found in them And it is considerable that the ancient Bishops of Rome owned not nor claimed any such Authority nor was any such given to them by the Primitive Church To this purpose it may be observed from (l) Epiph. Her 42. Epiphanius that when Marcion being excommunicated by his own Father a pious Bishop for his debauchery went to Rome and desired there to be received into Communion he was told there by those Elders yet alive who were the Disciples of the Apostles that they could not receive him without the permission of his Reverend Father there being one Faith and one Concord they could not act contrary to their Fellow Ministers And this was agreeable to the Rules and Canons of the ancient Church whereby it was ordained (m) Can. Ap. 12. that if any excommunicate person should be received in another City whither he should come not having commendatory Letters he who received him should be himself also under excommunication And the novel Romish Notion of all other Bishops so depending on the Roman as to derive their power and authority from him is so contrary to the sense of the ancient Church that (n) Hieron Ep. ad Evagrium S. Hierome declares ubicunque fuerit Episcopus five Romae five Eugubii ejusdem meriti ejusdem est sacerdotii omnes Apostolorum successores sunt wheresoever there was a Bishop whether at Rome or at Gubio he is of the same worth and the same Priesthood they are all Successors of the Apostles 20. and prejudicial to other Churches and to Religion it self However the Romish Church upon this encroachment and false pretence claims a power to receive appeals from any other Churches And this oft proves a great obstacle to the Government and discipline of those Churches and an heavy and burdensome molestation to particular persons by chargeable tedious and dilatory prosecutions and is a method also of exhausting the treasures of other Churches and Kingdoms to gratifie ambitious avarice But even the (o) c. 6. qu. 3. scitote Canon Law declares the great reasonableness that every Province where there is ten or eleven Cities and a King should have a Metropolitan and other Bishops and that all causes should be judged and determined by them among themselves and that no Province ought to be so much debased and degraded as to be deprived of such a Judicature Indeed the Canon Law doth here for the sake of the Roman See exempt such cases from this judgement where those who are to be judged enter an appeal which is much different from the appeal the ancient Church allowed (p) Conc. Constant c. 6. to a more General Council after the insufficient hearing of a Provincial one But in truth this right of ordering and judging what is fit in every Province is not only the right of that particular Church or Country or Kingdom but where they proceed according to truth and goodness it is the right of God and the Christian Religion which is above all contrary authority of any other and ought not to be violated thereby And appeals from hence (pp) Cod. ean Eccl. Afr. c. 28. The Romanists Schismatical even to Rome were anciently prohibited in Africa 21. And the Schismatical uncharitableness of them at Rome towards other Churches deserves here to be mentioned This widens divisions and discords and perpetuates them by declaring an irreconcileable opposition to peace and truth They excommunicate them as Hereticks who discerning their right and their duty will not submit themselves to their usurpations and embrace their errors and to them they hereupon deny the hopes of Salvation Thus they deal with them who stedfastly hold to the Catholick faith and to all the holy rules of the Christian life and practice delivered by the Apostles and received by the Primitive Church and who also embrace that Catholick charity and Unity that they own Communion with all the true and regular members of the Christian Church and would with as much joy communicate with the Roman Church her self if she would make her Worship and Communion and the terms of it free from sin as the Father in the Gospel embraced his returning Son But this is the crime of such Churches that while they hold fast the Apostolical Faith and Order they reject the novel additional doctrines introduced by the Church of Rome and they submit not to her usurped authority in not doing what in duty to God they ought to do in imbracing the right wayes of truth 22. Their unjust excommunications hurt not others But the excommunicating such persons and Churches doth no hurt to them who undeservedly lie under this unjust censure but the effect of the censure may fall on them who thus excommunicate For they who reject the Communion of them who are true and orderly Members of the Church Catholick do divide themselves from that Communion To this sense is that received rule (q) c. 24. qu. 3. c. si habes c. certum illicita excommunicatio non laedit eum qui notatur sed eum à quo notatur and this was declared by (r) in Balsamon p. 1096. Nicon to be agreeable to the Canons And the excellency and power of the true Catholick Doctrine and the purity thereof is so much to be preferred before the authority of any persons whomsoever who oppose it that that which the ancient Canons (ſ) Conc. Sardic c. 17. established was very fit and just that if any Bishops and consequently any other persons were ejected from their own Churches or suffered any censures unjustly for their adhering to the Catholick Faith and profession they ought still to be received in other Churches and Cities with kindness and love And whereas there were Canons of the Church which allowed not Bishops to reside in other Churches and Dioceses these Fathers at Sardica dispense with that Rule in such a case as this and thereby declare their fense to be That the observation of Canonical establishments must give place where the higher duties of respect to the Christian Faith and Charity were concerned 23. but only themselves When the Scribes and Pharisees condemned the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles for Heresie and cast them who received it out of the Church the Christians were nevertheless the true members of the Church but they who rejected them were not so And when the Donatists would allow none but their own party to belong to the Church they thereby cast themselves out of the Catholick Communion as Schismaticks And when they at Rome so far follow their steps as to confine the Christian Communion to themselves or to a particular Church especially such an one as so greatly swerves from the truth and purity of the Christian Religion Sect. II. this is in effect to deny that Article of our Creed concerning the Holy Catholick Church And since Charity and Vnity are of so great concernment in Christianity on that account also they are none
Communion thereof and therefore is deeply Schismatical and unpeaceable For they who assert those not to be owned right members of the Church who were Baptized in their infancy unless they be Baptized again do and must maintain that those Churches can be no true Churches of Christ whose members were Baptized only in their infancy and thereupon pass that heavy and unjust Censure upon the generality of all Christian Churches since the time of the first founding them that they are no true Churches Hence they are put upon rejecting the Communion of the true Catholick Christian Church and the setting up for new Churches in an high opposition to Charity and Unity and in an open and avowed practice of Universal Schism To this purpose Bullinger Calvin Zanchy Beza and other Protestant Writers have complained greatly of Anabaptists as laying a foundation of all disorder and confusion Indeed they described those Anabaptists they wrote of not only to hold this erroneous Opinion concerning Baptism it self but to be Enthusiasts and undervalue the Holy Scriptures to ingage in such Libertinism as to disallow the just authority of Magistrates and the setled Government of the Church to imbrace the Principles of Antinomianism with practices suitable thereto with other hurtful errors hence the Anabaptists were by (y) Explic. Catech. Par. 2. Qu. 74. Vrsin called a Sect quae sine dubio à Diabolo est excitata monstrum est execrabile ex variis haeresibus blasphemiis conflatum which saith he without doubt was raised by the Devil and is an execrable Monster made up of various Heresies and Blasphemies But this Principle of theirs concerning Baptism is such that thereby they cut themselves off from the Church or Body of Christ and its Communion and involve themselves in a very heavy sin and dangerous condition 16. And whatsoever may have any usefulness towards piety and goodness which any of these men may seem to aim at in a way of error and with a various mixture of other things hurtful and evil is provided for by us if good rules be carefully practised in a better manner and in a way of truth That every man ought to make Religion his own act and make a free and voluntary profession thereof and yield his hearty consent to ingage himself therein and in the practice thereof we assert to be very necessary in persons who are of age and capacity of understanding And though Infants cannot do this in their infant state yet their future obligation is then declared on their behalf and when they come to a sufficient age they are certainly bound to believe and to do what in their Baptism was promised and declared in their names And this is afterwards solemnly promised by themselves when in their younger years they are confirmed and they likewise in a sacred manner ingage themselves hereto when at a fuller age they receive the holy Communion and it would be of great advantage to the Church of God and the holy exercises of piety if these two offices were more generally seriously and devoutly attended upon Men also oblige themselves to the faith and duties of Religion by their whole profession of Christianity and all those acts whereby they own and declare themselves Christians and particularly in joining in all duties of Christian Worship Sect. IV. and professing the Creed or Christian Faith and the performance of what is thus undertaken runs through the whole practice of the Christian life The result of what I have said concerning Anabaptism is that the miscarriages therein contained are of a very great and weighty nature it being no small evil and sin to offend greatly against the truth and withal to confine and derogate from the grace of the Gospel-Covenant and the due extent of the Christian Church besides the comfort and incouragement of Christian Parents and to be so injurious to Infants as to deny them those means of grace which they have a right to partake of and which are useful to their Spiritual and eternal welfare in neglecting also what God establisheth and keeping off Infants from that solemn ingagement to God which he requireth and to undermine the very foundations of Peace and Unity in the Church SECT IV. Of Independents 1. IN discoursing of Independency and the Practices and Principles thereof I shall not search after all things that might be spoken to since in several things the Independents or Congregational Men differ from one another and alter their own Sentiments and it was the profession of those five chief Persons who espoused this Cause in the time of our Civil Wars and Confusions (a) Apologet. Narration not to make their present judgments and practices a binding Law to themselves for the future And therefore I shall consider only some things which are mainly essential to the Congregational way and are the chief distinguishing Characters of that Party and the things they mainly urge and contend for And I shall shew that these things are so far from being desirable or warrantable that they are chargeable with much evil And here I shall treat of three things First Of single Congregagations and the power thereof not being subject to any Superiour Government in the Church Secondly Of their gathering Churches out of Christian Churches by separation and modelling these by a particular Covenant with a private Congregation Thirdly Their placing the Governing Power and Authority of the Church in the People or major Vote of the Members of their Church 2. First Their asserting single Congregations not to be subject in matters of Ecclesiastical Order and Government to any higher Authority among men than what is exercised by themselves This is that Principle which denominates this party Independents Indeed some of themselves did at sometimes express their dislike of this Name and the Authors of the Apologetical Narration above mentioned called it the proud and insolent Title of Independency But as this Name is ordinarily owned by the Congregational men as in the end of their Preface to their Declaration of their Faith at the Savoy and very frequently elsewhere so the Answer to the Thirty two Questions from New England gives this account of it (b) Answer to 14. Qu. We do confess the Church is not so Independent but that it ought to depend on Christ but for dependency on men or other Churches or other subordination unto them in regard of Church-Government or power we know not of any such appointed by Christ in his Word And this they speak concerning a particular Congregation And whilst we assert that such Congregations ought to be under the inspection of Bishops or Superiour Governours in the Church and under the Authority of publickly established Rules and Canons of the Church and under the Government also of Princes and Secular Sanctions they of this way own no such higher Governing Power and Authority above that of a single Congregation 3. Concerning the Civil Magistrate they declare him bound (c) Decl. of
somewhat which may manifest the great evil of this uncharitable behaviour especially towards our Superiours and may be sufficient to warn men against it Such an undertaking as this is very agreeable to that particular Apostolical direction and precept of S. Paul who charged Titus in the work of his Ministry Tit. 3.1 2. to put men in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good work To speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness to all men Whatsoever esteem some persons will have of such instructions and truths as these are the Apostle with respect hereto commands Titus v. 8. these things I will that thou affirm constantly and further declares in the end of that verse these things are good and profitable unto men And it must needs be a fit season and very requisite to declare against any sin when it is grown to that height that men will openly avow it and become bold and confident in the practice of it without shame or regret And that what I shall speak of this Subject may be the more carefully regarded Some preparatory considerations proposed I shall in my entrance upon it take some notice which I shall afterward further pursue of the great hurt and danger of this sin and its being inconsistent with piety and true holiness and Religion The tongue S. James saith is an unruly evil full of deadly poyson Jam. 3.8 and therefore it is no little mischief which proceeds from the ill government thereof 4. Uncharitable reproaches are First 1. Reproaching is contrary to the highest and best examples set before us in the Scripture Unsuitable to the best and highest examples which the Scripture proposeth for our imitation and contrary and hateful to the wisest and most excellent persons But it is most reasonable for us to follow such examples since such persons who are of clearest knowledge and free from all passionate and sinful inclinations can most perfectly discern good and are fitly qualified to make the best choice But this disorder is so far opposite to true goodness that though rash men may not duly observe the evil thereof yet as an evident conviction of the great sinfulness contained therein especially in reproaching Governours S. Jude tells us that Michael the Archangel when contending with the Devil durst not bring against him a railing accusation Jude 9. And yet inconsiderate and passionate men dare venture on this sin without fear though a person of so great wisdom and knowledge as the Archangel durst not do it and though the Apostle and the Holy Ghost himself propose his example as a manifest condemnation of such transgressors And those pious Christians who have been best acquainted with the Spirit of Christianity have accounted as every man ought to do this instance to be of great force Hence (b) Hieron in Tit. c. 3. S. Hierome from this instance of the Archangel urgeth the necessity of a careful practice of that Christian duty to speak evil of no man And when S. Peter had observed what a daring presumption some evil men were arrived unto that they were not afraid to speak evil of Dignities he in like manner adds 2 Pet. 2.10 11. whereas Angels which are greater in power and might bring not railing accusations against them before the Lord and we should do the will of God on Earth as it is done by them in Heaven Agreeably to these we have the great example of our Lord and Saviour which is proposed for our imitation 1 Pet. 2.23 Who when he was reviled he reviled not again And besides these things we may discern how much the holy God disliketh and is displeased with this evil practice by his laws and precepts condemning it and by the threatnings he hath denounced and the punishments he will inflict upon those who are guilty of this sin but of these I shall discourse more hereafter 5. But this evil practice is very agreeable to the temper and disposition of the evil spirit and thereupon (c) Basil Ep. 75. Chrys Hom. de Diabol Tentat Andr. Caesar in Apoc c. 34. and is a great complyance with the Evil one ancient Writers have accounted the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a calumniator to have been very properly given to him For pride uncharitableness promoting mischief and departing from truth all which things are manifestly joyned together in this sin do make up very much of the nature of the evil one These things therefore are both pleasing to him and a considerable resemblance of him And indeed the Devil hath done a great part of his work in the world by this very practice and it becomes every Christian to detest the following his example and the carrying on his work The first transgression of mankind was occasioned by his misreporting and misrepresenting the intentions of Gods Government and his laws And one of the most effectual means whereby Satan hath hindred the greater progress of the Christian Religion especially in the Primitive times when Religion it self continued uncorrupt was by defaming both our holy Religion and them who heartily embraced it and by prevailing upon a great part of the world to believe much evil concerning it and entertain great prejudices against it To this end such calumnies were invented and spread abroad as that the assembling of Christians together to partake of the holy Eucharist were meetings to perpetrate villanies in murdering and eating of an Infant and practising uncleanness as many of the Writers of the first Ages have declared who have refuted such notorious slanders And the Christians themselves were aspersed as men of inflexible obstinacy and a perverse will and this even (d) Plin. Ep. l. 10. Ep. 97. Pliny chargeth them with who vindicates them from the forementioned crimes They were also reputed Atheists as (e) Just Apol. 2. Justin Martyr declares because they owned not the Gentile Idolatry And many other things of like nature might be added Whereas if Christianity had been generally represented and apprehended in its genuine excellencies its amiable purity and truth and its Divine Authority it would have commanded a more general submission among men But by the wiles of Satan and the malice of his instruments such calumnies were spread abroad that it was in its first manifestation every where spoken against Act. 28.22 6. Secondly 2. It is inconsistent with true Holiness The practice of this sin is inconsistent with true piety and integrity of heart For as the fruit shews the nature of the tree so an ill-governed tongue is a plain evidence of a corrupt heart and speaks passion and uncharitableness to prevail there where meekness and love should take place This our Lord testifies Mat. 12.34 35. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure of
