APPENDIX. THE "Reasonableness of Christianity, as delivered in the Scriptures," had not long appeared, before it was attacked by the Rev. Mr. Edwards, in a work entitled "Some Thoughts on the Causes and Occasions of Atheism, especially in the present Age." Locke would, perhaps, have acted more wisely had he altogether declined entering into a controversy; or, like Newton, committed the defence of his doctrines to his friends. But such indifference was inconsistent with his character. He accordingly, in a "Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity," replied to the charges which had been brought against him, and by farther developments and illustrations of his opinions, sought to guard them against future misrepresentations. His antagonist, however, was too much flattered by being regarded as the opponent of so great a man, readily to relinquish such an advantage; and therefore continued his animadversions in a more taunting and indecent style, in his "Socinianism Unmasked," and "Socinian Creed." He was one of those polemics who mistake abusive language for argument, and cannot sufficiently show their zeal without entirely emancipating themselves from the restraint of good breeding and civility. He could think of no terms too opprobrious to be heaped upon Locke. The spirit of Christianity he altogether lost sight of, while contending for his own interpretation of some of its mysteries; and we wish we could with truth and candor say, that the author of the "Essay on the Human Understanding" had, on this occasion left posterity a better example. It is, indeed, greatly to be regretted that neither the suggestions of philosophy, nor the example of him who, when railed at, railed not again, should have kept Locke, in his Second Vindication, within the limits of politeness and Christian charity. His superior understanding, which enabled him, both in speculation and practice, to discern what was right, might certainly have been expected to prove a safeguard against this besetting sin of controversialists. Even paganism affords patterns of such forbearance. Socrates, when attacked by the Sophists, who, at the same time, were laboring to undermine all law, justice, and religion, exhibited neither bitterness nor anger. He listened to the most galling accusations with calmness. He smilingly submitted to revilings and taunts: and, as we learn from the Gorgias,-the most admirable model, perhaps, existing, of the manner in which controversy should be conducted,-when brought into personal contact with his opponents, and sought to be irritated by insolent assumption of superiority and affected disdain, defended himself, like a perfect gentleman, with the weapons of calm reason and irony. But Locke was by nature passionate, and vented his anger in language unbecoming his character and his cause. For this (68) reason, were not their prolixity a sufficient objec tion, we should scruple to append the two Vindications to the "Reasonableness of Christianity," though we shall endeavor, by the help of extracts, to convey some idea of the objections and replies. Mr. Edwards, with reckless disregard of all that is due from one Christian to another, charges Locke with being an Atheist, or a favorer of Atheism, or a Socinian, which in his view of the matter, is much the same thing; and, to show how lightly he deals about his accusations, places in the same category, Jeremy Taylor and the author of the "Naked Truth." By what rules of logic he identifies Socinianism with Atheism is left to the acumen of the ingenious reader; but in the charge of Socinianism he is positive, and thus he maintains it :-"When he (Locke) proceeds to mention the advantages and benefits of Christ's coming into the world, and appearing in the flesh, he hath not one syllable of his satisfying for us, or by his death purchasing life or salvation, or any thing that sounds like it. This and several other things show that he is all over Socinianized.” In reply to this, Locke adduces, from his book, the following passages:-"From this estate of death Jesus Christ restores all mankind to life;" and a little farther, "The life which Jesus Christ restores to all men ;" and, again, "He that hath incurred death for his own transgressions, cannot lay down his life for another, as our Saviour promises he did." He then proceeds :-" But what will become of me, that I have not mentioned satisfaction! ... Possibly this reverend gentleman would have had charity enough for a known writer of the brotherhood, to have found it by an innuendo in those words above quoted, of laying down his life for another. . . . But what if the author designed his treatise, as the title shows, chiefly for those who were not yet thoroughly or firmly Christians; proposing to work on those who either wholly disbelieved, or doubted of the truth * Dr. Knox, with many others, classes Locke among the most celebrated defenders of Christianity, though he does not think much good has been de rived from any works of this kind :—“ Let those,” says he, "who think the dry argumentative apoloand silence the gainsayers at once. The Demongies irresistibly convincing, now bring them forward, strations of a Huet; the Evidences of a Clarke; the Reasonings of a Locke, a Grotius, a Hartley, should be presented in the most striking manner, by public authority; and if they are really efficacious in producing conviction, we may be assured that infidelity will vanish at their appearance, like the mists of an autumnal morning, when the meridian sun breaks forth in full splendor. But the truth is, Christian religion is said to be rapidly on the dethey are already very much diffused; and yet the cline."