Alc. — I think we have fufficiently difcufied the fub- je£r. of this day's conference. And now, let Lv fides take it as he will, I muft, in regard to my own character, as a fair impartial adverfary, acknowledge there is fomething in what Crito hath faid, upon the ufefulnefs of the chrif- tian religion. I will even own to you that fome of our feet are for allowing it a toleration. I remember, at a meeting of feveral ingenious men, after much debate we came fucceffively to divers refolutions. The firft was, that no religion ought to be tolerated in the ftate: But this, on more mature thought, was judged impracticable. The fecond was, that all religions fhould be tolerated, but none countepanced except atheifm: But it was apprehend- ed, that this might breed contentions among the lower fort of people. We came, therefore, to conclude, in the third place, that fome religion or other fhould be eftab- Hfhed for the ufe of the vulgar. And after a long difpute what this religion fhould be, Lyfis, a brifk young man, perceiving no figns of agreement, propofed, that the prefent religion might be tolerated, till a better was found. But allowing it to be expedient, I can never think it true, fo long as there lie unanfwerable objections againft its which, if you pleafe, I fhall take the liberty to propofe at our next meeting. To which we all agreed.
H h THE SIXTH DIALOGUE.
Points agreed. II. Sundry Pretences to Revelation. III. Uncertainty of Tradition. IV. Object and Ground of Faith. V. Some Books difputed, others evidently fpurious. VI. Stile and Gompofition of Holy Scripture. VII. Dif- ficulties occurring therein. VIII. Obfcurity not always a Defect. IX. Infpiration neither impoffible nor abfurd. X. Objections from the Form and Matter of Divine Rev- elation, confidered. XI. Infidelity an Efifecl of Narrow- nefs and Prejudice. XII. Articles of Chrifiian Faith not unreajonable. XIII. Guilt the natural Parent of Fear, XIV. Things unknown, reduced to the Standard of what Men know. XV. Prejudices againfi the Incarnation of the Son of God. XVI. Ignorance of the divine Econo- my, a Source of Difficulties. XVII. Wifdom of God, Foolifimefs to Man. XVIII. Reafon, no blind Guide. XIX. Uffulnefs of Divine Revelation. XX. Prophe- cies, whence ebjeure. XXI. Eafierh Accounts of time elder than the Mofaic. XXII. The Humor of Egyptians, AfTyrians, Chaldeans, and other Nations extending their Antiquity beyond Truth, accounted for. XXIII. Reafons confirming the Mofaic Account. XXIV. Profane Hiflo- rians inconfijlent. XXV. Celfus, Prophyry, and Jul- ian. XXVI. The tefiimony of Jofephus confidered.
XXVII. Attefiation of Jews and Gentiles to Chrifiianity.
XXVIII. Forgeries and Herefies. XXIX. Judgment and Attention of Minute Philofopher s. XXX. Faith and Miracles. XXXI. Probable Arguments a fujficient Ground of Faith. XXXII. The Chrijlian Religion able to fiand the Tcfi of rational Inquiry.
[DIAL. VI.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 251 JL HE following day being Sunday, our philofophers lay long in bed, while the relt of us went to church in the neighboring town, where we dined at Eiiphranor's, and after evening fervice returned to the two philofophers, whom we found in the library. They told us, that, if there was a God, he was prefent every where, as well as at church; and that if we had been ferving him one way, they did not neglect to do as much another; inafmuch as a free exercife of reafon muft be allowed the mod accept- able fervice and worfhip, that a rational creature can of- fer to its Creator. However, faid Aldphron^ if you, gentlemen, can but folve the difficulties which I {hall pro- pofe to-morrow morning, I promife to go to church next Sunday. After forne general converfation of this kind, we fat down to a light fupper, and the next morning af- fembled at the fame place, as the day before: Where be- ing all feated, I obferved, that the foregoing week our conferences had been carried on for a longer time, and with lefs interruption than I had ever known, or well could be, in town: Where men's hours are fo broken by vifits, bulinefs, and amufements, that whoever is content to form his notions from converfation only, muft needs have them very mattered and imperfect. And what have we got, replied Alciphron, by all thefe continued confer- ences? For my part, I think myfelf jufl where I was, with refpe£t to the main point that divides us, the truth of the chriftian religion. I anfwered: That fo many points had been examined^ difcufTed, and agreed between him and his adverfaries, that I hoped to fee them come to an intire agreement in the end, For, in the firft place, laid I, |dhe principles and opinions of thofe who are called free-thinkers, or Minute Philofophers, have been pretty clearly explained. It hath been alfo agreed, that vice is not of that benefit to the nation, which fome men ima- 252 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. VI.]