rage and tumult of disorderly affections than by the Christian temper the precepts of our Lord and the Spirit of God who is a Spirit of meekness and peace But though meekness which is calm and inoffensive be far from deserving any censure or ill will yet where men give the reins to their tongues even the eminent practices thereof though never so undeservedly will be ill treated and defamed Our Saviour was of that mild behaviour that he was not for calling for fire from Heaven to consume such as would not receive him nor was he pleased with those his chief Apostles who were enclined to such fierceness And when the Jews who would not be perswaded by him brought misery upon themselves he was so far from being pleased with the thoughts of their calamity that notwithstanding all their opposition against him when he foretold and denounced their destruction he did this with tender bowels of pity and compassion and with inward grief and sorrow for them He then wept over the city and said Oh that thou hadst known even thou in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace Indeed he as a faithful teacher reproved their sins but he herein acted the part of a friend as a good governour also doth in putting a stop to evil by his Authority Even Rulers prudent executing wrath on them that do evil and a smart rebuke of offenders is very agreeable to true meekness and a well-governed measure of anger is here as (n) Naz. Carm. Iamb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianzen calls it a commendable passion and none ought to please others in evil and to their hurt Our Lord so observed the regular measures of meekness and gentleness that he would not allow his fathers name to be dishonoured his house and worship to be prophaned and his laws to be violated but this was that the Jews would not bear And Moses also the meekest man upon Earth was divers times complained of and the Israelites murmured against him And it is easie to give other instances without looking far into History of them whose innocent behaviour and kind temper hath not kept them off from being exposed to censure and they who could say with Samuel whose oxe or ass have I taken have been so dealt with and aspersed as if they had been the greatest contrivers of ruine in the world 20. Now if all this be duly considered it will shew the strange exorbitancy of the passionate expressions and censorious tongues of men and what great advantage Satan gains thereby and into what unreasonable practices many men are blindfoldly carried away by this method For they oft reproach the best and most upright among men and those who do the most faithful service to God and are most useful to the good of mankind and them who are indued with the highest authority and adorned and furnished with the greatest innocency Sect. II. All which is manifest in the great example of the blessed Jesus and of many others the most deserving persons 21. The Moralists Counsel is here of great and necessary use to every good man that he who will resolve to be honest and upright (o) Senec. Ep. 77. Ad honesta vadenti contemnendus est ipse contemptus must despise contempt and reproach And there is the greater reason for this under Christianity because we therein have a clear prospect of eternal happiness which we must pursue and are to be followers of our Lord who in a greater case than that of reproach for the joy that was set before him despised the shame A good man must be a resolved man No other man ever was so pure and excellent as he was who both by his life and practice and by his Doctrine and instruction was as (p) Naz Orat. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianzene stiles him he who gave the compleat perfection to the spiritual law and rule of life But every Christian must so far follow him and take up his Cross as to be willing and resolved to bear such difficulties as these or whatsoever else he may meet with in the practice of his Christian duty And if any other men be never so unreasonable in their clamorous censures against him he must go on steadily in his pious exercises SECT II. Who are apt to be prevailed with to be guilty of the sinful reproaching others and how far this sin becomes spreading and contagious 1. The sin of rash evil-speaking takes great place among the generality of men THe proneness of persons to defame and speak evil of others is such that it greatly prevails among multitudes of men and though it be a very unworthy and unchristian thing it takes up very much of the discourse and converse of a great part of mankind Many there are who being conscious to themselves that they deserve censure are the more ready to blame and find fault with others that themselves may not be thought worse than other men Some who have little of real worth to commend themselves are the more apt to speak evil of others that they may gain to themselves so much respect as to be preferred before those whom they defame but they usually fail in this design since hereby those whose reputation they reflect upon are oft provoked to discredit them and also they are the more condemned and the worse thought of by wise and good men for this temper of uncharitableness it being observed by (a) de Offic. lib. 1. Tully that this manner of discourse gives the most manifest indication of viciousness and corruption of manners in him who utters it whether it be done in a way of seeming gravity and severity or by open scurrilousness or by jocular and pleasant facetiousness And some are so proud and self-conceited though they have little reason for it that they are not pleased to hear any man well spoken of but themselves and think every commendation misplaced that is not bestowed upon themselves and this puts them into a great forwardness of disparaging others and this mixt with uncharitableness is the parent of envy from whence as also from all hatred and malice from whatsoever occasion they arise proceedeth evil-speaking And some serve secular interests by discrediting others to advance themselves 2. And others observing how frequent this behaviour is among men comply with it as a thing in fashion and for society sake joyn in passing the same censures that others do merely to gratifie the humours and avoid the censures of some hot and eager men And some again have such undeserved hard thoughts of others through suspicious misapprehensions and false constructions of their words or actions that they think it just to disparage them And others meerly from observing the prevalency of censorious reproaches and outcries against some sorts of men are hereupon apt to conclude that there is some considerable reason for all this and that they ought to do the like though they know no evil concerning
these persons nor can lay any thing to their charge And these several sorts of men make up so great a number that it was the complaint of an ancient and pious Bishop of considerable note (b) Paulin ad Celant inter Epist Hieronymi 14. that there were very few men who had forsaken this vice and concerning those from whom better might be expected he adds that even they who had gone far off from other vices fall into this as into the last snare of the Devil 3. But since this hath respect to the actions and practices of men we may best discover how largely this evil is propagated by observing particular instances of fact and none can be given more considerable than that which concerneth our blessed Saviour Wherefore I shall now enquire Who they were by whom he and other worthy men were reviled 4. Yet 1. It is odious to the best of men Now First He was not reviled but reverenced by the best and most holy men who observed and obeyed the true rules of Religion These rendred unto him that honour and glory which was due to the Son of God the Messias and Mediator of the New Testament and the Saviour of the World And indeed all rash evil speaking and reproaching especially against those who deserve to be highly esteemed and honoured is much opposite to the reason and conscience of man and more especially to the true Christian temper and both that charity and that honesty and integrity which it so much requires It is also greatly contrary to the motions of the Holy Spirit of God who disposeth good men to the performance of these Christian duties Hence the Apostle having commanded that men grieve not the Holy Spirit of God Eph. 4.30 31. adds Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil-speaking be put away from among you with all malice Slandering and reproaching are of the evil one and it is part of the character of those worst sort of men described by S. Jude that they are murmurers complainers walking after their own lusts and their mouth speaketh great swelling words But meekness patience humility and charity are such great and necessary duties that those who are sincerely good apply themselves to the practice of them And uncharitable speaking hath such a contradiction to these and such like duties that it is very distastful and odious to the spirits of such pious men who have duly considered the evil of it S. Austin professed such an earnest and constant dislike hereof that as (c) Pos d. de Vit. Aug c. 22. Posidonius relates he had contra pestilentiam humanae consuetudinis against the plague or pest of the custome of men in their converse these two Verses inscribed upon his table Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam Hanc mensam indignam noverit esse sibi That is Whosoever pleaseth himself to use biting words against the lives of absent persons let him know that this table is no fit place for his society And the same Writer tells us that he would not with patience hear any man speak contrary to this rule of free and familiar conversation The best men are not only perfect strangers from but enemies to this vicious practice and every Christian man ought watchfully to take heed of it and if at any time he be surprized and overtaken thereby he so far departs from the rules of his Religion and makes himself work for a future repentance 6. But Secondly 2. It is frequently entertained by the publick vogue of the multitude The common vogue may frequently pass severe censures upon the best of men Even the Holy Jesus was reviled and evil spoken of by the generality of the Jewish Nation It is true that manifest and open vice is a thing so shameful and so contrary to the common sentiments of reason and conscience that it is in all places a blemish to any mans reputation and a just matter of general censure And vertue and goodness considered in the notion of it and in the practice also when rightly understood go under a general commendation and applause But yet such are oft-times the common mistakes of the multitude concerning persons that the best men fall under a suspicion amongst them of harbouring some secret evil design and men of the greatest integrity and simplicity are charged with being the contrivers of danger and mischief by the publick voice and clamour of the people And it is no hard thing for subtil ill-designing men or for those who are themselves jealous to promote these misapprehensions amongst others Even the useful undertakings which wise and good men prudently manage with the greatest integrity are oft-times strangely misunderstood and the intent of them strangely misrepresented to the common esteem of men This was so much observed by Socrates that he declared as Xenophon tells us (d) Xenoph. 2. Memor that it is no easie thing to undertake any work to wit of a publick and useful concern without undergoing blame because it is no easie thing to be every where free from real fault or to meet with equal judges where they are so 7. it is the more mischievous by reason of its spreading infection And there are very many instances wherein the greater part of the people have been guilty in this particular of judging speaking and acting against their duty and in divers of them Gods displeasure was remarkably manifest Thus did the Jews with united votes and clamour engage against our Lord. Nor was this only the carriage of the meanest sort of men who might be thought more rash and inconsiderate but even their Elders and chief rulers and the whole Jewish Sanhedrin was of this temper and spirit And though this gave encouragement unto others it was not the better for them but the worse that this sin prevailed so universally for hence proceeded the ruine and misery of the Jewish Nation to this day and the forfeiture also of their relation (e) Cypr. Ep. 69. to God to Christ and to his Church And when after the death of Corah even all the Congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron Numb 16.41 this occasioned a dreadful Plague And before this the general discontent against the Conduct of Moses which appeared in all the Children of Israel who resolved to chuse themselves a new Governour and to return back to Egypt Numb 14.4 at the time when they who searched the land of Canaan brought an evil report upon it did provoke God to resolve that they should all die in the Wilderness 8. But in such cases as these every good man ought to have that generous and couragious spirit as not to be daunted or moved even with publick censure And he must esteem his approving himself to God and having the testimony of his own conscience to his integrity to be of more value than the flattering applauses of the greatest numbers of men It was excellently spoken by
