Six Discourses on the Miracles of our Saviour Part 11

There has nothing been a more common Subject of Declamation among the _Clergy_ than the _Reasonableness_ of Christianity, which must be understood of the History of _Christ_'s Life and Doctrine, or the Application of the Word _Reasonableness_ to the Christian Religion is impertinent. But if I proceed, as I have begun in this Work, I shall shew Christianity, as it is understood, to be the most unreasonable and absurd Story, that ever was told; and our modern Systems of Theology groundless and sensless in almost every Part of them.

_Mahometanism_, without Offence be it spoken, is a more _reasonable_ Religion than the Christian, upon modern _Schemes_ and _Systems_.

If what I here say is offensive to our _Divines_, the _Press_ is open for them as well as for myself, and they may, if they can, shew their Resentment of it. Thanks unto G.o.d and our most excellent Civil Government for such a Liberty of the _Press_: A Liberty that will lead and conduct us to the Fountain of Wisdom and Philosophy, which Restraint is a down-right Enemy to. And that this Blessing of Liberty may be continued, for all _Bishop Smallbrook_ and Dr. _Roger_'s _Hobbism_, is, I dare say, the Desire of the curious, inquisitive, and philosophical Part of Mankind. If this Liberty should be taken away, what a notable Figure will our _Divines_ make from the _Press_ and _Pulpit_, declaiming on the Reasonableness, Excellency and Perfection of the Christian Religion, without an Adversary; and telling their Congregations, that all, their bitterest and acutest Enemies can object, is clearly answered!

The _Press_, of late Years, has been productive of so many cogent and persuasive Arguments for Liberty of debate, and the Advocates for this Liberty, in the Judgment of the impartial and considerate, have so far gotten the better of their Adversaries, that I wonder any one can appear in behalf of Persecution. If I was a _Bishop_ or _Doctor_ in _Divinity_, I shou'd think it a Disgrace to my Station and Education to ask the a.s.sistance of the Civil Authority to protect my Religion: I should judge my self unworthy of the Wages and Emoluments I enjoy'd, for the Preaching and Propagation of the Gospel, if I was unable to give an Answer to any one, that ask'd a Reason of my Faith; Or if I was so Shallow-pated, as to think Heresy and Infidelity punishable by the Civil Magistrate, I should think myself as much oblig'd to confute by _Reason_, as he is to punish by the _Sword_. If the _Bishop_ of _London_ had taken this Course with me; if he had publish'd a Refutation of my supposed Errors, as well as endeavour'd at a Prosecution of me for them, I had forgiven him the Wrongs and Injuries done me, and made no repeated Demands of Satisfaction for them.

Christianity is, as I believe, founded on a Rock of Wisdom; and what's more, has an omnipotent and omniscient G.o.d on its Side, who can incline the Hearts of Men to believe, and open the Eyes of their Understanding to discern the Truth of it; consequently there can be no Danger in the Attempts of our Adversaries, whether, _Jews_, _Turks_ or Domestick _Infidels_, against it. But Persecution implys Weakness and Impotency in G.o.d to defend his own Cause; or his Priests would not move for the Help of the Arm of Flesh in Vindication of it. And if, at this Time of Day, after so many Treatises of _Infidels_, and some of them as yet unanswered, against our Religion, this good Cause should be taken out of the Hands of G.o.d, and committed to the Care of the Civil Magistrate; if instead of Reason the Clergy should have Recourse to Force, what will By-standers, and even Well-wishers to Christianity say? Nothing less than that _Infidels_ had gotten the better of _Christ_'s Ministers, and beaten them at their own Weapons of Reason and Argument.

The two great Pleaders for Persecution, to the Disgrace of themselves and Dishonour of our Religion, that have lately arose are Dr. _Rogers_ and the _Bishop_ of St. _David_'s. Dr. _Rogers_'s chief Reason against Liberty of Debate, is because, as he says it is pernicious to the Peace and Welfare of the Community, by unsettling the Minds of the People about the Religion established: But here's no consequence, unless it could be proved, that such as the great Mr. _Grounds_ and Mr. _Scheme_, have it in their Hearts to raise Mobbs upon the Government, and to beat out the Brains of the _Clergy_. All the Harm, or rather Good, they aim at, is to exercise the Wits of the _Clergy_ with their Doubts and Objections; and if the Pa.s.sions of our _Ecclesiasticks_ are not raised upon it, to the doing of Violence to these _Gentlemen_, the Peace of the Publick will never be disturb'd.

