* * * * *
EXTRACTS No. VII.
[In this number the objector gives the whole ground of his objections,
and the reasons for his doubts: _which he states as follows_, viz.
"1. Mankind, in all ages of the world, have been, and still are prone
to superstition.
"2. It cannot be denied, but that a part of mankind at least, have
believed, and still are believing in miracles and revelation, which
are spurious.
"3. The facts on which religion is predicated are unlike every thing
of which we have any positive knowledge."
Under the first article, the objector appealed to the known
superstitions of the world: not only of the Pagan; but of the Jewish,
Mahometan, and Christian world. He took a view of the present state of
Asia, spake of the "voluntary sacrifices of human life to the great
image at Hugernaught!" and of women "voluntarily climbing the funeral
pile to be burned with their deceased husbands!" He took a view of the
_Inquisition_ in Old Spain; and finally of the various superstitious
notions and practices among the different sects of christians in our
own country.
Under the second article, he discanted largely on the pretension of
Mahomet, and of their great influence and extent; and also of the
particular tone given to the Christian religion by Constantine, who,
holding the reigns of government, had superior means in extending his
influence over the Christian world. Having made these remarks, the
objector proceeds:]
"If therefore, he had happened only to have favoured the opinions of
the Gnostics, we might have expected, and probably it would have been
the fact, that the learned clergy of the present day would have held
that Jesus was not a man in reality, but only a man in appearance;
that he assumed a body that he could put on or throw off at pleasure;
and that he died and was raised again _in appearance only_. Or
otherwise, if he had been disposed to come down to the simplicity and
understanding of the common people, then indeed Christ might still
have been considered as the Jews' expected Messiah; yet we should have
considered him a man, and nothing more than a man; though 'a man
approved of God;'--'a man who hath told us the truth;'--even 'Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph;' as it seems was the opinion of Peter,
John and Philip. But the former opinion had been too long treated as
heresy by all the bishops to be imbibed by Constantine, while the
bishops themselves, on the other hand, had been too long contaminated
with the Platonic philosophy to descend to the simplicity of the
latter; therefore we have a religion, compounded, partly of the
simplicity of the truth, and partly of Platonism. Constantine,
however, being supported by a great majority of all the bishops, in a
great measure effected his purpose; though not fully to his
expectation: for it seems he did not expect that any one would presume
to oppose the decisions of this grand council, which he had summoned
and convened at his own expense, or at the expense of the empire, but
in this he was mistaken; for many, even after this, would take the
liberty not only to think for themselves, but also to speak their own
thoughts.
"One circumstance more I cannot avoid mentioning in this place, viz,
the conversion of Constantine from heathenism to the Christian faith.
Great men, if turned about at all, must be turned about by great
means! But whatever might have been thought of Constantine's
conversion by the people of that day, the account given of it does not
argue any thing very forcibly in my mind, in favour of the truth of
divine revelation. Great men, however, are not always free from
superstition; and they are just as likely to be deceived respecting
things which are above their comprehension as others. This is the most
charitable way in which I can reconcile the following account which,
as Eusebius, the contemporary and historian of Constantine, says, was
stated under the solemnity of an oath. For a full account of this
extraordinary story. See the 2d vol. of Dr. Priestley's Church
History, per. 7, sec. 9. I shall not attempt to quote it in full, nor
is it necessary, and what I do quote is from memory only, as I write
abroad, my books not being with me.
