The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)

by John Wesley

Don’t you say, that the world is for the sake of man; is it not therefore fit and reasonable that man should see, that the past and present state of the world has been such as the reason and fitness of things required it should be?

* Now if the imperfect state of human nature, the calamities of this life, the diseases and mortality of human bodies, the methods of God’s continual providence in governing human affairs, are things that as much concern us, as any methods of revealed religion; and if these are things that we cannot explain, according to any fitness or unfitness founded in the nature of things, but must believe a great deal more of the infinite wisdom of God, than we can so explain; have we any reason to think, that God cannot, or ought not to raise us out of this unhappy state of things, help us to an higher order of life, and exalt us to a nearer enjoyment of himself, by any means, but such as our own poor reason can grope out of the nature and fitness of things?

Now what is the reason, that all is thus mysterious and unmeasurable by human reason, in these matters so nearly concerning human nature? ’Tis because God is not an arbitrary being, but does that which the incomprehensible perfections of his own nature, make it fit and reasonable for him to do. Do but grant that nothing can be fit for God to do, but what is according to his own infinite perfections: let but this be the rule of his actions, and then you have the fullest proof, that the fitness of his actions must be above our comprehension, who can only judge of a fitness according to our own perfections; and then we must be surrounded with mystery for this very reason, because God acts according to a certain rule, his own nature.

Again: What is the nature of a human soul, upon what terms, and in what manner it is united to the body, how far it is different from it, how far it is subject to it, what powers and faculties it derives from it; are things wherein the wisdom and goodness of God, and the happiness of man are deeply concerned. Is it not necessary that these things should have their foundation in the reason and fitness of things? And yet what natural reason, uninspired from above, can shew that this state of soul and body is founded therein?

* Again: The origin of sin and evil, or how it entered into the world consistently with the infinite wisdom of God, is a mystery of natural religion, which reason cannot unfold. For can we shew from the reason and nature of things, that it was fit and reasonable, for the providence of God to suffer sin to enter, and continue in the world? Here therefore the man of natural religion must drop his method of reasoning from the fitness of things, and that in an article of the highest concern to the moral world, and be as mere a believer, as he that believes the most incomprehensible mystery of revealed religion.

Now as there have been in the several ages of the world, some impatient, restless and presuming spirits, who, because they could not in these points explain the justice of God’s providence, have taken refuge in horrid atheism, so they made just the same sober use of their reason, as our modern unbelievers, who because they can’t comprehend the fitness and necessity of certain Christian doctrines, resign themselves up to an hardened infidelity. For it is just as reasonable to allow of no mysteries in revelation, as to allow of no mysteries in creation and providence.

And whenever this writer shall think it proper to attack natural religion with as much freedom as he has revealed, he need not enter upon any new hypothesis, or different way of reasoning. For the same turn of thought, may soon find materials in the natural state of man, for as large a bill of complaints against natural religion, and the mysteries of providence, as is here brought against revealed doctrines.

To proceed: If the fitness of actions is founded in the nature and relation of beings, then nothing can be fit for God to do, but so far as it is fit for the Governor of all created beings, whether on earth, or in any other part of the universe; and he cannot act fitly towards mankind, but by acting as is fit for the Governor of all beings.

* Now what is fit for the Governor of all created nature to do in this or that particular part of his creation, is as much above our reason to tell, as it is above our power to govern all beings. And how mankind ought to be governed, with relation to the whole creation, of which they are so small a part, is a matter equally above our knowledge; because we know not how they are a part of the whole, or what relation they bear to any other part, or how their state affects the whole, or any other part, than we know what beings the whole consists of.

Now there is nothing that we know with more certainty than that God is governor of the whole, and that mankind are a part of the whole; and that the uniformity and harmony of divine providence, must arise from his infinite wise government of the whole; and therefore we have the utmost certainty, that we are vastly incompetent judges of the fitness or unfitness of any methods that God uses in the government of so small a part of the universe, as mankind are.