Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Cristian life | Page 8

Falshood; the which, were it so, would make the Testimony of our Reason useless to us; and thereby destroy also the Credit of all Revelation; for no stronger proof can be had of the Truth of any Revelation than the Evidence of our Reason that it is a Revelation.
Now if the Christian Religion be very often represented as teaching Doctrines clearly contrary to Reason; or as exacting belief of what we can neither perceive the Truth of, nor do find to be reveal'd by Christ, or his Apostles: And, (what is still more) that this pretended Divine Religion does even consist in such a Belief as This; so that a Man cannot be a Christian without believing what he neither from Arguments or Authority has any Ground for believing; what must the Natural Consequence of this be upon all whoever so little consult their Reason, when in riper Years they come to reflect hereupon, but to make them recal, and suspend, at least, their assent to the Truth of a Religion that appears to them thus Irrational? since an Irrational Religion can never Rationally be conceived to come from God.
And if Men once come to call in question such Doctrines as (tho' but upon slender Grounds for it) they had received for unquestionable Truths of Religion, they are ordinarily more likely to continue Scepticks, or to proceed to an intire disbelief of this Religion, than to take occasion from hence to make a just search after its Verity: The want either of Capacity, Leisure or Inclination for such an inquiry, disposing Men, very generally, to neglect it; and easily to satisfy themselves in so doing, from a perswasion that the Christian Religion is indeed self condemn'd: Those whom they imagine to have understood it as well as any Men, having never taught them that this Religion does so much as pretend to any Foundation in, or appeal to Reason, that Faculty in us which distinguishes us from Beasts, and the Actual use thereof from Mad-Men; but indeed Taught them the contrary: And thus prejudg'd, it truly is that the Christian Religion, by those who disbelieve it, has usually come to be rejected; without ever having been allow'd a fair Examination.
From what has been said, I think it does appear, that Ill, that is to say, Irrational Instruction concerning Religion, as well as want of Instruction, disposes to Scepticism: And this being so, what wonder can it be that Scepticism having once become fashionable, should continue so? the un-instructed, and the ill-instructed, making by so great odds, the Majority. For Those who have no Religion themselves, do not often take care that others should have any: And They who adhere to a misgrounded Perswasion concerning Religion, retaining a Reverence for their Teachers, do, in consequence thereof, commonly presume that their Children cannot be better taught than they have been before them; which is generally (as has been said) only by the learning of some approved Catechism; wherein, commonly enough, the first principles of Religion are not, as they should be, laid down, but suppos'd: and from whence Those who learn them, learn nothing except that certain Propositions are requir'd to be Believed, which perhaps, they find inconceivable by them; or (at best) whereof they see neither use, nor certainty: These Catechisms yet being represented to Children by those whom they the most Esteem, and Credit, as containing Sacred verities on the Belief of which Salvation does depend, they quickly become afraid to own that they are not convinc'd of the Truth of what is deliver'd in them: For the greater part among our selves are instructed in Religion much after the same manner that that good Lady of the Church of Rome instructed her Child; who when the Girl told her, she _could not believe Transubstantiation_; Reply'd, _What? You do you not believe Transubstantiation? You are a naughty Girl, and must be whip'd._
Instead of having their reasonable Inquiries satisfy'd, and incourag'd, Children are ordinarily rebuk'd for making any: from whence not daring in a short time to question any thing that is taught them in reference to Religion; they, (as the Girl above-mention'd was) are brought to say, that they do Believe whatever their Teachers tell them they must Believe; whilst in Truth they remain in an ignorant unbelief, which exposes them to be seduc'd by the most pitiful Arguments of the Atheistical, or of such as are disbelievers of reveal'd Religion.
The Foundation of All Religion is the belief of a God; or of a Maker and Governour of the World; the evidence of which, being visible in every thing; and the general Profession having usually stamp'd it with awe upon Children's Minds, they ought perhaps most commonly to be suppos'd to Believe This, rather than have doubts rais'd in them