Religio laici written in a letter to John Dryden, Esq.

A Dialogue concerning Revela∣tions.

Therefore in the first place, I should demand in a Rational and Judicial way, how I could be as∣sured, that the Priests had re∣ceived a Revelation, and what was the time, place, and man∣ner thereof? In Answer to which, I conceive the Priests would tell me; That Laicks ought not fur∣ther to enquire into such Myste∣ries than becomes them; that if this their Revelation were not accepted as an unquestionable and necessary Truth, there could be no cause thereof, but an obdurate heart, and want of Divine Grace in me; that if the Sacerdotal word might not be taken concern∣ing the Truth of the said Reve∣lation,

there was no other way to inform me thereof: It being Gods manner to speak to his beloved Servants, and not to such gross Sinners as I was; and to be brief, that if I did not give en∣tire credit to this Revelation of theirs, it was for want of Faith: And therefore, that no better counsel could be given me, than to pray that all obstructions might be taken away, and in∣stead of my heart of stone, that I might receive an heart of flesh, such as may be capable of this heavenly Illumination. Final∣ly, They would reply nothing con∣cerning the time or manner of their Revelation, but only in ge∣neral say, that the Place was God's holy Temple, where none could be partakers of the Word of God, but such only as were

his near Servants, and did or∣dinarily take their rest and sleep therein.

Now to this I should Answer, That if I might not know the time and manner, when and how this their Revelation was made, I would yet gladly be informed, what Language was used betwixt them, and whether the words were of God's immediate inven∣tion, or that there were only cer∣tain Notes and Characters in use betwixt them, whereby they understood one another? Or o∣therwise, if they had not a par∣ticular Language betwixt them, which was intelligible; whether God spake the ordinary Lan∣guage of that Country, and in what Tone; whether the same were lowder than Thunder, or only the ordinary heighth, or

whether lower yet, by some close or secret expression, somewhat less than a whisper? To which I believe the Priests would Re∣ply, That if a King or Princi∣pal Magistrate did send me a Message or Command by some one of his known Officers, I would not then presume to make all these Questions, they being not only uncivil, but also imper∣tinent and derogatory to the Su∣preme Authority, and there∣fore that they who were known Ministers of God, did, without gi∣ving further account, require Obe∣ence from me in his Name. But notwithstanding all this, I should again take the boldness to ask them, (supposing they heard such words) how yet they could know that God spake them, and whe∣ther they were so familiar with

the person of that God, as to know him by his Voice, and di∣stinguish him from all others? How they could assure themselves firmly, that it was no inferiour Spirit that gave them this Reve∣lation, there being Spirits of both sorts, both good and bad, which use to deliver Oracles and Reve∣lations, according to the Doctrine of the Manichees, who founded their Opinions upon that sentence, viz. that the Devil is the God of this world. But again, suppo∣sing it was a good Spirit that spoke, whether Camillus, or his Boy who waited on him in the Temple, did hear or understand the Voice as well as himself? Here I know the Priests Answer would be, That neither himself, nor any else could come to the knowledge of God's Will, but

by their means and conveyance: And for the rest would again re∣quire my Obedience, on peril of my being condemn'd as an Infidel; thinking by these words at least to overawe me.

But this would be so far from terrifying me, that it would but put into my head more Scruples, concerning the Truth of their Revelation? when pursuing my way, I should gladly demand of him, how yet I could be assured, that in the repeating of this their Oracle or Revelation, they had omitted no part thereof through forgetfulness; or added any thing to it by a Paraphrase, or Ex∣plication; And briefly, whether nothing were interweaved or changed therein?

The Priests would here assu∣redly reply, That it was but a

prophane part in me to doubt any thing were either added to, or ta∣ken from the Divine Revelation, much less any thing mixed or in∣terwoven with it: and that the same God, who gave them this Revelation, did and would pre∣serve it entire in their memory; for further proof whereof, they were ready to set it down, and sign it under their Hands and Seals, that so it might be trans∣mitted to Posterity, as an Au∣thentick Record: To which also, the Amanuenses or Coppiers of it might repair to correct all that should be depraved, either by their carelesness, or wilful perversion of the Sense thereof, that so their Errors might af∣terwards be rectified, attested and subscribed by sufficient Witnes∣ses, as agreeing with the Origi∣nal;

there being no other Means so good to ascertain us Laicks, that nothing therein was counter∣feit, &c. Which Method (I con∣fess) if it had been used in all Ages and Countries where Re¦velations are said to have been made in private to Priests, would have been much approved; since Copies of Copies, through many Descents, may be subject to many Corruptions, especially among those who would draw all things to their own Interest; which might as well have become these latter Times, as the former; since our Modern Priests (for the most part) turn Religion into Faction, striving to render all others of different Perswasions (though in the least matters) odious. Which Bitterness of Spirit we find not evidently remarked among the