gine: That virtue is highly ufeful to mankind: But that the beauty of virtue is not alone fumcientto engage them in the pra£tife of it: That therefore the belief of a God and Providence ought to be encouraged in the ftate, and tolerated in good company, as an ufeful notion. Further, it hath been proved that there is a God: That it is reafon- able to worfhip him: And that the worfhip, faith, and principles prefcribed by the chriflian religion have an ufe- ful tendency. Admit, replied Alciphron, addreffing him- felf to \Crito, all that Didn faith to be true, yet this doth not hinder my being juft where I was, with refpecl: to the main point. Since there is nothing in all this that proves the truth of the chriftian religion: Though each of thofe particulars enumerated, may, perhaps, prejudice in its favor. I am therefore to fufpeel; myfelf at prefent for a prejudiced perfon; prejudiced, I fay, in favor of chriftianity. This, as I am a lover of truth, puts me up- on my guard againft deception. I muft therefore look fharp, and well confider every ftep I take.
II. Cri. — You may remember, Alciphron, you propo- {td for the fubjeel: of our prefent conference the consider- ation of certain difficulties and objections, which you had to offer againft the chriftian religion. We are now ready to hear and confider whatever you fhali think fit to produce of that kind. Atheifm, and a wrong notion of chrif- tianity, as of fomething hurtful to mankind, are great prejudices; the removal of which may difpofe a man to argue with candor, and fubmit to reafonable proof: But the removing prejudices againft an opinion, is not to be reckoned prejudicing in its favor. It may be hoped there- fore, that you will be able to do juftice to your" caufe, ■Without being fond of it.
Alc— O Onto! That man may thnak his ftars to whom nature hath given a fublime fou^, who can raife himfelf [Dial. VI.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 253 above popular opinions, and, looking down on the herd of mankind, behold them Scattered over the furface of the whole earth, divided and fubdivided into numberlefs nations and tribes, differing in notions and tenets, as in language, manners, and drefs. The man who takes a general view of the world and its inhabitants, from this lofty ftand, above the reach of prejudice, feems to breathe a purer air, and to fee by a clearer light: But how to im- part this clear and extenfive view to thofe who are wan- dering beneath in the narrow dark paths of error. This indeed is a hard talk: Yet hard as it is, I fhall try if by any means, Clara tux pojfim prapandere lumina menti. Lucret.
Know then, that all the various cafts or feels of the fons of men have each their faith, and their religious fyftem, germinating and fprouting forth from that common grain of enthufiafm, which is an original ingredient in the com- position of human nature. They fhall each tell of inter- courfe with the invihble world, revelations from Heaven, divine oracles, and the like. All which pretentions, when I regard with an impartial eye, it is impoflible I fhould af- fent to all, and I find within myfelf fomething that with- holds me from affenting to any of them. For although I may be willing to follow, fo far as common fenfe and the light of nature lead; yet the fame reafon, that bids me yield to rational proof, forbids me to admit opinions without proof. This holds in general againft all revela- tions whatfoever. And be this my firft obje&ion againft the chriftian in particular. - Cri. — As this objection fuppofes there is no proof or reafon for believing the chriltian revelation, if good rea- fon can be afligncd for fuch belief, it comes to nothing. Now I prefume you will grant, the authority of the re- 254 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. VI.]
porter is a true and proper reafon for believing reports: And the better this authority, the jufter claim it hath to our aflent: But the authority of God, is, on all accounts, the beft: "Whatever, therefore, comes from God, it is moft reafonable to believe.
III. Alc. — This I grant, but then it muft be proved to come from God.
Cri. — And are not miracles, and the accomplimments of prophecies, joined with the excellency of its doctrines, a fufhcient proof that the chriftian religion came from God?
Alc. — Miracles, indeed, would prove fomething; but what proof have we of thefe miracles?
