take occasion to revile the Christian religion,
because they misunderstand it. They imagine that it consists simply in the
worship of a God considered as great, powerful, and eternal; which is
strictly deism, almost as far removed from the Christian religion as
atheism, which is its exact opposite. And thence they conclude that this
religion is not true, because they do not see that all things concur to the
establishment of this point, that God does not manifest Himself to men with
all the evidence which He could show.
But let them conclude what they will against deism, they will conclude
nothing against the Christian religion, which properly consists in the
mystery of the Redeemer, who, uniting in Himself the two natures, human and
divine, has redeemed men from the corruption of sin in order to reconcile
them in His divine person to God.
The Christian religion, then, teaches men these two truths; that there is a
God whom men can know, and that there is a corruption in their nature which
renders them unworthy of Him. It is equally important to men to know both
these points; and it is equally dangerous for man to know God without
knowing his own wretchedness, and to know his own wretchedness without
knowing the Redeemer who can free him from it. The knowledge of only one of
these points gives rise either to the pride of philosophers, who have known
God, and not their own wretchedness, or to the despair of atheists, who know
their own wretchedness, but not the Redeemer.
And, as it is alike necessary to man to know these two points, so is it
alike merciful of G
.
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