Doctrines and Precepts of the H. Scriptures and one great reason why men do not so generally agree in the sense of these as of the other is because the interests and lusts and passions of men are more concern'd in the one than the other But whatever uncertainty there may be in the sense of any Texts of Scripture Oral Tradition is so far from affording us any help in this case that it is a thousand times more uncertain and less to be trusted to especially if we may take that to be the Traditionary sense of Texts of Scripture which we meet with in the Decretals of their Popes and the Acts of some of their Councils than which never was any thing in the whole world more absurd and ridiculous And whence may we expect to have the infallible Traditional sense of Scripture if not from the Heads and Representatives of their Church This may abundantly suffice for the vindication of that Passage which Mr. S. makes such a rude clamor about as if I had therein deny'd the truth and certainty of all Religion but durst never trust the Reader with a view of those words of mine upon which he pretended to ground this Calumny But the world understands well enough that all this was but a shift of Mr. S' s for the satisfaction of his own Party and a pitifull Art to avoid the vindication of Sure-footing a Task he had no mind to undertake And yet the main design of this Book which he calls Faith vindicated c. is to prove that which I do not believe any man living ever denyed viz. That what is true is not possible to be false Which though it be one of the plainest Truths in the world yet he proves it so foolishly as would make any man if it were not evident of it self to doubt of it He proves it from Logick and Nature and Metaphysicks and Ethicks c. I wonder he did not do it likewise from Arithmetick and Geometry the Principles whereof he * Sure-footing p. 93. tells us are concerned in demonstrating the certainty of Oral Tradition He might also have proceeded to Astrology and Palmistry and Chymistry and have shewn how each of these lend their assistance to the evidencing of this Truth For that could not have been more ridiculous than his †Faith vindic p. 6.7 c. Argument from the nature of Subject and Praedicate and Copula in Faith-Propositions because forsooth whoever affirms any Proposition of Faith to be true affirms it impossible to be false Very true But would any man argue that what is true is impossible to be false from the nature of Subject Praedicate and Copula for be the Proposition true or false these are of the same nature in both that is they are Subject Praedicate and Copula But that the Reader may have a taste of his clear style and way of reasoning I shall for his satisfaction transcribe Mr. S's whole Argument from the nature of the Praedicate His words are these Our Argument from the Copula is particularly strengthned from the nature of the Praedicate in the Propositions we speak of I mean in such speeches as affirm such and such points of Faith to be true P. 9 10 11 12. For True means Existent in Propositions which express onely the An est of a thing as most points of Faith do which speak abstractedly and tell not wherein the nature of the subject it speaks of consists or the Quid est So that most of the Propositions Christians are bound to profess are fully exprest thus A Trinity is existent c. and the like may be said of those Points which belong to a Thing or Action past as Creation was c. For Existent is the Praedicate in these two onely affixt to another difference of time and 't is equally impossible such Subjects should neither have been nor not have been or have been and have not been at once as it is that a thing should neither be nor not be at present or both be and not be at present Regarding then stedfastly the nature of our Praedicate Existent we shall find that it expresses the utmost Actuality of a Thing and as taken in the posture it bears in those Propositions that Actually exercis'd that is the utmost Actuality in its most actual state that is as absolutely excluding all manner or least degree of Potentiality and consequently all possibility of being otherwise which is radically destroyed when all Potentiality is taken away This Discourse holding which in right to truth I shall not fear to affirm unconcern'd in the drollery of any Opposer to be more than Mathematically demonstrative it follows inevitably that whoso is bound to profess a Trinity Incarnation c. is or was existent is also bound to profess that 't is impossible they should be not Existent or which is all one that 't is impossible these points of Faith should be false The same appears out of the nature of distinction or division applyed to our Praedicate Existent as found in these Propositions For could that Praedicate bear a pertinent distinction expressing this and the other respect or thus and thus it might possibly be according to one of these respects or thus considered and not be according to another that is another way considered But this evasion is here impossible for either those distinguishing Notions must be more Potential or Antecedent to the Notion of Existent and then they neither reach Existent nor supervene to it as its Determinations or Actuations which differences ought to doe nor can any Notion be more Actual or Determinative in the line of Substance or Being than Existent is and so fit to distinguish it in that line nor lastly can any determination in the line of Accidents serve the turn for those suppose