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WISDOM REVEALED
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REASON
the
ONLY ORACLE OF MAN;
Or A COMPENDIOUS
SYSTEM OF NATURAL RELIGION.
BY COL. ETHAN ALLEN.
BOSTON:
J.P. MENDUM, CORNHILL.
1854.
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INTRODUCTION.
Colonel Ethan Allen, the author of Oracles of Reason, was the
son of Joseph Allen, a native of Coventry, Connecticut, a farmer in
moderate circumstances. He afterwards resided in Litchfield, where
Ethan was born in the year 1739. The family consisted of eight
children, of whom our author was the eldest. But few incidents
connected with his early life are known. We are appraised, however,
that notwithstanding his education was very limited, his ambition
to prove himself worthy of that attention which superior intellect
ever commands, induced him diligently to explore every subject that
came under his notice. A stranger to fear, his opinions were ever
given without disguise or hesitation; and an enemy to oppression,
he sought every opportunity to redress the wrongs of the oppressed.
At the braking out of the Revolutionary War, be raised in
Vermont, where he had resided, a company of volunteers, consisting
of two hundred and thirty, with which he surprised the fortress of
Ticonderoga, May 10, 1775, containing about forty men, and one
hundred pieces of cannon. He was unfortunately taken prisoner in
September following, in an attempt on Montreal, and suffered a
cruel imprisonment for several years. For an account of which, the
reader is referred to his narrative, contained in a memoir of the
author, by Mr. Hugh Moore, Plattsburg, 1834.
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REASON the ONLY ORACLE OF MAN
Soon after the close of the revolution, Col. Allen composed
following work; which, on account of the bold and unusual manner,
particularly in this country, that the subject of religion is
treated, he had great difficulty to get published. It lay a long
time in the hands of a printer at Hartford, who had not the moral
courage to print it.
It was finally printed by a Mr. Haswell, of Bennington, Vt. in
1784. Not long after its publication, a part of the edition,
comprising the entire of several signatures, was accidentally
consumed by fire. Whether Mr. H. deemed this fire a judgment upon
him for having printed the work or not, is unknown -- but, the fact
is, he soon after committed the remainder of the edition to the
flames, and joined the Methodist Connection; so that but few copies
were circulated.
Col. Allen died in the town of Burlington, Vt., on the 12th of
February, 1789, of apoplexy.
PREFACE.
An apology appears to me to be impertinent in welters who
venture their works to public inspection, for this obvious reason,
that if they need it, they should have been stifled in the birth,
and not permitted a public existence. I therefore offer my
composition to the candid judgment of the impartial world without
it, taking it for granted that I have as good a natural right to
expose myself to public censure, by endeavoring to subserve
mankind, as any of the species who have published their productions
since the creation; and I ask no favor at the hands of
philosophers, divines or critics, but hope and expect they will
severely chastise me for my errors and mistakes, least they may
have a share in perverting the truth, which is very far from my
intention.
In the circle of my acquaintance, (which has not been small,)
I have generally been denominated a Deist, the reality of which I
never disputed, being conscious I am no Christian, except mere
infant baptism make me one; and as to being a Deist, I know not,
strictly speaking, whether I am one or not, for I have never read
their writings; mine will therefore determine the matter; for I
have not in the least disguised my sentiments, but have written
freely without any conscious knowledge of prejudice for, or against
any man, sectary or party whatever; but wish that good sense, truth
and virtue may be promoted and flourish in the world, to the
detection of delusion, superstition, and false religion; and
therefore my errors in the succeeding treatise, which may be
rationally pointed out, will be readily rescinded.
By the public's most obedient and humble servant.
ETHAN ALLEN.
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ORACLES OF REASON.
CHAPTER I.
SECTION 1.
OF REFORMING MANKIND FROM SUPERSTITION AND
ERROR, AND THE GOOD CONSEQUENCES OF IT.
The desire of knowledge has engaged the attention of the wise
and curious among mankind in all ages which has been productive of
extending the arts and sciences far and wide in the several
quarters of the globe, and excited the contemplative to explore
nature's laws in a gradual series of improvement, until philosophy,
astronomy, geography, and history, with many other branches of
science, have arrived to a great degree of perfection.
It is nevertheless to be regretted, that the bulk of mankind,
even in those nations which are most celebrated for learning and
wisdom, are still carried down the torrents of superstition, and
entertain very unworthy apprehensions of the BEING, PERFECTIONS,
CREATION) and PROVIDENCE Of GOD, and their duty to him, which lays
an indispensable obligation on the philosophic friend an nature,
unanimously to exert themselves in every lawful, wise, and prudent
method, to endeavor to reclaim mankind from their ignorance and
delusion, by enlightening their minds in those great and sublime
truths concerning God and his providence? and their obligations to
moral rectitude, which in this world, and that which is to come,
cannot fail greatly to affect their happiness and well being.
Though "none by searching can find out God, or the Almighty to
perfection," yet I am persuaded, that if mankind would dare to
exercise their reason as freely on those divine topics as they do
in the common concerns of life, they would, in a great measure, rid
themselves of their blindness and superstition, gain more exalted
ideas of God and their obligations to him and one another, and be
proportionally delighted and blessed with the views of his moral
government, make better members of society, and acquire, manly
powerful incentives to the practice of morality, which is the last
and greatest perfection that human nature is capable of.
SECTION II.
OF THE BEING OF A GOD.
THE laws of nature having subjected mankind to a state of
absolute dependence on something out of it, and manifestly beyond
themselves, or the compound exertion of their natural powers, gave
them the first conception of a superior principle existing;
otherwise they could have had no possible conception of a
superintending power. But this sense of dependency, which results
from experience and reasoning on the facts, which every day cannot
fail to produce, has uniformly established the knowledge of our
dependency to every individual of the species who are rational,
which necessarily involves, or contains in it, the idea of a ruling
power, or that there is a God, which ideas are synonymous.
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REASON the ONLY ORACLE OF MAN
The globe with its productions, the planets in their motions,
and the starry heavens in their magnitudes, surprise our senses and
confound our reason, in their munificent lessons of instruction
concerning God, by means whereof, we are apt to be more or less
lost in our ideas of the object of divine adoration, though at the
same time every one is truly sensible that their being and
preservation is from God. We are too apt to confound our ideas of
God with his works, and latter for the former. Thus barbarous and
unlearned nations have imagined, that inasmuch as the sun in its
influence is beneficial to them in bringing forward the spring of
the year, causing the production of vegetation, and food for their
subsistence, that therefore it is their God: while others have
located other parts of creation, and ascribe to them prerogatives
of God; and mere creatures and images have been substituted for
Gods by the wickedness or weakness of man, or both together. It
seems that mankind in most ages and parts of the world have been
fond of corporeal Deities with whom their outward senses might be
gratified, or as fantastically diverted from the just apprehension
of the true God, by a supposed supernatural intercourse with
invisible and mere spiritual beings, to whom they ascribe divinity,
so that through one means or other, the character of the true God
has been much neglected, to the great detriment of truth, justice,
and morality in the world that mankind can be uniform in their
religious opinions, or worship God according to knowledge, except
they can form a consistent arrangement of ideas of the Divine
character.
Although we extend our ideas retrospectively ever so far upon
the succession, yet no one cause in the extended order of
succession, which depends upon another prior to itself, can be the
independent cause of all things: nor is it possible to trace the
order of the succession of causes back to that self-existent cause,
inasmuch as it is eternal and infinite, and cannot therefore be
traced out by succession, which operates according to the order of
time, consequently can bear no more proportion to the eternity of
God, than time itself may be supposed to do, which has no
proportion at all; as the succeeding arguments respecting the
eternity and infinity of God will evince. But notwithstanding the
series of the succession of causes cannot be followed in a
retrospective succession up to the self-existent or eternal cause,
it is nevertheless a perpetual and conclusive evidence of a God. --
For a succession of causes considered collectively, can be nothing
more than effects of the independent cause, and as much dependent
on it as those dependent causes are upon one another; so that we
may with certainty conclude that the system of nature, which we
call by the name of natural causes, is as much dependent on a self-
existent cause, as an individual of the species in the order of
generation is dependent on its progenitors for existence. Such part
of the series of nature's operations, which we understand, has a
regular and necessary connection with, and dependence on its parts,
which we denominate by the names of cause and effect. From hence we
are authorized from reason to conclude, that the vast system of
causes and effects are thus necessarily connected, (speaking of the
natural world only,) and the whole regularly and necessarily
dependent on a self-existent cause: so that we are obliged to admit
an independent cause, and ascribe self-existence to it, otherwise
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REASON the ONLY ORACLE OF MAN
it could not be independent, and consequently not a God. But the
eternity or manner of the existence of a self-existent and
independent being is to all finite capacities utterly
incomprehensible; yet this is so far from an objection against the
reality of such a being, that it is essentially necessary to
support the evidence of it; for if we could comprehend that being
whom we call God, he would not be God, but must have been finite
and that in the same degree as those may be supposed to be who
could comprehend him; therefore so certain that God is, we cannot
comprehend his essence, eternity, or manner of existence. This
should always be premised, when we assay to reason on the being,
perfection, eternity, and infinity of God, or of his creation and
providence. As far as we understand nature, we are become
acquainted with the character of God, for the knowledge of nature
is the revelation of God. If we form in our imagination a
compendious idea of the harmony of the universe, it is the some as
calling God by the name of harmony, for there could be no harmony
without regulation, and no regulation without a regulator, which is
expressive of the idea of a God. Nor could it be possible, that
there could be order or disorder, except we admit of such a thing
as creation, and creation contains in it the idea of a creator,
which is another appellation for the Divine Being, distinguishing
God from his creation. Furthermore, there could be no proportion,
figure, or motion, without wisdom and power; wisdom to plan, and
power to execute, and these are perfections, when applied to the
works of nature, which signify the agency or superintendency of
God. If we consider nature to be matter, figure, and motion, we
include the idea of God in that of motion: for motion implies a
mover as much as creation does a creator. If from the composition,
texture, and tendency of the universe in general, we form a complex
idea of general good resulting therefrom to mankind, we implicitly
admit a God by the name of good, including the idea of his
providence to man. And from hence arises our obligations to love
and adore God, because he provides for, and is beneficent to us.
Abstract the idea of goodness from the character of God, and it
would cancel all our obligations to him, and excite us to hate and
detest him as a tyrant: hence it is, that ignorant people are
superstitiously misled into a conceit that they hate God, when at
the same time it is only the idol of their own imagination, which
they truly ought to hate and be ashamed of; but were such persons
to connect the ideas of power, wisdom, goodness, and all possible
perfection in the character of God, their hatred towards him would
be turned into love and adoration.
By extending our ideas in a larger circle, we shall perceive
our dependence on the earth and waters of the globe which we
inhabit, and from which we are bountifully fed and gorgeously
arrayed; and next extend our ideas to the sun, whose fiery mass
darts its brilliant rays of light to our terraqueous ball with
amazing velocity, and whose region of inexhaustible fire supplies
it with fervent heat, which causes vegetation, and gilds the
various seasons of the year with ten thousand charms: this is not
the achievement of man, but the workmanship and providence of God.
But how the sun is supplied with materials, thus to perpetuate its
kind influences, we know not. But deny the reality of those
beneficial influences, because we do not understand the manner of
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REASON the ONLY ORACLE OF MAN
the perpetuality of that fiery world, or how it became fire? or
will any one deny the reality of nutrition by food, because we do
not understand the secret operation of the digesting powers of
animal nature or the minute particulars of its cherishing
influence? None will be so stupid as to do it. Equally absurd would
it be for us to deny the providence of God, by "whom we live, move,
and have oar being," because we cannot comprehend it.
We know that earth, water, fire and air, in their various
compositions subserve us, and we also know that these elements are
devoid of reflection, reason, or design; from whence we may easily
infer, that a wise, understanding, and designing being has ordained
them to be thus subservient. Could blind chance constitute order
and decorum, and consequently a providence? That wisdom, order, and
design should be the production of nonentity, or of chaos,
confusion, and old night, is too absurd to deserve a serious
confutation, for it supposeth that there may be effects without a
cause, viz. produced by nonentity, or that chaos and confusion
could produce the effects of power, wisdom, and goodness. Such
absurdities as these we must assent to, or subscribe to the
doctrine of a self-existent and providential being.
SECTION III.
THE MANNER OR DISCOVERING THE MORAL PERFECTIONS AND
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.
HAVING in a concise mariner offered a variety of indisputable
reasons to evince the certainty of the being and providence of God,
and of his goodness to man through the intervention of the series
of nature's operations, which are commonly described by the name of
natural causes, we come now more particularly to the consideration
of his moral perfections; and though all finite beings fall as much
short of an adequate knowledge thereof as they do of perfection
itself, nevertheless through the intelligence of our own souls we
may have something of a prospective idea of the divine perfections.
For though the human mind bears no proportion to the divine, yet
there is undoubtedly a resemblance between them. For instance, God
knows all things, and we know some things, and in the things which
we do understand, our knowledge agrees with that of the divine, and
cannot fail necessarily corresponding with it. To more than know a
thing, speaking of that thing only, is impossible even to
omniscience itself; for knowledge is but the same in both the
infinite and finite minds. To know a thing is the same as to have
right ideas of it, or ideas according to truth, and truth is
uniform in all rational minds, the divine mind not excepted. It
will not be disputed but that mankind in plain and common matters
understand justice from injustice, truth from falsehood, right from
wrong, virtue from vice, and praise-worthiness from blame-
worthiness, for other wise they could not be, accountable
creatures. This being admitted, we are capable of forming a complex
idea of a moral character, which when done in the most deliberate,
the wisest, and most rational manner in our power, we are certain
bears a resemblance to the divine perfections. For as we learn from
the works of nature an idea of the power and wisdom of God, so from
our own rational nature we learn an idea of his moral perfections.
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REASON the ONLY ORACLE OF MAN
From what has been observed on the moral perfections of God,
we infer that all rational beings, who have an idea of justice,
goodness, and truth, have at the same time either a greater or less
idea of the moral perfections of God. It is by reason that we are
able to compound an idea of a moral character, whether applied to
God or man; it is that which gives us the supremacy over the
irrational part of the creation.
SECTION IV.
THE CAUSE OF IDOLATRY, AND THE REMEDY OF IT.
INASMUCH as God is not corporeal, and consequently does not
and cannot come within the notice of our bodily sensations, we are
therefore obliged to deduce inferences from his providence, and
particularly from our own rational nature, in order to form our
conceptions of the divine character, which through inattention,
want of learning, or through the natural imbecility of mankind, or
through the artifice of designing men, or all together, they have
been greatly divided and subdivided in their notions of a God. Many
have so groped in the dark as wholly to mistake the proper object
of divine worship, and not distinguishing the creator from his
creation, have paid adoration to "four footed beasts and creeping
things." And some have ascribed divine honors to the sun, moon, or
stars, while others have been infatuated to worship dumb,
senseless, and unintelligent idols, which derived their existence
as Gods, partly from mechanics, who gave them their figure,
proportion, and beauty, and partly from their priests, who gave
them their attributes; whose believers, it appears, were so wrought
upon, that they cried out in the ecstasy of their deluded zeal,
"Great is Diana." Whatever delusions have taken place in the world
relative to the object of divine worship, or respecting the
indecencies or immoralities of the respective superstitions
themselves, or by what means soever introduced or perpetuated,
whether by designing men whose interest it has always been to
impose on the weakness of the great mass of the vulgar; or as it is
probable, that part of those delusions took place in consequence of
the weakness of uncultivated reason, in deducing a visible instead
of an invisible God from the works of nature. Be that as it will,
mankind are generally possessed of an idea that there is a God,
however they may have been mistaken or misled as to the object.
This notion of a God, as has been before observed, must have
originated from a universal sense of dependence, which mankind have
on something that is more wise, powerful, and beneficent than
themselves, or they could have had no apprehensions of any
superintending principle in the universe, and consequently would
never have sought after a God, or have had any conception of his
existence, nor could designing men have imposed on their credulity
by obtruding false Gods upon them; but taking advantage of the
common belief that there is a God, they artfully deceive their
adherents with regard to the object to be adored. There are other
sorts of idols which have no existence but in the mere imagination
of the human mind; and these are vastly the most numerous, and
universally (either in the greater or less degree) dispersed over
the world; the wisest of mankind are not and cannot be wholly
exempt from them, inasmuch as every wrong conception of God is (as
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REASON the ONLY ORACLE OF MAN
far as the error takes place in the mind) idolatrous. To give a
sample, an idea of a jealous God is of this sort. Jealousy is the
offspring of finite minds, proceeding from the want of knowledge,
which in dubious matters makes us suspicious and distrustful; but
in matters which we clearly understand, there can be no jealousy,
for knowledge excludes it, so that to ascribe it to God is a
manifest infringement on his omniscience. [NOTE: The Lord thy God
is a jealous God."]
The idea of a revengeful God is likewise one of that sort, but
this idea of divinity being borrowed from a savage nature, needs no
further confutation. The representation of a God, who (as we are
told by certain divines) from all eternity elected an
inconsiderable part of mankind to eternal life, and reprobated the
rest to eternal damnation, merely from his own sovereignty, adds
another to the number; -- this representation of the Deity
undoubtedly took its rise from that which we discovered in great,
powerful, and wicked tyrants among men, however tradition may since
have contributed to its support, though I am apprehensive that a
belief in those who adhere to that doctrine, that they themselves
constitute that blessed elect number, has been a greater inducement
to them to close with it, than all other motives added together. It
is a selfish and inferior notion of a God void of justice,
goodness, and truth, and has a natural tendency to impede the cause
of true religion and morality in the world, and diametrically
repugnant to the truth of the divine character, and which, if
admitted to be true, overturns all religion, wholly precluding the
agency of mankind in either their salvation or damnation, resolving
the whole into the sovereign disposal of a tyrannical and unjust
being, which is offensive to reason and common sense, and
subversive of moral rectitude in general. But as it was not my
design so much to confute the multiplicity of false representations
of a God, as to represent just and consistent ideas of the true
God, I shall therefore omit any further observation on them in this
place, with this remark, that all unjust representations, or ideas
of God, are so many detractions from his character among mankind.
To remedy these idolatrous notions of a God, it is requisite to
form right and consistent ideas in their stead.
The discovery of truth necessarily excludes error from the
mind, which nothing else can possibly do; for some sort of God or
other will crowd itself into the conceptions of dependent
creatures, and if they are not so happy as to form just ones, they
will substitute erroneous and delusive ones in their stead; so that
it serves no valuable purpose to mankind, to confute their
idolatrous opinions concerning God, without communicating to them
just notions concerning the true one, for if this is not effected,
nothing is done to the purpose. For, as has been before observed,
mankind will form to themselves, or receive from others, an idea of
Divinity either right or wrong: this is the universal voice of
intelligent nature, from whence a weighty and conclusive argument
may be drawn of the reality of a God, however inconsistent most of
their conceptions of him may be. The fact is mankind readily
perceives that there is a God, by feeling their dependence on him,
and as they explore his works, and observe his providence, which is
too sublime for finite capacities to understand but in part, they
have been more or less confounded in their discoveries of a just
idea of a God and of his moral government. Therefore we should
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exercise great applications and care whenever we assay to speculate
upon Divine character, accompanied with a sincere desire after
truth, and not ascribe anything to his perfections or government
which is inconsistent with reason or the best information which we
are able to apprehend of moral rectitude, and be at least wise
enough not to charge God with injustice and contradictions which we
should scorn to be charged with ourselves. No king, governor, or
parent would like to be accused of partiality in their respective
governments, "Is it fit to say unto Princes, ye are ungodly, how
much less to him that regardeth not the persons of princes, or the
rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands."
CHAPTER II.
SECTION I.
OF THE ETERNITY OF CREATION.
As creation was the result of eternal and infinite wisdom,
justice, goodness, and truth, and effected by infinite power, it is
like its great author, mysterious to us. How it could be
accomplished, or in what manner performed, can never be
comprehended by any capacity.
Eternal, whether applied to duration, existence, action, or
creation, is incomprehensible to us. but implies no contradiction
in either of them; for that which is above comprehension we cannot
perceive to be contradictory, nor on the other hand can we perceive
its rationality or consistency. We are certain that God is a
rational, wise, understanding Being, because he has in degree made
us so, and his wisdom, power, and goodness is visible to us in his
creation, and government of the world. From these facts we are
rationally induced to acknowledge him, and not because we can
comprehend his being, perfections, creation or providence. Could we
comprehend God, he would cease to be what he is. The ignorant among
men cannot comprehend the understanding of the wise among their own
species, much less the perfection of a God; nevertheless, in our
ratiocination upon the works and harmony of nature, we are obliged
to concede to a self-existent and eternal cause of all things, as
has been sufficiently argued; though at the same time it is
mysterious to us, that there should be such a being as a self-
existent and eternally independent one; -- thus we believe in God,
although we cannot comprehend anything of the how, why or wherefore
it was possible for him to be; and as creation was exertion of such
an incomprehensible and perfect being, it must of necessary
consequence be, in a great measure, mysterious to us. We can be
certain, that it has been of an equal eternity and infinitude of
extension with God.
Immensity being replete with creation, the omniscient
omnipresent, omnipotent, eternal, and infinite exertion of God in
creation, is incomprehensible to the understanding or the weakness
of man, and will eternally remain the prerogative of infinite
penetration, sagacity, and uncreated intelligence to understand.
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SECTION II.
OBSERVATIONS OF MOSES'S ACCOUNT OF CREATION.
The foregoing theory of creation and providence will probably
be rejected by most people in this country, inasmuch as they are
prepossessed with the theology of Moses, which represents creation
to have a beginning. "In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth." In the preceding part of this chapter it has been
evinced that creation and providence could not have had a
beginning, and that they are not circumscribed, but unlimited yet
it seems that Moses limited creation by a prospective view of the
heavens, or firmament from this globe, and if creation was thus
limited, it would consequently have circumscribed the dominion and
display of the divine providence or perfection; but if Moses's idea
of the creation of "the heavens and the earth," was immense, ever
so many days of progressive work could never have finished such a
boundless creation; for a progressive creation is the same as a
limited one; as each progressive day's work would be bounded by a
successive admeasurement, and the whole six days' work added
together could be but local, and bear no manner of proportion to
infinitude, but would limit the dominion, and consequently the
display of the divine perfections or providence, which is
incompatible with a just idea of eternity and infinity of God, as
has been argued in the foregoing pages.
There are a variety of other blunders in Moses's description
of creation, one of which I shall mention, which is to be found in
his history of the first and fourth day's work of God: "And God
said, let there be light, and there was light; and God called the
light day, and the darkness he called night: and the evening and
the morning were the first day." Then he proceeds to the second and
third day's work, and so on to the sixth; but in his chronicle of
the fourth day's work, he says that "God made two great lights, the
greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the
night." This appears to be an inconsistent history of the origin of
light. Day and night were ordained the first day, and on the fourth
day the greater and less lights were made to serve the same
purposes; but it is likely that manly errors have crept into his
writings, through the vicissitudes of learning, and particularly
from the corruptions of translations, of his as well as the
writings of other ancient authors; besides, it must be acknowledged
that those ancient writers labored under great difficulties in
writing to posterity, merely from the consideration of the infant
state of learning and knowledge then in the world, and consequently
we should not act the part of severe critics, with their writings,
any further than to prevent their obtrusion on the world as being
infallible.
SECTION III.
OF THE ETERNITY AND INFINITUDE OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE.
WHEN we consider our solar system, attracted by its fiery
center, and moving in its several orbits, with regular, majestic,
and periodical revolutions, we are charmed at the prospect and
contemplation of those worlds of motions, and adore the wisdom and
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power by which they are attracted, and their velocity regulated and
perpetuated. And when we reflect that the blessings of life are
derived from, and dependent on, the properties, qualities,
constructions, proportions and movements, of that stupendous
machine, we gratefully acknowledge the divine beneficence. When we
extend our thoughts (through our external sensations) to the vast
regions of the starry heavens, we are lost in the immensity of
God's works. Some stars appear fair and luminous, and others
scarcely discernible to the eye, which by the help of glasses make
a brilliant appearance, bringing the knowledge of others far
remote, within the verge of our feeble discoveries, which merely by
the eye could not have been discerned or distinguished. These
discoveries of the works of God naturally prompt the inquisitive
mind to conclude that the author of this astonishing part of
creation which is displayed to our view, has still extended his
creation; so that if it were possible that any of us could be
transported to the farthest extended star, which is perceptible to
us here, we should from thence survey worlds as distant from that
as that is from this, and so on 'ad infinitum.'
Furthermore, it is altogether reasonable to conclude that the
heavenly bodies, alias worlds, which move or are situate within the
circle of our knowledge, as well all others throughout immensity,
are each and every one of them possessed or inhabited by some
intelligent agents or other. however different their sensations or
manners of receiving or communicating their ideas may be from ours,
or however different from each other. For why would it not have
been as wise or as consistent with the perfections which we adore
in God, to have neglected giving being to intelligence in this
world as in those other worlds, interspersed with another of
various qualities in his immense creation? And inasmuch as this
world is thus replenished, we may, with the highest rational
certainty infer, that as God has given us to rejoice, and adore him
for our being, he has acted consistent with his goodness, in the
display of his providence throughout the university of worlds,
To suppose that God Almighty has confined his goodness to this
world, to the exclusion of all others, is much similar to the idle
fancies of some individuals in this world, that they, and those of
their communion or faith, are the favorites of heaven exclusively;
but these are narrow and bigoted conceptions, which are degrading
to a rational nature, and utterly unworthy of God, of whom we
should form the most exalted ideas.
It may be objected that a man cannot subsist in the sun; but
does it follow from thence, that God cannot or has not constituted
a nature peculiar to that fiery region, and caused it to be as
natural and necessary for it to suck in and breathe out flames of
fire, as it is for us to do the like in air. Numerous are the kinds
of fishy animals which can no other way subsist but in the water,
in which other animals would perish, (amphibious ones excepted,)
while other animals, in a variety of forms, either swifter or
slower move on the surface of the earth, or wing the, air. Of these
there are sundry kinds, which during the season of winter live
without food; and many of the insects which are really possessed of
animal life, remain frozen, and as soon as they are let loose by
the kind influence of the sun, they again assume their wonted
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animal life; and if animal life may differ so much in the same
world, what inconceivable variety may be possible in worlds
innumerable, as applicable to mental, cogitative, and organized
beings. Certain it is, that any supposed obstructions, concerning
the quality or temperature of any or every one of those worlds,
could not have been any bar in the way of God Almighty, with regard
to his replenishing his universal creation with moral agents. The
unlimited perfection of God could perfectly well adapt every part
of his creation to the design of whatever rank or species of
constituted beings, his Godlike wisdom and goodness saw fit to
impart existence to; so that as there is no deficiency of absolute
perfection in God, it is rationally demonstrative that the immense
creation is replenished with rational agents, and that it has been
eternally so, and that the display of divine goodness must have
been as perfect and complete, in the antecedent, as it is possible
to be in the subsequent eternity.
