Socrates alone, of all the ancient philosophers, had adopted the belief
of a future state of rewards and punishments; and the reason why he
arrived at this truth, affords an instructive lesson to the metaphysical
preachers of the present day--he confined himself to the study of
morality. "What, (says an eminent writer,) could be the cause of his
belief, but this restraint, of which his belief was the natural
consequence? For, having confined himself to morals, he had nothing to
mislead him; whereas, the rest of the philosophers, applying themselves
with a kind of fanaticism to physics and metaphysics, had drawn a number
of absurd but subtile conclusions, which directly opposed the
consequences of those moral arguments."[64]
Footnote 64:
Warburton.
And the great Newton, in reference to this subject, finishes his
principles of natural philosophy with these reflections:--"This most
elegant frame of things could not have arisen, unless by the contrivance
and direction of a wise and powerful being: and if the fixed stars are
the centres of systems, these systems must be similar; and all these,
constructed according to the same plan, are subject to the government of
_one_ Being. All these he governs, _not as the soul of the world_, but
as the Lord of all; and therefore, on account of his government, he is
called the Lord God; for God is a relative term, and refers to subjects.
Deity is God's government, not of his own body, as those think who
consider him as the soul of the world, but of his servants. The supreme
God is a _Being_, eternal, infinite, and absolutely perfect. But a
being, however perfect, without government is not God; for we say my
God, your God, the God of Israel. We cannot say my Eternal, my Infinite.
We may have some notions, indeed, of his attributes, but can have none
of his nature. With respect to bodies, we see only shapes and colour,
hear only sounds, touch only surfaces. These are attributes of bodies,
but of their essence we know nothing. As a blind man can form no notion
of colours, we can form none of the manner in which God perceives, and
understands, and influences every thing.
"Therefore, we know God only by his attributes. What are these? The wise
and excellent contrivance, structure, and final aim of all things. In
these his perfections we admire him, and we wonder. In his direction or
government, we venerate and worship him--we worship him as his servants;
for God without dominion, without providence, and final aims, is
_Fate_--not the object either of reverence, of hope, of love, or of
fear."
You may say that you never intended to inculcate such doctrines as I
have alluded to, and you can produce various instances in which you have
described the Almighty as the supreme governor of the universe; and if
these facts are a justification of the course you have pursued, you may
continue your career completely sheltered from censure or reproach; for
I cannot observe a single novelty in your opinions, or deviation from
the established doctrines of the Christian church, which have not been
contradicted by yourself.
But such an excuse cannot be availing; you declare that you dare not
speak at random, otherwise you would show that you departed from _God's
illuminating spirit_; and although those who have had an opportunity to
read and compare your different sermons, can contemplate that solemn
declaration with no other than feelings of astonishment and regret at
the strange delusion, with others it may have a different effect. You
are a travelling preacher, scattering one doctrine here, and another
there; and interlarding your discourses with bold assertions, which are
remembered, when the prolix and visionary distinctions by which you
attempt to qualify them are forgotten.
I remember hearing an individual who had attended at a meeting in the
vicinity of Philadelphia, at which you preached, when asked what was the
subject of your discourse, reply, that you preached very comfortable
doctrine for some of the company, for you had assured them there was no
devil. I am not so uncharitable as to believe that you are intentionally
instrumental in removing the salutary restraints upon the vices of man;
and yet I am surprised that you do not perceive the inevitable and
pernicious consequences of such declarations; and that, if you do not
believe in the authority of the Scriptures yourself, you do not avoid
assertions which, while they can have no tendency to strengthen and
encourage the pious mind, must necessarily diminish those feelings of
future responsibility which, awful as they are, unhappily are not
sufficient to restrain the wickedness of man.[65]
Footnote 65:
If the reader wishes to know what Elias Hicks says on this subject,
let him peruse the Sermons, pages 37, 163, 166, 170, 182, and 293, and
he will there have a fair specimen of the darkness which surrounds
him--a cloud of words unilluminated by a ray of light.
Many to whom you preach are illiterate, and without capacity to
investigate your doctrines and their tendency. They have been accustomed
to listen to the simple truths of our religion, enforced in language
which they can understand; and they often found in their attendance at
places of worship, consolation, instruction, and encouragement. They
have been taught to believe in the revelations unfolded in the sacred
volume, and to look forward with the cheering hope, of a Mediator and
Redeemer, "who ever liveth to make intercession for them."[66]
Footnote 66:
Hebrews, chap. vii.
These are the lessons of practical piety, which bring the mind into a
situation to worship acceptably, and under the influence of which, men
but little instructed in human learning, are often enabled to counsel
the wise of this world in the things that lead to their peace.
But if these things are all to be changed: if in place of this simple,
practical religion, our places of worship are to be converted into
theatres for metaphysical disquisitions, and the discussion of questions
more curious than useful; and we are to be instructed in the
unprofitable controversies which have so long perplexed and disturbed
the christian world: if faith is no longer a christian principle, and
the revelations of the scriptures rejected when not to be arrived at by
the analogy of reason, then indeed must the Quaker ministry be
constituted anew, and even your own labours cease. The old and unchanged
servants can take no part or portion in the new order of things; and it
cannot be expected that the disciples of the new school will take for a
master to lead them to the truth by analogous reasoning, one, who has
yet to be taught what reason really is.