the being influenced by such passionate censures guide lead and direct them since our Saviour who was the most excellent guide that ever the World had and the most innocent person was so highly defamed and so injuriously aspersed with unreasonable calumny 35. Secondly I intend hereby to manifest how much courage stedfastness and constancy is necessary for the sincerely pious man It may be the portion of any such person whomsoever Unreasonable censures are to be couragiously undergone in his speaking and doing well to be misrepresented and exposed to calumny and slander Our great Master hath foretold that his servants must in this particular expect the same measure which himself received But let no good man be dismayed if he be thus treated in the World but let him be stedfastly resolved to pursue his duty and to be unmoveably upright and conscientious whatsoever respect or disrespect he may meet with among men Whoever is made more remiss in well-doing or whose spirit is royled and discomposed by undeserved censures doth hereby fall into temptation and the snare of the evil one but he that resolvedly holds fast his integrity and runs with patience his Christian race amidst all these oppositions this is the man who rightly dischargeth the duty of a Christian and taketh up his Cross and followeth his Lord. 36. And it is infinitely better for any man being the pious mans advantage to fear the censure of the greatest part of the World in well-doing than to neglect what may please God and do good to men since hereby he gains the blessing of Christ Our Saviour declared Luk. 6.22 Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil for the Son of mans sake Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in Heaven Wherefore though a clear and good reputation and general esteem is useful and desirable to a good man because it gives him many advantages of doing good in his generation yet if in the faithful and prudent management of his duty he meeteth with hard measures from the uncharitable expressions of other men it may justly so far as concerns himself rather affect him with joy than disturbance Yea with respect to these words of Christ which I have now mentioned the Author under (q) Epist ad Oceanum S. Hierom's name thinks it a thing desirable to be reproached and evil spoken of Quis non maledici desideret saith he ut mereatur Christi nomine laudari coelesti copiosaque mercede munerari This also was a mighty satisfaction to S. Austin who declared that whilst he opposed the Donatists (r) Aug. cont lit Petil. l. 3. c. 7. he underwent sharp and opprobrious reproaches from the enemies of the glory of Christ but then reflecting upon the blessing in this case pronounced by our Lord he adds Quisquis volens detrahit famae meae nolens addit mercedi meae he that willingly lessens my reputation doth unwillingly add to my reward But he who is turned aside from the paths of goodness by the slander of men is guilty of greater rashness and imprudence than that traveller who takes a journey of great concernment to his life and estate and yet will stop his course or go out of his way if he discerns the wind to blow upon him CHAP. III. The manifold sinfulness and severe punishment of reproaching and speaking evil especially against Superiors 1. HAving shewed the unreasonable proceedings of a reviling tongue and how unruly an evil it is I shall now add some further general considerations concerning the greatness of the sin of reproaching others especially our Superiours And in this Chapter I shall shew two things First How many great sins are contained in it and Secondly What a dreadful punishment is denounced against the practisers of it Wherefore 2. First This is a complicated and multiplied sin and so comprehensive an evil that very many great transgressions are contained and linked together in it S. Basil seems to think that a reproaching Spirit (a) Bas in Esai c. 2. might be the beginning of all sin in the world which may well be accounted true if we consider it with respect to God and include under it that disposition of mind from whence it flows Uncharitable evil-speaking includes very many great sins For the closing with that temptation whereby the Serpent reproached the infinitely good God was that which brought sin and ruine on mankind And it may well be thought that the original transgression of the fallen Angels was their having ill thoughts of the highest good and thereupon being forward to depart from God and to draw others from him into the same defection And this is the very root of reproaching or that disposition of spirit from whence it ariseth 3. And this ought to be the more detested because the exercise of this sin includes in it many heinous offences Now though one single sin which any person willingly and wilfully pursues is sufficient to manifest him void of the fear of God and estranged from the Christian life yet where the evil heart can readily choose and the conscience suffer many notorious sins to prevail without being either so watchful as to observe them or so faithful as to raise all the powers and faculties of the soul to oppose them here is a mind and conscience so much the more grosly defiled and vitiated His condition is like that of the man into whom the unclean Spirit entring taketh with him seven other Spirits who enter in and dwell there And as that body is in a bad condition in which divers dangerous diseases are reigning so that soul cannot be in any safe condition where many great sins do rule and govern it And it is considerable in this case that a defaming temper and the neglect of forsaking it by repentance alwaies include a voluntary choice and therefore hath in it as all other sins of choice have a want of reverence to God and his laws And besides this 4. First It contains under it an opposition to 1. It is inconsistent with Christian love and neglect of the great command of love It was our Saviours Doctrine that among all the precepts given by God in the Old Testament that of loving God with all the heart was the first and the other of loving our Neighbour the second which is like unto it And the wisest men among the Jews have owned and acknowledged the same truth (b) Phil. de Charitate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo speaking of the love of men esteemeth it so nearly allyed unto Religion towards God that he calls it its Sister and Twin And it can be no small sin to live in the breach of so great a Commandment This duty is so particularly pressed and inculcated by Christ on all his Disciples and so great Motives are superadded to the force this Commandment had before that it appears under the Gospel as
a new Commandment which every Christian must obey following the example of our Lord. But to reproach others is to act contrary to love for this intends hurt and to lessen the esteem of others and cast some blemish upon them and the defamer pleaseth himself for the present in so doing But charity thinks no evil 1 Cor. 13.5 and he who truly loves any man and is his real friend cannot hear him unjustly evil spoken of with any delight and satisfaction but is troubled at it and is so averse from joining in the same himself that so far as he fairly and honestly can he will vindicate his reputation and plead his cause Yea charity will act with that seriousness on the behalf of a friend that as (c) Max. Tyr. Diss 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially when it respects the Ministers of God in Church or State Maximus Tyrius observes it will even work through places not passable and easily overcome things that are dreadful 5. But when censures and calumnies are raised against the Ministers and Governours of the Church there are two other ways whereby they greatly offend against the duty of love the one with respect to the love of God in promoting his honour and the other with regard to the love of men unto whom these reproaches are published For these things tending to lessen their reputation are so far as they take place like to hinder the success of their labours and of their Ministerial Office And the offender who commits this sin considerately and advisedly so as to discern the large consequents of it must be one who for the gratifying his passion is willing to become instrumental that the work of God and the happiness of man both which are committed to the care of the Ministry should not prosper and have their desired effect And this great good is really hindred by this sinful practice whether men will consider it or no. And there is much of the like evil in defaming or speaking reflectively against our Secular Governours since they also are the Ministers of God to man for good 6. Secondly The reproaching Superiours is a breach of the fifth Commandment For therein honour and reverent respect is commanded to all Superiours 2. It is a great breach of the fifth Commandment to speak evil of Rulers and this is necessary for the upholding their just Authority But to reproach is not to honour but to dishonour and vilifie them And though our natural Parents be the nearest to us on whom we have a more particular dependance and from whom we have a more especial care yet Governours and Rulers are chiefly to be honoured because they are set by God in an higher station and have a larger portion of his Authority committed to them and as Gods Ministers are appointed for a more comprehensive benefit and extensive good to mankind and are common Parents to govern and take care of those who are under them in civil Societies Hence (d) Phil. de Decalog p. 76. Philo not amiss observed that the fifth Commandment being placed as between the duties to God and man had great respect to both and that he who breaks this Commandment will be condemned at both these two tribunals that of God and that of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of irreligion towards God in the Divine Tribunal and of enmity towards men in the humane And though this may be truly said of almost all other transgressions yet it appears more eminenly in the breach of this Commandment And it adds to the force of this precept that the Doctrine of Christianity doth mightily inforce it and strictly require us to honour the King and all who are over us either in the Church or State 7. And it is worthy of our serious consideration which is a special Commandment with promise that the Apostle for the inforcing obedience to this fifth precept of the Decalogue gives it this Character Ephes 6.2 that it is the first Commandment with promise or it is a great and chief command unto which God annexed a special and signal promise And thus much I think the Apostle to intend by these words When our Saviour declared which was the first Commandment of the law Mar. 12.28 29 30. the phrase first doth not there refer to order but to excellency as is manifest from v. 31 and v. 33. and therefore the question which in S. Mark is expressed which is the first Commandment is in S. Matthew which is the great Commandment Now the fifth Commandment is therefore manifested to be a great and very considerable Commandment because to that alone of all the precepts of the Decalogue God was pleased to affix a peculiar and excellent promise For that declaration of Gods kindness in the end of the second Commandment that he shews mercy unto thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments is truly observed by (e) In Annot. in Eph. 6.2 Erasmus and Grotius not to have a peculiar respect to that precept alone but to have a general regard to them all as the words in that precept do evidently manifest But to this fifth Commandment this excellent promise is adjoined that it may be well with thee and that thou maist live long on the Earth which shews that our own interest is highly concerned in this case 8. Wherefore the observing the duties of this precept is the way which God himself hath directed men for the obtaining his blessings This is a forfeiture of the right to Gods blessings in the world and the continuance of them in this world and this the Apostle declares and urgeth with respect to the time of Christianity And the neglect of the duties of this command so far as concerns the terms of Gods promise is a forfeiture of that right and title we might have to all the advantages of this life and the blessing of God for our comfort and well-being here upon Earth And these earthly blessings when the law was given were so proposed in this fifth Commandment of the Decalogue as to have some typical respect also to the blessings of the life to come Now though God of his bounty and patience doth many times bestow long life and therewith many other enjoyments of this world upon them who have no right to them by the terms of his Covenant and promise yet they want that assurance of these things and especially that favourable kindness and particular care of God to go along with them which the pious man enjoys and which is far more valuable and excellent than the possession of any outward good is Wherefore the careful and conscientious practice of reverence and honour towards Superiour relations however some men may account of it is no light thing it being that upon which our title to the blessings of God so much depends 9. Thirdly All reproachful Calumnies especially against Superiours are a violation of the sixth Commandment 3. This is a breach of
mean Peasant who is an offender shall have the same treatment from men with an excellent and gracious Prince or shall be in the same storm abroad in his voyage or journey that he should be in a fury as thinking himself too good to be thus dealt with while his good Prince goes through all this with a quiet and calm demeanour 6. To imitate Christ in these duties is the way to happiness But there is yet a farther very weighty consideration upon which all Christians stand bound to follow this example of our Saviour and that is that the imitating him in this very thing is directed and enjoined as the course we are to take for the obtaining happiness Mat. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls So that the following him in humility and meekness is the walking in the path of rest for this as all acts of goodness and duty bringeth here serenity and peace to the mind of him who practiseth it and is one of the great duties to be performed in order to perfect peace and rest hereafter And those his Servants who thus serve and follow him shall be with him where he is Thus S. Austin (e) De Temp. Serm. 61. Enarrat in Ps 90. having considered those words of S. Matthew Chap. 11.29 and of S. Peter 1 Pet. 2.22 23. observes that that example of our Lord which it is necessary for us to imitate is not that which is too high and great for us in our capacities to perform as to restore the dead to life or to walk upon the Sea but it is to be meek and humble in spirit and that we should love not only our friends but even our enemies with all our hearts 7. And as this duty is particularly recommended to us There is no true piety in them who do not walk as he walked as one especial and main thing in which we are to imitate our Lord and shall be highly rewarded by so doing so it will be useful to take notice in general that it is a very vain thing for any to talk of Christ and Christianity and of their hope and interest in him if they do not follow his example and live according to his life And of this we are assured by S. John 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked And these words are the more necessary to be minded and seriously regarded because S. John in the former part of that Chapter doth particularly undertake to declare and reckon up in large and comprehensive expressions divers of those things which are of absolute necessity for every man to observe who would be owned as truly Religious and in a comfortable relation to God To this purpose he saith v. 4. He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him And v. 5. But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him And after he had inserted some emphatical expressions to manifest the weight and excellency of these things which he was now discoursing he proceeds to assert v. 9. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even until now and v. 15. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him And amongst these he expresseth what I now mentioned v. 6. concerning walking as he walked Which Verse also is intended to express what is so necessary to true Christianity and communion with Christ that they cannot consist without it How far then do they go astray who are so negligent of Christian meekness and gentleness as if fierceness and passion were rather to be accounted the practices of our Religion 8. 2. Our Lord's example peculiarly requireth reverence to Superiours Cons 2. Our Saviour's example is particularly set before us to silence and suppress all evil speaking against Superiours and reproaching them who are in Authority and to engage us to behave our selves towards them with reverence and due respect And for the manifesting this I shall shew three things 9. First That this is the scope and intention of S. Peter in proposing to us the example of Christ 1 Pet. 2.21 23. for the proof of which I need only make a brief reflexion on the foregoing Verses To this purpose it is urged by S. Peter That Apostle had spoken of the duty of Subjects to their King and Governours v. 13. commanding them to submit themselves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether to the King as Supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him And he continueth his discourse with particular respect to them unto the end of v. 17. concluding it with these precepts Fear God and Honour the King And v. 18. he comes to speak of that duty and respect which is due to those Superiours who are in a more inferiour domestick relation and are not furnished with that Dignity and Honour which belongs to them who govern in an higher rank and capacity And here he commands Servants to be subject to their Masters with all fear c. and then he proceeds to declare what patience meekness and reverence is to be expressed towards such Superiours by those who are subject to them though they should meet with hard measure from them and suffer undeservedly by them And for the guiding Christians in this case he bringeth in the example of Christ and this part of it particularly that he who did no sin when he was reviled he reviled not again and when he suffered he threatned not v. 22 23. 10. Secondly That our Saviour did behave himself Our Saviours practice expressed great respect to Superiour Relations particularly to his Parents with that respect to superiour Relations both in words and actions which is fit to teach us to do the like In his Divine nature he was Lord of all even in the depth of his humiliation and in his humane nature he was advanced to an high dignity in Union to the Divine and as our Mediator But yet considering him as made under the law and in the form of a servant and he therein carefully performed the duties of the fifth Commandment as well as any other precepts of the law of God both to his Parents and to all that were in Authority whether Civil or Ecclesiastical When he took on him the nature of man he became subject to those duties which belong to that nature and tend to the publick good and order of the World In his younger years he began his life with subjection to his Parents Luk. 2.51 And this thing deserves to be the more especially taken notice of because as some (f) Ludolph de Vit. Chr. P. 1. cap 16. Barrad in Concord Evang. Tom. 1. l.
