preserve or recover men from the snares of sin and to guide them into a true obedience to the will of God and the doing those things which are to the honour of Christianity by calming the unruly disorders of mens minds Where persons are engaged in any unaccountable practice with passion and fierceness there is no case wherein sin hath a greater dominion and government over man than in this For whilst any are carried on with rash heats these blind their minds and hinder them from a sober consideration of what they ought to do And there is no sinful indisposition wherein men are more averse from good counsel and more forward to be displeased with and oppose them who would direct them better And (z) Arist Ethic l 1. c. Aristotle observed from Hesiod that he who will neither consider things rightly of himself nor be advised by others is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of whose good there is little hope Wherefore he who will endeavour the recovering of men from such sins must be prepared to bear the hard words of such offenders which was the lot of Christ himself of his Apostles and many of the ancient Fathers in the like case Even as he that would be most instrumental to extinguish a prevailing fire may be scorcht and must be touched with some sense of the heat and flame 31. 2. It is impious to think the breaking the laws of God to be our interest Secondly Consider how much it savoureth of impiety that the urging the plain duties of meekness patience humility and reverence to Superiours should be thought things of ill and hurtful consequence and that passionate fierceness and disobedience should be esteemed things good and useful for mankind As if those things which God commands were for the prejudice of man of whose welfare he hath so great a care This would represent the Kingdom of Christ to be divided against it self and perswade men that if they will take care of their own true interest and do what is best for themselves they must cast off the yoke of Christ and comply with the temptations of the Devil But whoever will talk or judge at this rate if he do not stop his course and return from the error of his way is in a fair progress towards the renouncing his Christianity and the denying the wisdom and goodness of God in governing the world But then he must withal contradict the sentiments of his own reason and conscience since no man can think it just and fit that himself should be thus treated either with uncharitable censures and unjust reproaches and calumnies by others or with an untractable disrespect and an irreverent and undutiful behaviour from his own Children and Servants It would be folly enough for Subjects to think that those prudent Laws which are the contrivance of the wisest men are their burden and dammage and that it would be far better for every man to be wholly left to his own will when as the (a) Cic. pro Cluent Roman Orator truly observed Laws are the bond and the soul and life of civil society and the foundation of liberty and we are therefore subject to Laws that we may enjoy freedom legum idcirco servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus But it would be far more unaccountable to have such disparaging thoughts of the directions and commands of the infinitely wise God And it hath been a great part of Satans business in the world to perswade men to reject useful truth and rules of practice by raising prejudices against them and those that teach them This he oft doth by pretending that they are against the interest of men and that some ill design is laid by them who propose them In this manner he began with our first Parents in Paradise and so he proceeded against the Christian Religion as I have shewed 32. Obj. 2. But it may be further objected Obj. 2 If Religion be concerned ought not men to be zealous If Religion be concerned and in danger doth it not become every good man to be moved and zealous in this case and both to speak and act what may tend to its preservation To which I shall return four things by way of Answer with desire that they may all of them be seriously considered 33. Ans 1 Yes in Christian and prudent actions not in sinful passions Ans 1. It is very requisite he should in such a case be zealous and active as a Christian in the diligent exercises of an holy life and in frequent and devout prayer and supplication to Almighty God to procure his protection and defence against all the enemies of his Church and their ill designs And it is proper also for him to be active as a wise man in the use of all lawful and prudent means which agree to his place and station But he must not be active as an evil doer in giving himself the liberty to vent passionate slanders and uncharitable reproaches against others or to behave himself undutifully towards his Superiours If a Ship be in a storm it is desirable that its passengers should both pray to God and in their places put to their helping hand for its security but it very ill becometh them at that time to fall into quarrels with them who take the best care for its safety And it must be considered that (b) Just Mart. Paraen p. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion is not so much a name as a business of life and practice And therefore they who speak of shewing a great respect to Religion by disobeying its precepts do really lose Religion under a pretence of preserving it for though men may deceive themselves it is a truth of undoubted certainty that whosoever seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue that mans Religion is vain it is an empty appearance and not profitable to himself 34. 2. Gods Kingdom needeth not the help of Satan and sin Ans 2. Religion can never be so in danger that God should need any sinful practices of men to uphold his interest His Kingdom is not so weak that it cannot stand without the assistance of the works of the Devil Such methods may help forward the ruine of a Church but will never be found the true way to its settlement and establishing Christ who founded his Church did support it when it was in the midst of persecutions even in its weak beginnings And the exercises of piety and all good conscience accompanied with innocent prudence are the way to put us under his care and intitle us to his protection but he will have no concord with Belial When the pressures of the Israelites were heavy in Egypt God delivered them from their Bondage And when their transgressions had at other times exposed them to great calamities and sufferings upon their returning to him he raised up Judges and gave them redress And he knows how to defend those who fear him by
earnestly behold the Council or the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or persons of the Sanhedrin Act. 23.1 and the Judges of the Sanhedrin had their Bench fixed (u) Seld. de Syned l 2 c. 6. n. 1. on which every one of them sate in their order in the form of a semi-circle and the Apostle having been long before acquainted with the order and business of that Court Act. 22.5 and now mentioning Ananias to be one that sate to judge him there seems no colour left for this opinion And from what I have said above n. 45 49. I account it manifest that the authority of Ananias could not be disowned by the Apostle However I shall here observe that they who shall not be satisfied with my interpretation of these words Mâ—â—â—â— hâ—â—e duty urged must be granted upon other Expositions cannot well frame any other tolerable sense of them than such according to which they must condemn and blame all indecency of expression and much more insolency of deportment towards Superiours and also shew the Apostles forwardness to wipe off all appearance of suspicion of his allowing any such thing in himself or others And that he did with great readiness and openness declare that the admitting any such thing though in his circumstances above observed n. 53.54 55. and in the managing so good a cause as that of Christianity was and is is contrary to the Laws of God and Religion And that those who shall wittingly thus misbehave themselves must be inexcusable and that they who are suspected to have erred in this kind and therefore much more they who have really done so ought thus to behave and clear themselves by a free declaration of their honourable respect to them who are in Authority as S. Paul here practised himself and taught others 57. But this duty of being ready freely to confess their fault in what they have openly said or done amiss with a care to repent thereof and to do so no more is I fear by some rejected out of this gross mistake that it is a shameful thing to acknowledge a fault Whereas in truth it is a very shameful thing to continue in sin but there is no more shame in an offenders repenting and acknowledging he hath done amiss than there is in becoming wise and good and doing his duty and pleasing God And God grant that all who have neglected their duty in this or any other branch thereof may so consider their wayes as to amend and reform them The Second Part Concerning the usefulness of a sober Censure of such Parties or persons who practise evil or propagate falshood with an enquiry into some different parties who make profession of Christianity CHAP. I. To speak against evil persons and practices duely and discreetly and to the just discrediting and disparaging bad Principles and Doctrines is reasonable and good with an account of what Rules are here to be observed 1. HAving declared in the former Part how unreasonable and evil uncharitable and passionate reproaches are especially against Superiors Ishall now shew that Christianity doth not only allow but require a rational and just dislike and sober censure of those who entertain or countenance evil practices Christianity allows what is manifestly evil to be condemned and blamed to debauch or corrupt the lives of men and who spread promote or receive false and unsound principles whereby deluded and misguided minds forsake and depart from the truth The meekness and innocency of Christianity doth not engage its followers to such a temper that they may not look on any men or party of men to be offenders or to deserve blame if this were so vertue and vice and the practicers of them both must have an equal esteem and respect and judging righteously and executing judgment amongst Christians must be banished out of the Earth If Religion should be supposed to make it an universal duty to preserve and maintain the good reputation of all even bad men then must Christian charity in a great measure suppress the use of our reason and conscience and the reproacher himself must not lye under any blame or disesteem and men who pervert the truth and corrupt the minds of others must still be had in honour But this would be to abuse and pervert the charity and meekness of Christianity and to make the pretence thereof hurtful and destructive to the good of mankind Yea this would set up the duties of Religion to become a cloak for wickedness and a method to keep Christians from the watchful observing and discerning the evil and careful rejecting the snares of those who cunningly contrive deceit or of them who through indiscretion and mistake are misguided themselves and would mislead others and are as eager as the Scribes and Pharisees were to proselyte men into their errors But the true Christian temper is far from obliging any to such unwary compliances with corruptions and sin 2. I heartily wish The Christian Rule and the Practice guided by it are excellent that the behaviour of all who call themselves by the name of Christians were such that nothing could truly be spoken of them but what is excellent and honourable And thus it would be if the doctrine and rules of the Christian Religion were diligently observed and practised by all who profess it For such is its efficacy in renewing the minds of men where it is heartily and sincerely embraced that on this account the Christian institution was anciently much admired even by many who would not receive it but opposed and rejected it And as (a) Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 13. gr Eusebius testifieth the mighty influence it had on the purity of mens lives was the great cause of its being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst all much spoken of and famed Insomuch that as the (b) ibid. same Authour tells us the Gnostick brood of Simon Magus would make pretensions to the Christian name And from the same consideration of its visible effects in purifying the lives of them who were guided thereby it was mightily honoured and extolled by those who did entertain it Thus (c) Strom. l. 7. in init Clemens Alexandrinus observed how it greatly perfected him that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the truly wise and good man and that it was also of great power to correct and change even those who were perverse and whose hearts were hardened And his Scholar Origen noted (d) Cont. Cels l. 1. prope fin passim what a mighty alteration did manifestly appear among men by the power of the Christian Doctrine which furnished them who embraced it not feignedly but sincerely with meekness goodness and such an excellent and well composed temper as far exceeded what the practice or Philosophy of the Gentiles could pretend unto And the like might be observed from Justin Martyr Lactantius and many others 3. But the great miscarriages of too many professed Christians both in Doctrine and Practice are
found in them And it is considerable that the ancient Bishops of Rome owned not nor claimed any such Authority nor was any such given to them by the Primitive Church To this purpose it may be observed from (l) Epiph. Her 42. Epiphanius that when Marcion being excommunicated by his own Father a pious Bishop for his debauchery went to Rome and desired there to be received into Communion he was told there by those Elders yet alive who were the Disciples of the Apostles that they could not receive him without the permission of his Reverend Father there being one Faith and one Concord they could not act contrary to their Fellow Ministers And this was agreeable to the Rules and Canons of the ancient Church whereby it was ordained (m) Can. Ap. 12. that if any excommunicate person should be received in another City whither he should come not having commendatory Letters he who received him should be himself also under excommunication And the novel Romish Notion of all other Bishops so depending on the Roman as to derive their power and authority from him is so contrary to the sense of the ancient Church that (n) Hieron Ep. ad Evagrium S. Hierome declares ubicunque fuerit Episcopus five Romae five Eugubii ejusdem meriti ejusdem est sacerdotii omnes Apostolorum successores sunt wheresoever there was a Bishop whether at Rome or at Gubio he is of the same worth and the same Priesthood they are all Successors of the Apostles 20. and prejudicial to other Churches and to Religion it self However the Romish Church upon this encroachment and false pretence claims a power to receive appeals from any other Churches And this oft proves a great obstacle to the Government and discipline of those Churches and an heavy and burdensome molestation to particular persons by chargeable tedious and dilatory prosecutions and is a method also of exhausting the treasures of other Churches and Kingdoms to gratifie ambitious avarice But even the (o) c. 6. qu. 3. scitote Canon Law declares the great reasonableness that every Province where there is ten or eleven Cities and a King should have a Metropolitan and other Bishops and that all causes should be judged and determined by them among themselves and that no Province ought to be so much debased and degraded as to be deprived of such a Judicature Indeed the Canon Law doth here for the sake of the Roman See exempt such cases from this judgement where those who are to be judged enter an appeal which is much different from the appeal the ancient Church allowed (p) Conc. Constant c. 6. to a more General Council after the insufficient hearing of a Provincial one But in truth this right of ordering and judging what is fit in every Province is not only the right of that particular Church or Country or Kingdom but where they proceed according to truth and goodness it is the right of God and the Christian Religion which is above all contrary authority of any other and ought not to be violated thereby And appeals from hence (pp) Cod. ean Eccl. Afr. c. 28. The Romanists Schismatical even to Rome were anciently prohibited in Africa 21. And the Schismatical uncharitableness of them at Rome towards other Churches deserves here to be mentioned This widens divisions and discords and perpetuates them by declaring an irreconcileable opposition to peace and truth They excommunicate them as Hereticks who discerning their right and their duty will not submit themselves to their usurpations and embrace their errors and to them they hereupon deny the hopes of Salvation Thus they deal with them who stedfastly hold to the Catholick faith and to all the holy rules of the Christian life and practice delivered by the Apostles and received by the Primitive Church and who also embrace that Catholick charity and Unity that they own Communion with all the true and regular members of the Christian Church and would with as much joy communicate with the Roman Church her self if she would make her Worship and Communion and the terms of it free from sin as the Father in the Gospel embraced his returning Son But this is the crime of such Churches that while they hold fast the Apostolical Faith and Order they reject the novel additional doctrines introduced by the Church of Rome and they submit not to her usurped authority in not doing what in duty to God they ought to do in imbracing the right wayes of truth 22. Their unjust excommunications hurt not others But the excommunicating such persons and Churches doth no hurt to them who undeservedly lie under this unjust censure but the effect of the censure may fall on them who thus excommunicate For they who reject the Communion of them who are true and orderly Members of the Church Catholick do divide themselves from that Communion To this sense is that received rule (q) c. 24. qu. 3. c. si habes c. certum illicita excommunicatio non laedit eum qui notatur sed eum à quo notatur and this was declared by (r) in Balsamon p. 1096. Nicon to be agreeable to the Canons And the excellency and power of the true Catholick Doctrine and the purity thereof is so much to be preferred before the authority of any persons whomsoever who oppose it that that which the ancient Canons (ſ) Conc. Sardic c. 17. established was very fit and just that if any Bishops and consequently any other persons were ejected from their own Churches or suffered any censures unjustly for their adhering to the Catholick Faith and profession they ought still to be received in other Churches and Cities with kindness and love And whereas there were Canons of the Church which allowed not Bishops to reside in other Churches and Dioceses these Fathers at Sardica dispense with that Rule in such a case as this and thereby declare their fense to be That the observation of Canonical establishments must give place where the higher duties of respect to the Christian Faith and Charity were concerned 23. but only themselves When the Scribes and Pharisees condemned the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles for Heresie and cast them who received it out of the Church the Christians were nevertheless the true members of the Church but they who rejected them were not so And when the Donatists would allow none but their own party to belong to the Church they thereby cast themselves out of the Catholick Communion as Schismaticks And when they at Rome so far follow their steps as to confine the Christian Communion to themselves or to a particular Church especially such an one as so greatly swerves from the truth and purity of the Christian Religion Sect. II. this is in effect to deny that Article of our Creed concerning the Holy Catholick Church And since Charity and Vnity are of so great concernment in Christianity on that account also they are none of the best members of the Church who are so far from them as all of the Romish Communion are obliged to be and are thereby guilty of heinous sin and of that which is greatly scandalous to Christianity SECT II. The Doctrines maintained in the Church of Rome and the Constitutions therein established are great hindrances to holiness of life and
those who are in a true Christian state saith that Jesus Christ the righteous is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2.2 And who who examines himself can pretend himself free from every disorder in any passion or affection from all failure in word or thought and that he can be charged with no neglect of any duty at any time either towards God or man in any relation whatsoever nor with any blameable defect in the manner of the performance thereof And the pretence to perfection and sinless practice is the more fond and unreasonable in this Sect because of the gross and heinous errors of judgment and consequently of practice which they are guilty of together with many words of falshood censoriousness or uncharitableness 14. Now the great hurt and danger of this opinion concerning perfection is First That it makes void such duties as confession repentance application to the benefits of Christs expiatory Sacrifice which things are not only injoined upon Christians by the frequent commands of the Gospel but are also proposed as the conditions for obtaining the pardoning mercy and favour of God and the exercise of repentance and bringing forth fruits meet for repentance contains very much of the practical part of the duties of the Christian Religion Secondly It greatly misrepresents the Covenant of Grace as if together with the rules of an holy life and the assistances enabling thereto it did not for the encouraging our best and sincere endeavours make allowances for the imperfections of the upright mans obedience and propose pardon to them who are truly penitent If the Gospel did not admit these gracious terms and conditions the state of the best sort of men would be miserable But S. John joins these two together 1 Joh. 2.1 the strictness of the Gospel rule that will not allow of any sin My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not and the gracious conditions of pardon through the merits of Christ if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation c. 15. Wherefore we acknowledge the Christian life to have in its degree an Evangelical perfection whereby in the upright Service of God it is free from the dominion of sin and is diligent in the progress of grace and piety and obtains pardon for its offences But with respect to its practice as (t) Aug. ad Bonif. l. 3. c. 7. S. Austin observed ad ejus perfectionem pertinet ipsius imperfectionis in veritate cognitio in humilitate confessio It is a branch of his perfection truly to know and humbly to acknowledge his imperfection For as he speaks in another place (u) Retrac l. 1. c. 19. Who can be compleatly perfect but he who observes all the Commandments amongst which this is one injoined upon all Christians that we must pray forgive us our trespasses quam orationem usque ad finem seculi tota dicit Ecclesia This is the prayer which the whole Church maketh to the end of this world SECT II. Of the Fifth Monarchy men and the Millenary Opinion Sect. II 1. THough I shall wave divers Sects which appeared in our late times of Confusion as Seekers Ranters and various Enthusiasts I shall take some notice of the Fifth-Monarchy men who since his Majesties return to his Kingdom made an attempt to put in practice their evil and wretched Principles The notion of our Saviour's personal Reign a thousand years upon Earth hath deceived many persons in the Christian Church through their misunderstanding some expressions in the Apocalypse to which purpose also they applied many other Scriptures though the ancient opinions of many worthy persons in the Christian Church who were led away by this error did still retain the meek and peaceable temper of Christianity (a) In Esai l. 9. in fin l. 15. in init passim S. Hierome in many places speaks of this opinion as a Jewish error and perstringeth the embracers thereof as Judaizers And indeed this notion had some considerable affinity with the Jewish expectation concerning the Messias that he should appear as a Temporal Prince to Reign gloriously and powerfully upon Earth and those Christians who were led away with this mistake looked for the restoring and rebuilding the City of Jerusalem when this Kingdom should appear with other things too much savouring of Judaism 2. And that this earthly and worldly Reign of Christ was very agreeable to the dreams and fancies of the Jews may be yet somewhat further manifested by observing that even (b) Gem. in Sanhed c. 11. n. 11. the Jewish Talmud speaks of the time of a thousand years when God shall renew the World and he alone shall be exalted and Reign and the righteous shall enjoy outward and temporal delights in the world And some of the Rabbins do more particularly express their sense concerning this state insomuch that in the Commentaries of R. Abraham on Dan. 12.2 as his words are related by (c) in Exc. Gem. Sanh ib. Cocceius it is said that as he understands that Prophecy the just who died in exile out of the Land of Israel at the coming of the Messias should be raised again and have all manner of delightful Food Fishes Fowls and great Cattel and then should die a second time and be raised again at the Resurrection of the dead and then should be in the other world where they should neither eat nor drink but injoy the brightness of the glory of God But so far as these things relate to earthly and sensual pleasures they might well enough suit the temper and disposition of the Jews and were agreeable to those carnal delights which (d) Eus Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cerinthus talked of in the Kingdom of Christ on Earth for a thousand years but such things savour not of the true Spirit of Christianity but are plainly opposite thereto 3. But it must be acknowledged that there have been divers worthy persons in the ancient Church and some of late who have embraced the Millenary opinions but have still retained such Principles and Opinions as are suitable to the peaceableness and Spiritual purity of Christianity Such besides Papias were Justin Martyr Irenaeus Apollinarius Tertullian Lactantius and others of old and Mr. Mede in this last age These looked for the coming of our Saviour with his Martyrs and other Saints raised from the dead to Reign on Earth before the end of the World Their chief ground was from Rev. 20.4 But their interpretation of those words concerning the Souls of them that were beheaded c. living and reigning with Christ a thousand years besides much that may be otherwise said against it cannot agree with v. 7 8 9. Where after the thousand years are ended Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the Nations and Gog and Magog shall compass the camp of the
