the third Commandment taught men to break the fifth not suffering a man to do any thing for his father and mother after once he had said It is Corban that is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me or I interdict what I have by the vow Corban from ever being helpful unto thee a Form among the Jews of forswearing to help others Which instead of being an approved way of keeping first Table-Duties our Lord charges as setting up the Commandments of men for Doctrines and making void God's Law through their Traditions Mat. 15.5 6 9. Mar. 7.11 We must not suffer our selves to be carried on to break the fifth sixth eighth ninth tenth Commandments i. e. to throw off Duty to our Parents Natural or Civil or any Obligation of Morality of Justice Truth or Gratitude towards men for the Honour and Glory of God or for either the new setting up and erection or the continuance and preservation of a more Orthodox pure and spiritual way of Worship and Devotion It is too common among the worldly wise to consent to several violations of Morality for the Preservation as they say of God's Church or Advancement of his Glory Meaning thereby the Glory and Preservation of a true and Orthodox Profession of Faith and of a pure and Gospel-Worship And the Glory sought thereby for these is to make them externally glorious to seat them in worldly Sway Power or Priviledge that men may own the Confessions and pay the Worship with external ease and encouragement to themselves or without Persecutions But is not God to be glorified and obeyed in his other Precepts as well as in these Confessions of Faith and pure Devotions And is it a way to glorifie him in one point by disgracing him in others Will he receive so much Glory and Service by the Orthodoxy as Disservice and Dishonour by the Immorality Is not God glorious in his Moral Attributes of Justice Faithfulness and the like as well as in the Unity and Spirituality of his Nature And is it not as necessary for those that would duly glorifie him to copy out and display his Glory in these Moral Excellencies as to own and declare it in the other Nay is he not particularly careful to call us to an imitation and Transcript of his Glory in these to be merciful as he is merciful Luc. 6.36 and holy as he who hath callâ—d us is holy and that in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 16 And to tell us that to be created after his Image the new man must put away lying and other immoralities and be formed in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.24 25 c. And must not the Church be preserved in true ways of Justice and Moral Duties as well as of Worship and Confessions of Faith Ought it not to be as much concerned for good Practice as for good Prayers and will it not get as much by good Life as by being Orthodox Nay can immoral men be saved in any Religion or will a good Worship recommend any to God in evil-doing or shall they enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that call Christ Lord Lord but do not obey him There is no way of glorifying God but by being intire in our Duty and performing all that he prescribes us Nor of advancing his Church but by advancing the Practice of all those Duties which are to recommend to save and signalize his Church We may confess the true Faith and Practise a pure and spiritual Worship in keeping all the other Commandments and without the breach of any yea and that in Persecutions if we please and dare run hazards And so may all other persons if they have the heart to do like us And 't is not for us to transgress any of them only as a way to remove hard Tryals from them or from our selves Which is not to glorifie God or our Duty or advance his Church but to discredit and disserve both for our own carnal ease and advantage 2. Secondly That a true Christian be ready to suffer for any point of Morality and Justice as well as for any point of Orthodoxy in Faith or Purity in Divine Worship For upon which soever of these they suffer the cause is Religious and they are alike Confessors The Duties of the first Table indeed have God not only for their Author but likewise for their Object and so are more particularly stiled Piety or Duties towards God on that account As are likewise some Duties injoined in the second Table viz. those of the fifth Commandment towards Parents and Magistrates who are in God's place and on that Account are sometimes in Scripture call'd Gods Thou shalt not revile the Gods saith the Law meaning thereby the Rulers Exod. 22.28 And thus St. Paul calls it shewing piety at home when Children relieve and requite their Parents 1 Tim. 5.4 And the undutiful are stiled â—ons of Belial and impious and Disloyalty impiety or Secundum Sacrilegium a Second Sacriledge as Tertullian's Phrase is But all other Duties are injoined by God and performed for his sake and are as truly Parts of Religion and he accordingly stands upon them as those which are more immediately referr'd to God himself For Religion lies in keeping of the Laws of God at large or in all the Duties of Justice and Morality as well as in the Duties and Acts of Piety The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation that is the Christian Religion consists in living soberly and righteously no less than in living godly in this present world according to St. Paul's distribution of Duties Tit. 2.11 12. And pure and undefiled Religion St. James describes by the moral Acts of visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction and keeping ones self unspotted from the world Jam. 1.27 And the Kingdom of God or the Religion of Christ the Apostle makes to consist in Righteousness and Peace those second-Table and moral Duties as well as in joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 So that to suffer for any second Table-Duties is to suffer for God's sake since God injoins them And to suffer for Religion since Religion implies them Tho they do not so immediately respect God yet are they as much required by Religion and as truly parts thereof as those that do Now it is suffering for Religion that makes men Confessors and Martyrs And this they do who suffer for the moral parts thereof What the Gospel declares blessed is being persecuted for Righteousness sake Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake Mat. 5.10 And if ye suffer for Righteousness sake happy are ye 1 Pet. 3.14 And there is as true and acceptable Righteousness in moral Duties as in any Confessions of Orthodoxy or Purity of Worship and Devotions The Confession which Christ requires of us is to confess him and his words Luk. 9.26 And the Martyrs in the Revelations are expressed by suffering for the Testimony of Jesus and for the word of
God Rev. 20.4 And we have as good word and command for these as we have for any others The Sufferers he respects are those that suffer for his Name Mat. 10.22 But all the Duties required by his Gospel are call'd by his Name And all the Acts of Morality which stood before on Natural Obligation now since he has injoined them and his Spirit helps us to perform them being practised out of Christian Principles and through the Grace of Christ are all become Christian. And the Losses he recompenses are Losses for his sake he that loses his life for my sake shall find it Mat. 10.39 Or as 't is in St. Mark For his sake and the Gospels Mark 8.35 And is it not purley for his sake and in regard to him that we perform any second Table-Duties when we are sure to lose by them And are not those Losses for the sake of the Gospel which are purely out of Conscience to Gospel-injunctions Thus are all the Comforts and Encouragements the Approbation and Acceptance of Gospel-Sufferers common and alike to both Tables And he is as true a Confessor that in Peril of Suffering gives his testimony against any Acts of Unrighteousness and Immorality as he that doth the same against any false Articles of Faith or Acts of false Worship and Idolatry I know among Good things there is a difference in degrees And especially he that suffers for owning Jesus to be the Christ suffers for the whole of the Gospel which is more than some particular Duties thereof whether relating to Faith Worship or moral Practice But sufferings for any are all of the same kind and quality they are alike Religious and the Sufferers alike Christ's Martyrs and Confessors And suitable is the received Judgment concerning Sufferers in these cases John the Baptist was one of God's blessed Martyrs tho the Cause he suffer'd for was that of the seventh Commandment or declaring against an unlawful and incestuous Marriage Mat. 14.3 4 5 10. The persecuted Prophets were brave and Noble Confessors among the Jews Tho what they suffered for and sought to revive was not always or only a right Worship but the Duties of Morality and Justice in Declaring freely and undauntedly not only against Idols or Calves and Groves and High Places but against Falshood and Rapine and Violence and Perversions of Justice and other Grievous immoralities wherewith the Jewish State was over-run in those Degenerate and Corrupt times Thus the Holy Women and Virgins were ranked in the List of Confessors and Martyrs who would Dye or Disfigure themselves rather than yield their Bodies to the Lusts of Tyrants and Persecutors And St. Dionysius of Alexandria tells Novatus It would be as Glorious a Martyrdom nay in my judgment says he a Greater for a man to suffer Death to prevent Schisms and the rending and tearing of the Church among themselves as to suffer the same for Profession of Christianity at the Hands of Persecutors So long as we are suffering for any Duty of our holy Religion be it of Piety or of Justice and Morality the difference as to this is not much To make a Martyr or Confessor it matters not for which Table 't is so long as it is for either And accordingly to be beheaded for the Word of God which extends alike to both is the Character of the Martyrs Rev. 20.4 Now contrary to this is the visible sense and carriage of too many persons For many alas even of those who are free to expose themselves and to suffer in testifying against False Worship and Idolatry seem much more indifferent and unconcern'd about suffering or standing out and Declaring against Unrighteousness and Immorality By Religion they are wont to mean chiefly Confession of Articles and Purity of Worship And to rate that to be suffering for Religion when they suffer for them or that to be acting for the Glory of God and the Good of Religion when this acting is to serve them Nay when 't is only to serve and secure those worldly Interests and Priviledges which are tacked to them And tho in Performance of this Service they take a greater Liberty and make bold with Moral Duties only that they may secure such external Freedom and Encouragement for such pure Worship and Confessions As if that God who has commanded one had not commanded the other as much Or as if we could oblige him by breaking some of his Commands to save others Yea when there is no need of or help by any such Breach to save any but all the intent and use thereof is only to save our selves Which tho it be Right and Reasonable in the Eye of the worldly Wise is not sure the way to be wise for God or for his Glory so far as that is made to lie in our Duty nor must ever pass for that Wisdom which comes by Christ Jesus CHAP. II. Other Ends of Christian Prudence A Fourth End proposed by Christian Prudence is as to discharge the Duties so to serve and promote the Honour of Religion To be wise for God is to be wise for Religion which is the only acceptable and effectual way of serving and honouring him And to contrive wisely for Religion must always study and seek the Honour of Religion For proportionably to the Honour and Esteem the World has for it is like to be their Acceptance and Observance thereof Spiritual Prudence therefore must ever take this care of Religion by acting so in all things where it is concern'd as may set it up highest in mens Opinion and gain it the most cordial Respect and greatest Reverence from them They must consider in these matters what serves best to convince men of the Truth and Sincerity to manifest the Power and Efficacy to set out the Worth and Excellency thereof And never take up with any ways how promising soever on other Accounts that would afford considerate men a Ground in Reason to suspect Religion as if it were a fictitious thing and the Profession thereof as if it were Hypocrisie Or to fansie all its magnified Power to be real weakness and unable to carry men on to the Practice of what before they did profess when in any trying Case they are brought to the push Such Reflections bring Religion under the greatest Dishonour and Disadvantage And therefore whosoever would act prudently for it must have an especial Eye to avoid any thing that would make Religion evil spoken of For this God was highly offended with the Jews that through them the Name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles Rom. 2.24 And for this the Apostle had great indignation against some False Christians that through them the way of Truth was evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2.2 And to prevent any thing of this among Christians are those Commands of God of walking worthy of the Gospel Eph. 4.1 Phil. 1.27 So as becometh Saints Eph. 5.3 Of adorning the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Tit. 2.10 Of walking
