Vindication of the Truth of the Christian Religion, Religious treatise · Section 4 · Subsection 5
V. Portraiture of the Chriſtian Religion, as it is Conſidered in it's Suitableneſs to the Neceſſities of Mankind.
WE cannot ſeriouſly reflect upon our ſelves, without immediately diſcovering our own Weakneſs, Miſery, and Corruption: Neither can we look upon the Chriſtian Religion, without acknowledging that it was peculiarly deſigned to free us from thoſe three Imperfections inherent in our Nature.
As to the Corruption of Man, it may be ſaid that it was the only thing in the World that Men moſt knew, and yet at the ſame time were moſt ignorant of: For the effects of it were palpable and evident to the Senſes. It was eaſily believed, that Men were very wicked and corrupt, when it was ſo manifeſtly ſeen that they committed ſo many enormous Crimes: But Men were ſtill ignorant that there was a general Depravation from Nature in the Heart of every Man, that diſpos'd him to the ſtrangeſt Irregularities; and it has ſo happened that Men have made no great Reflexion upon the Nature of that Original Depravation ſo incident to Mankind, that it continually attends them from the Cradle to the Grave. They only concern'd themſelves about what was external, without ſearching into the bottom of their Hearts and Conſciences.
But the Chriſtian Religion gives us in that reſpect all neceſſary light: It teaches us that we are corrupt, and that that Corruption proceeds from our ſelves: It ſhews us the extent of it, and confirms what the Old Teſtament taught us, That all fleſh had corrupted his way, Gen. 6. 12. It ſhews us that that Corruption makes us ſubject to the Curſe of God, and that we are by nature the children of wrath, Eph. 2. 3. It aſſures us that that Original Corruption has ſuch power over Man's Heart, that it moves all the Faculties of his Soul, ſo that every imagination of the heart of man is only evil continually, Gen. 6. 5. Laſtly, It ſhews us how impoſſible it is for Man ever to recover himſelf of that Malady ſo inveterate and deeply rooted within him; and that by repreſenting him to us as one that is lame, that has a Lethargy, that is dead in reſpect of Life, Holyneſs, and Juſtice; all which Truths we know too well by Reaſon and Experience.
How comes it then that the Chriſtian Religion teacheth us ſuch things as were ſo generally unknown to Mankind? Above all, how comes it to ſhew us ſo diſtinctly the true Principle of our own Corruption? Who taught the Son of Mary that Self-love is the true Source and Original of all our Irregularities? And why does he make Man to become an Enemy to himſelf?
Yet the Chriſtian Religion not only teaches us to know Man, and thoroughly to ſearch into all his Frailties, but alſo that alone furniſhes us with ſuch Remedies, as can cure all his Weakneſſes and Imperfections.
For we can't ſee that any thing elſe can do it. Not Education, which is as often evil as good; not the Civil Laws, whoſe buſineſs is only to regulate outward actions; Nor the Law in general, which inſtead of removing, rather increaſes this Original Corruption, being in that reſpect like a Bank which cauſes the Flood to ſwell; Not the Decorum obſerved among Men, which uſually varies according to the diverſity of Countries; Nor the Reſpect we commonly have for our ſelves, a thing too thin and metaphyſical not to ſubmit to the Senſe of Pleaſure; Not Reaſon it ſelf, which the Paſſions ſo eaſily corrupt; Nor the Example of Men, who commonly lead a very irregular life; Not worldly Honour, which regards only external Pomp and Grandeur; nor Laſtly, Philoſophy, which wants motives ſufficient to effect it: or if it has any, it derives them all from our own Pride.
Muſt we then have recourſe to the Virtues in faſhion in the World? we may eaſily perceive that they are only Pride and Interest differently manag'd according to the various Turns and Affairs, ſince they have no other Motives but what they have from the World.
