Christian Practice DESCRIBED By WAY of ESSAY UPON THE Life of our Saviour By STEPHEN SKYNNER Rector of Buckland in Hertfordshire and late Fellow of Trinity-College in Cambridg IMPRIMATUR Novemb. 17. 1692. C. Alston LONDON Printed for Daniel Brown at the Black Swan and Bible without Temple-Bar MDCXCIII THE PREFACE IT is a good Observation That nothing has made more ATHEISTS in the World than Superstition For though Immorality has certainly too great a share in this yet may that be reckoned in one respect not altogether so dangerous to Religion as the other Immorality being so contrary to Nature's Dictates that all who are not extremely blinded by Vicious Habits are apt to see into the Deformities of it and so it serves but as a Foil to set off the Beauty of Religion like those Heresies which the Apostle says must come that they who are approved may be made manifest Whereas Superstition defaces Religion it self as much as in it lies representing it in such horrid and ridiculous shapes that Standers-by are rather apt to think it a meer Invention of men than that a Wise and Gracious God should be the Author of such Extravagancies And the Design of this Treatise therefore is to remove those Prejudices which Superstition has raised in mens minds by setting a true Copy of Religion before their eyes This I thought could no ways better be done than by following Christ himself that great Master who was the wisdom of his Father and the express image of his person a main part of whose business it was to restore Religion to its Native Purity by presenting the Original Pattern of it to us in his own Doctrine and Example And to his Life therefore I have confined my self without referring to any other places almost of Scripture Not but that I pay a like Deference to every other part of God's Word but I supposed that whatever I found in our Saviour's Life or Doctrine was sufficiently perfect of it self and I was unwilling to swell the Piece to a greater bulk than was proper in this way of writing by bringing in every Text that might seem pertinent to my purpose For which reason also it is not to be expected that many particular Objections should be formally answered here Tho besides the general ones which I have spoke largely to I think I have touched upon most of the others that are any thing material in our Saviour's Life And I know of none in any other part of Scripture but what may easily enough be reconciled with the Doctrines here delivered I expect not that some persons should much approve of what I have done and I think I have little reason to be concerned at it considering what sort of people I suppose them chiefly to be Our Saviour himself Preached Three years to the World we know and his very Adversaries were forced to confess That never man spake as he spake yet neither could the Powers of his Divine Eloquence nor his Miracles make any considerable impressions upon the Pharisees hearts And it is little to be wondred at therefore if human Labours prove altogether fruitless upon such persons But there are many others I presume to whom this Work may be of good use as well for driving out some Melancholly Fears and Scruples whereby well-meaning people are apt to be discouraged in the Practice of Religion as for silencing those unjust Cavils of its laying slavish and unmanly Impositions upon men which prophane persons are wont to bring against it Nor do I apprehend the least danger of having this Piece censured by any wise unprejudiced person as giving Countenance to Irreligion whatever weak or brain-sick people may think of it For I know of nothing I have mentioned in it but what I have good ground for from our Saviour's Doctrine and Example And I am willing to be reckoned among the Advocates for Profaneness if any thing that Christ said or did tended that way I confess I have endeavoured what I was able to imitate the skilful Musician here in not straining the Duties of Religion to too high a pitch For tho they make the greatest noise when they are most raised and so please the Vulgar best yet the Sweetness and Harmony that is proper to them is lost by this to every judicious Ear. Tho neither have I been less cautious of slackning the strings of Duty too much And I am confident men will find as little Encouragement here for looseness of Manners as for an over-rigid Severity If some think it necessary to aim at greater Perfection in many Duties than is here required I mean that which such call Perfection a God's Name let them do it Their Zeal may be useful in some respects tho it wants not several Inconveniencies And the time may come one day when God will say to them as he does by the Prophet Who required these things at thy bands But if the generality of the world be not able to run so fast in the Course of Religion as these men do there is no need sure of discouraging them from trying to walk Especially when Christ has given us such grounds to belive That a sober diligence in keeping God's Commands will carry a man as soon to Heaven as the most Furious Drivings of men of more Zeal than Understanding Nor do I think therefore that such deserve less of Religion who recommend it to men of Sense in Rational ways as a thing easie and natural to them through the Assistance of God's Grace than others who value themselves so much upon moving the Affections of common people by undue heightning of things and make as if there were no Religion but what is next to Impossibilities I was loth to interrupt my Method by any long Digression and therefore reserved the Discourse concerning the Pharisees Hypocrisy for an Appendix which I think I need make no Apology for adding as being sufficiently pertinent to my main Design For by seeing here what it is our Saviour so often condemns the Pharisees for we may the better understand our own Duty And indeed our Saviour had so much to do with the Pharisees in all his Discourses that a man can scarce apprehend the Force and Tendency of many of his Precepts without being rightly informed in the Nature and Qualities of that sort of people of which Hypocrisy made so great a part However if better Judgments disapprove the Notion I have gone upon I hope there is no harm done It is no Article of Faith believe the Point which way you will And if it be any ways of dangerous Consequence to Religion I am sure it is much more so in the common Notion than in the way that I have explain'd it The CONTENTS INtroductory Considerations touching our Saviour's Life and Doctrine in General Sect. 1 2 3. Our Saviour's Life and Doctrine in Ceremonial Respects And here Sect. 4. Of Ceremonies more generally Sect. 5. Of Reverence in outward Worship Sect. 6. Of the Sabbath
