Vindication of the Truth of the Christian Religion, Religious treatise · Section 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of the Holineſs of Life of Jeſus Chriſt.
IF Jeſus Chriſt was neither the true Meſſias, nor the Son of God, and if he falſly boaſted that he wrought many Miracles, his Diſciples muſt neceſſarily have conſidered him as an Impoſtor, as ſoon as his Death fruſtrated the hopes and promiſes they received from him. And if they conſidered him as an Impoſtor, there is little appearance they ſhould propoſe him as a model of Vertue and Perfection to mankind.
But ſuppoſing they had this deſign, we may reaſonably imagin that having neither the Learning nor Eloquence of the Authors of that Age, they would have had no better ſucceſs in drawing an imaginary Character of their Maſter, than others in repreſenting the Excellencies of thoſe great men it was their intereſt to flatter. Yet if we chuſe the politeſt Writings of this kind, the lives of great men compoſed with all art imaginable, Panegyricks that coſt thirty years labour; add to theſe all the collected notionsof Vertue, the Wit and Obſervation of the moſt paſſionate, judicious, and elegant Orators can furniſh us with; joyn, the Cato's and Ariſtides's together, nay ſeparate their Vertues from their imperfections, and aſcribe to them all the good qualities we find diſperſed in other men; I will yet maintain that all theſe Ideas, Notions and Characters come far ſhort of that perfection the Evangeliſts make us conceive of Jeſus Chriſt, and that too without Hyperbole or Art, but by a bare and ſimple recital of his Actions.
The Heroes of whoſe vertue the Ancient Heathens ſo much boaſt, directed their Actions to no other end than the glory of their Country, or their own ambition: Whereas Jeſus Chriſt referr'd all his Actions to the Glory of God. It may properly be ſaid of them, that they aimed at nothing elſe but to furniſh an infinite number of perſons joyned together in a Society wherewith to ſatisfy their moſt inordinate paſſions, as we have already obſerved elſewhere concerning Cato. Whereas Jeſus Chriſt deſign'd only to ſubdue the vicious deſires and inclinations of mens hearts. The Ancient Sages would ſometimes renounce Riches and Honours, but 'twas only to become ſlaves to Glory. If they overcame ſome ſmall paſſions, 'twas only to ſubmit themſelves to the the Tyranny of greater. They ſacrificed their other affections to their Pride and Ambition of Fame. Nay they were ſo puff'd up with the conceit of their own Wiſdom, that they imagin'd themſelves happier than the Gods, fancying they ow'd the temper and inclination of their minds to none but themſelves; that they were free from any paſſion, and were ſole Lords of all. Jeſus Chriſt on the contrary teaches us firſt to renounce vain glory. This is the firſt principle of his Religion. God, ſays he, reſiſteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. And he is ſo far from having us imagin we can be happy without the concurrence of God, that he ſhews us the wretched weakneſs and corruption of man when ſeparated from his Maker. This the continual uſe of that prayer he taught us, would fully inſtruct us in, tho' his Morals and moſt holy Life ſhould …ot. The Ancient Sages of Antiquity either were, …r ſeemed true patterns of Juſtice: but Jeſus Chriſt …s the teacher and the true pattern of Charity; and ▪tis by Charity rather than Justice that we reſemble …he Deity which confers good upon men, without …eing any ways obliged thereto.
'Tis eaſy to practice Vertue when attended with Reputation and Proſperity, as the Ancient Philoſo…hers did; but difficult to continue virtuous as our …aviour did in the midſt of poverty and ignominy, …nd in ſpite of diſgraces and perſecutions. So …eceſſary is Eſteem and Reputation in this life, that … ſeems to be as it were the very nutriment of mans …eart; and ſhould men but conſult themſelves, …hey would find they cannot live without it. How …ft do thoſe who think themſelves uncapable of …er obtaining it, abandon themſelves to ſuch a …eſpair as puts them upon the blackeſt villanies: …hich has occaſioned ſome Princes already odious or Cruelty, to defile themſelves with all manner of oluptuouſneſs, as deſpairing of ever recovering …at good opinion, they have already loſt in the …inds of men? To ſee Chriſt hated, deſpiſed and …poſed by the moſt conſiderable and leading men …ongſt the Jews, and not able to gain the leaſt credit or eſteem, unleſs with ſome poor Fiſhermen ſo groſs and ignorant, that they could hardly underſtand what he taught them: would not it make one think that he had all the Reaſon in the World to fall into a kind of deſpair, and that ſince he could never hope for Reputation, to give himſelf over to all ſorts of pleaſures, and make his condition the beſt he could? Yet we ſee that being continually in diſgrace and poverty, he omitted nothing of the ſevere practice of vertue. When he was affronted, he endured it with a ſweet and gentle Patience. When he was deſpiſed, he went on boldly in his innocence. Tho' his followers were ſimple and ignorant people, he ſtill bleſſed God for it. I thank thee Father, ſays he, becauſe thou haſt hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, but revealed them unto Babes. Mat. 11. 25.