Cri. — Proof of the fame kind that we have, or can have, of any fa£ts done a great way off, and a long time ago. We have authentic accounts tranfmitted down to us from eye-witnefles, whom we cannot conceive tempt- ed to impofe upon us by any human motive whatfoever: inafmuch as they acted therein contrary to their interefts, their prejudices, and the very principles in which they had been nurfed and educated. Thefe accounts were confirmed by the unparalleled fubverfion of the city of jerufalem, and the difperfion of the Jeivijh nation, which is a {landing teftimony to the truth of the gofpel, particu- larly of the predictions of our blened Saviour. Thefe accounts, within lefs then a century, were fpread through- out the world, and believed by great numbers of people. Thefe fame accounts were committed to writing, tranfla- ted into feveral languages, and handed down with the fame refpecl and confent of chrifhians in the moft diftant churches. Do you not fee, faid Alciphron> flaring full at Crito> that all this hangs by tradition? And tradition, take my word for it, gives but a weak hold: It is a chain, whereof the firft links may be flronger than fteel, [Dial. VI.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 255 and yet the laft weak as wax, and brittle as glafs. Ima- gine a picture copied fucceffively by an hundred painters, one from another; how like muft the laft copy be to the original! How lively and diftin£r. will an image be, af- ter an hundred reflexions between two parallel mirrours! Thus like, and thus lively, do I think a faint vaniftiing tradition, at the end of fixteen or feventeen hundred years. Some men have a* falfe heart, others a wrong head: and where both are true, the memory may be treacherous. Hence there is ftill fomething added, fome- thing omitted, and fomething varied from the truth: And the fum of many fuch additions, deductions and al- terations, accumulated for feveral ages, doth, at the foot of the account, make quite another thing.
Cri. — Ancient fafts we may know by tradition, oral or written: And this latter we may divide into two kinds, private and public, as writings are kept in the hands of particular men, or recorded in public archives. Now all thefe three forts of tradition, for ought I can fee, concur to atteft the genuine antiquity of the gofpels. And they arc ftrengthened by collateral evidence from rites inftitu- ted, feftivals obferved, and monuments erected by anci- ent chriftians, fuch as churches, baptifteries, and fepul- chres. Now, allowing your objection holds againft oral tradition, fingly taken, yet I can think it no fuch difficult thing to tranfcribe faithfully. And things once commit- ted to writing, are fecure from flips of memory, and may with common care be preferved intire fo long as the manu- fcriptlafts: And this, experience fhews, may be above a thoufand years. The Alexandrine manufcript is allowed to be above twelve hundred yeras old: and it is highly probable there were then extant copies four hundred years old. A tradition, therefore, of above fixteen hundred year*, need have only two or three links in its chain.— And thefe links, notwith (landing that great length of 2$6 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. VL] time, may be very found and intire. Since no reafona- ble man will deny, that an ancient manufcript may be of much the fame credit now, as when it was firft written. We have it on good authority, and it feems probable that the primitive chriftians were careful to tranfcribe copies of the gofpels and epiftles for their private ufe: and that other copies were preferved as public records, in the feve- ral churches throughout the world: and that portions thereof were conftantly read in their afiemblies. Can more be faid to prove the writings of claflic authors, or ancient records of any kind, authentic? Alciphrony ad- dreffing his difcourfe to Euphranor, faid, it is one thing to filence an adverfary, and another to convince him. — What do you think, Euphranor r Euph. — Doubtlefs it is.
Alc — But what I want is, to be convinced.
Euph. — That point is not fo clear.
Alc. — But if a man had ever fo much mind, he can- not be convinced by probable arguments againft demon- ftration.
Euph. — I grant he cannot.
IV. Alc. — Now it is as evident as demonftration can make it, that no divine faith can pombly be built upon tradition. Suppofe an honeft credulous countryman ca- techifed and le&ured every Sunday by his parifh-prieft: it is plain he believes in the parfon, and not in God. He knows nothing of revelations, and doctrines, and mira- cles, but what the prieft tells him. This he believes, and this faith is purely human. If you fay he has the liturgy and the bible for the foundation of his faith, the difficulty ftill recurs. For, as to the liturgy, he pins his faith upon the civil magiflrate, as well as the ecclefiaftic, neither of which can pretend divine infpiration. Then for the bible, he takes both that and his prayer book on [Dial. VI] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 257 truft from the printer, who, he believes, made true edi- tions from true copies. You fee then faith, but what faith? Faith in the prieft, in the magiftrate, in the printer, editor, tranfcriber, none of which can, with any pretence, be called divine. I had the hint from Cra- tylus: it is a fhaft out of his quiver, and, believe me, a keen one.