in the Church of Rome are such as deserve severe Censure and a note of infamy Sect. 1. The Romish Church and its Doctrines and the putting them in practice is chargeable with great disturbances mischievous to the peace and order of the World p. 141 Sect. 2. The Doctrines maintained in the Church of Rome and the Constitutions therein established are great hindrances to holiness of life and true devotion in Religion and comply very far with Wickedness and Debauchery p. 159 Sect. 3. Those Doctrines and Practices are publickly declared and asserted in the Church of Rome and are by the Authority thereof established which are highly derogatory to the just honour and dignity of our Saviour p. 186 Sect. 4. Of the publick allowance or injunction of such things amongst the Papists as either debase the Majesty of God or give divine honour to something else besides God p. 214 Sect. 5. Integrity too much neglected and Religion so ordered and modelled by many Doctrines and Practices in the Church of Rome as to represent a contrivance of deceit Interest and Policy p. 241 CHAP. III. Of our Dissenters where some of the different sorts of them are first particularly considered and then follows a more general consideration of them jointly Sect. 1. Of Quakers p. 262 Sect. 2. Of the Fifth Monarchy men and the Millenary Opinion p. 275 Sect. 3. Of Anabaptists p. 279 Sect. 4. Of Independents p. 292 An Answer to Mr. Serjeant's Discourse Intituled Sure-Footing in Christianity THE first Discourse examined shewing what properties belong to the Rule of Faith p. 321 Answer to Disc 2. shewing that the two first Properties of the Rule of Faith do agree to Scripture p. 330 An Answer to his third Discourse shewing that the three next Properties of the Rule of Faith are agreeable to Scripture p. 349 An Answer to the fourth Discourse shewing that the two last Properties of the Rule of Faith do agree to Scripture p. 367 An Answer to the fifth Discourse inquiring into Tradition and shewing that none of the Properties of the Rule of Faith agree to it p. 383 An Answer to his sixth Discourse shewing that he hath given neither Demonstration nor probable Reason to manifest Tradition indefectible à priori p. 404 An Answer to his seventh Discourse concerning Heresie p. 416 An Answer to his eighth Discourse shewing that uninterruptedness of Tradition is not proved à posteriori p. 433 An Answer to his ninth Discourse shewing that the way of Oral Tradition in the Church hath not so much strength as other matters of Humane Authority p. 451 Answer to his Corollaries p. 460 An Inquiry after and Examination of the consent of Authority to the foregoing Discourse p. 468 Sect. 1. An Inquiry what is declared the Rule of Faith by the Scriptures p. 469 Sect. 2. What the Synod of Lateran owned for the Rule of Faith p. 473 Sect. 3. Of the Council of Sardica and what it owned as the Rule of Faith p. 476 Sect. 4. What was owned as the Rule of Faith by the second Council of Nice p. 478 Sect. 5. What were the grounds of the Catholick Faith asserted against Arianism in and at the time of the first Nicene Council p. 484 Sect. 6. What was received as the Rule of Faith at the time of the second General Council at Constantinople p. 486 Sect. 7. What was owned as the Rule of Faith at the time of the third General Council at Ephesus p. 487 Sect. 8. What was owned as the Rule of Faith at the time of the fourth General Council at Chalcedon p. 489 Sect. 9. Of the Rule of Faith acknowledged by the Fathers and first of Coelestine p. 491 Sect. 10. What was the Rule of Faith owned by Irenaeus p. 492 Sect. 11. What was owned by Origen as the Rule of Faith p. 497 Sect. 12. What was the Rule of Faith owned by Tertullian p. 501 Sect. 13. What Clemens Alexandrinus held as the Rule of Faith p. 506 Sect. 14. What was owned as the Rule of Faith by Athanasius p. 507 Sect. 15. What was owned as the Rule of Faith by S. Basil p. 510 Sect. 16. What was by S. Austin accounted the Rule of Faith p. 512 Sect. 17. What Petrus Chrysologus owned as the Rule of Faith p. 515 Sect. 18. Answering the remainder of his Discourse p. 516 Sermons Preached upon several Occasions A Sermon Preached at Lyn S. Margaret 's at the Bishop's Visitation Octob. 15. 1677. on 2 Cor. 5.18 And hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation p. 523 A Sermon Preached at Norwich March 2. 1678. on Joel 2.12 Therefore also now saith the Lord Turn ye even to me with all your heart p. 555 A Sermon Preached on S. Matth. 5.20 For I say unto you That except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven p. 577 OF REPROACHING AND CENSURE The First Part Concerning the irregular Excesses and great Sinfulness of uncharitable evil-speaking especially of Superiours CHAP. I. Some preparatory considerations concerning the evil of Reproaching 1. REligion hath that general influence upon the life of the pious man that it commands and governs his thoughts and affections his words and actions But where the true rules of piety are neglected very many indulge themselves in great disorder and miscarriages in every one of these particulars Among other things a strange licentious liberty is taken by no small number of men in speaking injuriously and casting reproaches and unreasonable censures upon others contrary to the rules of our Christian profession yea even upon men of the best principles and the best lives and not sparing our Rulers and Governours in Church and State 2. And this evil temper hath so far insinuated it self Evil speaking a vice dangerously prevailing at this time and is become so spreading and so open and manifest that I account it one of the prevailing vices of our dayes And when men are ashamed to own many other sinful practices or to shew any approbation of them as of drunkenness swearing uncleanness oppression and such like uncharitable speeches of others are entertained with a secret delight and pleasure and oft with open expressions of satisfaction And this shews the great defilement of this sin which not only prevails on the passions and affections by corrupting and disordering them but it also debaucheth and perverteth the very inward principles of Conscience it self I wish that with respect to very many persons we had not now just cause to take up the complaint of (a) Naz. Or. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it ought to be reproved and checked Gr. Nazianzen concerning the time he lived in That that man was best esteemed of not he who being governed by the fear of God durst not speak an idle word but he who speaketh the most contumeliously against others either openly or by sly intimations 3. And therefore I shall now design to speak
somewhat which may manifest the great evil of this uncharitable behaviour especially towards our Superiours and may be sufficient to warn men against it Such an undertaking as this is very agreeable to that particular Apostolical direction and precept of S. Paul who charged Titus in the work of his Ministry Tit. 3.1 2. to put men in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good work To speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness to all men Whatsoever esteem some persons will have of such instructions and truths as these are the Apostle with respect hereto commands Titus v. 8. these things I will that thou affirm constantly and further declares in the end of that verse these things are good and profitable unto men And it must needs be a fit season and very requisite to declare against any sin when it is grown to that height that men will openly avow it and become bold and confident in the practice of it without shame or regret And that what I shall speak of this Subject may be the more carefully regarded Some preparatory considerations proposed I shall in my entrance upon it take some notice which I shall afterward further pursue of the great hurt and danger of this sin and its being inconsistent with piety and true holiness and Religion The tongue S. James saith is an unruly evil full of deadly poyson Jam. 3.8 and therefore it is no little mischief which proceeds from the ill government thereof 4. Uncharitable reproaches are First 1. Reproaching is contrary to the highest and best examples set before us in the Scripture Unsuitable to the best and highest examples which the Scripture proposeth for our imitation and contrary and hateful to the wisest and most excellent persons But it is most reasonable for us to follow such examples since such persons who are of clearest knowledge and free from all passionate and sinful inclinations can most perfectly discern good and are fitly qualified to make the best choice But this disorder is so far opposite to true goodness that though rash men may not duly observe the evil thereof yet as an evident conviction of the great sinfulness contained therein especially in reproaching Governours S. Jude tells us that Michael the Archangel when contending with the Devil durst not bring against him a railing accusation Jude 9. And yet inconsiderate and passionate men dare venture on this sin without fear though a person of so great wisdom and knowledge as the Archangel durst not do it and though the Apostle and the Holy Ghost himself propose his example as a manifest condemnation of such transgressors And those pious Christians who have been best acquainted with the Spirit of Christianity have accounted as every man ought to do this instance to be of great force Hence (b) Hieron in Tit. c. 3. S. Hierome from this instance of the Archangel urgeth the necessity of a careful practice of that Christian duty to speak evil of no man And when S. Peter had observed what a daring presumption some evil men were arrived unto that they were not afraid to speak evil of Dignities he in like manner adds 2 Pet. 2.10 11. whereas Angels which are greater in power and might bring not railing accusations against them before the Lord and we should do the will of God on Earth as it is done by them in Heaven Agreeably to these we have the great example of our Lord and Saviour which is proposed for our imitation 1 Pet. 2.23 Who when he was reviled he reviled not again And besides these things we may discern how much the holy God disliketh and is displeased with this evil practice by his laws and precepts condemning it and by the threatnings he hath denounced and the punishments he will inflict upon those who are guilty of this sin but of these I shall discourse more hereafter 5. But this evil practice is very agreeable to the temper and disposition of the evil spirit and thereupon (c) Basil Ep. 75. Chrys Hom. de Diabol Tentat Andr. Caesar in Apoc c. 34. and is a great complyance with the Evil one ancient Writers have accounted the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a calumniator to have been very properly given to him For pride uncharitableness promoting mischief and departing from truth all which things are manifestly joyned together in this sin do make up very much of the nature of the evil one These things therefore are both pleasing to him and a considerable resemblance of him And indeed the Devil hath done a great part of his work in the world by this very practice and it becomes every Christian to detest the following his example and the carrying on his work The first transgression of mankind was occasioned by his misreporting and misrepresenting the intentions of Gods Government and his laws And one of the most effectual means whereby Satan hath hindred the greater progress of the Christian Religion especially in the Primitive times when Religion it self continued uncorrupt was by defaming both our holy Religion and them who heartily embraced it and by prevailing upon a great part of the world to believe much evil concerning it and entertain great prejudices against it To this end such calumnies were invented and spread abroad as that the assembling of Christians together to partake of the holy Eucharist were meetings to perpetrate villanies in murdering and eating of an Infant and practising uncleanness as many of the Writers of the first Ages have declared who have refuted such notorious slanders And the Christians themselves were aspersed as men of inflexible obstinacy and a perverse will and this even (d) Plin. Ep. l. 10. Ep. 97. Pliny chargeth them with who vindicates them from the forementioned crimes They were also reputed Atheists as (e) Just Apol. 2. Justin Martyr declares because they owned not the Gentile Idolatry And many other things of like nature might be added Whereas if Christianity had been generally represented and apprehended in its genuine excellencies its amiable purity and truth and its Divine Authority it would have commanded a more general submission among men But by the wiles of Satan and the malice of his instruments such calumnies were spread abroad that it was in its first manifestation every where spoken against Act. 28.22 6. Secondly 2. It is inconsistent with true Holiness The practice of this sin is inconsistent with true piety and integrity of heart For as the fruit shews the nature of the tree so an ill-governed tongue is a plain evidence of a corrupt heart and speaks passion and uncharitableness to prevail there where meekness and love should take place This our Lord testifies Mat. 12.34 35. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure of
it a very high guilt which excludeth so much obstinacy against God And his Apostles were not only defamed by the false Apostles but Diotrophes also prateth against them with malicious words 3 Joh. 10. 14. Now both Ministers in the Church and Governours in the Kingdom are also established by Gods Authority and an honourable deportment towards them is strictly enjoyned by the Sanctions of his Law neither to Secular nor Ecclesiastical Governours When our Saviour sent forth not only the Apostles but even the Seventy Disciples he declared unto them Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me And the authority of secular Governours is so great that the powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation And so far as the laws of God prevail on the minds and tongues of men they will check and silence rash and defaming expressions against them S. Paul mentions this as one of those precepts of the law which lay a strict obligation upon Christians under the Gospel Act. 23.5 Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people Yea the commands of God will not allow so much as an uncharitable thought Eccl. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thought 15. Tertullian gave a true account of the rules of Christianity and of the temper and spirit of the ancient primitive Christians of his age who endured heavy sufferings when he declares that (i) Apol. c. 36. ad Scap. c. 2. our Religion allows not us to desire act speak or think evil toward any much less towards Governours This contrary to the primitive Christian simplicity whom we must honour and reverence as appointed by God But it is a just matter of lamentation that the divine authority of Governours is little regarded among many men who profess Christianity which is a great testimony that true Religion and a sense of God is not duly entertained That in our age a very great part of men are forward rashly to censure and speak dishonourably both against secular rulers and the Bishops and Ministers of the Church is a thing so plain and obvious that observing men cannot but take notice of it and pious and good men are heartily grieved at it And this misbehaviour towards the pious Bishops of the Church was also many ages since observed and complained of and the ill effects thereof were in some measure provided against by the Canon of a (k) Concil Constant c. 6. General Council when discords and divisions prevailed in the Church And such calumnies as Balsamon there observeth Satan doth much endeavour to soment and cherish 16. Thus Corah and his company were forward with presumptuous confidence but agreeable to the presumption of Core to speak against Moses their chief Ruler and Aaron the Priest slandering and opposing them and this pleased the Congregation of Israel who were too ready to comply with them But this was so provoking to God and so pernicious to the Israelites that there were many exceeding severe punishments inflicted by God upon the Israelites for these offences For Numb 16. the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up Corah and his company the fire from the Lord consumed those men who intruded themselves into the office of the Priest to offer Incense and a dreadful plague brake out upon the Congregation and destroyed suddenly fourteen thousand and seven hundred but was stayed by Aarons making atonement And these things are so far written for our examples that where-ever the like sins are committed under the time of Christianity they are as evil and destructive as they were under the law of Moses since the Gospel gives particular precepts for the honouring Superiours and threats upon the neglect of them and S. Jude declares concerning such disobedient persons who swerved from the true Spirit of Christianity and despise dominion that they perished in the gainsaying of Core Jude 11. 17. Fourthly 4. Men of the sweetest and meekest behaviour are roughly dealt with by virulent tongues Our Saviour was a person of admirable meekness but neither did this preserve him from detraction and calumny He had no proud and haughty carriage he injured no man by word or deed nor gave them any just provocation It is frequent in the world that words and actions of strife and contention do kindle more strife though they ought not so to do If a storm be begun one wave will raise another but in a perfect calm to see the Sea grow boisterous of it self is somewhat unusual And whereas a fiery fierceness of temper is apt to kindle heats and disturbances it was observed in the writings of the Jewish Authors that the result or end of meekness (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is welfare peace and quiet and so it frequently is both to mans self and to them with whom he converseth but it was much otherwise in the practice of the Jewish Nation towards him who was the great pattern of meekness gentleness and patience 18. Indeed it is sinful for any Christians Licentious expressions not justified when occasioned by provocations to give way to their passions and unbecoming expressions though they meet with provocations These provocations are temptations laid before them but their Religion teacheth them to beware of and reject temptations and not to yield to them and suffer themselves to be overcome and prevailed upon by them Even when the Israelites provoked Moses so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips it went ill with him Psal 106.32 33. And when S. Paul was smitten contrary to the law Act. 23. he in that case acknowledgeth the obligation of this duty Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people And the Doctrine of Christianity obligeth its Professors to love their enemies to bless them which curse them and to pray for them who despitefully use them and persecute them The precepts of some of the (m) Plat. in Crit. Maxim Tyr. Diss 2. Ethnick Philosophers went so far as to condemn the returning injuries to them from whom we receive wrong and some rare instances there are among Pagans of some who declared they would and others who actually did treat them with much kindness who had greatly injured them But the doctrine of our Saviour appeareth to have gone higher than the rules which their wisest men prescribed in enjoining as a necessary duty the exercise of love kindness doing good unto and praying for our enemies 19. But that Religion which will not allow of passion and reviling where there may be some considerable occasion given will much more detest it in such cases where there is truly no such occasion but are more unreasonable when without any occasion given For this most clearly shews such men to be much more hurried and commanded by a swelling
various methods and sometimes in a more strange and extraordinary manner Thus the wrath of (c) Jos Ant. Jud. l. 11. c. 8. Alexander who went against Jerusalem with the Spirit of an enraged enemy was fully appeased to the admiration of those who accompanied him when he met Jaddus the High Priest in his Priestly Garments and remembred that before he came out of Macedonia such a person in that habit appeared to him and encouraged him in his enterprize And when a Diploma was signed to create trouble to the Bohemian Church when Maximilian the second was Emperour 1565 (d) Comen Historiolae 109. Comenius acquaints us that he who carried it going over the Bridge of Danubius without the Gates of Vienna the Bridge at that instant broke and though this person was taken up dead by some Fishers the Diploma was never seen after and thereby that Church enjoyed rest and peace And for the preservation and security of his Church in the time of its greatest oppositions he raised up a Constantine and in the same age soon removed a Julian And we have had instances of Gods care towards the Reformation of our Church in defeating many oppositions contrived against it and our Religious Princes and in restoring it again to its former establishment after our late troubles and also in ordering the Reign of Queen Mary to be short and that she should have no issue and that after her there should be a succession of many excellent Princes 35. Ans 3. 3. Religion was never more opposed than when Christ was Crucified Religion can never be opposed with greater enmity and malicious designs than it was when our Saviour suffered Yet then he reviled not nor allowed S. Peters rashness but left us his example for our imitation The Church of God upon earth was never without the enmity of the evil one and those whom he could engage against it but at sometimes their opposition is more vehement than at others When our Lord was crucified the Devil entered into Judas to effect it the Jews aimed utterly to root out the Christian name The power of the Jewish Church and Sanhedrin was then engaged against it and gained both Herod and Pilate into a compliance with them And there were great oppositions against Religion even fiery trials 1 Pet. 4.12 When yet S. Peter requires Christians to follow the example of our Lords patience and meekness and to reverence Superiours But with us blessed be God our Laws establish the true Religion our Clergy defend it and press the practice of it and our Prince whom God preserve upholds the profession of it But the Primitive Christians who lived under Pagan Rulers who persecuted the Church behaved themselves with more honourable respect towards them than many now do towards those Christian Governours and Spiritual Guides who encourage and promote Christianity 36. 4. True zeal hath respect to all duty Ans 4. True zeal for Religion is of excellent use and very desirable but it consists in pious and holy living not in passionate and sinful speaking And it must be uniform in minding all the parts of duty which are incumbent on us But they who are careless and negligent in great and plain duties can have no true love and conscientious regard to Religion and therefore no zeal for it but it is something else which they miscall by that name True zeal will put men on diligent constant and devout attendance on Gods publick worship and the holy Sacraments upon solicitous thoughts and care for the Churches peace and Union upon all the exercises of piety to God and of righteousness charity meekness and due obedience to man And particularly both with respect to the happiness of another world and a comfortable estate in this it will oblige men to curb the rashness and sin of their words and expressions according to that advice of the Psalmist and the Apostle S. Peter 1 Pet. 3.10 11. He that will love life and see good dayes let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile Let him eschew evil and do good let him seek peace and ensue it 37. Wherefore let every person uncharitable reproaches against all men to be avoided as he values his own happiness and as he would approve himself a true Disciple of Christ beware of this sinful behaviour of slandering or reproaching others And not the speaker only but he that heareth such things with delight is guilty of the same uncharitableness and in like manner serves his own sinful passions and gives encouragement to the practice and spreading of this vice S. (e) Bern. de modo bene vivendi Bernard therefore well adviseth all men to avoid a detractor as a Serpent who casteth forth his poyson because besides his own sin he who willingly gives ear to him becomes guilty also To the same purpose S. Austin S. Hierome and others who sometimes speak of the contumelious ear or that mens ears as well as their tongues may render them justly chargeable with the sin of reproaching He that in this case speaks rashly or uncharitably or that entertains such expressions with pleasure must ordinarily intend a prejudice to another and a blemish to his reputation and this very intention speaks some degree of malice or ill-will contained in this sin and sometimes a very high degree thereof But the main hurt and mischief fal's upon the offender himself being contained in his sin and consequent upon it He like the man whose Spirit is so far envenomed as to take poyson in his mouth to spit it at another is in a direct way to ruine himself whatsoever prejudice the other may sustain by him So S. (f) Hier. in Ps 119. Hierome declared detrahimus illi illi non nocemus sed nostras interficimus animas we speak unworthily of another but the main dammage doth not fall upon him but we destroy our own souls 38. and repented of Let all those therefore who have been guilty of this transgression heartily repent thereof that they may find mercy with God But it must be considered that repentance in matters of injury to men by word or deed doth not only require a desisting from the further practice of the sin with due sorrow for the former miscarriage but also a careful undertaking to make satisfaction for the injury done It is therefore here requisite that the offender do readily freely and ingenuously retract what hath been spoken amiss and vindicate him who hath been injuriously aspersed and also endeavour that his future kindness towards him may be equivalent to his past unkindness And the man who refuseth this is as far from integrity as he who wrongs his Neighbour in his Possession or Estate is from honesty if he only forbear the repeating new acts of theft fraud or violence but still detains without restitution what he injuriously possessed himself of which of right belongeth to another man 39. A candid
ne oves Christi esuriant mandant Pastoribus ut inter Missarum celebrationem aliquid ex iis quae in Missa leguntur exponant What the Council of Trent acknowledge praesertim festis diebus Though the publick Service or Mass contains much instruction for the people it doth not seem fit to the Fathers that it should be usually celebrated in the Vulgar tongue Wherefore retaining the rites of the Church of Rome they command the Pastors that in the time of its celebration they expound somewhat of those things which are read in the Mass especially upon Festival days Now here is an acknowledgment that it is for the benefit of the people to understand the Service for their instruction and yet a course is taken that a main part thereof should not be understood that they may still keep up the Romish usage which hath for many ages thus practised Only they shall be suffered to understand so much of what is contained therein as may keep them from famishing 28. But these words seem to carry along with them some intimation of guilty consciences in this decision As if a Physician should declare that he knows such a Medicine to be mighty useful to recover his Patient to his health but however he doth not intend he shall have it but he may apply to him such a part of the ingredients as will keep him alive and yet possibly he may be mistaken herein Or this is something like as if a Judge when he had considered a Case of right concerning a temporal estate should declare that there is a very fair and ample Patrimony that belongs to Sempronius and he ought to have the profit thereof but nevertheless it seems fit to him that Sempronius should not enjoy this Estate that so no alterations may be made in present possessions However he adjudgeth them who keep him out of his Patrimony and debar him of his right at some times and especially upon festival days to give Sempronius some such relief as themselves shall think fit for the satisfying his hunger lest he should be famished for want of all supply of food Now if such a Physician 's practice be honest dealing and the determination of such a Judge be doing justice in secular interests then hath this Council done right to the members of the Church and determined this case according to the rules of Christian integrity For as it is the duty of the Pastors to feed the sheep of Christ so it is the right of the sheep or people to receive this food and therefore to deny them much of that which is acknowledged proper for them is to defraud them of that which justly belongs unto them 29. But that the publick Prayers of the Church Publick Service in a known language greatly useful should be in a language commonly understood by the people is both reasonable and sutable to the publick Service and greatly useful and profitable to promote piety and edification For the publick Worship of God rightly performed is a great part of practical Religion And devoutness therein is both an eminent exercise of piety and hath a great influence upon the minds of men to fix in them pious dispositions for the right ordering the whole course of life This devoutness is a vigorous lively and holy exercise of the mind and affections and the whole man towards God and in his service and whilst fit and proper words would tend much to excite the people hereunto this advantage is lost in the use of an unknown tongue which is to no more purpose to him that understands it not than if nothing at all was spoken And what is here said by the defenders of the Romish practice doth generally confute it self Sometimes it is said (r) Coster Enchir. c. 17. p. 496 497. Nonest necessum à vulgo intelligi c. that it is not needful the people should understand the Prayers and Hymns of the Church because they are not intended to instruct the people by understanding the words but suavi melodia majestateque actionis by the sweet melody and majesty of the action The plea that Prayers are not to instruct the people considered to dispose them to Religious reverence towards God But if words in the worship of God be not needful to be understood what need is there of any words at all when grave actions and melodious sounds are sufficient But if it be said that words being understood by the Priests and learned men are useful to quicken their devotion and to fix and unite their minds in joyning together in the same supplications and praises in publick Service it is easie to observe that this might have the same effect upon the devoutly disposed people if the Prayers and other parts of the Service were in a language which they understood And therefore it must either be granted that it is unnecessary that any should understand the particular expressions of the Service and then it is to no purpose to use any language at all or else that it is desirable that all should understand it 30. Sometimes we are told that it is requisite the publick Service should be in Latin (ſ) Coster Enchir. ubi sup because otherwise Priests who come out of other Countreys could not celebrate the Offices neque promiscue laudes Dei decantare nor jointly with others sing the praises of God But surely such Priests though they should not understand the language may as well join in the praises of God as the people at home can do in the language they understand not And this charitable consideration towards foreign Priests might be extended so far and the care concerning foreign Priests as to prove if it had any weight in it that the service of the Romish Church ought to be in Arabick that if any Priests should come from those Eastern parts where that language is understood and the Latin is not they might bear a part in the service But if this would be ridiculous when by this method the generality even of the Priests at home would not understand it let it be considered what tolerable account can be given why they should hinder the generality of the people from understanding it especially when the Apostle himself hath so plainly determined that when prayers or praises are in an unknown tongue The Apostolical precept observed the unlearned Auditor cannot so well join therein and his edification is thereby prejudiced 1 Cor. 14.16 17. And what the Apostle speaks in that Chapter doth plainly disallow the use of an unknown tongue in the publick worship of God though they who spake spake by the extraordinary gift of tongues which thing was apt to excite the Christian Auditory to a particular admiration of the Divine gifts and so might well be esteemed an extraordinary general help to devotion and adoration And the particular exceptions against this plain and full Apostolical testimony are so inconsiderable and have been so oft
