And here I will put a Period to my Answer to your Friends Question in one of the two senses of it, and so to the first Part of this Discourse. Against all which perhaps your Friend will object, That at this rate of arguing for the Christian Religion, one may Apologize for any Opinion, and reconcile the most unreasonable ones to right Reason. But ‘tis not difficult for me to reply, That this Objection is grounded either upon a mistake of the design of this Letter, or upon the overlooking of what is suppos’d in it. For I do not pretend, that the Considerations hitherto alledg’d should pass for Demonstrations of the Truth of Christianity, which is to be prov’d by the excellency of the Doctrines it teaches, and that of the Rewards it promises, (both which are worthy of God,) and by divers other Arguments, especially the Divine Miracles that attest it: But that which I was here to do, was, not to lay down the grounds why I receiv’d the Christian Religion, but to return an Answer, backt with Reasons, to the Question that was propos’d: Whether I did not think, that a Christian, to continue such, must deny or lay aside his Reason? The sum of the Answer is this, That the Doctrines really propos’d by the Christian Religion, seeming to me to be by proper Arguments sufficiently prov’d in their kind, so as that the proofs of it, whether they be demonstrative or no, are sufficient, (the nature of the things to be prov’d, consider’d) to justifie a rational and prudent Man’s embracing it; this Religion (I say) seeming to me to have such positive Proofs for it, I do not think, that the Objections, that are said to be drawn from Reason against it, do really prove the belief of it to be inconsistent with right Reason, and do outweigh the Arguments alledgable in that Religions behalf. To propose some of the general grounds of this Answer of mine, was the design of the Considerations hitherto discours’d of; which (as I hinted to you at the beginning) could be no other than general, unless you had mention’d to me some of your Friends particular Objections, which when he tells you, you will perhaps find that I have already given you the grounds of answering them. And though to propose Arguments to evince positively the Truth of our Religion after the example of the excellent Grotius, and some other very learned Writers, be not, as you see, either my task or my design; yet if you attentively consider what I write in that short Discourse, wherein I manage but that seemingly popular Argument for Christianity, that is drawn from the Miracles that are said to attest it, you will perchance be invited to think, that when all the other Proofs of it are taken in, a Man may, without renouncing or affronting his Reason, be a Christian.
But to proceed to the more considerable part of what I presum’d your Friend will object, I answer, That the considerations I have alledg’d in the behalf of some Mysteries of the Christian Religion, will not be equally applicable to the most absurd or unreasonable Opinions. For these Considerations are offer’d as Apologies for Christian Doctrines, but upon two or all of these three Suppositions. The first, That the Truth of the main Religion of which such Doctrines make a part, is so far positively prov’d by real and uncontroul’d Miracles, and other competent Arguments, that nothing, but the manifest and irreconcileable Repugnancy of its Doctrines to right Reason, ought to hinder us from believing them. The second, That divers of the things, at which reasonable Men are wont to take exception, are such, as Reason it self may discern to be very difficult, or perhaps impossible for us to understand perfectly by our own natural light. And the third, That some things in Christianity which many Men think contrary to Reason, are, at most, but contrary to it, as ‘tis incompetently inform’d and assisted, but not when ‘tis more fully instructed, and particularly when ‘tis inlightned and assisted by Divine Revelation. And as I think these three Suppositions are not justly applicable, (I say not, as the Objection does, to the most absurd, or unreasonable Opinions, but,) to any other Religion than the true, which is the Christian; so the last of these Suppositions prompts me to take notice to you, that, though we ought to be exceeding wary, how we admit what pretends to be supernaturally reveal’d; yet if it be attended with sufficient evidence of its being so, we do very much wrong and prejudice our selves, if out of an unreasonable jealousie, or, to acquire or maintain the repute of being wiser than others, we shut our eyes against the light it offers. For besides that a Man may as well err by rejecting or ignoring the Truth, as by mistaking a falshood for it; I consider, that those Men that have an Instrument of knowledge, which other Men either have not, or, (which is as bad) refuse to employ, have a very great advantage above others towards the acquiring of Truth, and with far less parts than they, may discover divers things, which the others, with all their Pride and Industry, shall never attain to. As when Galilaeo alone among the modern Astronomers was Master of a Telescope, ‘twas easie for him to make noble discoveries in Heaven of things, to which not only Ptolomy, Alphonsus, and Ticho, but ev’n his Masters, Aristarchus Samius, and Copernicus, themselves never dream’d of, and which other Astronomers cannot see but by making use of the same kind of Instrument. And on this occasion let me carry the Comparison, suggested by the Telescope, a little further, and take notice, that if Men having heard, that there were four Planets moving about Jupiter, and that Venus is an opacous body, and sometimes horn’d like the Moon, had resolv’d to examine these things by their naked eyes, as by the proper Organs of Sight, without employing the Telescope, by which they might suspect, that Galilaeo might put some Optical delusion upon them; they would perhaps have assembled in great multitudes to gaze at Venus and Jupiter, that (since plus vident Oculi quam Oculus) the number of eyes might make amends for their dimness. This attempt not succeeding, they would perhaps choose out some of the youngest and sharpest sighted Men, that by their piercing eyes that may be discover’d which ordinary ones could not reach. And this Expedient not succeeding neither, they would perhaps diet their Stargazers, and prescribe them the inward use of Fennel, and Eyebright, and externally apply Collyriums and Eye-waters, and those to as little purpose as the rest. With such a pity, mix’d with Indignation, as Galilaeo would probably have look’d on such vain and fruitless attempts with, may a judicious Christian, that upon a due examination admits the Truth of the Scriptures, look upon the presumptuous and vain endeavors of those Men, who, by the goodness of their natural parts, or by the improvements of them, or by the number of those that conspire in the same search, think, with the bare eye of Reason to make as great discoveries of heavenly Truths, as a person assisted by the Revelations, contain’d in the Scripture, can with great ease and satisfactoriness attain. To which let me add this further improvement of the Comparison, that as a skilful Astronomer will indeed first severely examine, whether the Telescope be an Instrument fit to be trusted, and not likely to impose upon him; but being once resolv’d of that, will confidently believe the discoveries it makes him, however contrary to the receiv’d Theories of the Celestial Bodies, and to what he himself believ’d before, and would still, if the Telescope did not otherwise inform him, continue to believe; so a well qualifi’d Inquirer into Religions, though he will be very wary, upon what terms he admits Scripture; yet if he once be fully satisfi’d, that he ought to admit it, he will not scruple to receive upon its authority whatever supernatural Truths it clearly discloses to him; though perhaps contrary to the Opinions he formerly held, and which, if the Scripture did not teach him otherwise, he would yet assent to. And as the Galaxy and other whitish parts of the Sky, were by Aristotle and his Followers, and many other Philosophers, who look’d on them only with their naked eyes, for many Ages reputed to be but Meteors; but to those that look on them with an eye assisted by the Telescope, they plainly appear true Constellations made up of a multitude of bright (though little) Stars; so there are Theological Doctrines, which to Philosophers, and others that look on them with the naked eye of Natural Reason, seem to be but light and fantastical things; which yet, when Reason, assisted and heightned by Revelation, comes to contemplate, it manifestly sees them to be true and celestial Lights, which only their sublimity keeps conceal’d from our weak (naked) eyes.
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