe per- fections, before ive can know whether there is any be- ing who has enjoyed them from eternity ; and mufl we not know there is fuch a being from our reafon before we can cometo this queftion, whether he has madeany external revelaiion ? Nay, examining into this queftion would be to very little purpofe, except we could know whether this being is bound by his external word ; and had not, either at the time of giving it, a fecret will inconfiftent with his revealed will ; or has not fince changed his will ? This cannot be known from aft)' external revelation, though ii exprelTed itfelf ever fo plainly ; becaufe the queftion being, whether God i.s obliged to do. as he in it fays he will do ? This muft: bt lelolved antecedently by the light of nature, which muft difcover lo us the veracity of God, and the im- mutability of his will ; and the fame realons which will prove he could not change his vill ftnce he made an external revelation, will prove his will was always unchangeable, and at all times the fame ; whether in- ternally orcxternaby revealed : Nor could we take a fltp towards proving the veracity of God, or the immu- tability of his will ; or indeed, any of his perfeflions befides power, without knowing that the will of God
OLD AS THE f.REATlOM, 6l
is aUvays determined by the natti re and rcalon of things: ofherwife faJleliood and mutability mii^ht bo the will of God. and there could be no luch thm^ in nature as good and evil, but an arbitrary will would govern all ihini^s.
Were we nofcajjable bv our reafon of diflinguifliinir good from evil, or knowuig from the confideraiion of the invariable perfedions c»f God, what the di\ine goodnels could conunand, or torbid his creatures ante- cedently to any external revelation, we could notidif- tingnifli the true inllituted religion from the many falfc onis : or if by accident we flumbled on it, avoid run- ning into many abfurdities in the interpretation of if, tlirough the difficulties that muft attend a bo(ik written in a dead language, and fo many a^es fince ; and where, throuqh the vaft variety of readings, we might miflake the true reading ; and though' we were cer- tain of the letter, even the letter killeth.*
Ifmanhadnot natural abilities to dillinguifh between good and evil, or to know what is pleafing or difpleaf- ing to (jod, how could we lay he was a moral agent, or even an accoimtable creature ?
Did we not allow that men, by the light of nature, are capable of forming a found judgment in matters of religion, they may be fo impoied on by controverted, or mif-interpreted, not to fay foiApd texts, as to admit of fcveral objeiTls of divine worllup in their pra6fice, while in their words they own but one ; or, in order to advance a fupernatural charity, deflroy all natural Iiumanity ; and believe our lo'e to God may be beft iliewn by our hatred to our fellow creatures ; and in- troduce luch abominable notions, as mav make rcli^i- on. inflead of a benelit, become a milchief to manki-nd.
Whereas, if we allow the light of nature lufficient to enable us toind_;c rightly in thefe matfeis, andconfc- -quently to diUinguidi truth fiom f^lehood ; we mud own, lince there Can be no difa«zrceinetu in tru'h, that {here is an cxaO conformity between internal and ( x- ^.ernal revelation ; vvith no other dilfercnce but as to thb ^ r Cor. 3. 6.
€'2 CRHISTIANITY AS
manner of their being revealed ; or in other words, that the gofpel, fince it is impoflible for men at the lame time to be under different obligations, cannot com- mand thofe things which the law of nature forbids : or forbid what that commands ; nor can any thirig be a part of religion by one law, which by the other is fu- perftition ; nor can external revelation make that the wi!i of God, which the light of nature continually re- prefents as unworthy of having God for its author.
The judicious writer of the rational catechifm, lately reprinted fays, " That one of the moil univerlal caufes of the great differences among men in matters of religi- on, is, that they have not examined things to the bot- tom ; they have failed in their foundation-work ; they have too much flighted that philofophy which is the natural religion of all men ; and which being natural, mufl needs be univcrfal and eternal ; — they have for- faken the rule of right reafon, which only is capable to produce true fymmetry in their intelleftual build- ings ; and they have applied themfelves without any rule to the interpretation of words and phrafes, which being eafily fufceptable of various fenfes, have produ- ced as many deformed irregularities."
Though all parties alike pretend to aim at truth, yet none of them, I think, inform us what truth is. or wherein it confifls Aiow if truth in general, implies an agreement of our ideas with the things themfehes, re- ligious truth, or true religion mufl confift in the a_ree- ment of our ideas with thole thinjs. which are the iub- je6ls of our religious enquiry; viz. the nature of God and man'i^and falfe religion mull confift in having ideas that are not agreeable to, or do not truly repre- fent thofe fubje6ls ; and this agreemenr which we call truth in refpeft to iheory, is what we term, in relation to atlion, fit, juft, good or reafonabie. Thus God is frequently fliled ifi Icripture the God of truth, becaufe his ideas ofthings, and the things themfelves exactly correipond ; and all his aftions are agreeable to the relation things have to one another : and when our
eLD AS THE CREATIQN. 63
aftions are fuch. we do all that is fit, jufl and reafona- ble, all that God or man can require ; and from hence too it follows, that iniquity is the fame in atlion, a» fallity is in theory.
CHAP. IV,
That natural and revealed religion having the fame end, their precepts muji be the fame.
£. A LLOWING that the natural knowledge we JTjL have of God, ourfelves, and our fellow- creatures, is the foundation of all religion, may noc external revelation, buiidin*; on this foundation, ere£t a larger and more noble edifice, by extending it to fuch things as the light of nature could not reach, with- out contradiding any thing it teaches ?
A. I thought I had obviated this objection, by prov- ing that the religion of nature was fo perfect, that no- thing could be added to it ; and that the truth of all revelation was to be judged of by its ag'Cement with it : however, fince this objection is the mod plaufibic of any that you have yet made ; I reply, that if our na- tural notions of the divine perfections demon Urate, that God will require nothing of his creatures but what tends to their good, whatloever is of this kind, is a fu- perllructure that belongs to the law of nature ; or, in other words, what the reafon, or the nature of the things themlelves plainly point out to us ; and for air other matters, which have no fuch tendency, you muf feek another foundation, another nature verv difFei ent from the divine, to build your hay andjluhble uj. an. And,
If it be evident from the light of nature, wha<- arc thole relation* \vc (land in to God and our fellow
l-Ot.^/
64 CHRISTIANITY AS
creatures ; and that neither God nor man, "without aCl- ing tyrannically, can require more than thofe require, can external revelation any more than internal exceed thefe bonds ?
If original religion comprehends every thing oblig-ito- ry on the account of its excellency ; that is, every thing ^vhich tends to the honor of God, or the good of man ; and thefe are the only ends of traditional religion ; no arbitrary, or merely pofitive precepts, as not tending to the honor of God, or die good of man, can belong either to natural or revealed religion.
By the law of nature, as well as the gofpel, the honor oFGod, and the good of man, being the two grand, or general commandments, all particular precepts muft be comprehended under thefe two, and belong alike to the law of nature as well as the gofpel ; and what does not, can belong to neither. Thus any particular pre- cept, if by change of circumftances it ceafes to contri- bute to the honour of God, or the good of man, much more if it become prejudiced to either, mull lofe itsv obliging force.
There muft be fome rule, or rules, which bind with- out exception ; becaufe every exception to a rule is built on fome rule or other; and as there cannot be rules, fo there cannot be exceptions ad infinitum : and I fuppofe you will not deny, but that thefe two grand rules, or commandments, the honor of God, and the good of man, are obligatory without exception. And yet thefe would be to little purpole, could not rea- i'on tell men how to apply iheni in all conditions and circumftances of life.
B. Suppcfing no particular precepts can oblige, if they chance to claQi with either of thofe commandments, yet what is to be done if thefe two interfere with one another ; muft the good of man, or the honor of God, take place ?
A. Thefe two grand laws are in effe8 the fame, fince what promotes the honor of God, neceffarily promotes fhe good of man : the more we love and honor God, the
OLD AS TH F CKKATION, 6^x
J
more w'C fliall imitate liim in our cxtcnfivc love to our fcllow-creataivsi, wlu) arc equally ihc chiUIrcji.ol" Cod. The greater our veneration ks lor our maker, tic nu»rc it will excite ns lo copy thofc perleBions of g( ( d»u Is and benevolence we adore in him ; lo that the duty ofa tii'.Iy religious perfon, and ofa good (ubjett and citi> .-^cn are ihc fame with relation to God and man , for the more he honors God, the more zealous will he be to a6l the patriot ; and the more he does that, the more he honors God ; becaule the happier men are, the more reafon they have to honor that God who made them fo. The way lo glorify your J alher which is in heaven, is to let your light fo Jhine. bejore men, that they may fee your good works.* And herein is viy father glorified, that ye hear much fruit A And indeed, nothing can be plainer from fcripturc, than that thcfe two great duiies of the love of God and t)ur neij;hbor, include each other. If fays the apollle, a man fay, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar."^ And, if zue love one another^ G'hI dwelkth in us ; and the love of God is pcrfeEed in us.^ Again, let us love one another ; every one that lov- cth, is born of God^ and knowcth God. He that loves not, knowftk not God.\\^ But whofo hath this world's goods, and feeth his brother have need, and Jhutteth vp, his bowels of ccmpaffion from him, how dwdlelh the lovit- of God in him ? lL And it was this confideration, that made that great emperor and philofopher Marcus Anto- nius fay," Thou wilt never do any thing purely human in a right manner, unlcfs thou know eft the relation it bears tothin;Ts divine ; nor any thing divine, unlefs thou knoweft all the tics it bar. to things human."
In a word, as man is by nature qualified to anfwer all the purpofes o[ a focial life, and to aft'* a pari agree- able to jeafon, {o in doing this he gives glory to his maker, by fulfilling the end of his creation; but if he goes contrary to the light of nature, in afting an unfo- ciable and hurtful par:, he rcfletts d>flionor on his cre- ator, by defeating, as far as in him lies, the defign of God, in making him a focial creature. But,
H
• Mat. 5. i6. t John. ij. 8. \l John 4. 20. ^ lb. iz, l| lb. 7. 8. ^ John 3 17
66 CHRISTIANITY AS
Becaufe bigots reprefent tliefe two grand oblijrations as f.eq-ientlv^ clafhing ; and oppofe things which are for the good of man, on pretence that the honor of God will either Jirc6lly or indireftly fufiPer by it ; and on this pretence h.ive frequently done fuch mKchiefs to their fellow-creaiures, as to give occafion ;o that proverbial faying, J7i nomine Domini incipit omne maluvi : ^i\ e me leave to fay, that we can no olherwife honor God, < fince that confrlts in having the nnoft exalted ideas of : him, than by fuppofing him benevolent in the moll iini- verfal and impartial manner; and confequently, to im- agine he can command any thing inconfiftent with this univerfal benevolence, is highly to diflionor him 3 it is to dellroy his impartial goodnefs, and make bis power ^and wifdom degenerate into crueUy and craft.
