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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

PRODUCTION NOTE
University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign Library
Brittle Books Project, 2009.

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a.

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wsse
184

'

ES SAYS
LTHIRD SERIES]
ON THE

ERRORS OF ROMANISM,
HAVING THEIR

ORIGIN IN

HUMAN

NATURE.

BY

RICHARD

WHATELY,
DUBLIN;

D.D.

ARCHBISHOP OF

LATE

PRINCIPAL

OF ST. ALBAN'S

HALL,

OF ORIEL

OXFORD,

AND

FORMERLY FELLOW

COLLEGE.

" The thing that hath been, it is that which shall
which is done, is that which shall be
under the sun."-Eccles. i. 9.
ylyvo'prva

PE)",

ai

be; and that

done: and there is no new thing

del

&o'pvva,

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H ATTH

pXXov Z& KCLL
2l~vxawrepact, LToil
3
(t a&7L 31)Xay/I(~Ya, WS
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EcLV
uCtrCX t
LtCI/ oXai Tdv 4vPTvxLP
L(77-CfrcvraL.-Thueyd. b. iii. ch. 82.

cPT I

AN®P&I&L2N

,

THIRD EDITION, REVISED.

LONDON:
B. FELLOWES, LUDGATE STREET.
1845.

LONDON :

Ri. C7-.1
x,

'.iNTCIt,

BItE ID STIFELT HILL,

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION.
Page

§ 1. Difficulty of rightly estimating the temptations of

w

those far removed from us

.

.

.

.

.

. 1

.

§ 2. Lessons to be learned from the example of the
Church of Rome, p. 5 ; errors of that Church
gradual and imperceptible in their rise

.

.

.

§ 3. Principal Romish errors; Superstition, p. 9 ; fondness for speculative mysteries, p. 10; and for
vicarious service of God, p. 11; sanction given
to deceit, p. 12 ; claim to infallibility, p. 13 ;
persecution, p. 14; confidence in the title of
.............
Catholic ....
§ 4. Danger of falling into corresponding faults . . .

8

15
16

ESSAY I.
OF SUPERSTITION.

§ 1. Apparent strangeness of the transgressions of the
Israelites .................
21
2. Resemblance between the superstitions of the Israelites and of the Romanists, p. 24; definition of
Superstition, p. 28; false security against it . . 31
§ 3. Mischiefs of Superstition.
..
...
. . .
34
<- § 4. Connexion of Superstition with profaneness . . . 40
§ 5. Occasions of Superstition ..
......
....
45
1

I"

iv

CONTENTS.

Page

§6. Superstitious

belief in miracles, p. 49 ; superstitions
connected with the Eucharist, p.51; with Baptism,
p. 55; with prayer, p. 58; with rites of interment
. . . . . . . .
... . . .
.
§ 7. Cautions to be used against the inroads of Super. . . . . .
. . ..
.
stition .
. . . . . .
Note A. Transubstantiation
Note B. Religious Instruction of Children . .

65
68
73
76

ESSAY II.
OF VICA RIO US RELIGION.

§1. Character

of Christian Mysteries, p. 79 ; natural
tendency to set up two kinds of religion ; for
the priests, and for the people, p. 81 ; speculative
theology of philosophizing divines . . . . .
§ 2. Real origin and progress of priestcraft . . . . .
§ 3. Distinct characters of Hiereus and Presbyteros . .
§ 4. Offices of the Jewish and the Pagan Priests . . .
§ 5. Character and offices of Christian Ministers . . .
§ 6. Mistakes and misrepresentations arising from confounding the two offices
. . . . . . . .
§ 7. Change of the Christian priesthood in the unreformed Churches . . . . . . . . . . .
§ 8. Tendency to discountenance the education of the
poor, p. 114; mistakes as to what is meant by
embracing Christianity, p. 117 ; and as to the
relation of Pastors and Flocks
. . . . . .
§ 9. Proneness of the People to vicarious religion . . .
§ 10. Professional distinctions between Clergy and Laity,
how far desirable
. . . . . . . . . .

83
89
95
98
102
108
111

123
124
127

§ 11. Mistakes as to what is a good example

.

.

.

.

.

.

. . 136

Note

.

.

.

.

.

. .

.

.

. 131

CONTENTS.

V

ESSAY III.
OF PIOUS FRA UDS.
Page

§ 1. Deceit employed by the Jews against the Christians 139
§ 2. Tendency to justify frauds employed for a good end 14J
§ 3. Connexion of this fault with the one treated of in
the foregoing Essay, p. 148 self-deceit the final

;

result

. ... .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

. 150

§ 4. Difficulty of appreciating the strength of the temptations to falsehood in times or countries remote
from our own, p. 151 ; importance of a vivid
Imagination, in the study of History

.

.

..

154

§ 5. Division of frauds into negative and positive : and
again, into falsehood in what is maintained, and
in the reasons by which it is maintained

.

.

. 158

§ 6. Illustrations from conceivable cases of temptation to
deceit ; in keeping up the pretension to inspiration, p. 161 ; and belief in the divine character of
lots, p. 163; in conniving at false grounds for
right belief, p. 165; or for right practice, p. 166;
pretended infallibility of our version, p. 169 ; in
administering groundless consolations, &c. . .

§7.

Ultimate inexpediency of fraud .

.

.

.

.

. 173

.

. 178

ESSAY IV.
OF UNDUE RELIANCE ON HUMAN A UTHORITY.
§ 1. Claim of the Romish Church to infallibility, not
originally the consequence of misinterpretation of
Scripture-texts ...
..........
. 180
§ 2. Reasonings and texts of Scripture often called in to
justify practices or opinions previously subsisting 184

Vi

CONTENTS.
Page

§ 3. Natural tendency to appeal to an infallible guide . 191
§ 4. Presumption in favour of the tenets of the wise and
good, or of the Catholic Church . . . . . . 195
§5. Alleged claim of infallibility by Protestant Churches,
p. 200; refuted, p. 201 ; ambiguity of the word
S "authority," p. 203; evil consequences of the
claim to infallibility . . . . . . . . . . 205
§ 6. Danger of Protestants on this point, p. 209; office of
Churches to supply what the sacred writers purposely omitted, p. 210; reasons for the omission 213
§ 7. Arguments in favour of an habitual appeal to human
formularies, p. 215; answered, p. 216; dangers
of the practice
. . . . . . . . . . . 224
§ 8. Temptations to set up a virtual claim to infallibility 230

ESSAY V.
OF PERSECUTION.

§ 1. Men responsible to God, and to Him alone, for the
rejection of divine truth, p. 238; and only in the
next life ....
.........
239
§ 2. Importance of right principles for avoiding the two
errors, of intolerance, and indifference

.

.

.

. 244

§ 3. Mistakes as to what constitutes the spirit of persecution ; which does not consist either in the tenet
that the salvation of heretics is impossible, p. 248;
or in maintaining the wrong side, p. 251; or in excessive severity, p. 252 ; or in revengeful motives,
p. 253; or in punishing opinions, p. 255; or in
actual infliction of punishment
. . . . . . 257

CONTENTS.

Vii
Page

§ 4. How heretics are to be treated, conformably with the
character of Christ's kingdom, p. 261; attempts to
explain away his declarations and precepts . . 263
§ 5. Scriptural arguments against intolerance, to be preferred for popular use . . . . . . . . . 269
§ 6. Blindness of many reasoners to the abstract argu...........
272
ments against it ....
§ 7. Causes of the greater hostility often felt against
infidels and heretics, than against the vicious,
p. 275 comparative unfrequency of avowed infidelity, p. 277; support derived from authority,
shaken, p. 278; personal affront to the Christian's
understanding, implied by the infidel, p. 279;
suspicion of moral corruption as biassing the
..........
280
infidel's judgment ...
§ 8. Extent and influence of this hostile feeling . . . 281
§ 9. Reasons for believing that anti-christians would be
tempted into persecution, p. 291; true Christianity the only effectual security against it . . 295
§ 10. What things are liable to be falsely regarded as
necessarily implying intolerance; refusing to admit, in every case, the plea of conscience, p. 296;
union of civil with spiritual or ecclesiastical office,
p. 301 : requisition of a certain religious persuasion as a condition of personal friendship, or of
any thing to which there existed previously no
claim of right, p. 304 ; defence against aggression, p. 311; which must not however be expected to exempt the sincere Christian from
mortifying opposition . . . . . . . . . 314
Note A. Duty of the Civil Magistrate in respect
of Religion ..
........
.
.
.
. 317
Note B. Evidences accessible to the unlearned 323

;

viii

CONTENTS.

ESSAY VI.
OF TRUST IN NAMES AND PRIVILEGES.

Page
of the ancient Jews to rely on their
privileges and titles
. . . . . . . . . 327

§ 1. Disposition

§ 2. Tendency to the same fault in the primitive Christians .
....
..............
330
§ 3. Exemplification of the universality of this tendency,
from the Romish Church . . . . . . . . 333
§ 4. Danger of a corresponding nature exists equally
among Protestants . . . . . . . . . . 340
§ 5. Recapitulation of the several points in which we may
take warning from the example of the Romanists 344
§ 6. Cautions to be used in guarding against undue reliance on the sanctity of the Titles we bear, and
the Societies we belong to . . . .
. .
. 348

APPENDIX.
[A.] On the application of the term CATHoLIc to designate
"a member of the Church of Rome "

.

.

.

. 355

[B.] On "Self-righteousness," and Spiritual-Pride, p. 363;
"Auricular Confession," p. 380 ; impossibility of
framing such a self-preserving system, as shall
supersede personal vigilance . . . . . . . 382

INTRODUCTION.

S1. MEN are apt, not only in what regards

Difficulty
of esti-

religion, but in respect of all human concerns, to matingthe
tempta-

contemplate the faults and follies of a distant Age tions of
those far
or Country, with barren wonder, or with self-con- removed
because from us.
gratulating contempt; while they overlook,
they do not search for, perhaps equal, and even corresponding, vices and absurdities in their own conduct. And in this way it is that the religious, and
moral, and political, lessons which history may be
made to furnish, are utterly lost to the generality
of mankind. Human nature is always and everywhere, in the most important points, substantially
the same; circumstantially and externally, men's
manners and conduct are infinitely various, in
various times and regions. If the former were not
true-if it were not for this fundamental agreement
-history could furnish no instruction; if the latter
B

Infroduclion.
were not true-if there were not these apparent
and circumstantial differences - hardly any one
could fail to profit by that instruction. For few are
so dull as not to learn something from the records
of past experience in cases precisely similar to their
own. But as it is, much candour and diligence are
called for in tracing the analogy between cases
which, at the first glance, seem very different-in
observing the workings of the same human nature
under all its various disguises-in recognizing, as
it were, the same plant in different stages of its
growth, and in all the varieties resulting from
climate and culture, soil and season.
But to any one who will employ this diligence
and candour, this very dissimilarity of circumstances renders the history of past times and distant countries, even the more instructive ; because
it is easier to form an impartial judgment concerning them. The only difficulty is to apply that
judgment to the cases before us. In contemplating
a

In fact it may be said almost without qualification that

'Wisdom consists in the ready and accurate perception of
Analogies.' Without the former quality, knowledge of the
past is nearly uninstructive : without the latter, it is deceptive."-JRhtetoric, Part 1, c. ii. § 7, pp. 104, 105.

§

1.

,trod ction.

human transactions, the law of optics is reversed;
we see the most indistinctly the objects which are
close around us; we view them through the discoloured medium of our own prejudices and passions; the more familiar we are with them, the less
truly do we estimate their real colours and dimensions. Transactions and characters the most unconnected with ourselves-the most remote from
all that presents itself in our own times, and at
home, appear before us with all their deformities
unveiled, and display their intrinsic and essential
qualities. We are even liable to attend so exclusively to this intrinsic and abstract character of
remote events, as to make too little allowance
(while in recent cases we make too much) for the
circumstances in which the agents were placed;
and thence to regard as instances of almost incredible folly or depravity, things not fundamentally
very different from what is passing around us.
And as the law of optics is in this case reversed,
our procedure must be reversed accordingly. We
judge of the nature of distant objects, by an examination of those near at hand, whose similarity to
the others we have ascertained. So also must we
on the contrary learn to judge impartially of our
B

2

4

Introduction.

§

1.

own conduct and character, and of the events of our
own times, by finding parallels to these in cases the
most remote and apparently dissimilar; of which,
for that reason, our views are the most distinct,
and our judgments the most unbiassed; and
then, conjecturing what a wise and good man, ten
centuries hence, would be likely to pronounce
of us8.

The errors and the vices, among the rest, the
superstitions, of the Israelites, and again of our
ancestors before the Reformation, did not, we may
be sure, appear to them in the same light that they
now do to us. No one believes his own opinions
to be erroneous, or his own practices superstitious;
few are even accustomed to ask themselves, " Is
there not a lie in my right hand?" Since therefore
our predecessors did not view their doctrines and
practices in the same light that we do, this should
lead us, not to regard them with contemptuous
astonishment and boastful exultation, but rather, to
reflect that, like them, we also are likely to form a
wrong estimate of what is around us and familiar
to our minds: it should teach us to make use of
the examples of others, not for the nourishment of
pride, hut for the detection of our own faults.

§

2.,

Introduction.

We are taught that Satan "transformeth himself
into an angel of light ;" but he does not use always
and everywhere the same disguise; as soon as one
is seen through, he is ready to assume another;
and it is in vain that we detect the artifice which
has done its work on other men, unless we are on
our guard against the same Tempter under some
new transformation;-assuming afresh among ourselves the appearance of some angel of light.
§ 2. These reflections are perhaps the more particularly profitable at the present time, on account
of the especial attention which has of late been
directed to the superstitions, and other errors and
corruptions, of the Romish Church. Unless such
principles as I have adverted to are continually
present to the mind, the more our thoughts are, by
frequent discussion, turned to the errors of that
Church, and to the probability, under this or that
conjuncture of circumstances, of proselytes joining
that Church, or being gained over from it, the less
shall we be on our guard against the
of
Romanism in the human heart-against similar
faults in some different shapes; and the more shall
we be apt to deem every danger of the kind effec-

spirit

Lessons
to be
learned
from the

example
of the

Church of

Rome.

Introduction.

§

2.

tually escaped, by simply keeping out of the pale of
that corrupt Church.b
It is indeed in all cases profitable to contemplate
the errors of other men, if we do this " not highminded but fearful;"-not for the sake of uncharitable triumph, but with a view to self-examination; even as the Corinthians were exhorted by
their Apostle to draw instruction from the backslidings of the Israelites, which were recorded, he
says, "for their admonition," to the intent that
they might not fall into corresponding sins, and
that "he who thought he stood might take heed
b

This passage was written at the time when the removal of

the Roman-catholic disabilities was in agitation, and before the
publication of works of a Romanizing tendency by so many
members of our Church; which opened the eyes of many
to a danger they were formerly blind to.
The reader is
requested to remember therefore that the warnings given (and,
in many instances, vainly given) in the present work were not
called forth by the outbreak which has of late years excited
so much alarm.
When that outbreak did take place, all candid and intelligent persons must have perceived, I think, that I and the
others who had taken the same view, (see Bp. Dickinson's
" Remains,") had been, before, no vain alarmists. 'EXOpovc
pcorn atc, pavEpoe
Corona.)

E vO
7

ymVTo

EiVat.

(Demosth. de

§

2.

Itroduction.

lest he fell." In all cases, I say, some benefit may
be derived from suci a contemplation of the faults
of others; but the errors of the Romanists, if examined with a view to our own improvement, will
the more effectually furnish this instruction, inasmuch as those errors more especially, will be
found to be the natural and spontaneous growth of
the human heart; they are (as I have elsewhere
remarked) not so much the effect, as the cause, of a
corrupted religious system.
The peculiar character of Romanism (and also of
the religion of the Greek Church) in this respect,
will be best perceived by contrasting it with Mahometism. This latter system was framed, and
introduced, and established, within a very short
space of time, by a deliberately-designing impostor;
who did indeed most artfully accommodate that
system to man's nature, but did not wait for the
gradual and spontaneous operations of human
nature to produce it. He reared at once the
standard of proselytism, and imposed on his followers a code of doctrines and laws ready-framed
for their reception. The tree which he planted did
indeed find a congenial soil; but he planted it at
once, with its trunk full-formed and its branches

Introduction.
Corruptions of
Christianity gradual.

(

2

displayed. The RB omish system, on the contrary,
rose insensibly like a young plant from the seed,
making a progress scarcely perceptible from year to
year, till at length it had fixed its root deeply in the
soil, and spread its baneful shade far around.
Infecunda quidem, sed 1eta et fortia surgunt;
Quippe solo naturasubest;

it was the natural offspring of man's frail and
corrupt character, and it needed no sedulous
No one accordingly can point out any
culture.
precise period at which this "mystery of iniquity"
-the system of Romnish and Grecian corruptionsfirst began, or specify any person who introduced it.
No one in fact ever did introduce any such system.
The corruptions crept in one by one; originating
for the most part with an ignorant and depraved
people, but connived at, cherished, consecrated, and
successively established, by a debased and worldlyminded ministry: and modified by them just so far
as might best favour the views of their secular
ambition. But the system thus gradually compacted,
was not the deliberate contrivance of any one man
or set of men, adepts in priestcraft, and foreseeing
and designing the entire result. The corruptions

§

3.

Introduction.

of the unreformed Church were the natural offspring of human passions, not checked and regulated by those who ought to have been ministers of
the Gospel, but who, on the contrary, were ever
ready to indulge and encourage men's weakness and
wickedness, provided they could turn it to their
The good seed "fell among
own advantage.
thorns;" which, being fostered by those who should
have been occupied in rooting them out, not only
"sprang up with it," but finally choked and overpowered it.
S3. The character accordingly of the Romish Superstition.
corruptions (and those of the Greek, and of several
Eastern Churches, do not materially differ from
these) is precisely such as the history of that Church
would lead us to anticipate.
I. One of the greatest blemishes, for instance, in
the Church of Rome, is that which I have already
alluded to, superstitious worship; a fault which
every one must acknowledge to be the spontaneous
and every-where-abundant produce of the corrupt
soil of man's heart. The greater part indeed of the
errors of Romanism, which I shall hereafter notice
under separate heads, may be considered as so

10

Speculative mysteries.

introduction.

§

3.

many branches of Superstition, or at least inseparably connected with it; but there are besides,
many superstitions more strictly so called, with
which that system is justly chargeable; such as
invocation of saints, and adoration of images and
relics; corresponding to that idolatrous practice
which King Hezekiah so piously and boldly
suppressed.
II. The desire again of prying into mysteries
relative to the invisible world, but which have no
connection with practice, is another characteristic of
human nature, (on which I have elsewhere offered
some remarks,c) and one to which may be traced
the immense mass of presumptuous speculations
about things unrevealed, respecting God and his
designs, and of idle legends of various kinds respecting wonder-working saints, which have disgraced the Romish Church. The sanction afforded
to these, by persons who did not themselves believe
them, is a fault referable to another head, (to be
mentioned subsequently,) as springing from a
dishonest pursuit of the expedient rather than the
true: but it is probable that the far greater part of
such idle tales had not their ori in in any deep and
SEssay IV. First Series.

Introcaction.

11

politic contrivance, but in men's natural passion for
what is marvellous, and readiness to eater for that
passion in each other ;-in the universal fondness of
the human mind for speculative knowledge respecting things curious and things hidden, rather
than (what alone the Scriptures supply) practical
knowledge respecting things which have a reference
to our wants.
Equally natural to man, and closely connected, Vicarious
piety.
as will hereafter be shewn, with the error justpiety.
mentioned, is the disposition to trust in vicarious
worship and obedience-the desire and hope of
transferring from one man to another the merit of
good works, and the benefit of devotional exercises;
so as to enable the mass of the people to serve
God, as it were, by proxy. On this point I have
elsewhered offered some remarks, (which are expanded and followed up in the present work,) with
a view to shew that it is the main cause, rather
than the consequence, of the whole system of
priestcraft; one of the great features of which is,
the change of the very office of the Christian Priest,
Presbyteros, into that of the (Sacerdotal) Jewish or

"

In the last of Five Discourses

University, and subsequently published.

delivered before the

Intlroductionl.

3

3.

Pagan Priest, in the other sense of the word,
answering to Hiereus. I observed that the people
were very easily deceived in this point, because
they were eagerly craving for deception;-that the
same disposition had manifested itself no less
strongly among the Pagan nations;-and that the
same tendency is, and ever will be, breaking out in
one shape or another, among Protestants, and in
every form of religion.
Pious
frauds.

III. No less characteristic of the natural man is,
a vicious preference of supposed expediency, to
truth : and a consequent readiness to employ false
reasons for satisfying the minds of the people;-to
connive at, or foster, supposed salutary or innocent
delusions; whence arose the sanction given to all
the monstrous train of pious frauds, legendary tales,
and lying miracles, for which the unreformed
Churches have been so justly stigmatized. And as
it is notorious that the ancient lawgivers and philosophers encouraged (for political purposes) a belief
in the mythological fables which they themselves
disbelieved, there can be no doubt that this disposition also is not to be attributed to the Church
of Rome as its cause, but that that Church merely
furnishes one set of instances of its efects; and that

§ 3.

13

Introd
lctio/.

consequently an earnest watchfulness against those
effects, is to be inculcated not merely on such as
may be in danger of being misled into Romanism,
but on every descendant of Adam.
IV. Again, no one perhaps of the errors of the claim of
infallibili Romish Church has exposed her to greater censure, ty.
or has been productive of more mischievous results,
than the claim to infallibility ; - the investing,
without any sufficient grounds, weak and fallible
men with an attribute of Deity. Now the ready
acquiescence in such an extravagant claim (which
never could have been maintained had not men
been found thus ready to acquiesce in it) may
easily be traced to the principles of our corrupt
nature ;-to that indolence in investigation, indifference about truth,e and ready acquiescence in
what is put before us, of which the Greek historian
complained long before the Christian era; and to
that dislike of suspense-and consequent willingness
to make a short and final appeal to some authority
which should be regarded as decisive, with a view
to quash disputes, and save the labour of inquiry.
That such a disposition is at least not peculiar to
e 'Arakairwpo~ roiokl
rh Eroipa

ictXXo'

o
XXot e

rphrovrat.

rrij en
rie

Thucyd.

d
<dXjOEac,tai

ErT

14

Introduction.

§ 3.

the votaries of the religion of Rome, or confined
even to religious subjects, is evident, from the
appeals of pretended students in philosophy to
the decisions of Pythagoras, and subsequently of
Aristotle, as precluding all further dispute or doubt.
It is for Protestants therefore to remember, that
they are not secured by the mere circumstance
of their being such, from all danger of indulging
this disposition. There is indeed no danger of
their appealing to the Church of ]iRome as an infallible authority to put a stop to all discussion;
but the removal of that particular danger, should
only put us the more on our guard against the
same fault (as it is a fault of our common nature)
breaking out in some new shape.
Spirit

of

persecution.

V. One of the heaviest of the charges commonly

brought against the Romish Church may be added
to those already alluded to-the spirit of Persecution;
which is as far as any of her other enormities from
being peculiar to that Church, or even to the case
of religion: witness, among many other instances,
the furious and bitter spirit shewn by the Nominalists and Realists in their contests concerning
abstruse points of metaphysics. The Romish system
did not properly introduce intolerance, but rather,

Introduction.
it was intolerance that introduced and established
the system of Romanism; and that (in another part
of the world) no less successfully called in the sword
for the establishment of Mahometism. So congenial indeed to "the natural Man" is the resort to
force for the establishment of one system of doctrines
and the suppression of another, that we find many
of the Reformers, after they had clearly perceived
nearly all the other errors in which they had been
brought up, yet entertaining no doubt whatever as
to the right, and the duty, of maintaining religious
truth by coercive means.
VI. Another tendency, as conspicuous as those confidence
above mentioned in the Romish Church, and, like titles.
its other errors, by no means confined to that
Church, is the confident security with which the
Cathlolics, as they call themselves,' trust in that
name, as denoting their being members of that
sacred Body, the only true Church, whose holy
character and title to divine favour they seem to
consider as a kind of common property, and a safeguard to all her members: even as the Jews of old
"said within themselves, We are Abraham's chilSSee Appendix A, at the end of this volume, on the title
of Catholic.

in

16

Ini troduction.

§ 4.

dren ;" flattering themselves that on that ground,
however little they might resemble Abraham in
faith and in works, God would surely never cast
them off. This error is manifestly common to the
Romanists with those who put the same kind of
trust in the name of Protestant, or of Christian;
and who regard their connexion with a holy and
spiritually-endowed Community, rather as a substitute for personal holiness, than as a motive for
aiming at a still higher degree of it, and a privilege
involving a higher responsibility.
Danger of
Protestants.

5 4. In treating of all these points, I shall adhere
to the plan of contemplating the errors of the
Romanists, not with a view to our own justification
in withdrawing from their communion ; nor again,
for the sake of guarding against the danger of being
seduced by their arguments, (important as these
objects may be;) but with a view to what I cannot
but regard as the much greater danger, of falling
into corresponding errors to theirs-of being taken
captive by the same temptations under different
forms-of overlooking, in practice, the important
truth, that the spirit of Romanism is substantially
the spirit of Human Nature.

S4.

Inti'roductios.

17

We are all of us in these days likely to hear and
to read most copious discussions of the tenets and
practices of the Church of Rome. Whatever may
be the views of each of my readers respecting the
political question which has chiefly given rise to
these discussions, (a question which, like all others
of a political character, I have always thought had
better be waived in theological works, g) I would
suggest these reflections as profitable to be kept in
view by all, while occupied with such discussions:
how far we are pure from Romish errors in another
shape ;-from what quarters, and under what disguises, we are liable to be again assailed by temptations, substantially, though not externally, the
same with those which seduced into such accumulated corruptions our ancestors in the darkest
ages of our Church ;-and how we may best guard
against the spirit of Superstition, (of which, be it
remembered, none, even the most superstitious,
ever suspect themselves)-the spirit of Persecution
-the spirit of Insincerity, of Fraud, and of Indifference to truth,-in short, all those evil propensities
which are fitly characterized in one word as the
spirit of Romanism. All these dangers, as they
SSee Note § 2.
C

18

Introductlion.

[§ 4.

did not begin with the Romish system, cannot be
expected to end with it: they emanate not from
that corrupt Church, but from the corruption of
our common nature; and none consequently are
more open to them, than those who are disposed to
think themselves secured by merely keeping out of
the pale of that Church, and inveighing against her
enormities.h
Such a false security indeed is itself one of the
worst of the Romish errors; that of mistaking
names for things, and trusting in a specious title,
without enquiring how far we possess the character
which that title implies. " He is not a Jew," says
Paul, "who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is
a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is
that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter;
hA pamphlet entitled "an Epistle from the Pope to some
Members of the University of Oxford," contains much valuable
matter in reference to the present subject. Though in an
ironical form, it exhibits sound learning and just reasoning,
combined with a thoroughly Christian spirit; and may be
characterized as an eminently useful " Tract for the times."
See also the "Index

to the Tracts ;" a work executed with

much care and fairness, and which no one should be without
who feels interested in the subjects of those Tracts.

S4.]

Introduction2.

19

whose praise is not of men, but of God." It is for
us therefore ever to remember, (for thus only can
we turn to account the apostle's admonition) that
as that man was not, in the sight of God, a Jew, to
any profitable purpose for himself, but rather to his
aggravated condemnation, who was only outwardly
a Jew , so neither, by parity of reasoning, is he, in
God's sight, a Christian-a "Catholic Christian"a " Protestant"-a "Reformed" Christian-who is
one outwardly; but he who is reformed inwardlywhose heart is Christian- and who protests not
with his lips only, but in his life-" in the spirit
and not in the letter"-against such depravation of
Gospel-truth, and departure from Gospel-holiness,
as he censures in his erring brethren.
In the following pages therefore it is my design
(as I wish to declare once for all) not to bestow
either censure or commendation on any individuals
as belonging to any particular community, but so
far only as they maintain and exemplify the principles treated of. As far as any persons, of whatever
Church they may be members, may in practice
abandon or modify any errors that have prevailed
in their Church, so far, I would be understood to
withdraw or to qualify, in reference to them, the
c2

20

Introduction.

[§ 4.

censure passed on persons guilty of those errors.
And again, as far as any one may adopt erroneous
views or practices, at variance with the original
principles of his Church, so far, even though he
may retain the original designation, the approbation
bestowed on those principles ceases to be applicable
to him.

ESSAY I.
SUPERSTITION.

S1. THERE are few things probably that ap- Transgressions

pear at the first glance more strange to a reader of the Israelites at
of the Old Testament, than the frequent lapses of first sight
•
the Israelites into idolatrous and other superstitious
practices
encouragement or connivance often
granted to these by such of the rulers as were by
no means altogether destitute of piety towards the
Lord ;-and the warm commendations which are
accordingly bestowed on such of their kings as
avoided and repressed these offences. Their Law
had been delivered and its authority maintained
with such strikingly awful solemnity, and its directions were so precise and minute, that a strict
conformity to it appears, to us, hardly to amount
to a virtue, and the violation of it, to an almost
incredible infatuation. It is not without a con-

;-the

untable.countable.

Siperstitioi.

[ESSAY I.

siderable mental effort that we can so far transport
ourselves into the situation of persons living in
so very different a condition of society from our
own, as to estimate duly the nature and the force
of the temptations to which they were exposed, to
make fair allowance for their backslidings, and to
bestow adequate applause on those of them who
adhered stedfastly to the Divine commands.
The conduct of Hezekiah, for instance, who
"removed the high-places, and brake the images,
and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the
brazen serpent that Moses had made, (for unto
those days the children of Israel did burn incense
to it;)" is likely perhaps to strike some readers
as so far from being any heroic effort of virtue,
that the chief wonder is, how his predecessors and
their subjects could have been so strangely remiss
and disobedient, as to leave him so much to do.
Things however being in such a state, the duty
of remedying at once the abuses which had grown
up, is apt to strike us, at first sight, as so very
obvious and imperative, that we are hardly disposed to give him due praise for fulfilling it. But
the more attentively we consider the times in which
he lived, and the peculiar circumstances in which

sECr. 1.]

Superstition.

23

he began his reign-the successor of an idolatrous
prince, and reigning over an idolatrous peoplethe higher admiration we shall feel for his exemplary obedience to the Divine law.
It should be remembered, that not only the Seeming
impiety of
avowed violators of the first Commandment, but Hezekiah's
those also, who, though they transgressed the forms. resecond, yet professed themselves the worshippers
of Jehovah exclusively, would be likely to tax with
impiety that unsparing reform of abuses, which
even those former kings, who are described as
" doing that which was right in the sight of the
Lord," had yet not ventured to undertake. Indeed
his enemy Sennacherib reproaches him on this very
ground: " if ye say, We trust in the Lord our
God, is not that He whose high-places and whose
altars Hezekiah hath taken away ?"
But many, even of those who perhaps endured
his putting a stop to the irregular and unauthorized
worship of Jehovah in those high-places, might yet
be scandalized at his venturing to destroy "the
Brazen Serpent ;" an emblem framed originally by
Divine command, and which had been the appointed and supernatural means of a miraculous
deliverance. If such a relic were even now in

24

Superstition.

[ESSAY I.

existence, and its identity indisputable, it would
not be contemplated, by any believer in the Mosaic
history, without some degree of veneration. How
much stronger would that veneration be in the
mind of an Israelite, and of one in that ignorant
and semi-barbarous age ! Yet one of these was
found sufficiently enlightened to estimate the evil,
and bold enough to use the effectual remedy. The
king is not content to forbid this idolatrous use of
the image, or even to seclude it carefully from the
public gaze; it had been an occasion of superstition,
and he "brake it in pieces ;" applying to it at the
same time the contemptuous appellation of "piece
of brass," a in order to destroy more completely
that reverence which had degenerated into a sin.
§ 2. In order to profit as we may and ought,
from the lesson here presented to us, we must concompared. sider how far it is applicable to later times: we
must look out for the manifestation among Christians of a tendency to various errors,-superstitious
worship among the rest,-corresponding to those
of the Israelites. Many of the practices of the unreformed churches bear a strong resemblance to
Israelites

andsuperstitious
Christians

" "He called it Nehushtan."

2 Kings xviii.

4.

SECT.

9.I

S

ietrsition.

25

those of the idolatrous Israelites. In particular,
their veneration for the wood of the supposed true
Cross, has a correspondence approaching to iden..
tity, with the veneration of the Israelites for the
brazen serpent which Hezekiah destroyed; only
that the more ancient superstition was one degree
less irrational; inasmuch as the image was that
which had itself been a more immediate instrument
of a miraculous deliverance; whereas what typically
corresponds to it in the Christian dispensation, is
(as our Lord himself points out) not the cross on
which He suffered, but the very person of the
suffering Redeemer.
The Romanists, and those of the Greek and of
some other Churches, in paying worship not only
to images and relics, but also to saints, are guilty
of both those kinds of superstition, the unsparing
suppression of both of which, constitutes the distinguished and peculiar merit of that upright and
zealous prince, Hezekiah. He was not satisfied,
like many other kings, with putting down that
branch of superstition which involves the breach of
the frst Commandment-the setting up of false
gods; but was equally decisive in his reprobation
of the other branch also- the worship of the true

26

Superstition.

[ESSAY

I.

God by the medium of prohibited emblems, and
with unauthorized and superstitious rites. Of these
two kinds of superstition, the latter is continually
liable, in practice, to slide into the former, by such
insensible degrees, that it is often hard to decide,
in particular cases, where the breach of the second
Commandment ends, and that of the first begins.
The distinction is not however for that reason useless; perhaps it is even the more useful on that
very account, and was for that reason preserved, in
those two Commandments; of which the second
serves as a kind of outwork to the first, to guard
against all gradual approackes to a violation of itto keep men at a distance from the danger of
infringing the majesty of the "jealous God."

Accordingly, besides the numerous warnings
which Moses gives the Israelites against being
seduced into worshipping the false gods of the
nations of Canaan, he also cautions them, not to
imitate in their worship of the Lord, the superstitious rites used by the heathen in the service of
their deities. They are forbidden to inquire, "How
did these nations serve their gods ?" and to say,
" Even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so
unto the Lord thy God."

SECT,

2.]

Supersltiton.

27

Both injunctions the Israelites frequently violated; Second
Cornmany of them, while they observed the first Cor- mandment
violated
mandment in abstaining from the worship of Baal by some
and the other gods of the

heathen, infringing

served the

nevertheless the second, by their use of images: of first.
which we have an instance in the case of Jeroboam
"who made Israel to sin;" the golden calves which
he set up being clearly designed as emblematical
representations of the true God: for he said,
"These be thy gods, O Israel, which rought thee
out of te land of
This was emphatically
called "the sin of Jeroboam ;" and the distinction
above alluded to is noticed in the case (to omit
numberless others) of Jehu; "thus Jehu destroyed
Baal out of Israel: howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin,
Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the
golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were
in Dan."
And we find also numerous instances (besides
this direct violation of the second Commandment)
of the introduction of unauthorized and superstitious
rites in the worship of the true God.
This two-fold division of Superstition I have the
more strongly dwelt on, both because it is frequently

Egypt."

28

Superstition.

[ESSAY

1.

overlooked, and because inattention to it is likely to
lead to dangerous consequences.
Character
of Super-

stition.

I would not however be understood as contending

for any arbitrary and unusual signification of the
word; but I conceive, that by Superstition is
commonly understood, not, as a popular though
superficial writer has defined it, "an excess of
religion," (at least in the ordinary sense of the
word excess,) as if any one could have too muck of
true religion, but, any misdirection of religious
feeling; manifested either in shewing religious
veneration or regard to objects which deserve none;
i. e. properly speaking, the worship of false gods; or,
in the assignment of such a degree, or such a kind, of
religious veneration to any object, as that object,
though worthy of some reverence, does not deserve;
or in the worship of the true God through the
medium of improper ceremonies or symbols.
This latter branch of superstition is extremely
liable, as I have already remarked, to degenerate
insensibly into the former. The Israelite, e. who
was accustomed to worship Jehovah through the
medium of a sensible image, would be very likely,
in time, to transfer a larger and larger portion of
his adoration to the image itself; and in proportion

g.

SECT.

2.]

Superstition.

29

as he annexed to it any idea of especial sanctity, he
would be, insensibly, more and more falling into
the error of adoring an image, in the only sense in
which it is conceivable that an image can be adored.
In avowing my conviction that this is the case with
a large proportion of the members of the Romish,
and of some other Churches, and that these are
consequently most decidedly chargeable with that
species of the sin of Idolatry, I am aware that I
run counter to the opinions (I might rather perhaps
say to the expressions) of some enlightened Protestants. But these, I conceive, are not so much
mistaken in their judgment, as inaccurate in their
language. It is said, e. 5. that when the Romanists
offer up their prayers before a crucifix, or before a
piece of bread, they do not design to worship a
piece of wood or a piece of bread, as such, but our
Lord Jesus Christ as represented by the one, and
as actually present in the other. And certainly, if
they intend to direct their worship to the one true
God, they are not guilty of a breach of the first
Commandment; but this does not clear them of
the charge of infringing the second; they may be
guilty of superstition, though not of every kind and
degree of superstition: and if the practices I have

30

3EerstSAion.Y

[ESSAY I.

alluded to, do not constitute that kind of superstition which is properly called idolatry, let us be
allowed to inquire, what does ? Will it be said
that idolatry consists in worshipping a piece of wood
as suck-as a mere piece of wood ? I would ask in
reply, Who then ever was, or can be, guilty of it ?
The thing is not only practically impossible, but is
inconceivable, and a contradiction in terms. The
most gross-minded Israelite that ever offered up his
prayers before a golden calf, implied, by that very
act, his belief that it was something more than a
mere piece of gold, and that there resided in it a
certain divine intelligence. The argument therefore
is not so much a vindication of any party from the
charge of idolatry, as, a vindication of idolatry itself.
It has been said, I believe, by some Protestants,
respecting the alleged idolatry of adoring the sacred
elements at the Eucharist, "it would be idolatrous,
if I were to join in it :" if this means, "supposing
you to have the same belief in transubstantiation
that the Romanists have," this is only a circuitous
mode of saying that they are idolaters; but if it
means, " were you to join in it, supposing you to

have the Protestant belief that the consecrated
bread is merely bread," the supposition involves an

SECT.

2.1

Superstition.

31

absurdity and self-contradiction. A man may indeed feign, and outwardly indicate, in order to
deceive his fellow-man, an adoration of what he
believes to be merely a piece of bread or of wood ;b
but that he should really and inwardly adore, what
he believes at the moment to be no more than mere
bread or mere wood, is not only impossible, but
absolutely unmeaning, being at variance with the
very notion of adoration.
If therefore a Romanist adores the true God
under the form of bread,c which he holds to be the
real literal body of Christ, or if, in worshipping
before a crucifix, he attributes a certain sanctity to
the image, as if some divine virtue were actually
present in it, (and that this is often done is plain
from the preference shewn in many cases of one
image to another,) he is clearly as much guilty of
idolatry as the Israelites in worshipping the golden
calf and the brazen serpent: it being thus only,
that any one can practise idolatry.
In making this declaration, however, it is not Danger
from false
my object either to lead Protestants to exult uncha- security.
b

In this he would be "idolatrous " in the sense of sanc-

tioning and encouraging idolatry in others.
And this,
probably, is the meaning of those Protestants above alluded to.
SSee Note A, at the end of this Essay.

32

Superstitio.

[ESSAY

1,

ritably over their erring brethren, or to vindicate
our own renunciation of their errors; but rather to
point out the danger which must ever beset all of
us, of falling into similar errors in another shape,
and under other names; for ten thousand of the
greatest faults in our neighbour are of less consequence to us, than one, of the smallest, in ourselves.
The Israelites of old were warned not only to
worship none of the gods of the heathen, but to
copy none of their superstitions; " Ye shall not do
so to the Lord your God." Now they probably
were disposed to think themselves secire from the
danger of corrupting their own religion, in their
deep abhorrence of the religions of those nations
whom the Lord had cast out before them. The
Church of Rome, again, thought itself safe from
superstition, by its rejection of those particular
superstitions of which the Israelites and the Pagans
were guilty. And Protestants again are no less
disposed to feel the same security, on account of
their abhorrence of the particular superstitions of
the Romanists. The images used by these last, are
not the same with those for worshipping which the
Israelites were condemned: and they again doubtless pleaded that the golden calves and the brazen

SET

2+.

SECT.2.]
persftd201.

serpent were not the idols of the Canaanites; and
thus does each successive generation censure the
faults and follies of the preceding, without taking
sufficient heed to itself, or recognizing, as they
arise, errors substantially the same, though under
new shapes.
The superstitions and the other errors of the
Romanists were, as I have already observed, not
the result of systematic contrivance, but sprung up
spontaneously as the indigenous growth of the
human heart: they arose successively, gradually,
and imperceptibly; and were in most instances,
probably, first overlooked, then tolerated, and then
sanctioned, and finally embodied in a system, of
which they are rather to be regarded as the cause
than the effects. Since then, as I have said, corruptions of religion neither first sprang from Romanismn, nor can be expected to end with it, the
tendency to them being inherent in our common
nature; it is evident that constant watchfulness
alone can preserve us from corruptions, not the very
same indeed with those of our predecessors, but,
similar ones under some fresh disguise; and that
this danger is enhanced by the very circumstance
which seems to secure us from it-our abhorrence

34

Sperstition.

[ESSAY

I.

of those errors in them. From practices the very
same in name and form with theirs, such abhorrence
is indeed a safeguard; while at the same time it
makes us the less ready to suspect ourselves of the
same faults, disguised.
The vain security thus
generated, draws off our thoughts from selfexamination; a task for which the mind is in
general least fitted, when it is most occupied in
detecting and exposing the faults of others. In
treating then of such corruptions of religion as
those into which the Church of Rome has fallen,
my primary object is to excite a spirit, not of selfcongratulation and self-confidence, but of self-distrust and self-examination.
Noxious
character

( 3.

With respect to that particular class of

of all su- corruptions now before us
perstition. under the general title of

-

that which comes
Superstition, - it is

requisite (though it is somewhat strange that it
should be so) to premise a remark on the enormity
of the evil in question. The mischiefs of Superstition are, I conceive, much underrated. It is by
many regarded, not as any sin, but as a mere harmless folly, at the worst ;-as, in some instances, an
amiable weakness, or even a salutary delusion. Its

sEr. 3.]

$ECT.sfiliof.
pe
3

votaries are pitied, as in some eases subjected to
needless and painful restraints, and undergoing
groundless terrors ;-sometimes they are ridiculed
as enslaved to absurd and puerile observances : but
whether pitied or laughed at, superstitious Christians are often regarded as likely, at least as not
the less likely on account of their superstition, to
have secured the essentials of religion
believing and practising what is needful towards
salvation, and as only carrying their faith and their
practice unnecessarily and unreasonably to the point
of weak credulity and foolish scrupulosity. This
view of the subject has a strong tendency to confirm the superstitious, and even to add to their
number. They feel that if there is any doubt, they
are surely on the safe side. " Supposing I am in
error on this or that point," (a man may say,) " I
am merely doing something superfluous; at the
worst I suffer some temporary inconvenience, and
perhaps have to encounter some ridicule; but if the
error be on the other side, I risk my salvation by
embracing it; my present course therefore is
evidently the safest."
What force this argument has in the hands of the
Romanists, I need hardly remind my readers. Of

;-as

n2

36

SupersitioI.

[ESSAY I .

converts to Romanism probably three out of four,
especially of the ignorant and the weak-minded,
have been drawn over, in the first instance at least,
by the consideration, that that is the safe side: as
if it could be safe to manifest distrust of a skilful
physician by combining with his medicines all the
nostrums of all the ignorant practitioners in the
neighbourhood.
With the danger however of being seduced into
the pale of the Romish Church, I am not at present
concerned, but with the danger of Superstition
generally. In speaking of that point, as well as
(hereafter) of others, connected with the spirit of
Romanism, I wish to be understood as not calling
for harsh censure on individuals, but only on
offences as they are in themselves. How far the
superstition of any individual may be excusable or
blameable in the sight of God, can be pronounced
by Him alone, who alone is able to estimate each
man's strength or weakness, his opportunities of
gaining knowledge, and his employment or neglect
of those opportunities. But the same may be said
of every other offence, as well as of the one in
question. Of Superstition itself in all its various
forms and degrees, I cannot think otherwise than

SELT.

3.]

S

Ters.iion.

37

that it is not merely a folly to be ridiculed, but a
mischief to be dreaded; and that its tendency is,
in most cases, as far as it extends, destructive of
true piety.
The disposition to reverence some superhuman
Power, and in some way or other to endeavour to recommend ourselves to the favour of that Power, is
(more or less in different individuals) a natural and
original sentiment of the human mind. The great
Enemy of Man finds it easier in most cases to misdirect, than to eradicate this. If an exercise for this
religious sentiment can be provided-if this natural
craving after divine worship (if I may so speak) can be
satisfied-by the practice of superstitious ceremonies,
true piety will be much more easily extinguished ; the conscience will on this point have been set at rest;
-God's place in the heart will, as it were, have been
pre-occupied by an idol; and that genuine religion
which consists in a devotedness of the affections to
God, operating in the improvement of the moral
character, will be more effectually shut out, from
the religious feelings of our nature having found
another vent, and exhausted themselves on vanities
of man's devising.
To illustrate as fully as might be done this

Origin of
Superstition.

r

38

sigvi'sf

lioil.

[ESSAY

I.

debasing and corrupting tendency of Superstition,
by an examination of the numberless instances of
it which might but too readily be found, would
far exceed my limits, and would be, to most of my
readers, in a great degree unnecessary. But I cannot
omit, in confirmation of what has been said, one
general remark, which is applicable to most of these
instances: that one of the most prevailing characteristics of Superstition, at least which is found
more or less in most species of it, is, the attributing
of some sacred efficacy to the performance of an
outward act, or the presence of some material object,
without any inward devotion of the heart being
required to accompany it ;-without, in short, any
thing else being needed, except, in some cases, an
undoubting faith in that intrinsic efficacy. The
tendency thus to disjoin religious observances (i. e.
what are intended to be such) from heartfelt and
practical religion, is one of the most besetting evils
of our corrupt nature; and it is the very root of
most superstitions. Now no one can fail to perceive how opposite this is to true piety. Empty
forms not only supersede piety by standing in its
place, but gradually alter the habits of the mind,
and render it unfit for the exercise of genuine pious

SECT. 3.]

Superstition.

39

sentiment. Even the natural food of religion (if I
may so speak) is thus converted into its poison.
Our very prayers, for example, and our perusal of
the holy Scriptures, become superstitious, in proportion as any one expects them to operate as a
charm- attributing efficacy to the mere words,
while his feelings and thoughts are not occupied in
what he is doing.d
Every religious ceremony or exercise, however well
calculated, in itself, to improve the heart, is liable,
as I have said, thus to degenerate into a mere form,
and consequently to become superstitious: but in
proportion as the outward observances are the more
complex and operose, and the more unmeaning or
unintelligible, the more danger is there of superstitiously attaching a sort of magical efficacy to the
bare outward act, independent of mental devotion. If, for example, even our prayers are liable,
without constant watchfulness, to become a superstitious form, by our "honouring God with our
lips, while our heart is far from Him," this result is
almost unavoidable when the prayers are recited in
an unknown tongue, and with a prescribed number
of" vain repetitions," crossings, and telling of beads.
d See

Essays, (2d Series,) Essay X. on Self-Denial.

40

4 perstition.

[ESSAY

I.

And men of a timorous mind, having once taken
up a wrong notion of what religion consists in,
seek a refuge from doubt and anxiety, a substitute
for inward piety, and, too often, a compensation for
an evil life, in an endless multiplication of superstitious observances;--of pilgrimages, sprinklings
with holy water, veneration of relics, and the like.
And hence the enormous accumulation of superstitions, which, in the course of many centuries,
gradually arose in the Romish and Greek Churches.
Superstition connected
with pro-

faneness.

$ 4. And it is a circumstance very remarkable,

that, in many instances at least, Superstition not
only does not promote true religion, but even tends
to generate Profaneness; and that, not merely in
other points, but even in respect of the very objects
of the superstitious reverence. In proof of this I can
cite the testimony of an eminently competent witness,
as far at least as one Roman-Catholic country (Spain)
is concerned. The author, after having mentioned
the extravagant and absurd superstitions of the
ceremonies which take place on Good Friday, adds,
"I have carefully glided over such parts of this
absurd performance as would shock many an
English reader, even in narrative. Yet such is

SECT. 4.]

Stf4erslition.

41

the strange mixture of superstition and profaneness
in the people for whose gratification these scenes are
exhibited, that though any attempt to expose the
indecency of these shows would rouse their zeal 'to
the knife,' I cannot venture to translate the jokes
and sallies of wit that are frequently heard among
the Spanish peasantry upon these sacred topics."e
The like strange mixture is found in other RomanCatholic, and also in Pagan countries; particularly
among the Hindoos, who are described as habitually reviling their gods in the grossest terms, on
the occasion of any untoward event.
In this country a large proportion of the superstition that exists, is connected more or less with
the agency of Evil Spirits; and accordingly (in
conformity with the strange principle of our nature
just mentioned) nothing is so common a theme of
profane jests among the vulgar of all ranks, as the
Devil, and every thing relating to that Being,
including the " everlasting fire prepared for him
and his angels ;" and this, by no means exclusively,
or chiefly, among such as disbelieve what Scripture
says on the subject; but, on the contrary, even the
most, among those who give credit to a multitude
Doblado's Letters from Spain, p. 264.

42

Superstition.