-Christian Philosophy, p. 11, 12. of the Christian religion. Would any one blame his prudence, if he mentioned only those advantages which all Christians are agreed in? Might he not remember and observe that command of the apostle, "Him that is weak in the faith, receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations," without being a Socinian? Did he amiss, that he offered to the belief of those who stood off, that, and only that, which our Saviour and his apostles preached for the reducing of the unconverted world? and would any one think he in earnest went about to persuade men to be Christians, who should use that as an argument to recommend the gospel, which he has observed men to lay hold on as an objection against it? To urge such points of controversy as necessary articles of faith, when we see our Saviour and the apostles urged them not as necessary to be believed to make men Christians, is, by our own authority, to add prejudices to prejudices, and to block up our own way to those men whom we would have access to, and prevail upon." wonder why Mr. Edwards so quietly passes by their omission, did it not appear that he was so intent on fixing his imputation of Socinianism upor me, that rather than miss that, he was content to drop the other articles of his creed. For I must observe to him, that if he had blamed me for the omission of the places last quoted out of St. Matthew, as he had as much reason as for any other, it would plainly have appeared how idle and ill-grounded his charging Socinianism on me was. But, at any rate, he was to give the book an ill name; not because it was Socinian; for he has no more reason to charge it with Socianism for the omission he mentions, than the Apostles' Creed." Here our philosopher imagined himself upon strong ground. But he was mistaken. For Mr. Edwards, who, like an able controversialist, could strengthen his arguments with sneers and ridicule, takes a short method with the Apostles' Creed. First, however, he indulges himself in a sarcasm Another charge made by Mr. Edwards against or two at his adversary:-" This author of the Locke, was his forgetting, or rather wilfully omit- New Christianity," says he, "wisely objects that ting, some plain and obvious passages, and famous the Apostles' Creed hath none of those articles testimonies in the evangelists; namely, "Go, teach which I mention." Here with equal dexterity, all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Locke pretends to understand the word "wisely" Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ;" in its literal acceptation, though it is used ironicaland, "In the beginning was the Word, and the ly for "foolishly ;" and gravely answers: "If that Word was with God, and the Word was God;" author wisely objects, the Unmasker would have and, again, in the same chapter: "And the Word done well to have replied wisely. But for a man was made flesh." In his reply to this point, wisely to reply, it is in the first place requisite that Locke observes that, apparently, all the sins in his the objection be truly and fairly set down in its full book were sins of omission; though the outcry force, and not represented short, and as will best which had been raised, on its first publication, serve the answerer's turn to reply to. This is might well have persuaded the world it was de- neither wise nor honest: and this first part of a signed to subvert all morality and religion. How-wise reply the Unmasker has failed in." ever, if omitting "plain and obvious passages," He then once more shelters himself behind the were to be considered a fault, he expresses his Apostles' Creed; upon which Mr. Edwards obsurprise that, since his omissions of this kind were serves:-" Nor does any considerate man wonder innumerable, so very few should have been object-at it ;"-that is, that the creed should contain ed to him. "But," continues he, "if I have left none of those articles and doctrines he had menout none of those passages or testimonies which tioned; for the creed is a form of outward profescontain what our Saviour and his apostles preach-sion, which is chiefly to be made in the public ed, and required assent to, to make men believers, assemblies, when prayers are put up in the church, I shall think my omissions, let them be what they and the holy Scriptures are read. Then this will, no faults in the present case. Whatever doc- abridgment of faith is properly used, or when trines Mr. Edwards would have to be believed, if there is not time or opportunity to make any enthey are such as our Saviour and his apostlos re-largement. But