all of Almighty God It overthrows as all the Rules so all the Design of Religion and the Grounds of good Practice It can come into the Thoughts only of worldly-wise not of truly Religious Persons who never urged a Temporal Necessity against a Spiritual Duty being not men of this World but of a better There can never be any Necessity of Sinning to him that dare suffer And he who is resolved against Suffering may think himself a worldly-wise man but God will account him no good Christian. But this now is otherwise in the Wisdom of this World Necessity it thinks a Reason not to be argued or disputed And what it calls Necessary is what is necessary to one who is resolved to keep this World not to one who can part with it What is necessary not to one that would set God and Religion above the World but that sets the World uppermost and so makes a God of it If it talk of any thing being necessary for the Interest of God and Religion it means only for the worldly things about them It looks not what is necessary to keep Innocence for other things it accounts more necessary than that but what is necessary for carnal worldly Convenience It is more for things necessary to present Safety than for those which are necessary to good Hopes of Eternity And to make men safe here by affording visible Humane Securities not by ingaging the Protection of God and the Guard of an unseen Providence 2. Secondly Spiritual Prudence will never allow us to justifie any Breach of Duty by the Plea of Providence This is the way of worldly-wise men who are ready to catch at any thing as a good Argument of a way 's being approved by God and pleasing to him if it profits them If God give Success when they use unlawful ways and Expedients especially if in bringing that success about there are any surprising or remarkable Circumstances they cry up the Hand of God and think his prospering it so signally is his approbation God himself here say they is willing to become a Party and such Success is his Testimony But Spiritual Wisdom teaches us to take the Morality of Actions and the goodness or illness of things from Laws not from Providence It is the Laws of God in Nature or Scripture that must teach us our Duty and tell us what will please God or what will offend him Sin is the Transgression of a Law as St. John says and Obedience is the keeping of them And these Laws are publish'd in the Nature of things and the Word of God which are a plain and sure Promulgation of them But as for Providence its Design is not to be a Publisher of Precepts God's Providence is not an Act of his Legislation but of Judicature and Execution It s part is not first to shew and promulge Laws but supposing those promulged before to supervise the Carriage of those they were promulged to and execute their Sanctions Or to recompense Actions by suitable Events according as they have either transgressed or kept them The Judgments of God according to his Will before promulged we may read in the Events and Issues of Providence But what his Will is the Observance or Breach whereof Providence thus rewards or punishes we must read in the Moral Nature of Things and the Holy Scriptures 'T is a bad Use therefore of Providence to make it take off our Eyes from the Morality of Things and the plain Voice of Laws and look for what is pleasing to God and according to his Will only in the Events of Actions Which is like leaving the clear Light of the Sun to go to read by that of a Glow-worm 'T is to go read our Duty where it was not intended to be writ and Neglect or over-look the perusal of that where it is writ And 't is worse when we see both to make Providence carry against plain Laws and the Moral Nature of Things which is to turn the Signification of Providence not only against the Laws but against it self For the use of Providence is to be a Government according to those Laws and the Morality of Things It is to be a Maintainer of them by just Retribution and so is only to back and strengthen but never to oppose them And therefore Providence must never be urged in Favour of an ill and unlawful thing For since its right use is to be a Retribution of Laws and to reward Dutifulness all its right Signification and all our right Remarks thereupon must be only for Encouragement to keep our Duty but not to transgress it It must never be pressed against Laws but always for them and must only draw us to trust and depend upon God in a good thing but never in an ill one which Nature or the Holy Scriptures have forbidden Indeed as Providence is the Administration of God's Judicature here on Earth and he permits or disposes of Events of things or Actions in way of Government and Justice there is a Signification of his Liking or Disliking in these Disposals But 't is hard and unsure to fix this on Persons and Actions to say from these Issues of Providence alone who or what he is Pleased or Displeased withal For in the same Issues and Events Providence is Concerned with a Number of Persons of the most contrary Qualifications they are fatal to one and favourable to another But yet since therein he has an Eye at both from the Event alone we cannot say which God likes and which he dislikes whether the Success is to Reward the Actors Righteousness or to punish the Sufferers Wickedness Nay oft-times in the Justice of Providence God makes some Sinners the Executioners of others and punishes one by anothers Offences making them Grind each other to Pieces So that here on which side soever the Shew of Favor or Success falls it doth not Signifie that God is pleased with either He will speed one to punish another when he is offended with both The Assyrians Success was only as the Rod of God's Anger to scourge the wicked Nations Which once done he and his Ways being no more pleasing to God than the others were he was to be broken himself and fall under like Judgments Is. 10.5 12 16 c. The wicked who in their Course of Wickedness are far from being pleasing to him yet says the Psalmist are a Sword of thine and so long find Success therein Psal. 17.13 Yea as the Thriving of some is not always to shew Favor so the Sufferings of others in Events of Providence is not always to shew Displeasure For many times their Sufferings are not Designed to punish the Sufferers but only to try their Patience and refine and manifest their Virtues and rowze a sluggish World with the Sight of brave Examples Such was the meaning of David's Sufferings and Persecutions under Saul Such was the Signification of Providence in the Sufferings of Job of the holy Prophets of
are not left here to Prudence or to Do it or let it alone as they see Cause but are bound in Conscience to Do the thing and if thereby they are like to Do no more yet is the keeping of the Commandment it self or the Doing of their Duty a sufficient Purpose Besides when men are Doing their Duty though there is little Appearance of any effect on others yet will it be like to do more Good among them than they are apt to think or are aware off For when they have discharged their Part by doing of their Duty God will manage it as to Events and make it turn to more use for the Ends of Religion anâ— hiâ— own Glory than they ever Dreamed of It is then out of their Hands and Care and in the hands of Providence which will thereby stop some from being ill and others that are ill already from going on without Check and Remorse and growing worse Truth and Goodness though Ordinarily driven out thence by Prejudice Interest and vile Affections are most Natural and near akin to all our Souls and so have a secret hank upon us and a hidden Friend that lurks in all our Bosoms And this the Providence and Spirit of God strikes upon by our Profession or Practice thereof before their Eyes operating thereby on some at this time and on others at that on some more on others less according to his own good Pleasure and their Predispositions So working much Good and many blessed Effects that pass betwixt himself and them whilst we are insensible of any and think of nothing less Our Free Practice and Profession at such times as he requires and calls for them but worldly men say we shall do no Good with them he uses to Encourage and Strengthen the hands of the Strong to Establish the Wavering to call back the Stray'd Sheep and to lift up those that fall to work Remorse in its Deserters and Fear and Faintness in its Persecutors to retrieve a Truth or Duty when to Humane Eyes 't is almost lost and to beget anew a Respect and Reverence for it when it was all in Disgrace and seemingly quite Exploded The Practice of a Right Good thing tho' but by a very few will quickly draw in more Though only ten among us should appear for Doing a Duty says St. Chrysostom yet would these ten quickly be made twenty those twenty fifty that fifty an hundred that hundred a thousand and that thousand the whole City And as by lighting up of ten Candles a man may easily fill all the whole house with Light So also in Spiritual Good Deeds if only ten of us Do our Duty we shall kindle one intire flame through the City yielding Light to them and bringing Security to us For the Nature of Flame it self when fallen on combustible matter is not so sure to kindle still and seize the wood that lies next to it as the zeal of Virtue fallen into a few Souls is by going on and still inflaming more to fill the whole City Thus doth God when we put it into his Conduct do Great Good and accomplish great Effects by our discharge of our Duty when we thought nothing could be hoped from thence Thus in all times he has done and daily still doth and will do in the World the Experience of all Ages and the Successfulness of Generous and Brave Asserters of seemingly destitute and unfriended Virtue frequently witnessing on that side And in confidence of this or however if that should fail in Discharge of their own Good Conscience Good men in all times have been careful still to Confess the Truths of God and Do their own Duty when there were the fewest that seemed capable of being thereby wrought upon and they had none to stand by them but strove altogether against the stream having the whole World to oppose them As Noah wrought Righteousness Elias was zealous for the true God Jeremy was an asserter of his Mind and Precepts and many other Holy Men and Prophets yea our Blessed Lord and his Apostles were the undaunted Preachers and Practisers of Decryed Godliness in the most Degenerate Deriding and Persecuting Ages when they seem'd to have the fewest prepared Hearers or Spectators all many times appearing ready to contradict and few or sometimes none to stand by and back them as I formerly noted 3. Thirdly We must not say Christian Duties are unseasonable when they Do not suit with some Designs carrying on or are against some Seeming and much Desired Good of Church or State This is the way of Worldly Wisdom which when any Truths or Duties hinder some worldly Good they are pursuing for Religion or the Kingdom bids the Professors thereof to â—eep their Practice and Professions of them for some fitter time If these are Truths and Duties say they at such times let them give way to Publick Good and the Advancement of true Religion which are of more importance And let those that believe them take care whilst they embrace these to approve themselves withall as Good Members of the Publick whereof they all receive the benefit by seeking and setting on not retarding or obstructing the Good of Church or Common-Wealth You may shew your care of them will they suggest when it will be as a Good so a Wise and Prudent care and hinder no Greater thing But never bring them in play now to stop the Great and much and Generally wish'd for Good that is going on For this is a Critical time for it and if this opportunity is over-pass'd the like may never return again But are not we all Disciples of Christ and Professors of Religion as well as Members of a settled Church and Kingdom And must we not first take care to acquit our selves as Good Christians before we seek how to shew our selves Good Statesmen and Politicians Is it not our Profession to be more for another World than for this And may such Professors go out of the way of being happy there when that serves to make themselves more happy here A Good Christian must never be wanting to his own Duty or go beyond it to Do Good to any nay to a whole Nation And so must never think of setting aside the Season for Discharging his Duty for a Season of serving of the Church or Nation He must never slip the Season of shewing himself Good for a Season of making himself or others Secularly Fortunate or the Season of Practsing and Professing as the Servant of Christ for the Season of serving any Interest or Condition though never so Great and Publick in this World There is no Doing Evil that Good may come Good publick or Good private as I have shewed before Besides 't is not for a Good man to think of Doing Good to a Church or Nation by Evil-Doing The Greatest Good to them in his Opinion is to engage God for them And that must be by keeping his Commandments and practising and professing them as we have