Existence already 〈◊〉 and so the whole Truth of the Proposition entire and complete antecedently to them 'T is impossible therefore that what is thus affirmed to be True should in any regard be affirmed possible to be false the impossibility of distinguishing the Praedicate pertinently excluding here all possibility of divers respects The same is demonstrated from the impossibility of distinguishing the Subjects of those Faith-propositions for those Subjects being Propositions themselves and accepted for Truths as is supposed they are incapable of Distinction as shall be particularly shewn hereafter Besides those Subjects being points of Faith and so standing in the Abstract that is not descending to subsuming respects even in that regard too they are freed from all pertinent distinguishableness The same is demonstrated from the nature of Truth which consists in an Indivisible whence there is nothing of Truth had how great soever the conceived approaches towards it may be till all may-not-bees or Potentiality to be otherwise be utterly excluded by the Actuality of Is or Existence which put or discover'd the light of Truth breaks forth and the dim twilights of may-not-bees vanish and disappear I have
which what effect soever it may have upon him would make any other man sufficiently asham'd But yet I must acknowledge that in this Position which he fastens upon me he honours me with excellent company my Lord Faulkland Mr. Chillingworth and Dr. Stillingfleet Persons of that admirable strength and clearness in their Writings that Mr. S. when he reflects upon his own style and way of reasoning may blush to acknowledge that ever he has read them And as to this Position which he charges them withall I do not know nor have the least reason upon Mr. S's word to believe any such thing is maintained by them As for my self whom I am now onely concern'd to vindicate I shall set down the two Passages to which I suppose he refers In my Sermon I endeavour among other things to shew the unreasonableness of Atheism upon this account Because it requires more evidence for things than they are capable of To make this good I discourse thus Aristotle hath long since observed how unreasonable it is to expect the same kind of Proof for every thing which we have for some things Mathematical things being of an abstracted nature are onely capable of clear Demonstration But Conclusions in Natural Philosophy are to be prov'd by a sufficient Induction of experiments things of a Moral nature by Moral Arguments and Matters of Fact by credible Testimony And though none of these be strict Demonstration yet have we an undoubted assurance of them when they are prov'd by the best Arguments that the nature and quality of the thing will bear None can demonstrate to me that there is such an Island in America as Jamaica yet upon the Testimony of credible persons and Authours who have written of it I am as free from all doubt concerning it as from doubting of the clearest Mathematical Demonstration So that this is to be entertained as a firm Principle by all those who pretend to be certain of any thing at all that when any thing is prov'd by as good Arguments as that thing is capable of and we have as great assurance that it is as we could possibly have supposing it were we ought not in reason to make any doubt of the existence of that thing Now to apply this to the present case The being of God is not Mathematically demonstrable nor can it be expected it should because onely Mathematical matters admit of this kind of evidence Nor can it be prov'd immediately by sense beause God being suppos'd to be a pure Spirit cannot be the object of any corporeal sense But yet we have as great assurance that there is a God as the nature of the thing to be prov'd is capable of and as we could in reason expect to have supposing that he were Vpon this passage it must be if any thing in the Sermon that Mr. S. chargeth this Position in equivalent terms of the possible falshood of Faith and that as to the chiefest and most fundamental Point the Tenet of a Deity And now I appeal to the Reader 's Eyes and Judgment whether the sum of what I have said be not this That though the existence of God be not capable of that strict kind of Demonstration which Mathematical matters are yet that we have an undoubted assurance of it One would think that no man could be so ridiculous as from hence to infer that I believe it possible notwithstanding this assurance that there should be no God For however in many other cases an undoubted assurance that a thing is may not exclude all suspicion of a possibility of its being otherwise yet in this Tenet of a Deity it most certainly does Because whoever is assur'd that there is a God is assur'd there is a Being whose existence is and always was necessary and consequently is assured that it is impossible he should not be and involves in it a contradiction So that my Discourse is so far from being equivalent to the Position he mentions that it is a perfect contradiction to it And he might with as much truth have affirm'd that I had expresly and in so many words said that there is no God The other passage is in pag. 118. of my Book concerning the Rule of Faith I was discoursing that no man can shew by any necessary argument that it is naturally impossible that all the Relations concerning America should be false But yet say I I suppose that notwithstanding this no man in his wits is now possest with so incredible a folly as to