The Existence of God and the Immortality of the Soul, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
The Justice of God an infallible Argument of future recompences. The natural notion of God includes Justice in perfection.Ch. XI. In this World sometimes Vertue and Vice are equally miserable. Sometimes Vice is prosperous. Sometimes good Men are in the worst condition. The dreadful consequences of denying a future state. Gods absolute Dominion over the reasonable Creature, is regulated by his Wisdom, and limited by his Will. The essential beauty of Holiness, with the pleasure that naturally results from good actions, and the native turpitude of Sin, with the disturbance of the mind reflecting on it, are not the compleat recompences that attend the Good and the Wicked.
2. THe second Argument arises from the Divine Goodness and Justice. God as Universal Sovereign is Supream Judge of the World. For Judicature being an essential part of Royalty, these rights are inseparable. And the natural notion of the Deity includes Justice in that Perfection, as infinitely excells the most just Governors on the Earth. This gives us convincing evidence for recompences hereafter. For there is no way of proof more certain, than by such maximes as are acknowledged by all to be undoubtedly true by their own light. In the motives of intellectual assent, the mind must finally rest on some that are self-evident, without depending as to their clearness on any superiour proof; and are therefore called first Principles, the fountains of Discourse. Now that God is most righteous and equal in his Judgment, before whose Throne, Man must appear, that he will by no means condemn the Innocent, nor justify the Guilty; that He is so Pure and Holy that he cannot suffer Sin unrepented of, to go unpunished, is a prime Truth, declared by the voice of Nature. The weakest twylight of Reason discerns the Antipathy of this Connexion, an unjust God indifferent to good or evil. Never any Sect of Idolaters form'd such an unworthy Deity, that was absolutely careless of Vertue and Vice, without distinguishing them in his Affections and Retributions: This were to debase him beneath the most unreasonable men, for there is none of such an impure mind, so perfect a despiser of moral goodness, but has some respect for Vertue, and some abhorrence of Vice in others, especially in their Children. From hence it certainly follows, that as Vertue and the reward, Sin and the punishment are allied in a direct line by a most wise Constitution; so 'tis just that the effects should truly correspond with the quality of mens actions. If they reverence God's Laws, 'tis most becoming his Nature and Relation to make them happy: if they abuse their Liberty, and violate his Commands, 'tis most righteous that they should feel the effects of their chosen wickedness. Now if we look only to things seen, we do not find such equal distributions as are suitable to the clear Light wherewith God has irradiated the Understanding of Man, concerning his Governing-Justice.
1. Sometimes Vertue and Vice are equally miserable here. In common Calamities is there a difference between the Righteous and the wicked? is there a peculiar Antidote to secure them from pestilential infection? or a strong retreat to defend them from the Sword of a conquering enemy? have they secret provisions in times of Famine? are not the Wheat and Tares bound in a bundle and cast into the same fire?
2. Many times the most guilty offenders are not punisht here. They not only escape the justice of Men, by secrecy, by deceit or favour, by resistance or flight, but are under no conspicuous marks of Gods Justice. Nay, by wicked means they are prosperous and happy.
3. The best Men are often in the worst condition, and merely upon the account of their Goodness. They are opprest because they do not make resistance, and loaden with sufferings, because they endure them with patience. They are for Gods sake made the spectacles of extreme misery, whilst the insolent defiers of his Majesty and Laws enjoy all visible felicities. Now in the judgment of Sense, can Holiness be more afflicted if under the displeasure of Heaven, or Wickedness more prosperous, if favour'd by it? But this is such a monstrous incongruity, that unless we abolish the natural Notions of the Divine excellencies, it cannot in the least degree be admitted. If therefore we confine our thoughts to humane affairs in this life, without taking a prospect into the next World, where a new order of things presents it self, what direful consequences will ensue? This takes away the Sceptre of Providence from the hands of God, and the reverence of God from the hearts of Men, as if the present state, were a game wherein Chance reigned, and not under the inspection and disposure of a wise, just and powerful Governour. If there be no Life after Death, then Natural Religion in some of its greatest Commands, as to Self-denial, even to the suffering the greatest evils rather than do an unjust unworthy action, and to sacrifice Life it self when the Honour of God and the publick Good require it, is irreconcilable to that natural Desire and Duty, that binds and determines Man to seek his own felicity in conjunction with the Glory of his Maker. But it is impossible that the Divine Law should foil it self, that contrary obligations should be laid on Man by the wise and holy Lawgiver. And what terrible confusion would it be in the minds of the best Men? What coldness of affection to God as if they were not in the comfortable relation of his Children, but wholly without his care? What discouragements in his Service? what dispair in suffering for him? What danger of their murmuring against Providence, and casting off Religion as a sowre unprofitable severity, and saying, Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency; or exclaming with Brutus in a desperate manner, when he was overcome in battel, and defeated of his design, to recover Rome from Tyranny; O infoelix Virtus! itane, cum nihil nisi nomen esses, Ego te, tanquam rem aliquam exercui?