Christians whenever he discerned them to exceed And when such Emperors reigned as were friends to the truth he declared that this was the revenge he would take of his enemies to endeavour they might be saved and own those good things which before they rejected And yet he had been loaded by them with injuries The Apolinarians by their calumnies and clamour had rendred him distastful to the people and when he was under the disrespect of the multitude the Arians stoned him and this meek man was accused before the Secular Tribunal to be the authour of tumult and sedition And after all his expressions of kindness he was so ill requited by these his enemies that they set a young man to assassinate and murder him who was so far moved with the converse and presence of this holy man that relenting with tears and lamentations he implored and easily obtained his pardon I confess (w) Naz Orat ad 150 Episc he was by some blamed for shewing too much kindness to the enemies of the truth and it is true that good men and especially Bishops and Governours ought not to express an equal favour to them who oppose truth peace and goodness and to those who embrace them But that kindness which may tend to their good and the good of others is such an excellent temper as ought not to be laid aside for any personal injuries 26. But the example of Christ The Example of Christ considered with respect to Rulers from whom we receive hard measure particularly recommends reverence and respect to Superiours though we should receive hard measure at their hands From hence S. Peter commands 1 Pet. 2.18 21. the reverent subjection of Servants to their Masters not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward And if such a behaviour be necessary towards them who possess a lesser degree of authority in a family much more to them in higher capacity for the neglect of duty to them is an offence of a more publick nature and tends to a more general scandal and prejudice And hence we may further inferr that neglect of dutiful carriage is much more inexcusable toward those Governours who are good and kind and from whom we receive no wrong or injury But how we ought to behave our selves even to froward Rulers we are to learn by the example of Christ which is to this purpose set before us 1 Pet. 2.21 He was without any crime and though he was condemned he did no sin v. 22. He suffered but without threatning or returning any evil word or reviling again but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously v. 23. And such is the Order that God hath established in the World that he who is wronged by his equal or fellow Subject ought not to avenge himself but if the case require it may apply himself to his Ruler for help and redress But if he be hardly and severely dealt with by them who have the Government of the world he must not then avenge himself no not so much as by reproach or evil expressions but commit himself to God as a righteous judge and this the example of Christ will direct him to do 27. Yea our Saviours prayer Father forgive them for they know not what they do did manifest his great and tender affectionateness not only to the common people but also to their Rulers who contrived and conspired his death For even they also knew not what they did as S. Peter declares Act. 3.17 And thus the ancient Christians though ill treated under Pagan or Heretical Governours did not only forbear evil speaking and irreverent and indecent carriage but thought themselves obliged to maintain an high respect to these Rulers and to desire their happiness and welfare This (x) Apol. ad Scap. Tertullian declared under an Ethnick Emperour and that Council of (y) in Athanas de Syn. Arim. Sâ—l Ariminum which established the Faith of Nice under Constantius the Arian Emperour in their Epistle which they sent unto him 28. Performing this duty is acceptable to God and conscience towards him will require it And such a continued respect and practice of duty to Governours even under harsh usage is that which conscience to God will oblige every Christian to perform S. Peter therefore commends that temper where a man for conscience towards God endures grief suffering wrongfully 1 Pet. 2.19 that is endures it patiently and without reviling as the following Verses will explain it And the reason for this is because this duty of respectful submission is not founded chiefly upon the good temper of our Superiours but upon the authority they receive from God and the precepts which God hath thereupon given to us So that here the debate lies between conscience and self-will whether the precepts and rules of Religion are to be followed which conscience will oblige unto or the passions of men which the unruly temper of sinful inclinations are prone to comply with Now where this Christian duty is carefully observed we are assured by S. Peter that this is acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2.20 And every good man will please himself best in doing those things which are pleasing to God And this he may do and bring honour to himself also by this Christian temper towards Governours For the Apostle in that place tells us What glory is it if when you be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when you do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God But if patience in suffering for faults hath not so much of vertue in it as to bring any honour and renown to him who practiseth it how blameable must they needs be who are faulty and yet though they be free from suffering are impatient and murmuring 29. To all these weighty Considerations I might add that this temper is a thing so necessary that in the neglect of it we cannot behave our selves as Christians or sutably to our Christian calling And therefore S. Peter v. 21. and this becomes our calling addeth For hereunto were ye called our Christian Religion greatly requires us herein to follow our Saviours steps And when S. Paul did beseech the Ephesians to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called the first things he requires from them to this end are all lowliness and meekness and long suffering Eph. 4.1 2. 30. Obj. 1. But possibly some men Obj. 1 This Discourse is against the true interest of man who are not willing to put these great Christian duties in practice may be forward to raise prejudices against such a Discourse as this and may pretend that these things are not suitable to the true interests of men but there is rather some ill design carried on by them To which I Answer Ans 1 It wholly designs to bring men from passion and sin to goodness First That this really tends to no other end but to
various methods and sometimes in a more strange and extraordinary manner Thus the wrath of (c) Jos Ant. Jud. l. 11. c. 8. Alexander who went against Jerusalem with the Spirit of an enraged enemy was fully appeased to the admiration of those who accompanied him when he met Jaddus the High Priest in his Priestly Garments and remembred that before he came out of Macedonia such a person in that habit appeared to him and encouraged him in his enterprize And when a Diploma was signed to create trouble to the Bohemian Church when Maximilian the second was Emperour 1565 (d) Comen Historiolae 109. Comenius acquaints us that he who carried it going over the Bridge of Danubius without the Gates of Vienna the Bridge at that instant broke and though this person was taken up dead by some Fishers the Diploma was never seen after and thereby that Church enjoyed rest and peace And for the preservation and security of his Church in the time of its greatest oppositions he raised up a Constantine and in the same age soon removed a Julian And we have had instances of Gods care towards the Reformation of our Church in defeating many oppositions contrived against it and our Religious Princes and in restoring it again to its former establishment after our late troubles and also in ordering the Reign of Queen Mary to be short and that she should have no issue and that after her there should be a succession of many excellent Princes 35. Ans 3. 3. Religion was never more opposed than when Christ was Crucified Religion can never be opposed with greater enmity and malicious designs than it was when our Saviour suffered Yet then he reviled not nor allowed S. Peters rashness but left us his example for our imitation The Church of God upon earth was never without the enmity of the evil one and those whom he could engage against it but at sometimes their opposition is more vehement than at others When our Lord was crucified the Devil entered into Judas to effect it the Jews aimed utterly to root out the Christian name The power of the Jewish Church and Sanhedrin was then engaged against it and gained both Herod and Pilate into a compliance with them And there were great oppositions against Religion even fiery trials 1 Pet. 4.12 When yet S. Peter requires Christians to follow the example of our Lords patience and meekness and to reverence Superiours But with us blessed be God our Laws establish the true Religion our Clergy defend it and press the practice of it and our Prince whom God preserve upholds the profession of it But the Primitive Christians who lived under Pagan Rulers who persecuted the Church behaved themselves with more honourable respect towards them than many now do towards those Christian Governours and Spiritual Guides who encourage and promote Christianity 36. 4. True zeal hath respect to all duty Ans 4. True zeal for Religion is of excellent use and very desirable but it consists in pious and holy living not in passionate and sinful speaking And it must be uniform in minding all the parts of duty which are incumbent on us But they who are careless and negligent in great and plain duties can have no true love and conscientious regard to Religion and therefore no zeal for it but it is something else which they miscall by that name True zeal will put men on diligent constant and devout attendance on Gods publick worship and the holy Sacraments upon solicitous thoughts and care for the Churches peace and Union upon all the exercises of piety to God and of righteousness charity meekness and due obedience to man And particularly both with respect to the happiness of another world and a comfortable estate in this it will oblige men to curb the rashness and sin of their words and expressions according to that advice of the Psalmist and the Apostle S. Peter 1 Pet. 3.10 11. He that will love life and see good dayes let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile Let him eschew evil and do good let him seek peace and ensue it 37. Wherefore let every person uncharitable reproaches against all men to be avoided as he values his own happiness and as he would approve himself a true Disciple of Christ beware of this sinful behaviour of slandering or reproaching others And not the speaker only but he that heareth such things with delight is guilty of the same uncharitableness and in like manner serves his own sinful passions and gives encouragement to the practice and spreading of this vice S. (e) Bern. de modo bene vivendi Bernard therefore well adviseth all men to avoid a detractor as a Serpent who casteth forth his poyson because besides his own sin he who willingly gives ear to him becomes guilty also To the same purpose S. Austin S. Hierome and others who sometimes speak of the contumelious ear or that mens ears as well as their tongues may render them justly chargeable with the sin of reproaching He that in this case speaks rashly or uncharitably or that entertains such expressions with pleasure must ordinarily intend a prejudice to another and a blemish to his reputation and this very intention speaks some degree of malice or ill-will contained in this sin and sometimes a very high degree thereof But the main hurt and mischief fal's upon the offender himself being contained in his sin and consequent upon it He like the man whose Spirit is so far envenomed as to take poyson in his mouth to spit it at another is in a direct way to ruine himself whatsoever prejudice the other may sustain by him So S. (f) Hier. in Ps 119. Hierome declared detrahimus illi illi non nocemus sed nostras interficimus animas we speak unworthily of another but the main dammage doth not fall upon him but we destroy our own souls 38. and repented of Let all those therefore who have been guilty of this transgression heartily repent thereof that they may find mercy with God But it must be considered that repentance in matters of injury to men by word or deed doth not only require a desisting from the further practice of the sin with due sorrow for the former miscarriage but also a careful undertaking to make satisfaction for the injury done It is therefore here requisite that the offender do readily freely and ingenuously retract what hath been spoken amiss and vindicate him who hath been injuriously aspersed and also endeavour that his future kindness towards him may be equivalent to his past unkindness And the man who refuseth this is as far from integrity as he who wrongs his Neighbour in his Possession or Estate is from honesty if he only forbear the repeating new acts of theft fraud or violence but still detains without restitution what he injuriously possessed himself of which of right belongeth to another man 39. A candid
and their reward from him if they be faithfully and piously managed as the Prophet Esay declared even with respect to our blessed Saviour himself Isai 49.4 5. though Israel was not gathered 21. That vicious actions and a wicked life from vicious actions and practices bring shame and disgrace to the practisers or in Solomon's phrase that sin is a reproach to any people Prov. 14.34 is very obvious to common Principles of Reason and Conscience since the generality of mankind are sensible that (f) Arist de Virtut vitiis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good and vertuous things are to be commended but filthy and vicious things to be dispraised And though goodness is too oft in practice reproached and disparaged in the world there is a vast difference between the censure an upright and truly pious man undergoes in well doing and the ill report and infamy which is consequent upon evil doing For the truly good man knows that what censure he lies under for his piety and integrity is sometimes from mens speaking against their own consciences or at best from their mistakes and misapprehensions and his conscience speaks peace to him and he knows that God both approves his sincerity and howsoever he is misunderstood by men will reward him But if the evil man be spoken against his conscience doth or may testifie that this is no more than he justly deserves and that he must expect without timely repentance more hurt from his sin than from the infamy that followeth it and that if his evil wayes make him justly disapproved and condemned of men it will make him more odious in the sight of God and the Holy Angels and will expose him to a more severe sentence and condemnation from the righteous Judge of the World 22. And that the patrons of error and from corrupt Principles and Doctrines whose evil Principles tend to corrupt Religion and debauch the world should be declared against and the danger and detestableness of their undertakings be manifested is a thing as useful and needful as it would be to detect and discover him who is contriving felony murder or any publick mischief On this account did our Saviour censure and condemn the Doctrines of the Scribes and Pharisees and spake to the disparagement of their reputation and commanded Matt. 7.15 to beware of false Prophets who come in sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening Wolves And the true Apostles made a plain discovery of the false Apostles and corrupt workers though this laid them open to reproach And S. Paul withstood even S. Peter and spake against him openly in that wherein he was to be blamed Gal. 2.14 when his own behaviour and what he encouraged others unto was of ill consequence and contrary to the true spirit of the Gospel though himself was so excellent a man that he was far from advisedly managing any ill design Indeed all dangerous errors are not of equal degree of guilt but some are more heinous than others but the meekness of Christianity obligeth no pious man to a compliance with any of them though the worst are more earnestly to be rejected 23. S. John who so vehemently and abundantly Primitive zeal in this case noted pressed the duty of Christian love in his Epistle and so fully declared the same to be the necessary Doctrine of Christ in his Gospel and who in his extreme age when he was not able to make any long discourses is (g) Hieron Comment in Gal. l. 3. related to have come into the Christian Assemblies and oft to have spoken these words Little children love one another yet as (h) adv Haeres l. 3. c. 3. Irenaeus tells us he declared himself with that earnestness against Cerinthus a Master of Heresie that when he came to the Bath where S. John was he leap'd out of it and declared his fear of the place falling upon them when that enemy of the truth was there And from the like Spirit of Primitive zealous earnestness (i) Iren. ibid. when Marcion meeting with Polycarp an Apostolical man a Disciple of S. John and one who was ab Apostolis constitutus Episcopus Ordained a Bishop by the Apostles and Marcion desired him to take knowledge of him Polycarp answers him cognosco te primogenitum Satanae I know and own thee to be the first-born of Satan And all the first and purest Churches expressed vehement dislike against all Hereticks and dividers of the Church And (k) Cyp. Ep. 76. S. Cyprian when he spake of Novatianus with respect to the Novatian Schism saith that inter adversarios antichristos computetur he was to be reckoned among the adversaries to Christianity and the Antichrists And this is sufficient to shew which may be more largely and amply proved beyond all contradiction that earnest oppositions against them who forsake the Catholick truth or who divide the Church was not as some very falsly pretend first brought into the Christian Church by the unadvised and indiscreet rashness of some Canons and Councils after the first Centuries who are said herein to have swerved from the true Spirit of Catholick Charity 24. And it is a thing too plain to be denied Hartful errors are too much prevailing that in this age divers persons and parties entertain those errors and corruptions in matters of Religion which deserve to be sharply censured and spoken against 'T is generally known that the several parties and different professions do condemn one another and it may well become them to consider whether they have sufficient ground for the Censures they pass on others and whether they proceed therein in a due Christian temper of Spirit and also whether there be not any just foundation for the blame themselves meet with from others Wherefore I shall make some impartial enquiry into some of the several parties of men who divide the profession of Christian Religion And since they who strictly adhere to the Church of Rome lie under an infamous character from others I shall first enquire An account of the things discoursed of in the following Chapters whether they may not be justly accused of such things as deserve great condemnation and censure And since the dissenting parties are spoken ill of by others I shall 2. Enquire whether they be not guilty of that which is sufficient cause of blame And if any of these several parties be no further spoken against than they deserve blame and this be also ordered according to the Christian Rules I delivered above this is not a sinful reproaching but a judging righteously and according to truth 25. And I here seriously profess that there is no duty I esteem my self more obliged to practise than to have an universal kindness to all men And therefore I shall be so far from willingly charging any sort of men with what they are not guilty of that while I write some account of things blameable among several parties of men it is with a