The Falſhood of Human Virtues is a thing not to be diſputed. We all know that Self-denial is only a piece of nice delicate Intereſt; Liberality, a meer Trade of Pride, which values no Gifts, provided it have the Glory of being liberal; Modeſty, the Art of concealing our Vanity; Civility, but an affected Preference of other Men before our ſelves, to conceal how much we really value our ſelves above all the world; Baſhfulneſs, but an affected Silence in thoſe things which our Luſts make us think of with pleaſure, the deſire of obliging other Men, but a ſecret deſire of obliging our ſelves by getting them to befriend us another time; juſt as Impatience to acquit our ſelves of an Obligation, is but a Shamefacedneſs for having been too long beholding to others for ſome Favour received. So that all theſe Virtues in general are ſo many Guards Self-love makes uſe of to prevent our darling and ſecret Vices from appearing outwardly. What Remedy then can be brought for the Irregularities of our corrupt Nature, the pernicious Poyſon of which ſecretly inſinuates it ſelf ev'n into our Virtuousactions? And who can cure ſuch a Diſtemper, when the Remedies applied to it are rather a Diſeaſe than a Cure?
Experience ſhews us, that by effectually reſiſting one Vice, we often confirm and eſtabliſh another. Would you deſtroy Avarice? you muſt attack it by ſuch Arguments as neceſſarily flatter Pride. And is Pride to be overcome? it muſt be impugn'd by ſuch Motives as encourage Avarice. In vain ſhall you ſtrip Self-love of all it's pleaſing Objects and Allurements; ſtill it will endeavour to ſecure it ſelf either by contemning the Goods of Fortune, or by ſhewing it's Moderation in patiently enduring Diſgraces. Self-love when ſeated on the Throne, makes Tyrants; when reduc'd to Want and Poverty, it makes Philoſophers, who deſpiſe every thing they can't enjoy. It oft indeed changes it's Object, but not it's Diſpoſition. It's Pride (as I may ſay) outlives its own Death, and not being able to prevent it's periſhing it would ſeem to look pleaſantly upon its Downfal, and as it were triumph in it's own Ruin. Who then can give this Hydra it's Deaths wound, when the lopping off one Head, ſerves only to give riſe to another?
It is certain therefore that nothing can remedy this Corruption, unleſs it be more conſtant than the Principles of Education, more infallible than the Rules of Decency and Civility, more holy than the Civil Laws, which require only an outward Purity, and conſult the exterior Good of publick Society? more powerful than all worldly Honour which regards only Pomp and Renown; more Effectual than all worldly Motives, which are unable to ſubvert thoſe Paſſions, the Vanity of which they flatter; more ſtrong than a vain and fruitleſs Wiſdom, which pretends to free Man from his Miſery by annihilating him, and has no other Motives but what proceed from the greateſt of our Imperfections, our Pride. The Chriſtian Religion alone has all theſe Advantages, and conſequently is alone ſuitable to the Neceſſities of Man.
It is that which purifies the very Bottom of our Conſciences, by ſhewing us that it is to no purpoſe to cleanſe the Outſide of the Cup and the Platter. It reforms our Principles, by making a Temporal Intereſt give place to an Eternal one, and extinguiſhing the deſire of an imaginary by the hopes of a real Immortality. It propoſes to us an unalterable Rule and a true Model of Perfection to go by. It informs us that we have both a Judge and a Witneſs of all our actions, who diſcovers us, tho' in the Dark, and cover'd as it were with a Cloud; whoſe piercing Eye ſees through all our Pretences and Diſguiſes, who forces us to know our ſelves, to combat and mortify our Deſires; and that, whether we are ſeen or not ſeen, whether the World approves or condemns our Actions; God being Eſſentially independent from all outward Objects, and not limited by any exteriour Circumſtances.
And indeed what but ſuch an infinite Deity could have ſupplied us with ſuch a Remedy, ſo effectual, and ſo ſuitable to all our Wants and Neceſſities? For Miſery and Wretchedneſs are the portion of our Corruption; and he that cannot ſhake off the latter, will certainly always be ſubject to the two former.
