More reasons for the Christian religion and no reason against it, or, A second appendix to the Reasons of the Christian religion being I. an answer to a letter from an unknown person charging the Holy Scriptures with contradictions, II. some animadversions on a tractate De Veritate, written by ... Edward Herbert, Baron of Cherbury ... / by Richard Baxter.

X. Quest. Whether any concurrence of moral evidence, at least such as Gospel Revelation hath, do truly amount to na∣tural or certain evidence? De Rev. & Verisim.

Answ. This Question too I have plainly decided in the Reas. of Christian Relig. I now add. First, The name of moral evidence is here taken by those that use it, for that which dependeth on the credit of a voluntary Agent as such: And the name of natural evidence, signifieth that which dependeth on the nature of the Object in it self considered. But I somewhat doubt whether all that use the distinction do commonly under∣stand the difference, or what they say.

Secondly, Note that the All or ef∣fect of a voluntary Agent, hath never∣theless a natural Evidence when it is done or existent. If I voluntarily speak or write or go, my Action is na∣turally evident to those that see and hear it, as present sensitive Witnesses of it. If I freely build a House, it is nevertheless naturally Evident when it is built: Al things existent in the universe were made by God as a free Agent, and yet are nevertheless natu∣rally evident.

Thirdly, Every thing that is, when it is, (if corporeal) is naturally Evi∣dent to those that have their faculties in those conditions that are necessary, and have the object in its necessary magnitude, cognation, detection, site, distance, medium and abode.

Fourthly, The judgement that is made upon sense it self faileth (as this noble Author hath well opened) when either the Object, the Evidence the Sense or the Intellect want their ne∣cessary conditions or qualifications; else not.

Fifthly, The Fountain of all Free∣dome and Morality is the Will of

God: And yet the moral Evidence of truth which is in Gods word, when known to be his word, is as sure as a∣ny natural Evidence of the thing: There being the surest natural evidence ab effect is at least that there is a God most perfect, that cannot lie.

Sixthly, The Essences of all things are but imperfectly evi∣dent to us; The existences of corporeal things that are present and duly quali∣fied, are fully evident. The exi∣stence of things absent beyond the reach of sense, is evident only to the discursive intellect; not by the imme∣diate natural evidence of the things themselves, but by a borrowed evi∣dence from Causes or Signes; Dis∣course improving the Fundamental common truths, for the knowing of the rest, by proving a certain con∣nexion between them. The Praterition of things, and the Futurition, are both like the distant existence, unknown to sense, and the immediate appre∣hension of the intellect; And there∣fore must both be known also by col∣lection as conclusions in discourse, or not at all.

Seventhly, Man was not born to know only things present in their exi∣stence by sense, but also to know things absent, things as past, and things as future. And herein he chiesly differeth from a Bruit.

Eighthly, Though the understand∣ing is most confident of things sensible & present, yet about things absent, past and future it oft doubteth more and is less satisfied in its own conclusions from natural principles, than from moral. Because sometimes the na∣tural Principles themselves (though not the first, yet the second, or third) may be so obscure as to leave the mind unsatisfied. Secondly, And the connexion among many particu∣lars may be obscure and doubtful. Thirdly, And in the long Series of collection or arguing, the understand∣ing suspecteth its own fallibility: so that when Conclusions are far fetcht, though from natural Princi∣ples, the mind may be still in doubt about them. And on the contrary when in the way of Revelation the grounds are clear, and the under∣standing hath fewer Collections

to make and a shorter journey to go, it may be far better satisfied of the truth.

Ninthly, Mans own necessity is the reason why God doth give us supernatural Revelation, and call us to know by the way of Believing. For, First, Most men are naturally dull. Secondly, Few have leisure by Learning to improve their intel∣lects. Thirdly, And fewer have leisure & disposition to exercise them by long searches & argumentation upon every thing that they should know. Fourthly, And therefore where Revelation was not, few were wise or virtuous; And the Philosophers themselves were all to pieces among themselves, and their disagreements and doubtfulness tend∣ed to the gulfe of utter Scepticisme. Now as nothing is more necessary than Religion (as you well profess) so Religion consisteth very little in the sensible apprehension of of present existences, but in the knowledge of things absent or insensible things past, and especially things to come, the Hap∣piness to be attained, and the misery to be escaped. Now if all the Poor

