A rational inquiry into the principles of the modern deists;...

Front matter

Natural Religion Insufficient, and Revealed Necessar)% to Man's Happiness in his Present State :

OR, A

RATIONAL INQUIRY

Preface

The God of glory hath not left himself without a witness; all his works do, after their manner declare his glory. Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee ; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee : Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee ; and the Jishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this ? Job xii. 7, 8, 9. Moreover it hath pleased him to instamp upon the consciences of men, such deep impressions of his being and glory, that all the powers and subtilty of hell, shall never be able to eradicate them : Though, alas ! through a custom of sin, and especially against much light and conviction, the consciences of many are debauched in these dregs of time, to an obliterating of these impressions, which otherwise would have been strong and vivid' The principles of moral equity carry such an evidence in their nature, and are also accompanied with so much of binding force upon the conscience, that their obligation on rational creatures hath a most resplendent clearness, and fills the little world with such a strength, and efficacy of truth, as far surpasseth the plainest theoretical principles. That one maxim, Matth. vii. 12. Luke vi. 3. Tlierefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them ; that one maxim, I say, (to pass others) was matter of so much wonder to some of the most polite Heathens, that they knew not well how to express their sense of the truth and glovi

PREFACE, ly of it ; they thought it worthy to be engraven with letters of gold, upon the frontispieces of their most magnificent structures ; an agreeable and speaking evidence of its having been imprinted in some measure upon their hearts. Nevertheless, all these, though sweet, strong, and convincing notices of a Deity, do yet evanish as faint glimmerings, when compared to that stamp of divine authority, which our great and alone Lawgiver has deeply imprinted upon the scriptures of truth, Psal. xix. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul : the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple, &c. I enter not upon this large theme, which great men have treated to excellent purpose ; I only represent very shortly, that the stupendous account we have in these scripture, of moral equity in its full compass, comprised even in ten words, that wonderful account, I say, proclaimeth its Author with so much of convincing evidence, and such strains of glory, as I cannot possibly clothe with words. The greatest men among the Heathen nations, have given the highest accounts of their accomplishments by framing laws ; but besides the passing weakness of their performances, when viewed in a true light, the choicest of them all have a great deal of iniquity inlaid with them : But all here shineth with the glory of a Deity. Every duty is plainly contained within these small boundaries, and all concerns thereof in heart and w ay, are set down so punctually, and so fully cleared in the exposition which the Lawgiver himself has given of his own laws, that nothing is wanting. Here also are all the mysteries of iniquity in the heart so clearly and fully detected, these evils also pursued to their most latent sources, and to the grand spring of them all, viz. the corruption of our nature, and in so very few words, with so much of shining evidence and power, that no judicious and sober person can deny that the finger of God is there, unless he ofier the most daring violence to his own conscience. And what shall I say of the glorious contrivanceof salvation, through the Lord Jesus our only Redeemer? Should I touch at the ground work thereof in the eternal counsel of the adorable Trinity, and the several dis-

PREFACK vii plays of it, until at length the complete purchase was made in the fulness of time ; and if I should but glance at the several strokes of omnipotent power, and rich mercy through Christ, by which the purchased salvation is effectually applied to every elect person, I would enter upon a field from which I could not quickly or easily get off. All that I adventure to say is, that the discoveries of a Deity in each step thereof, are so relucent and full of glory, that the being of the material light under a meridian sun, without the interposition of a cloud, may as well be denied, as these great truths can be disowned. Beyond all manner of doubt, they contain matter of much higher, and more glorious evidence, upon the minds of all those whose eyes the god of this world hath not blinded, (2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. John i. 5. Deut. xxix. 4.) Yet ah ! mid-day clearness is midnight darkness to those who have not eyes. But not to insist : If we add to all these, the full history of the heart of man, in the depths of Avickedriess, contained in that great abyss, together with the several eruptions thereof, both open and violent, as also subtile and covered, together with all the engines of temptations for setting it to work, and keeping it still busy ; if, I say, the perfect account of these things which is given in the word, be seriously pondered, who can escape the conviction, that He, and He only who formed the Spmt within him, could have given such a display. From all this, I would bewail, were it possible, with tears of blood, the blasphemous wickedness of those, who, from the grossest darkness and ignorance, oppose, malign, and deride such great and high things. But it is enough ; wisdow is justified of all her children, Matth. xi, 19. The worthy and now^ glorified author of this work, had a plentiful measure, beyond many, of the surest and sweetest knowledge of these matters : his soul, (may I so express it) w as cast into the blessed mould of gospel truth. Who is a teacher like unto God ! Sure an enlightening work, by his word and Spirit upon the soul, filleth it with evidence of a more excellent nature, and attended with a penetrancy quite of another kind, than any mathematical demonstration can amount to* In this case, the soul (2 Qor.

