Human Creatures, the Fear of an invincible Cause, which they are all
born with, was always to be consulted; and that no Multitudes can ever
be govern'd, so as to be made useful to any one Purpose, if those, who
attempt to rule over them, should neglect to take Notice of, or but
any Ways seem to slight the Principle of that Fear. The worst of Men
are often as much influenc'd by it as the best; or else Highwaymen and
House-breakers would not swear Fidelity to one another. God is call'd
upon as a Witness to the mutual Promises of the greatest Miscreants,
that they will persevere in their Crimes and Villanies, and to the
last Drop of their Blood be unalterably Wicked. This, you know, has
been done in Massacres, the blackest Treasons, and the most horrid
Conspiracies; tho' the Persons concern'd in them, perhaps, gave other
Names to their Undertakings. By this we may see, what absurd Notions
Men may have of the Deity, who undoubtedly believe his Existence: For
how flagitious soever Men are, none can be deem'd _Atheists_ but those,
who pretend to have absolutely conquer'd, or never been influenced by
the Fear of an invisible Cause, that over-rules Human Affairs; and
what I say now has been and ever will be true in all Countries, and in
all Ages, let the Religion or Worship of the People be what they will.
Hor. It is better to have no Religion, than to worship the Devil.
Cleo. In what Respect is it better?
Hor. It is not so great an Affront to the Deity not to believe his
Existence, as it is to believe him to be the most Cruel and the most
Malicious Being that can be imagin'd.
Cleo. That is a subtle Argument, seldom made Use of but by
Unbelievers.
Hor. Don't you think, that many Believers have been worse Men, than
some _Atheists_?
Cleo. As to Morality, there have been good and bad Men of all Sects
and all Persuasions; but before we know any Thing of Men's Lives,
Nothing can be worse in the Civil Society, than an Atheist, _caeteris
paribus_. For it would be ridiculous to say, that it is less safe to
trust to a Man's Principle, of whom we have some Reason to hope, that
he may be with-held by the Fear of Something, than it is to trust to
one who absolutely denies, that he is withheld by the Fear of any
Thing. The old _Mexicans_ worship'd _Vitzliputzli_, at the same Time that
they own'd his Malice, and execrated his Cruelty; yet it is highly
probable, that some of them were deterr'd from Perjury for Fear of
being punish'd by _Vitzliputzli;_ who would have been guilty of it, if
they had not been afraid of any Thing at all.
Hor. Then not to have believed the Existence of that chimerical
Monster was Atheism in _Mexico_.
Cleo. It certainly was among People that knew of no other invisible
Cause.
Hor. But why should I wonder at the _Mexicans_? There are Christians
enough, of whom, to judge from their Sentiments and Behaviour, it is
hard to determine, which it is they are more afraid of, God or the
Devil.
Cleo. I don't question, but among the Vulgar, more Persons have been
deterr'd from doing Evil, by what they had heard of the Torments of
Hell, than have been made virtuous by what had been told them of the
Joys of Heaven, tho' both had been represented to them as equally
infinite and unutterable.
Hor. But to return to my Question. When I ask'd what Occasion there
was for Divines in an Army, I was not ignorant of the Necessity there
is of having Religion and Priests of some Sort or other, to humour as
well as awe the Multitude; but I wanted to know the Mystery, and be
let into the Secret, by which the Doctrine of Peace is made
serviceable to the carrying on of War; for that Preachers of the
Gospel have not only exhorted Men to Battle, but likewise that they
have done it effectually; and that Soldiers have been inspired with
Courage, and made to fight with Obstinacy by their Sermons, the
History of almost every Country can witness.
Cleo. A little Accuracy will set us to Rights. That what you say has
been, and is often done by Sermons and Preachers, both Protestant and
Popish, is certainly true. But I deny, that ever it was once done by a
Preacher of the Gospel.
Hor. I don't understand your Distinction. Are not all Christian
Divines call'd Preachers, as well as Ministers of the Gospel?
