Receiving the Sacrament, I profess my faith in Jesus.
I declare my resolution to obey him.
I implore, in the highest act of worship, grace to keep these resolutions.
I hope to rise to a new life this day.
On the 17th, Mr. Charnier took me away with him from Streatham. I left the servants a guinea for my health, and was content enough to escape into a house where my birthday not being known, could not be mentioned. I sat up till midnight was past, and the day of a new year, a very awful day, began. I prayed to God, who had [safely brought me to the beginning of another year], but could not perfectly recollect the prayer, and supplied it. Such desertions of memory I have always had.
When I rose on the 18th, I think I prayed again, then walked with my friend into his grounds. When I came back, after some time passed in the library, finding myself oppressed by sleepiness, I retired to my chamber, where, by lying down, and a short imperfect slumber, I was refreshed, and prayed as the night before.
I then dined, and trifled in the parlour and library, and was freed from a scruple about Horace. At last I went to bed, having first composed a prayer.
19. Sunday. I went to church, and attended the service. I found at church a time to use my prayer, O Lord, have mercy —
July 30.
ALMIGHTY God, creator and governor of the world, who sendest sickness and restorest health, enable me to consider, with a just sense of thy mercy, the deliverance which Thou hast lately granted me, and assist by thy blessing, as is best for me, the means which I shall use for the cure of the disease with which I am now afflicted. Increase my patience, teach me submission to thy will, and so rule my thoughts and direct my actions, that I may be finally received to everlasting happiness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ON THE STUDY OF RELIGION
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, without whose help labour is useless, without whose light search is vain, invigorate my studies, and direct my inquiries, that I may, by due diligence and right discernment, establish myself and others in thy Holy Faith. Take not,
O Lord, thy Holy Spirit from me; let not evil thoughts have dominion in my mind. Let me not linger in ignorance, but enlighten and support me, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O LORD God, in whose hand are the wills and affections of men, kindle in my mind holy desires, and repress sinful and corrupt imaginations; enable me to love thy commandments, and to desire thy promises; let me, by thy protection and influence, so pass through things temporal, as finally not to lose the things eternal; and among the hopes and fears, the pleasures and sorrows, the dangers and deliverances, and all the changes of this life, let my heart be surely fixed, by the help of thy Holy Spirit, on the everlasting fruition of thy presence, where true joys are to be found. Grant, O Lord, these petitions. Forgive, O — merciful Lord, whatever I have done contrary to thy laws. Give me such a sense of my wickedness as may produce true contrition and effectual repentance, so that when I shall be called into another state, I may be received among the sinners to whom sorrow and reformation have obtained pardon, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, whose clemency I now presume to implore, after a long life of carelessness and wickedness, have mercy upon me. I have committed many trespasses; I have neglected many duties. I have done what Thou hast forbidden, and left undone what Thou hast commanded. Forgive, merciful Lord, my sins, negligences, and ignorances, and enable me, by thy Holy Spirit, to amend my life according to thy Holy Word, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
O MERCIFUL God, full of compassion, long-suffering, and of great pity, who sparest when we deserve punishment, and in thy wrath thinkest upon mercy; make me earnestly to repent, and heartily to be sorry for all my misdoings; make the remembrance so burdensome and painful, that I may flee to Thee with a troubled spirit and a contrite heart; and, O merciful Lord, visit, comfort, and relieve me; cast me not out from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me, but excite in me true repentance; give me in this world knowledge of thy truth, and confidence in thy mercy, and in the world to come life everlasting, for the sake of our Lord and Saviour, thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
EJACULATION Imploring Diligence O GOD, make me to remember that the night cometh when no man can work.
SOME OPINIONS OF DR. JOHNSON ON THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION
Unless marked otherwise, these opinions are taken from Boswell’s ‘Johnson.’
EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY
ON the 14th we had another evening by ourselves at the Mitre. Talking of those who denied the truth of Christianity, he said: ‘It is always easy to be on the negative side. If a man were now to deny that there is salt upon the table you could not reduce him to an absurdity. Come, let us try this a little further. I deny that Canada is taken, and I can support my denial by pretty good arguments. The French are a much more numerous people than we are, and it is not likely that they would allow us to take it. ‘But the ministry have assured us, in all the formality of the Gazette, that it is taken.’ Very true. But the ministry have put us to an enormous expense by the war in America, and it is their interest to persuade us that we have got something for our money. ‘But the fact is confirmed by thousands of men who were at the taking of it.’ Ay, but those men have still more interest in deceiving us. They don’t want that you should think the French have beat them, but that they have beat the French. Now, suppose you should go over and find that it really is taken, that would only satisfy yourself; for when you come home we will not believe you. We will say you have been bribed. Yet, sir, notwithstanding all these plausible objections, we have no doubt that Canada is really ours. Such is the weight of common testimony. How much stronger are the evidences of the Christian religion?
The conversation then took a philosophical turn. Johnson: ‘Human experience, which is constantly contradicting theory, is the great test of truth. A system built upon the discoveries of a great many minds is always of more strength than what is produced by the mere workings of any one mind, which can do little.... As to the Christian religion, sir, besides the strong evidence which we have for it, there is a balance in its favour from the number of great men who have been convinced of its truth, after a serious consideration of the question. Grotius was an acute man, a lawyer, a man accustomed to examine evidence, and he was convinced. Grotius was not a recluse, but a man of the world, who certainly had no bias to the side of religion. Sir Isaac Newton set out an infidel, and came to be a very firm believer.
On Sunday, April 19th, being Easter Day, after the solemnities of the festival at St. Paul’s Church, I visited him, but could not stay to dinner. I expressed a wish to have the arguments for Christianity always in readiness, that my religious faith might be as firm and clear as any proposition whatever, so that I need not be under the least uneasiness when it should be attacked. Johnson:
‘Sir, you cannot answer all objections. You have demonstration for a First Cause; you see He must be good as well as powerful, because there is nothing to make him otherwise, and goodness of itself is preferable. Yet you have against this, what is very certain, the unhappiness of human life. This, however, gives us reason to hope for a future state of compensation that there may be a perfect system. But of that we were not sure, till we had a positive revelation.’
He (Johnson) said: ‘No honest man could be a Deist, for no man could be so after a fair examination of the proofs of Christianity. I named Hume. Johnson: ‘No, sir, Hume owned to a clergyman in the bishopric of Durham that he had never read the New Testament with attention.’
ON MIRACLES
I MENTIONED Hume’s argument against the belief of miracles, that it is more probable that the witnesses to the truth of them are mistaken, or speak falsely, than that the miracles should be true. Johnson: ‘Why, sir, the great difficulty of proving miracles, should make us very cautious in believing them. But let us consider: although God has made Nature to operate by certain fixed laws, yet it is not unreasonable to
think that He may suspend those laws, in order to establish a system highly advantageous to mankind. Now, the Christian religion is a most beneficent system, as it gives us light and certainty where we were before in darkness and doubt. The miracles that prove it are attested by men who had no interest in deceiving us; but who, on the contrary, were told that they should suffer persecution, and did actually lay down their lives in confirmation of the truth of the facts which they asserted. Indeed, for some centuries the heathen did not pretend to deny the miracles, but said they were performed by the aid of evil spirits. This is a circumstance of great weight. Then, sir, when we take the proofs derived from prophecies which have been so exactly fulfilled, we have most satisfactory evidence. Supposing a miracle possible, as to which, in my opinion, there can be no doubt, we have as strong evidence for the miracles in support of Christianity as the nature of the case admits.’
ON ORIGINAL SIN
I TALKED to him on original sin, in consequence of the fall of man, and of the atonement made by our Saviour. After some conversation, which he desired me to remember, he, at my request, dictated to me as follows: ‘With respect to original sin the inquiry is not necessary, for whatever is the cause of human corruption, men are evidently, and confessedly, so corrupt that all the laws of heaven and earth are insufficient to restrain them from crimes.