Euph. — Let me take and make trial of this fame fhaft in my hands. Suppofe then your countryman hears the magiftrate declare the law from the bench, or fuppofe he reads it in a ftatute book. What think you, is the printer, or the juftice, the true and proper objecT: of his faith and fubmiflion? Or do you acknowledge a higher authority whereon to found thofe royal ac~ts, and in which they do really terminate? Again, fuppofe you read a paflage in Tacitus that you believe true \ would you fay you aflented to it on the authority of the printer, or tranf- criber, rather than the hiftorian?
Alc — Perhaps I would, and perhaps I would not. I do not think myfelf obliged to anfwer thefe points. What is this but transfering the queftion from one fubjecl: to another? That which we confidered was neither law nor profane hiftory, but religious tradition, and divine faith. I fee plainly what you aim at, but mall never take for an anfwer to one difficulty, the ftarting of another.
Cri. — O Alciphron, there is no taking hold of you, who expect that others mould (as you were pleafed to exprefs it) hold fair and ftand firm, while you plucked out their prejudices: How (hall he argue with you, but from your conceffions, and how can he know what you grant, except you will be pleafed to tell him?
Euph. — But, to fave you the trouble, for once I will fuppofe an anfwer. My queftion admits but of two an- fwers: take your choice. From the one it will follow, Ii 258 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. VI.]
that by a parity of reafon, we can eafily conceive, how a man may have divine faith, though he never felt infpira- tion, or faw a miracle: inafmuch as it is equally poflible for the mind, through whatever conduit, oral or fcriptu- ral, divine revelation be derived, to carry its thought and fubmiflion up to the fource, and terminate its faith, not in human, but divine authority: not in the inftrument or veffel of conveyance, but in the great origin itfelf, as its proper and true object. From the other anfwer it will follow, that you introduce a general fcepticifm into hu- man knowledge, and break down the hinges on which civil government, and all the affairs of the world, turn and depend. In a word, that you would deftroy human faith, to get rid of divine. And how this agrees with your profeffing that you want to be convinced, I leave you to confider.
V. Alc. — I mould in earneft be glad to be convinced one way or other, and come to fome conclufion. But I have fo many objections in (lore, you are not to count much upon getting over one. Depend on it, you (hall find me behave like a gentleman and lover of truth. I will propofe my objections briefly and plainly, and ac- cept of reafonable anfwers as faft as you can give them. Come, Euphranor, make the mofl of your tradition: you can never make that a conftant and univerfal one, which is acknowledged to have been unknown, or at beft difput- ed in the church for feveral ages: And this is the cafe of the canon of the New Teftament. For*though we have now a canon, as they call it, fettled j yet every one muft fee and own, that tradition cannot grow ftronger by age; and that what was uncertain in the primitive times, Can- not be undoubted in the fubfequent. What fay you to this, Euphranor f Euph. — I mould be glad to conceive your meaning clear- ly before I return an anfwer. It feems to me this objec- [Dial. VI.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 259 tion of yours fuppofeth, that where a tradition hath been conftant and undifputed, fuch tradition may be admitted as a proof; but that where the tradition is defective, the proof muft be fo too. Is this your meaning?
Alc. — It is.
Euph. — Confequently the gofpels and epiftles of Saint Paul, which were univerfally received in the beginning, and never fince doubted of by the church, muft, not- withilanding this objection, be in reafon admitted as ge- nuine. And if thefe books contain, as they really do, all thofe points that come into controverfy between you and me, what need I difpute with you about the authority of fome other books of the New Teftament, which came later to be generally known and received in the church? If a man affents to the undifputed books, he is no longer an infidel \ though he mould not hold the Revelations, or the epiftle of Saint James or Jude, or the latter of Saint Peter, or the two laft of Saint John, to be canonical.-— The additional authority of thefe portions of Holy Scrip- ture may have its weight, in particular controverfies be- tween chriftians, but can add nothing to arguments a- gainft an infidel, as fuch. Wherefore, though I believe a fubfequent age might clear up what was obfcure or du- bious in a foregoing, and that good reafons may be af- figned for receiving thefe books, yet thofe reafons feem now befide our purpofe. When you are a chriftian, it will be then time enough to argue this point. And you will be the nearer, being fo, if the way be fhortened by omitting it for the prefent.
Alc— Not fo near neither, as you perhaps imagine: For, notwithstanding all the fair and plaufible things you may fay about tradition, when I confider the fpirit of for- gery which reigned in the primitive times, and refiecl: on the feveral gofpels, a£ts, and epiftles, attributed to the apoftles, which yet are acknowledged to be fpurious, I confefs I cannot help fufpecting the whole.
