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X. Proposition X. First, the practical duties which the Christian 293religion enjoins, are all such as are most agreeable to our natural notions of God, and most perfective of the nature, and conducive to the happiness and well-being of men. That is, Christianity even in this single respect, as containing alone, and in one consistent system, all the wise and good precepts (and those improved, augmented, and exalted to the highest degree of perfection,) that ever were taught singly and scatteredly, and many times but very corruptly by the several schools of the philosophers; and this without any mixture of the fond, absurd, and superstitious practices of any of these philosophers; ought to be embraced and practised by all rational and considering deists, who will act consistently, and steadily pursue the consequences of their own principles; as at least the best scheme and sect of philosophy that ever was set up in the world; and highly probable, even though it had no external evidence to be of divine original.
The
proposition proved in the several instances of duty. This proposition is so very evident, that the greatest adversaries of the Christian
institution have never been able to deny it any otherwise than by confounding the
inventions of men, the superstitious practices of particular persons, or the corrupt
additions of certain particular churches or societies of Christians, with the pure
and simple precepts of the gospel of Christ. In all those instances of duty which
pure and uncorrupt Christianity enjoins, the proposition is manifest, and altogether
undeniable; the duties of love, fear, and adoration, which the Christian religion
obliges us to render unto God, are so plainly incumbent upon us from the consideration
of the excellent attributes of the divine nature, and our relation to him as our
creator and preserver, that no man who considers can think himself free from the
obligations which our religion lays upon him to practise these duties, without denying
the very being of God, and acting contrary to the reason and all the natural notions
of his own mind. It is placing the true and acceptable worship of God, not so much
in any positive and ritual observances, as in approaching him with pure
294hearts and undefiled bodies, with unfeigned repentance for all past
miscarriages, and sincere resolutions of constant obedience for the future, in praying
to him for whatever we want, and returning him our most hearty thanks for whatever
good things we receive, with such dependence and humility, such submission, trust,
and reliance, as are the proper affections of dutiful children: All this is plainly
most agreeable to our natural notions and apprehensions of God; and that the prayers
of sinful and depraved creatures, sincerely repenting, should be offered up to God,
and become prevalent with him, through and by the intercession of a mediator, is
very consonant to right and unprejudiced reason, as I shall have occasion to show
more particularly hereafter, when I come to consider the articles of our belief.
Again: The duties of justice, equity, charity, and truth, which the Christian religion
obliges us to exercise towards men, are so apparently reasonable in themselves,
and so directly conducive to the happiness of mankind, that their unalterable obligations
are not only in great measure deducible from the bare light of nature and right
reason, but even those men also, who have broken through all the bonds of natural
religion itself, and the original obligations of virtue, have yet thought it necessary,
for the preservation of society and the well-being of mankind, that the observation
of these duties, to some degree, should be enforced by the penalties of human laws;
and the additional improvements Mat. v. 16, &c. which our Saviour has made
to these duties, by commanding his disciples to be, as it were, lights in the world,
and examples of good works to all men; to be so far from injuring others, that,
on the contrary, they should not indulge themselves in any degree of anger or passion;
to seek reconciliation immediately upon any difference or offence that may arise;
to bear injuries patiently, rather than return evil for evil; to be always willing
to forgive one another their trespasses, as they all expect forgiveness at the hands
of God; to be kind and charitable to all men;
295to assist readily, and be willing to do all good offices, not only
to their friends, but even to their bitterest enemies also; in a word, to raise
their virtue and goodness far above the common practice of men, extending their
charity universally in imitation of the goodness of God himself, who maketh the
sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust; these precepts, I say, are such as no unprejudiced philosopher would have
been unwilling to confess were the utmost improvements of morality, and to the highest
degree perfective of human nature. In like manner, the duties of sobriety, temperance,
patience, and contentment, which our religion enjoins us to practise in ourselves,
are so undeniably agreeable to the inward constitution of human nature, and so perfective
of it, that the principal design of all true philosophy has ever been to recommend
and set off these duties to the best advantage, though, as the philosophers themselves
have always confessed, no philosophy was ever able to govern men’s practice effectually
in these respects: But the additional precepts, and the new weight and authority,
which our Saviour has added to his instructions of this kind, teaching his disciples
to governMatt. v. 28.
Matt. vi. 19, 24, &c. their very thoughts, desires,
and inclinations, to contemn and get above all the desires of this present world,
and to set their affections principally upon that which is to come; these are the
things which, when the Christian religion was in its primitive and purest state,
worked men up actually to such a pitch of cheerful and generous obedience to the
laws of God, and taught them to obtain such a complete victory over the world, and
over all the desires and appetites of sense, as the best philosophers have acknowledged
their instructions were never able to do. Lastly, even those positive and external
observances, (the two sacraments,) which are instituted in the Christian religion,
as means and assistances to keep men stedfast in the practice of those great and
moral duties which are the weightier matters of the
296law; even those positive institutions (I say) are so free from all
appearance of superstition and vanity, and so wisely fitted to the end for which
they were designed, that no adversaries of Christianity have ever been able to object
any thing at all against the things themselves, but only against certain corruptions
and superstitions, which some who call themselves Christians, have, directly in
opposition to the true design of Christianity, introduced and annexed to them. For
what reasonable man can pretend to say, that it is any way unreasonable or superstitious
for every member of the society to be solemnly admitted into his profession, by
a plain and significant rite, entitling him to all the privileges, and charging
him with all the obligations, which belong to the members of that society as such?
which is the design of one of the sacraments: Or that it is unreasonable and superstitious
for men frequently to commemorate, with all thankfulness, the love of their greatest
benefactor, and humbly and solemnly to renew their obligations and promises of obedience
to him? which is the design of the other.