From this theological way of arguing on the creation and
providence of God, it appears that the whole, which we denominate
by the term nature, which is the same as creation perfectly
regulated, was eternally connected together by the creator to
answer the same all glorious purpose, to wit: the display of the
divine nature, the consequences of which are existence and
happiness to beings in general, so that creation, with all its
productions operates according to the laws of nature, and is
sustained by the self-existent eternal cause, in perfect order and
decorum, agreeable to the eternal wisdom, unalterable rectitude,
impartial justice, and immense goodness of the divine nature, which
is a summary of God's providence. It is from the established order
of nature. that summer and winter, rainy and fair seasons,
moonshine, refreshing breezes, seed time and harvest, day and
night, interchangeably succeed each other, and diffuse their
extensive blessings to man. Every enjoyment and support of life is
from God, delivered to his creatures in and by the tendency,
aptitude, disposition, and operation of those laws. Nature is the
medium, or intermediate instrument through which God dispenses his
benignity to mankind. The air we breathe in, the light of the sun,
and the waters of the murmuring rills, evince his providence: and
well it is, that they are given in so great profusion, that they
cannot by the monopoly of the rich be engrossed from the poor.
When we copiously pursue the study of nature, we are certain
to be lost in the immensity of the works and wisdom of God we may
nevertheless, in a variety of things discern their fitness, happy
tendency and sustaining quality to us ward, from all which, as
rational and contemplative beings we are prompted to infer, that
God is universally uniform and consistent in his infinitude of
creation and providence, although we cannot comprehend all that
consistency, by reason of infirmity; yet we are morally sure, of
all possible plans, infinite wisdom must have eternally adopted the
best, and infinite goodness have approved it, and infinite power
have perfected it. And as the good of beings in general must have
been the ultimate end of God in his creation and government of his
creatures, his omniscience could not fail to have it always present
in his view. Universal nature must therefore be ultimately
attracted to this single point, and infinite perfection must have
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eternally displayed itself in creation and providence. From hence
we infer, that God is as eternal and infinite in his goodness, as
his self-existent and perfect nature is omnipotently great.
SECTION IV.
THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE AGENCY
OF MAN.
THE doctrine of Fate has been made use of in armies as a
policy to induce soldiers to face danger. Mahomet taught his army
that the "term of every man's life was fixed by God, and that none
could shorten it, by any hazard that he might seem to be exposed to
in battle or otherwise," but that it should be introduced into
peaceable and civil life, and be patronized by any teachers of
religion, is quite strange, as it subverts religion in general, and
renders the teaching of it unnecessary, except among other
necessary events it may be premised that it is necessary they teach
that doctrine, and that I oppose it from the influence of the same
law of fate upon which thesis we are all disputing and acting in
certain necessary circles, and if so, I make another necessary
movement, which is, to discharge the public teachers of this
doctrine, and expend their salaries in an economical manner, which
might better answer the purposes of our happiness, or lay it out in
good wine or old spirits to make the heart glad, and laugh at the
stupidity or cunning of those who would have made us mere machines.
Some advocates for the doctrine of fate will also maintain
that we are free agents, notwithstanding they tell us there has
been a concatenation of causes and events which has reached from
God down to this time, and which will eternally be continued --
that has and will control, and bring about every action of our
lives, though there is not anything in nature more certain than
that we cannot act necessarily and freely in the same action, and
at the same time; yet it is hard for such persons, who have verily
believed that they are elected, (and thus by a predetermination of
God become his special favorites,) to give up their notions of a
predetermination of all events, upon which system their election
and everlasting happiness is nonsensically founded; and on the
other hand, it is also hard for them to go so evidently against the
law of nature (or dictates of conscience) which intuitively evinces
the certainty of human liberty, as to reject such evidence; and
therefore hold to both parts of the contradiction, to wit, that
they act necessarily and freely, upon which contradictory principle
they endeavored to maintain the dictates of natural conscience, and
also their darling folly of being elected and exclusively favorites
of God.
CHAPTER III.
SECTION I.
THE DOCTRINE OF THE INFINITY OF EVIL AND OF SIN CONSIDERED.
THAT God is infinitely good in the eternal displays of his
providence, has been argued in the third section of the second
chapter, from which we infer that there cannot be an infinite evil
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in the universe, inasmuch as it would be incompatible with infinite
good; yet there are many who imbibe the doctrine of the infinite
evil of sin, and the maxim on which they predicate their arguments
in its support, are, that the greatness of sin, or adequateness of
its punishment, is not to be measured, or its viciousness
ascertained by the capacity and circumstances of the offender, but
by the capacity and dignity of the being against whom the offence
is committed; and as every transgression is against the authority
and law of God, it is therefore against God, and as God is
infinite, therefore, sin is an infinite evil, and from hence infer
the infinite and vindictive wrath of God against sinners, and of
his justice in dooming them, as some say to infinite, and others
say to eternal misery; the one without degree or measure, and the
other without end or duration.
Admitting this maxim for truth, that the transgressions or
sins of mankind are to be estimated by their heinousness, by the
dignity and infinity of the divine nature, then it will follow that
all sins would be equal, which would confound all our notions of
the degrees or aggravations of sin; so that the sin would be the
same to kill my neighbor as it would be to kill his horse. For the
divine nature, by this maxim, being the rule by which man's sin is
to be estimated, and always the same, there could therefore be no
degrees in sin or guilt, any more than there are degrees of
perfection in God, whom we all admit to be infinite, and who for
that reason only cannot admit of any degrees or enlargement.
Therefore as certain as there are degrees in sin, the infinity of
the divine nature cannot be the standard whereby it is to be
ascertained, which single consideration is a sufficient confutation
of the doctrine of the infinite evil of sin, as predicated on that
maxim, inasmuch as none are so stupid as not to discern that there
are degrees and aggravations in sin.
I recollect a discourse of a learned Ecclesiastic, who was
laboring in support of this doctrine. His first proposition was,
"That moral rectitude was infinitely pleasing to God;" from which
he deduced this inference, viz., "That a contrariety to moral
rectitude was consequently infinitely displeasing to God and
infinitely evil." That the absolute moral rectitude of the divine
nature is infinitely well pleasing to God, will not be disputed;
for this is none other but perfect and infinite rectitude; but
there cannot in nature be an infinite contrariety thereto, or any
being infinitely evil, or infinite in any respect whatever, except
we admit a self-existent and infinite diabolical nature, which is
too absurd to deserve argumentative confutation. Therefore, as all
possible moral evil must result from the agency of finite beings,
consisting in their sinful deviations from the rules of eternal
unerring order and reason, which is moral rectitude in the
abstract, we infer that, provided 'all finite beings in the
universe' had not done anything else but sin and rebel against God,
reason and moral rectitude in general; all possible moral evil
would fall as much short of being infinite, as all finite
capacities, completely considered, would fail of being infinite,
which will bear no proportion at all. For though finite minds, as
has been before argued, bear a resemblance to God, yet they bear no
proportion to his infinity; and therefore there is not and cannot
be any being, beings or agency of being or beings, complexly
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considered or otherwise, which are infinite in capacity, or which
are infinitely evil and detestable in the sight of God, in that
unlimited sense; for the actions or agency of limited beings, are
also limited, which is the same as finite: so that both the virtues
and vices of man are finite; they are not virtuous or vicious but
in degree; therefore, moral evil is finite and bounded.
Though there is one, and but one infinite good, which is God,
and there can be no dispute, but that God judges, and approves or
disapproves of all things and beings, and agencies of beings, as in
truth they are, or in other words judges of every thing as being
what it is; but to judge a finite evil to be infinite, would be
infinitely erroneous and disproportionable; for so certain as there
is a distinction between infinity and infinitude, so certain finite
sinful agency cannot be infinitely evil; or in other words finite
offenses cannot be infinite. Nor is it possible that the greatest
of sinners should in justice deserve infinite, punishment, or their
nature sustain it; finite beings may as well be supposed to be
capable of infinite happiness as of infinite misery, but the rank
which they hold in the universe exempts them from either; it
nevertheless admits them to a state of agency, probation or trial,
consequently to interchangeable progressions in moral good and
evil, and of course to alternate happiness or misery. We will
dismiss the doctrine of the 'infinite evil of sin' with this
observation, that as no mere creature can suffer an infinitude of
misery or of punishment, it is therefore incompatible with the
wisdom of God, so far to capacitate creatures to sin, as in his
constitution of things to foreclose himself from adequately
punishing them for it.
SECTION II.
THE MORAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD AS INCOMPATIBLE WITH
ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.
WE may for certain conclude, that such a punishment will never
have the divine approbation, or be inflicted on any intelligent
being or beings in the infinitude of the government of God. For an
endless punishment defeats the very end of its institution, which
in all wise and good governments is as well to reclaim offenders,
as to be examples to others; but a government which does not admit
of reformation and repentance, must unavoidably involve its
subjects in misery; for the weakness of creatures will always be a
source of error and inconstancy, and a wise Governor, as we must
admit God to be, would suit his government to the capacity and all
other circumstances of the governed and instead of inflicting
eternal damnation on his offending children, would rather
interchangeably extend his beneficence with his vindictive
punishments, so as to alienate them from sin and wickedness, and
incline them to morality; convincing them from experimental
suffering, that sin and vanity are their greatest enemies, and that
in God and moral rectitude their dependence and true happiness
consists, and by reclaiming them from wickedness and error to the
truth, and to the love and practice of virtue, give them occasion
to glorify God for the wisdom and goodness of his government, and
to be ultimately happy under it. But we are told that the eternal
damnation of a part of mankind greatly augments the happiness of
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the elect, who are represented as being vastly the less numerous,
(a diabolical temper of mind in the elect:) besides, how narrow and
contractive must such notions of infinite justice and goodness be?
Who would imagine that the Deity conducts his providence similar to
the detestable despots of this world? Oh horrible? most horrible
impeachment of Divine Goodness! Rather let us exaltedly suppose
that God eternally had the ultimate best good of beings generally
and individually in his view, with the reward of the virtuous and
the punishment of the vicious, and that no other punishment will
ever be inflicted, merely by the divine administration, but that
will finally terminate in the best good of the punished, and
thereby subserve the great and important ends of the divine
government, and be productive of the restoration and felicity of
all finite rational nature.
The most weighty arguments deducible from the divine nature
have been already offered, to wit, ultimate end of God, in creation
and providence, to do the greatest possible good and benignity to
beings in general, and consequently, that the great end and design
of punishment, in the divine government, must be to reclaim,
restore, and bring revolters from moral rectitude back to embrace
it and to be ultimately happy; as also, that an eternal punishment,
would defeat the very end and design of punishment itself; and that
no good consequences to the punished could arise out of a never
ending destruction; but that a total, everlasting, and irreparable
evil would take place on such part of the moral creation, as may be
thus sentenced to eternal and remediless perdition; which would
argue imperfection either in the creation, or moral government of
God, or in both.
SECTION III.
HUMAN LIBERTY, AGENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, CANNOT BE
ATTENDED WITH ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES, EITHER GOOD OR EVIL.
FROM what has been argued in the foregoing section, it appears
that mankind in this life are not agents of trial for eternity, but
that they will eternally remain agents of trial. To suppose that
our eternal circumstances will be unalterably fixed in happiness or
misery, in consequence of the agency or transactions of this
temporary life, is inconsistent with the moral government of God,
and the progressive and retrospective knowledge of the human mind.
God has not put it into our power to plunge ourselves into eternal
woe and perdition; human liberty is not so extensive, for the term
of human life bears no proportion to eternity succeeding it; so
that there could be no proportion between a momentary agency,
(which is liberty of action,) or probation, and any supposed
eternal consequences of happiness or misery resulting from it. Our
liberty consists in our power of agency, and cannot fall short of,
or exceed it, for liberty is agency itself, or is that by which
agency or action is exerted; it may be that the curious would
define it, that agency is the effect of liberty, and that liberty
is the cause which produces it; making a distinction between action
and the power of action; be it so, yet agency cannot surpass its
liberty to suppose otherwise, would be the same as to suppose
agency without the power of agency, or an effect without a cause;
therefore, as our agency does not extend to consequences of eternal
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happiness or misery, the power of that agency, which is liberty,
does not. Sufficient it is for virtuous minds, while in this life,
that they keep "Consciences void of offence towards God and towards
man." And that in their commencement in the succeeding state, they
have a retrospective knowledge of their agency in this, and retain
a consciousness of a well spent life. Beings thus possessed of a
habit of virtue, would enjoy a rational felicity beyond the reach
of physical evils which terminate with life; and in all rational
probability would be advanced in the order of nature, to a more
exalted and sublime manner of being, knowledge and action, than at
present we can conceive of, where no joys or pains can approach,
but of the mental kind in which elevated state virtuous minds will
be able, in a clearer and more copious manner in this life, to
contemplate the superlative beauties of moral fitness; and with
ecstatic satisfaction enjoy it, notwithstanding imperfection and
consequently agency, proficiency and trial, of some kind or other,
must everlastingly continue with finite minds.
And as to the vicious, who have violated the laws of reason
and morality, lived a life of sin and wickedness, and are at as
great a remove from a rational happiness as from moral rectitude;
such incorrigible sinners, at their commencing existence in the
world of spirits, will undoubtedly have opened to them a tremendous
scene of horror, self-condemnation and guilt, with an anguish of
mind; the more so, as no sensual delights can there, (as in this
world,) divert the mind from its conscious guilt; the clear sense
of which will be the more pungent, as the mind in that state will
be greatly enlarged, and consequently more capaciously susceptible
of sorrow, grief, and conscious woe, from a retrospective
reflection of a wicked life.
SECTION IV.
OF PHYSICAL EVILS.
PHYSICAL evils are in nature inseparable from animal life,
they commenced existence with it, and are its concomitants through
life; so that the same nature which gives being to the one, gives
birth to the other also; the one is not before or after the other,
but they are coexistent together, and contemporaries; and as they
began existence in a necessary dependance on each other, so they
terminate together in death and dissolution. This is the original
order to which animal nature is subjected, as applied to every
species of it. The beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, the
fishes of the sea, with reptiles, and all manner of beings, which
are possessed with animal life; nor is pain, sickness, or mortality
any part of God's Punishment for sin. On the other hand sensual
happiness is no part of the reward of virtue: to reward moral
actions with a glass of wine or a shoulder of mutton, would be as
inadequate, as to measure a triangle with sound, for virtue and
vice pertain to the mind, and their merits or demerits have their
just effects on the conscience, as has been before evinced: but
animal gratifications are common to the human race
indiscriminately, and also, to the beasts of the field: and
physical evils as promiscuously and universally extend to the
whole, so "That there is no knowing good or evil by all that is
before us, for all is vanity." It was not among the number of
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possibles, that animal life should be exempted from mortality:
omnipotence itself could not have made it capable of
externalization and indissolubility; for the self same nature which
constitutes animal life, subjects it to decay and dissolution; so
that the one cannot be without the other, any more than there could
be a compact number of mountains without valleys, or that I could
exist and not exist at the same time, or that God should effect any
other contradiction in nature; all contradictions being equally
impossible, inasmuch as they imply an absolute incompatibility with
nature and truth; for nature is predicated on truth, and the same
truth which constitutes mountains, made the valleys at the some
time; nor is it possible that they could have a separate existence.
And the same truth which affirms my existence, denies its negative;
so also the same law of nature, which in truth produceth an animal
life and supports it for a season, wears it out, and in its natural
course reduces it to its original elements again. The vegetable
world also presents us with a constant aspect of productions and
dissolutions; and the bustle of elements is beyond all conception;
but the dissolution of forms is not the dissolution of matter, or
the annihilation of it, nor of the creation, which exists in all
possible forms and fluxilities; and it is from such physical
alterations of the particles of matter, that animal or vegetable
life is produced and destroyed. Elements afford them nutrition, and
time brings them to maturity, decay and dissolution; and in all the
prolific production of animal life, or the productions of those of
a vegetative nature, throughout all, their growth, decay and
dissolution, make no addition or diminution of creation; but
eternal nature continues its never ceasing operations, (which in
most respects are mysterious to us) under the unerring guidance of
the providence of God.
Animal nature consists of a regular constitution of a variety
of organic parts, which have a particular and necessary dependance
on each other, by the mutual assistance whereof the whole are
animated. Blood seems to be the source of life, and it is requisite
that it have a proper circulation from the heart to the extreme
parts of the body, and from thence to the heart again, that it may
repeat its temporary rounds through certain arteries and veins,
which replenish every minutia part with blood and vital heat; but
the brain is evidently the seat of sensation, which through the
nervous system conveys the animal spirits to every part of the
body, imparting to it sensation and motion, constituting it a
living machine, which could never have been produced, or exercised
its respective functions in any other sort of world but this; which
is in a constant series of fluxilities, and which causeth it to
produce food for its inhabitants. An unchangeable world could not
admit of production or dissolution, but would be identically the
same, which would preclude the existence and nutriment of such
sensitive creatures as we are. The nutrition extracted from food by
the secret aptitudes of the digesting powers (by which mysterious
operation it becomes incorporated with the circulating juices,
supplying the animal functions with vital heat, strength and vigor)
demands a constant flux and reflux of the particles of matter,
which is perpetually incorporating with the body, and supplying the
place of the superfluous particles that are constantly discharging
themselves by insensible perspiration; supporting, and at the same
time, in its ultimate tendency, destroying animal life. Thus it
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manifestly appears, that the laws of the world in which we live,
and the constitution of the animal nature of man, are all but one
uniform arrangement of cause and effect; and as by the course of
those laws, animal life is propagated and sustained for a season,
so by the operation of the same laws, decay and mortality are the
necessary consequences.
CHAPTER IV.
SECTION I.
SPECULATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF THE DEPRAVITY OF
HUMAN REASON.
IN the course of our speculation on Divine Providence we
proceed next to the consideration of the doctrine of the depravity
of human reason: a doctrine derogatory to the nature of man, and
the rank and character of being which be holds in the universe, and
which, if admitted to be true overturns knowledge and science and
renders learning, instruction and books useless and in pertinent;
inasmuch as reason, depraved or spoiled, would cease to be reason;
as much as the mind of a raving madman would of course cease to be
rational: admitting the depravity of reason, the consequence would
unavoidably follow, that as far as it may be supposed to have taken
place in the midst of mankind, there could be no judges of it, in
consequence of their supposed depravity; for without the exercise
of reason, we could not understand what reason is, which would be
necessary for us previously to understand, in order to understand
what it is not; or to distinguish it from that which is its
reverse. But for us to have the knowledge of what reason is, and
the ability to distinguish it from that which is depraved, or is
irrational, is incompatible with the doctrine of the depravity of
our reason. Inasmuch as to understand what reason is, and to
distinguish it from that which is marred or spoiled, is the same to
all intents and purposes, as to have, exercise and enjoy, the
principle of reason itself, which precludes its supposed depravity:
so that it is impossible for us to understand what reason is, and
at the same time determine that oar reason is depraved; for this
would be the same as when we know that we are in possession and
exercise of reason, to determine that we are not in possession or
exercise of it.
It may be, that some who embrace the doctrine of the depravity
of human reason, will not admit that it is wholly and totally
depraved, but that "it is in a great measure marred or spoiled. But
the foregoing arguments are equally applicable to a supposed
depravity in parts, as in the whole; for in order to judge whether
reason be depraved in part or not, it would be requisite to have an
understanding of what reason may be supposed to have been, previous
to its premised depravity; and to have such a knowledge of it,
would be the same as to exercise and enjoy it in its lustre and
purity, which would preclude the notion of a depravity in part, as
well as in the whole; for it would be utterly impossible for us to
judge of reason undepraved and depraved, but by comparing them
together. But for depraved reason to make such a comparison, is
contradictory and impossible; so that, if our reason had been
depraved, we could not have had any conception of it any more than
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a beast. Men of small faculties in reasoning cannot comprehend the
extensive reasonings of their superiors, how then can a supposed
depraved reason comprehend that reason which is uncorrupted and
pure? To suppose that it could, is the same as to suppose that
depraved and undepraved reason is alike, and if so, there needs no
farther dispute about it.
There is a manifest contradiction in applying the term
'depraved' to that of reason, the ideas contained in their
respective definitions will not admit of their association
together, as the terms convey heterogeneous ideas; for reason
spoiled, marred, or robbed of its perfection, ceaseth to be
rational, and should not be called reason; inasmuch as it is
premised to be depraved, or degenerated from a rational nature; and
in consequence of the deprivation of its nature, should also be
deprived of its name, and called subterfuge, or some such like
name, which might better define its real character.
Those who invalidate reason, ought seriously to consider,
"whether they argue against reason, with or without reason; if with
reason, then they establish the principle, that they are laboring
to dethrone;" but if they argue without reason, (which, in order to
be consistent with themselves, they must do,) they are out of the
reach of rational conviction, nor do they deserve a rational
argument.
We are told that the knowledge of the depravity of reason, was
first communicated to mankind by the immediate inspiration of God.
But inasmuch as reason is supposed to be depraved, what principle
could there be in the human irrational soul, which could receive or
understand the inspiration, or on which it could operate so as to
represent to those whom it may be supposed were inspired, the
knowledge of the depravity of (their own and mankind's) reason (in
general:) for a rational inspiration must consist of rational
ideas, which pre-supposes that the minds of those who were
inspired, were rational previous to such inspiration, which would
be a downright contradiction to the inspiration itself; the import
of which was to teach the knowledge of the depravity of human
reason, which without reason could not be understood, and with
reason it would be understood, that the inspiration was false.
Will any advocates for the depravity of reason suppose, that
inspiration ingrafts or superadds the essence of reason itself to
the human mind? Admitting it to be so, yet such inspired persons
could not understand any thing of reason, before the reception of
such supposed inspiration; nor would such a premised inspiration
prove to its possessors or receivers, that their reason had ever
been depraved. All that such premised inspired persons could
understand, or be conscious of, respecting reason, would be after
the inspiration may be supposed to have taken effect, and made them
rational beings, and then instead of being taught by inspiration,
that their reason had been previously depraved, they could have had
no manner of consciousness of the existence or exercise of it,
until the impairing the principle of it by the supposed energy of
inspiration; nor could such supposed inspired persons communicate
the knowledge of such a premised revelation to others of the
species, who for want of a rational nature, could not be supposed,
on this position, to be able to receive the impressions of reason.
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That there are degrees in the knowledge of rational beings,
and also in their capacities to acquire it, cannot be disputed, as
it is so very obvious among mankind. But in all the retrospect
gradations from the exalted reasonings of a Locke or a Newton, down
to the lowest exercise of it among the species, still it is reason,
and not depraved; for a less decree of reason by no means implies
a depravity of it. nor does the imparting of reason argue its
depravity, for what remains of reason, or rather of the exercise of
it, is reason still. But there is not, and cannot be such a thing
as depraved reason, for that which is rational is so, and for that
reason cannot be depraved, whatever its degree of exercise may be
supposed to be.
A blow on the head, or fracture of the cranium, as also
palsies and many other casualties that await our sensorium, retard,
and in some cases wholly prevent the exercise of reason for a
longer or shorter period; and sometimes through the stage of human
life; but in such instances as these, reason is not depraved, but
ceases in a greater or less degree, or perhaps wholly ceases its
rational exertions or operations; by reason of the breaches or
disorders of the organs of sense, but in such instances, wherein
the organs become rectified, and the senses recover their
usefulness, the exercise of reason returns, free from any blemish
or depravity. For the cessation of the exercise of reason, by no
means depraves it.
From what has been argued on this subject, in this and the
preceding chapters, it appears that reason is not and cannot be
depraved, but that it bears a likeness to divine reason, is of the
same kind, and in its own nature as uniform as truth, which is the
test of it; though in the divine essence, it is eternal and
infinite, but in man it is eternal only as it respects their
immortality, and finite as it respects capaciousness. Such people
as can be prevailed upon to believe, that their reason is depraved,
may easily be led by the nose, and duped into superstition at the
pleasure of those in whom they confide, and there remain from
generation to generation: for when they throw by the law of reason
the only one which God gave them to direct them in their
speculations and duty, they are exposed to ignorant or insidious
teachers, and also to their own irregular passions, and to the
folly and enthusiasm of those about them, which nothing but reason
can prevent or restrain: nor is it a rational supposition that the
commonality of mankind would ever have mistrusted that their reason
was depraved, had they not been told so, and it is whispered about,
that the first insinuation of it was from the Priests; (though the
Armenian Clergymen in the circle of my acquaintance have exploded
the doctrine.) Should we admit the depravity of reason, it would
equally affect the priesthood, or any other teachers of that
doctrine, with the rest of mankind; but for depraved creatures to
receive and give credit to a depraved doctrine, started and taught
by depraved creatures, is the greatest weakness and folly
imaginable, and comes nearer a proof of the doctrine of total
depravity, than any arguments which may have been advanced in
support of it.
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SECTION II.
CONTAINING A DISQUISITION OF THE LAW OF NATURE, AS IT
RESPECTS THE MORAL SYSTEM, INTERSPERSED WITH
OBSERVATIONS ON SUBSEQUENT RELIGIONS.
THAT mankind are by nature endowed with sensation and
reflection, from which results the power of reason and
understanding, will not be disputed. The senses are well calculated
to make discoveries of external objects and to communicate those
notices, or simple images of things to the mind, with all the
magnificent simplicity of nature, which opens an extensive field of
contemplation to the understanding, enabling the mind to examine
into the natural causes and consequences of things, and to
investigate the knowledge of moral good and evil, from which,
together with the power of agency, results the human conscience.
This is the original of moral obligation and accountability, which
is called natural religion; for without the understanding of truth
from falsehood, and right from wrong, which is the same as justice
from injustice, and a liberty of agency, which is the same as a
power of proficiency in either moral good or evil: mankind would
not be rational or accountable creatures. Undoubtedly it was the
ultimate design of our Creator, in giving us being, and furnishing
us with those noble compositions of mental powers and sensitive
aptitudes, that we should, in, by, and with that nature, serve and
honor him; and with those united capacities, search out and
understand our duty to him, and to one another, with the ability of
practicing the same as far as may be necessary for us in this life.
To object against the sufficiency of natural religion, to effect
the best ultimate good of mankind, would be derogating from the
wisdom, goodness, and justice of God, who in the course of his
providence to us, has adopted it: besides, if natural religion may
be supposed to be deficient, what security can we have that any
subsequently revealed religion should not be so also? For why might
not a second religion from God be as insufficient or defective as
a first religion may be supposed to be? From hence we infer that if
natural religion be insufficient to dictate mankind in the way of
their duty and make them ultimately happy, there is an end to
religion in general. But as certain as God is perfect in wisdom and
goodness, natural religion is sufficient and complete; and having
had the divine approbation, and naturally resulting from a rational
nature, is as universally promulgated to mankind as reason itself.
But to the disadvantage of the claim of all subsequent religions,
called revelations, whether denominated inspired, external,
supernatural, or what not, they came too late into the world to be
essential to the well being of mankind, or to point out to heaven
and ever-lasting blessedness: inasmuch as for the greatest part of
mankind who have ever lived in this world, have departed this life
previous to the eras and promulgations of such revelations.