which condemned much which was delivered by the Jews and delivered other Doctrines by them not received Yea they must conclude the delivery amongst the Jews certainly false when they believed the Apostolical preaching And even these Jews who delivered these Scriptures did differ from each other and condemn each other which is evident not only in observing the three great Sects of the Jews the Pharisees Essens and Sadduces but also in observing the dissentions betwixt the followers of the two great Jewish Doctors Hillel and Shammai who opposed one another to the death even about the times of the Apostles So that according to this Authors Principles he lays down this was a senseless proceeding of Timothy and the Beraeans and they were no way justifiable Nor can this Author plead that these persons received the Scriptures from the delivery of the professors of Christianity as such though they supposed them also fallible in trying their Doctrines since it is evident they closed with the truth of Christianity by searching the Scriptures and indeed even then there were great contentions amongst the professors of Christian Religion as appears in the Acts of the Apostles concerning the observation of the Rites of the Mosaical Law Since therefore we certainly know that they were justifiable who received and relied on Scriptures as we do and since his Objections to plead against us appear no way rational I may well assert this third Property to agree to Scripture § 3. He propounds the Fourth Property of the Rule of Faith to satisfie Sceptical Dissenters and rational Doubters which he saith nothing but demonstration can do if they be true to their reason and otherwise their Faith it self would be a vice But if some things here were demonstrable yet it may be the task of a mans life and this rational man would smile at his endeavours who should go about to demonstrate all the difficult things here to be evidenced That the Scriptures are the Word of God having no real contradiction in them that they are contained in just so many Books and are still preserved intire that they are rightly Translated and that this is the sense I answer If by Sceptical be here meant only inquisitive I have admitted this as belonging to the Rule of Faith and do assert that the most inquisitive Dissenters and rational Doubters may be satisfied concerning Scriptures if they be willing to attend to sufficient evidence and be persons who desiring to have their souls saved would readily chuse that which shall appear the best way to God How all these things here mentioned may be known with sufficient certainty and by plain and natural evidence and without spending a mans life in searching we have shewed in answer to the former Discourse But these things are not indeed plain demonstrations nor are such things as are matters of fact capable of them but of rational testimonies and evidences which are so clear that there can no rational way of doubting remain where this evidence is discerned Doth this Authour think that no man can rationally judge himself to be the Kings natural Subject because he can have no demonstration that he was born in England or other his Dominions will he not eat or take Physick till he can demonstrate that his Food or Physick are proper for his Stomach either he counts a very small rational evidence a demonstration or else daily acts in things concerning his life without it and yet we have much greater security concerning Scripture than a man can have in any case concerning the suitableness of his Food If this rational man be to pass the Seas can he have no evidence of the safety of an Harbour by the Mariners testimony and a long testified experience until he can demonstrate there are neither Rocks nor Quicksands there Obj. But where the soul is concerned there is need of the highest evidence Ans There is in this case need of sufficient evidence to command assent but if it would be folly not to receive such things as may preserve the life on sufficient evidence it is yet greater folly not to receive such things upon sufficient evidence as may make the soul happy S. Austin while a Manichee as he saith Confes 6. ch 4. would have had such certainty of things not seen as of seven and three being ten but at length he considered how many things he had firmly received upon other testimony as concerning places and men whom he had not seen and of what Parents he was born and therefore resolved it was reasonable to close with Scripture upon its so general delivery But let this Author begin at home and he will soon see demonstrations not necessary for satisfaction The Council of Trent Can. 4. De Baptism anathematizeth them who shall say Baptism is not necessary to Salvation and Can. 11. de Sacramentis requires a necessity of the Ministers intention in the Sacrament Can this Authour direct all the members of his own Church to Demonstrations to prove themselves Baptized because it is a matter which concerns their souls If he thinks the testimonies of Parents and Godfathers sufficient yet no rational man will call this a demonstration nor can these prove the intention of the Minister yea how can this Author or any other demonstrate that he was the person who was seen at such a time to be Baptized If he will satisfie himself with the common testimonies of a sufficient number of credible persons in a matter where they were capable of discerning truth this indeed will be a rational assent and more than this cannot be expected but this is not a demonstration but an evidence inferior in many circumstances and those considerable ones to the evidence we have of Scripture He further says he who would know the sense of Scripture must have great skill in Languages Grammar History Logick and Metaphysicks that he may fully understand the phrases scope and things delivered I answer all these indeed are necessary for the full clearing some obscure and difficult Texts of Scripture and therefore some such places may possibly not be yet fully understood and if they be it is only by persons who have all these advantages or by others from them But about the plain and necessary things in Scripture there is need of no more of these helps than such as are natural to every mans understanding He who shall assert Grammar Criticisms c. universally necessary to help men rightly to understand plain words such as in most places are the Gospels and Epistles and many other parts of Scripture must assert That one man cannot understand another nor a child his Father until he have learned several Sciences and so all delivery of words amongst the Vulgar and therewith the Romish Oral Tradition must be utterly impossible to come down in any thing so much as one step either right or wrong so as to be perceptible But he saith his Sceptick may find somewhat to reply rationally or at least
be sensed Truly if he be a man of reason he will easily see that when the Fathers urge Scriptures as manifestly declaring the truth against their opposers who as yet disown the sense or to Doubters who do not yet own it fully they must needs mean the Scriptures without any sense imposed upon them otherwise than as the words will of themselves discover the sense of him who wrote them For this would be a weak way to dispute from Scriptures as the Fathers generally did with them who owned them if they should say we will evidence it from Scriptures but you must then first suppose them to mean as we mean By this means the Scripture can give no evidence or light to any truth in question which is contrary to the whole current of our citations from the Fathers The third Note is That it is frequent with the Fathers to force Hereticks to accept the sense of Scripture from those who gave them the Letter of Scripture and frequent to sense the Letter even when dark by Tradition but never to bend Tradition to the outward shew of the Letter As to the first clause of urging upon Hereticks the sense which they own from whom they received the Letter The Fathers never urged this but in some special case when Hereticks such as Valentinian and some others who could scarce be called receivers of the Scripture-Letter disowned the known and common significations of words in Scriptures and introduced wonderful strange ones Here to preserve the Faithful confirm the Doubtful and reduce the wandring they urged the Churches Authority or Ecclesiastical Tradition of Doctrines and common delivery of significations of words as more considerable than such sensibly monstrous innovations yet this was in things where to men unprejudiced and willing to receive truth they would appear plainly from the very words of Scripture And this is consistent if there were the like cause with the Principles of Protestants as with any others In other cases the Fathers urged against the Hereticks evident arguments from the light of Scripture-Letter Nor did they sense Scripture by Tradition in hard Texts of Scripture otherwise than Protestants will do that is where any assertion is known to be a point of Faith and surely grounded upon Scripture neither they nor we will so interpret any dark Scripture as to oppose such a point of Faith and in many other things will allow Tradition its degree of authority But that they never bent Tradition to Scriptures Letter is very untrue When any truly Catholick Doctrine held by the Church was questioned or impugned was not Tradition bent to Scriptures Letter when they applyed themselves to it to declare and manifest such Doctrine Which was the general practice of the Ancients as hath been shewed But would they ever so bend Tradition to Scripture as to close with Scripture in rejecting Tradition If that which is delivered by Catholick Bishops be a Tradition S. Austin de Vnitate Eccles c. 10. sayes We must not consent with Catholick Bishops if they think any thing against the Scriptures of God But did ever any of the Ancient Fathers say that we must not agree with Scripture if it speaks against what the Bishops who are called Catholick do deliver His last Note is a very vain and empty one That they cannot hold Scripture thus interpretable the Rule of Faith because most Hereticks against whom they wrote held it theirs and therefore could not be Hereticks since they held the Rule But first those Hereticks who pretended to own Scripture who were not the most did not perfectly hold the same Rule with Catholicks who held to Scripture as their Rule The Catholicks Rule is Scripture as the words will naturally hold forth the true and genuine sense but the Rule of Hereticks who pretended to Scripture is Scripture as the words are wilfully perverted contrary to their natural and plain sense and meaning But again why may not they be Hereticks who profess to hold the Rule of Faith if they take no heed to be guided by that Rule and reject Doctrines declared by it cannot reason be a Rule in Philosophy because two parties both pretend to reason I have now dismissed his testimonies In the last place he undertakes to shew That the Council of Trent and the present Church of Rome own this way of Oral and Practical Tradition Now though I could shew that in the present Church of Rome where this Author pretends so great a clearness of Tradition they are not yet agreed upon the first principle of Traditionary Doctrine Yet since I have enough shewed the dissent of this his opinion from the truth and the Ancient Church and therefore if they all were of this Authors opinion it will neither make any thing for their own Doctrine nor against the Protestants I will for my part let him injoy the fruit of his labours in this particular fearing most that Papists will indeavour in this point to deal with Protestants as we above observed that the Arians did with the ancient Catholicks that is like Chamaelions change their shape and when they were confuted in one way they opposed the truth in another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SERMONS PREACHED UPON Several Occasions BY WILLIAM FALKNER D.D. A SERMON Preached at Lyn-St Margaret's at the Bishop's VISITATION Octob. 15. 1677. 2 COR. 5.18 And hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation THAT the Christian Religion is of mighty Efficacy for the reforming the World is not only evinced from the Nature of the Doctrine it self but from that visible Difference which appeared between the Lives of the true Primitive Christians and other Men insomuch that Eusebius tells us Hist Eccles l. 2. c. 13. gr that Christianity became greatly fam'd every where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Purity of Life in them who embraced it But as no sick Man can rationally expect any Relief against his Distemper by the Directions of the best Physicians unless he will observe them So it is not to be wondred if many who own the Name of Christianity without sincere submission thereto have Lives unsuitable to this Profession Hence some of them practise open Viciousness Looseness and Debauchery and others embrace Pride Uncharitableness and Disobedience all which are diametrically opposite to the Spirit of Christ Hence also many who pretend an high respect to the Holy Jesus do slight his peculiar Institution◠undervaluing the Use even of that Prayer which our Lord composed and enjoined the Communion of that Catholick Church which he founded and built upon a Rock the Attendance upon that Holy Sacrament which he appointed the Night he was betrayed and the Reverence for that Ministry which he hath established in his Church and the Benefit of which these Words in part declare in that God hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation In which Words I shall consider I. The Nature and Excellency of this Ministry in general without respect to the distinction of its
his heart bringeth forth evil things And this is that which the usual observation of the world hath testified as (f) Hierocl in Pyth. Carm. p. 140. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocles declared men speak either good or evil sutably to the contrary inclinations of their minds There is indeed some difference here between the evil and the good heart The man of a malicious spirit may sometimes speak fair and smoothly even unto flattery and a wicked man may speak good words and act the hypocrite and the reason of this is because an evil heart may incline the man to dissemble and speak falsly but such words though they carry a fair appearance are evil words because full of fraud unfaithfulness and dissimulation But where the heart is good and upright there true integrity prevails and though an evil man may in many outward things speak and do as the good man doth out of hypocrisie and still continue wicked no good man can speak and do evil things according to the practice of the sinful and vicious person and whosoever doth so must be really wicked because goodness and uprightness both hate all counterfeiting and dissembling and all other compliances with sin and evil 7. and speaks a prevalency of sin But there is so much evil and wickedness contained under this sin of defaming others that a great part of the testimony which the Apostle gave of the Jews being estranged from true goodness and piety and being under sin is included herein He declares from the writings of the Old Testament Rom. 3.13 14 15. Their throat is an open Sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of asps is under their lips Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness Their feet are swift to shed blood c. Now the sense of most part of these words is plainly contained in this sin I am declaring against And when the Apostle mentions their mouth being full of cursing it may be worthy our observation that contumelious speaking against and reproaching others doth in some degree really include in it the true and proper nature of cursing it being a plain declaration of the persons wishing and desiring evil to him of whom he speaks And what S. Paul adds that their feet are swift to shed blood even this is frequently the natural effect of the same sin For when men by evil speaking especially of their Superiours have wrought themselves and others into a greater dislike of them and hatred towards them how oft this hath fomented fierce passions and wrought dispositions to cruelty and put men upon insurrections and forwardness of shedding blood the Histories of all times and the remembrance of this last Age in our own Nation will give undeniable evidence Now such a temper which gives an apparent indication that they who practised such things were turned aside from God and the ways of piety cannot be thought reconcileable with the holiness and purity of the Christian Religion 8. Thirdly This practice is mighty dangerous 3. It exposeth the offender to condemnation with respect to mens great and eternal interests Many are too neglectful in calling themselves to an account for their words but God hath assured us that at the great day he will take an account of them and will not then allow that liberty that men now give themselves in evil speaking but even this sin may be sufficient to bring upon them eternal condemnation Our Lord hath declared Matt. 12.36 37. That of every idle word men shall give an account in the day of Judgment For by their words they shall be justified and by their words they shall be condemned And these words of our Saviour are so solemn and weighty as laying down a rule of proceeding in the future judgment and condemnation that they ought not to be slighted and disregarded but to be seriously pondered and considered Many of the ancient Writers interpret this Text concerning such words as were not useful and profitable to edification Thus S. Basil S. Hierom Greg. Magnus and others And (g) Iren. adâ—â— Haeres l. 4. c. 31. Irenaeus mentions them as such a Doctrine of our Saviour whereby he advanceth and exalteth the Christian Religion and the rules and precepts thereof And it is thence inferred that if such words which are not of use to good shall be under the heavy condemnation of the great Day much more those which are contumelious and include evil 9. But this strict interpretation Mat. 12.36 Concerning every idle word explained would deny Christians the liberty of ordinary conversation and that freedom of familiar speaking concerning common affairs which is necessary thereunto and it cannot well be thought that our Saviour whose yoke is easie would lay such a severe restraint upon his Disciples under pain of eternal damnation And therefore the notion entertained by Grotius and Dr. Hammond that by every idle word is understood every false and evil word including what is unseemly and unbecoming Sobriety is the much more probable sense of our Saviours speech and the account they give of it is very reasonable and considerable And this is a sense that wants not the authority of some of the Ancients Thus Theophylact expounds these words and so doth also S. Chrysostome both upon S. Matthew and (h) Chrys Serm. 62. in Paralyt elsewhere And (i) Eus praep Ev. l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius declares that upon account of these words of our Saviour the Christians would not admit either any lye or any reproach nor any filthy nor any unseemly word 10. This sense is also agreeable to the manner of the Scripture expression in divers other places where it speaks of things and words hurtful and evil under such phrases as most directly signifie their being not useful Thus S. Paul calls such words as turn men from piety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 empty or vain words Ephes 5.6 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 empty or vain babling 1 Tim. 6.20 2 Tim. 2.16 and the expressions of an empty word and an idle word are not much unlike but under that phrase the Apostle evidently intends wicked and sinful words So when the Idols of the Gentiles are oft called vanities as Act. 14.15 and the adhering to them a becoming vain in their imaginations Rom. 1.21 it is not only intended that these things are void of goodness but that they are things abominable So the Apostle intends that it will be of pernicious consequence to men when those who watch for their souls give up their account with grief when he only expresseth it to be unprofitable Heb. 13.17 And the Holy Scripture calls the works of darkness unfruitful when it designs them to be accounted hurtful Ephes 5.11 11. And this interpretation of these words of our Lord accords very well with the truth delivered in other Scriptures that revilers and lyars shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and that his Religion is vain who bridleth not
his tongue It is very suitable also to the occasion on which our Saviour spake these words which was the Pharisees defaming his Miracles and him in working them as if he did them by Beelzebub And therefore this speech hath a particular respect to words of calumny The sad doom of Reproachers hence observed and speaks the heavy doom of such persons as please themselves with speaking evil of others when Christ himself shall come to judge Let every Christian therefore stand in awe of this threatning of our Lord and carefully observe that precept of S. James Jam. 2.12 So speak ye and so do as those that shall be judged by the law of liberty Both our words and actions will be hereafter judged according to that Gospel which passeth a Sentence against reproaching expressions And the Gospel is such a law of liberty that besides other advantages they who will seriously mind their duty may under it and by the grace thereof be set free from the power and rule of their passions and lusts and therefore the serving these under the grace of the Gospel is utterly inexcusable 12. Fourthly 4. A pious government of the tongue is an excellent Christian perfection The good and pious government of the tongue is a very considerable perfection in the practice of Religion For this manifests such a person to have gotten the victory over the passions and disorderly motions of his mind which are apt in others to discover themselves by rash words the tongue being a quick and glib mover and oft forward to express any prevailing irregular discomposure of the Spirit Hence Jam. 3.2 If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body But these words of that Apostle must be so understood as to speak particularly the perfection of him who thus behaves himself upon the true principles of Christianity For it must be acknowledged that passionate and reproachful words may be suppressed in some by the advantage of their natural temper of mildness and courteousness which doth not much encline them to this sin whilst they live in the practice of others In others they may be restrained by the rules of policy and subtilty and a strong resolution in the managing of some design and much may be done in others by mere rational and Philosophical considerations There are many instances among the ancient Philosophers and their followers of such persons as gained a considerable mastery of their passions and a great command of their words and actions Among others Socrates was a rare instance hereof if he came any thing nigh that admirable character that (k) Xenoph. Memor l. 1. p. 710. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenophon gives him That no man ever saw Socrates do any action or heard him speak any word that was contrary to Religious piety or unholy This was mighty considerable though we understand it only with respect to the rules of morality admitted under the Pagan Philosophy And it is unbecoming Christians to come short of such examples when their Religion doth so wonderfully go beyond all the principles of Ethnick Philosophy 13. Where this is wanting the Christian spirit hath not had its due effect Christianity tends to bring men into a lively sense of the only true God to a clear knowledge of that excellent revelation delivered by our Saviour it guides unto that universal purity which excludes all the Idolatry and other vices which the most refined Paganism did admit it sheweth obedience to its precepts to be of the highest concernment imaginable from the plainest manifestation of the great account and judgment to come and the future state either of endless glorious perfection or of intolerable torment And it also most expresly manifests the great necessity of well governing the tongue both as to the practice of Religion and the obtaining everlasting happiness and it affords the aids and grace of the Holy Spirit to assist and enable us to the performance of all those duties it injoyns upon us Now this Religion cannot be received in any considerable degree by them who entertain the practice of evil speaking and reproaching which is contrary and opposite to it to the author of it and to the obtaining the good it proposeth to its followers But where the true fear of God and a conscientious regard to all the rules of the Christian life have prevailed for the well-ordering of the tongue it may be expected that they will have a like power and efficacy for the government of the whole man And where this member is disordered it becomes an incendiary and as a pestilential Contagion spreads abroad venome and evil and in S. James's expression it sets on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell who also saith it is a world of iniquity and defileth the whole body Jam. 3.6 And the Great miscarriages of the tongue which in that Chapter are complained of with divers earnest and emphatical expressions appear plainly to be the censuring and speaking evil of others and the promoting and exciting strife and contention CHAP. II. The excessive disorders and unreasonable extravagancy of speaking evil when men give way to their passions and uncharitable temper manifested especially from the Censures our Saviour underwent SECT I. The best deserving persons are oft under obloquy and undeserved Censure Sect. I THese things being premised I shall now come to discourse 1. Of the great disorder of an ill-governed tongue in censuring and reproaching 2. Of the sinfulness of this practice and the great guilt thereof 2. First The tongue is such an unruly evil as S. James calls it Jam. 3.8 that when men indulge themselves in uncharitableness and censoriousness it puts them upon the contriving Censoriousness is unruly and wonderfully extravagant or pursuing the most unaccountable and unreasonable calumnies and slanders Good Hezekiah shall fall under the lavish revilings of a Rabshakeh and his reformation excellently and piously performed will be condemned as impious And Christianity it self was made a matter of reproach by Saul whilst he was a blasphemer a persecuter and injurious and by many others who professed themselves enemies unto it and the Christians in general were spoken of as evil doers 1 Pet. 2.12 But we cannot better discern how ungovernable and extravagant the censorious and uncharitable tongue is than by considering the instances of our blessed Saviour and other excellent men Even the Holy Jesus when he conversed upon Earth escaped not the sharp and bitter reproaches of reviling tongues though he deserved no censure nor gave any just occasion for any The persons considered who bear reproach And therefore what he and other good men met with will abundantly manifest the strange unruliness of a defaming temper which is contained under no bounds and limits of truth justice or charity 3. This may especially appear by our enquiring into three things 1. What the great excellencies were