opportunity But never breaking them or setting them aside to make use of some Worldly opportunity If we would Do Good to Church or State to Do this wisely we must Do it under God not by setting up against him So we must not throw out his Service as an unseasonable thing when an opportunity is offer'd us to serve the Publick by refusing to serve him when he calls The Thoughts of Doing Good i. e. Temporal Good or that of outward Settlement to the Publick if by Breach of Duty or omission thereof when call'd by him to Discharge it is a Temptation And the Doing it that way is endeavouring to be wise against God and setting up Policy against Religion which if God must give Succâ—ss is not like to speed or in the Event to procure Good to them Near a kin to this is thinking it no Season to Condemn and Fault things as we did whilst they served others when they come to serve our selves This is the way of this World if not to commend yet to connive at any Error or Wickedness whilst it gets by it It is pleased if not with the Wickedness yet with the Advantage and had rather bear the Sin for the Profits than want and Condemn the Profit for the Sins sake So it will not open its mouth against Errors whilst 't is getting or against Sins and breach of Duty whilst 't is served by them being not so much offended with their falsness or wickedness as pleased with their usefulness or convenience Though most loud at others it is silent then and would have others too to be silent and not cry out against them at such â—imes And this is meer Wisdom of this World or being Wise for Worldly Things which lies in getting or taking worldly Advantages however they come by them and can brook what Religion most abhors whilst it brings in what Flesh and Blood best approves Which plainly shews that a man has not so much of Religion as of this World and Self-Design nor is acted so much by Conscience as Convenience Thus must we be Careful that the Pretence of unseasonableness do not carry us to smother our Belief of any Truth or our Practice of any Duty when God calls us to shew them forth on any Pretence of hazard to our selves of unprofitableness to Religion or our Neighbours or of their being a hindrance to any Good that doth come in to our selves or is sought to be brought about for the Church or State The Truth is in Points of direct and express Duty the part of Prudence lies more in sight and Discerning than in Choice of Seasons In Matters that are not of Direct and Determinate obligation there is more Room for Discretion in the timing of them and in Resolving both whether and when to Do them For Free things which are not Determined by the Law of God or that are not directly injoyn'd but may indirectly some more and some less be serviceable to and promotive of that which is or that are free and undetermined expressions and instances of General Laws Such Free Things I say and Free-will Offerings are most properly matter of Prudence being left to Prudence and not determinately bound on Conscience And in these there is a proper Choice of Seasons which men may embrace or let slip either Doing that thing or another now or at another time as they see cause But in things expresly required by God and Points of Direct Duty there is not the like Choice of Seasons or Room for Discretion For whensoever God calls us to them and they are put upon us either by the Authority of Superiors or by any occasion with our Neighbours or other just Call of Providence giving us opportunity for them or perhaps laying us under a necessity either of Professing or Dissembling them or Practising them or what is Repugnant to them We are then under a necessity and Obligation of Discharging and have no Liberty to let them alone For Matters of express Duty we are bound to perform as oft as God calls us to perform them Whensoever he calls we have no power to refuse And this Call is by his Providence as that brings us under opportunities and puts us upon Practising or Declaring our selves And what time Providence shall allot and fix on for these is at God's Choice not at ours He is Free when he sees best to give the Calls but when once he doth we are under his Command and never free to set them aside or refuse obedience So our Part is only a Duty and Necessity to see and embrace the Seasons he chuses and God's part is to have the Liberty and Discretionary Power to chuse them And therefore the Wisdom and Prudence to be shewn in Choice of these Seasons is God's Wisdom and not ours His Providence takes care of that and 't is a wise Providence that never calls us to the Profession of necessary Truths or Practice of necessary Duties but at wise and fitting Seasons which best fit his Purposes though they least fit ours So that whensoever he Calls us to them we are eased of that care of Deliberating about the seasonableness of them In Free things we are left to Chuse the Seasons our selves and may let go a worse in hopes of a better But in necessary and bounden Duties God's Call must always be our Season and we are only to discern and take it not left to Chuse and Deliberate upon it God having already made that Choice to our Hands 2. Secondly In Execution of our Purposes Christian Prudence is for Tempering what we Do to Circumstances i. e. For considering Place and Persons and Instruments and manner of acting and the like and so to suit all as may best serve our Design and set off the thing Done so as may give us most Help and Advantage from all and least Hurt or Hindrance from any of them This attention to Circumstances is that Circumspection which is so much spoken of and is implyed in Prudence which St. Paul calls for when he exhorts the Ephesians to walk not as Fools but as Wise as I noted before Eph. 5.15 Walk in wisdom says he again to the Colossians towards them that are without calling them to such Prudence in their Carriage towards and before such as consider'd the Principles and Dispositions of those they conversed with Col. 4.5 Let your speech says he in that place be with Grace and seasoned with Salt i. e. Savoury and Prudent and so seasoned and temper'd on every occasion as if most fit that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man or to give each such an Answer as may be proper for him and the occasion v. 6. This tempering what we Do to Circumstances and Distinguishing of Persons and Places and the like is a Great point of Prudence And Christians in their way must take care as they are able to adorn themselves therewith as well as others Endeavouring when they Do their Duty
all to pare away part of the Obligation and to perform no more than in their present Circumstances may be tolerably suitable and the Flesh will consent to They will urge the Circumstance of the Person Another man say they might Discharge the Duty more fully in this Case But as for me Men must consider my Relation how I am joyn'd in Affinity or Blood my Obligations how Great Favours I have received or the Necessity of my Condition and my Dependance for Support or Interest on those who are warm and zealous for another way So that it is not to be expected from me that I should keep so fully and invariably to the Duty as another Person of more easie and agreeing Relations Obligations and Dependance may do And the Circumstance of the Place Were I in a Place says a mind that retains too much of this World where this or that Duty would go down where the due Discharge of it would be like to be quietly received or where the Minds of men were any ways impressible to give some appearance of its doing good upon them much more Fidelity might be shewn therein But I live where the Spirits of Men are in a Ferment where the Duty is Generally Decryed or bitterly Persecuted and the Practice thereof instead of procuring any Religious Regard from the Beholders provokes only their outrage against the Practisers thereof So I am forced to Sail as near the Wind as I can that I may not endeavour both against Wind and Stream I omit what will not be endured and practise what will and this meerly to content the People as forced on by the press of a Crowd one Man being unable to withstand a whole Multitude And the Circumstance of the Instruments or Auxiliaries Though they would discharge the Duty fully were they left to themselves yet now they are upon Designs and must consider not only what will pass with themselves but with their Complices They must keep in with their Humane Succors and therefore they must abate of their Religious Duties lest standing too stifly and inflexibly for them they disoblige and lose their Patrons or Auxiliaries It is well say they if by a Man so linked in some part can be performed whilst some part is abated Some part must be yielded to gratifie their Interests or their Principles some to keep those of wrong and some to keep the loose and immoral or those of no Religion And the Circumstance of the End They would as please God in the Duty so profit his Church thereby And a Duty happens at some time not to suit the interest of their Party in Religion If they will abate or infringe it they may set up or keep up themselves but if still they will faithfully discharge it as they ought in all appearance they must become subject and truckle under others To deduct something in the present Circumstance is most safe or serviceable for that Party of Christians they espouse which they call God's Church And in this strait they think they should not be censured if they practise so much as is serviceable and lay the rest aside And the Circumstance of the Time admitting no season for the full practice of any Duties or profession of any Truths when there is hazard in them or no probability of doing Good by them or they are like to be impeditive of some designed Good or much desired Settlement to Church or State of which I spoke before Thus is Worldly Wisdom for making bold with its Duty to save its Worldly Concerns and for tempering Duty to the present Circumstances by abating it and by parting with so much thereof when it retains the rest as all its Circumstances consider'd shall make it draw least inconvenience after it from any of them Which is nothing else but setting up this World above Almighty God and our own Convenience above his ways Whereby however we may promise our selves to pass for Worldly Wise we shall be sure to appear ill Christians as I think is clear enough from the foregoing Chapters I speak not this of abating in Discharge of our Duty thus to Circumstances where Circumstances really make Abatements I know there is not so much due from us in some Circumstances as there is in others For some Circumstances are incapacities and these abate so far and so long as they incapacitate Impossibilium says the Moral Rule nulla est obligatio No Man is tied to impossibilities And therefore where we owe never so much Duty we are not bound to an actual exercise and discharge thereof whilst we are not in capacity So far as it is Providentially out of our Power and so long as it is so our actual Discharge thereof is under a Suspension 'till by Degrees it come to be in our power again which always brings back with it a like gradual Return of our Obligation But I speak of their tempering their Duty in these Abatements to Circumstances of Worldly Convenience where there is the same State and Foundation of their Religious Obligations as at other times We must not abate our Duties whose Ground and Obligation is still the same and which we have Power and Opportunity to Practise if we dare run Hazards and sustain Inconveniences and Losses for them to temper them to the external Ease and Convenience of Place or Persons or other present Circumstances Which in this tempering is not to respect the Obligation of Circumstances but only the Fleshly Ease Convenience and Advantage of them 3. This Tempering to Circumstances must lie only in our not unnecessarily provoking Men whilst we do no ill our selves not in our carrying on the unreasonable or ungodly wills of others It is â—ne thing to temper our selves to the Necessities of things another to the Lusts or Vices of Persons one thing to suit their innocent wants or ways another to set on their wickedness This is to have Fellowship with the works of Darkness to partake of other Mens Sins and Sin along with them for Company So that we must never talk of tempering our selves to Circumstances by putting our selves into other mens ill circumstance or by complying in any ungodly or ill things If ill things then are driven on by the violence and press of People or the Power of Rulers if all seem to Conspire together and Combine to oppress an innocent Person or to explode an Excellent and Good thing to pull down what is Right and set up what is Wrong to seek safety by what is Sinful or Publick Good either of Church or State by Doing Evil it must not be thought any part of our Prudence to temper our selves to their Ungodly Wills by Compliance by striking in and countenancing by being or seeming to be for them by crying up or carrying on or going along therewith If we would seek to be truly Good rather than falsly to appear Wise Religion is not for such ebbs and flows for being fast and loose with virtuous or
