Education for Life. George Turnbull
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And sure, as has been said, there can be no other way of shewing power, or knowledge, but by giving certain specimens of it.
But to leave no room for doubt or scepticism, let us enquire yet more particularly what is necessary to prove a mission. <26>
And when one pretends to a mission, there are three things requisite to compleat his credentials. “The doctrines he teaches must be of importance; such as it concerns mankind much to be assured of; and have an evident connexion with our peace and happiness, and tendency to promote virtue and piety.”
And such certainly are the doctrines which JESUS CHRIST taught: they are such as the wise in all ages have earnestly wished to be assured of by a proper evidence. They are, in one word, the only doctrines that have any connexion with virtue and piety;‡ or the happiness of mankind, which natural reason is in the dark about, and cannot ascertain beyond all doubt.
“Next the missionary must behave himself in such a manner, as that we may have sufficient reason, from his conduct, to trust and put full confidence in him.”
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And such certainly was the whole of our SAVIOUR’s conduct and behaviour; that either we may safely rely upon his word, and believe in his honesty; or no marks, no samples of goodness, sincerity, and faithfulness, are sufficient to create trust.
“Last of all, the pretended missionary must give a proper and full evidence, that he really is possessed of any degree of power he claims; and of the knowledge that is necessa-<27>ry to render him capable of ascertaining these doctrines to us which he asserts and teaches.”
And have we not already found that he gave proper and adequate samples of the power he claimed by his doctrines? and do not all his works shew that universal knowledge of nature, and the government of the world; which is sufficient to put his capacity to teach us the doctrines he taught beyond all controversy? Who is sufficient to instruct us, if he who gave samples of such extraordinary knowledge was not? What greater degree of knowledge can we require in an instructor; or what other samples of the knowledge requisite to instruct us? consider him as pretending to come from GOD, to tell us that he had power given unto him of GOD to raise the dead, to forgive sins,* and to make the virtuous happy, and the wicked miserable, in the life to come. And as this was indeed his pretension; so we have already seen that his works were proper and proportioned samples of his right to claim such power. Consider him as pretending to come from GOD, to teach mankind that there will be a future state, and a resurrection of the dead; and that those who repent and reform their lives, will be forgiven and made happy in a future life; but that the impenitent, and such as continue to lead vitious and disorderly lives, will be punished in that after-life. And still his works are proper and adequate experiments, that he had the knowledge requisite to give us this information. For he shewed that the dead could be raised; that he knew how to raise the dead; and could <28> actually raise them; that he could make happy or miserable in any degree; that he could forgive sins; or give full and compleat evidence when sins were forgiven; because he could deliver those whose sins he pronounced forgiven, from any sorts of pains or miseries, to which sin renders obnoxious. In like manner he proffers assistance to the virtuous; and at the same
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time shewed his ability to confer every good quality when at a distance, as well as when present.
To conclude, if we abstract from the history of our SAVIOUR, and inquire with our selves what would be a full and compleat evidence of a mission from GOD to teach; it is not difficult to find out what the evidence must be. For we know what doctrines of importance, with regard to GOD and ourselves, natural reason is not able to satisfy us fully about.
We have so much knowledge of GOD, as to be able to determine what doctrines he would instruct us in, by an extraordinary missionary; if he should ever condescend to teach us in that manner. These very doctrines to be sure, which have a connexion with virtue and piety, that natural reason is not able to deduce certainly from any principles; and such are the doctrines which JESUS CHRIST taught. And as for what regards testimony, we all know the evidence that is requisite to render it credible and worthy of our reception. All, to be sure, that can be demanded is, that there be good ground to trust our informer as to his honesty; and next, that he give sufficient samples of the kind of knowledge he pretends to, or that is necessary in order to his giving us such and such information: <29> samples analogous in kind, and proportioned to the degree of knowledge he claims, by pretending to inform us of certain truths. We must reason concerning the proper credentials, or evidence of testimony, in every case the same way: in this just as in any other.
Having therefore shewed that our SAVIOUR gave samples of his sincerity and honest design; and at the same time adequate samples of the power and knowledge he pretended to; it follows necessarily, that there is all the reason in the world to believe in him, and give him full credit.
SECTION IX
And is this then, perhaps you’ll say, the whole of Christianity? Yes it is; and a noble and perfect system indeed it is, containing all the encouragements that can be thought of, or desired, to virtue, piety, and goodness, the love of GOD and our fellow-creatures; which common reason sufficiently tells us, if we would but hearken to its dictates, is the whole duty of man.
These doctrines above explained are clearly insisted upon by our SAVIOUR
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and his Apostles.* These doctrines are ever and ever insisted upon by them, as the chief; as the only doctrines of consequence they had to instruct us in.† These doctrines <30> are ever inculcated by them, as motives to the practice of virtue. These are the doctrines the best of the ancient philosophers, would have rejoiced to have found sufficient evidence to believe. And these doctrines being ascertained, we are fully instructed in every thing that relates to virtue, or this life, or the life to come, that it concerns us to know. Had I not then good reason to say in the beginning of this letter, my friend, “That the doctrine of a future state is the sum of Christianity.” For the doctrines abovementioned are easily reducible to this one proposition, “That the vitious are to be punished in the life to come; and the virtuous to be assisted in their serious endeavours here; and made perfect in virtue and happiness hereafter.” With this single additional circumstance, “That after our souls have been for some time separated from their bodies, they are to be again embodied.” There is nothing in the christian doctrine that has not a relation to a future state, as its main end and scope.‡ And consequently to fight against Christianity, is to fight against a belief the most chearing and comfortable; the most strong and powerful persuasive to a virtuous and good conversation.
There are several obscure places, especially in the epistles of the Apostles, about the interpretation of which the learned Criticks and Divines have been much divided in all the after-ages of Christianity. But that is argument enough, <31> that Christians are not obliged to know their meaning. That can never be said to be revealed, which is not made plain; or which remains liable to various and uncertain interpretation. Our salvation cannot possibly depend upon that which it is difficult, not to say impossible, even for much learning to determine. Not to mention that common sense and reason tells plainly and indisputably, that it is only virtue and goodness that can recommend, or make acceptable to GOD, who is all virtue, all reason,
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all goodness. And indeed to imagine otherwise, is to suppose that the most useful quality is not the most valuable: or that GOD, who is infinite wisdom, doth not delight most in that which is of all other qualities the most excellent and deserving.*
We are called by JESUS CHRIST to believe in him: that is, to believe he really had a mission to inculcate virtue by these doctrines he taught; and really had the power he claimed by these doctrines: that thus believing in him we might fall in love with virtue, and seek earnestly for glory, honour, and immortality, by a sincere and firm adherence to virtue, in spite of all temptations and seducements. To believe in him is nothing else than to believe the authority he had to excite to virtue and piety by his doctrines; his power to forgive sins and raise the dead; and to assist and prosper our earnest aims in the pursuit