Though we have received onr all from God, we can give him nothing, nor do him the lead kindnefs, much lefs return kindnefs for kmdnefs ; and therefore, the only way we have to fhew our real gratitude to our great creator and benefaBor, i,: to be as ufeful as we can to his creatures, whom we ought to love as ourfelves, and if there can now be a fin againll the holy ghofl:, I \ ihould not fcruple to fay, it is making religion the means of deftroyinjT the end of all religion, and rendering the creature miierable, on pretence of doing honor to the | creator; who, as he has imprefiTcd on bodies, in order ■' to prefefve the natural word, a tendency to each other, fo he has implanted in minds, the betier to fupport the J moral world, a tendency to be kind and beneficent to one another. And fodeep is the impreflion of benevo- le ice, that we cannot but applaud the perfon who does : brave and generous anions, even though we luffer by them ; and as much condemn him who a8s bafely and i treacheroufly, Hough we are ever fo great gainers.
*•' Is there then (fiys a noble author) a natural beauty of ,igures; and is there nor as natural one of a8ions ? N ■ fooner the eye opens upon figures, the ear to founds, than 'Iraighr the beautiful refults, and grace and harmo- ny are known and acknowledged. No fooner are ac-
OLD AS THE CREATIOM. 67
tions viewed, no fooner the huiii.in afefiio-is and pajT- fions difccrncd fand ihey ar mofloffhem as Icon (df- cerned as fcl) than (lraijj;}u an 'nward ey; difHngiiiflics, the fair and fhjpely, the amiaMc and adaiira.lq aj^ari from the deformed, the f m', the fulioiis or the defpi ca- ble." How is It pofllhle therefore not to own, " I'hat as the dfitinCtions have iheir foundation in nature, tht; dif crnment irfelf isnatunl, .Tnd fro n nanirc alop;;."
B. Tlli^. I own, i.s a beaii'ifnl dercript"orj of i uman nature, and a ftrong evidence of the jroodncfs ofiii au- thor ; hut do men aft as if they had fu^h an innate love for n.turc, or_fuch a benevolent d(ri)ori!io;i ?
A. An execrable fuperdition has in nany chriOian countries, in a manner, cxiing iihed thcfe kiii|d feriti- nients, and eveti all humanity and piiy ; infn.iuth that the tender fex can rej(Mce to hear the (bricks, ai>d fee th^ agonies of men expi.ing un^lcr the moft cr^cl tor- ments ; find there is fcarce any pi icc, fo much docs this curfod bigotry prevail, where we do not almofl. daily fee too much reafon to cry,
Tcintum rcligio, potuit^ fuadere malorum.
Tbc noble author now quoted juftly obferv<js, '• If tiicre be a Tcligion that teaches the adoration and love of a God, whofe chara(*iler is to be captious, nd of liioh refentmcnt, fubjctl to v;rath ae.cl anger, furious,
. engeful, and revenging himfclf, vhen oflR nded, on ( iliers than tholis who gave the offence ; and if there be r.ilded o the charafter of this ()od,a fraudulent difpofi- tinu, encouraging deceit and treachery among men ; fa-
Ivorable to a few, though fo" flighf caufcs, and cruel to the red ; it is evident that fuch a religion as this, i^ting (Irongly enforc'd, muft: of neceflity raifc even an appro- baton and re peQ towards the vices of this kuid, oud breed a luitablc difpofiiion, a capricious, pariial, re- vi ngefiil, and deceitful tcmpe . Fo: even irrcgulari tics and cn^ 'rmities of a heinous kind nuifl in many e fes appear illuftrious to one. who confidcrs them in a being
68 CHRISTIANITY AS
admired and contemplated wiih the highell honour and veneration. — Whenfoever, thei[efore, a religion teaches the love and admiration of a deity, that has any appa- rent charaBer of ill -, it teaches, at the fame time, a love ahd and admiration of that ill, a: d caules that to ht taken for good and amiable, which is in itfelf horrid and dete'^able."
Archhifhop "illotfon, than whom none better under- ilood human nature, fays, that " according as men's notions of God are, fuch will their religion be. If th..y have grofs and falfe conceptions of God, their rcligiotj ■will be abfurd and fupcrftii'' us : if men /ancy God to b. an ill-natured b Jng, armed with infinite power, who takes delight in themiferyand ruin of his creatures, and is ready to take all advantages againft them, they may fear him, bur they Will hate him ; and they will be apt to be (uch towards one another, as they fancy God to be towards them -. for all religion doth naturally incline men to imitate him whom they worfhip."
Dr. Scott, to root out all fuch injurious notions as derogate from the goodnefs ol God, very juftiy ob- ferves, that " God, being infinitely good in his own nature, it is impofiible we fhould conceive him to be bet. ef than he is ; and therefore every falfe notion we entertain of his goodnefs mull detrafci from it ; and fo much as we deirafl from his goodnefs, lo much we de- traft from the principal reafon andmopve of our loving b.m."
And'indeedpower and knowledge of themfelves, can- not engage our love ; if they could, we flionld love the devil in proportion to his power and knovvlrd<;e: it is goodnefs alone which can beget confidence, love arid veneration ; and there is none of ihole quedions. whe- ther relating to God or man, but may be eafily deter- mined, ' by confidering which fide of the queflion carries "with it the greateft goodnefs ; finccihc lame light of na- ture, which fliews us there is fuch a good being, fiiews us alfo what fuch goodnefs expeBs. And did men con- fider how repugnant it is to his goodneis, to require
OLD AS THE CREATION. 6g
anv thing of ihcm which they h. d no rcafon to obey, but bccaufc they had no power to difohcy ; they rmill ab- hor the notion of all arbitrary connnands.
And therefore 1 fhall not fciuple to affirm, that he ■who (ledfaflly adheres to what the liglii of iiaitire teach- es him concerning the divine goodnefs. as he will avoid the comfortlefs profpc6t of the athcift, the perpetuj' anxiety of the fuperllitious, the wild pertmbition ofihc cnthufiad, ana the pernicious fury of thebif^ot ; (b he cannot fail of the true religion, liappjly fejted in the middle between thele extremes. And, a.s fuci a pcrfon cannot but Icu'C Cod as he « ught ; lb, in nniration ol the divine goodnels, which influences all his ailions, he will contribute his utnvifl to the good of others; and his love and kindnelswill be extei.five as humaj nature; and going on rational and evident principles, which niufl give him etuire fatis^idion, he will atl a Ready uniform part. And what can be wanting to a man who his this heavenly, (his god like difpofition, which rcn- ■ders hnn happy in himfelf, and, as far as it is in his pow- er, makes the whole world (o too;
And fince it is not eafy to pirt with a fubje8 which one can fcarce t'.ink of withoiit rapture; I muR fa\-, that men can never have true fentjments of the goodncfs of the divine legiftator, or efteem his laws as they ought, till they are convinced he requires not .ing of hem but what is for their good ; and they cannot but be mifera- hle a, long as ihcy fwcrve from rules foeffcntial to their happincfs ; and that the longer they do fo, the nvne difhcnU it will be to acquire a contrary habit. Thc:(e notions, early inctilcated, will caufe men with joy to o- !wt ;e divine laws, and make them in reality love God,
"veil as be beloved by him ; who has the chief regard
to the heart, and ab<»ve all things requires the purity of
t!ie mind ; and (hat men fliould aft. not out of a prin-
.cipleof fldvifh fear, but from perfcB love, void of a!!
^fear.
f Piu'arch fpeaking of rrli^ion, as it Rood in the hci- then church, and in his own time, leprcfcnts it as fu!)
70 CHRISTIANITY AS
of ratisfa^ion, hope and delight ; and fays, " it is plain and evident from molt demonltrable teftimonies, that neither the focieties, nor public meetings in the temples, norany other diverting parties, fights or entertainments, are more delighful, or rejoicing, than what we ourfelves behold, and practice in the church worfliip. — Our dif- pofiiion and ternpei is not, on this occafion, as if wc were in the prefince of worldly potentates, dread fovc- reigns, and defpotic princes y nor are ^ve here found nr-anly humbling ourfelves, crouching in fear and awe and full of anxiety and confufion, as would be natural to us in fuch a cafe ; but where the divinity is efleemed the neared, and moft immediately prefent, there horrors and amazement arc the furthelh banifhed ; there the heart, we find, gives the free ft v;ay to pleafure, to en- tertainment— and this even to excels." And,
Chri!tians in addreffing to the di- ir.e majefiv, muft be filled with inexpreffible joy and delight, did they confider the true notion of God; '* Who, as aichbifh- op Tjllotfon fays, would appear to be fo lovely a being, fofullofgoodnefsand all defirable prefeOions, that even thofe who are of fo irregular underftanding. as not to behve, there is a God, vet could not refrain from wifliin^ with all their hearts there was one, — Who takes par iru- larcare of every one of us, and loves us, and delights todo us good — Who underftands all ^^ur wants, andis able and willing- to relieve us in our greateO fliaits. Is it not every man's intereft, that there fiiould be fuch a .r-'^-'^^rnor of the world as really defigtis our h.^ppinefs, nas omitted nothing neceffary to it ? as governs us -^r our advantage, and will require nothing oF us but v.hat is for our frood, and yet will infinitely rcv^rd us :or doing of that '-wijiCu is bed for ourfelves ; ihuwill lunifli any man that fhall go about to- injure us, or to leal otherwife with us, than himfelf, in like cafes, would be dealt withal ? We have reafon to believe God to be fiacha being, if he beat all."'