As to myself, tho' I have a vast and numerous Party on my Side, no less than all the Fathers and primitive Christians for some Ages; yet as we were peaceable and quiet Subjects of old and pa.s.sively obedient to the _Emperors_ of _Rome_; so we will continue to the Civil Authority of this Nation. We only take the Liberty to awaken the Clergy out of a Lethargy of Dulness and Ignorance; and hope the Civil Magistrate will consider the Goodness and Charity of our Intentions, and guard us against their Insults for it.

The _Bishop_ of St. _David_'s[204] says, "It is absurd to a.s.sert, that the Liberties of any Nation will allow, with Impunity, a Set of distinguish'd Infidels to insult and treat with the greatest Contempt and Scorn the most sacred and important Truths, that are openly professed, by the whole Body of the People, of whatever Denomination."

By a Set of Infidels, I suppose, he means me and the Fathers: And by _treating with Contempt and Scorn the most sacred and important Truths_, he means, our burlesquing, bantering and ridiculing the _Clergy_ for their Ministry of the Letter: And for _this_ he would, I conceive, have incensed the _Societies_ for Reformation of Manners to a Prosecution of me. And if they had not been wiser, and more merciful than their Preacher, I must have gone to Pot. But why should the _Bishop_ dislike this way of Writing? Don't he know, that the Fathers of the Church used to jest and scoff at the _Gentiles_ and their Priests for their foolish Superit.i.tions? Don't he know, that our _Reformers_ banter'd and ridicul'd Popery out of Doors, and almost within the Memory of Man, it was reckon'd but a dull Sermon, that was not well humm'd for its Puns and Jest on the Papists? why then should the _Bishop_ be against that way of writing, which was of good Use to the _Reformers_, and first _Christians_? The grand Subject for _Burlesque_ and _Banter_, in my Opinion, is _Infidelity_; and that _Bishop_, who can't break two Jests upon _Infidels_ for their one upon Christianity, has but a small Share of Wit. The Christian Religion according to the _Bishop_, will abide the Test of calm and sedate Reasoning against it, but can't bear a Jest; O strange!

But to leave these two Contenders for Persecution to the Chastis.e.m.e.nt of acuter Pens. What I have here pleaded for Liberty is not thro' any Fears of Danger to myself, but for the Love of Truth and Advancement of Christianity, which, without it, can't be defended, propagated and sincerely embraced. And therefore hope, that the Controversy before us, between _Infidels_ and _Apostates_ will be continued by the Indulgence of the Government, till Truth arises and s.h.i.+nes bright to the Dissipation of the Mists of Error and Ignorance; like the Light of the Sun to the Dispersion of the Darkness of the Night. I will by G.o.d's Leave, go on to bear my part in the Controversy; And, if it was not more against the Interests than Reason of the _Clergy_ to believe me, would again solemnly declare that what I do in it is with a View to the Honour of _Jesus_, our spiritual _Messiah_, to whom be Glory for ever. _Amen._

~_FINIS._~

[Ill.u.s.tration]

FOOTNOTES:

[145] _Matt._ Chap. xxi. _Mark_, Chap. xi.

[146] Hoc factum, nisi figuratum, stultum invenitur. _In Serm._ lxxvii.

[147] Nulla esset Ligni Culpa, quia Lignum sine sensu non habebat Culpam. Augustin _in Serm._ lx.x.xix.

[148] Quaerit poma; necesciebat tempus nondum esse? quod Cultor Arboris sciebat, Creator Arboris nesciebat? _Augustini in Serm._ lx.x.xix.

[149] Hoc ideo probamus, quia Pa.s.sionis Domini Dies propinquabat, et scimus quo tempore pa.s.sus sit. _Ibid._

[150] Arbor non est juste siccato. _Johan. Hierosol in Loc. Marci._

[151] Si miraculum fuerat tantummodo commendandum, et non alquid prophetice figurandum, multo clementius dominus et sua misericordia dignius fecerat, Si quam aridam invenerat, viridem redderet, sicut languentes sanavit. Tunc vero e contrario, quasi adversus Regulam Clementiae suae invenit Arborem virentem, praeter tempus fructus nondum habentem, non tamen fructum agricolae negantem, et aridam fecit. _In Serm._ lx.x.xix. _Sect._ 3.

[152] See Arch-Bishop _Wake_'s Letter to Mr. _Chandler_, which is handed about Town and Country.

