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No Folly to Suffer for Religion

always be the Burthen of their Song, and a good Pretence too, if the inward Senfe of their Mind might be allow'd to be different from their Actions.

6. As to what you lay down, that 'tis a Folly to fuffer for a true Religion, rather than to comply with a falfe one; I take that to be a most false and peftilent Doctrine, but however it is that which your Sect is founded upon. For you Theifts owe your Origin here in Europe to this pufillanimous Opinion, and to the Want of Chriftian Perfeverance, and a patient Bearing of Afflictions. For as Calamities make good Men better, fo they make often very

Men worse. Not a few Sufferers in our late civil Wars took up with these damnable Opinions, because their Religione had expofed them to fome Loffes; and the fame, I hear, has been the Mishap of many poor Gentlemen in the late Perfecution in France. But are Religion and a good Confcience Things of fo flight a Valuc, as to be parted with for fuch temporal Profits? Muft Truth be thus facrificed to Intereft? If a Man believes the Holy Scripture, it will make him tremble when he but thinks of fuch a perfidious Defection. He that denies me before Men, him will I deny before my Father which is in Heaven, Matt. x. 33. 'Tis hardly poffible that they that were once. enlightmed, &c. if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto Repentance. Nay, if he confiders but the Words of a Heathen Poct, it is enough to make him much more honeft than this comes to.

f

------Phalaris licet imperet, ut fis

Falfus, & admoto diclet perjuria Tauro :
Summum crede nefas, animum praferre pudori,
Et propter vitam vivendi perdere caufas. Juv. Sat. 8

Though Phalaris commands thee to deny

The Truth, or in his brazen Bull to fry ;

Tell the fierce Tyrant, that his Threats are vain,
And Vice must not be chofe, to bribe off Pain:
That he's the greatest Villain, who will strive
To lofe the Ends of living, for to live.

gument

answered.

7. But for the King of Siam's Argument, I wonder King of how fo many Men fhould be dazled with fuch a tinfel Siam's Ar Reafon as this. Whether this be the King of Siam's Argument, as is reported, or no, I fhall not now difputes: although by the Sophiftry of it, one would guess it had more of the Jefuit in it, than the Prince. But I pray, how does he know, that God takes fo much Pleasure in thefe various Forms of Worship? This is a Thing taken. for granted, which no Body that owns a revealed Inftitution will allow. For if God have revealed his Will by the Command of any particular Worship, as he has done to Jews and Chriftians, then all other Religions do of Course fall to the Ground. Well, but God permits these different Religions, by his not ordering all Men to be of the fame Sentiments in Religion; whereas he might as eafily have done this, as to have made their Bodies and Souls alike. But is God's Permiffion a Sign of his good liking? Why then by the fame Rule all the Villanies which are committed in the World are well pleafing to him, because they cannot be done but by his Permiffion. Befides, 'tis very true on the other Side, that God might have infufed into all Men the fame Sentiments of Virtue and Vice, and have made all Men good alike; but 'tis plain, that he permits the greateft Number of Men to be. vitious, which is therefore as evident a Sign that he does not concern.himself about Virtue and Vice, and therefore 'tis a Wonder that Men fhould fhew fuch a Concern about Morality, which God himself by this Permiffion does feem to have little Regard to. Now you fee this fame Argument, if there be any Thing in it, will make as much againft natural Religion, as it does against revealed; and therefore you Theifts ought to have a Care, how you make Ufe of it, for you thereby put a Weapon into the Atheist's Hands, and plainly give up your Caufe to him. But on the other Side, you ought to confider, that as God's Permiffion of Vice is no Sign of his liking it, he having otherways declared his Will, by giving to all Men a Law of Virtue; fo his tolerating fo many falfe Religi ons, does not evince his Approbation of them, when he

has manifeftly declared his Will, how he will be worshiped, viz. in the Chriftian Religion. This is that Way which he himself has fet out for us to walk in, and to go in any other Road is but wandring.

Simplicis ipfe Via dux eft Deus, ille per unam
Ire jubet mortale genus, quam dirigit ipfe
Sublimem dextro celfa ad faftigia clivo. Prud. cont. Sym

God is our Guide in one plain fimple Way,
He would not have Mankind in others stray.
That one step Road which to the Right does tend
Is the fole Way that does to Heaven afcend.

Of Revealed Religion, and the Doctrine of the Mediator.