unlearned Men and Women in the World must have known all these things only by natural discourse, how little Religion would have been in the World, when the Philosophers knew so little themselves. And though your learning and understand∣ing made the immortality of the Soul so clear to you and the rewards and punishments of another life, as that you number it with the common notices; yet were not the old Philosophers themselves, so com∣monly agreed on it as they should have been; much less all the common People. And if you say that now almost all the world be∣lieveth it, I answer it is Gods great mercy that it is so. But consider whether it be not more by the way of believing, than of naturall instinct or knowledge. For all the Christians, and all the Mahometans (who believe the words of Moses and Christ also) take it by the way of be∣lieving. And so do most of the Heathens: The Japonians have their Amida and Zaca: The Chi∣nenses,

the Indians, the Siamenses the Peguans, &c. have all their Prophets: And the very Sa∣vages of all the West-Indies (or America) have their Idols, Oracles or Wizards, whom they far more depend on than their natural discourse about things Invisible, Past or Future. So that really if Commonuess go with you for a proof that any point is of natural instinct and certainty as a Notitia Communis, this will be one of the chiefest of them, that [Religion consisting in the notice of, and due respect to things absent, invisible, past and future; is to be maintain∣ed in the world by divine Revela∣tion and Faith, and not by the immediate evidence of things, nor by meer discursive Collections from things so evident.] So that Mans weakness with the quality of the Objects maketh Revelation so ne∣cessary, that without it, the vul∣gar (who are the main body of the World) would have next to no Religion; And on the contrary how easie and pleasant, and satis∣factory

is it for all these poor People (yea to the most learned) to have these mysterious truths brought by Revelation to their hands. Now through Gods mer∣cy, all our common People, Wo∣men and Children, Servants and day-Labourers, may know more with ease, than ever Democritus, E∣picurus, Antisthenes, Zeno, yea Socrates, Plato or Aristotle could reach by all their studies to the last: More I say of Religious necessa∣ry knowledge.

Tenthly, And this being so ne∣cessary and so great a mercy to mankind, I wonder that you put it not among your common notices, that God being perfect in love and wisdom, and having made man purposely to be Religious, here, and happy hereafter, will certainly provide for his Religion and Happiness, so necessary and so excel∣lent a means as Revelation is, God being the Father and Lover of light and of Souls, and the De∣vil being the Prince and Friend of darkness; Consider whether

you may not strongly infer from the very nature of God, and the nature and necessity of man, and the other communications of Gods mercies to the world, that he will certainly give them this great mercy also.

Eleventhly, It is certain that God hath ways of communicat∣ing light to mans understanding immediately and not only by ex∣trinsick sensible objects. The Father of Spirits who communicateth so much to the corporeal world, is not further from Souls, nor more out of love with them; But (if there be any difference) may ra∣ther be thought to hold a neerer more immediate communion with them than with Bodies, and to be himself to the mind, what the Sun is to the Eye, and more.

Twelfthly, It is certain that God can give the standers by that have no Revelation immediately them∣selves a fully satisfactory attestati∣on or proof, of the truth of ano∣ther mans Revelations. He that denyeth this, maketh God to be impotent.

Thirteenthly, It is certain that the Attestation which I described in the Reasons of Christian Religion was such (supposing that such were given, viz. In the Antecedent Te∣stimony of fulfilled Prophesie, the Constitutive Testimony of Gods Spi∣rit apparent in the effects on Christ; person and on his Gospel, And the Concomitant Testimony of all his Mi∣racles and Resurrection and Ascen∣sion. And the subsequent Testimo∣ny of the Spirit, on the Apostles, their Miracles and doctrine, and on the souls of all serious Christians to the worlds end) These are things (set all together) First, Which none but God could do. Secondly, And which God would not do to de∣ceive the world; Thirdly, Yea, which God would not permit to be done to deceive them in so high a matter; Because he is the Omnipo∣tent, Omniscient, Gracious Gover∣nour of the world; And if these Te∣stimonies were not of God, it were impossible to know any Te∣stimony to be of God; And see∣ing w•• •••• have no surer, it would

be mans Duty to Believe and O∣bey and be Ruled by a Lie. And if it be our Duty to Believe God to be so defective either in Power, Wisdome or Goodnesse, Holinesse, Truth, Justice or Mercy as to rule the World, and the best of the World in the greatest matters, by lying and deceit, as if he wanted better means: What Wit can de∣vise any remedy against such de∣ceit as shall be so attested as afore∣said? Or if deceit can be per∣ceived, how can it be mans Du∣ty to Believe it, seeing mans In∣tellect is naturally made for Truth, and abhorreth falshood? And how can it be Good to Obey Deceit and Lyes? And when the Devil is the Father of Lies, what blasphemy is it to charge them on God? By this it will be apparent, that the Question must be in the upshot, whe∣ther there be a God or no God? and so whether there be any thing or nothing?