‘Whatever difficulty there may be in the conception of vicarious punishments, it is an opinion which has had possession of mankind in all ages. There is no nation that has not used the practice of sacrifices. Whoever, therefore, denies the propriety of vicarious punishments, holds an opinion which the sentiments and practice of mankind have contradicted from the beginning of the world. The great sacrifice for the sins of mankind was offered by the death of the Messiah, who is called in Scripture “The Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.” To judge of the reasonableness of the scheme of redemption, it must be considered as necessary to the government of the universe that God should make known His perpetual and irreconcilable detestation of moral evil. He might indeed punish, and punish only the offenders; but, as the end of punishment is not revenge of crimes, but propagation of virtue, it was more becoming of the divine clemency to find another manner of proceeding, less destructive to man, and at least equally powerful to promote goodness. The end of punishment is to reclaim and warn. That punishment will both reclaim and warn which shows evidently such abhorrence of sin in God as may deter us from it, or strike us with dread of vengeance when we have committed it. This is effected by vicarious punishment. Nothing could more testify the opposition between the nature of God and moral evil, or more amply display his justice, to men and angels, to all orders and succession of beings, than that it was necessary for the highest and purest nature, even for divinity itself, to pacify the demands of vengeance by a painful death: of which the natural effect will be, that when justice is appeased, there is a proper place for the exercise of virtue, and that such propitiation shall supply, in some degree, the imperfections of our obedience, and the inefficacy of our repentance; for obedience and repentance, such as we can perform, are still necessary. Our Saviour has told us that he did not come to destroy the law but to fulfil: to fulfil the typical law by the performance of what those types had foreshown; and the moral law, by precepts of greater purity and higher exaltation.’
Here he said, ‘God bless you with it.’ I acknowledged myself much obliged to him; but I begged that he would go on as to the propitiation being the chief object of our most holy faith. He then dictated this one other paragraph: ‘The peculiar doctrine of Christianity is that of an universal sacrifice, and perpetual propitiation. Other prophets only proclaimed the will and the threatenings of God. Christ satisfied His justice.’
BELIEF IN IMMORTALITY
I TOLD him that our friend Goldsmith had said to me that he had come too late into the world, for that Pope and other poets had taken up the places in the temple of fame: so that, as but a few at any period can possess poetical reputation, a man of genius can now hardly acquire it. Johnson: ‘That is one of the most sensible things I have ever heard of Goldsmith. It is difficult to get literary fame, and it is every day growing more difficult. Ah, sir, that should make a man think of securing happiness in another world, which all who try sincerely for it may attain. In comparison of that how little are all other things! The belief of immortality is impressed upon all men, and all men act under an impression of it, however they may talk, and though, perhaps, they may be scarcely sensible of it.’ I said it appeared to me that some people had not the least notion of immortality; and I mentioned a distinguished gentleman of our acquaintance. Johnson: ‘Sir, if it were not for the notion of immortality, he would cut a throat to fill his pockets.’
ON A FUTURE STATE
I AGAIN visited him at night. Finding him in a very good humour, I ventured to lead him to the subject of our situation in a future state, having much curiosity to know his notions on that point. Johnson: ‘Why, sir, the happiness of an unembodied spirit will consist in the consciousness of the favour of God, in the contemplation of truth, and in the possession of felicitating ideas.’ Boswell: ‘But, sir, is there any harm in our forming to ourselves conjectures as to the particulars of our happiness, though the Scripture has said but very little on the subject! “We know not what we shall be.”’ Johnson: ‘Sir, there is no harm.’ Boswell: ‘One of the most pleasing thoughts is that we shall see our friends again.’ Johnson: ‘Yes, sir, but you must consider that, when we are become purely rational, many of our friendships will be cut off. Many friendships are formed by a community of sensual pleasures: all these will be cut off. We form many friendships with bad men because they have agreeable qualities, and they can be useful to us; but after death they can no longer be of use to us. We form many friendships by mistake, imagining people to be different from what they really are. After death we shall see every one in a true light. Then, sir, they talk of our meeting our relations; but then all relationship is dissolved, and we shall have no regard for one person more than another but for their real value. However, we shall either have the satisfaction of meeting our friends, or be satisfied without meeting them.’ Boswell: ‘Yet, sir, we see in Scripture that Dives still retained an anxious concern about his brethren.’ Johnson: ‘Why, sir, we must either suppose that passage to be metaphorical, or hold, with many divines and all the Purgatorians, that departed souls do not all at once arrive at the utmost perfection of which they are capable.’ Boswell: ‘I think, sir, that is a very natural supposition.’ Johnson: ‘Why, yes, sir; but we do not know it is a true one. There is no harm in believing it; but you must not compel others to make it an article of faith, for it is not revealed.’ Boswell: ‘Do you think, sir, it is wrong in a man who holds the doctrine of Purgatory to pray for the souls of his deceased friends?’ Johnson: ‘Why, no, sir.’ Boswell: ‘As to our employment in a future state the sacred writings say little. The Revelation, however, of St. John gives us many ideas, and particularly mentions music.’ Johnson: ‘Why, sir, ideas must be given you by means of something which you know; and as to music, there are some philosophers and divines who have maintained that we shall not be spiritualised to such a degree but that something of matter, very much refined, will remain. In that case music may make a part of our future felicity.’