viii

PREFACE.

iii, 3.) is an epistle of Jesus Christ, wherein these great truths are written by himself, in characters which the united force and subtilties of hell shall be so far from deleting, that their strongest efforts shall render the impressions still deeper, and more vivid. No mathematical demonstration can vie with this : forasmuch as the authority of the God of truth, that conveys his own testimony into the heart with a strong hand, has a glory and evidence peculiar to itself. And though well known to those who enjoy it, yet of a beauty great and mysterious, such as the tongues of men and angels could not suffice to describe. The empty cavils of that execrable herd of blasphemous Atheists, or Deists, as they would be called, amount to a very small and contemptible account, seeing the most subtle of them, fall very far short of the objections which unclean spirits propose, and urge in away of temptation, against persons exercised to godliness, which yet the Father of lights dispelleth mercifully from time to time, and maketh these dark shades to evanish, as the Sun of righteousness ariseth upon the soul with a glory and evidence still upon the ascendant, Mai. iv, 2. Prov. iv, 18. Hos. vi, 3. Nevertheless, the learned and godly author hath encountered these silly creatures at their own weapons, both offensively and defensively, and to such excellent purpose, as needeth not my poor testimony. He hath searched into the very bottom of what they allege. With great and unwearied diligence did he read their writings carefully from the very first springs, and hath represented fairly their empty cavils, in all the shades of strength they can be alleged to have, ajid has refuted them plainly and copiously^ On which, and the like accounts, I hope the work will be, through the divine blessing, of great use in the churches of Christ.

JAMES HOG.

Vo the PuhliCe

IT would be superfluous for the publisher to add any thing to the highly respectable recommendations which are subjoined, as a ' reason for offering a new American edition of the following work to the public, or as an inducement to the pious and reflecting portion of community to patronize the undertaking. If, unhappily, the enemies of Christianity are, at this period, uncommonly active and zealous in propagating their pernicious doctrines, it becomes the pcQuliar duty of every one who feels the importance of religion, to encourage the circulation of a work so well calculated as this to check the progress of infidelity, and to promote the cause of truth and virtue.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

We consider Professor HALYBURTON^s celebrated work, on the Insufficiency of Natural Religion, and the Necessitt OF Revelation, as on the whole, the best manual on the subject of which it treats, now extant. The author, not less illustrious for his talents and learning, than for his piety, has not contented himself, like most modern writers on the Deistical controversy, with merely standing on the defensive ; but has '^carried the war," as one of his eulogists expresses it, " into the camp of the adversary proving, by unanswerable arguments," as another has pro* nounced, " the utter insufficiency of the Deist's religion for the salvation of them, and beating them fairly at their own weapons." We rejoice to bear that Mr. Southwick proposes to give a nel^r

2'

X

RECOMMENDATIONS.

American edition of this excellent work. Were its merits generally known, all recommendation would be unnecessary.

SAMUEL MILLER, D. D.

JOHN B. ROMEYN, D. D.

PHILIP MILLEDOLER, GARDNER SPRING, HENRY P. STRONG, Pastors of the Presbyterian Church.