[ESSAY

I.

of legendary tales also, quite unwarranted by
Scripture.
This curious anomaly may perhaps be, in a
great measure at least, accounted for, from the
consideration, that as Superstition imposes a yoke
rather of fear than of love, her votaries are glad
to take revenge, as it were, when galled by this
yoke, and to indemnify themselves in some degree
both for the irksomeness of their restraints and
tasks, and also for the depradation, (some sense of
which is always excited by a consciousness of
slavish dread,) by taking liberties wherever tleh
dare, either in the way of insult or of playfulness,
with the objects of their dread. And jests on
sacred subjects, it is well known, are, when men are
so disposed, the most easily produced of any;
because the contrast between a dignified and a low
image, exhibited in combination, (in which the
whole force of the ludicrous consists,) is in this case
the most striking.
f It is commonly said, that there is no wit in profane jests;
but it would be hard to frame any definition of wit that should
exclude them. It would be more correct to say, (and I believe that is what is really meant,) that the practice displays
no great powers of wit, because the subject-matter renders it

SECT.

4.]

Superstion.

43

But how comes it that they ever do dare, as we
see is the fact, to take these liberties. Another
characteristic of Superstition will perhaps explain
this also. It is, as I have just said, characteristic
of Superstition to enjoin, and to attribute efficacy
to, the mere performance of some specific outward
acts-the use of some material object, without any
loyal affectionate devotion of heart being required to accompany such acts, and to pervade
the whole life as a ruling motive. Hence, the
rigid observance of the precise directions given,
leaves the votary secure, at ease in conscience,
and at liberty, as well as in a disposition, to
indulge in profaneness. In like manner a patient,
who dares not refuse to swallow a nauseous dose,
and to confine himself to a strict regimen, yet who
is both vexed, and somewhat ashamed, at submitting to the annoyance, will sometimes take
his revenge, as it were, by abusive ridicule of the
medical attendant and his drugs; knowing that
this will not, so long as he does but take the
so particularly easy; and that (for the very same reason) it
affords the least gratification (apart from all higher considerations) to judges of good taste; for a great part of the
pleasure afforded by wit results from a perception of skill
displayed, and di ]culty surmounted.

44

Si1])e1*8f?,t20?2.

[ESSAY I.

medicines, diminish their efficacy. Superstitious
observances are a kind of distasteful or disgusting
remedy, which however is to operate if it be but
swallowed; and on which accordingly the votary
sometimes ventures gladly to revenge himself.
The more nearly therefore in each instance the
superstitions of any corrupted Church approach
to, so as to blend themselves with, true religion,
the more do they deteriorate the spirit of it;-the more does the poisonous parasite, twining
round the fairest boughs of the good tree, blight
by its noxious neighbourhood the fruits which that
should have borne.
We cannot indeed be too thankful to God,
that by his blessing our ancestors perceived and
undertook to reform these abuses: but my especial
object in now adverting to the errors they threw
off is, to call attention to this important consideration; that such a multitude and variety of
superstitions, as troublesome as they are absurd,
never could have been introduced by any devices
of priestcraft, had there not been in the human
mind that strong natural tendency to Superstition
which has just been described. And this being
the case-this tendency being, as it is, a part of

SECT. 5.]

pEerstition.

45

our common nature, it is for us to guard against
the danger in ourselves, instead of exulting in a
vain confidence that we are exempt and safe from
it. The things we ought to learn, and to learn
with a view to our own profit, from the example
of our unreformed Church, are, the mischievous
effects of Superstition, and, Man's proneness to it.
That Superstition does exist, to no inconsiderable extent, in Protestant countries, which is what
the foregoing reasonings, even independently of
experience, would prepare us to expect, few, I
imagine, would venture to deny; though perhaps
fewer still are fully aware of its amount, or sufficiently on their guard against the danger.
§ 5. With respect to the particular points on Occasions
superwhich Superstition is most to be dreaded, and stition.f
towards which, consequently, our vigilance should
be especially directed, I am precluded by several
considerations from entering on any detailed examination.
The enumeration of all, or nearly all, the superstitions which either actually exist, or are likely
to arise, would far exceed my proposed limits.
And I am sensible that to advert even to a few of

46

Superstition.

[ESSAY

I.

these, is likely to be less profitable than I could
wish; inasmuch as the same remarks will usually
be a superfluous truism to one person, and a revolting paradox to another. For any one who practises, or tolerates and approves, any superstition, is
of course not accustomed to consider it as superstition; nor would be prepared to admit the censure without detailed argument and calm consideration; while one who does regard it as superstitious,
has himself already pronounced that censure.
To this must be added, that in most instances
the very same thing will be superstitious to some
persons, and not to others. The adoration of saints
indeed, or of any other Being besides the one true
God, must be always, and in itself, superstitious:
but in the great majority of instances, the very
same outward rites, and sensible objects, may be
either a help to devotion, or a substitute for it;
such as sacred music-the repetition of prayersthe assembling in edifices set apart for divine worship-the assuming of certain bodily postures, &c.
In all such cases, the religion or the superstition
exists in the mind of the person, and is only
incidentally connected with the external objects and
observances. Of these last, the best that can be

SECT. 5.]

Superstitio.

47
4

said of any of them is, that they are well calculated
to cherish feelings of rational devotion: the worst
that can be said of any of them is, that they are
peculiarly liable to become superstitious. But even
pictures and images are not in themselves superstitious; and accordingly we do not now exclude
them from our houses of worship, though if we
found them now liable to any of that abuse which
has grown to such an enormous height among
the Romanists, it would be our duty to treat them
as Hezekiah did the brazen serpent, which "he
brake in pieces, because the Israelites burnt incense
to it." And, on the other hand, there is no act or
object connected with divine worship which may
not become superstitious, through the worshipper's
trusting in the efficacy of outward forms, while his
heart is far from God. Our reformers, therefore,
shewed their discretion in their assertion respecting
the Liturgy and forms of Ordination which they
drew up, that these "contained nothing in itself
superstitious." They knew by sad experience that
nothing but the worshipper's vigilant self-examination can secure either human or divine ordinances
from becoming (to him) superstitious.
What has been said may be sufficient to shew,

48

"

yup

ei'St2

lion..

[ESSAY

I.

that this vigilant examination and caution against
superstition on each particular point, must be practised by each person for himself, both with a view
to his own conduct, and that of all those who may
be more especially under his care; and that the
necessity of this cannot be superseded by any
general description.
Enough also has been said, I trust, to shew both
the vast importance of this vigilant examination,
and also the principles on which it should be conducted. I will notice however a few, and only a
few, of those practices and notions, to which, as it
seems to me, especial attention should be directed,
as either savouring of superstition, or peculiarly
liable to lead to it. Several of my observations, I
have no doubt, will appear utterly superfluous, to
many of those among my readers who have not
(not to those who have) been occupied diligently in
the care of a parish, and in that essential part of
it, frequent and confidential intercourse with all,
and especially with the more unenlightened classes,
of the parishioners. I pledge myself however to
state nothing on the ground of mere conjecturenothing which I have not been enabled fully to
verify.

SE CT .

6 .1

Sulperslion.

49

$ 6. I. That there exists among Protestants False
much of that branch of Romish superstition-the
pretension to miraculous powers, or belief in miraculous occurrences, on slight grounds, no soberminded person, who is not quite ignorant of the
existing state of things, can doubt.9 We have
among us pretenders to inspiration; some using
that very term, and others virtually implying as
much: and we have many who see special "judgments" or other "interpositions" of Providence, in
almost every remarkable, and in many of the most
ordinary occurrences.
Sometimes they apply to
these the very term " miraculous;" sometimes they
call them, which amounts to the very same, "prog It would not be suitable to my present purpose, to enter
on a minute inquiry into the use of several words connected
with the present subject; but it may be worth while to remark,
that, according to the most prevailing usage, "Fanaticism"
implies Superstition, (i. e. "misdirected religious feeling,")
but is not necessarily implied by it. If on very insufficient
grounds I believe another person to be inspired, or any other
miracle to have taken place, I am merely superstitious; if I
thus believe myself to be inspired, or gifted with miraculous
powers, I am also fanatical.
Enthusiasm seems to be employed as a more comprehensive
term than Fanaticism, both as being sometimes used in a good,
at least, a milder, sense, and also, as extending to other things
besides Religion.

E

50

SperstitioLn.

[ESSAY

I.

vidential ;" for though it is literally true that nothing
takes place which is not, in some sense, providential, it is plain for that very reason, that whatever
is rightly characterised as providential, i. e. as
more providential than other events, is properly
miraculous.h
If either Romanists, or any others, will give suicient proof of the occurrence of a miracle, they ought
to be listened to: but to pretend to, or to believe
in, any miracle without sufficient proof, is clearly
superstitious, whatever may be the system such a
miracle is adduced to support.
Most deeply is it to be regretted, that some writers
who have argued justly and forcibly against the
error of looking for inspiration or other miraculous
interferences, should have more than nullified the
benefit done, by going on to explain away all that
Scripture teaches respecting spiritual influence.
Besides the danger, that they may propagate this
hI ought in justice to say, that I believe many ephemeral
writers, and careless talkers, occasionally use the words "providential," and "miraculous," (as well as many others,) without attaching any precise notion to them. They have been
used to hear the words applied to remarkable occurrences;
and from mere force of imitation do the same; as if the words
were merely synonymous with "remarkable."

SECTr.

6.]

S(perstitio.

51

error by means of the truth they have mixed up
with it, there is also an opposite evil even much
more to be apprehended; that the fanatics thus
opposed may join with their opponents in representing the whole doctrine of grace as inseparably
connected with their scheme of miraculous interferences and sensible inspiration; so that the whole
must stand or fall together; and that they may
then triumphantly urge, " See what violence one is
driven to do to Scripture, and how much at variance
he becomes with the Church of England, whenever
he attempts to oppose our doctrine !" Too much
care cannot be taken to testify simulaneousl/ against
both of these opposite errors.'
II. Again, more Superstition exists than some Superstitious
persons are aware of, in relation to the Eucharist, abuse of
the Euand to the sacred "elements" (as they are still charist.
calledk) which are administered in that rite. This
is one instance out of a multitude, in which Superstition, instead of promoting, as some persons
SSee Essay IX. Second Series.
kAgreeably to the language of the Schoolmen; who framed
the doctrine of Transubstantiation, as it now stands, so completely from Aristotle's writings, that it never could have
existed in any thing like its present form, had that Philosopher
not been studied.
E 2

a

LL

L

kperstition.

[ESSAY

I.

vainly imagine, true Religion, evidently stands in
the place of it. Several among the uneducated
(and some even among the higher) classes, and
those of them not least who never partake, or design
to partake, of the holy Communion till they believe
themselves on the bed of death, have a strong faith
in the efficacy, as a medicine, of what they call
" Sacrament-wine," i. e. wine which either has
been, or is designed to be, (for they know too little
of the rite to distinguish between the two,) consecrated for this use. They have been known to
apply for it to the minister as an infallible cure for
some particular diseases of children :-confidently
asserting (indeed the very existence and continuance
of the superstition forbids us to hope that such
applications have always been made in vain) that
they have formerly obtained it for that use. Others
have been known, when attending at the Lord's
Table, to secrete, for the purpose of carrying home,
a portion of the consecrated bread handed to them;
doubtless with a view to some similar superstitious
use.' Others again, above the very poorest class,
' I have detected and stopped this practice among those
who are called to consume the remainder of the bread and
wine after the close of the Service.
Let

SECT.

6.j

uperstifion.

have been known to petition for a portion of the
" Sacrament-money," i. e. the alms then collected,
(offering to purchase it for the same sum in other
pieces of money,) to be forged into a ring as an

infallible cure for fits. This again is a superstition which could hardly have maintained its ground,
if it had never been on any occasion indulged by
those whose office is to repress it.
Too common again, and well known, is the case
of persons who have, during the hours of health,
systematically abstained from communicating, and
who have pleaded, among other excuses, with great
truth, their ignorance, while they have refused to
listen to the offered instruction-of these same persons when on their death-bed, though conscious of
the same i norance respecting the whole nature and
design of the ceremony, and in no condition then to
Let me be permitted to call the attention of officiating
ministers to the Rubric, and to recommend a strict adherence
to it, in what relates to this matter: "if any remain of that
which was consecrated, it shall not be carried out of the church,
but the priest and such other of the communicants as he shall
then call unto him, shall, immediately after the Blessing,
reverently eat and drink the same:" i. e. the communicants

(as it must be understood) remaining in the minister's presence,
into which he had " called" them.

54

4Speistition.

[ESSAY

I.

learn,m yet earnestly craving the administration of
this sacrament, and trusting (while their surrounding friends cherish their confidence) that the words
repeated, and the bodily act of receiving the bread
and wine, will operate as a charm to ensure salvation, like the " extreme unction" of the R omanists.
Now if this is not a superstitious abuse of the ordinance, what is ?
m Sometimes without any wish, even then, for previous instruction; or, consequently, any notion that the benefit of the
Sacrament is at all dependent on a knowledge of our Religion.
" Do pray, dear Sir, give me the Sacrament first, and then
talk as much as you please," is an answer by which I have
known a sick man perseveringly repel the attempts of the
minister to examine into the state of his mind, and to impart
to him the requisite instruction.
As for the point of sincerity or insincerity, no one of course,
except the Searcher of hearts, can be sure in every instance,
whether an individual is, or is not, in this respect, a fit communicant : we have only to receive his solemn professions;
and our admitting him on the strength of these, does not,
supposing them to be in fact hypocritical, give any countenance to the superstitious belief, that an insincere communicant derives benefit from the rite: since we admit him on the
supposition of his being not insincere: but it is otherwise in
respect of the point of knowledge or ignorance; that the
minister can ascertain; and if he neglect to do so, (when
there is reasonable ground for doubt,) and to proceed accordingly, he is manifestly fostering Superstition.

SECT. 6.]

Superstition.

III. Nor has the other sacrament escaped the Supersti-

defilement of Superstition.
Not a few there are
who eagerly seek it with as superstitious a reverence
as that with which they shrink from the Lord's
Supper, and with, if possible, a still more complete
ignorance of its nature. They seem to regard the
2
giving of a namne " to an infant as the most essential,
or one of the most essential parts of the rite:
understanding by the terms "Baptism" or "Christening," the public reception in church, (about
which they are frequently very indifferent,) and
knowing private Baptism by no other appellation
than " Naming." And many are anxious that the
ceremony should take place (I speak advisedly) if
the child is very ill, in hopes that it may save his
life; at all events, with strong expectation of some
benefit, while yet they have no thought or intention
of bringing him up with any kind of religious
instruction" and training; nor indeed have theme In a parish which had been grossly neglected under a
former incumbent, the rite of Baptism was administered to
several who had grown up without it: among the applicants
was a young woman, who, it came out, had been already
baptized, and who gave as a reason for applying, that she was
dissatisfied with the name that had been given her, and
wished for another.

tious
abuse of
baptism.

56

Christen
ing of

ships.

Superstition.

[ESSAY

I.

selves either any religious knowledge, or any wish
to gain it. To disjoin thus the means of grace
from the fruits of grace-the expected benefit of
the ordinance which admits a member into the
Christian Church, from his care to lead a Christian
life-is to convert a sacrament into a charm, and
to " make the things that should have been for
their health, be unto them an occasion of falling."
There is no need to expatiate on the mischievous
absurdity of such notions and such conduct, or (to
those at least of my readers who have been engaged
in the care of large parishes) on their prevalence.
The point to which it is my present object to call
attention, is, the superstition involved in them;
which bears but too close a resemblance to those of
the Church of Rome relative to the same sacrament.
The present instance illustrates but too well what
has been above said respecting the connexion
between Superstition and Profaneness. Both exist
in a remarkable degree in relation to the sacrament
of Baptism. Few of my readers, I fear, will need
more than to be merely reminded of the light and
irreverent application of the term " christening," on
any occasion of giving "a name" to any thing.

SECT. 6.1

.Snper8tition.

57

Now if there be any thing intrinsically reasonable
in the third Commandment, it surely is applicable,
in its spirit, not merely to the name of God, but
also to all the terms appropriated to his ordinances;
in short, to all the language denoting any thing
sacred. But in the present case, there exists a
more palpable, more deliberate, and more revolting
kind of profaneness, in the solemn mockery of
what is called " christening a ship ;" in which the

sacrament itself-not the mere name of it-is
regularly, formally, and with obtrusive pomp, "taken
in vain," to the secret scorn and triumph of infidels,
and to the disgrace of a nation calling itself Christian and Protestant.
Among the many evils to be traced to this particular superstition, is to be reckoned I think, in a
great degree, the prevalence (among many of our
own Clergy) of a system of doctrine which goes to
disjoin completely from "the outward visible sign
of baptism" all "inward spiritual grace :" and likewise the continuance and increase of the Anabaptist-system; which indeed the doctrine just alluded
to tends greatly to foster. An attentive hearer of
one of these divines, taught to regard his own
baptism as hardly more than an empty form, is

58

S £perstition.

[ESSAY

I.

thoroughly prepared to become a convert to the
first Anabaptist he meets with. °
SuperstiIV. It is not perhaps generally known, how
tious
prayers. much Superstition prevails in respect of the repetition of Prayers. Protestants are accustomed to
censure, as one of the most flagrant of Romish corruptions, the use of prayers in an unknown tongue:
and it is plain that it makes no practical difference
to the individual whether the words he utters are
Latin or English, so long as they convey no sense
to his mind. Now the practice of reciting unmeaning prayers (unmeaning, that is, to the person using
them) prevails to a greater extent than perhaps
many persons are aware. Many probably do not
even know that there are invocations to angels and
to the four Evanqelists, (which it is to be hoped are
not at all understood,) in use at the present day in
the devotions of some among the more ignorant
classes of professed Protestants. I know that the
caution given in Dr. Hawkins's excellent "Manual
for Christians after Confirmation," (ch. v. § 1.) that
"to repeat the creed is not to pray," startled some
persons as being manifestly needless.
But the
See Essay IX. Second Series, p. 343 -7.

SECT. 6.]

ECT.8tzjion.5

59

fact bears him out. The practice is by no means
uncommon of reciting the Apostles' Creed as a portion of prayer. Now it is manifest that whoever
makes such a mistake, might just as well recite it
in Latin as in English; since it is plain he cannot
understand even the general sense and drift of it.
And it is equally manifest that the case would not
be at all altered, if the formula he recited really
were a prayer; since it would be an evident superstition to attach any spiritual virtue to the mere
utterance by rote, in whatever language, of words,
however in themselves appropriate.
And this leads me to remark, that the practice Prayers
taught to
of teaching or allowing very young children to children.
learn by hearty prayers, psalms, portions of Scripture, &c. which they are incapable at the time, of
understanding, is one which is very often superstitious, and almost always leads to superstition.
I say, "often" superstitious, because it is not necessarily so. Some teachers make their children commit these things to memory, merely as an exercise
of memory, or in order that they may know the
words against the time when they shall become
See note B, at the end of this Essay.

60

Sipersfztzon.

[ESSAY

I.

competent to understand them, without giving the
children any notion, that in repeating these words
they are performing a devotional act.q There is
nothing superstitious in this; though I cannot but
think it a most injudicious practice, inasmuch as it
involves a great risk of most serious evils, for the
sake of a benefit immeasurably minute. To learn
the same prayers, &c. in Latin or in Greek, would
be, as an exercise of the memory, equally good, and
in other respects, much better. For when the
learner was afterwards, at a riper age, presented
with a translation of these words, the sense would
strike him, and would perhaps arouse his attention,
and excite his devotional feelings. Every one who
knows what it is (not merely to say his prayers,
but) really to pray, must be conscious that a continual effort is requisite to prevent a form of words
with which he is very familiar, from sliding over
the ear or the tongue, without being properly
attended to, and accompanied by the heart and the
Query.

Do they always teach their children other prayers
also, suitable to their present age? or do they account them
altogether unfit for any communion with God, as children ?
This surely is supplying them with a provision of "strong
meat," which they may hereafter "be able to bear," while they
withhold the necessary immediate nourishment of milk.
q

SECT.

6.]

Sperstiioi.

61

understanding. Now the liability to this formal
repetition of words, and the difficulty of avoiding
it, must be greatly increased, if the words have
been familiarly learnt by rote at a time when the
understanding could not possibly accompany the
recitation, from their being beyond a child's comprehension. Add to which, that a painful association is thus formed in the child's mind, between all
the collects and texts, &c. he has been thus learning, and the idea of a dull, irksome, uninteresting,
and unmeaning task.
Some however find that their children do not
regard such repetitions as a painful, or even an
uninteresting, task, but consider themselves, though
they do not understand what they utter, as performing an act of devotion. Now this is precisely
the case I have more particularly in view at present.
The other just mentioned, of learning the words
merely as an exercise of memory, is likely to lead
to superstition; but t/is is itself superstitious. For
what do the Romanists more, than make devotion
consist in repeating a hallowed form of words, with
a general intention indeed of praying, but without
accompanying with the understanding the words
uttered?

62

SiSperstition.

[ESSAY

T.

But, it may be replied, a child does understand
sometling of what he is saying, if he does but
understand that it is a prayer for some divine blessing; (an argument which may be, and is, urged by
the Romanists in behalf of their Latin prayers;)
while, on the other hand, the wisest man cannot be
said completely to understand his prayers, since the
nature of the Being he addresses must be mysterious
to him.
In many cases it happens that it is difficult to
draw a precise line in theory, while, in practice,
common sense leads every one to distinguish sufficiently. It is difficult, for instance, [vid. Hor.
Epist. i. b. ii. line 35.] to lay down exactly how
many years ago an author must have lived to be
called "ancient;"-how many grains of corn will
make "a heap," &c. &c. But as in other cases, so
in this, men are seldom at a loss to perceive,
with a sufficient approximation to truth for practical purposes, the distinction between what is, and
what is not "understood."
Whenever a child is
capable (which is generally at a very early age) of
comprehending what prayer is, there must be some
mode of expressing a prayer which will be intel-

ligible to him; let t1kis expression be then adopted;

SECT.

6.]

C.iers8ttion.

63

let him employ the form which he can best understand, and which may be subsequently modified and
enlarged, as his understanding advances.
No doubt, a prayer thus adapted to the capacity
of a child must be childish ; how can any, natural,
fervent, hearty devotions of a c/ild, be otherwise
than childish? Is it any disparagement to the
devotions of grown men, that they are human, and
not angelic ? Let those who, for the sake of a
form of words intrinsically better, teach children
prayers not adapted to the puerile understandinglet them, I say, consider on what grounds they can
convict the Romanists of superstition on account of
their Pater-nosters. If there be any intrinsic holiness in words which renders them in themselves
acceptable, whether we worship " in Spirit and in
Truth," or not, then, surely, Latin words may have
this efficacy. But the intrinsic sanctity of the
words of the Lord's prayer, for instance, is the
same only as that of the wood of the True Cross.
This was an instrument of the salvation of mankind
when the Redeemer was offered upon it; the other
is a means of grace when devoutly offered up
"with the heart and with the understanding also"
in the name of that Redeemer: but the child who

64

Sduperstitio

[ESSAY

I.

repeats the words by rote is no more benefited by
them, than by carrying about him a piece of the
wood of the cross. And in both cases, positive harm
is done instead of benefit, by the misdirection of
religious feeling.
I have heard it urged, that a child would be
accounted a fool, if when sent to school he should
be found unable to repeat the Lord's prayer. And
certainly a child of average intelligence would
usually be able, before the age supposed, to comprehend an explanation of that prayer; which of
course should not be withheld one moment after it
can be understood. But at all events, it is surely
better, when that is the alternative, that a child
should be reckoned a fool, without being so, than
that he should be so, without its being detected
nor can it be doubted that there is real folly, whether apparent or not, in superstitiously attributing
efficacy to an unmeaning form of words.
It is hardly necessary to observe, that the whole
of the above reasoning applies equally to the practice of taking little children to church.
Our Liturgy however is evidently neither adapted
nor designed for children, even those of such an
age as to be fully capable of joining in congregational

SECT. 6.

u&pers8titioi.

65

worship, were there a service suitably composed on
purpose for them. To frame and introduce such a
service, would not, I think, be regarded as a trifling
improvement, if we could but thoroughly get rid of
the principle of the Romish lip-service. We cannot
too much " take thought for the morrow," in
matters relating to "the kingdom of God and his
righteousness;" now children are emphatically the
Morrow of Society; and in all that relates to religious and moral training, they are far the more
important part of it; for we know that if we "train
up a child in the way that he should go, when he
is old he will not depart from it :" while, on the
other hand, it is too often a vain attempt, to remedy by instruction to adults, the want of this
early training. If we would but duly take care of
children, grown people would generally take care of
themselves.
V. There is also a strong tendency to super- Supersti-

stition in all that relates to the place and mode of
interment of a corpse. Many of my readers must
have observed, that in a great number of churchyards, the north side is almost entirely untenanted
by graves, through a certain vague notion of its
being "unlucky" to be buried there. The origin I

nectedonwith bu-

66

Suiperstition.

[ESSAY

I.

believe of this feeling is to be found in the ancient
superstitious practice of praying for the dead. The
principal entrance to almost all churches being on
the south, one who was interred on the north,
would be the less likely to obtain the passing
prayers of his surviving neighbours, as they were
proceeding to public worship. But however this
may be, and however little the origin of any superstition may be known or remembered, every
thing, it is plain, is superstition, and of the most
mischievous class, which goes to connect the repose
of the soul with any thing that takes place after a
man's death. And continual watchfulness is requisite to prevent superstitions of this kind from
being engrafted on the practice of interring the
dead in churchyards, and performing the funeralservice over them. Nothing can be in itself more
proper than to chuse such an occasion for the
performance of devotional duties ;-and to set aside
a spot of ground for the decent interment of the
dead ;-nothing more natural and blameless, than
the wish that our mortal remains should repose by
the side of our friends and relatives: but the best
things are liable to abuse; and the more sedulously,
in most places, the Pastor studies the habitual

SECT. 6.

Sperstilion.

67

sentiments of his flock, the less will he be disposed
to regard as superfluous an especial watchfulness on
this particular point ;-a constant care to check
the superstitious idea, that either the consecrated
ground, (whether within or without the church,) or
the funeral-service, have any thing to do with the
individual's future destiny.
And the more care and diligence is requisite for Undetect-

the detection of these and similar superstitions,
inasmuch as those enslaved to them are often
ashamed of them, and consequently disposed to
conceal their real sentiments; especially from any
one whom they perceive to be not disposed to
sympathize with them. The exercise of this vigilance,
accordingly, by any one who had not heretofore
deemed it needful, would be very likely to bring to
his knowledge much that would surprise him. I
have known, for instance, a person, in speaking of
a deceased neighbour, whose character had been
irreligious and profligate, remark, how great a
comfort it was to hear the words of the funeralservice read over her, "because, poor woman, she
had been such a bad liver." I have heard of an
instance again, of a superstition, probably before
unsuspected, being accidentally brought to light,
F2

ed superstitions.

68

Superst'Ltion.

[ESSAY

I.

by the minister's having forbidden a particular
corpse to be brought into the church, because the
person had never frequented it when alive: the
consequence of which was, that many old people
began immediately to frequent the church, who had
before been in the habit of absenting themselves.
Cautions
to be used
against
supersti-

tion.

7. All these and numberless other such
superstitions, it was the business of a corrupt
priesthood, not to introduce indeed, but to encourage and maintain, inasmuch as they almost all
tend to increase the influence and wealth of the
Hierarchy.
Let it be the Protestant-Pastor's
business, not only to abstain from conniving at
or favouring any thing of the kind, but (remembering that the original source of superstition is not
in the Church of Rome, but in the heart of Man)
to be ever on the watch against its inroads from
various quarters, and in various shapes. To wards
the persons indeed who fall into this, or any other
kind of fault, we cannot be too tender, or too
considerate in making allowances: but we must
guard against that pretended and spurious charity
which is, in reality, indifference to the fault itself,
and carelessness about purity of religion.

SECT.

7.I

Sapersti0ion.

69

It is evidently not enough to avoid and discountenance every thing that is in itself superstitious;-such as (in addition to several of the
things just mentioned) the consulting of pretended
witches and soothsayers-faith in dreams and
omens, and in lucky and unlucky days; with many
superstitions of the same character. From these
indeed many even of the higher orders (in point
of birth and station) are by no means wholly
exempt; and they prevail to a much greater extent than I believe most persons who have not
been much and confidentially conversant with the
lower, and those somewhat above the lower, ranks,
are at all inclined to suspect. But it is not enough
that we discountenance these. Nor again, is it
enough to reject and to discourage all such practices as, without being necessarily and in themselves
superstitious, are, either generally, or at any particular time and place, peculiarly liable to be abused
to a superstitious purpose, while they may, without
any great loss, be dispensed with; such as were
many of those practices of the Romish Church
which our Reformers "brake in pieces," as Hezekiah did the brazen serpent; not as originally evil,
but as the occasion of Superstition. All this, I

70

Superstition.

say, is insufficient;

Things
liable to

superstitious

abpse.

[ESSAY

I.

because there are so many

things which we cannot dispense with, which yet
are continually liable to become no better than
superstitious, through the superstitious character
of "the natural man."
We cannot dispense with the Sacraments which
Christ appointed ;-with prayer, both public and
private ;--with the reading of the Scriptures;-

with instructions from the ministers of the Gospel;
-with buildings and days set apart, either wholly
or partly, for these purposes. Yet these, and every
thing else of this kind, are perpetually liable to be
abused, and indeed I fear perpetually are abused,
into occasions of Superstition. Our prayers, and
our study of Scripture are, as I have above remarked, superstitious, when we trust in the efficacy
of the words, without earnestly praying with the
heart, and labouring to gain instruction in religion.
The hearing of sermons is very commonly made
an occasion of superstition, when a merit is attached
to the act of hearing instruction, without labouring to understand, and profitably apply, that instruction. 'The sanctity belonging to the "Church"
of Christ, i. e. to the body of believers who are
"the Temple of the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in

SECT. 7.j

S.7er8sition.

71

them," ' is commonly transferred to the building
in which a congregation assembles; while the veneration for that building is shewn not so much in
an earnest endeavour that the prayers offered up,
and the instructions given there, may be profitable
to the soul, as in a superstitious feeling of satisfaction on the supposed merit of having, in bodily
presence, frequented it during life, with perhaps a
hope of future security, from the lifeless body's
reposing within its walls. The Sacraments again,
as I have said, become superstitious to those who
deeply venerate, and trust in, the "outward visible
It is strange, and it is unfortunate, that so many should
have not only overlooked the application of the term " Temple," by the Apostles, invariably to Christians collectively,
never to the individual Christian, but should have even
asserted the contrary, on the strength of one text, (1 Cor. vi.
19,) which according to all fair rules of interpretation exhibits (especially in the original Greek) the same sense as the
rest of the passages where the word occurs. The Apostle
must have had some meaning in his constant adherence to a
form of speech by no means obvious; and that meaning,
whatever it is, we are not likely to take in, if we do not
attend to his language.-See Hinds's " Three Temples of the
One God." See also Bernard's "Synagog u e and Church," an
abridged translation of the work of the celebrated Vitringa,
forming one of the most valuable additions to our theological
literature.

Superstition.

[

ESSAY

I.

sign," without thinking of any inward spiritual
And
efforts after the "inward spiritual grace."
yet, all these, and many other such occasions of
Superstition, (for such they doubtless are often
made,) are what we cannot dispense with. The
more vigilance therefore must we use in our own
case, and inculcate upon others, in guarding against
the inroads of Superstition.
In no point, we may be assured, is our spiritual
S

Temptations to
superstitost in-

sidious.

Enemy more vigilant. He is ever ready, not merely
to tempt us with the unmixed poison of known
sin, but to corrupt even our food, and to taint
even our medicine, with the venom of his falsehood. For Religion is the medicine of the soul
it is the designed and appropriate preventive and
remedy for the evils of our nature. The subtle
Tempter well knows that no other allurements to
sin would be of so much avail, if this medicine
were assiduously applied, and applied in unadulterated purity: and he knows that Superstition is
the specific poison which may be the most easily
blended with true Religion, and which will the
most completely destroy its efficacy.
5See the "Pastoral Epistle" above alluded to, in Note to
§ 4, Introduction.

SECT.

7.

]Sperstit/io.

73

It is for us then to take heed that the "light
which is in us be not darkness"-that our Religion
be kept pure from the noxious admixture of Superstition: and it is for us to observe the errors of
others, with a view to our own correction and to
our own preservation; instead of contemplating
"the mote that is in our brother's eye, while
we behold not the beam that is in our own eye."
Our conscience, if we carefully regulate, and diligently consult it, will be ready, after we have seen
and condemned (which is no hard task) the faults
of our neighbour, to furnish us (where there is
need) with that salutary admonition, which the
self-blinded King of Israel received from the mouth
of the Prophet; "Thou art the man."

NOTES.

NOTE A,

page 31.

THE word " form" was, as most of my readers probably are aware, employed by the schoolmen, agreeably to the then-prevailing philosophy, to comprehend
all the attributes, such as colour, smell, taste, &c. as
well as shape. All these,-the accidents [attributes]
of bread and of wine,-the maintainers of transubstantiation confess to exist after consecration in that
which they consider as the real literal flesh and blood
of Christ.
There is no ground for the objection therefore that
the doctrine (however at variance with reason or with
Scripture) is contradicted by the senses. For all that
the senses testify is, the existence of the attributesthe colour, taste, &c. of bread; and this is not denied.
That whatever has the appearance and other sensible
qualities of bread, is bread, (in other words, that
nothing but bread can have those qualities,) is a proposition which, however true, is not attested by the
senses; they only attest the external existence of those
qualities. And it may be added that however impossible it may be to conceive that one substance can

Noes.

75

have all the attributes of another, or, to understand
what is meant by substance independent of attributes,
still it must be admitted that we always regard each
substance not as being the same thing with its perceptible qualities, but as that to which those qualities
belong. We consider snow, for instance, not as whiteness and coldness, but as that to which the qualities of
being white, cold, &c. belong. And moreover if any
one were a witness of the miracle of Moses's rod transformed into a serpent, he would be apt to describe it
by saying, " that which you see before you, with the
appearance and all the sensible qualities of a serpent,
is in reality Moses's rod: he threw down his rod, and
it was transformed into a serpent; and when he takes it
up again, it will resume its proper form." And the
same language would be used in describing the pretended transformations in the heathen mythology. It
follows therefore that, according to the established use
of language, the advocates of transubstantiation do not
speak correctly; for the doctrine, by their own account
of it, is, the transformation of Christ's body into bread;
being strictly analogous to the miracle of Moses's rod.
That the literal interpretation of the words " this is
my body" leaves them still under the necessity of considering one thing as a sign of another-since, as our
Lord Himself declares, "it is the Spirit that quickeneth," [giveth life,] " the flesh profiteth nothing,"-I
have endeavoured to point out in a note in the preceding volume. But it is impossible, I think, for any
one, judging from Scripture alone, and familiar with its

76

7Notes.

language, (in which it is so very common to make one
thing a sign of another, and to call it by the same
name) to interpret the passage literally, and to believe
that Jesus was literally transformed into bread, any
more than He was transformed into a real lamb or
into a vine.

NOTE B, page 59.
" It need hardly be observed how important it is,
with a view to these objects, to abstain carefully from
the practice, still too prevalent, though much less so,
we believe, than formerly, of compelling, or encouraging,
or even allowing, children to learn by rote forms of
prayer, catechisms, hymns, or in short any thing connected with morality and religion, when they attach no
meaning to the words they utter. It is done on the
plea that they will hereafter learn the meaning of what
they have been thus taught, and will be able to make
a practical use of it. But no attempt at economy of
time can be more injudicious. Let any child whose
capacity is so far matured as to enable him to comprehend an explanation, e.g. of the Lord's Prayer, have it
then put before him for the first time, and when he is
made acquainted with the meaning of it, set to learn
it by heart; and can any one doubt that in less than
half a day's application he would be able to repeat it
fluently ? And the same would be the case with other
forms. All that is thus learned by rote by a child

Notes.

77
7

before he is competent to attach a meaning to the
words he utters, would not, if all put together, amount
to so much as would cost him, when able to understand
it, a week's labour to learn perfectly. Whereas it may
cost the toil, often the vain toil, of many years, to unlearn the habit of formalism-of repeating words by
rote without attending to their meaning; a habit which
every one conversant with education knows to be in
all subjects most readily acquired by children, and with
difficulty avoided even with the utmost care of the
teacher; but which such a plan must inevitably tend to
generate. It is often said, and very truly, that it is
important to form early habits of piety; but to train
a child in one kind of habit, is not the most likely way
of forming the opposite one: and nothing can be more
contrary to true piety, than the Popish superstition
(for such the fact is) of attaching efficacy to the repetition of a certain form of words, as a charm, independent of the understanding and of the heart.
" It is also said, with equal truth, that we ought to
take advantage of the facility which children possess of
learning: but to infer from thence, that Providence
designs us to make such a use (or rather abuse) of this
gift as we have been censuring, is as if we were to take
advantage of the readiness with which a new-born babe
swallows whatever is put into its mouth, to dose it
with ardent spirits, instead of wholesome food and
necessary medicine. The readiness with which children
learn and remember words, is in truth a most important
advantage if rightly employed; viz. if applied to the

78

Notes.

acquiring that mass of what may be called arbitrary
knowledge of insulated facts, which can only be learned
by rote, and which is necessary in after life; when the
acquisition of it would both be more troublesome, and
would encroach on time that might otherwise be better
employed. Chronology, names of countries, weights
and measures, and indeed all the words of any language,
are of this description. If a child had even ten times
the ordinary degree of the faculty in question, a judicious teacher would find abundance of useful employment for it, without resorting to any that could
possibly be detrimental to his future habits, moral,
religious, or intellectual."-London Review, No. II.
pp. 412, 413.

ESSAY II.
VICARIOUS

RELIGION.

§ 1. THE Apostle Paul, in many passages in his
Epistles, characterises the Christian religiona as
containing " Mysteries," that is, truths not discoverable by human reason, but made known by
Divine revelation: as for instance, in his first
Epistle to Timothy,b "without controversy, great
is the mystery of godliness."
And it is very important to observe, that in all Character
of Chris-

the passages (and they are very numerous) in which tian myshe applies the word Mystery (Mvourptov)

to the teries.

Christian faith, or to any part of it, the circumstance to which he is directing the reader's attention
is, not the concealment, but the disclosure of the
mystery. He implies indeed that the truths so
a

For that is evidently the meaning of the expression,

4 Ere3Ela, which
b Chap. iii. 16.

our translators have rendered "Godliness."

8o

Vicarious Reihyion.

[ ESSAY

II.

described were formerly unknown, and could not be
known by man's unaided powers; but he speaks of
them as now at length laid open, by the gracious
dispensation of Providence; as no longer concealed,
except from those who wilfully shut their eyes
against the light of Divine revelation " if our
Gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are [in the
way to be] lost,c whom the god of this world hath
blinded :" and his own office in "proclaiming the
good tidings"d of this revelation, he describes as
"making known the mystery of the Gospel,"
" which was kept secret since the world began, but
now is made manifest."

Not that the Apostle meant to imply but that
after all, the nature and designs of the Most High
must be by us very imperfectly understood; but
the circumstance to which he is especially calling
attention is, not the unrevealed, but the revealednot the unintelligible, but the explained-portion of
the divine dispensations.
e
'ArroXXi aEVOO not
d

roXoXores.
This we should always remember is the strict sense of the

KrjopaaEv

rdo
EvayyXtov, which we usually render, in
phrase
which by familiarity have almost lost their original
words
force, "preaching the Gospel."

SECT. 1.

Vicarious

relgon.

8
81

And this he does, in manifest allusion to the Pagan
mysteries of the ancient pagan religions; with which, mysteries.

in this respect, he contrasts Christianity; inasmuch
as in this last there was not, as among the Pagans,
a distinction between the initiated and the uninitiated;-a revelation to some of the worshippers, of
certain holy secrets, from which the rest were
excluded; nor great mysteries and lesser mysteries,
(as the Eleusinian,) in which different persons were
initiated; but, on the contrary, the "Creat" mysteries of the Christian faith (pjya Mvcr'r ptov) were
made known, as far as it is expedient and possible
for man to know them, to all alike, whether Jew or
Gentile, who were but willing to embrace the truth:
and " to know the fellowship" (i. e. the common participation) "of the mystery," KOtVWoVa TO V T1Lptov
'
was offered to all. There was not one system of
religion for a certain favoured few, and another, for
the mass of believers; but the great " mystery
of godliness" was made accessible, gradually indeed, in proportion as they were able to bear it,
but universally.e To all Christ's disciples it was
"given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of
SSee Dr. West's Discourse on "Reserve."
G

82
heaven

Vicarious reliyion.
;'

[.ESSAY

II1.

there was " one Lord, one faith, one bap-

tism," g and (though with diversity of gifts) one and
the same Spirit, sanctifying the Church, and dwelling
in all its members.
The opposite system to this-that of recognizing
different degrees of access to the Deity, and of
keeping certain sacred rites and holy secrets confined to a few, and set apart from the multitudeis one of the most remarkable characteristics of
Natural-religion; by which expression I mean not
what is commonly, though improperly, so called;
but such a religious system as men naturally fall
into, when left to themselves.
The case of the Eleusinian mysteries, above
alluded to, is only one instance out of many.
f Matt. xiii. 11. "To you it is given to know the mysteries
of the kingdom," &c. An objection has been raised from this
passage, because it is said that the others, viz. those who were
not disciples, were not admitted to the same advantage. But
why did they not become disciples? If Jesus had rested his
claims on the apparent reasonableness of what He taught, it
would have been most unfair to require men to join Him before
they fully understood it : but his claim rested on the "mighty
works," which afforded sufficient proof of his coming from
God.
g See Hinds's "Rise and Progress of Christianity." Vol. II.
pp. 40-98.

SECT. I.]
Indeed I believe

S.

arious rel,
iion.

there

83

is hardly any system of

Paganism with which we are acquainted, that has
not some articles of faith-some religious ritessome kind of pretended theological knowledgeconfined, either to the priests, or to some privileged
Order of men, and from which the great body of
worshippers is either excluded, or at least exempted.
It might be expected therefore that this character
should be found (as in fact it is)in the Romish

Christian

mysteries

system; which I have already described as the thepagan.

gradual and (if I may be allowed the expression)
spontaneous corruption of Christianity, by the natural unrestrained workings of the human mind.
Men readily perceived, what indeed is very true,
that those who have leisure and abilities beyond
what falls to the lot of the generality, are enabled,
and may be expected, to acquire a larger share of
learning, generally, and, among the rest, of theological learning: while the proper object of this
theological learning (under such a system as that of
Christianity) is often lost sight of; viz,. to establish
the authority, and ascertain and explain the meaning,
of the sacred writings. And again, men readily
perceived, that there are many points connected with
religion which are in a great degree beyond their
G2

84

Vicarious rellgion.

[ESSAY II.

comprehension; without accurately distinguishing
which are so, from their own deficiency in learning,
and which, from being beyond the reach of the
human faculties.
The learned, on the other hand, or such as
aspired to that character, felt, of course, the natural
love of distinction the more gratified, in proportion
as their studies were supposed to be directed to
points the most abstruse and recondite-to some
knowledge respecting things divine, beyond the
understanding, and too sacred for the inquiries, of
ordinary men.
At the same time, the natural inquisitiveness
of the human mind after speculative knowledge,
especially on the most exalted subjects, having
led theologians to overlook the practical character
of the Christian revelation, and to indulge in presumptuous disquisitions as to the intrinsic nature of
the Deity, this circumstance could not but contribute still more to set apart a certain portion of
(supposed) Divine knowledge as unnecessary, and
unfit, for vulgar contemplation. Mysterious doctrines unconnected with Christian practice, at least
with such practice as was required from the great
mass of Christians, it was sufficient that they should

Vicarious religion.

SECT. 1.)

85

assent to with implicit faith, without attempting to
examine the proofs of such matters-to understand
the doctrines themselves-or even to know what
they were: " I
not presume, nor am able, to
comprehend the Mysteries of the Faith, but leave
them to my spiritual guides ;-I believe all that the
Holy Catholic Church receives;"-such was the
language-such the easy and compendious confession of faith-which resulted from the indolence
-the spiritual carelessness-the weakness, and the
dishonest ambition, of human nature.
The unprofitable, absurd, presumptuous, and Scholati
philosoprofane speculations of many scholastic theologians phy.
(not all of them members of the Romish Church)
which are extant, afford a melancholy specimen of

-do

the fruits of this mistake

as to the Christian

Mysteries-this " corruption from the simplicity
that is in Christ."h
Specimens of this " philosophy and vain deceit"
-such as are to be found in various dissertations
on what are called the mysterious doctrines of the
Christian faith-such as I cannot bring myself to
transcribe, and cannot even think of without shuddering-it may be sometimes a profitable though a
h

See Hampdcn's Bampton Lectures.

86

The
Trinity.

Vicarious relgion.

[ESSAY

II.

painful task to peruse, in order to estimate duly, as
a warning and admonition to ourselves, the effects
of misapplied learning and misdirected ingenuity.
To select one instance out of many, no point in
these systems of speculative theology has so much
exercised the perverted powers of divines of this
stamp, as the mystery of the Trinity ; or as they
might with more propriety have called it, the
mystery of the divine Unity: for though in itself
the doctrine so sedulously inculcated throughout
the Scriptures that there is but one God, seems to
present no revolting difficulty, yet, on rising from
the disquisitions of many scholastic divines on the
inherent distinctions of the three Divine Persons, a
candid reader cannot but feel that they have made
the Unity of God the great and difficult mystery ;k
and have in fact so nearly explained it away,
and so bewildered the minds of their disciples,
as to drive them to withdraw their thoughts,
The selection of this particular doctrine by way of illustration was suggested by the circumstance, that the Discourse,
of which the following pages contain the substance, was delivered before the University on Trinity-Sunday.
I have
retained the passage, because I can think of no other instance

that better illustrates what has been said.
k

See Note A, at the end of this Essay.

SECT. 1.]

Vicarious re/0io.

87

habitually and deliberately, from every thing connected with the subject;' as the only mode left for
the unlearned to keep clear of error.
Yet it might have occurred, one would have
thought, to both parties, that learning cannot advance one man beyond another in the comprehension of things which are confessedly beyond the
reach of the human faculties altogether ;-that in
total darkness, or in respect of objects beyond our
horizon, the clearest and the dimmest sight are on a
level;- and that of matters relating to the Deity
and revealed by Him, not as a special secret, to a
favoured few, but to all who would hear his voice,
and which cannot be discovered any otherwise than
through this revelation-of these, none need know
less, and none can know more, than the Almighty
has thus revealed.
The nature of God as He is in Himself, can

never be comprehended by the wisest of us his
creatures; but the doctrine of the Trinity, and the
rest of the mysteries of the Gospel, as far as they
I am enabled to state this as no mere conjecture or suspicion, but as a matter of fact coming within my own experience ; I mean, inrespect of sundry individual cases; and

it is individual cases only that come within the province of
experience.

88

Vicarious religion.

[ESSAY I.

relate to us, since He has thought fit to reveal these
to us in the Gospel, every Christian is allowed, and
is bound, to learn from that Revelation " of the
mystery which was secret from the beginning of
the world, but now is made manifest."m And the
doctrine of the Trinity, (which is perhaps the
oftenest of any treated as a speculative truth about
which none but learned divines need trouble themselves,) as it is a summary of that faith into" which
we are baptized, and the key-stone of the Christian
system, ought to be set forth continually and
universally, as the support of every part of the
building of the Christian faith, and the Christian
life: reference should be made to it, not merely on
some stated solemn occasions, as to an abstruse
tenet to be assented to, and then laid aside, but
m Rom.xvi. 25.

" " Teach all nations, baptizing them into (or to) the name
(e ro voupa) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost :" this is evidently the right rendering of the original
words, and conveys the sense which must have been meant,
viz. that the baptized convert was enrolled and enlisted, as it
were, into the service of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost. The Vulgate Latin has " in nomine," and our translation, (perhaps from too great reverence for that authority,)
"in the name :" which does violence to the original, and intro-

duces a different idea, quite inappropriate.

SECT. 2.]

Vicarious religion.

89

perpetually, as to a practical doctrine, connected
with every other point of religious belief and
conduct.
So also the doctrine of the Atonement has often The
Atonebeen made the basis of abstruse metaphysical ment.
disquisitions respecting the mode in which divine
justice was satisfied by the sacrifice of Christ, considering that act more as to what it was to God,
than what it was to Man.
This kind of mistake has been common in
nearly an equal degree to many different sects
and parties; which it has greatly contributed to
create and keep up. Trinitarians, Arians, Sabellians, Nestorians, Socinians, &c. have very much
agreed in giving metaphysical explanations of
matters left unexplained in Scripture, widely as
they have differed in their respective theories.o

§ 2. In no point perhaps has the real origin of Real

ori-

gin of

the Romish corruptions been more imperfectly per- priestcraft.
ceived, than in the one now before us-the setting
apart of certain religious dogmas-duties-privileges-in short, certain portions of Christianity, as
o

See Logic, Appendix. Article "Person."

p. 133.

Also Sermon V.

90

V0icarious

religon.

[ESSAY

II:

confined to a distinct class of men, and in which
the laity were either not allowed, or not required,
to have a share. We are accustomed to hear much
of priestcraft-of the subtle arts of designing men,
who imposed on the simplicity of an ignorant people, and persuaded them to believe that they, the
priests, alone understood the nature of the Deitythe proper mode in which to propitiate Him-and
the mysterious doctrines to which the others were
to give their implicit assent; and the poor deluded
people are represented as prevailed on against their
better judgment, by the sophistry, and promises,
and threats, of these crafty impostors, to make
them the keepers of their 'consciences-their mediators, and substitutes in the service of God, and
their despotic spiritual rulers.
There is undoubtedly much truth in such a representation; but it leaves on the mind an erroneous
impression, because it is (at the utmost) only half
the truth.
If indeed, in any country, priests had been
Beings of a different species-or a distinct Caste,
as in some of the Pagan nations where the priesthood is hereditary;- -if this race had been distinguished from the people by intellectual superiority

SECT.

2.]

Vicarious relitgion.