Honour and Interest of Religion than a compliance with the several Duties of it these being such as are of universal applause among persons of all Religions and such therefore as must mightily recommend Christianity to men when they see that an effectual Promoter of such things as they most esteemed whereas should Christians have neglected these the Scandal would have been sure to have been imputed to their Religion and no man would have embraced that Doctrine which seemed to confound Nature and to root out the Principles of Mercy and Truth the great things whereby the Happiness of this world is maintained And this I reckon one main reason why our Saviour made Love the Distinguishing Badge of his Disciples No question but there are several Marks of Faith and other Graces whereby Christians may and ought to be distinguished from persons of other Religions But this of Love is such a Livery as appears beautiful and amiable in every body's eye And no wonder therefore Christ made choice of it as that which must needs redound much to the Credit of its Master 22. Faithfulness in Dealings is one Duty owing to our Neighbour that is necessary above all others for the Peace and Welfare of mankind And a small matter of Religion one would think might be sufficient to keep men right in this since Nature it self abhors a contrary practice Tho indeed we find none more wanting in this than those that pretend most to Religion The Pharisees Character too frequently shews it self in such that they are graves which appear not Luke 11.44 and those that walk over them are not aware of them However scrupulous they may be in other points they can devour widows houses without the least remorse and boast themselves the Saints of God at the same time as if they had a particular License from Heaven to deceive Certainly a great Dishonour to Religion this and such as makes Christianity too often to stink in the Nostrils of Infidels and Prophane persons and no question so much the worse by how much the persons guilty of it do make profession of greater Sanctity in other things We must not expect many Instances of this Duty of Faithfulness in our Saviour's Life as being beneath the Excellency of his Character to have Virtues of so ordinary a size mentioned of him Tho in general we are told of him That there was no guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.22 And how grateful such a Character was to him we have one remarkable Instance in that kind Welcome he gave to Nathanael on account of it when being presented to him he cried out with no less Delight than Admiration Joh. 1.47 Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile We must not think that by Guile here our Saviour means downright Knavery and Fraud alone but every undermining over-reaching act whereby we impose upon the Weakness or Ignorance of our Brother which is plainly implied in that Dovelike Harmlesness he recommends to his Followers Mat. 10.16 And however therefore some people may value themselves upon their Craftiness it is certainly no great Commendation of this Quality that our Saviour called Herod Fox as one of the highest marks of his Detestation of him Not that our Saviour designs hereby to make men weak and unwary or Fools in Business for Prudence and Simplicity are well joined together by the Poet and our Saviour therefore commends the Wisdom of the Serpent Ibid. at the same time that he requires the Harmlesness of the Dove But when Wisdom is made use of for circumventing people to their damage it degenerates into Guile and Craft And this is so abominable in Christ's esteem that I question not but to shew the Pharisees themselves might have escaped that odious Censure of Hypocrisy from him were it not for this more especially among other Vices of a like nature that they were Godly Cheats men that walked in sheeps cloathing but inwardly were ravening wolves 23. Mercy or Forgiveness of Injuries and Debts is another Duty owing to our Neighbour which our Saviour presses very earnestly upon his Disciples And it may seem a strange unimitable Pattern he proposes about this when he commands us to be merciful Luk 6.36 as our heavenly father is merciful Thought indeed there is nothing here but what human strength assisted by God's Grace is well able to perform and nothing besides but what Nature and Right Reason will challenge from us As to Debts he that will not forgive these in whole when a Debtor is altogether unable to pay or in part when he has reason to think the poor man's Necessities very great and pinching must certainly be reckoned a very hard man And I believe no one can read the Parable of the unjust steward taking his poor debtors by the throat Mat. 18.28 and hurrying them away to goal without abhorrence of his Cruelty And yet this is all that God's Example obliges us to in respect of Debts He himself forgives not such Debts but which we are unable to pay and he requires submission here from us and acknowledgment of his Favour before the Bonds are cancelled And it is much the same thing in respect of Injuries For are the