doubt whether there be such a place The case is the very same as to the certainty of an ancient Book and of the sense of plain expressions We have no demonstration for these things and we expect none because we know the things are not capable of it We are not infallibly certain that any Book is so ancient as it pretends to be or that it was written by him whose Name it bears or that this is the sense of such and such passages in it it is possible all this may be otherwise But we are very well assur'd that it is not nor hath any prudent man any just cause to make the least doubt of it For a bare possibility that a thing may be or not be is no just cause of doubting whether a thing be or not It is possible all the people in France may dye this night but I hope the possiblity of this doth not incline any man in the least to think it will be so It is possible that the Sun may not rise to morrow morning yet for all this I suppose that no man hath the least doubt but that it will To avoid the cavils of this impertinent Man I have transcrib'd the whole Page to which he refers And now where is this avow'd Position of the possible falshood of Faith All that I say is this That we are not infallible either in judging of the antiquity of a Book or of the sense of it by which I mean as any man of sense and ingenuity would easily perceive I do that we cannot demonstrate these things of as to shew that the contrary necessarily involves a contradiction but yet that we may have a firm assurance concerning these matters so as not to make the least doubt of them And is this to avow the possible falshood of Faith And yet this Position Mr. S. charges upon these words how justly I shall now examine Either by Faith Mr. S. means the Doctrine reveal'd by God and then the meaning of the Position must be that what God says is possible to be false which is so absurd a Position as can hardly enter into any man's mind and yet Mr. S. hath the modesty all along in his Book to insinuate that in the forecited Passage I say as much as this comes to Or else Mr. S. means by Faith the assent which we give to Doctrines as reveal'd by God and then his sense of infallibility must be either that whoever assents
still retain a quick sense of pain and misery So that fear relies upon a natural love of our selves and is complicated with a necessary desire of our own preservation And therefore Religion usually makes its first entrance into us by this passion hence perhaps it is that Solomon more than once calls the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom 2. As for the Second phrase departing from evil the fitness of it to express the whole duty of man will appear if we consider the necessary connexion that is between the negative and positive part of our duty He that is carefull to avoid all sin will sincerely endeavour to perform his duty For the soul of man is an active principle and will be employed one way or other it will be doing something if a man abstain from evil he will do good Now there being such a strait connexion between these the whole of our duty may be expressed by either of them but most fitly by departing from evil because that is the first part of our duty Religion begins in the forsaking of sin Virtus est vitium fugere sapientia prima Stultitia caruisse Vertue begins in the forsaking of vice and the first part of wisedom is not to be a fool And therefore the Scripture which mentions these parts of our duty doth constantly put departing from evil first Depart from evil and do good Ps 34.14 37.27 Is 1.16 17. 55.7 Eph. 4.23 24. Cease to do evil learn to do well Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord. We are first to put off the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts and then to be renewed in the spirit of our minds and to put on the new man 1 Pet. 3.11 c. Let him eschew evil and do good To all which I may add this farther consideration that the Law of God contained in the ten Commandments consisting mostly of prohibitions Thou shalt not doe such or such a'thing our observance of it is most fitly expressed by departing from evil which yet includes obedience likewise to the positive Precepts implied in those Prohibitions Having thus explain'd the Words I come now to consider the Proposition contain'd in them which is this That Religion is the best knowledge and wisedom This I shall endeavour to make good these three ways 1. By a direct proof of it 2. By shewing on the contrary the folly and ignorance of irreligion and wickedness 2. By vindicating Religion from those common imputations which seem to charge it with ignorance or imprudence I begin with the direct proof of this And because Religion comprehends two things the knowledge of the Principles of it and a suitable life and practice the first of which being speculative may more properly be called knowledge and the latter because 't is practical may be called wisedom or prudence therefore I shall endeavour distinctly to prove these two things 1. That Religion is the best knowledge 2. That 't is the truest wisdom 1. First That it is the best knowledge The knowledge of Religion commends its self to us upon these two accounts 1. 