Natural Theology, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
The deficiency of Natural Theology compared with the Scriptures, evidenced in ſundry Particulars. The Work of Redemption not known by it. It reveals not the way of coming to God by Chriſt. It gives not a perfect account of ſin. It ſhews not the way of Reconciliation, nor of Satisfaction in Man's chief Good, nor of the right Worſhip of God. Conformity to God not attained by it. Nor the true Tranquillity under Humane Calamities. One Inference from the Whole.
THus having conſidered the Creation of the World, in the great Efficient of it, and alſo ſhewed what uſe may be made of the Knowledg of God reſulting thence; I next proceed to ſhew wherein this Knowledg is deficient, and falls ſhort of that which we have by Divine Revelation in the Word of God.
1. In General. The Myſtery of Man's Redemption by Chriſt, is not made known by the Works of Creation. All that the Apoſtle ſaith in my Text was known concerning God by it, is, his Eternal Power and Godhead. It would not have been a Myſtery hid in God for ſo many Ages, if the Works of Nature had declared it to men. Adam might ſee God as a Creator, but not as a Redeemer in theſe Works of Nature. He might ſee an infinite Power, Wiſdom, Goodneſs ſhining forth herein. But that Second and better Edition of theſe Attributes to be ſet forth in the work of Redemption, he could not ſee. For though God made the World, in order to the Work of Redemption, as I ſhewed before, yet he did not make it as a Redeemer. And therefore it hath nothing directly written concerning Chriſt upon it. The Tree of Life, Paradiſe, the making of Eve out of Adam's ſide, and then joyning them together in Marriage; yea, the making Adam himſelf, and the dominion God gave him over the Creatures, and conſtituting him a common Perſon, are applicable to Chriſt and the Church, and are figuratively ſo applyed; but yet it cannot well be imagined that Adam could read any thing of Chriſt, or the Work of our Redemption herein. There was no need of God's revealing any thing concerning the Worlds Redemption until Man's ſin and fall. Therefore after the Fall God revealed it to Adam. And the firſt intimation of it was, of the Seed of the Woman breaking the head of the Serpent; and there was nothing in Nature could have declared ſo much as this. And the farther diſcovery of it to the World, was by Inſpiration, or Viſions, or by an audible Voice, &c. God needed not have ſent forth Prophets, and Chriſt Apoſtles to have preached this Myſtery to the World, if the Works of Creation could have declared it. It's true, it's ſaid, Pſal. 19. 1. of the Heavens, and the Firmament, the courſe of Night and Day, that they preach to the World. Their Line is gone forth into all the Earth, and their Words to the end of the World. Which words are applyed to the Apoſtles Miniſtry, Rom. 10. But yet they are not ſuch Preachers as the Apoſtles; for they tell the World of a Knowledg, which the greateſt Searchers of Nature were ignorant of. A Myſtery that was hid in God, and in former Ages, not made known to Men, no nor to Angels neither, that can read what is written in Nature better than Man. And Athens was a ſtranger to it, when the Apoſtle Paul came thither, as you read Acts 17. There was the Seminary of Humane Literature, there he met with Learned Epicureans and Stoicks, &c. but he found nothing of the Knowledg of Chriſt there.
Well then, where is the Wiſe? Where is the Scribe? Where is the Diſputer of this World? As the Apoſtle ſpeaks in a way of holy deriſion, or of triumph rather, 1 Cor. 1. 20. Where is Socrates and Plato? Where is Xenophon and Ariſtotle? Where is Seneca and Cato? Where is Demoſthenes and Cicero? How is all their Wiſdom bafled and non-pluſt by the fooliſhneſs of Preaching? wherein the way to Man's true Felicity, which they ſo anxiouſly ſought after, is declared to be by a Crucified Chriſt.