Injuries of a light nature some slips only of weakness or inadvertency These God passes by in us without particular Repentances and it must be a very ill temper that will not do as much as this comes to to his offending Brother Or are they more heinous and gross Here God expects Confession of our Guilt and hearty Desires of Forgiveness before our Pardon is passed And there is no Generous Soul but will accept a like Satisfaction If Punishment be necessary as it sometimes is in such cases for correcting the Offender and for the Warning and Terror of others God's example does warrant men in this also provided they punish Transgressors as he does out of hatred to their Crimes and not to their Persons So that to imitate God's Mercy is no other than a Duty highly reasonable and natural to men And as there is no greater measure of Perfection than this so we may well think Christ requires no more from us Upon these terms the Forgiving so often in a day as Christ commands even seventy times seven Mat. 18.22 is no hard Duty for by Forgiveness there I cannot think Christ means an absolute passing by of Faults though never so little the least faults when so often repeated being justly interpreted of Obstinacy and gross Neglect which are Crimes that highly deserve Punishment and therefore to forgive there is only not to bear malice or ill will against a man in which sense we may forgive though we correct at the same time Nor is it any thing of an unreasonable imposition that we are commanded to imitate God in loving and doing good to those that injure us Mat. 5.44 For God himself is not wont to take his Enemies into his bosom whilst
the different Temper betwixt the Law and Gospel For John the Baptist was the last Prophet of the old Law in whom God would shew us the Severity of those Precepts which he thought fit to hold the Jews under but which he is pleased now to hold his Church no longer to for the sake of his Son Whose way of Life therefore was a perfect Reverse to that of John the Baptist And indeed such Austerities as these when men take them upon themselves of their own heads or when they pretend to impose them upon others are no other than such Observances as our Saviour points at when he tells the Pharisees Mat. 15.9 That in vain they worshipped God teaching for Doctrines the commandments of men The Pharisees pretended no ground for them in their Law no more than the Papist can well do in ours And though in Charity therefore we condemn them not for such extravagant Will-Worship as this yet we rather pity than commend them Such was our Saviour's Life and Doctrine in respect of Ceremonies 9. Consider our Saviour's Life in respect of Piety towards God and you will find as little of Enthusiasm in it in that as of Scrupulousness or Superstition in the other respect Faith is the great foundation of Piety And this is a Duty of an extraordinary nature in one respect as the Gift of Prophecy and the power of working Miracles depend upon it Though in this respect our Saviour's Faith was not Enthusiastick For our Saviour really shewed the just pretences he made to an extraordinary Faith by the mighty works he did whereas the Faith of Enthusiasts produces nothing above the power of Nature And neither was our Saviour's Faith attended with those violent Perturbations of mind and body which Enthusiasts are ever possessed with in their pretensions to Revelation and Prophecy But as Faith is an ordinary Duty of Religion it is only a firm belief in and reliance upon the Promises and Declarations of God whether with respect to Spiritual or Temporal concerns As to both which there is nothing our Saviour recommends but what every wise and sober man both may and ought to subscribe to As to Spiritual conceerns the great Article of our Faith is to believe that God will reward such in another life who diligently seek him in this And what is there in that more than what the most Barbarous Nations have ever consented in and which there is nothing more dishonourable to our Natures than to deny If we are bound also to believe that the Gospel of Christ proposes the safest and best way of seeking God and so of obtaining a future Reward I suppose no one that calls himself a Christian will think much of having that added to his Creed Nay and considering the excellency of that Testimony with which the Gospel is confirmed if Christians are also required to give their consents to some Truths therein revealed which are above the power of Humane reason to comprehend I think no man in common Modesty can object against this especially whilst he considers withal the vast disproportion betwixt God and us together with the weakness of Humane faculties in discerning the Nature Cand auses even of the most common Accidents here below There are many things in Nature which we believe though we see them not and though they seem somewhat contrary to reason such is the Earths hanging upon nothing in the midst of the Air which we have nothing but the power of an Almighty Architect to fly to for the solution of but sure it is hard to deny that Faith to Supernatural which we give to Natural things As to Temporal concerns the sum of our Faith is That God governs the world with the greatest wisdom and goodness and so that we ought to rely upon his Providence in the use of lawful means without anxious fears or troubles And this is no other than a natural Principle and such as is the great foundation of Happiness in this life He that believes this heartily is at Peace with himself in every condition and the same Peace which he brings to himself by it he suffers the rest of the World to enjoy Whilst some whining Hypocrites that talk of nothing more than Faith and practise nothing less than what Faith directs are a continual Plague to themselves and all about them by needless Complaints and Jealousies It is a noble Strain of Philosophy that