'T is the knowledge of those things which are in themselves most excellent Of those things which are most usefull and necessary for us to know First It is the best knowledge because it is the knowledge of those things which are in themselves most excellent and desirable to be known and those are God and our duty God is the sum and comprehension of all perfection It is delightfull to know the Creatures because there are particular excellencies scatter'd and dispers'd among them which are some shadows of the Divine perfections But in God all perfections in their highest degree and exaltation meet together and are united How much more delightfull then must it needs be to fix our minds upon such an object in which there is nothing but beauty and brightness what is amiable and what is excellent what will ravish our affections and raise our wonder please us and astonish us at once And that the finite measure and capacity of our understandings is not able to take in and comprehend the infinite perfections of God this indeed shews the excellency of the object but doth not altogether take away the delightfulness of the knowledge For as it is pleasant to the Eye to have an endless prospect so is it some pleasure to a finite understanding to view unlimited excellencies which have no shore or bounds though it cannot comprehend them There is a pleasure in admiration and this is that which properly causeth admiration when we discover a great deal in an object which we understand to be excellent and yet we see we know not how much more beyond that which our understandings cannot fully reach and comprehend And as the knowledge of God in his nature and perfections is excellent and desirable so likewise to know him in those glorious manifestations of himself in the works of Creation and Providence and above all in that stupendious work of the Redemption of the world by Jesus Christ which was such a mistery and so excellent a piece of knowledge that the Angels are said to desire to pry into it 1 Pet. 1.12 And as the knowledge of God is excellent so likewise of our Duty which is nothing else but vertue and goodness and holiness which are the image of God a conformity to the nature and will of God and an imitation of the Divine Excellencies and Perfections so far as we are capable For to know our duty is to know what it is to be like God in goodness and pity and patience and clemency in pardoning injuries and passing by provocations in justice and righteousness in truth and faithfulness and in a hatred and detestation of the contrary of these In a word it is to know what is the good and acceptable will of God what it is that he loves and delights in and is pleased withall and would have us to do in order to our perfection and our happiness It is deservedly accounted a piece of excellent knowledge to know the laws of the Land and the customs of the Countrey we live in and the will of the Prince we live under How much more to know the Statutes of Heaven and the Laws of eternity those immutable and eternal rules of justice and righteousness to know the will and pleasure of the great Monarch and universal King of the World and the Customs of that Countrey where we must live for ever This made David to admire the Law of God at that strange rate and to advance the knowledge of it above all other knowledge I have seen an end of all perfection Psal 119.96 but thy commandment is exceeding broad Secondly 'T is the knowledge of those things which are most usefull and necessary for us to know The goodness of every thing is measured by its end
and use and that 's the best thing which serves the best end and purpose and the more necessary any thing is to such an end the better it is So that the best knowledge is that which is of greatest use and necessity to us in order to our great end which is eternal happiness and the salvation of our Souls Curious speculations and the contemplation of things that are impertinent to us and do not concern us nor serve to promote our happiness are but a more specious and ingenious sort of idleness a more pardonable and creditable kind of Ignorance That Man that doth not know those things which are of use and necessity for him to know is but an ignorant man whatever he may know besides Now the knowledge of God and of Christ and of our duty is of the greatest usefulness and necessity to us in order to our happiness It 's of absolute necessity that we should know God and Christ in order to our being happy This is life eternal that is Joh. 17.3 the onely way to it to know thee the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ It is necessary also in order to our happiness to know our duty because 't is necessary for us to do it and it is impossible to do it except we know it So that whatsoever other knowledge a man may be endued withall he is but an ignorant person who doth not know God the Author of his being the preserver and protector of his life his Soveraign and his Judge the giver of every good and perfect gift his surest refuge in trouble his best friend or worst enemy the present support of his life his hopes in death his future happiness and his portion for ever who does not know his relation to God the duty that he owes him and the way to please him who can make him happy or miserable for ever who doth not know the Lord Jesus Christ who is the way the truth and the life If a man by a vast and imperious mind and a heart large as the sand upon the Sea-shore as it is said of Solomon could command all the knowledge of Nature and Art of words and things could attain to a mastery in all Languages and sound the depths of all Arts and Sciences measure the earth and the heavens and tell the stars and declare their order and motions could discourse of the interests of all States the intrigues