91

and moral depravity, and if the people had been
sincerely desirous of knowing, and serving, and
obeying God for themselves, but had been persuaded by these demons in human form that this
was impossible, and that the laity must trust them
to perform what was requisite, in their stead,
and submit implicitly to their guidance-then indeed there would be ground for regarding priestcraft as altogether the work of the priests, and in
no degree, of the people. But we should remember, that in every age and country, (even where
they were, as the Romish priests were not, a distinct Caste,) priests must have been mere men, of
like passions with their brethren; and though
sometimes they might have, on the whole, a considerable intellectual superiority, yet it must always
have been impossible to delude men into the reception of such gross absurdities, if they had not
found in them a readiness-nay, a craving-for
delusion. The reply which is recorded of a Romish
priest, is, (not in the sight of God indeed, but) as
far as regards any complaint on the part of the
laity, a satisfactory defence; when taxed with some
of the monstrous impostures of his Church, his
answer was, "The people wish to be deceived;

92

Vicarious religion.

[ESSAY

IT.

'
and let them be deceived."
Such indeed was
the case of Aaron, and similar the defence he
offered, for making the Israelites an image, at
their desire. Let it not be forgotten, that the
first recorded instance of departure from purity of
worship as established by the revelation to the
Israelites, was forced on the priest by the people.

The truth is, mankind have an innate propensity,
towardse as to other errors, so, to that of endeavouring to
vicarious
serve God by proxy ;-to commit to some distinct

Natural

Order of men the care of their religious concerns,
in the same manner as they confide the care of
their bodily health to the physician, and of their
legal transactions to the lawyer; deeming it sufficient to follow implicitly their directions, without
attempting themselves to become acquainted with
the mysteries of medicine or of law.
Nothing is more mischievous than an incorrect
analogy that is constantly before us, and familiar
to our minds. Like a distorted mirror in the
apartment we inhabit, it produces, not an insulated
or occasional error, but a deep-seated and habitual
Now nothing can be more
false impression.
familiar than the seeming analogy between the
'r , Populus

vult decipi, et decipiatur."

SECT.

2.]

Vicarious religion.

93

several professions. Men may rather be said
habitually to feel, than distinctly to maintain, (indeed the falsehood would be easily detected in a
formal assertion,) that as the soldier is in respect
of military, and the sailor, in respect of naval,
affairs, and the physician, in respect of remedies
for bodily disease, and the lawyer, in legal matters,
so is the clergyman, in respect of religion. And
they are willing accordingly, and desirous, that
others should study, and should understand, the
mysterious doctrines of religion, in their stead-should practise, in their stead, some more exalted
kind of piety and of virtue-and should offer
prayers and sacrifices on their behalf, both in their
lifetime and after their death. For Man, except
when unusually depraved, retains enough of the
image of his Maker, to have a natural reverence
for religion, and a desire that God should be
worshipped; but, through the corruption of his
nature, his heart is (except when divinely purified)
too much alienated from God to take delight in
serving Him. Hence, the disposition men have
ever shewn, to substitute the devotion of the Priest
for their own;-to leave the duties of piety in
his hands-and to let him serve God in their

94

Ticarious8 reliyion.

[ESSAY

11

steadg.This diposition is not so much the consequence,
as itself the origin, of priestcraft. The Romish
hierarchy did but take advantage from time to
time of this natural propensity, by engrafting successively on its system such practices and points
of doctrine as favoured it, and which were naturally converted into a source of profit and influence
to the priesthood. Hence the gradual transformation of the Christian minister-the Presbyterinto the sacrificing priest, the Hiereus, (in Latin,
"Sacerdos;" as the Romanists call theirs,) of the
Jewish and Pagan religions. This last is an error
of which no inconsiderable remains are to be traced
in the minds of Protestants, and on which, as it
appears to me to be very important, I shall beg to
q I cannot but think that the doctrine of the "Imputation
to believers of Christ's righteousness" (of which I have

treated in the Second Series of Essays) must have arisen, in

part, from this disposition. It is a doctrine which is supported by a forced interpretation of a single text ; though it
is one which, if true, we should have met with in every page
of the sacred writings; and it goes to nullify the doctrine of
the Atonement; since Man was not a sinner, nor consequently

liable to any penalty for transgression, if he had "fulfilled all
righteousness" in the person of an accepted proxy, whose good
works were to be reckoned as

His.

SECT. 3.

F~Cariou8reliioni..

be indulged in making some more particular observations.

4 3. That the English word PRIEST is frequently

Distinct

employed for the rendering of two different words ofhier
Pesin Greek, viz. Hiereus, and Presbyteros, (from the and
latter of which our "Presbyter" or "Priest" is
derived,) is a circumstance of which no scholar
can be ignorant indeed, but which is not in general
sufficiently attended to: for it is not the same thing
to be merely acquainted with the ambiguity of a
word, and,.to be practically aware of it, and watchful of the consequences connected with it. And it
is, I conceive, of no small importance that this
ambiguity should be carefully and frequently explained to those who are ignorant of the original
language of the Old Testament.
Our own name for the Ministers of our own
religion, we naturally apply to the Ministers (in
whatever sense) of any other religion; but the two
' The passage which follows I have taken the liberty of
extracting, in substance, and nearly in words, from a Discourse delivered before the University of Oxford, on the 5th
of November, 1821, and published with the second edition of
the Bampton Lectures.

96

Vicarious reli(hion.

[ESSAY

I.

words which have thus come to be translated
"Priest," seem by no means to be used synonymously. The Priests, both of the Jews and of
Pagan nations," constantly bear, in the sacred
writers, the title of Hiereus; which title they
never apply to any of the Christian Ministers ordained by the Apostles. These are called by the
title of Episcopos, (literally Superintendant; whence
our English word " Bishop;") Presbyteros, literally
Elder, and so rendered by our translators, probably
to avoid the ambiguity just alluded to; though
the very word "Presbyter" or " Priest," is but a
corruption of that name: and-Diaconos, literally
"Minister ;" from which our word Deacon is but
slightly altered.
These titles, from their original vague and general
signification, became gradually not only restricted
in great measure to Christian Ministers, but also
more precisely distinguished from each other than
at first they had been; so as to be appropriated
respectively to the different orders of those Ministers, instead of being applied indiscriminately. But
no mention is made, by the sacred writers, of any
such office being established by the Apostles, as
Acts

xiv.

13.

SECT. 3.]

Vicarious reli3ion.

97

that of "Priest" in the other sense, viz. Hiereus;
-Priest,
in short, such as we find mentioned,
under that name, in Scripture.
Now this alone would surely be a strong presumption that they regarded the two offices as
essentially distinct; for they must have been perfectly familiar with the name; and had they intended to institute the same ofce, or one very
similar to it, we cannot but suppose they would
have employed that name.t The mere circumstance that the Christian religion is very different
from all others, would, of itself, have been no
reason against this; for the difference is infinite
between the divinely instituted religion of the
Jews, and the idolatrous superstitions of the
heathen; and yet, from similarity of office, the
word Hiereus is applied by the sacred writers to
the Ministers of both religions.
The difference of names, then, is, in such a case
as this, a matter of no trifling importance, but
t For it should never be forgotten, that Christianity is the
offspring of Judaism, and that all the institutions and regulations of the Christian Church emanated from men who had
been brought up as Jews, and who would not have deviated
from what they had been used to, on slight grounds.

98

Vicarious religion.

[ESSAY

1I.

would, even of itself, lead us to infer a difference
of things, and to conclude that the Apostles regarded their religion as having no Priest at all, (in
the sense of Hiereus, in Latin, Sacerdos,) except
Christ Jesus; of whom indeed all the Levitical
Priests were but types.
Office of

§ 4. It should next be considered what was the

Jewish

and Pagan nature of that office which was exercised by the
Priests.
Jewish and by the Pagan Priests; and which,

according to the Apostles, belonged, after the
establishment of Christ's kingdom, to Iim
alone.
The Priests of the Israelites were appointed by
the Almighty himself, for the express purpose of
offering sacrices, in the name and on the behalf

of the people; they alone were allowed to make
oblations and burn incense before the Lord: it
was through them that the people were to approach
Him, that their service might be acceptable: a very
great portion of the Jewish religion consisted in
the performance of certain ceremonial rites, most
of which could only be duly performed by the
Priests, or through their mediation and assistance;
they were to make intercession and atonement for

SECT. 4.]

.
Vicarious religion.

99

offenders; they, in short, were the mediators between God and man.
It is true the Israelites were a sacred nation, and
are called in Scripture a "kingdom of Priests ;"
but it is plain that this is not to be understood as
admitting them all indiscriminately to the exercise
of the sacred offices just mentioned; since the most
tremendous punishments were denounced (of whose
infliction examples are recorded) against any who,
not being of the seed of Aaron, presumed to take
upon them to burn incense and make oblations.
But it was requisite to impress on the minds of
the Israelites that they were not to entertain the
notion (which appears to have been not uncommon
among the heathen) that religion was the exclusive
concern of the Priests; they, on the contrary, were
required to worship God themselves-to conform to
his ordinances-to keep themselves pure from all
defilement, moral or ceremonial-and to practise
all their duties out of reverence to God, their Lawgiver and King; they were, in short, to be Priests
in piety of heart and holiness of life. And in the
same sense Peter calls Christians "a royal Priesthood;" and John, in the Apocalypse, speaks of

12

100

Vicarious religion.

[ESSAY II.

them as " Kings and Priests ;" evidently meaning
that they were dedicated to Christ, and were bound
to offer up themselves as a living sacrifice devoted
to Him. For it is most important to observe, that
when the title of Priest is applied to Christians, it
is applied to all of them.u
There may have been another intention also in
calling the Israelites a kingdom of Priests; viz. to
point out that the mysteries of their religion (which
among the Pagans were in general kept secret
among the Priests, or some select number whom
these
to the knowledge of them) were
revealed, as far as they were revealed at all, to the
wAole of this favoured nation. Many parts indeed
of the Mosaic institutions were but imperfectly
understood by any, as to their object and signification; but nothing seems to have been imparted to
the Priests which was withheld from the people.
This very striking distinction is remarked by Josephus, who observes, that such religious mysteries
as, among the heathen, were concealed by the Priests,
were imparted to the whole Jewish nation.
That there was, however, a distinct order of
eadmitted

See the Article "Priest," in Eden's Theological Dictionary.

SECT. 4.]

Ficariou8 reliion

101

Priests, properly so called, set apart for a peculiar
purpose, is undeniable and undisputed.
Among the Pagans, whose institutions appear to
have been, in great measure, corrupt imitations of
those of the patriarchal religion, we find, as before,
Priests, who were principally, if not exclusively, the
offerers of sacrifices, in behalf of the State and of
individuals-intercessors - supplicating and making
atonement for others-mediators between Man and
the object of his worship.
This peculiarity of office was even carried to the
length of an abuse: (I speak now of the abuses
introduced into the institutions of the Pagans, in
k;)
contradistinction to the absurdities of their fait
there seems to have been, as has been already
hinted, a strong tendency to regard all religion as
exclusively the concern of the Priests ;-that they
were to be the sole depositaries of the mysteries of
things sacred ;-that a high degree of holiness of
life and devotion was required of them alone;that they were to be religious, as it were, instead of
the people;-and that men had only to shew due
respect to the Priests, and leave to them the service
of the Deity; just as they commit the defence of
the State to soldiers, and the cure of their diseases,

102

Vicarious reliion.

[ESSAY

IT.

to physicians. Against such notions (as was before
remarked) the Israelites were studiously, and not
without reason, cautioned.
Jesus the
The office of Priest, then, in that sense of the
only
Christian word which I am now considering, viz. as equivaPriest.
being such as has
lent to Hiereus and
been described, it follows that, in our religion, the
only Priest, in that sense, is Jesus Christ Himself;
to whom consequently, and to whom alone, under
the Gospel, the title is applied by the inspired
writers. He alone has offered up an atoning sacrifice for us, even the sacrifice of his own blood; He

Sacerdos,

"ever liveth to make intercession for us ;" He is

the " one Mediator between God and man;"
" through Him we have access to the Father ;" and
"no man cometh unto the Father but by Him."
Office of
Christian
Ministers.

$ 5. As for the Ministers whom He, and his
Apostles, and their successors, appointed, they are
completely distinct from Priests in the former sense,
in office, as well as in name. Of this office, one
principal part is, that it belongs to them (not exclusively indeed, but principally and especially) to
preach the Gospel-to maintain order and decency
in their religious assemblies, and Christian dis-

SECT. 5.]

Vicarious religion.

103

cipline, generally-to instruct, exhort, admonish,
and spiritually govern, Christ's flock. His command was, to " go and teach all nations; "-to
" preach the Gospel to every creature :" and these
Christian Ministers are called in the Epistle to the
Hebrews, "those that bear rule over them, and
watch for their souls, as they that must give an
account." Now it is worthy of remark, that the
office I am at present speaking of, made no part of
the especial duties of a Priest, in the other sense,
such as those of the Jews, and of the Pagans.
Among the former, it was not so much the family
of Aaron, as the whole tribe of Levi, that seem to
have been set aside for the purpose of teacking the
Law: and even to these it was so far from being in
any degree confined, that persons of any tribe
might teach publicly in the synagogues on the Sabbath day; as was done by our Lord himself, who
was of the tribe of Judah; and by Paul, of the
tribe of Benjamin; without any objection being
raised : whereas an intrusion into the Priest's office
would have been vehemently resented.
And as for the Pagan Priests, their business was
rather to conceal, than to explain the mysteries of
their religion;-to keep the people in darkness,

104

Vicarious religion.

[ESSAY

I1.

than to enlighten them. Accordingly, the moral
improvement of the people, among the ancients,
seems to have been considered as the proper care of
the Legislator; whose laws and systems of public
education generally had this object in view. To
these, and to the public disputations of philosophers,
but by no means to the Priests of their religion, they
appear to have looked for instruction in their duty.
That the Christian Ministry, on the contrary,
were appointed, in great measure, if not principally,
for the express purpose of giving religious instruction and admonition, is clearly proved both by the
practice of the Apostles themselves, and by Paul's
directions to Timothy and to Titus.
Another, and that a peculiar and exclusive office
of the Christian Ministers, at least according to the
practice of most Churches, is, the administration of
the Sacraments of Baptism and of the Lord's Supper.
But this administration does not at all assimilate
the Christian Priesthood to the Pagan or the
Jewish. The former of these rites is, in the first
place, an admission into the visible Church; and
therefore very suitably received (though, in most
Churches, not exclusively) at the hands of those
whose especial business is to instruct and examine

SECT. 5.]

Vicarious religion.

105

those who are candidates for Baptism, as adults, or
who have been baptized in their infancy: and in the
second place, it is an admission to a participation
in the gifts of the Spirit; without which the Church
itself, and the formal admission into it, would be an
empty mockery. The treasury, as it were, of divine
grace is then thrown open, to which each may
resort when a sufficient maturity of years enables
him to understand his wants, and he is inclined to
apply for their relief. For it is not (let it be ob.
served) through the mediation of an earthly Priest
that we are admitted to offer our supplications
before God's mercy-seat; we are authorized, by
virtue of this sacred rite, to appear, as it were, in
his presence, ourselves, needing no intercessor with
the Father, but his Son Jesus Christ, both God
and man. " Having therefore," says Paul, "boldness
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a
new and living way, which he hath consecrated for
us, and having an High Priest over the house of God,
let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
The sacrament of the Lord's Supper, again, is not,
as the Romanists extravagantly pretend, a fresh

106

Vicarious8 religion.

[ESSAY

II.

sacrifice, but manifestly a celebration of the one
already made; and the rite seems plainly to have
been ordained for the express purpose (among
others) of fixing our minds on the great and single
oblation of Himself, made by the only High Priest,
once for all ;-

that great High Priest who has

no earthly successor.
And there is not even
any direction given in Scripture for the administration of this rite by the hands of a Minister.
Of course the practice was adopted, as natural and
suitable, in the several Churches, that the Christian
Presbyter, who presided in each religious assembly,
should take a leading part in the celebration of this
ordinance. But those who pretend that there is
necessarily no celebration of this ordinance without
a regularly-ordained Minister, are proceeding entirely
without any shadow of scriptural authority. And
all the communicants are alike partakers, spiritually,
of the body and blood of Christ, (i. e. of the Spirit
of Christ, represented by his Flesh and Blood, as
these again are, by [the] Bread and Wine,x) provided
they themselves are in a sanctified and right frame
of mind. It is on the personal holiness of the

x

See note on the Eucharist appended to Essay IX. Second

Series.

SECT. 5.]

Vicarious religion.

107

communicant,-not of the Minister,-that the efficacy of this Sacrament depends;
so far from
offering any sacrifice himself, refers them to the
sacrifice already made by another.
Such being then the respective offices of these Ambiguity of the
two orders of men, (both now commonly called in term
by Priest.
English "Priests," but originally distinguished

he,

the names of Hiereus and Presbyteros,) we may
assert, that the word in question is ambiguous;
denoting, when thus applied to both, two things,
essentially distinct. It is not merely a comprehensive term, embracing two species under one class,
but rather an equivocal term, applied, in different
senses, to two things of different classes. Thus the
word Publican, for instance, is ambiguous when
applied to a "tax-gatherer" and an "innkeeper; "
though "Man," which is a still more comprehensive
term, may be applied to both without ambiguity;
because, however widely they differ, it denotes them
only so far forth as they agree; in short, it is
applied to them in the same sense; which "Publican" is not. No more is "Priest," when applied
to the "Hiereus" [Sacerdos] and the "Presbyteros."
At least it must be admitted, that what is most
essential to each respectively, is wanting in the other.

108

Vicarious religion.

[ESSAY II

The essential characteristic of the Jewish Priests,
was, (not their being Ministers of religion; for that,
in a certain sense, all the Levites were; but) their
offering sacriJtces, and making atonement and intercession for the people: whereas, of the Christian
Minister, the especial office is, religious instruction,
-regulation of the religious assemblies, and of the
religious and moral conduct, of the people, generally;--(an office corresponding to that of the
Jewish Elders or Presbyters, and of the " Rulers
of Synagogues,") and the administration of rites
totally different in their nature from the offering of
sacrifices ;--totally precluding the idea of kis making
himself the mediator between God and man.
Evil of
confounding the
Christian
Minister
with the
Jew ish
Priest.

§ 6. The confounding together, then, through the
ambiguity of language, two things thus essentially
distinct, may well be expected to mislead, not only
such as are ignorant of the distinction, but all who
do not carefully attend to it, and keep it steadily in
view. If we are but careful not to lose sight of the
two meanings of the word "Priest"-the broad
distinction between Hiereus and Presbyteros-we
shall run no risk of being either seduced or silenced
YSee Bernard's " Church and Synagogue."

SECT.

6.]

109

Vicarious religion.

by all the idle clamours that are afloat about priestcraft. Our readiest and shortest answer will be,
that Christianity (I mean Christianity as found in
Scripture, not as perverted by a Church which
claims an authority independent of Scripture) has
no priestcraft; for this simple reason, that it has
(in that sense of the word in which our opponents
employ it) no Priest on earth.
And it is worthy of remark how striking a peciliarity this is in our religion; there being probably
no religion in the world,-certainly none that has
ever prevailed among the more celebrated nations,
-which has not Priests in the same sense in which
the Levitical Priests and those of the ancient Greeks
and Romans are so called. Now every peculiarity
of our religion is worth noticing, with a view to the
confirmation of our faith; even though it may not
at first sight strike us as a distinguishing excellence:
for that our religion should differ from all others, in
points in which they all agree, is a presumption at
least that it is not drawn from the same origin.
And the presumption is the stronger, inasmuch as
the difference I have been speaking of is not slight
or verbal, but real and essential. The Priesthood of
SSee Essay II. on the Kingdom of Christ.

§ 14.

Absence
of a Sacer-

dotal
Priesthood a

distinguishing
character
of Christi-

anity.

110

Vicarious religion.

[ESSAY

II.

Pagan nations, and that of our own, are not merely
unlike, but, in the most essential points, even opposite. They offer sacrifices for the people; we
refer them to a sacrifice made by another: they
profess to be the mediators through whom the
Deity is to be addressed; we teach them to look to
a heavenly Mediator, and in his name boldly to
approach God's mercy-seat, themselves: they study
to conceal the mysteries of religion; we labour to
make them known: t/ey have, for the most part,
hidden sacred books, which none but a chosen few
may look into; we teach and exhort men to study
the Word of God themselves : they strive to keep
the people in darkness, and to stifle inquiry; we
make it our business to enlighten them; urging
them to "search the Scriptures"-to "prove all
things-and to hold fast that which is right :" tey
practise the duties of their religion instead of the
people; we instruct and admonish all to practise
them for themselves. And it may be added, that
they in general teach, that a devoted confidence in
them and obedience to their commands, will serve
as a substitute for a moral life; while we declare to
them from Scripture, that it is in vain to call Jesus
Lord, if they " do not the things which He says."

SECT.

7.

icarious religion.

111

Now if the Jews be justly condemned, who crucified our Lord " between two thieves "-thus
studiously " numbering with the transgressors" of
the vilest kind, the only man who never transgressed-it is awful to think what account those
will have to render at the last day, who labour to
vilify his religion, by confounding it with the
grossest systems of human imposture and superstition, in those very points in which the two are not
only different, but absolutely contrasted.
S7. Great occasion however (as I have said) has Corrupt
change of
been afforded for the enemies of our faith to blas- the Presbyter into
pheme, by the corruptions which the Romish and Sacerds.
some other Churches have sanctioned, especially in
what regards the Christian Priesthood. They have,
in fact, in a great degree, transformed the Presbyter-the Priest of the Gospel dispensation-into
the Hiereus, or Levitical Priest [Sacerdos]: thus
derogating from the honour of the one great High
Priest, and altering some of the most characteristic
features of his religion, into something more like
Judaism or Paganism than Christianity.
In the unreformed Churches (and, I regret to
say, some Protestants have gone far towards

112

Vicariou8s religioi .

[ESSAY

II.

adopting similar views) the Priest professes, like
the Jewish, to offer sacrifice (the sacrifice of the
mass) to propitiate God towards himself and his
congregation : the efficacy of that sacrifice is made
to depend on sincerity and rectitude of intention,
not in the comunicants themselves, but in the
Priest; he, assuming the character of a mediator
and intercessor, prays, not wzit, but for, the people,
in a tongue unknown to them, and in an inaudible
voice: the whole style and character of the service
being evidently far different from what the Apostle
must have intended, in commanding us to " pray
for one another." The Priest undertakes to reconcile transgressors with the Almighty, by prescribing
penances, to be performed by them, in order to
obtain his absolution; and, profanely copying our
only High Priest, pretends to transfer to them his
own merits, or those of the saints. He, like a Pagan,
rather than a Jewish, Priest, keeps hidden from the
people the volume of their faith, that they may with
ignorant reverence submit to the dominion of error,
instead of being "made free by the truth," which
he was expressly commissioned to make known;
thus hiding the " candle under a bushel," which
was designed to " be a light to lighten the nations."

SECT. 7.]

Vicarious religion.

113

In short, whoever will minutely examine, with
this view, the errors of the unreformed Churches,
will find that a very large and important portion of
them may be comprehended under this one general
censure, that they have destroyed the true character
of the Christian Priesthood; substituting for it, in
great measure, what cannot be called a Priesthood,
except in a different sense of the word. They have,
in short, gone far towards changing the office of
Presbyter into that of Hiereus.
Against those
Churches, therefore, the charge of priestcraft may
but too justly be brought.
A natural consequence of this error, indeed, properly speaking, a part of it, is that further approach
to Judaism, the error of regarding a Christian place
of worship as answering to the Temple-" the
House of God" in Jerusalem; whereas it really
corresponds to a Jewish synagogue. And thus the
reverence due to the real Temple of the Lord now
subsisting among us and within us (" ye are the
Temple of the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in you")
is transferred from the people-the " lively stones"
of God's House, to the building in which they
assemble.a On the same principle, the Table used
a

See Note to Essay I. § 7. p. 73.

114

Vicarious religion.

[ESSAY

II.

for the celebration of the Eucharist is often called,
(consistently, by Romanists, but inconsistently, by
Protestants,) the "Altar."b
Part of the same system again was the performance of divine service in an unknown tongue-the
concealment of the sacred mysteries of the Christian
faith behind the veil of a dead language-and the
opposition made to the translation of the Scriptures
into the vernacular languages.
Discountenance of
education.

8. If any one doubts the existence, among
Protestants of the present day, of a like principle,
he may find but too convincing a proof of it in the
opposition still made by some, to the education of
the poor; and by others, to their receiving education except on condition of their previously consenting (and this, too, when it is known that most of
them will refuse that consent) to do violence to
their own mistaken conscience, before they are
permitted to become sufficiently enlightened to understand that mistake. Surely many of those who
profess the greatest abhorrence of Romish errors,
have never considered that as this denial of the
b See the Articles " Altar," " Priest," and "Temple,"

" Eden's Theological Dictionary" [Parker, 1845].

in

SECT.

8.]

Vicarious reliion.

115

Scriptures to the people is one of the worst of them,
so, whether the Bible is in Latin or in English,
makes little difference to one who cannot read;and that to refuse to teach them to read except
on condition of their consenting to read the Bible
in our authorized version, when they have a conscientious, though ill-founded, scruple against it,
is in reality to withhold the Scriptures, under the
pretext of distributing them. Nor do such persons
consider, that it was (if I may so speak) the great
boast of the Founder of our Faith, that " to the
poor the Gospel was preached :" so that if his
religion be not really calculated for these, his pretensions must have been unfounded. The very truth
of his divine mission is at issue on this question.
And yet if it were asked of any one, Romanist or
Protestant, who professes to acknowledge the divine
origin of the Christian religion, whether that religion
was designed for the great mass of the people, or
merely for a few of the higher classes, he would be
sure to answer, that it was intended for all mankind. And in proof of this, he might cite numerous
passages of the Scriptures which imply it ; such as
the command of our Lord to "preach the Gospel to
every creature," and his application, just above

116

Vicarious religion.

[ESSAY

II.

noticed, of the prophecy, " tohe poor the Gospel
is preached." And he would represent it (and
justly) as a point of the highest importance, as I
have said, towards our belief in the Christian
religion, that we should regard it as suited to all
mankind-as one which all, above the condition of
mere savages, are capable of embracing; because
otherwise it cannot be a true revelation. For the
first founders of it plainly had this design; Jesus
Christ himself did certainly intend his religion for
high and low, rich and poor; and therefore if it be
not one which the lower ranks of society are capable
of embracing, He, the founder of it, must have been
mistaken in his calculation-must have been ignorant either of the character of his own religion, or of
the nature of man; which would of course imply
that He could not have been divinely inspired. The
systems of Aristotle or Plato, of Newton or Locke,
may, conceivably, be very true, although the mass
of mankind cannot comprehend them, because they
were never intended for the mass of mankind: but
the Christian religion was; and therefore it cannot
really be a divine revelation, unless it be such as
men in general can understand and embrace.
And yet, though such would be the answer

SECT. 8.]

Vicarious religion.

117

which almost all believers would give, in words, if
such a question were put, there are, as I have said,
not a few who, in practice, give a contrary answer.
I mean, that they act as if the Christian religion
were not designed for the lower orders, but only
for a small portion of mankind. For this those
do, who, under the pretence that the labouring
classes "need not be profound theologians," consider it unnecessary, or even mischievous, to give
them such an education as may enable them to
study for themselves the Scriptures, and the explanations needful for the understanding of them.
And yet they profess to hold, that the Christian
religion was meant to be embraced by people of
all ranks.
Whence comes this contradiction ? this incon- Mistake
as to what

sistency of their practical views with their pro- is meant
fessed belief? It arises, I conceive, from their not bacn
considering w/hat the Christian religion is, and what anity.iis meant by embracing it. When they say that
they believe it to be designed for the mass of the
people, and yet that these need not, or should not,
be educated, what they mean is this: that it is
possible for a man without any education, to be
sober, honest, industrious, contented, &c., and that

118

Vicarious rehiion.

[ESSAY

11.

sobriety, honesty, and the rest, are Christian virtues; and that, consequently, a man may be a good
practical Christian without any education. What
they mean, in short, by a man's being a good
Christian, is, his doing those things which are
enjoined to Christians, and abstaining from those
things which are forbidden. To know on what
grounds the Christian religion is to be believed,-to
understand any thing of its doctrines-to adopt or to
comprehend any Christian motives and principles of
conduct-all this they conceive to be unnecessary,
except for the clergy, and the higher classes, as long
as a man's conduct is but right. Now this is in
fact, as I have said, the Romish system; which is so
natural to man, that under one shape or another,
it is continually springing up under new names.c
The Church, before the Reformation, we know,
used to forbid, and, as long as it was possible,
SSome are accustomed, inadvertently, to speak of the
practice of keeping the Scriptures in an unknown tongue, as
if it had been introduced by, or had arisen in, some Church;
forgetting that the Latin Bible of the Romish Church, (like
the Old-Sclavonian of the Russians) is a translation into the
then vernacular tongue, which subsequently became a dead language. The case is manifestly one of those in which " Time,
the greatest innovator, has insensibly insinuated alterations."

SECr. 8.]

Vicarious reli ion.

119

prevented, the Scriptures being translated into the
popular languages; and enjoined the people not
to attempt to pry into religious questions for themselves, but to believe implicitly and in the lump,
all that the Holy Church believed, and to do whatever their priests enjoined them, without making
any inquiries; and this, they declared, was the way
to be good Christians.
Now, to waive the question how far any one is Christian
life, a life
likely to lead a moral life who knows little or of Christian prinnothing about his religion-let it be supposed that ciples.
a man is leading such a life; still I contend that it
cannot be said to be a Christian life, if it does not
spring from Christian principles. The brute-animals
conform to the design of their Maker, and act in
a manner suitable to the nature with which He
has endued them: but it would sound strange to
say that they are reliqious. Why not? because
they have no knowledge or notion of a God, but
fulfil his designs without intending and without
knowing it.d

And no more can a man be said

to embrace the Christian religion, and to lead a
Christian life,who does indeed fulfil all the Christian
commandments, but not from any Christian prin" The servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth," &c.

Vicarious religion.

Scriptural

view of
christian
lifeo

[ESSAY

IL,

ciple-from any motives peculiar to the Christian
religion-but for the sake of credit, or health, or
prosperity, in the world,-or from fear of human
punishment-or from deference to the authority of
the Priest, or of some other person whom he looks
up to, or from any other such motive. Worldly
good will undoubtedly be produced by honest industry, temperance, friendliness, and good conduct
in general. And it is conceivable therefore, (I do
not say, likely, but it is certainly conceivable) that
a man might in many respects conduct himself
practically as a Christian should do, merely for the
sake of these worldly advantages, and not from any
Christian principle. But in that case his could no
more be called a Christian life, than that of a
brute-animal, or than the movements of a machine.
The patient who has been cured of his disease, by
strictly conforming to the directions of a skilful
physician, is not, by swallowing the medicines
prescribed, a step the nearer to becoming himself
a physician.e
Every part of the New Testament bears witness
to the truth of what I have been saying. The
apostles do not even allow it to be sufficient,
e

See Arist. Eth. Nic. b. ii. ch. 4. b. vi. ch. 12.

SECT8.]

Vicarious relzigion.

121

that a man should believe in Christianity, without knowing why he believes it. " Be always
ready," says the apostle Peter, " to give a reason
for the hope that is in you."
Indeed it is
plain, that if any one believes any thing without any reason, but merely because some one has
told him to do so, even if that which he believes
be the truth, yet it is only by chance that he
believes the truth ;-he does not believe it because
it is true; and this is not Christian faith, but blind
credulity. Now " without faith it is impossible to
please God." And, according to the apostles, the
Christian is required not only to believe in his
religion, and to know what that religion is, but to
implant in his mind Christian feelings and motives
-" to grow in grace," as well as "in the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ "-to be actuated by
gratitude and love for Christ, who died for his
sins-by an earnest desire to prove that love by
copying his example-by obeying his commandsby being led by his Spirit; and, at every step he
takes, " looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher
of our faith," as his pattern and his support in this
life, and his eternal rewarder in the next.
Such being then the view which Christ himself

122

Vicarious reliyion.

[ESSAY

I.

and his apostles took of the Christian religion, which
religion He evidently meant to be "preached to
every creature," and considered as one which might
be, and should be, embraced by men of all classes,
it is plain, that, if they were not mistaken in their
views-in short, if they really were sent from God
-it must be possible, and needful, that all classes
should have a sufficiency of education to enable
them to understand what their religion is, and why
it should be received, and how it is to be acted
upon.

It is but a slight modification of the same Romanist-principle to propose that the poor should
indeed be taught to read, and should have the four
Evanyelists put into their hands, but that all, except
learned divines, should be discouraged as much as
possible from the perusal of the Apostolic Epistles,
lest they should "wrest these to their own destruction;" a pretext which was urged with equal reason,
and perhaps with more consistency, by the Romanists, for precluding the people from reading
"the other Scriptures" also.'
The Christian religion, as represented in Scripture,
SI have treated fully of this question in Essay II. Second
Series.

SECT. 8.]

Vicarious religion.

123

is one that is to be believed on rational conviction,
and studied, and felt, and brought into the practice
of life, by each man for himself, in all classes of
society. The Christian religion, as formerly perverted by our Church, and as human nature is
always tending to pervert it, is in fact two religions;
one for the initiated few, and one for the mass of
the people; who are to follow implicitly the guidance of the others, trusting to their vicarious
wisdom, and piety, and learning; believing and
practising just as much as these permit and require.
Perhaps the use of the terms "pastor" and Relation
of a Chris"flock," to express the relation between the mi- tian pastorand
nister and his congregation, may have led the flock.
incautious to form insensibly a notion of some
more close analogy than really subsists. He cannot
too often or too earnestly warn the people, that they
flock, but Christ's; he is only
are not properly
an Assistant and Servant of the " Chief Shepherd;"
and must not only refer, at every step, to Scripture,
but also warn his hearers not to take upon trust his
interpretation, but themselves to "search the Scriptures daily, whether those things be so" which he
teaches. The language of Scripture is, (I believe

his

124

Vicarious religion.

[ESSAY II.

invariably,) "feed the flock of CLrist ;" " feed my
sheep," &c.
But the other system makes the people altogether
the priest's flock, by exalting him into the Mediator
between them and God. Hence sprung the doctrine of the necessity of Confession to a priest, and
of the efficacy of the Penance he may enjoin, and
the Absolution he bestows-hence, the Celibacy of
the Clergy, as of an Order of men of peculiar
sanctity. Hence, the doctrine of works of Supererogation, and of the supposed transferableness from
one man to another of the merit of such extraordinary holiness as is not required of Christians in
general.
Proneness
of the
People to
vicarious
religion,

§

9. I repeat, that these, and a whole train of

similar absurdities,

are too gross to have been

forced upon the belief of men not predisposed to
receive them :-predisposed, I mean, not by mere
intellectual weakness, but by a moral perversity
combined with it ;-by a heart alienated from God,
yet fearful of his displeasure; and coveting the
satisfaction of a quiet conscience, at the least possible expense of personal piety and personal
exertion.

SECT. 9.]

Vicarious religion.

125

In all ages and countries, man, through the
disposition he inherits from our first parents, is
more desirous of a quiet and approving, than of a
vigilant and tender, conscience;-desirous of security
instead of safety;--studious to escape the tlou(t
of spiritual danger, more than the danger itself;
and to induce, at any price, some one to assure
him confidently that he is safe-to " prophesy unto
him smooth things," and to " speak peace," even
" when there is no peace."
Inexcusable indeed, in the sight of God, are those
who encourage and take advantage of such a delusion; but the people have little right to complain
of them. To many of them one might say, "you
have had what you sought; you were not seeking in
sincerity to know and to please God; if you had
been, you would have perceived the vanity of
attempting to substitute the piety and good works
of a sinful fellow-mortal for your own; you would
have perceived the extravagance of imagining that
you could purchase happiness or relief in a future
state, by hiring a priest to say masses for your soul:
what you sought for in reality, was the repose of
your soul in this life ;-a security from the disturbances of conscience, and from a sense of personal

126

Vicacrious relion[

[ESSAY

II.

responsibility: these false comforts are what in
reality your heart was set on; and these alone are
what you have purchased."
If such then be the natural propensity of the
human mind, we must expect that it will always,
and every where, be struggling to shew itself, not
only when encouraged, but when not carefully
watched and repressed, by the Ministry.
I might appeal to any one who has had, and has
made use of, the requisite experience, whether he
has not continually met with more or less of this
tendency to substitute the religious knowledge, the
faith-the piety-the prayers-the holiness and
purity, of the Minister, for that of the Layman.
How many are there that regard the study of the
Scriptures, and the endeavour to understand them,
as a professional pursuit, as very becoming to a
cleryman, but of which little or nothing is required
of the laity;-that speak of all the peculiar doctrines
of Christianity under the title of "theological mysteries," with which the clergy may suitably be
occupied, but with which it is needless, if not even
presumptuous and profane, for the unlearned to
concern themselves ;-that regard the practice of
family-devotions as very proper in the house of a

SECT. 10.]

Vicarious religion.

127

clergyman, but in any other, as uncalled for, or even
savouring of pharisaical ostentation. Nay, even
licentious or profane discourse, intemperance and
debauchery, or devotedness to frivolous amusements,
we often hear characterised as "unbecoming a
clergyman," in a sort of tone which implies the
speaker's feeling to be, that they are unbecoming
merely to a clergyman, not, to a Christian.

§ 10.

Many things again there are, which, being Professional disconsidered as in themselves indifferent, are not tinctions
between
necessarily unsuitable to a Christian as such, but Clergy
and Laity.
which are regarded, some by a greater, and some
by a smaller number, as professionally unsuited to
a Minister of religion. Now it might perhaps have
been expected, that the views, as to this point, of
different persons among the laity, should correspond
respectively with the different views they take of
their own obligations; I mean, that those who are
the less, or the more, scrupulous as to their own
conduct, should allow a greater, or a less, latitude
to the clergy, in respect of the professional strictness of life and seriousness of demeanour required
of them. But experience shews that this is very
often the reverse of the fact. None are more rigid

128

Vicarious rel gio?.

[ESSAY II.

in exacting of clergymen not only purity of life,
but the most unbending seriousness of deportment,
and abstinence from almost every kind of amusement, than many of those who, in their own lives,
are the most unrestrained in the pursuit of amusement, and who exhibit the greatest degree of
frivolity or of worldliness in their pursuits-of
levity in their conversation, and of inattention to
religious subjects.9 Does not this imply a lurking
tendency to that very error which has been openly
sanctioned and established in the Romish and Greek
Churches ? the error of thinking to serve God by a
deputy and representative;-of substituting respect
for religion and its ministers, for personal religion;
-and regarding the learning and faith, the prayers
and piety, and the scrupulous sanctity, of the priest,
as being in some way or other efficaciously transferred from him to the people. It seems some
consolation to such persons as I am alluding to
that they have heard sound doctrine at least, if
they have not laid it to heart; that they have witnessed and respected a strict and unblemished life,
and a serious deportment, though they have not
copied it; and that on their death-bed they will

.See
Essay X.

Second Series.

SECT. 10.]

Vicarious religio.

129

be enabled to send for a minister of undoubted
learning and piety, and enjoy the benefit of his
prayers and his blessing; though the Holy-water
and the Extreme-Unction of the Romanists have
been laid aside. They take little care indeed to
keep their own lights burning; but when summoned to meet their Lord, they will have one to
whom they may apply in their extremity, saying,
" Give us of your oil, for our lamps are going
out."

All indeed, who are in any degree under such a
delusion as I am describing, are not subject to it
in the same degree; but attentive observation will
convince every candid inquirer, that in this, as well
as in other points, mankind are naturally and
generally Romanists in heart ;-predisposed, by the
tendencies of their original disposition, to errors
substantially the same with those which are embodied in the Romish system.
But are not, it may be urged, ignorance of religion and unchristian conduct, much more censurable in the ministers of religion than in others?
The answer is, that this is a point for them to
consider. Of every one the more is required in
proportion as the more is given-in proportion as
K

130

Vicarious reli ion.

[ESSAY

1H.

his opportunities may have been greater, and his
temptations less, than his neighbour's; but this is
a matter for him, not for his neighbour, to be
occupied upon. Let each class of men, and each
individual man, think chiefly of improving the
talent committed to himself; remembering, that
even the mote in his own eye, is more his concern
than the beam that is in his brother's. It isfor
the clergy to meditate on their own peculiar and
deep responsibility: it is for the laity to consider,
not how much more is expected of others, but how
much, of themselves.
But again, should there not, it may be said, be
some professional difference in habits of life between
the clergy and the laity ?
There should : for, in the first place, as religious
teaclers, they may be expected to be more especially
occupied in fitting themselves for that office; in
qualifying themselves to explain, and to enforce on
others, the evidences, the doctrines, and the obligations of religion; but they are not to be expected
to understand more of things surpassing human
reason, than God has made known by revelation;
or to be the depositaries of certain mysterious
speculative doctrines; but " stewards of the mys-

SECT. 1i.

cariols rehy1io3.

131

teries of God," "rightly dividing (or dispensing,
dpo7To/ovTes

)

the word of the truth."h

And in respect of their general habits of life
and deportment, undoubtedly they should consider,
that not only of every profession, but of each age,
sex, and condition in life, something characteristic
is fairly expected in regard to matters in themselves indifferent. The same things are not decorous
and indecorous, in a magistrate, and a private person
-in a young, and an old man-in those of the
higher, and of the lower, orders of society-in a
man, and in a woman - or in persons of different
professions. And each man's own discretion must
determine how he is to conduct himself in respect
of things intrinsically indifferent, so as to preserve
the decorum of his own peculiar situation, as distinct from another's, without giving needless offence,
or in any other way producing ill effects, on either
side.
§ 11. For there are dangers on both sides; and

with one brief remark on a danger not unfrequently
overlooked, I will dismiss the present subject.
h c The truth," r~idXiOetac; i. e. Gospel-truth. See Sermon
5th, on "the Shepherds at Bethlehem."
K2

132
Mistake

as to what
isproperly

exemplary.

132

~Vicariou~s
religioni.

[ESSAY

II

It is, I believe, sometimes supposed by some of
the best-intentioned among the ministry, that there
is little or no danger except on the side of laxity;
-that excessive scrupulosity in respect of matters
in themselves indifferent can, at the worst, only
be unnecessary. Of course it will not be expected
that I should enter into particulars, or attempt to
draw the line in each case that may occur: but
the remark to which I would invite attention is,
that as it is confessedly one great part of a clergyman's duty to set a good example, so, it is selfevident that his example can have no influence(except on his brother-ministers)-no chance of
being imitated by the People, in respect of any
thing which he is supposed to do or to abstain
from, merely as a clergyman. Whatever things
they are which are supposed to be professionally
decorous or indecorous whatever is supposed to be
suitable or unsuitable to a Clergyman as such, and
not to Christians as Christians-it is plain that no
strictness, on the part of the Clergy, in these points,
can have the least tendency to induce a corresponding strictness in the Laity. I am not saying that
there are no points of this nature ;-that there
should be nothing peculiar belonging to the Clergy;

SECT.

11.]

Vicarious religion.

133

but merely that in these points they are setting no
example to the people ;-that that in short is not
an example, which is supposed peculiar to one
profession, and therefore not meant to be imitated
in others. I admit that a life of great strictness
in such points, may give great satisfaction may
be admired-may procure respect for the individual, and so far, may even give weight to what
he says on other points; nay, it may be even
called, by the unthinking, exemplary; but it is
plain, that, so far as it is regarded as professional,
it never can be exemplary, except to the Clergy
themselves.
And the more there is of this professional distinction, the greater will be the danger, and the
more sedulously must it be guarded against, of the
people's falling into the error of regarding other
things also as pertaining to the Christian Minister
alone, which in fact pertain to the Christian: the
longer the list is of things forbidden or enjoined
to the Clergy and not to the Laity, the greater the
risk of their adding to the list that Christian
knowledge, that Christian spirit and temper, and
that Christian self-control and sobriety of conduct,

134

Vicarious rehiion.

[ESSAY

II.

which are required of all that partake of the
christian covenant and christian hopes.
Not only therefore must the clergy be blameless
in the performance of their duties, but they must
carefully distinguish which of them are their duties
as Christians, and which, merely as ministers. And
with that view they must avoid unnecessarily multiplying professional distinctions; lest the most
unimpeachable conduct should fail to convey an
example, from its being supposed not designed for
imitation.
We cannot indeed be too learned in " the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," and in the
knowledge of " all the counsel of God," or too
scrupulous in our conformity to his will: but then
only can we be "pure from the blood of all men,"
"Absurd as the thought is when expressed in words, man

would be virtuous, be humane, be charitable, by proxy, &c."Letter to Mr. Peel, on Pauperism, p. 19.

How far I am indebted to this work for the first suggestion
of many of the principles I have endeavoured to develop in
the present Essay, is more than I can distinctly pronounce:
especially as the Author is one who has more or less contributed directly or indirectly, to the formation of nearly all
my opinions on the most important points.

SECT.

11.]

135

Vicarious relzion.

if we "set before trem all the counsel of God
make known to 1tem "the mystery of the Gospel,"
lead
and their "fellowship in that mystery
them to apply practically their religious knowledge,
and to be "Cfollowers of us, even as we are of
Christ Jesus."
"

"-and

NOTE.

NOTE A, page 86.

IT is however important to remark, that though the
Unity of the Deity is not in itself a doctrine of very
mysterious difficulty, it is one which is the more
earnestly dwelt on in Scripture, besides other reasons,
for one resulting from the tone of the Scriptures
themselves. For these would, but for such express
declarations, naturally lead the reader either to believe
in three Gods, or at least to be in doubt on the question. The doctrine of the Trinity is not so much
declared as a distinct article of faith, as it is implied by
the whole history recorded, and views every where
taken, in Scripture, of God's threefold manifestation
of Himself; which are such as would present to our
minds nothing inconsistent with the agency of three
Divine Beings acting in concert, were it not that such
sedulous care is taken to assure us of the numerical
Unity of the God thus manifested to us;-that in the
Son " dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead," &c. &c.
See Essay VII. (Second Series,) pp, 234, 235, and
Essay IX. pp. 277--281. See also Hinds's " Three
Temples of the One God," pp. 129, 132, for a most
luminous view of this important subject.

tote.

137

The reader is also referred to the Articles " One,"
and " Person," in the Appendix to the " Elements of
Logic." It has been doubted whether there is any
foundation for the suspicion I have there expressed,
that the language of some divines has a leaning towards
Tritheism. The following extract will at once explain
my meaning, and prove, I conceive, satisfactorily, that
my apprehensions are not altogether groundless. It is
taken from a work of considerable merit, and which
has obtained not only much popularity, but also a
peculiarly high description of patronage. Several of
my readers will perhaps recognise the passage; but I
purposely avoid naming the book, because it is not my
object to discuss the merits of this or that individual
work, but to call attention to the notions which are
afloat in the world, generally; and I am so far from
designing to particularize the work in question, as containing any thing novel, peculiar, likely to be generally
offensive, and at variance with prevailing opinions, that
my meaning is the very reverse.
" When the great Creator had finished the rest of
his works, wanting another creature to rule them all,
and as their Priest, to adore him in their name, he
said, 'Let us make man in our own image, after our
likeness.' In the creation of other things all is done
with the tone of command, or with a mere volition.
'Let there be light; let there be a firmament; let the
earth bring forth so and so.' But when man is to be
made-a creature who is to be endued with reason and
intelligence-the very image of the Maker-he uses an

138

Note.

expression which indicates deliberation and counsel; he
consults with some other august Beings, (the two remaining Persons of the Trinity, no doubt,) of whom, as well
as of himself, man was to be both the workmanship
and the resemblance."
If the passage here commented on had stood alone
in the Jewish Scriptures, or if the Jews had interpreted
it, as this writer has done, without any reference to the
other passages of Scripture which serve to qualify and
guard it, they would doubtless (as the above extract
seems to shew) have adopted nearly the same hypothesis
as was long afterwards broached by Arius;-that the
supreme God acts in concert " with some OTHER
AUGUST

BEINGS

!"

ESSAY III.
PIOUS FRAUDS.

§ 1.

IT may be said of almost all the errors Mutual

against which our reformers protested, that they of

xin

not only have their common source in man's frail ent errors.
nature, but also are so intimately connected together,
that they will generally be found, if not directly to
generate, yet mutually to foster and promote, one
another. For example, the disposition already
noticed, to speculate concerning superhuman mysteries unconnected with practice, though it does
not alone produce, yet favours and encourages, the
error of reserving one portion of faith and piety for
a superior initiated class, and making their religion
a vicarious substitute for that of the people, who are
to trust in and implicitly follow the direction of
their guide. And this corruption again, though it
does not directly engender, yet fosters and increases

140

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

another; that of maintaining this spiritual tyranny,
by deceit. Those who have once adopted the
system of keeping the vulgar in partial darkness,
will easily reconcile themselves to the practice of
misleading them, where it seems needful, by false
lights. From a conviction of the necessity of
keeping them in implicit subjection to their authority, the transition is easy to the maintenance of
that authority, by what are regarded as salutary
delusions.a
It is not however to any deliberate scheme of an
ambitious hierarchy that this branch of priestcraft
owes its origin; nor is it indeed properly prieslcraft.
The tendency to resort to deceit for the compassing
of any end whatever that seems hardly attainable
by honest means, and not least, if it be supposed a
good end, is inherent, if any fault be inherent, in
our corrupt nature. And in each Age and Country
instances occur of this offence, such as perhaps in a
different Age and Country appear so monstrous as
to be hardly credible, from the difficulty of estimating aright the peculiar circumstances which in
each instance constituted the temptation.
And this is more peculiarly the case, when those
a

See Dr. West's Discourse on " Reserve."

SECT. 1.'

Pious frautds.