2. But more particularly. If you ſpeak of Ma…s coming to God; though Natural Light may dictate this to be his Duty, yet coming to God by the Mediator, the Man Chriſt Jeſus, is above the reach of this Light. Here we muſt have recourſe to Scripture-Revelation, that tells us that Chriſt is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and no Man cometh to the Father but by Him, John 14. And there is one Mediatour between God and Man, the Man Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Tim. 2. 5. As a Ladder ſtanding up betwixt Heaven and Earth, as it was preſented to Jacob. And the Name Immanuel is not found written any where in the Book of Nature; who is the way whereby God is with Men, and they with Him. For want of the knowledg whereof, the Gentiles addreſt themſelves to their chief God, by their Daemons, or inferiour Deities; by their Heroes, Men of renown, whom at their death they deified and adopted into the number of their gods; many of whom they ſtiled ſecundi Ordinis Deos, Gods of the ſecond Order.foreign, foreign, &c. Yea, they had many Orders of them, diſtinguiſhed either by the places of abode they aſſigned to them, or the Offices performed by them. Now as theſe inferiour Deities did themſelves addreſs to the Supream; ſo by them, as Mediatours, did the Pagans addreſs themſelves to him. To both of which the Apoſtle ſeems to …llude in 1 Cor. 8. 5. when he ſaith, There be gods many, and lords many. And in oppoſition to which he adds, But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things; and one Lord Jeſus, through whom are all things. But this Mediation of Jeſus Chriſt they were wholly ignorant of. God hath written nothing of this in the Works of Nature. Though the Light of Nature could inſtruct them in the neceſſity, or at leaſt the expediency of going to God by ſome Mediator or other, and therefore they invented ſuch to themſelves; yet that the Son of God, in the Nature of Man, ſhould be the Perſon by whom to go to God, they knew nothing of.
3. If we ſpeak of Man's Reconciliation to God. Though the Light of Nature declares to Man, it is his great happineſs to have the favour of God, and to have that ſin pardoned to him, which his natural Conſcience doth condemn him for; yet how to obtain this Pardon and Reconciliation is only made known to us by the direction of the Scriptures. It's true, the Heathens made uſe of Sacrifices of ſeveral ſorts, as Bullocks, Lambs, Sheep, Goats, Swine; and in ſome caſes, Men and Children, as their own Poets, Virgil and Plautus, &c. and ſo Plutarch and others of their Moral Writers affirm; and theſe they offered up to appeaſe their gods▪ when any Calamities fell upon them.
—Illius aras
Saepe tener noſtris ab ovilibus imbuet Agnus.
Haedum Neptuno, Taurum tibi Pulcher Apollo, Virgil.
And of their Humane Sacrifices, ſee Lact. lib. 1. p. 81, 82, 83. and Dr. Owen's foreign, p. 307. They offered Placatory Sacrifices to ſuch gods of whom they feared harm, and Propitiatory to ſuch of whom they expected good, as Dr. Jackſon Obſerves. But theſe they uſed not with any reſpect to Chriſt, who was the end of the Inſtitution of all the Expiatory or Propitiatory Sacrifices, and gave them their Vertue and Efficacy, and ſo they could not avail them to what they deſigned; as the very uſe of them they borrowed either from the Sacrifice of Noah, conveighed in the notice of it down to his Poſterity, or from ſome acquaintance they might have with the Jewiſh Laws, rather than from any Dictates of Natural Light, howſoever improved by them. For what-ever may be ſaid concerning Sacrifices, called Gratulatory, offered by way of Thankſgiving, that a principle of Natural Gratitude might lead them to their uſe; by giving part of the whole, to acknowledg the whole from God; yet who can imagine it concerning Expiatory Sacrifices, that ever the Light of Nature could lead them, to think that the ſlaying of a Bruit Creature, as a Sheep, or a Lamb, or a Goat, &c. ſhould be able to reconcile God to Man, or be a meet Satisfaction to the offended Deity for his ſin, or indeed be pleaſing to God at all. And though this was the practice of the Jews, yet they were led to it by God's Inſtitution, and not by the Light of Nature. And though ſome have ſaid, that the continuance of Nature in its courſe, and the benefits that are thereby daily conveighed from God to the World, do declare to all Men, that he is ſome-way reconciled, elſe Man's ſin would either have diſſolved, or at leaſt interrupted this beneficial courſe of Nature; yet this cannot lead Man to the true Propitiatory, nor to the way of enjoying the benefit thereof. By theſe common benefits of Nature, God left not himſelf without witneſs to the Gentiles; and for which they ought to have been thankful; but by theſe they could not underſtand that they had favour with God, were not under God's diſpleaſure for their ſin, ſeeing the worſt of men partaked of them as well as others, and the Beaſts as well as Men. It's true, ſomething may hence be gathered of the benignity and goodneſs of the Nature of God, his long-ſuffering and patience, whereby they might be encouraged to go to him for Mercy and Pardon; but the way wherein God hath appointed to beſtow this pardoning Mercy, they could not know by any natural Light. And what reſpect God may have to ſome among the Gentiles that beſt improved that Light, and had recourſe to his general Mercy, without the diſtinct knowledg of a Saviour, which they had not means to attain, I ſhall rather leave it amongſt the Secrets of God's Counſel, than make determination therein.
But we that have the Scriptures, know that all Man's Reconciliation is by the death of the Son of God. And that pardon of ſin is by Faith in his Blood, which things the Light of Nature is a meer ſtranger too.