we are not to think it expressly quired to be believed to make a man a Christian, contains in it all the necessary and weighty points, he will be sure to find them in those preachings all the important doctrines of belief; it being only and "famous testimonies" of our Saviour and his designed to be an abstract." apostles, that I have quoted; and if they are not there he may rest satisfied they were not proposed by our Saviour and his apostles as necessary to be believed, to make men Christ's disciples." Here he commits himself, and Locke is not slow to take advantage of it. "Another indispensable requisite," says he, "in a wise reply, (the sneer at his wisdom had evidently galled him,) is, that it should be pertinent. Now what can there be more impertinent, than to confess the matter of fact upon which the objection is grounded; but, instead of destroying the inference drawn from that matter of fact, only amuse the reader with wrong reasons, why that matter of fact was so? No, considerate man,' he says, 'doth wonder' that the articles and doctrines he mentioned are He then proceeds to animadvert on Mr. Edwards' remissness, in not reprehending him, after his usual manner, for omitting other texts of Scripture, no less true, and no less to be believed, than the "famous testimonies" above mentioned; particularly those texts in Matthew and Mark, on which are founded the following articles of the Apostle's Creed; viz., that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried. "These," says he, To this charge of novelty, or of new-model"being articles of the Apostles' Creed, are looked ling Christianity, Locke replies:-"This new Chrisupon as fundamental doctrines;' and one would tianity is as old as the preaching of our Saviour and his apostles, and a little older than our Unmasker's system."-Second Vindication, p. 136. * Rom.xiv. 1. + Matt. xxviii. 19. John, i. 1, 14. omitted in the Apostles' Creed: because that | where, of fundamental articles, he will do well to creed is a form of outward profession.-A profession! of what, I beseech you? Is it a form to be used for form's sake? I thought it had been a profession of something-even of the Christian faith and if it be so, any considerate man may wonder necessary articles of the Christian faith should be left out of it. For, how it can be an outward profession of the Christian faith, without containing the Christian faith, I do not see; unless a man can outwardly profess the Christian faith in words that do not contain or express it; that is, profess the Christian faith when he does not profess it. But he says, ''tis a profession chiefly to be made use of in assemblies.' Do those solemn assemblies privilege it from containing the necessary articles of the Christian religion? This proves not that it does not, or was not, designed to contain all articles necessary to be believed to make a man a Christian; unless the Unmasker can prove that a form of outward profession of the Christian faith, that contains all such necessary articles, cannot be made use of in public assemblies." leave talking idly of this 'abstract,' as he goes on to do in the following words :- But we are not to think that it expressly contains in it all the necessary and weighty points, all the important doctrines of our belief; it being only designed to be an abstract. Of what, I beseech you, is it an abstract? For here the Unmasker stops chort; and as one that knows not well what to say, speaks not out what it is an abstract of; but provides himself a subterfuge in the generality of the preceding terms, of necessary and weighty points,' and important doctrines,' jumbled together; which can be there of no other use but to cover his ignorance or sophistry. But the question being only about necessary points, to what purpose are weighty and important doctrines' joined to them; unless he will say, that there is no difference between necessary' and 'weighty points,' fundamental and important doctrines?" "And if so, then the distinction of points into necessary and not necessary will be foolish and impertinent: and all the doctrines contained in the Bible will be absolutely necessary to be explicitly believed When Mr. Edwards wrote his opinion of the by every man to make him a Christian. But Apostles' Creed, he probably did not sufficiently taking it for granted, that the distinction of truths consider either his own words, or the logical acute-contained in the gospel into points absolutely neness, and patient diligence of Locke; did not cessary, and not absolutely necessary to be beforesee that he was not to be silenced by railing, lieved to make a man a Christian, is good; I deor satisfied with explanations so loose and imper-sire the Unmasker to tell us, what the Apostles' fect. "In the public assemblies," says he, "when prayers are put up by the church, and the holy Scriptures are read, then this abridgment of faith is properly used; or when there is not generally time or opportunity to make an enlargement." Upon this his adversary remarks:-"But that which contains not what is absolutely necessary to be believed to make a man a Christian, can no where