Fourteenthly, There is some Mo∣ral Historical Evidence of the truth of things past, which is as certain,

and much more satisfactory than the Natural Evidence of Conclusions, rais∣ed by a long series of argumenta∣tion: Yea, some which is truly a Natural Evidence though it depend on the credit of free Agents. The proof and reasons I have given in the Treat. First, The Will though free is Quaedam Natura, and hath its Natural propensity to known good, as the understanding also is, and hath its Natural propensity to Truth. And the understanding is not free, of it self, but acteth per modum Naturae. Secondly, There are some of the acts of the Will it self, which are so free as yet to be necessary. As to will Good sub ratione boni; to will our own Felicity, and nill our own misery; to will Life and Pleasure, with a simple complacency, though not alwaies by election: To will all that is fully discerned to have omni∣modam rationem boni, and nill all that is discerned to have omnimo∣dam rationem mali: Now it oft falls out that Historical Narratives shall proceed from some of these neces∣sary

acts. Salvation, Life and Good∣ness and the necessary means of all, may be the Motives. Thirdly, There are other acts of the will which though they are not abso∣lutely necessary, are yet so neer to necessary, that they alwaies go one way, except in some very rare ex∣traordinary case. As for example, It is not of absolute necessity that a man feed or cloath himself, or that he murder not himself: But yet he will ordinarily do the first and forbear the latter, because he is necessarily a lover of himself, and life, and therefore will not cast himself away, nor destroy himself, without some conceived cause. Fourthly, There are no causes ex∣tant in rerum Natura for the com∣monness of some such actions: There∣fore it is certain they will not be done, because there can be no ef∣fect without its cause; And the turning of the will to a mans known corporeal destruction is an effect which hath no common cause. There∣fore it is a point of more Natural Evidence and Certainty, than many

Conclusions from Natural premises are, that all the people of Europe or England will not to morrow kill themselves, nor go naked, nor fa∣mish or wound themselves, &c. And consequently that formerly all never did so, since it was notori∣ously so much their interest to do otherwise. For, there was no cause to produce such an effect.

If it must be a Miracle rebus sic stantibus, which should make all the Europeans or the English to go naked to morrow, or to kill them∣selves, than it is Natural to them to do the contrary, or not to do this (for a Miracle is the over∣powering of Nature.) But the An∣tecedent is evident, to reason, from experience. Ergo, &c. There may be Causes for one mans actions, which can never fall out to All, or to very many.

All the Physicians in England ne∣ver did perswade all men against Physick, nor all the Lawyers a∣gainst Law; nor all the Covetous men in England, the Labourers or Beggars, were never against re∣cieving

Meat, Drink and Money; Because there never was a cause of such effects: And as it must be a great, powerful, common Cause, that must do this: so al∣so if the question be whether e∣ver there were a Parliament in England? Whether ever they made Laws with the Kings? Whe∣ther our statutes were made by such Kings and Parliaments as they are ascribed to, &c. There is such a concurrent consent of competent Witnesses, as could not be to it, were it false, because it would be an effect without a suf∣ficient Cause. Yea, against the ten∣dency or disposition of mans na∣ture which would have caused the wills of some to contradict it, ex∣cept a miracle had hindred them. For among so many there are cross interest notorious. Some Mens interest is against the thing, while other Mens are for it: And to make multitudes go a∣gainst their apparent Interest, and Friends and Enemies of the event to agree, must be done by the

power of truth, or by a miracle: suposing the case such as they could not be all deceived in.

Fifteenthly, But there is yet a fuller natural evidence of the truth of some reports; Even when besides the report, there remain some visible unimitable effects of the reported actions, which could be caused by nothing else. As if their Fathers told the Grand-Children of Noah of the deluge, they might see such effects of it as might assure them that it was true. If the Parents of the man born blind, Joh. 9. were told by him that his eyes were cured, when they saw it in the effects they must believe it: If uncontroulled Histo∣ry tell our Children that London was burnt and new built, that Pauls Church was burnt, &c. that multitudes died of the Plague the year before, &c. When they see the City, the Church, the Graves, the change of Inhabitants, the proved Testaments of the deceas∣ed, besides uncontradicted testi∣mony here is a natural evidence to assure it.