our Saviour expresses himself in about that undisturbed Content which every one ought to quiet his Soul with in consideration of God's Providence Mat. 6.34 Take no thought for the morrow but let the morrow take thought for it self sufficient for the day is the evil thereof 10. I ove of God is the most genuine Effect of true Faith And the Love of the Eternal begotten Son towards his Father we may well think was so great as to leave infinitely behind it every thing that is called by that Name Yet do we see little of those Transports of Passion in his Love which Mystical people talk so much of and which make the Love of God a Duty no less difficult to be understood than practised He tells us indeed in one place John 10.30 John 14.11 That he and the father were one and in another That the father was in him and he in the father But such places relate to his Hypostatical Union with the Divine Nature which it is Blasphemy for any to pretend to besides himself And there is little ground therefore from hence for those extravagant expressions which contemplative Rhapsodists love to speak in of being united by Love to the Divine Essence and being Transfused into God When christ speaks of Love as a Duty incumbent on us we have no such Expressions as these And to love God then is no more than to keep his Commandments out of a Principle of Duty and Choice John 14.21 as we count him a Being highly worthy to be served by us before all things And there is no need of straining our faculties to such Romantick heights as the people I have been speaking of talk of to do this For though our Saviour tells us that we must love the Lord our God with all our hearts Mark 12.30 and all our souls and all our minds and all our strength What is this more than to express our Love towards him in obeying his Commands with readiness and sincerity As we usually mean in common Speech when we cry we will do such a thing with all our hearts that we are disposed with willingness and affection to do it There are no Notions of Divine Love more sublime than those we meet with in Plato and his Heathen followers from whom it is plain our Mystical Divinity took its Rise But such ought to have strong Heads that soar aloft as they did And if Vulgar Souls are bound to aim at such Contemplative Perfection as these talk of we shall want more Bedlams than Churches Nor
according to the Original Pattern but multitudes in a fond Imitatiod entring themselves into Monasteries too often as a cloak of Idleness to serve their Bellies and their Lusts more than God It is a Remarkable Saying of an Ancient Father to such people Thou separatest thy self from the World that no body may see thee but whom dost thou benefit by this Hadst thou been what thou art thinkest thou if every one had done as thou dost And our Saviour plainly leads the way to the Father in this he is not for such Perfection in Religion as destroys one main end of it which is to make men helpful and beneficial to one another but he divides the Law into Two great Commandments Mat. 22.38 39. the Love of God and of our Neigh bour which he makes alike necessary to be observed and so is not for having one of these to swallow up the Duties of the other Tho if one must necessarily be omitted at any time Mat. 12.7 he is even for preferring Works of Mercy and Goodness before Sacrifice For his own part the great business of his Life was To go about Acts 10.38 doing good not to sit Musing continually by himself by which he brought no less Glory to God than Benefit to Mankind Nor does our Saviour prescribe any set Rules what time must of necessity be employed upon Acts of Devotion but leaves this to every man's Conscience to proportion the time according to his leisure and opportunities To be sure to begin and end the day with God is the least he requires from us as being that which Natural Religion teaches to be necessary And yet would some men make a Conscience of this tho they work six days in the week according to God's gracious Allowance I question not but they serve God as acceptably in profiting the world by their lawful Callings as the severest Recluse in bending his knees continually before God 14. Repentance is a Duty so near a-kin to Piety that I know no place more proper to speak of it than this This is a Duty of a very solemn and severe nature and such as habitual sinners must expect much trouble and contention with themselves about before they bring it to perfection Tho certainly such have little reason to complain of any hardships in this Duty as having brought them upon themselves by their own Fault and they have much more ground to admire God's Goodness in allowing any place at all to Repentance than to charge his Justice with Severity in making the Terms of our Reconciliation so difficult were they much more grievous to us than really they are For indeed as the case now stands there is nothing in this Duty but what we our selves should count reasonable were it payable to any of us To be heartily sorry for a fault Who is there that admits a gross Offender to Mercy without this Who likewise that reckons such a one worthy of new favour without actual signs as well as promises of amendment Though here I see no necessity for those heights of Sorrow which some insist upon so much as the only true marks of sincerity in this Duty and which by unwary Applications have run so many into Melancholly Madness and Despair I am sure there is very little ground for it in our Saviour's Discourses about Repentance His design is rather to mend than to break peoples hearts by this Duty whence we may observe Luke 19.8 Zacheus's Repentance is described by an act of Restitution alone and St. Matthew's by following Christ Luke 5.28 29. and entertaining him at a Feast presently and the Theif's upon the Cross Luke 23.41 42. by humble Confession of his Guilt and Faith in the Merits of our Saviour