Inquisition whose cruel Maxims are abhorr'd by a considerable Part of Christians but of the Management observ'd in many Countries where it is not establish'd Nor will I treat expresly here of this Question which would require a Volume as great at least as this I shall only touch as much of it as makes for my Purpose without making any Digressions How is a Clergy-man treated in many Places if he forsakes the common Opinions never so little If he has a Benefice he is in great danger of losing it or at least expos'd to the cruel Slanders of such as would fain get his Place and who are always a good Number altho he punctually discharges all his Duties and that his Morals be irreproachable But if he be not yet preferr'd an Opinion contrary to the receiv'd Doctrines be it of never so little Consequence is sufficient to exclude him for ever from all sorts of Ecclesiastical Preferments And so zealous are some about the Conformity of Opinions that the least Suspicion is enough to do a vast Prejudice to any it falls upon Nevertheless a great Number of Clergy-men are so uncharitable as to raise many Suspicions against such as they do not love There 's not a Consequence so odious but they boldly draw it from their Sentiments and accuse them thereof to those whereupon they depend and whom they often find so credulous about the ill that is said of their Neighbour or so little inclin'd to believe the Good that those Clergy-men in many Conversations ruin for ever some innocent Persons in the Opinion of such as listen to their Calumnies On the contrary if a Clergy-man who is already in possession of a Benefice or that aims at one be a Blockhead idle spending his time in eating and drinking smoking slandering or doing some very scandalous thing provided he be Orthodox as they speak he quietly enjoys what he has got or is in a condition of being preferr'd in the Church without changing his Manners Good Men censure in vain his manner of Living without objecting any thing to him except what is publick but they are not hearkned to and towards him alone are practis'd the Duties of that Charity which thinketh no Evil 1 Cor. 3.5 7. beareth all things hopeth all things endureth all things The Unbelievers who have their Eyes principally fix'd upon the Carriage of the Clergy conclude from hence two things the one that good Morals that is the principal Duties of Christianity are the Qualities they have least regard to and the other that the Body of Ecclesiasticks is only a mere Faction where the Discovery of Truth is not intended but to support by all ways what can procure or preserve their temporal Interests The Incredulous add further that the Candidates or Pretenders to the Benefices look upon them as a Prey whereupon they may seize whenever they are vacant or which they may forcibly snatch from such as possess 'em by whatever Means they can They conclude that the end of all this Zeal affected for the Doctrines is no other thing but a good Income and that they would not vouchsafe even to inform themselves about those Doctrines if this Income were not settled only upon such as should 'T is in vain for the Clergy to say the contrary to Unbelievers the constant Practice of so many Ages and Nations makes more Impression upon them than all the Discourse that can be made to them From hence it is that they come to consider Christianity it self as they do the falsest Religions and so die in an incurable Infidelity by their own Fault it 's true but also by a specious occasion of judging wrong which several Clergy-men give ' em They are by so much the more confirm'd in their Infidelity as they see the Zeal for Temporals very different from that concerning Spirituals And this they easily discover by the Distinction that is made of those who defend and are passionate for the temporal Interests of their Party and of them who defending Christianity by the strongest Reasons imaginable and after the best Method of clearing Peoples Understanding deny not but that there are some Disorders in the Discipline of the Church which need Reformation Those last who ought to be esteem'd and advanc'd by such whose Profession obliges to favour them are put back for ever and look'd upon as very dangerous Persons whilst the first are in favour all the while and are sure to obtain what they desire The Incredulous judg by this Conduct that it is not Christianity in general they mind whatever they say but the temporal Interests of the Party since those who consecrate themselves for the Defence and Propagation of the first are disgrac'd and no Reward is thought too great for others These are the principal Prejudices which Ecclesiasticks by their Fault occasion Unbelievers to entertain I could add several things much more home upon them if I would speak of all the Abuses committed in the Places where Christianity is most corrupted but if what I have mention'd does an extraordinary Injury to Religion what may we not say of the rest And besides the Answer I design to make to these Prejudices may