of all Courts the reason of all Civil laws and constitutions and give an account of the History of all ages could speak of trees from the Cedar-tree that is in Lebanon even unto the Hysop that springs out of the wall and of beasts also and of fowls and of creeping things and of fishes and yet should in the mean time be destitute of the knowledge of God and Christ and his duty all this would be but an impertinent vanity and a more glittering kind of Ignorance and such a man like the Philosopher who whilst he was gazing upon the stars fell into the ditch would but sapienter descendere in infernum be undone with all this knowledge and with a great deal of wisdom go down to Hell 2. Secondly That to be religious is the truest wisdom and that likewise upon two accounts 1. Because it is to be wise for our selves 2. It is to be wise as to our main interest and concernment 1. 'T is to be wise for our selves There 's an expression Job 22.21 He that is wise is profitable to himself and Prov. 9.12 If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self intimating that wisdom regards a man 's own interest and advantage and that he is not a wise man that doth not take care of himself and his own concernments according to that of Old Ennius nequicquam sapere sapientem qui sibi ipsi prodesse non quiret That man hath but an empty title of Wisdom and is not really vvise vvho is not wise for himself As self-preservation is the first principle of Nature so care of our selves and our ovvn interest is the first part of wisdom He that is wise in the affairs and concernments of other men but careless and negligent of his own that man may be said to be busie but he is not wise he is employed indeed but not so as a wise man should be Now this is the Wisdom of Religion that it directs a man to a care of his own proper interest and concernment 2. It is to be wise as to our main interest Our chief end and highest interest is happiness And this is happiness to be freed from all if it may however from the greatest evils and to enjoy if it may be all good however the chiefest To be happy is not onely to be freed from the pains and diseases of the body but from anxiety and vexation of spirit not onely to enjoy the pleasures of sense but peace of Conscience and tranquillity of mind To be happy is not onely to be so for a little while but as long as may be and if it be possible for ever Now Religion designs our greatest and longest happiness it aims at a freedom from the greatest evils and to bring us to the possession and enjoyment of the greatest good For Religion wisely considers that men have immortal spirits which as they are spirits are capable of a pleasure and happiness distinct from that of our bodies and our senses and because they are immortal are capable of an everlasting happiness Now our souls being the best part of our selves and eternity being infinitely the most considerable duration the greatest wisdom is to secure the interest of our souls and of eternity though it be with loss and to the prejudice of our temporal and inferior Interests Therefore Religion directs us rather to secure inward peace than outward ease to be more carefull to avoid everlasting and intolerable torment than short and light afflictions which are but for a moment to court the favour of God more than the friendship of the world and not so much to fear them that can kill the body and after that have no more that they can do as him who after he hath kill'd can destroy both body and soul in hell In a word our main interest is to be as happy as we can and as long as is possible and if we be cast into such circumstances that we must be either in part and for a time or else wholly and always miserable the best wisdom is to chuse the greatest and most lasting happiness but the least and shortest misery Upon this account Religion prefers those pleasures which flow from the presence of God for evermore infinitely before the transitory pleasures of this world and is much more carefull to avoid eternal misery than present sufferings This is the wisdom of Religion that upon consideration of the whole and casting up all things together it does advise and lead us to our best interest
to the good order and more easie government of humane Society because they have a good influence both upon Magistrates and Subjects 1. Upon Magistrates Religion teacheth them to rule over men in the fear of God because though they be Gods on earth yet they are subjects of Heaven and accountable to Him who is higher than the highest in this world Religion in a Magistrate strengthens his authority because it procures veneration and gains a reputation to it And in all the affairs of this world so much reputation is really so much power We see that piety and Vertue where they are found among men of lower degree will command some reverence and respect But in persons of eminent place and dignity they are seated to a great advantage so as to cast a lustre upon their very Place and by a strong reflexion to double the beams of Majesty Whereas impiety and vice do strangely lessen greatness and do secretly and unavoidably derive some weakness upon authority it self Of this the Scripture gives us a remarkable instance in David For among other things which made the Sons of Zurviah too hard for him this probably was none of the least that they were particularly conscious to his crimes 2. Religion hath a good influence upon the People to make them obedient to Government and peaceable