JOHN SHUREMAN, CHRISTIAN BOURCK, S. N. ROWAN, JOHN BRODHEAD, Pastors of the Reformed Dutch Church.

J. M. MASON, D. D.

Provost of Columbia College and Pastor of the Associate Reformed Church.

ALEX. McLEOD, D. D.

Pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.

THOMAS HAMILTON, Pastor of the Associate Church.

JOHN McNIECE, Pastor of the Irish Presbyterian Church.

WILLIAM NEILL,

Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in the City of Albany.

JOHN M. BRADFORD,

Minister of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in the City of Albany.

ELIPHALET NOTT, D. D.

ALEXANDER MONTEITH, Pastor of the 1st Presbyterian Church in the city of Schenectady.

New- York, May, 1812.

Accustomed from my earliest years, to hear the name of Haltburton mentioned with the highest respect, and his Examination OF THE Principles of the Deists of his own time, greatly extolled, both by the pious and by the learned of his own Church, an^

RECOMMENDATIONS. xi

after repeated and frequent perusals of this judicious and profound treatise, I cordially unite in the character and encemiums given above ; and with becoming deference, earnestly recommend the careful and patient study of it to all, but especially to the youth of our own country.

JOHN McDonald,

Pastor of the United Presbyterian Church in the City cf Albany,

Albany, May 26, 1812.

TO THE READER.

JREADER,

WHOEVER thou art, the question agitated in the ensuing discourse is that wherein thou hast a considerable concernment. If thou art a Christian, the ensuing discourse is designed to justify thy refusal of that reli-. gion which has now got a great vogue amongst those gentlemen, who set up for the only wits, and aim at monopolizing reason, as if they alone were the peoplcy and wisdom was to die with them. They cry up their religion as the only reasonable religion, and traduce all who will not join with them, as credulous and unreasonable men. Whereas, on the contrary, no man that uses his reason, can close with that which they would obtrude on us as i*ational religion : nor can any man, without being guilty of the fondest credulity, venture his salvation upon this modern Paganism, that struts abroad under the modish name ot Deism, which I hope the ensuing discourse will evince ; wherein it is made appear, that the light of nature is utterly insvfficient to answer the great ends of religion^ and that consequently we had the justest reason in the world, if there were none, to wish for a revelation from God, as what is of absolute necessity to our happi-» ness ; and since there is one, with the greatest thankfulness to embrace it, cleave to it an4 comply wdth it.

XIV

TO THE READER.

Reader, if thou hast thy religion yet to choose, which I am afraid is too common a case in this unstable age, then it is high time thou wert bethinking thyself of religion in earnest.

To-morrow thou wilt live, thou still dost say ; To-day's too late, the wise liv'd yesterday.

And if after too long a delay thou mean to avoid an unhappy choice, reason advises thee to consider well, that when the choice is made, care be taken to make it so^ as to prevent the necessity of either a second choice, or a too late repentance for choosing amiss. There is a set of men, who cry up at this day natural religion, and especially commend it to such as have no religion. It is such as thou art that they desire to deal with, and among such it is that they are most successful. But if thou hast a mind not to be deceived in a matter of such moment, it imports thee not a little to consider what may be said a2:ainst that, which it is likely may be offered thee, as ^ fine, modish, reasonable religion, meet for a gentleman, a man of wit and reason. I have here offered to prove this all to be said without, yea against reason and exj)en^ ence. Well, first hear and then judge, and after that choose or refuse as thou seest cause. ^ _

As for the management of this useful inquu-y, it is wholly suited to that which at first was only designed, viz. the satisfaction of the writer's own mind about the q uestion that is here proposed. I entered not upon this inquiry with a view to oppose any man, or triumph over adversaries, and so did industriously wave those catches, subtleties, and other nicities, used frequently by writers of controversy. My only design was to find the truth, and therefore I chose clearly to state the questiozi, which I found the Deists always avoided, and plainly propose my reasons for that side of it I took, after tnal, to be the truth. As to the opposite opinion, I made it my busi-. ness to make a dilio;ent inquiry into the strongest arguments advanced for it, candidly to propose themm their utmost force, and closely to answer tliem; avoiding, a§ much as might be, such reproaches as are unworthy ot a

TO THE READER.