2<5o MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. VI.]
Euph. — Tell me, AIciphrony do you fufpedt all P/ato's writings for Spurious, becaufe the dialogue upon death, for inftance, is allowed to be fo? Or will you admit none of Tul/y's writings to be genuine, becaufe Sigonius impof- ed a book of his own writing for TuIIy's treatife de Confo- latione, and the impofture pafled for Some time on the world?
Alc. — Suppofe I admit for the works of Tully and. Plato thofe that commonly pafled for fuch. What then?
Euph. — Why then I would fain know, whether it be equal and impartial in a free-thinker, to meafure the cred- ibility of profane and facred books by a different rule- Let us know upon what foot we chriftians are to argue with Minute Philosophers: Whether we may be allowed the benefit of common maxims in logic and criticifm? If we may, be pleafed to aflign a reafon why fuppofiti- tious writings, which in the ftile, and manner, and matter, bear vifible marks of impofture, and have accordingly been rejected by the church, can be made an argument againft thofe which have been univerfally received, and handed down by an unanimous conftant tradition. I know nothing truly valuable that hath not been counter- feited: Therefore this argument is univerfal: But that which concludes againft all things is to be admitted againft none. There have been in all ages, and in all great Socie- ties of men, many capricious, vain, or wicked impoftors, who, for different ends, have abufed the world by fpurious writings, and created work for critics both in profane and facred reaming. And it would feem as filly to rejecl: the true writings of profane authors for the fake of the fpu- rious, as it would feem unreasonable to fuppofe, that among the heretics and Several feels of chriftians, there fhould be none capable of the like impofture.
Alc — I fee no means for judging: It is all dark and doubtful, mere guefs-rwerk, at fo great a diftance of time.
[Dial. VI.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 261 Cri. — But if I know, that a number of fit perfons met together in council, did examine and diftinguifh authen- tic writings from fpurious, relating to a point of the higheft concern, in an age near the date of thofe wri- tings; though I at the diftance of many more centuries had no other proof; yet their deciihon may be of weight to determine my judgment. Since it is probable they might have had feveral proofs and reafons for what they did, and not at all improbable, that thofe reafons might be loft in fo long a tract of time. * VI. Alc. — But, be the tradition ever fo well attefted, and the books ever fo genuine, yet I cannot fuppofe them wrote by perfons divinely infpired, fo long as I fee in them certain characters inconfiftent with fuch a fuppofi- tion. Surely the pureft language, the molt perfect ftile, the exacted method, and, in a word, all the excellencies of good writing, might be expected in a piece compofed or dictated by the Spirit of God: But books, wherein we find the reverfe of all this, it were impious, not to reject, but to attribute to the divinity.
Euph. — Say, Alciphron, are the lakes, the rivers, or the ocean bounded by ftraight lines? Are the hills and mountains exact: cones or pyramids? Or the ftars caft in- to regular figures?
Alc — They are not.
Euph. — But in the works of infects, we may obferve figures as exact as if they were drawn by the rule and compafs.
Alc. — We may.
Euph. — Should it not fcem, therefore, that a regular exactnefs, or fcrupulous attention to what men call the rules of art, is not obferved in the great productions of the author of nature?
Alc. — It fnould.
* Vide Can. Ix. Council. Laodicen.
262 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. VI.]
Euph.— —And when a great prince declareth his will in laws and edicts to his fubje&s, is he careful about 3s pure ftile, or elegant compofition? Does he not leave his fecre- taries and clerks to exprefs his fenfe in their own words? Is not the phrafe, on fuch occafions, thought proper, if it conveys as much as was intended? And would not the divine ftrain of certain modern critics be judged affe&ed and improper for fuch ufes?
Alc— It muft be owned, laws, and edicts, and grants, for folcecifm and tautology, are very offennve to the har- monious ears of an ingenious man.
Euph. — Why then mould we expect in the oracles of God an exa&nefs, that would be mifbecoming and be- neath the dignity of an earthly monarch, and which bears no proportion, or refemblance, to the magnificent works of the creation?
Alc.; — But granting that a nice regard to particles and critical rules is a thing too little and mean to be expected in divine revelations; and that there is more force, and fpirit, and true greatnefs, in a negligent unequal ftile, than in the well turned periods of a polite writer: Yet what is all this to the bald and flat compofitions of thofe you call the divine penmen? I can never be perfuaded, the Supreme Being would pick out the pooreft and meaneft of fcriblers for his fecretaries.