and not one word all the while of any excessive sorrow that our Saviour prescribes in his Exhortations to these or any other persons It 's true the Prophets often endeavour to awaken the Jews from their Spiritual Security by calling upon them to Howl and Cry aloud and Rent their hearts with like terms of rouzing Rhetorick agreeable to the Genius of the Old Law which was delivered at first in Thunder and Tempest But such who study to imitate the Prophets Stile rather than Christ's I think scarce consider aright What spirit they are of For sure our Saviour had hardened sinners enough to deal with to provoke him to this Stile had it been suitable to his Temper Though still it must be allowed there is much of the Hyperbole in those Expressions of the Prophets no unusual Figure among them And after all they themselves confess That it is not so much the afflicting the soul as turning from wickedness Isa 58.5 and doing that which is lawful and right that God calls Repentance Not that Godly Sorrow is otherwise than commendable in every degree of it as it is a sure sign of Grace and an excellent means of Conversion it being half way towards Amendment of any Fault to be thoroughly possessed with trouble and grief for it And happy therefore is he whose heart being tender and his Soul touched with a deep sense of his Folly and Ingratitude in offending God can with David and St. Peter melt into Tears presently at the remembrance of his past crimes But that which is laudable or useful is not always necessary and I think there is as little reason to suppose it should be so in this as in any other case for there are many Natural circumstances of Age Sex and Constitution of body that cause great difference in peoples Inclinations to Sorrow as the weaker and more tender they are the more easily they are generally wrought upon by this Passion Childhood and Old Age are more subject to it than Manhood Women more than Men soft and gentle Natures more than rough and manlier dispositions But sure Salvation does not depend upon such Circumstances as these which people can no ways help And if some therefore who upon the most sensible afflictions are not able to shed a Tear as there be many of this Temper shall with Dry Eyes confess their sins before God this certainly shall never be reckoned as a Bar to their Acceptance with him This was our Saviour's Life and Doctrine in respect of Piety towards God 15. Look upon our Saviour's Life in respect of Duties relating to our selves and it is altogether of a piece with what has hitherto been observed His Conduct here does more especially shew us the free and generous Temper of his Religion that the Design of it is not to enslave but to enoble the Spirits of men The regulating our passions aright is one main Branch of these and as to this our Saviour was undoubtedly the greatest Master of his Passions that ever the world knew for what others boasted so much of only in Words he practised in Deed nor were there any Trials therefore so severe as to alter the Evenness of his Mind When a Cato and a
the Romanists object against us That our Religion is barren and unfruitful in such good works as these Though I think we may safely enough defie them to make good their Charge when a Reverend Author in King James the First 's time has given us a particular Account of Charities bestowed upon Colleges Hospitals Free-Schools and the like Pious Uses within the compass of Sixty Years since the Reformation amounting to a Million of Money That which he challenges any Age of Popery to parallel in this Kingdom And I think this Age has given sufficient Evidence to stop the mouths of our Adversaries of the respect they bear to this great Duty of Religion in those Liberal Contributions they have made of late to Distressed Strangers as well as in every other Instance of Charity Which also ought the more to be taken notice of for that it is done in a free generous way from the voluntary motions and inclinations of the Benefactors alone not grudgingly or of necessity as it frequently happened in former times when people were frighted into Charity by their Confessors sorely against their wills only to make composition for Pardon of their sins May our light still so shine before men that others seeing our good works may glorifie our Father which is in heaven 26. There is nothing that tends to the ease and benefit of mankind that seems beneath our Saviour's Care And therefore besides these greater Duties that we owe to our Neighbour he insists upon others that may seem of lesser moment though they are of no small comfort to those among whom we converse Such particularly is that of not being Angry with our Brother rashly or without a cause For indeed there is nothing that destroys the Blessings of Society more than this Vice of Anger Prov. 21.19 what Solomon says of an angry woman being certainly as true of an angry man It is better to live in a wilderness than where such be Besides that the Consequences of this Vice are oftentimes very mischievous and fatal Anger being a Passion of a very bloody and desperate nature whereever it is suffered to grow to a head it knows no rules or bounds The two Sons of Zebedee would have destroyed a whole City in a mad Fit of this Passion had Christ been as ready to furnish them with Instruments of Revenge as they were to call for them And we have multitudes of Instances in every Age of peoples murdering their Dearest Friends and doing other things in their Anger which have proved Wounds to their Reputations and their Minds never to be cured in this World Wherefore our Saviour presses the Duty of not being Angry under as great obligations as any other Duty of Religion for he tells us That no less a danger attends the breach of it than that of the Judgment Mat. 5.22 and of Hell-Fire And to shew of how great esteem it is in God's sight he represents it as