THE Atheist turn'd Deist AND THE Deist turn'd Christian OR THE REASONABLENESS and UNION OF Natural and the True Christian Religion BY THO. EMES Chirurgo-Medicus LONDON Printed in the Year 1698. Speak every Man Truth with his Neighbour for we are Members of one another Eph. 4.25 AND So speak ye and so do ye as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty Jam. 2.12 ERRATA PAge 3. line 10. for certify read certifie L. 20. for Lier r. Lyar. P. 4. l. 26. for ll read all P. 6. l. last for unbeholding r. un-beholden P. 21. l. 20. for then r. than P. 22. for beholding r. beholden So P. 34. l. 34. P. 43. l. 36. r. Marriage-Constancy P. 45. l. 5. for countervaile r. countervale P. 84. l. 6. for God's r. Gods P. 95. after same add time P. 118. l. 26. blot and after David P. 181. l. 16. for they r. the before Oaths Some of the principal Heads of this Discourse under which divers other things are touched upon Numb 1. WHAT necessary to the End of Man Numb 2. Three Ways whereby we know Truth Numb 3. The nearest Way to prove the Being of God Numb 4. Self what The Necessity of supposing a Divine Being thence proved Numb 5. God knowable by Experience or Sense Numb 6. Self more largely considered and said to be Cogitation or Mind Numb 7. Objections against Cogitation's being the Essence of Self answered Numb 8. God considered more largely and as in himself or essential Attributes Numb 9. The common Notion of Omnipresence false Numb 10. God considered in relation to the Creatures negatively and positively Numb 11. Of the End of God's making things Numb 12. Man's Duty or Religion considered in general Numb 13. The same considered more particularly in Love to God Numb 14. And Love to his Works Numb 15. Love the Foundation of all orderly Behaviour No. 16. The Natural Reason and Sense of the Decâ—logue No. 17. The Goodness and Well-being of the Creaturâ— wherein it consists No. 18. The Ground of Vnhappiness No. 19. The true Notion of Sin and that Sin is a ways an Act and Original Sin as supposâ— distinct from Actual Sin a Mistake the triâ— Notion of it No. 20. The Fall of Man from Innocence naturalâ— known No. 21. The Aggravation or Greatness of Sins Diâ—order No. 22. How the Creature should behave it self on thâ— Conviction of Sin With the Natural Dutâ— of Repentance No. 23. Forgiveness with God apparently discoverabâ—â— by the Light of Nature No. 24. Why God made Creatures capable of Sin No. 25. Free will considered No. 26. What an Arbitrary Command of God and hoâ— reasonable No. 27. All the Commands of God tend to Mans Happiness or Pleasure Disobedience to the contrary neither Obedience nor Disobedience add to or take any thing from God No. 28. That the Creature having once sinn'd is more inclinable to go on sinning than to repent No. 29. Convicted Sinners at first unapt to believe that God will forgive No. 30. The Scope of all God's Dealings with Sinners in order to their Recovery No. 31. Immortality and a future Life discoverable by Reason what Death is and its use since Sin with Arguments for the Immortality of the Soul No. 32. The Resurrection of the Body rationally concluded No. 33. Future Judgment necessary No. 34. Man capable of Repentance and doing his Duty No. 35. The divers Motives and Arguments God has given Men to perswade them to repent and what the compleatest No. 36. Revelation chiefly for enforcing Natural Religion Divers Considerations about Revelation Miracles Faith c. No. 37. Of Christ and his Work No. 38. Of his Person No. 39. All that are saved saved the same way viz. by Christ No. 40. Scripture a Gift of God argued and the need of Revelation No. 41. Some things taught in the World as Doctrines of the Bible not tending to the true End and Scope of Revelation No. 42. As Mistakes about Reconciliation Christ's Death and Sacrifice Propitiation c. No. 43. About Satisfaction No. 44. Mistakes about Punishment God not to be thought the Cause of the Creatures Misery No. 45. Mistakes about Imputation of Sin and Righteousness No. 46. Mistakes about Merit No. 47. About Redemption No. 48. About Intercession No. 49. How the Mediation of Christ becomes â—â—fectual No. 50. Of the Doctrine of Fate or absolute Predestâ—â—nation No. 51. A Reflection on the present State of Christiâ—â—nity 1. THERE are Two Things necessary for Man in order to his attaining the End of his Being To know the Truth And to Will well Or in other words To be Wise and Good As for Knowing the Truth there are two Things wherein this Necessary Wisdom doth chiefly consist The Knowledge of God and the Knowledge of Ones Self And there is one thing wherein Man's Goodness doth consist and that is in the Conformity of his Will to the Will of his Maker to will as God wills The Order of our Knowledge of these two Objects God and Self seems to be this We begin to know our Selves as the Objects of which we are first aware and then we proceed to the Knowledge of God But the Connection of the Knowledg of God and of