do well remember them And superadd this O Lord to all the grace and favour which thou hast shewn us all along in life not to remove us hence but with all advantage for Eternity when we shall be in a due preparation of mind in a holy constitution of soul in a perfect renunciation of the guise of this mad and sinful world when we shall be intirely resigned up to thee when we shall have clear acts of faith in God by Jesus Christ high and reverential thoughts of thee in our minds inlarged and inflamed affections towards thee c. And whensoever we shall come to leave this world which will be when thou shalt appoint for the issues of life and death are in thy hands afford us such a mighty power and presence of thy good Spirit that we may have solid consolation in believing and avoid all consternation of mind all doubtfulness and uncertainty concerning our everlasting condition and at length depart in the faith of God's Elect c. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Thus you have the short History of the life and death of this eminent Person whose just Character cannot be given in few words and time will not allow me to use many To be able to describe him aright it were necessary one should be like him for which reason I must content my self with a very imperfect draught of him I shall not insist upon his exemplary piety and devotion towards God of which his whole life was one continued Testimony Nor will I praise his profound Learning for which he was justy had in so great reputation The moral improvements of his mind a Godlike temper and disposition as he was wont to call it he chiefly valued and aspired after that universal charity and goodness which he did continually preach and practise His Conversation was exceeding kind and assable grave and winning prudent and profitable He was slow to declare his judgment and modest in delivering it Never passionate never peremptory so far from imposing upon others that he was rather apt to yeild And though he had a most profound and well-poized judgment yet was he of all men I ever knew the most patient to hear others differ from him and the most easie to be convinced when good Reason was offered and which is seldom seen more apt to be favourable to another man's Reason than his own Studious and inquisitive men commonly at such an age at forty or fifty at the utmost have fixed and setled their Judgments in most Points and as it were made their last understanding supposing they have thought or read or heard what can be said on all sides of things and after that they grow positive and impatient of contradiction thinking it a disparagement to them to alter their judgment But our deceased Friend was so wise as to be willing to learn to the last knowing that no man can grow wiser without some change of his mind without gaining some knowledge which he had not or correcting some errour which he had before He had attained so perfect a mastery of his Passions that for the latter and greatest part of his life he was hardly ever seen to be transported with Anger and as he was extremely carefull not to provoke any man so not to be provoked by any using to say if I provoke a man he is the worse for my company and if I suffer my self to be provoked by him I shall be the worse for his He very seldom reproved any person in company otherwise than by silence or some sign of uneasiness or some very soft and gentle word which yet from the respect men generally bore to him did often prove effectual For he understood humane nature very well and how to apply himself to it in the most easie and effectual ways He was a great encourager and kind directour of young Divines and one of the most candid hearers of Sermons I think that ever was So that though all men did mightily reverence his Judgment yet no man had reason to fear his Censure He never spake well of himself nor ill of others making good that saying of Pansa in Tully neminem alterius qui suae consideret virtuti invidere that no man is apt to envy the worth and vertues of another that hath any of his own to trust to In a word he had all those vertues and in a high degree which an excellent temper great consideration long care and watchfulness over himself together with the assistance of God's grace which he continually implored and mightily relied upon are apt to produce Particularly he excelled in the vertues of Conversation humanity and gentleness and humility a prudent and peaceable and reconciling temper And God knows we could very ill at this time have spared such a Man and have lost from among us as it were so much balm for the healing of the Nation which is now so miserably rent and torn by those wounds which we madly give our selves But since God hath thought good to deprive us of him let his vertues live in our memory and his example in our lives Let us endeavour to be what he was and we shall one day be what he now is of blessed memory on Earth and happy for ever in Heaven And now methinks the consideration of the Argument I have been upon and of that great Example that is before us should raise our minds above this world and six them upon the glory and happiness of the other Let us then begin heaven here in the frame and temper of our minds in our heavenly affections and conversation in a due preparation for and in carnest desires and breathings after that blessed state which we firmly believe