Besides, those subsequent revelations to the law of nature, began
as human traditions have ever done in very small circumferences, in
the respective parts of the world where they have been inculcated,
and made their progress, as time, chance, and opportunity
presented. Does this look like the contrivance of heaven, and the
only way of salvation? Or is it not more like this world and the
contrivance of man? Undoubtedly the great parent of mankind laid a
just and sufficient foundation of salvation for every one of them;
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for otherwise such of them, who may be supposed not to be thus
provided for would not have whereof to glorify God for their being,
but on the contrary would have just matter of complaint against his
providence or moral government for involuntarily necessitating them
into a wretched and miserable existence, and that without end or
remedy: which would be ascribing to God a more extensive injustice
than is possible to be charged on the most barbarous despots that
ever were among mankind.
But to return to our speculations on the law of nature. That
this divine Law surpasses all positive institutions, that have ever
been ushered into the world since its creation as much as the
wisdom and goodness of God exceeds that of man, is beautifully
illustrated in the following quotation: "But it may be said what is
virtue? It is the faithful discharge of those obligations which
reason dictates. And what is wisdom itself, but a portion of
intelligence? with which the creator has furnished us, in order to
direct us in our duty? It may be further asked, what is this duty?
whence does it result? and by what law is it prescribed? I answer
that the law which prescribed it is the immutable will of God; to
which right reason obliges us to conform ourselves, and in this
conformity virtue consists. No law which has commenced since the
creation, or which may ever cease to be in force, can constitute
virtue; for before the existence of such a law mankind could not be
bound to observe it; but they were certainly under an obligation to
be virtuous from the beginning. Princes may make laws and repeal
them, but they can neither make nor destroy virtue, and how indeed
should they be able to do what is impossible to the Deity himself?
Virtue being as immutable in its nature as the divine will which is
the ground of it. [NOTE: Virtue did not derive its nature merely
from the omnipotent will of God, but also from the eternal truth
and moral fitness of things; which was the eternal reason why they
were eternally approved of by God, and immutably established by
him, to be what they are; and so far as our duty is connected with
those eternal measures of moral fitness, or we are able to act on
them, we give such actions or habits the name of virtue or
morality. But when we, in writing or conversation, say that virtue
is grounded on the divine will, we should at the same time include
in the complex idea of it, that the divine will which constituted
virtue, was eternally and infinitely reasonable.]
A Prince may command his Subjects to pay taxes or besides, may
forbid them to export certain commodities, or to introduce those of
a foreign country. The faithful observance of these laws make
obedient subjects, but does not make virtuous men; and would any
one seriously think himself possessed of a virtue the more for not
having dealt in painted calico; or if the Prince should by his
authority abrogate these laws, would any one say he had abrogated
virtue? It is thus with all positive laws; they all had a beginning
-- are all liable to exceptions, and may be dispensed with and even
abolished. That law alone which is engraven on our hearts by the
hand of our creator, is unchangeable and of universal and eternal
obligation. The law, says Cicero, is not a human invention, nor an
arbitrary political institution, it is in its nature eternal and of
universal obligation. The violence Tarquin offered to Lucretia, was
a breach of that eternal law, and though the Romans at that time
might have no written law which condemned such kind of crimes, his
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offence was not the less heinous; for this law of reason did not
then begin, when it was first committed to writing; its original is
as ancient as the divine mind. For the true, primitive and supreme
law, is no other than the unerring reason of the great Jupiter. And
in another place be says, this law is founded in nature, it is
universal, immutable, and eternal, it is subject to no change from
any difference of place, or time, it extends invariably to all ages
and nations, like the sovereign dominion of that Being, who is
author of it."
The promulgation of this supreme law to creatures, is co-
extensive and coexistent with reason, and binding on all
intelligent beings in the universe; and is that eternal rule of
fitness, as applicable to God, by which the creator of all things
conducts his infinitude of providence, and by which he governs the
moral system of being, according to the absolute perfection of his
nature. From hence we infer, that admitting those subsequent
revelations, which have more or less obtained credit in the world,
as the inspired laws of God, to be consonant to the laws of nature,
yet they could be considered as none other but mere transcripts
therefrom, promulgated to certain favorite nations, when at the
same time all mankind was favored with the original.
The moral precepts contained in Moses' decalogue to the people
of Israel, was previously known to every nation under heaven, and
in all probability by them as much practiced as by the tribes of
Israel. Their keeping the seventh day of the week as a sabbath was
an arbitrary imposition of Moses, (as many other of his edicts
were) and not included in the law of nature. But as to such laws of
his, or those of any other legislator, which are morally fit, agree
with, and are a part of the natural law, as for instance; "Thou
shalt not covet," or ,kill." These positive injunctions cannot add
anything to the law of nature, inasmuch as it contains an entire
and perfect system of morality; nor can any positive injunctions or
commands enforce the authority of it, or confer any additional
moral obligation on those to whom they are given to obey; the
previous obligation of natural religion, having ever been as
binding as reason can possibly conceive of, or the order and
constitution of the moral rectitude of things, as resulting from
God, can make it to be.
To illustrate the argument of the obligatory nature of the
natural law let us reverse the commandments of the decalogue, by
premising that Moses had said thou shalt covet; thou shalt steal
and murder; would any one conclude, that the injunctions would have
been obligatory? surely they would not, for a positive command to
violate the law of nature could not be binding on any rational
being. How then came the injunctions of Moses, or any others, to be
binding in such cases, in which they coincide with the law of
nature? We answer, merely in consequence of the obligatory
sanctions of the natural law, which does not at all depend on the
authority of Moses or of any other legislator, short of him who is
eternal and infinite; nor is it possible that the Jews, who adhere
to the law of Moses, should be under greater obligation to the
moral law, than the Japanese; or the Christians than the Chinese;
for the same God extends the same moral government over universal
rational nature, independent of Popes, Priests and Levities. But
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with respect to all mere positive institutions, injunctions, rites
and ceremonies, that do not come within the jurisdiction of the law
of nature, they are political matters, and may be enacted,
perpetuated, dispensed with, abolished, re-enacted, compounded or
diversified, as convenience, power, opportunity, inclination, or
interest, or all together may dictate; inasmuch as they are not
founded on any stable or universal principle of reason, but change
with the customs, fashions, traditions and revolutions of the
world; having no center of attraction, but interest, power and
advantages of a temporary nature.
Was the creator and governor of the universe to erect a
particular academy of arts and sciences in this world, under his
immediate inspection, with tutors rightly organized, and
intellectually qualified to carry on the business of teaching, it
might like other colleges, (and possibly in a superior manner,)
instruct its scholars. But that God should have given a revelation
of his will to mankind, as his law, and to be continued to the
latest posterity as such, which is premised to be above the
capacity of their understanding, is contradictory and in its own
nature impossible. Nor could a revelation to mankind, which comes
within the circle of their knowledge, be edifying or instructing to
them, for it is a contradiction to call that which is above my
comprehension, or that which I already, (from natural sagacity)
understand, a revelation to me: to tell me, or inspire me, with the
knowledge of that which I knew before, would reveal nothing to me,
and to reveal that to me which is supernatural or above my
comprehension, is contradictory and impossible. But the truth of
the matter is, that mankind are restricted by the law of nature to
acquire knowledge or science progressively, as before argued. From
which we infer the impropriety, and consequently the impossibility
of God's having ever given us any manuscript copy of his eternal
law: for that to reveal it at first would bring it on a level with
the infancy of knowledge then in the world, or (fishermen,
shepherds, and illiterate people could not have understood it,)
which would have brought it so low that it could not be instructive
or beneficial to after generations in their progressive advances in
science and wisdom.
CHAPTER V.
SECTION I.
ARGUMENTATIVE REFLECTIONS ON SUPERNATURAL AND
MYSTERIOUS REVELATION IN GENERAL.
THERE is not anything which has contributed so much to delude
mankind in religious matters, as mistaken apprehensions concerning
supernatural inspiration or revelation; not considering that all
true religion originates from reason, and can not otherwise be
understood but by the exercise and improvement of it; therefore
they are apt to confuse their minds with such inconsistencies. In
the subsequent reasonings on this subject, we shall argue against
supernatural revelation in general, which will comprehend the
doctrine of inspiration or immediate illumination of the mind. And
first -- we will premise, that a revelation consists of an
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assemblage of rational ideas, intelligibly arranged and understood
by those to whom it may be supposed to be revealed, for otherwise
it could not exist in their minds as such. To suppose a revelation,
void of rationality or understanding, or of communicating rational
intelligence to those, to whom it may be supposed to be given,
would be a contradiction; for that it could contain nothing except
it were unintelligibleness which would be the same as to reveal and
not to reveal; therefore, a revelation must consist of an
assemblage of rational ideas, intelligibly communicated to those
who are supposed to have been the partakers or receivers of it from
the first supposed inspiration, down to this or any other period of
time. But such a revelation as this, could be nothing more or less
than a transcript of the law of nature, predicated on reason, and
would be no more supernatural, than the reason of man may be
supposed to be. The simple definition of supernatural is, that
which is "beyond or above the powers of nature," which never was or
can be understood by mankind; the first promulgators of revelation
not excepted; for such revelation, doctrine, precept or instruction
only, as comes within the powers of our nature, is capable of being
apprehended, contemplated or understood by us, and such as does
not, is to us incomprehensible and unknown, and consequently cannot
for us compose any part of revelation.
The author of human nature impressed it with certain sensitive
aptitudes and mental powers, so that apprehension, reflection or
understanding could no otherwise be exerted or produced in the
compound nature of man, but in the order prescribed by the creator.
It would therefore be a contradiction in nature, and consequently
impossible for God to inspire, infuse, or communicate the
apprehension, reflection or understanding of any thing whatever
into human nature, out of, above, or beyond the natural aptitudes,
and mental powers of that nature, which was of his own production
and constitution; for it would be the same as to inspire, infuse,
or reveal apprehension, reflection or understanding, to that which
is not; inasmuch as out of, beyond or above the powers of nature,
there could be nothing to operate upon, as a prerequisite principle
to receive the inspiration or infusion of the revelation, which
might therefore as well be inspired into, or revealed to nonentity,
as to man. For the essence of man is that, which we denominate to
be his nature, out of or above which he is as void of sensation,
apprehension, reflection and understanding, as nonentity may be
supposed to be; therefore such revelation as is adapted to the
nature and capacity of man, and comes within his powers of
perception and understanding, is the only revelation, which he is
able to receive from God or man. Supernatural revelation is as
applicable to beasts, birds and fishes, as it is to us; for neither
we nor they are capable of being acted upon supernaturally, as all
the possible exertions and operations of nature, which respect the
natural or moral world, are truly natural. Nor does God deviate
from his rectitude of nature in matters of inspiration, revelation
or instruction to the moral world, any more than in that of his
government of the natural.
The infinitude of the wisdom of God's creation, providence and
moral government will eternally remain supernatural to all finite
capacities, and for that very reason we can never arrive to the
comprehension of it, in any state of being and improvement
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whatever; inasmuch as progression can never attain to that which is
infinite, so that an eternal proficiency in knowledge could not be
supernatural, but on the other hand would come within the limits
and powers of our nature, for otherwise such proficiency would be
impossible to us; nor is this infinite knowledge of God
supernatural to him, for that his perfection is also infinite. But
if we could break over the limits of our capacity, so as to
understand any one supernatural thing, which is above or beyond the
power of our natures, we might by that rule as well understand all
things, and thus by breaking over the confines of finite nature and
the rank of being which we hold in the universe, comprehend the
knowledge of infinity. From hence we infer, that every kind and
degree of apprehension, reflection and understanding, which we can
attain to in any state of improvement whatever, is no more
supernatural than the nature of man, from whence perception and
understanding is produced, may be supposed to be so: nor has or
could God Almighty ever have revealed himself to mankind in any
other way or manner, but what is truly natural.
SECTION II.
CONTAINING OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROVIDENCE AND AGENCY
OF GOD, AS IT RESPECTS THE NATURAL AND MORAL
WORLD, WITH STRICTURES ON REVELATION IN GENERAL.
THE idea of a God we infer from our experimental dependence on
something superior to ourselves in wisdom, power and goodness,
which we call God; our senses discover to us the works of God which
we call nature, and which is a manifest demonstration of his
invisible essence. Thus it is from the works of nature that we
deduce the knowledge of a God, and not because we have, or can have
any immediate knowledge of, or revelation from him. But on the
other hand, all our understanding of, or intelligence from God, is
communicated to us by the intervention of natural causes, (which is
not of the divine essence;) this we denominate to be natural
revelation, for that it is mediately made known to us by our
senses, and from our sensations of external objects in general, so
that all and every part of the universe, of which we have any
conception, is exterior from the nature or essence of God; nor is
it in the nature of things possible for us to receive, or for God
to communicate any inspiration or revelation to us, but by the
instrumentality of intermediate causes, as has been before
observed. Therefore all our notions of the immediate interposition
of divine illuminations, inspiration, or infusion of ideas or
revelations into our minds, is mere enthusiasm and deception; for
that neither the divine mind, nor those of any finite intelligences
can make any representation to, or impression on our external
senses without the assistance of some adequate, intermediate cause.
The same is the case between man and man, or with mankind in
general; we can no otherwise hold a correspondence but by the
aptitude, and through the medium of our senses. Since this is the
only possible way in nature by which we can receive any notices,
perceptions, or intelligence from God or man.
Nothing can be more unreasonable than to suppose, because God
is infinitely powerful, that he can therefore inspire or infuse
perception, reflection or revelation into the mind of man in such
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a way or manner as is incompatible with the aptitudes and powers of
their nature: such a revelation would be as impossible to be
revealed by God, as by a mere creature. For though it is a maxim of
truth, "That with God all things are possible," yet it should be
considered, that contradictions, and consequently impossibilities
are not comprehended in the definition of things, but are
diametrically the reverse of them, as may be seen in the definition
of the word THINGS, to wit: "whatever is." There is no
contradiction in nature or truth, which comprehends or contains all
things, therefore the maxim is just, "That with God all things are
possible," viz: all things in nature are possible with God; but
contradictions are falsehoods which have no positive existence, but
are the negatives to THINGS, or to nature, which comprehends,
"Whatever is;" so that contradictions are opposed to nature and
truth, and are no THINGS, but the chimeras of weak, unintelligent
minds who make false application of things to persons, or ascribe
such powers, qualities, dispositions and aptitudes to things as
nature never invested them with; such are our deluded notions of
the immediate operations of the holy spirit, or of any mere spirit,
on our minds independent of the intervention of some adequate,
natural or intermediate cause. To make a triangle four square, or
to make a variety of mountains contiguously situated, without
valleys, or to give existence to a thing and not to give existence
to it at the same time, or to reveal anything to us incompatible
with our capacity of receiving the perception of it, pertains to
those negatives to nature and truth, and are not things revealed,
nor have they any positive existence as has been before argued; for
they are inconsistent with themselves, and the relations and
effects which they are supposed to have upon and with each other.
It derogates nothing from the power and absolute perfection of God
that he cannot make both parts of a contradiction to be true.
But let us reverse the position concerning revelation, and
premise that it is accommodated to our capacity of receiving and
understanding it, and in this case it would be natural, and
therefore possible for us to receive and understand it; for the
same truth which is predicated on the sufficiency of our capacity
to receive and understand a revelation, affirms at the same time
the possibility of our receiving and understanding it. But to
suppose that God can make both parts of a contradiction to be true,
to reveal and not reveal, would be the same as ascribing a
falsehood to him and to call it by the name of power.
That God can do anything and everything, that is consonant to
his moral perfections, and which does not imply a contradiction to
the nature of the things themselves, and the essential relation
which they bear to each other, none will dispute. But to suppose,
that inasmuch as God is all-powerful, he can therefore do
everything, which we in our ignorance of nature or of moral fitness
may ascribe to him, without understanding, whether it is either
consonant to moral rectitude, or to the nature of the things
themselves, and the immutable relations and connections which they
bear to each other, or not, is great weakness and folly. That God
cannot in the exercise of his providence or moral government,
counteract the perfections of his nature, or do any manner of
injustice, is manifestly certain; nor is it possible for God to
effect a contradiction in the natural world, any more than in the
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moral. The impossibility of the one results from the moral
perfections of God, and the impossibility of the other from the
immutable properties, qualities, relations and nature of the things
themselves, as in the instances of the mountains, valleys, &c.,
before alluded to, and in numberless other such like cases.
Admitting a revelation to be from God, it must be allowed to
be infallible, therefore those to whom it may be supposed to have
been first revealed from God, must have had an infallible certainty
of their inspiration: so likewise the rest of mankind, to whom it
is proposed as a Divine Law, or rule of duty, should have an
infallible certainty, that its first promulgators were thus truly
inspired by the immediate interposition of the spirit of God, and
that the revelation has been preserved through all the changes and
revolutions of the world to their time, and that the copies extant
present them with its original inspiration and unerring composure,
or are perfectly agreeable to it. All this we must have an
infallible certainty of, or we fail of an infallible certainty of
revelation, and are liable to be imposed upon by impostors, or by
ignorant and insidious teachers, whose interest it may be to
obtrude their own systems on the world for infallible truth, as in
the instance of Mahomet.
But let us consult our own constitutions and the world in
which we live, and we shall find that inspiration is, in the very
nature of thins, impossible to be understood by us, and of
consequence not in fact true. What certainty can we have of the
agency of the divine mind on ours? Or how can we distinguish the
supposed divine illuminations or ideas from those of our own which
are natural to us? In order for us to be certain of the
interposition of immediate divine inspiration in our minds we must
be able to analyze, distinguish, and distinctly separate the
premised divine reflections, illuminations or inspiration from our
own natural cogitations, for otherwise we should be liable to
mistake our reflections and reasonings for God's inspiration, as is
the case with enthusiasts, or fanatics, and thus impose on
ourselves, and obtrude our romantic notions on mankind, as God's
revelation.
None will, it is presumed, pretend that the natural
reflections of our minds are dictated by the immediate agency of
the divine spirit; for if they were thus dictated, they would be of
equal authority with any supposed inspired revelation. How then
shall we be able to distinguish or understand our natural
perceptions, reflections or reasonings, from any premised
immediately inspired ones? Should God make known to us, or to any
of us, a revelation by a voice, and that in a language which we
understand, and admitting that the propositions, doctrines, or
subject matter of it, should not exceed our capacity, we could
understand it the same as we do in conversation with one another;
but this would be an external and natural revelation, in which God
is supposed to make use of language, grammar, logic and sound,
alias of intermediate causes, in order to communicate or reveal it,
which would differ as much from an immediately inspired revelation,
as this book may be supposed to do; for the very definition of
immediate inspiration precludes all natural or immediate causes.
That God is eternally perfect in knowledge, and therefore knows all
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things, not by succession or by parts, as we understand things by
degrees, has been already evinced; nevertheless all truth, which we
arrive at the understanding of, accords with the divine
omniscience, but we do not come at the comprehension of things by
immediate infusion, or inspiration, but from reasoning; for we
cannot see or hear God think or reason any more than man, nor are
our senses susceptible of a mere mental communion with him, nor is
it in nature possible for the human mind to receive any
instantaneous or immediate illuminations or ideas from the divine
spirit (as before argued,) but we must illuminate and improve our
minds by a close application to the study of nature, through the
series whereof God has been pleased to reveal himself to man, so
that we may truly say, that the knowledge of nature is the
revelation of God. In this there can be no delusion, it is natural,
and could come from none other but God.
Unless we could do this, we should compound them together at
a venture, and form a revelation like Nebuchadnezzar's idol,
"partly iron and partly clay," alias partly divine and partly
human. The Apostle Paul informs us, that sometimes he "spake, and
not the Lord," and at other times speaks doubtfully about the
matter, saying, "and I THINK also that I have the spirit of God,"
and if he was at a loss about his inspiration, well may we be
distrustful of it. From the foregoing speculations on the subject
of supernatural inspiration, it appears, that there are insuperable
difficulties in a mere mental discourse with the divine spirit; it
is what we are unacquainted with, and the law of our nature forbids
it. Our method of conversation is vocal, or by writing, or by some
sort of external symbols which are the mediate ground of it, and we
are liable to errors and mistakes in this natural and external way
of correspondence; but when we have the vanity to rely on dreams
and visions to inform ourselves of things, or attempt to commune
with invisible finite beings, or with the holy spirit, our
deceptions, blunders and confusions are increased to fanaticism
itself; as the diverse supposed influence of the spirit, on the
respective sectaries, even among Christians, may witness, as it
manifestly, in their empty conceit of it, conforms to every of
their traditions. Which evinces, that the whole bustle of it is
mere enthusiasm, for was it dictated by the spirit of truth and
uniformity itself, it would influence all alike, however zealots
persuade themselves and one another that they have, supernatural
communion with the Holy Ghost, from whence they tell us they derive
their notions of religion, and in their frenzy are proof against
reason and argument, which if we tender them, they tell us, that it
is carnal and depraved reasoning, but that their teachings are
immediately from God, and then proceed to vent upon us all the
curses and punishments, which are written in the book of the law.
There has in the different parts and ages of the world, been
a multiplicity of immediate and wonderful discoveries, said to have
been made to godly men of old by the special illumination or
supernatural inspiration of God, every of which have, in doctrine,
precept and instruction, been essentially different from each
ether, which are consequently as repugnant to truth, as the
diversity of the influence of the spirit on the multiplicity of
sectaries has been represented to be.
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These facts, together with the premises and inferences as
already deduced, are too evident to be denied, and operate
conclusively against immediate or supernatural revelation in
general; nor will such revelation hold good in theory any more than
in practice. Was a revelation to be made known to us, it must be
accommodated to our external senses, and also to our reason, so
that we could come at the perception and understanding of it, the
same as we do to that of things in general. We must perceive by our
senses, before we can reflect with the mind. Our sensorium is that
essential medium between the divine and human mind, through which
God reveals to man the knowledge of nature, and is our only door of
correspondence with God or with man.
A premised revelation, adapted to our external senses, would
enable our mental powers to reflect upon, examine into, and
understand it. Always provided nevertheless, that the subject
matter of such revelation, or that of the doctrines, precepts or
injunctions therein contained, do not exceed our reason, but are
adapted to it as well as to our external senses.
To suppose that God, merely from his omnipotence, without the
intervention of some adequate intermediate cause could make use of
sound, or grammatical and logical language, or of writing, so as to
correspond with us, or to reveal any thing to us, would run into
the same sort of absurdity, which we have already confuted; for it
is the same as to, suppose an effect without a suitable or a
proportionable cause, or an effect without a cause; whereas,
effects must have adequate causes or they could not be produced.
God is the self-existent and eternal cause of all things, but the
eternal cause can no otherwise operate on the eternal succession of
causes and effects, but by the mutual operation of those causes on
each other, according to the fixed laws of nature. For as we have
frequently observed before that of all possible systems, infinite
wisdom comprehended the best; and infinite goodness and power must
have adopted and perfected it; and being once established into an
ordinance of nature, it could not be deviated from by God: for that
it would necessarily imply a manifest imperfection in God, either
in its eternal establishment, or in its premised subsequent
alteration, which will be more particularly considered in the next
chapter.
To suppose that Almighty power could produce a voice, language
grammar, or logic, so as to communicate a revelation to us, without
some sort of organic or instrumentated machine or intermediate
vehicle, or adequate constituted external cause, would imply a
contradiction to the order of nature and consequently to the
perfection of God, who established it; therefore, provided God has
ever given us any particular revelation, we must suppose, that he
has made use of a regular and natural constituted and mediate
cause, comprehended in the external order of nature, rightly fitted
and abilitated to make use of the vocal power of language, which
comprises that of characters, orthography, grammar and logic, all
which must have been made use of, in communicating a supposed
revelation to mankind, which forecloses inspiration.
Furthermore, this heavenly dictating voice should have been
accommodated to all languages, grammars and logical ways of
speaking, in which a revelation may have been divulged, as it would
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be needful to have been continued from the beginning to every
receiver, compiler, translator, printer, commentator on and teacher
of such revelation, in order to have informed mankind in every
instance, wherein at any time they may have been imposed upon by
any spurious adulterations or interpolations, and how it was in the
original. These, with the refinements of languages and
translations, are a summary of the many ways, wherein we may have
been deceived by giving credit to antiquated written revelation,
which would need a series of miracles to promulgate and perpetuate
it in the world free from mistakes and frauds of one kind or other,
and which leads me to the consideration of the doctrine of
miracles.
CHAPTER VI.
SECTION I.
OF MIRACLES.
PREVIOUS to the arguments concerning miracles, it is requisite
that, we give a definition of them, that the arguments may be
clearly opposed to the doctrine of miracles, the reality of which
we mean to negative; so that we do not dispute about matters in
which we are all agreed, but that we may direct our speculations to
the subject matter or essence of the controversy.
We will therefore premise, that miracles are opposed to, and
counteract the laws of nature, or that they imply an absolute
alteration in either a greater or less degree, the eternal order,
disposition and tendency of it; this, we conclude, is a just
definition of miraculousness, and is that for which the advocates
for miracles contend, in their defining of miracles. For if they
were supposed to make no alteration in the natural order of things,
they could have no positive existence, but the laws of nature would
produce their effects, which would preclude their reality, and
render them altogether fictitious, inasmuch as their very existence
is premised to consist in their opposition to, and alteration of
the laws of nature so that if this is not effected, miracles can
have no positive existence, any more than nonentity itself;
therefore, if in the course of the succeeding arguments, we should
evince that the laws of nature have not and cannot be perverted,
altered or suspended, it will foreclose miracles by making all
things natural. Having thus defined miracles, and stated the
dispute, we proceed to the arguments.
Should there ever have been a miraculous suspension and
alteration of the laws of nature, God must have been the immediate
author of it, as no finite beings may be supposed to be able to
alter those laws or regulations, which were established by
omnipotent power and infinite perfection, and which nothing short
of such power and perfection can perpetuate. This then is the
single point at issue, viz: whether God has, or can, consistent
with his nature as God, in any instance whatever, alter or deviate
from the laws, with which he has eternally impressed the universe,
or not.
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To suppose that God should subvert his laws, (which is the
same as changing them) would be to suppose him to be mutable; for
that it would necessarily imply, either that their eternal
establishment was imperfect, or that a premised alteration thereof
is so. To alter or change that which is absolutely perfect, would
necessarily make it cease to be perfect, inasmuch as perfection
could not be altered for the better, but for the worse, and
consequently an alteration could not meet with the divine
approbation; which terminates the issue of the matter in question
against miracles, and authorizes us to deduce the following
conclusive inference, to wit: that Almighty God, having eternally
impressed the universe with a certain system of laws, for the same
eternal reason that they were infinitely perfect and best, they
could never admit of the least alteration, but are as unchangeable,
in their nature, as God their immutable author. To form the
foregoing argument into syllogisms, it would be thus: --
God is perfect -- the laws of nature were established by God;
therefore, the laws of nature are perfect.
But admitting miracles, the syllogism should be thus: --
The laws of nature were in their eternal establishment
perfect; -- the laws of nature have been altered; therefore, the
alteration of the laws of nature is imperfect.