Arms be Prudent be Vigilant and always expect the Enemy but go not to create thy self Enemies for that is not the Part of a Souldier but of one that is Seditious But if the Trumpet of Religion calls go out forthwith and set lightly even by Life it self and with Great Promptitude Descend to the Conflict c. These things I say out of a desire to have you keep the Laws of Christ who commands us to pray that we be not led into Temptation and commands us too to take up our Cross and follow him for these two are not contrary one to another but very well agree together On this Point I shall further add when with the Freedom of Confessors we speak for Persecuted Truths or Laws with others that another allowance of Christian Prudence is not to profess this promiscuously to all Persons nor after we have sufficiently Declared our selves by importunities of unprofitable Discourse still to incite an unpersuadable and virulent Disputer's Rage against us Some men are not impressible by Reason or by any Rules of Sober Virtue and Goodness but possess'd by Profaneness or utterly over-run with Madness and Rage of Faction They are ready to afford I say not only a Deaf Ear but a Scurrilous and Prophane Tongue a Treacherous Snare or a Spiteful Hand to any offers or arguments on Persecuted Duties that shall be made to them Now to lay such Truths or Laws of God before these men is not to promote but to prostitute them And therefore here the Rule of our Lord takes Place not to cast Pearls before Swine i. e. the Precious Truths of God before those Stupid Sinners that have no Sense of them but instead of Reverently taking of them up will rudely bespatter and trample them under Foot Nor to throw holy things before Dogs i. e. before those who instead of worthily entertaining will spitefully snarl and bark against them and be ready to Tear and Rent those that hand them to them Mat. 7.6 And thus the Holy Confessors though ready to give an Answer as St. Peter required to any one that asked a Reason of the hope that was in them yet did not hold themselves obliged to give this account to one that asked only that he might Scoff or Blaspheme or Treacherously Betray or Trepan but to such as asked Soberly or with a Desire of Learning Giving either no Answer to others as Christ would not to Herod who only for his Curiosity and Pastime question'd with him Luke 23.8 9. Nor to the High Priest who when they had not matter enough from his Accusers urged him to speak to what they had said against him not for Information they being resolv'd as Christ told them not to believe him nor to let him go but that he might lay hold of something more sufficient to condemn him from himself Mat. 26.60 62 63. Or else Giving like Answer as Pothinus of Lyons did to the President 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if thou art worthy thou shalt know when he scoffingly and abusively asked who is the God of the Christians 2. Secondly When on Gods Call we have done our Duty and are thereby brought into Dangers it allows us to save our Persons whilst we innocently may by Concealment or Escape and Flight in Persecutions When they Persecute you in one City flee to another Flight and Concealment in extream Perils being what Christ himself allows Mat. 10 23. This has been the way in all times as Petrus Alexandrinus that Blessed Martyr Discourses in his Canonical Epistle taken afterwards into the Code of the Vniversal Church and as St. Athanasius after him has Demonstrated more fully viz. for Good Men in Cruel Persecutions by Flight or Concealment to save themselves till some necessary Discharge of Duty or Course of Providence Deliver'd them up for Suffering into their Persecutors Hands Thus as Athanasius observes Jacob Fled from Esau. And Moses on Slaying the Egyptian into the Land of Midian from Pharaoh And David from Saul when he sent to slay him Thus also Elijah absconded and hid himself for Fear of Ahab and fled for his Life from Jezabel And 〈◊〉 Sons of the Prophets in Jezabel's Persecution were hid and fed by Fifties in a Cave by Good Obadiah And thus the Disciples likewise assembled in Private or held Night-Meetings and shut the Doors for fear of the Jews And Paul at Damascus was let down by the wall in a Basket by Night to escape those that watched the Gaetes Day and Night to kill him Yea our Blessed Lord himself who granted this Liberty to his Disciples when Persecuted in one City of fleeing 〈◊〉 another upon occasion made use thereof When the Jews at Jerusalem sought to take him 〈◊〉 escaped out of their hands and went away again beyond Jordan and there abode that being a more quiet and secure Place Joh. 10.39 40. And 〈◊〉 another time when he was not safe in Judea 〈◊〉 walked in Galilee and would not walk in Jury bâ—cause the Jews sought to kill him Joh. 7.1 And again when on the raising of Lazarus the Jews took counsel together to put him to Death he walked no more openly among them but went thence into a Countrey near to the Wilderness and there continued with his Disciples Joh. 11.53 54. The Reason of his Flying as Athanasius notes was because his hour was not yet come And this is given as the Reason why when they sought to take him they could not do it and no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come Joh. 7.30 Till then he took the Liberty which he has allowed us and prudently absconded when sought after to his hurt and made his escape as we are wont to Do. But that hour being once come as he declared it was Joh. 17.1 instead of absconding any more he went out to them saying whom seek ye and telling them I am he Joh. 18.4 5. He neither suffer'd himself as Athanasius observes to be taken before his time nor endeavour'd to hide himself from them when once his time was come For each man as that Father says there is a prefix'd time As there is for Spring and Autumn Summer and Winter so there is a stated and appointed time for Life and Death And to this the Scriptures refer when they speak of taking men away in the midst of their Days Ps. 102.24 of Dying before their time Ecâ—l 7.17 And of coming to the Grave in a full Age as a shock of Corn comes in in its Season Job 5.26 Now what time was appointed for him saith he our Saviour Christ knew and accordingly though he withdrew at all times before at that time he offer'd himself to the Officers sent to take him But as for our time as he adds we know not what time God has appointed us till it appears by the Order of Events and the Course of Providence Behold I am Old
and concerns of this Life And according to the difference of these it comes under different denominations When it directs to most utility in managing the common course of our own Lives and the ordinary affairs and accidents thereof 't is common Prudence When to what is most reasonable and equal to be exacted mutually or allow'd in the course of Negotiation or worldly intercourse upon any dealings or differences 't is the prudence of Negotiators or men of Business When to what is most decent and conversible in our carriage to befit our own condition and circumstances and to keep up fair Respect Favour and Society with and procure the same from others 't is the prudence of Conversation When 't is shewn in the government and conduct of other men if it Directs to what is best and the way to compass it in War 't is Military Prudence if to what makes most for common Safety Order and Benefit in the conduct of a Family 't is domestick or oeconomical if of a State 't is civil or political Prudence But in matters of Religion which as they are to have some separate times so are also to run through direct and influence all the other actions and affairs of this Life when it shews us what are the ways of Salvation and how we may compass and go on in them 't is moral religious spiritual Prudence By the other sorts we may pass for worldly wise but this is to be wise to Salvation Now for the better understanding of true Religious Wisdom or Christian Prudence I shall reduce what I have to say upon it to these Heads Christian Prudence lies 1. In seeing and following right Ends of Religion and pursuing them only by fit and Christian ways 2. In taking for these the most advantageous seasons in tempering them to circumstances and shewing caution to prevent harm thereby or ill consequences 3. As for all other inferiour and worldly Prudence about things of this Life in so ordering the ends and over-ruling the ways thereof as to keep them subservient to Religion or as best becomes Christians 1. Christian Prudence lies in seeing and following right Ends of Religion and pursuing them only by fit and Christian ways 1. It is to see and set out to us right Ends. The first sign of Wisdom or Prudence is the choice of wise and fitting Ends. And the first care of Christian Prudence is always to propose such Ends as are becoming Christians It is to propose such Ends that we may aim at them and to make us see and understand those Ends that we may perceive and know what we are to aim at These Ends are the Glory of God or what will bring in most Honour to him The Perfection and Advancement of our own Natures or what will make us most like to God and afford us the fullest and truest injoyment of him and of our selves and of any thing else that is beatifying The Good and Happiness of others or what makes most for common good and the real benefit and advancement of our Brethren Now all these Ends are best served by Doing of our Duty We are in the best way of glorifying God and perfecting our selves and benefitting our Neighbours whilst we are in the way of holy Obedience And therefore to aim at these Ends is in other words nothing else but to aim to observe the Rules and seek the Honour of our Religion and to do our Duty in all points So far as concerns the End then which it prescribes Christian Prudence is 1. In the first place to propose in every point to Do our Duty True Wisdom it Places in an entire obedience And accordingly all wickedness is call'd Folly and wicked men Fools in the holy Scriptures We must never know any wisdom in doing unrighteously nor set up for Prudence by any breach of God's Commandments All the Rules of Duty are the most pure and perfect Wisdom They are the wisdom of God and who can think to shew himself wise by pretending to correct God's Rules or running counter unto them When any breach of Duty makes shew of being Prudent 't is a mere show it is only a false Light that may misguide any out of the real way of Happiness but lead none into it Let it promise what it will 't is all fiction and flattery and if we will trust God before it we must ever esteem such a breach when offer'd or suggested to us only to have put on the mask of wisdom but under that and in Truth to be mere folly 2. Next in every point to direct and make us see what is our Duty that so we may understand whether we Do it or no. This must go through all particular Duties and tell us what things are aimed at and what offices are required of us by Each What they ought to Do for instance who would approve themselves to be resign'd to God to love or trust him to be patient or devout towards him to be meek humble sober and mortified to this world to be true and just peaceable and charitable among their Brethren 'T is the part of Christian wisdom to teach us what we must propose to our selves that we may discharge any of these or any other Duties To shew what are the instances and expressions of all particular Virtues which should be the mark and aim of all their Professors and Undertakers Prudence is the directing Virtue 't is Eyes to all the rest All Virtue observing as Aristotle says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a prudent Man shall define True and sincere Prudence saith S. Basil lies in the knowlege of those things which are to be done or which are not to be done Whereto whosoever adheres will never desist from the Actions of Virtue or be left in the destruction of Wickedness And being to direct the Practice of each Virtue it must imply the Skill to see wherein the Practice thereof lies What is to be Done in any that we may Deserve the Name of just humble sober c. and what in every case or on any occasion is to be the Work of such a Person Now this is an admirable and most excellent Part of Spiritual Prudence to know what is to be done in any Duty as we are called to discharge it by God's Providence And 't is great shame a Professor of any Virtue should not be able to say wherein the Discharge of it lies when he comes to need and is called out to make use thereof This has all the reproach of being ignorant of what a Man doth profess and of being to seek in his own Business as if an Artist were ignorant and knows not when he comes to set to it what he has to do in the way of his own Art which in the estimate of all Persons is one of the most censureable and shameful sorts of Ignorance Yea 't is extreme and desperate Folly considering that as he is here called upon to practise