solve the Difficulties which might proceed from greater Disorders than those whereof I have spoken To shew that the Occasions of Scandal and Stumbling which are given to the Incredulous and of which we have been now speaking ought not to injure Christianity in general and that consequently they should not hinder any from acknowledging its Truth it must be consider'd in it self and in its first Original If there have been Additions made to it and if it has been since corrupted that is no Defect in Christianity but their Fault who made these Additions or Alterations Those who have read the Gospel and the other Writings of the Apostles cannot say that the first Founders of the Christian Religion have engag'd such as would preach it to discharge this Duty from any Consideration of Interest Jesus Christ promises nothing but Persecutions and Miseries in this World to the first Ministers of the Gospel I send you forth says he Mat. 10.16 as Sheep among Wolves They will bring you into their Synagogues and scourge you You shall be brought for my sake before Governours and Kings The Brother shall deliver the Brother to Death and the Father the Child and the Children shall rise up against their Parents and cause them to be put to Death and you shall be hated of all Men for my Name 's sake He also says unto one of his Apostles whom he call'd after an extraordinary manner Acts 9.16 I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my Name 's sake The Event did quickly convince the Apostles that these Predictions of Jesus Christ were not vain The Jews and the Heathens for the most part gave them a very ill Reception and many of Christ's first Disciples suffer'd Death for discharging the Function wherewith their Master honour'd
the Gospel will have us to sacrifice all our Pleasures to what it ordains us and that we resolve upon suffering all sorts of Evils rather than neglect one of its Commands These are the principal Duties very near that regard our selves for I design not to make here a complete Abridgment of the Christian Morals for my Subject does not require it and it suffices that I bring to mind the chief Heads of them The Justice which the Gospel recommends to us does contain two things One is to render every one his Due and this is what the Heathens themselves call'd Justice The other is to do for our Neighbour all that we would wish him to do for us were we in his Condition that we should pardon him for Example when he does us wrong rather than to revenge it and help him in all that we can and that is no way contrary to the Precepts of the Gospel The Civil Laws may compel us in part at least to render every Man his Due and they are establish'd for this purpose but nothing can oblige us to do more except the Desire of living conformable to the Christian Morals The Heathens themselves have acknowledg'd that to be good Men there was need of a great deal more than the Civil Laws requir'd What a poor Vertue is it says a Philosopher to be only good according to the Laws How much larger is the Rule of the Duties we are oblig'd to than that of the Law How many things are requir'd by Piety Humanity Justice Liberality and Fidelity that are not exprest in the publick Records Quam augusta innocentia est ad legem bonum esse Quanto latius patet officiorum quam juris regula Quam multa pietas humanitas liberalitas justitia fides exigunt quae omnia extra publicas tabulas sunt As it would be impossible to fulfil these Duties upon all sorts of Occasions especially when the Observation of them should endanger Reputation Goods or Life if there were no Reward to be expected in this Life nor after Death by such as liv'd according to the Gospel so God has promis'd to protect good Men here as far as should be needful for them and to render them eternally happy hereafter To believe these Promises and to have that Gratitude for the Divinity which his Goodness requires of us is what the Gospel calls Piety This is an Abridgment of the Morals of Jesus Christ and which no body can reject but because he 's not dispos'd to live accordingly as I 'm going to shew by some Examples When Jesus Christ and his Apostles began to preach the Gospel few Persons of Quality or that pretended to considerable Employments embrac'd it as we learn it from themselves At this day such as doubt of the Truth of Christianity or are resolv'd to believe it false are frequently Men of the same Rank All that are acquainted with the World know very well that the common People and those that have no aspiring Thoughts are more rarely troubl'd with Incredulity or Doubts than Persons of Quality and those who pretend to great Preferments or think themselves worthy of such If we look for the Reasons of this in the Persons themselves we shall not find that the Ambitious do reason better than others or discover Defects in Christianity unknown to the rest of the World On the contrary such as think of nothing but advancing themselves do not commonly study much in the Gospel and as they are ignorant of the