and assuredly hope to be one day possessed of when we shall be removed out of this sink of sin and sorrows into the Regions of bliss and immortality where we shall meet all those worthy and excellent persons who are gone before us and whose conversation was so delightfull to us in this world and will be much more so to us in the other when the spirits of just men shall be made perfect and shall be quit of all those infirmities which did attend and lessen them in this mortal state when we shall meet again with our dear Brother and all those good men whom we knew in this world and with the Saints and excellent persons of all Ages to enjoy their blessed friendship and society for ever in the presence of the blessed God where is fullness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore In a firm persuasion of this happy state let us every one of us say with David and with the same ardency of affection that he did As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God O when shall I come and appear before God That so
seeing them in this heat notwithstanding all the reasons they pretended for their passion and for all they sheltered themselves under the great Example of Elias doth very calmly but severely reprove this temper of theirs Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Grotius observes that these two excellent Sentences are lest out in a Manuscript that is in England I cannot tell what Manuscript he refers to but if it were a Copy written out in the height of Popery no wonder if some zealous Transcriber offended at this passage struck it out of the Gospel being confident our Saviour would not say any thing that was so directly contrary to the current Doctrine and practice of those times But thanks be to God this admirable Saying is still preserv'd and can never be made use of upon a fitter occasion Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of That is Ye own your selves to be my Disciples but do you consider what spirit now acts and governs you Not that surely which my Doctrine designs to mould and fashion you into which is not a furious and persecuting and destructive spirit but mild and gentle and saving tender of the lives and interests of men even of those who are our greatest Enemies You ought to consider That you are not now under the rough and sowr Dispensation of the Law but the calm and peaceable Institution of the Gospel to which the spirit of Elias though he was a very good man in his time would be altogether unsuitable God p rmitted it then under that imperfect way of Religion but now under the Gospel it would be intolerable For that designs universal love and peace and good-will and now no difference of Religion no pretence of zeal for God and Christ can warrant and justifie this passionate and fierce this vindictive and exterminating spirit For the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them He says indeed elsewhere that he was not come to send Peace but a Sword which we are not to understand of the natural tendency of his Religion but of the accidental event and effect of it through the malice and perverseness of men But here he speaks of the proper intention and design of his coming He came not to kill and destroy but for the healing of the Nations for the salvation and redemption of Mankind not onely from the wrath to come but from a great part of the evils and miseries of this life He came to discountenance all fierceness and rage and cruelty in men one towards another to restrain and subdue that furious and unpeaceable Spirit which is so troublesome to the world and the cause of so many mischiefs and disorders in it And to introduce a Religion which consults not only the eternal Salvation of mens souls but their temporal peace and security their comfort and happiness in this world The words thus explained contain this Observation That a revengeful and cruel and destructive Spirit is directly contrary to the design and temper of the Gospel and not to be excused upon any pretence of zeal for God and Religion In the prosecution of this Argument I shall confine my Discourse to these Three heads First To shew the opposition of this spirit to the true Spirit and design of the Christian Religion Secondly The unjustifiableness of it upon any pretence of zeal for God and Religion Thirdly to apply this Discourse to the occasion of this Day First I shall shew the opposition of this spirit to the true Spirit and design of the Christian Religion That it is directly opposite to the main and fundamental Precepts of the Gospel and to the great Paterns and Examples of our Religion our Blessed Saviour and the Primitive Christians 1. This spirit which our Saviour here reproves in his Disciples is directly opposite to the main and fundamental Precepts of the Gospel which command us to love one another and to love all men even our very enemies and are so far from permitting us to persecute those who hate us that they forbid us to hate those who persecute us They require us to be merciful as our Father which is in Heaven is merciful to be kind and tender-hearted forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us And to put on as the elect of God bowels of mercy meekness and long-suffering and to follow peace with all men and to shew all meekness to all men And particulary the Pastors and Governors of the Church are especially charged to