B Are net the laft words too bold, in fuppofing
OLD AS THK CRLATION. yi
there could be no God, were he not fuch as he defcnbes
him ?
A. With {uhmiflion, I ihink not ; fmcc there can be nothing in G'M^, but what is God-like ; he citfier m-ilt be perfedly good, or not be af all. It would be well, if all who in words give this character of the deity, were confluent with themfelves, and did not impute fuch ac- tions to him, as make him refcmblc the word of beings, and fo run into downrigiit deinonifm. And let me add, nv ) of good fenfe, and who mean well, will natur- ally fail into the fame ientiments; a Shaifbury will fay the fame as a Tilloifon-
" If ihL^re be" fays that noble author " a general mind ; it can have no particular intercft ; but the general good, and the good of the whole, and its own private good, mufl: of neceffjty be one and the fame. It can intend nothing befides, nor aim at any thing beyond, nor be provoked to any thing contrary. So that we have only to confidcr, wheiht r there he really fuch a thing as a mind that has rclaii;.>n to the whole, or not. For, if unhappily there be no mind ; we may comfort ourfelves, however, rhat nafuri- has no malice: If there be really a mind, we may rell fatisficd, that it is the heft natured one in the world. The lafl cafe, one would imagine, fhould be mod comfortable; and the notion of a com- mon p;irent lefs frightful than that of forlorn nature, and a falh' rlefs world. Though, as religion Hands amongll us, there are many good people who would have Icfs fear in being thus expofed ; and would be cafier, per- haps, in their minds, if ihcy were affured they had on- ly mere chance to truft to. For no body ircmblrs to think there fhould be no God, but rather, that" there Ihould be one. This, however, would be otherwife, if Deity were thought as kindly of as humanity ; and we could be perfuadcd to believe, that if there leally was 'a God, the higheft goodnefs niuft of necell ty belong »o him, without any of thofe dele^ls of pa'" otJ. thofe meannefTes .md imperfc61ions whi< h wc acknow f dge fuch in ourfelves; which aj> good men, wc endeavor all
7 2 CHRISTIANITY AS
we can to be Piiperior to, and which, we find, we every day conquer as we grow betier."
In recapitulating what ! have faid of ihe agreement of natural and revealed religion. I cannot do it more fully than in the words or Dr. Sherlock (now bifhop of BangOT)who in a ferrnon for propagating the i^of; el (where we may exped every thing which recommends it) fays, that " The religion of the gofpel is the true o- riginal rcligion^f reafon and nature. — Xhat the dodrine of repentance, with which the gofpel fet out m d^e world, had reference to the law of reafon and ^nature, againll which men had every where offended: And fince re- pentance infers the neceffity of a future reformation, and a return to that duty and obedience, from which, by tranfgreilion, we are fallen; the confcquence is mani- feftly this, that the gofpel was a republication of the law of nature, and its precepts declaradve of that ori- ginal religion, which was as old as ihe creation.
" This," continues he, "will appear, by considering .he nature of the thing itfelf. The noiions of good and evil are eternally and unalterably the fame; which no- tions are the rules and mcafures of all moral anions, and are confequcntly neceflary, and conflituie parts of religion. And therefore, if the religion of nature, in her primitive ftate, was pure and uncorrupt, which will not, I prefume, be denied, though there was fufficient reaf(m for a republication of it becaufe of the great ignorance and fuperftition which had grown upon the worid j yet there could be no reafon for any alteration of^**: For though the world was the worfe for ahufing th^r: ir'.;i>r/vf nature, and might want to be reformed !' ; divjne ini i lur; yet the religion of nature was not the worfe foB-v -^t)^ aoufed, but ftill retained ilsfirft purity and fimpli*. . The duties of religion, confi- dered a.s the rules ol '::Uon, flow from the relation we bear ro God, and to or- -snoiher ; and religion muft e- ver be the (ame, as long i'.c■^ thefe relations con inue un- altered. If our fir'l parent was the creature of God, lb are we; and whatever fervice and duty he owed in vir-
OLD AS THE CREATIOM. 73
•s
(lie of this (fepeiidance, the fame is due from us ; nor tan this relatiortybe ever made the ground of different duties in his cafe and ours. If therefore nature rightly intruded him at Hrfl how to fervc his maker; our ob- ligations being the l^me with his, bur rule muft be the fame alfo. The cafe is the fame with refpeft.to the du- ties owing from man to man. And it would be as rea- fonable lo fuppofe, that the three angles of a triangle fhould be equal to two right ones in one age, and une- qual m another, as to fuppofe, that the duties of religi- on fliould differ in one age from what they were in ano- ther; the habitudes and relations from which they flow continuing always the fame.
'• Thai the cafe is in fa6l what I have reprefented it to be, might be fhewn from the particular laws of the gofpel, and their depcndance on the maxims and princi- ples of natural religion. — I will content myfelf with one general proof, which reaches to every part of the Chridian doftrine. — If the law and the prophets hang on thefe two great commandments, viz. The love of God, and the love of our neighbor; then the doctrine of our faviour, which is the perfection of the law and the prophets, mud hang on ihem likewife. Now, if you will allow, that the love cf God, and the love of our neighbor, are fundamentals in the law of reafonand nature (as undoubtedly they are) you mull alio allow, that whatever may be deduced from them by rational confequence, mull be a precept of the \d\v of nature: Whatever therefore hangs on ihefe two commandments, muft neceffarily be a part of natural religion; and that all the law and the prophets do fo hang, and confe- quenily the doftrine'of the gofpel, which is the perfec- ^ tion of them, you have had our faviour's exprcfs teffi- mony. Since then it appears (as I think) that the reli- gion of the gofpel is the true original religion of realon
aifd nature; That it has, as fuch, a claim to be
received independent of thofe miracles which were wrought for its confirmation; will be admitted by all who allow the force and obligation of natural reli-
I
74 CHRISTIANITY AS
g '^n ; and can be denied by none who know or under- ft:^ id themselves. The principles of religion arc-inter- \v ven wiih the very frame and make of our minds, asid we m-iy as well ran from ourfelves, as from the fenle of the obligations we are under."
B. Bill does not this right reverend prelate in this fermon affirm, that there are doBrines in Chriftianity, which, though not different, yet are diftin^l from the principles of reafon and natuie?
A. There is nothing more common with learned au- thors, than diflinftions without any difference; yet the bifhop very cnutioufly words what he fays, " That the doBrinps of Chnftianity, though not different, are dif- tinB: from the principles of reafon and nature :" but he dies not fay they are didinti from thofe doftrines which flo^vfrom the principles of reafonand nature. And what he immediately adds, that " Our faviour came into rhe world to fupply the defects, not of religion, which con- tinued in its purity and perfe6lion, but of nature," plainly mews, that he thinks nothing could be added by our faviour to a law that had no defe6is; and the defctis of nature could only be (upplied by obliging people to live up to this natural law of unchangeable purity and perfeBion.
This 15 doing juflice to revealed as M'ell as natural religion, and fhews the author of both to beat all times equally wife, good and beneficient ; and the bifhop ought to h»: valued for fpeaking thus plairjy : 0 Ji Jic ovinia dixijfet !
A id to this right reverend father, I may add the au- thority of the I'ae mofl reverend archbifhop Sharp, who /■fajs, '■ That religion (taking that word as it fignifiies ^ that uni erfal duty we owe to God, and by which we are lo recommend ourfelves to his favor) is not fo varia- ble, uncertain and arbitrary a matter, as fome men do perhaps fappofe it ; but is a conftant, fixed, permanent, immutcib'e thing. The fame now that it was in the days of fhe old law ; and the, fame then that it was in thedavs before the law was given ; and the fame both then and
OLD AS THi: CUtATION. 7^
-w (bat it fliall be a thoufand years licncc, if ibc world ! )uld laO. fo long. True religion, uud ihat which is o n God, was, and is, and ever will be the fame in ibflance in all countries, and in all nations, and anumg jli forts and conditions ofnicn whatfoever; and the fuin of it is, To love the Lord cur God with all our hearts^ . and with all our minds^ and zoith atl cur jlrength ; and / next to that, to love our neighbor as ourfdvcs. This was the religion that the patriarchs, and all ihe pious men of old lived in, and by which they obt;)incd the favor and acceptance of God ; when as }ci there was no reveled inflituted religion in the world. — That this is the fnin f thechriRian religion, no man can in t!)e leafl doubt, that has ever read the new lellament. In our favioru'^ in- ftitution there is hardly any one thing recommerided to us, that doth not directly relate to this maner ; that is not cither an inflance wherein wc are to exprefs our love to Ood, and our neighbor ; or a means wherthy "we may- be furihereu in the prafiifing oFihofe duii .s ; or an ar- gument, and motive, and encouragement t(; excite us to the practifing of them. It is the defign of ;ill his doctrines, to give u;> riglrt notions of God. i>i:d ..ur neighbor; to teach us how excellent, how good G"d is in himfelf. and how kind, how gracious u^ us; and therefore what infinite rcafon we have to love and fervc all mankind (who are our neighb(>ursj for his fake.
" We have an eafy, a!id a Jrue notion of that vfli- gion which isirorn God; and wc can never be at a lofs to find out in what it doth confift. It is not a thing to be alter'd atpleafure; both the law of nature, and the law of God; both the natural difpcnfation under which all men are born, and the reveald Difpenfation a« we. havc either in the Old or New l>flament ; do f ffi i- cntly inflructus in the main heads of it. '^^y I dare be bold to fay, fo long as mankind do retriin ihcir nature, and'aTiiol iransf^rtned into another fcMt of (rr.ii.ics than what God made thenv at firll ; i* in impolfiblc .hat
jG CHRISTIANITY AS
there fliould be any true religion, but what may be fummed up in thefe two things ; to love God, and our neighbor."
CHAP. VI.
That the not adhering to thefe notions reafon dilates con-
cering the nature of God, has been the occajion of all
fiiperjlition, and all thofe innumerable mi/chiefs, thai
mankind, on account of religion, have done either to
themfelves, or one another.
HAVING in general fhewn the abfurdity of not be- ing governed by the reafon of things in all matters of religion, 1 fhall now in particular, fliew the fatal con- fequences of not adhering to thofe notions reafon dictates concerning the nature of God.
