The Chief Interest of Man, Section 1
SECTION. I. The Practical Atheiſt a greater wonder than the Speculative Atheiſt; the unreaſonableneſs of ſuch as profeſſing Religion, do yet neglect the commands thereof, and deſpiſe ſuch as deſire to be found in a ſtrict obſervance of them.
A Spartan being invited to hear an Oration in commendation of Hercules, replyed, Ecquis eum vituperat? Doth any body ſpeak againſt him? and ſome will think I might periturae parcere chartae, or rather better in ploy precious irrevocable hours than in Apologizing for that which needs no defence, and which there is ſuch a reverence of ſo deeply implanted in every Mans nature; but upon a nearer approach and exact ſurvey of things, we ſhall find there is nothing in the World doth either need or deſerve a more ſerions conſideration and juſt defence. The Speculative Atheiſt is ſuch a Monſter that many will hardly admit of ſuch a thing in nature. And it ſeems incredible to them that any ſhould doubt of a Deity; yet daily experience and obſervation refutes our more rational and retired Speculations, and hath put many Learned Men to the labour of proving that there is a God; this being the utmoſt we are able in the Theory to make good; That there are none think that there is no God, but ſuch as for whom it were well if there were none: and theſe being judicially given up to be ſeduced by their own luſts, firſt, think it would be well for them if there were no God, finding his commands croſſing their Carnal intereſts and corrupt deſires; thence they proceed to wiſh there were no God, and by degrees arrive at flat Atheiſm, inordinate paſſions converting Deſire into Opinion (as we eaſily believe that which we earneſtly deſire) that ſo having baffled their Judgments, and drawn them into the ſame confederacy with their Luſts, they may ſin without their control or contradiction, and avoid the reproofs of their Conſciences while they give up themſelves freely to ſatisfie their vile affections. His gradibus itur. I affirm the Practical Atheiſt is yet a greater wonder, and a more horrid Monſter than the Speculative Atheiſt. (As Mirandula hath well obſerved) it is a wonder that any ſhould doubt of the truth of the Goſpel after ſo many evident proofs of it; but a greater wonder that any ſhould believe it, and yet live as if it were not true. But Affrica hath not ſo many monſters in nature as Europe hath in Religion, How many thouſands of Zealots have we that profeſſe the name of Chriſt, and preſume violently that they ſhall be ſaved by him, yet look into their converſations and you would not believe their own mouths, or imagine that they are ſeriouſly perſwaded that there is a God, an Heaven, an Hell, a Judgment to come wherein they ſhall be ſentenced to their everlaſting home.
Nay, hear O Heavens and be aſtoniſhed, O Earth, hath any people dealt ſo with their Gods, which are yet no Gods, as Chriſtians deal with Chriſt? Do Turks deal ſo with their Mahomet? Do they ſcorn thoſe that are moſt careful to obſerve the Rules of his Alcoran? Are they aſhamed to be ſeen to have any reſpect to his Laws? Yet I call Heaven and Earth to record againſt Chriſtians, that he that turns from his wickedneſſe, makes himſelf a prey, yea, as Salvian complained of old, Mali eſſe coguntur ne viles habeantur. Men are fain to turn Rebels againſt Chriſt and caſt off the fear of his commands to free themſelves from the ſcorn and hatred of Chriſtians, amongſt whom he muſt go for a Melancholick dull ſot, or ſneaking fool, and one that hath nothing of generoſity that dare not ſet his mouth againſt Heaven, or defie the authority of his Maker; inſomuch that he that cannot harden himſelf againſt ſcorn, ſhall be jeared out of Heaven; he ſhall forfeit the reputation of his breeding, that ſhall ſpeak a word of the Scriptures; he ſhall paſſe for a ſilly fellow that will abandon the pleaſures of Sin in hopes of an unſeen-Glory, and he ſhall be accounted importunate or uncivil that ſhall interrupt Mens carnal mirth by caſting in the ingrateful mention of God or his commands, and be thought unſit for the company of Perſons of quality and breeding. Of old they accounted it the ſum and ſubſtance of Religion to imitate him whom they worſhipped. Thoſe that adored mortal Deities (ſuch as Alexander and Caeſar) were ambitious to imitate their Vertues, yea, ſome Emperors have been imitated by their flattering Courtiers in their Defects and Deformities. The holineſſe of God is his Glory, and (of all his attributes) propounded to us for our imitation, ſee 1 Pet. 1.15. Exod. 15.17. and compare Iſa. 16.3. with John 12.40. and yet how do men glory in their ſhame, while they are aſhamed of their glory? Phil. 3.29. Jer. 2.36. but that ſome are wiſer than to be ſo befooled out of Heaven, holyneſſe would be hiſſed out of the World.
How many think it a greater reproach to call one a Saint than a Drunkard, a Whoremongen or whatever is evil, When the Scripture makes this a title of honor, and that from whence they are ſo denominated abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation? O let not theſe things be told in Gath, or publiſhed in Aſhkelon. Let not Turks and Heathens hear ſuch things of Chriſtians. What God dowe worſhip? What Saviour do we own? Are they like the Idols of the Heathens who (as Tertullian ſaid of old) are worſhipped in vain, and may be abuſed at our pleaſure? Quit your ſelves like Men, awake your reaſon and conſider what I ſhall ſay for God and for his holy Laws, which are (as the Apoſtle ſaith, not only boly but juſt and good, Rom. 7.12. So that (as hath been well obſerved by Learned Men) if God had never commanded what he hath done, nor made any tranſcript of the Eternal Law out of the Idea of his holy nature; yet, what he hath commanded would have been beſt for Mankind to obſerve. There is not only an equity in them, but they are good naturally, as well as morally, conducing to the welfare of Mankind, the good of the Univerſe, inſomuch that if we had ſtood on even ground with our Maker, and capitulated with him on what terms we would ſubmit our ſelves to him, and what Laws we would be obliged to obſerve, we could not have made conditions more for our own advantage: or if Chriſt ſhould wave his authority which he hath over us, to command us (though the authority of the ſuperior is more to be regarded than the advantage of the inferior) he might juſtly counſel us, as Rev. 3.18. to obſerve his precepts as that which would be beſt for our ſelves; and if we had no reſpect to his ſoveraignty, yet regard to our own welfare and happineſſe might oblige us thereto. And having evinced the equity of the wayes of God, and the benefit Men have thereby, I ſhall endeavour to diſcover and remove the cauſes of this Practical Atheiſm that reigns ſo much in the World, and though I know after all I can ſay the Diſeaſe will deſpiſe any remedy, yet let me tell all the prophane ſcorners of Godlineſſe till they can deprive themſelves of reaſon, that is, become beaſts, God and his Saints ſhall have a witneſſe in their breaſts againſt their own ſouls.