these persons nor can lay any thing to their charge And these several sorts of men make up so great a number that it was the complaint of an ancient and pious Bishop of considerable note (b) Paulin ad Celant inter Epist Hieronymi 14. that there were very few men who had forsaken this vice and concerning those from whom better might be expected he adds that even they who had gone far off from other vices fall into this as into the last snare of the Devil 3. But since this hath respect to the actions and practices of men we may best discover how largely this evil is propagated by observing particular instances of fact and none can be given more considerable than that which concerneth our blessed Saviour Wherefore I shall now enquire Who they were by whom he and other worthy men were reviled 4. Yet 1. It is odious to the best of men Now First He was not reviled but reverenced by the best and most holy men who observed and obeyed the true rules of Religion These rendred unto him that honour and glory which was due to the Son of God the Messias and Mediator of the New Testament and the Saviour of the World And indeed all rash evil speaking and reproaching especially against those who deserve to be highly esteemed and honoured is much opposite to the reason and conscience of man and more especially to the true Christian temper and both that charity and that honesty and integrity which it so much requires It is also greatly contrary to the motions of the Holy Spirit of God who disposeth good men to the performance of these Christian duties Hence the Apostle having commanded that men grieve not the Holy Spirit of God Eph. 4.30 31. adds Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil-speaking be put away from among you with all malice Slandering and reproaching are of the evil one and it is part of the character of those worst sort of men described by S. Jude that they are murmurers complainers walking after their own lusts and their mouth speaketh great swelling words But meekness patience humility and charity are such great and necessary duties that those who are sincerely good apply themselves to the practice of them And uncharitable speaking hath such a contradiction to these and such like duties that it is very distastful and odious to the spirits of such pious men who have duly considered the evil of it S. Austin professed such an earnest and constant dislike hereof that as (c) Pos d. de Vit. Aug c. 22. Posidonius relates he had contra pestilentiam humanae consuetudinis against the plague or pest of the custome of men in their converse these two Verses inscribed upon his table Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam Hanc mensam indignam noverit esse sibi That is Whosoever pleaseth himself to use biting words against the lives of absent persons let him know that this table is no fit place for his society And the same Writer tells us that he would not with patience hear any man speak contrary to this rule of free and familiar conversation The best men are not only perfect strangers from but enemies to this vicious practice and every Christian man ought watchfully to take heed of it and if at any time he be surprized and overtaken thereby he so far departs from the rules of his Religion and makes himself work for a future repentance 6. But Secondly 2. It is frequently entertained by the publick vogue of the multitude The common vogue may frequently pass severe censures upon the best of men Even the Holy Jesus was reviled and evil spoken of by the generality of the Jewish Nation It is true that manifest and open vice is a thing so shameful and so contrary to the common sentiments of reason and conscience that it is in all places a blemish to any mans reputation and a just matter of general censure And vertue and goodness considered in the notion of it and in the practice also when rightly understood go under a general commendation and applause But yet such are oft-times the common mistakes of the multitude concerning persons that the best men fall under a suspicion amongst them of harbouring some secret evil design and men of the greatest integrity and simplicity are charged with being the contrivers of danger and mischief by the publick voice and clamour of the people And it is no hard thing for subtil ill-designing men or for those who are themselves jealous to promote these misapprehensions amongst others Even the useful undertakings which wise and good men prudently manage with the greatest integrity are oft-times strangely misunderstood and the intent of them strangely misrepresented to the common esteem of men This was so much observed by Socrates that he declared as Xenophon tells us (d) Xenoph. 2. Memor that it is no easie thing to undertake any work to wit of a publick and useful concern without undergoing blame because it is no easie thing to be every where free from real fault or to meet with equal judges where they are so 7. it is the more mischievous by reason of its spreading infection And there are very many instances wherein the greater part of the people have been guilty in this particular of judging speaking and acting against their duty and in divers of them Gods displeasure was remarkably manifest Thus did the Jews with united votes and clamour engage against our Lord. Nor was this only the carriage of the meanest sort of men who might be thought more rash and inconsiderate but even their Elders and chief rulers and the whole Jewish Sanhedrin was of this temper and spirit And though this gave encouragement unto others it was not the better for them but the worse that this sin prevailed so universally for hence proceeded the ruine and misery of the Jewish Nation to this day and the forfeiture also of their relation (e) Cypr. Ep. 69. to God to Christ and to his Church And when after the death of Corah even all the Congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron Numb 16.41 this occasioned a dreadful Plague And before this the general discontent against the Conduct of Moses which appeared in all the Children of Israel who resolved to chuse themselves a new Governour and to return back to Egypt Numb 14.4 at the time when they who searched the land of Canaan brought an evil report upon it did provoke God to resolve that they should all die in the Wilderness 8. But in such cases as these every good man ought to have that generous and couragious spirit as not to be daunted or moved even with publick censure And he must esteem his approving himself to God and having the testimony of his own conscience to his integrity to be of more value than the flattering applauses of the greatest numbers of men It was excellently spoken by
with which we converse in the world few men if any have the confidence to lay down assertions directly contrary to what may be made manifest and plain as to affirm the Sun to send forth darkness and not light or the strait line to be crooked or the pleasant and delightful Fountain to be bitter and if they should they would find no men of common understanding so weak as thereby to be imposed upon But it oft happeneth far otherwise in the character which many give of the best men who are oft-times not only so far misunderstood that their excellencies are clouded and pass undiscerned to general view but their pious lives fall under severe censures and are represented as ugly and deformed Thus it hapned with many vertuous Moralists yea with Christ himself and many of his Disciples And our holy Religion it self as well as its author was on this wise pierced spit on and reviled 2. This was that which (a) Xenoph. l. 1. Memorab primo Xenophon could not observe concerning Socrates without admiration He sayes he much wondred that Socrates who never spake or did any thing irreligious who had an high reverence for the Gods and owned them to know all that was spoken or done or secretly consulted among men and so behaved himself that if another man shall speak and act as he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he would both be and be accounted a most devout and Religious person that he should be so far misunderstood that the Athenians should be perswaded that he had no sober or worthy thoughts of the Deity And (b) ibidem he accounted it to be a strange and wonderful thing that when this excellent man was even above all other men strictly temperate and continent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one who had reduced many others from their lusts and viciousness he should yet be misreported as if he were guilty of the most impure and filthy lusts And this instance seemed so strange to Xenophon that he begins that Book with declaring that he had oft wondred how the Athenians could be perswaded into this misapprehension And so might any man do in the like case when he only considers what other men ought to do and will do when they act suitably to their reason but the wonder ceaseth when we observe the strange disorders of licentious passions ill designs and an uncharitable temper and how apt they are to impose upon an easie credulity 3. That the greatest censures and heaviest reproaches This carrieth on the design of Satan should befall the best deserving men is indeed very unsuitable to them but it exceeding well agrees with the designs of the evil one who promotes these practices It was asserted by the ancient Author of the Metaphrasis upon Ecclesiastes whether it be Gr. Nazianzen or rather Gregorius Thaumaturgus to whom (c) Hier. de Scriptor Eccles in Theodoro S. Hierome and other ancient Writers ascribe that Metaphrasis that calumny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attempts to corrupt and pervert the generous firmness and constancy of good men And this very well agrees with the sense of the Septuagint in that place Eccl. 7.8 to which those words of this Metaphrase had respect But if calumny cannot effect this end the evil one aims at some thing else which by this means he more easily obtains to hinder the success of worthy men in the service of God and Religion and doing good in the World and to keep off others from piety and vertue 4. The innocent-primitive Christianity was highly traduced as if it had been the most horrid-impiety For these ends and purposes the holy Christian Religion it self and the Assembly of its followers were charged by the Gentiles with the most horrid unnatural and unreasonable villany and impiety This gave occasion to the writing sundry excellent Apologetical discourses on the behalf of Christianity as those of Justine Martyr Athenagoras Tertullian Arnobius Origen against Celsus and many others Divers of these horrid calumnies are collected by (d) In Octav. à p. 23. ad 30. Ed. Ox. Minutius Felix and of them he saith passim omnes loquuntur that they were the general vogue of the Pagan World And the wicked and false accusations then drawn up against the Christians are comprized and summed up in these comprehensive words of (e) Tertul. Apol. c. 2. Tertullian Christianum hominem omnium scelerum reum Deorum Imperatorum legum morum naturae totius inimicum existimans that they accounted the Christian to be a person guilty of all villany and to be an enemy to the Deity to the Emperour to the law to morality and to the whole course of nature And what worse can be said of the most wretched debauched and flagitious person and what an unruly thing is passionate reproaching when thereby the whole body of the best Society in the world was so monstrously misrepresented 5. And the same measure was meted to the head and Lord of that body also And therefore I shall here particularly take notice of several considerable things in the behaviour of the Jews towards our Saviour where the strangeness of their accusations may well amaze and astonish an unprejudiced person 6. How many actions of reproach and contumely did they use towards him when they spitted in his face and smote him with the palms of their hands which defamatory acts to a Jew had (f) Tr. Bava Kam c. 8. §. 6. Commentar L'Empereur ibid. great penalties and these were done in their open Consistory with many other expressions of contempt Their procuring the scourging him was a publick declaring that he was so great an offender that he deserved to be put to open shame which is manifest from the nature of that punishment from the expressions of the Scripture concerning it and even from the (g) Tr. Maecoth c. 3. Christ himself was treated with many actions of reproach Talmud which makes it a note of infamy inflicted upon them who were guilty of shameful transgressions The like especially appears in their desiring him to be Crucified which was a kind of death attended with that infamy as well as accute pain that the worst of men and most abject persons in the Roman Empire were Sentenced to this death But none of their Free men might be condemned to so vile a death which was by (h) Lact. de Ver. Sap. c. 18. Lactantius from Cicero noted to be the punishment for vassals and not Free men And the Jews in after-ages have used this as an expression of ignominy concerning our blessed Saviour when they call him by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or he who was hanged or crucified 7. And it is probable that their putting him to death at the time of their great and solemn feast was not only done to expose him to the greater shame at so great a solemnity and publick concourse but that this also might have some respect to their treating him
of Sin yet he must not be owned as a good man because he was not in all things so strict as some of their errours directed them to be While they were more severe and rigid he shewed himself more mild and gentle even towards Publicans and Sinners and hence was reviled as their friend He had not that reverence for the vow of Corban which the Pharisees had but declared against the evil of it as making void the Commandment of God which required a due honour to Father and Mother Nor had he that opinion of the rest of the Sabbath day as to think it not lawful for himself to heal or for his Disciples to pluck ears of corn and he was therefore censured and condemned of the Jews And thus it fares in part with others also who are his followers and so it frequently hath done in the best times of Christianity Many men have had such a zeal for their own errors that if others live the most holy and angelical lives in conscientious obedience to the moral laws of God and in a pious reverence to all the Christian institutions and precepts of our Saviour they will not acknowledge these to be good men or such as have any true care of Religion or piety if they do not join with them in their mistaken notions and their practices founded upon those mistakes 13. On this account the Catholick Church On this account the Catholick Church was defamed as impure and carnal and the true members thereof have oft-times fallen under unjust censures When the abetters of the Novatian Schism declared against second Marriages and the admitting those to repentance in the Church who were lapsed after Baptism they so far judged the Catholick Church impure for practising contrary to their errors that avoiding its communion they gave themselves the name of the Cathari or the persons who were pure And that themselves were the authors of this name whereby they were afterwards known and that they called themselves thereby in a way of distinction from the Catholick Christians hath not only been declared by Dionysius Alexandrinus and Theophilus Alexandrinus and other private Authors but it is also affirmed by the (q) Conc. Nic. c. 8. Conc. Const c. 7. two first general Councils And after Tertullian declined to Montanism though that Sect impiously owned Montanus to be the Paraclete and this Author of them was guilty of very great impurities of conversation he defamed the Catholick Church and its members as being (r) Tert. de Monogam adv Psychicos carnal because it allowed of second Marriages and did not prolong its Fasts and stationary abstinence to such late hours of the day as the Disciples of Montanus did And the Donatists in the vehemency of their Schism upon the like pretence of greater strictness and rigidness towards them who had offended ran to that height of censure against those pious Bishops and Christians who kept communion with the Church as to call them (s) Baron An. 348. n. 38. Pagans And the like might be noted concerning others 14. Zeal when well guided very useful but partial or misplaced hurtful Zeal and the greatest strictness of life and conversation when it is well ordered and directed is of excellent use but a pretending hereto is really hurtful when it acts by a mistaken rule It was the miscarriage of the Pharisees that they were earnest and strict about their Corban but loose and negligent concerning the fifth Commandment and shewed a great respect to the Sabbath but gave not due allowance to works of mercy and charity Let every man be as conscientious and strict as he can be in entertaining all needful truth in practising all the great duties of Religion and avoiding all evil But let not zeal be spent about such lesser things as are in truth of no concernment in Religion nor let any make such measures the standard to judge of the piety either of themselves or others for then they must miscarry This is to act like a man who hath some mistaken fancies of the best road and will allow none to be skilful travellers but them who wander with him out of the right way The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 It is not concerned so much about such lesser things of which many men are fond as about practising all righteousness minding the wayes of peace and unity and being greatly delighted in the exercises and rewards of the Christian hope and obedience 15. But that I may prevent the misapprehending what I mentioned concerning some of the Jewish errors above mentioned I shall here add by way of caution that though they were too nice and vainly strict concerning their Sabbath it is a fault amongst us much to be lamented and needful to be amended that very many in our age are too loose in neglecting a due reverence for the time of Worship and the Worship of God it self as I shall hereafter further note And they who neglect the worship of God whatever party they are of cannot approve themselves the faithful Servants of God 16. Secondly Our Holy Saviour was accused 2. The worthiest persons have been oft charged with promoting the Devils work and depraving Religion of complying with the Devil and carrying on his work and corrupting Religion The Devil is so bad that whatsoever proceeds from him and whosoever join themselves to him to serve him are deservedly hateful Now our Saviour was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil and he actually overthrew his Kingdom He cast out Devils and dispossessed them of that outward dominion they had over the bodies of many men and he so vanquished the evil Spirit and that Idolatry sin and wickedness which he set forward in the world that he gained the victory over the Devil with respect to that inward dominion whereby he had governed the hearts and lives of the children of disobedience He also silenced his oracles whereby he had obtained a great veneration among the Gentiles And so admirably did our Lord prevail against all the power of Satan that even Porphyry an Apostate from Christianity and Patron of Gentilism confesseth that from the time that Jesus was honoured in the world the Gentile Gods who were no other than evil Spirits lost their power As (t) Euseb Pr. Evang. l. 5. c. 1. Eusebius relates these are his very words even in that Book which he wrote against Christianity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after Jesus was worshipped none had any sence of the manifest help of the Pagan gods 17. And yet notwithstanding all this so unreasonably spiteful were the reviling tongues of his adversaries that against all the evidence in the world he was charged with acting from the Devil and promoting his interest And when he cast-out Devils they would not allow this to be otherwise done than by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils The Holy Jesus
defamed as acting by Beelzebub Nor was this wicked and blasphemous slander only some rash sudden unadvised words of some inconsiderable persons but the Pharisees saith S. Matthew Mat. 9.34 and the Scribes saith S. Mark Mar. 3.22 passed this censure upon him and what was thus spoken at one time was repeated and declared again at another Mat. 12.24 And we may discern by this instance how easily the greatest calumnies may be propagated by a zealous and eager party from one age to another and from one place to another For the Jews in after ages still embraced for truth this impudent falshood which is taken into their (u) v. Hor. Hebr. in Mat. 12.24 Talmud which contains a collection of the main body of their Traditions and Opinions And this wicked and contumelious aspersion of our Lord though contrary to the highest evidence was also endeavoured to be spread abroad among the Pagan Gentiles insomuch that (w) Orig. cont Cels l. 1. Eus Dem. Ev. l. 3. c. 6. divers Christian Writers thought fit to refell the same and to shew the manifest contradiction which this carried to the piety of our Saviours Religion to the nature of his precepts to the works which he did and to the Spirit and practice of his followers all which include a manifest opposition to the evil one 18. At other times they charged him with being a Samaritan and having a Devil and being a Samaritan Joh. 8.48 The name of Samaritan was fixed on him to promote a popular hatred The Samaritans rejected the true worship of God at Jerusalem and depraved and corrupted Religion and oft manifested a great hatred towards the Jews They frequented Mount (x) Joseph Ant. l. 13. c. 6. Gerazim as the place of their Worship in opposition to Jerusalem and their despising the true Worship of God at Jerusalem is observed in the (y) Hor. Heb. in Joh. 4.20 Talmud and sufficiently in the holy Scripture it self And for the countenancing their depraved worship the Samaritan version of the Pentateuch as it is now extant hath corrupted the law and hath put in the word Gerazim in the place of Ebal where God commanded an Altar to be made and Sacrifice to be offered Deut. 27.4 5 6 7 8. Now the name of a Samaritan being odious to the Jews they call our Saviour a Samaritan not as if they thought he was so by his birth for they admitted him to the Jewish worship as a Jew and knew his nearest relations to be Jews but they would hereby declare that he had equally corrupted Religion and deserved to be as much hated as the Samaritans were And to this purpose was he thus aspersed though his custome was to attend the Jewish Synagogues Luk. 4.16 and he carefully served God according to the precepts of his Law But as if this foul calumny was not sufficient they further added that he had a Devil or that he in whom alone the Godhead dwelt bodily was possessed by the evil one And this wicked slander was intended to raise the highest prejudice of the people against him and to keep them far enough from being directed by him And therefore they said Joh. 10.20 he hath a Devil and is mad why hear ye him 19. And it may be observed And in like manner our Reformation Bishops and Ministry have been aspersed with Popery how the carriage of many men among us towards his Ministers the Bishops and Clergy of the Church of England doth too nearly resemble this behaviour which I have mentioned of the Jews towards our Lord himself Certainly one of the great works the Devil contrives to uphold in this last Age of the World is the gross corruption of Popery Our Clergy and Bishops were very instrumental in the Reformation and casting out of Popery those of our Church Preach and Write against Popery so as to make the clearest discovery of the falseness of their doctrine and the sin of their practices These have confuted and baffled them the most effectually and with most convictive evidence These have plainly laid open in the face of the world the folly evil and mischief of many considerable things asserted and maintained by the Church of Rome and have thereby raised the indignation of the Romanists themselves who look upon these men to be their most formidable adversaries and they are indeed the great bulwark against Popery And yet because these men are not so weak and rash as to run beyond the bounds of truth and sobriety into other unreasonable errors they must needs be clamoured on as friends to Popery And other men who talk indeed against Popery with great noise and are real and earnest in what they say and some few of them have done useful service herein by many who are indeed eager against it but most of them speak with much weakness and many mistakes whereby they give great advantage to their adversaries these must be accounted the chief and main enemies to Popery when for the generality of them the Romanists themselves have no great fear of the Writings and Arguments of such opposers And from these our excellent Reformation meets with virulent censures 20. I doubt not as many Jews were against the Devil but among the Jews in our Saviours time there were many besides him and his Disciples who talked much against the Devil and did indeed hate him though in many things through their misguided zeal they greatly served his interest And that the Jews had some among them who sometimes cast out Devils is not to be doubted from what we read in the Scripture of the Jewish Exorcists and of our Saviours appeal to the Pharisees Mat. 12.27 By whom do your children cast them out (z) Antiq. l. 8. c. 2. de bel l. 7. c. 25. Josephus takes some notice of their Exorcisms but what he writes is of such a nature concerning the driving away Devils by some Herbs and charms that they who pretended to act against the evil one by these methods did seem rather to comply with him But that some of the Jews both before and after the coming of our Lord did cast out evil Spirits by the power and in the name of the God of Abraham and the God of Israel is asserted and acknowledged by (a) Justin adv Tryph. Iren. adv Haeres l. 2. c. 5. Justin Martyr Irenaeus and other ancient Christian Writers But their undertaking was far from being sufficient to the overthrow of the Kingdom of Satan nor were they always successful and effectual in lesser cases When the Sons of Sceva a Jew and chief of the Priests undertook to cast out a Devil the evil Spirit prevailed against them and they were not able to stand before him But it was he whom the Jews aspersed as complying with the Devil who did abundantly more against him than they all were able to do and he spoiled principalities and powers 21. And besides all this though the singular and sinless
purity of his life was admirable the censorious lips of his opposers will even upon this be spitting out Adders poyson Our Lord was accused of encouraging loâ—sness of life as if his Religion and life had not advanced but debauched the practice of vertue and morality It is indeed observed by (b) Cont. Cell l. 3. p. 132. Origen that even those who falsly accused him of many things never charged him with any uncleanness of life and that though Celsus and some others would in general speak against the life of Christ (c) Ibid. l. 7. p. 369. they gave not instance of any particular things which they could blame in him But the Jews were so audacious that though they could not convince him of any sin yet by reason of his free but innocent converse they condemn him Mat. 11.19 as a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber and as one who gave encouragement to viciousness and sin being a friend of publicans and sinners 22. Now the managing such opprobrious calumnies as these is not only an unreasonable thing but is wicked and sinful and is mighty mischievous and of very ill consequence to the world and much serves the ends of the evil one by alienating the affections of men from them who are their best and surest guides in Religion I could not but pity the delusions of such a man Such false aspersions of pernicious consequence to mankind who should be perswaded that they who would give him the most wholesom diet intend to poyson him and therefore he refuseth that and feedeth on such things as are less wholsom and oft on trash and what is noxious and hurtful And he is strangely imposed upon who is made to believe that those who are his wisest and faithfullest friends and really give him the best advice and counsel in his affairs and concerns in the world are persons who design to cheat him and to make their own advantages of him and therefore he casts them off and betakes himself to the direction and guidance of others to his real prejudice But yet the damage that men may by such means sustain as to their bodily health or the interest of their estate is not of so much weight and moment as those things are which concern them with respect to their souls and consciences 23. Thirdly Our Saviour himself as other innocent persons also was charged with acting against the common good 3. The most serviceable men have oft been esteemed enemies to publick welfare and the general interest of the Nation as if he had had so little respect to the welfare of the Jews as to intend nothing but ill towards them And therefore many of the people in his life time Joh. 7.12 and the chief Priests and Pharisees after his death Mat. 27.63 accounted him a deceiver And they spake of him as if they could have no due care of themselves and their own publick welfare if they did not set themselves against him And therefore as a publick enemy he must die that the whole Nation perish not Hence Joh. 11.48 If we let this man alone the Romans shall come and will take away both our place and Nation And these words were the determination of the whole Council of the chief Priests and Pharisees which were gathered together v. 47. 24. And there might be some appearance of pretence for their fear of this danger from those known notions which commonly prevailed among the carnal Jews concerning the time of their Messias For they generally expected and promised themselves at his coming the enjoyment of great delights and pleasures in their own land with a fulness of outward prosperity and that he should be a mighty temporal Prince and all their enemies even the greatest should be overcome by him and should submit themselves to them and serve them And of these apprehensions and expectations of theirs which are intimated in the Scripture a sufficient account hath been given out of the Jewish Writers by (d) Schickard de Jur. Reg. Heb. c. 6. Th. 20. Carpzov ibid. p. 454 c Euâ—t Syn. Jud. c. 36. Lex Rab in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 learned men And it is not improbable that hereupon the High Priests and Pharisees might suspect that the Romans hearing there was now one in Judea whom many of them owned to be what he really was the true Messias and whom divers of the people were forward to make their King and who himself declared the Kingdom of God to be now nigh at hand that the Romans I say might hereupon fear a defection and rebellion of the Jewish Nation against their Government and therefore might forcibly come upon them and destroy them unless they by opposing and cestroying him gave publick testimony of their fidelity to the Roman power But all this was their fond mistake for his Kingdom was not of this World he did nothing to injure their safety or to oppose the Roman power nor did they truly consult their own good when they set themselves against him 25. That which is really the common good and the true interest and welfare of a People or Kingdom is a thing of very great concernment and so very desirable that where this publick temporal good can be had without a greater loss he who advanceth it is a person who deserves to be honoured and renowned but he is a common enemy to mankind who acts against it To promote a common ruine and destruction is a thing so inhuman that the (e) Cicer. Philip. 3. Roman Orator judged him who could be pleased and satisfied therewith to have degenerated from his nature and to be bereft of humanity and that he did not deserve to be reckoned among mankind Quem discordiae Really to promote the common good is a great part of goodness and doing good saith he quem caedes civium quem bellum civile delectat eum ex numero hominum ejiciendum ex finibus humanae naturae exterminandum puto But yet this was much more contrary to the design of our Saviour who came not to destroy mens lives but to save them and to the principles practice and nature of Christianity which obligeth all not only to be harmless and innocent yea and to be meek and peaceable but also to undertake actions of kindness and charity and doing good to all And it may as soon be expected that an innocent Sheep should act the part of a wild Beast in savageness and fury and that the Dove should become a Bird of prey as that he who is truly a good man should be however he may be represented a contriver of publick hurt evil and mischief Whosoever acts any thing which is against the publick interest and welfare if he understand the tendency of his own actions must be a person of no goodness but if he understand it not he must be a person of great imprudence being deceived and imposed on in a business of so weighty a nature which a
