CHAPTER XVII.

CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS IN BEHALF OF CHRISTIAN MODERATION

"THERE is nothing in the world more wholesome or more necessary for us to learn than this gracious lesson of Moderation, without which, in very truth, a man is so far from being a Christian that he is not himself! This is the centre wherein all both divine and moral philosophy meet the rule of life-the governess of manners-the silken string that runs through the pearl chain of all virtues-the very elliptic line under which reason and religion move without any deviation, and therefore most worthy our best thoughts-of our most careful observance."-Bishop Hall.

"May we all of us, in our respective stations, become more disposed to provoke one another unto love and good works, and less disposed to backbite and devour one another for our opinions-may Christianity have its root in our hearts rather than in our heads-may it shew forth its fruit in the purity and integrity of our lives, rather than in the vehemence and subtlety of our disputes. In a word, may the time at length come when every individual in the church and out of the church, Trinitarian and Unitarian, may love his own heresy less than Gospel charity."-Bishop Watson.

First, Since the best and wisest of mankind, thus differ on the speculative tenets of religion, let us modestly estiinate the extent of the human faculties.

A modest estimate of the human faculties is an inducement to moderation. After laborious investigations, probably with equal degrees of knowledge and integrity, men arrive at opposite conclusions. This is a necessary consequence of imperfection. Human reason, weak and fallible, soars with feeble, and often with ineffectual wing, into the regions of speculation. Let none affirm that this mode of argument begets an indifference to the acquisition and propagation of religious truth. To declare that all tenets are alike is an affront to the understanding. The chilling hesitation of scepticism, the forbidding sternness of bigotry, and the delirious fever of enthusiasm, are equally abhorrent to the genius of True Christianity. Truth being the conformity of our conceptions to the nature of things, we

should be careful lest our conceptions be tinctured with error. Philosophers suppose that the senses convey the most determinate species of information: yet these senses. notwithstanding their acuteness, are not endued with an instinctive infallibility. How much greater cause have we to mistrust the exercise of our rational powers, which often from early infancy, are beset with prejudices!

Our reason, however, proves of essential use to us in ascertaining the nature of truths, and the degrees of evidence with which they are severally attended. This induces a modesty of temper, which may be pronounced the ground-work of charity. Richard Baxter, revered for his good sense as well as fervent piety, has these remarkable expressions on the subject:-"I am not so foolish as to pretend my certainty to be greater than it is, merely because it is dishonour to be less certain; nor will I by shame be kept from confessing those infirmities which those have as much as I, who hypocritically reproach me with them. My certainty that I am a man, is before my certainty that there is a God; my certainty that there is a God, is greater than my certainty that he requireth love and holiness of his creatures: my certainty of this is greater than my certainty of the life of reward and punishment hereafter; my certainty of that is greater than my certainty of the endless duration of it, and the immortality of individual souls; my certainty of the Deity is greater than my certainty of the Christian faith in its essentials, is greater than my certainty of the perfection and infallibility of all the Holy Scriptures; my certainty of that is greater than my certainty of the meaning of many particular texts, and so of the truth of many particular doctrines, or of the canonicalness of some certain books. So that you see by what gradations my understanding doth proceed, as also my certainty differeth as the evidence differs! And they that have attained to a greater perfection and a higher degree of certainty than I, should pity me, and produce their evidence to help me." This paragraph should be written on a tablet in letters of gold. Like the Roman laws of old, it ought to be hung up in public, and every means taken

of directing towards it the attention of professors of Christianity. This accurate statement of the nature and degrees of belief duly impressed on the mind, would prevent an ignorant and besotted bigotry.

Reason, though imperfect, is the noblest gift of God, and upon no pretence must be decried. It distinguishes man from the beasts of the field, constitutes his resemblance to the Deity, and elevates him to the superiority he possesses over the lower creations. By Deists it is extolled, to the prejudice of revelation; and by enthusiasts depreciated, that they may the more effectually impose on their votaries the absurdities of their systems. Yet, strange inconsistency! even these enthusiasts condescend to employ this calumniated faculty in pointing out the conformity of their tenets to scripture, and in fabricating evidence for their support. But beware of speaking lightly of reason, which is emphatically denominated "the eye of the soul!" Every opprobrious epithet with which the thoughtless or the designing dare to stigmatize it, vilifies the Creator.