such without which God will accept no Sacrifice from us 24. Leave thy gift at the Altar therefore he says go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Not that our Saviour would make his Disciples hereby such poor passive creatures as to hinder them from expressing their Resentments with shews of Anger upon just occasions For by commanding us not to be angry with our Brother without a cause he plainly insinuates that in some cases a man may have just cause of being angry And we find therefore that he himself looked upon the Pharisees with anger at the hardness of their hearts Mark 3.5 and that by the Privilege of his Prophetick Office he called Herod Fox in way of Indignation Luke 13.32 when the Message was brought that Herod had a design to kill him Wherefore it is only some Excesses and Irregularities of this Passion that our Saviour reproves when he condemns Anger as a Vice As when it breaks out upon trivial occasions when it is disproportioned to its cause when it swells to immoderate heights when it rankles and breeds bad Blood in us every of which are things not only so mischievous in their consequences but so unseemly in themselves besides that if Christ had not forbid them our own Consciences would have done it And there is nothing of a Wise or Brave man therefore but though he may be taken sometimes in such Indecencies is ashamed of himself afterwards Whilst the Blood indeed is up and the mouth swells with big words a man appears to himself very Great and he Lords it with no small Pride and Tyranny over those who are bound in Duty or Interest not to oppose him But he that stands by and considers the poor grounds upon which this deal a-do is often made is so far from admiring the Greatness of the man's Soul that he does but pity his Weakness all the while They are the shallowest streams that are generally most Noisy and most subject to overflow And a man therefore that values his Reputation would keep a strict hand over himself about this Passion tho he had no other obligation to restrain him 27. Censoriousness is another Vice opposite to the Duties of Love which may seem of lesser moment to our Neighbour's good though it cause none of the least uneasinesses to him This our Saviour frequently reflects upon the Pharisees for who it may seem reckoned it a greater piece of Holiness to Judge other peoples Faults than to Correct their own And all their Discourse therefore ran upon this subject and they could not so much as Pray to God but they must tell him of their Neighbours Faults and thank him that they were not as other men Luke 18.11 not as this Publican It was much the worse to be sure that their Censoriousness was generally attended with Pride and Uncharitable Aggravations though it had been bad enough had it been only a supercilious reproving their Neighbours continually for lesser faults which for the most part they had no other ground to condemn than that they were not according to their own Pedantick ways of walking For this is what our Saviour means by their beholding the mote in their brothers eye Mat. 7.1 3. which gave occasion to his Precept of not judging And indeed this must render Converse so very uneasie to men and consequently Religion so uncomfortable a thing when upon every appearance of evil they must be disciplined and Schooled by their Friends that it is more to be feared they should be hardned against all Reproof than to be hoped they should amend by it which is the greatest dis-service we can do either to Religion or our Neighbour's Soul No question but to reprove people with Candor and Discretion is an excellent Duty in it self and there is no office of Love more worthy the name of true Friendship But to perform this aright requires more of Temper and Prudence than the Vulgar are generally Masters of And that men
may use all Caution therefore in it we find our Saviour more solicitous in condemning the opposite Extreme than in enforcing the Duty Particularly where Reproof is like to do more harm than good Christ has given us Advice very plainly in a prudential way not to expose Religion and our selves in such cases Mat. 7.6 Give not that which is holy unto dogs neither cast your pearls before swine lest they trample them under foot and turn again and rent you Though this is to be understood not without some Reserve to Parents and Ministers and Masters of Families and the like whose Duty it is to be instant in season and out of season in reproving those committed to their Charge as there is much less danger of their Reproof being despised by such than by Strangers or Friends it being the proper business of their Office to do this which few are so unreasonable as not to make some allowance for and more especially these having Authority on their side to back their Reproofs with Correction where the former work not the effect designed This as to our Saviour's Life and Doctrine in respect of Duties relating to our Neighbour 28. I should now put an end to this Discourse but that I think it convenient to answer some general Objections that may be brought against it The principal of which is The Example of the Primitive Christians whose rigid observance of many Duties it must be confessed was much beyond the Measures prescribed here especially in respect of Temperance Contempt of the World Mortification and the like self-denying Virtues And now in answer to this I must declare That I cannot think the Primitive Christians practice an adequate rule of walking to us For though their Zeal be certainly much to be admired yet it is plain in some things they went as much beyond the bounds of Prudence as of their Duty Particularly in the case of Martyrdom a thing they grew so fond of in a little time as to run themselves wilfully into Dangers and even to provoke their Persecutors to put them to Death As if our Saviour had given no such Advice to his