However the compliment paid to this modest gentleman (who to be sure will, now never be able to let the world know his name) seems to have been comfortably received in secret, by the ample return he has made the Doctor for it, in his new book. Where, speaking of a part of the Doctor’s performance, he says, “For this answer, I must refer the reader to the D. L. where he will find the subject handled with that force, solidity, and precision of argument, which so eminently distinguish the author from all his cotemporaries.”
I shall now only just observe, that the compliment made by the bishop to the clergy, has here very much abatement made to it, by his great ally. For as matters now stand, if this very clergy, good, learned, and Christian, beyond any thing ever heard of in the world before, should one and all unite in opposing the bishop, all that they could possibly get by their pains, would be only to shew, how eminently he stands distinguished by force, solidity, and precision of argument from all his cotemporaries.
But no more of this. Bishop Warburton grounds his scheme, upon the doctrine of the Old and the New Testament. But seeing he affirms that to be of the greatest weight, which is taken from the New Testament, and this author also begins there, I shall do so likewise.
First, I shall clearly evince, that there is not in all the New Testament, one single text, which either in the letter, or the spirit proves, or has the least tendency, or design to prove, that the immortality of the soul, or its perpetual duration after the death of the body, was not an universal, commonly received opinion in, and thro’ every age of the world from Adam to Christ. Secondly, That this doctrine or belief of a future state, was not designedly secreted, or industriously hidden from the eyes of the people of God by Moses, neither by the types and figures of the law, nor by any other part of his writings. From whence I shall occasionally shew, that the true ground and method of Christian redemption to eternal life, preached by the apostles, began with Adam, was the religion of Adam, and all his descendants. And also, that the writings of Moses, and the patriarchal faith, give the very same full proof of the immortality of the soul, or a future state, as the gospel doth.
Need I not observe, that the whole merits of the debate, betwixt Bishop Warburton on the one side, and the whole Christian church of all ages, on the other side, lie wholly in these particulars, which, if they can be made good, the whole costly fabric of the Doctor’s projected defence of Christianity, (as he calls it) built at the expence of such immense treasures of learning, fetched from all quarters of the antient and modern world, must have the fate which always happens to castles built in the air.
This learned writer, to shew, that the immortality of the soul, or its perpetual duration in a future state, was entirely unknown in all the former dispensations of God, until the coming of Christ, begins with this passage of St. Paul. “God hath saved us according to his own purpose, and his grace which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light, thro’ the gospel.”
On which words he thus proceeds: [♦]“We are told, that God, before the world began, had decreed to restore mankind to that lost inheritance of eternal life, which they should forfeit by the disobedience of our first parents. It is added, that this secret purpose, was now at last made manifest by the appearing of Christ, who hath abolished death, and brought life, and immortality to light by the gospel. The apostle mentions two periods, one, when it was originally formed in the secret counsels of God, the other, when it was published and revealed. The opposition between these two states, seems necessarily to imply, that during the interval, it remained a secret. If the apostle may be allowed to be his own interpreter, it will be easy to establish this exposition by a parallel passage in the epistle to Titus. In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began, but hath in due time manifested his word through preaching. Agreeably to this, the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, assures us, that the great salvation of the gospel, that is, the promise of eternal life, first began to be spoken by the Lord. But how could he be the first who taught this doctrine, if Moses and the prophets had taught it long before? Or how did he begin to speak of that, which so many others had been commissioned to teach before? Sometimes we are told, that life and immortality are brought to light, sometimes that it was made manifest, sometimes that it first began to be spoken by Jesus Christ. The bringing to light, and making manifest, are equivalent to the beginning first to teach. And if so, the publication ascribed to Jesus Christ, must have been the first and original publication, and not merely the illustrating or giving new splendor to a doctrine, by the addition of one, or more circumstances unknown before. However, an eminent writer (meaning your Lordship) assures us, that Jesus Christ did not give the first notice of this doctrine. All that I need remark upon it, is, that this assurance seems directly to contradict the word of inspiration.
[♦] no endquote in text; unsure of placement
Your Lordship has also said, that the antient revelations afforded a good proof of a future state. This writer makes great shew of triumph over this most true assertion, and is continually bringing it forth as a proof of your inconsistency, both with yourself and the apostles.
But to follow him farther: “St. Paul, saith he, observes that Jesus Christ was sent to shew light to the people, that is, to the Jews and to the Gentiles. It is plain from hence, that he was a light to the first, in the same sense, in which he was a light to the last; and therefore as he was a light to the Gentiles, by revealing the mystery of redemption, in a restoration to life and immortality, to them absolutely unknown, it seems to follow, that he also enlightened the Jews, by the manifestation of a truth equally unknown. Agreeably to this account of things, Zacharias, in his prophecy upon the birth of John Baptist, says, The day-spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. A description, which will by no means permit us to suppose, that they were enlightened with a good proof of a future state. If they had been enlightened with such a proof, they would have been in the region of life and immortality, and not in the verge and shadow of death. They would not have been sitting in darkness, but walking in the light, if they actually saw the grand object in question: how consistent it is, to assign a good view of an object, to a people sitting in darkness, must be left to the judgment of others. However, this seems to be the necessary consequence of affirming, that the Jews had a good proof of a future life.”