our Selves is such that we can never know our Selves well tell we arise to the Knowledge of God nor know God as we ought if we know but little of our Selves 2. There are but three Ways I conceive whereby we can have any Knowledge of God our Selves or any thing else 1. By Sense 2. By Reason Or 3. By Revelation By the Knowledge of Sense I do not mean only the Sensation or Perception of Bodies but also and rather the Experience Sense or Conscience we have of our own Thoughts or may have of others All those Notions we have as it were passively received without reasoning and which are as it were the Matter or Ground on which Reason works The second way of Knowledge Reason is the Faculty of arguing or discoursing with our Selves whereby from considering our passive Knowledges or Sensations we arise to get more full Knowledge of things and of what we had no immediate Sensation or Intuition and by getting the Knowledge of some things we proceed by Arguments and get the Knowledge and better Knowledge of others As by considering the Creatures especially our selves we may arise to the knowledge of God and then by considering our Maker we are led back again better to know our selves and from a better knowledge of our selves we get still the clearer knowledge of our Author The third way we may be made acquainted with God our selves or other things viz. Revelation is but as it were a compendious Assistance of the two former An express or particular Instruction from God telling the Creature in short what he would have been either ignorant of or not so soon or easily have known without such an immediate Teaching As for instance What God is and will be found to be what we are ought to
Men teaching and perswading others things which when duly considered will be found Truths tending to their Good and some of these have declar'd themselves sent of God and commanded to teach and perswade the things they have taught and perswaded Now suppose some of them have not had the things they taught in this Special Manner immediately from God yet they are Revelations to those to whom they were before unknown tho' not properly Divine Ones as to the manner of their Discovery But yet if the Persons were really sent by God's express and special Command to teach Men even what they might have found out themselves nevertheless that such a Person was thus sent of God is a Divine Revelation and a high Argument to perswade Compliance with the things taught But if they have received the Truths from God in this extraordinary special and particular Manner and been expresly sent and commanded to teach and enforce them there is all that can be desired to a Divine Revelation We have two things here principally to be satisfied in First Whether the Person teaching Men was thus particularly taught of God Secondly Whether he was expresly commanded of God to teach either this his expresly received Divine Doctrine or what he otherwise knew That the things are of God we cannot doubt if they appear when declar'd with Evidence and Demonstration God being the Author and Fountain of all Truths That the things are Revelations we cannot doubt if they are such as were not knowable or could not then be known any other way As for instance If the Person tells us or brings to remembrance some things past and forgotten that were never committed either to written or unwritten Tradition or if he gives us the Knowledge of things present done at a distance which he could not know any ordinary way or such things to come which can be fore-known to none but God who is incomprehensible in Knowledge and to whom he is pleas'd to reveal them That the Person was sent of God we may be perswaded partly by the things he declares appearing thus to be Revelations partly by their being such as were good very necessary and beneficial to be known or done by the Persons to whom he declares himself sent But fully and sufficiently if some extraordinary Effect is also produced by means of the Person such as never is done or at least could be done by him without the special and uncommon Operation of the Divine Power or the Finger of God such as we call a Miracle When such Effects accompany Persons asserting themselves sent of God to teach and exhort Men things in themselves shewing no Repugnancy to Truth there can be no more rational Doubt of them or of the Authority and Divine Mission of the Persons God cannot be suppos'd to alter the common order of things in his Creatures in Concurrence to perswade a Lye or to give his Special Testimony to any Deceiver But yet here we had need use our Reason and have some skill to judge of and distinguish a True Miracle from a False one that we may be certain of the Matter of Fact For there have perhaps been more Pretences to Miracles or False and Lying Wonders than True ones Now that I may a little help those who have not so well consider'd this Matter I shall lay down a few more Considerations of the nature of a Miracle