The Principle of Protestant Truth and Peace, Catechism · Chapter 3
CAP. III. Of the Uncontroverſible Laws of Natural Religion.
Queſt. THere having been ſo much of Account given in general of Publick and Catholick Religion, ſhewing that it can be no other than what is from God; it is now neceſſary to enter into a more particular Conſideration; and firſt, what it is that remains Certain, and Evidently Publick; or, that is of God, in the Law written upon Man's Heart.
Anſw. Whatever is indeed written in Man's Heart, muſt certainly be from God; ſeeing no Created Hand could write there. The Hand that Made, can alone Ingrave it.
Queſt. How then ſhall we make a Judgment, what is written upon the Heart?
Anſw. That which is univerſally acknowledged, and, amidſt all the Differences in Religion, falls under no Variation, aſſures us, it was placed there by that Supreme Hand, that alike faſhioned all Mens Hearts: and eſpecially, ſeeing to this univerſal Acknowledgment there is no Temptation from the ſenſual and worſt Part of Man, it being againſt its Intereſt; but it ſprings from the wiſeſt and beſt Parts, moſt unconcerned in this World, or any of the brutiſh Pleaſures of it.
Queſt. What Principles do you account thus to be of Natural Religion?
Anſw. I account theſe following;
That there is a God, the Greateſt and Beſt of Beings, that governs the World.
That God vouchſafes to be acknowledged, ador'd, and worſhipped by Man; and that he takes notice when he is ſo worſhipped, or neglected, and that with Favour, or Diſpleaſure.
That there is a Diſtinction betwixt Good and Evil, ſetled by the Unchangeable Laws of God.
That God being himſelf ſo Good, is pleas'd in Men doing well, and rewards it; and diſpleas'd when Men do ill, and puniſhes it.
That Men have a Conſcience, viz. a Knowledg of, and Government of their own Actions, with Approbation of them if Good, and Diſlike if Bad.
That there are Rewards and Puniſhments beyond this Life.
That therefore the Notions of Virtue, Righteouſneſs, Temperance, Soberneſs, Beneficence, and the contrary Vices, are of unchangeable Truth, and the Actions flowing from them of the ſame Notion.
That God is both the Judge and Obſerver of them now, and will be ſo in the Future State.
That in the time of God's Patience and Bounty to ſinful Man, there is Forgiveneſs with him, that he may be feared: and that he thereby leads Men to Repentance.
That upon all accounts Solemn Worſhip of him by Prayer, Praiſes, Honourable Diſcourſes of him, of all Obedience to him, and Returns to him after our Falls, are moſt due from Humane Nature, and according to the ſociable Nature of Man in Publick Aſſociations.
Queſt. Do you believe theſe ſo cloſe to, and inſeparable from the Reaſon of Man?
Anſw. I am fully aſſured ſo; and that theſe, and all the immediate, genuine, and natural Deductions from them, are ſo nearly allied with Humane Nature, and Reaſon, that they are in no Parts of it wanting, however overcome; but where extreme Barbarity and Brutiſhneſs in all things elſe make it plain, ſuch People cannot weigh againſt the wiſer Societies of Mankind, in whom the more vigorous Efforts of Reaſon ſhew themſelves.
Queſt. But would you have Men reſt in Natural Principles, without Revelation?
Anſw. No, by no means: For, if Adam in Paradiſe had Revelation to make his State towards God Conſummate, how much more Man Fallen, in whom all Natural Light is but glimmering and obſcure, Heavenly Objects at ſo great a remove, by his being ſunk down ſo low from them, and the Miſts and Fogs of this Earth ſo prevalent upon him in the great Deordination of Spirit into Body, that whatever true Principles of Reaſon might effect, if duely purſued, he is, without Revelation, upon all Experiment, no better than in the Valley of the Shadow of Death?
Queſt. But does there appear any Expectation of Revelation in the Motions of Natural Reaſon?
Anſw. Very great; ſo that no Religion in the World hath been without the Pretence of it: And it is both moſt hopeful according to the Laws of Natural Light, that God will reveal himſelf; and moſt juſt, that his Revelations ſhould be accepted with all Reverence, when vouchſafed: our very Reaſon being a Revelation from him; and if any Revelation from him could be falſe, even That might be ſo alſo: But in all things, Natural Light muſt needs bow to Divine Veracity.
Queſt. How happy might the World be, if all the Religions of the World were but reformed to this Natural True Religion?
Anſw. Undoubtedly ſo: for the State of it could not then be far from the Kingdom of God; all True Religion, whether Natural or Revealed, being ſo cloſely allied to it ſelf: For though Revealed riſes much higher, yet in an inſeparable connexion with, and in a continuation undivided from Natural.
Queſt. But as the State of the World is, and hath always been, there ſeems to have been no Effect of True Natural Religion?
Anſw. Very great, in many reſpects. 1. To juſtifie God in his Dealings with Mankind, that there have been ſuch Poſſibilities of Return to True Religion laid up in them. 2. To be as Senſe in a Mans Soul, upon which all Divine Applications might take, either to Conviction, or Converſion. 3. To be at all times ready to be re-enlivened by Revealed Truth, and to unite with it. 4. To be an Univerſal Code of True Religion, in which it is always reaſonable for Mankind to agree, or in any Parts of it, on any Occaſion, as Jonah and the Mariners did in their Calamity, or as St. Paul and the Seamen with him, in giving Thanks to God. 5. That it might be a Standard to puniſh Prophaneneſs and Irreligion by, without entrenchment on Conſcience; which Revelation cannot be, but in ſome peculiar Circumſtances. 6. That Men may on all Occaſions treat with one another by it, on Terms of Reaſon and Juſtice, as the Apoſtle Paul with the Men of Athens, with Felix; and generally Men one with another, in all their Commerce: All Society, good Laws and Government, Reſtraint of exceſſive Evil, depending upon it.