Heathen Priests; so that how Ignorant and False soever they were, yet are they not recorded to have been Incendiaries, and Persecutors of one another even unto Death, for Religion and Conscience sake: No, they had no such hellish Contrivances as the Parisian and Hibernian Mas∣sacres; no such Instruments of the Devil, as Ravilliac, Clement, and the Priest that poyson'd our Eng∣lish Monarch in the Eucharist; no such Traiterous Conspiracies as the Powder-plot: Nor did they use to convert one another to their Opinions by Fire and Fa∣got, and Rosting Kings alive, as the Spaniards did in the In∣dies. He that compares but the Behaviour of those of the Religi∣ous among the Heathens, with the Carriage of our Popish Bishops

here in England before the Refor∣mation, as related by our own Christian Writers, would take the Heathen Priests for much the better Christians of the two.

So that, notwithstanding all this, I should not give the Priests over so, but at least tell them, I could have wished they had pro∣ceeded more clearly with me; since the more they debased my Vnder∣standing in Divine Mysteries, the more was I obliged to stand to my Common Reason, until they had made all things manifest or intelligible to me, without going about to convince me of Infideli∣ty, because I believed not more than I understood: or when a further Belief were required, I hoped they would not charge me to believe it any otherwise than as a thing possible, or at most but like∣ly,

since this was all I could do, when God had given me no suffi∣cient Revelation for the confirm∣ing of theirs. And to affirm it a good Plea in the Court of Hea∣ven, to say, That a Man began at the Faith that was taught in his Native Country; Who might not then excuse himself for adhering to the grossest Superstition that can be imagined in any Age or Country whatever, where no less Esteem and Veneration was given publickly to their Sacerdotal Col∣lege, than is now paid to the pre∣sent Church of Rome in Italy and Spain. Finally, therefore, I should ask them, How any Priest could assure and satisfie my Con∣science, that the Revelation made to him did so concern me, that I must embrace it as an undoubted Axiom, or Truth? To which (I

am confident) they would answer, as formerly, That they had dis∣charged their Duty in delivering Gods Word, and that I ought to take heed lest I be severely pu∣nished for want of Faith, and so leave me, after having with much gravity expressed their sorrow for my incorrigible stubborn Heart, &c.

But, notwithstanding all this, I do not yet deny, but that Re∣velations may be made to Men either sleeping or waking; but where, I suppose, (as we find in Holy Writ) earnest Prayers have been made before-hand, and some publick and miraculous Con∣firmation of the thing revealed hath followed. However, un∣less the thing in it self be right good and honest, I should not con∣ceive it was God that spake, but

some Evil Spirit that would de∣ceive me; it having pleased God so to implant the Love of Goodness and Truth in the Soul, that he hath made them a part of Common Reason, and conspi∣cuous by their own Light; from which therefore if we recede, we shall find our selves cast not onely into much Errour and Darkness, but even in the Court of our own Consciences criminal and condemned: For which Cause also I believe God is so sparing in making publick Re∣lations, because if Men did wholly trust to them, it might be a means of making them neglect their proper Duties. It would be (as the Learned Grego∣ry in his Posthuma observes) a Stumbling-block to the Gentiles, when they found it read in Osea,

that God commanded a Prophet to commit Adultery: and in Exo∣dus, that he taught his own Peo∣ple how to cozen the Egyptians: How could they believe (saith he) that there was no God like the God of the Hebrews, when they should find in the Scriptures, that even this God had also a Right-hand and a Son? Or that if he had been so much better than those of the Heathen, was it likely that Aaron his own High Priest, would have preferred their Apis or Egyptian Calf before him? But the Reason of all this is, because to unenlightned Na∣ture these Passages might seem inconsistent with the Attributes of the Deus Optimus Maximus; and for that (as our aforesaid Learned Author well notes) all ways of Religion would seem

strange, but that we are taught betimes to fear: and till we re∣ceive a Spirit of Judgment to discern the Right way, every Way is thought to be Wrong, but that which we are brought up in. And thus much for Publick Revelati∣ons.