Charron, tho' a pried of that church which abounds with fuperftiiion, the moft pernicious as well as abfurd, feems to have a right notion of fuperflition as well as juftly to abhor it, in faying, that " fuperflition, and moft other errors and defers in religion, are, generally fpeaking, owing chiefly to want of becoming and right apprehenfions of God : we debafe and bring him down (o us; we compare, and judge him by ourfelves ; we cloafh him with our infirmities, and then proportion and fit our fancy accordingly. — What horrid prophanation and blafphemy is this !"
It is to this abfurdity of debafing God, and cloathing him with our infirmities, and judging of him by ourfelves, that the mediatory Gods amongft the heathen owe their rife. Had they believed a fupreme being was every Vherc, and at all times knew their thoughts, they could never have taken fuch a round-about way ofaddrefling him ; who not only knew what they defired, but their
VU.I> Ai 1 liE CRi-. ATIOX, '] "J
realwants, and what would relieve them, betlcr than any mediatory bein;^s whatever.
B. They addreilcd to mediatory beings, to flle\^^ their greater refped to the lupieme being, and their own nnworthinefs to approach hiiij.
A. This Ihews wha6 unworthy notions they had of the fupreme being ; fincc it would be an affront even to a temporal prince, if he was prcfent, and heard ev- ery thin^z vouiaid, not to addrefs to liim, but to arw- ther, to let the prince know what you wanted from him.
The heathen muQ; think, if they thought at all, that thole mediatory Gods could either fuggefl: to the lu- preme God fon>e rcafons he was before ignprant of ; or that by their importunities they could prevail on his weakncfs, to do what otherwife he was not willing to do.
This heathen notion, as it fuppofed the fupreme God either ignorant or weak ; fo it made the media- tory Gods to have a greater kindnefs for, and readinefs to do good to mankind ; and that their folicitations made him better natured than otherwife he would be ; this ofcourfe took off their love from the fupreme, and placed it on thofe mediatory Gods, upon whofe pow- erful interceflions they fo much depended. However, thefe heathens, allowing one, and but one iTiofl: high God, did not fo far derogate from the honor of the one true God, as to pretend that the mod didinguinied a- mong their feveral mediators was equal to him ; equa- lity and mediation being as inconfiflent as equality and lupremacy ; and they would have made their religion Tin arrant jumble, if they had worfliippcd thcfe Gods fometimes as mediators only, fomctimcs as fovereign difpofers of things ; and fomctimcs as both together.
Had the heathen believed God to have been a purc- ly-fpiritual, invifible being, they could never have fuppofed him vifible to mortals, or have thought that an unlimited being could appear imder the limited form of a man, or other animal ; or that an omnipie-
y§ CRHISTIANITY AS
fent being could any more be prefent in one place, or creature, than another ; or that fuch a being could be confined to a fmall fpot of earth, while another equally omniprefent was in heaven,. and a third defcendiniT from thence, &c. Or that one God could be (em oua the errand of another God, after the manner that God Mercury was by God Jupiter; though there was no- thing too abfurd for the heathen to believe, after they haH deftroyed the uniry of God ; except ^it was, that Jupiter and Mercury, the fender and the fent, were the iarne God.
The primitive fathers bitterly inveighed againil thefe beatheniih notions : Juftin Martyr, forinftance, fays, *' None, who have the leaft fenfe. xvil! dare to affirm, that the maker and father of the univerfe did appear in ; a fmall fpot of the earth ; the God of the univeife can ■neither alcend, nordefoend, nor come into any place." Tertullian fays, ^' he would not believe the fovereign God defcendcd in:o he womb of a woman, though e- [ ven the fcripture itfelf fhouid fay it." '^ It is imnofii- ble," fays Eufebius, " that the eyes of mort^ils fliould ever fee the fupreme God ; viz. Him, who is above ail I things, and whofe effence is unbe^ottcn and immu^a ble." A'j'd'in, " it is abfurd. and contrary to ail rea- fon, that the unbegotten and immutable nature of the almighty God (liould take the form of a man ; or that the fcripture Ihould forge fuch-like falfities." Minu- tius Felix in his apology fays, that " the deity cannot die, nor can any thing which is born be a God : that ■only is divine, which has neither beginning nor end ; if the Gods get children, they would get them immor- tal : we mull conclude tliofe Gc'ds to be men, of whofe birth and burial we are fully faiisfied." Thus the fa- thers expofed the pagan polytheilm.
A great deal more, as y^u may well imagine, might be laid on this head ; but now i fliall briefly confider v/hat pernicious effects the having wrong gnd unnatural conceptions of the deity, has occafioned among m.en with relation to thcmfclvesl and one another.
OLD AS THE CREATION. 79
If vsretake a general view of thofe mifchiefs m:\nkind have at all times praftifed on a roli:^ious account, ei- ther upon rhemlelves or others ; uc fhall find them owinj to their entertaining fuch notions of God, as are entirely inconfiftenr with his nature ; and contrary to what their realon, if attended to, would inform them of the defign and end of the hiws of God.
Had not nu'Tibers in all a:^es thought, that God de- lighted in the pain and iViilery of liis creatures ; they could never have imagined, that the befl way to render them acceptable to him, was by ^ormenrin::^ themfelves, with immoderate wivtcliings, fadings, penances, and mortifications of all forts; and the greater the more p'eafing : and even at prefent there are amon^r clirif- tians, mahometans, and pagans, numbers of men who devote themfelves to exercifes full of pain and corporal fulFcrin^js. and cither wound or mmtile their own perfons, or find other ways of tormenting themfelves ; and indeed, the fuperftitious every where think, the lefs mercy they fhjw to their bodies, the more mercy God will (hew to their fouls.
Many of the primitive chriflians, inftead of flying, as the gofpel directs,* not only ran voluntarily to exe- cution, but provoked their judges to do them that fa- vor. And under Trajan, all the chriflians in a city ia Afia came in a body to the proconful, and offered fcliemfelvcs to the (laughter, which tiiade him cry, O! ye unhappy people, if ye have a mind to die, have ye not halters and precipices enough to end your live^ ; but ye mufl come here for executioners ? And this was a general pradice under the Antonini ; and Marcus Antonius feverely rcflefts on the obllinacy of the chrif- tians, in thus running headlong to death. And St. Cyprian labors to comfort thofe who might be fo un- happv, by the ccafing of the then perfecution, to mifs the crown of martyrdom ; though one would think I there were but few who wanted tiiis confolation ; fince he fnvs, many of the clergy, and tlie far greater part of the laity apoilatized. But wlun by the empire's
8o CHRISTIANITY A3
"becoming chnftian, the crown of martyrdom was no longer to be obtained by the prevailing party of chrif- tians, then exercifing cruelties on themlelves was ef- teemed the next bed thing ; and many devotees put monftrous hardfhips on themfelves, while others chofe poverty, rags, and naftinefs, or elfe retired to caves, defarts, and other folitary places, to figh away their miferable lives ; and ecclefiaflical hiftory is full of mi- racles done by fuch madmen as Simeon Stylites, who had no other dwelling than a pillar, on which he fpent the beft part of his life ; and it was owing to thefe fu- perflitious notions that inch numbers of monarteries and nunneries were foon founded, to the great opprei- fion and depopulation of the chriflan world ; not but that the impudent forgeries of Athanafms, and other fuch-like faints about miracles done by monks helped to increafe this fuperllition ; whilft the prelates, tho' they encouraged thofe feverities on others, were far from praftifmg any on themfelves.
Had inch notions been adhered to concerning the divine goodnefs, as the light of nature dictates, the a Egyptians, and fome other pagan nations could never have thought that cutting off the forefivin (not to be per- formed without great pain and hazard) could have been efteemed a religious duty, acceptable to a good and gra- cious God, who makes nothing in vain, much lefs what requires the cutting off, even with extreme danger aa well as anguifh. Had nature required fuch an ope- ^ ration, nature, being always the fame, would ftiii have required it.
Thisinftitution, as is proved by Marfliam and others, feems to be owing to the Egyptians, who thought all to be prophane who ufed it not; and it was after, Abra- ham had been in Egypt, that circumcifion wasinltituted, in order, it is likely, to recommend his pofterity to the Egyptians, on whom they were for fome ages to depend. And what makes this the more probable, is, that it was not till after the Lord had ordered Mofcs into Egypt, that the Lord met him by the way in the inn, and fought
OLD AS THE CREATION. 8l
to kill him,* for not circunicifing his Ton : and up- on [ofhaa's circuincifing the IlVaeliles (circumcifion not being obfervcd during their Hay in ihc wildcrncfs, when they had no communication with Epvpt) the I,c)rcl himfelf fays, this day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from oft" vou.t
The heathen world muft have very grofs conceptions not only of their inferior Gods, but of the father of Gods and men ; when they imagine him of fo cruel a nature as to be delighted butchering of innocent animals ; and that the Itench of burnt ilefh (liould be a fweet fmeiling favour in his nodrils, as to aitone for the wickednefs of men; and wicked, no doubt, they were, when they had fuch an attonement at hand. So that the harmlefs were burnt to fave the hurtful ; and men the Icfs inno- cent they grew, the more they deftroyed the innocent bcafts.
Non bove maHato calcflia numina guadent ; Scd^ quce prxjlanda ejl^ (3 fine Tejle^ Fide.
Ovid. Epilt. p. 89. Ep. 20. V. i8i.
If the Pagans believed beaRs were not given then^ I'or food, why did they eat them ? Or if they thought they were, why did they ungratefully throw back the gifts of God on the donor? Or, why did they not drown, or bury them, rather than make fuch a llcnch in burning them, as many times, by the number of fa- crificcs, might infcH the very air ?
It is probable, that the heathen priefts who fhared with their Gods, and referved the bed bits for them- felves, had the chief hand in this as well as in all other gainful fuperftitioni ; while the deluded people, who many times Tuffered by the fcarcity of provifions, cauf- ed by the great number of facriHces, were at vaft ex- pence ill maintaining thefe holy butchers, whofe very trade infpired them with cruelty.
K * Exo.i'.is 4. 24. + JoHiua ,5. 2 — 9.