While Johnson and I stood in calm conference by ourselves in Dr. Taylor’s garden, at a pretty late hour, in a serene autumn night, looking up to the heavens, I directed the discourse to the subject of a future state. My friend was in a placid and most benignant frame of mind. ‘Sir,’ said he, ‘I do not imagine that all things will be made clear to us immediately after death, but that the ways of providence will be explained to us very gradually.’ I ventured to ask him whether, although the words of some texts of Scripture seemed strong in support of the dreadful doctrines of an eternity of punishment, we might not hope that the denunciation was figurative and would not literally be executed. Johnson: ‘Sir, you are to consider the intention of
punishment in a future state. We have no reason to be sure that we shall then be no longer liable to offend against God. We do not know that even the angels are quite in a state of security; nay, we know that some of them have fallen. It may, therefore, perhaps be necessary, in order to preserve both men and angels in rectitude, that they should have continually before them the punishment of those who have deviated from it; but we may hope that by some other means a fall from rectitude may be prevented. Some of the texts of Scripture upon this subject are, as you observe, indeed strong; but they may admit of a mitigated interpretation.’ He talked to me upon this awful and delicate question in a gentle tone, and as if afraid to be decisive.
CONCERNING PURGATORY, ETC.
I PROCEEDED: ‘What do you think, sir, of Purgatory, as believed by the Roman Catholics?’ Johnson: ‘Why, sir, it is a very harmless doctrine. They are of opinion that the generality of mankind are neither so obstinately wicked as to deserve everlasting punishment, nor so good as to merit being admitted into the society of blessed spirits! and, therefore, that God is graciously pleased to allow of a middle state, where they may be purified by certain degrees of suffering. You see, sir, there is nothing unreasonable in this.’ Boswell: ‘But then, sir, their masses for the dead?’ Johnson: ‘Why, sir, if it be once established that there are souls in Purgatory, it is as proper to pray for them as for our brethren of mankind who are yet in this life.’ Boswell: ‘The idolatry of the mass?’ Johnson: ‘Sir, there is no idolatry in the mass. They believe God to be there, and they adore Him.’ Boswell: ‘The worship of saints?’ Johnson: ‘They do not worship saints; they invoke them: they only ask their prayers. I am talking all this time of the doctrines of the Church of Rome. I grant you that in practice Purgatory is made a lucrative imposition, and that the people do become idolatrous as they recommend themselves to the tutelary protection of particular saints. I think their giving the sacrament only in one kind is criminal, because it is contrary to the express institution of Christ, and I wonder how the Council of Trent admitted it.’ Boswell: ‘Confession?’ Johnson: ‘Why, I don’t know but that is a good thing. The Scripture says “Confess your faults one to another,” and the priests confess as well as the laity. Then it must be considered that their absolution is only upon repentance, and often upon penance also. You think your sins may be forgiven without penance, upon repentance alone.’
Complete Works of Samuel Johnson Page 370