tain'd that the Maker of all Things was to be known by the visible World, as an Artificer by Magnis the Product of his Art. And Ariftotle in his doceo de Treatife of Motion, fumms up almoft the whole rebus, & Force of his Reasonings, in that excellent Deartis Re- monftration of a Firft Mover, which Avicenna ligionum animum acknowledg'd to be one of the clearest and most nodis ex- evident, in all the natural Doctrine of this olvere per- Philofopher. So true it is, that the Difficulties which Men pretend in believing the Proposals Lucr. 1.4. of Religion, are wholly owing to the Weak

go.

nefs and Impotency of their Mind. For whofoever is Master of true and folid Reason, will esteem it one great Use of his Reason, humbly to resign and submit it in Things that neceffarily demand fuch a Submission.

VIII.

These are the chief Parts that Philofophy may be capable of performing in the Service of Religion. It may likewife add Weight and Authority to those Testimonies upon which Religion establishes its Maxims, may affift in pulling off the various Masks and falfe Appearances of Error, may reftrain the 'immoderate Freedom which the Wife of this World are apt to take, in too curiously fearching Things above their Capacity; may inure and accuftom Reason familiarly to fubmit to the most incomprehenfible Things, having once given it a juft Veneration for the Authority of God, by producing fome of those noble Marks of the Power of the Gospel, in virtue of which a few plain Fishermen triumph'd over the Wisdom of Athens and Rome, and by their Patience and Humility made themselves the Masters of the Hift. 1. 6. World. Origen, who, as Eufebius informs us, c. 19. thought himself obliged to juftifie his ApplicaPhilocal tion to the heathen Sages, which had been cen

Origen

13.

fur'd

fur'd as difhonourable to his Christian Profeffion, has made this Ufe of Philofophy, and has taught us to make the fame, by obferying, that a Christian fhould fo far only be a Philofo pher, as thereby to become a more hearty and invincible Believer; and therefore, that Philofophy is but the Inftrument or the Handmaid of Religion. And this he explains by that wife Reflection which Clemens of Alexandria had made before him, that God himself had been pleas'd to give a Specimen of the fame Conduct, in commiffioning his People the Ifraelites, to con vert the Riches and Spoils of Egypt, to the adorning of his Religion and Worship. This. learned Father recommends nothing fo much to Christian Philofophers, as the Reading of the Holy Scriptures, and the Reading them with an Attention worthy of the divine Truths which they contain, fuch as may lead them to the Knowledge of these heavenly Myfteries by Simplicity of Heart, and Humility of Spirit. And inftead of difputing about Religion, as we do about indifferent Subjects in the Schools, he would have us with Awe, Reverence, and Submiffion, believe and adore its unfearchable Truths. It was thus, as St. Jerom affures us, Catalog. that this learned Man imploy'd the Difcoveries Scrip. Ec.. of profane Sciences, and fecular Philofophy in bringing Difciples to Chrift, and raising Men to the fublime Doctrines of Chriftian Faith. !

IX.

A

These Terms, this Method, and thefe Rea- Miferia fonings, with which Religion is fupplied from certè eft Philofophy, would ftill be infufficient for its hominis, fi Ufe, if it did not farther derive from the fame malitia non eft

Aug. de C. D. 1. 19. c. 1.

Sapientis.

Nulla homini caufa eft Philofophandi, nifi ut beatus fit. Aug.ibid.

Afiftance

demon

C.I.Cent.

Affistance an Exactness of Perception and Judgment, fuch as prepares the Mind to admit the Light of Faith, by the Light of natural Senfe, which is the firft Foundation of all the Workings of the Soul. For Man is unhappily fubject to frequent Miftakes, and this Unhap pinefs arifes at leaft from the Infirmity and Corruption of his Heart, if not likewife from the Pride and Prefumption of his Understan ding. And fince learned Men and Philofophers are still more expos'd to this common Danger, than the Simple and Ignorant, the fame pious Father, who was but now mention'd, concludes, That the only true Philofophy muft confift in the Reflection upon Eternity. Whence