one towards another 1. To make them obedient to Government and conformable to Laws and that not onely for wrath and out of fear of the Magistrates power which is but a weak and loofe principle of obedience and will cease when ever men can rebel with safety and to advantage but out of Conscience which is a firm and constant and lasting principle and will hold a man fast when all other obligations will break He that hath entertain'd the true principles of Christianity is not to be tempted from his obedience and subjection by any worldly considerations because he believes that whatsoever resisteth authority resisteth the ordinance of God and that they who resist shall receive to themselves damnation 2. Religion tends to make men peaceable one towards another For it endeavours to plant all those qualities and dispositions in men which tend to peace and unity and to fill men with a spirit of universal love and good will It endeavours likewise to secure every man's interest by commanding the observation of that great rule of equity Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye even so to them by enjoyning that truth and fidelity be inviolably observed in all our words promises and contracts And in order hereunto it requires the extirpation of all those passions and vices which render men unsociable and troublesome to one another as pride covetousness and injustice hatred and revenge and cruelty and those likewise which are not so commonly reputed vices as self-conceit and peremptoriness in a man 's own opinion and all peevishness and incompliance of humour in things lawful and indifferent And that these are the proper effects of true piety the doctrine of our Saviour and his Apostles every where teacheth us Now if this be the design of Religion to bring us to this temper thus to heal the natures of men and to sweeten their spirits to correct their passions and to mortifie all those lusts which are the causes of enmity and division then it is evident that in its own nature it tends to the peace and happiness of humane society and that if men would but live as Religion requires they should do the world would be a quiet habitation a most lovely and desirable place in comparison of what now it is And indeed the true reason why the societies of men are so full of tumult and disorder so troublesome and tempestuous is because there is so little of true Religion among men so that were it not for some small remainders of piety and vertue which are yet left scatter'd among mankind humane society would in a short space disband and run into confusion the earth would grow wild and become a great forest and mankind would become beasts of prey one towards another And if this discourse hold true surely then one would think that vertue should find it self a seat where-ever humane societies are and that Religion should be owned and encouraged in the world until men cease to be governed by reason II. I come to vindicate this truth from the insinuations and pretences of atheistical persons I shall mention two 1. That Government may subsist well enough without the belief of a God and a state of rewards and punishments after this life 2. That as for vertue and vice they are arbitrary things 1. That Government may subsist well enough without the belief of a God or a state of rewards and punishments after this life And this the Atheist does and must assert otherwise he is by his own confession a declared enemy to Government and unfit to live in humane society For answer to this I will not deny but that though the generality of men did not believe any superior Being nor any rewards and punishments after this life yet notwithstanding this there might be some kind of Government kept up in the world For supposing men to have reason the necessities of humane nature and the mischiefs of confusion would probably compel them into some kind of order But then I say withall that if these principles were banished out of the world Government would be far more difficult than now it is because it would want its firmest Basis and foundation there would be infinitely more disorders in the world if men were restrained from injustice and violence onely by humane laws and not by principles of conscience and the dread of another world Therefore Magistrates have always thought themselves concerned to cherish Religion and to maintain in the minds of men the belief of a God and another life Nay that common suggestion of atheistical persons that Religion was at first a politick device and is still kept up in the world as a State-engine to awe men into obedience is a clear acknowledgment of the usefulness of it to the ends of Government and does as fully contradict that pretence of theirs which I am now confuting as any thing that can be said 2. That vertue and vice are arbitrary things founded onely in the imaginations of men and in the constitutions and customs of the world but not in the nature of the things themselves and that that is vertue or vice good or evil which the Supream Authority of a Nation declares to be so And this is frequently and confidently asserted by the ingenious Author of a very bad Book I mean the Leviathan Now the proper way of answering any thing that is confidently asserted is to shew the contrary namely That there are some things that have a natural evil and deformity in them as perjury perfidiousness unrighteousness and ingratitude which are things not onely condemned by the positive laws and constitutions of