"Reflecting on the ill success of his predecessors in the numerous
wars in which they had been engaged, when their priests and oracles
had ever promised them success, and also considering the better
success of his father, Constantine concluded from these circumstances
that his father prayed to, and was assisted by a different god! When
he prayed, therefore, he always prayed to the God of his father. And
being thus praying one evening, towards the going down of the sun,
with his face toward the same, he saw the appearance of a _cross_ in
the sun, with these words over it in Greek, [Greek: tetw nika] _by
this conquer_. Not knowing, (or else pretending not to know) what this
sign should mean, he called together some of the christian priests for
an explanation; who explained it as might naturally have been supposed
they would, that it was a representation of the cross, on which Christ
was crucified, and that there could be no doubt but that he had now
interposed as God, in behalf of the christians, to deliver them from
their enemies, and of course from further persecution! I do not
pretend to be any thing more than _substantially_ correct in the above
account (by which you will further see how I use the word
_substantially_, about which we have had some dispute) i. e. I may,
yea undoubtedly, have differed, as to words, yet I know I am correct
in the most material part, and of the use which Constantine made of
this supposed miraculous, or supernatural appearance. He said also,
the soldiers saw it as well as himself! Now, if we give full credit to
this account, what must we think of Christianity? The meek and lowly
Jesus, who was led 'like a lamb to the slaughter,' without the least
resistance, and who had suffered thousands to follow him in the same
way, now, by a miraculous interposition, arms a man with carnal
weapons, and, Mahometan like, authorizes him to vindicate his cause,
and avenge his wrongs, by shedding the blood of his enemies! Or, if we
do not credit this account, what must we think of Constantine? and
also of Christianity so far as it can be traced to, and made to depend
on his influence? That candor and charity, however, which I ever wish
to maintain, will oblige me in this, as in all other cases of a
similar nature, to take the middle course. I shall therefore suppose
that there was some natural appearance, perhaps a parhelion, the cause
of which Constantine did not fully understand, and, from the
appearance in the sky around it, his fancy, aided by superstition,
painted to his imagination the supposed cross, as also the Greek
words, which being pointed out to the soldiers they might easily
imagine the same, or, if they did not, would not like to oppose the
opinion of their general. Thus circumstanced, whether he really
believed it to be any thing supernatural or not, Constantine was
disposed to make the most of it he could, by turning it to the best
possible account.[2]"
[Footnote 2: "Upon the whole," says Dr. Priestly, (vol. 2, p. 96) "it
appears to me most probable, that Constantine and his friends saw a
natural parhelion, and that all the other circumstances were either
imagined, or invented; and that the story has lost nothing in passing
through the hands of Eusebius." Constantine also states (which I
forgot to mention above) that "Christ appeared to him in a dream, the
night following, with the very same sign which he had seen in the
heavens, ordering him to make a military standard like it, and
assuring him that it would be his security in battles." "By this note
it will be perceived that I have compared what I have written with the
part of the history from whence it was taken, and that I find nothing
in it materially erroneous."]
"It appears, however, after all, that Constantine was a man of great
moderation, and on the whole, a very good man: yet, that he was not
wholly clear from superstition is very evident from the following
circumstance. Notwithstanding his extraordinary, and what was supposed
by all, miraculous conversion, together with his great pretensions;
and all that he had done for christianity, yet he neglected his own
_baptism_ till he found he was very nigh his end; when he dressed
himself in white, and the bed on which he lay, also all in white, in
which dress he was baptised and partook of the _sacrament_! and thus
he continued in _white_ till he died. This was undoubtedly from a
mistaken notion, that there was something really purifying in those
outward ceremonies, and also from the doctrine of the Navatians, a
certain sect, whose opinions it was supposed he favoured, though not
very openly, i.e. if a person committed sin after having been thus
purified he could not die in union with the church.
"You may perhaps object here and say, all this is to no purpose, as
christianity was well established before; and had existed for nearly
three centuries, and increased too, notwithstanding the many most
bitter and cruel persecutions. Therefore what you say respecting
Constantine only proves that christianity has been corrupted, but it
is no objection against its truth. Very good. If the facts above
stated are admitted, let them prove what they will, I am not the
author of those facts, nor accountable for what is proved by them. The
conversion of Constantine, however, if correct, bears some analogy to
the conversion of St. Paul: hence, the supposition that one is not
correct, brings a little doubt over the mind respecting the truth of
the other: for both being by means which were supernatural; if both
are supported on equal testimony, why should they not both share the
same fate in our minds? Both were equally possible; it is the want of
probability, therefore, arising from the want of equal evidence in its
favour, which leads us to reject the truth of the circumstances
attending the conversion of Constantine, rather than those attending
the conversion of St. Paul. The conversion of Constantine also, if
genuine, seems to have been designed for a very different object, and
was attended with a very different effect. This would incline me to
believe in the validity of that of the apostle's, rather than that of
the emperor. Nevertheless, as it respects the facts; he who caused a
light at mid-day, above the brightness of the sun, might as easily
have painted the sign of the cross on his disk; and he who spake to
Saul from Heaven, with an audible voice, in the Hebrew tongue, might
as easily have painted letters and words in Greek, so that they might
be distinctly read in the firmament!
"Leaving all ancient miracles and revelation, I will come down to
those of our own times, and in our own country.--Strange to tell,
there is a sect of people now among us, who sprang up less than half a
century ago, whose religion is professedly founded on miracles and
revelation. On miracles wrought by the first founders of the sect, as
by Christ and his apostles, and on a revelation also made directly to
them, and through them to the believers, as by the inspired writers of
the new testament. They appear to be something similar in sentiment,
as it respects the person of Christ, to the ancient Arians; with this
difference only, they conceived that as Christ made his first
appearance in Jesus, the son of a _carpenter_, so he has made his
second appearance in Ann, the daughter of a _blacksmith_, whom they
call _mother_; and they consider their church the _New Jerusalem_,
that holy city which was to come down from God out of Heaven.