of the best members of the Church who are so far from them as all of the Romish Communion are obliged to be and are thereby guilty of heinous sin and of that which is greatly scandalous to Christianity SECT II. The Doctrines maintained in the Church of Rome and the Constitutions therein established are great hindrances to holiness of life and true devotion in Religion and comply very far with Wickedness and Debauchery 1. I Shall now come to consider that there are such doctrines asserted by the Church of Rome and such practices established therein as are plain obstacles and hindrances to a holy life Holiness and purity are suitable to the nature of God and agreeable to the end of Christ's coming into the World to redeem us from all iniquity and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Obstacles in the Roman Church to an holy life Tit. 2.14 This is a compliance with his Gospel which is a doctrine according to Godliness and his Church which he founded is an holy Catholick Church And therefore nothing can be of God and Christ which is not agreeable to true goodness and piety but that must be contrary to God and Christianity which is opposite to holiness and a godly life But that the Church of Rome doth declare such Doctrines as undermine piety and holiness and establishes such constitutions and practices as are highly prejudicial thereunto I shall manifest by some particular instances And here I shall consider 2. 1. In their Doctrine of Attrition and Absolution First Their Doctrine of Absolution This is such that it sooths men in their sins and thereby takes away the weighty Motive and Argument to holiness of life which is from the necessity thereof to avoid the wrath of God and endless perdition and to obtain the favour of God and everlasting salvation For this Church and the Writers thereof do generally teach that attrition though without contrition is a sufficient disposition or qualification for the receiving Priestly absolution and that persons so qualified and thereupon absolved are in a safe state as to the avoiding eternal damnation and the future enterance into everlasting happiness Now contrition includes a grief for and hatred of sin as it is an offence of God with a purpose and resolution not to go on in the practice of evil and this is conjoined with a chief love to God But attrition is a grief for sin in such a manner that it is not produced from nor containeth in it the chief love of God and goodness And when divers wayes are either asserted or disputed of by many Casuists concerning the difference between Attrition and Contrition Mart. Becanus speaks with much plainness and I think with truth when he tells us (a) Part. 3. Tr. 2. c. 35. Qu. 1. that contrition includes aversion from sin and conversion to God which is in loving him above all and that this principle of the love of God which includes consequently hatred of sin and turning from it is that thing in which contrition essentially differs from attrition and that all other differences or wayes of distinguishing them are either to be rejected as false or may be spared as being of little or no use 3. Now some Writers of the Romish Communion especially in former Ages have been of opinion that contrition is necessary to justification But this assertion is declared by (b) Tom. 4. Disp 3. Qu. 8. Punct 3. Gr. de Valentia to be sententia his presertim temporibus vix tolerabilis such an one as especially in these times is scarce fit to be tolerated And he calls the other the common opinion This (c) Bell. de poenit l. 2. c. 18. Bellarmine takes for granted and Becanus declares (d) ubi sup Qu. 6. omnes fatentur contritionem non esse necessariam in Sacramento Poenitentiae that all acknowledge that Contrition is not necessary in the Sacrament of Penance And these Writers and many others affirm the Council of Trent to have declared thus much And that Council plainly enough determines that Contrition (e) Sess 13 de poenitentia cap. 4. is a grief of mind for sin already committed with a purpose to do so no more and that this which encludes a hatred of the past evil life and the beginning of a new life when it hath Charity joined with it doth reconcile man to God before the actual receiving the Sacrament of Penance if there be a desire to partake thereof But then it adds concerning another sort of sorrow from the foulness of the sin or the fear of punishment ex peccati turpitudine vel ex supplicii metu and of this that Council determines that it cannot bring a sinner to justification without the Sacrament of Penance but it doth dispose him to obtain the favour of God in the Sacrament of Penance A bad life encouraged hereby Now the result of all this according to the plainest sense their own Authours give is that if a wicked man ready to go out of the world shall be troubled when he apprehends the foulness of his sins lest he should go to Hell which is attrition and shall then send to the Priest and receive Absolution this man though his bea rt be not turned from sin to God and to a love of him and of goodness will according to this loose Doctrine go out of the world in the favour of God and in a justified state And thus much is pretended to be effected by vertue of the Sacrament of Penance and Priestly Absolution 4. Now it is to be acknowledged that the true Ministerial Absolution is very profitable being in an eminent manner contained in dispensing the holy Sacraments and is of much greater weight than many men account it to be to them that believe and truly repent or to them who sincerely perform the conditions of the Gospel Covenant but no pretence of Absolution must be admitted to make void these conditions And it may be granted that in the Roman Church in some Societies there are rules of severity directed to them who are disposed to seriousness but this their Doctrine of Absolution takes off all necessity of observing any such rules or any vows whereby they obliged themselves to any duties or exercises of perfection so far as concerns the fear of God as to the interest of an eternal state And this Doctrine opens a gap to all licentiousness of life contrary to the rules of Christianity and all good conscience by the security it pretends to give of eternal happiness to wicked and debauched men who amend not their lives nor forsake their sins If this be truth then are all the promises and threatnings of the Gospel made void as they are Motives to the necessary duties of holiness and piety 5. Holiness of Christianity undermined hereby By such arts as this all the great precepts of Religion are made of none effect in order to salvation For if against
ne oves Christi esuriant mandant Pastoribus ut inter Missarum celebrationem aliquid ex iis quae in Missa leguntur exponant What the Council of Trent acknowledge praesertim festis diebus Though the publick Service or Mass contains much instruction for the people it doth not seem fit to the Fathers that it should be usually celebrated in the Vulgar tongue Wherefore retaining the rites of the Church of Rome they command the Pastors that in the time of its celebration they expound somewhat of those things which are read in the Mass especially upon Festival days Now here is an acknowledgment that it is for the benefit of the people to understand the Service for their instruction and yet a course is taken that a main part thereof should not be understood that they may still keep up the Romish usage which hath for many ages thus practised Only they shall be suffered to understand so much of what is contained therein as may keep them from famishing 28. But these words seem to carry along with them some intimation of guilty consciences in this decision As if a Physician should declare that he knows such a Medicine to be mighty useful to recover his Patient to his health but however he doth not intend he shall have it but he may apply to him such a part of the ingredients as will keep him alive and yet possibly he may be mistaken herein Or this is something like as if a Judge when he had considered a Case of right concerning a temporal estate should declare that there is a very fair and ample Patrimony that belongs to Sempronius and he ought to have the profit thereof but nevertheless it seems fit to him that Sempronius should not enjoy this Estate that so no alterations may be made in present possessions However he adjudgeth them who keep him out of his Patrimony and debar him of his right at some times and especially upon festival days to give Sempronius some such relief as themselves shall think fit for the satisfying his hunger lest he should be famished for want of all supply of food Now if such a Physician 's practice be honest dealing and the determination of such a Judge be doing justice in secular interests then hath this Council done right to the members of the Church and determined this case according to the rules of Christian integrity For as it is the duty of the Pastors to feed the sheep of Christ so it is the right of the sheep or people to receive this food and therefore to deny them much of that which is acknowledged proper for them is to defraud them of that which justly belongs unto them 29. But that the publick Prayers of the Church Publick Service in a known language greatly useful should be in a language commonly understood by the people is both reasonable and sutable to the publick Service and greatly useful and profitable to promote piety and edification For the publick Worship of God rightly performed is a great part of practical Religion And devoutness therein is both an eminent exercise of piety and hath a great influence upon the minds of men to fix in them pious dispositions for the right ordering the whole course of life This devoutness is a vigorous lively and holy exercise of the mind and affections and the whole man towards God and in his service and whilst fit and proper words would tend much to excite the people hereunto this advantage is lost in the use of an unknown tongue which is to no more purpose to him that understands it not than if nothing at all was spoken And what is here said by the defenders of the Romish practice doth generally confute it self Sometimes it is said (r) Coster Enchir. c. 17. p. 496 497. Nonest necessum à vulgo intelligi c. that it is not needful the people should understand the Prayers and Hymns of the Church because they are not intended to instruct the people by understanding the words but suavi melodia majestateque actionis by the sweet melody and majesty of the action The plea that Prayers are not to instruct the people considered to dispose them to Religious reverence towards God But if words in the worship of God be not needful to be understood what need is there of any words at all when grave actions and melodious sounds are sufficient But if it be said that words being understood by the Priests and learned men are useful to quicken their devotion and to fix and unite their minds in joyning together in the same supplications and praises in publick Service it is easie to observe that this might have the same effect upon the devoutly disposed people if the Prayers and other parts of the Service were in a language which they understood And therefore it must either be granted that it is unnecessary that any should understand the particular expressions of the Service and then it is to no purpose to use any language at all or else that it is desirable that all should understand it 30. Sometimes we are told that it is requisite the publick Service should be in Latin (ſ) Coster Enchir. ubi sup because otherwise Priests who come out of other Countreys could not celebrate the Offices neque promiscue laudes Dei decantare nor jointly with others sing the praises of God But surely such Priests though they should not understand the language may as well join in the praises of God as the people at home can do in the language they understand not And this charitable consideration towards foreign Priests might be extended so far and the care concerning foreign Priests as to prove if it had any weight in it that the service of the Romish Church ought to be in Arabick that if any Priests should come from those Eastern parts where that language is understood and the Latin is not they might bear a part in the service But if this would be ridiculous when by this method the generality even of the Priests at home would not understand it let it be considered what tolerable account can be given why they should hinder the generality of the people from understanding it especially when the Apostle himself hath so plainly determined that when prayers or praises are in an unknown tongue The Apostolical precept observed the unlearned Auditor cannot so well join therein and his edification is thereby prejudiced 1 Cor. 14.16 17. And what the Apostle speaks in that Chapter doth plainly disallow the use of an unknown tongue in the publick worship of God though they who spake spake by the extraordinary gift of tongues which thing was apt to excite the Christian Auditory to a particular admiration of the Divine gifts and so might well be esteemed an extraordinary general help to devotion and adoration And the particular exceptions against this plain and full Apostolical testimony are so inconsiderable and have been so oft
did own himself to be the most high God and as Irenaeus relates (y) Iren. adv Haeres l. 1. c. 20. that it was he who appeared as the Son amongst the Jews and descended as the Father in Samaria and came as the Holy Spirit in other Nations and they who were his followers both in Samaria Rome and other Nations did worship him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the chief God as (z) Justin Apol. 1. Justin Martyr affirms and (a) Eus Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 13. gr Eusebius from him Now if it should be supposed that the Gnosticks should own the true God and that there is no other God besides him and should therefore design to give Divine honour to him alone but should be perswaded that he was incarnate in Simon Magus and thereupon should worship him with Divine honour this could not excuse them herein from being Idolaters And whereas Montanus and the propagators of his Heresie did declare him to be the Paraclete as is oft expressed in Tertullian and is affirmed also by divers Catholick Writers as (b) Hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 14. Eusebius (c) Basil ad Amphil. c. 1. Basil and others or as (d) de Consec dist 4. c. Hi vero Gregory expresseth it that he was the Holy Ghost if any of his followers professing Divine Worship to be due only to the True God and the three persons of the glorious Trinity should upon a presumptive delusion believe that the Holy Ghost was imbodied in Montanus and thereupon yield to him that Divine Worship which is due to the Holy Ghost this could not excuse them from Idolatry 29. Assert 2. All Idolatry is not equally heinous Assert 2. In Idolatry which is in its nature a great and grievous sin all the acts and kinds thereof in misplacing proper Divine Worship are not equally heinous and abominable There is a great difference from the temper of the persons whence acts proceding from sudden surprize from weakness of understanding or from great fear are not of so high a guilt as those which proceed from carelesness of duty neglect of instruction or contempt of God or wilful enmity against the true Religion There is also difference in the acts of worship which I mentioned n. 27. as also from the plyableness of temper to be drawn from them and the resolved obstinacy of persisting in them And there is a difference also with respect to the object to which Divine Worship is given whence the worshipping of Baal or the Gods of other Nations in opposition to the God of Israel was more heinous than the Idolatry of Jeroboams Calves because it included a professed departing from the true God and the worshipping of Simon Magus was the more abominable as including a following him and consequently rejecting the fundamental Articles of the Christian Religion But the Idolatry of the Calves was not of so high a nature nor did it utterly exclude the ten Tribes from all relation to the Church of God though even this would exclude those persons who designedly espoused it or who perversely or negligently joined in it from the blessing of God 30. Assert 3. All misplacing Divine honour upon an undue object which is Idolatry is a very great sin Assert 3. All sorts thereof are greatly evil To suppose that ignorance and mistake should be any sufficient plea or excuse is to reflect upon the goodness and wisdom of God as if even under the Christian revelation he had not sufficiently directed men in so important a duty as to know the object of Divine adoration or whom we are to worship And how little any misunderstanding upon the grounds laid down by the Romanists is like in this case to be available for their excuse I shall manifest by proposing another case which may well be esteemed parallel hereunto As our Saviour said concerning the Eucharistical Bread This is my Body so there is a greater plenty of expressions in the Scriptures which are as plausible to confer Divine honour upon pious Christians They are said to be partakers of the Divine Nature to be born of God The Remish Adoration of the Host parallel'd to be renewed after the Image of God and that God dwelleth in them and that Christ is formed in them and is in them and that they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones and with respect to them he said to Saul why persecutest thou me and he will say to others I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat c. and the Spirit of God dwells in them Now if from such expressions as these any sort of men should give Divine Worship to every Saint in pursuance of that fond notion of some Fanatick heads that they are Godded with God and Christed with Christ and consequently to those in Heaven as well as to those on Earth and thereby multiply the objects of Divine Adoration really beyond all the Polytheism of the Gentiles I doubt not but they of the Church of Rome would account this abominable Idolatry Nor would they think it sufficient here to be pretended that these worshippers own only one true God and give Divine Worship to the Saints only because they believe them to receive a new Divine Nature in becoming Saints and to put on Christ and to be changed into the nature and substance of that one God and though this may seem as contrary to sense and reason as Transubstantiation doth they therefore believe it because God hath said it if their manifestly mistaken sense of Scripture be allowed and they can confidently rely on his word And if we compare these two together the grace of the Sacrament is very excellent but it is that which is to be communicated to the communion of Saints and conferred upon them But the nature of the pious Christian is so much advanced above that of the Sacramental elements that that must be confessed to be true which was affirmed by Bishop Bilson (e) Differ of Christ Subject Unchr Rebel Part. 4. p. 713. that Christian men are members of Christ the Bread is not Christ abideth in them and they in him in the Bread he doth not he will raise them at the last day the Bread he will not they shall reign with him for ever the Bread shall not But these and such like words we mention not as having any low thoughts of the Holy Sacrament but as owning the truth of the Sacramental elements remaining in their created substances and even these we duly reverence as set apart to an holy use and purpose but we most highly value the great blessings of the Gospel and the spiritual presence of Christ which though it be tendred in the Sacramental elements yet being the invisible grace of the Sacrament is to be distinguished from the visible sign thereof To this we have our eye chiefly in the Sacrament according to that ancient admonition (f) Cyp. de Orat. Dom. sursum
