Serious Reflections During the Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe With His Vision of the Angelick World

SERIOUS REFLECTIONS DURING THE LIFE...

Why, then, should not the Christian princes think it a deed of compassion to the souls of men, as well as an humble agency to the work of Providence, and to the fulfilling the promises of their Saviour, by a moderate and, as far as in them lies, a bloodless conquest, to reduce the whole world to the government of Christian power, and so plant the name and knowledge of Christ Jesus among the heathens and Mahomedans? I am not supposing that they can plant real religion in this manner; the business of power is to open the way to the gospel of peace; the servants of the king of the earth are to fight, that the servants of the King of Heaven may preach.

Let but an open door be made for the preaching of the word of God, and the ministers of Christ be admitted, if they do not spread Christian knowledge over the face of the earth the fault will be theirs. Let but the military power reduce the pagan world, and banish the devil and Mahomet from the face of the earth, the knowledge of God be diligently spread, the word of God duly preached, and the people meekly and faithfully instructed in the Christian religion, the world would soon receive the truth, and the knowledge of Divine things would be the study and delight of mankind.

I know some nice and difficult people would object here, How are the present body of Christians, as you call them, qualified to convert the pagan and Mahomedan world, when they are not able to settle the main point, viz., What the Christian religion is, or what they would convert them to? That Christianity is subdivided into so many parts and particular prin-

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ciples, the people so divided in their opinion; and. that which is still worse, there is so little charity among the several sorts, that some of them would sooner side with Mahomet against their neighbours than assist to propagate that particular doctrine in religion which they condemn. Thus the members of the Protestant faith would make it a point of principle not to support or propagate the interest of Popery in such a conquest as this; and again, the Catholics would as much make it a duty on them to root out heresy — so they call the Protestant doctrine — as they would to root out paganism and the worship of devils.

I would not answer for some Protestants that they would not be of the same mind, as to particular divisions among Protestants. The difference among some opinions is such, and their want of charity one to another sets them at such variance, that if they do not censure one another for devilworshippers, yet we know they frequently call some of the opposite principles doctrines of devils, and persecute one another with as much fury as ever the heathen persecuted the primitive churches.

Witness the violences which have reigned between the Episcopal and Presbyterian parties in the north of Ireland and in Scotland, which has so often broken out into a flame of war, and that flame been always quenched with blood.

Witness the frequent persecutions, wars, massacres, and other cruel and unnatural doings, which have been in these parts of the world among Christians the effect of a mistaken zeal for the Christian religion; which, as it was not planted

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by blood and violence, so much less can Christians justify the endeavours to erect this or that opinion in it by the ruin and blood of their brethren.

But this is far from being a reason why we should not think it our duty to subdue the barbarous and idolatrous nations of the world in order to suppress the worshipping the devil, who is the enemy not only of God and of all true religion in the world, but who is the great destroyer and enemy of mankind, and of his future or present felicity; and whose business is always, to the utmost of his power, to involve or retain them either in ignorance or in error.

I distinguish between forcing religion upon people, or forcing them to entertain this or that opinion of religion

I say, I distinguish between that and opening the door for religion to come among them. The former is a violence, indeed, inconsistent with the nature of religion itself, whose energy prevails and forces its way into the minds of men by another sort of power; whereas the latter is removing a force unjustly put already upon the minds of men, by the artifice of the devil, to keep the Christian religion out of the world; so that, indeed, I propose a war not with men, but with the devil — a war to depose Satan’s infernal tyranny in the world and set open the doors to religion, that it may enter if men will receive it; if they will not receive it, be that to themselves.

In a word, to unchain the wills of men, set their inclinations free, that their reason may be at liberty to influence their understandings, and that they may have the faith of Christ

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preached to them, whether they will hear or forbear, I say, as above, is no part of the question; let the Christian doctrine and its spiritual enemies alone to struggle about that. I am for dealing with the temporalities of the devil, and deposing that human power which is armed in the behalf of obstinate ignorance, and resolute to keep out the light of religion from the mind.

