A Philosophical Commentary on These Words of the Gospel, Luke 14:23, “Compel Them to Come In, That My House May Be Full”. Pierre Bayle
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in a solemn League, to take away that Reproach which Christianity lies under, on account of the horrible Persecutions exercis’d by it from time immemorial. If such a League shou’d not be thought sufficient, let’s hope for the Addition to it of all the Infidel Nations of both Continents, till we make up a Body capable of bringing Popery to reason; Popery, that sore Disgrace of Christianity, and Bane of Human kind! Such a League wou’d be altogether as just as a League against the Rovers of Barbary:15 And as it were very reasonable to exact all manner of Assurances from these, that they wou’d never cruise more, nor disturb the Trade of the World by their infamous Piracys; so nothing were more reasonable than exacting from Popery a Promise never to persecute more, and obliging it to annul all the Decrees of Councils, all the Bulls of Popes, and all the Decisions of Casuists authorizing Persecution. But because there wou’d still be ground enough to apprehend, that she wou’d flinch from all Engagements as soon as the danger was over; to obviate this Inconvenience, ’twere necessary to demand Hostages from her, and impose such heavy Penaltys on every default, that she shou’d never more presume to violate the Treaty. These indeed are Projects fitly calculated for sparing the World many and great Desolations, yet they are never the less chimerical; and, as the Author, who has occasion’d the writing this Commentary,16 has very justly re-<22>mark’d, Popery is too necessary an Instrument in the hands of an incens’d Providence (which to punish Human kind effectually, must decree it both miserable and ridiculous) to expect that any thing shou’d ever deliver the World from it. And I know a Man of a great deal of Wit, who querying whether there shou’d be a Romish Church in Hell, that is, a Body of Men govern’d by the furious and detestable Maxims of this Religion; answers in the affirmative, and for this reason, Because without it there wou’d something still be wanting to compleat the Misery of those who are consign’d to the darksom Abodes.
I took the Infidel Nations of both Continents into my imaginary Scheme, and not without good reasons; because tho they have not so immediate an Interest in the abolishing the impious Maxims of Persecution as we, yet they all have a concern in it more or less remote, according as they are more or less distant from the places into which the Missionarys riggle themselves; especially that dark and dreadful Machine which stretches out its Arms as wide as China. There’s no room to doubt but the Pope, and his Imps, have a design of reducing the whole World under their Yoke. They are prompted to this by the Interest of Lording it far and near, and heaping up Riches, and of preventing that Confusion with which the Protestants cover ’em, as often as they shew how ridiculous their Pretences are to the Title of Universal Church, when there are so many Nations in the World which have never as much as heard of it. Now to gratify their Ambition and their Avarice, and to spare <23> themselves the shame of never being able to answer pertinently to this Objection of the Protestants; there’s no manner of doubt but they will introduce their dear and well-beloved Handmaid, the constraining to sign a Formulary, as soon as they have power enough among the Infidels. The Jesuits17 have themselves own’d, during the Life of their Founder, that they had made use of Constraint in the Indies. In their Letters written from this Country we are inform’d, that the Brachmans being nonplus’d in a Dispute, stood it out upon this single Reason, That they follow’d the Doctrines of their Ancestors; and persisted to such a degree of Obstinacy, that no Arguments, of what force soever, cou’d make the least Impression on ’em: Whereupon the Vice-Roy, to shorten the Dispute, and drive one Nail with another, publish’d a Law, whereby they who wou’d not turn within the space of forty days, were condemn’d to Banishment; on pain, if they did not depart the Country in that time, of forfeiting all their Substance, and being sent to the Gallys. Scioppius is the Man who reproaches the Jesuits with this, in his Criticism on Famianus Strada;18 where there are several other very honest Remarks to the same purpose, but which stand to the worst advantage imaginable in this Author, because he himself had bin a mere Firebrand in his former Writings; his Classicum Belli Sacri, printed in 1619,19 being stuff’d with the most execrable Maxims relating to the Excision of those who are call’d Hereticks. However, he had ground enough for censuring the Uncertainty and Variations of the Jesuits Tenets, on their publishing a Work in Germany about seven <24> years ago, intitled, Justa Defensio,20 in which they laugh at a set of Monks, who pretended to maintain, that no Arms but the Apostolical ought to be employ’d for the Conversion of those in Error: that’s right, say they, with regard to Infidels, but not with regard to Hereticks, nothing will do with these but Menaces and Blows. Why then will they make use of the same means for converting the Pagans in the Indies?