common understanding would easily discern 26. Yet where there is only a bare pretence and noise about the common good without the reall thing this is oft a popular artifice to raise a clamour and odium against such persons towards whom the contrivers of this pretence have disrespect but an outward pretence of common good will sute ill designs And thus it hath happened in very many cases This was the method and artifice that Corah made use of against Moses who charged him with having already done much hurt and mischief to Israel and being far from doing them that good he pretended and that he intended to tyrannize and lord it over them thereby to exalt himself and that this was so evident a thing their eyes must be put out if they did not see it Numb 16.13 14. Now nothing could be more unreasonable than to imagine such things as these to be true concerning Moses who had brought them out of bondage under whose conduct they had passed through the red Sea had received the law spoken by a voice from Heaven on Mount Sinai and written by God himself on the two tables of Stone and were constantly fed with Manna from Heaven in the Wilderness And yet this strange accusation being a popular thing and seeming to espouse the interest of the whole Congregation greatly prevailed amongst them against Moses 27. The like calumny was in the first ages of Christianity The primitive Christians were accounted publick enemies charged upon all Christians in general that they were the cause of all the publick troubles that befel the World And though this was so exceeding manifestly contrary to their Religion yet because this charge was apt to provoke the rage of the people against them it was oft insisted upon and much urged by the enemies of Christianity for many Ages When the Goths under Alaricus had sacked and wasted Rome the Pagans charged the Christian Religion to be the occasion of that calamity whereupon S. Austin being inflamed with a zeal for God wrote his Books de Civitate Dei as a defence and vindication of Christianity from that calumny as (f) Aug. Retrac l. 2. de Civ Dei l. 1. c. 1. himself testifieth And to confute the like general slander upon all occasions prevailing among the Gentiles Orosius wrote his Books of History by the perswasion of S. Austin designing therein especially (g) Oros Histor Praef. ad Aug. to give an account of the various calamities which had befallen the World in those ages and parts thereof where Christianity had not prevailed and been received And Tertullian acquaints us that in his time if any thing whatsoever happened in the World contrary to its general welfare flourishing and prosperity the general cry among the Pagans presently was (h) Tert. Apol. c. 4. Christianos ad leonem that the Christians should be devoured by being exposed to the Lion that thereby the cause of common miseries might be removed by their destruction And (i) Cont. Cels l. 3. p. 120. Origen speaks much to the same purpose 28. And such have frequently been the unaccountable censures and outcries against the most excellent and deserving persons as if they were the enemies to the general welfare of the people among whom they lived But nothing could be more unjust and unreasonable than to imagine any such thing as this in the case of our blessed Saviour If instructing men in the truth and the right ways of Religion and the will of God if promoting well-doing and the practice of piety if the taking care of the things that please God and make him their friend and if the exercises of humility meekness peace and love be the way to ruin and destroy a Nation then might our Saviour and his Religion be the occasion of the ruin of Kingdoms and so may also his Ministers and the Clergy that follow his steps But in truth it was the Jews opposing him and his Doctrine which was the cause of their ruine Our Lord with tears and compassion foretold their misery because they knew not the time of their visitation Luk. 19.43 44. And after they had rejected the counsel of God and bid defiance to his Anointed and gratified their malice in Crucifying the Lord of life that God who according to his especial promise had whilst they served him kept their enemies from desiring their land at the time when all their Males went up to serve him Exod. 34.24 which might seem to leave all the other parts of Judea destitute of any defence he now suffered the Romans to invade them and shut them up (*) Eus Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 5. at the time of the Pass-over at which time they Crucified our Lord and to destroy them But had they hearkened to our Saviour they had thereby every way taken care of their common good he would not only have saved their souls from destruction but also have preserved their City and would have gathered Jerusalem as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but they would not and therefore their house was left desolate Mat. 23.37 38. And in other cases it is easie to apprehend how much they act against the true publick interest The promoters of this censure are really enemies to the common good who are the fomenters of such reproaches against them who are faithful in the land as if they were the chief opposers of its good It is obvious to every eye that if an enemy can prevail so far by his subtilty as to persuade a people that those men who truly are the best and wisest Commanders are persons who resolve to destroy their Army and comply with their enemies and hereupon they are laid aside upon presumption that it is not safe to trust them he hath done much of his work and gone a great way towards the obtaining a conquest over them by first prevailing upon their indiscretion and unjust jealousie and suspicion 29. Fourthly 4. The best men are also accused of ill designs against Governours They accused our Saviour that he was no friend to Caesar but one who stood up against him And therefore they told Pilate Joh. 19.12 If thou let this man go thou art not Caesars friend whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar Now to oppose Government is a great Crime and the nature of the Rulers authority and the commands of God require honour reverence and obedience to be yielded thereto Princes and Magistrates are sometimes in Scripture called Gods and that precept of the Law Exod 22.28 Thou shalt not revile the Gods is in the Margent of our Translation referred to rulers and Judges and so it is expressed in (k) Vers Syr. Arab. Pers ch paraphr Nothing is more unreasonable than this charge was against our Saviour many other Translations nor can it well be understood as some would have it of the Gentile Deities which ought to be detested 30. But though this charge was openly pleaded
eremo Serm. 26. S. Austin's name observes that this sin hath much of spiritual leprosie in it it is dangerous to the soul and greatly defiles it it is apt to infect others and renders the person unfit for common Society and God was pleased to punish it in Miriam with leprosie in her body 26. The Reproacher by publick Censure shut out of the ancient Church When the strict rules of Christian discipline were exercised he who defamed reproached or reviled others was to be cast out of the Church by a publick censure which is an evidence that the Christian Church accounted this sin to forfeit the priviledges of Christianity and that the persons who commit it and live in the practice of it deserve not to be esteemed members of the Body of Christ And that amongst other great sinners the reviler railer or reproacher is worthy to be separated from the Christian Society is declared by the Apostle himself 1 Cor 5.11 For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle there useth is of that extent as to include all who utter contentious contumelious and defaming words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being oft used by the (y) Septuag in Exod. 17.2 7. Num. 20.3 13. Septuagint to answer the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which relates to strife and contention and takes in all contentious reproaching words According to the disciplinary rules received in this Kingdom many hundred years since offenders of this nature especially if they defamed or spake contumeliously (z) in 2. lib. Poenitent Egbert n. 21 c 29. in Spelmar Conc. Vol. 1. against their Superiors were to come under the rules of penance In like manner in the Eastern Church in ancient times (a) in Regul brev Resp 26. S. Basil adjudgeth both him who slandereth his Neighbour and him also who should comply with him or give ear unto him to deserve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be separated and cut off from Ecclesiastical communion And it was more anciently decreed in the Western Church that those who should spread abroad reproaches or libels against others should be under an Anathema according to the Sentence of the Council of (b) Conc. Elib c. 52. Eliberis All which shews how odious this sin hath been reputed and how much abhorred and condemned in the Christian Church 27. And in the holy Scriptures when the Psalmist declares the qualifications necessary for him who shall dwell in Gods Holy Hill and threatned with exclusion out of Gods Kingdom or who shall be owned a true member of his Church here and have an entrance into his glory hereafter this is part of his description Psal 15.1 3. He that backbiteth not with his tongue nor doth evil to his Neighbour nor taketh up a reproach against his Neighbour To this S. James his words are agreeable Chap. 1.26 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue that mans Religion is vain S. Paul also assures us that revilers shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.10 and our Lord himself saith concerning him who speaketh contumeliously to his Brother that he shall be in danger of Hell fire Mat. 5.22 28. Now he who considers what God is and what are the excellencies of his Kingdom and with eternal destruction cannot account it any light Sentence to be eternall excluded from his glory and presence as the fallen Angels are If this be not enough the desperate misery of all wicked doers who shall be refused entrance thereinto will make the stoutest heart to tremble and will change the most brisk and jolly temper into doleful weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth When they shall be under the astonishing sence of the divine wrath the infinite pains expressed by the fire which shall not be quenched the perplexing torment of a terribly awakened conscience and the worm that never dies this will be an unspeakably dismal state To which may be added the amazing presence and Society of the Devil and his Angels and other damned persons expressing their sad out-cries and terrors and the overwhelming sense of an hopeless and unpitied condition and all this to abide in those black and frightful regions of darkness to all eternity 29. and with an heavy degree of future misery and vengeance And yet in the midst of this unspeakable and endless destruction and torment the Scripture which declareth the rule according to which God will denounce his Sentence tells us that those who reproach and speak evil of Superiors are of the number of those sinners who must expect the highest degree of judgment and severity at the great day 2 Pet. 2.9 10. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government presumptuous are they self willed they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities Where we see despising dominion or Government and speaking evil of dignities is part of the description of those whom God will chiefly punish And to such persons will belong those other expressions of being presumptuous and self-willed for such they must be who will be so insolent as to despise what God hath set over them and forgetting their own station to reproach them who are in Authority And though the former clause of this Verse concerning them who walk after the flesh in the (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lust of uncleanness or defilement may very well be understood concerning them who practise adultery fornication and lasciviousness yet even this clause also may not improperly be applyed to this sin against which I am particularly discoursing For it is evident from Rom. 13.13 14. Gal. 5.16 17 18 19 20. 1 Pet. 2.11 12 13. and other places of Scripture that the passions of men and the expressions and unruliness of them which are contained in reproaching are included under the phrase of the lusts of the flesh and that this sin I am treating of is defiling is manifest from the former part of this Chapter Now the direful vengeance of God doth infinitely go beyond the severest executions which can be contrived by men And all men ought to have a serious sense of this and all holy and godly men have so When (d) Martyr Polycarpi Polycarp was threatned by the Proconsul first to be torn in pieces by cruel wild Beasts and when this moved him not he was told he should be burnt with fire unless he would depart from the Christian Religion it was reasonably and wisely as well as piously replyed by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thou threatenest that fire which burns for an hour and then goes out but thou considerest not the fire of the future Judgment and the eternal punishment which is reserved for the wicked This is that we all ought to fear as most dreadful and to avoid
mean Peasant who is an offender shall have the same treatment from men with an excellent and gracious Prince or shall be in the same storm abroad in his voyage or journey that he should be in a fury as thinking himself too good to be thus dealt with while his good Prince goes through all this with a quiet and calm demeanour 6. To imitate Christ in these duties is the way to happiness But there is yet a farther very weighty consideration upon which all Christians stand bound to follow this example of our Saviour and that is that the imitating him in this very thing is directed and enjoined as the course we are to take for the obtaining happiness Mat. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls So that the following him in humility and meekness is the walking in the path of rest for this as all acts of goodness and duty bringeth here serenity and peace to the mind of him who practiseth it and is one of the great duties to be performed in order to perfect peace and rest hereafter And those his Servants who thus serve and follow him shall be with him where he is Thus S. Austin (e) De Temp. Serm. 61. Enarrat in Ps 90. having considered those words of S. Matthew Chap. 11.29 and of S. Peter 1 Pet. 2.22 23. observes that that example of our Lord which it is necessary for us to imitate is not that which is too high and great for us in our capacities to perform as to restore the dead to life or to walk upon the Sea but it is to be meek and humble in spirit and that we should love not only our friends but even our enemies with all our hearts 7. And as this duty is particularly recommended to us There is no true piety in them who do not walk as he walked as one especial and main thing in which we are to imitate our Lord and shall be highly rewarded by so doing so it will be useful to take notice in general that it is a very vain thing for any to talk of Christ and Christianity and of their hope and interest in him if they do not follow his example and live according to his life And of this we are assured by S. John 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked And these words are the more necessary to be minded and seriously regarded because S. John in the former part of that Chapter doth particularly undertake to declare and reckon up in large and comprehensive expressions divers of those things which are of absolute necessity for every man to observe who would be owned as truly Religious and in a comfortable relation to God To this purpose he saith v. 4. He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him And v. 5. But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him And after he had inserted some emphatical expressions to manifest the weight and excellency of these things which he was now discoursing he proceeds to assert v. 9. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even until now and v. 15. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him And amongst these he expresseth what I now mentioned v. 6. concerning walking as he walked Which Verse also is intended to express what is so necessary to true Christianity and communion with Christ that they cannot consist without it How far then do they go astray who are so negligent of Christian meekness and gentleness as if fierceness and passion were rather to be accounted the practices of our Religion 8. 2. Our Lord's example peculiarly requireth reverence to Superiours Cons 2. Our Saviour's example is particularly set before us to silence and suppress all evil speaking against Superiours and reproaching them who are in Authority and to engage us to behave our selves towards them with reverence and due respect And for the manifesting this I shall shew three things 9. First That this is the scope and intention of S. Peter in proposing to us the example of Christ 1 Pet. 2.21 23. for the proof of which I need only make a brief reflexion on the foregoing Verses To this purpose it is urged by S. Peter That Apostle had spoken of the duty of Subjects to their King and Governours v. 13. commanding them to submit themselves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether to the King as Supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him And he continueth his discourse with particular respect to them unto the end of v. 17. concluding it with these precepts Fear God and Honour the King And v. 18. he comes to speak of that duty and respect which is due to those Superiours who are in a more inferiour domestick relation and are not furnished with that Dignity and Honour which belongs to them who govern in an higher rank and capacity And here he commands Servants to be subject to their Masters with all fear c. and then he proceeds to declare what patience meekness and reverence is to be expressed towards such Superiours by those who are subject to them though they should meet with hard measure from them and suffer undeservedly by them And for the guiding Christians in this case he bringeth in the example of Christ and this part of it particularly that he who did no sin when he was reviled he reviled not again and when he suffered he threatned not v. 22 23. 10. Secondly That our Saviour did behave himself Our Saviours practice expressed great respect to Superiour Relations particularly to his Parents with that respect to superiour Relations both in words and actions which is fit to teach us to do the like In his Divine nature he was Lord of all even in the depth of his humiliation and in his humane nature he was advanced to an high dignity in Union to the Divine and as our Mediator But yet considering him as made under the law and in the form of a servant and he therein carefully performed the duties of the fifth Commandment as well as any other precepts of the law of God both to his Parents and to all that were in Authority whether Civil or Ecclesiastical When he took on him the nature of man he became subject to those duties which belong to that nature and tend to the publick good and order of the World In his younger years he began his life with subjection to his Parents Luk. 2.51 And this thing deserves to be the more especially taken notice of because as some (f) Ludolph de Vit. Chr. P. 1. cap 16. Barrad in Concord Evang. Tom. 1. l.
10. c. 14. have truly observed this is a main and chief thing which the Holy Ghost thought fit to record concerning the actions of that former part of our Saviours life from the twelfth to the thirtieth year of his age And in one of the last actions of his life when he was upon the Cross he expressed that honour to his Mother as to recommend her to the care of his beloved Disciple Joh. 19.26 27. 11. He gave that respect to the Temple-service To the Office of the Priests and the Temple-service and to the Office of the Priests who ministred therein that though he came to put an end to this typical worship by the Sacrifice of himself yet so long as it continued in force he himself attended thereon In his infancy he was there presented to the Lord he observed the Passeover and other publick solemnities there and the night before his Passion he not only kept the Passeover with his Disciples but declared the great desire he had to eat that Passeover with them Luk. 22.15 And when he had cleansed a leper he enjoined him to shew himself to the Priest and offer for his cleansing as Moses had commanded Luk. 5.14 And I doubt not but that it was truly observed by Ludolphus de Vita Christi that when the Scripture speaks of his going into the Temple it is not to be understood of the Temple strictly so called nor yet of the Court of the Priests (g) Lud. P. 2. cap. 29. n. 2. Ista duo loca non intravit Christus quia non erat sacerdos sc Aaronicus He being no Aaronical Priest and observing the law of God did not take upon him what peculiarly did belong to them by vertue of their Office 12. and even to the Constitutions of their Synagogues and to the Baptist and the Scribes and Pharisees And he had that honour for the order and authority of their publick Synagogue-worship and solemnities that it was his custome to attend thereon Luk. 4.16 He shewed also that respect to the Ministry of John the Baptist though he was both in Office and Person far inferiour to himself that he would be Baptized of him and hereby he gave testimony that he would have all persons whom God had called to any publick ministration to be reverenced and received with honourable respect in that service And though the Scribes and Bharisees reviled and opposed him such was his signal meekness and integrity that so far as they sat in Moses seat or were invested with authority and kept themselves to the Rules of the Law of Moses and to the due limits of their Power our Lord commanded the people to observe and do what they said Mat. 23.3 But where they departed from this rule it was necessary to declare the falshood of their Doctrine and the corruption of their practices and this also was faithfully done by our Lord. 13. And when the High-Priests and Elders (h) Jos Ant. Jud. l. 14. c. 17. who had some continuance of Secular Authority under the Roman Power sent Officers and Soldiers to take him he was so far from giving the least countenance to any tumult or Sedition that he gave a sharp reproof to S. Peters drawing the Sword and undertook to heal Malchus whose ear he had cut off to the Synedrial Authority of the Jews And when before the judgment seat he was smitten by an angry Officer that stood by he returned not a passionate word but in these mild expressions replied if I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil but if well why smitest thou me Joh. 18.23 And that answer which he gave the High Priest which occasioned this Officer to be so furious contained not the least intimation (i) Cyp. Ep. 65. Dominus noster usque ad passionis diem servavit honorem Pontificibus Sacerdotibus c. of disrespect unto him But being asked concerning his Disciples and his Doctrine he appealed to the Jews themselves to testifie what they knew who were able to give an account of this since he ever taught openly in the Synagogues and in the Temple whither the Jews always resorted And yet this innocent and reasonable answer was it seems the greatest occasion this fierce Officer could take to strike him He commanded also to pay tribute and to render what was due to Caesar and to Caesar but he neither spake nor did any thing that testified want of due respect to any person invested with Authority Nor did his Doctrine give any liberty to his Disciples to neglect this reverence and respect as appears from what was delivered as the Christian rule of practice by himself and by S. Peter and S. Paul For herein resistance and evil-speaking of a Ruler is condemned and forbidden and honour submission and obedience to all Governours and that even for conscience sake and for the Lords sake is enjoined upon every soul under the most heavy penalties even of damnation it self Wherefore let us herein be followers of him who himself long practised (k) Stella in Luc. 2. Ludolph de V. C. Part. 1. c. 15 16. subjection before he preached it to others and from him Subjects may learn to obey those that are over them when they see the Redeemer and Lord of the whole World subject to Joseph and Mary 14. Thirdly We are the more obliged to follow the example of our Lord in behaving our selves meekly and reverently to our Superiours because this is that which the Holy Scriptures particularly recommend Christians practising reverence to Superiours doth greatly recommend Religion in order to the growth of the Christian Religion and the advancement of its interest in the World And if this be so they who are the true friends to Christianity and therein to the honour of Christ and the happiness of men must manifest this by their awful and respectful carriage to their Governours as well as by any other duty of Christianity And they who transgress herein are guilty of such a crime as hath a tendency to hinder the prevalency of our holy Religion and to put a stop to its progress among men And indeed where duties of submission are practised out of principles of Conscience and a sense of God and Religion they are there regular uniform and constant and they speak this excellency in Religion that it is that which calms and subdues mens passions and brings them into a subjection to the rules of their duty And it also manifests that Christianity where it is rightly and sincerely entertained by suppressing the fierce boisterousness and tumultuousness of unruly minds doth very much help forward the establishment and continuance of an excellent and beautiful order in human Societies and promoteth quiet and peaceableness among men And where the true Spirit of Religion doth prevail it effectually will do all this good and when vicious and evil men are apt to be proud and self-willed and fierce and unruly it makes
those who are guided by it meek and humble gentle and obedient which is so amiable a temper and so useful and beneficial to the World that the generality of mankind unless they offer violence to their reason and conscience cannot but think well of it And it would be of mighty advantage to the reforming the World if all who profess Christianity were so far Christians indeed that they would in these things manifest the life and power and excellency of their Religion 15. To this end it is directed in the Holy Scripture Now that the Holy Scriptures do direct and enjoin this submissive and awful carriage of inferiours towards all who are in Authority as a means for the bringing honour to our Religion and for the propagating it and making it more effectually prevalent amongst men is sufficiently evident both from S. Peter and S. Paul S. Peter 1 Pet. 2.12 gives the command to Christians who lived among Pagans by S. Peter having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation Where he exhorts them so to live that they might win them who were yet strangers to the Christian Religion into an affection to it and esteem of it And as a particular means to effect this he adds in the next words Submit your selves therefore to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme c. So that this is here laid down as a first and principal direction and rule for the bringing credit and esteem to Christianity among the Gentiles And Estius (l) Estius in 1 Pet. 2.13 thinks not improbably that the Apostle the rather gives this precept to them for this end and purpose because the Jews from amongst whom most of the Christians to whom he wrote were Converted were ordinarily reputed perverse unruly and enemies to civil Government and thereupon both themselves and there Religion were the more disliked by the Gentiles 16. Indeed that particle Therefore which is of great weight in this Text is omitted and left out both in the various impressions of our last English Translation and in some other (m) The Geneva and Wicklef ' s. more ancient English Versions which yet is fully expressed in the Original by the general and almost universal consent of all ancient Copies agreeably to the scope of the Apostles discourse and therefore it ought to be restored in our Translation And after S. Peter v. 13 and 14. had commanded submission and dutiful respect to the King and other Governours he adds this argument to enforce the practice of this duty v. 15. For so is the will of God that with well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men In which words it is declared both that this respectful behaviour to Governours is of great use to take of those oppositions which the enemies of Christianity make against it and also that it is the will of God that Christians should carefully practise this duty which is a great branch of well-doing in order to the obtaining this end 17. To the same purpose S. Peter proceeds to require an humble subjection and obedience of Servants to their Masters v. 18. declaring v. 19. this is thank-worthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that which obtains both in the sight of God and man a favourable acceptance and good esteem so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oft sigifies as Luk. 1.30 Chap. 2.52 Chap. 6.32 33 34. Act. 2.47 and this is the most proper sense of that word in this place and this brings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory and renown and deserves honour v. 20. And in this case as I (n) n. 9. above noted he sets before us the Example of Christ in a matter of so great usefulness to our Religion To the same end still this Apostle Chap. 3. v. 1 2. requires the submission of Wives to their Husbands as a means to bring over those Husbands to Christian piety who were not prevailed upon by the instruction of the word And here he requires that they shew a reverent behaviour v. 2. a quiet temper v. 4. and such a submission as includes the use of words and expressions of honour and respect and this is mentioned as well-doing v. 5 6. And indeed the power and force of Religion doth eminently appear in the pious performing the duties of Subjection for whilst pride and passion and inordinate affection puts men upon striving to be greatest and makes it an uneasie thing to them to be led and governed by others in a mean station conscience to God will make persons faithful and submissive in the most inferiour relations and willing to serve him with humility and meekness in the lowest condition in which God placeth them And this is in truth both a great and a good a generous and noble and even a divine temper of mind 18. and also by S. Paul From S. Peter I now proceed to S. Paul who discoursing Tit. 2.9 10. of the duty of Servants to their Masters though the relation of a Master doth not require so high a degree of honour and reverence as that of a Prince and Governour in great Authority doth yet the Apostle commands that Servants be exhorted to please them well in all things not answering again not purloyning but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Where he requires from Servants faithfulness and fidelity a submissive temper to please in all things and a meek Government of themselves as to their words and expressions not answering again and consequently not giving any passionate murmuring contumelious or other ill words and these duties are particularly required for the adorning the Doctrine of Christianity And it is somewhat to the same purpose that in the following Chapter the Apostle commands that men be put in mind to practise subjection to Magistrates and meekness towards all men Tit. 3.1 2. as manifesting thereby what an excellent effect the Christian Doctrine and Spirit rightly entertained hath on the lives of men For before that took place and was entertained the Apostle saith v. 3. We our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice c. But v. 4 5 6. after the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost wrought a mighty change in this temper and conversation in order to the eternal happiness of men See also 1 Tim. 6.1 19 Cons 3. The example of Christ is intended to press upon all Christians this duty of meekness and the forbearing to reproach any others whomsoever and especially a reverent behaviour towards all who are over us though from them we might sustain real injuries And evil-speaking to reproach or revile others though it be upon provocation