3. As to the true knowledg of ſin, the Scriptures give a more diſtinct account than any that can be known by Nature. Some groſſer ſins may be known by it, but the ſecret Obliquities of the Heart and Life are not detected but by a ſtraiter Rule than the Light or Law of Nature. The Apoſtle, (Rom. 7.) profeſſeth he had not known Luſt to be ſin, except the Law of God had ſaid, Thou ſhalt not covet. It is the Commandment of God▪ that David ſaith is exceeding broad, can only diſcover ſin in the full latitude of it. And which made the Apoſtle ſay, By the Law is the knowledg of ſin. And therefore the Law was firſt briefly publiſhed upon Mount Sinai, and afterwards explained and urged upon the People by Moſes, as appears in the Book of Deuteronomy that they might, being under the conviction of ſin, look towards the Meſſiah for Salvation, who was yet to come, which needed not have been, could the Law of Nature have given a perfect Knowledg and Conviction. Of it the Scriptures reſolve that great Queſtion, unde malum? diſcourſing of it in the firſt original of it; as alſo in the due merit of it, and the puniſhment it leadeth to.
As for ſins that are more ſtrictly Evangelical, as Unbelief in Chriſt, &c. As the Light of Nature doth not diſcover the Goſpel, ſo neither can it do ſins againſt it. For this, we muſt have recourſe to the Word of Chriſt, and to his Spirit. Whom he promiſed to ſend to convince the World of ſin, becauſe they believed not on him; for the Light of Nature could not evidence it to be ſin.
4. If we ſpeak alſo of the ſatisfaction of the Soul in poſſeſſing the chief Good; Here alſo Scripture-Light excels that of Nature. There was nothing did more exerciſe the Minds of the wiſer Heathens than this; to find out and enjoy this Good; and nothing were they more divided in their Judgments about. But the Reaſon was, becauſe they wanted the true knowledg of God, and knew not the way to the fruition of him, who alone is this chief Good of Man. But here the Scriptures again ſupply the defect of Nature's Light; which reveal to us, not only that God is, and what he is, but that Everlaſting Covenant of his Grace made in Jeſus Chriſt, wherein, and whereby he offers himſelf to Men to become their God, and to take them for his People. And there we find this ſummum Bonum. this chief good
The Philoſophers of old, Yea, all Men are as Merchants ſeeking this godly Pearl, but they find it not until they are by Scripture-Light led to it. And we may ſay of it as Job ſpeaks of Wiſdom; The Depth ſaith, It is not in me; and the Sea ſaith, It is not with me: It cannot be gotten for Gold, neither ſhall Silver be weighed for the price thereof, &c. (and therefore is not found in Silver or Gold); Deſtruction and Death ſay, We have heard the ſame thereof with our Ears. Thoſe that are in the Grave, or Hell, may have heard of it; but where there is no Good, there cannot be found this chief Good. But the Word of God tells the Living of it, ſhews it to them, and invites them to the poſſeſſing of it.
5. With reſpect to the Worſhip of God. The Light of Nature doth dictate that God ought to be worſhipt; but Scripture-Revelation is requiſite to guide us unto the right way of Worſhip. I know there is Natural Worſhip founded upon the Right of Creation, which is known by Nature's Light; but then there is other Worſhip that is Inſtituted, with reſpect to the Work of Redemption, which is made known only by the Scriptures of the Old and New Teſtament; as Plato once ſaid, The Maker of this univerſe, as it is hard to find out, ſo as hard to find out the right way of worſhipping him. Whereupon the Apoſtle, in Rom. 1. ſpeaks of the Gentiles, That they became vain in their Imaginations, inventing to themſelves wayes of Worſhip, ſome whereof were ridiculous, others obſcene, and all diſhonourable to the Greatneſs and Holineſs of the Supream Deity. As the late Author of the Book called Moral Vertue and Grace, quòtes a memorable Paſſage out of Jamblichus; which, by his leave, I ſhall here tranſcribe in the Engliſh of it; It is not eaſie to know what God will be pleaſed with, unleſs we be either immediately inſtructed by God our ſelves, or taught by ſome Perſon whom God hath converſed with, or arrived to it by ſome Divine Means or other. And therefore the Worſhip the Heathens performed to their gods, how ridiculous ſoever, they pretended to receive it, either Afflatu Numinis, by ſome kind of Inſpiration, or from their Oracles, or ſome other way of Revelation. And we know what the Mahometan Religion pretends to in this caſe. But becauſe they were ſtrangers to the Authentick Revelation of the true God in the Word of Truth, therefore they ſo groſly erred in the Way and Rule of their Worſhip.