be properly used as a form of outward profession' of the Christian faith, and least of all in the solemn public assemblies. All the sense I can make of this is, that this abridgment of the Christian faith; that is, imperfect collection, as the Unmasker will have it, of some of the fundamental articles of Christianity, in the Apostles' Creed, which omits the greatest part of them, is made use of as a form of outward profession of but a part of the Christian faith, in the public assemblies; when, by reason of reading the Scriptures and prayers, there is not time or opportunity for a full and perfect profession of it. ""Tis strange the Christian church," he continues, "should not find time or opportunity, in sixteen hundred years, to make, in any of her public assemblies, a profession of so much of her faith as is necessary to make a man a Christian. But, pray tell me, has the church any such full and complete form of faith; that hath in it all those propositions you have given us for necessary articles, not to say any thing of those which you have reserved to yourself in your own breast, and will not communicate-of which the Apostles' Creed is only a scanty form, a brief imperfect abstract; used only to save time in the crowd of other pressing occasions, that are always in haste to be despatched? If she has, the Unmasker will do well to produce it. If the church has no such complete form, besides the Apostles' Creed, any For Creed is an abstract of. He will, perhaps, an- * Knot, the Jesuit, in his controversy with Chillingworth, had made much the same observation on the Apostles' Creed, to which the great logician thus replies:-"You trifle affectedly, confounding the apostles' belief of the whole religion of Christ, as it comprehends both what we are to do, and what we are to believe, with that part of it which contains not duties of obedience, but only the necessary belief be, in the former sense, a larger thing than articles of simple faith. Now, though the apostles' that which we call the Apostles' Creed; yet in the latter sense of the word, the creed (I say) is a full But, as he proceeds, Mr. Edwards discovers | tained all the entire objects of faith, and the founthat the Apostles' Creed is not really an abridg- dation of religion, it cannot be imagined (says he) ment of the Christian faith; for "if a man believe to what purpose it should serve: and that it was no more," says he, "than is in express terms in so esteemed by the whole church of God in all the Apostles' Creed, his faith will not be the faith ages, appears in this, that since faith is a necessary of a Christian." Locke, as was to be expected, predisposition to baptism, in all persons capable rejoices at the declaration made in this passage, of the use of reason, all catechumens in the Latin "wherein he does great honor," says he, "to the church, coming to baptism, were interrogated conprimitive church, and particularly to the church of cerning their faith, and gave satisfaction in the England. The primitive church admitted con- recitation of this creed." A little further on, as verted heathens to baptism, upon the faith con- if anticipating the objections of Mr. Edwards, he tained in the Apostles' Creed: a bare profession observes:-"Since it is necessary to rest someof that faith, and no more, was required of them where, lest we should run to an infinity, it is best to be received into the church, and made mem-to rest there where the apostles and the churches bers of Christ's body. How little different the faith of the ancient church was from the faith I have mentioned, may be seen in these words of Tertullian:-Regula fidei nostri una omnino, est, sola, immobilis, irreformabilis; credendi scilicet in unicum Deum omnipotentem mundi conditorem, et Filium ejus Jesum Christum, natum ex Virgine Maria, crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato, tertia die resuscitatum à mortuis, receptum in cœlis, sedentem nunc ad dextram Patris, venturum judicare vivos et mortuos, per carnis etiam resurrectionem. Hâc lege fidei manente, cætera jam disciplinæ et conversationis admittunt novitatem correctionis.' "This was the faith that, in Tertullian's time, sufficed to make a Christian. And the church of England, as I have remarked already, only proposes the articles of the Apostles' Creed to the convert to be baptized; and upon his professing a belief of them, asks whether he will be baptized in this faith, which, if we will believe the Unmasker, is not the faith of a Christian. However, the church, without any more ado, upon the profession of this faith, and no other, baptizes him into it. So that the ancient church, if the Unmasker may be believed, baptized converts into that faith which is not the faith of a Christian; and the church of England, when she baptizes any one, makes him not a Christian." Jeremy Taylor, in his "Liberty of Prophesying," takes precisely the same view of the question. He commences by giving an outline of the history of the creed, which is supposed to have been written by the apostles, or by holy men, their contemporaries, and designed to be a rule of faith to all Christians, as