go along in the keeping of them For the Signification of these is most express It is instituted and fixed upon them by Laws and Edicts The same Authority that calls men to meet together at these times appoints the Signification and tells them the Reason why Here then is an instituted Signification in these Assemblies that has Authority and Law to stand upon And whatever men inwardly intend this is externally professed by their resorting to and joyning therein And accordingly by such Resort or Refusal of it they are understood to testifie and declare their Concurrence or standing off from what is thereby signified or professed in the Account both of their Rulers and of all others They rate the Neglecters not as prophane or irreligious but as disaffected Persons These Assemblies are a Test not of Religion and Devotion but of Parties and Times So Refusal speaks Dissent from the Signification appointed as assembling doth Approbation and Concurrence therewith And all People are ready to say such a Person is for the Design and Signification thereby carried on because he kept the Day and met at the Assembly held thereupon Now the Authority of Laws or Edicts and Custom or received Use are among the chief things that fix and settle Significations And since they fix such Meanings in these Days and Assemblies the Observance or Refusal thereof in us are in the Nature of Professions either as Affirmations or Denials And according as they declare either that Truth which is in our Heart or what is contrary to it our Profession thereby is either true or false If we meet at the Assembly which is to use the Sign and at the same time have inwardly no such Meaning this is to signifie and profess what we do not mean which is not Sincerity but Dissimulation We profess to desire what is sought in the Institution of the Day by our outward Act when in Heart we do not desire it or to be glad of an Event when really perhaps we are sorry for it which is only to put on a false Person and act a Part to be an out-side Complier but a real Hypocrite This Profession by outward Observance of such Days and Assemblies of what is contrary to our Heart and inward Sentiments 1. Is contrary to the owning of Duties which Goâ— requires or to the Part of Confessors If a thing is against any Rule of Religion it is against Religion to desire it And if it is against Religion to desire a thing it is a Duty of Religion not to desire it And if it is our Duty not to desire it we are bound not to smother and conceal but profess that Duty when called thereto Now when an ill thing or Breach of Duty 〈◊〉 upon us our Confession is testifying against the illness either in Words or in Practice by ouâ— Refusal thereof We betray the Cause of Dutâ— in going along which is to transgress it in visible appearance and seem to the World as if we disbelieve or have thrown it off but we assert it by our refusing Qui fallaces in excusatione praâ—stigias quaerit negavit He that seeks to bring himself off by a fallacious Sleight or jugling Trick and by seeming to comply with the Persecutors when he diâ— not therein has denied Christ say the Clergy of the Church of Rome speaking of the necessity of confessing him When the meaning of any Days or Assemblies therefore is to profess desires oâ— affections against any part of Duties or Religion if we could act like carnal Complyers we shall visibly Practise as others Do and seem to desire where we Do not But if we would discharge the Part both of Sincere Christians and of Right and Acceptable Confessors we shall own the unlawfulness of the thing and give our Testimony against it by openly Refusing We shall not pretend to Do or make other men think we Do what in Conscience we dare not Do but dare to Practise and Profess what our Duty and Conscience is 2. It is judged insincere by our selves in the like Observance of Days or Meetings on such Occasions The Festival of Christmas and Easter for instance are appointed as Professions of Joy for the Birth and Resurrection of Christ. And would not the common Sense of Mankind say he did greatly Prevaricate who would come to observe either of these and yet did not believe it The Thirtieth of January is a Profession of Shame and Sorrow for the Murder of our late Martyred Sovereign And should we not call it Hypocrisie for any person to appear there who did not in Heart condemn but justifie that Murder and think it well done The Fifth of November is a Profession of Gladness for the Discovery of the Powder Treason And would not he dissemble notably in appearing at that Days Assembly who is inwardly sorry for the Miscarriage of it and heartily wishes that Plot had gone on Take it in any Case then where we have no Temptation to mislead or particular Concern to byass us and this Complyance in outward Observance where the Signification is contrary to our inward Sentiments is Dissimulation and Hypocrisie our selves being Judges And how can we hope to clear our Sincerity and Simplicity therein before any just and indifferent Judge when makâ— us but once indifferent and no longer Parties and we are all ready to condemn the Falsenesâ— of it our selves 3. It was so judged and esteemed in the Primiâ—tive Church as appears by their Dealing with the Observers of Jewish or Gentile Fasts or Festivals Those Days were of fixed and received Signifiâ—cations And the Observance of those Times was a known Profession of what was signifieâ— by them And therefore when any Christian who had nothing of the Jewish or Gentile Apâ—prehensions did externally joyn as several did in their Observation they could only publiâ—â— their own Hypocrisie therein The only way they had to bring themselves off from being Aâ—postates was to say they still retained their own Faith and tho they might use the Jewish 〈◊〉 Gentile Sign together with them yet they haâ— nothing of their meaning and intention Which is no better than to say in other words that whilst they believed one thing they professed aâ—nother And accordingly such Persons were censured for their scandalous and dissembling Compliances by the Apostolical Canons as they were also by the Council of Laodicea afterwards For further Proof hereof and also to set off by more Instances this part of Simplicity of 〈◊〉 Deceiving by Actions I observe that 4. It was rejected as Deceitful and Dishonest Carriage by the Pious and Good People among the Jews When old Eleazar was required on Pain of Death to eat of unlawful Meats his old Acquaintance that had the Charge of that wicked Feast took him aside and besought him to bring Flesh of his own Provision such as was lawful for him to use and make as if he did eat of the Flesh taken from the Sacrifice commanded by the King
is not founded in Grace Indeed Grace confers Titles and has its Claims but those are in another Life where all Possessions will be measured out according to the Degrees of Mâ—ns Graces and Religious Performances But here without any regard to the Graciousness of their Hearts or Carriage this World's Properties are all to pass among men according to humane Rights and Titles No man can make out that he has Right to anothers Power or Property by pleading that his Faith is more Orthodox or his Life more just and holy i. e. that he is more Gracious Nor that the Legal Owner has forfeited his Right to them by his Apostasie from Truth or Holiness or turning Graceless The Truth is the World needs nothing more to make them sensible of the iniquity of this than to bring it home to their own Case For if one man may turn another out of his Legal Power and Property on Pretence he has not the Grace to keep in the Right way to the other World nor to use and employ them well for the Good of this what Change would this make among Proprietors and how would it Dispossess the Greatest Part of the Inhabitants of the Earth Yea particularly of those who are most uneasie and cast the most envious and malignant Eye at the Power and Property of others So that it would quite throw out this Pretence of Discharging our selves of Relative Duties or Disseising Relatives of their Legal Rights and Claims because of Heresie Non-Performance c. i. e. of Ungraciousness if men would but allow their Relatives and Rulers common Justice who if any â—ure should have Preference and do by them as they would be willing to be dealt by themselves Honour thy Father and Mother and Thou shalt not steal are Precepts universal securing the Powers and Properties of the Graceless as much as of the Gracious Just therefore we must be to Power and Property wheresoever we meet it lodged by Law whether in the good or bad And thus just we shall be to the worst and most ungracious Relatives if we will allow them the common Benefit of God's Laws as made for their Protection as well as ours and grant them to whom we owe not only Justice but Reverence what in common Right and Equality we all claim for our selves From all this I observe when men stand in Relation to any Person we must distinguish what they do in discharge of Duty to him as a Relation and what in Favour of his ways and Religion It is either a Great weakness or a Great wickedness in men to suspect all those that are for shewing inviolate Duty to a Popish King as being Favourers of the Popish Religion and for paying all that is due to a King when he breaks the Laws as if they affected and were for setting up a Power Arbitrary and lawless As if there could be no Duty to his Power and Person without inclination to his way and Religion What would these Persons have said to St. Paul and the holy Apostles had they lived in those days Would they have accused them as secret Friends to Heathenism and as having heathen Gods as now they are wont to say of others that they have a Pope in their Bellies because they preach'd up a strict and inviolate Subjection to the Emperors and other Powers for all they were Heathens Or that they were Enemies and Betrayers of the Roman Liberties and for making the Empire more absolute than it was because those Emperors were for grasping at the small remains of Liberty and for being more and more lawless Their Duty as I have shewn they must perform to them and do all that is just to such an one both as a man and a King in Duty to his Person and Relation Tho at the same time they bear the most unmoveable averseness and opposition standing out to the last in such ways as their Duty to God and him allows them to make use of against his way and Religious Persuasion 'T is only in Conscience of what he is not in good liking or approbation of what he doth that they pay these things to such a Person I note also That in speaking of these Duties even in the Case of such Persons we must not talk as if we performed them not from Principles of Conscience but only from Humane inducements 'T is the way of too many God knows to discourse in these things as if the hank these Duties have on us towards such unpleasing Relatives were not on our Conscience but on our Convenience Their Care and good Carriage they will allow as a Reason of our Duty and Observance but their Faults and Failures as a Reason also to justifie ours They insist upon Reasons of Ingenuity in this Case and ask How one could expect more that perform'd no more or dealt no better And look on the ripping up their Rulers Non-performance as a Reason to vindicate their own All which is as if God had required nothing in the Relation but all we owed were to the Carriage of the Person 'T is to act only by Principles of Interest or at best of Ingenuity but not out of Principle of Conscience which is the same when they go wrong and when they go right or not from any regard to God or sense of Duty at all CHAP. VIII Of the Imprudence of pursuing our Ends by unlawful Means HAving said thus much of this First Rule of Spiritual Wisdom viz. Not doing Evil that Good may come or not making use of any unlawful ways for the compassing our Ends or Desires Besides what I have hitherto said of the Religion I will now add a little in the last Place of the Wisdom of this Course and shew how prudent it is never to take up with any Sin in Pursuit the most desired Design Prudent I mean not only for the next World but for the accomplishment of our Designs here in this If worldly men would really be wise for worldly things and take the way that is best here at present they must not sin against God to bring their Ends about which however promising it may seem to them is not really the way to make but to mar them The Reason of this is because the compassing of any Effects depends more upon God and his Providence than on any humane Means The best and likeliest Preparations can never bring them about when he goes not along with them and the lowest and most unlikely are sure to do it when he doth Now the way to have God with us is by trusting him and keeping in his ways If we dare rely on Providence and trust God he will not fail those that trust him but take the tenderest care of them and shew himself remarkably in preserving and speeding their matters on I mean those matters which in consistence with the Designs of his Providence he sees fit to take effect and no means or methods can bring about any things else As
