teach) there are not many now who hold these Opinions; and such as do
not so, rightly looking upon Vertue as the great perfection of Humane
Nature, and the End which Christianity is intended to promote, do
accordingly (if they are serious in their Religion) instruct their
Children much better than those abovementioned are wont to do theirs;
at least, they design it: For it is true that the performance does
often fall short; because (as has been said) their Actions correspond
not with their Instructions; and also from hence That Zeal for
Morality makes some, in recommending thereof, too forgetful of that
Doctrine of Faith, without which, as works avail not, so also the
greatest encouragement to, and inforcement of Morality, is lost. And
when any who are profess'd Teachers of the Christian Religion do this,
such Men do frequently confirm in their wrong Apprehensions concerning
it, those whom they would convince of mistaking the design of the
Gospel; since _Faith_ is so evidently therein the Doctrine of
Salvation, that They who never preach it, are not altogether without
Reason suspected either of not understanding Consequences, or else of
not being in earnest Christians, but conceal'd Deists, and Betrayers
of the Christian Religion. Altho' the Truth herein for the most part
is, that one Error unhappily produces another, and the partial regard
of some to the Doctrine of Faith (which yet they misrepresent) as if
the whole business of our Salvation consisted in That, has been an
occasion to other Men of as partially espousing the Doctrine of Good
Works; whilst in their heat against what is contrary to Truth in
respect thereof, they establish not sufficiently that Justifying Faith
of the Gospel, by which alone Men shall obtain Eternal Life, and not
by their Works: the best Men's Obedience having (as has been already
observ'd) imperfection in it; from whence all are necessarily
condemn'd by the Rigour of the Law, and must accordingly be found
Guilty, by him, _Who is of Purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity_; had
not God, in Mercy to Mankind, been pleas'd to establish _a New
Covenant of Grace_ in compliance with the Terms whereof, _viz._ Faith
in his Son, they may obtain Eternal Life. A Doctrine (as has been
seen) the most highly conducing that is possible to the making Men
labour after the perfectest Obedience. The Exalters of _Faith_
therefore in opposition to _Good Works_ do not more undermine
_Morality,_ than the Advancers of the Doctrine of _Good Works_ to the
Exclusion of _Free Grace,_ do undermine Reveal'd, and in consequence
thereof, Natural Religion also. The which two sort of Men divide, if
one may so say, a good Christian betwixt them; the latter whereof take
the Soul and Spirit of Christianity, but cannot be acquitted of
neglecting what is not less essential in the Doctrine of our
Salvation; and that not only because what God has joyn'd Man cannot
disjoyn; but also because it is an Eternal Verity, that such Creatures
as we are, cannot consistently with the Attributes of God, any other
way than that of Justification by Faith, be intitled to Eternal Life.
For the Dispensation of the Gospel is not a meerly Arbitrary thing;
but is the result of Infinite Wisdom, and Goodness, for the Salvation
of Men. And if the Beauty and Harmony of its Divine Contrivance is not
to all Men evident, it is because they search not for the Christian
Religion purely, as it is deliver'd in the Scriptures, but take it up
together with the mixtures of Humane inventions, and conceits; wherein
Additions and Substractions have been made to the Truth of God, at
Mens Pleasure: Whose several Systems and Notions, whilst every one yet
indeavours to support by Scripture Authority, many become thereby
discourag'd from the study of those Holy Oracles, as being perswaded
from hence that the Bible is (at best) a Book too difficult to be
understood by them; if not truly, a Rhapsodie of contradictions, that
may be brought alike to assert any thing that shall come into Men's
Fancies to prove from thence.
What then should those who would cure, or prevent all Mistakes
prejudicial to the right understanding the Christian Religion so
carefully do, as to perswade and ingage People diligently and with
unprejudic'd Minds to study the Scriptures; and not (as is usual) to
embrace Opinions concerning Religion first, and then consult the
Scriptures only to fortifie from thence their preconceiv'd Sentiments?