be of this temper The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth To all which Precepts and many more that I might reckon up nothing can be more plainly opposite than inhumane Cruelties and Persecutions treacheroos Conspiracies and bloody Massacres a barbarous Inquisition and a holy League to extirpate all that differ from us And instead of instructing in meekness those that oppose themselves to convert men with fire and faggot and to teach them as Gideon did the men of Succoth with briars and thorns and instead of waiting for their repentance and endeavouring to recover them out of the snare of the Devil to put them quick into his hands and to dispatch them to Hell as fast as is possible If the precepts of Christianity can be contradicted surely it cannot be done more grosly and palpably than by such practises 2. This spirit is likewise directly opposite to the great Paterns and Examples of our Religion our Blessed Saviour and the Primitive Christians It was prophesied of our Saviour that he should be the Prince of peace and should make it one of his great businesses upon earth to make peace in heaven and earth to reconcile men to God and to one another to take up all those feuds and to extinguish all those animosities that were in the world to bring to agreement and a peaceable demeanour one towards another those that were most distant in their tempers and interests to make the lamb and the wolf lie down together that there might be no more destroying nor devouring in all Goll's holy mountain that is that that cruel and destructive spirit which prevailed before in the world should then be banished out of all Christian societies And in conformity to these predictions when our Saviour was born into the world the Angels sang that heavenly Anthem Glory to God in the highest peace on earth and good will among men And when he appeared in the world his whole life and carriage was gentle and peaceable full of meekness and charity His great business was to be beneficial to others to seek and to save that which was lost
and clear enough That there is a God and That his Providence governs the World and That there is another Life after this though neither Pope nor Council had ever declared any thing about these matters And for Revealed Doctrines we may be certain enough of all that is necessary if it be true which the Fathers tell us That all things necessary are plainly revealed in the Holy Scriptures Fourthly An infallible Judge if there were one is no certain way to end Controversies and to preserve the unity of the Church unless it were likewise infallibly certain That there is such a Judge and Who he is For till men were sure of both these there would still be a Controversy whether there be an infallible Judge and who he is And if it be true which they tell us That without an infallible Judge Controversies cannot be ended then a Controversie concerning an infallible Judge can never be ended And there are two Controversies actually on foot about an infallible Judge One Whether there be an infallible Judge or not which is a Controversie between Us and the Church of Rome and the other Who this infallible Judge is which is a Controversie among themselves which could never yet be decided And yet till it be decided Infallibility if they had it would be of no use to them for the ending of Controversies Fifthly There is no such absolute need as is pretended of determining all Controversies in Religion If men would devest themselves of prejudice and interest as they ought in matters of Religion the necessary things of Religion are plain enough and men would generally agree well enough about them But if men will suffer themselves to be by assed by these they would not hearken to an infallible Judge if there were one or they would find out some way or other to call his Infallibility into question And as for doubtful and lesser matters in Religion charity and mutual forbearance among Christians would make the Church as peaceable and happy as perhaps it was ever design'd to be in this World without absolute unity in Opinion Sixthly and Lastly Whatever may be the inconveniences of mens judging for themselves in Religion yet taking this Principle with the Cautions I have given I doubt not to make it appear that the inconveniences are far the least on that side The present condition of humane Nature doth not admit of any constitution of things whether in Religion or Civil matters which is free from all kind of exception and inconvenience That is the best state of things which is liable to the least and fewest If men be modest and humble and willing to learn God hath done that which is sufficient for the assurance of our Faith and for the peace of his Church without an infallible Judge And if men will not be so I cannot tell what would be sufficient I am sure there were Heresies and Schisms in the Apostles Times when Those who governed the Church were certainly guided by an infallible Spirit God hath appointed Guides and Teachers for us in matters of Religion and if we will be contented to be instructed by them in those necessary Articles and Duties of Religion which are plainly contained in Scripture and to be counselled and directed by them in things that are more doubtful and difficult I do not see why we might hot do well enough without any infallible Judge or Guide But still it will be said