141

who are passing judgment on any instance of fraud,
chance to regard that as a bad end, which the
authors of the fraud pursued as a good one;-when
they are convinced of the falsity of the conclusion,
which was perhaps sincerely held, by those who
sought to support it by deceitful means.
For example, the fraud related to have been Fraud
employed
practised by the Jewish rulers in reference to our by the
Jews reLord's resurrection, seems at first sight almost specting
the resurto surpass the limits of human impudence and rection.
wickedness in imposture. " And when they were
assembled with the elders, they gave large money
unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came
by night and stole Him away while we slept." '
But let it be remembered, that the deceit here
recorded, must certainly be referred to the class of
what are called, "Pious frauds :" those, namely,
which any one employs and justifies to himself, as
conducing, according to his view, to the defence
or promotion of true religion. There is in such
conduct a union of sincerity and insincerity - of
conscientiousness in respect of the end, and unscrupulous dishonesty as to the means : for without the
one of these ingredients there could be no fraud;
b Matt. xxviii. 12, 13.

142

Pious frauds.

[ESSAY ITI.

and without the other, it could in no sense be
termed a pious fraud.c

And such, I say, undoubtedly was the fraud we
are considering. For the Jewish elders certainly
did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah, though they
could not deny his superhuman powers. There is
hardly any evidence which a man may not bring
himself to resist, if it come, not before, but after, he
has fully made up his mind. But in the present
instance the established belief in magic, and in the
agency of demons in subjection to those skilled in
the art, furnished a better evasion than could easily
be devised among us, of the force of the evidence
offered. And being predetermined by their own
view of the ancient prophecies, to reject the claim
of Jesus, they pronounced Him (as the unbelieving
Jews do at this dayd) to be a powerful Magician,
e See Appendix to Elements of Logic, Art. " Sincerity."

d A book is now extant and well known among the Jews,
which gives this account of Him; and it furnishes a striking
confirmation of the statement of the Evangelists; viz. that
the unbelieving Jews of his days did admit his miraculous
powers. For the book must have been compiled (in whatever
Age) from traditions afloat in the nation; and it is utterly
inconceivable that, if those who were contemporary with our
Lord, and on the spot, had denied the fact of the miracles,

SECT.

1.]

Pio fraads.

143

and one one who "deceived the people."
As
maintainers therefore of the Mosaic law, in whose
divine authority they were believers, they held
themselves not only authorized, but bound, to
suppress his religion: according to our Lord's own
prophecy, "Whosoever killeth you, will think that
he doeth God service." For the prevention therefore of the mischief they apprehended, "lest all
men should believe in Him, and the Romans should
come, and take away their place and nation," (an
event which, it is remarkable, did actually take
place in consequence of their rejecting Him, and
trusting to false Christs,) they scrupled not to resort
to falsehood, to weaken the effect of his miracles.
The benefit derivable from such an example as A bad end,
this, is apt to be lost to us, from our dwelling ansa dto
exclusively on the badness of the object these men guished.
pursued; and not enough considering, abstractedly
from that, the profligacy of the means employed.
Persuaded as we are that Jesus was the true Messiah, we are apt, in contemplating the perversity of
those who closed their eyes against the evidence of
any tradition should afterwards have sprung up, admitting
the miracles, and accounting for them by the hypothesis of
Magic.

144

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

this, to blend in our minds, that sin, with the other,
which is quite distinct -- the fraud with which
Christianity was opposed;-to mix up and connect
in our thoughts, as they were connected in fact, the
rejection of the Son of God, and the falsification of
the evidence of his resurrection ;-and, in short,
almost to forget that if Jesus had been indeed a
deceiver, that would not have justified the employment of deceit to maintain God's cause against Him.
In proportion as feelings of this kind prevail, the
benefit of such an example to ourselves is destroyed.
Our abhorrence of their sin has no tendency to
fortify us against temptation, I mean, in the very
nature of which it is implied that the end proposed
is sincerely believed to be good. Whether this
belief chance to be correct or not, a just estimate of
the heinousness of what is properly denominated
pious fraud, would lead us to regard it with equal
detestation, whether employed in a good or in a
bad cause.
Fraud employed for
supposed

rood objects.

§ 2. The tendency to take this indistinct view of
things-to contemplate in confased conjunction a
bad end, and wrong means employed to support it,
has doubtless contributed to prevent Protestants

SECT. 2.]

Pious8 fr'auds.

145

from deriving the benefit they might, in the way of
example and warning, from the errors of Romanists.
In our abhorrence of the frauds they have so often
employed in support of a corrupt system, we are
prone perhaps to forget, or at least not sufficiently
to consider, that it is not the corruptness of the
system that makes the frauds detestable; and that
the same sin may no less easily beset ourselves, and
will be no less offensive to God, however sound
may be our own system of faith. With a view to
keep this more steadily before the mind, I have
limited my remarks to the subject of what are
called pious frauds, because it is against these alone
that we have need to be put on our guard. It
would be vain to admonish an unbelieving hypocrite : but a sincere Protestant Christian may need
to be reminded, that, as he believes his own religion
to be true, so do many of the Romanists believe
theirs; and that though they are in fact erroneous
in this belief, it is not that erroneousness that either
leads them to resort to pious frauds, or exposes
them to just censure for so doing; nor eonsequently, can the correctness of his own faith secure
him from the danger, or extenuate the guilt of
practising a like deceit.
L

146
Tendency
to pious

Pious

fraacds.

[ESSAY

III,

I have dwelt thus earnestly on a truth which,

fraud, not though perpetually overlooked in practice, is selforiginating
with the

Romish
Church.

evident the moment it is stated, because the mistake opposed to it is closely connected with, or
rather is a part of, that which it has been
my
principal object throughout the present work to
counteract ;-the mistake, I mean, of referring
various errors of Romanism to the Romish Church,
as their source-of representing that system as the
cause of those corruptions which in fact produced
it, and which have their origin in our common
nature: and hence, of regarding what are emphatically called the errors of Romanism, as peculiar to
that Church, and into which, consequently, Protestants are in no danger of falling. But all of
them, as I have already endeavoured in some instances to point out, may be traced up to the evil
propensities of human nature: and the one now
under consideration, no less than the rest. The
tendency to aim at a supposed good end by fraudulent means, is not peculiar to the members of the
Romish Church ;-it is not peculiar to those who
are mistaken in their belief as to what is a good
end; -it is not peculiar to any sect, age, or
country ;-it is not peculiar to any subject-matter,

SECT.

2.]

Pious,
frauds.

147

religious or secular, but is the spontaneous growth
of the corrupt soil of man's heart.
Protestants, however, are apt to forget this:
and it is often needful to remind them, and only to
remind them, (for detailed proof is unnecessary,)
that frauds of this kind are every where, and always
have been, prevalent ;-that the heathen legislators
and philosophers, for instance, encouraged, or connived at, a system of popular mythology which they
disbelieved, with a view to the public good-for
the sake of maintaining among the vulgar, through
fear of the gods, and expectations of Elysium and
Tartarus, a conformity to those principles of rectitude whose authority they sincerely acknowledged,
though on grounds totally unconnected with religion. Their statesmen deluded and overawed the
populace with prodigies and oracles, not much less
than the Romish priesthood. Nor has the Greek
Church, or the other Eastern Churches, always
independent as they have been of the Church of
Rome, and generally hostile to her, fallen much
short of her in this and indeed in most of her other
departures from truth.
The temptation indeed to deceive, either positively or negatively, i. e. either by introducing, or
L2

148

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

by tolerating error, is one of the strongest that
assail our frail nature, in cases where the conscience
is soothed by our having in view what we believe
to be a good end, and where that end seems hardly
attainable but by fraudulent means. For the path
of falsehood, though in reality slippery and dangerous, will often be the most obvious, and seemingly the shortest. Accordingly nothing is more
common, among the indolent and thoughtless, when
entrusted with the management of children, than to
resort to this compendious way of controlling them;
for the employment of deceit with those who are so
easily deceived, will often serve a present turn nmch
better than scrupulous veracity; though at the
expense of tenfold ultimate inconvenience.e
connex-

§ 3. The tendency then to this partial dishonesty
Essay
-towards the justification of fraudulent means by
with the
preceding. the supposed goodness of the object-being so
deeply rooted in man's nature, found its way, of
course; along with the other corruptions incident to
humanity, into the Romish Church. And it was
fostered by those other corruptions; especially, as
has been already remarked, by that one which was
ion of this

Mrs. Hoare's Hints on Early Education.

SECT.

3.]

Piousfrauds.

149

treated of in the preceding Essay; the drawing,
namely, of an unduly strong line of separation
between the priesthood and the laity; so as to constitute almost two distinct kinds of Christianity for
the two classes, whereof the one were by some
superior sanctity and knowledge to compensate for
the deficiencies of the other, and to be not only
their spiritual directors, but in some sort their substitutes in the service of the Deity.
When it was understood that the Monastic
Orders, and the Clergy, in general, were to be
regarded as persons initiated into certain sacred
mysteries, withheld from the vulgar-as professing
a certain distinct and superior description of Christianity-and as guides whom the great mass of
Christians were to trust implicitly, it naturally followed, that the knowledge of Scripture was considered, first, as unnecessary, and next, as unfit, for
the generality. And it was equally natural to proceed from the suppression of knowledge, to the
toleration, first, and then to the encouragement and
propagation, of superstitious errors among the multitude. There is (as I formerly observed) a craving
in ignorant minds after the delusions of superstition : and this it was thought reasonable to indulge,

150

Pious
fraud end-

ing in

self-deceit.

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

in the case of those whom it was supposed impossible or improper to enlighten. Incapable as they
were reckoned, and as they consequently became, of
believing in their religion on rational and solid
evidence, or of being kept in the paths of Christian
duty by the highest and purest Christian principles,
it seemed necessary to let their faith and their practice strike root, as it were, in the artificial soil of
idle legends about miracles wrought by holy relics,
and at the intercession of saints-in the virtues of
Holy-water, Extreme-Unction, and the like.
How far, in each particular instance, any one,
whether of the Romish or of any other persuasion,
who propagates and connives at any error, may be

himself deceived, or may be guilty of pious fraud;
-and how far his fraud, if it be such, may be
properly a pious fraud, i. e. designed to promote
what he sincerely believes to be a good end, or, on
the other hand, may be carried on from interested
or ambitious views-all this, can of course be
thoroughly known to none but the Searcher of
hearts. It is highly probable, however, that most
of these persons have begun in wilful deceit, and
advanced more and more towards superstitious
belief. Indeed it is matter of common remark, that

SECT. 4.]

Pious

fruucls.

151

those who have long repeated a falsehood, often
bring themselves at length to credit it.' The very
curse sent on those who do not love the truth, is
that of " a strong delusion that they should believe
a lie." And thus, in the present instance, when
any one is eagerly bent on the pursuit of a certain
end, he will commonly succeed in persuading
himself in time, first, that it is a pious and
good end-then, that it is justifiable to promote it
by tolerating or inculcating what is false-and
lastly, that that very falsehood is truth. Many a
one, it is to be feared, gives himself credit for being
conscientious, who is so indeed in one sense of the
word, but in this sense only, not that he is, properly speaking, led by his conscience, but that he
himself leads his conscience ;-that he has persevered in what is wrong, till he has at length
convinced himself that it is right.9
S4. That intermediate state however, between Difficulties of escomplete hypocrisy and complete self-delusion- tirnating
the tempthat state which gives rise to what are properly tations of
our fore-

fathers.
SSee Essay on " The Love of Truth :" 2d Series.
9The last stage of corruption, according to Aristotle, (Eth.
Nicom. B. 7.) is this kind of sincerity.

152

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY IT.

called pious frauds-is probably much more common than either of the extremes. Those, for instance, who opposed the Reformation, were probably
most of them neither worldly-minded hypocrites,
altogether indifferent about true religion, nor, on
the other hand, sincere believers in the justice of
all the claims of the Romish See which they
supported, and in the truth of all the Romish
doctrines which they maintained; but men who
were content to submit to some injustice, and to
connive at some error, rather than risk, in the
attempt to reform abuses, the overthrow of all
religion. They preferred an edifice, which, though
not faultless, they considered highly serviceable, to
the apprehended alternative of a heap of ruins.
And accordingly they made up their minds to
profess and maintain the whole of what they only
partially believed and approved, and to defend by
falsehood those portions of the fortification which
they perceived were left open by truth.
We of this day are perhaps not disposed to do
justice to many of the actors in those times. lWe
know by experience, that the Reformation did not
lead to the universal destruction of religion; and
we know that most of the confusion and other evils

SECT. 4.]

Pious frauds.

153

which did result, and of which the effects are not
yet done away, are attributable to the obstinacy
with which the others persisted in maintaining
every abuse, and the discredit they brought on
Religion in general, by the employment of falsehood and subterfuge in her defence. We are apt to
suppose, therefore, that the apprehensions which the
event did not realize, must have been either utterly
extravagant and childish, or else altogether feigned,
by men who in reality had an interest in the
maintenance of abuses, and introduced their fears
for religion as a mere pretext. For in studying
history, those portions of it especially which are to
us the most interesting, which are precisely those in
which the results are before our eyes and familiar
to us from childhood, this very circumstance is apt
to make us unfair judges of the actors, and thus to
prevent us from profiting as we might, by their
examples. We are apt, I mean, to forget, how
probable many things might appear, which we
know did not take place; and to regard as perfectly
chimerical, expectations which we know were not
realized, but which, had we lived in those times,
we should doubtless ourselves have entertained; and
to imagine that there was no danger of those evils

154

A vivid
Imagination needed in the
study of
History.

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

which were in fact escaped. We are apt also to make
too little allowances for prejudices and associations
of ideas, which no longer exist precisely in the same
form, among ourselves, but which are perhaps not
more at variance with right reason than others with
which ourselves are infected.
From the earliest down to the latest periods of
history, these causes impede the full and clear, and
consequently profitable, view of the transactions
related.

In respect of the very earliest
of all human

transactions, it is matter of common remark how
prone many are to regard with mingled wonder,
contempt, and indignation, the transgression of our
first parents; as if they were not a fair sample of
the human race;-as if any of us would not, if he
had been placed in precisely the same circumstances,
have acted as they did. The Corinthians, probably,
had perused with the same barren wonder the
history of the backslidings of the Israelites; and
needed that Paul should remind them, that these
things were written for their example and admonition. And all, in almost every portion of history
they read, have need of a corresponding warning,
to endeavour to fancy themselves the persons they
read of, that they may recognize in the accounts of

SECT.4.]

Piousfrauds.

155

past times, the portraiture of their own. It is by a
strong effort of a vivid imnaination (a faculty whose
importance in tle study of history, is seldom thought
of) that we can so far transport ourselves in idea,
to the period, for instance, of the Reformation, or
to any period anterior to it, as to forget for the
moment all our actual knowledge of the results-to
put ourselves completely in the place of the persons
living in those times, and to enter fully into all
their feelings.h
In proportion as we succeed in this effort, we
shall feel more and more strongly how awfully
alarming must have been the first struggles of
opposition to the existing system - how total a
subversion of all religion, and dissolution of all the
ties of social order, the first innovations must have
appeared to threaten; and how little most men
must have been able to foresee or conjecture at
what point the tendency to change, if permitted to
proceed, could be expected to stop. And we shall
then, I think, cease to wonder, that the fraility of
our common nature should have led conscientious
men (conscientious, I mean, as far as regards the
goodness, in their opinion, of the end proposed) to
h

See Rhetoric. Part II. Ch. ii. § 2.

156

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

use without scruple almost any means, whether of
force or fraud, to maintain the existing system, and
to avert what appeared to them such frightful
dangers.
Supposed

It is worth while here to observe, that one great

danger of
love of in-

cause of this alarm must have been the general

novation.

reception of a maxim which, now as well as formerly, is for the most part admitted even by men
of opposite parties; viz. that there is so strong a
love of innovation for its own sake in the human
mind, as to attach a character of danger to every
chane, though in itself small, and harmless or
beneficial; lest the excitement thus given to this
supposed propensity, should lead to an indefinite
series of wanton and mischievous alterations. This
is generally admitted, even by those who on any
occasion are the advocates of some alteration. They
usually content themselves with maintaining that
the particular occasion is such as to justify our
encountering this danger; which we are to guard
against as well as we can.
But I greatly doubt the fact. I know of no
event recorded in history that indicates any such
principle in human nature as a fondness for innovation for its own sake, in the customs, institutions,

SEcT. 4.]

Piousfrauds.

157

-in short, in all the serious business of life. It
is only in matters of recreation,-in fashions of
ornamental dress or furniture,-scenery-sportsbooks of amusement--spectacles-

and the like,

that novelty and change constitute a distinct object
of pursuit. The mass of mankind are, in respect
of their ordinary course of life, wedded to established usages and institutions, even when these
have nothing but custom to recommend them.
When indeed they are suffering under some evil,
or covetous of some good, they will seek for a
change, often most unwisely and hurtfully; but it
is not a change, for its own sake, that they desire.
Witness the long and obstinate adherence of such
multitudes to Pagan systems of religion.
What we should learn for our own use from the
foregoing view, is, not that the dishonest artifices
of Romanism should stand excused in our eyes,
but that we should estimate aright their temptations, in order the better to understand our own
-that we should consider human nature as not
having been, then, in so excessive a degree as we
are apt to fancy, worse than it is now ;-and that
we should condemn their frauds, not as employed
to support a bad system, and to avert imaginary

158

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

evils-since to them, perhaps, the system appeared
as good as our own does to us, and the evils as
real as any that we apprehend appear in our eyes
-but from the general inexpediency of fraudfrom its intrinsic turpitude, and from its especial
unfitness to be employed in a sacred cause. Considerations, such as these, will set us upon a more
painful, but more profitable, task, than that of
judging our ancestors and our erring brethrenthe task of examining our own conduct, with a
watchful suspicion of the corruption of our own
nature, and a lively consciousness of our liability
to like temptations with those to which others have
yielded. The erroneousness of their views, and the
soundness of our own, as to the end proposed, does
not lessen to us the danger, or the evil, of promoting that end by means inconsistent with perfect
integrity.
Division
of frauds
into negative and

positive,

( 5. To any one who should be disposed not

only to approve of such a vigilant and severe selfexamination as has been recommended, but also
earnestly and systematically to put it in practice,
it may be worth while to suggest the remark, that
what may be suitably called pious frauds, fall natu-

SECT. 5.]

Piousfrauds.

159

rally into the two classes of positive and negative ;
the one, the introduction or propagation of what
is false; the other, the mere toleration of it-the
connivance at any kind of mistake or delusion
already existing in men's minds.
Again, in another point of view, frauds may be Frauds in
statement
regarded, either as having relation, on the one and in sophistical
hand, to fallacious arguments-to false reasons for argument.
right conclusions-or, on the other hand, to false
doctrines and erroneous practices, when such are
taught and connived at. I have suggested both of
these two divisions, as having a reference to practice; because in practice it is found that the temptation is stronger (because less alarming to the
conscience) to the use of false reasons and sophistical argument i in the cause of truth, than to the
inculcation or toleration (knowingly) of erroneous
doctrine; and again, that there is, for the same
reason, a stronger temptation to negative than to
I have heard this seriously vindicated in reference to cases
where we are addressing such as will not or cannot estimate
the sound arguments. It is to be regarded, it seems, as a
sort of countervailingfraud; like that of the man who when
false witnesses were suborned to prove a pretended debt
against him, suborned others to swear that he had paid it.

160

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

positive fraud; the conscience being easily soothed
by the reflection, "this or that is a false notion
indeed, but I did not introduce it; and it would
unsettle men's minds too much, were I to attempt
to undeceive them."
To particularize the several points in which we
of the present day are especially open to temptations of the description I have alluded to, would
be a task of much difficulty and delicacy. For if
a few cases were selected and dwelt on, (and more
than a very few it would be impossible to discuss
within any reasonable limits,) some might suppose
that it was to these particular cases the whole
argument had been directed; and might join issue,
as it were, on the question, whether these were
such as to bear out that argument: and if something brought forward as an instance of an error,
should chance to be such, as by some was sincerely
believed-by others had never been heard of-and
by others again was regarded as perfectly insignificant-the result might be, that the argument and
remarks intended to be illustrated by such instances,
(if supposed to rest on those instances,) might be
regarded by some as frivolous, or as unsound.
Such at least is the mistake which is not unfre-

SECT.

6.

6Pious frauds.

161

quently made in many subjects; an instance brought
forward in illustration of any general remarks or
arguments, being not unfrequently regarded as the
basis on which the whole depends. And yet, if a
physician, for instance, were to be found mistaken
in assigning some particular disorder to this or that
patient, it would be thought strange to infer from
this that no such disorder ever existed.

O 6. Such, however, being the difficulties in the
present subject, it will be better perhaps to abstain

Exemplification by
conceivable cases
of temptation to

from any statement of matters of fact, and to touch
briefly, for illustration's sake, on a few conceivable pious
cases; which, whether they ever actually occurred fraud.
or not, will be equally intelligible, and will equally
answer the purpose of explanation.
I. For example, it is well known, that there are Pretended
sects and other parties of Christians, of whose insprasystem it forms a part, to believe in immediate,
sensible, inspiration-that the preachers are directly
and perceptibly moved to speak by the Holy Spirit,
and utter what He suggests. Now suppose any
one, brought up in these principles, and originally
perhaps a sincere believer in his own inspiration,
becoming afterwards so far sobered, as to perceive,
M

162

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY III.

or strongly suspect, their delusiveness, and so to
modify at least his views of the subject, as in fact
to nullify all the peculiarity of the doctrine, which
yet many of his hearers, he knows, hold in its full
extent; must he not be strongly tempted to keep
up what will probably seem to him so salutary a
delusion ? Such a case as this I cannot think to
be even of rare occurrence. For a man of sound
judgment, and of a reflective turn, must, one would
think, have it forced on his attention, that he
speaks better after long practice, than when a
novice-better on a subject he has been used to
preach on, than on a comparatively new one-and
better with premeditation, than on a sudden; and
all this, as is plain both from the nature of the
case, and from Scripture, is inconsistent with inspiration. Practice and study cannot improve the
immediate suggestions of the Holy Ghost; and the
Apostles were on that ground expressly forbidden
to "take thought beforehand what they should say,
or to premeditate; because it should be given them
in the same hour what they should say." Again,
he will perhaps see cause to alter his views of some
passages of Scripture he may have referred to, or
in other points to modify some of the opinions he

SECT. 6.]

Piousfrauds.

163

may have expressed; and this again is inconsistent
with the idea of inspiration, at least on both occasions.
Yet with these views of his own preaching, as not
really and properly inspired and infallible, he is
convinced that he is inculcating the great and important truths of Christianity-that he is consequently, in a certain sense, under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit, from whom all good things must
proceed-and that his preaching is of great benefit
to his hearers; who yet would cease to attend to it,
were he distinctly to declare to them his own real
sentiments. In such a case, he must be very
strongly tempted to commit the pious fraud of conniving at a belief which he does not himself sincerely hold; consoling perhaps his conscience with
the reflection, that when he professes to be moved
by the Spirit, he says what he is convinced is true,
though not true in the sense in which most of his
hearers understand it ;-not true in the sense which
constitutes that very peculiarity of doctrine wherein
perhaps originated the separation of his sect or
party from other Christians.
Nearly akin to this case is that of a person who Appeal to
the Lot.
may have been brought up in a religious system
M2

164

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

IIi.

recognizing the employment of lots in the decision
of important questions, as a mode of direct appeal
to the Deity, supposed to be sanctioned by the
example of the Apostles; [Acts i.] and who may
subsequently have become convinced that no miraoulous interference is to be looked for on such an
occasion. Yet he finds perhaps that the lot is a
convenient mode,-when it meets with full acceptance, on the above ground, from the People,-of
settling many questions which might otherwise give
occasion for jealousy, dissension, and discontent:
such as, the Pastor to be selected out of several, for
a particular duty,-the site to be preferred for a
church, &c. But this ready acquiescence again, on
which the convenience of the mode depends, he
finds perhaps to arise from the lot being supposed
to have a sacred character. He will then be very
strongly tempted to the pious fraud of keeping up
that persuasion. For, when seeking to justify his
conduct to his own conscience, he may plead that
the persuasion of the People, is, in a certain sense,
true : since it is true that all events are under the
control of Providence, and that " all things work
together for good to them that love God :" keeping
out of sight that it is in a diferent sense from this

SECT.

6.]

Pious frauads.

165

that the People believe the lot to be under the
divine control; and that in their sense, he does not
believe it to be true.
If the casting of lots, after special prayer, be, in
these days, truly an authorized appeal to the divine
will, then, the decision indicated by the lot is as
truly and properly an express divine command as
any of those recorded in Scripture as revealed
miraculously to Moses, or any of the Prophets and
Apostles. Do I then,-the sincere Christian must
ask himself-sincerely believe, and am I authorized
to believe, this to be the case ? And if not, am I
justified in conniving at the superstitious belief of
it in others ?
II. Again, let us imagine, for example, such an
instance as this; that an uneducated person de-

False
grounds
fright

scribes to us his satisfaction at having met with a belief.
stratum of marine shells on the top of a hill, which
he concludes to have been deposited there by the
Mosaic deluge, and which afford him a consolatory
proof of the truth of the Old Testament history;
suppose too he congratulates himself on having
satisfied, by this argument, the minds of some
sceptics among his own class: what would be our
duty, and what would be our conduct, in such a

166

False
grounds

for right
actc

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

case ? to run the apparent risk of not only mortifying his feelings, but shaking his faith, by informing
him, (supposing the case such,) that it is fully
ascertained that this deposit could not have taken
place by the action of such a deluge as Moses
describes ? or to leave him in full reliance on an
argument, which, though unsound, leads him to a
true conclusion ? This, which is a case conceivably
occurring in a Protestant country, seems to me an
exact parallel to a multitude of those in which the
Romanists practise the negative pious fraud of
leaving men under what they suppose a useful
delusion.
III. Again, suppose the case of one who should
be warmly attached to the religious community of
which we are members, in opposition to sectaries,

and a regular frequenter of our public worship, in
consequence of the mention he finds in Scripture of
the Church, together with the circumstance, that
the building in which we assemble for divine service
is called a " Church." No one, who has been much
conversant with the uneducated part of society, will
doubt the possible existence at least, of such confusion of thought, though he may not have actually
met with it. Now this again is an instance of a

SECT. 6.]

Piou8s fratds.

167

just conclusion and right practice founded on a
futile reason. Is it not conceivable, that some who
would be ashamed to employ such an argument
themselves, might yet be tempted to leave it uncontradicted, from a doubt of being able to substitute
a sound one, which should be, to that individual,
equally satisfactory ?
IV. Again, when there is some text which may
be, or has been, employed to inculcate a doctrine or
duty really pertaining to Christianity, though we
know that the meaning of the sacred writer in that
place was something different; a temptation is thus
presented, to employ, or to connive at, such a misapplication. For example, let us imagine a case of
some one desirous to receive, and induce others to
receive, the rite of Confirmation, from supposing it
alluded to, and enjoined, in the passage of Scripture
which describes an Apostle as going through a
certain region " confirming the Churches"

(wt-

o-Tpit'ov); should we venture to attempt removing
his conviction from this false basis, and replacing it
on a sound one ?
V. Suppose again, that some one was conscien- Groundless contiously desirous of receiving this rite, whom the solations.
minister could not bring to comprehend the nature

168

Sabbath.

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

of it, or to understand any thing of the baptismal
covenant which is renewed before the Christian congregation, and recalled to mind by it, might there
not, in such a case, be a seeming danger, that if
under such circumstances he refused to sign a
recommendation to the Bishop, there might grow
up a neglect of the ordinance of Confirmation?
while, on the other hand, he would know that his
signature would be understood to testify the existence of such fitness on the part of the candidate as
in fact was wanting; and that consequently he
would be virtually setting his hand to a falsehood;
and would, moreover, be encouraging that superstitious notion of some mystical virtue in a rite of
which the recipient did not understand the meaning.
Now such a case as this, I think, will
hardly be considered as inconceivable, or even improbable.
VI. Suppose, again, an individual of the same
class to have a deep reverence for the Lord'sday, without even knowing that it is the Lord'sday, but from supposing Sunday to be the
Seventh day of the week, and to be kept holy
not with any reference to our Lord's Resurrection, but solely in memory of the close of the

SECT. 6.1

Pios8fralds

169

Creation:k there would be, on the one hand, the
apparent danger of unsettling his mind, and diminishing his just reverence, by letting him know
that it is the First day of the week, and is commemorative of the Resurrection; and, on the other
hand, there would be the negative pious fraud of
leaving his mistake untouched. "Will ye," says
Job, "speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully
for Him ?"
VII. Again, many of the unlearned (even in Pretended
infallibiwhat are called the educated classes) have grown lity of our
transla-

up in the habitual belief of the unerring correctness tion.
in every part, of our version of the Bible. And
some have never even known that the Chapters and
Verses are not the work of the Sacred Writers.
Now in some minds a degree of doubt and temporary perplexity might arise on their being first undeceived on these )points:-onlearning that the
divisions into Chapters and Verses were introduced
in comparatively late times, merely for convenience
of reference; and that in some few instances our
translators have not given the exact sense of the
k

See note to Essay V. Second Series.

Also "Address to

the People of Dublin, on the Observance of the Lord's Day."
And also, "Thoughts on the Sabbath."

170

Piousfrauds.

ESSAY

IlI.

original. And the apprehension of thus unsettling
their minds (as the phrase is) holds out a temptation to us to foster or connive at this groundless
belief.'
The Pastor who honestly teaches his People the
truth because he dares not tamper with truth, is
ultimately repaid by finding that much of the prevailing ignorance and confusion of thought respecting scripture-truth, is removed or prevented by
setting before men and reminding them of what is
the real state of the fact in respect of Chapters and
Verses. And he will find too, that such differences
as occur in different versions of Scripture, are so far
from generating a universal distrust of all translations, (which are the only mode of access to Scripture for the great mass of mankind) that on the
contrary this very circumstance furnishes the
strongest evidence that the unlearned can have.
For when they see different translations, made by
persons not only independent of each other, but
often greatly at variance as to the inferences drawn
from the sacred text, all agreeing (as they do) in
the main, as to the general sense of the original,
' See Address to the Clergy, appended to the VisitationCharge, 1836.

SECT. 6.]

Piosfra ds.

171

they have, in this general agreement of translators,
a good ground-independently of any confidence in
the good faith of any particular scholar-for being
satisfied that they have before them the substance
of what the sacred authors wrote. m
But all this is likely not to be perceived beforehand, even by intelligent men, if they have not sufficent moral purity to abhor a pious fraud on its
own account.
VIII. The apparently salutary effect again, pro- Belief in
duced by the dread of temporal judgments, such as judgoa
sickness, want, or calamitous occurrences, and by
the belief that these are marks of the divine displeasure, presents a temptation to the encouragement of such a belief, inconsistent as we know it is
with facts, and foreign from the whole character of
the Christian dispensation
dispensation "the
Author and Finisher" of which was crucified, and
his disciples persecuted. To lead or leave men to
look for the sanctions of such a religion in temporal rewards and punishments, which were the
appointed sanction of the Mosaic dispensation,
must be, in those who have any correct notion of

;-a

SSee Lessons on the Evidences of Christianity, published
by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

172

Christian
burial.

Pious frauds.

[ESSAY

IL

the Gospel-system, a pious fraud; alluring them by
the specious promise of reforming sinners, and
deterring from crime, though on mistaken grounds.
The ultimate consequence,-which is, to produce a
general distrust of Providence, when it is found that
pestilences, shipwrecks, conflagrations, &c. make no
distinction between the pious and the impious-this,
and the corresponding evil results of all pious
frauds, are usually overlooked by those who do not
in purity of heart reverence truth for its own sake. n
IX. If, again, we should meet with a case of
Christians having a deep reverence for all the rites
and circumstances of Christian burial, founded on
a persuasion that the souls of those whose bodies
are interred in consecrated ground, after the performance of the funeral service, are in a more safe
state than they would otherwise have been in,o
might not a danger be apprehended, of impairing
their respect for the ministers of religion and the
services of the Church, by inculcating the groundlessness of that persuasion? And might not therefore
a minister be tempted, in such a case, to leave
"
See Discourse on "National Blessings and Judgments."
o See Essay L

sEcT. 6.1

Pionsfrauds.

173

undisturbed an error which he could not charge
himself with having directly introduced.
X. Once more; imagine the case of a man long raise
comfort to
hardened in irreligious carelessness or gross vices, the dying.
conscience-stricken on his death-bed, professing
sincere repentance, and earnestly wishing for, and
seeming to implore, a positive assurance from the
minister, of his acceptance with God, and his
eternal happiness in the next world ;-a wish in
which the relatives and friends around him should
strongly join : and suppose the minister to be one
who could not satisfy his own mind that he had
any authority in Scripture for speaking positively
in such a case; would he not be exposed to a
temptation of feigning a confidence he did not feel,
for the sake of smoothing the death-bed of one for
whom nothing else could be done, and administering
comfort to the afflicted survivors ?P
And if a person so situated were anxious to
receive the Eucharist, though he were (suppose)
from ignorance respecting religion, and long continuance in careless or depraved habits, combined
with the distractions of bodily pain, and the feebleness of mind resulting from disease, utterly incapable
PSee Lectures on a Future State, xi. and xii.

174

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

of being made to understand the nature of Christian Repentance, or the doctrine of Christian
Redemption, or the right use of that Sacrament
which he craved for as a kind of magical charm;
(with the same kind of superstitious confidence
which the Romanists place in their ExtremeUnction;) would not the minister be tempted to
shut his eyes to the unfitness of such a candidateto the consequent nullity of the Ordinance, as far as
that recipient is concerned-and to the profanation
of so celebrating it?
And if, moreover, we suppose some fanatical
teacher to be at hand ready to make confident
promises or salvation if we speak doubtfully, and to
administer the sacred Ordinance if we withhold it
- and that he would in that case win many
converts, while we should incur odium, as wanting
in charity; we must admit that, in such a case, as
here supposed, the temptation would be very strong,
to any but a devoted lover of truth, to connive at
error, as the less of the evils before him.
And the temptation would be much the stronger
both in this and in the other supposed cases, if we
imagine them presented to a person who (as might
easily be the case) had no distinct perception of the

SECT.

6.]

Piousfrauds.

175

ultimate dangers of deceit-of the crowd of errors
likely to spring from one-the necessity of supporting hereafter one falsehood by another, to
infinity--and the liability to bring truth into
discredit by blending it with the untrue; dangers
which are recognised in the popular wisdom of
appropriate proverbs. These ill-consequences may
very easily be overlooked in each particular instance;
for though it is a just maxim, that falsehood is
inexpedient in the long run, it is a maxim which it
requires no small experience and reach of thought
fully and practically to comprehend, and readily to
apply. The only safe guide for the great mass of
mankind, is the abhorrence of falsehood for its own
sake, without looking to its consequences. In fact
it is given to him only who pursues truth and virtue
for their own sake, to perceive, afterwards, their
The rest are blinded to the ill coneepedienc.
sequences of tampering with truth.
Numberless other like instances might be imagined, of, at least conceivable, occurrence in a
Protestant country: but those which have been
mentioned will be sufficient, if4hey are admitted
to be not, all of them, total impossibilities, to

176

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

illustrate my meaning ;-to shew that our separation from the Church of Rome does not place
us (nor can we ever be placed in this life) in a
situation which exempts us from all danger of falling
into corruptions--among the rest, the justification
of pious frauds-substantially similar to those with
which that Church is so justly reproached.
cases adAs for the cases above introduced for the sake of
duced,
conceivillustration, I must once more protest that the
able.
actual occurrence of them is what I am neither
affirming nor denying. These instances, whether
in point of fact they ever came under my own
knowledge or not, are brought forward here merely
as conceivable suppositions; and it is not at all my
wish that any one should, by testifying displeasure,
as against a personal charge, fix on himself the
censure brought against a hypothetical case. Indeed
I would most gladly be convinced that these and all
similar suppositions are not only not agreeable to
fact, but are even impossible, and the dangers I
apprehend, wholly imaginary. If this be so,
Why, then, my taxing, like a wildgoose, flies
Unclaimed of any man,

and my warnings will be at least harmless, though
unnecessary: " abundans cautela non nocet."

SECT. 6.1

Pious frauds.

177

I will' notice however one instance,-the only Example
one I shall mention as a fact,-in proof, if any Apostles
could be wanting, of man's natural proneness to oug in
tionfraud.
pious frauds. In a pamphlet (which I purposely
abstain from referring to) written, I grieve to say,
by a Protestant clergyman, though not, I should
hope, a fair sample of any considerable proportion
of them, the author is led by the course of his
argument to deny that Paul and the other Apostles
continued to observe the ceremonial law: and he
represents accordingly the whole transaction related
in Acts xxi. 20-26, as a deception, suggested by
the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem, and adopted
by Paul, for the purpose of persuading (falsely) the
Jewish Christians that he "walked orderly and kept
the Law," and that "those things whereof they
were informed concerning him" (with perfect truth,
according to this author) "were nothing." He was
to make a show, it seems, of observing the Law,
and to delude the People into the belief that such
was his habit !q
Now whether this author really believed his own
statement, or made it without believing it, for the
qDr. West, in his Discourse on Reserve, has traced this
interpretation to one of the most eminent of the Fathers.

178

Piousfrauds.

[ESSAY

III.

sake of his argument, in either case, he was giving
the greatest possible countenance to deception; on
the one supposition, by giving it the sanction of
apostolic example; on the other, by practising it
himself.
Ultimate
inexpedi-

ency

of

fraud.

7. I will conclude this essay with an earnest

recommendation of the study (with a view to our
own warning and instruction) of the various abuses
prevailing in the unreformed Churches-such a
study, I mean, as shall go, not only to ascertain the
actual character of the abuses, but also to trace
their gradual progress from their first appearance,
till they became at length embodied in the system,
and established as parts of true religion. In many,
if not in most instances, they began (as I have
formerly observed) with the People; and were at
first, many of them, only connived at by the clergy;
who dreaded to oppose, or to reform, or to acknowledge, errors, lest they should shake the whole
system of faith with which they were connected.
And let it not be lost sight of, that the fraud by
which they sought to support the system-the
"wall daubed with untempered mortar," with
which they thought to buttress up the edifice-has

SECT. 7.]

Piousfrauds.

179

always tended to its decay. Not only did it give
rise to a hostile separation among Christian
Churches, but, in countries which have continued
under the papal sway, the abhorrence and contempt excited by the detection of a fraudulent
system, has led the far greater part of the educated
classes into secret but total apostasy from Christ.
With the indiscriminate rashness which is universally so common, they have confusedly blended
together in their minds, Christianity, and its
corruptions; and having in so many instances
detected fraud with absolute certainty, they think
it not worth while to inquire further; but take for
granted, that all the Church teaches is one tissue of
imposture and superstition throughout.
Let not Protestants, then, lose the benefit of this
lesson; "neither let us tempt God, as some of them
also tempted;" for "all these things happened unto
them for examples, and are written" (if we will but
so read them) "for our admonition. Wherefore
let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he
fall."

ESSAY IV.
UNDUE RELIANCE ON HUMAN AUTHORITY.

Origin of
the claim
to infallibility.

1. THE infallibility of the (so-called) Catholic
Church, and the substitution of the decrees of
Popes or of pretended General Councils, for

the
Scriptures, as the Christian's rule of faith and
practice, is commonly regarded as the foundation
of the whole Romish system. And it is so, in this
sense, that if it be once admitted, all the rest must
follow: if the power of "binding and loosing "
belong to the Church of Rome in the extent claimed
by her, we have only to ascertain what are her
decisions, and to comply with them implicitly.
But I am convinced that this is not the foundation, historically considered, (though it is, logically)
of the Romish system ;-that the Romish hierarchy
did not, in point of fact, first establish their supremacy on a perverted interpretation of certain texts,
and then employ the power thus acquired to intro-

SECT.

1.] Undue reliance on

au
#human l/orit.

181

duce abuses; but resorted, as occasions led them,
to such passages of Scripture as might be wrested to
justify the prevailing or growing abuses, and to buttress up the edifice already in great measure reared.
They appeal, as is well known, to our Lord's Claim not
originaexpression respecting Peter's being made the ting in a
misinterfoundation of his Church; an expression which pretation
of Scripcould never by possibility have suggested so extra- tuae.
vagant and indeed unmeaning an interpretation as
that of a succession of men being each a foundation :a and they also appeal to the declaration, b
"Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven," as conferring
on the Church of Rome the supreme power She
claims. Of this and the other corresponding passage
in our Lord's discourses, the most probable explanation is that which refers to the language common
among the Jewish Doctors; who employed the
expressions "to bind," and "to loose," (as may
be seen abundantly in their works respecting traditional regulations, now extant) in the sense of
a

Hinds's History of the Rise of Christianity, vol. i. p. 9.

b Matt. xvi. 19.

See Wotton on the Misna.

18

Real character and
extent of
Churchauthority,

2

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

enacting and abrogating ;-establishing any rule or
ordinance, so as to make it obligatory or binding
-or, on the other, abolishing, or forbearing to
enact, some rule, and leaving men exempt-released
-loosed-from the observance of it. Our Lord's
declaration, therefore, will amount to this ;-that
the governors in each branch of the Church which
He founded-of the Kingdom appointed to his
disciples-with whom, and consequently with their
successors, He promised to be always even unto
the end of the world-that these governors should
have power to make regulations for the good
government of that society-to admit or refuse
admission into it-and to establish such rules as
they might think suitable, for the edification of its
members, and their decorous worship of God: and
that such regulations of Christ's servants on earth,
should be ratified and sanctioned by the authority
of their unseen and spiritual Master-should be
" bound in heaven" by Him.
It seems no less plain, that to the governors of
every Society must be entrusted the duty of checking
such disorderly and scandalous conduct in its members as goes to interfere with the purposes of its
institution, by reprimand or other penalties, and

SECT.

1.1

on human autori .

183

ultimately, in extreme cases, by expulsion: and they
must be empowered to remit such penalties, or to
re-admit an expelled member, on his testifying
contrition, and making satisfactory promises of
good behaviour. And this is admitted by most
Protestants to be the force of that declaration,
"Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted,
and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained:"
not, as if fallible men had power to judge of the
sincerity of any one's contrition ;-or even if they
had, could presume to claim the divine privilege of
forgiving sins as against God;-but that they have
power to inflict or remit the penalties of Churchcensure, and to. exclude, retain, or re-admit, as far
as outwardprivileges are concerned, any member of
their own branch of the visible Church.d
As for the regulations respecting the conduct of
members of that Society, which they have power
to enact or abrogate, it is obvious, that, as far as
these extend only to things in themselves indifferent, (such as festival-days, outward ceremonies,
and the like) which may and should vary in different
Ages and Countries, but yet require to be in each
d I have treated more fully on these points in Essay II., on

"The Kingdom of Christ."'

184

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

instance regulated by some acknowledged authority
-as far, I say, as this exercise of power is confined
to matters not in themselves essential, it may be
(and must be, supposing inspiration withdrawn) entrusted to uninspired men. But, on the other hand,
the promulgating of such articles of faith and rules
of conduct as are intrinsically necessary, and make
part of the terms of salvation-that this officethe binding and loosing in respect of things essential-can be left in the hands of none but inspired
men, all must allow; and, we should add, in the
hands of men who (like the Apostles) give proof
of their inspiration, and produce the credentials
of their divine commission by working sensible
miracles.
Scripture

( 2. Whatever slight differences, however, there

called in
to justify
previous-

may be among Protestants as to the precise sense

ly-exist-

tices.prac-

of these passages, and of all that our Lord has
said- on the subject, they all agree in this; that it

will by no means bear the interpretation put on it
by the Romanists; who are commonly supposed,
as has been above remarked, to derive from their
mistaken view of our Lord's expressions in this
place, the monstrous doctrines of the Universal

SECT.

2.]

on luman authorilty.

185

Supremacy of the Church of Rome, and her infallibility as to matters of faith. I have said that
these doctrines are supposed to be thus derived,
because there is good reason to think that such is
not really the case; and that in this point, as in
most of those connected with the peculiarities of
Romanism, the mistake is usually committed of
confounding cause and effect. When there is any
question about any of the doctrines or practices
which characterise that Church, it is natural, and
it is common, to inquire on what rational arguments, or on what Scriptural authority, these are
made to rest; the reasons adduced are examined,
and, if found insufficient, the point is considered
as settled: and so it is, as far as regards those
particular doctrines or practices, when judged of
by an intelligent and unbiassed inquirer. That
which is indefensible, ought certainly to be abandoned. But it is a mistake, and a very common,
and practically not unimportant one, to conclude,
that the origin of each tenet or practice is to be
found in those arguments or texts which are urged
in support of it ;-that they furnish the cause, on
the removal of which the effects will cease of course
-- and that when once those reasonings arc exploded,

186

Undue reliance

[ESSAY 1V.

and those texts rightly explained, all danger is at
end of falling into similar errors.
Erroneous
The fact is, that in a great number of instances,
doctrine
and pracand by no means exclusively in questions connected
tice prior
to errowith religion, the erroneous belief or practice has
neous
arisen first, and the theory has been devised aftertheory.
wards for its support. Into whatever opinions or
conduct men are led by any human propensities,
they seek to defend and justify these by the best
arguments they can frame; and then, assigning,
(as they often do in perfect sincerity) these arguments as the cause of their adopting such notions,
they misdirect the course of our inquiry. And
thus the chance (however small it may be at any
rate) of rectifying their errors, is diminished. For
if these be in reality traceable to some deep-seated
principle of our nature, as soon as ever one false
foundation on which they have been placed is
removed, another will be substituted: as soon as
one theory is proved untenable, a new one will be
devised in its place. And in the meantime, we
ourselves are liable to be lulled into a false security
against errors, whose real origin is to be sought in
the universal propensities of human nature.
Not only Romanism, but almost every system

sECT. 2.]

on human audlority/.

187

of superstition, in order to be rightly understood, Effect mistaken for
should be (if I may so speak) read backwards. To cause.
take an instance, in illustration of what has been
said, from the Mythological system of the Ancients; if
we inquire why the rites of sepulture were regarded
by them as of such vast importance, we are told,
that, according to their system of religious belief,
the souls of those whose bodies were unburied
were doomed to wander disconsolate on the banks
of the river Styx. Such a tenet, supposing it previously established, was undoubtedly well-calculated
to produce or increase the feeling in question: but
is it not much the more probable supposition, that
the natural anxiety about our mortal remains, which
has been felt in every Age and Country, and which
many partake of who are at a loss to explain and
justify it, drove them to imagine and adopt the
theory which gave a rational appearance to feelings
and practices already existing ?
Again, if the Romanists are urged to defend and Real
origin of

explain their practice of praying for the souls of the doc-

the departed, they refer
their Church respecting
not really the doctrine
to prayers for the dead;

trine of
us to the doctrines of PurgaBut it is tory.
Purgatory.

of Purgatory which led
on the contrary, it is

188

Invocation of
saints,

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

doubtless the practice of praying for the dead that
gave rise to that doctrine; a doctrine which manifestly savours of having been invented to serve a
purpose. Accordingly it never, I believe, found
its way into the Greek Church; though the use of
prayers for the dead (difficult as it is to justify such
a practice on other grounds)has long prevailed in
that Church no less than in the Romish.
If, again, we call on the Romanists to justify
their invocation of saints, which seems to confer on
these the divine attribute of omnipresence, they
tell us that the Almighty miraculously reveals to
the glorified saints in heaven the prayers addressed
to then, and then listens to their intercession in
behalf of the supplicants. But the real state of
the case, doubtless, is, that the practice which
began gradually in popular superstition, and was
fostered and sanctioned by the mingled weakness
and corruption of the priesthood, was afterwards
supported by a theory too unfounded and too
extravagantly absurd to have ever obtained a
general reception, had it not come in aid of a
practice already established, and which could be
defended on no better grounds.
And the same principle will apply to the greater

SECT.

2.]

tuma,
ion anl/toriTf.

189

part of the Romish errors; the cause assigned for
each of them will in general be found to be in
reality its effect;-the arguments by which it is
supported to have gained currency from men's
partiality for the conclusion. It is thus that we
must explain, what is at first sight so great a
paradox, the vast difference of effect apparently
produced in minds of no contemptible powers, by
the same arguments;-the frequent inefficacy of
the most cogent reasonings, and the hearty satisfaction with which the most futile are often listened
to and adopted. Nothing is, in general, easier than
to convince one who is prepared and desirous to
be convinced; or to gain any one's full approbation
of arguments tending to a conclusion he has already
adopted; or to refute triumphantly in his eyes, any
objections brought against what he is unwilling to
doubt. An argument which shall have made one
convert, or even settled one really doubting mind,
though it is not of course necessarily a sound
argument, will have accomplished more than one
which receives the unhesitating assent and loud
applause of thousands who had already embraced,
or were predisposed to embrace, the conclusion.
I am aware that there is in some minds an

Undue reliance

190

[ESSAY

IV.

opposite tendency, to excessive doubt in cases
where their wishes are strong ;-a morbid distrust
of evidence which they are especially anxious to
Different temperaments (somefind conclusive.
times varying with the state of health of each
individual) lead towards these contrary miscalculations. Each of us probably has a natural leaning
to one or other (often to both, alternately) of these
infirmities-the over-estimate or under-estimate of
the reasons in favour of a conclusion we wish to
find true. The difficulty is, not to fly from one
extreme to the other, but to avoid both, and to
give an unbiassed verdict according to the evidence;
preserving the indifference of the judgment, even
in cases where the will cannot, and indeed should
not, be indifferent.e
Obvious, however, as these principles must
appear, it is not at all uncommon to lose sight
of them. It is not uncommon to hear wonder
expressed at the supposed weakness of understanding of those who assent to arguments utterly
invalid, but to which they have in fact never
applied their minds. And it is much more common to hear some course of argument confidently
eSee

Logic: Appendix, Art. "Indifference."

SECT. 3.-]

on human authority.