In the year 1808, about the same time after their first rise as it was
after the days of Jesus to the writing of the new testament, they
published a history of their sect, in a work entitled '_Christ's
second appearance,' or the New Jerusalem Church_, setting forth their
rise, progress and present state; together with their principles,
customs and mode of worship. This work contains an account of their
mother _Ann_, and the first elders; and particularly an account of the
miracles said to have been wrought by them. If my memory serves me,
(as the book is not by me) there is an account of about _forty_
miracles, all of which are well attested, and though they acknowledge
that most of them are inferior to those wrought by Jesus and his
apostles, yet they contend that they are no more inferior to those
than those are to the miracles wrought by Moses. They contend that for
the plagues in Egypt, the dividing the red sea, bringing water out of
the rock, feeding Israel forty years in the wilderness with bread from
heaven, and that there should always fall a double portion on the
sixth day, but none on the seventh, that that which fell on the sixth
day, should keep two days, but on all other days it would keep but
one, and that afterward, some of the same bread or manna was laid up
in the ark of the covenant which kept for ages, as a memorial; also
the dividing the waters of the river Jordan, and the fall of the walls
of Jericho; yea most or all of these, according to reason or human
appearance, are as much greater than the miracles wrought by Jesus and
his apostles, as those are greater than those wrought by Ann and her
elders! It is true, they did not pretend to raise the dead, but either
these accounts are all fabrications and lies, or else they had among
them the gift of healing, and that too miraculously. A woman who had
fell with her horse, by the falling of a bridge, and had broken
several of her ribs, besides being otherwise very much bruised, was
cured in one evening, so that she joined in the dance! A boy who had
cut his foot so that a person might have laid his finger into the
wound, which bled very profusely, was cured in a few hours so that
nothing was to be seen of the wound excepting a white streak, about
the bigness of a common thread! and many others of a like kind, too
numerous to be mentioned in this place.
"You will readily perceive that I allude to the _Shakers_; a people
who are enjoying privileges among us which no other people enjoy,
except the Friends, called also _Quakers_: and who are debarred from
no privileges excepting those from which they either religiously or
_superstitiously_ debar themselves. Thus people, in consequence of
their religion, have entirely changed their manners, customs, and
modes of worship. They have also endured considerable persecution; and
that they have not suffered martyrdom in defence of their religion, is
no fault of theirs. There can be no doubt but that there has been
fanaticism enough on their part to have done it, if there had been
only bigotry and cruelty enough in the people, at that time, to have
put it in execution. Let the same spirit reign among the people for a
short time, which reigned in Boston when the _Quakers_ were put to
death for their religion, and the _Shakers_ also would be able to
boast of their martyrs in defence of the truth of their particular
sect, and of course of the miracles and revelation on which it is said
to have been founded.
"And here I wish to remark a little on _martyrdom_, seeing it is often
brought in defence of the truth of divine revelation. I am aware that
great stress has been laid upon this, and it will still be considered
as one of its main pillars. I apprehend, however, that more stress has
been laid upon martyrdom than what it will justly bear. If this is a
test of the truth of religion, there is scarcely any religion but what
may be proved true. Only make death honourable, of any kind whatever,
in the eyes of the people, and there are always enough who are ready
and willing to die for the sake of the honour which will be in
consequence attached to their names. But only let any particular kind
of death be considered, in the eyes of the people, _meritorious_, and
the sure and certain road to _endless bliss_, and there will not only
be enough found willing to undergo this death, if they can find any to
inflict it upon them, but they will absolutely court it! Instead
therefore of having my faith strengthened by reading the book of
martyrs, as I thought I had some reason to expect, it has produced a
quite contrary effect. Notwithstanding these accounts were taken down
by the friends of the martyrs, and by them have been handed down to
us, who, as we may well suppose, were rather prejudiced in their
favour, yet nevertheless, it is impossible to disguise the spirit and
motives with which many of those infatuated people eagerly sought and
met death.
"In all those accounts it is but too clearly discovered, what has been
too often the fact, that the most bitterly persecuted would have
become the most violent persecutors, if there had been only a chance
for them so to have done, and if there had been, in their view, an
equal occasion. The persecutors of people for their religion have
always considered the persecuted, either heretics or infidels; who if
persecuted by heathens, unless they could be brought to sacrifice to
their heathen gods, or if by christians, unless they could be brought
to acknowledge the particular faith embraced by the _orthodoxy_ of the
day, were considered as mere nuisances or pests to society; and
therefore for the public good, it was thought necessary to take them
out of the world! While on the other hand, the persecuted have always
considered that, if they suffered death in defence of their religion,
they were certain of being raised to great honour and dignity in
another world; a privilege which they undoubtedly believed their
persecutors would never enjoy! And, whatever was the opinion of Christ
and his apostles on this subject, it cannot be denied but that the
idea very soon become prevalent among their followers that the
distinction between them and a wicked world, particularly their
persecutors, would be eternal! Under these circumstances, I do not
wonder at all that men have been found willing to die for their
religion; yea, and even to court death by all the means of which their
own consciences would approve!