[153] _Vindication of the Christian Religion_, p. 82.

[154] _Ibid._

[155] Quod sequenti die viderint exaruisse fieum. _Theophylact. in Loc.u.m Marci._

[156] Chap. xiii.

[157] Quid sibi vult, quod in Evangelio suo Dominus Fici Parabolam _frequenter_ inducit: Habes enim alibi, quod jussu Domini Viriditas omnis hujus Ligni frondentis aruerit. _In Loc. Lucae._

[158] Videamus, ubi alibi scriptum de ista ficu; in Evangelio secundum Lucam legimus, &c. _In Loc. Marci. Hom._ xii.

[159] _Matth._ Chap. xxi. 21.

[160] Quanquam igitur juxta Literam Haec facta non legantur ab Apostolis, sicut quidam Paganorum calumniati sunt, et garriunt contra nos, etiam in suis scriptis a.s.serentes Apostolos non habuisse fidem, quia monues non transtulerunt neque Ficulneas verbo exsiccarunt. _In Loc. Matth._

[161] Legimus Apostolorum miracula, nusquam autem legimus arborem ab his arefactam, aut montem in mare translatum; quaeramus ergo in mysterio ubi factum sit, non enim Verba Domini vacare potuerant. _In Serm._ lx.x.xix.

[162] Sed futurum aliquid Miraculo commenda.s.se, multa sunt quae nos admoneant, n.o.bisq; persuadeant imo ab _invitis_ extorqueant. _Ibid._

[163] Porro quando in hunc loc.u.m incidimus, nemo curiose inquirat, aut anxie disputet, justene an secus factum sit; sed Miraculum editum contempletur et admiretur. Nam de submersis Porcis quoq; nonnulli hanc quaestionem moverant, factumq; just.i.tiae colorae dest.i.tutum praedicare veriti non sunt. _In Loc. Merci._

[164] Quid Arbor fici, nisi humanam naturam designet? _In Homil._ x.x.xi.

[165] In Ficu, Synogogae positum Exemplum est. _In Loc. Matt._

[166] Absit a n.o.bis, ut, Jesu veniente ad nos et volente manducare de ficu (_Ecclesiae_) non inveniatur Fructus in ea. _In Matth. Tract._ x.x.x.

[167] Potest autem ficus illa intelligi populus Circ.u.mcisionis. _Ibid._

[168] Arbor ficulnea Genus humanum est----Triennium autem tria sunt Tempora, unum ante Legem, alterum sub Lege, tertium sub gratia. St.

_Augustin in Serm._ cx.

[169] _Jude_, ver. 14.

[170] Inveniet infaecundam, foliis tantummodo vest.i.tam, id est Verbis inanibus gloriantem, sed fructibus vacuam, Operibus quippe bonis sterilem. _In Loc. Matt._

[171] Habentem folia et non fructus; Verba, non Sensus; Scripturas, non intelligentiam Scripturarum. _In Loc. Marci._

[172] Folia sola habentem, hoc est, apparentem Litteram, non Fructus Spiritus. _In Loc. Matt._

[173] Qaerens non Sensiles Fructus sed intellectilem ex Lege et Prophetis dulcemq, Faecunditatem. _Caesarii in Dialog._ 40.

[174] Ficus sunt dona dulcissima Spiritus Sancti, Spiritualia dogmata et Scientia Scripturarum. _In Aggae_; _Cap._ ii.

[175] Esuriit autem Jesus semper in justis, volens manducare Fructum Spiritus Sancti i neis. _In Matt. Tract._ x.x.x.

[176] Ad quem (Loc.u.m) intelligendum, ut oportet, expectandum esse Eliae, ut nonnunquam loquuntur Veteres de Locis obscurissimis Adventum.

_In Excercitat. Sac. Lib._ ii. _cap._ 6.

[177] Fructus dulces omne genus de arbore Vitae comedendum praebebit Elias. _Apud Buxtorf. Synag. p._ 738.

[178] Oculis Spiritalibus viderunt Mysterium fici siccatae. _Matt.

Tract._ xvi.

[179] Effodientes Literam Legis. _Cyril. Glaphyr._ L. 1. P. 1.

[180] Mitt.i.tur ergo Cophinus Stercoris ad Radicem Arboris, quando pravitatis suae Conscientia tangitur memoria Cogitationis. _Gregor. M.

in Hom._ x.x.xi.