The Reasonableness of Christianity, as Delivered in the Scriptures
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~210,000 words · 995 passages
Cite this work
- APAJohn Locke. (n.d.). The Reasonableness of Christianity, as Delivered in the Scriptures. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/john-locke/the-reasonableness-of-christianity-as-delivered-in-the-scriptures
- MLAJohn Locke. "The Reasonableness of Christianity, as Delivered in the Scriptures." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/john-locke/the-reasonableness-of-christianity-as-delivered-in-the-scriptures.
- ChicagoJohn Locke. The Reasonableness of Christianity, as Delivered in the Scriptures. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/john-locke/the-reasonableness-of-christianity-as-delivered-in-the-scriptures.
What it is about
Locke's attempt to reduce Christianity to what actually has to be believed, by reading the Gospels to see what was required of the first converts.
Context and history
Published unsigned in 1695, and with reason: the conclusion is that what is essential is to believe Jesus is the Messiah and to amend one's life, and that the rest is addition. It brought him an immediate charge of Socinianism — that is, of denying the Trinity — and a controversy that ran for years. Locke never acknowledged the book as his in his lifetime. It belongs to the argument about toleration as much as to theology: if the minimum one must believe is small, so is what may be required by law.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
PRINTED FOR f. AND J. RIV1NGTON ; T. EGERTON ; J. CUTHELL ; J. AND A. ARCH ; LONGMAN AND CO.; T. CADELL; J. RICHARDSON; .1. AND \r. T. CLARKE; J. MAWMAN ; BAVNES AND SON; HARDING AND co. ; BALDWIN AND CO. ; HARVEY AND DARTON ; R. SCHOLEY ; J. BOHV ; J. COLLINGWOOD; T. TEGG ; G. AND W. B. WHITTAKER ; G. MACK IE ; W. MASON; HURST, ROBINSON, AND CO.; J. HEARNE; J. BRUMBY; SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL; s. PROWETT; w. PICKERING; n. SAUNDERS ; J. PARKER, OXFORD ; AND STIRLING AND SLADE, EDINBURGH. (O C. Baldwin, Printer, Bridge-street, London. CONTENTS. THE Reasonableness of Christianity as delivered in the Scriptures » 1 A Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity, from Mr. Edwards's Reflections 159 A second Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christia nity 191 THE OF CHRISTIANITY, AS DELIVERED IN THE SCRIPTURES THE PREFACE. THE little satisfaction and consistency that is to be found, in most of the systems of divinity I have met with, made me betake myself to the sole reading of the scrip tures (to which they all appeal) for the understanding the Christian Religion. What from thence, by an at tentive and unbiassed search, I have received, Reader, I here deliver to thee. If by this my labour thou receivest any light, or confirmation in the truth, join with me in thanks to the Father of lights, for his condescen sion to our understandings. If upon a fair and un prejudiced examination, thou findest I have mistaken the sense and tenour of the Gospel, I beseech thee, as a true Christian, in the spirit of the Gospel, (which is that of charity,) and in the words of sobriety, set me right, in the doctrine of salvation. to 2 THE OF CHRISTIANITY, AS DELIVERED IN THE SCRIPTURES.