for doing thus they do in effect, but rely blindly upon the Teachings
of Men, and such Men too (as God knows have themselves for the most
part) as blindly follow'd others; whilst here and there some few (as
having more refin'd Wits, and disdaining such Shackles as the
generality like to wear, yet not loving the Truth in the Simplicity
thereof) have sought to improve and adorn it by their Philosophical
Conceits, and Notions; a Thing no less dangerous than the Former. For
to such as are better pleas'd with curious Speculations, than plain
and obvious Verities, it is very apt to happen that a Favourite
Hypothesis, or Opinion, shall run quite away with their Reason and
Judgment: which when it does, the Scriptures are sure to be
interpreted with conformity to that as if it were an Eternal, and
Unquestionable Principle of Truth. And thus too often is it seen that
the Sacred Doctrines of Divine Revelation are submitted to be try'd by
Philosophical Fancies, as a Criterion of their Truth; which is truly a
more direct disservice to Christianity than the above-mentioned
implicite Faith, since this evidently exposes even the Divine
Authority of the Christian Religion to be question'd. For when any,
especially if such whose profession it is to be Teachers of this
Religion, shall either argue against the plain Sense of what is
deliver'd in the Scriptures, meerly because it is not reconcileable to
their preconceiv'd Sentiments: or to those of their Admir'd Masters of
Reason; or else shall insist upon some of their own or these Mens
Theorems as necessary to be believ'd in confirmation of any thing
taught by our Saviour, or his Apostles; what can the Natural effect of
this be, but to make such as have not the leisure, or inclination to
examine the Truth of this Revelation, Sceptical in regard thereof; by
perswading them that those themselves who are rational Men amongst the
very Teachers of the Christian Religion, are not very clearly and
fully convinc'd of its Divine Authority; since if they were, they
would certainly submit their Opinions to be try'd by the Scriptures,
and not warp the Scriptures to a compliance with their Opinions; or
think the Doctrines contain'd in them needed any other confirmation to
support them. And wherefore must it be thought that such Men, as
these, are not convinc'd of the divine Revelation of the Christian
Religion, but from hence, that they (who will be presum'd to have
examin'd this matter the best of any Men) do find indeed some flaw or
just cause of doubt in the evidence thereof? From whence it is that
they prefer their Natural Reason as a surer Teacher than that
Revelation; however on some occasions they speak highly of it. And as
Men of this Philosophical Genius have usually more Vertue than those
who hoodwink'd follow their Leaders; or than such who look upon
Vertue as no part of Religion; there will, on this account, as also
for the Reputation of their uncommon Science, be probably a
distinguishing esteem had of such: Whence the apparent want of
deference in these Men to the Scriptures (liable to be look'd upon as
some degree of Scepticism) is of dangerous Example; which is obviously
manifest in that direct tendency this has to satisfie those in their
infidelity, who cannot, or will not, find leisure to examine for
themselves the Truths of Religion. But there is also a farther ill
influence which apparent want of deference to Scripture Authority in
those who pretend to believe (and, much more, to teach the Gospel)
has: And that is to the countenanceing too much that Multitude who
preferring the Christian Religion, do in their Practical that which
these Men do in their Speculative Opinions, _viz._ make the dictates
of the Gospel their Rule so far only, as they are vouch'd for and
Authoriz'd by their Reason, infected, as it is, by Custom, Passion, or
Worldly Interest; which is done by very many who would be offended to
have their belief of the Scriptures Question'd. But however they
profess to own them, none who act thus can be rationally thought to be
sincerely perswaded of their divine Authority, altho' it is possible
that many such Men may have no intire disbelief thereof neither; it
being barely not assenting, which is the Natural Effect of Ignorance
in those who have good Sense enough to see that it is irrational, to
be confidently assur'd of what they have not sufficient Reason to be
so assur'd of.
Now this want of a firm assent to the Divine Authority of the
Scriptures in such as yet profess to own them for the word of God, is
unquestionably evident when such Men acquiesce not in the Precepts of
the Gospel, as the Rule of their Actions, any farther than they find
those Precepts to be Authoriz'd by the Testimony of their Reason: Of
which manner of acting many very common examples may be easily
brought.
It is true that how much soever a Man is perswaded of the Authority of
any Rule, a strong Passion, or Apparent Interest may yet seduce him
from the Obedience due to its prescriptions; but such a Transgression
being accompanied with Regret, or followed with Repentance, the Rule
is still as much acknowledg'd as if it were obey'd; and none, on the
score of a contrary practice, are chargeable with a disbelief thereof,
but such who do, on a deliberate Choice and without Remorse,
transgress against it; which many professing to be Christians not
only themselves do, but even teach their Children the like: in which
latter case it cannot be suppos'd that they are misled by the strength
of any prevailing Passion.