SZ CHRISTIANITY A3
And it is probable, this abfurd notion prevailed like all other abfurdities by degrees, and at flrft facrifices were only religious feafts, either in commemoration of j fome national benefit ; where after God, their great be- nefactor, was celebrated, they commemorated their par- ticular benefaclors ; or elfe feafts were made on a pri- vate account by the mailer of the family, upon (hear- ing his fheep, gathering in the fruits of the earth, &c» where thofe that aflifted him were entertained, and joy- fully joined in giving thanks to the author of thofe blef- iings, without dsftroying, or burning any part of the •creature given for their ufe ; and the mailer of the fa- mily was no doubt, mafter of the ceremonies at his own feafh But this fimple method not pleafing certain per- fons, who were refolved to have the beft (hare in all thofe religious feafts, they perfuaded the people that it was neceffary fome part of the flefh of animals was to be burnt to feed the hungary noftrils of the Deity, de- lighted with the fweet favour of burnt flefli ; and the better part to be referved unburnt for themfelves, to whom the flaying of the animals, and the offering them tip was appropriated. It is then no wonder the number of the Gods multiplied, fince the more Gods the more facrifices, s^nd the priefts had better fare; and that they might not want plentiful feaftings, the people were made to believe, that they could learn their fortunes from the intrails of the beafts they facrificed; and this method contmues to this day in thofe places, where they have not found cut an eafier and better way of cheating the people.
B. You feem to be of the fentiments of the poet, who fays,
Natural rdigion were eafyfirPt, and plain ; Tales made it my/lery, offerings made it gain: Sacrifices and fJiews ruere at length prepared, j
The priejls eat roaji-meat, and the people Jlar'd. 'j
Thx Pagans (iicrincing of beafts was not lo bad in it-
OLD AS illi. *.i^lATlO^•. 83
ic'if, as what it fooi) occafioncd, human facrificcs ; "which men, being of greater value than heads, were believed to be more acceptable ; and parents, (tifling all natural
Tedious, offered up their own children, as the jnoft J .'ccjous gifts they could beltow on the God; except offering up their own lives, and facrificina thcmfelves: And as this facrifice was thought mod meritorious, fo the more excellent the perfons, the more agreeable the facrificc ; and there are even at this day, a number of i fiiperllitious people in TrKlia, who out of great devotion throw thcmfelves under the wheels of thofe heavy cha- riots, which carry the images of their Gods, and are crufhed to death ; and others, out of the fame miftaken zeal, cut of their flefli, and mangle their limbs till they fall dov/n dead : which makes the people rejoice at their fufferings, and reverence them as moft holy martyrs ; concluding that nothing but the truth of their leligion could enable them to fhew fuch terrible marks of zeal on thcmfelves, and become voluntary martyrs.
B. I pit)' thofe deluded people, and wonder how men can perfuade themfclvcs, that the mercy of heaven can be purchaied by fuch barbarities, as human nature left to itfelf would itart at.
A. That the pricfts were every where for human fa- crifices, is no wonder; fiiice they had the appointing the men, whom the God- did the great honor to accept for buriu-offerings : and indeed, after people once gave thcmfelves up to believe in their pricHs, there was no- thing too abfurd to be received as divine. "When (he Ethiopians, for inftance, were once perfuaded that iheir priefls were intimately acq-.tainted with the will of the Gods, it was too late to difpute any orders they pretend- ed to bring from them ; and therefore, their kings, as well as private perfons, well knowing that ihc commands of the immortal Gods were not to be difputed by mor- tals, moft leligioufly executed thcmfelves as foon as the plcafure of the Gods were fignified to them by thofe fa- crcd melTengers of their will ; and this blind devotion
CHRISTIAN ITY AS
micrhthave continued till now, had not an infidel prince-, bred up in the prophane philofophy of the Greeks, put a flop to it by i'urprifing, and deftroying at once all thofe holy impoftors.
We learn from Bernier and others, that it has been an immemorial cuftom in Indoftan, for the women (To great a power has fuperftition even over that fearful fexj to burn themfelves with their dead hufbands, adorned "with all the incombuftible riches they could procure on their own account, or that the folly of others would fend by them to their dead friends: Thele their priefts fecure to themfelves by telling the credulous people that the aflies of the dead, and all burnt with them, are too fa- cred to be touched by any but themfelves.
B. Though human facrifices obtained among the hea- then, yet fure the Levitical law did not approve, or countenance any fuch praBices.
A. Authors are divided and they who maintain the' affirmative fay, that the Levitical Law diftinguifhes' between ordinary vows, and thofe vows where any thing' is devoted to the Lord ; and this they pretend is plain- from Leviticus 27. where after many furprifing things about common vows, by which the things themfelves, or money in liew of them, were to be given to the priefts ;, at verfe 28. it comes to things devoted, and fays, notr; withftanding. no devoted thing that a man fhall devote unto the Lord, of all that he haih, both of men and beafts, and of the field of his poffeflion, fiiall be fold or redeemed ; every thing devoted is moft holy unto the Lord. And what is meant by being moft holy unto the Lord, is explained in the next verfe, none devoted, which fhall be devoted, of man, fh dl be redeemed, but iliall furely be put to death. And they fay it was before declared, that whatever was the Lord's, as the firft born of man and beaft, was to be flain, if God did not order its redemption. The firfl-born of man was to be re- deemed;* and that of an afs, if not redeemed by a lamb, was to have its neck broke ; and the captives taken in: * Lxod, 30. 12, 13, & 34. 10, 20.
OLD AS THE CRKATION. 85
•war, which fell to the Lord's nvirc, there being no or- der for redcemitj^, were, as is o^vned by all, to be (lain.
The prophet Micah recko^is the putting; every devot- ed thing to death among the Jcwifli indiiutions, in fay- jng, wherewith fhall I c<>me bt-fure the Lord, and bow inyfelf before the high G)d? ihall I come before hi;n with burnt-ottering, with calves of a year old ? will the Lord be plealed with thoufands of rams, or with ten thoufands of rivers of oil ? Shall I give my fird-borri lor my tranrgrefiion; the fruit of my body for the fin of my foul ? he hath (liewed thee, O man, what is good ; luid what doih the Lord require of thee ; but todojuft- ly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God P*
Here the facrificing of a man's own children is men- tioned equally' with the facrificing of beads, which is allowed to be a jewifli inlUuition ; how abfiirdly mull the prophet be luppofed to have argued, after he had prelerred jullice and mercy to a thing commanded by God, if he fhould go on to prefer it before a thing ab- horred bv God f
Ifthere could beany doubt in this matter, [cptha's vow would clear it up for this Jewiili hero made the vow when the Ipirit of the Lord came upon him, and after making it he wrought a great deliverance for IlVael : the words of the vow are, whatfoever (or rather wholoc- ver) cometh fi)rth of the doors ot my houfe to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, Ihall furcly be the Lord's ; and I will offer it up to him for a burnt-offering. A vow made by fiich an extraor- dinary j)erfon, and upon fuch an extraorn'nary occa- fion, looks as though fomething extraoidiuary pleafing !o God, was defigned by that vow ; which, though do- nieftic animals might have been facrificcd, mult relate to perfons capable of afting with defign; vz. of coming out of his houfe to meet him after the viMory; whicii to his great grief his onh' child did. Had tlure been
* Mic.6. 0, to 8.
86 CHRISTIANITY AS
any way of difpenfing with this folemn vow, be, fmcc he had two months time to confider, would no doubt have found it out; but he fays, I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back ; and he did with her according to his vow. And his daughter, ^worthy of a better fate, was willing her father flioulcl execute his cruel vow, only regretting that fhe died without being a mother in Ifrael ; for that reafon flie was yearly mourned by the daughters of Ifrael.
St. Jerome; as well as the author of the Qiiejlions to the Orthodox^ thinks that Jeptha's piety in facnftcing his daughter, was the reafon of St Paul's numbering him among thcjufl: perfons. And
Bifhop Smalridge, in his fermon about Jeptha's vow, fays, " that all the fathers, as well as our own homilies, own that he facrificed his daughter."
The Jews could not think it abfblutely unlawful for a father to facrifice an innocent child, fince Abraham was highly extolled for being ready to facrifice his only fon, and that too without the lead expoflulation ; though he was importunate with God to fave an inhofpitable, idola- trous, and inceftuous city.
No wondjr that a fingle perfon in the power of ano- ther might be devoted to God, fince free and independ- ent nations v/e:e fo devoted ; and was by virtue of fuch a vow, which Ifrael vowed unto the Lord, that the Canaanites, who had never done Ifrael the leaft injury, ♦ men, woT.en and children were to be utterly def- troyed.*
Had the author of the epiltle to the Hebrews, who reckons Jeptha among the Jewilh heroes, though the Jews abhorred all human facrifices, he would not, at lea'^'^ without fome apology for the lawfulnefs of human facrifices, have declared one fuch facrifice, where the fame perfon was both facrificer and facrifice, to have been of infinite value; in fiying, that Chrifl ofifered uphimfelf;t and that he put away fin by the facrifice of himfelf;+ and endeavors to fhew the Hebrews, that * Numb. 2 i. 2, 3. Ch.ip-i1.32. \ Hzh.y.2j — |' 9. 26.
OLD AS THE CREATION. 87
the blood of the bcafls that were facrificed, was oF no value ill co-nparifon of the blood of Chrid, who, thro* the eternal Ipirit, offered himfclf up without fpot to God.*
B. Admitting the Jewifli law allowed human facrijfices, yet the Chrillian rciiiiioii, fare, forbids ((incc Chrilt, according to the apollle, facrificed himfelfj all human facrificcs.
A. If putting innocent and confciencious men to death i on account of religion, may be called facrificing them, i there have been more humjn facrilices than ever were I before in the world ; and thofe too not offered up to I God, but to the devil, bv burning their bodies, and I lentencing their fouls to hell ; and even at this day the I papifls, to perfuade the fpeBators that thofe they con- , demn to the flames immediately go to hell, drcfs them t up in a San-Benito, or a coat painted all over with
flames and devils, and then take their leave of each fuf- fercr, with this charitable cxpreflion : Jain animam tuam tradimus Diabolo.