191

proclaimed as triumphant and decisive in establishing
or refuting some doctrine, merely on the ground of
its being approved by those predisposed to assent
to it. Whether, in fact, it be such or not, it is
impossible we can fully estimate its weight till we
have seen it tried in an even balance, or against a
preponderating scale ;-till we have seen how it is
received by the indifferent or the adverse. For
through the operation of the principle I have been
speaking of, arguments have commanded the unhesitating assent of all men, for centuries together,
without possessing, in reality, any weight at all.
And yet he is usually regarded as a powerful
speaker who is proclaimed as such by all his
hearers, in consequence of their having all admitted,
or being ready to admit, his conclusion; and thence,
affording, at least, no proof of his power.
§ 3. It is, on many accounts, of great practical Erroneous
doctrines
importance to trace, as far as we are able, each the cause
of erroerror to its real source. If, for instance, we sup- neous
posed the doctrine of Transubstantiation to be

really founded, as the Romanists pretend, and as,
no doubt, many of them sincerely believe, on the
words, "This is my body," we might set this down

interpretations.

192

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

as an instance in which the language of Scripture
rashly interpreted has led to error. Doubtless
there are such instances; but I can never believe
that this is one of them; viz. that men really were
led by the words in question to believe in Transubstantiation; for besides the intrinsic improbability
of such an error having so arisen, we have the
additional proof, that the passage was before the
eyes of the whole Christian world for ten centuries
before the doctrine was thought of. And again, if
we suppose the doctrine to have, in fact, arisen
from the misinterpretation of the text, we shall
expect to remove the error by shewing reasons why
the passage should be understood differently: a
very reasonable expectation, where the doctrine has
sprungfrom the misinflepretalion; but quite otherwise, where, as in this case, the misinterprelation
has sprung fromw the doctrine.

Origin of
the belief
in Romish
supremacy and infallibility.

When there was a

leaning in men's minds towards the reception of
the tenet, they of course looked for the best confirmation of it (however weak) that Scripture could
be made to affords
There is no instance, however, that better exemplifies the operation of this principle, than the
one immediately before us-the Romish doctrines

SECT. 3.]

on 1huma athority.

193

of the Universal Supremacy, and Infallibility, of
their Church. If we inquire how the Romanists
came so strangely to mistake the passages of Scripture to which they appeal, we shall be utterly
bewildered in conjecture, unless we read backwards
the lesson imprinted on their minds, and seek for
the true cause in the natural predisposition to look
out for, and implicitly trust, an infallible guide;
and to find a refuge from doubts and dissensions,
in the unquestioned and unlimited authority of the
Church.
This indeed had been gradually established, and vested in the Romish See, before it
was distinctly claimed. Men did not submit to
the authority, because they were convinced it was
of divine origin, and infallible; but, on the contrary, they were convinced of this, because they
were disposed and accustomed so to submit. The
tendency to "teach for doctrines the commandments of men," and to acquiesce in such teaching,
is not the effect, but the cause, of their being taken
for the commandments of God.
Unwilling as men may be to submit their actions Natural
tendency
to an uncontrolled despotism, that indolence of to appeal
to an unmind which the Greek historian remarks as making erring
them " averse to take trouble in the investigation of guide.

194

Udue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

truth, and willing rather to acquiesce in what is
ready-decided for them," has, in all ages, and on
all subjects, disposed multitudes to save themselves
this trouble, and escape at the same time the uneasiness of doubting, by an implicit submission to
some revered authority. The disposition indeed to
submit and assent implicitly, is (like all our other
natural propensities) nothing intrinsically and essentially bad, when rightly directed, and duly controlled; but, like all the rest, is liable to misdirection and excess. Whatever is satisfactorily proved
to come from God, is entitled to our submissive
assent; and whatever there is of what He has
revealed to us, that surpasses human comprehension, has a claim to be received on his authority
alone, without vain attempts to explain or to prove
it " a priori." That the implicit deference justly
due to Divine authority, should have been often
unduly extended to human, is what we might, from
the infirmity of our nature, have even antecedently
conjectured; and no one can suppose that this misdirected and excessive veneration originated in the
Church of Rome, or is even confined to the case of
religion, who recollects that the decisive appeal of
the Pythagoreans to the "ipse dixit" of their

SEC. 4.]

SECT.(11(11 alj

o9i/

195

master, was even proverbial among the ancients:
and that at a later period, the authority of Aristotle
on philosophical questions, was for many ages
regarded as no less decisive. To question his decisions on these matters, was long considered as indicating no less presumptuous rashness, than to
dispute those of the Church of Rome as to matters
of faith.
§ 4. As for the local extent of the Roman Pon- Presumption in
tiff's jurisdiction, the claim of universal supremacy favour of
the opinifor that particularSee, is of course an error of the ons of the
Romanists as Romanists; for though the same good.
encroaching and ambitious disposition may exist in
others as in the Romish hierarchy, it must of course,
wherever it exists, lead each to extend the dominion
and exalt the power, of his own Church, State,
Empire, or School, over others. But the tendency
to claim or to pay undue deference to the authority
of uninspired men, is an error of the Romanists,
not as Romanists, but as Human Beings. The
degree of respect generally paid and justly due to
the authority f of the wise -- the virtuous-the
r An important ambiguity in the word authority will be
presently noticed.

196

Undue reliance

[ESSAY IV.

learned-the majority-which amounts to a presumption, more or less strong, of what they have
maintained-a presumption which demands a careful examination of the reasons on both sides, before
we decide against them-this respect was gradually
heightened into a blind acquiescence, which forbad
men even to seek for reasons at all. The morbid
dread of uncertainty, perplexity, and dissension, led
them to preclude all doubts as to the sense of
Scripture, by a decisive authority; an authority
which they pretend to rest on a text whose sense is
in itself doubtful; and thus to save, as it were, the
ship from being driven about at the mercy of winds
and currents, by casting anchor on an object which
was itself floating. But they succeeded in delivering themselves from actual doubt, though not from
reasons for doubt; and were lulled into that
apathetic tranquillity, which is the natural result of
compulsory cessation of discussion. " Seeing then
that these things cannot be 8spoken against, ye ought
to be quiet," is an expression which may be used
to characterise this indolent uninquiring acquiescence. They were to receive whatever the Holy
Catholic Church decreed, or might decree, to be
received; even though ignorant of what many

SECT. 4.1

on Iuman a f0rit.

197

of the doctrines were, to which they thus assented.
" Is it conceivable," they thought, "that the
great Body of the Church, including all its governors, for whose preservation in the right way so
many thousands of pious Christians have been
always daily offering up their prayers, and with
whom Christ promised to be, always, even unto the
end-is it conceivable, that all these should have
been for ages together in gross and dangerous
error on important points ? No, surely," they said
to themselves and to each other, " this is impossible; it could never have been permitted." Now
if this be not possible, the Church must be infallible.
If we consider, in this point of view, the growth of
the doctrine, we shall no longer think it so strange
as at first sight it appears, that such a claim should
have arisen. Nor (which is more important for our
purpose) shall we think it incredible, that a similar
course of reasoning should be likely to take place in
the minds of Protestants, and should lead to a like
result :-that the supposition, of any error in religious matters besetting wise, good, pious, learned,
humble, and diligent men, should appear so strange

198

Indefinite
use of the

expres-

sion Catholic
Church.

1ide reliance.

[ESSAY

IV.

that at length the strangenessshould be regarded as
amounting to impossibility: and when once this
point is reached, the claim to infallibility is virtually
set up.
It must be admitted, moreover, that the claim
of infallibility in the Church, when it is distinctly
avowed, is at least more consistent-perhaps I may
say, more honest-than the sort of appeal which is
sometimes made by Protestants to the authority of
the "Universal Church," and which may be characterised by the homely but expressive proverbial
metaphor, of "playing fast and loose." A person
is loudly censured perhaps for taking a different
view of some doctrine from that which, it is assumed,
prevailed generally in the Church (i. e. the great
mass of Christians) for many ages; the writers,
termed "the Fathers," are appealed to; and it is
represented as inconceivable, that the great Body of
the Christian world should have long been in error
on such and such a point. And, no doubt, there is
a prcesuvtpion in favour of what has been long
admitted by the majority; stronger arguments are
called for against it, than if it were something novel,
or the opinion only of a few. But when this
Elements of Rhetoric, Part I. chap. iii. § 2.

SECT. 4.1

on humanauthorit.

199

presumption is adduced as nearly decisive, and it is
then urged, on the other side, as it consistently may
be, that the great majority,h both in the Eastern
and Western Churches, are, and have been for many
centuries, and were, at the .very time referred to,
worshippers of Relics, and of the Virgin, &c. the same
Protestant advocate will reply, that these doctrines
are unscriptural-thathuman divines are fallible,and that we ought to "obey God rather than Man."
Now if we regard the "Fathers" as men subject to
human infirmity, and teaching truth mixed with
error, we ought to appeal to them as such: if again
we appeal to them, or to any set of men, with an
air of decisive triumph, we should be prepared to
admit their infallibility throughout. It surely is
not fair to make the Church's authority of the
highest or the lowest value, according as it
h

What has been "received

by all, in every age, and in

every country," is the standard which some profess to abide by.
But to seek for a system of Christian doctrine which shall
fulfil these conditions, is like the search for the universal
medicine. Practically, they limit the term "all" to the
orthodox; i.e. those whose doctrines are true.

So that we

must first ascertain what doctrines are true, in order to distinguish the persons by whose judgment we are to be guided
as to the question what doctrines are true!

200

Undue reliance.

happens to support,
conclusions.
Protestants
charged
with
claiming
infallibili-

ty.

or to oppose,

[ESSAY

IV.

our own

c 5. Indeed, monstrous as the Romish doctrine
of the infallibility of the Church at first sight
appears, and widely different as the claim is usually
regarded from any that have ever been advanced by
Protestants, there have not been wanting persons
who (in consequence perhaps of the prevalence of
the practice just noticed) have represented the
Romish Church as differing little in this point
from our own, and indeed every other. "It is
true," (they say,) " the Church of England disclaims
the right of requiring assent to any article of faith
which may not be proved by Scripture: but then if
she claims the right of deciding without appeal
what doctrines are Scriptural, and requires of all
her members the admission, not only of the authority of Scripture, but of her interpretation of it, and
an admission of all the doctrines founded on that
interpretation, the same end is gained: since even
the Church of Rome nmi t have professed to appeal
to Scripture in behalf of all her doctrines, retaining
the power of deciding definitively what books should
be received as Scripture, and what is the true sense

SECT. 5.]

on lonan authority.

201

of each passage. The difference then," they urge,
(I am quoting the arguments of an author of no
mean ability,) " between the two Churches, amounts
only to this: that the one cannot err, and the other
never does; the one is infallible, and the other
always in the right." For though it is declared
that ot er Churches have erred, and not denied that
our own may,it is never admitted that ours (as
constituted at the Reformation) has fallen into any
error.
This charge of advancing a virtual claim to Charge
brought
infallibility, though specious at the first glance, against
our
melts away before a close examination; for, in fact, Church,
the claim of our Church is no other than even every untenable.
individual, without any arrogance, advances, and
cannot but advance, in his own behalf. Whoever
professes to hold any doctrine, implies by that very
expression his conviction of its truth. For an individual (and a Church no less) to acknowledge the
erroneousness of his present tenets, would be a
contradiction in terms. And the erroneousness of
many of her former tenets, during our subjection to
the Papal sway, our Church amply acknowledged
by the very act of reforming.
But every Church must have certain terms of

202

Unde reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

Communion, the rejection of which implies exclusion
of clim- from that Communion; since the very idea of a
ing infallireligious Society is incompatible with a fundamental
bility.
discrepancy of religious persuasion. And since such
discrepancies may, and do, exist among those who
agree in admitting the supreme authority of Scripture, it is plain that this admission cannot be of
itself a sufficient bond of union. Our Church,
therefore, (as every religious Society must do, either
avowedly or virtually,) fixed on certain doctrines as
necessary to be admitted by those who should be
members of it; not denouncing as heretics the
members of other Churches who might hold different doctrines: but of course not admitting her
own to be erroneous; which would be saying in
Answer to
the charge

It is well worth remarking, that our Church has denounced
the Romanists as erroneous indeed, but not as heretical. If
indeed one brought up in the bosom of our Church were to
teach, for instance, the doctrine of the sacrifice of the
Mass, and several others which have of late been taught
by professed members of our Church, he would be properly
pronounced heretical; but we claim no spiritual authority
over the members of other Churches. The Romanists do;
and accordingly denominate us, with perfect consistency,
heretics; as being properly members, though rebellious
See Hinds's History, vol. ii.
members, of their Church.
p. 41-45.

SECT.

5.]

on human aulor-ity.

203

the same breath that they are not her own. An
individual indeed will often have not made up his
mind as to this or that question; and will often
express doubts as to some opinion which he is
rather inclined to adopt: but for a Church to
make a declaration of doubt, would be absurd. In
whatever points our Reformers felt themselves undecided, and in whatever, though themselves convinced, they thought it unnecessary to require
general assent-on such points they would of
course say nothing. Whatever they set forth, they
could not but set forth, as, in their judgment, both
true, and essential.
It is possible, indeed, for a Church to multiply
unnecessarily her articles of faith, and thus narrow
too much the terms of her communion : but if in
any ease this fault were committed, and even if we
suppose many of the doctrines so laid down to be
fundamentally erroneous, still this fault would be
of a totally different kind from that of advancing
a claim to infallibility.
Much of the confusion of thought which has Ambiguity of the

arisen on this subject, is to be traced to the am- word aubiguity of the word " authority ;" which is some-thority.

times used, in the primary sense, (corresponding

204

Undue reliance

[ESSAY IV.

with auctoritas,) to signify the weight assigned
to the example or opinion of those who, in any
point, are likely to be competent judges, and which
raises a presumption in favour of what they have
done, maintained, or reported; as when we appeal
to the "authority" of some Historian or Philosopher: but sometimes again, and that not unfrequently, it is used (in the sense of potestas) to
signify power, to which we are absolutely required
to submit; as when we speak of the " authority"
of a Magistrate.k The language of our Article
keeps clear of this ambiguity, in the statement,
that "the Church has power to ordain rites and
ceremonies," (not at variance with God's Word,)
" and has authority in controversies of faith." But
still, the use of the word Authority in the sense of
power, is so common, that it has, I have no doubt,
aided in producing the impression, that a claim is
advanced by the Church of being an infallible
interpreter of Scripture.
The correct statement of the case is this: to
profess certain doctrines, and (which is implied by
so doing) to declare that those doctrines are true,
k

See the Article

Logic.

"

Authority" in Appendix to Elements of

SECT. 5.]

on human authlority.

205

is, for every Church, allowable, because unavoidable: to err in any of those doctrines, or in the
mode of setting them forth, as long as there is a
readiness to correct any thing that shall be proved
at variance with Scripture or with reason, is nothing
unpardonable, nor, in its results, incurable: while
to deny the liability to error, and to claim, without
warrant, the infallibility which implies inspiration,
is in itself presumptuous impiety, and leads to
interminable corruption.
For the difference is no mere theoretical nicety, Evils of
the claim
but of most extensive practical importance. The to infalliclaim to exemption from all error, skuts the door bility.

againstreform. The smallest change in any article
of faith, would break the talisman of infallibility,
and the magic edifice of Papal dominion would
crumble into ruins. That dominion I mean would
be ruined which is exercised over men's conscience
on the ground that the doctrinal decisions of that
Church are to be, as such, received, and considered
infallible, and placed on a par with those of the
The Church indeed of Rome might
Apostles.
continue to subsist, and to exercise over its own
members the power that rightfully belongs to any
Church. And that all Christians should belong

206

Unde reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

to one single ecclesiastical community, the chief
governor of which should reside at Rome, though
excessively inconvenient, would not necessarily imply the abandonment of any Christian principle.
But that the governor or governors of any Church
should demand from all Christians acquiescence in
their determinations because these emanate from
an unerring Church, tiis is a claim whose foundation is destroyed by the admission of fallibility in
any one point of faith.
In matters of discipline, indeed, the Romish
Church might introduce reforms, without compromising the claim to infallibility; since there the
question is one not of truth, but of expediency;
which may vary in each different Age and Country.
Her regulations however respecting discipline have
been so intertwined with doctrinal points, that She
has generally dreaded to alter any thing, lest her
infallibility should be called in question.
For instance, it has never been contended that
the adoration of images and relies is essential to
Christianity. There would therefore be no inconsistency on the part of the Romish Church in
remedying that abuse. But it has been thought,
probably, (and not without reason) that to do so

SECT.

5.]

on kuman authority.

207

might raise suspicions as to the wisdom of originally
sanctioning the practice-as to the soundness of
the arguments and decisions by which it was maintained against Protestants-and as to the truth of
the miraculous legends connected with it: and the
upholders of the Romish system have accordingly
always dreaded (as was remarkably exemplified not
long since in respect of some efforts towards such
an amelioration, made in Germany) to touch a
single stone of their infirm fabric, lest another,
and another, should be displaced. For, those who
are conscious, or who at all suspect, (whether with
or without good reason,) that great part of the
system they are maintaining is thoroughly unsound,
are naturally led to regard the beginning of reformation (even as Solomon says of the beginning of
strife) as "like the letting out of water :" when
once commenced, they know not to what it may
proceed, or how it can be stopped. And thus it
is that the claim to infallibility burdens the Church
of Rome with a load of long-accumulated errors
and abuses, to which many probably of her adherents are by no means blind, but of which they
know not how to relieve her.
To this evil must be added, that the claim of an

208

Undue reliance

ESSAY IV.

infallibility independent of Scripture, naturally tends
towards the result which in fact took place, the
prohibition of translations, and the discouragement
of the study of the Scriptures, as needless, and
unsafe, for the mass of the Christian laity. The
Scriptures thus highly venerated and little used,
are no longer like the bread from heaven which
sustained the Israelites in the wilderness: they are
no longer the daily shower of manna to supply
their daily wants, but the pot of manna stored up
with reverent care in the Ark, as a curiosity.
And even after the removal or relaxation of the
restrictions on the use of Scripture, the people,
even with the Bible in their hands, are evidently
far less likely to perceive the erroneousness of any
doctrines of their Church, if that Church does not
profess to rest those doctrines on Scripture alone,
but on her own independent and paramount
authority. Thousands must have perceived many
Ronfish tenet, to be unwarranted by iScripture,
who have yet never thought of regarding that as
ground for calling them in question. On the other
hand, "even corrupt Churches, provided they do
not suppress the Scriptures, or disallow them as
the only rule of faith, may still afford to many of

SECT. 6.1

on um an autilority.

209

their members the means of correcting their errors,
and ascertaining the essential truths of Christianity."'

{

6. But are Protestants then, as long as they do Danger of
but acknowledge these principles, exempt from all f
fo
danger of any such error as that for which the thority.

Romish Church has now been censured? By no
means. Such might indeed have been the case, had
the claim to infallibility for the decisions of the
Church, and the comparative disregard of Scripture,
been the cause, instead of being, as in truth it was,
the effect, of the tendency to pay undue deference
to human authority. The real cause of that tendency is to be sought in the principles of our common nature ;-in the disposition to carry almost to
idolatry the veneration due to the wise, and good,
and great ;-in the dislike of doubt and of troublesome investigation-the dread of perplexity and
disagreement-and the desire of having difficult
questions finally settled, and brought into the form
of dogmas ready-prepared for acceptance in a mass.
While this dispositionm continues to form a part of
Hawkins on Tradition, p. 42.
m Which cannot perhaps be so well described in our language, as by the words of the Greek historian, 1r rd rotpa
,iJXXoe Tp ErOJTC.
1

210

Proper
office of a

Church.

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

our nature, we can never, but by continual selfdistrust, be safe from its effects.
And the danger of virtually substituting human
authority for divine, is the greater, from the necessity which exists of making use of human expositions of Scripture; not only for the purpose, above
alluded to, of providing a Symbol, Test, or Creed,
(such as our thirty-nine Articles,) in order to ascertain a sufficient agreement in members of the same
religious Community, but also for the purposes of
Public-worship, and of Catechetical-instruction. For
the Sacred Writers have not only transmitted only
one short form of prayer," and no complete form
for the administration of the Christian ordinances,
but have not even left us any systematic course of
instruction in the Christian doctrines. These, they
have left to be collected from Histories and Epistles,
evidently addressed to C/kristians-to persons who
had already been regularly instructed (" catechized,"
as the word is in the original) in the principles of
the faith: thus,o leaving, as it should seem, to the
Churc the office of systematically teaciiny, and to
n Hinds's History of the Rise of Christianity, vol. ii. pp.
114, 115.
o See Hawkins's Dissertation on Tradition.

SECT.

6.1

o, lumnan aidior&it.

211

the Scrtures, that of proving, the Christian doctrines.
And it is a circumstance very remarkable, that Remarkable omis-

they should all of them have thus abstained from sionis

Scripture.
committing to writing (what they must have been
in the habit of employing orally) a Catechism or
course of elementary instruction in Christianity,
consisting of a regular series of unquestionable
Canons of doctrine-Articles of faith duly explained and developed-in short, a compendium of
the Christian religion; which we may be sure (had
such ever existed) would have been carefully transmitted to posterity. This, I say, must appear to
every one, on a little reflection, something remarkable; but it strikes me as literally miraculous. I
mean, that the procedure appears to me dictated by
a wisdom more than human; and that the Apostles
and their immediate followers must have been supernaturally
/withkeld from taking a course which would
naturally appear to them the most expedient. Considering how very great must have been the total
number of all the Elders and Catechists appointed,
in various places, by the Apostles, and by those
whom they commissioned, it seems (humanly speaking) incredible, that no one of these should have
P2

212

Undue reliance

LESSAY IV.

thought of doing what must have seemed so obvious, as to write, under the superintendence and
correction of the Apostles, some such manual for
the use of his hearers: as was in fact done,
repeatedly, in subsequent ages, (i. e. after, as we
hold, the age of inspiration was past,) in all the
Churches where any activity existed.
Thus much, at least, appears to me indubitable;
that Impostors would have taken sedulous care (as
Mahomet did) to set forth a complete course of
instructions in their Faith; and that Enthusiasts
would never have failed, some of them at least, to
fall into the same plan; so that an omission which
is, on all human principles, unaccountable, amounts
to a moral demonstration of the divine origin of our
religion. And this argument, we should observe, is
not drawn from the supposed wisdom of such an
appointment: it holds good equally, however little
we may perceive the expediency of the course
actually pursued. For, that which cannot have
come from Mlan, must have come from God. If the
Apostles were neither enthusiasts nor impostors,
they must have been inspired; whether we can understand, or not, the reasons of the procedure which
the Holy Spirit dictated.

SECT. 6.]

on human aulhority.

213

In this case, however, attentive consideration
may explain to us these reasons. God's wisdom
doubtless designed to guard us against a danger,

Reasons
for omitting
Creeds
and Litur-

which I think no human wisdom would have fore-

Scripture.

seen-the danger of indolently assenting to, and
committing to memory, a " form of sound words ;"
which would in a short time have become no more
than a form of words ; received with passive
reverence, and scrupulously retained in the mindleaving no room for doubt-furnishing no call for
vigilant investigation-affording no stimulus to the
attention, and making no vivid impression on the
heart. It is only when the understanding is kept
on the stretch by the diligent search-the watchful observation-the careful deduction which the
Christian Scriptures call forth by their oblique,
incidental, and irregular mode of conveying the
knowledge of Christian doctrines it is then only,
that the Feelings, and the Moral portion of our
nature, are kept so awake as to receive the requisite
impression: and it is thus accordingly that Divine
wisdom has provided for our wants, " Curis acuens
mortalia corda."
It should be observed also, that a single systematic course of instruction, carrying with it

214

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

1V.

divine authority, would have superseded the framing
of any otlers-nay, would have made even the
alteration of a single word of what would, on this
supposition, have been Scripture,P appear an impious presumption; and yet could not possibly
have been well-adapted for all the varieties of
station, sex, age, intellectual power, education,
taste, and habits of thought. So that there would
have been an almost inevitable danger that such an
authoritative list of credenda would have been
regarded by a large proportion of Christians with a
blind and unthinking reverence, which would have
excited no influence on the character. They would
have had "a form of godliness; but denying the
power thereof," the form itself would have remained
with them only as the corpse of departed Religion.
$ 7. Such then being the care with which God's
providence has guarded against leading us into
this temptation, it behoves us to be careful that
we lead not ourselves into temptation, nor yield to
those which the natural propensities of the human
heart present. For, through the operation of those
'

Hinds's History of the Rise of Christianity, vol. ii p. 236.
q See Essay on Omission, &c. First Series.

SECT. 7.]

on human authority.

215

principles which I have so earnestly, and perhaps
too copiously, dwelt on, we are always under more
or less temptation to exalt some human exposition
of the faith to a practical equality with the Scriptures, by devoting to that our chief attention, and
making to it our habitual appeal.
And why, it may be said, should we scruple to
do this ? giving to Scripture the precedence indeed
in point of dignity, as the foundation on which the
other is built, but regarding the superstructure as
no less firm than the foundation on which it is
fairly built ? "I am fully convinced," a man may
say, "that such and such an exposition conveys
the genuine doctrines of the Scriptures: in which
case it must be no less true than they; and may
therefore, by those who receive it, be no less confidently appealed to. Supposing us fully to believe
its truth, it answers to us the purpose of Scripture:
since we can but fully believe that. For in mathematics, for instance, we are not more certain of
the axioms and elementary propositions, than we
are of those other propositions which are proved
from them: nor is there any need to go back at
every step to those first theorems which are the
foundation of the whole."

Argu-

ments in

favour of
human

ries.

216

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

The principle which I have here stated, as
favourably as I am able, is one which, I believe,
is often not distinctly avowed, even inwardly in
thought, by multitudes who feel and act conformably to it.
Answer to
One obvious answer which might be given to
the argument for
such reasoning is, that to assign to the deductions
appealing
to human of uninspired men the same perfect certainty as
decisions.

belongs

to mathematical demonstrations, and to

repose the same entire confidence in their expositions of Scripture, as in Scripture itself, is
manifestly to confer on those men the attribute
of infallibility. Believe indeed, we must, in the
truth of our own opinions: nor need it be such a
wavering and hesitating belief, as to leave us incessantly tormented by uneasy doubts: but if we
censure the Romish Church for declaring herself
not liable to error, we must, for very shame, confess
our own liability to it, not in mere words, but in
practice; by being ever ready to listen to argument
-ever open to conviction ;-by continually appealing and referring at every step "to the Law and
to the Testimony"-by continually tracing up the
stream of religious knowledge to the pure fountainhead-the living waters of the Scriptures.

SECT.

7.1

on
SECT.

a7ho0ify.

217
21

There is no need, however, to dwell exclusively
on the argument drawn from the possibility of our

The will of

God, that
scripture

being mistaken; a danger which of course each

should be

one hopes, in each particular case, to have escaped.

habitually
to for
proof.

There is one decisive argument, perfectly simple,
and accessible to every understanding, and especially
acceptable to a pious mind, against employing any
human statement of doctrines in place of Scripture,
as the standard to be habitually appealed to: it i8
not the zoill of God that this should be done. For
if it had been his design, that there should be any
such regular System of doctrine for habitual
reference, and from which there should be, in
ordinary practice, no appeal, He would surely have
enjoined, or at least permitted, (and the permission
would have been sufficient to insure the same
result) the framing of some such confession of Faith
or Catechism, by his inspired servants themselves;
since such a system would fully have answered
the purpose in question, with the great additional
advantage, that it must have commanded the assent
of all who acknowledge the Christian Scriptures.
No Church, therefore, is empowered to do that,
which God, for wise reasons, evidently designed
should not be done. He has left to the Church

218

ndue reliance

[ESSAY IV.

the office of preserving the Scriptures, and introducing them to the knowledge of her members, as
the sole standard of faith-as not merely the first
step and foundation of proof, like the elementary
propositions of mathematics, but as the only source
of proof; and He has left her also the office of
teacking the Christian doctrines from the Scriptures.
A Church is authorized to set forth for this purpose,
(1) Catechisms-Homilies-in short, whatever may
be needful for systematic elementary teacking: it
is authorized again, (2) to dray up Creeds S as a
test or symbol to preserve uniformity of faith in her
members: and it is also, authorized (3) to frame
Offices for Public-worship and administration of
the Sacraments. But all these human compositions
must be kept to their own proper uses. However
wisely framed they may be-however confident,
and justly confident, we may feel, of their truth
and scriptural character-we must never put them
in the place of Scripture, by making them the
standard of habitual appeal. Works of Christianinstruction should be employed for instruction;works of Devotion, for devotion; - Symbolical
SHinds's History of the Rise of Christianity, vol. ii. p. 118.
SSee Eden's Theological Dictionary. Art. " Creed," &c.

SECT.

7.

on

/ufan)U

ft/orify.

219

works, such as Creeds and Articles, for their proper
purpose, of furnishing a test of any person's fitness
to be acknowledged a member, or a minister, of
our Church. But never, if we would in deed and
in spirit avoid the errors of Romanism-never
should we appeal to Creeds, Liturgies, or Catechisms, for the proof of any doctrine, or the refutation of any error. Never must we admit as
decisive such a syllogism as this: "the doctrines
of our Church are Scriptural; this is a doctrine of
our Church; therefore, &c. :" I mean, this must
never be admitted, without immediately proceeding
to the proof of the first premise; which will inelude, of course, the proof of any particular doctrine that may be in question.
We are liable in this case to be misled by the Ambi~ guity of
ambiguity of such words as "must," or "ought," the word
in point mst.
&c. which sometimes refer to obligation
of duty, sometimes to what is implied as a point
of consistency. Thus, it is true in one sense that
a Christian must receive the doctrines taught in
Scripture,-ought to obey the precepts of Scripture, &c. i.e. it is his duty to do so, on the ground
that Scripture teaches it. In another sense it is
true that a member of our Church ougty to hold

220

Undue reliance

[ESSAY IV.

the opinions expressed in our Articles, &c. i. e.
this is implied by his continuing a member of that
Church. It is not that he is right in holding
them because he is a member of the Church which
teaches them; but, in continuing a member of that
Church because ke kolds them, or, in quitting it if
he disbelieves them.
Again, it is not said in the same sense that a
member of our Church ougyt to assent to her
doctrines, and that he ouykt to submit to her
regulations in matters intrinsically indifferent. For
in respect of this latter point a Church has power
to prescribe to its members what they should do;
and it is their duty to comply: but to attribute such
power to a Church in respect of doctrines, and to
make it a duty to any one to assent to her interpretation of Scripture, is practibally to place her on a level
with Scripture. The point of duty is merely to remain
in that Church no longer than our unbiassed judgment convinces us that her doctrines are scriptural.
So much has this simple and obvious distinction
been overlooked or kept out of sight by some late
writers, that it has been even expressly denied that
our Church does acknowledge the right of private
judgment; on the ground that it enjoins the use of

SECT. 7.]

o hftumat alauthoriy.

221

the Creeds, and of the Liturgy and Catechism.
Undoubtedly if any man's private judgment should
be that our Liturgy is unscriptural, he ought not to
remain a member of the Church: but the real
question is, does our Church mean to declare that
an individual has no right to exercise his private
judgment in deciding whether the Liturgy be
Scriptural or not, and is bound to receive it implicitly and without further inquiry, because it is our
Liturgy ? If this be answered in the affirmative,
the grand principle of Protestantism-the only one
that could justify the Reformation-is abandoned;
and our Reformers must stand condemned as
schismatical heretics.
It might seem superfluous to set forth a principle Fundamental
which is the very foundation of the Reform intro- principle
duced by our own and the other Protestant churches; formation.
and so distinctly recognised in our Articles; which
declare the liability to error not only of Churches
but of general Councils, (Art. 19, 20, and 21,) and
disclaim the obligation of receiving anything as
divine truth but what is contained in Scripture or
"may be proved thereby."
But persons are to be found who while they
assent to such declarations, yet contrive to evade

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

the force of them, and stigmatize as heterodox
all appeal to private judgment, except their own
judgment, and that of such as agree with them;
setting up the claim either to infallibility, or,-with
still more presumption,--a right to enforce on others
the decisions of a fallible mind.
This apparently perplexing inconsistency may be
unravelled and explained by asking the question,when it has been admitted that the Scriptures are
the sole unerring standard, and that we are not
obliged to receive any thing that "cannot be proved
from Scripture,"-proved to whom ? A "standard
to whom ?" If the Scriptures are the standard to
us the Christian people, and we are bound in conscience to receive only what is thence proved to our
conviction, then, we are left in possession of the
liberty of private judgment: but if it be meant that
we are to receive whatever is proved to your satisfaction from Scripture,-if Scripture is to be the
standard for you, but your faith is to be the standard
for ours,-then, instead of liberty, you place on us
a double yoke; you impose two restrictions instead
of one; both, and each, calling for a miraculous
attestation of your infallibility. We are required
to believe, first, that whatever you declare is

SECT.

7.]

on ,um

aau,2orily.

divine truth; and secondly, over and above this,
that it is a truth revealed in Scripture; and we
are to take your word for both. "Jesus I know;
and Paul I know; but who are ye?"
Whenever therefore we refer, in proof or disproof Caution
needed in
of any doctrine, to the Articles or Liturgy, for anyappeal
to human
instance, we not only should not appeal to them formulaalone, but we should also carefully point out that ries.
we refer to them not as the authorized formularies
of a Church, but simply as the writinys of able and
pious men; which would be deserving of attention,
supposing them to be merely private sermons, &c.
To refer to them as backed by the Church's sanction,
adds to them no legitimate force in respect of the
abstract truth of any position.
Such an appeal may indeed, in practice, be
decisive, (and justly so,) as far as regards members of our Church: but it is, in truth, only an
"argumentum ad homninem." If any charge is to be
brought personally against an individual, as unfit to
be a member or a minister of the Church, the appeal
is naturally, and rightly, made to her formularies
composed for this very purpose: but when the
question is not about a person, but a doctrinewhen the abstract truth of any tenet is in question,

224

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

"to the Law and to the Testimony !" It savours
of the spirit of Romanism to refer for the proof or
disproof of doctrines, solely, or chiefly, to any, the
most justly venerated, human authority-to any thing
but the inspired word of God. For if any one proves
any thing from our Articles or Liturgy, for instance,
either he could have proved it from Scripture or he
could not: if he could not, he is impeaching either
the Scriptural character of the Church's doctrines,
or his own knowledge of the Scriptural basis on
which they rest: if he could have proved it from
Scripture, that is the course he should have taken:
not only because he would thus have proved his point
both to those who receive our Articles, and also to
those who dissent from them; but also, because it
is thus, and thus only, we can preserve to Scripture
its due dignity and proper office, and avoid the
dangerous and encroaching precedent of substituting human authority for divine.
Danger of
For it is important to remember, that human
falling into a habit formularies, when once the habit is established of
of appealing to
making a definitive appeal to them for the proof of
Man's authority.
any disputed point, have a tendency not only to
rival, but to supersede, Scripture. They are usually
drawn up in a more compact and regular form,

SECT. 7.]

on

human authority.

225

such as to facilitate reference; and they are purposely and carefully framed, so as to exclude certain
particular interpretations, which those of a different
persuasion have introduced.t
The convenience thence resulting ought to put
us the more on our guard against this encroaching
character of human compositions. More troublesome
indeed may be the diligent search of the Scriptures
than a compendious appeal to established formularies; but God has appointed that this labour
shall be the Christian's lot, and shall bring with it
amply its own reward. The care, and diligence,
and patient thought, and watchful observation,
required in drawing for ourselves the Christiantruths from the pure spring-head, will be repaid by
our having, through divine grace, those truths
ultimately fixed in the heart as well as in the
understanding ;-we shall not only "read," but
"mark, learn, and inwardly digest them," so that
the heavenly nourishment will enter into our whole
frame, and make us not merely sound theologians,
but, what is much more, sincere Christians and
good men, truly "wise unto salvation, through
faith which is in Christ Jesus."
t See Essay II. on "The Kingdom of Christ," § 27.

226

Undue reliance

[ESSAY IV.

Objection

It is urged on the opposite side that it is a
the use of mockery to talk of the right of private judgment in
private
judgment. the unlearned,-that is, the great mass of mankind,
-who have nothing on which to found an independent judgment of their own, that can deserve
the name; but being ignorant and gross-mindedstrangers to the original languages of the Scriptures, and to ecclesiastical history,-unintellectual,
unreflective, and uninformed,-must either acquiesce in the instructions and assurances of the
learned men who bear rule over them, or else be
" blown about with every wind of doctrine," without rudder or compass to direct their course.u
The practical result of such principles as these,
experience shews to be such as reason would have
led us to anticipate. The guides to whose authoritative direction the people are thus left, soon come
to think that they themselves also may as well be
content to follow the guidance of their predecessors, instead of being at the pains to "prove all
things," by a laborious search into the Scriptures.
They deem it enough to acquiesce in the judgment
of the ancient Fathers; and to ascertain this from
the statements of commentators, and compilers
against

" See Bishop Dickenson's Remains, Sermons IX. and X. &c.

SECT.

7.]

on human aulhorify.

227

from the Fathers, -from abridgments of these compilations,-and ultimately, from brief compendiums
framed from these abridgments; so that in the
end,-and that, no remote end,-the wise and
learned, on whom the mass of the people are implicitly to rely, become unwise and unlearned, there
being no one to detect their deficiencies; ignorant
of Scripture, of which they were left to be the
authoritative interpreters,-ignorant of it, in fact,
from that very cause;-and in short, "blind leaders
of the blind." Their proper office being to train
their less enlightened brethren to "give an answer
to those who ask them a reason of the hope that is
in them," they save themselves this labour by
training them to do without a reason : and instead
of being ready to be consulted on any doubts,
scruples and difficulties that may arise, they consult
their own ease by teaching the people to listen to
nothing of the kind, but to acquiesce implicitly in
the authority of the Church, and forego all exercise
of private judgment.
It is remarkable that those who incur such

Unavoidable ne-

results, rather than concede the point of the right cessity of
appeal to
of private judgment, are yet compelled, nevertheless, private
to leave men to their private

Q2

judgment

after all, on

judgment.

228

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

deciding the most important question. For those
who, without displaying the decisive credentials
from heaven, of plain miraculous powers, yet call
on us to surrender our -judgment to their guidance,
must leave us to decide, whether well or ill, by our
own private judgment, the momentous questionsfirst, whether we shall make that surrender to any
men's authority,-and next, whether they, or some
others, shall be thus received as our guides.
The diversities, indeed, and errors to which private judgment is liable, in all matters not admitting
of mathematical demonstration, might naturally
lead some persons, following their own conjectures,
to suppose, that in a divine dispensation, a provision is requisite, and therefore to be expected, for a
power of infallibly interpreting Scripture, and deciding finally all questions that may arise; to be
permanently established on earth, in some person
or Body, whose authority should be ascertained and
supported by unquestionable miracles.
But our conjecture as to what is requisite or
reasonable cannot alter facts. So it is, that no
tribunal, possessing these miraculous credentials,
does exist. Private judgment, however incompetent, must be exercised, well or ill, whether we will

SECT. 7.]

on luman autidorily.

229

or no; for even those who are willing to forego the
right of private judgment, and resign themselves
wholly to another's guidance, are compelled to
judge among conflicting claims, whose guidance it
shall be. Whether they decide to inquire into and
compare together the several appeals to Scripture,
-to tradition,--to the authority of the ancient
Fathers, or of more modern divines;-or again, to
adopt without inquiry the religion of their parents;
or, lastly, to assent implicitly to the dictation of
some one who strenuously asserts his right to their
submission,-in all cases they do, and must, exercise, for once at least, their private judgment, (however weakly and wrongly,) in deciding a question
notoriously doubtful and much controverted.
The right, then, of private judgment in religious
matters, being one which God has not merely given
permission that men may exercise, but made provision that they must, it is for us, his ministers and
stewards, to do our best towards training our
people, especially the younger portion of them, to
exercise their judgment rightly, and profitably for
their eternal interests. In addition to all other
instruction, we must also warn them of the responsibility that is thus laid on them; a responsibility

230

Undue reliance

[ESSAY IV.

from which we cannot relieve them, if we would,
and of which they cannot divest themselves.
§ 8. It must not, however, be supposed, that
those are exempt from the spirit of the error I am
speaking of, who are the furthest removed from
paying undue deference to the authorized formularies of a Clhurch. Many such persons on the
contrary are particularly addicted "jurare in verba
magistri"-to adopt blindly, and maintain in defiance of argument, whatever they are taught by
some favourite preacher, author, or party; whom
they thus invest, virtually and practically, with infallibility. There is no benefit in an emancipation
from the shackles of Rome, to men who set up a
Pope of their own making, or merely substitute an
unerring Party, for an unerring Church; nor is
anything gained by abstaining from the use of the
term infallibility, by those who believe in the tking.
TemptaThose among the clergy who are particularly
tions to a
Pastor to zealous and sedulous, and particularly successful, in
allow himawakening sinners-in enlightening the ignorantself to be
idolized.

in administering

consolation to the desponding,

ought most especially to be on their guard, and not
only not to encourage, but watchfully to repress in

SECT.

8.]

on

h

?Tan

a/ority.

231

their hearers, this error. "I depend entirely on
Mr. such-a-one; he is my stay and my hope; I feel
that I should be lost without him; I am sure every
thing he says is right, and that I am quite safe under
his guidance :"-this is the sort of language often
heard, and this the kind of feeling evinced, in the
case of many a one who has been recalled from
irreligion, or rescued from despair, through the
means of some spiritual guide: a deep-felt, and
perhaps commendable, gratitude and veneration,
degenerate into a kind of idolatry; and they at
length come to exalt him into their mediator, intercessor, and divine oracle. This throws a most flattering temptation in his way; which he must be
the more vigilant in opposing. He must not only
be ever ready to adopt the apostle Paul's cautions,
"Sirs, why do ye these things? we ourselves also
are men of like passions with you :" "Every one of
you saith, I am of Paul," &c. "Was Paul crucified
for you? or were ye baptized into the name of
Paul ?"-but more than this, he must also warn his
hearers, that whereas Paul, having been instructed
by divine revelation, was an infallible guide, he
himself, having no such inspiration, claims accordingly no infallibility; and he must therefore exhort

232

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

often, and earnestly, the flock (not his, but Christ's)
committed to his care, instead of pinning their faith
to his bare word, to exercise their own minds-to
weigh well the reasons he lays before them-and to
study for themselves, as carefully as their circumstances will permit, the Scriptures which he is
endeavouring to expound to them.
Still stronger to some minds is the temptation to
become, each man a Pope to himself, by indulging
the habit of making his decisions on some points
like " the law of the Medes and Persians, which
altereth not," and of enrolling them as it were in a
certain code, which is thenceforward not to be open
to discussion. Such persons make up their minds
perhaps on few points, and with cautious deliberation; but having once adopted an opinion, will
listen afterwards to no arguments against it. " I
have long adopted" (says a respectable and amiable
writer) " an expedient which I have found of singular service. I have a shelf in my study for tried
authors; and one in my mind for tried principles
and characters.
When an author has stood a
thorough examination, and will bear to be taken as
a guide, I put him on a shelf. When I have fully
made up my mind on a principle, I put it on the

SECT.

8.]

on luman aulkorily.

233

shelf. A hundred subtle objections may be brought
against this principle; I may meet with some of
them perhaps; but my principle is on the shelf.
Generally I may be able to recal the reasons which
weighed with me to put it there; but ifnot, I am
not to be sent out to sea again. Time was when I
saw through and detected all the subtleties that
could be brought against it. I eave past evidence
of 4aving been fully convinced; and tMere on tke
stelf it s/all lie. When I have turned over a
character on all sides, and seen it through and
through in all situations, I put it on the shelf."
The proceeding here described I believe to be
adopted by not a few; though there are not
probably many who would so frankly avow it. Yet
such persons perhaps censure the Romanists for
claiming infallibility for their Church; a claim not
implying a pretension to universal knowlede, but
only to an exemption from the possibility of mistake
as to the points we do pronounce upon; which
points accordingly are no more to be discussed, nor
any objections against them to have a hearing.
Whoever therefore in this way decides on any
point, does, so far, virtually, claim infallibility. Indeed if he did not-if he still admitted that he

234

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

1V.

might possibly be mistaken on the point on which
nevertheless he would bear no discussion, this, it is
plain, would aggravate the fault.x
Openness
to convic-

" But," they say, " it is extravagant scepticism

to be certain of nothing; it is an absurd and a
perpetual wretched thing to have no faith in any thing, but
hesitation.
to be for ever wavering and hesitating." I need
hardly say that this is not what I recommend. The
lover of truth need not be always in actual doubt on
every point; but he must be always open to conviction-always ready to hear and to meet fairly, any
seriously-urged objections. Not indeed to hold
himself obliged at once to abandon his religion if
he is unable immediately to refute every objection;
but to take into consideration each objection; calling in the aid of those qualified to afford it, and
considering, with their assistance, not only how far
each objection is capable of an answer, but also
what is its weight, even if unrefuted, against such
positive proofs as he may have on the other side, in
tion dis-

tinct from

xThere

are many persons however who seem to be ashamed

of nothing but "inconsistency;" of which their dread cornpletely swallows up their dread of error; and, what is very
remarkable, leads them into the worst kind of inconsistency.See Rhet. Part ii. ch. 3. § 5.

SECT. s.]

on human authority.

235

support of his Faith. It is one thing to be without
Faith, and another thing to have the Faith of the
Apostolical Christian, who is "always ready to give
to every one that asketh him, a reason of his hope." Y
If there be any thing virtuous or manly in any faith,
it must be in that which defies impugners-which
courts investigation; not in that which rests on our
resolution to shut our ears. If our confidence, for
instance, in a friend's integrity is accompanied with
a determinationto hear no objections to his conduct,
it surely is not so creditable to him, as if it rested
on a defiance of accusations, and a readiness to
hear all that could be said, though with a full
expectation that all censure would be refuted. For
we may very reasonably, on many occasions, feel,
after a careful examination of some question, a
confident expectation that no arguments will be
Y Not, be it observed, an answer to every objection: for
there may be objections which none can answer, and others
which the unlearned cannot of themselves be expected at once

to answer, against conclusions which may yet be fairly established by a preponderance of evidence ;-by positive proofs
that have more force than the objections even if left unan-

swered.

" There are objections," said Dr. Johnson, "against a

plenum, and objections against a vacuum; but one of them

must be true."

236

Undue reliance

[ESSAY

IV.

adduced that will change our opinions; but this is
very different from a resolution that none ever
shall.z
Yet nothing is more common than to hear a person say, in the course of some discussion, "Nothing
shall ever convince me"

. . . . " Then hold your

peace !" would be a fair reply, even before he had
finished his sentence; " if you are not open to
conviction, you are not qualified for discussion.
The more confident you are, on just grounds, of
being in the right, the more fearlessly ready should
you be, to hear all that can be urged on the other
side." I am aware that this is, in many cases, no
more than a form of speech adopted from imitation:
but considering how prone we are by nature to the

zThis distinction may be illustrated by that between printing from movable types and from stereotype plates.

The solid

plates perpetuate any error that may have crept in: the

movable types admit readily of any correction that may be
needed; but if none be needed, they will give repeated impressions with accurate uniformity. They are not movable in
the sense of being loose, and casually shifting; but only as
being capable of alteration if required and deliberately designed.
The error then, which I am censuring may be described as
that of one who does not only print but stereotype his
judgments.

SECT. 8.]

on luman authority.

237

fault in question, I cannot but think it important
that even our language should be carefully guarded,
so as never to express, what we should never allow
ourselves to feel, that firm confidence in the authority of Man (whether the decision be another's
or our own) in matters wherein he is liable to err,
which is due only to the unerring God.

ESSAY

V.

PERSECUTION.

Men responsible

§ 1.

THERE are several expressions of our Lord's

to God

which are calculated, and probably were designed,

only for
the rejection of

to guard against the notion, that a rejection of his

divine

religion is an offence which will be lightly regarded
the Most High;-that the gracious and merciful

t
truth. ruth.
by

-the tender and condescending-character of the
Gospel which proclaimed "peace, and good-will
towards men," is to be considered as implying that
men are left to accept the offer or not, according
to their own tastes and fancies, and have no heavy
judgments to dread in case of their not embracing
it; any more than for not perceiving the beauties
of some poem, or for not taking in some mathematical demonstration. On the contrary, "whosoever," said He, "shall not receive you, nor hear
you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust

SECT.

1.]

Per8seclio.

239

under your feet for a testimony against them;
verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable
for Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment,
than for that city."
It was perhaps the more needful to guard against
such a mistake as I have alluded to, on account
of his having shortly before rebuked his disciples
for proposing to call down fire from heaven on a
Samaritan village which had refused to receive
Him; saying, "Ye know not what manner of
spirit ye (s~e)

are of; for the Son of man is not

come to destroy men's lives, but to save." That
this prohibition and this declaration of his, might
possibly have been so interpreted by his disciples
as to lead to the mistake in question, we may infer
from the tone in which, even as it is, some Christian
writers have spoken of the passage, as if designed
to contrast the milder and gentler character of the
Gospel, with the severity of the Mosaic Law.
Whereas our Lord, in the words just cited, warns sanctions
his hearers, and us, through them, that abundant Gospel, in
exin mercy as the Gospel offers of salvation are, that worlde
them; clusively.
mercy is reserved for such as shall accept

and that as the more glorious rewards, so also the
more fearful judgments, of a Future Life, are held

240

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

out in place of the temporal sanctions of the old
dispensation. It is as if He had said, " Think not
that because I came not to destroy the lives of the
ungodly by temporal judgments, as Elias did,
therefore the sin of these men is less, or the
judgments reserved for them, if they persist in it,
lighter; on the contrary, as greater miracles have
been wrought among the men of this generation,
and not temporal but eternal blessings offered
them, so, a proportionate punishment in the next
world, though they may escape in this, awaits the
impenitent: I forbad you to call down fire from
heaven on those who have rejected me; though
Sodom would have repented if the mighty works
had been done in it which have been done in these
cities, and Sodom was destroyed by fire from
heaven: verily I say unto you, it shall be more
tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment, than
for them."
The natural inference from the two passages I
have alluded to, compared with each other, and
with several more in the New Testament connected
with them, would plainly seem to be, that though
the Lord will not, under the New any more than
under the Old dispensation, permit his call to be

SECT.

l]

Persecution.