Phil. I think, Sir, we have talked enough about natural Religion; and therefore, Sir, if you will oblige me with your Thoughts concerning that revealed one which is owned by Chriftians, and will give me Satisfaction as to fome Scruples I have conceived concerning it, it will be a very agreeable Favour." I confefs, I am not very averse to think, that there is a great Defect generally in Men's Reafonings concerning religious Matters, and Men's Thoughts do very much vary therein; fo that it is not a difficult Suppofition to fuppofe, that the gracious Deity, who has Compaffion upon all our Infirmities, has contrived a Way more certainly to guide fluctuating Nature in fuch momentous Concerns, and may have been pleased fometimes to have enlightned Men with a Ray or two of his Wifdom, from above, by Revelation of fome divine Truths. But then how fhall we come to know, to whom he has particularly vouchfafed this Favour? What Marks of Grace fhall we go by; to diftinguifh who are Heaven's darling Favourites, that are bleffed with fuch obliging Manifeftations? The Jews and Chriftians indeed pretend to it; but why not the Turks and Tartars as well as they? But if a bold Pretence to Revelation be an Argument for it, every little Hedge-Sect of Idolaters in In

dia fhall bid as fair for Infpiration, as e'er a Jew or Chriftian of you all. And in Truth, if there be any fuch Thing as Infpiration, for ought I know, all the different Religions in the World may be (to use the Apoftle's Phrafe) but Diversity of Gifts of the fame Spirit. The Chinese may have the fame divine Revelation to worship their Tanquam and Teiquam, as we have to worship Jefus Chrift. The Banians and Bramins, the Priests in India, may have the fame Plea for all the Devotions they claim for their Deities there, and fo may the Japonese for their famous Gods Fotoques and Games, as the Mexicans for the Rites paid to their Virachoca. Nor does my Conjecture ftand fingly alone, but I have your own facred: Writings to back me in it: For there are many Texts. of Scripture, which feem plainly to affirm, that God Almighty has revealed his Will by a pofitive Inftitution to the Gentile World, whom you look down with fo much Contempt upon, under Pretence of your fuperabundant Privileges. For Gen. xiv. 18, &c. it is faid, That Melchifedeck was King of Ferufalem, and Priest of the most high God; and that he blessed Abraham, which was a principal Office of the Mofaical Priesthood (Num, vi. 23.) and that Abraham paid Tithes to him of his Spoils. From whence it is plain, that God had a revealed Inftitution before the Jews, or their Forefather Abraham's Time, and that when Abraham is commended for keeping God's Commandments, and Statutes, and Laws, Gen. xxvi. 5. it is only thefe pofitiye Injunctions in the Land of Canaan, which Melchifedeck was the Prieft, or Prophet, or Difpenfer of. So Mal. i. 10. Who is there among you that would shut the Doors of my Temple, that Fire fhould not be kindled upon mine Altar! For from the rifing of the Sun, unto the going down thereof, my Name fhall be great among Gentiles, and in every place Incenfe fhall be offered unto my. Name, and a pure Offering, for my Name shall be great among the Heathen, faith the Lord of Hofts. By which Words it is plain, that at that Time the Prophet did not think the Jews dearer to God than other People, and that the Heathens worship was as acceptable to him as theirs,

the

So

So Pfal. clxv. 18. The Lord is nigh to all them that cal upon him, to all that call upon him in Truth. And in the fame Pfalm, v. 9. it is faid, God is good to all, and his tender Mercies are over all his Works. So God himself gives a Testimony of Job a Gentile, that there was none like him in the Earth, a perfect and an upright Man, Job i. 8. So Fonas faid he determined to flee to Tarfus, because he knew God to be a gracious and merciful God, Jon. iv. 2. and who would therefore pardon even the Gentile Ninevites. Befides, we read in Scripture, that feveral uncircumcifed Gentiles had the Gift even of Prophecy, as Enoch, Noah, Abimelech, and Balaam. Nay, feveral of the Jewish Prophets prophefy for the Ufe of the Gentiles. Ezechiel prophefies to all the Nations then known; Oba diah prophefies only for the Children of Edom; and Jonas principally for the Ninevites; Ifaias foretels the Calamities and Deliverance of the Egyptians, If. xix. 19. and the Prophet Jeremy is called exprefly a Prophet of the Nations or Gentiles: Before thou cameft out of the Womb, I fanctified thee, and I ordained thee a Prophet unto the Nations, Jer. i. 5. and Chap. xlviii. 31. He fays he will howl for Moab, he will cry out for Moab, and v. 36. My Heart fhall found for Moab like Pipes, &c. which pathetick Expreffions fhew, that he was fent by God a Prophet, as well for the Gentile Moabites as the Jews. But as for the Prophecy of Balaam, that is fo exprefs, that all the major and minor Prophets cannot pretend more to the Spirit of Prophecy, than this one Gentile Seer. So that, Credentius, you may make what brags you pleafe of the Jewish and Chriftian Revelations, but if you do not own old Balaam, as much a Heathen as he was, to be a very good Prophet, you will want one of the moft confiderable Proofs of Chriftianity. Nay, the Scripture gives this Man all the Characters of a prophetick Spirit: He hath faid, who beard the Words of God, who fav the Vifion of the Almighty, falling into a Trance, but having his Eyes open, Numb. xxiv. 4. Now methinks it is a little unfair, for you to make fuch an Outcry about God's particular Favour to you by Revelation; when thofe very revealed Scriptures them

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