I think this is a lawful and just war, and, in the end, kind both to them and their posterity: let me bring the case home to ourselves.

Suppose neither Julius Caesar or any of the Roman generals or emperors had cast their eyes towards Britain for some ages, or till the Christian religion had spread over the whole Roman Empire: ‘tis true the Britons might at last have received the Christian faith in common with the rest of the northern world, but they had yet lain above three hundred years longer in ignorance and paganism than they did; and some hundred thousands of people who proved zealous Christians, nay, even martyrs for the Christian doctrine, would have died in the professed paganism of the Britons.

Now ‘tis evident the invasion of the Romans was an unjust, bloody, tyrannical assault upon the poor Britons, against all right and property, against justice and neighbourhood, and merely carried on for conquest and dominion. Nor, indeed, had the Romans any just pretence of war; yet God was pleased to make this violence be the kindest thing that could have be-

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fallen the British nation, since it brought in the knowledge of God among the Britons, and was a means of reducing a heathen and barbarous nation to the faith of Christ, and to embrace the Messias.

Thus Heaven serves itself of men’s worst designs, and the avarice, ambition, and rage of men have been made use of to bring to pass the glorious ends of Providence, without the least knowledge or design of the actors. Why, then, may not the great undertakings of the princes of Europe, if they could be brought to act in concert, with a good design to bring all the world to open their doors to the Christian religion, and by consequence their ears — I say, why may not such an attempt be blessed from heaven with so much success, at least as to make way for bringing in nominal Christianity among the nations? For as to obliging the people to be of this or that opinion afterward, that is another case.

There is a great pother made in the world among the several denominations of Christians about coercion, erecting a church, and compelling men to come in; that is to say, one sort of Christians persecuting another sort of Christians to make them worship Christ their way, as if Christ had no sheep but one fold.

I distinguish much between using force to reduce heathens and savages to Christianity, and using force to reduce those that are already Christians to be of this or that opinion; I will not say but a war might be very just, and the cause be righ-

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teous, to reduce the worshippers of the pagodas of India to the knowledge and obedience of Christianity, when it would be a horrible injustice to commence a like war to reduce even a Popish nation to be Protestant.

But my proposed war does not reach so far as that neither; for though I would have a nation of pagans conquered that their idols and temples might be destroyed, and their idol worship be abolished, yet I would be very far from punishing and persecuting the people for not believing in Christ; for if we believe that faith, as the Scripture says, is the gift of God, how can we, upon any Christian foundation, punish or persecute the man for not exercising that which God had not given him? Hence, compelling men to conform to this or that particular profession of the Christian religion, is to me impious and unchristian.

And shall I speak a word here of the unhappy custom among Christians of reviling one another with words on account of differing opinions in religion? It was a part of apocryphal scripture, taken from one of the traditional sayings of the Rabbis, “Thou shalt not mock at the gods of the heathens; “ but ribaldry, satire, and sarcasms are the usage we give one another every day on the subject of religion, as if slander and the severities of the tongue were not the worst kind of violence in matters of the Christian religion.

In a word, I must acknowledge, if I am to speak of reproach in general, I know no worse persecution than that of the

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tongue. Solomon says, “There are that speak like the piercing of a sword;” and King David was so sensible of the bitterness of the tongue, that he is full of exclamations upon the subject; among the rest, he says of his enemies, “They have compassed me about with words of hatred.... He clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment “ (Psalm cix. 3, 18).

It is indeed remote from the subject I am upon to talk of this kind of uncharitable dealing, but as just observations are never out of season, it may have its uses; let no man slight the hint, though it were meant for religion only, for that, indeed, is my present subject: there is doubtless as severe a persecution by the tongue as that of fire and faggot, and some think ‘tis as hard to be borne.

I have never met with so much of this anywhere in all my travels as in England, where the mouths of the several sects and opinions are so effectually open against one another, that, albeit common charity commands us to talk the best of particular persons in their failings and infirmities, yet here, censuring, condemning, and reproaching one another on account of opinions is carried on with such a gust, that lets every one see nothing but death and destruction can follow, and no reconciliation can be expected.