241

disobeyed with impunity, the rewards and punishments which form the sanction of the Gospel are
not (like those under the Law) temporal prosperity
and affliction, but the far more important blessings
and judgments of the next world; and that consequently the revelation of Christ cannot, consistently
with its character, be either propagated or maintained by the sword or the fires of persecution, or
by any compulsory means; but requires us to be
"gentle unto all men, in meekness instructing them
that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will
give them repentance to the acknowledgment of
the truth."
The desire, however, of saving men from the Origin

of

denunedonthe spirit
dreadful doom in the next world, denouncedo of perse-

those " who do not obey the truth," has often
been a reason, and oftener perhaps a plea, for
seeking to enforce a right faith, and to put down
religious error, by all possible means. Too anxious,
we cannot be, for the salvation of men's souls-for
the diffusion and for the purity of the Christian
religion-so long as we seek to compass these
objects by the gentle force of persuasive argument
and winning example: but when these methods
fail, or even when it is apprehended that they may
R

cution.

242

Persecution not to
be traced
to the
Church of
Rome.

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

fail, the endeavour to prevent, by restraint, deviations from the established faith, and to force the
stubborn and unpersuadable into that which appears
to be for their own good, as well as for that of the
community, is perfectly natural and conformable to
the character of man.a
The Romish Church, which has so long and so
loudly been stigmatized as a persecuting Church, is
indeed deeply stained with this guilt, but cannot
with any reason be reckoned the originating cause
of it. The vast and black catalogue of her offences
on this score, may be accounted for by the circumstance, that a large portion of mankind were for
many ages members of that Church; and that in
this, as well as in numerous other points formerly
noticed, the evil propensities of man's nature,
instead of being checked on each occasion, were
connived at, sanctified, and successively embodied
in that corrupt system. The pretended successors
of Peter have indeed repeatedly proclaimed their
own degeneracy, by their palpable disobedience to
the command, to "put up the sword into its
sheath:" but this, as well as the other Romish
a

See Appendix to Essay I. on "The Kingdom of Christ,"

p. 69.

SECT. 1.]

Persecution.

243

errors, has its root in the evil heart of the unrenewed man. Like the rest, it neither began with
Romanism, nor can reasonably be expected to end
with it.
In respect of the point now before us, this should
seem to be more especially evident: for none complain more loudly of persecution than the Romanists
themselves; who venerate, to this day, the relics
of the martyrs to Pagan persecution. And it is
but too well known, that the Reformers, when they
had detected and renounced the other Romish
errors, had not, either in principle or in practice,
divested themselves of this. Even in respect of
the persecutions directed against themselves, they
seem to have joined issue rather on the question
whether teys were heretics, than whether heretics
ought to be consigned to the secular arm. Jeremy
Taylor advocated almost as a paradoxical novelty,
the doctrine of toleration; and Locke found it
necessary, long after, to make a formal and
elaborate defence of it. Nor can this remnant of
the spirit of Romanism be so called, in the sense
of making the peculiar system of that Church,
properly, the cause of it; because we find the same
principle manifested in its full force among the
R

2

244

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

Mahometans, who cannot in any way be regarded
as deriving it from Romanism.
It is derivable rather from the character of " the
natural man ;" -

from

the

natural

feelings,

of

resentment against opponents-of love of control
-and of a desire to promote apparent good, and
repress whatever seems fraught with mischief, by
any means that present themselves as effectual. The
bitter contests between the sects of the Nominalists
and the Realists, in the age preceding the Reformation, present a memorable and instructive proof,
that the operation of these feelings is not confined
to the case of religion.
2. But natural as these feelings may be, and
to guard strongly as they may tend to produce persecution,
Principles
by which
against
perscu-

tion and
indiffer-

ence.

it may be thought that, in the present age and

country at least, it is useless to contemplate a
danger now completely done away; since persecution neither exists, nor is likely to arise, among
ourselves.
It is however important-not perhaps less important now than formerly-to lay down correct
principles on this point, and to keep clear of a
theoretical error, though it may not lead now to

SECT. 2.]

Persecution.

245

the same kind of practical evils with those which
formerly sprung from it. For it usually happens,
that a false principle will lead to two different evil
results. To use a language which will be familiar
to most of my readers, a false premise, according as
it is combined with this, or with that, true one, will
lead to two different false conclusions. Thus, if the
principle be admitted, that any inportant religious
errors ought to be forcibly suppressed, this may
lead either to persecution on the one side, or to
latitudinarian indifference on the other. Some may
be led to justify the suppression of heresies by the
civil sword; and others, whose feelings revolt at
such a procedure, and who see persecution reprobated and discountenanced by those around them,
may be led by the same principle to regard religious
errors as of little or no importance, and all religious
persuasions as equally acceptable in the sight of
To abstain, in short, in practice, from
God.
putting down heresies by secular force, if we at
the same time maintain the r19/t to do so in the
case of pernicious error, is in fact to sanction those
heresies as harmless and insignificant.
Moreover, it is also important, with a view to
future contingencies, to be in possession of just

Persecution.

246

Persecciples
compatible with a

teler

[ESSAY

V.

principles on such a subject. When persecution is
not actually raging-when men's minds are not
actually inflamed by the combination of religious
animosity with excitements of a political characterthen is the very time to provide ourselves with such
firm-fixed and right principles, as may avail in
time of need; and to destroy the roots of those
theoretical errors which may lie torpid, yet ready to
vegetate as soon as the season is favourable to
them. For when party-spirit and all angry passions
are raging, the voice of calm reason is not likely to
be listened to. When the storm is in its fury, it
may be too late to drop the anchor.
And especially, persons of the mildest disposition,
and most forbearing benevolence, who are fully,
and perhaps

justly,

conscious, that they themselves

would never, under any circumstances, be in danger
of acting harshlyb-more especially, I say, should
such persons be warned of the importance of tolerant
principles, and cautioned to be on their guard
against inculcating, or favouring, such doctrines as
may, by being consistently followed up, lead others
into persecution. For such a person is of course
not likely to distrust himself on this point; from
b

See Essay I. on "The Kingdom of Christ," § 13.

SECT.

2.]

PeTrsecdution

247

feeling confident that cruel severity is not his own
besetting sin; and therefore may be in the more
danger of promulgating principles, which others
will act upon in a manner that would be revolting
to himself. He may have been preparing a poisonous potion, which others will administer. The
sword which he has unconsciously forged and
sharpened, may be wielded with unsparing vigour
by sterner hands.
And it should be remembered, that, however
comparatively mild the character of the present age
may be, if contrasted with those that are past, we
still think it worth while to pray that we, God's
" servants, may be hurt by no persecutions ;" let us
never therefore forget to add mentally a petition for
the far more important blessing, that we may be
preserved from hurting others by persecution.
To prove that persecution is unchristian, would Mistakes

as to what

be superfluous; since the proposition, so stated, persecu-

tion im-

would be at once admitted by all. No one calls plies.
himself, or probably thinks himself, a persecutor.
The errors we are liable to on this point, if we are
liable to any, must consist in our reckoning ourselves secure from this fault as long as we condemn
the name of it, and reprobate the Romanists for

248

Persecution.

[ESSAY V.

being guilty of it, while at the same time we have a
false or indistinct notion of what it is that constitutes
the spirit of persecution.'
I shall therefore chiefly confine myself to a brief
notice of the mistakes as to this point which appear
to be the most prevalent. For in proportion as
persecution is erroneously characterized, in the same
degree must dissuasives from it prove unavailing.
Doctrine
of exclusive salvation.

3. I. The tenet of the Romanists, that salvation is impossible out of the pale of their own
Church, has been not unfrequently considered as
the necessary basis of all their persecution. But
this view appears to me not only incorrect, but
mischievous in its results. For though such a
persuasion may be harsh and bigoted, and may
tend to foster a persecuting principle, the two are
by no means either identical or necessarily connected. It is at least conceivable that a man may
believe a conformity to his own faith to be absolutely indispensable to salvation, and yet may hold,
as part of that faith, the unlawfulness of employing
coercion in its cause. On the other hand, a man
cSee

Essays (4th Series) on "The Dangers to the Christian

Faith," p. 192.

SECT.

3.1

Persecution.

249

may believe the possibility of the salvation of those
of a different persuasion from his own, yet, thinking
them much less likely to attain it-thinking their
case not absolutely hopeless, but highly dangerous
-he may also think himself authorized, and therefore bound, to preserve or to reclaim men, from
error, by coercive means, when no others will suffice.
He may consider governments as bound to exercise,
in all respects, a parental care over their subjects.d
Now children are withheld, and if need be, forcibly
withheld, by their parents, not only from inevitable
destruction, but from every thing dangerous, or in
any respect hurtful.
The persuasion, therefore, of the absolute necessity of a right faith, however uncharitable it may
be, does not necessarily lead to persecution; nor
does the absence of that persuasion preclude persecution. And the notion is, as I have said, not
only erroneous, but practically mischievous; because
it naturally tends to make men regard with suspicion, as leaning to intolerance, every one who sets
a high value on a right faith, regarding religious
error as an important evil; and to suppose that
liberality and christian charity consist in a carelessSee Note (A), at the end of this Essay.

250

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

ness about truth, and indifference as to all religious
persuasions.
Essential,
II. Nor again does persecution consist in attachand nonessential

points.

ing undue importance to mior points of doctrine,
and overlooking the distinction between essential

and non-essential points of Christian faith. The
distinction is indeed one that ought to be attended
to; but it is nothing to the present purpose. A
man who denounces as the most pernicious heterodoxy, any, the most minute departure in any point
from his_ own opinions, or his own phraseology, is
indeed chargeable with narrow-minded bigotry, but
not with a persecuting spirit, if he abhors the employment of any coercive measures against oppo-

nents, and respects liberty of conscience. On the
other hand, a man would be a persecutor, however
tolerant as to many points, who should insist on the
right of secular coercion in respect of essentials; or
even of any one point of faith. It is well known that
men have differed as to what is and is not essential,
not much less than as to what is or is not true. An
infallible judgment is required equally for the decision of either question: and even if we possessed
this infallibility, we should still have no commission
to compel others to acquiesce in our decisions.

SECT.

3.]

Persecution.

251

It is not, in short, the narrowing or the enlarging
of the bounds of orthodoxy that constitutes the
presence or the absence of persecution. A narrower
or a wider room is equally a prison, if a man is
forced to remain confined in it.
III. Another mistake as to the real character of Force
directed
persecution is that of regarding it as consisting in against
truth.
the employment of violent means against the truth;
-as implying that the persecution must be on the
wrong side. Those who take this view of the subject (as the Romanists seem always to have done)
do not, in fact, censure persecution, as such, but
rather religious error. They can no more be said to
object to persecution than a man could be called an
Enemy to Laws because he condemns what he
thinks inexpedient laws, while he advocates such as
he considers wiser. If the persecutors of whom
they complain are doing only what would be right,
supposing the doctrines they enforce were true, it is
not properly the violence employed that is complained of, but the false doctrines supported by it.
It is not a correct or allowable use of language, to
say that we censure a sovereign for killing, banishing, or degrading one-half of his subjects, if our
real meaning be that we censure him only for

252

Excessive
punishment.

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

not deciding rightly wiick half should be so
treated.
And it may be added, that, on this principle, the
censure of persecution must be no less practically
vain, than it is in itself incorrect ; since no one will
believe, or at least acknowledge, his own persuasion
to be wrong, and the cause to which he is opposed
to be that of truth. All dissuasives from persecution must pass by men " as the idle wind which
they regard not," if the word be used in such a
sense, that no one will, or conceivably can, apply
these dissuasives to his own case.
IV. Again, persecution is sometimes characterised as consisting in the excessive severity/-the
cruelty-of the punishments inflicted, and of the
coercive means employed. But in cases where any
secular punishment may allowably be inflicted, it
can hardly be said that any can be excessive which
is not as great an evil as that which it is designed
to remedy, when no lighter penalty will suffice.
Now the loss of men's immortal souls was, justly,
regarded by the Romanists as a greater evil than
the most cruel death of a heretic: and they were
not perhaps mistaken in thinking, that such severity
as effectually puts a stop to the offence, is, in the

sECT. 3.]

Persecution.

253

end, even the more humane procedure. On the
other hand, where we have no right to inflict
secular penalties at all, all alike, whether light or
heavy, must be regarded as equally of the nature of
persecution and cruelty, however unequal in amount.
To burn a thousand heretics, is not more truly persecution-though it is a greater persecution, than
to fine a single one.e It is not the degree of suffering, but the just or wrongful infliction, that chaPersecution is not
racterises each punishment.
wrong because it is cruel; but it is cruel because it
is wrong.
V. Nor, again, is it correct to characterise perse- Revenge
and macution as consisting in the infliction of punishment lice.
for the gratification of revenge or malice: according
to which view, two individuals might deserve, the
one praise, and the other censure, while adopting
the very same measures, the one from a benevolent
wish to deter offenders, the other, from the impulse
of angry passion, and from a bloodthirsty disposition. And it is certainly true that such an act as
the prosecution of a robber, e. g. may spring from
e The Greek language avoids much ambiguity by the use
of rwXaov
iJXXov

Kai

Xarror for

"greater and less in amount," and

a rctrror for "more and less in quality."

254

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V

a sinful desire of revenge: but as in that case we
do not condemn the act as in itself unjustifiable,
though we censure the agent, so, those who hold
the principle just mentioned, do not, in fact, disapprove of persecution at all, but only of revengeful
motives for it. And any censure they may profess
to bestow on persecution must be as ineffectual as
it is in truth incorrect: for few will even think, and
no one will admit, that he is actuated by revengeful
motives. In the bloodiest periods of the Inquisition, the professed object was always the preservation of men's souls, by the prevention of
heretical infection.
Nor are such professions necessarily hypocritical. A man of the most humane
and benevolent character may be led, by a mistaken
sense of duty, arising from error of judgment, to
sanction the most dreadful severities, which he
regards as the only effectual check to a greater evil,
such as he thinks himself bound to repress at all
events. What candid (or even uncandid) student
of history can believe Cranmer cruel and revengeful ? Yet he sanctioned the cutting off of heretics
by the secular arm, from a sincere, though erroneous, sense of duty.
VI. Nor again is persecution characterised by

SECT. 3.]

Persecution.

255

the infliction of punishment designedly, and as a Designed
punishpunishiment, i. e. with a view to deter others by the ment.

example, in contradistinction from the incidental
evil inflicted on any one by removing or confining
him, in order to preserve others from the contamination of heresy; in the same manner as men
infected with the plague are (without any thought
of punishing them) shut up within an hospital.
But any pain, privation, or other evil inflicted for
religious errors as such, is equally persecution,
whether designed as a punishment or not. Otherwise indeed, the most sweeping persecutions,-such
as the expulsion of the Huguenots from France,might be justified on the plea that the sufferings of
the individuals were an undesigned and unavoidable
concomitant of a measure of preservation from the
spread of religious error.
VII. Sometimes, again, the mistake is committed Penalty
for holdof characterising persecution as consisting in punish- ing opinion.
ing men for their religious opinions; while punish-

ment for propagating their errors, is justified.
But this is in fact to explain away the very
existence of persecution; since no man can be
punished for opinions which he keeps secret within
his own bosom. All persecution, if there be any

256

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

such thing in existence, or even in imagination,
must be either for publis/ing opinions supposed to
be erroneous, or for refusing to renounce them, and
to subscribe to the creed imposed. Will it be said
then, that we are authorized to prohibit, and to
prevent by penalties, the preacking of any doctrines
we may deem erroneous, though it would involve
the guilt of persecution to compel any one to
abjure those doctrines, and to assent to ours?
Surely this is drawing a distinction where there
is no essential difference. If it is our right and
our duty, to prevent by forcible means the spread
of certain doctrines, and to maintain what we
believe to be true religion, we must be authorized,
and bound, to employ what will often appear the
only effectual means towards our object by compelling men to renounce those erroneous doctrines,
and to profess that religion; or else at least to
quit the Country. For we should remember, that
it never can, in any case, be left to our ckoice,
whether we will employ coercive means or not. All
punishment-all denunciation of punishment-in
short, all compulsion and restraint-must be either
a duty, or a sin. The Civil magistrate may say,
" I have power to release thee, and power to

SECT. 3.]

Persecution.

257

condemn thee ;" but he cannot have a ri't to do
whichever he will.
And in the present instance, it is impossible to Propagation of
draw a line to any effectual purpose between for- opinions
may be
bidding a man to propagate his religion, and com- held a
that the duty.
pelling him to abjure it, on the ground
one does, and the other does not, offer violence to
his conscience; which was perhaps the distinction
set up by the Jewish Elders, when they were
content merely to "charge the Apostles not to
preach in the name of Jesus." Peter and John
replied, that they could not but "declare what
they had seen and heard ;" and it is not surely
impossible, or even unlikely, that others also may
think themselves bound in conscience to teach, at
least, their families and their friends, what they
conceive to be essential truths.
VIII. Lastly, it is important to observe, that Inflicted
though the word persecution itself does necessarilypay
imply the actual infliction of some penalty, we must
by no means infer, that where nothing of the kind
takes place, the spirit and principle of persecution
is absent.
On the contrary, wherever this principle is the
most vigorously and effectually acted on, there will

258

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

be the least actual persecution, because there will
be the least occasion for it. For it should be
remembered, that no one wishes to persecute.
Penal laws against heretics, as those against
robbers, or incendiaries, are not devised for the
purpose of crowding the jails, and multiplying the
number of criminals sentenced, but are designed
to prevent the offences against which they are
directed: and the laws are considered as then
most effectual, when the terror of the penalties
they denounce so operates in deterring offenders,
that there is seldom any need to inflict the penalties themselves.
We never hear therefore of persecution in those
Countries where no resistance is made to religious
coercion. The fetters gall those only who struggle
against them. Accordingly, where the tyranny of
the Inquisition reigns triumphant, there are no
punishments for religious offences.
No tree is
withered by the frost of the polar regions, or by
the scorching winds of the Arabian deserts; because
none can exist in those regions. And no Protestant
is now brought to the stake in Spain, because,
there, persecution has done its work.
Hence the fallacious argument, for I cannot but

SECT.

3.]

Persecution.

259

regard it as such, which is often employed against
persecution, on the ground that it does not answer
its purpose of suppressing dissent. It is evident
that actual persecution, when it does accomplish
its object, must soon cease. The fire will go out
of itself, when it has fairly consumed its fuel.
The more effectually the Inquisition operates, the
less it will have to do. There are accordingly few
Roman-Catholic countries in which some attempts
at reformation have not been suppressed by a
vigorous, early, and steady resort to secular force;
or in which such attempts are not prevented by the
apprehension of it.
We must not therefore judge of the existence, or
of the extent, of a persecuting spirit, in any case,
by the amount of sufferings actually under9one;
(else we shall suppose it to exist least where in
reality it is in the greatest force;) but by the
penalties denounced-in short, the degree of coercion
that exists in religious matters. And in our own
conduct, the rock of which we must steer clear, if
we would preserve the true course of christian
meekness, is, not the actual practice of religious
persecution, but the sanction of secular compulsion
and restriction-not the actual infliction, but the

260

P2ersecution.

[ESSAY

V.

enactment, of secular penalties. For the infliction
(in any case) of the punishment denounced, is an
accidental circumstance; and it is never the object
of the legislator's will, but depends in part on the
persons suffering; and if the law is just, the penalty
by which it is sanctioned ouyltl to be inflicted on
any transgressor of that law. And on the other
hand, consequently, if the case be such that the
infliction of the punishment would be persecution,
the law ought not to be sanctioned by the
denouncement of that punishment. A compulsory
enactment necessarily implies the resort to forcible
means in case of resistance or disobedience; in any
case therefore where the one would be wrong, the
other cannot possibly be right.!
SAccordingly, I have always been at a loss to understand
how Christians, of those Sects which interpret literally the
injunction to turn the cheek to the smiter, and which regard
all employment of force as unlawful, can reconcile to their
principles the practice (about which they have, I believe, no
scruple) of going to law for the recovery of their rights.
If one of these has a sum awarded to him, whether in the
shape of damages, or otherwise, he must be aware that the
defendant would, in most instances, refuse to pay it, but that
he is compelled; i. e. knows that if he refused payment, his
goods would be forcibly seized by the officers of justice, and

SECT.

4.1

Perseeulion.

261

§ 4. The ultimate penalty accordingly, in this Expulsion
the ultiworld, with which the Author of our Religion mate
thought fit to sanction it, was (with the exception penalty.
of a few cases of miraculous interference) the
exclusion of the offender from the religious community which he had scandalized.
" If he refuse
to hear the Church, let him be unto you as a
heathen man and as a publican ;" if he would not
listen when repeatedly admonished, he was to be
removed from the Society. And it is worthy of
being remarked, that the Romish Church itself
claims no right to punish those who do ot belong
to that Society: a " heathen man" does not come
under her jurisdiction. In order therefore to retain
that an attempt to resist or evade such seizure would be
punished by imprisonment or otherwise.
Do they then satisfy their conscience by the plea, that no
force is actually used; the apprehension of it being sufficient?
or do they plead, that at any rate the force would not be
exercised by themselves, but by the officers, who are of a different persuasion? The former of these principles might be
used to justify a man's sending an incendiary letter, provided
the threat proved successful; the latter plea might be urged
in behalf of one who shoul; hire an unscrupulous assassin to
dispatch his enemy.
SFor an able development of this principle, see Hinds's
History of the Rise of Christianity, vol. i. p. 327-336.

262

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

the right of coercion over all who have been bap-

tized, even by such as She accounts heretics, the
Romanists affect to regard them as truly members,
though rebellious subjects, of the Catholic Church.h
In literal and direct opposition to our Lord's words,
though censuring them for "refusing to hear the
Church," they yet will not regard them in the light

of " heathen men."
The language of the Apostle Paul corresponds
with his Master's: " a man that is an heretic, after
the first and second admonition, reject." But no
' " The very existence of ]Protestants(to say nothing of the
Greek Church) is sufficient to nullify, in respect of the Church
of Rome at least, the notion of an exemption from error and
from schism being promised to that, as to the Universal or
Catholic Church. For the Church of Rome claims all professing Christians as properly belonging to it; considering
Protestants as children, though disobedient children;-subjects, though revolted subjects. The very rise therefore, and
continued existence, of Protestantism, proves the non-existence in the Catholic Church (if the Church of Rome be
supposed such) of any immunity from heresy and schism.
And if it be attempted to avoid this conclusion by allowing
that Protestants and members of the Greek Church are not
to be regarded as in any way belonging to the Church of
Rome, then, the pretensions of that Church to be the Catholic
(i. e. Universal) Church, must be given up."-Charge,1844,
p. 4 G.

SECT. 4.]

Persecution.

263

personal violence-no secular penalty whatever, is
denounced against heretics and schismatics-" heathen men and publicans." The whole of the New
Testament breathes a spirit of earnestness indeed in
the cause of truth, and zeal against religious error;
but of such a zeal as was to manifest itself only in
vehement and persevering persuasion.
This, which the advocates of coercion cannot
deny, they are driven to explain away, by saying,
that the Apostles and other early Christians were
unable to compel men to a conformity to the true
faith; they abstained from the use of secular force,
because (I cite the words of Augustine, a favourite
authority with the Romanists as well as with many
Protestants) " that prophecy was not yet fulfilled,
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings; be learned, ye
that are judges of the earth; serve the Lord with
fear." The rulers of the earth, he adds, were at
that time opposed to the Gospel; and therefore it
was that the secular arm was not called in against
the Church's enemies.
But they might be asked, in reply,-if indeed

Christ's

kingdom
not of this

such an argument be worth a reply,-w/y the
Apostles had not this power. Surely their Masteror.
could have bestowed it ;-He unto whom "all

264

Persecution.

[ESSAY V.

power was given, in heaven and in earth :"-He
who declared that the Father was ready to send
him " more than twelve legions of angels ;" whose
force, as it would have destroyed all idea of resistance, would at once have established his religion,
without any need of a resort to actual persecution.
Or, if for any hidden reasons, the time was not yet
come for conferring on his disciples that coercive
power which was to be afterwards justifiably
employed in his cause, we might expect that He
would have given notice to them of the change of
system which was to take place. But had He
designed any such change, his declaration to Pilate
would have been little else than an equivocation
worthy of the school of the very Jesuits. Had He
declared that "His kingdom was not of this world,"
meaning, that though such was the case, then, He
meant it to be supported by secular force, or
monopoly of civil rights, hereafter, and consequently
to become a kingdom of this world;-and that his
servants were not allowed to fight in his cause;
with the mental reservation, that they were hereafter to do so ;-He would have fully justified the
suspicion which probably was entertained by many
of the heathen magistrates, that the Christians and

SECT:

4.]1

Persecution.

265

their Master did, nothwithstanding their professions,
secretly meditate the establishment of a kingdom
supported by secular force; and that though they
disavowed this principle, and abstained from all
violent methods, this was only a mask assumed
during the weakness of their infant power, which
they would (according to the principle which
Augustine avows) throw aside as soon as they
should have obtained sufficient strength.
But the very idea is blasphemous, of attributing
such a subterfuge to Him who "came into the world
that He might bear witness of the truth." The
immediate occasion indeed of our Lord's making itis
declaration to Pilate, was his desire to do away
the expectation so strongly prevailing both among
Jews and Gentiles, of a temporal Messiah about to
establish a triumphant kingdom: but no occasion
would have led Him to make the declaration, had
it not been true: and it would not have been true,
had He meant no more than that his kingdom was
spiritual, in the sense of its having dominion over
the souls of men, and holding out the glories and
the judgments of the other world; for this was
what the infidel Jews expected, and expect to this
day. They look for a kingdom both of this world

266

Persecation.

[ESSAY V.

and also of the next ;-for a Messiah who shall
bestow on his followers not only worldly power and
splendour, but also the spiritual blessings of a
future state, besides. They did indeed expect the
Messiah to reign over them for ever in bodily
person: but the main part of their expectation
would have been fulfilled, had He merely founded a
temporal kingdom, and delegated (as the Lord did
of old, to the Kings) his power, to his anointed, in
whom his Spirit should dwell. Jesus accordingly,
to mark his opposition to this expectation of the
Jews, not only claimed spiritual dominion, but
renounced temporal: He declared not merely that
his kingdom is of the necx world, but that it is not
of this world.
Indeed it must be evident to any one, on a
moment's reflection, that the mere claiming or disclaiming of any dominion beyond the Grave, would
have been, at that time, and with reference to the
trial then going on, utterly impertinent and foreign
to the question. He was on trial for high treason;
-- for a design to subvert, or in some way interfere
with, the established Government. The plea urged
in support of this charge was, " Whosoever maketh
himself a King speaketh against Caesar." Whether

SECT. 4.]

Per'secution.

267

therefore he claimed or not, and whether justly or
not, the disposal of rewards and punishments in
another life, was nothing to the purpose. He was
required to plead guilty or not-guilty to the charge
against him. The question was, whether He did
or did not, claim, or design to claim, by Himself or
his disciples, any kind of Secular Empire. He
distinctly disclaimed it. Let those who maintain
that He meant to reserve the right of authorizing
temporal coercion in behalf of his religion, prove if
they can that He was not justly put to death!
I have known persons who, loth to abandon the Christ a
deceiver, if
claim of secular control in religion, try to evade the He meant
his discidifficulty by explaining our Lord's meaning to have piesto mobeen, that He did not claim any secular power for nopolize
Christians as suc/, beyond what was claimed by all power.

others in behalf of their own respective religions ;
all having, it is said, a natural right to establish a
national religion, and exclude from political privileges those who do not conform to it: as was done
in the ancient Grecian States, where slaves, Helots,
and others were precluded, by being of a different
race from the dominant party, from participating in
the same religious rites, and were consequently
debarred from the rights of citizenship. Had this

268

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

been our Lord's meaning, He would have been
bound in sincerity to have said plainly that his
Kingdom was not more of this world than the other
religions established in the world; which avowedly
were connected with political domination; and that
his servants would not fight for Him, till they
should become strong enough
they should
become, in each country, a m ajoriy, not necessarily
of the whole population, (for the citizens of each of
the Grecian states were generally very far from
that) but of the politically dominant party; and
that then they would forcibly exclude all but
Christians from the rights of citizenship.
Now this, it is evident, would have been to plead
guilty to the charge brought against Him.k
All the declarations, however-all the direct and
indirect teaching-of Scripture, is unavailing to the
uncandid inquirer, who seeks in these books, not a
guide for his conduct, but a justification of it; and
who is bent on making the word of God, where it
does not suit his views, " of none effect, by the
tradition" of a supposed infallible Church, or by

;-till

See Essays, (4th Series,) Appendix, Note F.
k I have treated more fully of this part of the subject in the
Volume of "Charges and Tracts" lately published, p. 482.

SECT.

5.]

Persecution.

269

the subtleties of strained interpretations.' But to
a candid mind the instructions afforded by the
Evangelists and Apostles appear to me not only
sufficient to settle all questions relating to the
subject of persecution, but also (to the generality of
mankind) better adapted for that purpose than any
arguments which human reason could supply.
§ 5. For I am convinced, after much obser- Scriptureargument
vation and reflection on the subject, that in all against
persecudiscussions, whether with professed Romanists, or tion the
most
with others, in spirit, Romanists, who advocate such popular.
principles as lead to persecution, the arguments
drawn from Scripture are to be preferred for popular
use, as best calculated to satisfy those who are of a
Christian spirit, and open to conviction, but of
moderate intellectual powers. Other arguments
have often been unanswerably urgedm against persecution, drawn from its ultimate inexpediency-from
its liability to be employed against the truth, as
well as for it. It has been condemned, again, with
" Quicquid recipitur, ad modum recipientis recipitur," is
an ancient medical aphorism, capable of a wide application.
m Bishop Taylor and Locke have almost exhausted the
arguments.on this subject.

270

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

equally good reason-from its tendency to produce
hypocrisy and covert atheism, and, by creating a
general suspicion of insincerity, to weaken the
evidence in favour of a religion so supported. For,
the argument from authority-the confirmation any
one's faith receives from the belief of others, is
destroyed, when a compulsory profession leaves it
doubtful in each case whether those others are
sincere believers or not. And the prohibition,
under secular penalties, of any arguments against a
religion, impairs, more or less, in proportion as it is
enforced, another and more important branch of
defiance of contradiction; through the
evidence,
medium of which most of the other evidences of
Christianity present themselves to the minds of the
generality; who could not possibly examine, in
detail, for themselves, any great part (no one could,
the whole) of the proofs of each of the historical
facts on which our religion rests; but whose confidence rests, and justly rests, on the conviction,
that if there were any flaw in the evidence, it would
be detected and proclaimed. n Force accordingly,
together with Fraud, the two great engines for the
support of the Papal dominion, have almost anni-

the

u See note B, at the end of this Essay.

SE CT. 5.]

Persecution.

271

hilated sincere belief in Christianity among the
educated classes, throughout a great portion of
Europe.
Such arguments, I say, as these, are sound indeed,
and, to an enlarged and philosophical mind-one
capable of taking a comprehensive view of human
affairs and of human nature-they are perfectly
convincing. And they afford to such a mind, a
pleasing confirmation of the superhuman wisdom
manifested in the Gospel scheme. For, men of
that age and condition of life, and of the Jewis/
nation more especially, would never have been led
by mere human sagacity to reject and prohibit all
temporal coercion, and seek to propagate and
maintain their religion by no force but that of
gentle persuasion. And even in the present day,
I cannot but think that such arguments as I have
adverted to, are not likely to be comprehended in
their full force, by men of narrow or uncultivated
understanding. And therefore it is, I conceive,
that our great Master has graciously provided, in
his holy Word, a support for the weak, and a guide
for the dim-sighted, among his faithful followers ;that He has been pleased to reveal what is, not
indeed undiscoverable by human reason, but yet not

272

Persecdution.

[ESSAY

V.

so discoverable as to be capable of being made clear
to the mass of mankind;-that He has prohibited,
both by the precepts and the example of Himself
and his Apostles, that persecuting spirit whose
inexpediency, and whose intrinsic turpitude, some,
even of the humble and sincere among his followers,
might have failed to discover for themselves. As
for the prejudiced and the wilful, they are not
likely to learn the truth either from Scripture or
from reason :0 but the plainest Christian, who has
indeed " the Spirit of Christ," and not that of
Antichrist, may learn the will of his Master both
by his teaching and from his pattern; and may be
made "wise unto salvation," by becoming a folfower of Him who was " meek and lowly in spirit,"
-who "did no violence, neither was guile found in
his mouth," and who " came not to destroy men's
lives, but to save."
Abstract
absurdity

of persecution

overlooked.

§

6. How blind even an intelligent man may be
to the abstract arguments against persecution, is
strikingly illustrated by a slip which the acute and
powerful Bp. Warburton has made, in treating of
toleration.
°"

He would have all men allowed liberty
emedia non agunt in cadaver."

SECT.

6.1

.Persecution.

273

to worship God in their own way; but Atheists, he

says, should be banished from every Civil Govern..
ment, because they are "incapable of giving security
for their behaviour in community; and their principles directly overthrow the very foundation on
which it is built."P This great man overlooked the
obvious circumstance, that, by a kind of perverse
inconsistency, his remedy would operate precisely in
those cases where his reason for it did not hold
good, and would be almost sure to fail in the very
cases it was designed to meet. Such Atheists as
were, conformably to his supposition, utterly unprincipled and unscrupulous, would of course, were the
system he recommends established, make no difficulty of denying their infidelity, and professing any
thing whatever that might be proposed to them;
those again, if there be any such, who were too
honest to save themselves from punishment by
falsehood, would be the very persons to suffer the
penalty. So that those to whom his description
applies, as being such that the Community could
have "no security" for their good behaviour, would
remain in the Community; and the sentence of
SAlliance between Church and State, b. iii.

274

Pe(rsec lion.

[ESSAY

N.

exile designed for tkem, would fall on those, exclusively, to whom the description did not apply.
A like error results, practically, in some instances,
from our laws relative to oaths. I have seen a case
recorded, of a tradesman suing a customer for a
debt, which the other denied; he produced his
books, and was about to make oath in the usual
form, of the correctness of the entry: when the
other party objected that he was an Atheist, and
therefore was not entitled to take an oath: on being
questioned, he admitted this; and the case was
dismissed. The magistrates could not have acted
otherwise, as the law stands; but surely the law
should be altered when it operates, as in this
instance, to defeat its own object." The very
purpose of an oath is to obtain some security of a
man's speaking the truth: now in this case, if the
tradesman had been so unscrupulous as to make a
false charge, it is, though perhaps possible, not
likely he would have hesitated to support it by a
false profession of his belief in religion. The best
ground that could have been afforded for trusting
to his veracity, was his refusing to utter a falsehood
q See an able pamphlet entitled "Remarks on Oaths, &c."
published by Hatchard, 1826.

SECT.

7.]

7Perseclio.

275

for the sake of establishing his claim; and it was
for this very reason, in fact, that his claim was
disallowed.

§ 7. The feeling which tends to foster the spirit Hostility
of persecution, and to blind us to the reasons
opposed to it--that feeling of hostility which
naturally arises in our breasts against such as reject
our Faith, or our own views of it-in short, against
Infidels and Hereties --ischiefly remarkable from
the circumstance of its being usually so much
stronger, than our indignation against those who,
professing our religion, disgrace it by an unchristian
life, or even by an avowed disregard of religion.
It should seem at the first glance, as if the very
reverse of this were the more reasonably to be
expected. For, as far as the Cause itself is concerned, he surely injures it more who brings
discredit on it, than he who openly opposes it.
The professing Christian implies, by a sinful life,
either that his religion is compatible with immorality, or else that he professes it for form's sake
SThe strongest term of detestation perhaps of all that can
be applied to a man,-the term " Miscreant "-affords in its
etymology (mis-believer) a curious instance of this.

T2

against infidels and
heretics.

276

Perseettion.

[ESSAY

V.

only, and secretly disbelieves it; by which means
he casts a doubt on the sincerity of the professions
of others, and thus weakens the evidence their
example would have afforded. And as far as the
individualis concerned, the irreligious, or profligate,
or worldly-minded Christian, is surely more chargeable with imnpiety than the unbeliever. An Atheist
might, conceivably at least, have loved and obeyed
his Saviour, if he could have been convinced of his
divine mission: at any rate, he is not living in
habitual defiance of a God whom he acknowledges.
If two men receive each a letter from his father,
and one of them, on very insufficient grounds,
rejects it as a forgery, he is not surely more
undutiful than the other, who, recognising it as
a genuine letter from his father, puts it away
carefully, and utterly disregards all the injunctions
it contains.

The apostle Paul accordingly enjoins his converts
to withdraw themselves, not from all intercourse
with unbelievers, but from any man of their own
Society, that "walketh disorderly; "-" if any one
that is called a
bring a scandal on the
Church by living in known sin, " with such an one
not even to eat:" (i.e. at the Agapwe or love-feasts:)

brotlker"

SECT. 7.

277

E erseclioi.7

and to "cut off" (excommunicate)
"offend" (i.e. scandalize) the Society.

those

who

How comes it, then, that men's feelings for the Immorality more

most part take an opposite direction?
I. One common
than
obvious cause, as far as we of the present day are avowed
concerned, is, that avowed infidelity is comparatively infidelity.
rare. We are so much accustomed, unhappily, to
the case of Christians leading an unchristian life,
while the open rejection of the Faith is an exception
to the general rule, that in respect of the one, our
feelings are blunted by familiarity, while the comparative unfrequency of the other fault, makes it
the more shocking.
It is evident, that with the early Christians the
case must have been reversed. Since men did not
then profess Christianity as a matter of course, and
had in general to encounter some hardships and
inconveniences on account of their profession, an
utter disregard of their religion, or a life utterly at
variance with it, must have been much less common
among the primitive Christians than among ourselves: while, on the other hand, they were living
in the midst of unbelievers, and were themselves
the exception to the general rule.
It is also evident, that the reason given does not

278

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

apply, at least with equal force, to the case of persons holding a different form of Christianity. These
are much more frequently met with than avowed
anti-christians; and they are the objects accordingly, in general, of feelings less hostile than the
others; yet still, in many instances, of greater
hostility than is uusally felt towards those who lead
an unchristian life.
Anger felt
II. Another cause, which has the same tendency
most
against
with the foregoing, is, that every one who rejects
those who

go to

shake our
own faith.

the whole, or any part, of our Faith, diminishes, so
far, the confirmation which all men are disposed to
derive, more or less, on every point, from authority
-from feeling that others think with them. I
suspect there are few, whose acquiescence even in
the conclusions of Euclid, is entirely unmixed with
this feeling. In matters which admit of less intrinsic certainty, it is of course a larger ingredient
in that compound of evidence on which belief
rests.s And in proportion as each man is the
worse qualified for reasoning, or the more averse
to the trouble of it, he will be the more disposed
5In reality, the existence of infidelity supplies one important branch of evidence.-See Note B at the end of this
Essay.

SECT. 7.]

Persecution.

279

to content himself with this description of evidence,
and to acquiesce in what is generally received,
without submitting to the toil of seeking for other
reasons.

Now any one who rejects our tenets, goes so far
towards shaking this confidence, and disturbing
this indolent tranquillity. He drives us to take the
trouble of thinking-of supporting our conclusions
by argument-of contemplating and answering objections-and of making our opinions assume the
attitude rather of frontier-towns, carefully fortified
and watchfully garrisoned, than of secure and
peaceful inland-districts. And hence we are naturally led to feel some indignation against the causer
of this disturbance. On the contrary, one who
adheres to the belief of our religion, while it
condemns his own life, is, in fact, bearing strong
testimony in our favour, by admitting what, it
should seem, he must wish to disbelieve.
III. Add to this, that one who is opposed to our Supposed
contempt

Faith, however courteous his outward demeanour of infidels
for bemay be, and however liberal his real disposition, lievers.
cannot, we feel, but inwardly look down upon us,
as weak and credulous, or prejudiced and bigoted
to error, or in some way opposed to right reason;

280

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

and these sentiments we feel as personally affronting
to us. On the other hand, he who, adhering to
an orthodox Christian faith, lives a life at variance
with it, seems to acknowledge his own inferiority
to those whose conduct is such as, by his own
shewing, his oug't to be. The one in short seems
to scorn, and the other to honour, us, not by their
external demeanour, but by the very character of
their respective opinions.
ImmoraliIV. Lastly, it will often really happen, and often
ty sup-

posed to again be supposed, and sometimes perhaps prebe implied
by infitended, that a man's rejection of Christianity is, in
fact, a step beyond his disobedience
delity.
to it ;-that he
has proceeded from leading an irreligious life to the
adoption of irreligious principles; and set himself
against the Gospel because he found the Gospel
against him. t In this case it may be urged, with
truth, that hlie is deserving of heavier censure than
the Christian who leads an ill life; because he
t Sincerity accordingly,

not that kind which consists in

the exercise of an unbiassed judgment,-but, the unfeigned
persuasion that wrong is right, and truth falsehood-is described by the great moralist of antiquity as the last stage of
corruption ; that of the dK6Xaoroc. See Appendix to Logic:
Article, "Sincerity."

SECT.

8.]

8erseculioi.

281

includes botU characters. Whatever we may suspect however, I know not that we are authorized
to impute these motives to any one without actual
proof.
This last is, of course, the reason which, of all
that have been mentioned, would be in general the

most readily avowed, (and often in perfect sincerity,)
to account for the greater indignation felt against
Infidels and Heretics, than against irreligious or
vicious Christians. I am convinced, however, that
the other causes enumerated, operate not less
powerfully towards the same result. And if such
be indeed the natural feelings of the human heart,
it behoves us to be ever on our guard against their
excess, and against being led by them into those
practical faults, to whose frequency history bears
such ample testimony.

S8. That much of that kind of feeling does

Contrast
between

exist, which I have been endeavouring to account the tenderness for
for, observation will, I think, sufficiently prove, moral, and
And indeed it will often be found, that the very towrats
doctrinal

persons whose requisitions in respect of orthodoxy faults.
are the most rigid-who go to the greatest extreme
in narrowing the pale of it-who make the least

282

.Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

allowance for minute differences of opinion-and
are the most bitter against all who do not agree
with them; are the very same who go the greatest
lengths of indulgence in respect of moral requisitions-shew the greatest extreme of tenderness
towards those whose conduct is a scandal to
Christianity-and seem as if they would have
utterly disapproved the system of discipline, in
respect of moral delinquents, which prevailed in
the primitive Churches. I have seen accordingly
severe censure bestowed on a sermon of a pious
and able writer,u in which he ventures to utter a
wish, (far short, by the way, of that contained in
our Church's Commination-service,) that those who
are Christians only in name and profession-" who
have no clear knowledge of what a Christian ought
to be-would either take one side or the other;
that they would either be the servants of Christ in
earnest, or renounce Him openly, and say that they
have nothing to do with Jesus of Nazareth, or his
" The late Dr. Arnold.

For his deliberate judgment as to
the way in which those should be treated who do not hold
what we consider as a right faith, the reader is referred to a
passage in his "Christian Life," which I have cited near the
end of Essay I. on the "Kingd o m of Christ."

SECT.

8.1

Persecut.

283

salvation. Happy indeed," he adds, " would it be
for the Church of Christ, if all its false friends
would declare themselves its enemies."
The
temerity of this wish, we have been told, "would
be such as to make us shudder, if it came from
the lips of an enthusiast." No doubt more of the
effect produced on some minds, depends on the
question, who it is that says any thing, than on
whOat it is that is said! For the framers of our
Services have been so temerarious as to express
an earnest wish, that the " godly discipline of the
primitive Church" might be restored; under which
those who had scandalized their brethren were put
to open penance, or, (as every one knows,) in the
event of their refusing to make submission, or of
their not reforming their lives, were excluded from
the Society, till they should so submit and give
satisfactory assurance of their repentance.
We have been told, however, that in the event Defence of
the greatof even a voluntary secession on the part of "the er indulfalse friends of Christ," there would be a vast shewn to
immoral
portion of society permanently cut off from the life.
ordinances and institutions of Christianity: (that
is, I presume, as permanently as the unbelieving
Jews and Gentiles, who might chuse to make their

284

Persecdution.

[ESSAY

V.

own unbelief "permanent;" or as the incestuous
Corinthian, who was to be "permanently" cut off
as long as he should persist in his sin and impenitence:) that they would cease to frequent the
assemblies of the faithful-would never hear the
word of doctrine or exhortation-would have shut
themselves out from the appointed means of grace,
and would be publicly and solemnly pledged to
unbelief: that their hearts would be sealed against
the voice of the Church, and they would be fixed
to their life's end among the desperate adversaries
The existing condition of
of their Redeemer.
things, it is admitted, is discouraging enough; but
it is a state, it is contended, of millennial bliss,
compared with what would follow, if Heaven were
to listen to the wishes of this preacher: i.e. compared with the actual state of things in the times
of the primitive Churches. It is urged, that now,
the unfaithful and double-minded Christian is perpetually and closely confronted with the principle
he professes : the offices and ministrations of
religion are loudly and incessantly appealing to
the vows he has made, &c. &c.
Example
All this may be very true; nor am I undertaking
of the
to prove, that the primitive Churches were not
early
Churches.

SECT.

8.]

Persecution.

injudiciously strict in their discipline; or that our
Reformers were not unwise for wishing its restoration; or that it was not a disadvantage to those
Churches, that such as were strangers to Christian
faith and practice, were not members of them as a
matter of course, but remained avowed unbelievers
till they were disposed deliberately and in earnest
The early Christians
to embrace Christianity.
probably thought, that the ungodly or vicious were
not the less, but the more, likely to be reclaimed,
by the loud warning as to their dangerous state,
which would be forced on their minds by their
exclusion from the visible Church:-that when
not merely told from the pulpit, that the Sacraments and other means of grace are of no benefit
to such as lead an unchristian life, but impressed
with this truth by the actual refusal of these
Ordinances, they would be the less liable to that
common superstition of regarding these means of
grace as a charm, and of flattering themselves that,
if not in a safe state, they are at least in a safer
state, by virtue of their going to church, and of
being confessedly Christians, though they do not
(as one may often hear people say) profess to be
"Saints."

286

Persecidioi.

[ESSAY V.

In all this however the primitive Christians may
perhaps have been mistaken; and I am far from
denying that there is much show of reason in
what may be urged on both sides. But what is
to my present purpose to remark is, that those
who are thus anxious to retain within the pale of
the Church such professing Christians as lead a
careless or immoral life, are not found, as some
perhaps might have antecedently expected, to feel
any thing like a proportionate tenderness towards
differences of opinion. On the contrary, they are
usually the foremost in exaggerating into fatal
heresy the smallest shade of variation from their
own views of orthodoxy; and the loudest in urging
all those, openly and at once to separate from the
Church, whose notions do not appear minutely to
coincide with their own.x If such arguments as
those just alluded to were urged on behalf of those
they denounce as heterodox-if any thing approaching to the same forbearance as they recommend in the case of immoral Christians, were
proposed to be extended to such as have not
quite made up their minds as to this or that

x

As was done in respect of Dr. Arnold himself, by the

critic above referred to.

SECT.

8.

Persee ,lio.

287

doctrine, or have taken such a view of any points
as appears incorrect in the eyes of others who lay
claim to preeminent orthodoxy-were such a plea,
I say, to be urged, almost in the very same words,
I cannot but think we should hear a loud clamour
against latitudinarian laxity and dangerous liberalism.
I am not of course contending that there may
not be, either a defect, or an excess, of strictness,
in the requisitions either of an orthodox faith, or
of a blameless life. It requires a discreet judgment, to decide, in each particular case, under
either class, the precise amount of the departure
from the right road. But the circumstance to
which I wish to call attention is, that since those
who are the most lax on the one side, are the most
rigid on the other,-that those are in the one point
the most scrupulous in straining off the gnat, who,
in the other, are the most ready to swallow the
camel,-this confirms what has been above said
of the tendency in our nature towards a more
hostile feeling against such as oppose or disavow
our religion, than against those who disobey and
scandalize it.
And as this tendency is altogether nabural, so it

Persecution.

288

[ASSAY

V.

Natural

28
P3eseczidi,.LESYV
is, as might have been expected, eminently ]?omni8/.

tendency
towards a

Never vas there a more prevailing laxity of Chris-

union of
laxity in
mrtof

toe-ar

trinail

tdons.

tian morals, even among the very governors of the
Church of Rone, and never was such corruption
thought of by her zealots, than at the
very periods when She was occupied in suppressing
heresy with the most unrelenting rigour. Louis
more litly

the Fourteenth, who, during nearly his whole life,
vas setting his subjects the example of living in
open Adultery, was applauded to the skies by a
Christian preacher, for his piety in having burned,
gibbetted, racked, or driven into exile, hundreds of
thousands of his Protestant subjects.y
If we would be really safe from the danger of
committing faults of a like character with those
which we regard with abhorrence in others, we
must seek that safety in self-distrust-in a vigilant

Supposed

impossibility of
men's

being in-

connsis tently
right.

suspicion

of

the human heart.

And those, it may be added, are the most likely

to be wanting in such self-distrust, and consequently to fall into the practical adoption of perseY 1"Epanchons Ios curs sur la pie"t6 de Louis ; poussons
jusqu'au ciel nos acelamations . . . . Vous avez extermind
les hdrdtiques ; c'est le digne ouvrage de votre regne ; c'en est
le propre caractere. "-Bossuet.

SECT.

8.

Persecidion.

289

cuting principles, at variance with the true spirit of
Protestantism, who are the most vehement in their
disbelief of all tolerant sentiments coming from a
Roman-catholic, and the most ready to stigmatize
them at once as mere hypocrisy; on the ground
that theological works containing persecuting dogmas (which by the bye is the case with Bishop
Jewell's and other Protestant works) are retained
and sanctioned by Romanist divines. They cannot
therefore, it is urged, consistently disavow persecuting-principles, without renouncing their allegiance to their Church. But however true this may
be, do men never act inconsistently with their principles ? And since we see every day how many
men will in practice depart from their principles for
the worse, it cannot surely be quite impossible that
they should sometimes depart from them for the
better. Now those who overlook the proneness of
mankind to inconsistency are, as I have said, the
most likely to be lulled themselves into a false
security. Confident that a Roman-catholic must
always be, at least in heart, a persecutor, because
he belongs to a Church which has sanctioned persecution, and which cannot acknowledge an error, he
is likely to be equally confident that he himself is

290

Inconsistency of a
persecuting
Christian.