And the enemies to Holiness restrain'd by no respects to a superiour Power, will obey their brutish Lusts as their supream Law; And if such diseases or troubles happen that the pleasant operations of Life cease, they may release themselves by a voluntary easy Death, and fall into a sleep never to be disturb'd; so that they would be esteem'd the only happy persons.
In short, if we onelyonly regard things as they pass in the sensible World, we shall be in danger of being over-tempted to Atheism, and to rob God of his Glory and Worship, and that Faith, Fear, Love and Obedience that are due to him. Of this I will produce only two Examples. Diagoras saw a Servant of his stealing from him, and upon his denial of the theft, brought him before the Statue of Jupiter thundring, and constrained him to adjure Jupiter for the honour of his Deity, and of Justice and Fidelity, to strike him dead at his feet with Thunder, if he were guilty of the fact, and after three times repeating the dreadful Oath, he went away untouch'd without harm. Upon the sight of this Diagoras cryed out, as in the Poet;
—Audis
Jupiter haec,Juvenal. Satyr. 13. nec labra moves, cum mittere vocem
Debueras vel marmoreus, vel ahaeneus?
Dost hear
This Jove, not mov'st thy lips, when fit it were▪
Thy Brass or Marble spoke?
And whereas he should have been convinc'd that a Statue could not be a God, he impiously concluded that God was nothing but a Statue; and from that time was hardned in irreclamable Atheism. So that other‖Alii in ipso capitolio fallunt, & fulminantem pejerant Jovem; & nos scelera juvant. Atheist reports of some of the Romans, that they successfully deceived by false Oaths, even in their most sacred Temple, in the presence of their supream Deity,Plin. lib. 2. the reputed Avenger of Perjury. And because Vengeance did not immediately over take Guilt, he acknowledged no other God but the World, and Nature, unconcern'd in the governing humane affairs. The disbelief of the future state strikes through the vital principles of Religion, that there is a God, the rewarder of Mens good or evil actions.
It may be objected, That God's Dominion over the reasonable Creature is absolute: For Man ows to him intirely his Being, and all that his Faculties can produce, so that without reflection on Justice, God may after a course of obedience, annihilate him.
To this I answer. The Sovereign Dominion of God in its exercise towards Men is regulated by his Wisdom, and limited by his Will, that is Holy, Just, and Good. Hence though the Creature can challenge nothing from God as due to its service, yet there is a Justice of condecence that arises from the excellencies of his own Nature, and is perfectly consistent with the liberty of his Essence, to bestow the eminent Effects of his Favours on his faithful Servants. His Holiness inclines him to love the image of it in the Creature, and his Goodness to reward it. His Government is paternal, and sweetned by descending Love in many Favours and Rewards to his obedient Children. There is a resemblance of our duty to God, and his rewards to us in the order of Nature among Men. Parents may require of their Children entire obedience, as being the second Causes of their natural Life. And Children may expect from their Parents what is requisite for their welfare. Now God, who is the Father of Men, will be true to his own Rules, and deal with them accordingly, but in a manner worthy of his infinite Greatness. There is not the least obligation on him, but his unchangeable Perfections are the strongest Assurances, that none of his shall obey him to their final prejudice. 'Tis a direct contrariety to his Nature, that Men for Conscience of their Duty should part with temporal Happiness in hopes of eternal, and lose both.
2. It may be objected, That such is the essential beauty of Holiness that it should ravish our Affections without Ornament or Dowry, that 'tis its own Reward, and produces such a sweet Agreement in the Rational Faculties, as fully compensates the loss of all lower delights, and sweetens the troubles that befal a vertuous man in the sincere practice of it. And on the contrary, that such is the native foul deformity of Sin, as renders it most odious for it self, that 'tis its own punishment, being attended with inward disquiets and perplexities, much exceeding all its seeming pleasures. Therefore we cannot certainly infer there will be future recompences. But this receives a clearer Answer.
1. 'Tis true, that Holiness is most amiable in it self, and in true comparison infinitely excells all the allurements of Sin.
2. 'Tis true, that as natural actions that are necessary to preserve the Species, or the Individuals, are mixt with sensible pleasures, as an attractive to the performance of them; so there is joyn'd to actions of Vertue that are more excellent, a present complacency of a superiour Order to all carnal pleasures. But 'tis a frigid conceit that this is the entire reward. For, first, besides the inward satisfaction that naturally results from the practice of Vertue, there is an excellent Good, that is properly the reward of the supream Governor of the World. We have an Example of this in humane Justice, which is an image of the divine. For those who have been eminently serviceable to the State, besides the joyful sense arising from the performance of Heroick Actions for the Good of their Country, are rewarded by the Prince with great Honours and Benefits.