Cleo. But many People are call'd, what, strictly speaking, they are
not. The Reason I have for what I say is, that there is Nothing
contain'd in the Gospel, that can have the least Tendency to promote
or justify War or Discord, Foreign or Domestic, Publick or Private;
nor is there any the least Expression to be found in it, from which it
is possible to excite or set People on to quarrel with, do Hurt to, or
any ways offend one another, on any Account whatever.
Hor. But this encreases the mystery, and makes the facts less
intelligible.
Cleo. I will unfold it to you. As all Priests have ever maintain'd,
that they were the Interpreters of the will of the deity they
pretended to serve, and had an undoubted Right of construing and
explaining the Doctrine and the Meaning of the Religion they taught
and presided over: As, I say, all priests have ever maintain'd this,
so the Christian Clergy, as soon as they took it in their Heads to be
priests likewise, claim'd the same Privilege; and finding several
things, which they had a Mind to, denied them in the Gospel; and that
many Conveniencies, which all other Priests had ever, not only been
fond of, but likewise enjoy'd, were in express words forbid, and
absolutely prohibited in the _New Testament_, they had recourse to the
_Old_, and providently took Care from thence to supply the Deficiency of
the _New_.
Hor. So, when they had no settled Revenue or Pomp of Dress from the
Gospel, they took up with the Tithes and Sacerdotal Ornaments of the
_Levites_, and borrow'd from the _Jewish_ Priests and Prophets every Thing
that was worth having.
Cleo. This would open too large a Field, and therefore I would look
into the Clergy's Behaviour no farther, than as it relates to Armies
and military Men, and take Notice, that whenever Pillage or shedding
of Blood are to be justified or encouraged by a Sermon, or Men are to
be exhorted to Battle, to the Sacking of a City or the Devastation of
a Country, by a pathetick Discourse, the Text is always taken from the
_Old Testament_; which is an inexhaustible Fund for Declamation on
almost every Subject and every Occasion: And there is no worldly End,
which the most ambitious Man, or the most cruel Tyrant can have to
serve, but from some Part or other of that Book a Divine of middling
Capacity may find out a proper Text to harangue upon, that shall
answer the Purpose. But to make it evident, that Divines may be useful
to all Fighting Men, without preaching of the Gospel, we need but to
consider, that among all the Wars and Dissentions, which Christians
have had with one another on innumerable Accounts, there never was a
Cause yet, so unreasonable or absurd, so unjust or openly wicked, if
it had an army to back it, that has not found Christian Divines, or at
least such as stiled themselves so, who have espoused and call'd it
Righteous. No rebellion was ever so unnatural, nor Tyranny so cruel,
but if there were men who would fight for it, there were Priests who
would pray for it, and loudly maintain, that it was the Cause of God.
Nothing is more necessary to an Army, than to have this latter
strenously insisted upon, and skilfully unculcated to the soldiers. No
body fights heartily, who believes himself to be in the wrong, and
that God is against him, Whereas a firm persuasion of the Contrary,
inspires Men with Courage and Intrepidity; it furnishes them with
arguments to justify the Malice of their Hearts, and the implacable
Hatred they bear their Enemies; it confirms them in the ill opinion
they have of them, and makes them confident of victory; _si
Deus pro nobis quis contra nos?_ In all wars it is an everlasting
Maxim in Politicks, that whenever Religion can be brought into the
Quarrel, it ought never to be neglected, and that how small soever the
Difference may be between the contending Parties, the Divines on each
Side, ought to magnify and make the most of it; for Nothing is more
comfortable to Men, than the Thought, that their Enemies are likewise
the Enemies of God.
Hor. But to make Soldiers laborious as well as governable, would it
not be useful to exhort them to Virtue, and a close Attachment to the
Principle of Honour?
