The Truth of the Christian Religion with Jean Le Clerc's Notes and Additions. Hugo Grotius

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VIII. An Answer to that Question, why God permits Differences and Errors to arise amongst Christians, <307> IX. They profess and teach the Christian Doctrine in the purest manner of all, who propose those Things only as necessary to be believed, practised, or hoped for, which Christians are agreed in. <310> X. All prudent Persons ought to partake of the Sacrament, with those who require nothing else of Christians, but what every one finds in the Books of the New Testament, <312> XI. Concerning Church Government, <315> XII. The antient Church Government was highly esteemed by Grotius, without condemning others, <317> XIII. An Exhortation to all Christians who differ from each other, not to require of one another any Points of Doctrine, but such as every one finds in the New Testament, and have always been believed, <318> [print edition page 27] BOOK II. I. That we ought to have a Love for Truth, in all things, but more especially in such as are of great Moment, <322> II. Nothing can be of greater Moment than Religion; and therefore we ought to use our utmost Endeavours to come at the true Knowledge of it, <324> III. That an Indifference in Religion, is in its own Nature unlawful, forbidden by the Laws of God, and condemned by all Sects of Christians, <326> IV. We ought not hastily to condemn those who differ from us, as if they were guilty of such a Crime, or such an unlawful Worship, as is inconsistent with eternal Life; so that none who admit such Persons, should be capable of the Mercy of God; nor yet on the other Hand, is it lawful for us to profess that we believe, what we do not really believe, or to do what at the same time we condemn. <332> Sect. V. A Man that commits a Sin by Mistake, may be accepted of God, but a Hypocrite cannot, <336> Testimonies concerning Hugo Grotius’s Affection for the Church of England, <338>

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      To the Honourable

       Hieronymus Bignonius, ¹

      His Majesty’s Sollicitor in the chief court of PARIS.

BOOK I

Sect. I. The Occasion of this Work.

      You have frequently enquired of me, worthy Sir, (whom I know to be a Gentleman that highly deserves the Esteem of your Country, of the learned World, and, if you will allow me to say it, of myself also;) what the Substance of those Books is, which I wrote in defence of the Christian Religion, in my own Language.² Nor do I wonder at your Enquiry; For you, who have with so great Judgment read every thing that is worth reading, cannot but be sensible with how much Philosophick Nicety (a) Raemundus Sebundus, with what entertain-<2>ing Dialogues Ludovicus Vives, and with how great Eloquence your Mornaeus, have illustrated this Matter. For which Reason it might seem more useful, to translate some

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      of them into our own Language, than to undertake any thing new upon this Subject. But though I know not what Judgment others will pass upon me, yet have I very good Reason to hope that you, who are so fair and candid a Judge, will easily acquit me, if I should say, that after having read not only the fore-mentioned Writings, but also those that have been written by the Jews in behalf of the antient Jewish Dispensation, and those of Christians for Christianity, I chuse to make use of my own Judgment, such as it is; and to give my Mind that Liberty which at present is denied my Body; For I am persuaded that Truth is no other way to be defended but by Truth, and That such as the Mind is fully satisfied with; it being in vain to attempt to persuade others to that which you yourself are not convinced of: Wherefore I selected, both from the Antients and Moderns, what appeared to me most conclusive; leaving such Arguments as seemed of small Weight, and rejecting such Books as I knew to be spurious, or had Reason to suspect to be so. Those which I approved of, I explained and put in a regular Method, and in as popular a manner as I could, and likewise turned them into Verse, that they might the easier be remembred. For my Design was to undertake something which might be useful to my Countrymen, especially Seamen, that they might have an Opportunity to employ that Time which in long Voyages lies upon their <3> Hands, and is usually thrown away: Wherefore I began with an Encomium upon our Nation, which so far excells others in the Skill of Navigation; that by this means I might excite them to make use of this Art, as a peculiar Favour of Heaven; not only to their own Profit, but also to the propagating the Christian Religion: For they can never want Matter, but in their long Voyages they will every where meet either with Pagans as in China or Guinea; or Mahometans, as in the Turkish and Persian Empires, and in the Kingdoms of Fez and Morocco; and also with Jews who are the professed Enemies of Christianity, and are dispersed over the greatest part of the World; And there are never wanting prophane Persons, who, upon occasion, are ready to scatter their Poison amongst the Weak and Simple, which Fear had forced them to conceal: Against all which Evils, my Desire was, to have my Countrymen well fortified; that they who have the best parts, might employ them in confuting Errors; and that the other would take heed of being seduced by them.

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Sect. II. That there is a God.

      And that we may show that Religion is not a vain and empty thing; it shall be the Business of this first Book to lay the Foundation thereof in the Existence of the Deity: Which I prove in the following manner. That there are some Things which had a Beginning, is confessed on all Sides, and obvious to Sense: But these Things could not be the Cause of their own Existence; because that which has no Being, cannot act; for then it would have been before it was, which is impossible; whence it follows, that it derived its Being from something else: This is true not only of those Things which are now before our Eyes, or which we have formerly seen; but also of those things <4> out of which these have arisen, and so on, (a) till we arrive at some Cause, which never had any Beginning, but exists (as we say) necessarily, and not by Accident: Now this Being whatsoever it be (of whom we shall speak more fully by and by) is what we mean by the Deity, or

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