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Page 73
Commerce is not less obnoxious to the principles of a religion
whose founder is represented as denouncing an anathema against
the rich, and as excluding them from the kingdom of heaven. All
industry is equally interdicted to perfect Christians, who are to
spend their lives �as strangers, and pilgrims upon earth,� and who
are �not to take care of the morrow.�
Chrysostom says, that �a merchant cannot please God, and that
such a one ought to be chased out of the church.�
No Christian, also, without being inconsistent, can serve in the
army. For a man, who is never sure of being in a state of grace, is
the most extravagant of men, if, by the hazard of battle, he exposes
himself to eternal perdition. And a Christian who ought to love his
enemies, is he not guilty of the greatest of crimes, when he inflicts
death upon a hostile soldier, of whose disposition he knows
nothing: and whom he may, at a single stroke, precipitate into hell?
A Christian soldier is a monster! a non-descript! and Lactantius
affirms, that �a Christian cannot be either a soldier, or an accuser
to a criminal cause.� And, at this day, the Quakers, and
Mennonites refuse to carry arms, and, in so doing, they are
consistent Christians.
Christianity declares war against the sciences; they are regarded as
an obstacle to salvation. �Science puffeth up.� says Paul. And the
fathers of the church, St. Gregory, St. Ambrose, and St. Augustine
denounce vehemently astronomy, and geometry. And Jerome
declares, that he was whipped by an angel only for reading that
Pagan Cicero.
It has been often remarked, that the most enlightened men are
commonly bad Christians. For independent of its effects on faith,
which science is exceedingly apt to subvert, it diverts the Christian
from the work of his salvation, which is the only thing needful. In
a word, the peculiar principles of Christianity literally obeyed,
would entirely subvert from its foundations every political society
now existing. If this assertion is doubted, let the doubter read the
works of the early Fathers, and he will see that their morality is
totally incompatible with the preservation and prosperity of a state.
He will see according to Lactantius, and others, that �no Christian
can lawfully be a soldier.� That according to Justin, �no Christian
can be a magistrate.� That according to Chrysostom, �no Christian
ought to be a merchant� And that according to several, �no
Christian ought t study.� In fine, joining these maxims together
with those of the New Testament, it will follow, that a Christian,
who as he is commanded, aims at perfection, is a useless member
of the community, useless to his family, and to all around him. He
is an idle dreamer, who thinks of nothing but futurity; who has
nothing in common with the interests of the world, and according
to Tertullian �has no other business but to get out of it as quietly as
possible.�
Let us hearken to Esebius of Caesarea, and we shall abundantly
discover the truth of what has been said.
�The manner of life, (says he,) of the Christian church, surpasses
our present nature, and the common life of men. It seeks neither
marriage, nor children, nor riches. In fine, it is entirely a stranger
to human modes of living. It is entirely absorbed in an insatiable
love of heavenly things. Those who follow this course of life, have
only their bodies upon earth, their whole souls are in heaven, and
they already dwell among pure and celestial intelligences, and they
despise the manner of life of other men� Demonstrat. Evang. vol.
ii. p.29.
Indeed a man firmly persuaded of the truth of; Christianity cannot
attach himself to any thing here below. Every thing here is �an
occasion of stumbling, a rock of offence.� Every thing here, diverts
him from thinking of his salvation. If Christians in general,
happily, for society, were not inconsistent, and did not neglect the
peculiar precepts of their religion, no large society of them could
exist; and the nations enlightened by the gospel would turn
hermits, and nuns. All business, but fasting and prayer, would be at
an end. There would be nothing but groaning in �this vale� of
tears;� and they would make themselves, and others, as miserable
as possible, from the best of motives, viz; the desire to fulfill what
they mistakenly conceived to be the will of God.
Is this a picture taken from the life, or is it a fanciful representation
of something different from the peculiar morality of the New
Testament? This serious question demands a serious answer. If it
be such as it is represented above and such it really appears to me,
and such I have unfortunately experienced its operation to be on
my own mind--I would respectfully ask--can such a religion,
whose peculiar principles tend to render men hateful, and hating
one another: which has often rendered sovereigns, persecutors, and
subjects, either rebels, or slaves: a religion, whose peculiar moral
principles and maxims, teach the mind to grovel, and humble, and
break down the energies of man; and which divert him from
thinking of his true interests, and the true happiness of himself and
his fellow men. Can such a religion, I would respectfully ask, be
from God, since where fully obeyed, it would prove utterly
destructive to society?
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