From the perusal of the preceding pages it will be seen how prone men are to extremes in the important affairs of religion. The evil principally arises from the neglect of reason, denominated by an inspired writer, "the candle of the Lord," and which must be the best guide in the interpretation of the New Testament. And the epithet" carnal" with which professors are too apt to stigmatise it, is never once applied to it in the Holy Scriptures. It is there attached not to reason, but to the ceremonial commandments of the former dispensation. But Mr. Locke justly remarks, "Very few make any other use of their half-employed and undervalued reason but to bandy against it. For when, by the influence of some prevailing head, they all lead one vay, truth is sure to be borne down, and there is nothing so dangerous as to make any inquiry after her, and to own her for her own sake is a most unpardonable crime." Thus it appears that the neglect of reason in matters of religion is a long standing evil, and probably will never be altogether eradicated in the present imperfect condition of humanity. But far from fettering the human mind, Chris

tianity allows it free and vigorous exercise. By coming in contact with sacred subjects it is refined and invigorated. It will be sublimed and perfected in a better world.

Circumscribed, indeed, are the operations of reason, and fallible are its decisions. That it is incompetent to investigate certain subjects which our curiosity may essay to penetrate, is universally acknowledged. Its extension, therefore, beyond its assigned boundaries has proved an ample source of error. Thus Mr. Colliber, an ingenious writer, (often referred to by Dr. Doddridge in his Lectures,) imagines in his treatise, entitled "The Knowledge of God," that the Deity must have some form, and intimates it may probably be spherical!" Indeed the abuse of reason has generated an endless list of paradoxes, and given birth to those monstrous systems of metaphysical theology, which are the plague of men, and the idol of fools. Upon many religious topics, which have tried and tortured our understandings, the sacred writers are respectfully silent. Where they cease to inform us we should drop our inquiries; except we claim superior degrees of information, and proudly deem ourselves more competent to decide on these intricate subjects. "The modesty of Christians," says Archbishop Tillotson, " is contented in divine mysteries, to know what God has thought fit to reveal concerning them, and hath no curiosity to be wise above what is written. It is enough to believe what God says concerning these matters, and if any man will venture to say more -every other man surely is at liberty to believe as he sees

reason.

The primitive Christians, in some of their councils, elevated the New Testament on a throne; thus intimating their concern that by that volume alone their disputes should be determined. The President De Thou used to remark," that the sword of the word of God ought to be he sole weapon-and those who are no longer to be compelled, should be quietly attracted by moderate considerations and amicable discussions."*

"In all persuasions, the bigots are persecutors; the men of a cool

Secondly, The diversity of religious opinions implies no reflection upon the sufficiency of Scripture to instruct us in matters of faith and practice, and should not, therefore, be made a pretence for uncharitableness.

Controversies are frequently agitated concerning words rather than things. This is to be ascribed chiefly to the ambiguity of language, which has been a fertile source of ecclesiastical animosities. A common gazer at the starry firmament conceives the stars to be innumerable; but the astronomer knows their number to be limited-nay, to be much smaller than a vulgar eye would apprehend. On the subjects of religion, many men dream rather than think -imagine rather than believe. Were the intellect of every individual awake, and preserved in vigorous exercise, similarity of sentiment would be much more prevalent. But mankind will not think, and hence thinking has been deemed "one of the least exerted privileges of cultivated humanity." It unfortunately happens that the idle flights indulged by enthusiasts, the burdensome rites revered by the superstitious, and the corrupt maxims adopted by worldly-minded professors, are charged on the Scriptures of truth. Whereas, the inspired volume is fraught with rational doctrines, equitable precepts, and immaculate rules of conduct. Fanciful accommodations, distorted passages, false translations and forced analogies, have been the means employed to debase the Christian doctrine. A calm and impartial investigation of the word of God raises in our minds conceptions worthy of the perfections of Deity, suitable to the circumstances of mankind, and adapted to purify our nature.

The Catholics deprive their laity of the Scripture, by restraining its use, and denying its sufficiency. The same

and reasonable piety are favourers of toleration; because, bigots not taking the pains to be acquainted with the grounds of their adversaries' tenets, conceive them to be so absurd and monstrous, that no man of sense can give in to them in good earnest. For which reason, they are convinced that some oblique bad motive induces them to pretend to the belief of such doctrines, and to the maintaining them with obstinacy. This is a general principle in all religious differences, and it is the corner-stone of all persecution."-Burke.