Disciples Mat. 10.23 to fly from City to City to avoid Persecution and this they did sometimes in ways scarce warrantable Such was that of Apphianus a famous Martyr of Palestine holding the Prefect Vrbanus's hand when he was going to Sacrifice Insomuch that the Church thought fit at last in several Councils to blame this unnatural and overzealous Ambition And neither were their Austerities less strained beyond the Limits prescribed in the Gospel Origen's chusing to lye upon the ground and walk barefoot many years was more I am sure than any Law of Christ obliged him to as likewise were those severe Rules of Temperance which he and others observed in those days Of which we have a remarkable Instance in one Alcibiades who was wont to live upon Bread and Water for a long time till it was Bevealed says the Historian to Attalus the Martyr That the Man did not well in refusing God's Creatures and giving offence to his weak brethren Upon which Alcibiades was prevailed upon to eat and drink as other people and gave Thanks to God for it And the same must be said as to their Renouncing the World to that degree many of them as well nigh to fall under the Apostle's Censure 1 Tim. 5.8 of not providing for their own at least to come within the compass of that voluntary humility Col. 2.18 and neglecting the body which the same Apostle declares to have only a shew of wisdom in them And it would be endless to insist upon every other Duty wherein the Zeal of those Times was wont to supererogate as in Watchings and Fastings in Vows of Chastity in unmerciful Penances and the like 29. Though here I cannot but admire the Wisdom of God's Providence in ordering things at this rate as well for the good of those that were already Converted as for the Conversion of others in those times For considering what Persecutions the Primitive Christians were to lye under it was little less than necessary to infuse such Principles as these into their minds By this means their voluntary Austerities became a sort of hardning to them to make them fit Soldiers for that severe Service they were called to For it was no great difficulty for such to endure long and cruel Imprisonments who were wont to lye upon the bare earth and fare coursly in their ordinary way of life And this must mightily take off from the Pain and Terror of those Tortures which they daily saw inflicted upon others and were at last condemned to themselves This made the great Champions of the Church when they mounted the Stage to be more concerned for their Fellow-Sufferers lest through Weakness or Tenderness of Body they should be tempted to renounce their Faith as not being used to such Ascetick Discipline than for any miseries they saw prepared for themselves Of which we have a notable Instance in the case of Blandina a Martyr of France though by an admirable Fortitude she frustrated the Fears of her Friends as well as the Expectation of her Enemies And of much greater necessity was their Contempt of the things of this life for engaging them to maintain their Profession with Resolution and Constancy amidst the Persecutions they lay under For men that are Wedded to the World are very loth to be Divorced from it and there is nothing more difficult than for such to follow Christ who are fast tied to Riches and Honour and Pleasures The First Christians looked upon these things as little better than the Incumbrances of life and like true Sojourners therefore upon Earth they desired nothing more than just enough to bear their Charges to Heaven So if Persecution seized their Estates it was but like robbing them of an upper Garment which they had little need of and which they were ready enough to throw off of their own accord and it could be no doubtful Choice to such whether they should part with this or a good Conscience which they knew was a Treasure to them to all Eternity If Persecution reached their Lives also it brought them but the sooner to their Journey 's end they knew and they had little reason to be otherwise than contented with this who proposed so small a share to themselves in the Comforts and Enjoyments of this World 30. Nor do I less admire God's Gracious Providence in ordering things at this rate on account of the Gentiles of those times there being no means more likely than this for Converting them For these were a sort of Principles which the Philosophy of that Age ran very much upon and we no where meet with greater Examples of Severity of Manners as to Temperance and Mortification and Contempt of the World than the Schools of the Heathens would at least pretend to in those times The Stoicks were extremely rigid this way who bid
sincerely enough to be right and especially such as these being obliged by virtue of their Office to inculcate the Duties of Religion upon others whatever their own failings may be And therefore though our Saviour condemns the Pharisees in this place for laying heavy burdens upon mens shoulders which themselves would not touch this argues not the Hypocrisy but the vanity and unreasonableness of their Doctrines in straining the Duties of Religion to impracticable heights and condemning others uncharitably for every lesser slip when themselves were daily guilty of much greater Crimes 6. Wherefore in fine a man may be a Hypocrite I think tho he knows it not himself and it is not only to design contrary to his Professions of Holiness but to do contrary to them that ranks him among such persons And this I take to be the nature of the Pharisees Hypocrisy The Pharisees were such persons as wise Agur speaks of Prov. 30.12 who were pure in their own eyes and yet were not washed from their filthiness Men that appeared not only to others but to themselves very Righteous persons And they had no small reason to think thus of themselves had Piety and Temperance and the like Duties been the only things required of us by God