6. Or, if we ſpeak of tranquillity of Mind, under all the Calamities that attend Man's Life. This the Philoſophers of old induſtriouſly ſought after as a chief part of Man's Happineſs, and propoſed ſeveral wayes to attain it. Some, by looking upon all things as coming by an inevitable Fate, and an invincible connection of ſecond Cauſes. Others of them relieved themſelves by looking upon theſe Evils as ſuch as are common to Men▪ and they muſt be content to bear the common lot of all Man-kind. Nihil humanum a m… alienum put…, as one ſpeaks. And others, That they were ſent to be the Tryals of Vertue, and in patient bearing them, men diſcovered true greatneſs of Mind, &c. But, alas, the Bed they made was too ſhort for the Soul to repoſe it ſelf upon. But the Scriptures ſhew the true way of it. 1. By ſhewing all theſe evils, as diſpenced by the Sovereign Hand of the onelyonly Wiſe God. 2. That they are the Diſcipline of God for the good of his Family. 3. This alſo ſets before us the great Example of Chriſt in patient ſuffering. 4. As alſo an everlaſting Reſt in the World to come, aſſured by the Promiſes of God, and entred into by Chriſt as a fore-runner, having firſt purchaſed it by his Blood; the true hope whereof, is the great relief the Saints have under all their preſent troubles; and many ſuch like. Which being truly apprehended, will bring in that true foreign, or tranquillity of Mind which all Philoſophy cannot reach. A Principle of Faith being able to do more for us in this kind than any principle of Reaſon. Thoſe few words of the Apoſtle, recorded 2 Cor. 4. 17, 18. Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are ſeen, but at the things which are not ſeen, &c. is more than can be found in all the Volums of Natural or Moral Philoſophy, to quiet and comfort the Soul of Man under all the Calamities of Life.
7. As to Conformity to God. The Light of Nature taught Plato, and ſome of the wiſer Heathens to ſay, That Man's Happineſs did conſiſt in his likeneſs to God; but the way of growing up into this Likeneſs they did not underſtand. For to this is requiſite the mortification of fleſhly Luſts, which the Precepts of their ſtricteſt Philoſophers could not effect. Some things they might do to the ſubduing of the Paſſions to the Dominion of Reaſon, and thereby introduce ſome moral tranquillity into the Soul of Man. But the radical Corruptions of Man's Nature, which eſpecially are Self-exaltation and Self-ſufficiency they rather did cheriſh than extirpate. The Stoicks ſeem to proceed fartheſt towards this ſubduing of Nature, upon the Fundamental Principle of their Philoſophy, That Man's Happineſs lay in things that were in his own Power, as in maintaining a conſtant ſerenity and evenneſs of Soul in all the Occurrences of Life, and not in the things of Fortune, Vid. Epict. Enchirid.which were out of his Power; but it reached rather to thoſe Paſſions that they perceived did diſquiet Nature, than to thoſe other evils that are pleaſing to it.
But to this Conformity is alſo requiſite the introducing of a New and Divine Nature; Now it is not any natural Knowledg of God can effect this. The Apoſtle tells us, 2 Pet. 1. 4. That Believers are made Partakers of the Divine Nature; but it is through the knowledg of Chriſt calling them to Glory and Vertue, and through the great and precious promiſes given us in him. Hereupon alſo we read, That Chriſt is made to us ſanctification, &c. 1 Cor. 1. 30. And whoever is in Chriſt is a New Creature, 2 Cor. 5. 17. Which is all one as to partake of the Divine Nature. So that this conformity to God reſults from partaking his Nature; this we cannot have without communion with him; this Communion we cannot have but in Chriſt; and Chriſt is not made known but by Scripture-Revelation. So that Nature cannot make a Chriſtian; as Tertullian ſpeaks, Apol. cap. 18. Fiunt, non naſcuntur Chriſtiani; Chriſtians are made ſo, not born ſo. And therefore that ſo noted Saying of the ſame Author, in the foregoing Chapter, that ſeems to contradict this; O Teſtimonium Animae naturaliter Chriſtianae! is to be rightly underſtood in the ſenſe he ſpeaks it. For ſpeaking againſt the vanity of the Heathen, in making many gods to themſelves, he appeals to a practice that even Nature did lead them to, which was to lift up their eyes to Heaven, and to ſay, Deus dedit, God gave me this or that; and Deus videt, God ſeeth. Whereby the Soul did, as it were, naturally own but one God, as the Chriſtians do. Whereupon he breaks out into that noted Speech, O the teſtimony of the Soul naturally Chriſtian! But to make us Chriſtians, in the partaking the Nature of Chriſt, and conformity to God; this is above the reach of Nature. Though the Heavens declare God's Glory, day and night utter ſpeech; and the Sun comes forth as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber every morning, &c. and nothing is hid from the heat of it; yet it is the Law of God that converts the Soul, enlightens the Eyes, &c. and ſo brings Man into conformity to God, Pſal. 19.