But we ſhould wrong the bleſſed Jeſus by comparing him with the moſt admired perſons of all ages, ſince none can come in compariſon with him who is only like himſelf.
We need only reflect upon his life and actions repreſented to us by the Evangeliſts, to ſee whether we can find in him the leaſt ſhadow of Vice. Would we know whether he was addicted to Voluptuouſneſ… we need only conſider that his very Enemies dur… not caſt this reproach upon him. I confeſs th… Mat. 11. 19.Phariſees call'd him a Glutton and a Win… bibber, a friend of Publicans and Sinner… but not becauſe he was luxurious either in meat … drink; and they meant only that he ought not … have eaten with ſinners, ſuch as the Publicans wer… a reproach which Jeſus Chriſt preſently confound… by this anſwer no leſs worthy of his Wiſdom tha… Goodneſs: They that be whole need no Phyſitian, … they that are ſick. Mat. 9. 12. Should we fancy hi… Ambitious, 'tis but conſidering what uſe he made … his credit amongſt the people. He privately withdrew, when they would have made him King; and always told them his Kingdom was not of … World. Did he ſeek after vain glory? Who decl…ed the praiſe of John the Baptiſt? Did he ever flatter the Doctors of the Law? Did he take any of thoſe meaſures our pride generally uſes to purchaſe eſteem? How did he exclaim againſt the vices of the Scribes and Phariſees? and with what Authority did he ſpeak to the People? Could he be ſuſpected of deſign or ſelf intereſt, he would have aimed at ſome temporal advantage. And had he been a Whimſical or Melancholy perſon, he could never have preach'd that excellent Sermon on the Mount. Conſider the ſolidity of his Anſwers to thoſe that asked him Queſtions, the beauty of his Maxims, which ſeem wholly to proceed from Piety and Charity, and yet ſo ſublime and excellent Morality, which is all along contained in the Doctrine he taught the people on the Mount▪
He expreſſed himſelf in a ſimple but noble Style, worthy the eternal wiſdom of God, and ſuitable …o the ſimplicity of every mans underſtanding. And as if he had liv'd only to do good, he was never weary of exhorting men to live well. He travelled …ver all the Villages of Galilee with an indefatigable …atience. He ſpent the days in inſtructing the Mul…itude, and the Nights in making his ſupplications …o God. He rejected none that offer'd themſelves …o him, and conſider'd not men by their outward …ppearance. When he deſired to be followed, 'twas …ot for the pleaſure he took in a great retinue, but …he better to teach the Multitude. When he eat …nd drunk, 'twas with thoſe people only he had a …eſign to convert. When he ſpoke of the things of …his World, he uſed them only as Repreſentatives …f things above. When he ſharply rebuked his Diſciples, 'twas becauſe they would put a ſtop to the work of his Miniſtry. When he was deſired to eat, he replie… his meat was to do the will of his Father. When he thirſted and came nigh unto any fountain, it was rather to put men in mind that he was the ſpring of Life, than to quench any thirſt of his own▪ Whatever offered it ſelf to his Senſes, elevated his thoughts to ſomething Divine. He was far from that buſy Curioſity, that Preference of himſelf before others, that falſe Modeſty ſo frequent among men, and indeed from all thoſe other affected Vertues, which no leſs diſcover the bottom of our Corruption, than our Vices themſelves. His concern for his family never came in competition with his concern for the Kingdom of God. 'Twas not ſelf-love, but a divine love which was the rule of his affections, ſince he called all thoſe who did the will of his Father, his Father, Mother, and Brethren. If he was angry, 'twas his concern for the glory of the Deity; and he was eaten up with the zeal of his houſe, when he found they had made it a den of thieves. He not only patiently endured but pardon'd a thouſand injuries, nay obliged himſelf to love his Enemies, commanding all his true Diſciples to do their beſ… Endeavours to bring themſelves to it. In a word, ſearch and examin the heart of man as long as yo… pleaſe, you'll never find there ſuch vertues as thoſ… of Jeſus Chriſt were. Conſider well the conduct o… his whole life, and you will ſcarce ſind the leaſt appearance of any of the inordinate paſſions or irreg… lar deſires of other mens hearts. Conſider all th… pleaſures and profits of the World, and you wi… find they are things Chriſt ne'er ſought after. E… amine one after another all his proceedings and a… his Actions; and you'll find they did not in th… leaſt incline to the things of this World
After what manner can we think the Eternal Son of God muſt have lived in the World, ſuppoſing he came into it, unleſs as Jeſus Chriſt? What other language ought he to have ſpoken but that of Jeſus Chriſt? What kind of Vertues ought he to have practiſed but his Vertues? What kind of Charity ought there to have appeared in him, but that of Jeſus Chriſt? And whom ought he to have been conformable to, but to that man, in whom we find ſomething more than man, even the Vertues of a God concealed under the fleſhly vail of Humane Infirmity?