That we should forgive our Enemies and be patient under injuries (for
instance) are, as plainly as words can make them so, commanded in the
Scriptures; yet how many are there professing to believe that the
Scriptures are the Word of God, who, as if no such Commands as these
were deliver'd by Christ, or his Disciples, do both Practice and
Teach, the not putting up Affronts unreveng'd; and this only because
the Fashion of the Country has establish'd it, that a Gentleman cannot
do so with _Honour_? A Term which herein signifies nothing, but
agreeably to certain measures of acting that Men have Arbitrarily made
for themselves, and which are not founded upon any Principle of right
Reason; however to be obey'd, it seems, by a Gentleman preferably to
the Commands of Christ. If there are Cases wherein from want of a due
provision in Governments against some sort of Injuries it may be
thought that Men are excusable in asserting their own Cause, yet thus
much is at the least certain, That this Precept of Forgiveness could
not be transgress'd against, as it very frequently is, by Men
professing to believe the Authority of the Scriptures, if such were
indeed fully perswaded that it was a divine Command which prohibited
the avenging of our selves.
But others there are (contrary to these Men) who would find it
altogether condemnable for a Man to hazard his own, and anothers Life
in a Duel, or Rencounter (tho' caus'd by the Transport of ever so just
a provocation) who would see no Evil in his mispending of his Time,
consuming Day after Day, and Year after Year, uselesly to himself, or
others, in a course of continual Idleness and Sauntring; as if he was
made only to Eat and to Drink, or to gratifie his Senses. And how few
Parents are there of Quality, even among such as are esteem'd the most
vertuous, who do not permit their Daughters to pass the best part of
their Youth in that Ridiculous Circle of Diversions, which is pretty
generally thought the proper business of Young Ladies; and which so
ingrosses them that they can find no spare Hours, wherein to make any
such improvements of their understanding, as the leisure which they
have for it exacts from them as rational Creatures; or as is requisite
or useful to the discharging well their present, or future Duties?
Some formal Devotions are (perhaps) necessary to some of These, to
preserve them even in their own good esteem; and they that can
regularly find half an Hour, or an Hour in a Day to employ in private
upon this, and in reading some pious Book, together with, it may be, a
certain Number of Chapters in the Bible, need nothing more to make
them be cry'd up for great examples to the Age they live in; as if all
this while there were no Precepts for these People in the Gospel,
concerning the improvement of their Time, and Talents, as things
whereof they must one Day be accountable. For others it may be they
cannot but see that there are such Commands; but the Sacred Law of
Fashion has made endless Idle Visits, and less Innocent
Entertainments, the indispensibly constant Employment of those of
their Condition: and when they are grown Old in the perpetually
repeated round of such Impertinence and Folly, they have but labour'd
much in their Calling.
Another Instance how little many, who profess to believe the
Scriptures, do apparently look upon them as the Rule of their Actions,
we have in regard of the Precept _not to Covet_; which is as much
forbidden by the Law of God as _not to Steal_, or Cozen a Man of what
is his property: And yet the same Parents who have bred their Children
in such a Sense of the Enormity of these last Vices, as that they
oftentimes seem to them like things that they are Naturally uncapable
of, are so far from teaching them to restrain their Exorbitant
Desires, that very oft they themselves with care inspire these into
them: Whence it is sufficiently clear that the difference made between
Stealing and Cheating, or Coveting (alike forbidden by the Law of God)
is from hence, That Ambition is thought a Passion becoming some Ranks
of Men, but Cheating or Stealing not Vices proper for a Gentleman. A
distinction that must needs refer to some other Rule than that of the
Gospel; which therefore is not That which, as a Divine Law, does
prescribe to such Men the Measures of their Actions.
