Vindication of the Truth of the Christian Religion, Religious treatise · Section 4 · Subsection 11
XI Portraiture of the Chriſtian Religion, as it is conſidered in the Proportion it bears to natural Religion.
WE have already deſcribed the Chriſtian Religion as it is thus conſidered, in having fully proved in ſeveral places of this Work that it takes away the Corruption which had diſordered Nature; that it ſubverts Paganiſm, which was the Corruption of natural Religion; that 'tis the perfect Reſtauration of the latter; that it reeſtabliſhes the Principles of Juſtice and Equity, which God had imprinted in our Hearts; that it produces the moſt perfect Union of Society by Love and Charity; that Humility, Temperance, Wiſdom, and all other kind of Virtues which ſupport natural Religion, derive the Force of their Motives from the Chriſtian Religion, they alone being equivalent to all ſenſible Objects; and laſtly, that it makes us anſwer the End of our Creation.
'Tis a wonderful Comfort and Satisfaction to our Minds, and at the ſame time exalts our Nature to reflect that the End for which Man was deſigned, is the ſame with that of Chriſtian Religion; and the End of Chriſtian Religion the ſame with the true End of Man's Creation. Every thing that goes to the Conſtitution of Man's Nature does in a manner ſeek after God. The infinite Curioſity of our Minds inceſſantly thirſting after the Knowledge of New Objects, ſeeks after that Deity which the Chriſtian Religion diſcovers to us, becauſe that Deity contains all things in the Excellence of its own Nature. The greedy and haſty Deſires of our Hearts, which can never be truly ſatisfied with any Object we ſee, ſeek after God as a Supreme Good, which contains in it all other Advantages.
It was a thing before unheard of, that a Man muſt ſatisfy the Deſires of his Heart by glorifying God. To give our ſelves up to Godby renouncing our ſelves, and to renounce our ſelves to dedicate our ſelves wholly to God, are meer Paradoxes; yet ſuch the Chriſtian Religion plainly demonſtrates to be true, by ſupplying the Defects of Mankind, and reſtoring natural Religion.
And now reflect upon thoſe Eleven different Portraitures or Characters which we have thus offered to your Conſideration. Obſerve that our own Imagination had no ſhare in the Product of natural Religion, of the Revelation of Moſes, of the Heart of Man, of the Morality of Chriſt, of its Doctrin, its End, and the Effects of it; of the Teſtimonies given in favour of it; of its relation to the great End of Man's Creation, the Glory of God. Conſider, that all thoſe Repreſentations depend not upon any of our fooliſh Fancies, or fantaſtical Whimſies of the Incredulous; and that altho we ſhould not underſtand the Original of the Chriſtian Religion, yet we ought to refer it to a Celeſtial Principle, ſince we have diſcovered that it is qualified and adorn'd with ſo many Characters of Divinity.
What then ſhall we ſay, when we reflect that we have it by a voice from Heaven; that an infinite number of Martyrs ſuffered Death to confirm it, that the Events and Miracles performed in the World taught it us; that many undeniable matters of Fact convince us of it; that the Prophets declare it, and the Devils themſelves ſilently own it? What can we ſay now that we are ſurrounded on all ſides with Light, with the Light of the Senſes, the Light of Reaſon, the Light of Prophecy, and the Evidence of their accompliſhment, the Light of Knowledge, the Light of inward Senſe, the Light of Experience, the Light of Teſtimony, the Light of matter of Fact, the Light of Doctrin, the Light of the Heart, and the Light of the Ʋnderſtanding? We ſhall certainly own that it is the Work of God, and earneſtly beſeech him who granted us the Knowledge of his holy Religion, that he would be pleaſed both to defend it againſt the falſe Subtilties of its ſecret and open Enemies, and deeply imprint it in our Hearts for the ſake of his Glory, and the Salvation of our own Souls,
Amen.
FINIS.
ERRATA
Occaſioned by the Tranſlator's Abſence from the Preſs.
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End of the text · Jacques Abbadie, Vindication of the Truth of the Christian Religion (1694)