I have lived to see men of the best light be mistaken, as well in party as in principles, as well in politics as in religion, and find not only occasion, but even a necessity, to change hands or sides in both; I have seen them sometimes run into contrary

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extremes, beyond their first intention, and even without design; nay, in those unhappy changes I have seen them driven into lengths they never designed, by the fiery resentment of those whom they seemed to have left, and whom they differed from. I have lived to see those men acknowledge, even publicly and openly, they were wrong and mistaken, and express their regret for being misled very sincerely; but I cannot say I have lived to see the people they have desired to return to forgive or receive them. Perhaps the age I have lived in has not been a proper season for charity; I hope futurity will be furnished with better Christians; or perhaps ‘tis appointed so to illustrate the Divine mercy, and let mankind see that they are the only creatures that never forgive. I have seen a man in the case I speak of, offer the most sincere acknowledgments of his having been mistaken, and this not in matters essential either to the person’s morals or Christianity, but only in matters of party, and with the most moving expressions desire his old friends to forgive what has been passed, and have seen their return be mocking him with what they called a baseness of spirit, and a mean submission; I have seen him expostulate with them, why they should not act upon the same terms with a penitent, as God Himself not only prescribed, but yields to; and have seen them in return tell him God might forgive him if He pleased, but they would never, and then expose all those offers to the first comer in banter and ridicule: but take me right too, I have seen at the same time, that to wiser men it has been always thought to be an exposing themselves, and an honour to the person.

I speak this too feelingly, and therefore say no more; there is a way by patience, to conquer even the universal contempt

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of mankind; and though two drams of that drug be a vomit for a dog, it is, in my experience, the only method; there is a secret peace in it, and in time the rage of men will abate. A constant steady adhering to virtue and honesty, and showing the world that whatever mistakes he might be led into, supposing them to be mistakes, that yet the main intention and design of his life was sincere and upright: He that governs the actions of men by an unbiassed hand, will never suffer such a man to sink under the weight of universal prejudice and clamour.

I, Robinson Crusoe, grown old in affliction, borne down by calumny and reproach, but supported from within, boldly prescribe this remedy against universal clamours and contempt of mankind: patience, a steady life of virtue and sobriety, and a comforting dependence on the justice of Providence, will first or last restore the patient to the opinion of his friends, and justify him in the face of his enemies; and in the meantime will support him comfortably in despising those who want manners and charity, and leave them to be cursed from Heaven with their own passions and rage.

This very thought made me long ago claim a kind of property in some good old lines of the famous George Withers, Esq., made in prison in the Tower. He was a poetical gentleman who had, in the time of the civil wars in England, been unhappy in changing sides too often, and had been put into the Tower by every side in their turn; once by the King, once by the Parliament, once by the Army, then by the Rump, and at last again,

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I think, by General Monk; in a word, whatever side got up, he had the disaster to be down. The lines are thus:

The world and I may well agree, As most that are offended; For I slight her, and she slights me, And there’s our quarrel

ended. For service done and love expressed, Though very few regard it, My country owes me bread at least; But if I am debarred it, Good conscience is a daily feast,

And sorrow never marred it.

But this article of verbal persecution has hurried me from my subject, which I must return to.

I have spoken of a project for the Czar of Muscovy, worthy of a monarch who is lord of so vast an extent of country as the Russian Empire reaches to, which is in effect, as I have said, much more than half Europe, and consequently an eighth part of the world. I have given my thoughts how a war to open a door for the Christian religion may be justifiable, and that it has not the least tincture of persecution in it. If the Christian princes of the world, who now spend their force so much to an ill purpose in real persecution, would join in an universal war against paganism and devil-worship, the savage part of mankind would, in one age, be brought to bow their knees to the God of Truth, and would bless the enterprise itself in the end of it, as the best thing that ever befell them; nor could such an attempt fail of success, unless Heaven in justice had determined to shut up the world longer in darkness, and the

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