"But, you may say, all this does not account for the death of the
first martyrs. Very true. I admit that it does not. But it shews that,
only let the work be begun, from any cause whatever, there is no
difficulty in its being continued.
"Suppose then, if you please, that the first martyrs were killed by a
_mob_, a mere _rabble_, without any legal process, or even form of
_trial_; as, from which appears by the account, was the case with the
death of _Stephen_, the first christian martyr; and, according to
tradition, most of the other apostles: (and it may be remarked here,
it is only by tradition that we have any account of the death of the
apostles; as all authentic documents on the subject, if there ever
were any, are lost:) I say, let such a circumstance as the death of
Stephen take place in any country, and in any age of the world; but
more especially in that age and country in which he lived; and then
let the same honour, and the same supposed consequences be attached to
such a death, as undoubtedly were attached to the death of Stephen;
and there can be no doubt but that others would be willing to follow
the example.
"Only let the blood once begin to flow, no matter how, and then only
attach eternal consequences to it, and hold out inducements of an
eternal nature, and persuade men to believe them (which is not so
difficult a thing as some may imagine) and you will never want for
victims, so long as you can find a zeal sufficiently blind and _mad_;
as to continue the slaughter. In this way, I conceive martyrdom, of
every species and kind, may be rationally accounted for.
"But it may be said all this does not disprove the miracles and
revelation on which the christian religion is founded.
"I acknowledge it does not; neither do I expect to disprove them. I
admit that revelation, and of course the christian religion may
possibly be founded in truth, notwithstanding the truth of all that I
have as yet urged, or shall urge against it. But I call on you, sir,
to disprove the miracles and revelation which I have mentioned, of a
more modern date, or else acknowledge their truth. If you acknowledge
the truth of those miracles, I shall expect you will conform to the
religion predicated upon them; and of course forsake your bosom
companion (which I presume would be a much greater cross than ever you
have yet taken up,) and also your darling offspring (or else take them
with you) and go and live with the _Shakers_!!! But if you prove them
false, it will only be that people may become so infatuated as to
believe in miracles which are spurious.
"For notwithstanding the smallness of the numbers of this people,
which by the way, are considerable; and notwithstanding the
contemptible view in which they have been, and still are held by the
world; yet, you may find it more difficult to prove the falsity of
their pretended miracles than at present you are aware; for they are
very well attested; and some of the witnesses are still living, or
were so when their testimony was first published; as also, if I
recollect right, some of the persons on whom the miracles were said to
have been wrought; who, no doubt, would still testify to the same
things. If they testify falsely, who can help it?--Although thousands
may _believe_ to the contrary; many of whom being too in situations,
probably to have known these things, if true; yet I believe it would
be difficult, and very difficult indeed, to find any who could
absolutely say that those things did not take place.
"And if there is a people now existing among us, in different parts of
the country, and in different, but large extensive families, whose
manners, customs, and worship are all very different from ours, and
who believe in miracles on which their religion is said to have been
founded; and if those miracles, although not founded in truth, cannot
now be proved false, notwithstanding they are said to have taken place
in our own country, and ever since we were born, I would ask, ought
any one to be censured for not giving full credit to miracles said to
have been wrought, all of them nearly two, and most of them above
three thousand years ago; and among a people too, of which we know but
very little? I say, ought any one to be censured for doing this,
although he should not be able to prove any of those miracles false?
"I conclude I shall not be censured for not believing in the miracles
said to have been wrought by the Shakers; but let the government
undertake to annihilate that blind and superstitious class of people:
let them increase their numbers by persecution, which, like the
effects of all other persecutions, undoubtedly they would; let them,
in the course of two or three centuries, get the reins of government
into their own hands;[3] let them then follow the example of
Constantine in demolishing the temples of the heathen gods; let them
demolish every steepled meeting-house, and introduce an entire new
order of things; let them also remake their scriptures, change in some
degree their mode of worship and manner of living, and fix every thing
to the policy of the state; let the old opposition be entirely
extinguished, and new sects spring up among themselves; let this be
the order of things for a number of centuries, and then let a man call
in question the truth of Shaker miracles or Shaker revelation, and he
must do it as his peril! It would undoubtedly cost him his life!
