SECTION IX. Proof of the Truth of Christianity from its mani feft Superiority to the higheft Productions of Human Wisdom. CHRISTIANITY, fays a late pious author, is not fatisfied with producing merely the fpecious guife of virtue. She requires the substantial reality, which may stand the scrutinizing eye of that Being, "who fearches the heart." Meaning therefore that the christian fhould live and breathe in an atmosphere, as it were, of benevolence; fhe forbids whatever may tend to obftruct its diffufion, or vitiate its purity. It is on this principle, that emulation is forbidden; for befides that this paffion almost always degenerates into envy, and that it derives its origin chiefly from pride, and a defire of felf exaltation. How can we easily love our neighbour as ourselves, if we consider him at the fame time as our rival, and are intent upon furpaffing him in the purfuit of whatever is the fubject of competition? Chriftianity again teaches us not to fet our hearts on worldly poffeffions and earthly honours; and thereby provides for our really loving, or even cordially forgiving thofe, who have been more fuccefsful than ourselves in the attainment of them, or who have even defignedly thwarted us in the purfuit. "Let the rich," fays the apoftle, "rejoice in that he is brought low." How can he, who means to attempt in any degree to obey this precept, be irreconcileable towards any who may have been inftrumental in his depreffion? Christianity also teaches us not to prize human estimation at a very high rate; and thereby provides for the practice of her injunction, to love from the heart those, who juftly, or unjustly, may have attacked our reputation, or injured our character. She commands not the thow, but the reality of meekness and gentleness; and by thus taking away the aliment of anger, and the fomenter of difcord, the provides for the maintenance of peace, and the reftoration of good temper among men, when it may have fuftained a temporary interruption. It is another capital excellence of chriftianity, that she values moral attainments at a far higher rate than intellec tual acquisitions, and propofes to conduct her followers to the heights of virtue, rather than of knowledge. On the contrary, most of the false religious fyftems, which have prevailed in the world, have proposed to reward the labour of their votary, by drawing afide the veil which concealed from the vulgar eye their hidden myfteries, and by introducing him to the knowledge of their deeper and hidden myfteries. This is eminently the cafe in the Hindoo, and in the Mahometan religion, in that of China, and, for the most part, in the various modifications of antient paganism. On fystems which proceed on this principle, it is obvious that the bulk of mankind can never make any great proficiency. There was accordingly among the nations of antiquity, one fyftem, whatever it was, for the learned, and another for the illiterate. Many of the philofophers fpoke out, and profeffed to keep the lower orders in ignorance, for the general good; plainly fuggefting that the bulk of mankind was to be confidered as almoft of an inferiour fpecies. Ariftotle himself countenanced this opinion. An oppofite mode of proceeding naturally belongs to christianity, which without diftinction, profeffes an equal regard for all human beings, and which was characterized by its first promulgator, as the messenger of "glad tidings to the poor." Wilberforce's Practical View. THE SUBJECT CONTINUED. which is now CHARITY, or tenderness for the poor, juftly confidered, by a great part of mankind, as infeparable from piety, and in which almost all the goodness of the prefent age confifts, is known only to thofe who enjoy, either immediately, or by tranfmiffion, the light of revelation. Those antient nations who have given us the wifeft models of government, and the brighteft examples of patriotism, whofe inftitutions have been tranfmitted by all fucceeding legislations, and whofe hiftory is ftudied by every candidate for particular military reputation, have yet left behind them no mention of alms houfes or hofpitals, of places where age might repofe, or fickness be relieved. The Roman emperours, indeed, gave large donations to the citizens and foldiers, but these distributions were always reckoned rather popular than virtuous; hothing more was intended, than an oftentation of liberality, nor was any recompence expected, but fuffrages and acclamations. Their beneficence was merely occafional; he that ceased to need the favour of the people, ceased likewise to court it; and therefore no man thought it either necessary, or wife, to make any ftanding provifion for the needy, to look forward to the wants of pofterity, or to fecure fucceffions of charity, by fucceffions of diftrefs. Compaffion is, by fome reafoners, on whom the name of philosophers has been too easily conferred, refolved into an affection merely felfish, an involuntary perception of pain, at the involuntary fight of a being like ourselves, languifhing in mifery. But this fenfation, if ever it be felt at all from the brute inftinct of uninftructed nature, will only produce effects defultory and tranfient; it will never fettle into a principle of action, or extend relief to calamities unfeen, in generations not yet in being. The devotion of life, or fortune, to the fuccour of the poor, is a height of virtue, to which humanity has never rifen by its own power. The charity of the Mahometans is a precept, which their teacher evidently tranfplanted, from the doctrines of christianity; and the care with which fome of the oriental fects attend, as it is faid, to the neceffities of the diseased and indigent, may be added to the other arguments, which prove Zoroafter to have borrow. ed his inftitutions from the law of Mofes. Johnson's Rambler. THE SUBJECT CONTINUED. Doctrine of the first Difciples of the Founder of Christianity; Parallel between thefe Difciples and the Sages of Paganifm. HAVING thus far attended to the voice of divine wisdom,* if I liften to these extraordinary men, whom she infpired, I fhall ftill believe I hear her voice, for it is still divine wisdom that fpeaks. I fhall not therefore inquire, whence these plain, artless fishermen have been able to dictate to mankind a fyftem of morals fo far fuperiour to what reafon had till then conceived, a fyftem, in which all the duties of man are comprised; which refers them all to their true fource; which forms into one family all the different focieties difperfed over the earth; which binds clofely together all the members of that family; which connects it with the great family of celestial intelligences; and which proclaims Him the father of those families, whofe goodness extends from the sparrow to the cherubim. I shall readily acknowledge, that fo fublime a philosophy did not take its rise in the turbid waters of the Jordan; and that fo bright a light did not break out from the thick darknefs of the fynagogue. 1 fhall be confirmed ftill more in this opinion, if I have fufficient patience, or courage, to perufe the writings of the most famous teachers+ of that lofty and fanatical fo * The author, in the two preceding chapters in his work, expatiates on the doctrine of the great Founder of christianity. †The rabbins and talmudifts, the antient doctors of the Jewish nation. |