Or thus: the laws of nature have been altered the alternation
has been for the better; therefore, the eternal establishment
thereof was imperfect.
Thus it appears, from a syllogistical as well as other methods
of reasoning that provided we admit of miracles, which are
synonymous to the alterations of nature, we by so doing derogate
from the perfection of God, either in his eternal constitution of
nature, or in a supposed subsequent miraculous alteration of it, so
that take the argument either way, and it preponderates against
miracles.
Furthermore, was it possible, that the eternal order of nature
should have been imperfect, there would be an end to all
perfection. For God might be as imperfect in any supposed
miraculous works, as in those of nature; nor could we ever have any
security under his natural or moral government, if they were liable
to change; for mutability is but another term for imperfection, or
is inseparably connected with it.
God, the great architect of nature, has so constructed its
machinery, that it never needs to be altered or rectified. In vain
we endeavor to search out the hidden mystery of a perpetual motion,
in order to copy nature, for after all our researches we must be
contented with such mechanism as will run down, and need
rectification again; but the machine of the universe admits of no
rectification, but continues its never ceasing operations, under
the unerring guidance of the providence of God. Human architects
make and unmake things, and alter them as their invention may
dictate, and experience may determine to be most cotenant and best.
But that mind, which is infinitely perfect, gains nothing by
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experience, but surveys the immense universality of things, with
all their possible relations, finesses and unfitness, of both a
natural or moral kind, with one comprehensive view.
SECTION II.
A SUCCESSION OF KNOWLEDGE, OR OF THE EXERTION
OF POWER IN GOD, INCOMPATIBLE WITH HIS OMNISCIENCE
OR OMNIPOTENCE, AND THE ETERNAL AND INFINITE DISPLAY
OF DIVINE POWER FORECLOSES ANY SUBSEQUENT
EXERTION OF IT MIRACULOUSLY.
THAT creation is as eternal and infinite as God, has been
argued in chapter second; and that there could be no succession in
creation, or the exertion of the power of God, in perfecting the
boundless work, and in impressing the universe with harmonious
laws, perfectly well adapted to their design, use and end.
First. These arguments may be further illustrated, and the
evidence of the being of a God more fully exhibited, from the
following considerations, to wit: dependant beings and existences
must be dependent on some being or cause that is independent, for
dependent beings, or existences, could not exist independently;
and, in as much as by retrospectively tracing the order of the
succession of causes, we cannot include in our numeration the
independent cause, as the several successive causes still depend on
their preceding cause, and that preceding cause on the cause
preceding, it, and so on beyond numerical calculations, we are
therefore obliged (as rational beings) to admit an independent
cause of all things, for that a mere succession of dependent causes
cannot constitute an independent cause; and from hence we are
obliged to admit a self-existent and sufficient cause of all
things, for otherwise it would be dependent and insufficient to
have given existence to itself, or to have been the efficient cause
of all things.
Having thus established the doctrine of a self-sufficient,
self-existent, and consequently all-powerful cause of all things,
we ascribe an eternal existence to this cause of all causes and
effects, whom we call God. And, inasmuch, as from the works of
nature it is manifest, that God is possessed of almighty power, we
from hence infer his eternal existence. Since his premised
existence at (and not before) any given era, would be a conclusive
objection to the omnipotency of his power, that he had not existed
before, or eternally. For as God is a being self-sufficient, self-
existent, and almighty, (as before argued) his power must apply to
his own existence as well as to the existence of things in general,
and therefore, if he did not eternally exist, it must be because he
had not the almighty power of existence in himself, and if so, he
never could have existed at all; so that God must have eternally
existed or not have existed at all; and inasmuch as the works of
nature evince his positive existence, and as he could not be
dependent on the power, will, or pleasure of any other being but
himself for his existence, and as an existence in time would be a
contradiction to his almighty power of self-existency, that he had
not eternally existed; therefore, his existence must have been (in
truth) eternal.
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Although it is to us incomprehensible that any being could be
self-existent or eternal (which is synonymous,) yet we can
comprehend, that any being that is not self-existent and eternal
and dependent and finite, and consequently not a God. Hence we
infer, that though we cannot comprehend the true God (by reason of
our own finiteness,) yet we can negatively comprehend that an
imperfect being cannot be God. A dependent being is finite, and
therefore imperfect, and consequently not a God. A being that has
existed at a certain era (and not before) is a limited one for
beyond his era he was not, and therefore finite, and consequently
not a God. Therefore, that being only who is self-existent,
infinitely perfect and eternal, is the true God: and if eternally
and infinitely perfect, there must have been an eternal and
infinite display, and if an eternal and infinite display, it could
be nothing short of an eternal and infinite creation and
providence.
As to the existence of a God, previous to Moses's era of the
first day's work, he does not inform us. The first notice he gives
us of a God was of his laborious working by the day, a theory of
creation (as I should think) better calculated for the servile
Israelitish Brick-makers, than for men of learning and science in
these modern times.
SECTION III.
RARE AND WONDERFUL PHENOMENA NO EVIDENCE OF MIRACLES,
NOR ARE DIABOLICAL SPIRITS ABLE TO EFFECT THEM, OR
SUPERSTITIOUS TRADITIONS TO CONFIRM THEM,
NOR CAN ANCIENT MIRACLES PROVE RECENT REVELATIONS.
COMETS, earthquakes, volcanoes, and northern lights (in the
night,) with many other extraordinary phenomena or appearances
intimidate weak minds, and are by them thought to be miraculous,
although they undoubtedly have their proper natural causes, which
have been in a great measure discovered. Jack-with-a-lantern is a
frightful appearance to some people, but not so much as the
imaginary specter. But of all the scarecrows which have made human
nature tremble, the devil has been chief; his family is said to be
very numerous, consisting of "legions," with which he has kept our
world in a terrible uproar. To tell of all the feats and diabolical
tricks, which this infernal family is said to have played upon our
race, would compose a volume of an enormous size. All the
magicians, necromancers, wizards, witches, conjurors, gypsies,
sibyls, hobgoblins, apparitions and the like, are supposed to be
under their diabolical government: old Beelzebub rules them all.
Men will face destructive cannon and mortars, engage each other in
the clashing of arms, and meet the horrors of war undaunted, but
the devil and his banditti of fiends and emissaries fright them out
of their wits, and have a powerful influence in plunging them into
superstition, and also in continuing them therein.
This supposed intercourse between mankind and those infernal
beings, is by some thought to be miraculous or supernatural; while
others laugh at all the stories of their existence, concluding them
to be mere juggle and deception, craftily imposed on the credulous,
who are always gaping after something marvelous, miraculous, or
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supernatural, or after that which they do not understand: and are
awkward and unskillful in their examination into nature, or into
the truth or reality of things, which is occasioned partly by
natural imbecility, and partly by indolence and inattention to
nature and reason.
That any magical intercourse or correspondence of mere spirits
with mankind, is contradictory to nature, and consequently
impossible, has been argued in chapter sixth. And that nothing
short of the omnipotent power of God, countermanding his eternal
order of nature, and impressing it with new and contrary law, can
constitute a miracle has been argued in this, and is an effect
surpassing the power of mere creatures, the diabolical nature not
excepted. From hence we infer, that devils cannot work miracles.
Inattention to reason, and ignorance of the nature of things makes
many of mankind give credit to miracles. It seems that by this
marvelous way of accounting for things, they think to come off with
reputation in their ignorance; for if nature was nothing but a
supernatural whirligig, or an inconstant and irregular piece of
mechanism, it would reduce all learning and science to a level with
the fanaticism and superstition of the weak and credulous, and put
the wise and unwise on a level in point of knowledge, as there
would not, on this thesis, be any regular standard in nature,
whereby to ascertain the truth and reality of things. What is
called sleight-of-hand, is by some people thought to be miraculous.
Astrological calculations of nativities, lucky and unlucky days and
seasons, are by some regarded, and even moles on the surface of the
skin are thought to be portentive of good or bad fortune.
"The Swedish Laplanders, the most ignorant mortals in Europe,"
are "charged with being conjurors, and are said to have done such
feats, by the magic art, as do not at all fall far short of
miracles; that they will give the sailors such winds as they want
in any part of their voyage; that they can inflict and cure
diseases at any distance; and insure people of success in their
undertakings; and yet they are just such poor miserable wretches as
used to be charged with witchcraft here," viz: in England and in
New England, "and cannot command so much as the necessaries of
life: and indeed, none but very credulous and ignorant people give
credit to such fables at this day, though the whole world seems to
have been bewitched in believing them formerly." "The 24th of
March, 1735, an act passed in the Parliament of Great Britain to
repeal the statute of I Jac's, entitled an act against conjugating
witchcraft, and dealing with evil and wicked spirits, and to repeal
an act in Scotland entitled Amentis Witchcraft." It is but forty-
six years since the supreme legislature became apprized of the
natural impossibility of any magical intercourse between mankind
and evil and wicked spirits; in consequence whereof they repealed
their statute laws against it, as they were naturally void,
unnecessary, and unworthy of their legislative restriction. For
that such a crime had no possible existence in nature, and
therefore could not be acted by mankind; though previous to the
repeal of those laws, more or less of that island had fallen a
sacrifice to them; and the relations of those imaginary criminals
were stamped with infamy by such executions, which had the sanction
of law, alias of the legislature and the judges, and in which many
learned attorneys have demonstrated the turpitude of such capital
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offenses, and the just sanction of those laws in extirpating such
pests of society from the earth; to which the clergy have likewise
given their approbation, for that those capital transgressors made
too free with their devils.
Furthermore, the repeal of those laws, as far as the wisdom
and authority of the British Parliament may be supposed to go,
abrogated that command of the law of Moses, which saith, "Thou
shalt not suffer a witch to live," and not only so, but the
doctrine of the impossibility of intercourse, or of dealing with
wicked spirits, forecloses the supposed miraculous casting out of
devils, of which we have sundry chronicles in the New Testament.
But to return to the annals of my own country, it will present
us with a scene of superstition in the magical way, which will
probably equal any that is to be met within history, to wit: the
Salem witchcraft in New England; great numbers of the inhabitants
of both sexes were judicially convicted of being wizards and
witches, and executed accordingly; some of whom were so infatuated
with the delusion, that at their execution they confessed
themselves guilty of the sorcery for which they were indicted; nor
did the fanaticism meet with a check until some of the first
families were accused with it, who made such an opposition to the
prosecutions, as finally to put an end to any further execution of
the Salemites.
Those capital offenders suffered in consequence of certain
laws, which, by way of derision, have since been called the Blue
Laws, in consequence of the multiplicity of superstition, with
which they abounded, most of which are repealed; but those that
respect sorcery have had favorite legislators enough to keep them
alive and in force to this day.
I recollect an account of prodigies said to have been carried
on by the Romish Clergy in France, upon which his most Christian
Majesty sent one of his officers to them with the following
prohibition, to wit: "by the command of the king, God is forbid to
work any more miracles in this place; "upon which the marvelous
work ceased.
There has been so much detection of the artifice, juggle and
imposture of the pretenders to miracles, in the world, especially
in such parts where Teaming and science have prevailed, that it
should prompt us to be very suspicious of the reality of them, even
without entering into any lengthy arguments from the reason and
nature of things to convince the utter impossibility of their
existence in the creation and providence of God.
We are told, that the first occasion and introduction of
miracles into the world, was to prove the divine authority of
revelation, and the mission of its first teachers; be it so. Upon
this plan of evincing the divinity of revelation, it would be
necessary that its teachers should always be vested with the power
of working miracles; so that when their authority or the
infallibility of the revelation which they should teach, should at
any time be questioned, they might work a miracle; or that in such
a case God would do it; which would end the dispute, provided
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mankind were supposed to be judges of miracles, which may be
controverted. However, admitting that they are possible, and
mankind in the several generations of the world to be adequate
judges of them, and also, that they were necessary to support the
divine mission of the first promulgators of revelation, and the
divinity which they taught; from the same parity of reasoning,
miracles ought to be continued to the succeeding generations of
mankind, coextensive with its divine authority or that of its
teachers. For why should we in this age of the world be under
obligation to believe the infallibility of revelation, or the
heavenly mission of its teachers, upon less evidence than those of
mankind who lived in the generations before us? For that which may
be supposed to be a rational evidence, and worthy to gain the
belief and assent of mankind at one period of time, must be so at
another; so that it appears, from the sequel of the arguments on
this subject, that provided miracles were requisite to establish
the divine authority of revelation originally, it is equally
requisite that they be continued to the latest posterity, to whom
the divine legislator may be supposed to continue such revelation
as his law to mankind.
Nothing is more evident to the understanding part of mankind,
than that in those parts of the world where learning and science
has prevailed, miracles have ceased; but in such parts of it as are
barbarous and ignorant, miracles are still in vogue; which is of
itself a strong presumption that in the infancy of letters,
learning and science, or in the world's non-age, those who confided
in miracles, as a proof of the divine mission of the first
promulgators of revelation, were imposed upon by fictitious
appearances instead of miracles.
Furthermore, the author of Christianity warns us against the
impositions of false teachers, and ascribes the signs of the true
believers, saying, "And these signs shall follow them that believe,
in my name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new
tongues, they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly
thing it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick and
they shall recover." These are the express words of the founder of
Christianity, and are contained in the very commission, which he
gave to his eleven Apostles, who were to promulgate his gospel in
the world; so that from their very institution it appears that when
the miraculous signs, therein spoken of, failed, they were
considered as unbelievers, and consequently no faith or trust to be
any longer reposed in them or their successors. For these signs
were those which were to perpetuate their mission, and were to be
continued as the only evidences of the validity and authenticity of
it, and as long as these signs followed, mankind could not be
deceived in adhering to the doctrines which the Apostles and their
successors taught; but when these signs failed, their divine
authority ended. Now if any of them will drink a dose of deadly
poison, which I could prepare, and it does not "hurt them," I will
subscribe to their divine author and end the dispute; not that I
have a disposition to poison any one, nor do I suppose that they
would dare to take such a dose as I could prepare for them, which,
if so, would evince that they were unbelievers themselves, though
they are extremely apt to censure others for unbelief, which
according to their scheme is a damnable sin.
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SECTION IV.
PRAYER CANNOT BE ATTENDED WITH MIRACULOUS
CONSEQUENCES.
PRAYER to God is no part of a rational religion, nor did
reason ever dictate it, but, was it duly attended to, it would
teach us the contrary.
To make known our wants to God by prayer, or to communicate
any intelligence concerning ourselves or the universe to him, is
impossible, since his omniscient mind has a perfect knowledge of
all things, and therefore is beholden to none of our correspondence
to inform himself of our circumstances, or of what would be wisest
and best to do for us in all possible conditions and modes of
existence, in our never ending duration of being, These, with the
infinitude of things, have been eternally deliberated by the
omniscient mind, who can admit of no additional intelligence,
whether by prayer or otherwise, which renders it nugatory.
We ought to act up to the dignity of our nature, and demean
ourselves, as creatures of our rank and capacity, and not presume
to dictate any thing, less or more, to the governor of the
universe; who rules not by our proscriptions, but by eternal and
infinite reason. To pray to God, or to make supplication to him,
requesting certain favors for ourselves, or from any, or all the
species, is inconsistent with the relation which subsists between
God and man. Whoever has a just sense of the absolute perfection of
God, and of their own imperfection, and natural subjection to his
providence, cannot but from thence infer the impropriety of praying
or supplicating to God, for this, that, or the other thing; or of
remonstrating against his providence: inasmuch, as "known to God
are all our wants;" and as we know, that we ourselves are
inadequate judges of what would be best for us, all things
considered. God looks through the immensity of things, and
understands the harmony, moral beauty and decorum of the whole, and
will by no means change his purposes, or alter the nature of the
things themselves for any of our entreaties or threats. To pray,
entreat, or make supplication to God, is neither more nor less than
dictating to eternal reason, and entering into the province and
prerogative of the Almighty if this is not the meaning and import
of prayer, it has none at all, that extends to the final events and
consequences of things. To pray to God with a sense, that the
prayer we are making will not be granted any more for our making
it, or that our prayer will make no alteration in the state, order
or disposal of things at all, or that the requests, which we make,
will be no more likely to be granted, or the things themselves
conferred upon us by God, than as though we had not prayed for
them, would be stupidity or outright mockery, or "to be seen of
men," in order to procure from them some temporary advantages. But
on the other hand for us to suppose, that our prayers or praises do
in any one instance or more alter the eternal constitution of
things, or of the providence of God, is the same as to suppose
ourselves so far forth to hold a share in the divine government,
for our prayers must be supposed to effect something or nothing, if
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they effect nothing they are good for nothing but that they should
effect any alteration in the nature of things, or providence of God
is inadmissible: for if they did, we should interfere with the
providence of God in a certain degree, by arrogating it to
ourselves. For if there are any particulars in providence, which
God does not govern by his order of nature, they do not belong to
the providence of God, but of man; for if in any instance, God is
moved by the prayers, entreaties, or supplications of his
creatures, to alter his providence, or to do that in conformity
thereto, which otherwise, in the course of his providence, he would
not have done; then it would necessarily follow, that as far as
such alteration may be supposed to take place, God does not govern
by eternal and infinite reason, but on the contrary is governed
himself by the prayer of man.
Our great proficients in prayer must need think themselves to
be of great importance in the scale of being, otherwise they would
not indulge themselves in the notion, that the God of nature would
subvert his laws, or bend his providence in conformity to their
prayers. But it may be objected, that they pray conditionally, to
wit: that God would answer their prayers, provided they are
agreeable to his providential order or disposal of things but to
consider prayer in such a sense renders it, not only useless, but
impertinent; for the laws of nature would produce their natural
effects as well without it, as with it. The sum total of such
conditional prayer could, amount to no more than this, viz: that
God would not regard them at all, but that he would conduct the
kingdom of his providence agreeable to the absolute perfections of
his nature; and who in the exercise of common sense would imagine
that God would do otherwise?
The nature of the immense universality of things having been
eternally adjusted, constituted and settled, by the profound
thought, perfect wisdom, impartial justice, immense goodness, and
omnipotent power of God, it is the greatest arrogance in us to
attempt an alteration thereof. If we demean ourselves worthy of a
rational happiness, the laws of the moral system, already
established, will afford it to us; and as to physical evils,
prudent economy may make them tolerable, or ward most of them off
for a season, though they will unavoidably bring about the
separation of a soul and body, and terminate with animal life,
whether we pray for or against it.
To pray for any thing, which we can obtain by the due
application of our natural powers, and neglect the means of
procuring it, is impertinence and laziness in the abstract; and to
pray for that which God in the course of his providence, has put
out of our power to obtain, is only murmuring against God, and
finding fault with his providence, or acting the inconsiderate part
of a child; for example, to pray for more wisdom, understanding,
grace or faith; for a more robust constitution -- handsomer figure,
or more of a gigantic size, would be the same as tolling God, that
we are dissatisfied with our inferiority in the order of being;
that neither our souls nor bodies suit us; that he has been too
sparing of his beneficence; that we want more wisdom, and organs
better fitted for show, agility and superiority. But we ought to
consider, that "we cannot add one Cubit to our stature," or alter
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the construction of our organic frame; and that our mental talents
are finite; and that in a vast variety of proportions and
disproportions, as our Heavenly Father in his order of nature, and
scale of being saw fit; who has nevertheless for the encouragement
of intelligent nature ordained, that it shall be capable of
improvement, and consequently of enlargement; therefore, "whosoever
lacketh wisdom," instead of "asking it of God," let him improve
what he has, that he may enlarge the original stock; this is all
the possible way of gaining in wisdom and knowledge, a competency
of which will regulate our faith. But it is too common for great
faith and little knowledge to unite in the same person; such
persons are beyond the reach of argument and their faith immovable,
though it cannot remove mountains. The only way to procure food,
raiment, or the necessaries or conveniences of life, is by natural
means; we do not get them by wishing or praying for, but by actual
exertion; and the only way to obtain virtue or morality is to
practice and habituate ourselves to it, and not to pray to God for
it: he has naturally furnished us with talents or faculties
suitable for the exercise and enjoyment of religion, and it is our
business to improve them aright, or we must suffer the consequences
of it. We should conform ourselves to reason, the path of mortal
rectitude, and in so doing, we cannot fail of recommending
ourselves to God, and to our own consciences. This is all the
religion which reason knows or can ever approve of.
Moses, the celebrated prophet and legislator of the
Israelites, ingratiated himself into their esteem, by the stratagem
of prayer, and pretended intimacy with God; he acquaints us, that
he was once admitted to a sight of his BACK-PARTS! and that "no man
can see" his "face and live;" and at other times we are told that
he "talked with God, face to face, as a man talketh with his
friend;" and also that at times God waxed wrath with Israel, and
how Moses prayed for them; and at other times, that he ordered
Aaron to offer sweet incense to God, which appeased his wrath, and
prevented his destroying Israel in his hot displeasure! These are
the footsteps, by which we may trace sacerdotal dominion to its
source, and explore its progress in the world. "And the Lord said
unto Moses, how long will this people provoke me? I will smite them
with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and I will make of thee
a great nation, and mightier than they," but Moses advertises God
of the injury, which so rash a procedure would do to his character
among the nations; and also reminds him of his promise to Israel,
saying, "Now if thou shall kill all this people as one man, then
the nations, which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land,
which he swear unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the
wilderness." That Moses should thus advise the omniscient God, of
dishonorable consequences which would attend a breach of promise,
which he tells us, that God was unadvisedly about to make with the
tribes of Israel, had not his remonstrance prevented it, is very
extraordinary and repugnant to reason; yet to an eye of faith it
would exalt the man Moses, "and make him very great;" for if we may
credit his history of the matter he not only averted God's judgment
against Israel, and prevented them from being cut off as a nation,
but by the same prayer procured for them a pardon of their sin.
"Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of that people," and in the
next verse follows the answer, "and the Lord said I have pardoned
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according to thy word." It seems that God had the power, but Moses
had the dictation of it, and saved Israel from the wrath and
pestilential fury of a jealous God; and that he procured them a
pardon of their sin, "for the Lord thy God is a jealous God."
Jealousy can have no existence in that mind, which possesses
perfect knowledge, and consequently cannot, without the greatest
impropriety, be ascribed to God, who knows all things, and needed
none of the admonitions, advice or intelligence of Moses, or any of
his dictatorial prayers. "And the Lord hearkened unto the at that
time also;" intimating that it was a common thing for him to do the
like. When teachers can once make the people believe that God
answers their prayers, and that their eternal interest is dependent
on them, they soon raise themselves to opulence, rule and high
sounding titles; as that of His Holiness -- the Reverend Father in
God -- The Holy Poker -- Bishop of Souls -- and a variety of other
such like appellations, derogatory to the honor or just prerogative
of God; as is Joshua's history concerning the Lord's hearkening
unto him at the battle of the Amorites, wherein he informs us, that
he ordered the sun to stand still, saying, "Sun stand thou still
upon Giboen, and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon, so the Sun
stood still and the Moon stayed until the people had avenged
themselves upon their enemies;" so the Sun stood still in the midst
of Heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day and then
adds, by way of supremacy to himself above all others, and in
direct contradiction to the before recited passages of Moses
concerning the Lord's hearkening unto him, or to any other man but
himself, saying, "And there was no day like that before it, or
after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man." There
is not any thing more evident than that if the representation given
by Joshua, as matter of fact, is true, those exhibited by Moses
concerning the Lord's hearkening unto him are not: though the
representations of fact by Moses and by Joshua, are allowed to be
both canonical, yet it is impossible that both can be true.
However, astronomy being but little understood in the age in which
Joshua lived, and the earth being in his days thought to be at
rest, and the sun to revolve round it, makes it in no way strange,
that he caught himself by ordering the sun to stand still, which
having since been discovered to have been the original fixed
position of that luminous body, eclipses the miraculous
interposition of Joshua. Furthermore, if we but reflect that on
that very day Israel vanquished the Amorites with a great
slaughter, "and chased them along the way that goeth to Bethoron,
and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah," in so great a hurry
of war, clashing of arms, exasperation and elevation of mind, in
consequence of such triumphant victory, they could make but a
partial observation on the length of the day; and being greatly
elated with such an extraordinary day's work, Joshua took the
advantage of it, and told them that it was an uncommon day for
duration; that he had interposed in the system and prescribed to
the sun to stand still about a whole day; and that they had two
days' time to accomplish those great feats. The belief of such a
miraculous event to have taken place in the solar system, in
consequence of the influence which Joshua insinuated that he had
with God, would most effectually establish his authority among the
people for if God would hearken to his voice well might man. This
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is the cause why the bulk of mankind in all ages and countries of
the world, have been so much infatuated by their ghostly teachers,
whom they have ever imagined to have had a special influence with
God Almighty.
CHAPTER VII.
SECTION I.
THE VAGUENESS AND UNINTELLIGIBLENESS OF THE PROPHECIES,
RENDER THEM INCAPABLE OF PROVING REVELATION.
PROPHECY is by some thought to be miraculous, and by others to be
supernatural, and there are others, who indulge themselves in an
opinion, that they amount to no more than mere political
conjectures. Some nations have feigned an intercourse with good
spirits by the art of divination; and others with evil ones by the
art of magic; and most nations have pretended to an intercourse
with the world of spirits both ways.
The Romans trusted much to their sibylline oracles and
soothsayers; the Babylonians to their magicians and astrologers;
the Egyptians and Persians to their magicians; and the Jews to
their seers or prophets; and all nations and individuals, discover
an anxiety for an intercourse with the world of spirits; which lays
a foundation for artful and designing men, to impose upon them. But
if the foregoing arguments in chapter sixth, respecting the natural
impossibility of an intercourse of any unbodied or imperceptible
mental beings with mankind, are true, then the foretelling of
future events can amount to nothing more than political illusion.
For prophecy as well as all other sorts of prognostication must be
supernaturally inspired, or it could be no more than judging of
future events from mere probability or guess-work, as the
astronomers ingenuously confess in their calculations, by saying
Judgment of the weather," &c. So also respecting astrology,
provided there is any such thing as futurity to be learned from it,
it would be altogether a natural discovery; for neither astronomy
nor astrology claim anything of a miraculous or supernatural kind,
but their calculations are meant to be predicated on the order and
course of nature, with which our senses are conversant, and with
which inspiration or the mere cooperation of spirits is not
intended to act as part. So also concerning prophecy, if it be
considered to be merely natural, (we will not at present dispute
whether it is true or false) upon this position it stands on the
footing of probability or mere conjecture and uncertainty. But as
to the doctrine of any supernatural agency of the divine mind on
ours, which is commonly called inspiration, it has been
sufficiently confuted in chapter sixth; which arguments need not be
repeated, nor does it concern my system to settle the question,
whether prophecy should be denominated miraculous or supernatural,
inasmuch as both these doctrines have been confuted; though it is
my opinion, that were we to trace the notion of supernatural to its
source, it would finally terminate in that which is denominated
miraculous; for that which is above or beyond nature, if it has any
positive existence, must be miraculous.