Nor is it ſufficient to ſay that Man is miſerable▪ We may add that he is in ſome meaſure the very Center of Miſery. We ſee that whilſt all other Animals peaceably enjoy thoſe good things Nature has allotted them, Men ſeem to be in ſome reſpect mark'd out for Miſery by the hand of Divine Juſtice; they are equally diſſatisfied as well with what they poſſeſs, as what they poſſeſs not: They are terrified with the Idea they have of Death; tormented with the conſideration of Futurity; afflicted that they are unable to fix Time, which bears them away with it as it rolls on; Miſerable for what they know, or rather for not knowing more; mortified and diſappointed in their Deſires, tormented with Remorſes, affronted and injured by their Fellow-Creatures, and harraſs'd by the continual Inquietudes of their Heart: In a word, they enjoy Peace and Tranquility no longer than they can deceive themſelves with a Scene of imaginary Bliſs, and frame to themſelves falſe Ideas of their preſent Condition.
And this deſire of impoſing thus upon our ſelves, in fancying our Happineſs greater than it is, makes us vainly imagin we ſhould be leſs miſerable, if we were in the condition of thoſe that are far above us. But Experience ſoon undeceives us, and ſhews that the diſtant Proſpect of Honour and Riches gives more pleaſure and delight than a nearer poſſeſſion of them; and that the Hope of enjoying them makes us more truly happy, than their Fruition; which excellently ſhews us the Emptineſs and Inſufficiency of all ſuch temporal Advantages.
Nor do we think it enough to deceive our ſelves in reſpect of our Condition, but endeavour alſo to deceive others by making them entertain a vaſt Idea of our Merit, or our Happineſs; and through a certain Weakneſs to be pitied, we afterwards make uſe of that Eſteem and Reſpect we have accidentally and unawares extorted from others, to impoſe more effectually upon our ſelves, and enlarge that Chimerical Idea of our own Perfection, which Self-love entertains in our Breaſts with ſo much complacency and ſatisfaction. Who then can direct our Minds, or clear our Undeſtanding in this inextricable and continued Maze of Illuſions and Errors, the falſe Principles of a falſe Satisfaction? And who can find Remedy for ſo great a Miſery? Since barely to bring us acquainted with it, would ſerve only to increaſe it.
The Chriſtian Religion then having the Character of performing all this, is certainly a Religion truly Divine; and is it not ſtrange that it ſhould make Man happy by teaching him how to know Himſelf, and to remove his Miſery by ſhaking off his Ignorance, eſpecially when that Ignorance is the cauſe of his Tranquility and Satisfaction? Yet we ought not to wonder at it, ſince Religion gives us a new Proſpect of things, and much different from what we ever had before. It makes us patiently endure Diſeaſes, by diſcovering to us the Cauſe and Deſign of them. It comforts us in all our ſudden and unexpected Diſgraces, by aſſuring us that nothing can come to paſs without the Diſpenſation of God's Providence, who turns all things to our advantage: It humbles us in Proſperity, and ſupports us in Afflictions: It eaſes the Troubles of our Heart, by calming our Paſſions: It ſtrengthens us againſt the Fear of Death, by teaching us to conſider it as a Paſſage to a far better Life: It comforts our Conſciences by it's Promiſes: It continually attends us in all Times, in all Places; and in all Dangers, ſtrengthens us; in our Solitude hinders us from falling into deep Melancholy and Sorrow, when we conſider our ſelves, and what ſhall be our future State; and Laſtly, comforts and chears us upon our Death-bed, where alone it ſerves us indeed inſtead of all things, when the Charms of Self-love are at an end, and the Scene of the World begins for ever to vaniſh out of our ſight. And truly we muſt be wilfully blind, if we perceive not the Divine Author of that Religion, which at once ſhews us ſo well our own Miſery, and gives us ſuch excellent Remedies for all the Imperfections of our Nature.