and receiving wrong is too common among men but is contrary both to the example and Doctrine of our Saviour Christs example requireth kindness to all and reverence to superiors though we sustain injuries He was every way injuriously treated by word and deed his enemies who set themselves against him were evil men and guilty of those faults which they falsly and undeservedly charged on him and yet in his sufferings he made no return of rash and reviling expressions towards them nor yet of passionate complaints against them but was brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth Is 53.7 Such was the admirable practice of his meekness and patience and in these graces we must follow him even under difficulties 20. Indeed reason as well as the Christian Religion will condemn the return of passion violence or evil-speaking to them from whom we have received the like For as (o) Bas Hom. de Ira. S. Basil argues what excuse can there be for him who returns the like to him who provokes him will he plead that another began It is sutable to reason not to return injury in word or deed to any men would this defend the person who by compliance yields to the commission of adultery there is no Crown of Victory but to him who withstands and fights against his adversary and as that Father adds art thou angry at anothers reproaching as being bad and yet thou imitatest it as if it were good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And what man can stand more self-condemned than he who complains of others who speak or act injuriously against him and at the same time followeth their example and doth the same thing to them For if this be not evil he hath no occasion to complain or be offended if it be evil in another it will also be so in him and ought to be avoided 21. It is an unmanly thing to imitate the croaking of a Frogg before you or the snarling of a Dog against you But though these be weak and silly things the acting by evil examples of bad men is far worse because there is a moral turpitude or sinful defilement in such actions The rules of our holy Religion require us to behave our selves otherwise 1 Thes 5.15 See that none render evil for evil and commanded in the Scripture And though a bad man deeply infected with the poyson of the Serpent may have a pestilential breath and his words may be envenomed the pious man who is of a sound temper of mind and heart must have no evil communication proceed out of his mouth It becomes him and is his duty to follow his Lord who in this case did not only forbear to speak or so much as to think or desire any evil but to his patience and gentleness he added his tender kindness and compassiate love in dying for his enemies Rom. 5.8 10. and praying for his persecutors Father forgive them they know not what they do Luke 23.34 22. This example and doctrine of our Lord outwent the rules of vertue delivered by the wisest Philosophers (p) de Virt. vitiis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle describes the vertue of meekness to be that by which a man can bear with moderation both calumny and disrespect and contempt and is not easily moved to anger but is of a calm and steady temper And the Stoicks went somewhat further by directing the wise man to esteem nothing to be injurious to him But our Lord and his Religion not only undertake the moderating and suppressing of irregular passion but the overcoming evil with good and herein his example and Laws are beyond all other patterns or institutions 23. Those Pagan examples were considerable which being mentioned by Plutarch are related also by (q) Cont. Cels l. 8. p. 401. Origen of returning kindness for unkindness both in words and actions That Lycurgus not only forbare all revenge against him who had struck out his eye The greatest Pagan examples are short of Christianity but would not give over instructing him till he had prevailed upon him to study Philosophy and vertue And Zeno when he heard that one who was his enemy had vowed to do him a mischief answered and let me perish if I do not my utmost to overcome him to be my friend To which I add that of (r) Sueton. in Tit. n. 9. Titus the Roman Emperour who when Domitian whom he had declared his Successor would not desist from designing evil against him he still not only continued his former kindness to Domitian but with intreating and tears besought him that they might have a mutual friendship towards each other 24. But such actions as these were mostly singular instances practised only towards some particular persons and remarked as things extraordinary nor did their precepts oblige others to do the like But Davids tenderness was more extended and general who behaved himself towards his enemies with that kindness as if his friend or Brother had been concerned Ps 35.11 14 15. And our Saviours love and affection unto them who were his enemies was universal and his precepts so fully require the same and so much beyond any other rules of practice received in the world that Tertullian might well say that the Christian kindness towards enemies and revilers is (s) Ad Scap. c. 1. perfecta propria bonitas nostra non communis a rule of compleat goodness peculiar to Christians and not common to others And though the Christian temper of meekness and love be at all times desirable that mildness which was practised by some of the Pagans that offenders should be set free from punishment is not alwayes fit to take place in the world That Oath of Titus who would not punish those two of the Patricii who would have seized themselves of the Empire was unadvised and indiscreet (t) Sueton. ubi sup periturum se potius quam perditurum that he though an Emperor on whom the publick welfare depended had rather be killed himself than put any other person to death But the rules of Christian meekness observe those right and regular bounds and limits which run into no hurtful extremes but promote and secure true goodness together with the common welfare of mankind 25. This returning kindness to the most ill-tempered persons was a thing very familiar to the ancient Christians even under their most heavy trials But as good men may sometimes misapprehend the due measures and rules of their duty so affectionateness and tenderness may in this case carry them sometimes into the other extreme to shew too great respect to those their enemies who are also adversaries to the truth It was an excellent sweet temper of Gr. Nazianzen that (u) Gr. in vit Gr. Naz. when the Church met with many oppositions and himself was particularly aimed at he much endeavoured to allay the heat of the Orthodox
Christians whenever he discerned them to exceed And when such Emperors reigned as were friends to the truth he declared that this was the revenge he would take of his enemies to endeavour they might be saved and own those good things which before they rejected And yet he had been loaded by them with injuries The Apolinarians by their calumnies and clamour had rendred him distastful to the people and when he was under the disrespect of the multitude the Arians stoned him and this meek man was accused before the Secular Tribunal to be the authour of tumult and sedition And after all his expressions of kindness he was so ill requited by these his enemies that they set a young man to assassinate and murder him who was so far moved with the converse and presence of this holy man that relenting with tears and lamentations he implored and easily obtained his pardon I confess (w) Naz Orat ad 150 Episc he was by some blamed for shewing too much kindness to the enemies of the truth and it is true that good men and especially Bishops and Governours ought not to express an equal favour to them who oppose truth peace and goodness and to those who embrace them But that kindness which may tend to their good and the good of others is such an excellent temper as ought not to be laid aside for any personal injuries 26. But the example of Christ The Example of Christ considered with respect to Rulers from whom we receive hard measure particularly recommends reverence and respect to Superiours though we should receive hard measure at their hands From hence S. Peter commands 1 Pet. 2.18 21. the reverent subjection of Servants to their Masters not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward And if such a behaviour be necessary towards them who possess a lesser degree of authority in a family much more to them in higher capacity for the neglect of duty to them is an offence of a more publick nature and tends to a more general scandal and prejudice And hence we may further inferr that neglect of dutiful carriage is much more inexcusable toward those Governours who are good and kind and from whom we receive no wrong or injury But how we ought to behave our selves even to froward Rulers we are to learn by the example of Christ which is to this purpose set before us 1 Pet. 2.21 He was without any crime and though he was condemned he did no sin v. 22. He suffered but without threatning or returning any evil word or reviling again but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously v. 23. And such is the Order that God hath established in the World that he who is wronged by his equal or fellow Subject ought not to avenge himself but if the case require it may apply himself to his Ruler for help and redress But if he be hardly and severely dealt with by them who have the Government of the world he must not then avenge himself no not so much as by reproach or evil expressions but commit himself to God as a righteous judge and this the example of Christ will direct him to do 27. Yea our Saviours prayer Father forgive them for they know not what they do did manifest his great and tender affectionateness not only to the common people but also to their Rulers who contrived and conspired his death For even they also knew not what they did as S. Peter declares Act. 3.17 And thus the ancient Christians though ill treated under Pagan or Heretical Governours did not only forbear evil speaking and irreverent and indecent carriage but thought themselves obliged to maintain an high respect to these Rulers and to desire their happiness and welfare This (x) Apol. ad Scap. Tertullian declared under an Ethnick Emperour and that Council of (y) in Athanas de Syn. Arim. Sâ—l Ariminum which established the Faith of Nice under Constantius the Arian Emperour in their Epistle which they sent unto him 28. Performing this duty is acceptable to God and conscience towards him will require it And such a continued respect and practice of duty to Governours even under harsh usage is that which conscience to God will oblige every Christian to perform S. Peter therefore commends that temper where a man for conscience towards God endures grief suffering wrongfully 1 Pet. 2.19 that is endures it patiently and without reviling as the following Verses will explain it And the reason for this is because this duty of respectful submission is not founded chiefly upon the good temper of our Superiours but upon the authority they receive from God and the precepts which God hath thereupon given to us So that here the debate lies between conscience and self-will whether the precepts and rules of Religion are to be followed which conscience will oblige unto or the passions of men which the unruly temper of sinful inclinations are prone to comply with Now where this Christian duty is carefully observed we are assured by S. Peter that this is acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2.20 And every good man will please himself best in doing those things which are pleasing to God And this he may do and bring honour to himself also by this Christian temper towards Governours For the Apostle in that place tells us What glory is it if when you be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when you do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God But if patience in suffering for faults hath not so much of vertue in it as to bring any honour and renown to him who practiseth it how blameable must they needs be who are faulty and yet though they be free from suffering are impatient and murmuring 29. To all these weighty Considerations I might add that this temper is a thing so necessary that in the neglect of it we cannot behave our selves as Christians or sutably to our Christian calling And therefore S. Peter v. 21. and this becomes our calling addeth For hereunto were ye called our Christian Religion greatly requires us herein to follow our Saviours steps And when S. Paul did beseech the Ephesians to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called the first things he requires from them to this end are all lowliness and meekness and long suffering Eph. 4.1 2. 30. Obj. 1. But possibly some men Obj. 1 This Discourse is against the true interest of man who are not willing to put these great Christian duties in practice may be forward to raise prejudices against such a Discourse as this and may pretend that these things are not suitable to the true interests of men but there is rather some ill design carried on by them To which I Answer Ans 1 It wholly designs to bring men from passion and sin to goodness First That this really tends to no other end but to
and their reward from him if they be faithfully and piously managed as the Prophet Esay declared even with respect to our blessed Saviour himself Isai 49.4 5. though Israel was not gathered 21. That vicious actions and a wicked life from vicious actions and practices bring shame and disgrace to the practisers or in Solomon's phrase that sin is a reproach to any people Prov. 14.34 is very obvious to common Principles of Reason and Conscience since the generality of mankind are sensible that (f) Arist de Virtut vitiis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good and vertuous things are to be commended but filthy and vicious things to be dispraised And though goodness is too oft in practice reproached and disparaged in the world there is a vast difference between the censure an upright and truly pious man undergoes in well doing and the ill report and infamy which is consequent upon evil doing For the truly good man knows that what censure he lies under for his piety and integrity is sometimes from mens speaking against their own consciences or at best from their mistakes and misapprehensions and his conscience speaks peace to him and he knows that God both approves his sincerity and howsoever he is misunderstood by men will reward him But if the evil man be spoken against his conscience doth or may testifie that this is no more than he justly deserves and that he must expect without timely repentance more hurt from his sin than from the infamy that followeth it and that if his evil wayes make him justly disapproved and condemned of men it will make him more odious in the sight of God and the Holy Angels and will expose him to a more severe sentence and condemnation from the righteous Judge of the World 22. And that the patrons of error and from corrupt Principles and Doctrines whose evil Principles tend to corrupt Religion and debauch the world should be declared against and the danger and detestableness of their undertakings be manifested is a thing as useful and needful as it would be to detect and discover him who is contriving felony murder or any publick mischief On this account did our Saviour censure and condemn the Doctrines of the Scribes and Pharisees and spake to the disparagement of their reputation and commanded Matt. 7.15 to beware of false Prophets who come in sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening Wolves And the true Apostles made a plain discovery of the false Apostles and corrupt workers though this laid them open to reproach And S. Paul withstood even S. Peter and spake against him openly in that wherein he was to be blamed Gal. 2.14 when his own behaviour and what he encouraged others unto was of ill consequence and contrary to the true spirit of the Gospel though himself was so excellent a man that he was far from advisedly managing any ill design Indeed all dangerous errors are not of equal degree of guilt but some are more heinous than others but the meekness of Christianity obligeth no pious man to a compliance with any of them though the worst are more earnestly to be rejected 23. S. John who so vehemently and abundantly Primitive zeal in this case noted pressed the duty of Christian love in his Epistle and so fully declared the same to be the necessary Doctrine of Christ in his Gospel and who in his extreme age when he was not able to make any long discourses is (g) Hieron Comment in Gal. l. 3. related to have come into the Christian Assemblies and oft to have spoken these words Little children love one another yet as (h) adv Haeres l. 3. c. 3. Irenaeus tells us he declared himself with that earnestness against Cerinthus a Master of Heresie that when he came to the Bath where S. John was he leap'd out of it and declared his fear of the place falling upon them when that enemy of the truth was there And from the like Spirit of Primitive zealous earnestness (i) Iren. ibid. when Marcion meeting with Polycarp an Apostolical man a Disciple of S. John and one who was ab Apostolis constitutus Episcopus Ordained a Bishop by the Apostles and Marcion desired him to take knowledge of him Polycarp answers him cognosco te primogenitum Satanae I know and own thee to be the first-born of Satan And all the first and purest Churches expressed vehement dislike against all Hereticks and dividers of the Church And (k) Cyp. Ep. 76. S. Cyprian when he spake of Novatianus with respect to the Novatian Schism saith that inter adversarios antichristos computetur he was to be reckoned among the adversaries to Christianity and the Antichrists And this is sufficient to shew which may be more largely and amply proved beyond all contradiction that earnest oppositions against them who forsake the Catholick truth or who divide the Church was not as some very falsly pretend first brought into the Christian Church by the unadvised and indiscreet rashness of some Canons and Councils after the first Centuries who are said herein to have swerved from the true Spirit of Catholick Charity 24. And it is a thing too plain to be denied Hartful errors are too much prevailing that in this age divers persons and parties entertain those errors and corruptions in matters of Religion which deserve to be sharply censured and spoken against 'T is generally known that the several parties and different professions do condemn one another and it may well become them to consider whether they have sufficient ground for the Censures they pass on others and whether they proceed therein in a due Christian temper of Spirit and also whether there be not any just foundation for the blame themselves meet with from others Wherefore I shall make some impartial enquiry into some of the several parties of men who divide the profession of Christian Religion And since they who strictly adhere to the Church of Rome lie under an infamous character from others I shall first enquire An account of the things discoursed of in the following Chapters whether they may not be justly accused of such things as deserve great condemnation and censure And since the dissenting parties are spoken ill of by others I shall 2. Enquire whether they be not guilty of that which is sufficient cause of blame And if any of these several parties be no further spoken against than they deserve blame and this be also ordered according to the Christian Rules I delivered above this is not a sinful reproaching but a judging righteously and according to truth 25. And I here seriously profess that there is no duty I esteem my self more obliged to practise than to have an universal kindness to all men And therefore I shall be so far from willingly charging any sort of men with what they are not guilty of that while I write some account of things blameable among several parties of men it is with a
true devotion in Religion and comply very far with Wickedness and Debauchery 1. I Shall now come to consider that there are such doctrines asserted by the Church of Rome and such practices established therein as are plain obstacles and hindrances to a holy life Holiness and purity are suitable to the nature of God and agreeable to the end of Christ's coming into the World to redeem us from all iniquity and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Obstacles in the Roman Church to an holy life Tit. 2.14 This is a compliance with his Gospel which is a doctrine according to Godliness and his Church which he founded is an holy Catholick Church And therefore nothing can be of God and Christ which is not agreeable to true goodness and piety but that must be contrary to God and Christianity which is opposite to holiness and a godly life But that the Church of Rome doth declare such Doctrines as undermine piety and holiness and establishes such constitutions and practices as are highly prejudicial thereunto I shall manifest by some particular instances And here I shall consider 2. 1. In their Doctrine of Attrition and Absolution First Their Doctrine of Absolution This is such that it sooths men in their sins and thereby takes away the weighty Motive and Argument to holiness of life which is from the necessity thereof to avoid the wrath of God and endless perdition and to obtain the favour of God and everlasting salvation For this Church and the Writers thereof do generally teach that attrition though without contrition is a sufficient disposition or qualification for the receiving Priestly absolution and that persons so qualified and thereupon absolved are in a safe state as to the avoiding eternal damnation and the future enterance into everlasting happiness Now contrition includes a grief for and hatred of sin as it is an offence of God with a purpose and resolution not to go on in the practice of evil and this is conjoined with a chief love to God But attrition is a grief for sin in such a manner that it is not produced from nor containeth in it the chief love of God and goodness And when divers wayes are either asserted or disputed of by many Casuists concerning the difference between Attrition and Contrition Mart. Becanus speaks with much plainness and I think with truth when he tells us (a) Part. 3. Tr. 2. c. 35. Qu. 1. that contrition includes aversion from sin and conversion to God which is in loving him above all and that this principle of the love of God which includes consequently hatred of sin and turning from it is that thing in which contrition essentially differs from attrition and that all other differences or wayes of distinguishing them are either to be rejected as false or may be spared as being of little or no use 3. Now some Writers of the Romish Communion especially in former Ages have been of opinion that contrition is necessary to justification But this assertion is declared by (b) Tom. 4. Disp 3. Qu. 8. Punct 3. Gr. de Valentia to be sententia his presertim temporibus vix tolerabilis such an one as especially in these times is scarce fit to be tolerated And he calls the other the common opinion This (c) Bell. de poenit l. 2. c. 18. Bellarmine takes for granted and Becanus declares (d) ubi sup Qu. 6. omnes fatentur contritionem non esse necessariam in Sacramento Poenitentiae that all acknowledge that Contrition is not necessary in the Sacrament of Penance And these Writers and many others affirm the Council of Trent to have declared thus much And that Council plainly enough determines that Contrition (e) Sess 13 de poenitentia cap. 4. is a grief of mind for sin already committed with a purpose to do so no more and that this which encludes a hatred of the past evil life and the beginning of a new life when it hath Charity joined with it doth reconcile man to God before the actual receiving the Sacrament of Penance if there be a desire to partake thereof But then it adds concerning another sort of sorrow from the foulness of the sin or the fear of punishment ex peccati turpitudine vel ex supplicii metu and of this that Council determines that it cannot bring a sinner to justification without the Sacrament of Penance but it doth dispose him to obtain the favour of God in the Sacrament of Penance A bad life encouraged hereby Now the result of all this according to the plainest sense their own Authours give is that if a wicked man ready to go out of the world shall be troubled when he apprehends the foulness of his sins lest he should go to Hell which is attrition and shall then send to the Priest and receive Absolution this man though his bea rt be not turned from sin to God and to a love of him and of goodness will according to this loose Doctrine go out of the world in the favour of God and in a justified state And thus much is pretended to be effected by vertue of the Sacrament of Penance and Priestly Absolution 4. Now it is to be acknowledged that the true Ministerial Absolution is very profitable being in an eminent manner contained in dispensing the holy Sacraments and is of much greater weight than many men account it to be to them that believe and truly repent or to them who sincerely perform the conditions of the Gospel Covenant but no pretence of Absolution must be admitted to make void these conditions And it may be granted that in the Roman Church in some Societies there are rules of severity directed to them who are disposed to seriousness but this their Doctrine of Absolution takes off all necessity of observing any such rules or any vows whereby they obliged themselves to any duties or exercises of perfection so far as concerns the fear of God as to the interest of an eternal state And this Doctrine opens a gap to all licentiousness of life contrary to the rules of Christianity and all good conscience by the security it pretends to give of eternal happiness to wicked and debauched men who amend not their lives nor forsake their sins If this be truth then are all the promises and threatnings of the Gospel made void as they are Motives to the necessary duties of holiness and piety 5. Holiness of Christianity undermined hereby By such arts as this all the great precepts of Religion are made of none effect in order to salvation For if against