[Footnote 3: Were it not for other causes besides that of
Christianity, I should think this full as likely as it was that
Christianity should ever get the reins of government, judging from
what Christianity was when it had existed no longer than the Shakers.]
"I might also mention here another person now living in the western
part of the state of New-York, who also makes pretensions to be Christ
in his second coming, and in imitation of him has chosen _twelve_ as
immediate apostles, and who has a considerable number of followers.
But as this person is still living, and it is uncertain whether the
sect will take much root, I choose to pass it over in silence.
"I shall only call your attention to one circumstance more, and then
dismiss my second proposition.
"You very well recollect, I presume, the account given by Mrs. A----,
of W----, N. H. in which she affirms that she saw and conversed with
her husband, Mr. John A----, for about an hour and a half, who
appeared to her some considerable time, I believe about three months,
after he had been dead! This is no fiction. Mrs. A---- is still
living, and still affirms to the truth of what she has testified;
which account you know was published by two respectable witnesses who
took it down, for that purpose, from her lips.
"It is true, there has been but very little said in the world
respecting this matter, and I presume, for this plain and obvious
reason; the account did not correspond with the views of what is
termed _orthodoxy_ in Christianity. If if had, i. e. if he had brought
as much tidings concerning the supposed _hell_ in another world, as he
did respecting the supposed _heaven_, the account would have been
published in every magazine, in every religious tract, and in every
periodical work throughout the globe! Why not so, as well as many
accounts which were similar in other respects? But as this account did
not favour such views, it is left to die in oblivion.
"As the particulars of this account, however, make nothing either in
favour or against my present purpose, I shall not occupy time and room
to relate it. Suffice it only to say, if there were no mistake or
deception in the matter, this account can be nothing short of a
revelation from God; as much so as any revelation which has ever been
made from God to man.
"For no one can believe that Mr. A. could appear to his wife, after he
was dead, unless God sent him; and if God sent him, no one can doubt
the truth of his testimony. No one can well conceive of any motive
Mrs. A. could have in giving this account, unless she fully believed
it. Her daughter also was able to corroborate the account in some
degree, by saying that she heard her mother conversing in the bedroom,
but heard no other voice; and she interrogated her on the subject when
she came out, by asking with whom she had been talking, &c. But
surprised on being informed that it was with her father, and
supposing, as she naturally would, that her mother had been talking in
her sleep, she requested her to say nothing about what she had either
seen or heard, saying, that no one would believe her if she did. But
Mrs. A. was able to convince her daughter that she had not been
asleep, by telling her of persons who had gone by her window during
the time; one man in a soldier's dress, and another driving a yoke of
oxen. I state these things from memory only, for I have not seen the
account since soon after it was published, or at least within three or
four years, that I now recollect; yet I believe I could state the
whole of it nearly verbatim as it was published. Now I do not believe
that Mrs. A. ever designed to state, or that she now has the least
idea that she has stated any thing incorrect on this subject. And yet
after all, I doubt of its reality!
"Such is my incredulity; and I see no way to avoid it. If it be a
fault in me, may God forgive it; though I am wholly unconscious of
it's being one.
"When one of two things presented to the mind must be true, and the
truth of one absolutely excludes the truth of the other, a rational
man will always believe that which to his own understanding is the
most probable. Concerning therefore the account given by Mrs. A. it
stands, in my mind thus: either it is all a reality, i. e. that her
husband did absolutely appear to her; that he did give her the account
which she has stated; and that that account is in fact true; or else,
it was nothing more than the power of imagination, which a certain
train of ideas and reflections had produced in her mind, which, like a
kind of reverie, seemed to her like a reality. And although I should
not have made the same conclusion once, yet from my present knowledge
of human nature, together with my own experience, I do not hesitate to
reject the former idea, and believe the latter. If in judging thus, I
do injustice either to Mrs. A. or to the truth of God, I can only ask
forgiveness of a wrong, which, in truth, is by no means intended. But
in justice to my own understanding I could not state differently, if I
knew this would be the last sentence I should ever write.
"Hence after making proper deduction for all that can be accounted for
in this way, laying out of the question at the same time all that we
may justly suppose were the mere glosses of the historian, or the
lubricous figures of the poet, which are very peculiar to the ancient
style of writing; after making due allowances also for interpolations,
or what in more modern times have been considered _pious frauds!_ and
after rejecting every thing (if any such there be) which savors of
gross imposition! if there be any thing left to support the truth of
divine revelation, then it may rationally be believed.
"3. The facts on which revelation is predicated are unlike every thing
of which we have any positive knowledge.