Sixteenthly, Though some half witted Philosophers boast much of the certainty of their Physicks in com∣parison of Morality, the truth is, the most of Physicks are meer un∣tainties, and the wisest see it, and busily pull down others doctrines, but confess they are yet but search∣ing and groping by extrinsick ef∣fects and experiments to know what to set up in the stead: And so did others before them: And long may they so search before they find. Whereas there is a more sa∣tisfying Evidence in much of Mo∣rality, as being Natural to Man∣kind, and such as will no sooner cease to be believed than man will cease to be man: whereon all the affairs of the world are turned, and converse, Societies, and all the pri∣vate Comforts of Nature are main∣tained: God hath made known to us what pleased him, according to his own wisdome and not at our direction or choice. And he hath chosen that for us which is most usefull: It is more usefull to us to know how to live well, and how

to be happy, and how to please and glorifie God and do good to one another, than to know Gods skil or mysteries in his workes; to know what is in the center of the earth, or how the active Nature doth ope∣rate on the passive, whether cold be a privation or positive, what is the cause of the continued motus pro∣jectorum? Whether Light and Heat be bodies? or Substances? whe∣ther they penetrate other bodies? &c. As it is more useful for me to know how to keep my Clock in order than how to make one; to know how to plow, sow, eat, drink to my health, than to know by what mysterious operations, the Corn or other things do grow, and my food is digested, &c. Therefore this Learn∣ed Lord doth truly and wisely enu∣merate his Notitiae Communes in Morality and Religion as certain∣ties, the denial whereof doth un∣man us. God hath left such in∣stincts, powers, inclinations, and conscience in humane nature, as shall naturally (though with some degree of freedome in the exercise)

be an insuperable witness in the world to himself, and to our common prin∣ciples and duties.

Seventeenthly, The Historical E∣vidence of the Gospel of Christ is such as hath all the advantages be∣fore described, in its kind. He liv∣ed and preached and wrought his miracles frequently, before thousands, friends and foes: His miracles were never controlled as Moses did the Magicians, by greater, nor by any certain Truth which they contradicted: The eye witnesses themselves were unbelieving till forced by Cogent Evidence: They delivered his Doctrine, Miracles, Resurrection to the world, not one∣ly by credible report, and to the ruine of their worldly pleasures and interests, with the loss of their lives, and all this meerly for the hopes of a reward in heaven, from God that well knew whether all were true or not; But also they did all in the power of the same Spirit which Christ did work by, doing such Miracles as Christ had done: And this not a few nor in a Cor∣ner

but in many Countries of the world, and that by many thousand Christians in one kind or other (tongues, healing, prophecie, or the like) as well as the Apostles. The certainty of which fact is at∣tested by the very existence of all the Churches converted by it, with all their Baptismes, Professions and the rest of the Tradition before na∣med. No Christian of all this mul∣titude, by any terrours, death, time, was brought to the last to re∣pent and say that he had deceived the world by a lie, Many Apostates falling off for fear of sufferings, but none with any such recantation: No adversary confuting the History, but commonly confessing most of it with more such evidence which I have o∣pen'd in the Treat. and must not oft repeat lest I be tedious, And that which is still the Natural Evidence is, that [There is still existent, First, On the sacred Gospel, Secondly, On the souls and lives of all serious Christians by its impress the unimitable Image of the Divine Power, Wisdome and good∣ness, Life, Light and Love, as the Di∣vine

attestation] Only as this noble Author requireth to all true Concepti∣ons and Intellections, so do we to this, that there be but the necessary condi∣tions in the mind of the receiver.

And whereas he saith that common∣ly Miracles are reported a hundred years after; Here it was otherwise: The Jews were enraged by them for fear of the Romans! The Apostles and others wrought them openly; Mat∣thew and John that wrote Christs Hi∣story lived with him and saw what they wrote: so did Peter and James: Paul wrote what he saw and heard from heaven, Luke wrote the Acts of Paul which he saw, being his Compa∣nion in travels. The thousands were converted, and Churches in many Countries planted, not by bare words, but by the Conviction of the Miracles of the Apostles themselves: so that e∣very Church and Christian was a Hi∣story of them. And all this they were moved to, with the hopes of heaven, where truth is known, to deny the world, and mortifie the flesh, and suffer whatever the Gospel would in∣flict, to preserve their hopes and com∣forts

founded in this word of faith.