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

in no danger of being a persecutor, because that is
at variance with Protestant-principles.
But the Roman-catholic reveres, it seems, the
authority of such and such books, which inculcate
persecution: and does not he and every professed
Christian, revere the authority of the New Testament ? and can any persecuting dogmas be more
distinctly and strongly expressed than the exhortations of Jesus and his Apostles, to peace, gentleness, forgiveness, rendering of good for evil, and
abstinence from all employment of the sword in
his cause ? The professed Christian, who persecutes,

must, at any rate, be as inconsistent as

it is possible to be, with the principles he acknowledges.
The fact is, that the disposition of the heart will
always in practice predominate either for the better
or the worse, over the professed creed; which men
will always contrive somehow or other to explain
away (before they formally renounce it) when at
variance with their habitual temper. Without the
sedulous cultivation of a Christian spirit, no doctrinal system can afford any security against the
natural tendency to persecution.

SECT. 9.]

Persectiion.

291

9. For it is to Human Nature we must trace, Antichristians
both this, and many other of those evils, which each would
man is usually disposed to attribute to the particu- persecute.
lar system he is opposed to. As the Protestant is
often inclined to look no further than to Romanism
for the origin of persecution, so is the infidel, to
regard Ckristianity as the chief cause of it. But
both are mistaken. I am convinced that Atheists,
should they ever become the predominant party,
would persecute religion. For, nearly the same
causes, or others corresponding to them, would
exist, which have been just mentioned as generating
especial hostility towards those who differ in faith
from ourselves.
The Atheists would feel themselves to be regarded by the Christians, not indeed
as weak and credulous, but as perverse and profane:
their confidence again in their qwn persuasion would
be as likely to be shaken by the Christian, as the
Christian's, by them: all the human passions, in
short, and all the views of political expediency,
which have ever tempted the Christian to persecute,
would have a corresponding operation with them.
Not that I conceive most of them to have, themselves, any suspicion of this, or to be insincere in
their professed abhorrence of persecution. As no
v2

292

Persecution.

[ESSAY V.

one wistes to persecute, so, they probably do not
anticipate (under the above-mentioned supposition)
such a state of things as would seem to call for
coercive measures. They imagine, probably, that
when they had deprived Christian ministers of
endowments, had publicly proclaimed the falsity of
the Christian faith, and had taken measures for
promoting education and circulating books calculated to enlighten the people, the whole system of
religious belief would, gradually but speedily, die
away, and be regarded in the same light with tales
of fairies. Such doubtless was the notion of some,
whom I have known to express regret that BuonapIarte did not employ the power he possessed in
conferring so great a benefit on Society as he might
have done,

" by abolishing Christianity."

They

were thinking, probably, of no more active measures
than the withholding of the support and countenance of government.
Probable
In such expectations, every one who believes in
progress
of Atheists towards persecution.

Christianity must feel confident that they would be

deceived. At first indeed appearances probably
would be such as to promise favourably to their
views. For, most of those who profess Christianity,
merely for fashion's sake, or in compliance with the

SECT.

9.]

]Pers8ccdio.

293

laws of their country, would soon fall away; and
would be followed by many of such as wanted firmness to support ridicule, or the disfavour of those in
power. But after a time the progress of irreligion
would be found to have come to a stand. When
the plants "on the stony ground" had been all
scorched up, those " on the good soil" would be
found still flourishing. Sincere Christians would
remain firm; and some probably would be roused
to exert themselves even with increased zeal; and
some apostates would be reclaimed. Complaints
would then be raised, that Christian preachers
decried, as profane and mischievous, the works put
forth by authority; and that they represented the
rulers as aliens from God, and men whose example
should be shunned. Those indeed who had imbibed the true spirit of the Gospel, would not fail
to inculcate, after the example of the Apostles, the
duty of submission even to unchristian magistrates;
but it is not unlikely that some would even take a
contrary course, and would thus help to bring the
imputation of sedition on Christian preaching
universally.
The rabble again, would be likely occasionally
to assail with tumultuous insult and outrage, the

294

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

Christians; who would in consequence be represented by their enemies as occasioningthese tumults,
especially if, as is likely, some among them did not
submit patiently to such usage, or even partly
provoked it by indiscretion. And however free the
generality of the Christians might be from any just
suspicion of a design to resort to lawless violence in
the cause of their religion, still it would be evident,
that a revival and renewed diffusion of Christianity,
such as they were furthering, must, after it should
reach a certain point, endanger the continuance of
power in the hands then wielding it; and that such
a change of rulers would put a stop to the plans
which had been commenced for the amelioration of
Society. Representing then, and regarding Christianity as the great obstacle to improvement, as the
fruitful source of civil dissensions, and as involving
disaffection to the then-existing government, they
would see a necessity for actively interfering, with a
view, (not indeed like religious-persecutors, to the
salvation of souls, but) to the secular welfare of
their subjects, and the security and prosperity of
the civil community. They would feel themselves
accordingly (to say nothing of any angry passions
that might intrude) bound in duty to prohibit the

Persecuion.

SECT. 9.1

295

books, the preaching, and the assemblies of Christians. The Christians would then, in violation of
the law, circulate Bibles clandestinely, and hold
their assemblies in cellars, and on sequestered
heaths. Coercion would of course become necessary to repress these (as they would then be) illegal
acts. And next .... but I need not proceed any
further; for I find I have been giving almost an
exact description of the state of things when the
Christian Churches were spreading in the midst of
Heathenism. And yet I have only been following
up the conjectures, which no one (believing in
Christianity) could fail to form, who was but
tolerably acquainted with Human Nature. For
" such transactions," says the great historian of
Greece, "take place, and always will take place,
(though varied in form, and in degree of violence, by
circumstances,) as long as Human Nature remains the
same. "
Never can we be secured from the recurrence of the like, but by the implantation of some
principle which is able to purify, to renovate, to
convert that nature; in short, to " CREATE THE NEW
MAN." a Christianity, often as its name has been

blazoned on the banners of the persecutor-ChrisSee Motto.

a Eph. iv. 24.t.

Christian-

onl

anti-

dote to
persecu-

296

Persecution.

[ESSAY V.

tianity, truly understood, as represented in the
writings of its Founders, and honestly applied,
furnishes a preventive,-the only permanently effectual preventive,-of the spirit of persecution. For,
as with fraudulent, so it is also with coercive,
measures, employed in matters pertaining to religion: we must not expect that the generality will
be so far-sighted, as always to perceive their
ultimate inexpediency in each particular case that
may occur; they will be tempted to regard the
peculiar circumstances of this or that emergency as
constituting an exception to the general rule, and
calling for a departure from the general principle.
Whereas the plainest Christian, when he has once
ascertained, as he easily may, if he konestly consult
the Scriptures, what the will of God is, in this point,
will walk boldly forward in the path of his duty,
though he may not see at every turn whither it is
leading him; and with full faith in the divine
wisdom, will be ready, in pious confidence, to leave
events in the hands of Providence.
What

S

10. I will conclude this Essay with a brief

things do

not neces- notice of some mistakes as to the real character of
sarily imply a persecuting
spirit.

persecution, on the opposite side to those formerly

SECT. 10.]

Persecdution.

297

mentioned. For as some may be in danger of
unconsciously countenancing persecution by narrowing too much their notion of what it consists in,
so others, on the contrary, by forming too wide a
notion of it, may incur the opposite danger of comprehending under the head of persecution what
does not properly deserve the title. Having already
(§ 3.) spoken of the mistakes as to what Persecution
implies, it is necessary to mention the mistake as
to what implies Persecution.
I. There is not necessarily any thing of the Violence
character of persecution in doing violence to a

man's conscience. Though at the first glance this
may be a startling paradox, it is evident on a
moment's reflection, that to admit at once, and
universally, the plea of conscience, would lead to
the subversion of the whole fabric of society. To
say nothing of the false pleas which would doubtless be set up, when it was once understood that
all were to be admitted, there would be no limit to
the possible aberrations of even the sincerely-conscientious. Some sectarians have a conscientious
scruple against paying tithes, on the ground that they
disapprove of a hired Ministry. Not that according
to the strict use of language the Pastors of our

to con-

science.

298

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

Church are hired at all; nor are the tithes paid by
the farmer, since they only pass through his hands,b
allowance having been made for them in his rent;
and he no more hires the minister than he does his
landlord.c But still, as is well known, the collection
of tithes has been complained of as persecution. On
much better grounds might the same persons
scruple to pay taxes; (which they know are employed, among other purposes, for the keeping up
of a military establishment;) since these really are
paid, out of what was before (which the tenth
sheaf never was) the payer's own property.
ExtravaSome enthusiasts again, in the present day, have
gant aberrations of made it a religious duty to desert their wives and
confamilies, when these would not adopt their peculiar
science.
vSee Logic. Appendix ; Article "Pay."
I have known a striking instance of the confusion of
thought resulting from inaccuracy of language on this point.
A farmer declared to a friend of mine, that he would not
attend the ministry of paid preachers, but would listen to
them only if they should go forth like the seventy disciples
"without scrip or purse," &c. He did not recollect that in
that case he would have to maintain the preachers, who are
now supported by endowments. The disciples were directed,
wherever they went, to "eat and drink such things as were
set before them; for the labourer is worthy of his hire."

SECT.

10.]

Persecution.

299

tenets."
Others, such as the ancient German
Anabaptists, under the pretence that Christian
men's goods are common, might incite their followers to a general plunder of those who had property, that the spoil might be thrown into a
common stock. And some wild Millenarians, like
the fifth-monarchy men, might feel themselves
bound in conscience to overthrow all governments,
as the necessary preparation for the temporal reign
of Christ on earth. In short, there is no saying at
what point the plea of conscience, if once admitted
without further question, would stop. The only
possible principle on which we must draw the line,
is, that the Civil Magistrate, to whom is committed
the care of the temporal welfare of the Community,
should interfere in those cases (and in those only)
in which the persons orproperty of the citizens are
directly and confessedly concerned.' I say "directly,"
and "confessedly," because remotely and inference,
every religious system may be made out to affect in
some way the peace and well-being of the Community. There is, I believe, no religion existing,

by

d Fact.

e " Render unto Cesar the things that be Cesar's, and unto

God the things that be God's."

See Note A.

300

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

respecting which I have not seen an elaborate proof
that it leads to mischievous consequences in practice,
and that its professors are either likely to be, or,
consistently with their principles, ought to be, the
worse citizens; and again, I have seen the direct
contrary inferred respecting every one of them. So
that without the limitation above suggested, there
would be an opening left for the forcible suppression, or for the forcible establishment, by the
Civil Magistrate, of any religion whatever.
Principle
' But is the Civil Magistrate," it may be said,
on which
civil go"to determine what are the cases, that call for his
vernments
And if so, how can any principle be
should be interference ?

conducted. laid down that shall not leave him
an opening to

call in, whenever he is so disposed, the aid of the
civil sword ?" Certainly this is not possible.
Coercive power must be entrusted to somebodyy; nor
can those to whom it is entrusted be withheld from
abusing it (if they are inclined to do so) by any
rule that can be laid down. It is notorious, that the
Scriptures furnish none such; nor is it possible, from
the nature of things, that they should. He who has
the power, and the will, to do wrong, will never be
at a loss for a plea to justify himself, even though he
should be driven to maintain (like the wolf in the

SECT. 10.]

Persecution2.

301

fable) that a stream flows upwards. But my object
was, not to lay down a rule that should preclude
(which is impossible) one who is seeking an evasion,
from finding any; but to point out the principle
which should govern the conscience of an upright
magistrate: viz. to protect, by coercive measures if
necessary, the peace, the lives, and the property of
his subjects, and to abstain from all coercion in
matters purely religious. But many persons are
apt to conclude, that whatever is left to a man's
discretion, is left to his arbitrary caprice; and
that he who is responsible only to God, has no
responsibility at all.
II. Although, however, such is, on Christian secular
principles, the limitation of the Civil Magistrate's and ecclesiastical
authority, there is no reason why the individual
holding such an office should not also be a member,
or an officer, of a Christian Church; provided he is
careful not to blend together the characters of a
political and a religious community. Coercive
means cannot suitably be employed for the propagation or the maintenance of Christianity; but
there is nothing that, necessarily, goes to secularize
the kingdom which is " not of this world," or that

necessarily implies the spirit of intolerance, in the

combined.

302

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

possession, or in the exercise, of coercive power for
other purposes, even by a Christian pastor. Only,
there is the more call for care and discreet judgment in cases where the same individual has to
exercise distinct functions; and especially if he is
thus made to stand in two or more different
relations to the same men. Such, for instance, is
the case where the Rector of a parish is also a
Justice of the Peace. Even if he were so not by
an accidental appointment, but by virtue of some
fixed general regulation, still he would be exercising, in respect of the same individuals, two
distinct offices, regulated by different principles,
and concerned with distinct kinds of subjectmatter. In the same manner, if a MilitaryOfficer should chance to be also a Magistrate,
this would not imply his blending together the
principles of martial-law and of common and
statute-law. So also some kings or other chief
magistrates hold also ecclesiastical supremacy; some
Bishops have Baronies, others Principalities, annexed
to their sees; and the Bishop of Rome in particular
has long been a considerable temporal Sovereign.
With respect to that Church, it is worth remarking,
that the persecution and the other enormities with

SECT. 10.]

Per8secutiow .

303

which it has been justly charged, have led many of
those who have renounced it, to blend together confusedly in their thoughts all things that in any way
pertain to it. Whereas in truth, many parts of the
Romish system, even such as are in themselves
utterly indefensible, have no necessary connexion
with each other or with Rome. Her usurped
Supremacy, for instance, and her false Doctrines,
are two distinct faults; the latter of which is so far
from being necessarily connected with the Church
of Rome, that She scarcely differs at all in doctrine
from the Greek Church.
And with respect to the point now before us, let

Union of

secular

it be supposed, (and the supposition, however and ecclesiastical
unlikely to be realized, is perfectly conceivable,) offices in
the same
that the Pope had, in respect of his Diocese, pro- person.
ceeded on Christian principles, and in respect of his
Principality,had protected the civil rights of his
subjects, leaving every one to exercise his own
religion without molestation, as long as the temporal
peace and security of the community remained undisturbed:-if, I say, he had always acted thus, as
two distinct persons, it cannot be maintained, that
this state of things would have introduced any thing
approaching to a persecuting spirit - any thing

304

Persecution.

[ESSAY

AV.

ligious

savouring of that secular coercion which amounts to
intolerance, and is at variance with the character of
Christ's kingdom.
The question then respecting such a union, of
civil office with spiritual or ecclesiastical office, in
the same individual, becomes one of mere expediency; and one which of course will vary in its
complexion, according to the circumstances of each
Country or period. What we are at present concerned with is, merely to determine what does or
does not involve the principle of persecution; i. e.
the employment or the denouncement of coercion in
matters of religion.
III. There is nothing, necessarily, of the spirit of
persecution in a man's requiring his servants, or his

grounds
any thing
to which a
man had
no preeious
n

tenants, or the tradesmen he deals with, or all that
associate with him, to be pious characters, or to
be of his own religious persuasion or practice, even

right,

down to the minutest particulars:

Withholding on re-

I mean,

of

course, supposing him not to disappoint any expectations that may reasonably have been formed;
for reasonable expectation is a ground of equitable
right. This is so evident, that it would not have
needed being mentioned, but that we are so liable
to have our thoughts insensibly led astray by

SECT. 10.]

Persecution.

305

language. f We hear, for instance, of a man's
being compelled to adopt this or that form of
religion, as a condition of being in such-a-one's
service, or of obtaining a renewal of a lease; and
we are thence liable to forget, what is plain as soon
as we reflect on it, that this is not absolute compulsion, since it interferes with no man's natural,or
previously existing, riyldts; and that to prohibit such
a procedure would be an interference with the right
of the other "to do what he will with his own."
Such a mode of conduct as I have been alluding to,
might indeed be carried to such a length, as justly
to incur the censure of indiscretion-of bigotry-of
illiberality; it might be such as even to indicate
in the individual a dispositionh which would lead
f
Elements of Logic, chap. iii. § 5.
g I cannot but think, however, that there is ground of
complaint when a man cannot obtain his rights, whether those
to which all men are entitled by nature, or those of the citizens
of his particular community, without either taking some oath,
or going through some other religious ceremony, against which
he has a conscientious scruple. A special indulgence has been
granted to the Quakers in respect of oaths and the marriageservice; but if this was reasonable in principle, I cannot see
why the principle should not have been recognised, and acted
upon uniformly.
See above, § 3. subsect I. of this Essay.

x

306

Persecution.

[

ESSAY

V.

him to persecute if he had the power: but still it
would not in itself involve the principle of persecution.
The same reasoning will apply to the case of the
exclusion from certain endowments of one not
belonging to the Church for whose benefit they are
designed. A man is said to be compelled to subscribe the Thirty-nine Articles, if he would hold a
Church-living, or a Fellowship : he is compelled to
be a Presbyterian, if he would hold the office of
Minister at a Presbyterian chapel, &c. So also in
order to obtain a Degree, he must have kept certain
academical terms, and must undergo an examination in certain prescribed branches of learning;
nay, in order to hold a Scholarship on some particular
foundations, he must be a native of a certain district;
and if he would retain his situation, he must remain
unmarried. It is evident on a moment's reflection,
that though we use in such cases the words "must,"
" obliged," "forced,"
Exclusion
from Ec-

clesiaslation of

&c. all this has nothing to do

with absolute coercion.
On the same principle it may be maintained,
that there isnothing, necessarily, of the character

pol;soot
m
_ of intolerance,

in precluding those who are not

bers of the
' See Appendix to Elements of Logic; article "Necessary."
Church.

SECT. 10.]

Perseciution.

307

members of a particular Church from having any
share in legislating for that Church, in respect of
matters of a purely spiritual or ecclesiastical character. Indeed to admit them to such a share, is a
manifest anomaly and inconsistency; though one
which may sometimes be, in practice, unavoidable,
or insignificant.k That none but Quakers, for instance, or Methodists, have a voice in the general
Assemblies of Quakers, or of Methodists, respectively, is so far from being at all to be complained
of as savouring of an intolerant spirit, that, on the
contrary, as long as they confine themselves to matters exclusively religious, they would justly regard
the interference of those not belonging to their
sect, as a violation of the principle of toleration.
And the anomaly is in itself just as real, whether in
practice it leads to the most important or the most
trifling results ;-whether, for instance, a majority
of the Assembly which governs a particular Church,
be of a different persuasion, or whether one single
Roman-Catholic or Dissenter have a voice in the
election of a member of that Assembly.'
kSee Thoughts on "Church-government."

1844.

Some are apt to express themselves as if the anomaly con-

sisted merely in members of the Church of Rome legislating

x2

308
Exclusion
of Dissenters from

Parliament.

Persecution.

[ESSAY V

But then, it may be said, if it so happen (as is
the case among us in practice, though not by
original appointment, according to the theory of the
for a Protestant Church. Suppose that some particular description of Protestants, or, if you will, that all Protestants,
are more pure in their faith - less dangerous in their
principles-less hostile to our Church-than the Romanists; still the question remains the same, what has any
man to do with the regulations of a Church he does not
belong to ?
But some persons are even accustomed to speak of "the
Protestant religion," and even of "the Protestant Church,"
without reflecting whether there are any such things, or
whether they are employing words without any distinct
meaning.
Dr. Hawkins, I am happy to find, has forestalled me in
part of this remark. "The term 'Protestant,' when it denotes
a member of one of the Western Churches who is free from
Romish error, is merely a term of convenience. It may be
employed perhaps with little regard to history or etymology;
but it answers its intended purpose, and it does no harm.
Not so, such a phrase as ' the Protestant religion.' The very
expression, whenever it is not evidently synonymous with ' the
religion of the Protestant Church of England,' implies inattention to the fact, that there is no one religion common to Protestants as contradistinguished from the Romanists; and it
tends to throw a veil over another important fact, that the
creeds of certain Protestant sects are far more remote than that
of the Church of Rome from the truth of the Gospel." Sermon
preached at Maldon, p. 6.

SECT. 10.]

Persecution.

309

constitution, and early usage m ) that the Assembly,
which alone exercises the right of legislating for the
Church, in all matters, is also the supreme legislating-body in secular concerns; does it not savour of
intolerance to exclude, by a test-law, from such an
Assembly, or from electing those who are to sit in
it, men otherwise qualified? Granted that they
have nothing to do with the internal regulations of
a Church to which they do not belong; the same
cannot be said of the taxes imposed, and the laws
In despotic
enacted, by that same Assembly.
Countries, indeed, the people have nothing to do
with the taxes, but to pay them, or with the laws,
but to submit to them: but in a free Country, it
cannot be maintained, that to preclude from all
share in legislating, or in appointing legislators, in
secular matters, one who is not disqualified in
respect of teat particularbranch of business, does
not deprive him of any of his rights ; or that it is
not as great an anomaly as to admit him to interfere in Church-matters in respect of which he is
disqualified.
Such are, in the abstract, the conflicting difficulties in the case. It is as if a man should put in
mSee Field's work on Church Government.

310

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

an equitable claim to a house, some parts of which
are confessedly none of his; or to a piece of land,
on which there are buildings erected, to which he
has no right. The problem, to keep clear of both
of these opposite anomalies, has not, I think, yet
been solved;" nor has it, I think, hitherto been

generally contemplated with sufficient clearness and
steadiness to allow of a fair trial, whether it can be
solved or not: though about thirty years ago steps
began to be taken with a view to the practical
adjustment of the difficulties. My object in touchIt ought to be mentioned, in justice to Sir Wilmot Horton,
that he is one of the few persons who have seen and fairly met
the difficulty. I cannot but think, indeed, that, according to
his scheme, (see " Protestant Securities,") other difficulties
would have arisen, in the practical adjustment of the questions as to each measure, whether it concerned the Church
only, or affected also the property and civil rights of the Community. Still, he seems to have fixed on the right principle;
which might, I should think, by some contrivance or other,
have been adapted to practice. At least the main objection
usually alleged against his proposal, that it would constitute
in fact two legislative assemblies for two distinct branches of
legislation, has always appeared to me its chief recommendation. The distribution of the several offices among the
several Ministers of State, viz. Chancellor of the Exchequer,
Secretary for the Home Department-for Foreign Affairs, &c.
is open to the same objection.

SECT.

10.]

Persecution.

311

ing upon the question at present is no more than,
(confining myself to the proper topics of this work,)
to point out in what relation that question stands
to the subject of the present chapter.o
IV. Lastly, there is nothing, necessarily, of into- Self-defence.
lerance, in protecting, by coercive means if needful,
the professors of any religion, against violence or
plunder, disturbance to their religious meetings,
insult, libel, or any other such molestation, from
those of an adverse party. Such protection is so
far from being at variance with the principles above
laid down, that it is an application of them. It is
not persecution, but the prevention of persecution.
o I have alluded merely to the grant to Roman-catholics of
the elective franchise, and to the suspension of the operation
of the test-law for excluding Dissenters, because in these consisted the anomaly, which alone it is for my present purpose
to treat of. As for the greater or less political danger of any
of the measures subsequently proposed or adopted, it would be
foreign to the purpose of the present work to enter on the discussion of these, or any other, political questions. Whether
it were a safer course to leave the test-law dormant, or formally
to repeal it-to confine the Roman-Catholic electors to the
choice of a Protestant representative, or to leave them at
liberty to elect one of their own persuasion- these, and all
such questions of political expediency, I pass by, as not properly connected with the matter in hand.

312

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

For lawless and irregular outrage has not, for that
reason, the less of the character of persecution; and
the unauthorized cruelties of the people were, we
may be sure, among the severest trials the early
Christians had to undergo.
And yet there are
some persons who are ready to denounce as persecuting, every system which does not leave them at
liberty to persecute others.
It must not be forgotten, however, that when the
religion, in behalf of which the Civil Magistrate has
been driven to interfere, happens to be his own, he
will be strongly tempted not to stop short at
measures of mere immediate self-defence, but to
take what will seem the effectual step, of putting
down altogether the hostile party.
To guard against overstepping the proper line of
procedure in this matter, and also to decide on what
occasions the appeal to the interference of the Civil
power is not only justifiable, but expedient also, are
points which must, in each particular instance, be
left to the head and the heart of each individual.
General principles may be sketched out; but there
can be none that will teach their own application,
or supersede the exercise of practical good sense,
cautious deliberation, and Christian candour.

SECT. 10.]

Persecution.

313

It may be worth while, however, to observe, in Danger of
mistaking
conclusion, how important it is always to keep in our own
honourfor
mind, that the CRoss which our Master and his God's
Apostles bore so meekly, our proud nature strongly honour.
impels us to refuse, whenever we can, by any means
whatsoever, avoid it. We are tempted to admire at
a distance, while we revolt at the thought of
copying, their patience under calumny and derision,
and every kind of provocation. And, what is more,
this pride of the human heart is apt to disguise
itself to our conscience under the appearance of
piety. We are in danger, I mean, of regarding as
zeal for God's honour, what is perhaps, in truth,
rather, zeal for our own honour. He who does but
reject our faith, implies, as I have observed above,
something affronting to ourselves; much more, if
he slander and insult us for maintaining it: and it
is from this cause that we are prone to feel greater
indignation at such conduct, than at the equal
affront offered to God by those who acknowledge
his claim, while in their lives they habitually disregard it, to their love, gratitude, veneration, and
obedience. But yet, as every one who insults us on
account of our religion, does by so doing insult that
religion itself, we are likely to flatter ourselves that

314

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

this last is the sole ground of our indignation;
when in fact, perhaps, our personal feelings have a
great share in it.
But we must not expect, till the Church militant
is exchanged for the Church triumphant, that
Christ's devoted followers will have no Cross to
bear, or that they will encounter no opposition or
molestation from his enemies. At least, till the
World, even what is called the Christian World,
shall have become much more imbued with the
spirit of Christianity than it ever has been yet, our
Lord's warnings to his disciples must be regarded
as in some degree applicable to us: "If the World
hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated
you . . . because ye are not of the World, therefore

the World hateth you." The Christian who is
steady and unshrinking, and active in his Master's
cause, though it is his duty not wantonly to provoke
obloquy and opposition, by any indiscreet or violent
conduct, yet must not expect always to escape such
mortifications; and he should be prepared so to
meet them, as to shew how far beyond "the praise
of men" he prizes the approbation of Him "who
secth in secret."
Still, cases may undoubtedly occur, in which it

SECT.

10.]

Persecution.

315

will be our right and our duty to use means for Patient
endurance
protecting ourselves or others, against lawless the safe
aggression. No rule, as I have said, can be laidside.
down, which will supersede the exercise of a sound
and unbiassed judgment, for deciding in each particular instance whether it is allowable and advisable
to call in the aid of the secular arm for the protection of the professors of religion. The right
medium, says the great Master of ancient moralists,
must be fixed in each particular instance by each
man's discretion: but he proceeds to give the best
general caution that can be supplied; viz. to lean
always towards the safer side; ever avoiding the
more sedulously the worse extreme, and regarding
that as the worse, to which we are by nature the
more prone.P On this principle, we should always,
in respect of any matters connected with our
religion, be more willing to have it asked, why we
do not, than why we do, resort to the aid of the
Civil power.
And even when we have fully determined what
procedure is in itself right, we must be still watchful
over our own heart, subjecting our motives to the
Arist. Eth. b. ii. ch. 9.

316

Persecution.

[ESSAY

V.

severest scrutiny, and taking care that we do not
inwardly applaud and sanctify in our own eyes, as
a virtuous jealousy for God's glory, what may be
in reality chiefly a regard for our own credit, and a
tenderness for our own ease and comfort.

NOTES.

NOTE A, pages 249, 299.
GROTIUS, speaking of the establishment of the re-

formed Religion by the States of Holland, says, "Recepta publice disciplina quue Geneva, et in Palatinatu
Germaniae, passimque alibi, docebatur: hoc tamen
interest, quod ejusdem religionis alii, diversas minus
tolerant: Quippe, non in hoc tantum ordinatas a Deo
Civitates ac Magistratus dictantes ut a Corporibus et
Possessionibus injuriae abessent, sed ut quo more ipse
jussisset, eo, in commune coleretur; cujus officii negligentes, multos, pcenam aliorum impietati debitam, in se
accercisse. Contra, istae nationes," &c. The Dutch
States regarded the maintaining of a false religion, as a
sin only, not a crime; (according to the distinction so
ably drawn by Bishop Warburton;) and consequently
as not coming within the province of the civil magistrate: while others, misled probably, as men so often
and so easily are, by the circumstance that in very many
cases the same act will be both a sin and a crime, confounded the two together; and regarding it the duty of
the magistrate, as entrusted with the care of his subjects'
good, generally, to enforce every thing conducive to what

318

Notes.

seemed to him their good, concluded that the toleration
of religious-error would be as unjustifiable as the
toleration of theft. Yet all this does not imply their
conviction of the absolute impossibility of salvation to
one infected with religious-error.
Some of my readers may perhaps imagine, that these
notions, though prevalent two centuries and a half ago,
have been long since obsolete among Protestants. But
the following passages, breathing the same spirit, are
extracted from a work which received the sanction of a
large and influential body of Protestants within the present century. "Man is a compounded Being, not more
impelled to seek his temporal advantage, than bound to
pursue his eternal interests. Must not the State look to
him in both conditions; and as far as possible assist its
individual members in the attainment of both ? Is not
the Sovereign to rule for the greatest good of the whole ?
And can he leave out any part of that which constitutes
their greatest good ? Is he not again bound by the duty
which he owes to God, so to govern his people as to
enable them best to obey the will of the great common
Sovereign of all? Must he not then secure for his subjects the best aids of Religion ?" (On this principle I
cannot conceive how the Sovereign can be justified in
affording toleration to any, that he thinks, religious
errors, or in abstaining from suppressing them by the
sword, if milder means fail; even as he would theft, or
murder.) " In truth, every separation of divine and
human things is a rejection of Providence." (The precept of" Render unto Casar the things that be Caesar's,

Notes.

319

and unto God the things that be God's," seems rather at
variance with this.) " I should not have dwelt so long
upon so plain a proposition as that which affirms it to be
the duty of the Sovereign to provide a true religion for
his people," (this must imply, conformably with the foregoing principles, the prohibition of all false ones,) "but
that, strange as it may appear, it is a maxim which hangs
but loosely on the minds of many in the present day."
Whether the writer really meant to adopt the conclusion which inevitably follows from his principles, or
whether he was merely designing to advocate what is
commonly understood by " an established religion," I do
not presume, nor is it important, to determine. Certainly
the fallacy of proving too much, is one of those which are
the most apt to slip in unperceived. It is remarkable,
however, that he proceeds to censure, not merely the
enemies of a religious establishment, but also some
of " those who admit the lawfulness and necessity of
an establishment ;" including, particularly, Warburton;
whom he describes as "feeling no concern for the truth
of the religion which he calls to his aid," and as representing that there is "no difference between false and
true religion in their influence on Society!" This is the
inference drawn from Warburton's just and undeniable
remark, that, in discussing questions respecting the establishment of a religion by the civil magistrate, we must
waive the question as to the truth of each, because each
man will of course regard his own as the true one, and
there is no appeal to any authority on earth to decide
between the different Sovereigns. Whether Warburton's

320

Notes.

views are correct or not, (which it is not my present
object to inquire,) so gross a misrepresentation of him is
neither fair nor wise.
But the writer from whom I have made these extracts
might, consistently, (and this is the point which is
important to my present view,) hold the possibility of
salvation of one, whose religious persuasion differed from
his own. How he could, consistently, admit of toleration,
I cannot conceive. And what I am now occupied in
pointing out is, the non-connexion of these two things,
which are so often confounded.
Having referred, from time to time, to Bishop Warburton, and vindicated him from the misrepresentation
just noticed, I feel myself called on to protest most
emphatically against the inference that I am a follower
of his, or that I adopt his theory of the " Alliance of
Church and State." This is the more needful because
the doctrine (alluded to by Grotius, in the passage just
above cited, as adopted by the Dutch States) that the
proper province of the Civil Magistrate is the preservation of men's persons and property, is inconsiderately
spoken of by some as " Warburton's theory," " Warburton's view," &c.; as if it had originated with him,
and consequently had been unknown to the primitive
Christians. If indeed this could be proved, a strong
presumption would be established against the doctrine:
but to assume it without proof, and, still more, to insinuate it by incidental allusion, as if it were indisputable,
is a sophism which I think no candid reasoner would,
deliberately and advisedly, employ.

Votes.

321

In truth, I much doubt whether Bishop Warburton
ever had, in respect of his theory of the "Alliance,"
any followers: because the theory is self-contradictory
and suicidal. He first establishes, very satisfactorily,
what are the respective provinces of a Civil and a Religious Community; and then destroys his own work, by
introducing a pretended compact between the two, in
which each gives what it has no right to give, and
receives, in return, powers, which (by his own shewing)
it is intrinsically disqualified to exercise.
If therefore he was so far seduced by his own ingenuity as to adopt, bond
afide, his own theory, I conceive
he must have stood nearly alone.a But he may appear
to have followers, because some embrace his conclusion,
and others admit his principles; which are in fact at
variance with it.
That the doctrine referred to by Grotius, could not
have originatedwith Warburton, is self-evident. But to
me it has always appeared to rest on the plain authority
of the New Testament.b It seems to me to be evidently
contained in our Lord's precept of " render to Caesar
the things that are Caesar's, and to God, the things that
are God's :" a precept fully developed and applied, in the
conduct and in the writings of the Apostles. When they
taught men to " submit to every ordinance of Man for
the Lord's sake, because the Powers that be are ordained
of God, for the punishment of evil-doers and for the
praise of them that do well ;"-that
" rulers are not
a

See Mr. Macaulay's Review of Gladstone's Church and State;

b See Essays (4th Series) "On the Dangers," &c. Appendix, note F.

Y

322

Notes.

a terror to the good but to the evil; "-and that " men
must be subject for conscience' sake," it is plain they
must have been understood as speaking in reference
to secular matters only, and excluding all reference to
any pretended control of the Magistrate in religious
concerns: because, then, and for several Ages after, the
temporal Rulers were idolaters, and often, persecutors of
the Christians. And we know that resistance to their
commands in what related to religion was both the
practice and the precept of the Apostles.
Evidently therefore the early Christians must have
understood that the " evil-doers" for whose punishment
Rulers were divinely ordained, did not include transgressors of the laws relating to Religion; but that this
was a matter beyond the province of secular control:
else, the Apostles would have been giving contradictory
precepts.
And when secular power came into the hands of
Christian Rulers, (prone as these were to encroach beyond
their proper province) this could not alter the principle.
For if these pretended (as they often did) to possess,
by virtue of their being Christian magistrates-a right
to control the faith of their subjects, they would becomeas we know was the fact-no less persecutors of many of
their Christian subjects (Arians for instance, or Athanasians) than the Pagan Rulers had been.
Now the Apostles evidently meant to teach that a man
is bound to " hold fast the profession of his faith" in
disobedience to the command of any Rulers who should
urge him to adopt what he is convinced is a false religion,

Notes.

323

whether Paganism or any that he believes to be an
heretical corruption of C ristianity. And it is evident
that where there is no obligation to obey, there is no right
to command. It is evident therefore that the Apostles
taught, (and must have been so understood) that the
Civil Magistrate, whether Pagan or Christian, has no
rightful control over the religion of his subjects, but is
restricted to the guardianship of their persons and
property.
Consequently this doctrine which is inconsiderately
designated as "Warburton's," must have been perfectly
familiar and undoubted, for several centuries at least,
among the early Christians.

NOTE B, pages 270, 278.
" Christians must generally, it would seem, believe in
Christ, because their spiritual rulers do, and reject the
infidel's views, because these people are pronounced
accursed. Nay, the supposition of the clergy themselves
having the qualification, and the opportunity to go
through the process of proof, is only a supposition.
They often want either or both; and it is impossible
that it should not be so. The labour of a life is scarcely
sufficient to examine for one's self one branch alone of
such evidence. For the greater part, few men, however
learned, have satisfied themselves by going through the
proof. They have admitted the main assertions, because
proved by others.
" And is this conviction then reasonable ? Is it more

324

Notes.

than the adoption of truth on the authority of another?
It is. The principle on which all these assertions are
received, is not that they have been made by this or that
credible individual or body of persons, who have gone
through the proof-this may have its weight with the
critical and learned-but the main principle adopted by
all, intelligible by all, and reasonable in itself, is, that
these assertions are set forth, bearing on their face a
callenge of refutation. The assertions are like witnesses
placed in a box to be confronted. Scepticism, infidelity,
and scoffing, form the very groundwork of our faith.
As long as these are known to exist and to assail it, so
long are we sure that any untenable assertion may and
will be refuted. The benefit accruing to Christianity in
this respect from the occasional success of those who
have found flaws in the several parts of evidence is
invaluable. We believe what is not disproved, most
reasonably, because we know that there are those abroad
who are doing their utmost to disprove it. We believe
the witness, not because we know him and esteem him,
but because he is confronted, cross-examined, suspected,
and assailed by arts fair and unfair. It is not his authority, but the reasonableness of the case. It becomes
conviction well grounded, and not assent to man's
words."-London Review,a No. II. pp. 361, 362.
And so likewise, on other subjects also, a well-grounded
belief may be based on premises whose truth we have
a Published by Saunders and Ottley, 1829.
Another periodical has
since appeared under the same title, but perfectly distinct in everything
else.

Nlrotes.

325

not and could not have ascertained for ourselves, by personal investigation; and which again we do not take on
trust from the testimony of those whom we have chosen
to follow implicitly, but which we believe on uncontradicted testimony, inasmuch as the statements in question
are open to every one's investigation, and would, we are
sure, be impugned by many, if they were at all doubtful.
The distance of the earth, for instance, from the sun, is
believed, and believed on good grounds, by many who
are incompetent to make the requisite observations and
calculations for themselves ; not on the bare authority of
certain astronomers, but on the tacit confirmation of this
by all the rest; many of whom would, we are sure, be
glad to be able to rectify, if they could, any error into
which their rivals in the pursuit of scientific fame might
have fallen.
It is important however to observe that although
secular interference tends to impair, more or less, this
evidence, yet most of the points which are thus, and thus
only, capable of being verified by the mass of mankind,
are of such a description as to admit of being freely discussed (as in fact they have been) even in Countries
where an avowed attack on Christianity would be prohibited (and that prohibition enforced) by the law. For
instance, the existence and antiquity of certain Greek,
Latin, and Hebrew manuscripts-the fidelity of translations-the testimonies of ancient Pagan and Christian
writers-the existence of various monuments, &c. are
points necessarily involved in the discussion of the external evidences of Christianity; and yet few of the

326

VNotes.

educated, and none of the uneducated classes, ever saw
an ancient Greek manuscript, or could read it if they
did: few can attest from their own personal knowledge
even the existence of such a city as Jerusalem. Nevertheless men are fully justified in believing matters of
this kind, on the testimony of those who hace made the
investigation, when no one has attempted to deny them.
For, except perhaps where some arbitrary tribunal exists
for the licensing of books, such as a Star-chamber or
Inquisition, every one is fully at liberty to question the
genuineness of any particular manuscript, or the fidelity
of any particular translation, &c. even though the laws
should prohibit the denial, generally, of the truth of the
Christian religion.
Still, the existence of any such laws, does, as I have
said, tend, as far as they are enforced, or can be represented as likely to be enforced, to take away something
from the influence of this most important branch of evidence. And the existing state of things, in this Country,
in reference to those laws, is such as a judicious advocate
of Christianity must lament, and an insidious opponent
ought to rejoice in secretly, while he publicly complains
of it; for it does in fact enable him, with a very moderate exercise of caution, to urge, in substance, all he has
to say against our religion, and, at the same time, to hint
that he could say much more, if the law would allow
him; and that Christians dare not run the hazard of a
perfectly free discussion.

ESSAY VI.
TRUST IN NAMES AND PRIVILEGES.

Q 1.

have a natural tendency to
pride themselves on the advantages they enjoy-on
the privileges they possess-on the titles they bear
as badges of those privileges-and especially on
their being members of any Society or Class
endowed with such privileges. And they are disposed not only to feel a pride and satisfaction in
possessing such advantages, but also carelessly to
put their trust in these, (independently of the use
made of them) as necessarily implying some superior
benefit to the possessor.
MANKIND

How strongly this tendency operated among the Trust of

Jews of old, we have ample proof in the Bible.
Even under the Old dispensation we may gather

from the writings of the prophets, that, in spite of
their numberless backslidings, they still flattered

the
ancient
their title.

328

Tust in names andprivileqes.

[ESSAY VI.

themselves that, as the Lord's chosen and peculiar
People, and as having among them the only Temple
of the true God, He would not execute on them the
judgments He had denounced. And when their
captivity, and the destruction of their temple, had
undeceived them in this point, they still clung to
the hope of the promised Messiah to arise from
among them, and who should "restore all things."
In this hope, indeed, they were not erroneous; but
their error was, in trusting that they should surely
be partakers of the promised benefits, by virtue of
their privilege as Abraham's children, of the stock
of his chosen descendant Jacob, whatever might be
their own conduct; and that no such change of
dispensation could take place as should put even the
least deserving Jew below, or even on a level with,
the best of the unclean and despised race of the
Gentiles.
Accordingly, John the Baptist takes occasion to
warn them on this head at the opening of his
ministry; "Now is the axe laid to the root of
the tree: every tree therefore that bringeth not
forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the
fire. And think not to say within yourselves, we
have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you,

SECT.

1.]

Trust in names andprivileges.

329

that God is able of these stones to raise up children
unto Abraham." The Apostle Paul in like manner
is compelled incessantly to warn the Jewish believers, that " there is no difference" between the
Jewish and the Greek Christian, inasmuch as "all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God;"that there is "neither Jew nor Greek-neither
Barbarian, Scythian, bond, or free;" and that " in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision
profiteth any thing, but a new creature ;" and that
the believing Gentiles are adopted as equally God's
children, and heirs of his promises, no less than the
natural descendants of Abraham.
Nor is he merely warning Christians that God Pride of
the Jews
is "no respecter of persons," (as it had been first in their
revealed to Peter,) and that "in every nation he
that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is

accepted of Him "-not only are the workers of
rikghteousness cautioned against supposing that the
Jews by nature, or the adherents to the ceremonial
Law, were to obtain a higher share of divine
favour; but, what may seem more strange, the
Apostle finds it necessary to guard them against
the error of trusting in the circumstance of being
under the Law, independently of the observance of

possession of
the Law.

330

,

Trust iuam aes andprivileces.

[ESSAY vi.

it; or of any but the ceremonial parts of it; as if
a certain degree, at least, of divine favour was
secured by the mere circumstance of having received by Revelation the divine commands, even
though they were not careful to obey them. The
greater part of the early portion of the Epistle to
the Romans is taken up in combating this strange
delusion: he assures them that "not

the hearers

of the Law are just before God, but the doers of
the Law shall be justified:" "behold," says he,
"thou art called a Jew, and restest in the Law,
and makest thy boast of God;" and yet these
same persons he speaks of as "dishonouring God,
by breaking the Law" in which they made their
boast, so notoriously, that the name of God was
"blasphemed among the Gentiles through them."

§

2. A like error seems to have prevailed no
Warnings
given to
the early less among the early Christians generally, in respect
Christiansprdthwih1
of aClike
of the pride and vain-confidence with
danger.

which they
regarded their privileges as Christians. The Apostle

warns them in the same Epistle, that as the natural
branch (i. e. the Israelites after the flesh) had been
broken off, and they grafted in, so, a like severity
was to be expected by them also, as God had

SECT.

2.]

7''s iin names and privileges.

331

exercised towards the disobedient among his fainstead of making the
voured people of old, if,
best use of his mercies, they were " high-minded"
(puffed up, i. e. with boastful confidence in their
peculiar privileges), and neglectful of the peculiar
responsibility these imposed. "If God," he admonishes them, " spared not the natural branches,
take heed lest He also spare not thee." And in
the same tone he warns the Corinthians not to
rely in security on their being God's Elect People,
from the example of the Israelites, who were also,
all of them, " God's elect,"

a

yet of whom one

whole generation were cut off, by various judgments, in the wilderness, for their disobedience.
The history of these things, he says, was "written
for our admonition; wherefore let him that thinketh
he standeth, take heed lest he fall." And the
Apostle Jude again seems to apprehend the same
danger for those he is addressing, and cautions
them by the same example, "how the Lord after
havinw saved the people out of the land of Egypt,

afterwards destroyed them that believed not."
And as, in the first ages of Christianity, Chris- Danger of
trust in
tians were likely to feel this proud confidence in Catholicia Essay III. Second Series.

ty or Or-

thodoxy.

332

lTrust in names atdprivileges.

[EssAY vi.

that title, as distinguished from unbelieving Jews
and Pagans, so, the same feeling was likely afterwards to shew itself, in another form, among those
who were characterized as orthodox and catholic
Christians, in contradistinction from Heretics, whose
tenets had been condemned by the general voice
of the Christian Churches. How strongly this
feeling prevailed, and still prevails, in the members
of the Romish Church, every one is well aware:
but the circumstance to which I wish to direct
attention is, in conformity with the views already
taken in the present work, that such a feeling is
not peculiar to Romanists as such, but originates
in our common nature, and consequently is one
from which no one who partakes of that nature
can be exempt, without perpetual watchfulness.
The Mahometans, as is well known, partake largely
of this spirit; and even those of them who are
habitual transgressors of their law, still flatter
themselves that at least some superior degree of
divine favour is reserved for them as "true believers," beyond what can be expected even by
the best of those who are strangers to the Koran:
while the Author of our faith, on the contrary,
teaches us that He will reject, as utter strangers

SECT. 3.]

Trust in

lanes

andprivileges.

333

to Him those who are ready to make their boast
in his ame, and to plead that they have even
" done many mighty works in that Name." And
the knowledge of his Gospel Hie represents as
bringing aggravated condemnation to such as do
not live a Christian life; since "the servant who
knew his Lord's will, and did it not, shall be
beaten with many stripes."

§ 3. In order to profit as we may do by the

Exempli-

fication of

example of the Romanists, and even of the Ma- the universality
hometans, we must waive, for the time, all questions of the
tendency
concerning the unsoundness of their tenets, and to trust in
titles.
confine our view to the danger which is common
to men of all persuasions, whether essentially correct, or contaminated with more or less of error.
If Mahomet had been a true Prophet, as Moses
was, this would not have secured his followers
from the fault into which the disciples of Moses
did in fact fall; viz. that of expecting to be saved
by their privileges, rather than by the use made
of them. And if the Romanists were following
in their system of doctrine and discipline, not the
dictates of weak or wicked men, but those of a
truly infallible Apostle, this would not alone secure

334

Trust in names andprivileges.

[ESSAY VI.

them from the very error which the Apostles themselves found perpetually springing up among their
converts, even in their own lifetime; the tendency
to substitute the means of grace for the friits of
grace;-the proud confidence of belonging to a
certain holy Community, Church, Sect, or Party,
which must secure an especial share of divine
favour to every member of it.
If, on the contrary, we dwell on the groundlessness of the claim of the Romish Church to be the
only true and Catholic Church, and on the doctrinal
errors into which that Church has fallen, we shall
of course be likely to flatter ourselves, as Protestants are apt to do, that our abhorrence of that
Church exempts us from all danger of vainly
trusting in a Name, and in our connexion with a
Society endowed with high spiritual privileges.
It is true that the Romish Church has erred in
many essential points; but nothing probably has
more contributed to lead her into those errors
than reliance on Names and Privileges. Spiritual
advantages which are real, and titles which are
not misapplied, may be made subjects of presumptuous boast, and may thus lead to indolent
security with respect to personal exertion. This

SECT. 3.]

est in names and privileges.

335

is usually the first error men fall into. The second
naturally springs out of this carelessness; the name,
that is, survives the thing signified;-the advantages are actually lost, either wholly or in part,
through a confident reliance on their intrinsic efficacy, without an endeavour to improve them;the land which was fertile, becomes a desert,
through a confident trust that it will ensure wealth
to the possessor, while he neglects to till it.
A familiar illustration of the tendency I have
been speaking of, is afforded by the parallel case
of Academical institutions. To be a member of a
learned Body; is regarded as an honour; it affords
to the individual, facilities for the acquirement
of learning; and, to others, some degree of presumption that he has used his advantages. How
many accordingly pride themselves on being members of such a Society, and on the Title which
denotes this, while they think little of acquiring the
learning, and using the advantages, which alone
give to the Name, and to the Society, their value.
All this has been strikingly illustrated in the High advantages
progressive history of the Church of Rome. She originally
possessed
was built by Apostles on Jesus Christ, the only by the
Church of

true foundation; she was left by them with sound Rome.

33G

lTrust in names adclprivileges.

[ESSAY

vI.

doctrines and pure Christian worship; her members were cautioned by them not to be " highminded, but fear ;" not to rely on the divine favour
as a reason for relaxing personal exertions, but as
an encouragement to make them; or to exult in
their deliverance from heathen superstition, and
their adoption in place of the disobedient, to be the
People--the chosen People-of God, but to take
warning from the example of his mercy combined
with severity.
But they were seduced from humble vigilance
into a proud and careless reliance on the greatness
of their privileges, till they even lost the talent
which they had neglected to employ. What was
their condition at the close of the Apostles' ministry?
They had renounced idolatry; - they worshipped
the true God;-they had the sacred Scriptures, the
words of eternal life, in their hands for private
study, and in their ears, at their religious meetings;
-they had the means of grace among them, the
Ordinances appointed by Christ, which are strictly
called the Sacraments, and public joint worship,
itself of a sacramental character ;b-they had learned
b Hinds's Rise and Progress of Christianity.