appears from Irenæus, Tertullian, St. Cyprian, St. Austin, Rufinus, and, in short, all the orthodox fathers. "And, unless it had con comprehension of their belief, which you yourself have formerly confessed, though somewhat fearfully and inconstantly. And here, again, unwillingness to speak the truth, makes you speak that which is hardly sense, and call it an abridgment of some articles of faith.' For I demand those some articles which you speak of-which are they? Those that are out of the creed, or those that are in it? Those that are in it, it comprehends at large; and therefore it is not an abridgment of them. Those that are out of it, it comprehends not at all; and therefore it is not an abridgment of them. If you would call it now an abridgment of faith, this would be sense; and signify thus much, that all the necessary arti cles of the Christian faith are comprised in it. For this is the proper duty of abridgments, to leave out nothing necessary.” apostolical rested; when not only they who are able to judge, but others who are not, are equally ascertained of the certainty and of the sufficiency of that explication. This, I say, not that I believe it unlawful or unsafe for the church, or any of the ecclesiastical rulers, or any wise man to extend his own creed to any thing which may certainly follow from any one of the articles; but I say that no such deduction is fit to be pressed on others as an article of faith; and that every deduction which is so made, unless it is such a thing as is at first evident to all, is but sufficient to make a human faith, nor can it amount to a divine, much less can be obligatory to bind a person of differing persuasion to subscribe, under pain of losing his faith, or being a heretic."* Provided, therefore, Locke considered the Apostles' Creed to be the symbol of his faith, and subscribed to all the articles it contained, he was an orthodox Christian. But his antagonist, unwilling, on any condition, to receive a philosopher into brotherly fellowship, waving his objections against the sufficiency of the creed, asserted that he did not believe even so much. "I crave leave to tell him," says he, "that the Apostles' Creed hath more in it than he or his brethren will subscribe to." Here, then, the question is brought to a point. Did Locke believe the creed or not? Mr. Edwards affirms the negative; and if Mr. Edwards is right, Locke was not a Christian. But let us hear the accused in his own defence:-"Were it not the undoubted privilege of the Unmasker to know me better than I do myself, for he is always telling me something of myself which I did not know, I would, in my turn, crave leave to tell him, that this is the faith I was baptized into, no one tittle whereof I have renounced, that I know; and I heretofore thought that gave me title to be a Christian." This is decisive: Locke was a believer, unless we truth; a supposition which would do little credit can suppose him to have solemnly affirmed an unto our Christian charity. In the "Reasonableness of Christianity" Locke has chiefly supported his views with texts from those portions of the New Testament which record the discourses of our Saviour and his apostles; and for this proceeding his reason was, that the fundamental articles of our faith are in the epistles promiscuously, and without distinction, mixed with other truths. But Mr. Edwards's ingenuity immediately suggests another reason. Locke, he continually maintains, was desirous of reducing the number of necessary articles of faith, and there * Liberty of Prophesying, p. 11, 18. At length Mr. Edwards, setting aside all minor considerations, comes at once to the doctrine of the Trinity, and affirms that, because this doctrine is discoverable in them, they were passed over with contempt by Locke. His words are:-"He doth this, that is, pass by the epistles with con and frequent, and those so illustrious and eminent attestations to the doctrine of the ever-to-beadored Trinity, in these epistles." He adds, that Locke expounds John, xiv. 9., &c., after the antitrinitarian mode; and makes Christ and Adam to be sons of God in the same sense, and by their birth. Stillingfleet, who also urged this point of the Trinity, in his controversy with our philosopher, received no answer; but, in a letter to his relation, afterwards Lord Chancellor King, he says:-"If those gentlemen think that the bishop hath the advantage by not making good one of those many propositions in debate between us, but by asking a question, a personal question, nothing to the purpose, I shall not envy him such a victory. In the meantime, if this be all they have to say, the world, that sees not with their eyes, will see what disputants for truth those are, who make to themselves occasions of calumny, and think that a triumph. The Bishop is to prove, that my book has something in it that is inconsistent with the doctrine of the Trinity; and all that upon examination he does, is to ask me whether I believe the doctrine of the Trinity as it has been received in the Christian church? A worthy proof!" fore purposely omitted the epistolary writings of | We shall conclude our account of this part of the apostles, because they are fraught with other the controversy with the following passage from fundamental doctrines besides the one he argues the "First Vindication." The list of materials for. He then enumerates these fundamental ar- for his creed-for the articles are not yet formed ticles, viz.: 1. The corruption and degeneracy of Mr. Edwards closes with these words:-- These human nature, with the true origin of it-the de-are the matters of faith contained in the episfection of our first parents. 