before I come to consider how these things may be apply'd particularly to the Book commonly call'd the Holy Scripture A Miracle negatively is not a Contradiction in nature or any thing that implyeth a Contradiction Absurdity or absolute Impossibility as that a thing should be made to be and not to be so and so and not so and so at the same time That which the Understanding of Man can no ways apprehend but as absurd or impossible can neither be pretended as a Miracle nor could it so be would it ever have the end of a Miracle As for instance That a certain Saint beheaded should afterwards carry his Head in his Mouth for some miles or that the Body of Christ should be in divers places at the same time Nor can the Almighty Power of God be any pretence for the Belief of such Absurdies for Things or Truths are the Products and Subjects of Divine Power and not Contradictions Again A Miracle is not a Fallacy or Deception of Mens Senses or Understanding for a Deceit hath the nature of a Lye and is not likely to come from the God of Truth Nor is a Miracle a thing done by the Power or Art of the Man howsoever great or strange any Man's Power or Art may be to others that are weak or ignorant Nor is a Miracle any more in the Will of Man than in his Power or Skill the Time or Subject for a Miracle is not determin'd by Man's vain Will to satisfie Curiosity or unnecessary Desires but is generally wrought upon serious and weighty Occasions nor is God's Will so properly said to concur with Man's Will when Man would work a Miracle as Man's Will to concur with God's Will when God pleases and sees fit to work one But a Miracle is an extraordinary Effect or Alteration in Nature wrought by the Will of God above the Power and Art of Man at least of him who is the Instrument of effecting it in the way it was effected A thing done by the Special and Uncommon Operation of the Divine Power The end of a Miracle is the Confirmation of some Revelation or Truth as from God to promote some considerable Good no less than to perswade Sinners to repent or will as God wills or to confirm them that so do in their well-willing And where-ever there is said to be a Miracle that tends not to this end it ought to be suspected and will be found upon serious Examination to be but a Pretence and no real Miracle But now to come a little nearer to Matters of Fact that we may be perswaded that there have indeed been Divine Revelations and some Persons sent to declare the Will of God to others and the Truth of their Mission and of the things declared confirm'd by Miracles we need no more but seriously read and consider the Books of Moses and the Prophets and especially the Writings of the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus Christ In the Reading and Consideration of which Books if these two things appear I think there is enough to satisfie any rational Man in this matter First That the things related as taught perswaded and done agree with the most rational and crittical Account of Divine Revelations and Miracles Secondly That the History it self be undoubtedly true Let us consider both these as briefly as we can In the first place there is to be considered in the Scripture the Doctrinal or Instructive Part which teacheth for a foundation That there is one Most high Sufficient Being or God And that he is the Author and Continuer and consequently Sovereign
needs all perish But they have not only been negligent in endeavouring the Information and Reformation of all Mankind but have been even Stumbling-blocks not only by teaching for the Oracles of God the unreasonable Traditions of Men but even by their wicked Lives and uncharitable Actions Yet God hath not left himself without a Witness in all Nations but his Goodness hath been an Argument to perswade to Obedience some of those who have seen the invisible things of God from the Creation of the World being understood by the things that are made even his External Power and Godhead The Light of Reason hath been universal to all Mankind and those who have acted according to that Light where through the fault of others no more hath been given doubtless no more will be required Nor dare we deny but that God may have sometimes acted graciously by his Spirit where the Letter of the Gospel hath been wanting So that many I am perswaded will come from the East and from the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven that in the opinion of many Christians are excluded In whose Hearts perhaps hath been more of the Love of God and Man than in many of those Christians so ready to condemn them who I doubt are more likely to be themselves shut out I think it may be well said of the Christian and Christianity in this matter as the Apostle speaks of the Jew and Circumcision Rom. 2.29 He is not a Christian which is one outwardly neither is that Christianity which consists in outward things but he is a Christian who is one inwardly and Christianity or the