To bring but one instance more of the Commands of Christ being
comply'd with but so far only, as they do comply with some other Rule
prefer'd thereto by such as yet pretend to be Christians; _Chastity_
(for example) is, according to the Gospel, a Duty to both Sexes, yet a
Transgression herein, even with the aggravation of wronging another
Man, and possibly a whole Family thereby, is ordinarily talk'd as
lightly of, as if it was but a Peccadillo in a Young Man, altho' a far
less Criminal Offence against this Duty in a Maid shall in the
Opinion of the same Persons brand her with perpetual Infamy: The
nearest Relations oftentimes are hardly brought to look upon her after
such a dishonour done by her to their Family; whilst the Fault of her
more guilty Brother finds but a very moderate reproof from them; and
in a little while, it may be, becomes the Subject of their Mirth and
Raillery. And why still is this wrong plac'd distinction made, but
because there are measures of living establish'd by Men themselves
according to a conformity, or disconformity with which, and not with
the Precepts of Jesus Christ, their Actions are measur'd, & judg'd of?
A thing which would be unaccountable if Men were indeed heartily
perswaded of the Divine Revelation of our Saviours Doctrine; and did
not profess to believe this but because it is the Fashion of their
Country so to do; and that their Parents have done so before them;
or, at most, that possibly they may have receiv'd from their Education
some impressions which will not permit them to reject the Christian
Religion, any more than firmly induce their Assent to the Truth of it.
That Men who have any Vertue, or Sobriety, and who are not intirely
destitute of good Sense, can suffer in themselves such an uncertainty
about what is of so great moment to them as the Truths of the
Christian Religion, is indeed strange; but as the slightest Arguments
against any Truth have some weight to those who know not the Evidence
of that Truth, so also such as have never been accustom'd, whilst
Young, to exercise themselves in any Rational Inquiry, do usually in a
more advanc'd Age look upon the easiest Labour of this kind as
painful: And thence (for the most part) do either lazily think it
best to acquiesce, as well as they can, in such Mens Sentiments as
they have imagin'd the best to understand this matter; or else are
readily inclin'd from the disagreement, and contrariety of Peoples
thoughts about it, to take a Resolution of not troubling themselves at
all concerning it; as being a thing wherein there is no certainty to
be found, and probably therefore but little Truth: An Opinion which
the too commonly avow'd Scepticism of the Age helps much to confirm
unthinking People in; and that the more, because to doubt of what the
most believe (tho' few have any other Reason for so doubting but that
others do not doubt) has very much prevail'd in our Days to intitle
Men to the Reputation of more than ordinary Wit and Sagacity. But the
Scepticism among us has truly been so far from being the effect of
uncommon Light, and Knowledge; as that it has been, and is much owing
to the preceding fashionableness of a very general Ignorance, both in
regard of Religion, and also of other useful Sciences; for Men's not
knowing how profitably, and with pleasure to employ their Time, is
apparently one great cause of their Debauchery; and so long as the
Consciousness and Shame of not acting like rational Creatures is not
extinguished in them, the uneasiness of that remorse puts them
Naturally upon seeking out Principles to justifie their Conduct upon;
few Men being able to indure the constant Reproaches of their own
Reason: Whence if they do not conform their Actions to the dictates of
that, they will Naturally indeavour to warp their Reason to a
compliance with their practices: A reconcilement one way, or other,
between these, being necessary to the making Men, that are not very
profligate indeed, in good conceit, or even at Peace with themselves.
By that want of Knowledge which I have ventur'd to say is fashionable,
I understand not only ignorance among Men, who have leisure for it, of
Arts and Sciences in general; but also, and especially the want of
such particular Knowledge as is requisite to every one for the well
discharging either their Common or peculiar Business and Duty; wherein
Religion is necessarily included, as being the Duty of all Persons to
understand, of whatever Sex, Condition, or Calling they are of. Now to
affirm that the greater part of People are ignorant concerning that
which is not only their Duty to know, but which also many are so
sensible they ought to know, as that they pretend to understand it
enough to be either zealous about, or else to contemn it; and to
assert likewise that they want the knowledge of what is peculiarly
belonging to them, in their particular Station, to understand; are
such Charges as ought not to be alledg'd, if they are not so evidently
true, as that we cannot open our Eyes without seeing them to be so.