to be High Priests or Priests of that order which himself is and that it is the person of Christ who offers and not of the Minister then indeed there is a fit Priest for the Sacrifice But then it must be proved which can never be that Christ in his own person undertakes this Office in every Mass and then it must also be granted that no man in the Church of Rome can pretend any more to offer this Sacrifice than he can pretend to be the person of Christ 31. Wherefore (h) de Mis l. 2. c. 4. Bellarmine gives us their sense to this purpose The Sacrifice of the Mass is offered by Christ by the Church and by the Minister but in a different manner Christ offers it by a Priest a man as his proper Minister the Church offer as the people offer by their Priest so Christ offers by an inferior the Church by a superior the Minister offers as a true but ministerial Priest Now this pretends an authority from Christ but the Office of performing this Sacrifice to be in the Priest And to this purpose the Council of Trent (i) Sess 22. both declares Christ to have commanded his Apostles and their successors in the Priesthood that they should offer this Sacrifice and also bestow one of their rash Anathema's on him who shall say that Christ did not make his Apostles Priests or did not ordain that they should offer his Body and Blood when he said Do this in remembrance of me But as there is no expression in these words of Christ or any other to shew that he instituted his Apostles and their Successors to be such Priests as to offer a proper propitiatory Sacrifice so it appears that the state of the Gospel doth not admit of any person but only Christ himself to offer his own Body and Blood as a proper and compleat propitiatory Sacrifice since none else are or can be of that Office of Priesthood to which it belongs to offer this Sacrifice nor is any other capable of performing the necessary Rites thereof 32. Cons 4. The great effects of Christs Sacrifice cannot be attributed to any repeated Sacrifice Cons 4. The great benefits from the merits of Christs Sacrifice are wholly procured by that one offering of himself when he died and gave himself a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour and now lives for ever to pursue the ends thereof And therefore there neither can nor need be any other propitiatory Sacrifice of Christs Body and Blood For that Sacrifice of Christ which was offered by himself and made satisfaction for sin did thereby obtain the grace and gave a compleat and abiding sanction to the terms of the Gospel Covenant that through his name all who believe and obey may through his mediation receive remission of sins and all other blessings of the Covenant Now the Eucharist as a Sacrament confirms the benefits of this Covenant and exhibits the blessings thereof But the Eucharist cannot now since the death of Christ give such a Sanction and establishment to the new Covenant that from it that Covenant should receive its sureness and validity as it did from Christ's real Sacrifice nor are any new terms of grace superadded to that But the validity of the new Covenant is supposed in the administration of the Eucharist And Christs own offering obtained to himself that high exaltation whereby he can give repentance and remission of sins and is a continual Intercessor and Advocate and therefore lives to execute his own last Will and Testament and to bestow the benefits of that propitiatory Sacrifice which he hath offered Now these which were the great things procured by his Sacrifice have such a peculiar respect to his own offering himself that it is impossible they should have any dependance upon any after-celebration of the Eucharist especially when this Sacrament must have its vertue from that new Covenant established and from the exaltation of Christ And since by that Sacrifice Christ is a propitiation for the sins of the whole World there is need of no renewed expiatory Sacrifice to extend or apply the benefits thereof to particular persons which is sufficiently done in the Eucharist as a Sacrament and in other Ministerial administrations dispensing in Gods name and by his authority the blessings of the new Covenant to pious penitent and believing persons 33. I might here also observe that (k) Barrad Conc. Evang. Tom. 4. l. 3. c. 16. some of the Romanists themselves declare that Christ doth not merit in the Sacrament of the Eucharist because the state of heavenly Glory in which he is excludes merit but here are presented to God the infinite merits of his death on the Cross Now if this be true and the reason given for it is not inconsiderable it must needs exclude any propitiatory Sacrifice from the Eucharist But I shall further observe that those admirable acts of the obedience of Christ in the wonderful humiliation of his life and death and submitting himself according to his Fathers will to suffer even the death of the Cross were of high value for the making his propitiatory Sacrifice which himself offered available in the sight of God to procure his blessing to man But now since our Lord sits at Gods right hand there is no such further humiliation nor need there be since what he once did was of such unspeakable merit and worth to give any new merits of like nature to renewed proper propitiatory Sacrifices But the merits of his life and death are of infinite and sufficient vertue And whereas Christ neither appointed that there should be nor declared that there is any proper propitiatory Sacrifice in the Eucharist he who can think against plain evidence that in the first celebration of the Eucharist Christ offered himself a proper propitiatory Sacrifice and consequently that he died really the night before he was crucified and was dead when his Disciples heard him speak and conversed with him alive hath a mind and belief of a fit size to receive this and several other strange Doctrines of the Church of Rome But besides what I have here said if Transubstantiation be a Doctrine contrary to truth of which I shall discourse in the (l) Sect. 4. n. 14-25 next Section the foundation of the Proper Propitiatory Sacrifice is thereby removed 34. Of additional Doctrines in the Church of Rome To these Instances I may further add that the Romish Church superadding to the Christian Religion many new Doctrines as necessary points of Faith doth hereby also derogate from the authority of our Saviour For this casts a disparagement upon his revelation Christ and his Apostles made a full declaration of the Christian Doctrine insomuch that whosoever shall teach any other Doctrine is under the Apostolical Anathema Gal. 1.8 9. which (m) Cont. lit Petil. l. 3. c. 6. S. Austin extends so far as to apply that Anathema to him whosoever he be who shall teach any
thing concerning Christ or his Church or any matter of faith or rule of Christian life which is not contained in the Scriptures But there was nothing taught in the Apostolical Doctrine to assert or give any countenance to the Popes infallibility or his Universal Supremacy to the propitiatory Sacrifice of the Mass to the Doctrine of Purgatory Invocation of Saints and many other things now delivered as points de fide in the Church of Rome of which divers are mentioned in this Chapter And these new matters of faith have so altered and changed the ancient Christian Religion that with these mixtures it is very unlike what was declared by Christ and his Apostles 35. The Council of Trent declares their (n) Sess 4. c. 1. All these under the name of Traditions made equal with the Scripture receiving the holy Scripture and their Traditions to be pari pietatis affectu reverentia with the like pious affection and reverence Indeed it calls these Traditions such as were from the mouth of Christ or were dictated by the Holy Ghost and received in the Catholick Church But since after their declaring thus much and expressing the Canon of the Scripture with the additional Books received in the Romish Church they tell us that this was done that all men might know what foundation they would proceed on in their confirming Doctrines and reforming manners it is manifest that all Doctrines of Faith or practice delivered in that Council which are not contained in the Scriptures are reputed to be such Traditions as are of equal authority with the Scriptures And in the (o) Form Juram an 1564. Bull of Pius the Fourth many of these Doctrines are particularly expressed and in the end of it an hearty acceptance is declared of all things defined in the Council of Trent and it is added that this is the true Catholick faith extra quam nemo salvus esse potest out of which no man can be saved And this all who have cure of souls and preferments in the Church must own by their solemn Oath and Vow And yet how little that Council in its Decisions kept to the true Rules of Catholick Tradition is sufficiently evident from what they at this very time declared concerning the Canon of the Scripture for their taking into the Canon several of those Books which we account Apocryphal hath been plainly proved by Bishop Cosins to be contrary to the Vniversal Tradition of the Church 36. And if no man may with honesty and above it add any thing to a mans Deed or Covenant as if it were contained therein how great a crime is it to deal thus with Gods Covenant But the Church of Rome not only equals her Traditions containing many new points of Faith with the Scriptures and what is the true Christian Doctrine but it really sets them above the Holy Scriptures though they be in many things contrary thereunto For they make Tradition such a Rule for the Scripture that it must signifie no more than Tradition will allow Sect. IV. And to this purpose their (p) In Bull. pii 4. Clergy swear to admit the Scriptures according to that sense which the holy Mother the Church hath held and doth hold who is to judge of the true sense of Scripture And hereby they mean the Church of Rome there called the Mother of all Churches SECT IV. Of the publick allowance or injunction of such things amongst the Papists as either debase the Majesty of God or give divine honour to something else besides God THose things deserve to be condemned as greatly evil which debase the Majesty of God or deprive him of that peculiar Glory and Worship which is due to him alone and they who practise or uphold such things ought to be esteemed as evil doers in an high degree Honour which in a suitable measure belongs to every Superior as to a Father or a Prince in the highest measure of it is proper to God and that reverence which is due to him is necessary to be reserved solely for him both from the rules of Justice and Piety and also because God is in this respect a Jealous God 2. 1. Images of the Deity are used by the Papists But First It is an abasing the Majesty of God to represent the glorious infinite and invisible God who is a pure Spirit by a material Image This is frequently and publickly practised in the Church of Rome and is there allowed and defended by many of its Writers (a) De Eccl. Triumph c. 8. Cardinal Bellarmine hath one Chapter on purpose to prove Non esse prohibitas-imagines Dei that Images of God are not prohibited and he cites Cajetan Catharinus and others as defending the same and one chief argument which he useth to prove this is Ex usu Ecclesiae from the usage of the Church And he there declares jam receptae sunt fere ubique ejusmodi imagines that now such Images are almost every where received and that it is not credible that the Church would universally tolerate any unlawful thing Where he also declares that these were approved both in the second Council of Nice and in the Council of Trent But the making an Image of the true God stands condemned in the holy Scriptures even in the Second Commandment against the Divine Law Thou shalt not make to thy self any Graven Image thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them And that the Divine Law doth not only forbid the Images of a false God or an inferiour Deity but such also as were intended to represent the true God is manifest from Deut. 4.15 16. Take good heed to your selves for you saw no manner of similitude in the day the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire lest ye corrupt your selves and make you a Graven Image the similitude of any figure or the likeness of Male or Female And this Command is the more to be considered because of that emphatical caution which is used by way of Preface thereto 3. It was one of the hainous sins which generally prevailed in the Pagan World that they changed the Glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man and to Birds c. Rom. 1.23 This is agreeable to the Pagan practice And though I charge not the Roman Church with running parallel to the Pagan Idolatry yet this disparaging the Divine Being by setting up visible Images and Representations thereof and giving Worship to them under that relation was one of the great Miscarriages of the Gentiles and yet the chief part at least of the Gentiles did not think these very Images to be the proper Beings of their Gods For besides their acknowledgment of the Wisdom Purity Goodness and Power of the Deity which many Testimonies produced by Justin Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Eusebius and other Christian Writers do express there was also retained amongst them such Notions concerning the
nature an extension of matter and of that which hath parts added to one another and yet here is extension and consequently several parts distant from one another but still there is nothing extended nor any matter nor any thing that hath parts And the like may be said of other accidents 4. If it could be imagined that the substance of the Bread and Wine was abolished by consecration though it is not usual for the blessing of God to destroy but preserve the thing he blesseth the accidents or appearances thereof only remaining and that the substance of Christs Body and Blood should be there substituted without any corporeal accidents even this could not be Transubstantiation according to the Romish description thereof For if a corporeal substance should cease to be its accidents or modifications remaining this must be by annihilation and if there be a new substance this must be by a new production not a changing the former substance into a latter since corporeal substances are not capable of being changed but by the difference of their modifications or accidents but the ceasing or abolishing of the substance it self which is the being of a thing the subject matter which must be supposed in the changing things is wholly removed 22. And 5. That there must be new matter continually prepared in the Sacramental elements out of which the true substance of the Body and Blood of Christ is to be produced this also includes manifest contradiction For then the Body and Blood of Christ must be supposed to be produced out of a different matter at a different time and in a different manner from that Body which was born of the Blessed Virgin and in which he assumed our nature and yet this Body which is so many ways differing from that substantial Body which is ascended into Heaven must be acknowledged to be substantially the same When I consider such things as these with which this Romish Doctrine is full fraught I must acknowledge that the belief of Transubstantiation includes so much of self-denial that it is a believing against Reason But there is one thing wanting which hinders it from being an act of Christian self-denial or of true Religion and that is that it is not a believing God or Christ who never declared any such Doctrine but must resolve it self into the believing the declaration of the Roman Church which both Scotus and Cajetan cited by the Reverend (q) Hist Transubst c. 5. n. 3. Bishop Cosins make the necessary ground and support for this Doctrine 23. What account may be given that so many knowing men in the Church of Rome should own such unreasonable and unaccountable Doctrines And I have sometimes set my self to consider hour it should come to pass that so many understanding and learned men as are in the Church of Rome should receive such monstrous Doctrines as this and some others are and I have given my self some satisfaction by observing 1. That education and Principles once imbibed and professed have a mighty force upon many mens minds insomuch that bad notions embraced do almost pervent their very capacities of understanding as appears in the followers of many Sects and in the Pagan Philosophers who set them selves against Christianity and these things especially when linked with interest have such a commanding influence upon many men of understanding that they hinder them from attending to the clearest evidences against their assertions as was manifest from the Scribes and Pharisees in our Saviours time who generally stood up for their Traditions against his Doctrine and Miracles also And they of the Church of Rome are politickly careful in the training up and principling the more knowing part of their youth in their Doctrines 2. That when gross corruptions formerly prevailed in that Church through the blindness and superstition of ignorant and degenerate ages the politick governing part think it not expedient now to acknowledge those things for errors lest they thereby lose that reverence they claim to their Church when they have once acknowledged it to have erred and not to be infallible And therefore all these things must be owned as points of faith and such other things added as are requisite to support them 3. Many more modest and well disposed persons acquiesce in the determination of the Church and its pretence to infallibility and by this they filence all objections and suffer not any doubtful enquiry since whatsoever the Doctrine be no evidence can outweigh that which is infallible And these also are the less inquisitive from the odious reprensentations which are made of them who depart from the Romish Doctrine and from their being prohibited the use of such Books which might help to inform them better 4. Others are deterred from making impartial search into truth by the severity of that Church against them who question its received Doctrines both in the tortures of the Inquisition and in the loud thundrings of its Anathemas 5. The specious and pompous names of the Churches Tradition Antiquity Vniversality and uninterrupted succession have a great influence upon them who have not discovered the great falshood of these pretences And very many knowing men have not made such things the business of their search and others who have made search are willing to take things according to the sense and interpretation the favourers of that Church impose upon them and they are herein influenced by some of the things above mentioned 6. The just judgment of God may blind them who shut their eyes against the light that through strong delusions they should believe a lye 24. Fifthly This Romish Doctrine is contrary to the holy Scriptures The Scripture declareth the Body of Christ to be in the Sacrament and our Church acknowledgeth that (r) Art of Relig. Art 28. this Body is given taken and eaten in the Sacrament but then it tells us that this is only after an heavenly and spiritual manner Transubstantiation is against the Scripture and this is according to the sense of the Scriptures as I noted n. 16. But the Scripture is so far from owning Transubstantiation to be the manner of Christs presence that it plainly declares the elements to remain after the consecration and at the distribution of them S. Paul therefore mentions not only the Bread which we break 1 Cor. 10 16. but speaking also of receiving the Eucharist thrice in three verses together he expresseth it by eating that Bread and drinking that Cup 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. and this must suppose the element of Bread to be remaining when the Sacrament was administred to the Communicants But (Å¿) Coster Enchir. some object that Bread here is not to be understood of that which is properly and substantially Bread but of Christ who is called the bread of life But 1. The Apostle having spoken before of Bread and the Cup 1 Cor. 11.24 25. where he understood thereby that which was properly and substantially Bread and Wine and
did own himself to be the most high God and as Irenaeus relates (y) Iren. adv Haeres l. 1. c. 20. that it was he who appeared as the Son amongst the Jews and descended as the Father in Samaria and came as the Holy Spirit in other Nations and they who were his followers both in Samaria Rome and other Nations did worship him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the chief God as (z) Justin Apol. 1. Justin Martyr affirms and (a) Eus Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 13. gr Eusebius from him Now if it should be supposed that the Gnosticks should own the true God and that there is no other God besides him and should therefore design to give Divine honour to him alone but should be perswaded that he was incarnate in Simon Magus and thereupon should worship him with Divine honour this could not excuse them herein from being Idolaters And whereas Montanus and the propagators of his Heresie did declare him to be the Paraclete as is oft expressed in Tertullian and is affirmed also by divers Catholick Writers as (b) Hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 14. Eusebius (c) Basil ad Amphil. c. 1. Basil and others or as (d) de Consec dist 4. c. Hi vero Gregory expresseth it that he was the Holy Ghost if any of his followers professing Divine Worship to be due only to the True God and the three persons of the glorious Trinity should upon a presumptive delusion believe that the Holy Ghost was imbodied in Montanus and thereupon yield to him that Divine Worship which is due to the Holy Ghost this could not excuse them from Idolatry 29. Assert 2. All Idolatry is not equally heinous Assert 2. In Idolatry which is in its nature a great and grievous sin all the acts and kinds thereof in misplacing proper Divine Worship are not equally heinous and abominable There is a great difference from the temper of the persons whence acts proceding from sudden surprize from weakness of understanding or from great fear are not of so high a guilt as those which proceed from carelesness of duty neglect of instruction or contempt of God or wilful enmity against the true Religion There is also difference in the acts of worship which I mentioned n. 27. as also from the plyableness of temper to be drawn from them and the resolved obstinacy of persisting in them And there is a difference also with respect to the object to which Divine Worship is given whence the worshipping of Baal or the Gods of other Nations in opposition to the God of Israel was more heinous than the Idolatry of Jeroboams Calves because it included a professed departing from the true God and the worshipping of Simon Magus was the more abominable as including a following him and consequently rejecting the fundamental Articles of the Christian Religion But the Idolatry of the Calves was not of so high a nature nor did it utterly exclude the ten Tribes from all relation to the Church of God though even this would exclude those persons who designedly espoused it or who perversely or negligently joined in it from the blessing of God 30. Assert 3. All misplacing Divine honour upon an undue object which is Idolatry is a very great sin Assert 3. All sorts thereof are greatly evil To suppose that ignorance and mistake should be any sufficient plea or excuse is to reflect upon the goodness and wisdom of God as if even under the Christian revelation he had not sufficiently directed men in so important a duty as to know the object of Divine adoration or whom we are to worship And how little any misunderstanding upon the grounds laid down by the Romanists is like in this case to be available for their excuse I shall manifest by proposing another case which may well be esteemed parallel hereunto As our Saviour said concerning the Eucharistical Bread This is my Body so there is a greater plenty of expressions in the Scriptures which are as plausible to confer Divine honour upon pious Christians They are said to be partakers of the Divine Nature to be born of God The Remish Adoration of the Host parallel'd to be renewed after the Image of God and that God dwelleth in them and that Christ is formed in them and is in them and that they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones and with respect to them he said to Saul why persecutest thou me and he will say to others I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat c. and the Spirit of God dwells in them Now if from such expressions as these any sort of men should give Divine Worship to every Saint in pursuance of that fond notion of some Fanatick heads that they are Godded with God and Christed with Christ and consequently to those in Heaven as well as to those on Earth and thereby multiply the objects of Divine Adoration really beyond all the Polytheism of the Gentiles I doubt not but they of the Church of Rome would account this abominable Idolatry Nor would they think it sufficient here to be pretended that these worshippers own only one true God and give Divine Worship to the Saints only because they believe them to receive a new Divine Nature in becoming Saints and to put on Christ and to be changed into the nature and substance of that one God and though this may seem as contrary to sense and reason as Transubstantiation doth they therefore believe it because God hath said it if their manifestly mistaken sense of Scripture be allowed and they can confidently rely on his word And if we compare these two together the grace of the Sacrament is very excellent but it is that which is to be communicated to the communion of Saints and conferred upon them But the nature of the pious Christian is so much advanced above that of the Sacramental elements that that must be confessed to be true which was affirmed by Bishop Bilson (e) Differ of Christ Subject Unchr Rebel Part. 4. p. 713. that Christian men are members of Christ the Bread is not Christ abideth in them and they in him in the Bread he doth not he will raise them at the last day the Bread he will not they shall reign with him for ever the Bread shall not But these and such like words we mention not as having any low thoughts of the Holy Sacrament but as owning the truth of the Sacramental elements remaining in their created substances and even these we duly reverence as set apart to an holy use and purpose but we most highly value the great blessings of the Gospel and the spiritual presence of Christ which though it be tendred in the Sacramental elements yet being the invisible grace of the Sacrament is to be distinguished from the visible sign thereof To this we have our eye chiefly in the Sacrament according to that ancient admonition (f) Cyp. de Orat. Dom. sursum
grant of Indulgences is (c) Bell. de Ind. l. 1. c. 11. Laym ubi sup c. 1. n. 4. not from the power of order but of Jurisdiction and thereupon they place it in the Pope alone But as to this case of delivering souls out of Purgatory they forget themselves when they again assert (d) Bell ib. c. 14. q. 2. Laym ib. c. 7. n. 3. that the Pope doth not do this by a power of Jurisdiction but by proposing or exhibiting to God satisfactions and by suffrages and prayers entreating Gods acceptance of them But thus much can be also done according to their Doctrine by every Priest who offereth the Sacrifice of the Mass (e) Conc. Trident for the Quick and the Dead for Sins Punishment and Satisfactions The Pope indeed in his Indulgencies is pretended to present to God the Satisfactions of the Saints together with those of Christ but besides that the Satisfactions of Christ must be of themselves sufficient the act of the Papal Indulgence being done out of the Sacrament doth not include a proper propitiatory Sacrifice and is therefore inferior to the act of the Priest in the Mass And it is the propitiatory Sacrifice which must give the value to the Satisfactions of the Saints So that this great claim of peculiar authority in this case unto the Roman Bishop is without any solid foundation upon their own Doctrinal Principles and is wholly founded upon Policy to create the higher apprehensions of the Papal excellency Only something is said to make it passable and plausible 22. The last thing I shall here consider and to Rome in the year of Jubilee is the policy of making void all Indulgencies though plenary and all faculties of Indulgence granted to any other place or persons or upon any conditions whatsoever save only what is granted at Rome on the year of Jubilee which is now every twenty fifth year save that it was a peculiar favour of Greg. 13. (f) Tursellin Hist Lauret l. 4. c. 22. to the Lady at Laureto that Indulgentiis toto terrarum orbe ut fieri solet suspensis in Vrbis gratiam unam excepit Aedem Lauretanam When Indulgences were suspended according to custom throughout the whole World for the benefit of the City of Rome that singular place was alone excepted Had the good of men been the principal design of these Indulgencies it would have been a Work of much greater mercy and care of the welfare of men that plenary Indulgencies might constantly have been granted in all Countreys to them who should perform the conditions required But as the benefit of Indulgencies is wholly appropriated to Rome every twenty fifth year so the Papal Bull requires the performance of three days fasting and also Prayers and giving Alms. And some of their Casuists assert (g) Laym Th. Mor. l. 5. Tr. 7. c. 8. n. 10. that all this must be done in one week or others at farthest affirm it must be done within fifteen days whilst the Jubilee continues as a Condition necessary to partake of the benefit of the Indulgence And consequently their alms being confined to those days must by all persons then attending at Rome be given there to the great enriching the Wealth and Revenues of that Church or though some may be there devoted to the service of the Church in other places it is to be expected that that Church in a more particular consideration be then regarded and interested therein 23. The result of this whole Chapter is that if disorderly disturbing the peace of the Church and the World and the unjust invading others rights if undermining and disregarding true piety if undervaluing the dignity of Christ and the Majesty of God and setting up and serving politick interests and designs instead of Religion and true goodness be things loathsom and contrary to Christianity there must then be sufficient cause for great dislike of and averseness from the Church of Rome which promotes all these things by its Doctrines and allowed and enjoined practices CHAP. III. Of our Dissenters where some of the different sorts of them are first particularly considered and then follows a more general consideration of them jointly SECT I. Of Quakers Sect. I 1. OUr Dissenters do not only lie under the Censure of private persons but even of our publick Laws and Constitutions and therefore I shall faithfully and calmly without prejudice enquire Whether there be not in them just and great cause of blame Now these are not all of one Body so much as the Romanists are though they also have their different parties but are more divided in their several ways of Communion and profession and are only united so far as to espouse the same general interest against our established Government And therefore that I may be the more clear and impartial I shall first take some view of the several most famed Parties of them separately and distinctly and then consider them jointly 2. And it is a matter of sad reflection that when the ancient Christian zeal contended so much for that Unity which our Religion earnestly injoineth the Spirit of Division hath so far prevailed amongst them who withdraw from our Church that besides their unwarrantable separation from it great numbers of them have run into other select and distinct parties and many of them very monstrous S. Austin observed that when the Donatists forsook the Catholick Church (a) Cont. Epist Parmen l. 3. c. 4. lib. de Haeres n. 69. they fell into divers parties among themselves inter ipsos multa facta sunt schismata alii atque alii separant and of these the Maximinianists were the most inonsiderable And amongst us we had formerly wretched improvements of Antinomianism into the lewdness of the Ranters of seditious Principles into the fierceness of the Fifth Monarchy men and of separation into Quakerism which is farthest removed from the Communion of the Christian Church and from many weighty points of the Christian Doctrine The giddy progress of separation was complained of in this Kingdom by one who if I mistake not is now not only a practiser but a Patron thereof who not amiss resembled it (b) J. H. to the several peelings of an Onion where first one is taken off by it self and parted and then another till at last there is nothing left but what is apt to draw tears from the eyes of the Beholder And the ill effect of our divisions is so manifest that Dr. Owen acknowledgeth that (c) Of Evangelical Love p. 2. it will be granted that the Glory of God the Honour of Christ the progress of the Gospel with the Edification and peace of the Church are deeply concerned in them and highly prejudiced by them And since the several parties condemn and disapprove each other it is manifest from thence that all of them at most one only excepted must be justly blameable for proceeding upon false Principles and unsound Assertions And if any