Nor does it leſs enlighten our Underſtanding in reſpect of our Wretchedneſs, another Conſequence of our Corruption. For is not Man ſtrangely wretched and contemptible, when in his own natural State, he neither knows what he himſelf is, nor what he ſhould be, but is continually taken up with Concerns unworthy his Nature; full of Projects and Notions but of a Moment's concern; unable to bear long the conſideration of himſelf, and incapable of living without the help of Others?
Yet to ſpeak the Truth, it muſt be confeſs'd that there are ſuch Sentiments implanted in Man that plainly diſcover ſome Greatneſs in him, even through his Weakneſs and Ʋnworthineſs. His Mind indeed is often taken up with the meaneſt Objects; yet can't be ſatisfied with the conſideration of the greateſt: He cannot ſubſiſt without other Men's help; yet endeavours to be eſteem'd by all, deſiring to diffuſe himſelf every where by a ſort of Immenſity, which he derives only from the Author of his Being. He is buried as it were in the Cares of this Life; yet ſince he finds every thing in it diſproportionable to his Nature, his Thoughts aſpire to Eternity; and tho perhaps he is ignorant of any true and real one, he frames at leaſt an imaginary one to himſelf, and would feign out-live his Days in ſpite of Death, by immortalizing himſelf in the remembrance of Men. Who then can reconcile Man to Himſelf? How come ſuch lofty Sentiments to be joyned with ſo much Wretchedneſs and Miſery? Or why ſhould a Being ſo mean and humble, have ſuch great and elevated Notions?
If we conſult the Chriſtian Religion we ſhall ſoon be ſatisfied in this Point. For the firſt Rudiments of it will ſolve all the ſeeming Riddles. It will teach us that Man conſiſts of two Parts, Body and Soul, whoſe qualities and parts are very different: The Body makes him a Member of the Material World, from whence he derives his Wretchedneſs and Miſery: In his Soul he bears the Image of God, which is the Foundation of his real Goodneſs.
If the Mind be ſubject to Matter, we ſee only his Imperfections, and find nothing but a Senſitive Man in him; but if the Body be wholly ſubject to the Soul, then only the Greatneſs and Glory of the Soul appears; and we find a Spiritual Man in him. Whatever therefore may be ſaid concerning the Greatneſs of Man, becomes an incredible Paradox if applied to his outward and carnal part: And whatever may be ſaid concerning his Imperfection and Unworthineſs, will be utterly falſe if applied to him as a Being glorious and purely Spiritual.
But in our preſent State the Soul and Body are in a continual War: Sometimes the Excellence and Greatneſs of Man's Nature, and ſometimes the Weakneſs and Ʋnworthineſs of it appears, according as the Fleſh or Spirit are predominant and this ſerves for a certain Rule to judge of Mans Perfection or Imperfection, that every thing is great and noble in him, that brings the Fleſh in ſubjection to the Spirit; and every thing ſeems vile and contemptible, that baſely brings the Spirit in ſubjection to the Fleſh.
For what ſort of Greatneſs can we find in the latter? and wherein conſiſts the Excellence of his outward qualifications, by which alone he endeavours to procure the Eſteem of other Men? Not in the Antiquity of his Original, for that brings him but the nearer to his primitive Nothing, or to the Clay out of which he was firſt formed. He betrays his weak Judgment in eſteeming ſo much the Original of his Body, and not regarding that of his Soul. As for the Goods of Fortune, they ſwell his Heart with Pride, and therefore he values himſelf more for what he enjoys, than for what he really is. Suppoſe him a Conquerour, or if you pleaſe, Lord of the Ʋniverſe; But alas that can be of no great continuance. His Reaſon indeed exalts him far above all other Creatures; but even that Reaſon is a Slave to his Scnſes; his Paſſions deject rather than elevate him: Ambition is a Weakneſs which makes him unable to rule his Deſires; Pride an Imperfection, which ſo poſſeſſes his Mind that he cannot paſs by the leaſt Affront to his Reputation; Avarice a baſe fear of future want, a limited Conſideration of Self-love, that forgets it ſelf, to think better upon what is leaſt valuable in its condition; The Punctilios of Honour, a vain Imperfection, that makes an Idol of it ſelf; That Valour which affronts Death, nothing but a Mans ſtrangely forgetting himſelf, and being inſenſible of the Dangers that ſurround him: And Laſtly, all the Paſſions but ſo many Deviations from the End we ought to purſue; ſo many Diſorders and Irregularities of the Soul, as appears fully by what we have ſaid elſewhere concerning the End for which Man was orginally deſigned.