"Of the truth of this proposition you must be sensible; yea, unless
the revelation had been made directly to ourselves, it is impossible
that it should be otherwise than true. Neither of us have ever seen
any thing miraculous! The ancients, however, were carried away with
this _supposition_; the same as the moderns have been with the idea of
witches, wizards, ghosts, apparitions, &c. and many things which once
would have been considered _ominous_, are now rationally accounted
for. In this way, things once supposed to be _miraculous_ also, may
have lost their supposed divine qualities.
"This much, however, I believe, and of this much I have no doubt, that
Paul and the other apostles were convinced of the truth and the
salutary effects of the moral precepts which had been taught and
practised by Christ; and they were willing to preach and enforce them
by all the means in their power, even at the risk of their lives.
Believing this, and practising accordingly, constituted them wise and
good men; and happy would it have been for the Christian world if they
had always followed in their steps, without ever undertaking to
dictate to others, either modes or forms of worship, or to use
coercive means to compel men to the faith.
"That the apostles also believed in the resurrection, and also in
eternal life, I have no doubt; this sentiment, however, was neither
new nor peculiar to them, but had been held long before, not only by
the pharisees, among the Jews, but by some of the Grecian
philosophers; and the truth of it I am not at all disposed to dispute;
yet nevertheless, whether the evidences on which it was founded were
not originally mere _visionary_, like the appearance of Mr A. before
mentioned, is the subject under consideration.
"There may be, and undoubtedly are principles in nature which are not
yet understood by any; and many more which are understood only by a
few. The operations of these principles would undoubtedly, even at the
present day, appear miraculous to thousands; and must appear very
extraordinary to every one until they are understood. But this I
conclude is not what is meant by miracles. Respecting miracles, I have
only to ask myself this question, viz.--Which is the most likely to be
true; either that men should have been honestly deceived, in the first
instance, or otherwise facts should have been so misrepresented, that
fabrication should have been honestly believed for truth; or else,
that things so contrary to every principle of which I know in nature,
should have taken place? Let reason only dictate the answer.
"Another source of evidence in support of divine revelation is
prophecy. And here, notwithstanding I think it very probable that much
importance has been attached to many writings, under the idea of their
being prophetic, which are nothing more than the poetic effusions of a
fruitful imagination; yet I have long been of opinion that there have
been, and perhaps still are men in the world who are endowed, by
nature, with gifts and faculties differing from men in general; and
particularly, say if you please, with a _spirit of prophecy_, which,
however, I must consider nothing less nor more than a _second_ or
_mental sight_. By this sense, or faculty of seeing, they are enabled
to bring events which are yet future, as well as those otherwise out
of sight, present to their minds; and thus they can behold them with
their mental eye, as clearly as we behold objects at a distance.
"This, you may say, is visionary indeed. And you may wonder how I can
doubt of the truth of miracles, if I can believe in such a chimerical
idea as this!
"But stop, my dear sir, you believe in such a power some where or
other; for without it there could be no such thing as prophecy, and if
such a power exist, even in the universe, why may it not exist in man?
For myself, I cannot account for the spirit of prophecy in man, (and
it must be in man, or else men could not be prophets) in a more
rational way. I should not be disposed, however, to consider such a
power, sense, faculty, or by what other name it might be called, any
more supernatural than the organs of sight and hearing. If the natural
eye is so formed that objects may be painted on it, simply by the
action of vision, to the immense distance of the fixed stars, so that
we are enabled to behold them, why may not the mental eye be so
constituted as to bring future events present to the mind with equal
certainty?
"If such a power, however, were once known to exist, it would be
likely to be counterfeited; and hence we may suppose, arose that horde
of impostors, by the name of soothsayers, sorcerers, necromancers,
magicians, &c.
"But even where this power exists, if it be a natural power, it must
have its limits, and some may have it to a greater degree than others,
and also some may make a good use of it, and others bad.
"Accounting for prophecy in this way, you will readily perceive that
it is no certain evidence of a future state; for although the time may
come when all creatures in all the vast dominions of God may be made
happy in the enjoyment of his blessings, yet it does not necessarily
follow that you and I shall _exist_ at that time! i.e. in conscious
identity!
"If I am asked why I wish to explain every thing upon natural
principles, without admitting the immediate agency of the Deity, my
only answer is, because to my understanding it is more rational, and
of course more likely to be true.
"That men could divine, or foretell future events, or declare present
things which are beyond their sight by intuition, all of which seems
to be embraced in the word _prophecy_, is an idea which has existed
perhaps from time immemorial; and however unaccountable it may seem,
yet, to a certain degree, at least, we are obliged to admit the fact;
but whether, after all, this is any thing more than the effect of that
kind of foresight or ratiocination, which all men (idiots excepted)
have to a greater or less degree, but some much greater than others,
is still a question. But should I be obliged to admit the truth of
prophecy, in the sense in which it is generally understood, I should
account for it in the way you have seen.
