And in all ages of the world He hath not left Himself without witness, but gave such testimonies of Himself that were sufficient, for they did actually persuade all nations, barbarous and civil, into the belief of a God. And it is but a nicety to consider whether or no that proposition can be naturally demonstrated: for it was sufficient to all God's purposes and to all man's, that the proposition was actually believed; the instances were therefore sufficient to make faith because they did it: and a man may remove himself so far from all the degrees of aptness to believe a proposition, that nothing should make them join: for if there were a sect of witty men that durst not believe their senses because they thought them fallible, it is no wonder if some men should think every reason reprovable. But in such cases demonstration is a relative term, and signifies every probation, greater or lesser, which does actually make faith in any proposition; and in this God hath never been deficient, but hath to all men that believe Him given sufficient to confirm them; to those few that believed not, sufficient to reprove them. 29. Now in all these actions of religion which are naturally consequent to this belief, there is no scruple, but in the instance of faith, which is presented to be an infused grace, an immission from God, and that for its object it hath principles supernatural, that is, naturally incredible; and therefore, faith is supposed a grace above the greatest strength of reason. But in this I consider, that, if we look into all the sermons of Christ", we shall not easily find any doctrine that, in any sense, troubles natural philosophy, but only that of the resurrection: (for I do not think those mystical expressions of plain truths, such as are, "being born again," "eating the flesh of the Son of man," "being in the Father, and the Father in Him," to be exceptions in this assertion.) And although some gentiles did believe and deliver that article, and particularly Chrysippus, and the Thracians (as Mela and Solinus report of them), yet they could not naturally discourse themselves into it, but had it from the imperfect report and opinion of some Jews that dwelt among them: and it was certainly a revelation or a proposition sent into the world by God. But then the believing it is so far from being above or against nature, that there is nothing in the world more reasonable than to believe any thing which God tells us, or which is told us by a man sent from God with mighty demonstration of His power and veracity. Naturally our bodies cannot rise, that is, there is no natural agent or natural cause sufficient to produce that effect; but this is an effect of a divine power: and he hath but a little stock of natural reason who cannot conclude, that the same power which made us out of nothing, can also restore us to the same condition as well and easily from dust and ashes certainly, as from mere nothing. And in Maxim. Tyr. Dissert. [xvii. § 5. p. 317.] Ταῦτα ὁ Ελλην λέγει, καὶ ὁ βάρο βαρος λέγει, καὶ ὁ ἠπειρώτης, καὶ ὁ θα λάττιος, καὶ ὁ σοφὸς, καὶ ὁ ἄσοφος. this and in all the like cases, faith is a submission of the understanding to the word of God, and is nothing else but a confessing that God is truth, and that He is omnipotent; that is, He can do what He will, and He will when He hath once said it. And we are now as ignorant of the essence and nature of forms, and of that which substantially distinguishes man from man or an angel from an angel, as we were of the greatest article of our religion before it was revealed; and we shall remain ignorant for ever of many natural things unless they be revealed; and unless we knew all the secrets of philosophy, the mysteries of nature, and the rules and propositions of all things and all creatures, we are fools if we say that what we call an article of faith, I mean, truly such, is against natural reason. It may be indeed as much against our natural reasonings as those reasonings are against truth: but if we remember how great an ignorance dwells upon us all, it will be found the most reasonable thing in the world only to inquire whether God hath revealed any such proposition; and then not to say, It is against natural reason, and therefore an article of faith; but, I am told a truth which I knew not till now, and so my reason is become instructed into a new proposition. And although Christ hath given us no new moral precepts but such which were essentially and naturally reasonable in order to the end of man's creation, yet we may easily suppose Him to teach us many a new truth which we knew not, and to explicate to us many particulars of that estate which God designed for man in his first production but yet did not then declare to him, and to furnish him with new revelations, and to signify the greatness of the designed end, to become so many arguments of endearment to secure his duty, that is, indeed, to secure his happiness by the infallible using the instruments of attaining it. 30. This is all I am to say concerning the precepts of religion Jesus taught us: He took off those many superinduced rites which God enjoined to the Jews, and reduced us to the natural religion; that is, to such expressions of duty which all wise men and nations used; save only, that He took away the rite of sacrificing beasts, because it was now determined in the great sacrifice of Himself, which sufficiently and eternally reconciled all the world to God. All the other things, as prayers, and adoration, and eucharist, and faith in God, are of a natural order and an unalterable expression: and, in the nature of the thing, there is no other way of address to God than these, no other expression of His glories and our needs; both which must for ever be signified. 