But their great fault was that resting altogether in Performances of this nature they became careless of other Duties no less necessary to Salvation such more especially are those that are called Social Vertues For they neglected those weighty matters of the Law our Saviour says Judgment Mat. 23.23 Mercy and Faith where by Judgment he means Justice by Mercy Charity by Faith Faithfulness in dealing by all of these the whole of our Duty towards our Neighbour These the Pharisees made little account of as Duties of an inferior rank which even Heathens and Sinners for so their Spiritual Pride prompted them to call every one almost that was not of their own Sect practised But whatever the Pharisees might think of such Duties Mat. 22.36 our Saviour looks upon them as no other than the one half of Religion and this of such esteem in his sight that the most specious Holiness was but as a piece of Pageantry and mock shew with him when such substantial Duties were neglected It is by these therefore that he has taught us to know Hypocrites as by their fruits Mat. 7.16 and by the same marks he himself judges of the Pharisees because these fruits of Righteousness appeared not in their lives but how fair or promising soever the Tree might seem they were either wholly barren in Good Works or else produced Fruits quite contrary to expectation Fruits that were noxious and fatal to such who conversed with them therefore does our Saviour pronounce them to be Hypocrites Mat. 23.14 therefore does he declare that they shall receive the greater damnation And this Notion of the Pharisees Hypocrisy as I take it to be most just and true in it self so does it best agree with that common Notion we have of a Pharisaical Righteousness whereby we don't mean a Counterfeit one but a vain and empty one that consists in forms of godliness denying the power thereof which ought to shew it self in Good Works 7. Nor ought this to be reckoned a vain Subject of Discourse now-a days for though the Pharisees have long since been dead and rotten in their Graves yet are their Principles and Practices still stirring among us and there are many it 's to be seared to whom the Name of a Pharisee is sufficiently odious who yet by mistaking the Nature of the Pharisees Hypocrisy reckon it a great Perfection in Religion to imitate them in their most distinguishing Qualities For we live in an Age wherein the greatest Pretenders to Religion are so taken up with shews of Holiness that they mind little else ard this with no less Satisfaction to themselves than Applause and Admiration from the people Insomuch that if Christ were to appear again upon earth with those innocent freedoms he allowed himself in here and a strict Pharisee at the same time with long prayers and a face disfigured and eye-lids continually lift up and a brow knit at every little liberty men took tho without offence to God it is little to be questioned if some were to be the Judges which would be reckoned the greater Saint of the two Our Saviour's Modesty and Good Works would in all likelihood weigh as little among such for turning the scale on his side as the Pharisees Pride and Injustice would hinder it from turning the other way Such sins as these being reckoned at worst but specks in God's Children which God will not be extreme to mark and such therefore as shall make a better show among some people when gilded over by a specious Holiness than the Virtues of other men whose Conversations are not altogether so Formal As long as such Principles and Practices as these are thus taking in the world it cannot certainly be unseasonable to shew the dangerousness of them which I think sufficiently appears in this Case of the Pharisees for it was these chiefly we see that occasioned those many Woes which our Saviour pronounces against them They contented themselves with a half-face Religion which looked fair towards God but was full of Pride and the like Deformities on the other side carrying Guile and Oppression in it towards their Neighbour And our Saviour is so far from approving this that he looks upon them as no other than Hypocrites for it So odious in his esteem were these Vices of theirs which many make so light of that not their Fastings and Prayers not their Attendance upon Ordinances not all their Zeal and Strictnesses in other parts of Religion could recommend them to one good word from him when attended with such Moral Defects as these Certainly a plain Argument of the Excellency of Moral Precepts and such as might be sufficient to make those ashamed who upbraid our Church with insisting upon such Precepts and pretend to make distinctions betwixt Preaching Christ and these As if to Preach Christ were any thing else than to Preach those Duties which Christ has commanded and as if there were any Duties that are urged upon mens Practice by Christ under more pressing Circumstances than these Tho God forbid here that I should be thought any ways to vilifie the Duties of real Piety so as to prefer Moral Duties before them much less to reckon them of small weight in themselves For when all is done To Love the Lord our God with all our heart and all our souls Mat. 22.38 is the first and great commandment And this is that under Christ which sanctifies every Moral work we do These being altogether vain and fruitless in the way to Salvation when not acted with a design of pleasing God and setting forth his Glory thereby But what I have said is only to shew That to Love our Neighbour as our selves is that second commandment which is like unto the first Ibid. 39. and that without doing this Will of our Heavenly Father there is no entring into the Kingdom of God For as our Saviour tells the Pharisees in a somewhat parallel case Tho the former ought to be done this latter ought by no means to be left undone and there is no less danger in omitting one than the other FINIS