XV

Christian, or an inquirer after truths though I met with frequent provocation, and found sometimes how true that is, Difficile est non scrihere satyram contra satyramJ^ It was not amusement I aimed at, or to please my own fancy, or tickle the reader's ears with a gingle of words, or diveil and bias the judgment by a flood of rhetoric. I never designed to set up for an orator. My business lies quite another way, it is what I lay no claim to, and what I think is to be avoided in discourses of this kind. All I aimed at as to language, was to clothe my thoughts in plain and intelligible expressions. The reader is to expect no more, and if he miss this I hope it will be but rarely.

It is not to be expected, that a discourse which was be^un in an inverted order, the middle part being fiist writ ; and that was composed in the intervals of business of a very diffierent nature, at spare hours, by one of no great experience, and an utter stranger to writings of this sort, shall be free of blemishes that may offend nicer palates. Some few repetitions could not, at least without more pains in transcribing than I had either leisure or inclination for, well be avoided. Nor could a discourse so often interrupted by other business, and upon so very diflerent subjects, be carried on with that equality of style that were to be wished, especially by one who was never over much an affecter of elegancy of language. In a wordj the work is long, much longer than I designed ; and yet without wronging the subject, at least as I am otherwise situated and engaged, I could not easily shorten it. If he pleases to inspect the book, he may possibly find, that I had reason for insisting at the length I have done. However, every one has not the art of him, who could enclose Homer's Iliads in a nut's shell.

I I am sensible, that what I have discoursed in the first Ichapter of the ensuing treatise, concerning the Occasions \ f Deism, will grate hard upon a set of men, who have for jnany years bygone carried all before them, and so have -aken it ill to have any censures bestowed on them, though

• ** It is difficult not to write a satire against satire."

xvi

TO THE READER.

they did severely animadvert upon the real or supposed faults of others. As to this I have not much to say by way of apology. That Deism has sprung up and grows apace amongst us, is on all hands confessed. Others have offered ihek conjectures concerning the occasions of its increase. Why I might not offer my opinion also, I know no reason. The principal subject of the ensuing treatise suffers not, though I should herein be mistaken. In proposing my conjecture I did not pursue the interest of any party ; but have freely blamed all parties. If the sticklers for the Arminian or Socinian divinity are touched, it was because I thought they were to be blamed, and therefore I have withstood them to their face. Ag to the tendency of their principles I have been sparing, because that debate has been sufficiently agitated in the Low Countries betwixt the contending parties. The reader who would be satisfied as to this, may peruse those who have directly managed this charge, and the answers that have been made, and judge upon the whole matter as he finds cause.^ But Avhatever may be as to this, the manner of their management may perhaps be found less capable of a colourable defence. And it is upon this that I have principally insisted. To oppose, especially from the pulpit, with contempt, buflbonry, banter and satire, principles, that sober persons of the same persuasion do own to have at least a very plausible like foundation in the word of God, and which have been, for near sixty or seventy years after the reformat tion, the constant doctrine of the fathers, and sons of the church of England, and have by them been inserted into lier articles, and so become a part of her doctrine,f is a practice that I do not well understand how to ex^ cu?e or free from the imputation of profanity, and wiiich hath too manifest a tendency to Atheism, to ad- f }ijitof any tolerable defence. The scriptures, and truths, that have any countenance in them, or opinions which ^ they seem really to persons otherwise sober, pious and judicious, not only to teach, but to inculcate as of the

* See Arcana Anr/mlanismi, by Vldelius, and Videlius Ropsodus, with Vi- , delius's Rejoinders, &c. J|J t See Bishop of Sarum on the Articles, Preface, page 7, 8. fli