Who shall judge what things are plain and what doubtful The answer to this in my opinion is not difficult For if there be any thing plain in Religion every man that hath been duly instructed in the Principles of Religtion can judge of it or else it is not plain But there are some things in Religion so very plain that no Guide or Judge can in reason claim that Authority over men as to oblige them to believe or do the contrary no though he pretend to Infallibility no though he were an Apostle though he were an Angel from heaven S. Paul puts the case so high Gal. 1.8 Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than what you have received let him be accursed which plainly supposeth that Christians may and can judge when Doctrines are contrary to the Gospel What not believe an Apostle nor an Angel from heaven if he should teach any thing evidently contrary to the plain Doctrine of the Gospel If he should determine Vertue to be Vice and Vice to be Vertue No not an Apostle nor an Angel because such a Doctrine as this would confound and overturn all things in Religion And yet Bellarmin puts this very Case and says If the Pope should so determine we were bound to believe him unless we would sin against Conscience I will conclude this Discourse by putting a very plain and familiar Case by which it will appear what credit and authority is fit to be given to a Guide and what not Suppose I came a Stranger into England and landing at Dover took a Guide there to conduct me in my way to York which I knew before by the Mapp to lie North of Dover having committed my self to him if he lead me for two or three days together out of any plain Road and many times over hedge and ditch I cannot but think it strange that in a civil and well inhabited Country there should be no High-ways from one part of it to another Yet thus far I submit to him though not without some regret and impatience But then if after this for two or three days more he lead me directly South and with my face full upon the Sun at noon day and at last bring me back again to Dover Pere and still bids me follow him Then certainly no modesty do's oblige a man not to dispute with his Guide and to tell him surely that can be no way because it is Sea Now though he set never so bold a face upon the matter and tell me with all the gravity and authority in the world That it is not the Sea but dry Land under the species and appearance of Water and that whatever my eyes tell me having once committed my self to his guidance I must not trust my own senses in the case it being one of the most dangerous sorts of Infidelity for a man to believe his own eyes rather than his faithful and infallible Guide All this moves me not but I begin to expostulate roundly with him and to let him understand that if I must not believe what I see he is like to be of no farther use to me because I shall not be able at this rate to know whether I have a Guide and whether I follow him or not In short I tell him plainly that when I took him for my Guide I did not take him to tell me the difference between North and South between a Hedge and a High-way between Sea and dry Land all this I knew before as well as he
been a thing evil in it self and forbidden by the Law of Nature would not have been done Secondly Another undeniable Argument from the Text of the lawfulness of Oaths is that God himself in condescension to the Custome of men who use to confirm and give credit to what they say by an Oath is represented by the Apostle as confirming his promise to us by an Oath verse 13. When God made the promise to Abraham because he could swear by none greater he swears by himself For men verily swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath which he certainly would not have done had an oath been unlawful in it self For that had been to comply with men in an evil practice and by his own example to give countenance to it in the highest manner But though God condescend to represent himself to us after the manner of men he never does it in any thing that is in its own nature evil and sinful Thirdly From the great Usefulness of Oaths in humane affairs to give credit and confirmation to our word and to put an end to Contestations Now that which serves to such excellent purposes and is so convenient for humane society and for mutual security and confidence among men ought not easily to be presumed unlawful till it be plainly proved to be so And if we consider the nature of an oath and every thing belonging to it there is nothing that hath the least appearance of evil in it There is surely no evil in it as it is an act of Religion nor as it is an Appeal to God as a witness and avenger in case we swear falsly nor as it is a confirmation of a doubtful matter nor as it puts an end to strife and controversie And these are all the essential ingredients of an Oath and the ends of it and they are all so good that they rather commend it than give the least colour of ground to condemn it I proceed in the Second place to shew the weakness and insufficiency of the grounds of the contrary opinion whether from Reason or from Scripture First from Reason They say the necessity of an Oath is occasioned by the want of truth and fidelity among men And that every man ought to demean himself with that faithfulness and integrity as may give credit and confirmation to his word and then Oaths will