In respect of Religion, it is, I think, universally allow'd to be true
of the common People of all sorts (tho' surely not without Matter of
Reproach to some, or other, whose Care their better Instruction ought
to be) that they are very ignorant. But we will consider here only
such superior Ranks of Persons, in reference to whom what has already
been said, has been spoken: And to begin with the Female Sex, who
certainly ought to be Christians; how many of these, comparatively,
may it be presum'd that there are, from the meanest Gentlewoman to the
greatest Ladies, that can give any such account of the Christian
Religion, as would inform an inquisitive Stranger what it consisted
in; and what are the grounds of believing it? Such Women as understand
something of the distinguishing Opinions of that Denomination they
have been bred up in, are commonly thought highly intelligent in
Religion; but I think there are but very few, even of this little
number, who could well inform a rational Heathen concerning
Christianity itself: Which is an Ignorance inexcusable in them, tho',
perhaps, it is very often the effect only of the want of other useful
Knowledge, for the not having whereof, Women are much more to be
pitty'd than blam'd.
The improvements of Reason, however requisite to Ladies for their
Accomplishment, as rational Creatures; and however needful to them for
the well Educating of their Children, and to their being useful in
their Families, yet are rarely any recommendation of them to Men; who
foolishly thinking, that Money will answer to all things, do, for the
most part, regard nothing else in the Woman they would Marry: And not
often finding what they do not look for, it would be no wonder if
their Off-spring should inherit no more Sense than themselves. But be
Nature ever so kind to them in this respect, yet through want of
cultivating the Tallents she bestows upon those of the Female Sex, her
Bounty is usually lost upon them; and Girls, betwixt silly Fathers and
ignorant Mothers, are generally so brought up, that traditionary
Opinions are to them, all their lives long, instead of Reason. They
are, perhaps, sometimes told in regard of what Religion exacts, That
they must _Believe_ and _Do_ such and such things, because the Word
of God requires it; but they are not put upon searching the Scriptures
for themselves, to see whether, or no, these things are so; and they
so little know why they should look upon the Scriptures to be the Word
of God, that but too often they are easily perswaded out of the
Reverence due to them as being so: And (if they happen to meet with
such bad examples) are not seldom brought from thence, even to scoff
at the Documents of their Education; and, in consequence thereof, to
have no Religion at all. Whilst others (naturally more dispos'd to be
Religious) are either (as divers in the Apostles Days were) _carry'd
away with every wind of Doctrine, ever learning and never coming to
the knowledge of the Truth_; Weak, Superstitious, Useless Creatures;
or else, if more tenacious in their Natures, blindly and conceitedly
weded to the Principles and Opinions of their Spiritual Guides; who
having the direction of their Consciences, rarely fail to have that
also of their Affairs and Fortunes. A Wife of which sort proves, very
often, no small unhappiness to the Family where she comes; for this
kind of ignorant Persons are, of all others, the most Arrogant; and
when they are once intitl'd to Saintship for their blind Zeal, as
nothing is more troublesome than they in finding fault with, and
censuring every one that differs from them, so to their Admirers (who
lead them as they please) they think they can never pay enough for
that Incence which is offer'd them: The dearest Interests of Humane
Life being, oftentimes, thus sacrific'd to a vain Image of Piety;
_whilst makers of long Prayers_ have _devour'd Widows Houses_.
But what is here said implying that Ladies should so well understand
their Religion, as to be able to answer both to such who oppose, and
to such who misrepresent it; this may seem, perhaps, to require that
they should have the Science of Doctors, and be well skill'd in
Theological Disputes and Controversies; than the Study of which I
suppose there could scarce be found for them a more useless
Employment. But whether such Patrons of Ignorance as know nothing
themselves which they ought to know, will call it Learning, or not, to
understand the Christian Religion, and the grounds of receiving it; it
is evident that they who think so much knowledge, as that, to be
needless for a Woman, must either not be perswaded of the Truth of
Christianity; or else must believe that Women are not concern'd to be
Christians. For if Christianity be a Religion from God, and Women
have Souls to be sav'd as well as Men; to know what this Religion
consists in, and to understand the grounds on which it is to be
receiv'd, can be no more than necessary Knowledge to a Woman, as well
as to a Man: Which necessary Knowledge is sufficient to inable any one
so far to answer to the Opposers or Corrupters of Christianity, as to
secure them from the danger of being impos'd upon by such Mens
Argumentations; which is all that I have thought requisite for a Lady;
and not that she should be prepar'd to challenge every Adversary to
Truth.