B. I mufl own, this bigotry, which has had fuch ter- rible effeQs among Chriflians, was little felt, or known in the pagan world.
A. Is not this curfed bigotry owing to the moff un- worthy notions bigots have entertained of the divine pcrfeftions ; imagining they do fervice to the creator, by hurting and deflroying his creatures ? The fiery zeal of fuch wretches is capable of any mifchicf: mofl other men, though ever fo wicked, have fbme remains of pity
jand humanity, fome checks of confciencc, and thougli ever lo much provoked, time will affuagc their anger; f)ut the bigot feels not the leaft remorfe, nor can time abate his fury ; and he is fo far from having any pity, that he glories in the cruclefl actions, and thinks the more hellifh facls he commits the more he merits heav-
icn ; and very often gets the reputation of a faint, forag- ing the part of a devil. So that his notions of God and,
1 '^ — X '
8S CHRIST1ANIT?A$
religion, ferve only to make him infinitely a worfe rnahV than if he had been without any belief ; for then he could have no motives from the next world for doing milchief ; nor would his difbelief ftrip him of his hu- manity, or hinder hrm, if he judged rightly of his own interelt, from afcling fo by his fellow-creatures, as, tak- ing in the whole of his life, was beft for him to do.
B. You reprefent bigotry more odious than it is, in making it worfe than athcifm itfelf.
A. As bigotry is the word fort of fuperftrtion, fo you know the philofophers in general fuppofe fuperfliiion to be worfe than atheifm itfelf. Plutarch in particular, makes it his bufinefs in his traft of deifidemony, or fu- perftition, to prove that athcifm, though an opinion falfe, and even ftupid, yet it is far lefs hurtful to men than fuperftition, and refleBs lefs diflionor on the deity itO.lf ; for he interprets deifidemony to be the continu- al dread of a deity no lefs mifchievous than powerful ; ■which is the moft odious chara6er that can belong to any intelleclual being, and has given birth to thofe fhocking notions and difmal rites in divine worfhip, that have ci- ther run men into atheifm, and expofed religion itfelf to ridicule and contempt ; or made mankind the dupe of defigning knaves, and taught fierce bigots to exercife and then fanQify the moft inhuman barbarities.
" The aiheift," fays he, " knows no God at all ; the fuperftitious none but what is monOrous and terrible ; miftaking for dreadful, what is moil kind and beneficent ; for tyrannical, what is truly paternal ; for mifchievoufly inclmcd, what is full of providential care; na) , for a being brutally favage and fierce, what is mere goodnefs itielf. Shall then the atheift be accounted impious, and not this fuperditious perlon much more fo ? I, for myJ part, had rather men fhould fay there is no fuch perfoi as Plutarch, than that he is a man inconftant, fickle^ prone to anger, readv to revenge himfelf upon the fight- eft occafion, and full of indignation for mere trifles, &c. and yet this is no more than what the fupcrftitious think of the deity ; whom of confequence they muft as
OLD AS THE CREATION. 8g
veil hate as fear ; they worfhip, indeed, and adore him; and f<> do men even thofe very tyrants ihey -.vould be i^Iad ofan opporiiiniiv to del'roy. The atheilt cornri- butcs not in the halt to fupcrltition ; but rupcrfiiticjti havinj; given out lb hideous an idea of the deity, Tome have been frighted into the uuer difbeLef of any fucli being ; becaulc they tliink it much better, nay, more reafonable, that there (hould be no deity, than one whom thev fee more realon to hate, and abominate, than to love, honor, and reverence. Thus inconfiderate men, (hocked at the deformity of fuperftition, run di- rectly into its oppofite extreme, atheifm, heedlefily Ikipping over true pieiy, that is, the golden mean be- tween both." So much for thi^ philofopher of the Gen- tiles, I (hall now (jiiote a noble chriftian philofopher ; who fays, " Atheifm leaves a man to fenfe, to philof )- phy, to -natural pity, to laws, to reputation ; all which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, though reli- gion were not : but fuperllilion dilmounts all thele, and erecleth an abfolute monarchy in the minds of men. Tiierefore atheifm did never perturb (fates; for it makes men weary of themfeKes, as looking no further : And we (ee the times inclining to athufm (as the time of \uguiU)s Caefar) were civil times. But fuperflition hath been the confulion of many dates, and bringeih in a new primum mobile, that raviiheth all the fpheres of govcrnrncnt."
I grant that next to a real bigot, an atheift in mafquer- ade tnay do moft milchief ; but then it ii by hidmg the atheifl, and perfonating the bigof ; and under color of -promoting religion, advancing pried-craft. And there rue no fmall number of thefe atheills, if what the famous Scaligcr fays is true ; Qiiicumquc^ Jtfuucc vtl Ecclifi- ki/lici Romcc in honoj ibus viviinl, athei jiint. And men jmult have a great deal of charity to think better of any Iptotiltant, whole pretended zeal carries him, contrary jto the principles of his religion, inu> perlecuting mea- sures.
Had the heathen ^iftiuguiflicd thcml"^lvQsby creeds,
r
go CHRISTIANITY AS
made out of fpite to one- another, and mutually perfe- cuted each other about the worfhip of their Gods, they would foon have made the number of their votaries as few as the Gods they worfliipped ; but we do net find (except in Eg\ pt, that moiher-land of fuperftition) they ever quarrelled about their Gods, tho' their Gods fome- tiines quarrelled, and fought about their votaries : no, it was a maxim with them, Deorum injuries^ Diis curce.
By the univerfal liWty that was allowed amongft the ancient's "Matters" (as a noble audior obfervesj " were fo ballanced that reafon had fair play ; learning and fci- ence flourilhed ; wonderful was the harmony and tem- per which arofe from thcfe contrarieties. Thus fuper- ftition and enthufiafm were mildly treated; and being let alone, they never raged to that degree as to occafioii bio )d(hed, wars, perfecutions, and devafl; rions ; but
a new fort of policy, has made us leap the bounds
of natural humanity, and out of a fupernatural charity, has taught us the way of plaguing one another mod de- voutly. It has ra-fed an antipathy, that no temporal in- terefl could ever do, and entailed on us a mutual hatred to all eternity. And favage zeal, with meek and pious femblancc, woj^ks dreadful maffacre ; and for heaven's fake (horrid pretence !) makes defolate the earth."
And as this noble author obferves "the Zeus Zeni- OS (or the Jupiter of flrangers) was among the ancientSaj one of the lolemn charafters of divinity, the peculiar at-^ tribute of the fupreme deity; benign to mankind, am recommending univerfal love, mutual kindnefs, and be Tiignity between the remoteft, and moft unlike of humai rare. Such v;as the ancient heathen clurity, and pioi duty towards the whole of mankind; both thofe of dil ferent nations and different worfhip."
But, good God! how different a chara8er do bigot give us of the deity, making him an unjuft, cruel, and inconfiftent being ; requiring all men to judge for thei felves, and acl according to their confciences ; and yc authorifing feme among them to judge for others, ar to punifh tiiem for nota6).ing acording to the confcienceJ
OLD AS TIIL CRLATlON.
9*
'f thofc judges, though ever fo much agairifl their own. Thcfc bigots though; they were authoriljd to pu'>ifh all thofe that difler from them in their religious woiflim, . >^ the enemies <jf God ; but had they confidercd, that God alone could difcern the hearts of men, and alone difcover whether any, by confciencioufly offeiing him a wrong worfhip, could become hi.s enemies ; and that jinfinite wildom bell knew how to proportion the punifh- |ment to the fault, as well as infinite power how to inflift it; they would furely have left it to God to judge for ihimfcif, in a caufe Vvhith immediately related to him- jff'lf; and where they were not fo much as parlies concern d, and as likely to be miUaken as thofe they would pur'^. Can one, without horror, think of .men's brea i,(.> through ;^ll the rules of doing as tluy Ijwould be done iinto, in order to fet themfelves up for Iftandards of truth tor God as well ns mnn ? do not thofc limpiou,^ vsretrhes fuppoi'e, that God is not able to judge forhimrd.' ft. not able to execute his own iudg-
ment ? ' '..r,.. j,^^ has recou fe, forfooih,
to their • i'Ower; and ihey are to re-
venge hts r;j.'M.-, mmk ijiu his enemies, and rcflorc his jloft hiP- ' 'ouj;!! v.;th the dcllrudion of the better part o' :'i '<! but,
' > !c ;)!opagalors of thefe blafphemous notions
jc '. V do not throw this load of fcandal on the
law oi , e, or fo much as pretend from thence to au- ihorile thcircxecrable principles; but endeavor to fup- port them bv traditional religion, efpecially by mifin- terprcted texts from the old tellutrient; and thereby make f'.OL only natural and revealed religion, but the old and new teflament (the latter of which requires doing good both to Jews and Geniilesj contradift each other. But to return :
If what the light of nature teaches us concerning the divine perfc6hons, wiien duly attended to, is not only lufhcient to hinder us fro n falling into fupcrOition of any kind whatever; but as I have already fhewn, de- mondratcs what God, from his infinite wifdom and
92 CHRISTIANITY AS
goodnefs, can or cannot command ; how is it poffible that the law of nature and gr.\ce can diff.r ? How can it te conceived,that the laws of God, whether internally or externally revealed, are not at all times the fame, when the amhor of them is, and has been, immutably the fame for ever ?
CHAP. IX.
Human kappinefs being the ultimate deji.gn and end of all
■ traditicnal as well as original revelation^ they mvjl
loth prefcribe the fame means ; fince theft merns^ which
at one time promote human happincfs^ equally prcmctc
it at all ti7ncs.
B. OHOULD I grant you, that natural and revealed O rcligon, as they ha^ e the iame author, mull have the fame ends; and that the ultimate end of all God's laws, and confequently of all religion, is human happi- nefs ; yet there are fevcral things to be corfidered as iub- ordinate ends : and here may not original and iiadiiicnal religion differ ? fince it i^ allowed by all, that how im- mutable foever thefe fubordinate ends are, yet the means to promote thefe ends are various and mutable.