be needless This pretence will be fully answered if we consider these two things 1. That in matters of great importance no other obligation besides that of an oath hath been thought sufficient amongst the best and wisest of men to assert their fidelity to one another Even the best men to use the words of a great Author have not trusted the best men without it As we see in very remarkable instances where Oaths have pass'd between those who might be thought to have the greatest confidence in one another As between Abraham and his old faithful servant Eliezer concerning the choice of a Wife for his Son Between Father and Son Jacob and Joseph concerning the burial of his Father in the Land of Canaan Between two of the dearest and most intimate Friends David and Jonathan to assure their friendship to one another and it had its effect long after Jonathans death in the saving of Mephibosheth when reason of State and the security of his Throne seem'd to move David strongly to the contrary for it is expresly said 2 Sam. 21.7 that David spared Mephibosheth Jonathan's Son because of the oath of the Lord that was between them implying that had it not been for his Oath other considerations might probably have prevail'd with him to have permitted him to have been cut off with the rest of Saul's Children 2. This Reason which is alledged against Oaths among men is much stronger against God's confirming his promises to us by an Oath For he who is truth it self is surely of all other most to be credited upon his bare word and his oath needless to give confirmation to it and yet he condescends to add his oath to his word and therefore that reason is evidently of no force Secondly From Scripture Our Saviour seems altogether to forbid swearing in any case Matth. 5.33 34. Ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but I say unto you swear not at all neither by heaven c. But let your communication be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil And this Law St. James recites chap. 5. vers 12. as that which Christians ought to have a very particular and principal regard to above all things my brethren swear not And he makes the breach of this Law a damning sin lest ye fall into condemnation But the authority of our Saviour alone is sufficient and therefore I shall only consider that Text. And because here lies the main strength of this opinion of the unlawfulness of Oaths it is very fit that this Text be fully consider'd and that it be made very evident that it was not our Saviour's meaning by this prohibition wholly to forbid the use of Oaths But before I enter upon this matter I will readily grant that there is scarce any Errour whatsoever that hath a more plausible colour from Scripture than this which makes the case of those who are seduced into it the more pityable But then it ought to be consider'd how much this Doctrine of the unlawfulness of oaths reflects upon the Christian Religion since it is so evidently prejudicial both to humane Society in general and particularly to those persons that entertain it neither of which ought rashly to be supposed and taken for granted concerning any Law delivered by our Saviour Because upon these terms it will be very hard for us to vindicate the divine wisdom of our Saviour's Doctrine and the Reasonableness of the Christian Religion Of the inconvenience of this Doctrine to humane Society I have spoken already But besides this it is very prejudicial to them that hold it It renders them suspected to Government and in many cases incapable of the common benefits of Justice and other privileges of humane Society and exposeth them to great penalties as the constitution of all Laws and Governments at present is and it is not easie to imagine how they should be otherwise And which is very considerable in this matter it sets those who refuse Oaths upon very unequal terms with the rest of Mankind if where the estates and lives of men are equally concern'd their bare testimonies shall be admitted without an Oath and others shall be obliged to speak upon Oath Nothing being more certain in experience than that many men will lie for their interest when they will not be perjured God having planted in the natural Consciences of
men a secret dread of perjury above most other sins And this inconvenience is so great as to render those who refuse oaths in all cases almost intolerable to humane Society I speak not this either to bring them into trouble or to perswade them to measure truth by their interest but on the other hand I must needs say that it is no Argument either of a wise or good man to take up any opinion especially such a one as is greatly to his prejudice upon slight grounds And this very consideration that it is so much to their inconvenience may justly move them to be very carefull in the examination of it This being premis'd I come now to explain this Prohibition of our Saviour and to this purpose I desire these three things may be well consider'd First That several circumstances of these words of our Saviour do manifestly shew that they ought to be interpreted in a limited sense as only forbidding swearing in common conversation needless and heedless oaths as one expresseth it and in general all voluntary swearing unless upon some great and weighty cause in which the glory of God and the good of the souls of Men is concerned For that in such cases