Beauties of it they could not be more capable than others to find out the Weakness of it if it had any All the Knowledg they possess above the rest of Men is only the Art of so governing themselves in the World as to come at their Ends. The true Reason why they doubt or that throws them into Incredulity is nothing else but their predominant Passion Ambition which is too opposite to the Morals of the Gospel to lodg in any Heart throughly perswaded of its Truth or touch'd by its Maxims Let us suppose a Man very desirous to possess a considerable Charge without having fit Talents for it or if he has that he designs not to serve his Country by his Place but only to live splendidly and luxuriously we may suppose farther that he makes use of all Tricks to obtain it and that he 's ready to do any thing sooner than miss of it This Passion which entirely takes him up and fills his whole Imagination with the Pleasure that accompanies all his Desires makes him look upon his own Conduct as the most reasonable and the most innocent in the World If a Man in this Disposition hears of the Gospel the first time we may suppose and be told what Christ said of Ambition can any wonder if he rejects it or is the Reason of it hard to be guess'd Notwithstanding it were easy to shew that what the Gospel teaches concerning Ambition is conformable to the clearest Evidence of good Sense and that many Pagan Philosophers have taught it likewise If the Disposition therefore of an ambitious Man determines him to disbelieve the Gospel he must own at the same time that he acts contrary to the clearest Light of Reason The same Reasoning may be properly made concerning the avaritious the voluptuous the unjust the vindicative Man and all others that are engag'd in Habits opposite to the Gospel A certain Portugueze call'd Vriel Acosta who turn'd Jew and fell into Sadducism could not digest that Precept of the Gospel viz. to love our Enemies because being naturally revengeful and having been ill us'd by the Jews of Amsterdam he could never find in his Heart to forgive them He concluded therefore that the Practice of this Command being impossible it was in vain to give it to Men and could not believe that God had reveal'd it 'T is true that a Man extremely vindicative and for many Years indulging himself in this Passion cannot without a Miracle be brought of a sudden to pardon or patiently to suffer Injuries In this Disposition he 's always sure to reject the Gospel by reason of this one Precept or at least to refuse Submission to this Article supposing that the rest are not too repugnant to his Inclinations But if in those Intervals wherein his Revenge is as it were suspended a while he comes to consider the fatal Effects of this Passion which would engage Men if they always obey'd it in perpetual Wars and Quarrels that could never terminate but in the Death of one or both the Persons he must acknowledg that Revenge is a most dangerous Passion and that one or the other had better forgive his Enemy or rather to pardon one another so to put an end to their mutual Injuries He will wish it may be that his Enemies would entertain the same Consideration and cast off this Spirit of Vengeance being ready to do as much on his side The more this Thought comes into his Mind the more reasonable
instructing him in all those Circumstances The Divinity of the Christian Religion being establish'd upon some Facts one can 't judg of it neither but by the Knowledg of the Circumstances which attend them Wherefore those who desire it should be prov'd to them without acquainting them with those Circumstances require a thing equally unjust and impossible What I have said concerning Julius Cesar can't be prov'd to a Man altogether ignorant of the Roman History whilst he remains in that Ignorance and consequently 't would be unjust to require any such thing with respect to Religion 3. The first thing therefore that ought to be done to prove the Truth of the Christian Religion is to set down the Facts it supposes with all their Circumstances but an Objection offers it self which must be resolv'd before They ask what are the Doctrines of that Religion for the Christians have great Controversies among themselves about their Belief But our business is not to prove the private Opinions of any Party of Christianity 'T is enough to shew that the Doctrines about which all Christians agree are true by proving the Truth of some Facts about which they agree too Those who are sure of the Truth of its Doctrines and Facts may if they will afterwards examin all the Controversies they please Therefore without undertaking to decide those Matters I begin with the Examination of the Gospel-Morals * See are Abridgment of them in ch 1. of Part 1. without coming to any Particulars It can't be deni'd that if all Men liv'd according to its Precepts and by reason of the Rewards and Punishments of another Life were careful to worship the Creator of the World to live with Modesty Temperance Sobriety and Patience and to deal with