Cleo. The principle of Honour is never forgot; and as to Virtue, what
is required of them is Fortitude, and to do as they are bid. And if
you'll consider what Pains are taken to make them ashamed of Cowardice
above all other Vices; and how prompt, as well as severe, the
Punishment for Disobedience is in the least Trifles among Soldiers,
beyond what it is any where else; if, I say, you'll consider these
Things on the one Hand, and on the other the great Latitude that is
given them as to Morals, in what has no Regard to the Service, you'll
find, that for the First, Divines are not wanted, and that for the
other they can do but little Good. However Morality is often preach'd
to them, and even the Gospel at seasonable Times, when they are in
Winter Quarters, or in an idle summer, when there is no Enemy near,
and the Troops perhaps are encamped in a Country, where no Hostilities
should be committed. But when they are to enter upon Action, to
besiege a large Town, or ravage a rich Country, it would be very
impertinent to talk to them of Christian Virtues; doing as they would
be done by; loving their enemies, and extending their Charity to all
Mankind. When the Foe is at Hand, the Men have Skirmishes with him
every Day, and perhaps a main battle is expected; then the mask is
flung off; not a Word of the Gospel, nor of Meekness or Humility; and
all Thoughts of Christianity are laid aside entirely. The men are
prais'd and buoy'd up in the high value they have for themselves:
their Officers call them Gentlemen and Fellow-Soldiers; Generals pull
off their Hats to them; and no Artifice is neglected that can flatter
their Pride, or inspire them with the Love of Glory. The Clergy
themselves take Care at such Times, not to mention to them their Sins,
or any Thing that is melancholy or disheartning: On the Contrary, they
speak chearfully to them, encourage and assure them of God's Favour.
They take Pains to justify, and endeavour to encrease the Animosities
and Aversion, which those under their Care have against their Enemies,
whom to blacken and render odious, they leave no Art untried, no Stone
unturn'd; and no Calumny can be more malicious, no Story more
incredible, nor Falsity more notorious, than have been made Use of
knowingly for that Purpose by Christian Divines, both _Protestants_, and
_Papists_.
Hor. I don't use to be an Advocate for Bigots of any sort, much less
for Fanaticks, whom I hate; but facts are stubborn things. It is
impossible to reflect on the sharp and bloody Engagements in the
Rebellion, and the Devotion of _Cromwell_'s army, without being
convinced, that there must have been Men at that Time, that were both
Valiant and Religious. It is certain, that the Rebels fought well, and
that they had more Days of Fasting and Humiliation, than ever were
known among any other Soldiers.
Cleo. That there was a greater Appearance of Religion among them, than
ever was among any other regular Troops, I allow; but that none of it
could proceed from a Principle of Christianity is demonstrable.
Hor. They had Men of unquestionable Honour among them; and some of
them must have been sincere.
Cleo. A great many, I verily believe, were sincere; but let us look
into this Affair a little more narrowly. What do you think of the
General? Do you think, that _Cromwell_ was a good Christian and a pious
Man, who had Nothing so much at Heart as Religion and Liberty, and,
void of Selfishness, had devoted himself to procure Happiness Eternal
as well as Temporal to the People of _England_? Or that he was a vile
wicked Hypocrite, who, under the Cloak of Sanctity, broke through all
Human and Divine Laws to aggrandize himself, and sacrifis'd every
Thing to his own Ambition, and the Interest of his Family?
Hor. There is no Doubt, but all impartial Men must believe the latter.
But then he understood Mankind very well; his very Enemies, that were
his Contemporaries, allow'd him to be a Man of great Parts. If he had
had the the same Opinion of Christianity, which you have, and the
Unfitness of it to make Men quarrel and fight with Obstinacy, he would
never have made Use of it among his Soldiers.
Cleo. And it is clear as the sun, that he never did.
Hor. That his pretences to religion were no more than Hypocrisy, I
have allow'd; but it does not appear, that he desired others to be
Hypocrites too: On the Contrary, he took Pains, or at least made Use
of all possible Means to promote Christianity among his Men, and make
them sincerely Religious.
