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 favor of the Christian Religion:55 wherein he fully shews the Falsity of all idolatrous Religions, and of the <124> Mahometan in particular, from their extorting Professions by main force, and from their being built upon persecuting Principles: to which he opposes the Manner in which Christianity was establish’d: gentle, peacable, bloodi’d by Persecution suffer’d, not inflict’d. ’Tis by this Topick we baffle all the Cavils of Libertines, when we urge the mighty Progress of the Christian Religion, and its spreading far and wide in so short a time, as a Proof of its Divinity. They answer, That this, if a good Argument in any Case, will be as strong on the side of the Mahometan, as the Christian Religion: since it’s well known that Mahometism over-spread numberless Countrys in a small space of time. But this, we reply, is not so strange, because Mahomet and his Followers employ’d Constraint; whereas Christianity prevail’d and triumph’d by Sufferings, in spite of Violence and Artifice, and all Endeavors to extinguish it. There’s nothing in all this Dispute that is not very reasonable and convincing on the side of Christians: but if once it be prov’d that JESUS CHRIST has injoin’d Constraint, nothing will be weaker than our making it an Objection against Mahometism. Whence I argue thus:
That literal Sense which deprives the Christian Religion of one of its strongest Arguments against false Religions, is false.
The literal Sense of these words, Compel ’em to come in, does this.
Therefore it’s false.
What have you to say against the Violences of Pagans and Saracens? Dare you reproach ’em, as Mr. Dirois does, That a forc’d Adoration, an <125> evident Hypocrisy, a Worship notoriously against Conscience, and purely to please Men, were the Characters of Piety and Religion among them? Will you tell ’em, That their Gods, and their Worshippers demanded no more Religion than just what might serve to destroy the true, since they were as well satisfy’d with a forc’d as with a sincere Adoration? But can’t you see they’l laugh at you, and send you home to France for an Answer to your Charge? Don’t you see they’l reply upon you, that they do no more than JESUS CHRIST himself has expresly commanded; and instead of allowing that his first Disciples are more to be admir’d than those of Mahomet, tell you quite contrary, that these discharg’d their Duty much more faithfully, having trifled away none of their time, but immediately fallen to the short and effectual way appointed by God? They’l tell you, the Christians of the three first Centurys were either Contemners of the Orders of JESUS CHRIST, or a pack of Poltrons, who had not a Spirit to execute his Commands; or Simpletons, who knew not the hundredth part of their own Power: Whereas the Mahometans took their Orders right from the first hint, and executed ’em gallantly; very zealous in the Execution of a Law, which can’t but be very just, since we are oblig’d to own ’twas deliver’d by JESUS CHRIST. And as to the swift Progress of their Religion; if on one hand we diminish the Merit of it on account of their great earthly Power, they’l enhance it on the other, by saying, that God gave a visible Blessing to that Zeal and Courage which they manifested, without loss of time, in propagating the Divine Religion of his Prophet, by <126> methods which we our selves revere as holy, and expresly enjoin’d by God.
This Argument might be binding upon those of the Church of Rome, were they Men of fixt Principles: But alas, they are not, they are Proteus’s, who get loose by a thousand slippery tricks, and under all kind of Forms, when one thinks he has ’em fastest. They’l teach us in all other Instances, that where a Dispute arises concerning the Sense of any Scripture-Passage, we must consult Tradition, and hold by the Sense of the Fathers: So that let any Exposition of Scripture be ever so reasonable, yet if it be new, they’l tell us it’s not worth a straw, it comes too late, and there’s Prescription against it. To reason upon this Principle, all Arguments for Persecution drawn from the Gospel, in the days of Theodosius and St. Augustin, ought to be rejected; because ’twas giving the Gospel a Sense intirely new, which came too late, and which there was Prescription against. But our Adversarys are not to be stun’d with such Trifles; they’l say, the Authority of the Fathers is valid, not where themselves happen to differ about any point of Doctrine, but where they unanimously agree: And for this Reason, the great <127> Lights of the fourth Century not falling in with some former Opinions concerning Persecution, the more antient Fathers are not a sufficient Authority for the Doctrine I maintain. When we press ’em by saying, that all the Fathers are not agreed in any one point, they wriggle themselves out by some other Loop-hole, and are not asham’d to maintain the literal Sense; tho by their own Confession, the unanimous Consent of the Fathers, that indispensable mark of Truth, be wanting. However, this shall not hinder my going on with my Argument in the following manner.
It is not probable, had JESUS CHRIST ordain’d the making Christians by force, that the Fathers of the three first Centurys had constantly reason’d, as Men verily persuaded, that all Constraint is inconsistent with the Nature of Religion: for with regard to all points of Gospel-Morality, or as to any Precept, or Counsel (call it so) of JESUS CHRIST, none were fitter to know the Sense of the Scriptures than they; and shou’d God have conceal’d from ’em the meaning of a Precept of this importance, so far as to let ’em run on in false Reasonings, and in a Supposition of its being impious, there’s no Christian but might justly be shock’d and scandaliz’d at their Ignorance. Once more then, I say, it’s manifestly against Reason, against all the Appearances of Truth, that JESUS CHRIST shou’d enjoin compelling the Jews and the Gentiles to Baptism; and yet the Apostles either not comprehend him, or if they did, not caution their chief Disciples to be reserv’d in condemning Violences, lest by condemning ’em in general, they shou’d advance <128> an Heterodoxy, and directly contradict JESUS CHRIST, at least put Arms into the hands of those whom the Christians might one day use violence to, and give ’em a handle for crying out upon the shameful difference between the Christianity of the first, and that of the latter days. This was the least cou’d be expected from the Apostles and their first Disciples, the trustiest Depositarys of Tradition: If it was not seasonable or prudent to execute the Order of JESUS CHRIST in those earlier days, by compelling to come in; at least they shou’d have hinted, that a Day wou’d come, when this might be very piously practis’d, and in the mean time beware branding this Doctrine with the Character of Falshood. Yet this the Fathers have done in the strongest terms, and even in the fourth Century, when the Arians first began to persecute. This alone, says St. Athanasius, is a plain Argument, that they have neither Piety nor the Fear of God before their Eyes. ’Tis the Nature of Piety not to constrain, but to persuade; after the Example of J. CHRIST, WHO CONSTRAINING NONE, left it to every one’s Discretion, whether they wou’d follow him or no. For the Devil’s part, as he has not the force of Truth on his side, he comes about with Sledges and Iron Crows to burst open the Doors of those who are to receive him: but so meek is our Lord and Saviour, that tho he teaches in such a Stile as this, If any one will come after me; He that will be my Disciple; yet he compels none; knocking only at the Door, and saying, My Sister, my Spouse, open unto me; and entring when it’s open’d, and departing if they tarry and are unwilling to receive him: for it is not (mark well these words, ye Gentlemen of the Council of Conscience to Lewis XIV most Chris-<129>tian King of France and Navarre) WITH SWORD AND SPEAR, NOR WITH SOLDIERS AND ARM’D FORCE, THAT TRUTH IS TO BE PROPAGATED, BUT BY COUNSEL AND SWEET PERSUASION.56 Isn’t this the plainest Proof, that the Apostles knew nothing of this pretended Mystery of Persecution, contain’d in the Parable; and that JESUS CHRIST intended, not only that it shou’d be unknown to the first Ages of Christianity, but condemn’d also and stigmatiz’d as a cruel and diabolical Impiety? which wou’d look very absurd, if at the same time he had enjoin’d Persecution. For how can we conceive, that he shou’d suffer a Point of Morality