Theism Doctrinal and Practical, or, Didactic Religious Utterances. By Francis W. Newman |
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Divine Government.
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 | Theism |  |
Divine Government.
If Conscience is the voice of God within,
It is a guide to the Government of God without,
And the true interpreter of Conscience discerns divine purposes.
But those in whom Conscience is unripe and confused,
As naturally and necessarily, misinterpret the divine reign.
It is a guide to the Government of God without,
And the true interpreter of Conscience discerns divine purposes.
But those in whom Conscience is unripe and confused,
As naturally and necessarily, misinterpret the divine reign.
Most are familiar with the error of expecting present Retribution,
Once fostered even by the wisest, still common with the many.
And because this error seems to be a dictate of Intuition,
Our confidence in Intuition might hurtfully be weakened,
Could we not clearly unveil the course of deception.
Once fostered even by the wisest, still common with the many.
And because this error seems to be a dictate of Intuition,
Our confidence in Intuition might hurtfully be weakened,
Could we not clearly unveil the course of deception.
Our inward law of right is to seek first after Virtue,
And secondarily only to follow Happiness:
Whether for ourselves, or for others, we account Virtue the chief good.
But because a chief mode of attaining personal virtue
Is, to guide our conduct rightly toward others;
And because rather by sympathy than by introspection
Comes the early culture of moral thought;
Our Duty toward others at first swallows up all virtue.
Now if one man excelled others as a parent excels a child,
One might choose Virtue for others rather than Happiness:
For this is the higher law, wherever practicable.
But seldom can one choose for another, or dream to guide him;
Hence in practice we solely choose the Happiness of others,
And the illusion creeps in, that Happiness is the Chief Good.
And secondarily only to follow Happiness:
Whether for ourselves, or for others, we account Virtue the chief good.
But because a chief mode of attaining personal virtue
Is, to guide our conduct rightly toward others;
And because rather by sympathy than by introspection
Comes the early culture of moral thought;
Our Duty toward others at first swallows up all virtue.
Now if one man excelled others as a parent excels a child,
One might choose Virtue for others rather than Happiness:
For this is the higher law, wherever practicable.
But seldom can one choose for another, or dream to guide him;
Hence in practice we solely choose the Happiness of others,
And the illusion creeps in, that Happiness is the Chief Good.
Out of this illusion rises new error concerning the Divine Rule.
Because each good man chiefly seeks others' Happiness,
(Since to seek for their Virtue is too high an aim,)
It is thought, that God also must study our Happiness chiefly.
But this is to forget his superior and mighty relation,
And that he, as a parent, can study for our Virtue,
Not being limited, as man is, in action towards fellow-man.
Hence the error, that a Divine Ruler will suppress violences,
And by rewards and punishments keep things smooth,
As a human king promoting his subjects' happiness:
And when by painful facts this is signally disproved,
Divine Rule is disbelieved, and all Faith is shaken.
Faith revives, when we discern that Virtue is the chief good,
And is in fact promoted by the divine ordinances:
To establish Virtue, is the true end of God's Government;
But by “enforcement” it would be annihilated, not established.
Because each good man chiefly seeks others' Happiness,
(Since to seek for their Virtue is too high an aim,)
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But this is to forget his superior and mighty relation,
And that he, as a parent, can study for our Virtue,
Not being limited, as man is, in action towards fellow-man.
Hence the error, that a Divine Ruler will suppress violences,
And by rewards and punishments keep things smooth,
As a human king promoting his subjects' happiness:
And when by painful facts this is signally disproved,
Divine Rule is disbelieved, and all Faith is shaken.
Faith revives, when we discern that Virtue is the chief good,
And is in fact promoted by the divine ordinances:
To establish Virtue, is the true end of God's Government;
But by “enforcement” it would be annihilated, not established.
Undoubtedly there remain things obscure and heart-gnawing.
It is not the wreck of Happiness, but of Virtue, which appals.
Injury is bad enough, but depravation by injury is worse;
As when the persecuted becomes revengeful, fraudulent, ferocious,
In which no one can imagine any divine purpose.
Nay, worst of injuries is the corruption of the innocent:
Whether, as when the violent drags others into his crimes,
Or the subtle villain tangles them into guilt and debasement.
Many a time have such things wrung the meditative heart,
Nor does it avail to deny them or to turn away the eyes.
Yet the evil which we hate, God hates far more intensely:
This we cannot but believe, while we believe in God at all.
Therefore we cling to the conviction, that he orders amid disorder,
And that evil is permitted only for the sake of higher good.
Here surely we need Faith; and of Faith we have more to say.
It is not the wreck of Happiness, but of Virtue, which appals.
Injury is bad enough, but depravation by injury is worse;
As when the persecuted becomes revengeful, fraudulent, ferocious,
In which no one can imagine any divine purpose.
Nay, worst of injuries is the corruption of the innocent:
Whether, as when the violent drags others into his crimes,
Or the subtle villain tangles them into guilt and debasement.
Many a time have such things wrung the meditative heart,
Nor does it avail to deny them or to turn away the eyes.
Yet the evil which we hate, God hates far more intensely:
This we cannot but believe, while we believe in God at all.
Therefore we cling to the conviction, that he orders amid disorder,
And that evil is permitted only for the sake of higher good.
Here surely we need Faith; and of Faith we have more to say.
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