Cleo. You will never distinguish between Christianity, that is, the
Doctrine of Christ, and the Interpretations, that are made of it by
Clergymen; tho' I have often shew'd you the great Difference there is
between them. _Cromwell_ was a Man of admirable good Sense, and
thoroughly well acquainted with Human Nature; he knew the mighty Force
of Enthusiasm, and made Use of it accordingly. As to Strictness of
Religion and the Love of Liberty, they had all along been the darling
Pretences of the party he engaged in. The complaints of the _Puritans_
against Episcopacy, and that the Church of _England_ was not
sufficiently reformed, began in Queen _Elizabeth's_ Time, and were very
near as old as the Reformation itself. The people's Murmurings and
Struggles for Liberty were of some Standing, when King _Charles_ the
First came to the Throne: The Jealousies, which Parliaments had of the
Regal Power and Prerogative, had been openly shewn in his Father's
Reign, and, throughout the Course of it, been troublesome to his
Ministers. That the Clergy of the Church of _England_ had enjoin'd
Things, and taught what they had no Warrant for from the Gospel, and
that King _James_ the First, as well as his Son, who succeeded him, laid
Claim to a more absolute Power, than was consistent with the
privileges of Parliament and the Constitution, in undeniable. Religion
then and Liberty, being two topicks, that Abundance was to be said
upon in those Days, became the Subject and Foundation of the Quarrels
between the King and Parliament, that afterwards broke out into a
Civil War.
Hor. I was not born in _China_ or _Lapland_: there is not a Boy of Twelve
Years old, that is ignorant of the Causes of that Civil War.
Cleo. I don't question your Knowledge; but only mention these Things,
that from the Nature of the Dissentions, and the mischiefs that ensued
upon them, we might see the Impossibility, that either Party should
have acted from a Principle of Christianity. I shall now endeavor to
demonstrate to you Two Things; the First is, that Clergymen, by a
small Deviation from the Gospel, may so egregiously impose upon their
Hearers, as to make even sincere Men act quite contrary to the
Precepts of it, at the same Time that those subtle Declaimers shall
seem to be full of Zeal, and to have the highest Value for
Christianity. The Other is, that in a well disciplin'd Army, Acts of
Devotion, and an outward Shew of Religion may do vast Service for the
obtaining of Victory, tho' the General who appointed and order'd them,
was an _Atheist_; the greatest part of the Clergy, who perform'd and
assisted in them, were Hypocrites, and the Generality of the Men were
wicked Livers. As to the First, I call a Man sincere in his Religion,
who believes the Bible to be the Word of God, and acknowledging the
Difficulty he finds in obeying the Dictates of the Gospel, wishes with
all his heart, that he could practice the self-denial that is required
in it; and is sorry, that he has not the Power to govern and subdue
his stubborn Passions so well as he could wish. If to such a one, a
Clergyman should preach the Strictness of Morality, and the Necessity
of Repentance, that are taught in the Gospel, and moreover inculcate
to him, that as to Divine Worship the Ceremonial was abrogated; that
what was required of us, was the Sacrifice of the Heart and the
Conquest over our darling Lusts; and that in short the Religious
Duties of a Christian were summ'd up in loving God as his Neighbour;
this Doctrine being every Way agreeable to that of _Christ,_ a sincere
man, who had read the _New Testament_, would easily give Ear to a
Divine, who should preach it to him; and it is highly probable, that
in Matters of Conscience, and every Thing relating to his Deportment,
he should be glad of his Counsel. Suppose now, that there was another
Clergyman in the same city, who likewise pretending to preach the
Gospel, should, on the one Hand, represent the Doctrine of it as very
indulging to Human Nature, and the Practice of it easily comply'd
with, and, on the other, lay a great Stress on the Honour to be paid
to his own Person, and the Performances of a Set of Ceremonies, no
where mention'd in the Gospel; it is not likely, that our sincere Man
should approve of his Sermons; but if this Second Divine should
moreover call them Enemies to God, who should refuse to comply with
every Part of these Ceremonies, and give the Name of Hypocrite to
Every body, who should assert, that the Gospel required stricter
Morality than what he taught; if he should sollicite the Magistrate to
have all Persons punish'd, who were not of his Opinion; and if, by
his Instigation, our sincere Man should actually be persecuted and
plagued by his Fellow-Subjects; to judge from what we know of Human