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The writings of the prophets are most generally so loose,
vague and indeterminate in their meaning, or in the grammar of
their present translation, that the prophecies will as well answer
to events in one period of time, as in another; and are equally
applicable to a variety of events, which have and are still taking
place in the world, and are liable to so many different
interpretations, that they are incapable of being understood or
explained, except upon arbitrary principles, and therefore cannot
be admitted as a proof of revelation ; as for instance, "it shall
come to pass in the last days, saith God." Who can understand the
accomplishment of the prophecies, that are expressed after this
sort? for every day in its turn has been, and will in its
succession be the last day; and if we advert to the express words
of the prophecy, to wit, "the last days," there will be an
uncertain plurality "of last days," which must be understood to be
short of a month, or a year; or it should have been expressed thus,
and it shall come to pass in the last months or years, instead of
days: and if it had mentioned last years, it would be a just
construction to suppose, that it included a less number of years
than a century; but as the prophecy mentions "last days," we are at
a loss, which among the plurality of them to assign for the
fulfilling of the prophecy.
Furthermore, we cannot learn from the prophecy, in what month,
year, or any other part of duration those last days belong; so that
we can never tell when such vague prophecies are to take place,
they therefore remain the arbitrary prerogative of fanatics to
prescribe their events in any age or period of time, when their
distempered fancies may think most eligible: there are other
prophecies still more abstruse; to wit, "And one said unto the man
clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, how long
shall it be to the end of these wonders? and I heard the man
clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he
held up his right hand and his left hand unto Heaven, and swore by
him that liveth forever, that it should be for an time, times and
an half." The question in the prophecy is asked how long shall it
be to the end of these wonders? "and the answer is given with the
solemnity of an oath, "it shall be for a time, times and a half:"
A time is an indefinite part of duration, and so are times, and the
third description of time is as indefinite as either of the former
descriptions of it; to wit, "and an half;" that is to say, half a
time. There is no certain term given in any or either of the three
descriptions of the end of the wonders alluded to, whereby any or
all of them together are capable of computation, as there is no
certain period marked out to begin or end a calculation. To compute
an indefinite time in the single number or quantity of duration is
impossible, and to compute an uncertain plurality of such
indefinite times is equally perplexing and impracticable; and
lastly, to define half a time by any possible succession of its
parts, is a contradiction, for half a time includes no time at all;
inasmuch as the smallest conception or possible moment or criterion
of duration, is a time, or otherwise, by the addition of ever so
many of those parts together, they would not prolong a period; so
that there is not, and cannot be such a part of time, as half a
time, for be it supposed to be ever so momentous, yet if includes
any part of duration, it is a time, and not half a time. Had the
prophet said half a year, half a day, or half a minute, he would
have spoken intelligibly; but half a time has no existence at all,
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and consequently no period could ever possibly arrive in the
succession or order of time, when there could be an end to the
wonders alluded to; and in this sense only, the prophecy is
intelligible; to wit, that it will never come to pass.
the revelation of St. John the divine, involves the subject of
time, if possible, in still greater inconsistencies, viz: "And to
the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly
into the wilderness, into her place: Where she is nourished for a
time, and times and half a time." "And the angel which I saw stand
upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hands to heaven, and
swore by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven and
the things that therein are, and the earth and the things that
therein are, and the sea and the things which are therein, that
there should be time no longer." Had this tremendous oath been
verified there could have been no farther disputations on the
calculation of "time and times and half a time," (or about any
thing else) for its succession would have reached its last and
final period at that important crisis when time should have been
"no longer." The solar system must have ceased its motions, from
which we conclude the succession of time, and the race of man would
have been extinct; for as long as they may be supposed to exist,
time must of necessary consequence have existed also; and since the
course of nature, including the generations of mankind, has been
continued from the time of the positive denunciation of the angel
to this day, we may safely conclude, that his interference in the
system of nature, was perfectly romantic.
The apostle Peter, at the first Christian pentecost, objecting
to the accusation of their being drunk with new wine, explains the
prophecy of the prophet Joel, who prophesied of the events which
were to take place in the last days, as coming to pass at that
early period; his words are handed down to us as follows: "But this
is that which is spoken by the Prophet Joel, and it shall come to
pass in the last days, saith God, that I will pour out my spirit
upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams."
The history of the out-pouring of the spirit at the Pentecost,
admitting it to have been a fact, would have been very inadequate
to the prophetical prediction, viz: I will pour out my spirit upon
all flesh; the most favorable construction is that the prophet
meant human flesh, i.e., all human flesh; but instead of a
universal effusion of the spirit, it appears to have been
restricted to a select number, who were collected together at
Jerusalem, and the concourse of spectators thought them to be
delirious. It may however be supposed, that St. Peter was a better
judge of the accomplishment of the prophecy than I am: well then,
admitting his application of the prophecy of the last days to take
place at the first pentecost; it being now more than seventeen
hundred years ago, they consequently could not have been the last
days.
Still a query arises, whether every of the prophecies, which
were predicted to be fulfilled in the last days, must not have been
accomplished at that time; or whether any of the prophecies thus
expressed are still to be completed by any events which may in
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future take place; or by any which have taken place since those
last days called pentecost; or whether any prophecy whatever can be
fulfilled more than once; and if so, how many times; or how is it
possible for us, out of the vast variety of events (in which there
is so great a similarity) which one in particular to ascribe to its
right prediction among the numerous prophecies?
Furthermore, provided some of the prophecies should point out
some particular events, which have since taken place, there might
have been previous grounds of probability, that such or such events
would in the ordinary course of things come to pass; for instance,
it is no ways extraordinary, that the prophet Jeremiah should be
able to predict that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, should take
Jerusalem, when we consider the power of the Babylonish empire at
that time, and the feebleness of the Jews. "The word, which came to
Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchaditezzar king of Babylon and
all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion,
and all the people fought against Jerusalem, and against all the
cities thereof, saying, thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, go
and speak unto Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him thus saith the
Lord, behold, I will give this city of Jerusalem into the hand of
the king of Babylon." No politicians could at the time of the
prediction be much at a loss respecting the fate of Jerusalem. Nor
would it be at all evidential to any candid and ingenious enquirer,
that God had any manner of agency in fabricating the prophecies,
though some of them should seem to decipher future events, as they
might, to human appearance, turn out right, merely from accident or
continuance. It is very improbable, or rather incompatible with
human nature, that the prophecy of Micah will ever come to pass,
who predicts that "they," speaking of mankind, "shall beat their
swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more." Some of the prophecies are so apparently
contradictory, that they contain their own confutation; as for
instance, the prophecy of Micaiah contained in the book of
Chronicles, which probably is as absurd as any thing that is to be
met with in story: "And when he was come unto the king, the king
said unto him Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or
shall I forbear? and he said go ye up and prosper, and they shall
be delivered into your hand, and the king said unto him, how many
times shall I adjure thee, that thou shalt tell me nothing, but
that which is true in the name of the Lord? then he said I did see
all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no
shepherd, and the Lord said, these have no master, let them return,
therefore, every man to his house in peace: and the king said unto
Jehoshaphat, did not I tell thee, that he would prophecy no good
concerning me, but evil? "Again he said, therefore, hear the word
of the Lord -- I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and all the
host of Heaven standing on his right hand and on his left, and the
Lord said who shall entice Abab, King of Israel, that he may go up
and fall at Ramoth Gilead, and one spake saying after this manner;
and another saying after that manner; then there came out a spirit
and stood before the Lord, and said I will entice him, and the Lord
said unto him wherewith? And he said I will go forth and be a lying
spirit in the mouth of all his prophets, and the Lord said thou
shalt entice him and thou shalt prevail; go out and do even so. Now
therefore, behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of
these thy prophets and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee." It
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is observable that the prophet at first predicted the prosperity of
Ahab, saying, "go ye up and prosper, and they shall be delivered
into your hand," but after a little adjurement by the king, he
alters his prediction and prophecies diametrically the reverse.
What is more certain than that the event of the expedition against
Ramoth Gilead must have comported with the one or the other of his
prophecies? Certain it was, that Ahab would take it or not take it,
he must either prosper or not prosper, as there would be no third
way or means between these two; and it appears that the prophet was
determined to be in the right of it by his prophecy both ways. It
further appears from his prophecy, that there was a great
consultation in Heaven to entice Ahib King of Israel to his
destruction, and that a certain lying spirit came and stood before
the Lord, and proposed to him to go out and be a lying spirit in
the mouth of the king's prophets. But what is the most incredible
is, that God should countenance it, and give him positive orders to
falsify the truth to the other prophets. It appears that Micaiah in
his first prophecy, viz: "Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, and
they shall be delivered into your hand," acted in concert with the
lying spirit which stood before the Lord, but afterwards acted the
treacherous part by prophesying the truth, which, if we may credit
his account, was in direct opposition to the scheme of Heaven.
SECTION II.
THE CONTENTIONS WHICH SUBSISTED BETWEEN THE PROPHETS
RESPECTING THEIR VERACITY, AND THEIR INCONSISTENCIES
WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND WITH THE NATURE OF THINGS,
AND THEIR OMISSION IN TEACHING THE DOCTRINE OF
IMMORTALITY, PRECLUDES THE DIVINITY OF THEIR PROPHECIES.
WHOEVER examines the writings of the prophets will discover
a spirit of strife and contention among them; they would charge
each other with fallacy and deception; disputations of this kind
are plentifully interspersed through the writings of the
prophets; we will transcribe a few of those passages out of many:
"Thus saith the Lord to the foolish prophets that follow their
own spirit, and have found nothing, they have seen vanity and
lying divination, saying the Lord saith, and the Lord hath not
sent them, and they have made others to hope that they would
confirm the word." And in another place, "I have not sent these
prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken unto them, yet they
prophecy." Again, "I have heard what the prophets said, that
prophecy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed,
yet they are the prophets of the deceit of their own hearts." And
again, "Yea, they are greedy dogs, which can never have enough,
and they are shepherds that cannot understand; they all look to
their own way, every one for his gain from his quarter."
It being the case that there was such a strife among the
prophets to recommend themselves to the people, and every art and
dissimulation having been practiced by them to gain power and
superiority, all which artifice was to be judged of by the great
vulgar, or in some instances by the political views of the Jewish
Sanhedrin, how could those who were contemporaries with the
several prophets, distinguish the premised true prophets from the
false? Much less, how can we, who live more than seventeen
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hundred years since the last of them, be able to distinguish them
apart? And yet, without the knowledge of this distinction, we
cannot with propriety give credit to any of them, even admitting
there were some true prophets among them. Nor is it possible for
us to know but that their very institution was merely a reach of
policy of the Israelitish and Judaic governments, the more
easily, implicitly and effectually to keep their people in
subordination, by inculcating a belief that they were ruled with
special directions from heaven, which in fact originated from the
Sanhedrin. Many other nations have made use of much the same kind
of policy.
In the 22d chapter of Genesis, we have a history of a very
extraordinary command from God to Abraham, and of a very
unnatural attempt of his to obey it. And it came to pass after
these thins that God did tempt Abraham, and he said unto him,
Abraham, and he said behold here I am, and he said take now thy
son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee to the land of Moriah,
and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the
mountains which I will tell thee of;" "And they came to the place
which God had told him of, and Abraham built an altar there, and
laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on
the altar upon the wood; and Abraham stretched forth his hand and
took the knife to slay his son." Shocking attempt! Murder is
allowed by mankind in general to be the most capital crime that
is possible to be acted among men; it would therefore be
incompatible with the divine nature to have enjoined it by a
positive command to Abraham to have killed his son; a murder of
all others the most unnatural and cruel and attended with the
most aggravating circumstances, not merely from a proscribed
breach of the ties of parental affection, but from the
consideration that the child was to be (if we may credit the
command,) offered to God as a religious sacrifice. What could
have been a more complicated wickedness than the obedience of
this command would have been? and what can be more absurd than to
suppose that it came from God? It is argued, in vindication of
the injunction to Abraham to kill his son, that it was merely for
a trial of his obedience, and that God never designed to have him
do it; to prevent which an angel from heaven called to him and
gave him counter orders, not to slay his son but to suppose that
God heeded such an experiment, or any other, in order to know
whether Abraham would be obedient to his commands, is utterly
incompatible with his omniscience, who without public exhibitions
understands all things; so that had the injunction been in
itself, fit and reasonable, and also from God, the compliance or
non-compliance of Abraham thereto, could not have communicated
any new idea to the divine mind. Every part of the conduct of
mankind is a trial of their obedience and is known to God, as
well as the particular conduct of Abraham; besides in the
canonical writings, we read that "God cannot be with evil,
neither tempteth he any man." How then can it be, "that God did
tempt Abraham?" a sort of employment which, in scripture, is
commonly ascribed to the devil. It is a very common thing to hear
Abraham extolled for attempting to comply with the supposed
command of sacrificing his son; but it appears to me, that it had
been wiser and more becoming the character of a virtuous man, for
Abraham to have replied in answer to the injunction as follows,
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to wit, that it could not possibly have come from God; who was
the fountain of goodness and perfection, and unchangeable in his
nature, who had endowed him with reason and understanding,
whereby he knew his duty to God, his son, ind to himself, better
than to kill his only son, and offer him as a religious sacrifice
to God, for God would never have implanted in his mind such a
strong affection towards him, nor such a conscious sense of duty
to provide for, protect and succor him in all duties, and to
promote his happiness and well being, provided he had designed
that he should have laid violent hands on his life. And inasmuch
as the command was, in itself, morally speaking, unfit, and
altogether unworthy of God, he presumed that it never originated
from him, but from some inhuman, cruel and destructive being, who
delighted in woo, and pungent grief; for God could not have been
the author of so base an injunction, nor could he be pleased with
so inhuman and sinful a sacrifice.
Moses in his last chapter of Deuteronomy crowns his history
with the particular account of his own death and burial. "So
Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there, in the land of Moab,
according to the word of the Lord, and he buried him in the
valley, in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor, but no man
knew of his sepulchre unto this day; and Moses was an hundred and
twenty-years old when he died, his eyes were not dim, nor his
natural force abated, and the children of Israel wept for Moses
in the plains of Moab thirty days." This is the only historian in
the circle of my reading, who has ever given the public a
particular account of his own death, and how old he was at that
decisive period, where he died, who buried him, and where he was
buried, and withal of the number of days his friends and
acquaintances mourned and wept for him. I must confess I do not
expect to be able to advise the public of the term of my life,
nor the circumstances of my death and burial, nor of the days of
the weeping or laughing of my survivors.
Part of the laws of Moses were arbitrary impositions upon
the tribes of Israel, and have no foundation in the reason and
fitness of things, particularly that in which he inculcates
punishing the children for the iniquities of the father;
"visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, and
upon the children's children unto the third and fourth
generation." There is no reason to be given, why the iniquity of
the father might not as well have involved the fifth, sixth and
seventh generations, and so on to the latest posterity in guilt
and punishment, as the first four generations; for if it was
possible, that the iniquity of the father could be justly visited
upon any of his posterity, who were not accomplices with him in
the iniquity, or were not some way or other aiding or accessary
in it, then the iniquity might as justly be visited upon any one
of the succeeding generations as upon another, or upon the
generation of any indifferent person: for arbitrary imputations
of iniquity are equally absurd in all supposable cases; so that
if we once admit the possibility of visiting iniquity upon any
others than the perpetrators, be they who they will, we overturn
our natural and scientifical notions of a personal retribution of
justice among mankind. It is, in plain English, punishing the
innocent for the sin of the guilty. But virtue or vice cannot be
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thus visited or imputed from the fathers to the unoffending
children, or to children's children; or which is the same thing,
from the guilty to the innocent; for moral good or evil is mental
and personal, which cannot be transferred, changed or altered
from one person to another, but is inherently connected with its
respective personal actors, and constitutes a quality, or habit,
and is the merit or demerit of the respective agents or
proficient in moral good or evil, and is by nature inalienable,
"The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the
wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." But as we shall have
occasion to argue this matter at large in the twelfth chapter of
this treatise, where we shall treat of the imputed sin of Adam to
his posterity, and of imputative righteousness, we will discuss
the subject of imputation no farther in this place. However, the
unjust practice of punishing the children for the iniquity of the
father having been an ordinance of Moses, was more or less
continued by the Israelites, as in the case of Achan and his
children. "And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son
of Zorah, and the silver and the garment, and the wedge of gold,
and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and
his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had, and brought them to
the valley of Achor, and all Israel stoned him with stones, and
burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones,
and they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day; so
the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger." "Fierce anger"
is incompatible with the divine perfection, nor is the cruel
extirpation of the innocent family, and live stock of Achan, to
be accounted for on principles of reason. This flagrant injustice
of punishing the children for the iniquity of the father had
introduced a proverb in Israel, viz: "The fathers have eaten sour
grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge." But the prophet
Ezekiel in the 18th chapter of his prophecies, has confuted
Moses's statutes of visiting the iniquities of the father upon
the children, and repealed them with the authority of thus saith
the Lord, which was the manner of expression by which they were
promulgated. But the prophet Ezekiel did not repeal those
statutes of Moses merely by the authority of thus saith the Lord,
but over and above gives the reason for it, otherwise he could
not have repealed them; for Moses enacted them as he relates,
from as high authority as Ezekiel could pretend to in nullifying
them; so that had he not produced reason and argument, it would
have been "thus saith the Lord," against "thus saith the Lord."
But Ezekiel reasons conclusively, viz "The word of the Lord came
unto me again, saying, what meat ye that ye use this proverb
concerning the land of Israel, saying, the fathers have eaten
sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge; as I live,
saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use
this proverb in Israel. Behold all souls are mine, as the soul of
the father so also the soul of the son is mine the soul that
sinneth it shall die, the son shall not bear the iniquity of the
father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son,
the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the
wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him, therefore, I will
judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to their ways
saith the Lord God." it is observable, that the prophet
ingeniously says, "Ye shall not have occasion any more to use
this proverb in Israel," implicitly acknowledging that the law of
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Moses had given occasion to that proverb, nor was it possible to
remove that proverb or grievance to which the Israelites were
liable on account of visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon
the children, but by the repeal of the statute of Moses in that
case made and provided; which was effectually done by Ezekiel: in
consequence whereof the administration of justice became
disencumbered of the embarrassments under which it had labored
for many centuries. Thus it appears, that those laws, denominated
the laws of God, are not infallible, but have their exceptions
and may be dispensed with.
Under the dispensation of the law a breach of the Sabbath
was a capital offence, "And while the children of Israel were in
the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks on the
Sabbath day, and the Lord said unto Moses, the man shall surely
be put to death, and all the congregation shall stone him with
stones without the camp; and all the congregation brought him
without the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died, as the
Lord commanded Moses." The very institution of the Sabbath was in
itself arbitrary, otherwise it would not have been changed from
the last to the first day of the week. For those ordinances which
are predicated on the reason and fitness of things can never
change as that which is once morally fit, always remains so, and
is immutable, nor could the same crime, in justice, deserve death
in Moses's time (as in the instance of the Israelite's gathering
sticks), and but a pecuniary fine in ours; as in the instance of
the breach of Sabbath in these times.
Furthermore, the order of nature respecting day and night,
or the succession of time, is such, as renders it impossible that
any identical part of time, which constitutes one day, can do it
to all the inhabitants of the globe at the same time, or in the
same period. Day is perpetually dawning, and night commencing to
some or other of the inhabitants of the terraqueous ball without
intermission. At the distance of fifteen degrees of longitude to
the east of us, the day begins an hour sooner than it does with
us here in Vermont, and with us an hour sooner than it does
fifteen degrees to the westward, and thus it continues in
succession round the globe, and night as regularly revolving
after it, succeeding each other in their alternate rounds; so
that when it is mid-day with us, it is mid-night with our
species, denominated the Periaeci, who live under the same
parallel of latitude with us, but under a directly opposite
meridian; so likewise, when it is mid-day with them, it is mid-
night with us. Thus it appears that the same identical part of
time, which composes our days, compose their nights, and while we
are keeping Sunday, they are in their midnight dreams; nor is it
possible in nature, that the same identical part of time, which
makes the first day of the week with us, should make the first
day of the week with the inhabitants on the opposite side of the
globe. The apostle James speaks candidly on this subject, saying,
"Some esteem one day above another, others esteem every day
alike, let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind," and
keep the laws of the land. It was unfortunate for the Israelite
who was accused of gathering sticks on the Israelitish Sabbath,
that he was convicted of it; for though by the law of his people
he must have died, yet the act for which he suffered was no
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breach of the law of nature. Supposing that very delinquent
should come to this world again, and gather sticks on Saturday in
this country, he might as an hireling receive his wages for it,
without being exposed to a similar prosecution of that of Moses;
and provided he should gather sticks on our Sunday, his wages
would atone for his crime instead of his life, since modern
legislators have abated the rigor of the law for which he died.
The barbarous zeal of the prophet Samuel in hewing Agag to
pieces after he was made prisoner by Saul, king of Israel, could
not proceed from a good spirit, nor would such cruelty be
permitted towards a prisoner in any civilized nation at this day.
"And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal." The
unmanly deed seems to be mentioned with a phiz of religion, viz:
that it was done before the Lord; but that cannot alter the
nature of the act itself, for every act of mankind, whether good
or evil, is done before the Lord, as much as Samuel's hewing Agag
to pieces. The orders which Samuel gave unto Saul, (as he says by
the word of the Lord) to cut off the posterity of the Amalekites,
and to destroy them utterly, together with the cause of God's
displeasure with them, are unworthy of God as may be seen at
large in the 15th chapter of the Book of Samuel. "Spare them not,
but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep,
camel and ass." The ostensible reason for all this, was, because
the ancestors of the Amalekites, as long before the days of
Samuel as when the children of Israel came out of Egypt, which
was near five hundred years, had ambushed and fought against
Israel, in their passage from thence to the land which they
afterwards inhabited. Although it appears from the history of
Moses and Joshua, that Israel was going to disposes them of their
country, which is thought to be a sufficient cause of war in
these days. It is true they insinuate that the Lord had given the
land to the children of Israel, yet it appears that they had to
fight for it and get it by the hardest, notwithstanding, as is
the case with nations in these days, and ever has been since the
knowledge of history.
But be the old quarrel between Israel and Amalck as it will,
it cannot on any principle be supposed, the successors of those
Amalekites, in the days of Samuel, could be guilty of any
premised transgressions of their predecessors. The sanguinary
laws of Moses did not admit of visiting the iniquities of the
fathers upon the children in the line of succession, farther than
to the fourth generation, but the Amalekites against whom Samuel
had denounced the wrath of God, by the hand of Saul, were at a
much greater remove from those their progenitors, who were
charged with the crime for which they were cut off as a nation.
Nor is it compatible with reason to suppose, that God ever
directed either Moses or Joshua to extirpate the Canaanitish
nations. "And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly
destroyed the men and the women, and the little ones of every
city, we left none to remain." There is not more propriety in
ascribing these cruelties to God, than those that were
perpetrated by the Spaniards against the Mexican and Peruvian
Indians of natives of America. Every one who dares to exercise
his reason, free from bias, will readily, discern, that the
inhumanities exercised towards the Canaanites and Amorites,
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Mexicans and Peruvians, were detestably wicked, and could not be
approbated by God, or by rational and good men. Undoubtedly
avarice and domination were the causes of those abounding
cruelties, in which religion had as little to do as in the
crusades of the holy land (so called.)
The writings of the prophets abound with prodigies, strange
and unnatural events. The walls of Jericho are represented to
have fallen to the ground in consequence of a blast of ram's
horns; Balaam's ass to speak to his master, and the prophet
Elijah is said to have been carried off bodily into heaven by a
chariot, in a whirlwind, Strange stories! But other scriptures
tell us, "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." The
history of the affront, which the little children of Bethel gave
the prophet Elisha, his cursing them, and their destruction by
the bears, has the appearance of a fable. That Elisha should be
so exasperated at the children for calling him bald head, and
telling him to go up, was rather a sample of ill breeding; most
gentlemen would have laughed at the joke, instead of cursing
them, or being instrumental in their destruction, by merciless,
wild and voracious beasts. Though the children were saucy, yet a
man of any considerable candor, would have made allowance for
their non-age, "for childhood and youth are vanity." "And he went
up from thence unto Bethel, and as he was going up by the way,
there came forth little children out of the city and mocked him,
and said unto him, go up thou bald-head, go up thou bald-head,
and he turned back and looked on them, and he cursed them in the
name of the Lord, and there came forth two she bears out of the
wood, and tare forty and two, children of them." It seems by the
children's address, to Elisha, that he was an old bald-headed
man, and that, they had heard, that his mate, Elijah, had gone up
a little before; and as it was an uncommon thing for men to kite
away into the air, and leave the world after that sort, it is
likely that it excited a curiosity in the children to see Elisha
go off with himself in the same manner, which occasioned their
particular mode of speech to him, saying, "go up bald head." The
writings of Solomon, King of Israel, must needs have been foisted
into the canonical volume by some means or other, for no one
passage therein gives the least intimation of inspiration, or
that he had any immediate dictation from God in his compositions,
but on the contrary, he informs us, that he acquired his
knowledge by applying himself to wisdom, "to seek and to search
out concerning all things that are done under the sun. This sore
travail," says he, "has God given to the sons of men to be
exercised there with." And since Solomon never pretended to
inspiration, others cannot justly claim his writings to have been
anything more than natural reasonings, for who can, with
propriety stamp his writings with divine authority, when he
pretended no such thing, but the contrary? His song of songs
appears to be rather of the amorous hind, and is supposed to have
been written at the time he was making love to the daughter of
Pharaoh, King of Egypt, who is said to have been a princess of
exquisite beauty and exceeding coy, and so captivated his
affections that it made him light headed and sing about the
"joints of her thighs," and her "belly."
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The divine legation of Moses and the prophets is rendered
questionable from the consideration that they never taught the
doctrine of immortality, their rewards and punishments are
altogether temporary, terminating at death; they have not so much
as exhibited any speculation of surviving the grave; to this is
ascribed the unbelief of the Sadducees of the resurrection of the
dead, or of an angel or spirit, as they strenuously adhered to
the law of Moses, for they could not imagine, but that their
great prophet and law giver would have apprised them of a state
of immortality had it been true; and in this the Sadducees seem
to argue with force on their position of the divine legation of
Moses. For admitting the reality of man's immortality, it appears
incredible to suppose, that God should have specially
commissioned Moses, as his prophet and instructor to the tribes
of Israel, and not withal to have instructed them in the
important doctrine of a future existence.
SECTION III.
DREAMS OR VISIONS UNCERTAIN AND CHIMERICAL CHANNEL FOR
THE CONVEYANCE OF REVELATION; WITH REMARKS ON THE
COMMUNICATION OF THE HOLY GHOST TO THE DISCIPLES, BY THE
PRAYERS AND LAYING ON OF THE APOSTLES HANDS, WITH OBSERVATIONS
ON THE DIVINE DICTATIONS OF THE FIRST PROMULGATORS OF THE GOSPEL,
AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE ELECT LADY, AND HER NEW SECTARY OF SHAKERS.