those who are in a true Christian state saith that Jesus Christ the righteous is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2.2 And who who examines himself can pretend himself free from every disorder in any passion or affection from all failure in word or thought and that he can be charged with no neglect of any duty at any time either towards God or man in any relation whatsoever nor with any blameable defect in the manner of the performance thereof And the pretence to perfection and sinless practice is the more fond and unreasonable in this Sect because of the gross and heinous errors of judgment and consequently of practice which they are guilty of together with many words of falshood censoriousness or uncharitableness 14. Now the great hurt and danger of this opinion concerning perfection is First That it makes void such duties as confession repentance application to the benefits of Christs expiatory Sacrifice which things are not only injoined upon Christians by the frequent commands of the Gospel but are also proposed as the conditions for obtaining the pardoning mercy and favour of God and the exercise of repentance and bringing forth fruits meet for repentance contains very much of the practical part of the duties of the Christian Religion Secondly It greatly misrepresents the Covenant of Grace as if together with the rules of an holy life and the assistances enabling thereto it did not for the encouraging our best and sincere endeavours make allowances for the imperfections of the upright mans obedience and propose pardon to them who are truly penitent If the Gospel did not admit these gracious terms and conditions the state of the best sort of men would be miserable But S. John joins these two together 1 Joh. 2.1 the strictness of the Gospel rule that will not allow of any sin My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not and the gracious conditions of pardon through the merits of Christ if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation c. 15. Wherefore we acknowledge the Christian life to have in its degree an Evangelical perfection whereby in the upright Service of God it is free from the dominion of sin and is diligent in the progress of grace and piety and obtains pardon for its offences But with respect to its practice as (t) Aug. ad Bonif. l. 3. c. 7. S. Austin observed ad ejus perfectionem pertinet ipsius imperfectionis in veritate cognitio in humilitate confessio It is a branch of his perfection truly to know and humbly to acknowledge his imperfection For as he speaks in another place (u) Retrac l. 1. c. 19. Who can be compleatly perfect but he who observes all the Commandments amongst which this is one injoined upon all Christians that we must pray forgive us our trespasses quam orationem usque ad finem seculi tota dicit Ecclesia This is the prayer which the whole Church maketh to the end of this world SECT II. Of the Fifth Monarchy men and the Millenary Opinion Sect. II 1. THough I shall wave divers Sects which appeared in our late times of Confusion as Seekers Ranters and various Enthusiasts I shall take some notice of the Fifth-Monarchy men who since his Majesties return to his Kingdom made an attempt to put in practice their evil and wretched Principles The notion of our Saviour's personal Reign a thousand years upon Earth hath deceived many persons in the Christian Church through their misunderstanding some expressions in the Apocalypse to which purpose also they applied many other Scriptures though the ancient opinions of many worthy persons in the Christian Church who were led away by this error did still retain the meek and peaceable temper of Christianity (a) In Esai l. 9. in fin l. 15. in init passim S. Hierome in many places speaks of this opinion as a Jewish error and perstringeth the embracers thereof as Judaizers And indeed this notion had some considerable affinity with the Jewish expectation concerning the Messias that he should appear as a Temporal Prince to Reign gloriously and powerfully upon Earth and those Christians who were led away with this mistake looked for the restoring and rebuilding the City of Jerusalem when this Kingdom should appear with other things too much savouring of Judaism 2. And that this earthly and worldly Reign of Christ was very agreeable to the dreams and fancies of the Jews may be yet somewhat further manifested by observing that even (b) Gem. in Sanhed c. 11. n. 11. the Jewish Talmud speaks of the time of a thousand years when God shall renew the World and he alone shall be exalted and Reign and the righteous shall enjoy outward and temporal delights in the world And some of the Rabbins do more particularly express their sense concerning this state insomuch that in the Commentaries of R. Abraham on Dan. 12.2 as his words are related by (c) in Exc. Gem. Sanh ib. Cocceius it is said that as he understands that Prophecy the just who died in exile out of the Land of Israel at the coming of the Messias should be raised again and have all manner of delightful Food Fishes Fowls and great Cattel and then should die a second time and be raised again at the Resurrection of the dead and then should be in the other world where they should neither eat nor drink but injoy the brightness of the glory of God But so far as these things relate to earthly and sensual pleasures they might well enough suit the temper and disposition of the Jews and were agreeable to those carnal delights which (d) Eus Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cerinthus talked of in the Kingdom of Christ on Earth for a thousand years but such things savour not of the true Spirit of Christianity but are plainly opposite thereto 3. But it must be acknowledged that there have been divers worthy persons in the ancient Church and some of late who have embraced the Millenary opinions but have still retained such Principles and Opinions as are suitable to the peaceableness and Spiritual purity of Christianity Such besides Papias were Justin Martyr Irenaeus Apollinarius Tertullian Lactantius and others of old and Mr. Mede in this last age These looked for the coming of our Saviour with his Martyrs and other Saints raised from the dead to Reign on Earth before the end of the World Their chief ground was from Rev. 20.4 But their interpretation of those words concerning the Souls of them that were beheaded c. living and reigning with Christ a thousand years besides much that may be otherwise said against it cannot agree with v. 7 8 9. Where after the thousand years are ended Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the Nations and Gog and Magog shall compass the camp of the
Faith c. 24. n. 3. to promote and protect the profession of the Gospel and to take care that men of corrupt minds do not divulge Blasphemies and errors inevitably destroying the souls of them that receive them But in other cases such as differences about the waies of the worship of God they say there is no warrant for the Magistrate under the Gospel to abridge Christians of their liberty And when the Declaration of Faith in the Congregational Churches was the same with that of the Presbyterian Assembly except in such things as they thought fit to alter there were several things in the Chapters concerning liberty of Conscience and the Civil Magistrate there were divers expressions relating to the power of Secular Rulers in matters of Religion which they expunged Among others this was one (d) Assemb Confes c. 23. n. 4. It is his the Magistrates duty to take order that Vnity and Peace be preserved in the Church and all corruptions or abuses in Worship and Discipline prevented or reformed and all the Ordinances of God duly setled administred and observed And these things give intimations of disliking any Uform establishment of a setled Order in the Church confirmed and fixed by the Sanctions of the Secular Authority as a standing Rule to which the Members of the Church should conform themselves And one of their chief Writers hath declared himself against this with more than ordinary fierceness much exceeding the bounds of Christian sobriety which I think is but a mild expression for such violent words as if this were a grand part of Antichristianism He says (e) Dr. O. Of Evang. Love c. 3. p. 43. those who by ways of force would drive Christians into any other Vnion or agreement than their own light and duty will lead them into do what in them lies to oppose the whole design of the Lord Christ towards them and his rule over them Now to call the enacting any Uniform rules of Order and the establishing them under any Penalties the opposing the whole design of Christ and not only so but the doing it as much as in them lies as if this were equal to the persecutions of the Christian Name by the most furious of the Pagan Emperours is an expression which will easily appear to speak great passion but litle or no consideration 4. And not long after we are told among other things that for Christians (f) Ibid. p. 44 45. by external force to coerce or punish those who differ from them upon account of various apprehensions relating to the Worship of God or of any Schisms and divisions ensuing thereon is as foreign to the Gospel as to believe in Mahomet and not in Jesus Christ And now whither are we come and what do we hear or read that the care of Governours and the use of their Authority to maintain the peace and Union of the Church and the due order of Divine Worship and Service should be made to be parallel to the renouncing Christianity and imbracing Enthusiasm Surely this is such a speaking evil of Dignities and even for their pious care and zeal as Michael the Archangel durst not have undertaken But as all pious Princes under the Old Testament took care of the due order and establishment of Religion by their Authority and when the people did amiss as to worship in high-places or were guilty of other miscarriages in Religion this is in the Scripture charged as a fault upon the Prince and they were commended when they kept up a right method of Religion and particularly when they pulled down the high places I suppose it may be said by some that these high places were prohibited by the Divine Law but they ought also to consider besides what might be otherwise said that Schisms and Divisions are also plainly prohibited by the commands of God and the worshipping in high places was a sort of Schism And under the New Testament the power and duty of Rulers is declared to be for the punishing evil-doers and the praise of them that do well If therefore the disobeying the Divine precepts in a case where piety and charity thereby becomes neglected the interest of Religion weakened its friends grieved its enemies incouraged peace undermined and the glory of God hindred all which are contained in unwarrantable Schisms and Divisions I say if this be evil-doing the Secular Ruler is not only warranted by the Christian Doctrine but is obliged in duty to God duly to indeavour by his power to put a check thereto And this is that which the most pious Princes have been sensible of and careful to perform as appears by many Imperial Constitutions and practices and the Laws of other Kingdoms 5. But it is more particularly asserted by those of the Congregational way that a particular Congregation hath by the Institution of Christ such a power within it self that there is no other Ecclesiastical Authority whether of any more extensive part of the Church or of any Synods or of any other Superior Ecclesiastical Governour which hath any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over such a Congregation or the members thereof To this purpose they in New England declared (g) Answ to Q. 3. We do not know any visible Church of the New Testament properly so called but only a particular Congregation And they who met in the Assembly at the Savoy declared (h) Of the Instit of Churches n. 6. besides these particular Churches there is not instituted by Christ any Church more extensive or Catholick intrusted with power for the administration of his Ordinances or the executing any Authority in his name And herein this more general Assembly seem not to allow so much as some of them had before granted that against an offending Church persisting in its miscarriages (i) Apolog. Narrat the Churches offended may and ought to pronounce the heavy Sentence of renouncing all Christian Communion with them until they repent And concerning Synods and consequently the Canons of Councils we are told that (k) Of the Inst of Ch. n. 26. in Cases of difficulty and difference they allow Synods to consider and give advice but they are not intrusted with any Church-power properly so called or with any Jurisdiction over the Churches themselves to exercise any Censures either over any Churches or persons or to impose their determinations on the Churches or Officers And they of New England particularly denying any such Authority to Synods or Councils declare that (o) Answ to Qu. 18. Church Censures of Excommunication or the like belong to the particular Church of which an Offender is member out of the Communion whereof a man cannot be cast but only by his own Church Now from all this it is manifest that this is a great Principle of Independency that every particular Congregation and all the members thereof are exempt from all Superior Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction nor is there any higher Church-Authority appointed by Christ to which they ought to be
their former Communion they themselves become a distinct particular Congregation and thereby are under no Superior Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction nor can they be authoritatively censured by any and by this open separation they according to this principle are become a particular distinct Church and the Schism is healed and by being parted into two distinct Societies there remains no longer any such division as there was before in one Congregation which is Schism but by going further asunder and separating from one another they are in a wonderful manner brought to Unity in two opposite Congregations And thus by the late rare inventions of men which have been unknown to all former times the rending things asunder and breaking them in pieces are the new found methods to make them one But such a way of Unity if it can please some singular fancies will appear monstrous to the generality of mankind 11. That these notions and practices are great promoters of discord and division is not a bare speculation but hath been manifested by sufficient experience In Amsterdam the separate Communion of the Societies of Mr. Johnson and Mr. Ainsworth under Brownism and in Rotterdam the like of those of Mr. Bridge and Mr. Simpson proceeded upon this principle And this very principle of Independency helped many forward in this Kingdom in our late times of discord to set up new parties of Anabaptists Seekers and other Sects many of which were the off-sets of fermented Independency and its adulterine off-spring And the sad and lamentable relation of the Bermudas Islands called the Summer Islands is also very considerable where after this Congregational way was there undertaken the rejected part are said to have neglected all care of Religion and the gathered or separated part to have run on in dividing till they in a manner lost their Christian Religion in Quakerism And thus many have made a further improvement than the asserters themselves allowed of the allowed liberty for them who (q) Instit o Chur. n. 28. are in Church-fellowship as they call their way to depart from the Communion of the Church where they have walked to join themselves with some other Church where they may injoy the Ordinances in the purity of the same 12. Wherefore this notion of Independency would misrepresent the Christian Society and the Institution of Christ as if whilst Unity was earnestly injoyned therein the state of this Society should be left without that Order and Government which is necessary to preserve it For under this model the Church would be as far from an orderly and regular state as an Army would be when every several Troop or Company were left wholly to themselves and their own pleasure allowing some respect to be had to the conduct of their own Captain and inferiour Officers but not owning any Authority of any General or higher Commander than what is in their own Troop Or it might be somewhat resembled by the state of such an imaginary Kingdom where every Village in the Country and every Parish in a City should have such a chief power within themselves that there should be no appeal for justice to any higher Court nor any other power to punish them but what is executed by themselves If such things as these were put in practice they would not only hinder the serviceableness and usefulness of such an Army or Kingdom if it could be allowed to call them so but here would be also wanting the beauty and comeliness of Unity and Order and a door opened to frequent discords and dissentions 13. Secondly I shall consider their gathering Churches as they call them out of those who were Christian members of the Church of Christ and entring them into their Societies by a particular Covenant made to and with a private Congregation and pretending this Covenant to be the main ground and true way of the establishment and Union of a Church The value they set upon this Covenant may appear from the declaration of the Churches in New England who say (r) Apol. for Ch. Cov. p. 5. First That this is that whereby a company of Christians do become a Church it is the Constitutive form of a Church Secondly This is that by taking hold whereof a particular person becomes a member of a Church And though they frequently speak so fairly to such Christian Churches as do not admit this special Covenant with a single Congregation only as to declare their owning them to be true Churches yet all this cannot well be reconciled with this principle And therefore those of this way in England at their publick meeting speak more openly and more consistently with their own notion when they declared (Å¿) Of Instit of Churches n. 23. every Society assembling for the celebration of the Ordinances according to the appointment of Christ within any civil Precincts and Bounds is not thereby constituted a Church and therefore a Believer living with others in such a precinct may join himself with any Church for his edification But since this in truth is a separating members from that which really is a true part of the Christian Church the Presbyterians truly declared that (t) Pref. to Jus div Regim Eccles gathering Churches out of Churches hath no footsteps in Scripture is contrary to Apostolical practice is the scattering of Churches the Daughter of Schism the Mother of Confusion but the Step mother to Edification But I must acknowledge that the present practices of this party also looks as if they had now laid aside this opinion 14. But this Congregational method doth suppose that Baptized Christians are not obliged by any Church-relation they are already in to Communicate with any particular Church or part of the Christian Church when the natural consequence of the Unity of the Christian Church will be to lay an obligation upon all its members to Communicate with that regular part thereof within whose Precincts they reside And this new notion gives a larger discharge to multitudes of Christians from the duties of Communion than the rules of Religion will allow until they shall enter into such a particular Covenant which is not only unnecessary but unwarrantable also as will hereafter appear And there seemed too much reason for that complaint of the Presbyterians by the Provincial Assembly as they stiled themselves that the removing the Parochial Bounds would open a gap to thousands of people to live like Sheep without a Shepherd and instead of joining with purer Churches to join with no Churches and in a little time as we conceive say they adding in the Margent as our experience abundantly shews it would bring in all manner of profaneness and Atheism And whilst they unwarrantably declare the fixed state of our Church to be such that Christians are not obliged to hold Communion therewith and thereupon both themselves depart from it and teach others to do the like it deserves to be more seriously considered by them than hitherto it hath been how this