A. Your allowitigihefe means to be various and muia- "ble, fuppofes no uch means foprefcribed in the gofpel; but that, agreeably lo the law of nature, they are to be Taried as be ft fuits that end for vhich they were ordain- ed. To imagine the contrary is to make things, depend- ent oncircumftances. irdepcr.denf; things that arc proper only under fome circumftancCvS, nccclfary under all cir- cumfiances ; nay, to make ends mutable, and means immutable ; and that thefe are to continue the fame, though by change (^fcircumlianccs they become prejudi- cial ; nay, deftri;ftivc to the end for which alone tley were ordained. The more ncceffary any end is, there
OLO as the CREATION', 93
i^tlie the more rcafon for people to be left at lIHcrtv <o CMiifidcT, in the vail \ aricly of circumllanrcs, aiul hoe too perpetually chani^ing. v\hat means may 'c mofl pro- per fi^r obtaining that eiul J fince thcfe havij\g no wonh in themfeives, can only, be valued according as they more or lefs conduce to the purpofc they were lutendvd for; and whfre God does not intcrpofe, it is incumbent on human difcretion, chiefly ordained for ihis end, to make fuch alterations as the reafon of tilings re- quires.
Did not God always employ the mofl fit and mod fuitable means, he would ad contrary to the rules prefcribcd him by his own unerring reafon ; and lo he "ivould, did he not leave men at: liberty to uie fuch means, as their rcafon, given for that purpofe, toid them was fittefl to be done, in all thole circum (lancers in which he had placed them ; becaufe that would be requiring of them a conduct contrary to his own ; and confequently, a condu6t highly irrational : Atii ihere- ^ >re to alter one's conduct, as ciicumllancv^s alter, is oi only an a6t of the gieaieO pr\idcnce andjudgmjnC, t'ut is confident with the greatvili lleadinefs.
As far as divine wildom excels hum m: fo far the divine laws mufl excel human laws in clearncls and peripicui'y; as well as other perfe£l ions. Wiiatevei is confused and perplexed, cim never come fro.n the clear foun'ain otaii knowledge, nor that whicii is ob- fcure, from the faiher of inexhaufl;ab!e light ; and as far as you iuppolc God's la,ws are not plain to any p >rt of mankind, fo far you derogate frOiU the p Mti"j. tions of tliofe laws, and the wifdom. and the gooduefs of the divine legiflator ; who. fince he 'as ih?. framing of the underllandin:!, of thoie to whom h.^ diet res his laws, cannot but ad -.pt one to the other, W i: how can we lay. that infinite wifdom fpe iks p'<nn:y to inankmd thvough all j. enerations, exa p' we a'.'oA' that: Ins connnands exttnd not l)evond mora! ihm ^ ; and that in all matters of amu'able nmi'e. whfhh r ;i only beconfidered as means, he obliges uu^m to a a ;r:cord-
9^j. CRHISTIANITY AS
ingas they judge mofl prober for bringing about thofe ends.
Upon any other hypothefis, hitman laws have vaflly the advantage of the divine ; as being publifhed in the language the fubje(5ls underfland, in a plain fimple Ilile, without any allegorical, metaphorical, hyperbo- lical, or other forced way of expreffion ; and if time difcovers any inconvenience, or any unforefeen diffi- culties want to be cleared up, the legiflature is ready at hand ; or if in the mean time, any doubts about infer- preting the laws ariie, there are [landing judges (ac- count jble to the legiflature) in whofe determinations people are to acquiefce. But mankind are not to ex~ pe>5l, that the divine legiflator will, from time to time make any change in his laws, and coinmunicare them to all nations in the languages they underiland ; nor can there beany judges with a power to oblige people by their determinations ; becaufe fuch a power being without any appeal, is the Hime as a power to make di- vine laws; and confequently the only tribunal God has erected hereon earth, diftinft from that he has medi- ately appointed by men for their mutual defence, is eveiy man's own confcience ; which as it cannot but tell him. that God is the author of all things, fo it mufl inform him, chat whatever he finds himfelf obliged to^ | do hy the circumriances he is in, he is obliged by God- himfelf, who has difpofed things in that order, andi.,jj placed him in thofe circumftances, li is for want of obferving this rule, that the divine writings are render-' ed io obfcure ; and the infinity of iermons, notes, comments and paraphrafes, which pretend to Ipeak i plainer than God himfelf, have increafed this obfcurity. , ;^ If whatever tends to the honor of God, and good of man, is evident from the light of nature, whence coracs^^j all this uncertainty, perplexity, doubts and difficulties ? Is it not chiefly owing to the denying people that li- berty, which God, out of his infinite goodnefs, has allowed them by^the law of nature ; and hindering them from judging for themfelves, of the means whicl
OLO AS THE CREATION.
n tend to promote this end ; and impofing on them the terrors of temporal and eternal punifhmcnt, luch uccdlei's {peculations and ufclels oblervances, as cannot beconlidcred eitlier as means or ends ?
B. You know that divines, though ilicy cannot do- j,iv what you fay to be true in general ; yet they th- '- there is an exception as to church-matters, and that h'jre Mien are not permitted to ufe (iich n cans r.s they thcmlelves think bed ; but fuch only as thofe, who kt up to be their ipiritual governors, fhall appoint.
A. Nothing can be more abfurd, than to fuppofe God hath taktn (his power from the people, who have an intered to prclerve religion in its purity, every de- viation from it bting to their prejudice, and placed it uncontroulably in the hands of men, who, having an interefl in corrupting it, do, generally fpcaking, fo manage matters, as if religion was the means, and their power the end for which it was indituted. We do not find, that the Mahometan clergy caufe any confufion or diforder among the Mulfelmen ; and the pagan priefts are fcarce taken notii e of in ftory, fo little mif- chief did they do ; while ail church hiftory is full of the vilcd and mod pernicious things perpetrated by chridian prieds. Thfe chridian morals, you mud own, are too pure and plain to caufe this difference ; what then can it be imputed to, but that independent pow- er ^vhich thofe prieds ufurped; which, though they claimed it as derived from heaven for promoting godly difcipline, has occafioned general diforder and confufion? endlefs have been the quarrels ambitious prieds have had with princes upon the account of this power, to the dopping of ju dice, and fubverfion of almod all civil policy ; nor have the ecclefiadics been Icfs embroiled among thcmfelves, each let flriving to engrofs a power which can belong to no mortal, And the bifnops, when they had no others to conted with, have ever contended among themfclvcs about faperio- rity, the right of their fees, and the limits of their* ju- rifdidion ; and when their choice depended on the
^6 ]CHHISTI ANITY AS
people, fhey fVequenily, eTpeciAlly in their contention* about the greater Ices, lun filings on to blood and flau-h:er; and 1 appeal to their own hiPiori ms, whe- ther theecc'efiaftics ever icrupJed any method to obtain this power : and whenever they got it whether an infiipportab'e tyranny over body and mind, with the utter ruin ot reli.^ion, was not the conlequence ? and whether it had not. where exeiciled to the height, more fata! elTetts than all the iuperftition of the Gentiles ? look the world round, you fliall every where find men more or Icis vn'fer ;b' i, as they have been more or lefs debarred the ri,:^hts of adin.i^ according to the befi; of their under nandin>' in matters relatin?^ to religion.
VV.iile every church, or congre';^ation of chriftianK, as in the apoRolical days, chofe and maintained their own rninillers. and ordered among tbemfelves what required a fpecial determination, no inconvenience j happened ; but as foon as this limple and natural me- thod \vas broke, and the clergy were formed into a clofefy-united bod^', with that fubordination and de- pendance they had to one another, the chrillian world was enilaved, and reLgton forced to give way: to def- trutHve fuperftition.
Which could never have happened ; if the Chrif- tians had obferved thefe general rules, obligatory by the light of nature, as well as the gotpel ; and which are alike given to every chriflian, and oblige one as well as another ; fuch as '• doing all things for the ho- nor of God, for edification, for order, for decency ; for fleeing fa^fe teachers, feducers, deceivers ; for 'd,- voidmg tcandal, and ofFending weak brethren, &.C." And here fmce every one mall judg^ for himlelf, and cannot make over this right to any other, mud not all church-ma; ters be be ^anaged by common content ?
In a woid, if we confider the infinite variety of cir- lamftances, the different manners and cufloms that j '^evail in difre»-ent p'aces; the prejudices of the weak, ig.iorant. and (uperili'ious ; and the defigns of ambi- tious men ; there is nothing of a mutable nature, if
OLD AS THE CREATION. 9^
onceefteemed immutably fixed by God. but muft fom6- lim'^s become prejudicial lo the end ii was to promote ; ef'pccially in a religion dcfigned ro extend over the v'holc world, as well as to laft to the end oi it. There are but two ways oFavoiding this inconvenience ; cither to fuppore die founds of this relinion will from lime to time, himfclf ordain fuch alterations in thing.^ ofa muta- bic nature, as thofe circumftauces, which are dilT rent in did'erent p'aces, do require ; or elfe, he has left the parties concerned, to afl in all places according to dif- crciion in fuch mutable matters.
