_T. H._ Postscript. Arguments seldom work on men of wit and learning,
when they have once engaged themselves in a contrary opinion. If
anything do it, it is the shewing of them the causes of their errors,
which is this. Pious men attribute to God Almighty, for honour sake,
whatsoever they see is honourable in the world, as seeing, hearing,
willing, knowing, justice, wisdom, &c.: but deny him such poor things as
eyes, ears, brains, and other organs, without which we worms neither
have nor can conceive such faculties to be: and so far they do well. But
when they dispute of God’s actions philosophically, then they consider
them again as if he had such faculties, and in that manner as we have
them. This is not well; and thence it is they fall into so many
difficulties. We ought not to dispute of God’s nature; he is no fit
subject of our philosophy. True religion consisteth in obedience to
Christ’s lieutenants, and in giving God such honour, both in attributes
and actions, as they in their several lieutenancies shall ordain.
[Sidenote: The Bishop’s reply.]
_J. D._ “Though sophistical captions do seldom work on men of wit and
learning, because _by constant use they have their senses exercised to
discern both good and evil_ (Heb. v. 14), yet (_a_) solid and
substantial reasons work sooner upon them than upon weaker judgments.
The more exact the balance is, the sooner it discovers the real weight
that is put into it; especially if the proofs be proposed without
passion or opposition. Let sophisters and seditious orators apply
themselves to the many-headed multitude, because they despair of success
with men of wit and learning. Those whose gold is true, are not afraid
to have it tried by the touch. Since the former way hath not succeeded,
T. H. hath another to shew as the causes of our errors, which he hopes
will prove more successful. When he sees he can do no good by sight, he
seeks to circumvent us under colour of courtesy: _Fistula dulce canit,
volucrem dum decipit auceps_. As they who behold themselves in a glass,
take the right hand for the left, and the left for the right (T. H.
knows the comparison); so we take our own errors to be truths, and other
men’s truths to be errors, (_b_) If we be in an error in this, it is
such an error as we sucked from nature itself, such an error as is
confirmed in us by reason and experience, such an error as God himself
in his sacred Word hath revealed, such an error as the Fathers and
Doctors of the Church in all ages have delivered, such an error wherein
we have the concurrence of all the best philosophers, both natural and
moral, such an error as bringeth to God the glory of justice, and
wisdom, and goodness, and truth, such an error as renders men more
devout, more pious, more industrious, more humble, more penitent for
their sins. Would he have us resign up all these advantages, to dance
blindfold after his pipe? No, he persuades us too much to our loss. But
let us see what is the imaginary cause of our imaginary error. Forsooth,
because ‘we attribute to God whatsoever is honourable in the world, as
seeing, hearing, willing, knowing, justice, wisdom; but deny him such
poor things as eyes, ears, brains’; and so far, he saith ‘we do well.’
He hath reason, for since we are not able to conceive of God as he is,
the readiest way we have, is by removing all that imperfection from God,
which is in the creatures; so we call him infinite, immortal,
independent: or by attributing to him all those perfections which are in
the creatures, after a most eminent manner; so we call him best,
greatest, most wise, most just, most holy. (_c_) But saith he, ‘When
they dispute of God’s actions philosophically, then they consider them
again, as if he had such faculties, and in that manner as we have them’.
“And is this the cause of our error? That were strange indeed; for they
who dispute philosophically of God, do neither ascribe faculties to him
in that manner that we have them, nor yet do they attribute any proper
faculties at all to God. God’s understanding and his will is his very
essence, which, for the eminency of its infinite perfection, doth
perform all those things alone in a most transcendant manner, which
reasonable creatures do perform imperfectly by distinct faculties. Thus
to dispute of God with modesty and reverence, and to clear the Deity
from the imputation of tyranny, injustice, and dissimulation, which none
do throw upon God with more presumption than those who are the patrons
of absolute necessity, is both comely and Christian.
“It is not the desire to discover the original of a supposed error,
which draws them ordinarily into these exclamations against those who
dispute of the Deity. For some of themselves dare anatomize God, and
publish his eternal decrees with as much confidence, as if they had been
all their lives of his cabinet council. But it is for fear lest those
pernicious consequences which flow from that doctrine essentially, and
reflect in so high a degree upon the supreme goodness, should be laid
open to the view of the world; just as the Turks do first establish a
false religion of their own devising, and then forbid all men upon pain
of death to dispute upon religion; or as the priests of Moloch, the
abomination of the Ammonites, did make a noise with their timbrels all
the while the poor infants were passing through the fire in Tophet, to
keep their pitiful cries from the ears of their parents. So (_d_) they
make a noise with their declamations against those who dare dispute of
the nature of God, that is, who dare set forth his justice, and his
goodness, and his truth, and his philanthropy, only to deaf the ears and
dim the eyes of the Christian world, lest they should hear the
lamentable ejulations and howlings, or see that rueful spectacle of
millions of souls tormented for evermore (_e_) in the flames of the true
Tophet, that is, hell, only for that which, according to T. H.’s
doctrine, was never in their power to shun, but which they were ordered
and inevitably necessitated to do, only to express the omnipotence and
dominion, and to satisfy the pleasure of Him, who is in truth the Father
of all mercies, and the God of all consolation. (_f_) _This is life
eternal_ (saith our Saviour), _to know the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom he hath sent_ (John xvii. 3.). _Pure religion, and undefiled
before God and the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows
in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world_,
saith St. James (James i. 27.). _Fear God and keep his commandments; for
this is the whole duty of man_, saith Solomon (Eccles. xii. 13.). But T.
H. hath found out a more compendious way to heaven: ‘True religion’,
saith he, ‘consisteth in obedience to Christ’s lieutenants, and giving
God such honour, both in attributes and actions, as they in their
several lieutenancies shall ordain’. That is to say, _be of the religion
of every Christian country where you come_. To make the civil magistrate
to be Christ’s lieutenant upon earth, for matters of religion, and to
make him to be supreme judge in all controversies, whom all must obey,
is a doctrine so strange, and such an uncouth phrase to Christian ears,
that I should have missed his meaning, but that I consulted with his
book, _De Cive_, c. XV. sect. 16, and c. XVII. sect. 28. What if the
magistrate shall be no Christian himself? What if he shall command
contrary to the law of God or nature? _Must we obey him rather than
God?_ (Acts iv. 19.) Is the civil magistrate become now the only ground
and pillar of truth? I demand then, why T. H. is of a different mind
from his sovereign, and from the laws of the land, concerning the
attributes of God and his decrees? This is a new paradox, and concerns
not this question of liberty and necessity. Wherefore I forbear to
prosecute it further, and so conclude my reply with the words of the
Christian poet,
Jussum est Cæsaris ore Galieni,
Quod princeps colit ut colamus omnes.
Æternum colo Principem, dierum
Factorem, Dominumque Galieni.[A]
-----
Footnote A:
Prudentius. περι στεφανων. Hymn. vi.
-----