their Neighbours as they would be dealt by them it can't be deni'd I say that such a Life would be most pleasant and advantageous to human Society We should not see a thousand impious Extravagancies and so many Superstitions which have very dismal Consequences as we see among Idolatrous Nations The excessive Love of Dignities Riches and Pleasures would not be the Cause of any Disorder and would be attended with no publick or private Sorrows Men should not know what it was to wrong their Neighbours or suffer any Trouble because of others Inhumanity or Malice They would help one another in all their Needs with all the Ardour and Eagerness that can be wish'd for If they should happen to give one another any Trouble without any premeditated Design they would forgive one another and make amends for it by all sorts of good Services Lastly the Mind enjoying a perfect Tranquility and the Body being as healthful as its natural Weakness can allow and both enjoying the harmless Pleasures which the Gospel allows us Men would not part with so pleasant a Life but to enjoy another that would be free for ever from the unavoidable Inconveniencies to which Nature has made those liable who live upon Earth Such as have any Notion of the Morals of Christ will necessarily grant this Truth viz. that Men would be most happy if they observ'd them all alike It will perhaps be ask'd whether any Christian Society does it But that is not a proper Question 't is enough if it be granted that a Doctrine which can work so admirable Effects must needs make one entertain favourable Thoughts of those who preach'd it at first We can't forbear admiring those who first exhorted Men to live one with another after a manner so agreeable to Reason so advantageous to Society and so pleasant and charming that nothing can be preferr'd to it but the supreme Happiness which can't be enjoy'd but in an endless Life 4. To know when that Doctrine was brought into the World and by whom we need only examin from Age to Age the Authors who spoke of it by ascending from ours to that wherein Christianity began first to be known We shall learn from thence or from the reading of some History that above thirteen hundred Years past the Roman Emperors having embrac'd the Christian Religion it flourish'd in a great part of Europe Asia and Africa We may be convinc'd by a great number of Christian Authors that from that time they profess'd to believe the Divinity of the Gospel-Morals If we go higher still we shall find by the reading of Heathen and Christian Authors that there was already a great multitude of Christians under those Emperors who taught the same Doctrine All those who spake of the Origin of Christianity grant it began under the Empire of Tiberius and that it was not heard of before Tacitus who was born towards the end of the Empire of Claudius or in the beginning of Nero's says that Nero having set on fire several Parts of Rome charg'd the Christians with it and put them to horrible Torments He takes occasion from thence to speak of the Origin of Christianity in these Words * Annal. lib. 15. c. 44. The Author of that Sect is Christ who was put to Death under the Empire of Tiberius by Pontius Pilate Governour of Judea That pernicious Superstition tho suppress'd in the beginning quickly broke out again and spread it self not only throughout Judea the Place where this Evil had its Origin but also in Rome whither every villanous and shameful thing resorts and finds Abettors Those who confess'd that they were Christians were presently seiz'd and then a great multitude of People whom they discover'd but were not convicted of being Incendiaries so much as they were run down by the Hatred that all Men bore against them It appears from hence that Tacitus tho a Man of Sense was not at the pains to know what Christianity was of which he speaks after a most absurd manner 'T is a shameful Effect of his Negligence as I have observ'd elsewhere and perhaps of the Roman Vanity which despis'd every thing except the Learning of the Grecians But two things may be observ'd in those Words One is the Truth of the Fact which the Evangelists teach us that there was one Jesus in the Time of Tiberius who was look'd upon as the Christ or Messiah whom Pontius Pilate put to Death The other is that the Christians were not found guilty of the Fire of Rome and could not be put to Death as Tacitus believes but upon that Accusation which concern'd also the Jews viz. That they were Enemies to Mankind The Interpreters of †See Lipsius upon this Place Tacitus have shew'd that that Historian confounded the Jews with the Christians As it was but too true that the Jews were Enemies to other Men so nothing can be more absurd than to accuse the Christians of it who had drawn on themselves the Hatred of the Jews by maintaining that all Men are Brethren and freely conversing with all Nations We have also the Testimony of another contemporary Author and a Friend of Tacitus but who was somewhat more careful to know the Opinions of