2. The propagation tles, and they are essential and integral parts of of sin and mortality. 3. Our restoration and re- the gospel itself." What, just these? Neither conciliation by Christ's blood. 4. The eminency more nor less? If you are sure of it, pray let us and excellency of his priesthood. 5. The efficacy have them speedily, for the reconciling of differ of his death. 6. The full satisfaction made thereby ences in the Christian church, which has been so to divine justice. 7. His being an all-sufficient cruelly torn about the articles of the Christian sacrifice for sin. 8. Christ's righteousness. 9. faith, to the great reproach of Christian charity, Our justification by it. 10. Election. 11. Adop- and scandal of our true religion." tion. 12. Sanctification. 13. Saving faith. 14. The nature of the gospel. 15. The new covenant. 16. The riches of God's mercy in the way of salvation by Jesus Christ. 17. The certainty of the resurrection of our bodies, and of the future glory. In his "First Vindication" Locke replies seriously, and at length, to the accusation of his ad-tempt-because he knew that there are so many versary; and inquires whether every one of these "fundamental doctrines" is required to be believed to make a man a Christian, and such as without the actual belief thereof, he cannot be saved. If so, small indeed would be the number of the elect; no ignorant man could possibly be saved; for none but learned theologists could even comprehend the terms of the several propositions; and no man, perhaps, could form, on all these points, an opinion that should be perfectly free from error. But let him explain his own views:-"If they are not necessary, every one of them, you may call them fundamental doctrines as much as you please, they are not of those doctrines of faith I was speaking of, which are only such as are required to be actually believed to make a man a Christian. If you say, some of them are such necessary points of faith, and others not, you, by this specious list of well sounding, but unexplained terms, arbitrarily collected, only make good what I have said, viz.: that the necessary articles of faith are in the epistles promiscuously delivered with other truths, and therefore they cannot be distinguished but by some other mark than being barely found in the epistles. If you say that they are all of them necessary articles of faith, I shall then desire you to reduce This is all we have observed in his works bearthem to so many plain doctrines, and then prove ing directly upon this point. With respect to the them required to be believed by every Christian man sense in which he supposes the phrase, "Son of to make him a member of the Christian church." God," to be employed in the Scriptures, he is sufIn the "Second Vindication" he thus pursues ficiently explicit. In his "First Vindication," he the same argument:"Can there be any thing says:- "If the sense wherein I understand those more absurd than to say there are several funda- texts (John, xiv. 9, &c.) be a mistake, I shall be mental articles, each of which every man must ex- beholden to you if you will set me right. But plicitly believe, upon pain of damnation, and yet they are not popular authorities, or frightful names, not be able to say which they be? The Unmasker whereby I judge of truth or falsehood. You will has set down no small number; but yet dares not now, no doubt, applaud your conjectures: the point say, These are all.' On the contrary, he has is gained, and I am openly a Socinian, since I will plainly confessed there are more; but will not, that not disown that I think the Son of God' was a is, cannot tell what they are that remain behind; phrase that among the Jews in our Saviour's time nay, has given a general description of his funda- was used for the Messiah,' though the Socinians mental articles, by which it is not evident but there understand it in the same sense; and therefore I may be ten times as many as those he has named; must certainly be of their persuasion in every and amongst them, if he durst or could name them, thing else. I admire the acuteness, force, and probably several, that many a good Christian, who fairness of your reasoning, and so I leave you to died in the faith, and is now in heaven, never once triumph in your conjectures. Only I must desire thought of; and others, which many, of as good you to take notice, that that ornament of our authority as he, would, from their different sys-church, and every way eminent prelate, the late tems, certainly deny and contradict." · Archbishop of Canterbury, understood that phrase |