perish, and body. their bodies, but should yet be raised again at some sort, the last day. Not that I did absolutely con- rise again ceive a mortality of the soul; but if that were, with the which faith, not philosophy, hath yet thoroughly disproved, and that both entered the grave together, yet I held the same conceit thereof, that we all do for the body, that it should rise again. Surely it is but the merits of our unworthy natures, if we sleep in darkness until the last alarum. A serious reflex upon my own unworthiness did make me backward from challenging this prerogative of my soul: so I might enjoy my Saviour at the last, I could with patience be nothing almost unto eternity. The second was that of Origen, that God would 24, That not persist in his vengeance forever, but after should a definite time of his wrath, he would release finally be the damned souls from torture: which error I fell into upon a serious contemplation of the great attribute of God, his Mercy; and did a master whose obscurity has concealed him from the knowledge of after ages, who denied the immortality of the soul, and believed that it perished with the body: but maintained, at the same time, that it was to be recalled to life with the body, by the power of God. The philosophers who held this opinion were called Arabians, from their country. Origen was called from Egypt, to make head against this rising sect; and disputed against them in full council, with such remarkable success, that they abandoned their erroneous sentiments, and returned to the received doctrine of the Church." Mosheim, Eccl. Hist. vol. i. ch. 5, § 16, p. 307. all men saved. we might pray for little cherish it in myself, because I found therein no malice, and a ready weight to sway me from the other extreme of despair, whereunto melancholy and contemplative natures are too 3d, That easily disposed. A third there is which I did never positively maintain or practise, but have the dead. often wished it had been consonant to truth, and not offensive to my religion, and that is the prayer for the dead; whereunto I was inclined from some charitable inducements, whereby I could scarce contain my prayers for a friend at the ringing of a bell, or behold his corpse without an orison for his soul: 't was a good way, methought, to be remembered by posterity, and But these far more noble than a history. These opinions I never maintained with pertinacy, or endeavinto here- oured to inveigle any man's belief unto mine, nor so much as ever revealed or disputed them with my dearest friends; by which means I neither propagated them in others, nor confirmed them in myself; but suffering them to flame upon their own substance, without addition of new fuel, they went out insensibly of themselves: therefore these opinions, though condemned by lawful councils, were not heresies in me, but bare errors, and single lapses of my understanding without a joint depravity of my will. Those have not only depraved understandings, but diseased affections, who can he suffered not to grow sies. not enjoy a singularity without an heresy, or be the author of an opinion without they be of a sect also: this was the villany of the first schism of Lucifer, who was not content to err alone, but drew into his faction many legions of spirits; and upon this experience he tempted only Eve, as well understanding the communicable nature of sin, and that to deceive but one, was tacitly and upon consequence to delude them both. ture of ever mul VIII. That heresies should arise, we have of the manthe prophecy of Christ; but that old ones should ifold nabe abolished, we hold no prediction. That there schism, must be heresies, is true, not only in our church, tiplying but also in any other: even in doctrines hereti- itself. cal, there will be super-heresies; and Arians not only divided from their church, but also among themselves: for heads that are disposed unto schism and complexionably propense to innovation, are naturally indisposed for a community; nor will be ever confined unto the order or economy of one body; and therefore when they separate from others, they knit but loosely among themselves; nor contented with a general breach or dichotomy with their church, do subdivide and mince themselves almost into atoms. 'Tis true, that men of singular parts and humours have not been free from singular opinions and conceits in all ages; retaining Mysteries in divinity in faith. something not only beside the opinion of their own church or any other, but also of any particular author; which notwithstanding a sober judgment may do without offence or heresy; for there is yet, after all the decrees of councils, and the niceties of schools, many things untouched, unimagined, wherein the liberty of an honest reason may play and expatiate with security, and far without the circle of an heresy. IX.* As for those wingy mysteries in divinonly to be ity, and airy subtleties in religion, which have approached unhinged the brains of better heads, they never stretched the pia mater of mine: methinks there be not impossibilities enough in religion for an active faith; the deepest mysteries ours contains, have not only been illustrated, but maintained by syllogism, and the rule of reason. I love to lose myself in a mystery, to pursue my reason to an O altitudo! 'Tis my solitary recreation to pose my apprehension with those involved enigmas and riddles of the Trinity, with Incarnation and Resurrection. I can answer all the objections of Satan and my rebellious reason, with that odd resolution I learned of Tertullian, Certum est quia impossibile est. I desire to exercise my faith in the difficultest point; for to credit ordinary and visible objects, *See Aids to Reflection, p. 151. they that have not yet have is not faith, but persuasion. Some believe the better for seeing Christ's sepulchre; and when they have seen the Red Sea, doubt not of the miracle. Now contrarily, I bless myself, and am thankful that I live not in the days of miracles, that I never saw Christ nor his disciples: I would not have been one of those Israelites that passed the Red Sea, nor one of Christ's patients on whom he wrought his wonders; Blessed are then had my faith been thrust upon me; nor should I enjoy that greater blessing pronounced seen and to all that believe and saw not. 'Tis an easy believed. and necessary belief, to credit what our eye and sense hath examined:* I believe he was dead and buried, and rose again; and desire to see him in his glory, rather than to contemplate him in his cenotaph or sepulchre. Nor is this much to believe; as we have reason, we owe this faith unto history: they only had the advantage of a bold and noble faith, who lived before his coming, who upon obscure prophecies and mystical types could raise a belief, and expect apparent impossibilities. mour of a X. "Tis true, there is an edge in all firm The ar belief, and with an easy metaphor we may say Christian. the sword of faith; † but in these obscurities I "God forbede but that men should believ † Eph. vi. 16. CHAUCER. |