B. You labor this point ; but there are few of youi fentimcnt.
A. If you mean ecclefiaftics, perhaps, you are in the right ; though I am fure , I havie the church of England on my fide, if judicious Hooker may be allowed to un- derfland its confliiution, as well as the nature of the ec- clefiaftical polity. He, in the tenth (eflion of his third book, maintains this propofition, that "neither Gorl be- ing the author of laws, nor his committing them to {fcripture, nor the continuance of the end for which they were inftituted, is reafon fuHicient to prove they are un- changable:" Where he admiarbly well dillinguil"hes be- tween things ill their own nature immut ible, and ma't is of outward order and polity, which 1^ fuppofe . daily changeable ; and fays, " the nature of every huv mull be judged by ihc end for which it was made ; and by the apt- ncfs of the thing therein prefcribed to the fame end. — When a thing does ceafe to be available to the end which gave it being, the continuance of it mud appear luperllu- us. — That which the ncccffity of fome fpecial truth d;)'h ciuife to be enjoined, binds no longer than that time: but ufoes afterwards become free. Law, though both ordain- d of God himfelf, and the ends for which they were or- dained continuing, may notwithflanding ceafe, if by al- cration of time, or perfons, they aic found inlufficient o attain to that end. In which refpett why may wc lot prefumc, that God doih even call for fuch a change 3r akcra'ion. as the vcrv nature of the things ihemfclves
M
g8 cHRisTi an'ity as
doth make neceffary ? God never ordained any thing^ which could be bettered, yet many things he hath, that have been changed, and that for the better ; that which ibcceedeiii as better now, when change is required had been worfe, when that which is now changed was ioftitu- ted. In this cafe, men do not prefume to change the ordinance of God, but yield thereunto, requiring itfeif to be changed." And he applies this reafon honeftlyin faying, " the bed way for us were to hold, even as they do, that in the fcripture there muft needs be found fome particular form of church polity, which God hasinftitu- ted, and which for that very caufe belongeth to all chur- ches, to all limes ; but with any fuch partial eye to re- fpeCl ourfclves, and by cunning to make thofe things feera the truert, which are the fitted to ferve our purpofe, is a thing we neither like, nor mean to follow." And let mc add, that moft, if not all our divines from the re- iormation till the time of the Laudean fatlion, were in tlie lame fsntiments ; and from the mutability of fuch things as are means to an end, proved, there could be no Darticular fornrj of church-polity eftablifhed by divine authority : and they argued from the example of good king Hezekiah, who, without regard to the falutiferou« virtue the brazen ferpent ohce had, broke it to pieces when perverted to fuperditious ufe. And,
All, who believe means in their own nature are mu{ table, mud, IF confident with themfelves, agree with Mrl Hooker : This is fo very apparent, that nothing but ii tered can make any one talk' otherwife ; therefore, fhall only quote the late Dean of Canterbury, who in fermon preached before the univerfity of Cambridge and publidied at their requed, fays, " that the verj temper, and compofition of the fcripture is fuch, as ne ceffarily refers us to fome other rule ; for this is a fyder of mixed and very different duties, lome of eternal and univerfal obligation ; others occafional and particular, limitted to times and circumdances ; and when ihefe occafions and circumdances ceafed, the matter of the command was lod ; and the whole rcafon and fcr^if^ oFit
OLD AS THE GREAT 1()>J. gg
'funk of courfe : Now tliofc things l)eing ofieiuimes de- livered promifcuoufly. and in general terms, nv^n nui'r of neceffity have recourfeto fome other rule, lodidinguifh and guide them in making the jiill difference bciween the one, and the other fort."
And what other rule is there, by which we can diftin- ^aiHi rightly in this important matter, but what aril'es from the things themfclves ; thofe wliich have an innate worth and goodncfs, are of an eternal and univcrfal ob- ligation ; others, which have no fuch worth,- can be confidered only as means occafionally accommodated to particuia. times, places, perlbns and circumltances ; which, of courfe, mult ceafe to oblige, when they ceaie to conduce to tlie end for which they were appointed ; or others become more cmducivc : and this will more fully anoear, iF we cotlfider, as the above-mentioned au- thor obicrves, that " the circamrtanccs of human life are infinic, and depend on a multitude of a(-lions not to be forefecn ; and conlequently not to be provided againih Heiicc laws mult run in general terms, and fomcti.nes the intent of the law is belt fulHIled by running contra- ry 'o :he letter ; and therefore, reafon and honelty mufl guide us to the fitnefs of the thing, and a great fcope limit be left to equity and difcretion." And furely, we mult not fuppofe that reafon, honefty, equity and difcre- tion will teach us one thing, and the traditional law ano- ther ; eipecially confidcring that in all God's laws, it is the reafon of the law that makes it law.
B. By the reafoning of fuch divines, I cannot per- ceive the uie of any occafiotial comniands, fince they fuppofe ihefc cannot oblige people longer than they judge it fit to obferve them ; oiherwife there could be no difference between occafiojial and eternal precepts ; and what they judge fit.and proper to be done, they are o- bliged todo without any occafional commands ; fo that according to them, whether there are, or are not any oc- cafional commands, humxn difcretion is left at liberty to judge what is fit, or not fit to be obferved ; which, I think, is fuppofingtUl fuch commanik necdlefs : yet the
100 CHRISTIANITY AS
authors you quote fuppofe, contrary to your hypothefis, there have been fuch commands ; particularly in relati- on to the Jewifh ftate.
A. The Jews, taking the ftory to be literally true, being upon iheir coming otlt of Egypt a free people, had a right by the law of nature to choofe what government and governor they pleafed ; and God would not aO: fo inconfiflent a part, as to deprive them of any of ihefe rights he had given them by the law of nature ; and therefore did not take upon him the civil adminliration of their affairs, rill he had obtained their exprefs confent; fo that here he a8ed not as governor of the univerfe, but by a power derived from the people by virtue of the Horeb covenant ; and the prefumption is, that where there is no fuch contraft, God will not exercife fuch a power ; efp<"cially confidering that though the Jews reje8ed God himfelf from reigning over them, and were for choofing a new king, yet he bids Samuel thrice in the fame chapter to hearken to the voice of the people; but oftliis, and all other arguments of this na- ture, more fiilly hereafter.
£. The reafrns you have given do not fully fatisfy me, but that fome things may be required by God as go- vernor o[ the univerfe, which are merely pofitive; nay, tb?t rights, and ceremonies, figns, or fymbols might be arbi'rarily enjoined, and fo intermixed with matters of n^oraliiy, as lo bind the confciences of all ?nen at all times ; and therefore, if you pleafe, we will review this point.
A. AVith all my heart ; for this alone is the point that muff decide the queftion, whether natural and re- vealed religion do really differ ? As for natural religion that, as you well know, takes in all thofe duties which flow from the rcafon and nature of tilings, and ihe rela- tions we ffand in ro God and our fellow creatures; and conlequently, was there an inftiiuted religion that differs from that of nature, its precepts muff be arbitrary, as not founded on the nature and reafon of things, but depend- ing on mere will and pleafure ; otherwifc it would be
OLD AS THE CREATION. lOi
the lame ^vith natural religion : and though it is difficult- to prove a negative, yet 1 think, 1 can fully fliew you, by adding other rcafons to ihofe already mentioned, ihat God, the great governor of ihe univerfe, cannot give mankind any fuch precepts ; and confcqiicnily, that na- tural and revealed religion only differ in the manner of their being delivered.
CHAP. X.
^od does not aH arhiirarily. or interpofe imnccc/J'ai-ih ; but leaves thofe things, that can orily he tonfidercd as means (and fuch arc in their own nature mutable) to human difcretion, to determine as it thinks inojt condu- cing to tkofc things^ xohich are in, their own nature obligatory.
IX order tofelle this point, it is neceflary to fee how far this natural la'.v extends ; it not only commands that evil doers (hould be puniflied, but that men accor- ding to the difierent circunift;inccs tliey arc under, fhould take the mod proper methods for doing it, and varv as exigencies may require ; {o it not only requires that jufticc fhould be done men as to iheir claim.'., but that the readicft and moll cdctUial way of doing it fliould be taken; and the fame may be faid of all other inftanccs of this nature. If GoA inrerpcjies further, and pre- Icribes a particular way of doing thefe things, from which men at no time, or upon no account ought to \a- ry ; he not only iritcrpoics unnccelTarily. but to the }Me- judicc of the end for which he thus interpoles. y\Md as matters relating to the worfhip of God, it is the voice of nature that God fhouid he pubiiclv worfliippcd ; and that men (Jiowld do this in the mod convenient way, by appoiiuin^ amongft themfclves time. pL;cc. perfon^, n.id ali oihcr tilings Avhich require fpecial determination:
102 CHRISTIANITY AS
and certainly, there is as much reafon that things of this nature fhould be left to human difcretion, as any other whatever; cqnfidering the different conditions and cir- cumftances which chriftians may be under, and the han- dle defigning men might otherwife take, to impofe upon \ weak perfons what they pleaCe, on pretence of divine right.
This being premifed, the fole queftion is, Whether God, who, for many ages, did not command, or forbid any thing, but what was moral and immoral ; nor yet does fo to the greateft part of mankind, has, in fome I places and in fome cafes, broke into the rule of his own I conduQ, and ifTued out certain commands which have no foundation in reafon; by obliging men to obferve fuch things, as v;ould not oblige were they not impofed ; or if the impofition was taken off, would immediately .1 return to their primitive indifference ?
To fuppofe, then, fuch commands, is it not to fup- pofe God a6ls arbitrarily, and commands for command- ing-fake ; and that too under the fevereft penalties ? Can fuch commands be the effe6ls of infiniie wifdom and goodnefs ? Or, if there be no reafon, why a thing Ihould be done at all ; or if to be done, why it fhould be done rather this way than that way; or why men fhould not vary means, as they judge mofl condufive to the end, for whofe fake alone they were defigncd : Can there be any caufc, why a being, which never atts unne- ceffarily, and whofe commands are all the effefts of in- finite wifwifdom, fhould interpofe ? It is fo far from be- ing ne ceffary for God to interpcfe in fuch cafes as thcfe, that it only ferves for a handle to inhuman impofition ; for there is nothing fo indifferent, but may, if believed to have divinity ftamped upon it, be perverted by de- figning men to ihe vileff purpofes;. and m truth, there is nothing of this nature introduced into religion, but what, I am afraid, has been fome time or other fo per- verted.
One would think it a thing wholly indifferent, who fprinkled an infant, or from whole hands we received
OLDASTHECREATION. IO3
the facramental bread and wine, as long as the rules of decency and order were oblerved ; yet has there not been a fet of men, who, on a pretence of a divine right to do thofe things, have made the Chriftian world be- lieve, they have a difcretionary power to bellow, or wiih-hold the means of falvation ; and, by virtue of this claim, have over-awed them into flavifh obedience, and a blind fubmiffion.
There is no good or hurt in drawing two lines crofs one another, and yet what have priells made the poor people believe they could do by virtue of it; as curing difeafes, driving away devils, and doing an infinity of other miracles ? And in fhort, they have made it one of their chief engines of their craft, for the better carrying on of which, they perfuaded the people to adore the crofs, miraculoufly founded after it had been buried about three hundred years; and the wood of it has fince fo wonderfully encrcaled, as to be able to make innu- merable erodes, whereof each bit contained the virtue of the whole.
ConfefTion of fins to honed and judicious perfons might be of <