who appointed not this kind of Covenanting established the Christian Church in that way of Unity that it was one Church but these have ordered this method for the dividing it 20. Secondly This casts a disparagement on Christs Institution of Baptism as if this Ordinance of his was not sufficient and effectual for the purposes to which he appointed it whereof one was the receiving Members into his Church and the Communion thereof The Scriptures declare Christians to be Baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12.12 and that they who are Baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 and therefore by this Sacramental Ordinance members are received into fellowship with Christ and communion with his Church But these expressions in the Assembly-confession of (i) Conf. c. 27. n. 1. Sacraments being Instituted to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the World And of Baptism being ordained by Christ for the solemn admission of the party Baptized into the visible Church are rejected and left out in the declaration of Faith by them of the Congregational way And we are told by the New England Independents that (k) Answ to 32. Qu. to qu. 4. they do not believe that Baptism doth make men members of the Church and they there say strangely enough that Christ Baptized but made no new Church Wherefore when Christ appointed Baptism to receive members of his Church this Covenant which he never appointed is by them set up thus far in the place and room of it 21. Thirdly By making this Covenant the only right ground of Church-fellowship they cast a high reflexion on the Apostolical and Primitive Churches who neither practised nor delivered any such thing as if the Apostolical Model must give place to theirs and those first Churches must not be esteemed regularly established But this Covenant managed in the dividing way is somewhat like the practice of Novatus who hath been ever reputed guilty of great Schism who ingaged his followers by the most solemn Vow that they should never forsake him nor return to Cornelius their true Bishop only his Covenant had not a peculiar respect to a particular Congregation But this bond of their own promise and vow was intended to keep them in that separation which the more solemn Vow of Baptism and undertaking Christianity ingaged them to reject And it is a great mistake to imagine that the former ought to take place against the latter or that men may bind themselves to act against the will of God and that thenceforth they ought not to observe it 22. Fourthly The confinement of Church-membership to a single Congregation entred under such a particular Covenant is contrary to several plain duties of Christianity For according to this notion the peculiar offices of Brotherly Love as being members one of another and that Christian care that follows thereupon it limited to a narrow compass together with the exercise of the Pastoral care also which ought to be inlarged to all those professed Christians with whom we do converse And it is of dangerous and pernicious consequence that the duties of love and being helpful to one another and provoking to love and good works upon account of our membership with the Church visible though these things be in practice too much neglected should be straitned by false and hurtful notions and opinions It was none of the least miscarriages of the Jews that when God gave them that great Commandment to love their Neighbour as themselves they should satisfie themselves in the performing this duty with a much more restrained sense of the word Neighbour than the Divine Law intended And it must not be conceived that false imaginations concerning the bounds of the Church and fellowship therein will be esteemed in the sight of God a sufficient discharge from the duties he requires men to perform to others nor will this be a better excuse under Christianity than the like mistake was under Judaism 23. Thirdly I shall consider their placing the chief Ecclesiastical power and authority in the Body of the people or the members of the Church To this purpose by some of them we are told that (m) Answ to 32. Qu. to Q. 14. in Peter and the rest the Keys are committed to all Believers who shall join together in the same confession according to the Ordinance of Christ and they give the people the power of (n) Answ to Qu. 15. censuring offenders even Ministers themselves if they be such And on this account at least in part I suppose the Congregational Churches in their Declaration of Faith omitted the whole Chapter of (o) Ch. 30. Church censures contained in the Assembly's Confession in which they had declared the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to be committed to the Church Officers Now besides that the way of Government and Censure by the major Vote of the people hath been the occasion of much confusion in some of their Congregations that which I shall particularly insist on is the great sin of intruding upon any part of the Ministerial Authority or neglecting due regard or reverence thereto How plain is it in the Scripture that the Apostles governed and ordered the state of the Christian Church and that Timothy and Titus and the Angels of the Churches did and were to do the like It was to the Apostles as chief Officers of the Christian Church that Christ declared Joh. 20.23 whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted and whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained and Matt. 18.18 whatsoever yet shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose in Earth shall be loosed in Heaven And by these and such like words the power of inflicting Censures and receiving to and conferring of the priviledges of the Church as well as of dispensing all those Ordinances whereby the grace of God and remission of sins are particularly tendered are appropriated to the Officers of the Church as part of their Office 24. In this plain sense were these Christian Laws generally understood by the Primitive Church which practised accordingly which they who read the ancient Canons must necessarily confess And the same is manifest from the particular Writers of the first Ages For instance even (p) Cyp. Ep. 27. S. Cyprian from what our Lord spake to S. Peter of the power of the Keys and of binding and loosing infers the Episcopal honour and that every act of the Church must be governed by those Prefects or Superiors And from those words and what our Saviour spake to his Apostles Jo. 20. about remitting sins he concludes that only the Governours in the Church (q) Ep. 73. can give remission of sins And when Rogatianus a Bishop complained to Cyprian concerning a Deacon who behaved himself contumeliously towards him S. Cyprian commends his humility in addressing himself to him (r) Ep. 65. when he had himself power by virtue of his Episcopacy and the
and sutably our Saviour after his Resurrection gave his Apostles the authority of remitting and retaining Sins which phrase also immediately respecteth not Persons but Things but yet binding in this sense must include an authoritative declaring the Practices of Men to be so far Evil as to deprive the offending Persons of their Christian Priviledges 2. These words will also imply that the Officers of the Church are intrusted to bind and continue or to loose and discharge the observation of Penitential Rules and accordingly the Apostle saith to whom you forgive any thing I forgive it also in the Person of Christ 2 Cor. 2.10 And even this severe part of Ecclesiastical Power is for Edification not Destruction both to the whole Church and to the Offender that through Repentance his Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord and so is properly included under the Ministry of Reconciliation The general result of all I have said is That the Office of the Ministry is of very high and great importance and such persons who have a low esteem thereof if they have any reverence for their Saviour let them seriously consider whether he who is Truth and Goodness can be thought to use such high expressions in this case as to declare his giving them the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and that what they bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and such like to impose upon the World which he came to guide and save and upon his Church which he so dearly loves with empty sounds of great things which signify little or nothing What a mighty sense had the Primitive Christians of this power of the Keys when the Penitent Offenders under censure undertook according to some Canons the strict observation of Penance Conc. Ancyr c. 16. Elib c. 2 7 47 63. Valent. cap. 3. sometimes for 20 or 30 years and even to the end of their Life that they might obtain Absolution and the Peace of the Church and its Communion And under this severe Discipline as Tertullian describes it by the name of their Exomologesis de Poenit. c. 9. they did ly in Sackcloth and Ashes they never used such Cloaths or Diet as might appear pleasant they frequently exercised themselves in Fasting Prayers and Tears crying to God day and night and among other things they made humble Supplication even upon their Knees unto the Members of the Church and fell down prostrate before its Officers it being their custom Presbyteris advolvi charis Dei adgeniculari And all this was done in the greatest degree while the Church was under persecution from the Civil Power But that which they apprehended and which I doubt not to be true Exam. Conc. Trid. de Poeni is that as Chemnitius expresseth it Christus est qui per ministerium absolvit peccata remittit it is Christ who gives Absolution by his Ministry viz. where they proceed according to his Will And as under the Law he who trespassed beside the amendment of his fault and restitution either in things Sacred or Civil was to have recourse to the Trespass-Offering for obtaining the Mercy of God even so under the Gospel he who performs the other conditions of Christianity ought where it may be had to apply himself also to the Ministerial power of remitting Sin and the receiving this Testimony together with that of a good Conscience upon a Christian Penitent Deportment is next to the great Absolution by Christ the greatest encouragement for Peace and Comfort Only I must here add which I desire may be particularly observed that the principal way of ministerial dispensing Remission of Sins and other Blessings of the Gospel to them who fall not under gross enormities and the censures of the Church though performed also in its degree in Doctrine and other Benedictions and Absolutions is chiefly done by Administring the Holy Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper to persons duly qualified And it is one of the miscarriages of the Roman Church that they take too little notice of this advantage in receiving the Holy Eucharist and do inordinately advance their Sacrament of Penance so far into its place as to be esteemed the only Sacrament after Baptism wherein may be obtained remission of Sins Wherefore I conceive that as that Man who being converted to Christianity doth profess the Doctrine and embrace the practice thereof in other things but wholly omitteth Christian Baptism doth thereby deprive himself of the ordinary visible Testimony of God's favour and runs himself upon the needless hazard of hoping to find acceptance by extraordinary Grace in the neglect of the ordinary means thereof even so is it with those adult persons who being otherwise piously disposed do ordinarily neglect the attendance upon the Lord's Supper which is particularly appointed of God to be a means of conveying and applying the benefits of Christ's Holy Sacrifice for remission of Sins and other blessings of the Covenant to them who are worthy and meet to receive the same And if this which to me seemeth a great Truth was duly heeded the frequent attendance upon the Holy Communion and other Services of God would be as it was in the Primitive Times generally looked on as a Duty of very great importance in Persons adult and resolving upon a true Christian course of life Having asserted the nature and excellency of the Ministerial Power it will be necessary also to disclaim and reject from it these two things 1. That the Ministry of Reconciliation is not appointed to offer in the Mass a Propitiatory Sacrifice to God for the Quick and the Dead and herewith must be rejected also the Power of effecting Transubstantiation St. Chrysostom truly asserteth Chrysost in 2 Cor. 2.5 That it is not the same thing which is done by Christ i. e. in reconciling us by his Sacrifice and by his Ministry But the Priestly Authority according to the Romish Ordination Pontif. Rom. is chiefly placed in this proper Power of Sacrificing their Form being Accipe potestatem offerre Sacrificium Deo c. And all the Orders of their Ministry have some proper thing appointed for them which relateth to this Sacrifice of the Mass That is properly Ordo Th. Mor. l. 5. Tr. 9. c. 1. saith F. Layman where there is gradus potestatis ad peragendum Missae Sacrificium or a degree of Power to perform something about the Sacrifice of the Mass Much to the same purpose is in many other Writers and even in the Roman Catechism ad Parcchos in which as also in the Council of Trent it self Cat. ad Par. de Ord. Sacr. Concil Trid. Sess 23. cap. 2. their Priesthood is reckoned as the highest of their seven Orders partly upon this account and partly because this Notion serveth further to advance the Dignity and Eminency of the Pope But there is no such Sacrifice of the Mass in the Religion of our Saviour Indeed here it must be granted and asserted that the
by the Persecutions it endured but should prevail under them And if it had not been from the Support of the Power of God the Christian Church in its weakest Estate could never have stood against the Wisdom and Power of the World which was then engaged against it but God then did and yet will uphold his Church even to the end And with a particular eye to God's especial Care hereof in these latter Times we read that when the Thousand Years were ended and the Nations and Gog and Magog compassed the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City then Fire came from God out of Heaven and devoured them Rev. 20.8 9. And those Interpreters who would understand these Phrases of the Camp of the Saints and the Beloved City concerning any particular City or Place upon Earth seem not herein to observe the Nature of the Prophetick Style which will direct us to understand it of the more eminent and chief part of the Christian Church Wherefore we have great grounds for expecting Good from God if we mind our Duty to him Now upon this Encouragement let us in the Fear of God undertake this Duty that we may be instrumental to the procuring Good to the Church of God and that we our selves may be Partakers of eternal Happiness This is the way to have God to be our Friend and no other Peace in the World can be concluded and secured upon those advantagious Terms as our having Peace with God may be And therefore I shall now come to the second thing I proposed to discourse of what we are here commanded to do Quest 2. What is it to turn to God with all our Heart Answ This is one and the same thing with Repentance The Septuagint express this Phrase of Turning in the Text by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or being converted to God And this supposeth or includeth 1. A serious Consideration and minding of our Rule together with the Motives that should put us upon a Practice answerable thereto This Rule is the Word of God or the Holy Scripture as superadded to the natural Light of Reason and Conscience Upon due pondering of this Josiah's Heart was tender and he humbled himself and undertook a Reformation 2. Self-reflection and Examination of our Minds Ways and Actions by this Rule with this stedfast purpose that nothing may be entertained or allowed in us which is not agreeable thereunto 3. An humble and serious Sorrow for past Miscarriages with hearty and unfeigned Confession of Sin and earnest Supplication to God for the obtaining Mercy 4. A resolved undertaking to forsake all Evil in Heart and Life and to do our Duty These things are so plain in the Nature of them and so evidently necessary in their general Consideration that they need not either further Explication or Proof The Practice and Exercise of Repentance and turning to God taketh in all these but both the Phrase of Turning and the chief Design of Repentance hath principal respect to the last of them it being all one to turn to God and to return to and carefully set upon our Duty And therefore I shall now insist on this and that we may practise these things to good effect I shall urge some particular Instances which are of great use to be performed in our minding this Duty 1. In avoiding Schisms and Divisions and practising Unity and Peace 2. In the forsaking Debauchery and Profaneness and the embracing Seriousness and Sobriety 3. In rejecting