8. Or if we ſpeak of the Immortality of the Soul, the Reſurrection of the Body, the Judging of the World, the future Rewards of Men in the World to come, theſe are all made evident to us by Scripture-Light, which were either not at all, or but darkly known by any Light of Nature. How dubiouſly, and ſometimes ridiculouſly did the ſageſt of the Heathen write of theſe things. As to the Souls Immortality, their great Orator Cicero doubted of it. As for the Reſurrection of the Dead,Plin. lib. 7. cap. 55. their great Naturaliſt Pliny explodes it. As to Rewards and Puniſhments in a future State, their Poets had ridiculous Fictions about them. Therefore Life and Immortality are ſaid to be brought to Light by the Goſpel, ſpeaking more diſtinctly of the future State, and World to come, than what is found either in the Dictates of Nature, or the Writings of the Old-Teſtament.
Laſtly; Yea, as to the very Nature of God, his Holineſs, Unity, Simplicity, Actuality of Being, Omniſcience, Immenſity, and other Attributes; theſe are more clearly revealed in the Word of God, than in any Evidence of Nature. Which though in this it is not wholly dark, as in ſome other Truths before mentioned, yet even here it is not ſo diſtinct and clear as the Scripture is; which as it is a Syſtem of Natural Truth, beyond any other Writing in the World; ſo it contains thoſe Supernatural Truths that could not elſe be known to the Sons of Men.
And this is all I ſhall ſpeak to this Head; which though it doth not ſo immediately reſult from my preſent Subject, yet I thought needful to interpoſe; only in my leaving it ſhall add this Inference.
Inference.
We may hence evince the abſurdity of caſting off Scripture-Light,Scholars may read a more diſtinct account of the deficiency of this Natural. Theology, and its inferiority to Goſpel-Revelation, in Dr. Owen's Polite Diſcourſe on this Subject at large; in his Book called foreign, &c. lib. 1. and betaking our ſelves to the Light of Nature. Is not the Light of the Sun above that of the Moon? the one Ruleth the Day, and the other the Night. Thoſe that have no Scripture-Light, live under the Dominion of Nature's Moon-light, Acts 7. 27.and are but in the Night, feeling after God, as Men in the dark. It is Scripture-Light, through the Spirit, that makes the Day.
It argues alſo our great Ingratitude, that this great Mercy of God in the Scriptures ſhould be no more valued by us. Do we pitty the poor blind Heathen? and ſhall we caſt away that Light without which we ſhall be as blind as they? Hath God dealt with us in ſuch Mercy as with Iſrael of old, to give us his Statutes and Judgments, when he hath not ſo dealt with every Nation, and ſhall not we be thankful above other People? Hath God magnified his Word above all his Name;Pſal. 138. 2. and ſhall we put it below the other parts of his Name? or hath God magnified his Name upon his Word, as a learned Rabbin reads the Text; and ſhall we deſpiſe it, and not magnifie that Name of God which is there ſo eminently written?
The great Maſters of Wiſdom among the Gentiles, as Pythagoras, Plato, Socrates, Triſmegiſtus, &c. got more knowledg of Divine Things from ſome Fragments of thoſe Truths that were made known by Divine Revelation to the People of Iſrael, than from all their Studies of Nature. And much of the Gentile Theology, Mr. Theoph, Gale.both as to the Deities they worſhipped; and the manner of their Worſhip was, though corruptly, derived thence, as hath been made evident by a Learned Author of late, that hath travelled in thoſe Studies. Now we that have with us the whole Body of Scripture, and Revelations of Supernatural Truths therein, are highly concerned to give thanks to the Almighty for ſo great a benefit.
After the Pſalmiſt had ſpoken of the common Benefits of Nature, for which God is to be praiſed of all men, Pſal. 147. Who covereth the Heavens with Clouds, prepareth Rain for the Earth, maketh Graſs to grow upon the Mountains; giveth the Beaſt his Food, &c. verſ. 8, 9. He then ſpeaks of his ſpecial Goodneſs to Jacob; And wherein? He ſheweth his Word unto Jacob, verſ. 19. &c. And then concludes the Pſalm. Praiſe ye the Lord. Jacob, that is the Church of Iſrael, had the ſpecial favor of God's Word, and therefore above all People and Nations were obliged to praiſe him.