Aquinas begins his Defence of Religion against Quod fit the Gentiles, with this Queftion, What is the ObOfficium ligation of a wife Man? or, What is the chief Sapientis ? Duty of a Philofopher? And he afferts it to be quærere the Enquiry after that Supreme Truth, which ftrare ve- is the Source and Origin of all other Truths, ritatem confirming his Affertion by the Teftimony of qua prima Ariftotle. And this was the great Study of the veritas eft. firft Chriftian Philofophers; they applied their Tho. l. 1. fecular Attainments, not only to the Search of Gent. religious and heavenly Truth, but likewife to Prima Phi- the Inftruction of the Ignorant, and the Conlofophia viction of Gain-fayers. Thus St. Justin Mareft fcientia ejus veri- tyr, thus his Scholar Tatian, thus Athenagoras, tatis, que and Clemens Alexandrinus, the firft Philofophers eft origo of our holy Profeffion, dedicated their Philoomnis ve- fophy to the Service and Support of their Faith, ritatis. I- by refuting the Calumnies of the Pagan TeachArift. Me- ers, and wiping out thofe falfe Ideas with which taphyf. they had poffefs'd the Multitude. It was thus

dem ib.ex

Tertullian exprefs'd his Zeal, in his admirable Apology, in which, among other Reasons, inspir'd by so just a Cause, one that he principal

ly

ly infifts upon the Life of Chriftians, that Life, fo pure, fo holy, fo rais'd above Sense; that difinterested Fidelity, that noble Charity which animated all their Actions, and engaged them to pray for the most barbarous of their Perfecutors: In a word, he alledg'd the Innocence of their Practice, as the most lively Testimony to the Holiness of that Religion which they preach'd; and thus he endeavour'd to stop the Mouth of Error and Imposture. Origen, in his Discourse against Celfus, takes another Method. He proves the Truth of Chriftianity, by the Divinity of our Lord, obferving, that no Exception can be made against Jefus Chrift, which will not lie against Moses; for Chrift cannot be, as he certainly is, the End and Accomplishment of the Law, without being at the fame Time, the strongest Proof and Confirmation of the Authority of the Legiflator; and unless we fuppose the Truth of his Miffion, we must give up the Law and the Prophets, as a continued Series of Falfhood. S. Hippolitus ftill urges another Sort of Reafoning. You are unable to • conceive (Jays he to the Infidels) the Formation of your own Nature; and would you prefume to comprehend the eternal Generation of the < Son of God? 'Not vain Curiofity, but humble Submiffion, is the Badge of true Believers. Faith do's not difclofe its Light, but to thofe who know how to put a Veil upon their Reafon; and how ever obfcure it may feem, yet it ought to be adored by thofe of whom it cannot be comprehended. Among the Arguments made Ufe of by Minutius Felix, this feems to be of peculiar Strength; forafmuch as the Reasonings of an Unbeliever can only lead him into Doubt and Uncertainty, he ought to act like a Traveller, that finds him

LI

felf

*

felf engag'd among feveral intricate Ways, and knows not which is the right; for here the Traveller, if he be wife, will stand ftill, not being able either to follow them all, or to prefer any one to the reft. Now this is what the Libertines never practise, who, though they ground their whole Conduct upon Uncertainty, yet cease not to follow their own Wandrings and Extravagance, wanting the Courage and Refolution to do that, in the only important Affair, which the weakest among Men are wont to do in the ordinary Bufinefs of Life, and that is, never to act upon Doubt, but to feek for Affurance in every Step they take. The Falfenefs of Idols, and ridiculous Vanity of Pagan Worship, is the Argument upon which S. Cyprian, Arnobius, Lactantius (his Scholar,) Eufebius of Cefarea, and Cyril of Alexandria, establish'd the Truth of our Religion; Theodoret's Treatife of Providence, and S. Austin's Books de Civitate Dei, are most wife and folid Apologies for the Christian Faith, of profound Learning and admirable Eloquence. Thus almost all the ancient Fathers made Ufe of their Philofophy and human Knowledge, to fupport (each in his Way,) the Caufe of Religion, which was attack'd by all the Violence of fecular Powers, by all the Science of pagan Philofophers, and by all the Subtilty of malicious Hereticks.

But as the first Chriftians were rather imploy'd in defending their Faith against its Adverfaries, and, by a pure and holy Life, preparing themselves as it were, for daily Martyrdom, than in difplaying thofe awful Mysteries which are hidden under the facred Veil of the Scriptures; fo the greatest Part of the more carly Apologists contented themselves with vindicating