It appears from the writings of the prophets and apostles,
that part of their revelations were communicated to them by
dreams and visions, which have no other existence but in the
imagination, and are defined to be the images which appear to the
mind during sleep, figuratively, a chimera, a groundless fancy or
conceit, without reason." Our experience agrees with this.
definition, and evinces that there is no trust to be reposed in
them. They are fictitious images of the mind, not under the
control of the understanding, and therefore not regarded at this
day except by the credulous and superstitious, who still retain a
veneration for them. But that a revelation from God to man, to be
continued to the latest posterity as a divine and perfect rule of
duty or law, should be communicated through such a fictitious and
chimerical channel, carries with it the evident marks of
deception itself, or of unintelligibleness, as appears from the
vision of St. Paul. "It is not expedient for me doubtless to
glory, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord; I knew
a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, whether in the body I
cannot tell, or whether out of the body I cannot tell, God
knoweth such an one caught up to the third heavens. And I knew
such a man, whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell,
God knoweth how that he was caught up into Paradise and heard
unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter."
That God knoweth the whole affair, will not be disputed, but that
we should understand it is impossible, for the apostle's account
of his vision is unintelligible; it appears that he was rather in
a delirium or a stupor, so that he knew not that whether he was
in or out of the body: he says he heard "unspeakable words," but
this communicates no intelligence of the subject-matter of them
to us; and that they "were not lawful for a man to utter," but
what they were, or wherein their unlawfulness to be uttered by
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man consisted, he does not inform us. His revelation from his own
story was unspeakable and unlawful, and so he told us nothing
what it was, nor does it compose any part of revelation which is
to make known. He is explicit as to his being caught up to the
third heaven, but how he could understand that is incredible,
when at the same time he knew not whether he was in the body or
out of the body; and if he was in such a delirium that he did not
know so domestic a matter as that, it is not to be supposed that
he could be a competent judge whether he was at the first,
second, third, or fourth heaven, or whether he was advanced above
the surface of the earth, or not.
That the apostles in their ministry were dictated by the
Holy Ghost, in the settlement of disputable doctrines, is highly
questionable. "Forasmuch as we have heard that certain, which
went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your
souls, saying ye must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we
gave no such commandment, for it seemed good to the Holy Ghost,
and to us, to lay upon you no other burden than these necessary
things." Acts 15. And after having given a history of the
disputations concerning circumcision, and of keeping the law of
Moses, and of the result of the council, the same chapter informs
us, that a contention happened so sharp between Paul and
Barnabas, "that they parted asunder the one from the other." Had
the Holy Ghost been the dictator of the first teachers of
Christianity, as individuals, there could have been no disputable
doctrines or controversies, respecting the religion which they
were promulgating in the world or in the manner of doing it, to
be referred to a general council of the apostles and elders held
at Jerusalem," for had they been directed by the Holy Ghost,
there could have been no controversies among them to have
referred to the council. And inasmuch as the Holy Ghost neglected
them as individuals, why is it not as likely that it neglected to
dictate the council held at Jerusalem or elsewhere? It seems that
the Holy Ghost no otherwise directed them in their plan of
religion, than by the general council of the apostles and elders,
the same as all other communities are governed. Paul having
passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus, and finding
certain disciples, he said unto them have ye received the Holy
Ghost since ye believed? and they said unto him we have not so
much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost; and when Paul had
laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them, and they
spoke with tongues and prophesied."
The spirit of God is that which constitutes the divine
essence, and makes him to be what he is, but that he should be
dictated, or his spirit be communicated by any acts or ceremonies
of the apostles, is by no means admissible; for such exertions of
the apostles, so far as they may be supposed to communicate the
holy spirit to their disciples, would have made God passive in
the premised act of the gift of the spirit; for it must have been
either the immediate act of God or of the apostles, and if it was
the immediate act of the one, it could not have been the
immediate act of the other.
To suppose that the act of the gift of the spirit was the
mere act of God, and at the same time the mere act of the
apostles, are propositions diametrically opposed to each other,
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and cannot both be true. But it may be supposed that the gift of
the spirit was partly the act of God and partly the act of the
apostles; admitting this to have been the case the consequences
would follow, that the act of the gift of the spirit was partly
divine and partly human, and therefore the beneficence and glory
of the grant of the gift of the spirit unto the disciples, would
belong partly to God and partly to the apostles, and in an exact
proportion to that which God and they may be supposed to have
respectively contributed towards the marvelous act of the gift of
the spirit. But that God should act in partnership with man, or
share his providence and glory with him, is too absurd to demand
argumentative confutation, especially in an act which immediately
respects the display or exertion of the divine spirit on the
spirits of men.
Such delusions have taken place in every age of the world
since history has attained to any considerable degree of
intelligence; nor is there at present a nation on earth, but what
is more or less infatuated with delusory notions of the immediate
influence of good or evil spirits on their minds. A recent
instance of it appears in the Elect Lady (as she has seen fit to
style herself) and her followers, called Shakers; this pretended
holy woman began her religious scheme at Connestaguna; in the
northwestwardly part of the State of New York, about the year
1769, and has added a new sectary to the religious catalogue.
After having instilled her tenets among the Connestagunites, and
the adjacent inhabitants, she rambled into several parts of the
country, promulgating her religion, and has gained a considerable
number of scattering proselytes, not only in the State of New
York, but some in the New England States. She has so wrought on
the minds of her female devotees, respecting the fading nature,
vanity and tempting allurements of their ornaments (which by the
by are not plenty among her followers,) and the deceitfulness of
riches, that she has procured from them a considerable number of
strings of gold beads and jewels, and amassed a small treasure;
and like most sectaries engrosses the kingdom of heaven to
herself and her followers, to the seclusion of all others. She
gives out that her mission is immediately from heaven, that she
travails in pain for her elect, and pretends to talk in seventy-
two unknown languages, in which she converses with those who have
departed this life, and says, that there has not been a true
church on earth since the apostles days until she had erected
hers. That both the living and the dead must be saved in, by, and
through her, and that they must confess their sins unto her and
procure her pardon, or cannot be saved. That every of the human
race who have died since the apostle's time, until her church was
set up has been damned, and that they are continually making
intercession to her for salvation, which is the occasion of her
talking to them in those unknown tongues; and that she gathers
her elect from earth and hell. She wholly refuses to give a
reason for what she does or says: but says that it is the duty of
mankind to believe in her, and receive her instructions, for they
are infallible.
For a time she prohibited her disciples from propagating
their species, but soon after gave them ample license,
restricting them, indiscriminately, to the pale of her sanctified
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church, for that she needed more souls to complete the number of
her elect. Among other things she instructs those who are young
and sprightly among her pupils, to practice the most wild,
freakish, wanton and romantic gestures, as to that of indecently
stripping them-selves, twirling round, extorting their features,
shaking and twitching their bodies and limbs into a variety of
odd and unusual ways, and many other extravagances of external
behavior, in the practice of which they are said to be very alert
even to the astonishment of spectators, having by use acquired an
uncommon agility in such twirling, freakish and romantic
practices. The old Lady having such an ascendancy over them as to
make them believe that those extravagant actions were occasioned
by the immediate power of God, it serves among them as a proof of
the divinity of her doctrines.
A more particular account of this new sectary has been
lately published in a pamphlet by a Mr. Rathburn, who, as he
relates, was for a time, one of her deluded disciples, but after
a while apostatized from the faith, and has since announced to
the world the particulars of their doctrine and conduct.
Probably there never was any people or country, since the
era of historical knowledge, who were more confident than they
that they are acted upon by the immediate agency of the divine
spirit; and as there are facts now existing in a considerable
tract of country, and are notoriously known in this part of
America, I take the liberty to mention them, as a knowledge of
these facts, together with the concurrent testimony of the
history of such deceptions in all ages and nations, might induce
any countrymen to examine strictly into the claim and reality of
ghostly intelligence in general.
CHAPTER VIII.
SECTION I.
OF THE NATURE OF FAITH AND WHEREIN IT CONSISTS.
Faith in Jesus Christ and in his Gospel throughout the New
Testament, is represented to be an essential condition of the
eternal salvation of mankind. "Knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus
Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be
justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the
law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Again, If thou shalt confess the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou mayst
be saved." And again, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." Faith is the
last result of the understanding, or the same which we call the
conclusion, it is the consequence of a greater or less deduction
of reasoning from certain premises previously laid down; it is
the same as believing or judging of any matter of fact, or
assenting to or dissenting from the truth of any doctrine, system
or position; so that to form a judgment, or to come to a
determination in one's own mind, or to believe, or to have faith,
is in reality the same thing, and is synonymously applied both in
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writing and speaking, for example, "Abraham believed in God."
Again, "for he," speaking of Abraham, "judged him faithful who
had promised," and again "his faith was counted unto him for
righteousness" It is not only in scripture that we meet with
examples of the these words, to wit, belief, judgment, and faith,
to stand for the marks of our ideas for the same thing, but also
all intelligible writers and speakers apply these phrases
synonymously, and it would be good grammar and sense, for us to
say that we have faith in a universal providence, or that we
judge that there is a universal providence. These three different
phrases, in communicating our ideas of providence, do every one
of them exhibit the same idea, to all persons of common
understanding, who are acquainted with the English language. In
fine, every one's experience may convince them that they cannot
assent to, or dissent from the truth of any matter of fact,
doctrine or proposition whatever, contrary to their judgment; for
the act of the mind in assenting to or dissenting from any
position, or in having faith or belief in favor of, or against
any doctrine, system, or proposition, could not amount to
anything more or less, than the act of the judgment, or last
dictate of the understanding, whether the understanding be
supposed to be rightly informed or not: so that our faith in all
cases is as liable to err, as our reason is to misjudge of the
truth; and our minds act faith in disbelieving any doctrine or
system of religion to be true, as much as in believing it to be
so. From hence it appears, that the mind cannot act faith in
opposition to its judgment, but that it is the resolution of the
understanding itself committed to memory or writing, and can
never be considered distinct from it. And inasmuch as faith
necessarily results from reasoning, forcing itself upon our minds
by the evidence of truth, or the mistaken apprehension of it,
without any act of choice of ours, there cannot be any thing,
which pertains to, or partakes of the nature of moral good or
evil in it. For us to believe such doctrines, or systems of
religion, as appears to be credibly recommended to our reason,
can no more partake of the nature of goodness or morality, than
our natural eyes may be supposed to partake of it in their
perception of colors; for the faith of the mind, and the sight of
the eye are both of them necessary consequences, the one results
from the reasonings of the mind, and the other from the
perception of the eye. To suppose a rational mind without the
exercise of faith would be as absurd as to suppose a proper and
complete eye without sight, or the perception of the common
objects of that sense. The short of the matter is this that
without reason we could not have faith, and without the eye or
eyes we could not see, but once admitting that we are rational,
faith follows of course, naturally resulting from the dictates of
reason.
SECTION II.
OF THE TRADITIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.
It may be objected, that the far greater part of mankind
believe according to the tradition of their forefathers, without
examining into the grounds of it, and that argumentative
deductions from the reason and nature of things, have, with the
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bulk of them, but little or no influence on their faith.
Admitting this to have been too much the case, and that many of
them have been blameable for the omission of cultivating or
improving their reason, and for not forming a better judgment
concerning their respective traditions, or a juster and more
exalted faith yet this does not at all invalidate the foregoing
arguments respecting the nature of faith: for though it be
admitted that most of the human race do not, or will not reason,
with any considerable degree of propriety, on the traditions of
their forefathers, but receive them implicitly, they nevertheless
establish this one proposition in their minds, right or wrong,
that their respective traditions are right, for none could
believe in them were they possessed of the knowledge that they
were wrong. And as we have a natural bias in favor of our
progenitors, to whose memory a tribute of regard is justly due,
and whose care in handing down from father to son such notions of
religion and manners, as they supposed would be for the well
being and happiness of their posterity in this and the coming
world, naturally endears tradition to us, and prompts us to
receive and venerate it. Add to this, that the priests of every
denomination are "instant in season and out of season," in
inculcating and instilling the same tenets, which, with the
foregoing considerations, induces mankind in general to give at
least a tacit consent to their respective traditions, and without
a thorough investigation thereof, believe them to be right and
very commonly infallible, although their examinations are not
attended with a mediative reasoning, from the nature of things;
and in the same proportion as they may be supposed to fall short
of conclusive arguing on their respective traditions they cannot
fail to be deceived in the rationality of their faith.
But after all it may be that some of the human race may have
been traditionally or accidentally right, in many or most
respects. Admitting it to be so, yet they cannot have any
rational enjoyment of it, or understand wherein the truth of the
premised right tradition consists, or deduce any more
satisfaction from it, than others whose traditions may be
supposed to be wrong; for it is the knowledge of the discovery of
truth alone, which is gratifying to that mind who contemplates
its superlative beauty.
That tradition has had a powerful influence on the human
mind is universally admitted, even by those who are governed by
it in the articles or discipline of their faith; for though they
are blind with respect to their own superstition, yet they can
perceive and despise it in others. Protestants very readily
discern and expose the weak side of Popery, and Papists are as
ready and acute in discovering the errors of heretics. With equal
facility do Christians and Mahometans spy out each others
inconsistencies and both have an admirable sagacity to descry the
superstition of the heathen nations. Nor are the Jews wholly
silent in this matter; "O God the heathen are come into thine
inheritance, thy holy temple have they defiled." What abomination
must this have been in the opinion of a nation who had
monopolized all religion to themselves! Monstrous vile heathen,
that they should presume to approach the sanctum sanctorum! The
Christians call the Mahometans by the odious name of infidels,
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but the Musslemen, in their opinion, cannot call the Christians
by a worse name than that which they have given themselves, they
therefore call them Christians.
What has been already observed upon tradition, is sufficient
to admonish us of its errors and superstitions, and the
prejudices to which a bigoted attachment thereto exposes us,
which is abundantly sufficient to excite us to a careful
examination of our respective traditions, and not to rest
satisfied until we have regulated our faith by reason.
SECTION III.
OUR FAITH IS GOVERNED BY OUR REASONING, WHETHER THEY
ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CONCLUSIVE OR INCONCLUSIVE, AND NOT
MERELY BY OUR OWN CHOICE.
It is written that "Faith is the gift of God." Be it so, but
is faith any more the gift of God than reflection, memory or
reason are his gifts? Was it not for memory, we could not retain
in our minds the judgment which we have passed upon things; and
was it not for reasoning, in either a regular or irregular
manner, or partly both, there could be no such thing as judging
or believing so that God could not bestow the gift of faith
separate from the gift of reason, faith being the mere
consequence of reasoning, either right or wrong, or in a greater
or less degree, as has been previously argued.
Still there is a knotty text of scripture to surmount, viz:
"He that believeth shall be saved, but he that believeth not
shall be damned." This text is considered as crowding hard upon
unbelievers in christianity; but when it is critically examined,
it will be found not to militate at all against them, but is
merely a Jesuitical fetch to overawe some and make others wonder.
We will premise, that an unbeliever is destitute of faith, which
is the cause of his being thus denominated. The Christian
believes the gospel to be true and of divine authority, the Deist
believes that it is not true and not of divine authority; so that
the Christian and Deist are both of them believers, and according
to the express words of the text, "shall be saved," and a Deist
may as well retort upon a Christian and call him an infidel,
because he differs in faith from him, as a Christian may upon the
Deist; for there is the same impropriety in applying the cant of
infidelity to either, as both are believers; and it is impossible
for us to believe contrary to our judgments or the dictates of
understanding, whether it be rightly informed or not. Why then
may there not in both denominations be honest men, who are
seeking after the truth, and who may have an equal right to
expect the favor and salvation of God.
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CHAPTER IX.
SECTION I.
A TRINITY OF PERSONS CANNOT EXIST IN THE DIVINE ESSENCE
WHETHER THE PERSONS BE SUPPOSED TO BE FINITE OR INFINITE:
WITH REMARKS ON ST. ATHENASIUS'S CREED.
OF all errors which have taken place in religion, none have
been so fatal to it as those that immediately respect the divine
nature. Wrong notions of a God, or of his providence, sap its
very foundation in theory and practice, as is evident from the
superstition discoverable among the major part of mankind; who,
instead of worshipping the true God, have been by some means or
other infatuated to pay divine homage to mere creatures or to
idols made with hands, or to such as have no existence but in
their own fertile imaginations.
God being incomprehensible to us, we cannot understand all
that perfection in which the divine essence consists we can
nevertheless (negatively) comprehend many things, in which
(positively) the divine essence does not and cannot consist.
That it does not consist of three persons, or of any other
number of persons, is as easily demonstrated, as that the whole
is bigger than a part, or any other proposition in mathematics.
We will premise, that the three persons in the supposed
Trinity are either finite or infinite; for there cannot in the
scale of being be a third sort of beings between these two; for
ever so many and exalted degrees in finiteness is still finite,
and that being who is infinite admits of no degrees of
enlargement; and as all beings whatever must be limited or
unlimited, perfect or imperfect, they must therefore be
denominated to be finite or infinite: we will therefore premise
the three persons in the Trinity to be merely finite, considered
personally and individually from each other, and the question
would arise whether the supposed Trinity of finites though united
in one essence, could be more than finite still. Inasmuch as
three imperfect and circumscribed beings united together could
not constitute a being perfect or infinite, any more than
absolute perfection could consist of three imperfections; which
would be the same as to suppose that infinity could be made up or
compounded of finiteness; or that absolute, uncreated and
infinite perfection, could consist of three personal and
imperfect natures. But on the other hand, to consider every of
the three persons in the supposed Trinity, as being absolutely
infinite, it would be a downright contradiction to one infinite
and all comprehending essence. Admitting that God the Father is
infinite, it would necessarily preclude the supposed God the Son,
and God the Holy Ghost from the god-head, or essence of God; one
infinite essence comprehending every power, excellency and
perfection, which can possibly exist in the divine nature. Was it
possible that three absolute infinites, which is the same as
three Gods, could be contained in one and the self-same essence,
why not as well any other number of infinites? But as certain as
infinity cannot admit of addition, so certain a plurality of
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infinites cannot exist in the same essence; for real infinity is
strict and absolute infinity, and only that, and cannot be
compounded of infinities or of parts, but forecloses all
addition. A personal or circumscribed God, implies as great and
manifest a contradiction as the mind of man can conceive of; it
is the same is a limited omnipresence, a weak Almighty, or a
finite God.
From the foregoing arguments on the Trinity, we infer, that
the divine essence cannot consist of a Trinity of persons,
whether they are supposed to be either finite or infinite.
The creed-mangers have exhibited the doctrine of the Trinity
in an alarming point of light, viz.: "Whoever would be saved
before all thins it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith,
which faith, except every one doth keep whole and undefiled,
without doubt he shall perish everlastingly." We next proceed to
the doctrine, "The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, and the
Holy Ghost is eternal, and yet there are not three eternals but
one eternal." The plain English is, that the three persons in the
Trinity are three eternals, individually considered, and yet they
are not three eternals but one eternal.
To say that there are three eternals in the Trinity, and yet
that there are not three eternals therein, is a contradiction in
terms, as much as to say, that there are three persons in the
Trinity and yet there are not three persons in the Trinity.
The first proposition in the creed affirms, that "the Father
is eternal," the second affirms that "the Son is eternal," the
third affirms that the Holy Ghost is eternal," the fourth affirms
that there are not three eternals," and the fifth that there is
but one eternal."
The reader will observe, that the three first propositions
are denied by the fourth, which denies that there are three
eternals, though the three first propositions affirmed, that
there were three eternals by name, viz. the Father, Son and Holy
Ghost. The fifth proposition is unconnected with either of the
former, and is undoubtedly true, viz. "but there is one eternal."
"The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God and
yet there are not three Gods but one God." Here again we have
three Gods by name, affirmed to have an existence by the three
first propositions, by the fourth they are negatived, and the
fifth affirms the truth again, viz. that there is "but one God."
Admitting the three first propositions to be true, to wit,
that there are three Gods, the three could not be one and the
same God, any more than Diana, Dagan and Moloch may be supposed
to be the same; and if three Gods, their essences and providences
would interfere and make universal confusion and disorder.
"The Father is Almighty, the Son is Almighty, and the Holy
Ghost is Almighty, and yet there are not three Almighties but one
Almighty." Here we have three Almighties and at the same time but
one Almighty. So that the point at issue is brought to this
simple question, viz. whether three units can be one, or one unit
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three or not? Which is submitted to the curious to determine. Our
creed further informs us, that the three persons in the Trinity
are co-eternal together and co-equal, but in its sequel we are
told that one was begotten of the other; and when we advert to
the history of that transaction, we find it to be not quite
eighteen hundred years ago, and took place in the reign of Herod,
the King of Judea, which faith except "we keep whole and
undefiled," we have a threat, that "without doubt we shall perish
everlastingly."
SECTION II.
ESSENCE BEING THE CAUSE OF IDENTITY, IS INCONSISTENT
WITH PERSONALITY IN THE DIVINE NATURE.
ONE God can have but one essence, which must have been
eternal and infinite, and for that reason precludes all others
from a participation of his nature, glory, and universal and
absolute perfection.
When we speak of any being who by nature is capable of being
rightfully denominated an individual, we conceive of it to exist
but in one essence; so that essence as applied to God,
denominates the divine nature; and as applied to man, it denotes
an individual: for although the human race is with propriety
denominated the race of man, and though every male of the
species, is with equal propriety called man, for that they
partake of one common sort of nature and likeness, yet the
respective individuals are not one and the same. The person of A
is not the person of B, nor are they conscious of each other's
consciousness, and therefore the joy or grief of A, is not and
cannot be the joy or grief of B; this is what we know to be a
fact from our own experience, The reason of this personal
distinction is founded in nature, for though we partake of one
common nature and likeness, yet we do not partake of one and the
same essence. Essence is therefore, in the order of nature, the
primary cause of identity or sameness and cannot be divided.
From hence we infer, that the doctrine of the Trinity is
destitute of foundation, and tends manifestly to superstition and
idolatry.
SECTION III.
THE IMPERFECTION OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE PERSON OF
JESUS CHRIST, INCOMPATIBLE WITH HIS DIVINITY.
THAT Jesus Christ was not God is evident from his own words,
where, speaking of the day of judgment, he says, "Of that day and
hour knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in Heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father." This is giving up all
pretention to divinity, acknowledging in the most explicit
manner, that he did not know all things, but compares his
understanding to that of man and angels; "of that day and hour
knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither
the Son." Thus he ranks himself with finite beings, and with them
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acknowledges, that he did not know the day and hour of judgment,
and at the same time ascribes a superiority of knowledge to the
father, for that he knew the day and hour of judgment.
That he was a mere creature is further evident from his
prayer to the father, saying, "father if it be possible, let this
cup pass from me, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done."
These expressions speak forth the most humble submission to his
father's will, authority and government, and however becoming so
submissive a disposition to the divine government would be, in a
creature, it is utterly inconsistent and unworthy of a God, or of
the person of Jesus Christ, admitting him to have been a divine
person, or of the essence of God.
CHAPTER X.
SECTION I.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATE OF MAN, IN MOSES'S PARADISE, ON THE
TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, AND ON THE TREE OF LIFE:
WITH SPECULATIONS ON THE DIVINE PROHIBITION TO MAN, NOT TO EAT
OF THE FRUIT OF THE FORMER OF THOSE TREES, INTERSPERSED
WITH REMARKS ON THE MORTALITY OF INNOCENT MAN.
THE mortality of animal life, and the dissolution of that of
the vegetable, has been particularly considered in chapter three,
section four, treating on physical evils. We now proceed to make
an application of those arguments, in the case of our reputed
first parents, whose mortality is represented by Moses to have
taken place in consequence of their eating of the forbidden
fruit.
Moses in his description of the garden of Eden acquaints us
with two chimerical kinds of fruit trees, which, among others, he
tells us were planted by God in the place appointed for the
residence of the new made couple; the one he calls by the name of
"the tree of knowledge of good and evil," and the other by the
name of "the tree of life." And previous to his account of the
apostasy, he informs us, that God expressly commanded the man and
woman, saying, "be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth
and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth
upon the earth; and God said, behold I have given you every herb
bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and tree,
in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed, to you it shall be
for meat." Again, "and the Lord commanded the man saying, of
every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree
of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it, for in
the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the
Lord said, it is not good for man to be alone, I will make him an
help meet for him; and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall
upon Adam, and he slept, and he took out of his one of his ribs,
and closed up the flesh instead thereof, and the rib which the
Lord God had taken from man made he a woman.
Thus it appears from Moses's representation of the state of
man's innocency, that he was commanded by God to labor, and to
replenish the earth; and that to him was given the dominion over
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the creatures, and that at several times he was licensed by God
himself to eat of every one of the fruit of the trees, and of the
herbage except of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; and
because it was not good that the man should be alone, but that he
might multiply and replenish the earth, our amorous mother Eve,
it seems, was formed, who I dare say well compensated father Adam
for the loss of his rib.
This short description of man's state and condition in
innocency, agrees with the state and circumstances of an nature
at present. Innocent man was required to labor and subdue the
earth, out of which he was to be subsisted; had a license to eat
of the fruit of the trees, or herbage of the garden, which pre-
supposeth that his nature needed refreshment the same as ours
does; for otherwise it would have been impertinent to have
granted him a privilege incompatible with his nature, as it would
have been no privilege at all, but an outright mockery, except we
admit, that innocent human nature was liable to decay, needed
nutrition by food, and had the quality of digestion and
perspiration; or in fine, had the same sort of nature as we have;
for otherwise he could eat but one belly-full, which without
digestion would remain the same, and is too romantic to have been
the original end and design of eating. And though there is
nothing mentioned by Moses concerning his drinking, yet it is
altogether probable, that he had wit enough to drink when he was
thirsty. That he consisted of animal nature is manifest, not only
from his being subjected to subdue the earth, out of which he was
to be subsisted, and from his eating and drinking, or his
susceptibility of nutrition by food, but also from his propensity
to propagate his kind; for which purpose a helpmate was made for
him.
Nothing could more fully evince, that Moses's innocent
progenitors of mankind, in that state, were of a similar nature
to ours, than their susceptibility of propagating the species;
and as they required nutrition, their nature must have had the
quality or aptitude of digestion and perspiration, and every
property that at present we ascribe to an animal nature; from
hence we infer, that death, or mortality, must have been the
necessary consequence. What would have prevented them from having
been crushed to death by a fall from a precipice, or from
suffering death by any other casualty, to which human nature is
at present liable? will any suppose that the bodies of those
premised innocent progenitors of the human race were
invulnerable; were they not flesh and blood? surely they were,
for otherwise they could not have been male and female; as it was
written, "male and female created he them:" and inasmuch as
animal life has, from its original, consisted of the same sort of
nature, and been propagated and supported in the same manner, and
obnoxious to the same fate, it would undoubtedly in the premised
day of Adam, required the same order in the external system of
nature, which it does at present, to answer the purposes of
animal life.