Nature, such Usage would fill the sincere Man with Indignation, and
raise his Anger against all those, who were the Occasion of his
Sufferings. Let us suppose like-wise, that this Man, besides his
Sincerity, had Temper and Goodness enough to consider, that, tho' he
had been unjustly dealt with, and was highly provok'd, yet his
Religion taught and commanded him not to resent Injuries, but to
forgive his Enemies, and to Love them that hated him; it is reasonable
to think, that this Clashing between Nature and Principle would
perplex him, and himself stand in Need of good Advice, what to do in
this Dilemma. If in this Case, the Clergyman, who first preached to
him the Purity of the Christian Religion, and the Severity of its
Morals, and whom he often went to hear, should persist in the same
Sentiments; and, continuing to recommend to him the Doctrine of Peace,
make Use of all the Arguments, which the Gospel could furnish him
with, either to warn him against Anger and all sinful Passions, Malice
of Heart, Hatred and Resentment; or to exhort him to Fortitude in
Afflictions, Heroick Patience in Sufferings, and on all Emergencies an
entire Resignation to the Will of God; If, I say, the Clergyman I
mention'd should do this, whatever might be the Success he did it
with, he would have acted the good Shepherd, and his Sermons could
never be made a Handle of for War or Rebellion. But if instead of it,
he should seem to approve of the other's Anger, and, to justify it,
enter into the Merits of the Cause; if he should endeavour to
demonstrate, that all Ceremonies of Human Invention were
superstitious, and that Kneeling down, where there were Pictures and
Sculpture, was a manifest Token of Idolatry; if after this, by an easy
Transition, he should go over to the _Old Testament_, expatiate on the
Second Commandment, and produce several Instances of God's Vengeance
on Idolaters, and the utter Destruction, that had often been brought
upon them by God's own People, fighting under his Banner, and acting
by his special Commission; If a Preacher should do this, and have
Mischief in his Heart, it would not be difficult for him insensibly to
mislead his Hearers, extinguish their Charity, and, working upon the
Passions, make a sincere Man, who had really been ill treated, mistake
in his own Breast the Spirit of Revenge for Religious Zeal, and, to
maintain the Truth of the Gospel, act directly contrary to the
Precepts of it. And the more regular the Life was of such a Divine,
and the greater the Austerity of his Manners, the fitter Instrument
would he be to sow Sedition, enflame an Audience, and make Tools of
them for the Ambitious.
Hor. The First you have made out beyond my Expectations; but it has
been at the Expence of your Revolution-Principles; I hope you'll never
take them up again.
Cleo. I hope I shall have no Occasion for it: but what I have advanced
has Nothing to do with the Controversy you point at. The illegal Sway
of Magistrates is not to be justified from the Gospel, any more than
the Resistance of the People. Where Two Parties quarrel, and open
Animosities are to be seen on both Sides, it is ridiculous for either
to appeal to the Gospel. The Right, which Princes have to enjoy their
Prerogative, is not more divine, than that which Subjects have to
enjoy their Privileges; and if Tyrants will think themselves more
justifiable before God than Rebels, they ought first to be satisfied,
that Oppression is less heinous in his Sight than Revenge.
Hor. But No body owns himself to be a Tyrant.
Cleo. Nor did ever any Malecontents own themselves to be Rebels.
Hor. I can't give this up, and must talk with you about it another
Time. But now I long to hear you demonstrate the Second of your
Assertions, and make that as evident to me, as you have done the
First.
Cleo. I'll endeavour it, if you'll give me Leave, and can have but
Patience to hear me, for you'll stand in Need of it.
Hor. You are to prove, that Acts of Devotion, and an outward Shew of
Religion, may make an Army Victorious, tho' the General was an
_Atheist_, the Clergy were Hypocrites, and the Generality of the Men
wicked Livers.
Cleo. A little more Accuracy, if you please. I said, that they might
do vast Service for the obtaining of Victory; the Service I mean,
consists in rousing the Courage of the Men, and throwing them into an
Enthusiasm, that shall dissipate their Fears, and make them despise
the greatest Dangers. There is no greater Art to make Men fight with
Obstinacy, than to make them trust to, and rely with Confidence on the
Assistance of the invisible Cause, they Fear.
Hor. But how can wicked Men be made to do this? What Reasons can they
be furnish'd with, to hope for the Assistance of Heaven?