TO THE READER.

xvii highest importance, are not a meet subject for raillery ; nor is the pulpit a meet place for it. Tliis is that for which principally I have blamed them, and this I cannot retract. If they take this ill, I ask them. Have not others as much reason to take it ill, that the doctrines of the church of England taught in her articles and homilies, and professed by her learned bishops, who composed them, and by her sons for so long a tract of time, as consonant to, founded in, and grounded on the word of God, should be so petulantly traduced by wit, raillery, and declamatory invectives from the press and pulpit; and that too by those who have subscribed to these articles and homilies ? This management has been complained of by sober persons of all parties, churchmen and dissenters, contra-remonstrants and remonstrants too, as I could make appear, if there were occasion for it : And why I might not also complain, I want yet to be informed. None is charged save the guilty. Others who are innocent have no reason to be angry. And perhaps, they who will be offended at this, would scarce have been pleased if I had let it alone.

In the tenth chapter of this treatise, I have opposed the opinion that asserts the Heathen world to be under a government of grace. I know it is maintained by many learned men both at home and abroad, from whose memory, if dead, or just respect, if alive, I designed not to detract. Nor did I design to list them with the Deists, whom I know to have been solidly opposed by several that were of this opinion. But yet I do think the opinion itself destitute of any solid foundation, with all deference to them, who think otherwise, either in scripture, reason or experience. And I am further of the mind, that the learned abettors of it, had never embraced an assertion, that exposes them to so many perplexing difficulties, and puts them upon a necessity of using so many, I had almost said, unintelligible distinctions for its support, if they had not been driven to it by some peculiar hypo- ' thesis in divinity which they have seen meet to embrace. If any intend to prove Avhat I have denied, I wish it may be done by proper arguments, directly proving it, and not by advancing an hypothesis that remotely infers it, xviii

TO THE READER.

and which, in itself, or, at least as proposed by those whom I have met with, is so darkened by a huge multitude of subtile, mvsterious and uncouth distinctions, that I can scarce ever project so much time as to understand them. However this much I must say, that so cross does this opinion seem to scripture, reason and experience, that it Avill go a very great way to w eaken the credit of any hypothesis on which it inevitably follows. However, I hope this may be said, and different opinions about this point without any breach of charity may be retained. Diiersum sentire duos de rebus iisdem incolumi licuit semper amicitia,^ I know the abettors of this opinion are hearty friends in the main to the cause I here maintain.

The scheme I have in the close of that chapter offered by way of digression, of God's government of the Heathen world, is not designed as a full account of that matter, which as to many of its concernments, is of those things that are not revealed, and so belong not us ; much less is it designed to be the ground of a peremptory judgment as to the eternal state of them, wlio are without the church : But only to shew, that any thing Ave certainly know as to God's dealings with them, in the common course of his providence, may, upon other suppositions and principles, beside that rejected, be accounted for. The judicious and sober reader may judge of it as he sees cause. I hope I have, in a matter of such difficulty, avoided any unbecoming curiosity, or affecting to be wise above what is written.

If any blame me for the multitude of quotations, I answer, the subject I undertook rendered this unavoidable. I have used the utmost candor in them. Sometimes out of a regard to brevity I have avoided the translation of testimonies quoted from authors who writ in a diiferent language. The learned will not complain of this : And if any person of tolerable judgment, who is not learned, will be at pain« to peruse the ensuing discourse, he will find as much said, without regarding

* " It was always allowed, that two persons might think differently of the ^ame thing-s, without breach of friendship."

TO THE READER.

those quotations, as may satisfy his mind upon this subject.

As to what I have, in the ensuing papers ascribed, to Mr. Gildon publisher of the Oracles of Reason, I liad written it before I understood his recovery from Deism. But yet I thought it not meet to alter it, because there are, no doubt, many others who entertain the same notions he then did maintain, and my opposition is to the principles and not the persons. As for his recovery, 1 congratulate it, and wish it may be such as may secure him from after-reckoning for the hurt he has done.