"I do not perceive, at present, how a revelation could be made to the
understanding of any man only through the medium of the operations of
nature. Unless it were made to some of his outward senses, how could
he know whether it was any thing more than a chimera of his own brain?
If there were any faculty in his mind by which he could view these
things over and over again, (the same as we look at the heavenly
bodies) and did he always behold them in the same light, then he would
feel safe in declaring that such things did exist; and unless the
prophets had some such criterion by which they could determine on the
truth of their predictions. I do not see how that even _they_, and
much less _we_, should feel safe in placing any real confidence in
them.
"The prophecies of our Saviour, however, concerning the destruction of
Jerusalem, are more clear and striking than any thing else we have of
the kind; and if it were certain that these were written before the
event took place, it would be a very strong proof of something more
than what any one can suppose could have been the result of human
foresight. There must, at least, on such a supposition, have been a
faculty of seeing which we do not possess. These predictions, however,
if made by Jesus, must have been made in the hearing of John, as well
as Matthew; and of course, he must have known them with more certainty
than Mark or Luke; who, in consequence of not being personally
acquainted with Jesus, could have known them only from hear say; and
as it is pretty generally agreed, that John wrote his gospel more than
twenty years after the event took place, it is very remarkable that he
should be entirely silent on this subject! John, as we must suppose,
knowing of this prediction; knowing also that it had been recorded by
all three of the other Evangelists, (though Luke is not very
particular on the subject) and knowing also that they had all written
before the event took place; and he living to see the whole verified,
and then wrote his gospel afterwards, how natural it would have been
for him, first to have recorded this prediction, at least, in
substance, and then to have mentioned its fulfillment, as a
confirmation of the prophecy! But not a word on the subject.
"This, however, is no evidence that Jesus did not deliver those
predictions, and that they were not written by Matthew and Mark, and
also hinted at by Luke before the events took place; yet still it
raises a doubt and a query in the mind whether these are not
interpolations, or else the books wholly written after the events took
place, and of course these predictions put into the mouth of Jesus by
the historian. When the copies were few in number, and those kept by
the Christians only, interpolations might have been made without much
danger of detection. The heretics were early accused of interpolating,
altering, and forging the scriptures; and although they, i. e. the
majority of the believers, as it is likely would be very careful to
detect any thing which contradicted their views in point of doctrine,
yet whether they would be equally careful respecting those
interpolations which favoured the Christian faith is a question worthy
of consideration.
"In Calmet's dictionary of the bible, under the word gospel, we have
an account of between thirty and forty gospels, of which he gives
their names, but none of which are now extant. Neither is there any
thing, which I now recollect, of any disputes about the validity of
the writing of the apostles, except what is merely traditional, until
about the year 180, when Celsus undertook to disprove the whole. I may
be incorrect, in this, however, if I am, you will correct me: for
excepting barely the bible, as I have informed you before, I have no
books by me on this subject.
"Another circumstance must be taken into consideration, and which
bears great weight in my mind. That is, the great and astonishing
difference there has been made in the state and condition of mankind
by the discovery or invention of the art of printing; an art for which
we cannot be too thankful, nor too highly appreciate its benefits. For
it would be very difficult now to realize the situation of mankind
previous to the invention of this art.
"Writing, it is true, as we may rationally suppose, was carried to a
greater state of perfection at that time, than it is at present; for
it was of more use, yet its use must have been very limited, and it is
reasonable to suppose that a very great proportion of the common
people could neither read nor write. For it could be of but little use
to them, as they had nothing to read, for books of all descriptions,
and upon all subjects, must have been, comparatively, very few. This,
as you would readily perceive, would have a tendency to cause the
common people to place great confidence in any thing that was written.
Hence, generally speaking, it was sufficient barely to say, concerning
any matter, [Greek: gegraptai], _it is written_ to gain full belief.
"It is with all ancient sects, as it is with ancient nations and
kingdoms; their history may be traced back until we find it veiled in
mystery, and mingled with fable. We are not to suppose, however, that
these things were done at the time, with an intent to deceive; but
after the events, whatever they were, had passed away, and the
imagination had been long in operation respecting the traditions
concerning them, they are dressed up with all the appearance of real
history; and might so be construed and believed, were it not for
improbability. The probability is, that when such histories were first
written, they deceived no one, or at least, no one thought it worth
while to undertake to detect them, because, not knowing what effect
they would have, they considered their errors were of no material
consequence. The Shaker Book has been published nine years; and
although I conclude that very few, if any, except the Shakers
themselves, believe the miracles therein recorded; yet no one that I
know of has thought it expedient to undertake to refute them. And
unless the sect should grow to more consequence than it is at present,
I presume that no one will give himself much trouble on the subject.
