CHAPTER V – The power of selfishness upon men's opinions in religion
Let a servant or child reproach his master or parent, or call them all to naught, and they think it not fit to put up that (nor indeed is it); but let them swear by the name of God or break his laws, and they can patiently bear with it, and a cold rebuke like Eli's will serve the turn. They can get them into field or shop to work together, but they cannot get them before and after to prayer together.
And why is all this? Why, one is for self, and the other is for God. One is for the body, and the other is for the soul. So that you see what self can do, and how commonly it is the master of families, towns, and countries, because it is the master in men's souls.
God must be loved above all, and our neighbor as ourselves. But if God were allowed but so much love as a very neighbor should have, it would not be so ill with the selfish world as now it is.
But because I have been so long on this first discovery of the power of self and the scarcity of self-denial, I will be shorter in the rest that follow.
CHAPTER V.
The Power of Selfishness upon Men's Opinions in Religion 2. Another instance discovering the reign of selfishness in the world is the great power that it has to form men's opinions and conceptions in religion. Though the understanding is naturally
inclined to truth, yet a selfish bias upon the soul—especially upon the will—does commonly delude it, and makes the vilest error seem to be truth to it, and the most useful truth to seem an error. The will has much command over the understanding; and when selfishness is become the very habit, the bias, the nature of the will, you may easily conjecture how it will pervert the understanding.
But what need we more than experience to satisfy us? Do you not see that where self is but deeply engaged, the judgment is bribed or overmastered, and carried from the truth? So that, as the eye that looks through a colored glass sees all things as if they were of the same color as the glass, so the understanding that is mastered by a selfish inclination thinks everything is truth that savors of its selfinterest. And here I shall offer you some more particular instances.
1. We all see that almost all the world is of that religion or opinion which has the countenance of the government they live under, and of the persons who have the greatest power over their reputation—or at least that which is consistent with their safety, if not their rising and prosperity in the world. The Turks are commonly Mohammedans; the subjects of Rome, Spain,
Austria, &c. are generally Papists; those in Denmark, Sweden, Saxony, &c. are generally Lutherans; those of Scotland, England,
Helvetia, &c. are commonly Calvinists (as they are called).
I know the power of education is great, and hearing evidence only on one side may bias a well-meaning man. But Papists and Protestants
(as to the learned part) have the books of the contrary-minded at hand. And therefore, that opinions should run in a stream, and
whole countries almost be of one party, must needs be much from the power of selfishness, because they are swayed by those who have power over their reputation, estates, and liberties in the world.
2. Moreover, when a man by custom is grown self-conceited, or by the power of pride is wise in his own eyes, how hard a matter do we find it to convince such men by the clearest evidence! They will not see, when they can hardly wink so close as to keep out the light. It is their opinion, and therefore shall be so; and they will hold it because it is their own.
3. Especially if it be an opinion of a man's own invention, which is doubly his own, both as he is the contriver and the possessor, how closely will he stick to it—too commonly beyond the evidence of truth—because self has so great an interest in it?
4. Yea, if a man is but deeply engaged for it, either by laborious disputes, or confident owning of it, or any way so as that his credit lies on it, how tenacious will he be of it because of the powerful interest of self!
5. And if it be an opinion that seems to befriend any former opinion that we have much engaged for, how much does selfishness usually appear in our inordinate propensity to it!
6. Also, if we live in days of persecution, how easily do we receive those opinions that would keep us from prison and fire? Or if any suffering lies upon it, we commonly take that side to be right which is safest to the flesh (except when self would be advanced by the occasion of sufferings). And in prosperity, if there be any controversy that arises in which our gain is concerned, how
easily do we believe the thriving opinion? If any oath, engagement, or duty be imposed on us by those who have power to do us harm, the generality are for it, be it what it will. In all these cases it is commonly carnal self that is the judge.
And how far self commands in such cases, you may see by these discoveries following.
1. In studying the case, men's thoughts run almost all one way.
They study what to say for their own opinions, and how to answer all that is against them; but they study very little what may be said on the other side. They sit at their studies with a biased will, inclining or commanding their understanding what to do—even to prove that to be true which they would have to be true, whether it be so or not.
2. And hence it is that the weakest arguments on their own side seem sufficient, if not invincible; and they stand wondering at the blindness of all those men that cannot see the force of them.
But no arguments seem to have any weight that are brought against them. And all this is from the power of self.
3. Yea, sometimes when they are silenced and know not what to say for their opinions, nor how to answer the arguments for the contrary, yet they can say, We are of this mind, and we will be of this mind. And why, but because it is espoused to them and their own?
4. And hence it is that if a man is but an admirer of us, or of our own opinion in other things, we are readier to receive an opinion from him than from another.