2. This inward Joy is not here felt by all Holy Persons. In this militant state, after vigorous resistance of carnal Lusts, they may change their Enemies, and be assaulted with violent Fears, and instead of a sweet calm and serenity fall into darkness and confusion. The Soul and Body in the present conjunction mutually sympathize. As two things that are unisons, if one be touch't and moves, the other untouch't, yet moves, and trembles. The‖Tanta vis est convenientiae, ut rem insensualem sponte se movere faciat, quia ejus sociam constat agitatam Cassiodor. cause is from the Vibrations the sound makes in the Air, and impresses on solid Bodies, moving them according to the harmonious proportion between them. Thus the Soul and the Body are two strings temper'd to such a correspondence, that if one be moved, the other resents by an impression from it. If the Body be Sanguin, or Cholerick, or Melancholy, the Soul by a strange consent feels the motion of the humors, and is altered with their alterations. Now some of excellent vertue are opprest with Melancholy. Others are under strong pains that disturb the free operations of the mind, that it cannot without Supernatural strengih delightfully contemplate what is a just matter of content. The Stoical Doctrine, that a wise Man rejoyces as well in torments, as in the midst of‖Quare sapiens si in Phalaridis tauro peruratur, exclamabit, dulce est, ad me nihil pertinet. Senec. pleasures, that 'tis not in the power of any external evil to draw a sigh or tear from him, that he is sufficient in himself for happiness, is a Philosophical Romance of that severe sect, an excess unpracticable, without Cordials of a higher nature than are compounded by the faint thoughts of having done what is agreable to Reason. All their Maxims are weak supports of such triumphant Language. 'Tis true in a Body disorder'd and broken with Diseases and Pains, the mind may be erect and compos'd, but 'tis by vertue of Divine Comforts from the present sense of Gods favour, and the joyful hopes of eternal felicity in his presence hereafter.
3. Those who suffer the loss of all that is precious and dear in the World, and with a chearful confidence submit to death, that, singly consider'd, is very terrible to nature, but attended with torments is doubly terrible, and all to advance the Glory of God, cannot enjoy the satisfaction of mind that proceeds from the review of worthy actions, if their being is determined with their life. Now that love to God exprest in the hardest and noblest service should finally destroy a Man, is not conceivable.
To render this Argument more sensible, let us consider the vast multitude of the Martyrs in the first times of Christianity, more easie to be admir'd than numbred. It would be a History, to describe the instruments of their cruel sufferings, invented by the fierce wit of their persecutors, the various torturs to destroy Life with a slow death, such as were never before inflicted on the guiltiest Malefactours. All which they willingly endured, with an invariable serenity of countenance, the sign and effect of their inward peace, Nay with triumphant expressions of Joy. Now to what original shall we attribute this fortitude of Spirit? were such numbers of all conditions, ages, sects, induc'd by rash counsel, by frenzy of passion, by a desire of vainglory, or any like cause, to part with all that is precious and amiable in the World, for Swords, and Fire, and Crosses, and Wheels, and Racks, to torment and destroy their Bodies? No humane Reasons, neither the Vertue nor Vice of Nature, Generosity nor Obstinacy could possibly give such strength under such Torments. This was so evident, that many Heathen Spectators were convinc'd of the Divine Power miraculously supporting them, and became Proselytes of Christianity, and with admirable chearfulness offered themselves to the same punishments. Now this is an extrinsick testimony incomparably more weighty than from a bare affirmation in words, or a meer consent of judgment, that there is an unseen state, infinitely better, and more durable than what is present, the hopes of which made them esteem the parting with all sensible things, measur'd by time, not to have the shadow of a loss. And this was not a meer naked view of a future blessedness but joyned with an impression of that sweetness and strength, that consolation and force of Spirit, that it was manifest, Heaven descended to them, before they ascended to Heaven. From hence they were fearless of those who could only kill the Body, but not touch the Soul. As the breaking a Christal in pieces cannot injure the light that penetrated and filled it, but releases it from that confinement. So the most violent Death was in their esteem not hurtful to the Soul, but the means to give it entrance into a happy immortality. Now is it in any degree credible that when no other principle was sufficient to produce such courage in thousands, so tender and fearful by nature, that the Divine hand did not support them, invisible in operation, but most clearly discovered in the effects? And can it be imagined that God, would encourage them to lose the most valuable of all natural things, life it self, and to their great cost of pains and misery, if there were not an estate wherein he would reward their heroick love of himself, with a good that unspeakably transcends what ever is desirable here below?
2. Though Vice in respect of its turpitude, be the truest dishonour of Man, and be attended with regret as contrary to his Reason, yet there is a further punishment naturally due to it. Malefactors besides the infamy that cleaves to their crimes, and the secret twinges of Conscience, feel the rigour of civil Justice. And if no Physical evil be inflicted as the just consequent of Vice, the viciously inclin'd would despise the moral evil, that is essential to it, as an imaginary punishment. And when the remembrance of Sin disturbs their rest, they would presently by pleasant diversions, call off their thoughts from sad objects.
2. Supposing no other punishment but what is the immediate effect of Sin, the most vicious and guilty would many times suffer the least punishment. For the secret Worm of Conscience is most sensible, when vice is first springing up, and has tender roots. But when vicious habits are confirm'd, the Conscience is past feeling the first resentments. There are many instances of those who have made the foulest crimes so familiar as to lose the horror that naturally attends them. And many that have been prosperous in their villanys, dye without tormenting reflections on their guilt. So that if there be no further punishments we must deny the Divine Providence, of which Justice is an eminent part.