And tho' theſe be all Moral Truths, they are not the leſs certain. Experience confirms them, and …he free confeſſion of the Incredulous, who are glad of any Opportunity of making us obſerve all theſe ſigns and characters of our Wretchedneſs and Miſery, thinking thereby to perſuade us that ſo miſerable a Creature was not deſigned for ſuch a glorious End as we imagin.
But let them only conſider how truly great Man is, when he ſubmits the Luſts of the Fleſh to the Rule of the Spirit, and they'll be aſham'd of their falſe Opinions: They'll find him indeed a Being that had a Beginning, but yet one that glories in God as the Author of it: They'll find him an Atom that raiſes it's ſelf above all other Creatures, by running back to it's firſt Author, and paying him Homage for it's Unworthineſs: A Worm that has the Honour of referring it's ſelf to the Glory of God, to which alſo all other Beings are referr'd, but without knowing it. They'll find him a Being that is indeed Mortal, carries it's Hopes beyond Death: A Being that is finite; yet it's Deſires and Intentions are unlimited: A ſmall quantity of Earth will cover his Body, yet nothing but Immenſity will ſatisfy his Soul: He poſſeſſes all things, for he calls himſelf the Son of him that created all things: He is not to be rank'd among thoſe Creatures which grow proud by promotion, or cannot be humble without debaſing themſelves. He is great, but not proud, becauſe he knows his Natural Vileneſs; and he is humble, but not baſe, becauſe he is ſenſible of his true Greatneſs and Worth. He has made ſuch a Covenant with his God, as the Deſtruction of the Body is not able to diſſolve. Tho' he conqers not Kingdoms, nor razes Cities, yet he is able to overcome thoſe Paſſions which have produced the like effects. He ſacrifices to God thoſe very Paſſions to which Men heretofore ſacrificed all their Poſſeſſions: He eſteems not a Crown, and the higheſt Dignities are of no Value in his Thoughts: He quits a Throne to equal himſelf to Shepherds, and tho' but a Shepherd he thinks himſelf as great as the moſt powerful Monarch. What the World admires, is but a Dream to him. Tho he enjoys the greateſt Titles, yet has he the ſame humble Thoughts of himſelf. Should the World afflict him on every ſide, it cannot leſſen his Opinion of himſelf. He raiſes himſelf above what he ſees to humble himſelf in the ſight of God, who is inviſible: He poſſeſſes Eternity, tho he exiſts in Time: He is a Child of God, tho he lives amongſt Men: He is ſenſible of his Exaltation above all other Beings, but he is truly Great in his own Humility. Thus the Chriſtian Religion not only ſhews us Man's Excellence, but is alſo the Cauſe of it, by making the meaneſt part of our Nature ſubſervient to the nobler. He therefore that utterly renounces all Religion, loſes the perfection of his Nature; and the leſs he believes, the more he debaſes himſelf below other Creatures.
'Tis therefore the Chriſtian Religion alone that ſhews us the Cure as well as the Diſeaſe; that produces our hidden Virtues and unmasks our Vices; that diſcovers to us our Miſery, and frees us from it; that puts an end to all the Wretchedneſs of our Nature, by making us truly ſenſible of it; that makes us great by making us humble; that fits it ſelf to all the Conditions of Life, and ſatisfies all the Deſires of our Hearts. In a word, it is the Chriſtian Religion that ſanctifies us, exalts us, and compleats all our Wiſhes; and tho Men and Angels ſhould jointly endeavour to contrive a more excellent one, and more ſuitable to our Wants and Neceſſities than this, 'tis certain they could never accompliſh their Deſign.