31. Secondly; concerning the second natural precept, Christian religion hath also added nothing beyond the first obligation, but explained it all: "whatsoever ye would men should do to you, do ye Just. Mart. Resp. ad orthod. ad qu. Moreh Nevochim, lib. iii. c. 32. [fol. 83. [p. 473.] Tertul. adv. Marcion. ii. 2. 161.] [vid. lib. v. cap. 4. et passim.] Maimon. so to them," that is the eternal rule of justice; and that binds contracts, keeps promises, affirms truth, makes subjects obedient, and princes just; it gives security to marts and banks, and introduces an equality of condition upon all the world, save only when an inequality is necessary, that is, in the relations of government, for the preservation of the common rights of equal titles and possessions, that there be some common term endued with power, who is to be the father of all men by an equal provision, that every man's rights be secured by that fear which naturally we shall bear to Him, who can, and will, punish all unreasonable and unjust violations of property. And concerning this also, the holy Jesus hath added an express precept of paying tribute, and all Cæsar's dues, to Cæsar: in all other particulars it is necessary that the instances and minutes of justice be appointed by the laws and customs of the several kingdoms and republics. And therefore it was that Christianity so well combined with the government of heathen princes'; because whatsoever was naturally just, or declared so by the political power, their religion bound them to observe, making obedience to be a double duty, a duty both of justice and religion and the societies of Christians growing up from conventicles to assemblies, from assemblies to societies, introduced no change in the government; but by little and little turned the commonwealth into a church, till the world being Christian, and justice also being religion, obedience to princes, observation of laws, honesty in contracts, faithfulness in promises, gratitude to benefactors, simplicity in discourse, and ingenuity in all pretences and transactions, became the characterisms of Christian men, and the word of a Christian the greatest solemnity of stipulation in the world. 32. But concerning the general, I consider that in two very great instances it was remonstrated that Christianity was the greatest prosecution of natural justice and equality in the whole world. The one was in an election of an apostle into the place of Judas: when there were two equal candidates of the same pretension and capacity, the question was determined by lots, which naturally was the arbitration in questions whose parts were wholly indifferent; and as it was used in all times, so it is to this day used with us in many places, where, lest there be a disagreement concerning the manner of tithing some creatures, and to prevent unequal arts and unjust practices, they are tithed by lot and their fortuitous passing through the door of their fold. The other is in the cenobitic life of the first Christians and apostles they had all things in common; which was that state of nature in which men lived charitably and without injustice before the Hæc sententia sæpissime a Severo Imperatore prolata. [Æl. Lamprid. vit. Alex. Sev., cap. 51.] "Ο μισείς, μηδενὶ ποιήσεις, Tob. iv. 16. Dixit mimus, [Publius Syrus,] Ab alio exspectes, alteri quod feceris. gantur. Nec natura potest justo secernere iniquum, distinction of dominions and private rights, but from this manner of life they were soon driven by the public necessity and constitution of affairs. 33. Thirdly; whatsoever else is in the Christian law concerns the natural precept of sobriety, in which there is some variety and some difficulty. In the matter of carnality, the holy Jesus did clearly reduce us to the first institution of marriage in paradise, allowing no other mixture but what was first intended in the creation and first sacramental union and in the instance, He so permitted us to the natural law, that He was pleased to mention no instance of forbidden lust but in general and comprehensive terms of adultery and fornication; in the other, which are still more unnatural, as their names are concealed and hidden in shame and secrecy, we are to have no instructor but the modesty and order of nature. : 34. As an instance of this law of sobriety, Christ superadded the whole doctrine of humility, which Moses did not, and which seemed almost to be extinguished in the world; and it is called by St. Paul sapere ad