Was it possible that the laws of nature, which merely
respect gravitation, could be and were suspended, so as not to be
influential on matter, our world would be immediately disjointed
and out of order, and confusion would succeed its present
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regularity; in the convulsions whereof animal life could not
subsist. So that not only the laws which immediately respect
animal nature in particular, but the laws which respect our solar
system, must have been the same in man's innocency, as in his
whimsically supposed state of apostasy; and consequently, his
mortality the same. From hence we infer, that the curses, which
Moses informs us of in chapter three: as being by God pronounced
upon man, saying, "dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt
return," could not have been any punishment, inflicted as a
penalty for eating the forbidden fruit; for turn to dust he must
have done, whether he eat of it or not; for that death and
dissolution was the inevitable and irreversible condition of the
law of nature, which wholly precludes the curse, of which Moses
informs us, from having any effect on mankind.
The story of the "tree of life," is unnatural, And there
being but one of the kind, it may be called an only tree, the
world not having produced another of the sort; the fruit of
which, according to Moses, had such an efficacious quality, that
had Adam and Eve but eaten thereof, they would have lived
forever." And now lest he put forth his hand and take also of the
tree of life, and eat, and live forever." To prevent which, they
are said to be driven out of the garden, that the eating thereof
might not have reversed the sentence of God, which he had
previously pronounced against them, denouncing their mortality.
"So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the garden
of Eden, cherubims, and a flaming sword, which turneth every way
to keep the way of the tree of life." A bite of this fruit it
seems would have reinstated mankind, and spoiled priestcraft. Yet
it is observable, that there are no travellers or historians who
have given any accounts of such a tree, or of the cherubims or
flaming sword, which renders its existence disputable, and the
reality of it doubtful and improbable; the more so, as that part
of the country, in which it is said to have been planted, has for
a long succession of ages been populously inhabited.
Yet it may be objected, that the tree may have rotted down
and consumed by time. But such conjectures derogate from the
character of the quality of the tree. It seems, that so marvelous
a tree, the fruit of which would have preserved animal life
eternally, would have laughed at time, and bid defiance to decay
and dissolution, and eternally have remained in its pristine
state under the protection of the flaming sword, as a perpetual
evidence of the divine legation of Moses, and the reality of
man's apostasy for ever. But alas! it is no where to be found, it
is perished from off the face of the earth, and such a marvelous
fruit is no more, and consequently no remedy against mortality
remains.
SECTION I.
POINTING OUT THE NATURAL IMPOSSIBILITY OF ALL AND EVERY OF
THE DIVERSE SPECIES OF BIPED ANIMALS, COMMONLY TERMED MAN,
TO HAVE LINEALLY DESCENDED FROM ADAM AND EVE,
OR FROM THE SAME ORIGINAL PROGENITORS.
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IT is altogether improbable and manifestly contradictory to
suppose, that the various and diverse nations and tribes of the
earth, who walk upon two legs, and are included under the term
man, have or possibly could have descended by ordinary
generation, from the same parents, be they supposed to be who
they will.
Those adventurers, who have sailed or travelled to the
several parts of the globe, inform us, in their respective
histories, that they find the habitable part of it more or less
populated by one kind or other of rational animals, and that
considered as tribes or nations, there is evidently a gradation
of intellectual capacity among them, some more exalted and others
lower in the scale of being; and that they are specially diverse
from each other with respect to their several animal natures,
though in most respects they appear to have one sort of nature
with us, viz: more like us that like the brute creation; as they
walk erect, speak with man's voice, and make use of language of
one sort or other, though many of them are more or less
inarticulate in their manner of speaking: and in many other
particulars bear a general likeness to us. They are nevertheless
considered as distinct tribes or nations, are of different sizes,
and as to complexion, they vary from the two extremes of white
and black, in a variety of tawny mediums.
The learned nations can trace their genealogies, (though
somewhat incorrect) for a considerable time, but are certain to
be sooner or later lost in the retrospect thereon, and those that
are of an inferior kind, or destitute of learning or science have
no other knowledge of their genealogies, than they retain by
their respective traditions, which are very inconsiderable. They
are likewise diverse from each other in their features and in the
shape of their bodies and limbs, and some are distinguished from
others by their rank smell and the difference in their hair, eyes
and visage, but to point out the distinctions would exceed my
design.
The Ethiopians, though of a shining black complexion, have
regular and beautiful features, and long black hair (one of those
female beauties captivated the affections of Moses) they differ
very materially from the negro blacks, so that it appears
impossible that they should have descended in a lineal succession
from the same ancestors. They are uniformly in their respective
generations essentially diverse from each other, so that an issue
from a male and female of the two nations would be a mongrel,
partaking partly of the kind of both nations. So also concerning
the difference which subsists between us and the negroes; their
black skin is but one of the particulars in which they are
different from us; their many and very essential differences
fully evince, that the white nations, and they, could not
according to the law of their respective generations, have had
one and the same lineal original, but that they have had their
diverse kind of original progenitors.
It is true that the several nations and tribes of the earth,
comprehended under the general term man, notwithstanding their
diversity to each other in bodily shape and mental powers, bear a
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nearer resemblance to one, another than the brute kind, for which
reason they are known by one common appellation: though it is
manifest that they could never have linearly descended from the
same first parents, whether their names were Adam and Eve, or
what not.
But inasmuch as our genealogies are wholly insufficient for
the purpose of explaining our respective originals or any or
either of them, or to give us or any of us, considered as
individuals or nations, who fall under the denomination of the
term man, any manner of insight or knowledge from whom we are
linearly descended, or who were our respective original
ancestors, or what their names were: we must therefore reason on
this subject from the facts and causes now existing, which
abundantly evince, that we are of different kinds, and
consequently are not of the same lineage.
The acquaintance, which we have had with the negro nation in
particular, fully evinces the absurdity of supposing them to be
of the same blood and kindred with ourselves. But that there are
some original intrinsic and hereditary diversity or essential
difference between us and them, which cannot be ascribed to time,
climate, or to mere contingence.
For that we and they are in nature inherently and uniformly
diverse from each other in our respective constitutions and
generations, and have been so time immemorial. So that the
negroes are of a different species of rational beings from us,
and consequently must have had their distinct lineal original;
was it not so, there could be no such thing as a mongrel or a
mulatto, who is occasioned by a copulation between the males and
the females of the respective diverse species, the issue
partaking of both natures.
Had all the nations and tribes of the world, who are
denominated rational, been linearly descended from the same
progenitors, mongrelism could never have taken place among them,
as in this, case they would have been all of the same kind: from
hence we infer, that they have had their respective original
progenitors. The Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope have
enacted laws to punish with death such of their Dutch subjects as
may be convicted of copulating with the Hottentots: for that
their nature is adjusted to be of an inferior species to theirs,
so that mixing their nature with them would essentially
degenerate and debase their own.
SECTION III.
OF THE ORIGIN OF THE DEVIL OR OF MORAL EVIL, AND OF
THE DEVIL'S TALKING WITH EVE; WITH A REMARK THAT
THE DOCTRINE OF APOSTASY IS THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIANITY.
INASMUCH as the devil is represented to have had so great
and undue an influence in bringing about the apostasy of Adam,
and still to continue his temptations to mankind, it may be worth
our while to examine into the nature and manner of his being and
the mode of his exhibiting his temptations.
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John's gospel, verse 1 and 3, the Christian's God is the
creator of the devil and consequently the original cause of evil
in heaven -- and among men he planted the tree of knowledge of
good and evil, and knew at the time he planted it of the awful
consequences that would follow.
But if it be admitted, that the creature called the devil
(who must be supposed to be under the divine government, as much
as any other creature) could become inflexible, and perpetually
rebellious and wicked, incapable of a restoration, and
consequently subjected to eternal punishment (which, to me
appears to be inconsistent with the wisdom and goodness of the
divine government, and the nature, end and design of a
probationary agent) yet it would by no means follow from hence,
that so stubbornly wicked and incorrigible a creature would have
been permitted, by the providence of God, to tempt, ensnare or
seduce mankind, by plying his temptations to their weak side. One
thing we are certain of, viz. that the devil does not visit our
world in a bodily or organized shape, and there is not in nature
a second way, in which it is possible for him to make known
himself to us, or that he could have done it to our progenitors,
nor could he ever have communicated to them or to us, any
temptations or ideas whatever, any otherwise than by making a
proper application to our external senses, so that we could
understand him, or receive the ideas of his temptations in a
natural way. For supernatural intercourse with the world of
spirits or invisible beings has been shown to be contradictory
and impossible in the arguments contained in the sixth chapter,
to which the reader is referred. Those arguments will hold
equally good as applied to either good or evil spirits, and are
demonstrative of the utter impossibility of mankind's holding any
manner of intercourse or intelligence with them.
But should we premise, that, according to the history of
Moses, it was in the power of the devil to assume a bodily shape,
and, that he did in very deed transform himself into the figure,
likeness and organization of a snake, yet by and with that organ
he could not have spoken or uttered the following articulate
words, which Moses charged him with, to wit, "And the serpent
said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die, for God doth know,
that in the day ye eat thereof, that your eyes shall be opened,
and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil."
Who speaks the truth in the above passages, the devil, for
neither the man nor the woman died for many years after they are
said to have eaten of the forbidden fruit, for death is the
annihilation of life, and they did not die on the day they eat.
As the serpent is by nature incapable of speech, it must
have put the devil into the same predicament, admitting that he
transformed himself into the same figure or likeness, and
consequently for want of the proper and adequate organs of
speech, he must necessarily have been incapable of any other
language than that of rattling his tail, and therefore could
never have spoken those recited words unto Eve, or communicated
any of his temptations unto her by language, while in that
similitude. However, admitting that the first parents of mankind
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were beguiled by the wiles of the devil to transgress the divine
law, yet of all transgressions it would have been the most
trivial (considered under all the particular circumstances of it)
that the mind of man can conceive of.
Who in the exercise of reason can believe, that Adam and Eve
by eating of such a spontaneous fruit could have incurred the
eternal displeasure of God, as individuals? Or that the divine
vindictive justice should extend to their unoffending offspring
then unborn? And sentence the human progeny to the latest
posterity to everlasting destruction? As chimerical as Moses's
representation of the apostasy of man manifestly appears to be,
yet it is the very basis, on which Christianity is founded, and
is announced in the New Testament to be the very cause why Jesus
Christ came into this world, "that he might destroy the works of
the devil," and redeem fallen man, alias, the elect, from the
condemnation of the apostasy; which leads me to the consideration
of the doctrine of imputation.
CHAPTER XI.
SECTION I.
IMPUTATION CANNOT CHANGE, ALIENATE OR TRANSFER THE PERSONAL
DEMERIT OF SIN; AND PERSONAL MERIT OF VIRTUE TO OTHERS,
WHO WERE NOT ACTIVE, THEREIN, ALTHOUGH THIS DOCTRINE
SUPPOSES AN ALIENATION THEREOF.
THE doctrine of imputation according to the Christian
scheme, consists of two parts; first, of imputation of the
apostasy of Adam and Eve to their posterity, commonly called
original sin; and secondly, of the imputation of the merits or
righteousness of Christ, who in scripture is called the second
Adam, to mankind, or to the elect. This is a concise definition
of the doctrine, and which will undoubtedly be admitted to be a
just one by every denomination of men, who are acquainted with
Christianity, whether they adhere to it or not. I therefore
proceed to illustrate and explain the doctrine by transcribing a
short, but very pertinent conversation, which in the early years
of my manhood, I had with a Calvinistical divine: but previously
remark, that I was educated in what is commonly called the
Armenian principles, and among other tenets to reject the
doctrine of original sin, this was the point at issue between the
clergyman and me. In my turn I opposed the doctrine of original
sin with philosophical reasoning, and as I thought had confuted
the doctrine. The reverend gentleman heard me through patiently,
and with candor replied, "your metaphysical reasoning are not to
the purpose; inasmuch as you are a Christian, and hope and expect
to be saved by the imputed righteousness of Christ to you; for
you may as well be imputedly sinful as imputedly righteous. Nay,
said he, if you hold to the doctrine of satisfaction and
atonement by Christ, by so doing you pre-suppose the doctrine of
apostasy or original sin to be in fact true; for said he, if
mankind were not in a ruined and condemned state by nature, there
could have been no need of a redeemer, but each individual would
have been accountable to his creator and judge, upon the basis of
his own moral agency. Further observing, that upon philosophical
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principles it was difficult to account for the doctrine of
original sin, or original righteousness, yet as they were plain
fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, we ought to assent
to the truth of them, and that from the divine authority of
revelation. Notwithstanding, said he, if you will give me a
philosophical explanation of original imputed righteousness,
which you profess to believe, and expect salvation by, then I
will return you a philosophical explanation of the doctrine of
original sin; for it is plain, said he, that your objections lie
with equal weight against original imputed righteousness, as
against original imputed sin." Upon which I had the candor to
acknowledge to the worthy ecclesiastic, that upon the Christian
plan, I perceived that the argument had fairly terminated against
me. For at that time I dared not distrust the infallibility of
revelation, much more to dispute it. However, this conversation
was uppermost in my mind for several months after, and after many
painful searches and researches after the truth respecting the
doctrine of imputation, resolved at all events to abide the
decision of rational argument in the premises, and on a full
examination of both parts of the doctrine, rejected the whole;
for on a fair scrutiny I found, that I must concede to it
entirely or not at all, or else believe inconsistently as the
clergyman had argued.
Having opened and explained the doctrine, we proceed
argumentatively to consider it. Imputation of sin or
righteousness includes an alteration or transferring of the
personal merits or demerits of sin or righteousness, from those
who may be supposed to have been active in the one or the other,
to others, who are premised not to have been active therein,
otherwise it would not answer the Bible notion of imputation. For
if sin or righteousness, vice or virtue, are imputable only to
their respective personal proficient or actors, in this case
original sin must have been imputed to Adam and Eve, to the
exclusion of their posterity, and the righteousness of Christ as
exclusively imputed to himself, precluding all others therefrom;
so that both the sin of the first Adam and the righteousness of
the second, would, on this stating of imputation, have been
matters which respect merely the agency, of the demerits or
merits of the two respective Adams themselves, and in which we
could have had no blame, reward or concern, any more than in the
building of Babel.
This then is the question that determines the sequel of the
dispute for or against the doctrine of imputation, viz. whether
the personal merit or demerit of mankind, that is to say, their
virtue or vice, righteousness or wickedness can be alienated,
imputed to, or transferred from one person to another, or not? If
any should object against this stating of the question now in
dispute, it would be the same in reality as disputing against the
doctrine of imputation itself, for imputation must transfer or
change the personal merit or demerit of the sin or righteousness
of mankind or not do it; if it does not do it, the whole notion
of original sin or of righteousness, as being imputed from the
first and second Adams to mankind, is without foundation,
consequently, if there is any reality in the doctrine of
imputation, it must needs transfer or change the guilt of
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original sin, or of the apostasy of Adam and Eve, to their
posterity, or otherwise they could need no atonement or
imputative righteousness as a remedy therefrom, but every
individual of mankind would have stood accountable to their
creator and judged on the basis of their own moral agency," which
is undoubted the true state of the case, respecting all rational
and accountable beings; so that if the transferring of the
individual merits or demerits of one person to another, is not
contained in the act or doctrine of imputation, it contains
nothing at all, but is a sound without a meaning, and after all
the talk which has been in the world about it, we must finally
adopt to old proverb, viz. every tub stands upon its own bottom."
SECTION II.
THE MORAL RECTITUDE OF THINGS FORECLOSES THE ACT OF IMPUTATION.
Imputation confounds virtue and vice, and saps the very
foundation of moral government, both divine and human. Abstract
the idea of personal merit and demerit, from the individuals of
mankind, justice would be totally blind, and truth would be
nullified, or at least excluded from any share in the
administration of government. Admitting that moral good and evil
has taken place in the system of rational agents, yet, on the
position of imputation, it would be impossible, that a
retribution of justice should be made to them by God or by man,
except it be according to their respective personal merits and
demerits; which would fix upon the basis of our own moral agency
and accountability, and preclude the imputation of righteousness.
Truth respects the reality of things, as they are in their
various complicated and distinct natures, and necessarily
conforms to all facts and realities. It exists in, by and with
every thing that does exist, and that which does not and cannot
exist, is fictitious and void of truth, as is the doctrine of
imputation. It is a truth that some of the individuals of mankind
are virtuous, and that others are vicious, and it is a truth,
that the former merit peace of conscience and praise, and the
latter horror of conscience and blame; for God has so constituted
the nature of things, that moral goodness, naturally and
necessarily tends to happiness in a moral sense, and moral evil
as necessarily tends to the contrary; and as truth respects every
thing, as being what it is, it respects nature, as God has
constituted it, with its tendencies, dispositions, aptitudes and
laws; and as the tendency of virtue is to mental happiness, and
vice the contrary, they fall under the cognizance of truth, as
all other facts necessarily do; which tendencies will for ever
preclude imputation, by making us morally happy or miserable
according to our works.
Truth respects the eternal rules of unalterable rectitude
and fitness, which comprehends all virtue, goodness and true
happiness; and as sin and wickedness is no other but a deviation
from the rules of eternal unerring order and reason, so truth
respects it as unreasonable, unfit, unrighteous and unhappy
deviation from moral rectitude, naturally tending to misery. This
order of nature, comprehended under the terms of truth, must have
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been of all others the wisest and best; in fine it must have been
absolutely perfect; for this order and harmony of things, could
not have resulted from anything short of infinite wisdom,
goodness and power, by which it is also upheld; and all just
ideas of equity, or of natural and moral fitness must be learned
from nature, and predicated on it; and nature predicated on the
immutable perfection of a God; and to suppose that imputation, in
any one instance has taken place, is the same as to suppose, that
the eternal order, truth, justice, equity and fitness of things
has been changed, and if so, the God of nature must needs have
been a changeable being, and liable to alter his justice or order
of nature, which is the same thing; for without the alteration of
nature, and the tendency of it, there could be no such thing as
imputation, but every one of the individuals of mankind would be
ultimately happy or miserable, according as their respective
proficiencies may be supposed to be either good or evil,
agreeable to the order and tendency of nature before alluded to.
For all rational and accountable agents must stand or fall upon
the principles of the law of nature, except imputation alters the
nature and tendency of things; of which the immutability of a God
cannot admit.
From what has been already argued on this subject, we infer,
that as certain as the individuals of mankind are the proprietors
of their own virtues or vices, so certain, the doctrine of
imputation cannot be true. Furthermore, the supposed act or
agency of imputing or transferring the personal merit or demerit
of moral good or evil, alias, the sin of the first Adam, or the
righteousness of the second Adam; to others of mankind, cannot be
the act or exertion of either the first or second Adam, from whom
original sin and righteousness is said to have been imputed. Nor
can it be the act or doings of those individuals, to whom the
supposed merit or demerit of original sin or righteous is
premised to be imputed; so that both Adam and each individual of
mankind are wholly excluded from acting any part in the premised
act of imputation and are supposed to be altogether passive in
the matter, and consequently it necessarily follows, that if
there ever was such an act as that of imputation, it must have
been the immediate and sovereign act of God, to the preclusion of
the praise or blame of man. But to suppose, that God can impute
the virtue or vice of the person of A, to be the virtue or vice
of the person of B, is the same as to suppose that God can impute
or change truth into falsehood or falsehood into truth, or that
he can reverse the nature of moral rectitude itself, which is
inadmissable. But admitting, that imputation was in the power and
at the option of man, it is altogether probable that they would
have been very sparing in imputing merit And happiness, but might
nevertheless have been vastly liberal in imputing demerit and
misery, from one to another, which is too farcical.
SECTION III.
CONTAINING REMARKS ON, THE ATONEMENT AND SATISFACTION
FOR ORIGINAL SIN.
The doctrine of imputation is in every point of view
incompatible with the moral perfections of God. We will premise,
that the race of Adam in their respective generations was guilty
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of the apostasy, and obnoxious to the vindictive justice and
punishment of God, and accordingly doomed to either an eternal or
temporary punishment therefore, which is the Bible representation
of the matter. What possibility could there have been of
reversing the divine decree? It must be supposed to have been
just, or it could not have had the divine sanction, and if so, a
reversal of it would be unjust. But it would be still a greater
injustice to lay the blame and vindictive punishment of a guilty
race of condemned sinners upon an innocent and inoffensive being,
for in this case the guilty would be exempted from their just
punishment, and the innocent unjustly suffer for it, which holds
up to view two manifest injustices; the first consists in not
doing justice to the guilty, and the second in actually punishing
the innocent, which instead of atoning for sin, would add sin to
sin, of injustice to injustice; and after all, if it was ever
just, that the race of Adam should have been punished for the
imputed sin of their premised original ancestor, be that
punishment what it will it is so still, notwithstanding the
atonement, for the eternal justice and reason of things can never
be altered. This justice always defeats the possibility of
satisfaction for sin by way of a mediator.
That physical evils may and have been propagated by natural
generation, none can dispute, for that the facts themselves are
obvious. But that moral evil can be thus propagated, is
altogether chimerical, for we are not born criminals.
SECTION IV.
REMARKS ON REDEMPTION, WROUGHT OUT BY INFLICTING THE DEMERITS
OF SIN UPON THE INNOCENT, WOULD BE UNJUST, AND THAT IT COULD
CONTAIN NO MERCY OR GOODNESS TO THE UNIVERSALITY OF BEING.
THE practice of imputing one person's crime to another, in
capital offenses among men, so that the innocent should suffer
for the guilty, has never yet been introduced into any court of
judicature in the world, or so much as practiced in any civilized
country; and the manifest reason in this, as in all other cases
of imputation, is the same, viz. it confounds personal merit and
demerit.
The murderer ought to suffer for the demerit of his crime,
but if the court exclude the idea of personal demerit (guilt
being always the inherent property of the guilty and of them
only) they might as well sentence one person to death for the
murder as another: for justice would be wholly blind was it not
predicated on the idea of the fact of a personal demerit, on the
identical person who was guilty of the murder: nor is it possible
to reward merit abstractly considered from its personal agents.
These are facts that universally hold good in human government.
The same reasons cannot fail to hold good in the divine mind as
in that of the human, for the rules of justice are essentially
the same whether applied to the one or to the other, having their
uniformity in the eternal truth and reason of things.
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But it is frequently objected, that inasmuch as one person
can pay, satisfy and discharge a cash debt for another redeem him
from prison and set him at liberty, therefore Jesus Christ might
become responsible for the sins of mankind, or of the elect, and
by suffering their punishments atone for them and free them from
their condemnation. But it should be considered, that comparisons
darken or reflect light upon an argument according as they are
either pertinent or impertinent thereto; we will therefore
examine the comparison, and see if it will with propriety apply
to the atonement.
Upon the Christian scheme, Christ the Son was God, and equal
with God the Father, or with God the Holy Ghost, and therefore
original sin must be considered to be an offence equally against
each of the persons of the premised Trinity, and being of a
criminal nature could not be discharged or satisfied by cash or
produce, as debts of a civil contract are, but by suffering; and
it has already been proved to be inconsistent with the divine or
human government, to inflict the punishment of the guilty upon
the innocent, though one man may discharge another's debt in
cases where lands, chattels or cash are adequate to it; but what
capital offender was ever discharged by such commodities?
Still there remains a difficulty on the part of
Christianity, in accounting for one of the persons in the
premised Trinity ratifying a debt due to the impartial justice of
the unity of the three persons. For God the Son to suffer the
condemnation of guilt in behalf of man, would not only be unjust
in itself, but incompatible with his divinity, and the
retribution of the justice of the premised Trinity of persons in
the god-head (of whom God the Son must be admitted to be one)
toward mankind; for this would be the same as to suppose God to
be judge, criminal and executioner, which is inadmissible.
But should we admit for argument's sake, that God suffered
for original sin, yet taking into one complex idea the whole
mental system of beings, universally, both finite and infinite,
there could have been no display of grace, mercy, or goodness to
being in general, in such a supposed redemption of mankind;
inasmuch as the same quantity or degree of evil is supposed to
have taken place upon being, universally considered, as would
have taken place, had finite individuals, or the race of Adam,
suffered according to their respective demerits.
Should we admit that there is a Trinity of persons in the
divine essence, yet the one could not suffer without the other,
for essence cannot be divided in suffering, any more than in
enjoyment. The essence of God is that which includes the divine
nature, and the same identical nature must necessarily partake of
the same glory, honor, power, wisdom, goodness and absolute
uncreated and unlimited perfection, and is equally exempted from
weakness and suffering. Therefore, as certain as Christ suffered
he was not God, but whether he is supposed to be God or man, or
both, he could not in justice have suffered for original sin,
which must have been the demerit of its perpetrators as before
argued.
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supposing Christ to have been both God and man, he must have
existed in two distinct essences, viz. the essence of God and the
essence of man. And if he existed in two distinct and separate
essences, there could be no union between the divine and human
natures. But if there is any such thing as an hypostatical union
between the divine and human natures, it must unite both in one
essence, which is impossible: for the divine nature being
infinite, could admit of no addition or enlargement and
consequently cannot allow of a union with any nature whatever.
Was such an union possible in itself, yet, for a superior nature
to unite with an inferior one in the same essence, would be
degrading to the former, as it would put both natures on a level
by constituting an identity of nature: the consequences whereof
would either deify man, or divest God of his divinity, and reduce
him to the rank and condition of a creature; inasmuch as the
united essence must be denominated either divine or human.
CHAPTER XII.
SECTION I.
OF THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF TRANSLATING AN INFALLIBLE
REVELATION FROM ITS ORIGINAL COPIES, AND PRESERVING
IT ENTIRE THROUGH ALL THE REVOLUTIONS OF THE WORLD,
AND VICISSITUDES OF HUMAN LEARNING TO OUR TIME.
ADMITTING for argument sake that the Scriptures of the Old
and New Testament were originally of divine supernatural
inspiration, and that their first manuscript copies were the
infallible institutions of God, yet to trace them from their
respective ancient dead languages, and different and diverse
translations, from the obscure hieroglyphical pictures of
characters, in which they were first written, through all the
vicissitudes and alterations of human learning, prejudices,
superstitions, enthusiasms and diversities of interests and
manners, to our time, so as to present us with a perfect edition
from its premised infallible original manuscript copies would be
impossible. The various and progressive methods of learning, with
the insurmountable difficulties of translating any supposed
antiquated written revelation would not admit of it, as the
succeeding observations on language and grammar will fully
evince.