SECT.

3.]

Trust innames andprivileges.

337

to despise and abhor the superstitious offerings,
purifications, and other ceremonies of the heathen,
and had been taught to trust in the atonement
of Christ alone, and to seek for acceptance before
God, by being "led by his Spirit." All these were
real and inestimable privileges, and gave them just
reason for rejoicing (but for rejoicing in trembling
gratitude, and not with careless pride) in the
deliverance that had been wrought for them-in
their happy condition as contrasted with that of
their Pagan neighbours.
But their exultation in these

advantages

led Neglect

of advan-

them first to neglect, and in the end to lose, tages, and
consethem; their vain confidence in names, led them quent defirst to forget, and afterwards to forfeit, the things generacy.
Their minds were
which the names denoted.
fixed on what was past-on what had been done
for them; and withdrawn from a vigilant attention
to the future - from diligence on their part to
"make their calling and election sure." Confident
in the titles of Christian-of Orthodox-of Catholic
-of the Church of God-and careless of living
" as becometh saints," they trusted that no deadly
error could creep into so holy a Community; and
adopted, one by one, the very errors (under new
z

338

Trust in names andprivileges.

[ESSAY VI.

names) of the Paganism which had been renounced.
Thanking God, like the Pharisee, that they were
" not as other [the rest of] menc are," they became
gradually like their heathen ancestors, with the
aggravation of having sinned against light, and
abused their peculiar advantages; and their confidence all the while increasing along with their
carelessness and corruption, when their " gold was
become dross," they boasted more than ever of their
wealth, and in the midst of their grossest errors
insisted on complete infallibility.
And to what did all this at length bring them?
How far did they ultimately depart from their
primitive purity? " How did the faithful city
become an harlot?" They ended in overlaying
Christianity, one by one, with the very errors and
superstitions (in substance) from which the first
Christians exulted in being delivered, Idolatry
of the grossest kind was gradually restored: the
worshippers of the one true God manifested in
Christ Jesus, paid, practically, their chief adoration
to deified mortals: the Scriptures were secluded
from the people under the veil of an unknown
of

XoL7rwt.

SECT.

3.]

Trust in names andprivileges.

339

tongued and their interpretation fettered and their
authority superseded, even with the learned, by a
mass of traditions which "made the word of God
of none effect ;" their sacraments became superstitious charms; their public worship a kind of magic
incantation muttered in a dead language; and
Christian holiness of life was commuted for holy
water-for fantastic penances, pilgrimages, amulets,
pecuniary donations, and a whole train of superstitious observances, worthy of Paganism in its worst
forms.

" How is the faithful city become an harlot !"
They trusted in Privileges and Names, till the
privileges were lost, and the names became an
empty sound. But still they are as proud of them
as ever. They distinguish themselves by the title
of Catholics,e members of the True Church - adherents to the ancient faith: nay, even " Ckristians"
is a title by which on the Continent they sometimes distinguish themselves from those heretics,'
A language, be it remembered, which gradually became
obsolete : for the Church did not introduce the use of an unknown tongue, in its prayers, or recital of Scripture.
e See note A in the Appendix.
Those in the neighbourhood of the Vaudois, in particular,

z2

340

Trust in nanes andprivileTes.

[ESSAY VI.

as they term them, who chiefly differ from themselves in trusting in Christ as the One Mediator,
instead of a host of pretended saints. And the
further the Church of Rome departed from the pure
character of a Christian Church, the more boldly
did its governors assert their claim to supremacy
over every other Church.
Such monstrous corruptions could never have been introduced into any
Church by the arts of a worldly and ambitious
hierarchy, had not the individuals members of it
been lulled into a false security, by boastfully
contemplating their Christianprivileges, instead
of dwelling on the additional responsibility these
privileges create; by priding themselves on names,
without bestowing a watchful attention on the
things those names denote.
Danger
of Protestants.

4. The warning of the Apostle, in his Epistle
to this very Church, they neglected; and imitated
the very example by which he warned them-that
of the presumptuous and disobedient Jews of old.
The admonitions, I say, of Paul to the Church of
distinguish themselves from the members of that pure and

ancient Church, by the distinguishing appellation of Christians.

SECT. 4. ]

Trust in names andprivileges.

341

Rome were lost on the succeeding generations of
that Church: shall they be also lost on us ? Or
shall we say that Protestants have no need of them,
because we do not trust in the title of Catholic, or
in being members of an infallible Church ;-because
we have protested against the usurpations of that
Church, and have renounced her corruptions? The
Apostle might reply to us, if he lived in these days,
"Be not high-minded, but fear: those whom I
then addressed were in the very same situation as
you: they were the reformed--the Protestants of
their day; they had been delivered from Jewish
and Pagan infidelity, as you have been from Romish
corruptions of Christianity; they prided themselves
on that deliverance, as you are liable to do, on
yours : they felt confident that they were in no
danger of precisely the same errors as those of the
infidel-Jews and heathen idolaters; and they incorporated into Christianity substantially the same
errors, under different names; they have fallen from
their first faith; and are left with the candle of
God's word darkened, and their minds bewildered
by the false light of a delusive superstition : if
God spared not this branch, take heed lest He
also spare not thee: behold, therefore, the goodness

342

Ancient

examples
the most
instructive.

Trust in names and privileges.

[ESSAY VI.

and the severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in
his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
The examples which are adduced from the cases

of those in different Ages and Countries from our
own, are apt to lose their instructive force, from the
very circumstance which ought to make them the
more instructive; viz. that there will always be
some, if not essential, yet circumstantial, difference
between the temptations which arise, and the errors
which prevail, among different sets of men. Hence,
we are apt to lose sight of the substantial agreement
between two cases, and to derive no profit from the
recorded faults of others, because those to which we
are liable are not the same in name, and in all the
accompanying circumstances. Yet this very difference (and hence it is that such examples are the
more instructive) proves that they were not copied,
the one from the other, but originate in a common
and deep-seated source. And it would enable us
to draw the more instruction from such examples,
if we would but remember that man's nature is
always, and every where, substantially the same;
because we view with a more impartial eye such
errors as do not precisely resemble what prevail

SECT.

4.]

Trust in names andprivileges.

343

among ourselves. For these reasons, the backslidings of the Israelites in the wilderness, for
instance, are so earnestly set forth by the Apostle,
for the instruction of the Corinthians, as being an
example likely to be overlooked by them, and especially profitable to be contemplated by them; disposed, as they probably were, to rest in their high
privileges as God's People, even as the Israelites
did of old; and to think, like them, their deliverance complete, and their attainment of the
promised inheritance secure, without watchfulness
against the trials that awaited them.
It is with this view, accordingly, that I have
attempted, in the present work, to point out what
instructive lessons may be drawn from the errors of
our brethren of the Romish Church. For when
once it is clearly perceived, that her corruptions are
such as human nature is prone to-that they are
rather the cause, than the effect, of the system of
that Church-and that consequently, those out of
her pale are not therefore safe from similar corruptions-we are then the more likely to guard watchfully against those faults, whose deformity we have
seen fully displayed in another.

344

fTrust in names andprivileges.

[ESSAY

VI.

ecapitu-

§ 5. In pursuing this view, I took occasion to

the work.

illustrate the general principle, by touching briefly
on some of the particular points in which faults,
essentially the same with those of the Romanists,
have beset, and will ever beset, the rest of mankind
also, in proportion as their vigilance against them is
remitted. But to enumerate and dwell on all these
points, would not only have led to too long a discussion, but would hardly have been needful. For
when once the general principle is embraced, it is
easy, and it is also best, for every one to follow up
for himself the several applications of it, and to
pursue the train of thought thus suggested. Nor
should this be done once for all, in a single discussion, but, practically, throughout the whole of his
Christian life: since if it be fully understood that
the system of Romanism, so far as it disagrees with
true Christianity, is in fact a transcript of man's
frail nature, every one must perceive the necessity
of contemplating, as in a mirror, this portraiture of
his own infirmities, and of not merely abjuring,
once for all, the errors he censures in another,
but guarding against them with incessant vigilance. The more secure any one feels against his
liability to errors, to which in fact he is liable,

SECT. 5.]

Trust in names andprivileges.

345

the greater must be his real danger of falling into
them.
In pointing out, accordingly, several particular Danger of
false secuclasses of faults to which Protestants are liable, rity.
and which are substantially the same as they condemn in the Romanists, I have repeatedly dwelt on
that aggravation of the danger, the false security we
are likely to feel, in our renunciation of the Papal
dominion, against the errors of Romanism. I could
not therefore, I thought, more properly conclude
this treatise, than by observing, that this very false
security is itself one of the most fatal of those
errors ;-that we are in fact imitating the Romanists, if we securely exult in our separation from
them :-if we trust in the name of Protestant, as
they do in that of Catholic; and look back, with
proud satisfaction, on our emancipation from their
corrupt system, without also looking forward, to
guard vigilantly against the like corruptions; even
as they triumphed in their abandonment of Pagan
superstitions, while they forgot that Paganism
itself was the offspring of the self-deceiving heart of
man, in which the same corruptions, if not watchfully repressed, will be continually springing up
afresh.

346

Trust in names andprivileges.

[ESSAY VI.

A more acceptable subject, perhaps, I might
easily have found, in exposing the enormities of the
Church of Rome, and panegyrizing the comparative
purity of our own; inasmuch as self-congratulation
is more agreeable than self-examination. But with
a view to our own practical improvement, there can
be no doubt which is the more profitable. The
Apostle's warning, "be not high-minded, but fear,"
was not likely to be so gratifying to the Church of
Rome, to which it was addressed, as unmixed praise
and congratulation; but it would have saved them,
had they continued duly to attend to it, from the
evils which it denounced.
Let the Protestant then consider their fall as
recorded " for his admonition :" and let him profit
by the example before him.
The errors which, with these views, I selected
Superstition, vicarious re- for consideration, as being among the most prominent, and usually regarded as most characteristic, of
pion,
frauds, &c. the Romish Church, but which I have endeavoured
to trace to our common Nature, are, 1. Superstition; considered as consisting, not in this or that
particular mode of worship, but in misdirected
religious veneration, generally: 2. the tendency
9See Appendix B.

SECT.

5.]

Trust in names andprivileges.

347

towards what may be called a vicarious service of
God;-a proneness to convert the Christian Minister into a Priest in the other sense of the word,
and to substitute his sanctity of life and devotion,
for those of the people: 3. the toleration of what
are called " pious frauds ;" either in the sacrifice of
truth to supposed expediency, or in the propagation
of what is believed to be the truth, by dishonest
artifice: 4. an undue deference to Human Authority; as, in other points, so especially, in forgetting
the legitimate use of creeds, catechisms, liturgies,
and other such compositions set forth by any
Church, and intruding them gradually into the
place of Scripture, by habitually appealing to them
(where the appeal ought always to be made to the
records of inspiration) in proof of any doctrine that
is in question: which practice I pointed out as not
originally the consequence, but the cause, of the
claim to inspiration and infallibility set up by the
Church :h 5. Lastly, I remarked, that Intolerance,
or the spirit of Persecution, i. e. the disposition to
enforce by secular coercion, not, this or that system
of religion, but, one's own, whatever it may be, and
to monopolize for the professors of that religion,
h

See Essay VI. First Series.

348

Trust in names and privileges.

[ESSAY

VI.

civil rights and secular power, is a fault inherent in
human nature, and to which consequently all mankind are liable, however strongly they may reprobate (as e. g. the Romish Church has always done)

persecution, or any form of compulsion, exercised
on themselves.
From these then, and all other Romish errors,
Protestants cannot, as such, be exempt; and they
are in the greater danger of them in proportion to
their abhorrence of them as existing in that Church,
if they regard them as properly the offspring of
Romanism, and not of Human-nature ;-if they
build their security on their being out of the pale of
that corrupt Church, and neglect to guard against
the spirit of those corruptions, while they exult in
the Name of Protestants. This careless reliance on
Titles and Privileges, is, as I have in this Essay
been endeavouring to shew, itself one of the most
mischievous of the Romish errors, and which has
mainly contributed to favour the introduction of
the rest.

S6. In what way then, it may be asked, are we
to apply practically what has been said, in guarding
against this particular error? Let any one (I

SECT.

6.]

7ust81 in

ames andprivilee8.

3
349

would reply) but look around him, and look within
his own heart. Are there not multitudes who exult
in the title of Christian-of Protestant-of Churchman-and intheir belonging to a Society endowed
with such high privileges? There are: and would
God the description, thus far, were even more
universally applicable than it is; for in these things
we ouiht to rejoice, even much more than we do.
But do all who congratulate themselves on these
advantages, and on these names, and who regard it,
if not as some sort of merit, at least, as a sure
pledge of some divine favour, to possess them-do
all of these reflect on the superior responsibility
which is thus imposed on them ? Do none of them
(in feelings and in conduct at least, though not in
express avowal) cherish a hope of being saved by
their privileges, rather than by the use made of
them? Do they reflect on those privileges as
aggravating their condemnation if they do not
rightly use them; or do they exult in their admittance to the wedding-feast, forgetful that the guest
who "had not put on the wedding-garment," was
cast "into outer darkness ?" Do they regard the
names of Christian and of Protestant as a reproach
to those who bear them, if they are not "led by

350

Trust in names andprivileges. [ESSAY VI.

the Spirit of Christ "-if they do not in their heart
and life, as well as with their lips, protest against
the faults which they condemn in the Romanists?
Titles
Nor is it to the names of Ckristian and of Prowhich
Protesteslant alone, that these cautions will apply: every
tants are
in danger title which we claim that implies any peculiar adof trusting
to.
vantage, involves a corresponding responsibility;
and a corresponding danger, if we forget that
responsibility. Does any one consider himself entitled to the name of Churchman-of Orthodoxof High-Church-of Evangelical- of a Serious
Christian ?-let
him remember, that there is a perpetual danger of his relying in proud security on
these titles-of trusting, not so much to his endeavours after personal holiness, as to the sanctity of
the society, sect, or party, with which he is thus
connected.
Trust in
Some members of the Romish Church, not satisthe membership of fled with merely belonging to that Church, and
a Society. with the title of Catholics, have enrolled themselves
in certain subordinate Societies, (or Religious Orders as they are called,) enlisting themselves under
the banner of some founder, of supposed superior
sanctity. I am not now inquiring into the peculiar
errors and superstitions actually connected with

SECT.

6.]

Trulst in

Hames

andprivileges.

351

these institutions: had they been exempt from
every thing of this kind, there would still have been
a danger (which, in fact, must exist, more or less,
in all religious Communities whatever) of that evil
which has so notoriously attended the Religious
Societies of the Romish Church -the evil, I mean,
of considering the mutual connexion of the members of such Societies as a kind of partnership; in
which each member may hope to derive some benefit
at least, from the piety and purity of the whole
Body.' This absurdity--the supposed transfer of
the merits of one sinful mortal to the account of
another-has indeed never been distinctly avowed
except in the Church of Rome: but the tendency
towards such a feeling must have been inherent in
the Human Heart, or men never could have been
brought to acknowledge it.
The desire of it,
is, as I have said, inherent in the very nature of a
religious Community. As, in a Partnership, the
neglect of one man may often be in some degree
remedied by the diligence of others; and as, in an
Army, the soldier who does not himself fight
bravely, may sometimes, through the valour of his
comrades and the skill of his general, be made
See note to § 2. Essay II.

352

Trust in names and privileges.

[ESSAY VI.

partaker of the benefits, and sometimes even of the
glory, of a victory; so, men are apt to transfer
views thus familiar to them, to the case of Members
of a Reliious Society. And this danger, being, as
I have said, one which necessarily besets every
religious Society, can never be escaped except by
incessant vigilance.
For Christianity is essentially a social Religion.k We are " every one members one of another;" and the Author of our
Faith has decreed, that Christians are to further
their own salvation, by labouring jointly to forward
the salvation of each other. But it is by the personal faith and holiness of each individual Christian,
that each individual Christian, after all, is to be
made, through the intercession of the one Mediator
and Redeemer, whose Spirit sanctifies his heart,
acceptable before God. The pious labours of others
can do nothing for any man, unless they lead him
to labour in like manner for himself.
Richly endowed indeed is the Church of Christ
with the means of Grace-with privileges and advantages of inestimable value; but if we fail to use
these means, and to avail ourselves of these privileges, they will but increase our condemnation.
k

See Bampton Lectures, Lect. I.

SECT.

6.]

Tust8

in names8 andprivie/es.

353

The name of Christian-of Reformed, of Protestant
of saving, will condemn, as
Christian -instead
doubly inexcusable, on the great day when the
secrets of men's hearts shall be disclosed, him, who,
"naming the name of Christ," has not "departed
from iniquity ;"-who "heareth his words, and
doeth them not;"-whose life and heart are not
" reformed"-and who exults over the errors of the
Romish Church, while he supinely overlooks those
evil propensities of our common nature, from which
they took their rise. "For he is not a Jew," (nor,
by parity of reasoning, a Christian-an Orthodox,
or an Evangelical Christian-a Reformed, or a Protestant Christian,) "who is one outwardly; neither
is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh;
but he is a Jew, who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not
in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of
God."

AA

APPENDIX.

[A.]

THE title of atoliics, the Romanists claim, and apply
to themselves, not merely as belonging to them, (and it
is not denied that they are a branch, though in some
respects a corrupt one, of the Universal or Catholic
members
and peculiar to
Church,) hut as distcti,
of the Church of R2ome. And Protestants have usually,
I think, that i
in language, conceded this claim.
so doing, they manifest too exciusively the harmlessness
of the dove, and leave the wisdom of the serpent entirely

the

But,

with their opponents. It is urged that these are offended
at being called P apists ; cousidering that as a term of
reproach, from its being used only by their adversaries.
That I may not seem to seek a quarrel, I have generally
avoided that name : but let us not be so weak as to

that 11Romanist,"

imagine,
or any other title by which
can be, properly, designated, will ever fail, WI26i it

they

shall have become common, to be complained of as reproachful ; or that they will ever acquiesce in any appellation which does not imply a reproach to ourselves. Even
A A

2

Appendix.

356

the apparently neutral designation of " Members of the
Church of Rome," is one which we must not too confidently expect them to adopt or acquiesce in; nor is it
unlikely that they may complain of it as reproachful,
should it ever become their customary appellation among
Protestants. For it implies that there are other Churches,
properly called Churches, besides the Church of Rome.
We indeed are content to be designated as Members of
the Church of England; and we regard them as belonging
to a distinct Church, over which, though we censure it
as corrupt, we claim no supremacy; but they do not take
a corresponding view of us: they do not regard us as constituting any distinct Church, but as actually members,
though schismatical and revolted members-subjects, de
jure, though rebellious subjects-of their Church.a A
name therefore which implies, that there are other
Churches distinct from theirs, contradicts one of their
fundamental tenets; viz. that they, and they only, are
faithful members of the one true Church. And this
tenet they have embodied in the appellation they have
chosen for themselves; which consequently implies, as I
have said, a reproach to all other Christians. The title
of Catholic, when used as distinctive, implies the exclusion of all others from the character of loyal members of
the Society which Christ founded-of" the holy Catholic
Church, the Communion of Saints," as it is expressed and
explained in the Apostles' Creed: it implies, in short,
that all others are heretics or schismatics.
This is no uncommon device. There is a sect who
a

See "Thoughts on Church Government."

1844.

Appendix.

357

call themselves " Baptists," i. e. persons who baptize;
thus implying that no others are really/baptized, and that
infant-baptism is null and void. This is their distinctive
tenet; which they are perfectly right in professing, if convinced of its truth : but it is an absurdity for any one who
differs from them to give them this title, which palpably
begs the question at issue, and condemns himself. The
title ofAntipedobaptist is to be sure somewhat cumbrous;
but awkwardness of expression, or even circumlocution,
is preferable to error and absurdity. "The same caution
might well be extended to the use of the word Unitarian,
as the title of a sect; for the term properly expresses a
fundamental doctrine which our Church holds. Socinian
appears to me a better appellation. But this too I would
avoid, if it gave serious offence; at the same time, being
careful to make it known that the word Unitarian is
employed in compliance with a custom, which however
general, and perhaps harmless, I cannot but regard as
objectionable." b
I am myself a Catholic, and a Baptist, and a Unitarian;
and, I trust, both Orthodox and Evangelical: but I will
never assume any of these titles as terms of distinction
from such as do not professedly differ from me on the
several points which are in question respectively.
That the term Papist is a term of reproach, (though I
do not insist on its being employed,) I can never admit.
A "term of reproach" is one which implies something
disgracefudin the opinion of the party to whom it is applied.
bNote to Bishop Copleston's Sermon at the re-opening of Aber-

gavenny Church.

App}endix.
Thus, Heretic (in its ordinary, not perhaps in its etymological sense) implies the holding of some erroneous tenet;
it is, consequently, a reproachful term. But Papist
implies simply one who ac now ledges the authority of
the Pope: and those to whom it is applied, do, openly,
acknowledge his authority.
" Considering the tendency of words" (says a writer
whom I am proud to appeal to) "to influence opinions,
I hold the right use of this word CATHOLIC to be of

essential importance. The controversial writers of the
Church of Rome never fail to take advantage of the want
of caution in this respect observable among Protestants.
Of this a strong example is given in a recent publication,
which affords a gratifying proof of the strength of our
cause, and of the weakness of the Romanists, whenever
they are respectively brought to the test of Scripture and
of reason. I allude to the correspondence between the
Clergy of Blackburn and the Principal and other members
of the RIoman Catholic establishment at Stonyhurst.
From this interesting publication I cannot do better than
extract the following passage in one of Mr. Whittaker's
letters to the Principal of that institution.
"' It was not fro ma love of contending about words,
still less from any reluctance to give every possible satisfaction to the Romish priesthood, that I persisted in
refusing the unqualified term " Catholic" to them and
their Church. The use which they make of it, when it
is conceded to them, cannot be unknown to you. Dr.
Milner, in his End of Religious Controversy, (Letter
XXV.) says of our Church, "Every time they address

Appendix.

359

the God of truth, either in solemn worship or in private
devotion, they are forced each of them to repeat, I bel ieve in THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, and yet, if I ask any
of them the question, are you a CATHOLIC ? he is
sure to answer me, No ! I am a PROTESTANT !!-Was

there ever a more glaring instance of inconsistency and
self-condemnation

among

rational beings ?"-" But,"

says one of the Blackburn Secular Priests to me,
" where is the man that can or will accuse you of acting
inconsistently with your religious principles," supposing
me to concede this appellation to their Church and its
members exclusively ? I refer him for his answer to Dr.
Milner, with whom I entirely agree, that a more glaring
instance of inconsistency and self-condemnation "cannot
well exist among rational beings," than that exhibited
by Protestants, who confess before God that they believe
in His Holy Catholic Church, and allow themselves to
limit the practical use of the term to the Church of
Rome.'-Correspondclence, c. publisked at Blackburn,
1829, p. 14.
" There is nothing I abhor more than religious persecution-nothing I would censure more strongly than
a wanton offence given to the feelings of others, on
account of a sincere difference in religious opinion.
Yet I cannot carry this principle so far as to abstain
from calling the members of that Church who refuse to
join in our reformation of its errors, by some appellation which marks their adherence to its communion,
and their submisson to its authority. Papist appears
to me the most correct designation, because the differ-

360

Appeundix.

ences in doctrine are often ingeniously softened down and
even explained away by the more enlightened Roman
Catholics; but I never met with one who did not hold
that spiritual submission to the bishop of Rome, in some
sense or other, was indispensable. The word Papist,
however, is understood by them as a reproach. Let us
then, in Christian charity, forbear to use it. But some
phrase indicative of their connexion with Rome, and of
their dependence upon the authority of that see, whether
Romish or Romanist, or Roman Catholic, I hold to be
not only allowable, but highly expedient, and even
necessary: and heartily do I wish that all Protestants
would form themselves to a habit of thus speaking, both
in public and private: for it then would never be understood as a personal affront, but as a serious and firm
resolution not to compliment away an important point,
in which our feelings and our honour are at least as
''
much concerned as theirs."e
"Yes, but" (I have heard it answered) " the term
Papist implies more than mere submission to Papal
supremacy; it implies the adoption of an erroneous
system, and submission to an usurped authority."
It implies no such thing.d That indeed is my opinion
respecting the Romish system; but the word does not
denote that. The difference is practically very great
and important, between a word which itself expresses
error or wrong, and a word which denotes some thing
which the speaker believes to be erroneous or wrong.
SBishop Copleston's Sermon at Abergavenny, pp. 23, 24.
See Logic, b. iv. ch. iv. § 2.

Appendix.

361

One person, for instance, may think a democracy the
best form of government, and another may think it the
worst; the one will consequently have the most pleasing,
the other the most odious, associations with the term
Democrat; but the word itself is not used by them in
two different senses; it expresses simply, an "advocate
for democracy;" and it is not, in itself, either a term
of honour or of reproach. On the other hand," patriot"
and " traitor" imply, respectively, honour and dishonour, in their very signification.
Inattention to this obvious distinction leads to endless
confusion of thought and practical perplexity. If every
term is to be reckoned reproachful, which is associated, in
the mind of him who uses it, with some odious or contemptible idea, then, the title of CATHOLIC will itself be
such, when applied by Protestants to designate the Church
of Rome. Every term, in short, will be a term of
reproach when used by one who disapproves the opinion,
system, or party, implied by it. The Mahometans
associate with the title of Christianevery thing that is
hateful or despicable; shall we then complain or be
ashamed of being called Christians ? " God forbid that
we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ." Mahometan, again, is a title, which recalls to
the Christian the idea of " disciple of an impostor;"
but the title itself does not imply Mahomet's being
either a false or a true prophet; and they accordingly
do not regard it as a reproachful title.
But the term Christian would be reproachful if
applied by one Mahometan to another; because it ex-

362

Appendix.

presses something which that other holds in abhorrence.
So also, the title of Mahometan would be a reproach if
applied to a Christian; and Papist, again, for the same
reason, is a term of reproach, if applied to one who
professes himself a Protestant. An appellation, in short,
is or is not reproachful, according to the professed
tenets, not of him who applies it, but of him to whom it
is applied. To be called a Papist, (i. e. "one who
admits the Pope's authority,") is a reproach to him
who does not, and none to him who does, profess that
principle.
But we are told, that the term is used by none but
the adversaries of the Romanists, and therefore they have
a right to complain of it. At this rate they may make
any title they will, a term of reproach, by simply refusing to apply it to themselves. And we may be
assured they will do so with every title which does not
imply a reproach to us. To call themselves, distinctively Catholics, is (as they at least are well aware,
whatever we may be) to call us heretics. Let them be
admonished, that when they except against the name of
Papist, and assume that of Catholics, declaiming at the
same time against the cruelty of using reproachful language-let them be admonished, that the censure applies,
not to us, but to themselves.
If each Body of religionists is to chuse its own
appellation, (which all have a right to do, if any have
such a right) and insist on the exclusive employment of
it, the Mahometans, we know, will require that they
should be distinguished by the title of " true-believers."

Appendix.

363

And let it not be thought that this is a trifling "question of words and names." It was a wise maxim, laid
down and skilfully acted on by some of the leaders of the
French Revolution, that " names are things." Great is
the practical effect in all debate and controversy, of
suffering to pass unnoticed and to become established,
such terms as beg the question, and virtually imply a
decision on one side. I remember to have met with a
Romanist, (by no means bigoted) of the middle class of
society, with whom I had a good deal of discussion of the
points wherein we differed. What seemed to dwell most
on his mind was, the inconsistency, as he deemed it, of
our professing belief in "the Holy Catholic Church ;"
when "yours," he said, "is not the Catholic Church." e
[B.]
Different persons will, of course, be chiefly struck by
different faults, among those charged on the Romanists.
Many, for instance, would place foremost one which I
have not noticed under a distinct head, and to which they
The word does
give the title of "self-righteousness."
not perhaps savour of the purest English ;' but what they
SSee Eden's Theological Dictionary, art. "Catholic."
f According to the analogy of the other similar compounds in our
language, such as " self-love," " self-condemnation," " self tormentor,"
&c. " Self-righteousness" should signify, upright dealing in respect
of one's self.
The term is sometimes defended on the ground that it means
I do not wish to dwell strongly on verbal ques"Self-justification."
tions: but it certainly is no vindication of a word, to shew that it has

a meaning which might have been properly and precisely expressed by
a different
word.

364

Appendix.

mean is, a trust in the merit of good-works, as sufficient
to earn eternal happiness, and as entitling a man to that,
as a just reward.
The Romish Church, however, has not in reality ever
set this forth as one of her distinct tenets. If any one
will consult, what is of decisive authority in that Church,
the decrees of the Council of Trent, he will perceive,
that though they may perhaps have made an injudicious
use of the word "merit," the abstract question between
them and others (not Antinomians) is chiefly verbal.
For they admit, and solemnly declare, that nothing we
can do can be acceptable before God except for the sake
of Jesus Christ; and that we are unable to perform
good-works except by his Spirit working in us: so that
what is called a Christian's righteousness, is, at the same
time, " the righteousness of Christ," although the Scriptures promise, repeatedly and plainly, that it will, through
his goodness, not "lose its reward."
g The error which is perhaps the commonest among Protestants,
on this point, is that of forgetting that the " works" by which the
Pharisees sought "to establish their own righteousness which was of
the Law," were, not the performance of moral duties, but ceremonial
observances; which, in fact, they were accustomed to regard as a
substitute for "the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy,
and faith."

(Matt. xxiii. 23.)

So far from resting their justification

on the strict morality of their lives, we find them not only repeatedly
censured by our Lord for their gross immorality, but spoken of by
Paul (Rom. ii. 17, 24,) as bringing a scandal on their religion in the
eyes of the Gentiles, by their notorious violations of their moral law.
(See Matt. xxiii. 14, 27.)

To found a claim to immortal happiness on the ground of morality of
life, would have been indeed an error, but a far different one from theirs,
who trusted in their compliance with the ceremonial law.
An

Appendix.

365

That part of their theory which is the most objectionable on this score, is the doctrine, that from the pains of
Purgatory, Christ has not redeemed us, but we are to be
rescued either by Penances done in this life, or by
Masses offered in our behalf after our death.
But I do think, that, in practice, the Romish system
tends to foster the error in question; not so much, however, by the use of the words "merit," and "reward,"
as by the importance attached to the actual performance
of a vast multitude of specific works, many of them arbitrarily prescribed, such as abstinence from particular
meats on particular days,-repetition of "Ave Marys"
and "Pater-nosters"--pilgrimages-crossings, &c. which
have a manifest tendency to absorb the attention in the
act itself-to draw off the mind from the endeavour
after inward purity-and to create the feeling so congenial to our Nature, that we have been so far advancing

An error, very nearly the same, had crept in among us to a vast
extent, before the Reformation. "Good works" had come to signify,
principally, if not exclusively, pilgrimages, fasts, genuflections, and
ceremonial observances of various kinds; and hence our Reformers

used much the same language as the Apostle Paul, with the same
meaning, and on a like occasion.
Both were, indeed, well aware that virtuous actions can never
give a man a claim to the Christian promises, independently of Christian faith; and also that the best actions-in themselves the bestare not acceptable in God's sight (indeed are not even morally virtuous
at all) independently of the principle from which they spring. But it
is a notorious fact, that it was not by virtuous actions-what are
usually so called-that the Judaizing Christians, and the later corrupters of Christianity, sought to justify themselves, but by ceremonial
observances.

36Appeii (h".

366

in the performance of something

capalle

intrwswally

o-

forwarding our salvation.
It is worth remarking, that the great heathenmoralist,
who understood more of the character of Christian virtue
than many Christians do, dwells strongly on the principle, that while, in the Arts, the thing produced is
we chiefly look to, in moral action, on the contrary, the
frame of mind of the agent is the principal point; virtuous
actions being only the means, though the necessary means,
of making him, and of provinq him to be, (what is to be
the ultimate object sought after,) an habitually good
mnan*h
But it is an easier task for Man, such as he is
by nature, to conform his outward actions to a certain
precisely-fixed rule, and to applaud himself for that conformity, than, by incessant vigilance and
tion, to rectify and regulate the inward character.'
In strictness of language, the terms virtuous and
vicious do not belong to any action, but to the disposition of the agent; since it is plain that the very same act
may be either a virtuous, or a sinful, or a morally

what

self-examna-

ferent act,

indif-

according to the motive from which it pro-

So

ceeded.
far therefore from any good works being
intrinsically meritorious, there are none that can be even
intrinsically virtuous. To be acceptable in God's sight
they must be "1the fruits of the Spirit ;"-the fruits of
the branches which grow on the true Vine, without
whom "1we can do nothing ;" and it is surely both safer
andl more scriptural, to teach men this ;-adding, from
h See Arist. Eth. b. ii.

See Essays V. and VIII. Second Series.

3G7
the same authority, that every unfruitful branch will be
cut off, and that he only who "doeth the will of his
heavenly Father" shall "enter into his kingdom,"-than
to state broadly and without modification that nothing
a man can do has any tendency to forward his salvation,
(or, by parity of reasoning, to hinder his salvation,) and
to represent him as altogether passive in the great work.
Such language, I am aware, may be, and is, so explained
as not to countenance an immoral or a negligent life:
but it is wantonly incurring a risk, to use, in conveying
christian doctrines, language more liable to misapprehension than that of Scripture, or to apply to moral
duties the expressions used by the Apostles when they
were speaking of ceremonial observances.
I have often had occasion however to observe, that
(not only in religious matters, but in others also) each
Party, School, or Sect, are disposed to prize the more
highly their own peculiar phraseology, and to attach the
more importance to it, in proportion as it is obscurely
technical, enigmatical, and, as an instrument of thought,
cumbrous and inconvenient. For, these qualities cause
it to mark the more strongly the distinction (and man is
by nature prone to delight in any kind of distinction)
between the adept and the uninitiated,-between one
who does, and who does not, belong to their own school.
They feel thence the more strongly their supposed
superiority over another, who will often be palpably at a
loss to understand their meaning: and taking for granted
(as is commonly done) that one not familiar with the
language in which they have been accustomed to express

368

Appendix.

their tenets, is utterly ignorant of the tenets themselves,
they look down on him with exulting pity and scorn as
not knowing the Gospel,-as a carnal man, (in a state of
natural blindness,) by whom the things of God cannot
be comprehended. Just so, some nations of savages, it
is said, are found to regard as greatly their inferior a
European Missionary whom they find ignorant of their
language, or speaking it incorrectly.
There is moreover a peculiar kind of gratification,furnished by the employment of numerous uncouth technical phrases, from the conscious exercise of ingenuity,
in wielding skilfully a cumbrous instrument,-in maintaining successfully a revolting paradox, which perhaps
after all is only a verbal paradox ;-and in so explaining
as to keep clear of mischievous consequences, some
dogma which has thus been made to appear at first sight
very dangerous; and which perhaps may often in practice
prove so; though it may have been, when stated in plain
language, perfectly harmless, and perfectly well known.
I cannot but think the error just described is imputable
to some of those writers who are accustomed to employ
the most profusely the term "self-righteous," as descriptive of those who relying on the merit of the good deeds
they have performed or expect to perform, " trust in
themselves that they are righteous," and that they are,
or shall be, justified before God by their own works, and
authorized to claim reward as fairly earned from Him.
The doctrinal error indeed may be held by a man who,
having a similar belief, generally, may be, individually,
doubtful or perhaps desponding, as to his own present

Appendix.

369

condition, from consciousness of his own deficiency in
those good works which he conceives necessary to establish a claim to heavenly happiness. But a person of
this latter description is more likely than not, either to
become convinced of the unsoundness of the doctrine of
self-justification altogether, or to turn away his mind
altogether from religious thoughts which will have become a source of wretchedness, or, lastly, to satisfy himself that his virtues, or (more frequently) his ceremonial
observances, do at length justify him before God. The
most usual result therefore, by far, of the erroneous
doctrine above described, is that species of spiritual
pride which consists in an arrogant claim founded on
the performance of certain good works.
It is a great mistake however (and it is to this I am
especially directing the reader's attention at present) to
imagine that Protestants, even those who are the forwardest in condemning this particular kind of SpiritualPride, which is connected with what they call "selfrighteousness," are therefore exempt from the danger of
Spiritual-Pride altogether. On the contrary, one may
find but too plain symptoms of the same disease, even in
some who the most abhor and condemn all reliance on
the merit of good works. For Pride is too natural an
inmate of the human heart to be effectually excluded by
being merely "at one entrance quite shut out." There
are some, as I have above remarked,k who substitute an
unerring Party for an unerring Church, or renounce the
shackles of Papal infallibility, as it were in a spirit of
k See Essay IV.
BB

370

Appendix.

rivalry, that they may become, each, a Pope to himself.
And these will commonly be found to have merely
changed the form, not the substance, of Spiritual-Pride.
One may sometimes hear a man professing himself the
chief of sinners-proclaiming his own righteousness to be
filthy rags-calling himself a brand plucked out of the
burning-resting his confidence of salvation wholly on
the Atonement of his Redeemer, and on the imputation
to himself of the righteous works performed by Christ'and acknowledging that he has received every thing from
God's free and unmerited bounty; and thence fully trusting that he must have completely attained Christian
humility; at least, as far as he does completely adhere to
his profession that whatever he possesses is due to the
free grace of God. Now on this ground we may conceive the Pharisee in the Parable to have congratulated
himself on his humility as well as his other virtues;
since he exclaims, in pious gratitude, " God, I thank
Thee, that I am not as other men are!" But the
Pharisee, it will be answered, rested on his good works
-his scrupulous fasting, and paying of tithes. Is there
then no other conceivable Spiritual-Pride than precisely
that of the Pharisees ? no other subject of excessive selfconfidence and self-congratulation ? If there be, it is
evident that we cannot, any more than the Pharisee, be
exempted from the danger, by merely acknowledging,
(as he did) that all we have is the gift of God. And in
fact, it may too often be found, that a Christian, who
renounces the Romish tenets respecting good works, and
1 See Essay VI. Second Series.

Appendix.

371

who abhors the very name of "merit" as applied to himself or to other men, will have renounced boasting, only
in words, and will be full of the most overweening confidence in his own gifts and graces. Forthere is a striking
resemblance between the Romanist and the fanatical
Pietist, in their each craving after, (though from different
quarters,) and each in consequence flattering himself as
having attained, some such definite and certain assurance,
the one from his Church, the other from his feelings, as
may finally supersede hesitation and self-distrustm-de stroy the true nature and value of faith-and deprive the
present Life of its character as a state of discipline. As
the one accordingly relies in proud security on his unerring Church, so the other will proclaim himself enlightened
throughout as to the whole Gospel-scheme, by the divine
Spirit. And so far he is right, that the aid of the Holy
Spirit is promised us to "help our infirmities," and that
without his help sought and granted, the clearest intellectual powers will leave a man bewildered, or ill-satisfied.
But he who honestly avails himself of this promise, and
is truly " led by the Spirit," will be filled, with gratitude
indeed for the past, and with cheering hope for the future,
but with no arrogant self-confidence, or uncharitable disdain. Without entering into any minute discussion (for
which this is not the placer) of the different kinds and
degrees of spiritual assistance, it is evident that all such
enlightening of the mind, either is, or is not, of such a
character as to amount to inspiration, and imply infalm
See Essay VI.

First Series, § 9:

n See Essay IX.

Second Series.

BB 2

372

(ix.
3Append

libility. If in any case a man is convinced that he has
not any claim to this, he ought, in some way or other, to
manifest that conviction, and to shew that he makes
allowance for this difference: if he does reckon himself
properly, inspired, he ought at least not to censure the
Romish Church for the presumptuous arrogance of her
claim, but honestly to join issue on the question, whether
he, or they, are justified in such a claim: a claim which,
it appears to me, can only be established by the performance of sensible miracles.
And I cannot but think the Romanists have the
advantage in point of consistency over many modern
fanatics; inasmuch as their Church does acknowledge
the reasonableness of such an appeal, and claim miraculous powers. But one may find in some Protestants,
while they pretend to no such powers, and abjure all
arrogant assumption, a decided pretension, if not always
expressed in words, at least implied in the whole tenor
of their language, to inspiration, properly so called.
They state their own views of religion with no less
oracular dogmatism than the Romanists ; -- they bestow
no less unhesitating and unsparing censure on all who
do not coincide in these views, or who do not, to the
minutest tittle, conform to their phraseology in expressing
them;-and they look down with the same pharisaical
and self-sufficient contempt on every one who does not
adopt the notions which they (as they often express
themselves) have "been taught by the spirit of God." And
if any one remains unconvinced by their arguments, or
by their assertions instead of argument, or if he meet

Ippenclix.

373

these with such objections as they are at a loss to answer,
they will in general boldly and promptly resort to the
cheap expedient of pronouncing him incapable of comprehending the subject, from being in an unregenerate
natural man receiveth not the things that
state: for "1the
are of God :" and such, they conclude at once, must be
the condition of any one who disallows, or, still more,
who refutes their opinions, which they are sure are the
"things of God." Any, the slightest, departure from the
standard of their (as it might be called, in analogy to
their own phraseology) " Self-Infallibility," is regarded
by them as a decisive proof of entire spiritual blindness.
But still, inasmuch as they abhor " self-righteousness,"
claiming no merit whatsoever for their own good works,
and pretending only to the character of the peculiarlyfavoured and inspired People of God, they flatter themselves that they are quite safe from spiritual-pride; and
thus they complete their presumptuous confidence, by
adding to the list of their other perfections, the perfect
attainment of genuine Christian Humility. Being utter
strangers to self-distrust and humble vigilance, they feel,
for this very reason, the more secure against any deficiency
of these; and the very completeness of their spiritualpride, makes them the more completely confident of being
wholly free from it. I may expect therefore that in proportion as the view I have taken may be a just one, it
will be the more likely to give offence. The suggestion
of a possibility of being self-deceived in respect of the
virtue of humility will startle and shock each person the
more, the more fully convinced he is in his own mind

374

Appendix.

that he does possess that virtue: and the less he really
possesses it, he will be of course the more resentful and
impatient of admonition.
If such be, as I fear it is, but too true a picture of the
language and tone of feeling which may not unfrequently
be met with, even among those who not only condemn
the arrogance of the Romish plea of merit, but are sedulous in warning Protestants against the like sin, this
furnishes a strong, and afflicting, and awful instance of a
delusion by which our spiritual enemy can obtrude upon
us some vice, dressed up in the very garb of the opposite
virtue, even at the very time when we are occupied in the
most vehement reprobation of it : while we are, in one
point, scrupulous to " strain off the gnat," and in another,
ready to " swallow the camel."
Never will the sin of spiritual-pride more easily beset
us, than under the guise of a self-abhorring humility.o
And never will the preacher be more successful in making
(apparenit) converts, than when he is unconsciously flattering the evil propensities of man's corrupt nature, while
he appears to repress them. " It is sometimes considered as a proof of the advantage to be obtained from
the habit which I am here presuming to discourage, that
such preaching generally proves attractive to the lower
classes. This, however, may be accounted for, without
furnishing any justification of the practice. For, first,
the lower classes, unless they are truly religious, usually
are gross sinners, and, therefore, are neither surprised
nor shocked at being supposed so themselves, and at the
o See Essay I. Fourth Series.

375

jppendix.

en-

same time feel a sort of pleasure which need not be
when they hear their superiors brought down
to the same level: and, secondly, it seems to furnish them
with a sort of excuse for their sins, to find that they arc
so universal, and so much to be expected of human

couraged,

nature."

p

Nothing indeed is more likely to be popular, and less
likely to be profitable, than to act the part of the Stoic
philosopher to Damasippus; (br. Sat. iii. b. 2.) who
assured him that he need not feel any shame at his own
follies, at least as compared with those of other men,
since all except the true wise-many were equally foolish
and insane,s though in various ways; and that he had
only to enroll himself in this privileged and enlightened
philosophical Sect, adopt the maxims of his new school,t
and immediately look down with disdain on those he had
been accustomed to look up to with a mixture of
reverence, envy, despair, and dislike.u
"Sumner,
q..

Apostolical Preaching, p. 133.

.
..
.
hoc te
Crede modo insanum ; nihilo ut sapientior ille
Qui te deridet. Sat. iii. b. ii. 1. 51.

*
. Haec populos, hauc magnos formula reges,
Excepto sapiente, tenet. 1. 45.
It should be remembered, that the equality of all faults was a
favourite doctrine of the Stoics.

tunde
ego mira
Descripsi docilis praecepta haec, tempore quo me
Solatus jussit sapientem pascere barbam,
Atque a Fabricio non tristem ponte reverti. 1,34.
U
amico
Arma dedit, 4iosthac ne compellarer inultus

1. 297.

376

Appen div.

The whole of this admirable Satire is well worth a reperusal, with a view to the present subject, for the sake
of the light it throws on the substantial identity, under
the most different forms and names, of human nature in
all ages and countries.
It ever must have been, and ever will be, a far more
irksome task to Human Nature, to drink, drop by drop,
the medicine, so bitter to the " Natural Man," of selfabasement, than to get rid of the potion in a single
draught ;-to weed out, one by one, deep-rooted habits,
and gradually to retrace his steps by daily perseverance,
than to leap at once to a secure eminence, from which he
may look back, in the exultation of superiority, on those
whose greater forwardness in the Christian course he had
been used to regard with almost hopeless mortification.
Well therefore may we expect, that those who are not
sedulously on their guard, will be often seduced by a
temptation which addresses itself at once to the impatient
indolence, to the jealousy, and to the pride, of the human
heart.

To the topics I have touched on in the course of this
Work, I might have added, besides many others, some
allusion to the re-introduction among some Protestants of
A uricular Confession, though so far modified as not to be
made to a priest; by which alteration, I conceive, both
the good, in some instances, and the evil, in many more,
of the Romish practice, may be diminished. That good
as well as evil-beneficial as well as pernicious effects-

Appendix.

377

have been produced by auricular Confession, I have not
a doubt. And this perhaps has had its share in the wide
diffusion, long continuance, and partial restoration of the
practice. But the chief cause is, I am convinced, (as in
the case of the other Romish practices,) that there is a
natural craving in mankind for this unburdening of the
conscience, by confession to a fellow-creature.x The
Romish system has taken advantage of this, by misinterpreting the scriptural recommendation, to " confess our
sins one to another," (the Apostle does not say " to the
Minister," or to the Church) as a requisition of a regular
and complete periodical Confession, making a portion of
Christian discipline. And the practice so established,
whether with Romanists or Protestants, I am convinced
does evil ten times oftener, and of ten thousand times
greater magnitude, than good: nor can I but regard it
as, practically, one of the very worst parts of Romanism.
Indeed, my chief reason for not dwelling on it further is,
that I could not, with propriety, exhibit it in its true
colours, or describe what I have good ground to believe,
respecting its effects.
Of course, when there is any particular act in which
we are conscious of having wronged our neighbour, it is
our duty then to confess to him that we have wronged
him, and to ask his forgiveness. Tis is a real point of
Christian humility; and a great trial of it it is; far
more than the most highflown general lamentation over
the sinfulness of our nature.
And again, when we are consulting some confidential
xCalled by the Scotch, "making a clean breast."
cc

378

AppendiX.

adviser, as to any part of our conduct, we are right (supposing him worthy of being an adviser at all) in opening
our hearts to him, and confessing the faults and infirmities which we are consulting him how to shake off and
counteract. And in giving advice also to a friend, we
may have occasion to supply him with a useful warning,
by freely confessing to him the snares in which we have
been entangled.
But except in these three cases, confessions of sin had
better be made to God only; and to Him they should be
made with perfect sincerity. For, though there is no
danger of our deceiving Him, there is great danger of
our deceiving ourselves.'

Enough however has been said on several points, and
perhaps more than enough for minds disposed to follow
up a principle in its several applications, to shew the
necessity of unceasing vigilance, and, not indeed of
often-repeated thorough reformations, (which are always
attended with more or less evil,) but, of such perpetual
revision, renovation, purification, and progressive improvement, in every system, as shall supersede the necessity of great changes; such constant attention to keep
every thing, as it were, in good repair, that there shall
be no need of totally pulling down and rebuilding.
But there is an error common to many of those who in
other respects vary infinitely in their views: to many, both
of the adherents of the unreformed Churches, with their
Y Charge, 1836, (pp. 43, 44,) and Essay I. 4th Series.

Appendix.

379

long-accumulated load of abuses; and of those who are
fully satisfied with the system of some reformed Church;
and again of those who advocate further reform, from the
most extravagant, to the most moderate: and an error,
(lastly) common to political, and academical, as well as to
ecclesiastical matters. The error I mean is that of conceiving a system,-whether actually existing, or ideal,so framed, as to keep itself in good order;-onethat either
is, or may be, so wisely constituted as to remain perfect,
or as near as is possible, to perfection, without any call
for incessantly-watchful care on our part. This error, I
say, is common to men of the most opposite views. Some
attribute this character to the Church of Rome as founded
by the Apostles; or to some Protestant Church, as
reformed by Luther or Calvin; resigning themselves to
tranquil security against all but external dangers, and
apprehending none but sudden and violent innovations;
forgetful of the wise remark of Bacon, that" Time is the
greatest innovator; though his changes creep in so quietly
as to escape notice." Others, on the contrary, see numberless defects, real or imaginary, in these Churches, and
wish for a total, or for a partial, change: still flattering
themselves, like their opponents, that a system once
established on their principles, will continue, without
further care or vigilance, to answer all its purposes for
ever;-in short, that the machine will go right, if undisturbed, without ever needing to be regulated, or to be
wound up. Never let it be forgotten then, that we are
S" Novator maximus, Tempus . .
nuat ut sensus fallant."

quod novationes ita insi-

~S()
Appendi

3S()

beset by

.

the same truly chimerical hope, in human aflirs,

which has misled so many speculators in Mechanics;
the vain expectation of attaining the PERPETUAL
MOTION.

THlE

11. CLAY,

ENDS

PRINTER, BREAD-STREET-HJILL.

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