CONTAINING
THE NATURE, PROOF, AND IMPORTANCE
OF IMMORTALITY.
PREFACE.
As we are at war with the power, it were well if we were at war with the
manners, of France. A land of levity is a land of guilt. A serious mind
is the native soil of every virtue; and the single character that does
true honour to mankind. The soul's immortality has been the favourite
theme with the serious of all ages. Nor is it strange: it is a subject by
far the most interesting and important that can enter the mind of man. Of
highest moment this subject always was, and always will be. Yet this its
highest moment seems to admit of increase, at this day; a sort of
occasional importance is superadded to the natural weight of it; if that
opinion which is advanced in the Preface to the preceding Night be just.
It is there supposed, that all our infidels, whatever scheme, for
argument's sake, and to keep themselves in countenance, they patronise,
are betrayed into their deplorable error, by some doubts of their
immortality, at the bottom. And the more I consider this point, the more
I am persuaded of the truth of that opinion. Though the distrust of a
futurity is a strange error; yet it is an error into which bad men may
naturally be distressed. For it is impossible to bid defiance to final
ruin, without some refuge in imagination, some presumption of escape. And
what presumption is there? There are but two in nature; but two, within
the compass of human thought. And these are,--That either God will not,
or can not, punish. Considering the divine attributes, the first is too
gross to be digested by our strongest wishes. And since omnipotence is as
much a divine attribute as holiness, that God cannot punish, is as absurd
a supposition as the former. God certainly can punish as long as wicked
men exist. In non-existence, therefore, is their only refuge; and,
consequently, non-existence is their strongest wish. And strong wishes
have a strange influence on our opinions; they bias the judgment in a
manner almost incredible. And since on this member of their alternative,
there are some very small appearances in their favour, and none at all on
the other, they catch at this reed, they lay hold on this chimera, to
save themselves from the shock and horror of an immediate and absolute
despair.
On reviewing my subject, by the light which this argument, and others of
like tendency, threw upon it, I was more inclined than ever to pursue it,
as it appeared to me to strike directly at the main root of all our
infidelity. In the following pages it is, accordingly, pursued at large;
and some arguments for immortality, new at least to me, are ventured on
in them. There also the writer has made an attempt to set the gross
absurdities and horrors of annihilation in a fuller and more affecting
view than is (I think) to be met with elsewhere.
The gentlemen, for whose sake this attempt was chiefly made, profess
great admiration for the wisdom of heathen antiquity: what pity it is
they are not sincere! If they were sincere, how would it mortify them to
consider, with what contempt and abhorrence their notions would have been
received by those whom they so much admire! What degree of contempt and
abhorrence would fall to their share, may be conjectured by the following
matter of fact (in my opinion) extremely memorable. Of all their heathen
worthies, Socrates (it is well known) was the most guarded,
dispassionate, and composed: yet this great master of temper was angry;
and angry at his last hour; and angry with his friend; and angry for what
deserved acknowledgment; angry for a right and tender instance of true
friendship towards him. Is not this surprising? What could be the cause?
The cause was for his honour; it was a truly noble, though, perhaps, a
too punctilious, regard for immortality. For his friend asking him, with
such an affectionate concern as became a friend, "where he should deposit
his remains," it was resented by Socrates, as implying a dishonourable
supposition, that he could be so mean, as to have a regard for anything,
even in himself, that was not immortal.
This fact well considered, would make our infidels withdraw their
admiration from Socrates; or make them endeavour, by their imitation of
this illustrious example, to share his glory: and, consequently, it would
incline them to peruse the following pages with candour and impartiality;
which is all I desire; and that, for their sakes: for I am persuaded,
that an unprejudiced infidel must, necessarily, receive some advantageous
impressions from them.
_July_ 7, 1744.
NIGHT SEVENTH.
THE INFIDEL RECLAIMED.