In those early ages of learning, hieroglyphics were
expressive of ideas; for instance, a snake quirted (a position
common to that venomous reptile) was an emblem of eternity, and
the picture of a lion, a representation of power, and so every
beast, bird, reptile, insect and fish, had in their respective
pictures, particular ideas annexed to them, which varied with the
arbitrary custom and common consent of the several separate
nations, among whom this way of communicating ideas was
practiced, in some sense analogous to what is practiced at this
day by different nations, in connecting particular ideas to
certain sounds or words written in characters, which according to
certain rules of grammar constitute the several languages. But
the hieroglyphical manner of writing by living emblems, and
perhaps in some instances by other pictures, was very abstruse,
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and inadequate to communicate that multiplicity and diversity of
ideas which are requisite for the purpose of history,
argumentation or general knowledge in any of the sciences or
concerns of life; which mystical way of communicating ideas
underwent a variety of alterations and improvements, though not
so much as that of characters and grammar has done; for in the
hieroglyphical way of communicating their ideas, there was no
such thing as spelling, or what is now called orthography, which
has been perpetually refining and altering, ever since
characters, syllables, words or grammar have been brought into
use, and which will admit of correction and improvement as long
as mankind continue in the world. For which reason the original
of all languages is absorbed and lost in the multiplicity of
alterations and refinements, which have in all ages taken place,
so that it is out of the power of all Etymologists and
Lexiconists now living, to explain the ideas, which were
anciently connected with those hieroglyphical figures or words,
and which may have composed the original of any language, written
in characters, in those obsolete and antiquated ages, when
learning and science were in their infancy: since the beneficial
art of printing has arrived to any considerable degree of
perfection, the etymology of words, in the scientifical and
learned languages, has been considerably well understood: though
imperfectly, as the various opinions of the learned concerning it
may witness. But since the era of printing, the knowledge of the
ancient learning has been in a great measure, or in most
respects, wholly lost; and inasmuch as the modern substitute is
much better, it is no loss at all. Some of the old English
authors are, at this day quite unintelligible, and others in
their respective latter publications, more or less so. The last
century and a half has done more towards the perfecting of
grammar, and purifying the languages than the world had ever done
before.
I do not understand Latin, Greek or Hebrew, in which
languages, it is said, that the several original manuscripts of
the Scriptures were written; but I am informed by the learned
therein, that, like other languages, they have gone through their
respective alterations and refinements, which must have been the
case, except they reached their greatest perfection in their
first composition; of which the progressive condition of man
could not admit. So that the learned in those languages, at this
day, know but little or nothing how they were spoken or written
when the first manuscript copies of the Scriptures were composed;
and consequently, are not able to inform us, whether their
present translations do, any of them, perfectly agree with their
respective original premised infallible manuscript copies or not.
And inasmuch as the several English translations of the Bible do
materially differ from each other, it evinces the confused and
blundering condition in which it has been handed down to us.
The clergy often informs us from the desk, that the
translation of the Bible, which is now in use in this country, is
erroneous, after having read such and such a passage of it, in
either Latin, Greek or Hebrew, they frequently give us to
understand, that instead of the present translation, it should
have been rendered thus and thus in English, but never represent
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to us how it was read and understood in the antiquated and
mystical figures or characters of those languages, when the
manuscripts of Scripture were first written, or how it has been
preserved and handed down entire, through every refinement of
those languages, to the present condition of Latin, Greek and
Hebrew. Probably this is too abstruse a series of retrospective
learning for their scholarship, and near or quite as foreign from
their knowledge as from that of their hearers,
It is not to be supposed that all the alterations which have
taken place in language, have been merely by improving it. In
many instances, ignorance, accident or custom has varied it to
its disadvantage, but it has nevertheless been subject to
correction, and generally speaking has been altered for the
better, yet, by one means or other has been so fluctuating and
unstable, as that an infallible revelation could not have been
genuinely preserved, through all the vicissitudes and revolutions
of learning, for more than seventeen hundred years last past to
this day.
The diversity of the English language is represented with
great accuracy by Mr, Samuel Johnson, the celebrated
lexicographer, in the samples of different ages, in his history
of the English language, subjoined to the preface of the
dictionary, to which the curious are referred for the observance
of the various specimens.
SECTION II.
THE VARIETY OF ANNOTATIONS AND EXPOSITIONS OF THE
SCRIPTURES, TOGETHER WITH THE DIVERSITY OF
SECTARIES EVINCES THEIR FALLIBILITY.
EVERY commentary and annotation on the Bible, implicitly
declares its fallibility; for if the Scriptures remained genuine
and entire, they would not stand in need of commentaries and
expositions, but would shine in their infallible lustre and
purity without them. What an idle phantom it is for mortals to
assay to illustrate and explain to mankind, that which God may be
supposed to have undertaken to do, by the immediate inspiration
of his spirit? Do they understand how to define or explain it
better than God may be supposed to have done? This is not
supposable; upon what ground then do these multiplicity of
comments arise, except it be pre-supposed that the present
translations of the Bible have, by some means or other, became
fallible and imperfect, and therefore needs to be rectified and
explained? and if so, it has lost the stamp of divine authority;
provided in its original composition it may be supposed to have
been possessed of it.
The diversity of the English language is represented with
great accuracy by Mr, Samuel Johnson, the celebrated
lexicographer, in the samples of different ages, in his history
of the English language, subjoined to the preface of the
dictionary to which the curious are referred for the observance
of the various specimens.
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SECTION II.
THE VARIETY OF ANNOTATIONS AND EXPOSITIONS OF THE
SCRIPTURES, TOGETHER WITH THE DIVERSITY OF SECTARIES
EVINCE THEIR FALLIBILITY.
EVERY commentary and annotation on the Bible, implicitly
declares its fallibility; for if the Scriptures remained genuine
and entire, they would not stand in need of commentaries and
expositions, but would shine in their infallible lustre and purity
without them. What an idle phantom it is for mortals to assay to
illustrate and explain to mankind, that which God may be supposed
to have undertaken to do, by the immediate inspiration of his
spirit? Do they understand how to define or explain it better than
God may be supposed to have done? This is not supposable; upon what
ground then do these multiplicity of comments arise, except it be
presupposed that the present translations of the Bible have, by
some means or other, become fallible and imperfect, and therefore
need to be rectified and explained? and if so, it has lost the
stamp of divine authority; provided in its original composition it
may be supposed to have been possessed of it.
To construe or spiritualize the Bible is the same as to
inspire it over again, by the judgment, fancy or enthusiasm of men;
and thus the common people, by receiving God's supposed revelation
at secondary hands whether at the thousandth or ten thousandth
remove from its first premised inspiration they know not) cannot in
fact he taught by the revelation of God. Add to this diverse and
clashing expositions of the Bible, among which are so many flagrant
proofs of the fallibility and uncertainty of such teachings, as
must convince even bigots, that every one of these expositions are
erroneous, except their own!
It has been owing to different comments on the Scriptures,
that Christians have been divided into sectaries. Every
commentator, who could influence a party to embrace his comment,
put himself, at the head of a division of Christians; as Luther,
Calvin, and Arminius, laid the foundation of the sectaries who bear
their names; and the Socinians were called after the Scismatical
Socinius; the same may be said of each of the sectaries. Thus it is
that different commentaries or acceptations of the original meaning
of the Scriptures, have divided the Christian world into divisions
and subdivisions of which it consists at present. Nor was there
ever a division or subdivision among Jews, Christians or
Mahometans, respecting their notions or opinions of religion, but
what was occasioned by commenting on the Scriptures, or else by
latter pretended inspired revelations from God in addition thereto.
The law of Moses was the first pretended immediate revelation from
God, which respects the Bible, and after that in succession the
several revelations of the prophets, and last of all (in the
Christian system) the revelations of Jesus Christ and apostles, who
challenged a right of abolishing the priesthood of Moses; Christ
claiming to be the antitype of which the institution of sacrifices
and ceremonial part of the law of Moses was emblematical; but this
infringement of the prerogative of the Levitical priests gave such
offence, not only to them, but to the Jews as a nation, that they
rejected Christianity, and have not subscribed to the divine
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authority of it to this day, holding to the law of Moses and the
prophets. However Christianity made a great progress in the world,
and has been very much divided into sectaries, by the causes
previously assigned.
"Mahomet taking notice of the numerous sects and divisions
among Christians, in his journeys to Palestine, &c., thought it
would not be difficult to introduce a new religion, and make
himself high priest and sovereign of the people." This he finally
effected, prosecuting' his scheme so far, that he new modelled the
Scriptures, presenting them, (as he said,) in their original
purity, and called his disciples after his own name. He gained
great numbers of proselytes and became their sovereign in civil,
military and spiritual matters, instituted the order of mystical
priesthood, and gave the world a new Bible by the name of the
Alcoran; which he gives us to understand was communicated to him
from God, by the intermediate agency of the angel Gabriel, chapter
by chapter. "His disciples at this day inhabit a great part of the
richest countries in the world, and are supposed to be more
numerous than the Christians," and are as much, if not more,
divided into sectaries, from causes similar to those which produced
the division of Christians, viz.: the different commentators on,
and expositions of the Alcoran. The Mufti, or priests, represented
the doctrines and precepts of the Alcoran in a variety of lights
different from each other, each of them claiming the purity of the
original and infallible truths prescribed to the world by Mahomet,
their great reformer of Christianity. For though the several
sectaries of Mahometans differ, respecting the meaning of their
Alcoran, yet they all hold to the truth and divine authority
thereof, the same as the Christian sectaries do concerning their
Bible: so that all the different opinions which ever did, or at
present do subsist, between Jews, Christians and Mahometans, may be
resolved into one consideration, viz.: the want of a right
understanding of the original of the Scriptures. All sat out at
first, as they imagined, from the truth of God's word, (except the
impostors,) concluded that they had an infallible guide, and have,
by one means or other, been guided into as many opposite faiths as
human invention has been capable of fabricating; each sect among
the whole, exulting in their happy ignorance, believing that they
are favored with an infallible revelation for their direction.
It alters not the present argument, whether the Scriptures
were originally true or not; for though they be supposed to have
been either true or false, or a mixture of both, yet they could
never have been handed down entire and uncorrupted to the present
time, through the various changes and perpetual refinements of
learning and language; this is not merely a matter of speculative
and argumentative demonstration, the palpable certainty of it
stands confessed in every Jewish, Christian and Mahometan sectary.
SECTION III.
ON THE COMPILING OF THE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE SCRIPTURES INTO
ONE VOLUME, AND OF ITS SEVERAL TRANSLATIONS. THE
INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPES, AND OF THEIR CHARTERED
RIGHTS TO REMIT OR RETAIN SINS, AND OF THE IMPROPRIETY
OF THEIR BEING TRUSTED WITH A REVELATION FROM GOD.
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THE manuscripts of Scripture, which are said to have been
originally written on scrolls of bark, long before the invention of
paper or printing, and are said to compose our present Bible, were
in a loose and confused condition, scattered about in the world,
deposited nobody knows how or where, and at different times were
compiled into one volume. The four gospels are by the learned
generally admitted to have been wrote many years after Christ,
particularly that of St. John: and sundry other gospels in the
primitive ages of Christianity were received as divine by some of
its then sectaries, which have unfortunately not met with
approbation in subsequent eras of the despotism of the church.
The translation of the Scriptures by Ptolemy Philadelphus,
king of Egypt, was before Christ, and therefore could not include
the writings of the New Testament in his translation, and "whether
by seventy-two interpreters, and in the manner as is commonly
related, is justly questioned." But where, at what time, and by
whom, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were first
compiled into one volume, is what I do not understand: but was it
a longer or shorter period after Christ, it alters not the present
argument materially, since the scattered manuscripts were in a
loose and confused condition for a long time; and the grand query
is, when the compilers of those manuscripts collected them together
in order to form them into one volute, how they could have
understood the supposed divine writings, or symbolical figures,
with the ideas originally connected with them, and distinguish them
from those which were merely human, and in comparison of the others
are called profane. To understand this distinction would require a
new revelation, as much as may be supposed necessary for composing
the original manuscripts themselves; but it is not pretended that
the compilers or translators of the Bible were inspired by the
divine spirit in the doing and completing their respective
business; so that human reason, fancy, or some latent design, must
needs have been substituted, in distinguishing the supposed divine
and human writings apart, and in giving a perfect transcript of the
original manuscripts. Now admitting that the compilers were really
honest principled men, (which is more than we are certain of) it
would follow, that they would be obliged to cull out of the mixed
mass of premised divine and human writings, such as to them
appeared to be divine, which would make them to be the sole
arbitrators of the divinity that they were compiling to be handed
down to posterity as the infallible word of God, which is a great
stretch of prerogative for mortal, and fallible man to undertake,
and as great a weakness in others to subscribe to it, as of divine
authority.
Mr. Fanning, in his dictionary definition of the word Bible,
subjoins the following history of its translations: "The
translation of this sacred volume was begun very early in this
kingdom," [England,] "and some part of it was done by King Alfred.
Adelmus translated the Psalms into Saxon in 709, other parts were
done by Edfrid or Ecbert in 730, the whole by Bede in 731, Trevisa
published the whole in English in 1357. Tindals was brought higher
in 1534, revised and altered in 1538, published with a preface of
Crammers in 1549. In 1551, another translation was published, which
was revised by several bishops, was printed with their alterations
in 1560. In 1607, a new translation was published by authority,
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which is that in present use," From this account it appears, that
from the first translation of the Bible by Trevisa, into English,
in 1357, it has been revised, altered, and passed through six
different publications, the last of which is said to have been done
by authority, which I conclude means that of the king, whose
prerogative in giving us a divine revelation, can no more be
esteemed valid than that of other men, though he may be possessed
of an arbitrary power within the limits of his realm to prevent any
further correction and publication of it. As to the changes it
underwent previous to Trevisa's translation, in which time it was
most exposed to corruptions of every kind, we will not at present
particularly consider, but only observe that those translations
could not, every one of them, be perfect, since they were diverse
from each other, in consequence of their respective revisions and
corrections; nor is it possible that the Bible, in any of its
various editions could be perfect, any more than all and every one
of those persons who have acted a part in transmitting them down to
our time may be supposed to be so: for perfection does not pertain
to man, but is the essential prerogative of God.
The Roman Catholics, to avoid the evils of imperfection,
fallibility and imposture of man, have set up the Pope to be
infallible; this is their security against being misguided in their
faith, and by ascribing holiness to him, secure themselves from
imposture; a deception which is incompatible with holiness. So that
in matters of faith, they have nothing more to do, but to believe
as their church believes. Their authority for absolving or
retaining sins is very extraordinary; however, their charter is
from Christ, (admitting them to be his vicars, and the successors
of St. Peter,) and the present English translation of the Bible
warrants it. The commission is in these words: And I will give unto
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whoever thou shalt bind
on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shall loose
on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Whosesoever sins ye remit,
they are remitted unto them, and whosesoever sins ye retain, they
are retained." That St. Peter or his successors should have a power
of binding and determining the state and condition of mankind in
the world to come by remitting or retaining sins, is too great a
power to be intrusted to men, as it interferes with the providence
and prerogative of God, who on this position would be exempted from
judging the world, (as it would interfere with the chartered
prerogative of the Popes in their remitting or retaining of sins,
admitting it to have been genuine,) precluding the divine
retribution of justice; we may, therefore, from the authority of
reason, conclude it to be spurious. It was a long secession of ages
that all christendom were dupes to the See of Rome, in which time
it is too evident to be denied, that the holy fathers obtruded a
great deal of pious fraud on their devotees; all public worship was
read to the people in unknown languages, as it is to this day in
Roman Catholic countries. Nor has the Bible, in those countries, to
this time, been permitted to be published in any but the learned
languages, which affords great opportunity to the Romish church to
fix it to answer their lucrative purposes. Nor is it to be supposed
that they want the inclination to do it. The before recited grant
of the power of the absolution of sin, to St Peter in particular,
was undoubtedly of their contrivance.
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In short, reason would prompt us to conclude, that had God, in
very deed, made a revelation of his mind and will to mankind, as a
rule of duty and practice to them, and to be continued as such to
the latest posterity, he would in the course of his providence have
ordered matters so that it should have been deposited, translated,
and kept, in the hands of men of a more unexceptionable character
than those holy cheats can pretend to.
Witchcraft and priestcraft, were introduced into this world
together, in its non-age; and has gone on, hand in hand together,
until about half a century past, when witchcraft began to be
discredited, and is at present almost exploded, both in Europe and
America. This discovery has depreciated priestcraft, on the scale
of at least fifty per cent. per annum, and rendered it highly
probable that the improvement of succeeding generations, in the
knowledge of nature and science, will exalt the reason of mankind,
above the tricks and impostures of priests, and bring them back to
the religion of nature and truth; ennoble their minds, and be the
means of cultivating concord, and mutual love in society, and of
extending charity, and good will to all intelligent beings
throughout the universe; exalt the divine character, and lay a
permanent foundation for truth and reliance on providence;
establish our hopes and prospects of immortality, and be conducive
to every desirable consequence, in this world, and that which is to
come; which will crown the scene of human felicity in this
sublunary state of being and probation; which can never be
completed while we are under the power and tyranny of priests,
since as it ever has, it ever will be their interest, to invalidate
the law of nature and reason, in order to establish systems
incompatible therewith.
CHAPTER XIII.
SECTION I.
MORALITY DERIVED FROM NATURAL FITNESS, AND NOT FROM
TRADITION.
SUCH parts or passages of the Scriptures as inculcate
morality, have a tendency to subserve mankind, the same as all
other public investigations or teachings of it, may be supposed
to have; but are neither better or worse for having a place in
the volume of those writings denominated canonical; for morality
does not derive its nature from books, but from the fitness of
things; and though it may be more or less, interspersed through
the pages of the Alcoran, its purity and rectitude would remain
the same; for it is founded in eternal right; and whatever
writings, books or oral speculations, best illustrate or teach
this moral science, should have the preference. The knowledge of
this as well as all other sciences, is acquired from reason and
experience, and (as it is progressively obtained) may with
propriety be called, the revelation of God, which he has revealed
to us in the constitution of our rational natures; and as it is
congenial with reason and truth, cannot (like other revelations)
partake of imposture. This is natural religion, and could be
derived from none other but God. I have endeavored, in this
treatise, to prune this religion from those excrescences, with
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which craft on the one hand, and ignorance on the other, have
loaded it; and to hold it up to view in its native simplicity,
free from alloy; and have throughout the contents of the volume,
addressed the reason of mankind, and not their passions,
traditions or prejudices; for which cause, it is no ways probable
that it will meet with any considerable approbation.
Most of the human race, by one means or other are
prepossessed with principles opposed to the religion of reason.
In these parts of America, they are most generally taught, that
they are born into the world in a state of enmity to God and
moral good, and are under his wrath and curse, that the way to
heaven and future blessedness is, out of their power to pursue,
and that it is incumbered with mysteries which none but the
priests can unfold, that we must "be born again," have a special
kind of faith, and be regenerated; or in fine, that human nature,
which they call "the old man," must be destroyed, perverted, or
changed by them, and by them new modelled, before it can be
admitted into the heavenly kingdom. Such a plan of superstition,
as far as it obtains credit in the world, subjects mankind to
sacerdotal empire; which is erected on the imbecility of human
nature. Such of mankind, as break the fetters of their education,
remove such other obstacles as are in their way, and have the
confidence publicly to talk rational, exalt reason to its just
supremacy, and vindicate truth and the ways of God's providence
to men, are sure to be stamped with the epithet of irreligious,
infidel, profane, and the like. But it is often observed of such
a man, that he is morally honest, and as often replied, "what of
that? Morality will carry no man to heaven." So that all the
satisfaction the honest man can have while the superstitious are
squabbling hell fire at him, is to retort back upon them that
they are priest ridden.
The manner of the existence, and intercourse of human souls,
after the dissolution of their bodies by death, being
inconceivable to us in this life, and all manner of intelligence
between us and departed souls impracticable, the priests have it
in their power to amuse us with a great variety of visionary
apprehensions of things in the world to come, which, while in
this life, we cannot contradict from experience, the test of
great part of our certainty (especially to those of ordinary
understandings) and having introduced mysteries into their
religion, make it as incomprehensible to us, (in this natural
state) as the manner of our future existence; and from Scripture
authority, having invalidated reason as being carnal and
depraved, they proceed further to teach us from the same
authority, that, "the natural man knoweth not the things of the
spirit, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know
them for they are spiritually discerned." A spiritualizing
teacher is nearly as well acquainted with the kingdom of heaven,
as a man can be with his home lot. He knows the road to heaven
and eternal blessedness, to which happy regions, with the
greatest assurance, he presumes to pilot his dear disciples and
unfold to them the mysteries of the canonical writings, and of
the world to come; they catch the enthusiasm and see with the
same sort of spiritual eyes, with which they can pierce religion
through and through, and understand the spiritual meaning of the
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Scriptures, which before had been "a dead letter" to them,
particularly the revelations of St. John the divine, and the
allusion of the horns therein mentioned. The most obscure and
unintelligible passages of the Bible, come within the compass of
their spiritual discerning as apparently as figures do to a
mathematician: then they can sing songs out of the Canticles,
saying, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine;" and being at
a loose from the government of reason, please themselves with any
fanaticism they like best, as that of their being "snatched as
brands out of the burning, to enjoy the special and eternal favor
of God, not from any worthiness or merit in them, but merely from
the sovereign will and pleasure of God, while millions of
millions, as good by nature and practice as they, were left to
welter eternally, under the scalding drops of divine vengeance;"
not considering that if it was consistent with the perfections of
God to save them, his salvation could not fail to have been
uniformly extended to all others, whose circumstances may be
supposed to be similar to, or more deserving than theirs, for
equal justice cannot fail to apply in all cases in which equal
justice demands it. But these deluded people resolve the divine
government altogether into sovereignty: "even so Father, for so
it seemed good in thy sight," And as they exclude reason and
justice from their imaginary notions of religion, they also
exclude it from the providence or moral government of God.
Nothing is more common, in the part of the country where I was
educated, than to hear those infatuated people, in their public
and private addresses, acknowledge to their creator, from the
desk and elsewhere, "hadst thou, O Lord, laid judgment to the
line and righteousness to the plummet, we had been in the grave
with the dead and in hell with the damned, long before this
time." Such expressions from the creature to the creator are
profane, and utterly incompatible with the divine character.
Undoubtedly, (all things completely considered) the providence of
God to man is just, inasmuch as it has the divine approbation.
The superstitious thus set up a spiritual discerning,
independent of, and in opposition to reason, and their mere
imaginations pass with each other, and with themselves, for
infallible truth. Hence it is, that they despise the progressive
and wearisome reasonings of philosophers (which must be admitted
to be a painful method of arriving at truth) but as it is the
only way in which we can acquire it, I have pursued the old
natural road of ratiocination, concluding, that as this spiritual
discerning is altogether inadequate to the management of any of
the concerns of life, or of contributing any assistance or
knowledge towards the perfecting of the arts and sciences, it is
equally unintelligible and insignificant in matters of religion:
and therefore conclude, that if the human race in general, could
be prevailed upon to exercise common sense in religions concerns,
those spiritual fictions would cease, and be succeeded by reason
and truth.
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SECTION II.
OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EXERCISE OF REASON, AND PRACTICE
OF MORALITY, IN ORDER TO THE HAPPINESS OF MANKIND.
THE period of life is very uncertain, and at the longest is
but short; a few years bring us from infancy to manhood, a few
more, to a dissolution; pain, sickness and death are the
necessary consequences of animal life. Through life we struggle
with physical evils, which eventually are certain to destroy our
earthily composition; and well would it be for us did evils end
here; but alas moral evil has been more or less predominant in
our agency, and though natural evil is unavoidable, yet moral
evil may be prevented or remedied by the exercise of virtue.
Morality is therefore of more importance to us than any or all
other attainments; as it is a habit of mind, which, from a
retrospective consciousness of our agency in this life, we should
carry with us into our succeeding state of existence, as an
acquired appendage of our rational nature, and as the necessary
means of our mental happiness. Virtue and vice are the only
things in this world, which, with our souls, are capable of
surviving death; the former is the rational and only procuring
cause of all intellectual happiness, and the latter of conscious
guilt and misery; and therefore, our indispensable duty and
ultimate interest is, to love, cultivate and improve the one, as
the means of our greatest good, and to hate and abstain from the
other, as productive of our greatest evil. And in order thereto,
we should so far divest ourselves of the encumbrances of this
world, (which are too apt to engross our attention) as to inquire
a consistent system of the knowledge of religious duty, and make
it our constant endeavor in life to act conformably to it. The
knowledge of the being, perfections, creation and providence of
God, and of the immortality of our souls, is the foundation of
religion; which has been particularly illustrated in the four
first chapters of this discourse. And as the Pagan, Jewish,
Christian and Mahometan countries of the world have been
overwhelmed with a multiplicity of revelations diverse from each
other, and which, by their respective promulgators, are said to
have been immediately inspired into their souls by the spirit of
God, or immediately communicated to them by the intervening
agency of angels (as in the instance of the invisible Gabriel to
Mahomet) and as those revelations have been received and
credited, by afar the greater part of the inhabitants of the
several countries of the world (on whom they have been obtruded)
as supernaturally revealed by God or angels, and which, in
doctrine and discipline, are in most respects repugnant to each
other, it fully evinces their imposture, and authorizes us,
without a lengthy course of arguing, to determine with certainty,
that not one of them had their original from God; as they clash
with each other, which is ground of high probability against the
authenticity of each of them.
A revelation, that may be supposed to be really of the
institution of God, must also be supposed to be perfectly
consistent or uniform, and to be able to stand the test of truth;
therefore such pretended revelations, As are tendered to us as
the contrivance of heaven, which do not bear that test, we may be
morally certain, was either originally a deception, or has since,
by adulteration become spurious.
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Reason therefore must be the standard by which we determine
the respective claims of revelation; for otherwise we may as well
subscribe to the divinity of the one as of the other, or to the
whole of them, or to none at all. So likewise on this thesis, if
reason rejects the whole of those revelations, we ought to return
to the religion of nature and reason.
Undoubtedly it is our duty, and for our best good, that we
occupy and improve the faculties, with which our creator has
endowed us, but so far as prejudice, or prepossession of opinion
prevails over our minds, in the same proportion, reason is
excluded from our theory or practice. Therefore if we would
acquire useful knowledge, we must first divest ourselves of those
impediments and sincerely endeavor to search out the truth: and
draw our conclusions from reason and just argument, which will
never conform to our inclination, interest or fancy but we must
conform to that if we would judge rightly. As certain as we
determine contrary to reason, we make a wrong conclusion;
therefore, our wisdom is, to conform to the nature and reason of
things, as well in religious matters, as in other sciences.
Preposterously absurd would it be, to negative the exercise of
reason in religious concerns, and yet, be actuated by it in all
other and less occurrences of life. All our knowledge of things
is derived from God, in and by the order of nature, out of which
we cannot perceive, reflect or understand any thing whatsoever;
our external senses are natural; and those objects are also
natural; so that ourselves, and all things about us, and our
knowledge collected therefrom, is natural, and not supernatural;
as argued in the fifth chapter.
An unjust composition never fails to contain error and
falsehood. Therefore an unjust connection of ideas is not derived
from nature, but from the imperfect composition of man.
Misconnection of ideas is the same as misjudging, and has no
positive existence, being merely a creature of the imagination;
but nature and truth are real and uniform; and the rational mind
by reasoning, discerns the uniformity, and is thereby enabled to
make a just composition of ideas, which will stand the test of
truth. But the fantastical illuminations of the credulous and
superstitious part of mankind, proceed from weakness, and as far
as they take place in the world subvert the religion of REASON,
NATURE and TRUTH.
ETHAN ALLEN.
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