all Irreligion and Neglect of the Worship of God and engaging our selves in true Piety and hearty Devotion 1. In the avoiding Schisms and Divisions and practising Unity and Peace How many and frequent are the Precepts for Peace and Unity delivered in the Doctrine of our Saviour and how earnestly is this urged and inculcated If there be any Consolation in Christ c. saith the Apostle Phil. 2.1 2. Fulfill ye my Joy being of one accord and of one mind And if we view and consider the Business of our Religion as it was delivered by our Saviour and his Apostles this will be found to be one of its great and weighty Precepts And shall we then be forward to contend about other lesser things to the neglect of this As the Scribes and Pharisees would tithe Mint Anise and Cummin but neglected the weighty Things of God's Law St. Paul tells us The Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy-Ghost For he that in these Things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men. Rom. 14.17 18. In which Words it is very plainly asserted that whilst some other Things which Men may contend about are of less moment these Things here mentioned are of great concernment to Religion it self and the being esteemed of God and good Men. And as Peace is one of these great Duties here urged so that the Apostle had a very particular Eye thereupon may be concluded from the Words immediatly following v. 19. Let us therefore follow after the Things which make for Peace And the Neglect of this Duty is very hurtful and pernicious to the Christian Church For as in the Body when it is rent and torn and the Members disjointed there must be from this very Cause great Disorders Weakness and Feebleness so is it also in the Church of God Yea these Things are to be accounted of dangerous Consequence for the undermining or shaking the Kingdom of Christ since our Lord himself hath told us that a Kingdom divided against it self is brought to Desolation And shall any good Man be pleased to join with the Enemy in his Designs against the welfare stability and safety of the Church of Christ Now besides many other Arguments which might be insisted on to disswade from Schisms and Divisions there are two things I shall recommend to you as being well worthy your serious consideration First making Divisions in the Church either includes a total want or at least a defect in a great degree of the true Spirit of Christianity This must needs be so because the observing Peace and Unity are so great a part and duty of our Religion If we reflect on our Baptism we are baptized into one Body and therefore are to observe Unity And when S. Paul urgeth the Ephesians to take care of that great Duty of walking worthy of that Vocation wherewith they were called Eph. 4.1 To that end he most particularly and largely insists on their keeping the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace v. 3 c. And from this very Reason he concluded the Corinthians to be carnal because of the envying strife and divisions that were among them 1 Cor. 3.3 And where-ever the Peace and Unity of the Church is broken from those corrupt Principles of Pride Self-will and the carelesness of obeying God's Commandments this speaks such an unchristian temper as will exclude such Persons from the Kingdom of God And therefore those very phrases the Apostle
without these Holy Exercises 2. Let the exercise of Religion be performed with hearty and serious Devotion even with Fasting and solemn Humiliation and Prayer these are Duties directed by the Prophet Joel in the latter part of this Verse of my Text to express our hearty turning unto God And the Church doth particularly at this time call upon us to mind these Holy Exercises they are Duties useful at all times and are excellent qualifications to dispose us aright for the obtaining the Pardon of our own Sins as they include the practice of Humility Piety Faith and Repentance Amongst the Jews the solemn day of Atonement and Remission was a day of devout Fasting and Afflicting their Souls And after S. Paul had been stricken down to the Ground as he went toward Damascus after he had Fasted three days and Prayed Ananias was then sent to him by our Saviour that he might arise and be Baptized and wash away his Sins Acts 9.9 11 17 18. ch 22.16 At this time the methods of God's Providence do eminently require our more than ordinary diligence in these Duties for the averting his Judgments and the preserving us and our Posterity from Ruine and Misery Let those who have been Vicious and Disobedient engage herein with Reformation and Amendment of Life And let the most Pious Men also undertake it with the greatest seriousness even in them it is an exercise of Repentance as indeed the whole practice of Christianity is for the Christian Life is a turning to God from whom sinful Man had estranged himself and the whole thereof is described by Repenting and turning to God and doing works meet for Repentance and the Repentance undertaken therein is not only in some short transitory acts but it taketh in the whole course of a Christian Progress These devout Performances of the best Men are of great use for obtaining publick Blessings from God And it cannot be supposed that the Religious Addresses of Moses or Josiah who were Men of great Piety should be less acceptable to God or less effectual for the good of Man than the Repentance of Ahab or Manasseh or of the Ninevites But let these things be done with true uprightness and sincerity of Heart and then our Blessed Saviour hath assured them who so fast and pray in secret that their Heavenly Father will reward them openly But withall that these Duties may be pleasing to God it is necessary that they be accompanied with those other things which I have before pressed Fasting and Prayer in the neglect of Peace and Unity and of Holiness and Piety is as the sacrificing an unclean thing far from being approved of God and this is the account the Prophet Isaiah gives why God would not accept these very performances of the Jews Behold saith he ye fast for Strife and Debate and to smite with the Fist of wickedness Wherefore now let us take the advice in the Text and resolve on the pious practice thereof especially in these particulars I have insisted on For the further enforcing of which I shall in concluding observe three things First That it was God's own direction in these words of Joel This was indeed immediately given to the Jews but the Apostle tells us Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scripture might have hope That which God thinks fit to advise us it is our Wisdom to practise For when the Policy of Wise Men may be outwitted and all sinful contrivances will encrease danger the Counsel of God that will stand and as Wisdom speaks Prov. 1.33 Whoso hearkneth to me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from the fear of Evil. Secondly Reflect again on the case in which this was directed Besides the terribleness of the Armies which were to come against them in the former Verses of this second Chapter of Joel God lets them know that he himself was like to be on their Enemies side against them v. 11. The Lord shall utter his Voice before his Army The Prophet Joel was sent to make Proclamation of God's Controversy with them but though this was declared by a Message from God it was not so absolutely determined but that there was still an Help and Remedy reserved if they would make use thereof by turning to God with all their heart In like manner when Jonas was sent to Nineveh to declare that within forty days it should be destroyed upon its Repentance it was spared And the Prophet Jeremy assures us that at what instant God shall speak concerning a Nation or concerning a Kingdom to pluck up to pull down and to destroy if that Nation turn from their Evil he will repent of the Evil that he thought to do unto them No case is so bad but if this course be made use of it will appear hopeful Thirdly Consider the greatness of the effect I observed before that in this Prophecy from this Text forward are contained Promises of Deliverance The effect was also answerable to these Promises Indeed the precise time of Joel's Prophecy is not certain It is thought both by the Jewish writers and by Ancient Fathers that his time was contemporary with that of Hosea and this Prophecy in all probability must be dated before the latter part if not before the beginning of Hezekiah's Reign and accordingly Grotius seems very reasonably to understand the beginning of this Chapter to refer to Sennacherib's Army which invaded Judah this Army here mentioned was indeed called the Northern Army Joel 2.20 but this expression might well enough agree to the Assyrian Army as may appear from Zeph. 2.3 He will stretch out his hand against the North and destroy Assyria Now at this time the Sins of Judah were great and many especially under Ahaz their Condition was low and despised and their Enemy was potent proud and insolent yet upon the Pious Reformation of Judah under Hezekiah and their earnest Religious Addresses to God their Enemies proud Designs were wholly blasted and themselves ruined and the blessing of God came down upon Judah and Jerusalem And God grant that we may take that course that we may enjoy the Blessing of God and have it ever continued to these Churches and Realms even until the coming again of our Blessed Saviour to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory and Praise now and evermore Amen A SERMON Preached on S. Mat. 5.20 For I say unto you That except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven RELIGION and Righteousness is so suitable to and perfective of the Nature of Man that it hath been thereupon recommended by the wisest Men and greatest Philosophers It is of such concernment for humane Society that all Lawgivers and Governours have thought it necessary to prohibit and restrain the Violation thereof And it carrieth so much of the Image
Donatists falsly charged one of the Ordainers of Caecilianus and pretended this as a ground of their Separation 2. Their Righteousness did much consist in such a Zeal as was disorderly fierce furious and censorious They were diligent in compassing Sea and Land to make Proselites but it was that they might be their Followers and Admirers Their professing a great Respect to the Prophets and their Pretence of Traditions was chiefly to gain Credit to their own Dictates Their Zeal was a violent espousing the Interest of their own Errors and was not so much for God and his Law as for themselves and their own Party like that of the Donatists Annal. Eccles an 306. n. 42. mentioned by Baronius who could with more patience hear Men speak lightly of Christ than of Donatuâ— And they were so censorious that they not only despised the Publicans but esteemed the People as not knowing the Law to be cursed and condemned the most holy Jesus for a Blasphemer an Enemy to Caesar and one who cast out Devils by the Prince of Devils Their violent Fierceness was evident by their bloody Cruelties under the Government of Alexandria and at other times Jos Antiq. l. 13. c. 2â—â— and especially in their being much concerned in prosecuting our Lord to the Death and treating him with so many Indignities and his Apostles after him with various Methods of Hatred and Cruelty and particularly murdering James the Just the first Bishop of Jerusalem But in the Religion of our Saviour the contrary Temper of pursuing true and sincere Piety Faith and the Fear and Love of God and of Mercifulness Meekness and Charity is made indispensably necessary to our eternal Happiness And to this end we are commanded to learn of Christ to be meek and lowly Mat. 11.29 that we may find Rest unto our Souls But if St. James and St. John be for calling for Fire from Heaven this is declared to be greatly opposite to the Spirit of the Gospel For tho it allows and establisheth just Rules of Government and the Use of the Power of the Sword therein yet it condemns all Cruelty and Fury And if St. Peter in his Zeal will unwarrantably draw his Sword he must receive a severe Check from our Lord and Master 3. They miscarried also by their unduly affecting the Vogue and Applause of Men in their Religious Performances To this purpose they made broad their Philacteries Exod. 13.2 5. Deut. 6.4 Ch. 11 13 14 15. that they might seem to Men to give great respect to those Precepts of the Law inscribed in them concerning the worshipping acknowledging and obeying God And for a pretence of extraordinary Sanctity they made use of long Prayers and put up their Devotions even in the Corners of the Streets And their Fasting Praying and giving Alms was done that they might be seen of Men while it might well have become such Actions to have been managed by a better Principle By this means they gained a great Interest among the People but made use of it to very ill purposes even to the opposing the Doctrine of our Saviour And Josephus tells us Antiq. Jud. l. 13. c. 18. they could 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by their Credit bring the People to be ill-affected either to the King or the High-Priest But our Saviour pronounceth frequent Woes against them for their Hypocrisy and lets them know that all this while they are out of God's Favour and that what is highly esteemed among Men is an Abomination in the sight of God Luke 16.15 Now both Reason and Religion will recommend a good Name as useful and desirable so far as it can be gained in doing our Duty and practising Sincerity But if the World be so degenerate that the faithful and upright Man must needs meet with Censures and Revilings here as Christ himself and his Apostles did so must all his Disciples take up the Cross and bear the Reproach In this case the Blessed Jesus declared Luke 6.26 Wo be to you when all Men shall speak well of you And whereas the Scribes and Pharisees are said to do all their Works to be seen of Men Mat. 23.5 St. Hierom there affirms that he who in this is like to them Hieronym in Mat. 23. Scriba Pharisaeus est is in the same condition with the Scribes and Pharisees When St. Peter against the Rule of his Duty would withdraw from the Gentiles to ingratiate himself with the Jews St. Paul thought it necessary to reprove him sharply as not walking uprightly and according to the Truth of the Gospel Indeed the inordinate Pursuit of Vain-Glory and the valuing the Esteem or Favour of any Men above the discharge of a good Conscience is so opposite to true Religion to a lively Sense of God and Faith in him that in this respect our Saviour said How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another 4. Their Righteousness superstitiously laid a great stress on little outside Things and such as were no parts of real Religion They were strict in washing those hands which remained polluted by evil Works and in washing Pots and Tables as if these and such other Things were of doctrinal necessity They were careful to tithe Mint and Anise and appeared hugely scrupulous about the Obligation of their unlawful Vow of Corban but with respect to that Vow could without regret dispense with the neglect of honouring superior Relations against the fifth Commandment They received the Traditions of their Scribes with a great and inordinate Veneration even above the Law it self and of these unwritten Traditions they had a great Number as the Scripture intimateth and Josephus expresly testifieth Ant. l. 13. c. 18 And out of a pretext of Purity they rejected all Converse with Publicans tho such as were justified rather than themselves But true Christian Righteousness must consist in minding and chiefly valuing the great Duties of true Piety and Holiness And by our Saviour's Doctrine a Wo is denounced against the Pharisees little Strictnesses while they neglected the weighty things of the Law And their observing and urging those things as greatly necessary which indeed were not truly good were so far from pleasing God that our Lord declared That in vain they worshipped him teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men Mat. 15.9 therein applying to them those Words of the Prophet Esay according to the Version of the Septuagint Isa 29.13 5. They were haughty and imperious but not submissive to Rulers and Governours They were forward to bind heavy Burdens on the Shoulders of others but were not themselves willing to stoop to the Duties of Obedience and Subjection They were so little Friends to Caesar that by them the Question was propounded Mat. 22.15 17. Whether it was lawful to give Tribute to Caesar or no and were so averse to Authority that as Josephus relates they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make War and otherwise were injurious towards
better State for such charitable Hopes And whosoever are engaged in any of those Evils which were included in Pharisaism and condemned in Christianity had need carefully to reflect on themselves and heartily and timely to amend But if any should be offended at a Discourse that represents to them the Danger of their Practices and should be more ready to censure it as uncharitable than to weigh and consider it they may know that as this speaks a very bad Temper of Mind prevailing in them so the letting Men alone in their sinful Actions is so far from being any part of that Charity which our Saviour practised or enjoined that it is more agreeable with the Temper of the Evil One who is willing that they who do amiss should continue in their Evil be flattered therein and not so consider thereof as to forsake it Secondly Let all who are of our Church and whoever embrace the true Catholick Communion be careful and serious in practising Holiness and Righteousness Our Doctrine and Profession condemneth and disowneth all unsound Principles and corrupt Practices And as the more devout Jews daily blessed God that they were born Jews and not of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gentiles so have we great reason to praise God that we live in this excellent Church and are thereby free from various Snares to which many others are exposed But if amongst us Debauchery Profaneness or Irreligion prevail upon any Persons whomsoever such Wickedness of Life will exclude Persons of the purest Profession and Belief from ever entring into Heaven St. Austin sometimes warns against this Aug. de Civ Dei l. 20. c. 9. de fid oper as a considerable Defect in the Pharisees Righteousness that while they sate in Moses's Chair our Lord tells us they say but do not If ever we will be happy our Practice must answer our Profession the Doctrine of Christianity is a Doctrine according to Godliness and must be improved to that End An Heretical or Schismatical Life as some ancient Writers call that vicious Conversation which separates the Man from the Ways of God and Religion is the more unaccountable and inexcusable when it contradicteth and crosseth the most Catholick Profession and the best Rules of Duty clearly proposed Wherefore let us be careful that as the Righteousness required in the Doctrine of our Church in conformity to the Gospel of our Saviour doth greatly exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees so may that of our Lives also in conformity to that Doctrine Which God of his Mercy grant through the Merits of our holy and blessed Saviour To whom c. 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