If it should be thought necessary, however, to refute these pretended
miracles, in order to prevent those in scripture from growing into
disrepute, then it will alter the case.
"I am perfectly reconciled and willing, however, that whatever is
truth should be true; and have not the least inclination, even if it
were in my power, to alter one truth respecting eternity. This is the
state of my mind exactly; a state into which it has been growing,
gradually, for many years; and, strange as it may seem to you, I can
assure you in the fear of that God before whom I stand or fall, and by
whom I have been supported hitherto, it is the most happy state of
mind in which mortals can be placed! "Gloria in altissimis Deo, et in
terra pax in homines benevolentia." Luke ii. 14, Beza.
"Whatever may be your opinion concerning miracles, I believe it must
be admitted that there was no more of a miracle in the production of
man, originally, than there was in the production of other animals;
and as nature has not provided man with clothing for the body, which
it does for other animals, especially those which inhabit cold
climates, it is evident that man was originally produced under the
torrid zone; and that he could not have lived in any other part of the
world, had it not been for art. What alteration the discovery of the
arts has made in the original constitution of man, it would he
difficult now to determine.
"What man must have been previous to the discovery and use of _fire_,
is difficult now to conceive. We can trace man down, however, from
grade to grade, until we are at a loss to determine whether such a
race of beings belongs to the human species.
"I have long desired, and should be glad if some one of sufficient
learning and skill would point out to me the line of demonstration
between the human and brutal creation; and say where the human ends,
and where the brutal begins!
"Naturalists take care to say but little on this subject, and I
believe the task would be more difficult than what people in general
imagine.
"Come then, ye learn'd, ye great and wise,
Unfold the soul to mortal eyes;
Say where eternal life shall end,
Or where eternal death begins!
For death eternal theirs must be,
Whose souls no future life shall see!
And why should mortals vainly weep
For creatures wrapt in endless sleep?
They've had their day, they've had their bliss,
Their life, their joy, and happiness,
And now must we forever mourn,
Because their life will not return!
"O foolish man! go, and be wise!
Learn where the source of greatness lies;
To be content is to be blest:
A cure for woes is endless rest.
If God be good to all the race
Of animals before his face,
Although the life of some be short,
(One day begins and ends their sport)
Shall we presume he is less kind
To human souls of nobler mind,
Unless he lengthen out their days
To endless years in future maze?
"It cannot be! His love is such,
Whate'er he gives, little or much,
Is always good: faith, hope, desires;
Or any grace which he inspires.
All, all are good: for man indeed,
(Whilst here) such gifts, such helps may need!
All bring him to his final goal,
Where nature's law winds up the whole!
"But you will say, does God inspire man with faith and hope barely to
deceive him; and does he not mean that he should ever realize the
'things hoped for?' which must be the case, unless the hope is founded
on a reality. Answer: Let us rather say, unless the _hope_ be a
reality. The hope of man is in fact a reality, as much so as any thing
else which exists. It is, however, what it is, i. e. _hope_; and not
what is not, i. e. the 'things hoped for.' But hope never deceives any
one, it continues as long as the creature has any use for it; and it
is never taken away from any (except a disordered mind, to which all
men are liable) as long as it can be of any service to the creature.
"That hope is given for thy blessing NOW."--_Pope_.
"Mankind, if ever, are very seldom made unhappy and wretched in
consequence of doubting the existence of a future state. Thousands, no
doubt, think they should be wretched in this condition: but, although
I have been acquainted with a number of this description, I never saw
one made unhappy in consequence. It is the _fear of endless misery_
which produces so much wretchedness in the world.--This idea, it is
true, beggars all description! It produces that fear which hath
torment. It disturbs the brain; destroys the mental faculties; and, by
distracting the imagination, fills the soul with horror! It is
infinitely more to be dreaded than _endless death_! But what fear or
dread can there be in the idea of _endless sleep_? Surely none. People
are too apt to confound the idea of the absence of immortality with
endless misery, believing this to be the only alternative. This is not
correct. Mortality and death are the only opposites to immortality and
eternal life. The former I know is true, and yet I am satisfied with
knowing, (i. e. for an absolute certainty) nothing further;
nevertheless, as I feel truly thankful for my present existence,
should I be so happily disappointed as to find all my doubts, founded
in error, I trust, as I should be inexpressibly happy, so I should be
inexpressibly thankful for a future life."
"Yours, &c.