a voluntary oath may be lawful I am induced to believe from the example of St. Paul who useth it more than once upon such occasions of which I shall hereafter give particular Instances And this was the sense of Wise men among the Heathen that men should not swear but upon necessity and great occasion Thus Eusebius the Philosopher in Stobaeus counsels men Some says he advise men to be carefull to swear the truth but I advise principally that men do not easily swear at all that is not upon any slight but only upon weighty occasions To the same purpose Epictetus Shun oaths wholly if it be possible if not however as much as thou canst And so likewise Simplicius in his Comment upon him We ought wholly to shun swearing except upon occasions of great necessity And Quintilian among the Romans In totum jurare nisi ubi necesse est gravi viro parum convenit To swear at all except where it is necessary do's not well suit with a wise man And that this prohibition of our Saviour's ought to be understood of oaths in ordinary conversation appears from the opposition which our Saviour makes Swear not at all but let your communication be yea yea That is in your ordinary commerce and affairs do not interpose oaths but say and do And this is very much confirmed in that our Saviour do's not under this general Prohibition instance in such oaths as are expresly by the name of God The reason whereof is this The Jews thought it unlawfull in ordinary communication to swear expresly by the name of God but lawfull to swear by the Creatures as by Heaven and Earth c. So that our Saviour's meaning is as if he had said You think you may swear in common conversation provided you do not swear by the name of God but I say unto you let your communication be without oaths of any kind you shall not so much as swear by heaven or by earth because God is virtually invoked in every oath And unless we suppose this to be our Saviour's meaning I do not see what good Reason can be given why our Saviour should only forbid them to swear by the Creatures and not much rather by the Name of God such oaths being surely of all others most to be avoided as being the most direct abuse and profanation of the Name of God Secondly It is very considerable to the explaining of this Prohibition that there are the like general expressions in other Jewish Authors concerning this very matter which yet must of necessity be thus limited Maimonides from the ancient Rabbies gives this Rule that it is best not to swear at all And Philo useth almost the same words And Rabbi Jonathan comes very near our Saviour's expression when he says The just man will not swear at all not so much as by the common Names of God nor by his Attributes nor by his Works as by Heaven or the Angels or the Law Now it is not imaginable that these learned Jews should condemn Oaths in all cases when the Law of Moses did in many cases expresly require them And therefore they are to be understood of voluntary oaths in ordinary conversation And that the Jews meant this by not swearing at all seems to be very plain from a passage in Josephus who says that the Sect of the Essenes forbad their Disciples to swear at all and yet he tells us at the same time that they who were admitted into that Sect took an oath to observe the Laws and Rules of it So that they who forbad to swear at all allowed of Oaths imposed by the Authority of Superiours Thirdly Which will peremptorily decide this matter this Prohibition of our Saviour's cannot be understood to forbid all Oaths without a plain contradiction to the undoubted practice of the primitive Christians and of the Apostles and even of our Lord himself Origen and Tertullian tells us that the Christians refused to swear by the Emperor's Genius not because it was an Oath but because they thought it to be Idolatrous But the same Tertullian says that the Christians were willing to swear per salutem Imperatoris by the health and safety of the Emperour Athanasius being accused to Constantius purged himself by oath and desired that his Accuser might be put to his Oath sub attestatione veritatis by calling the truth to witness by which form says he we Christians are wont to swear But which is more than this St. Paul upon weighty occasions do's several times in his Epistles call God to witness for the truth of what he says which is the very formality of an Oath God is my witness Rom. 1.9 As God is true our word was not yea and nay 2 Cor. 1.18 and v. 23. I call God for a record upon my Soul Before God I lye not Gal 1.20 God is my record Philip 1.8 God is my witness 1 Thess 2.5 These are all unquestionable oaths which we cannot imagine St. Paul would have used had they been directly contrary to our Saviour's Law And whereas some defend this upon account of his extraordinary Inspiration I cannot possibly see how this mends the matter For certainly it is very inconvenient to say that they who were to teach the Precepts of Christ to others did themselves break them by Inspiration But I go yet farther and shall urge an example beyond all exception Our Saviour himself who surely would not be the first example of breaking his own Laws did not refuse to answer upon Oath being called thereto at his Trial. So we find Matth. 26.63 Yhe high Priest said unto him I abjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Son of God that is he required him to answer this