The world treats those who walk upon the ground with a far greater injustice than it treats those who lie beneath its surface. For a man who disturbs us in our fool's paradise, more feet than hands are used; but to him who only disturbed the father's complacency, and taught the son in youth, we erect memorial statues. Jesus was crucified when he was alive, and deified when dead. His apostles were persecuted when living; now that they are deceased, they are called saints. Savonarola was burnt alive at Florence; now his memory is cherished, and his worth fully known. Luther was detested when he was able to thunder in men's ears; now he is regarded as a son of light. The present Pope, Pio Nono, has found an obsequious council, whose voices have declared him to be infallible—a god upon earth; the time will come when that Pope, and that council, will be regarded as the personification of blasphemy and folly. The days of Faith will be everlasting; but her power to act wickedly will be curtailed more and more. The reign of Reason advances every year, for it is allied to thought and knowledge; and we may fairly hope that the old adage will be true—Magna est Veritas et praevalebit.
It may be said that, in the preceding parts of this essay, I have wholly lost sight of, or, at least, have not referred to the argument—or the statement, made by the upholders of faith, as a rule of life—that reason has nothing to do with things divine, and that where God has made a direct revelation of His will to man, no human being has a right to criticise or object to it.
This kind of remark is in the mouth of every preacher, and each minister who utters it imagines that he deals a blow so very heavy that nothing can stand against it. But in reality it is only a big bubble, which collapses when it is touched. "How," for example, we may ask, "can anything be recognized as divine, unless human judgment is passed upon it? or, How can any revelation be accepted, unless the mind has examined the messenger and the message?" Who would believe the ravings of a lunatic, even though he told us that God had sent him with a message to man? Why do Christians, as a body, reject the revelation made to Mahomet, and the frequent inspirations which give laws to the latter-day saints? To these queries the reply is—"Because we know that God does not speak to man now, and that when the bible was closed all revelation ceased." But when we inquire into the reason for this belief we can find not one. Every theologian must allow that the God who spoke once to Moses spoke again; that He supplanted one dispensation by a second, and has promised a third.
Thus we see, that by their own books, the orthodox are bound to believe that supplementary communications must be made to the human race; consequently, when any one asserts that he is a divine prophet, his pretensions are examined. The faithful Christian disbelieved in Mahomet; the trusting Arabs believed in his mission, and fought for their creed. They, like orthodox divines of to-day, refused to use their reason in things divine, and to cavil at a revelation, Unable to agree, the followers of Jesus, and those of Mohammed, fought, the latter almost annihilating the former for a time, thus proving the value of their faith. Both parties had a firm belief—the one in the prophet of Nazareth, the other in the prophet of Arabia; and no reasoning could have convinced either that his trust was misplaced; nor, to this day, has reason convinced the Mahometans that Jesus was superior to Mahomet, or the Christian that the Arab sectarian was a prophet at all; and it is singular that both parties call in reason in attestation of their respective creeds.
Is, then, the sturdy English theologian to be content to leave the followers of Islam alone, because they have faith? or, must he still endeavour to convert them by the use of reason? Can the Christian adopt the belief that Mahometan and Mormon are both orthodox because they have faith? and that the Jew must still be dear to Jehovah, inasmuch as he still clings closely by faith to the revelation given to Moses and the prophets? If this cannot be done, how can the follower of Jesus hope to convert others to his belief, unless by the use of reason? If, then, the theologian uses reason as a weapon against heterodoxy, upon what ground can he object to its being employed by another? Latter-day saints have made many proselytes in Christendom, and a Mahometan floored in debate the late pious Missionary, Henry Martyn, whose propositions were met by counter ones, and every one of whose arguments was taken up and retorted, the names only of the persons spoken of being changed. "I know," said the one, "that God spoke to us by Christ Jesus"—"I know," said the other, "that Allah spoke to us by Mahomet" "You are wrong, my friend," said one, "Allah has not spoken to man since the last Apostle died." "You are wrong," said the other, "God has spoken to us long after that. You may call Mahomet an apostle, if you like; we call him a prophet of Allah, and know that he was one." And so controversy goes on now where there is faith without reason.
It is clear, then, that truth cannot be established by any number of people thundering out "I believe it," and by their victoriously fighting for it. The argument, therefore, which I may be accused of omitting, is of no value at all; it is sheer nonsense—a windbag, or, perhaps, it may best be compared to a boomerang, which, when badly used, recoils upon the person of him who threw it. Of such arguments theology is builded up.
CHAPTER XII.
Honesty. A question propounded. Are "divines" honest?
Meaning of the word. Learners and teachers—their
relations to each other. Honesty expected in a professor.
Teachers of religion are trusted—they are bound to be
faithful. Political rights of men in respect of the clergy
of the Established Church. Right to see that religion is
not adulterated. Man's right to truth. What truth is not.
Assertions required at "ordination." Canonical Scriptures.
Verbal inspiration. Doubts of laity. Two schools—those
who will and those who will not inquire. Rev. Dr
Colenso. Rev. Dr Browne. Precious stones and "paste."
How should a doubt be tackled—by inquiry, or by ignoring
it? An analogy. Compass and bible. If compass wrong,
why steer by it? Passenger and captain—one appeals to
stars, the other to his owners and the seamen under him.
Precision of Colenso—his words falsified so as to be
confuted: this is not honesty. Is Bishop Browne honest in
controversy? Tabernacle, temple, doors, &c. The Speaker's
Commentary not an honest book. Papal falsehoods; false
decretals; false letter from Prester John. Pious frauds.
Influence of dishonest teaching on education. The point
involved in sectarian discussions. Lying miracles—are
they promulgated honestly? Is it honest in religion to
promulgate that which we knew to be wrong, or which we dare
not inquire into for fear of consequences? Do Papal
authorities believe in the annual miracle at Naples? The
Protestant Church judged by a ruler of Siam. Bigotry, by
not inquiring, does not establish truth. Each man who is
deceived has a propensity to deceive others. The masses
agree to be deceived. Mr Gladstone on education. His
proposition that inquiry is bad if it leads to change of
religious opinions. Anecdotes of stupidity. Sailing in
search of truth. Captains who avoid the right course.
The condition of society when the schoolmaster overrides the
ecclesiastic. Reason and education ought to precede
faith. Result of honesty. Divines recoil from the honest
truth. Parsons in their pulpit preach what their week-day
precepts oppose. Honesty in ecclesiastical matters is not
the best policy. Divines and the silversmiths of Ephesus.
Examples. An honest parson is persecuted by his fellows:
this insures mediocrity and bigotry. If an author cannot
be persecuted he is avoided. Ecclesiastics persecute
their colleagues, but do not prove them wrong.
Excommunication easier than refutation. What an honest
merchant and divine should do when they discover a diamond
to be paste. Ought the divine to be less honest than the
merchant? The Author's challenge. Conclusion.
I am now about to propound a question which I have heard mooted in quiet by many, but for which publicity seems to be dreaded by all—viz., "Is there honesty amongst Christians, and especially amongst the hierarchy of the Churches of England and Rome?"