This a great evidence of a religion coming from God. Let
now any impartial person judge whether this be not a wise and excellent institution
of practical religion, highly conducive to the happiness of mankind, and worthy
to be established by a revelation from God; when men had confessedly corrupted themselves
to such a degree, that not only the light of nature, and right reason, was altogether
insufficient to restore true piety; but even that light itself (as Cicero expressly
acknowledges) nowhere appeared.328328 ——Ut naturæ lumen nusquam appareat.—Cic.
Tusc. Qu. lib. 3. See this passage cited before at large. Let any impartial
person judge, whether a religion that tends thus manifestly to the recovery of the
rational part of God’s creation, to restore men to the imitation and likeness of
God, and to the dignity and highest improvement of their nature, has not within
itself an intrinsic and very powerful evidence of its being truly divine. Let any
one read the fifth,
297sixth, and seventh chapters of St Matthew’s Gospel, and judge if they
do not, as it were, set before his eyes such a lovely image and representation of
true virtue, as Plato said, could not but charm men with the highest degree of love
and admiration imaginable.329329 Formam ipsam, et tanquam faciem honesti, quæ si
oculis cerneretur, mirabiles amores, ut ait Plato, excitaret sui.—Cic. de Offic.
lib. 1. In a word, let any man of an honest and sincere mind consider, whether
that practical doctrine has not even in itself the greatest marks of a divine original;
wherein whatsoever things are true, whatsoeverPhil. iv. 8. things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are
pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there
be any virtue, if there be any thing praiseworthy; all these, and these only are
the things that are earnestly recommended to men’s practice. What wise precept was
ever delivered by any philosopher of any sect which is not more plainly laid down
by our Saviour and his apostles? And not only so, but enforced moreover with greater
efficacy and strength? founded upon nobler and more consistent principles? urged
with greater weight and authority? and pressed with more powerful and affecting
arguments? Nay, neither is this all the difference, even in respect barely of the
excellency of the doctrine itself. For the philosophers taught indeed many excellent
moral truths, but some upon one occasion and upon one set of principles; some upon
another; and every one of them were mistaken in some instances of duty, and mingled
particular superstitions and false notions with their good instructions, and built
their doctrine upon no sure foundation of consistent principles; and all of them
(as has been before shown) were very imperfect and deficient, and far from being
able to make up an entire and complete scheme of the whole duty of man in all cases.
But now,330330 Οὐκ ὅτι ἀλλότριά ἐστι τὰ Πλάτωνος διδάγματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι
οὐκ ἔστι πάντῃ ὅμοια· ὥστερ οὐδὲ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων.——ἕκαστος γάρ τις, ἀπό
μέτους τοῦ σπερματικοῦ θείου λόγοῦ τὸ συγγενὲς ὀρῶν, καλῶς ἐφθέγξατο·——ὅσα
οὖν παρὰ πᾶσι καλῶς, ἴρηται, ἡμῶν τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἐστί.—Justin Apolog.1.
Quod si extitisset aliquis, qui veritatem sparsam per singulos
per sectasque diffusam, colligeret in unum ac redigeret in corpus, is profecto non
dissentiret a nobis. Sed hoc nemo facere, nisi veri peritus ac sciens, potest. Verum
autem non nisi ejus scire est, qui sit doctus a Deo.—Lactant. lib. 7. to put together all
298the wise and good precepts that ever were delivered by any wise men
of any sect and in any age, to improve and exalt every one of them to the highest
possible degree of excellency and perfection, to separate and lay aside all the
superstitious opinions and practices that had been mixed by all or any of the different
sects of philosophers, or teachers of religion in any nation, with their respective
moral instructions, and to supply all those doctrines wherein both moral philosophy
and the additional institutions of all religions in the world had in the whole been
hitherto altogether deficient; and all this, in one plain, entire, and regular system
upon the foundation of certain and consistent principles: This is the peculiar character
of the Christian institution; and all this cannot, with any colour of reason, be
imagined to have ever been done by any man but one sent immediately from God: Upon
this consideration alone, by all sincere deists (if any such there be) who really
are what they pretend to be, who believe the being and attributes of God, and are
firmly convinced of the obligations of virtue and natural religion, and the certainty
of a future state of rewards and punishments, must needs, by their own principles,
be strongly inclined to embrace the Christian religion, to believe, at least to
hope confidently, that a doctrine so plainly fitted to recover men out of their
universally corrupt estate, and restore them to the knowledge and favour of God,
is truly divine; and to entertain it with all cheerfulness, as what in itself has
those manifold marks of goodness and perfection which are themselves sufficient,
though not indeed to prove it demonstrably, yet to satisfy a good man,
299that it cannot be any thing else than a revelation from God, even
though it had wanted all those outward proofs,331331 Sed si vel
causa id efficeret, certissime philosopharentur, et quamvis non posset divinis testimoniis
illa defendere, tamen seipsam veritas illustraret suo lumine.—Lactant. lib.
7. and divine and miraculous testimonies, which shall hereafter be mentioned
in their proper place.
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