If any Deists shall see meet to undertake this debate, I decline it not. If they treat my book as they have done those of others, every way my superiors, and as rats are wont to do — gnaw only the outside, advert to incident things that are not to the purpose, and single out rather what seems exceptionable than what is of moment, following him who did so,

— &, quse

I have somewhat else to do, than to take any notice of such impertinency. If any shall offer a solid and rational confutation, Avhich yet I am not much afraid of, and convince me, not by jest, buffoonry and raillery, but by solid arguments, of my being in a mistake,

* And leaves out whatever he despairs of being able to shine in if they vrevt touched on."

f " I will recant all my reproaches, I will make amends for my former slanders by praises, and will exalt your name tq the stars."

FAG£.

Recommendations of the work, ..... 9

Author's address to the reader, . . • . .13

Introduction, • . . 25

[Wherein it is proved a matter of the highest import and necessity to make a right choice of religion ; and wherein it is further evinced, that no man, without the most manifest violence to reason, can turn Heathen, Mahometan, or acquiesce in Atheism or Scepticism, and that consequently every man must acquiesce in the Scriptures, or turn Deist. Deism undertaken to be demonstrated false and ruining.-— The author's inducements to this undertaking,]

Shewing the importance of knowing the origin of sin to the worid, and the defectiveness of nature's light as to this, . 115

Chap. X

Proving nature's light unable to discover the means of obtain* -I ing pardon of sin, or to shew that it is attainable, . . 128

Sect. L The importance of this difficulty stated^ 128

Sect. II. Shewing the darkness of nature's light as to pardon, ........ 136

Sect. III. Wherein it is inquired whether repentance is sufficient to attone for sin? How far nature's light enables to it ? What assurance nature's light gives of pardon upon repentence ? . » - . 143

Objections considered, . . . ^ . 169

Digression concerning God's government of the Heathen world, shewing that there is nothing in it whence any design of God to pardon them may be certainly iflferred, 19i>

INDEX.

CHAP. XL

PAGE.

Proving the insufficiency of natural religion to eradicate our inclinations to sin, or subdue its power, . . . 204

CHAP. xn.

Wherein the proof of the insufficiency of natural religion is concluded from a general view of the experience of the world, 21S

CHAP. xin.

Wherein we n^ake a transition to the Deists' pleas for their opinion, and take particular notice of the Articles to which they reduce their Catholic religion ; give some account of Baron Herbert, the first inventer of this Catholic religion, his books, and particularly of that which is inscribed De Religione Gentilium^ as to the matter and scope of it, and the importance of what is therein attempted to the Deiste' cause, 219

CHAP. XIV.

Wherein it is inquired. Whether Herbert has proved that his Five Articles did universally obtain, . - . 230

CHAP. XV.

Wherein it is made appear that Herbert's Five Articles did not universally obtain, . . . , . . 253

CHAP. XVI.

Wherein some general considerations are laid down for proving that many of the best things, which are to be met with in the Heathens, were not the discoveries of nature's light, but came from tradition, 270

Wherein we consider what Herbert's opinion was as to the sufficiency of his Articles, and offer some reflections, showing how foolish, absurd and ridiculous the Deists' pretences to their sufficiency are, . . * 276

CHAP. XVIII.

Containing an answer to some of the Deists' principal arguments for the sufficiency of natural religion, , , 286 xxiv INDEX.

CHAP. XIX.

Wherein Herbert's reasons for publishing his books in defence of Deism are examined and found weak, . 299

CHAP. XX.

Wherein the Queries oflfered by Herbert and Blount, for proving the sufficiency of their Five Articles are examined, 308

ESSAY ON FAITH.

Chap. I

Containing some general remarks concerning knowledge, faith, and particularly divine faith and that both as to the faculty and actings thereof, .... 335