able to Contemn it being call'd to part therewith Yea we are much prepared thereby and disposed so to do nothing being more effectual to Cure our fondness for this World than Worldly Sufferings We are call'd to manifest how Heavenly-minded we are when our minds have nothing but Heaven to influence and bear them up and to carry them to quit what is most Dear to them here on Earth How Resign'd to the will of God when that Will of his is so hard to Flesh and Blood How Patient when we have Heavy Sufferings to try our Patience How strong our Faith is of unseen things when in assurance thereof we must forego all we see here or of Gods Grace and Present Assistances when in Expectation of them we are going out to Encounter the Greatest Tryals and Difficulties How we can take up the Cross and bear it after Christ when the Cross is laid in our way and we are call'd out to Suffer for Christ or for Righteousness sake And lastly how under all this we can heartily thank God and forgive and Love our Enemies and Pray for our Persecutors even whilst they are exasperating our Spirits by all the Provoking Arts of spiteful and injurious Usage Not to mention how instead of rebating it is found to add Spirit to good mens pious Resolution and a stedfastness and Complacency therein And indâ—ed Brave Minds are not in so much danger of being threaten'd and forced as Flatter'd and Caress'd out of their integrity suffering that Shipwrack of a good Conscience many times by the Smiles which they never could be made to do by the Frowns of Princes Now Contempt of the World and Heavenly mindedness and Faith and Patience and taking up the Cross and Loving and Forgiving Enemies and cruel Persecutors and such Religious Bravery and Gallantry of Spirit in God's Cause as no menaces and inflictions can shake much less vanquish are among the most raised and elevated Virtues in all our Religion And therefore Spiritual Prudence which rates the beneficialness of Things as they promote the greatest Virtues or Carry them on to the Greatest improvements must needs see and acknowledge how Directly and advantagiously it is pursuing its own Ends tho it be quite out of the way of Worldly Ends when it is called out to do Honour to God and Religion and to advance it self by the exercise of these and many other noble Virtues in Persecution 3. It calls us to do benefit to others by our Sufferings For our Sufferings for Christ and in a Christian manner or with a truly Christian Spirit in the manifestation of the Virtues before mentioned will help their Faith It will beget Faith in some and Confirm it in others there being a Witness or Testimony in the Blood and an Evidence in the Sufferings of Martyrs and Confessors to make Proselytes as the Scripture Declares and they Experienced in the Primitive Church It will also help their Practice For the sight of such Sufferings in us will call them with great Power and Force to Perseverance in their Duty when it comes under Tryals it will awaken those that are lapsed and help to stop those that are wavering and about to fall from it and Confirm and settle others in what they have received and embolden them in Professing of it animating them to a like Suffering for it as they see we Do. Many of the Brethren in the Lord waxing Confident by Example of my Constancy in Bonds says St. Paul are thereby become much more Bold to speak the word without fear Phil. 1.14 It makes one known to another and in time of Distress it is a Great heartning and encouragement to see the Number with us as well as a Good Confirmation of our Judgment and Guide of our Practice to see the same Truths resolutely owned by others especially by some whom we have cause to esteem better and wiser than our selves And accordingly St. Paul calls us to shew stedfastness at such times for these Purposes Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering and not forsake the Assembling of our selves together says he to the Hebrews in Persecuting times Considering one another to provoke unto Love and to Good Works Heb. 10.23 24 25. If we be afflicted and the Sufferings of Christ abound in us says he to the Corinthians it is for your Consolation and Salvation which is effectual among you in the enduring of the same Sufferings which we also suffer 2 Cor. 1.5 6. This Free and Stedfast Practice of Suffering Duties and Resolute Suffering for them before others is the way to call upon and Exhort them to Edifie and Build them up in the like Practice according to the Rule of Scripture which requires us to Edifie 〈◊〉 another Whereas on the Contrary our Denying those Duties or Shrinking from the Sufferings threatned in Persecutions especialy in Persons of Reputation and Influence is apt to give mighty Sâ—andal or Occasion of Falling It shocks the strong and turns the Weak out of the way which otherwise they are inclined to walk in and has a mighty effect on most who are Glad of the pretence of having such Examples to Follow and of any Colourable Ground to go that way It Encourages those that have Err'd and Pricks others forward and hardens those that are Resolved weakning the hearts of those that Stick to their Duty and heartning those that Revolt from it and strengthning the hands of the Wicked and of the Persecutors thereof against which God makes such Complaint Ezek. 13.22 So that the way of Christian and Resolute Suffering in Persecutions is a most Charitable and Edifying Course It doth Honour to Virtue and Religion as I formerly Noted when they are most exploded and when they are sorest prest and have fewest to stand by them It recals some Deserters and Establishes other wavering Professors and Animates and Strengthens all its Followers even at that time when it has the most need of them And all this though it be out of the World is in the way of Religion it never goes on more prosperously with its Ends then at such times 4. And being on all these Accounts the way to improve and perfect our Virtue it must answerably be the way to heighten consummate our Reward There are Great and Glorious Prerogatives in the Recompence of Martyrs and Confessors St. John Notes an extraordinary Preference and Priviledge of highest value to those who were beheaded for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God beheading being the usual Death of Martyrs in those Days the more Cruel ways of Killing and exquisiteness of Torture not being commonly used upon them 'till afterwards and had not Worshipped the Beast nor his Image nor had received his Mark upon their hands or Foreheads i. e. had stood out couragiously under the sorest Tryals as brave Confessors against all Contrary and Unchristian Practices Be the Tryals never so Great for Christ's or for Righteousness sake I
to Temper themselves so towards all Neglecting or Despising none that the Good they Do may be best received and win most upon the minds of men and give the least offence to them And when they Do any things more Free and Discretionary for the Honour or Interest of Virtue or Religion or for any other Good Design that they so moderate and order the things they press as will be best bore by Persons and Places as may get them most or best Friends or fewest and faintest Opposers as may afford most ease and success to them in compassing their Designs and most Fruit and Effect both to themselves and the Good Designs they carried on when they have compassed them There is Place for this wise tempering themselves to Circumstances not only in these Free things which are matters of Prudence but also in Doing their bounden Duty which is matter of Conscience Not so tempering themselves to Places or Persons Ends or Instruments as to let their Duty alone when the meer Doing thereof will Distemper and Disturb them But tempering themselves in all that is extrinsecal about it and in the manner of Doing it that bating what the Duty it self Doth which ought to be Done nothing annexed to it or in the manner of Doing it shall give them any unnecessary Provocation It need not be Done for instance with bitterness and fierceness of Spirit when a milder way and being more Gently and Compassionably offer'd would be like to be more easily welcomed and take more effect It need not come with accusations and invectives against others when it would be more heeded and operate higher in the way of opening our own Consciences It need not come tacked to any other things which are more Displeasing when it may enter better by it self alone In these and the like matters not our Duty which we cannot mince or alter but our selves and our manner of expressing it which we may alter to Circumstances is much for the Advantage both of it and of our selves And is no more but that Caution which Christ call'd his Disciples to when in their Free Profession of Persecuted Duties he bid them withal beware of Men. And when they were sent forth as Sheep among Wolves though they should undauntedly Deliver the Message they were Charged with yet to be as harmless as Doves which besides what their Duty it self did would give those Wolves no unnecessary provocations Mat. 10.16 17. But if Worldly Wisdom comes to temper the doing of our Duty to places and persons it will so temper it as at any time to give it up for our external Quiet It will take so much as will go down and throw aside the Rest and answer all by saying the Times or Affairs the Places or Persons would not bear it To prevent such tempering of Duty to Circumstances therefore for our own Quiet as would be an impairing or Breach of Duty I shall give these following Cautions in this Point 1. This tempering of our selves to Circumstances in the doing of our Duty is never by omitting any Duty as I said when God Calls for it but only by tempering our own manner of Performance so as best suits the present Circumstance and may give the least offence The Christians for instance would temper their Devotions to the Circumstances of persecuted men in the first Ages by not letting those Devotions fall but by Praying and Communicating in the Night in the Desart in Close Meetings when they could not with safety do it openly and in publick for fear of the Jews and Heathens They temper'd themselves at Jerusalem to a time of Distress and Confiscations for the Profession of Christianity not by Concealing or Denying their Sect and Profession but by Selling their Lands and Houses and putting it into a common Stock that so when their own Estates were seized on for owning the Christian Name the Church might have wherewithal to relieve them St. Paul and the other Apostles were sent out to Preach the Gospel to a prepossessed incensed and spiteful World as so many Sheep in the midst of Wolves as our Lord says And they temper'd themselves to these men and times not by letting fall their Preaching or keeping back any part of the Counsel of God not that of the Cross of Christ which gave the most offence being to the Jews a Stumbling Block and to the Gentiles Foolishness nor any just Reproof of Idolatry and Superstition so irksom to the Heathen nor any of the elevated Duties of Morality and Godliness which were so very disgusting to the Lusts of men or the like But by Delivering these things in fairness and tenderness without giving any more offence than would unavoidably be taken at the things themselves Becoming all things to all men as St. Paul says that they might by all means gain some 1 Cor. 9.22 The Exercise of Discipline indeed was more a matter of Prudence and Discretion And therefore in Rules thereof they would temper to the State of the Church sometimes pressing and sometimes suspending now executing and then omitting them as the place and time would bear and as might best suit the Circumstances of those they had to do with But in matters of Duty which are not at the liberty of Discretion but under Necessary Obligation they never temper'd that to any Persons Place or other Circumstances by omitting it They never smother'd it when call'd to profess it nor omitted it or did the contrary when call'd to the performance thereof Their Prudence in tempering themselves to Circumstances in Points of Duty was by tempering themselves thereto whilst they did their Duty never whilst they let it alone or acted contrary Theirs was a Godly Prudence or a Wisdom twisted evermore with Virtue and Circumspection never separate from innocence When they put on the Subtilty and Circumspection of Serpents they put on withal according to our Saviour's Order the innnocence of Doves or look'd about them to take care for their Duty before they look'd about to take care for themselves Not as the worldly-wise who will temper away their Duty to Compound for their outward Peace and Enjoyments Though it be at other times it is not to be done say they in our Circumstances That is if it is like to lose our Friends or give opportunity to our Enemies to pull us down and set up themselves if it suits not with the minds of Men or the state of Affairs with the seeming Safety of Mens Persons of Religion Laws or Liberties Such Circumstances it makes a Ground to set aside Duties not only to temper us in the Discharge thereof Instead of tempering the full Discharge of Duty with Prudence it thinks it Prudence then to throw it quite off and allow it no Observance or Discharge at all 2. This Tempering to Circumstances must not be by abating of Moral Duties to Compliance with Worldly Necessities and Convenience This is the way of the Worldly-wise where they do not throw off