We can't ſuſpect that 'twas Ambition as well as his other Qualities that exalted him ſo far above all other men, and that his deſign was only to raiſe himſelf to the higheſt Authority in Religion. He muſt then have foreſeen that which afterwards came to paſs, that his Croſs would be acknowledged in all the World: And to foreſee that he muſt have been a Prophet. But tho' he ſhould have foreſeen all theſe things, ſtill 'twas neceſſary he ſhould have had Strength enough to overcome himſelf, to overcome himſelf continually and in all reſpects, to renounce all the pleaſures of life, and expoſe himſelf to the moſt cruel ſufferings: but it was impoſſible his Soul ſhould have been continually ſtrengthened to that degree by the bare conſideration of a Glory that ſeem'd to be imaginary, and at ſuch a diſtance too. In ſhort we know partly what kind of Vertues may proceed from the bottom of a worldly and ambitious heart, and we alſo very diſtinctly know that ſo ſolid a Vertue, ſo Univer…al, ſo far from any Hypocriſy and Affectation, ſo con…rary to the Vertues of the World, of a Character above Imitation, above thoſe very Ideas men …ramed to themſelves of it, could no more ariſe from …uch a ſource as a worldly and ambitious heart, than …ight can be ſaid to proceed from darkneſs.
But who will aſſure us that the Evangeliſts did not flatter their Maſter in his Character, and repreſented him as he ought to be, not as he was? This thought has yet leſs ſolidity than the former. For if this here be but a witty conceit of thoſe Writers, I ask how could ſome poor, ſimple and ignorant Fiſhermen invent ſuch a model of Vertue, as was never ſeen or thought of before, and whoſe Idea is ſo far above what all Antiquity gives us of its Heroes? Beſides, the Evangelists make no Eulogies upon their Maſter, nor aggrandiſe his Vertues, nor affect to give us a more particular view of his beſt Actions: but they only give us a bare and ſimple Recital of them, without any Art or Deſign; Nay ſuch is their ſincerity, or if you will their want of judgment (for we freely permit the Incredulous to make what ſuppoſitions they pleaſe) that they related ſuch things as at firſt ſhock our thoughts, and which Impious men chiefly inſiſt upon, ſuch as this complaint of Jeſus Chriſt, My God, My God, &c. Beſides this, the Circumſtances with which they relate all the actions of their Maſter, will ſufficiently convince us of their ſincerity▪ For is it probable the Evangeliſts ſhould have invented or forg'd the murmurings of the Scribes and Phariſees, who reproach'd them ſaying, Why do ye eat and drink with Publicans and Sinners? &c. And that controverſy betwixt the ambitious Diſciples, on whoſe account it was that Jeſus Chriſt having taken up a little Child, told them they muſt be like that Child, if they would qualifie themſelves for the Kingdom of Heaven, &c. a wonderful diſcourſe indeed both for its ſhortneſs and ſimplicity, which ſufficiently ſhews us the very Soul of our bleſſed Lord! 'Tis not one ſingle Writer of all theſe, that relate thoſe Actions, there are three of them, who wrote after ſuch a manner as manifeſtly evinces they copy'd not one anothers Writings. And if you would be further ſatisfy'd, the Apoſtles themſelves prove the Holineſs of life of their Divine Maſter, by imitating his Actions. The Primitive Chriſtians ſhew us how well the Apoſtles lived by following their Example. If you ſhould deſire we ſhould produce ſome authentical teſtimonies of Holineſs, Vertue, ſweet and peaceable temper of the Primitive Chriſtians: there are abundance to be had in the Writings of their very Enemies. We need only an indifferent Knowledge of Antiquity, to baniſh all ſuſpicions in that reſpect.
Thus the truth appears on all ſides; and I ſenſibly perceive it as ſoon as I frame any Idea to my ſelf of the life and actions of Jeſus Chriſt. Yet I am willing however, that the Incredulous ſhould not wholly conform their judgment to mine; and if this Argument does not move and convince them as much as it does me, they need only paſs on to the conſideration of others.