Religion that Christ taught is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose Praise is not of Men but of God The fruits of which Christian Spirit are Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such who are endued with these Vertues there is no Law Gal. 5.22 But the advantage of the visible Christians is much because unto them are committed the Oracles of God and where much is given much will be required The bare believing Christ to be the Messias yea the Faith of those who believe most concerning his Person will not be found enough or a Saving Faith but the believing his Doctrine so as to do the Will of his Father is that which will give a Title to the Promise of Admission into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 7.21 40. To perswade to Repentance or a turning from a Life of Sin to a Life of Obedience to God we find the chief End and Scope not only of the Gospel but of the other parts of the Old and New Testaments which Books the Divine Providence hath graciously given and preserved as a means to that End Many have undertaken to prove these Books to be the Word of God but they have not all gone the right way to do it Some think they do not enough unless they can perswade us that every word in them was given by Immediate Inspiration But there is no need of such a Belief if a considerate Person were capable of having it That they were given by the Good Providence of God none can well doubt But some part of them as the Historical needed no such thing as Inspiration Some part as the Prophetical could not come without it But a due esteem of the Scripture may be had and its End well accomplished taking it altogether as it is and as none can in reason deny it to be viz. considering the parts of it as some inspir'd some written according to the Knowledge of Faithful Men some deliver'd according to the Wisdom given the Writers thereof But the Affirmation that every Word of it is inspired is not only no Point of Faith necessary to Salvation or ever thought so as I can find by the Primitive Christians but has divers Inconveniences following it which are Grounds of Objection to Athiests and Deists As for Instance There are some little Difficulties in the Historical Part which are better attributed to some Mistake in the Writer or Coppier than to God Some few things in the Old Testament that seem dissonant to the Spirit of the Gospel which are better thought to be from the Spirit of the Writer than from the Spirit of God c. Some reckon by name so many Books of the Old and New Testaments and go about to prove them the Word of God first before they have well considered what they contain But I think we should begin there and see what we find written in them for we cannot well assert any thing to be of God till we know what it is To talk of believing this or that to be a Revelation or the Word of God before we know what it speaks is very inconsiderate But when we find things that are apparently good reasonable excellent and suitable to the Understanding Nature and Circumstances of Man a Design most profitable to Man and becoming God we may well nay cannot but think God the Supream or First Author however or by whomsoever they were given The Truths would have been the same had they never been written but as they are written the Way of their Delivery the Matters of Fact or Historical part appearing to have all the Marks of Truth a History can or at least needs have cannot in reason but be believed Whosoever for instance should deny the History of Jesus Christ may as well reject all History or question the Truth of every thing others declare as Witnesses which would be very foolish Nor could such a one reasonably desire any Man should believe him in any thing he relates tho' never so probable Now as God in his good Providence hath given us the Bible a Book if considerately read appearing to be more full of Instructions Precepts and Examples tending to bring Man who is turn'd aside to the exact way of his Natural Allegiance or Religion to God than any other Book it cannot but be acknowledged that the Bible is a great and estimable Gift of God not to be under-valued as an Ordinary Book nor yet to be idolized as the uncorruptible Word of God but to be duly used to our Benefit And I think I may be bold to say in relation to the Contents of this Book and all others whatsoever has not an Instruction in it to inform Man of his Duty to God and his Neighbour or cannot yield an Argument to perswade him to be reconciled thereto cannot rationally be thought a Dictate of God but is better suppos'd should there be found any such thing meerly from Man And I think tho' we grant that the Bible is not free from all manner of Corruptions but that some Mistakes have been therein made at least by Coppiers tho' we affirm many Faults to have been committed by Translators so that better Translations are not only to be desired but also wanted yet we cannot rationally have the