so they will set much more by them And 't is a plain Evidence any Persons are men of this World and Worldly wise when they are more Watchful and Sollicitous against Temporal than Spiritual Consequences and can take up with any Dammages brought to Truth and Godliness when they are necessary to keep off Worldly Dammage from themselves What will be the Effect and Consequence thereof to the outward Ease and Enjoyments Liberties or Priviledges Security or Advancement of our selves or Families Church or State says the Carnal Man But what will be the Consequence of it to Duty and Religion not to make them Secularly Great but to shew them Spiritually Good not to hold them in External Power and Possessions but to give or keep their hold upon Mens Hearts and Consciences by Confirming all in the Belief of the Reality and Sincerity of the Efficacy and Excellency thereof This is the Religious or Spiritually Wise Man's Question CHAP. XIII Of Spiritual Prudence in Worldly Matters or as over-ruling all other inferiour Prudence about things of this Life And of Sollicitude THE Third and last Thing Proposed at first to set off the Nature and Offices of Spiritual Prudence is to shew its part in worldly Matters or how after its having been thus wise as is declared for the things of Religion it self as for all other Inferiour and Worldly Prudence in Things of this Life it so Orders the Ends and Over-rules the ways thereof as to keep them subservient to Religion or as best becomes Christians Worldly Prudence is to be Wise for the Ends of this World As to preserve our Lives here and the Comforts and Enjoyments thereof our Properties Power External Quiet To secure or augment these or other earthly Good things to our selves our Friends and Families to the Church or State All these are Worldly Ends. And to be wise for them is Worldly Prudence And this we have all need of here because we are Members of this World needing Worldly Things and being twisted in worldly Relations Good Men and Good Christians as well as others But though we live in this World we aim at a better World We are kept alive by Worldly Things but we live for better even for Heavenly Things which Religion shews and which the ways thereof will procure for us So that the Wisdom of Religion must limit and over-rule us in all the Acts of Wisdom and Prudence we shew about the lesser and inferiour Things of this Life The Flesh must be subject to the Spirit and the Wisdom of this World to the Wisdom of the next Now Concerning this over-ruling influence of Spiritual Wisdom in all inferiour and Worldly Deliberation I shall note these two things 1. First That the Rules of Religion are the truest Wisdom as for the next so even for the Ends of this World They are really the most Prudent ways and best chosen for all the Great and Desirable Purposes of this Life So that had God left them free and said nothing of them their own Usefulness would have recommended them to every discreet man and true Worldly Wisdom would have said the same that Duty and Religion now says of them No other fancied ways and least of all their Contraries could so well have served the true Ends of living here as these do Other ways perhaps may seem more serviceable and fit to be taken up for these Ends at some one particular turn But none of them are so fit and conducive if taken into constant course and made a General Rule of Living And men are made to live by Rules and their Happiness to be sought by Rules without which there would be nothing but utmost Uncertainty and Confusion which would spoil all happiness and prove the greatest misery here on Earth They are made to desire and to seek what is best for the Ends of Life not only in some one or few Actions but in the Tenor of Life not only what will happen to promote them on some accidental turns but what is fit to do so ordinarily and at all times though by chance on some particular turns it may admit of an Exception And this General and constant Service must be by Rules which are general things and made to direct not only as occasion serves but that all other men may know where to have us and we know where to be our selves without which as I say there would be nothing but jealousie and confusion instead of happiness for Directors in ordinary and constant course or at all times Now as for Rules of Wisdom for attaining the true Ends of Life there are none better than those prescribed by our holy Religion God having adopted our Real Interest into our Duty and made those things whereby Wisdom would Direct all men to serve themselves here the way of serving him and securing to themselves the joys of Heaven hereafter What Rules for instance are better in Conversation than to give no offence neither injuring nor despising and less disdaining any Than by being Gentle and easie of Access and Courteous a way of gaining much that will cost us little Than by having a care of Censure not being apt to tax what we do not know or to Condemn others And of all Backbiting or Accusations and Ripping up either the real or fancied Faults of absent Persons yea in Places and Companies abounding in Censure by being â—ary even how we bring up the Names of the absent who are not there to speak for themselves lest it afford Matter to the malignity of Evil Tongues and make them evil spoken of Than by not expecting much from others not being soon angry or exceptions which will prevent our having Difference with others and under any Carriage of theirs keep us easy within our selves and however Affronting or Provoking their Carriage be we do not thereby lose much if it doth not rob us of the Tranquility and Enjoyment of our own Spirits By all these ways and sundry others which Religion prescribes we take the wisest care to Converse with others with the most advantage and the least hurt and trouble to our selves What Rules again are better in Dealing than to be true and just which are the way to be trusted To be Industrious and Careful in our business to do always as we are willing to be done by to be Reasonable in our Demands Moderate in our Gettings Fair in all our Trading and Transactions which will most effectually retain those that try and draw in others to Deal with us when they are neither like to be Neglected or Deceived and Over-reach'd in their Business To Do all that is Right and with a willing mind that discovers no uneasiness in being shew'd it or backwardness in Performing thereof To offer nothing that is wrong yea when others offer it not to return it not maliciously remembring and studiously recompensing but Forgiving Injuries which is absolutely as the most Christian so the wisest Course and most for the Ends
shall briefly observe how we are taught all this both to keep to one way and to shun the other in St. Paul's Practice For this is the Account which that blessed Apostle gives of himself Our Rejoying is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not with Fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World 2 Cor. 1.12 He Disclaims having had any Conversation by Fleshly Wisdom i. e. by having suited his Conversation to Fleshly Ends or Governing himself by Fleshly Methods Wisdom is seen in proposing of Ends and in choice of Means And Fleshly Wisdom is such as is fittest for Fleshly Purposes pursuing Fleshly Ends by Fleshly Courses especially by Deceit and Craftiness By Fleshly Wisdom he here means not Eloquence but Wickedness and Craftiness says Theodorit And to pursue all Things to Deal and Converse with all Persons of this World by Fleshly Wisdom is to serve the Ends or Appetites of our Flesh by them to take up at every turn with such things as are easiest to Flesh and Blood or make most for it and to compass them as need is by any Method especially by Craft and Deceit So that then men Converse by Fleshly Wisdom when they Govern their Conversations by Fleshly Considerations and Worldly Maxims and Compâ—ss their Ends by Unlawful and Deceitful ways and steer their Course in every thing they do or meet withall in this World as may give them most and best enjoyment of Worldly Things And this all they count wise who are fixt to this World and look no further But this the Blessed Apostle tell us was not his measure not by Fleshly Wisdom But by the Grace of God That is bâ— Religion or the Rules of the Gospel which is called the Grace of God as Containing his Graciâ—â—â—â—â—â—lings and Intentions towards us and aâ— both Declaring to us what we should Do and Offering us Grace whereby to Do it The Grace of God bringing Salvation teaches us c. saith St. Paul i. e. the Gospel doth Tit. 2.11 So that his Conversation he ordered all along not aâ— might get him or keep him most ease and interest in this World but as might best secure his innocence in every thing and the Rules of Religion His chief Care was at all times and in every Action to Do his Duty to keep the Orders and serve the Honour of Christianity All his Study and Deliberation was as a Man of another World not of this as one that sought to save his Soul not to pamper his Body what way he might be most innocent and holy not what would make him a more wealthy worldly easie or happy Person If a way or thing was never so cross to his Worldly Interests and to the Cravings of the Flesh to Discharge his Duty and keep a Good Conscience he would take or Do it And in any thing if a Duty was called for by the Gospel or the Grace of God for any Considerations of this World he would not forego it Not in Fleshly Wisdom but in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity which I have before explained at large and by the Grace of God or Rules of the Gospel I have had my Conversation in the World Lastly I shall Note the Comfort and Satisfaction he found in all this This is our Rejoycing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Glory and Triumph the Testimony of our Conscience c. Such a Cause of Rejoycing his Conversing in all Things without Fleshly Wisdom and by the Grace of God proved to him most fully afterwards But whilst he was Practising this Rule though he had plenty of inward Comforts and Satisfaction yet he found outward Trouble enough therein As he had no regard for this World or for the Rules of Fleshly Wisdom So had this World no more Favour or Regard for him All this time whilst he held on in the way of Simplicity and of the Grace of God he run through as much Rage and Rudeness and Persecutions of the World as any man This indeed was one thing he was still sure of and the great exercise of his Life in every Place So the Holy Ghost as he says witnessed to him that in every City Bonds and Afflictions abode or waited for him Act. 20.23 Nay these he met with in the highest Degrees Conflicting not only with the Malice but with the Downrighâ— Rage and Madness of the People They were ready to tread him Down like Dirt under their Feet and valued him no more than the sweepings of the Streets We are saith he as the Filth of the World and as the off-scouring of all things unto this Day 1 Cor. 4.13 Here had he need enough to betake himself from Simplicity and the strict Rules of the Gospel or Grace of God to Fleshly Wisdom could any thing on Earth have driven him thereto And he met with outward Trouble and Sorrow enough for his Conscientious and Religious Stiffness that he would not And yet after all this he doth not in the least Repent of all his Sufferings nay were they all to be suffer'd over again or as many more set before him he is as ready as ever he was to hold on still in the same Course He looks upon those Sufferings in this way with other eyes than common Spectators do rating them as Favours and the truest matter of Glorying and Joy His Case all this while seemed most miserable to others but they saw only the outside and viewed it at a distance whereas in truth it was all the time happy to himself The Pains of his Sufferings were soon gone but the Peace and Joy thereof were lasting Whilst the Pains and Troubles were most pressing upon him he had still a stream of inward Joys and Consolations coming in that did refresh and support him under them God comforting him as he says in all his Tribulations and still as the Sufferings of Christ abounded in him so his Consolations also in Proportion abounding by Christ 2 Cor. 1.4 5 But though these Joys came with his Sorrows yet they did not vanish with them but staid and stuck by him afterwards for a full and abundant Compensation And this is the Comfort of all truly Religious and upright Sufferers as this Holy Apostle was they are best pleased with themselves when others are most displeased with them Though they have not the Joys of this World yet they have Joy in it Joy whilst they lose the good things thereof yea therefore joy because they lose them and still a greater measure of joys the greater their loss is if it be for Discharging a Good Conscience towards God or for keeping the Rules of Righteousness and the Service of Jesus And they have a clear Prospect of most ineffable and lasting Joys so soon as ever the Scene shall change and they shall be taken and removed from hence Come thou Good and Faithful Servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Mat. 25.21 But