sobrietatem, the reasonableness or wisdom of sobriety: and it is all the reason in the world, that a man should think of himself but just as he is; he is deceived that thinks otherwise, and is a fool. And when we consider that pride makes wars and causes affronts, and no man loves a proud man, and he loves no man but himself and his flatterers, we shall understand that the precept of humility is an excellent art and a happy instrument towards human felicity. And it is no way contradicted by a natural desire of honour; it only appoints just and reasonable ways of obtaining it: we are not forbidden to receive honour, but to seek it for designs of pride and complacency, or to make it rest in our hearts; but when the hand of virtue receives the honour, and transmits it to God from our own head, the desires of nature are sufficiently satisfied, and nothing of religion contradicted. And it is certain by all the experience of the world, that in every state and order of men, he that is most humble in proportion to that state is, if all things else be symbolical, the most honoured person. For it is very observable, that when God designed man to a good and happy life as the natural end of his creation, to verify this, God was pleased to give him objects sufficient and apt to satisfy every appetite; I say, to satisfy it naturally, not to satisfy those extravagancies which might be accidental and procured by the irregularity either of will or understandings; not to answer him in all that his desires could extend to, but to satisfy the necessity of every appetite; all the desires that God made, not all that man should make. For we see even in those appetites s Vina sitim sedent, natis Venus alma creandis Serviat: hos fines transiliisse nocet.-Virg. [vid. Append.] Ὁ μὲν τὰς ὑπερβολὰς διώκων τῶν ἡδέων, ἢ καθ' ὑπερβολὰς, ἢ διὰ προαίρεσιν, καὶ δι' αὐτὰς, καὶ μηδὲν δι' ἕτερον ἀποβαῖνον, ἀκόλαστος.—Aristot. [Eth. Nicom., lib. vii. cap. 8. vol. ii. p. 1150.] which are common to men and beasts, all the needs of nature, and all the ends of creation, are served by the taking such proportions of their objects which are ordinate to their end, and which in man we call temperance, (not as much as they naturally can;) such as are mixtures of sexes merely for production of their kind, eating and drinking for needs and hunger. And yet God permitted our appetites to be able to extend beyond the limits of the mere natural design, that God, by restraining them, and putting the fetters of laws upon them, might turn natural desires into sobriety, and sobriety into religion, they becoming servants of the commandment. And now we must not call all those swellings of appetites natural inclination, nor the satisfaction of such tumours and excrescencies any part of natural felicities; but that, which does just co-operate to those ends which perfect human nature in order to its proper end. For the appetites of meat and drink and pleasures, are but intermedial and instrumental to the end, and are not made for themselves, but first for the end, and then to serve God in the instances of obedience. And just so is the natural desire of honour intended to be a spur to virtue, (for to virtue only it is naturally consequent, or to natural and political superiority:) but to desire it beyond or besides the limit, is the swelling and the disease of the desire: and we can take no rule for its perfect value, but by the strict limits of the natural end, or the superinduced end of religion in positive restraints. 35. According to this discourse we may best understand, that even the severest precepts of the Christian law are very consonant to nature and the first laws of mankind. Such is the precept of self-denial, which is nothing else but a confining the appetites within the limits of nature for there they are permitted, (except when some greater purpose is to be served than the present answering the particular desire,) and whatsoever is beyond it is not in the natural order to felicity; it is no better than an itch, which must be scratched and satisfied, but it is unnatural. But, for martyrdom itself, quitting our goods, losing lands, or any temporal interest, they are now become as reasonable in the present constitution of the world, as taking unpleasant potions, and suffering a member to be cauterized, in sickness or disease. And we see that death is naturally a less evil than a continual torment, and by some not so resented as a great disgrace; and some persons have chosen it for sanctuary and remedy: and therefore much rather shall it be accounted prudent and reasonable, and agreeable to the most perfect desires of nature, to exchange a house for a hundred, a friend for a patron, a short affliction for a lasting joy, and a temporal death for an eternal life; for so the question is stated to us by Him that understands it best. True it is, that the suffering of losses, afflictions, and death, is naturally an evil, and therefore no part of a natural precept or prime injunction. But when, God having commanded instances of religion, man will not suffer us to obey God, or will not suffer us to live, then the |