from so great a Distance as (f) Macedonia and Achaia, in order to supply the want of those in Palaestine; as if the whole World had been but one Family. And here this Caution is added also in the Law of Christ; (g) that no Hope of Recompence or Honour, ought to diminish from our Liberality; because, if we have regard to any thing else but God, (h) it takes away his Acceptance. And, lest any one should pretend, as is commonly done, to cloak his Sparingness, as if he were afraid he should want what he has, when he comes to be an old Man, or if any Misfortune should befal him; the Law promises, (i) that a particular Care shall be taken of those who keep these Precepts: And, that they may the more rely upon it, reminds them of (j) the remarkable Providence of God, in providing for wild Beasts and Cattle, in adorning Herbs and Flowers; and that it would be an unworthy thing in us, not to believe so good, so powerful a God, nor to trust him any further than we
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would do a bad Debtor, of whom we never think ourselves secure without a Pledge. <123>
Other Laws forbid Perjury; (a) but this would have us entirely to abstain from Oaths, except upon Necessity; and to have so great Regard to Truth in our common Conversation, (b) that there should be no need of requiring an Oath of us.
Sect. XVI. Concerning other Actions.
And indeed there is nothing excellent to be found in the Philosophick Writings of the Greeks, or in the Opinions of the Hebrews, or of any other Nation, which is not contained here, and moreover ratified by divine Authority. For instance; concerning (c) Modesty, (d) Temperance, (e) Goodness, (f) Moral Virtue, (g) Prudence, (h) the Duty of Governors and Subjects, (i) Parents and Children, (j) Masters and Servants, (k) Husbands and Wives; and particularly, abstaining from those Vices, which under a Shew of Virtue deceived many of the Greeks and Romans, viz. (l) the De-<124>sire of Honour and Glory. The Sum of it, is wonderful
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for its substantial Brevity; (a) that we should love God above all things, and our Neighbour as ourselves, that is, (b) we should do to others, as we would have them do to us. Perhaps some may object against what we have now said of the Excellency of Christ’s Commands; the great Difference of Opinions amongst Christians, from whence have arisen so many various Sects.
Sect. XVII. An Answer to the Objection, drawn from the many Controversies amongst Christians.
But the Answer to this is evident: There are scarce any Arts but the same thing happens to them, partly through the Weakness of human Nature, and partly because Men’s Judgment is hindered by Prejudices: But for the most part, this Variety of Opinions is limited within certain Bounds, in which Men are agreed; and whereby they determine Doubts: As in the Mathematicks, it is a Dispute whether the Circle can be squared or no; but whether, if you take Equals from Equals, the Remainder will be equal, this admits of no Dispute: And thus it is in natural Philosophy, Physick, and other Arts. So the Difference of Opinions that is amongst Christians, cannot hinder their Agreement in the principal things, that is, (c) those <125> Commands, by which we have now recommended the Christian Religion: And the Certainty of these appears from hence, that those who being highly enraged against one another, have sought for Matter of Disagreement, never ventured to go so far as to deny, that these were the Precepts of Christ; no, not even they who would not direct their Lives according to this Rule. And if any should attempt to contradict
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these, he ought to be looked upon to be like those Philosophers who denied that Snow was white. For as These were confuted by their Senses, so are They by the Consent of all Christian Nations, and by those Books which were wrote by the first Christians, and those after them, who were followed by Learned Men, and such who bore Testimony to the Faith of Christ by their Death. For that which all these acknowledge to be the Doctrine of Christ, ought to be accounted so by all fair and equal Judges; for the same Reason that we believe Plato, Xenophon, and other Disciples of Socrates, concerning the Opinions of Socrates; and the Schools of the Stoicks, for what Zeno delivered.
The third Thing wherein we said the Christian Religion exceeds all other Religions that are, or can be imagined, in the Manner in which it was delivered and propagated: In the Consideration of which Particular, the first Thing that offers it self, <126> is the Author of this Doctrine. The Authors of the Graecian Wisdom and Knowledge, themselves confessed that they alledged scarce any Thing for Certainty, because Truth was sunk, as it were, (a) to the Bottom of a Well; (b) and the Mind, as dim-sighted in regard to Divine Things, as the Eyes of an Owl in the Sunshine. Beside, there was hardly any of them but was addicted to (c) some particular Vice: Some were (d) Flatterers of Princes, others devoted to (e)
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the Embraces of Harlots, others to (a) snarling Impudence; and one great Argument of the Envy and Hatred they all had against one another, is their (b) quarrelling about <127> Words, or Things of no Moment; and as good an Argument of their Coldness and Indifferency in the Worship of God, did yet lay him aside, and paid Divine Worship to others whom they believed to be no Gods; (c) making that the Rule of their Religion, which was publickly received. And, as for the Reward of Piety, they could affirm nothing for certain; as appears from (d) the last Dispute of Socrates a little before his Death. Mahomet, the Author of that Religion, which has
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spread itself so far, (a) abandoned himself to Lust <128> all his Life long, which his Friends themselves do not deny. Neither did he give any Assurance whereby it might appear, that those Rewards he promised, which consisted in Feasts and Women, would ever really be; since they do not pretend to say, that he is restored to Life again in his Body; so far from that, that it now lies buried in Medina. But Moses, the Hebrew Lawgiver, was an excellent Person, however not entirely free from Faults; for with great Reluctance he would scarce (b) undertake an Embassy to the king of Egypt, though at the Command of God; and he discovered some (c) Distrust of God’s Promise concerning striking Water out of the Rock, as the Hebrews acknowledge. And he partook of scarce any of those Rewards which he promised to his People by the Law, (d) being driven to and fro in Desart Places by continual Tumults, (e) and never entering the happy Land. But Christ is described by his Disciples, (f) to be without any manner of Sin: (g) nor could he ever be proved to have committed any, by the Testimonies of others: And whatever he commanded others, (h) he performed himself; <129> for he faithfully fulfilled all Things that God commanded him; (i) he was most sincere in the whole Course of his Life; he was the (j) most patient of Injuries and Torments, as is evident from his Punishment on the Cross; he was so great a Lover of Mankind, of his Enemies, even of those by whom he was led to Death, (k) that he prayed to God for them. And the Reward that he promised to his Followers,
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he was possessed of himself, in a most eminent manner; as is declared and proved by certain Testimony. (a) Many saw, heard, and handled him after he was returned to Life again: (b) He was taken up into Heaven in the Sight of Twelve; And that he there obtained the highest Power, is manifest from hence; that he endued his Disciples with a (c) Power to speak those Languages which they had never learned; and (d) with other miraculous Gifts (e) as he promised them, when he departed from them: All which <130> put together show, that there is no reason to doubt of his Faithfulness, or of his Power to recompense