OF CHRISTIAN PRUDENCE OR RELIGIOUS WISDOM Not Degenerating into IRRELIGIOUS CRAFTINESS IN Trying Times LONDON Printed for Jo. Hindmarsh at the Golden Ball over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1691. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Christian Prudence seen in chusing Right Ends. ITS Ends are 1. In every Particular to do our Duty 2. In every Point to make us see what is our Duty Both these are contrary in Fleshly Wisdom 3. It is alike for taking care of both Tables And as ready to suffer for any Point of Morality and Justice as for Purity of Worship and Orthodoxy of Faith CHAP. II. Other Ends of Christian Prudence 4. A Fourth End is as to perform the Duties so to promote the Honour of Religion Of honouring it externally in our Carriage Of Confession Of not changing Doctrines as we change Interests Nor being glad of any Temporal Advantage by ill things CHAP. III. Christian Prudence for Pleasing God and a good Conscience Against Popularity A Fifth End is to please God This will take us ofâ— from Popularity And to please our own good Conscience Of the contrary ways of worldly Wisdom Greatness of Numbers should not draw to anâ— ill thing nor want of Number drive from a good one CHAP. IV. Of not Doing Evil that Good may come This not justifiable by Pretence of Serviceableness to God To the Publick To our selves As accomplishing by these ways some approved Predictions CHAP. V. Of the Plea of Necessity Providence or Prophecies for doing ill Spiritual Prudence allows not of setting aside any Duty 1. On Plea of Necessity 2. Nor justifies it by Plea of Providence 3. Nor by Plea of Prophecy CHAP. VI. SECT I. Of Christian Simplicity and Sincerity And of not Deceiving by Actions Simplicity sometimes notes Unwariness which is no Virtue The difference between the Wariness of the Virtuously simple and of the Fleshly wise Virtuous Simplicity implies 1. Veracity in opposition to Falshood and Lyes Against telling a Lye in Words Or in Actions Of Profession by Observance of instituted Days for Religious Purposes Of Breach of Simplicity herein and in other Actions and by the Libellatici in the Primitive Church 2. A double Tongue A double Practice 3. Openness opposite to Concealment and close Reserves and Plainness opposite to misleading Dress 4. Harmlesness opposite to Dolus Malus The Ground of this Simplicity Preservation of Equality In what Things especially to be shewn and by whom Of the contrary Method of worldly Wisdom CHAP. VI. SECT II. Of Christian Simplicity and Sincerity A second thing implied in Simplicity is Singleness opposite to double Dealing Against a double Mind and Heart CHAP. VII Of not discharging Relative Duties for Ends of Religion or of our own Ease No Discharge of Relative Duties when they grow burdensom for Ends of Religion or of our own Ease No such Discharge towards Relatives of different Religions Or that perform not their part towards us Instead of putting by 't is wont to accomplish Fears This proved from remarkable Instances and Rules of Scripture A Rule to prevent being intangled therein CHAP. VIII Of the Imprudence of pursuing our Ends by unlawful Means The Prudence as well as Religion of not betaking our selves to unlawful Means CHAP. IX Of partaking in the Sins of others He partakes in an unlawful thing 1. That Orders and Commands it 2. Who when in place and station for it doth not duly shew himself to stop and prevent it Thus Magistrates and Parents partake And Ministers when they fail to warn against a Sin or mislead people therein or teach it by corrupt Doctrine or inventing Salvo's for Sin Instances of these among the Jews The great Guilt and sad Consequences hereof 3. Who under another ministers in an unlawful business 4. Who as an Equal helps it forward Several ways of doing this 5. Or who approves it afterwards which set off in sundry particulars 6. Who caused others to sin or gave Scandal by ill Example CHAP. X. Of Relyance on Providence and the Benefit Religion makes by outward Sufferings A third Rule of Christian Prudence about Means is in compassing Effects to look more at Providence than at Humane Appearances A Fourth is to see how well it may compass the Ends of Christianity by Sufferings Christianity is a passive Religion and Christians are to have passive Spirits Some Rules to ingenerate passive Spirits CHAP. XI Of Spiritual Prudence chusing Seasons and tempering to Circumstances 1. It is for taking the most advantageous Seasons in its Prusuit Three Rules to prevent setting aside any Duties as out of Season in compliance with carnal Wisdom 2. It is for tempering what we do to Circumstances Three Rules to prevent such tempering thereof as would impair or give it up for our external Quiet 3. Of flight in Persecutions Of Flight of Pastors Some Rules to keep off from doing harm to our Duty in Caution to avoid harm to our selves CHAP. XII Of Caution in preventing Harm by any Duties and of Flight in Persecutions 3. It is for shewing Caution to prevent ill Consequences Of staying for a Call in persecuted Duties CHAP. XIII Of Spiritual Prudence in Worldly Matters or as over-ruling all other inferior Prudence about things of this Life And of Solicitude The Rules of Religion are the truest Wisdom for the Ends of this Life When worldly Wisdom thwarts these Rules in pursuit of any Ends of this Life it over-rules it in such Motions Thus when it is apt to transgress about Ends or about Means Some Rules for this The point of Solicitude stated Of fleshly Wisdom are all so many Branches of Jesuits Morals which are not to be taken up to drive out Popist Superstitions CHAP. XIV A Recommendation of Christian Prudence The Prudence and Simplicity hitherto described recommended from St. Paul's Practice 2 Cor. 1.12 The contrary Rules ERRATA Pag. 16. lin 22. dele the figure 1. p. 18. l. 14. for Equal read Equally p. 24. l. 5. purly r. purely p. 36. l. 16. drive r. drove p. 41. l. 20. necessity r. necessity p. 55. Ch. 3. after the Title dele the first five lines and begin the Chapter Fifthly and lastly p. 136. l. 11. p. 151. l. 5. fool r. foot p. 200. l. 3. dele Take p. 207. l. 21. in justice r. injustice p. 264. l. 3. r. St. Peter p. 320. â—27 far r. for OF GODLY WISDOM OR Religious Prudence Not Degenerating into irreligious Craftiness in Trying Times MAnkind were formed and placed by God in this World but design'd for another And the condition and employment of our Life here is to be a passage through this World in pursuit of and preparation for a better And whilst we are duly careful for the next and omit nothing that is to bring us to the end of our Stage we may wisely provide for this too and contrive for our quietness and convenience by the way The way to the other World of true and perfect Joys are all the Duties and Directions of Religion
which are those paths the Wisdom of God sees necessary to perfect and spiritualize our Natures and which the Goodness of God has prescribed to lead us to himself and to the Regions of eternal Life Whatsoever God in his holy Gospel calls us to profess or practise that is the way to the World above And if we hope to arrive safe there and attain the Glory and Blessedness thereof whatever hardships occur or accidents befal us therein we must never go out of the way When upon any consideration we turn out thence all our steps are wrong and will never be right till we return into it again The way to make the most of this World and secure to our selves the greatest ease advantage and injoyment in our passage are the Rules of humane Prudence and worldly Wisdom And as we are call'd upon to hold on constantly in the former by the more still voice of Conscience and the Laws of God So are we reminded to make use of these later as occasion serves by the more importunate cravings of our sensual Nature and Necessities and the more loud voice of Flesh and Blood Now as our fleshy Nature and Necessities require so doth Religion allow us to serve our selves of these Rules of Humane Prudence so long as we keep within a due compass That is whilst we betake our selves only to such ways of external quiet and injoyment in this World as go not out of any way of Religion or path of Happiness leading to another World Whilst the Rule of Wisdom is only such as affords ease or comfort in our passage but doth not carry us out of our way or stop our progress When be sent out his Disciples as sheep in the midst of wolves be wise says our Lord to them as serpents so long as they took care first to keep as innocent or simple and plain-carriaged as doves Mat. 10.16 But fleshly Nature is glad of any way that affords ease here however it hinders or misleads us from the paths of those greater Joys which we should all seek to secure and prepare for hereafter It runs to them and that with greediness So that when any Duty of Religion gainsays it and calls another way there is a tryal of our Love and Affection for the two Worlds When any way of Righteousness for instance becomes burden'd with the Cross and a way of worldly and unrighteous Wisdom can avoid it or it may be lead to be not only safe and easie here but seemingly happy and prosperous then doth God make a tryal whether Religion or Flesh and Blood have most Force whether this or the next World are of greatest weight with us Worldly Reproaches and Persecutions upon a Duty are the true Test of its worthy and faithful Votaries and discover who they are that set it above this World And God is careful in the course of Providence still to annex worldly sufferings to some Duties of Religion or other to separate the impure dross from the pure Gold the light chaff that a storm of Persecution can drive away from the solid Wheat and as a Touch-stone to make manifest who are those truly worthy and sincere minds that will love and steadily practise any Duty when left to it self and stript of all external Bait of worldly inducement There must be Heresies saith St. Paul which as they increase grow still into Factions and Persecutions against the Orthodox that they who are approved may be made manifest 1 Cor. 11.19 To be ready to approve our selves to him in such Tryals it highly concerns us all to understand clearly what are the ways of fleshly Wisdom that at such times we may take more care to keep back from them There is the more need to be clear in this before-hand because the time of determining and practising is not the fittest for deliberating upon it For Flesh and Blood starts first and calls loudest on such occasions It presents variety of these ways to our minds And tho the ways are wrong yet through the biass of fleshly inclinations our minds are leaning and very willing to believe them right The generality of Mankind are prone to see and assent on that side which appears most safe and consistent with this present World They are apt to bid a hearty welcome and listen to any one that speaks for that way and are easily convinced by him being willing to be Deceived and 't is well if not active to Deceive themselves into such a persuasion And when Flesh and Blood are like to be so busie and powerful on such occasions to recommend such ways of worldly Prudence it is very necessary our Minds and Consciences should not be without their Armour but have clear convictions of their folly and unlawfulness to oppose against them To afford some Help in this Point to such sincere Tempers as would be thankful to be shew'd a losing Truth and glad to approve themselves to God on such occasions I shall offer something tho imperfect to set off the way of true Wisdom and to shew what are the limitations of Religious Prudence and what the contrary liberties of fleshly Wisdom or worldly Craftiness That so they may not err for want of information when in course of Providence they are brought on such Tryals CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Christian Prudence and how seen in chusing Right Ends. WIsdom or Prudence at large is being wise for our selves or seeing and following what Reason sets off as best for us It is Reason contemplating not the mere Truth of things which is Science but their Goodness and Desirableness or what are best for us to seek or practise And about this Practice it considers not only how to do things skilfully which is the consideration of Arts but how to do them profitably respecting either their future accountableness for Rewards or Punishments or implying moral good or ill and being directed by or promotive of any Virtues or their worldly usefulness and advantage to the end we are driving on or have to serve in this Life It notes Reason not only contemplating these things but influencing and effecting them For Prudence speaks the commendableness of several Powers It carries with it the virtue of our Wills as well as of our Understandings and besides the skill to see what is good for us includes also such influence over our other Powers as makes them follow it and take up therewith A man may be a knowing man that acts against the true Dictates of his own Reason But he only is a truly wise and prudent Person who follows and is guided by them And accordingly the wicked tho otherwise of never so much Knowledge are call'd Fools in Solomon's Proverbs and other Scriptures Thus is true Wisdom or Prudence the same as Reason well applied to Practice or Reason directing and influencing us unto what is profitable and best for us in any case Now this takes in the greatest variety of matters even all the managements