The truth is, they who take on ’em the odious task of vindicating Persecution of any kind, are hard put to it to trim the Matter. If they persecute only Hereticks, and the Conduct of the Apostles be alledg’d against ’em, they answer, That this Example wou’d be a Rule indeed if they had to deal with Infidels as the Apostles had; but that Hereticks being rebellious Children, the Church retains more Right over them than over Pagans. They don’t perceive, that this is furnishing Jews and Pagans with Arms against those among them who embrace the Gospel; and furnishing these Arms in such a manner, that shou’d the new Converts pretend to constrain those who persisted in the Religion of their Fathers, they may presently speak out, That one must be abandon’d to all shame who pretends, that rebellious Children have the same Right over their Mother which she has over them. If they persecute and constrain infidels, as has bin practis’d thro both the Indies in a manner, the very Accounts of which are enough to chill one’s Blood, then they are necessarily forc’d to turn the Tables; they alledg the Practice of the antient Christian Emperors (who, unacquainted with the modern Distinction between the Me-<25>thods to be taken with Hereticks and Infidels, condemn’d the Pagans to Death) and interpret the Parable in its utmost Import, without any manner of Restriction. So that they have such or such Principles, according to the Exigency and Occasions, nothing fixt, but staring Contradictions at every turn, as any one may see, who takes the Pains of reading what Pope Gregory the Great, and his new Historian* Maimbourg, have said upon the Methods of converting the Jews and others. To shew that these Gentlemen have time-serving Principles, I shall cite P. Maimbourg writing at a time when the forcing Men to communicate was not as yet practis’d in France, and highly disapproving this Constraint; for he tells us, that by forcing the Jews to receive Baptism against their Opinion, there were as many Profanations of so holy an Ordinance, and as many Acts of Sacrilege as there were Jews baptis’d. By condemning these forc’d Baptisms, he necessarily condemns all forc’d Communions. At that very time he approv’d all the other Methods made use of against the Reform’d; but because this of constraining to communicate was not yet in vogue, and consequently needed no Apology, and he did not foresee that it wou’d need any, he condemns it peremptorily. As Matters are order’d since, he must bethink himself of some new come-off.
Mr. Diroys,† whom I have cited in the Body of my Commentary, must needs be strangely out of Countenance, because it follows from what <26> he has advanc’d in his reasonings on these Points, that his own Religion is good for nothing. Observe how he cuts down Mahometism, without considering, that he strikes Catholicism to the heart at every stroke.
The fourth Character of Falshood, says he, in this Religion of Mahomet, is, That whereas the true Religions, as those of the Jews and Christians, admit no body as a Member of ’em, unless he appears persuaded of their Truth, Hypocrisy serving only to enhance their Guilt; that of Mahomet does in many Cases exact an outward Profession from Persons who inwardly detest it. If a Man has had the Misfortune unwittingly, or even in drink, to give any external Mark of his [Dis]Approbation;21 if he has hapned to speak of it with Contempt, if he has struck a Mahometan tho in his own defence, if he debauches a Woman, or marrys one of this Religion; there’s no way left for him of expiating these real or pretended Crimes, but by making external Profession of this Religion, altho the Reluctance with which he does it sufficiently testifys, that he is not in the least persuaded of its Truth.
We have shewn, continues he, in discoursing of the Religion of the Gentiles, that the extorting the Profession of a Religion, which one is not in conscience persuaded of, is an evident Proof of its being govern’d by a Spirit at Enmity with Truth and Holiness; since nothing can be more repugnant to Truth,