separating party can justifie it self it must be able to plead truly and manifest that the Church from which it departs is so corrupt in Doctrine or Worship that it cannot Communicate therewith without sin and that its differing from it is founded upon its casting off such things as are really sinful and evil still retaining and embracing all such things as are true and good even all the rules of Faith and Life and due Order which the Christian Religion doth direct and include 3. Beginning with the Quakers I might take notice of their want of ordinary civil and courteous behaviour and outward expressions of reverence to Governours when Christianity injoins kindness humility courteousness and the due expressions of them to all men and honourable respect to be given to Superiors I might also mention their condemning the use of an Oath even in judicial proceedings which if rightly undertaken is an act of Religion in a solemn acknowledging the Omniscience and righteousness of God and is the most effectual way for the discovery of truth the maintaining justice preserving rights and ending strife But waving very many blameable errors received amongst them I shall insist on four things which their Teachers have both in their Writings and Discourses vigorously asserted which are of such a nature that those who embrace these Principles and practise according to them may well be esteemed to be as far from true Christianity as any persons who pretend to the name of Christians Yet in so wild and Enthusiastick a Sect I do not undertake to give assurance that they in all things do all of them hold the same opinions but do hope some of them may be drawn off from some of these evil Doctrines and Positions Here I shall observe 4. First Their denial of and casting reproachful expressions upon the Holy and Glorious Trinity The acknowledging the Trinity is a great part of the Christian Faith our Creed directing us to believe in God the Father Almighty and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord and in the Holy Ghost And (d) Conc. Nicen Constantinopol the two first General Councils of the Christian Church were in a good part imployed in vindicating and asserting this Doctrine against the Arian and Macedonian Heresie And this Christian Faith is not only contained in and plainly deduced from the Holy Scriptures but is summarily expressed in that form of Christian Baptism which our Saviour established when he commanded his Apostles to Baptize in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And this Baptismal form which the Holy Scriptures express is so considerable a testimony to the Doctrine of the Trinity that many of those Hereticks who denied the Trinity thought themselves concerned not to own this generally established form of Christian Baptism but boldly undertook to innovate and change that form our Lord had ordained and his Church from him (e) Just Mart. Apol. 2. Tert. de Bapt. c. 6. 13. had universally received Upon this account (f) Sozom. Hist l. 6. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eunomius altered the Baptismal form not Baptizing in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost but into the death of Christ And amongst the Arians who owned not the Son to be co-eternal and of the same substance with the Father the form of Baptism was perverted and (g) Theod. Lect. Collect. l. 2. Theodorus Lector relates concerning an Arian Bishop who Baptized into the Name of the Father by the Son and in the Holy Ghost And before these when Paulus Samosatenus denied the Divinity of Christ his followers the Paulianists were injoined by the Council of (h) Conc. Nlc. c. 19. Nice to be re-baptized since the Baptismal form by them used (i) v. Justel in Cod. Ecel c. univ 19. was not into the Holy Trinity which he did not acknowledge And that one God in Trinity in whom the members of the Catholick Christian Church believed and into whose Name they were Baptized he is the object of the Christian Worship and Service and with one heart doth that Church give glory to the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost but they who disown the Trinity cannot be expected to perform this Worship and Service thereto 5. But besides what might be cited out of some of the Quakers Books against the Trinity I shall take the liberty to give a little account of what my self hath formerly been concerned in Almost three and twenty years since some of the chief Quakers being busie in these parts two of their Principal Teachers sent to me Nine Questions or Positions rather challenging me to dispute with them the first of which was against the three Persons of the Deity and the other took in all those things I here discourse of against the Quakers with more also I then accepted this challenge and we went through all these nine in three days discourse In the first day they plainly declared themselves against the three Persons of the Trinity much as they had done about the same time in their Conference with (k) The Quaker disarm'd Mr. Smith at Cambridge At that time in the Year 1659 I had the opportunity of charging George Whitehead in the presence of George Fox and as great a number of other Witnesses as the specious room in which we were could contain with as horrid and blasphemous words against the Trinity as I ever read or heard of which were contained in a Book written by him and three other Quakers against one Mr. Tounsend which was Intituled Ishmael and his Mother cast out I even tremble to write the words which the licentiousness of those times gave way to (l) Ishmael c. p. 10. The three Persons which thou wouldst divide out of one like a Conjurer are denied and thou shut up with them in perpetual darkness for the Lake and the Pit But he neither did nor could deny that this wicked assertion was written and published by him and his Companions and the same thing was urged against him out of the same Book at the Conference at Cambridge 6. Sometime after this as if they had a mind to shew themselves particularly zealous in the opposition of the Holy Trinity I received a paper (m) Directed to them that affirm that there are three distinct Persons in the Godhead and that the Father is the first and the Word the second and the Spirit the third and that the second was begotten as to his Godhead of Five Queries containing very many branches under them wholly levelled against the Doctrine of the Trinity and subscribed by George Whitehead and George Fox And after I had returned an Answer to these I received another large paper containing a long Harangue against the Holy Trinity with George Whitehead's name alone subscribed In this paper which I have by me it is declared That to call three distinct persons in the Trinity are Popish terms and names
the Papists do call the Godhead by And concerning the eternal generation of the Son of God it is there said Thou art one with the Papists in thy Doctrine in this thing who in one of their Creeds do affirm That Christ is God begotten before all Worlds when he was begotten as to his Sonship and Manhood and in time brought forth and manifest amongst the Sons of men Thus the most excellent truths may be misrepresented under odious names and by erroneous persons be called Popish 7. Secondly Their disparaging the Holy Scriptures which are the Rule of the Christian Faith and Religion The Scriptures contain the Prophetical and Apostolical Doctrine and this Doctrine is so certain and full that if an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel S. Paul denounceth him to be accursed But their denying the Scriptures to be the word of God though they admit them to contain truth and their setting up the Light within them as their great Rule both which are done frequently in their Writings and Conferences is that which tends to undermine the Authority of the Divine Writings and to substitute another rule which is very defective various and uncertain and of dangerous consequence For if we consider men as they truly are the Light within them is the light of Reason and natural Conscience with those improvements of knowledge and understanding which the Christian Revelation hath made in the minde and sentiments of men Now though this be very considerable and needful to be attended to yet to make this and not the Holy Scripture the main Rule and Guide in matters of Christian Faith and life is to prefer the light of Nature with the advantages it hath from Christian converse and Oral Tradition or the delivery of truth from one to another according to the thoughts opinions and judgements of men though mixed with many errors and much uncertainty before the infallible and unerring direction of the Holy Spirit in the Divine Scriptures And while the Scribes and Pharisees disparaged the Scriptures in preferring the Traditions of their Elders and the Romish Church doth much to the same purpose this Position of this Novel Sect is rather more unaccountable than either of those other practices For though they established mistaken false and erroneous Rules yet the things dictated thereby were approved by the joint consideration of many select men whom they esteemed men of greatest understanding while this way directs every man how corrupt and erroneous soever his mind may be to set up his own thoughts and apprehensions to be a sufficient Rule and Guide And this must suppose every mans own conceptions to be infallible though they be never so contrary to one another or to the Divine Revelation 8. But if we consider the followers of this Sect according to the pretences of many of them the Light within them must have chief respect to some Enthusiastick motions and impulses Such things were pretended to by the * Theod. Hist Eccl. l. 4. c. 10. Messalians and other Hereticks of old But besides what may be said against such pretences in general the manifest falshood of them is in these particular cases apparent from the plain errors they assert contrary to the sure Doctrine of Christianity And to set up any Enthusiastick rule of Religion includeth a disparaging the Revelation of Christ and his Apostles which is the right instruction in the true Christian Religion and this is ordinarily also blasphemous against God in falsly making him the author of such errors by vainly pretending inspiration which are evidently contrary to what he hath truly revealed by Christ and his Gospel 9. Thirdly Their disowning Christs special Institutions to wit the establishing the Communion of his true Catholick Church and his Ministry and the Holy Sacraments Their disregard to the Communion of the Christian Church and their frequent reproaches against it and the Ministers thereof are very notorious But I shall here chiefly insist on what concerns the Sacraments which Holy institutions they generally disuse and against the use of these their Teachers have both spoken and written Now this is a thing so evil and of such dangerous consequence that besides the disobedience to what our Lord hath constituted and commanded by his plain precepts they hereby reject those things which the Gospel appoints to be eminent means of Communion and Union with the Church and Body of Christ Such things are both the Sacraments both that of Baptism and that of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 12.13 chap. 10.16 17. And this Union and Communion according to the ordinary method of the Gospel Dispensation is necessary to Membership with the Catholick Church And the disowning and rejecting these things is the refusing the means of grace which God hath appointed for the conveying the blessings of his Covenant and particularly the remission of sins to such persons who by performing the other conditions of the Covenant are duly qualified for the receiving the same in the use of these administrations Act. 22.16 Mat. 26.28 Our Lord appointed Baptism to be a part of the condition of obtaining salvation Mar. 16.16 He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved And the ancient Christians had such an high esteem thereof that Tertullian begins his Book de Baptismo on this manner Foelix Sacramentum aquae quia ablutis delictis pristinae caecitatis in vitam aeternam liberamur Happy Sacrament of Baptism because the faults of our former blindness being washed away we are set free unto eternal life And our Lord hath declared that except we eat his flesh and drink his blood we have no life in us Joh. 6.53 and hath appointed the Holy Communion to be an eminent and peculiar way of eating his Body and drinking his Blood And what then can be said for them who grossly neglect and especially for them who declare against and totally reject these Sacred Institutions And if under the Old Testament God was so highly displeased with him who neglected Circumcision as to denounce him to be cut off from his people Gen. 17.14 and declared that they who attended not on the Passeover should bear their sin Num. 9.13 he cannot be pleased with the violating those Institutions which are of an higher nature being established by the Son of God himself under the Gospel 10. Fourthly The Doctrine of perfection as held by them who declare themselves throughly free from sin For this undermines all penitential exercises which take in the great part of the true Christian life and makes void confession of sin and sorrow for it together with prayer and application to the Sacrifice of Christ for remission and a diligent care of amendment We acknowledge and assert that every pious Christian doth overcome the power of sin so that he doth not serve it but lives in the practice of good Conscience towards God and man This is such a life that the Holy Scriptures speak much of the excellency and real holiness and purity thereof
Saints and the beloved City But such things cannot agree to the time of a thousand years after our Saviours second coming nor is there indeed any mention made in the foregoing Verses of Christs coming to Reign here upon Earth And therefore the Millenary Opinion was deservedly rejected and disclaimed by (e) Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. ult Eusebius as being against the true sense of the Prophetical Scriptures 4. But according to the Prophetick stile the living again of those who were dead yea so long dead that their bones were dry is an expression of a Church or State delivered out of affliction and calamity and advanced to a more prosperous and flourishing condition as is manifest from Ezek. 37.2 3 and v. 11 12 13 14. and Isai 26.19 and the continuing under a depressed state is expressed by being so dead as not to rise v. 14. And when the Church or the Saints of the most high are represented to possess the Dominion and Government of the World or that the Empire of the World should become Christian and the Rule and Government thereof be administred by them who professed Christianity this is signified by the Dominion of one like the Son of man and giving him a Kingdom Dan. 7.13 14. and the Saints of the most high possessing the Kingdom v. 18 22. and by being caught up to God and to his Throne Rev. 12.5 which are expressions of like import with that of reigning with Christ 5. But though this mistake of the Chiliasts had so far spread it self that it was entertained by many worthy men in the first ages of the Church I cannot think it to have had so universal a reception in that time as some very learned men are inclined to believe S. Hierome mentions Papias (f) de Script Eccl. in Pap. to be accounted to have given the first rise to this opinion and (g) Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius speaks to the same purpose who also observes him to have been a man of good note and esteem but of a mean judgment and that while he was inquisitive concerning whatsoever he could learn to have been spoken by the Apostles and some Apostolical men he being too credulous delivered some things as Doctrines and Parables spoken by our Saviour which were fabulous In (h) Just Mart. Dial. cum Tryph. Justin Martyr there are plain expressions that himself and many other Christians embraced this Opinion of the Chiliasts but still it appears that he granted other Christians not to own this assertion And when (i) Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 7. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionysius of Alexandria writing against the Book of Nepos an Egyptian Bishop which he had composed to maintain the opinion of the Chiliasts doth declare that this Opinion spread from Arsenoites had occasioned Schisms and defections in some whole Churches in those parts this is a plain evidence that the Churches of Egypt and those under Alexandria had remained free from receiving the error of the Chiliasts till the time of Nepos which was in the beginning of the third Century and divers of them also were soon reduced from it again by the labours and diligence of Dionysius as is expressed in the same place 6. But though this Opinion in its general consideration be an error manifest enough occasioned by the misunderstanding of the Prophetical expressions which suitably to the visions and representations they had of things is more Figurative and Emblematical than other parts of the Scriptures yet that which I chiefly aim at is a far worse superstructure which is built upon this foundation For there have been a furious and fierce sort of men who embracing this error have therewith espoused such pernicious Principles and Practices that the bare naming them is enough to shew them grossly inconsistent with Christianity whilst under a pretence of making way for Christs Kingdom they do in disorderly and unchristian methods set up themselves in opposition to other Governours These are of a seditious temper but are far from being governed by those Laws and Precepts of Christs Kingdom which injoin the necessity of peace and meekness and being subject These men when they think fit are for taking the Sword as was done by Venner and his Company to fight against the Government and Authority which they were bound to submit unto which besides the open Rebellion in resisting the higher Powers with a presumptuous and daring confidence Sect. III. shews such a cruel and bloody Spirit as is extremely contrary to the innocency gentleness and meekness of the Christian Religion These also were of that ambitious and haughty temper that whilst they made use of the name of Christ they attempted thereby to claim to themselves against all right the possession of Authority and rule opposing herein the order of the World the Ordinance of God and the Gospel rules of humility and obedience And this behaviour in all these particulars mentioned is so contrary to the plain Principles of humanity as well as of Christianity that it may be a convictive instance to let all men see into what strange and abominable miscarriages the prevalency of the wretched vanity of a wild Enthusiastick Spirit may misguide those men who are deluded thereby SECT III. Of Anabaptists 1. IN discoursing of those who are ordinarily among us called Anabaptists I shall take no notice of many evil Opinions and cruel Practices which those who go under that name have been guilty of especially in foregin Countries but shall confine my self wholly to the consideration of Anabaptism not in the strict notion of the word but as it is commonly understood amongst us And in this sense it especially includes Antipaedobaptism as denying Infant-Baptism and disowning the persons Baptized in their Infancy from being truly Baptized and thereby Members of the Church and asserting thereupon that it is necessary they should be re-baptized But the evil of this their opposition against the Baptism of Infants consisteth especially in three things 2. First In that the foundation of this Opinion is untrue and gives a false representation of the grace of God in the New Covenant For God by his grace doth receive Infants born in the Church to be under his Covenant and to partake of the benefits and blessings thereof and therefore they ought to be admitted to that Ordinance which is a Seal of that Covenant and contains a particular tender and application of the benefits thereof unto those who are duly qualified to receive them And since this Covenant owneth Infants to be Members of the Church of God they ought not to be debarred from the solemn admission thereunto When God made his Covenant with Abraham he extended it to him and to his Seed and whereas God then appointed Circumcision to be a token of this Covenant Gen. 17.11 and a Seal of the righteousness of faith Rom. 4.11 he still commanded that all the Males in their infancy should be
subject besides that of this particular Congregation 6. But First This is contrary to what the Holy Scriptures declare and all the ancient Churches of God agreeably thereto have practised concerning the right order and Government of the Church What is more evident in the Scriptures than that the several Churches of Christians were under the Authority and Government of the Apostles themselves which is sufficient to manifest that it was no Institution nor intendment of Christ that particular Churches should not be subject to any Superior Ecclesiastical Authority Nor was such Governing Authority peculiar to the Apostles themselves but was by them thought requisite to be committed to the care of others Hence for instance Titus was in Crete appointed by Saint Paul to ordain Elders in every City and to set in order the things which were wanting Tit. 1.5 and other expressions of his Governing or Episcopal power are contained in divers expressions of that Epistle But it must be a strange strength of imagination that can inable any man to conceive that when Crete was a Country almost three hundred miles in length and so greatly peopled that it was very anciently called Hecatompolis as having a hundred great places or Cities within its Territories and Titus was to ordain Elders in every City yet all these should make up but one particular Congregation unto which the power of Titus should be confined 7. And concerning the Authority of Councils it is manifest that upon occasion of some Judaizing Teachers disturbing the Christian Church at Antioch the Council at Jerusalem Act. 15. met together and gave their authoritative decision concerning Circumcision and other Jewish Rites not to be imposed on the Gentile Christians any further than they particularly injoined This may well be called a General Council since it not only pronounced a decisive determination concerning the Universal Church expressing what the Gentiles were not to admit or were obliged to practise and on what terms the Jews were bound to admit and not scruple Communion with the Gentiles but also had in it such persons who being Apostles had an undoubted universal Authority over the whole Church And whereas the decision of the Apostles themselves alone and their Authority had been of it self abundantly sufficient to lay an obligation upon the Christian Church in that particular case the Apostles notwithstanding this took in with them the Elders of the Church to debate and consider of this matter Act. 15.6 which is a sufficient evidence that the Apostles did allow such Elders or Church-Officers as they established in the Church to have a power in Councils to order and determine what related to the affairs of the Church by Synodical Authority for otherwise the Apostles would never have joyned them with themselves to this purpose 8. And S. Paul was so forward and zealous to require a general obedience to the decision of this Council that in his Ministry he delivered to the Cities where he preached the decrees for to keep which were ordained of the Apostles and Elders which were at Jerusalem Act. 16.4 And here that expression of his delivering these Decrees as not only ordained of the Apostles but of the Apostles and Elders also deserves to be considered as thereby laying a more clear and manifest foundation for the Authority of future Synods and Councils of the Officers and Bishops of the Christian Church And it may be further observed that case in which S. Paul rebuked S. Peter Gal. 2. was his not acting according to the rules of this Council and a complying further with the Jewish Rites and the favourers of the Circumcision than was here determined and not being ready to own that liberty of the Gentile Church which was contained in this Synodical decision 9. And consonant hereunto the ancient Christian Churches did all along greatly reverence the authoritative decision of Catholick Councils and Synods the Canons of which are so well known to all men of ordinary reading that he must be a man greatly ignorant of Ecclesiastical affairs who knows nothing of them And in several General and Provincial Councils and in those Canons particularly taken into that ancient Code called the Canons of the Apostles or into the Codes of the Universal Church of the Western Church or the African Church many things were established by them for the peace unity and order of the Church and especially for the promoting purity therein and the degrees of the punishment by suspension deposition excommunication and the continuance thereof upon the offenders are there plainly determined to be a Rule for the several Churches to act by And in these ancient Councils when there was great occasion for such heavy sentences the most eminent Officers or the Bishops of those most renowned places in the Christian Church were deposed or excommunicated by their Synodical Authority and not by their own particular Church Thus was Paulus Samosatenus Bishop of Antioch deposed by the Council at Antioch Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople by the General Council of Ephesus and Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria by the General Council of Chalcedon to which multitudes of other instances may be given And in particular Churches the great and eminent authority fixed in Bishops though the Canons allowed but one Bishop in the greatest City with its precincts is sufficient to shew that the particular Congregations in that City had no such Independency of power and Government So that this branch of Independency opposeth the Apostolical order and the constant practice and sense of all primitive Christian Churches from the Apostles 10. Secondly This notion of Independency lays a foundation for perpetual confusion and division in the Church and subverts the precepts for Christian Unity For according to this Principle so far as concerns power and authority any company of men may set up for themselves apart and multiply Sects and distinct Communions and none having any Superior Government over them these parties and divisions may be perpetuated and subdivided to the scandal and Reproach of Christianity and no way left for any authority in the Christian Church to check and redress them So that this notion is perfectly fitted to serve the interest of Schism and discord and to heighten and increase but is as fully opposite to the Unity and honour of the Christian Religion For if we should admit for the present the scanty and imperfect notion of Schism which Dr. O. (p) Review of Sch. against Mr. Cawdr c. 8 9. hath framed that it is needless divisions of judgement and discord in a particular Congregation when departing from it is no Schism if the guilty party should so far unchristianly foment such discords as to deserve the censure of that Church and shall withal proceed so far as openly to separate and depart from it they have by this means according to this notion after a strange and admirable manner set themselves free and clear both from sin and censure For when they have thus openly separated from
their former Communion they themselves become a distinct particular Congregation and thereby are under no Superior Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction nor can they be authoritatively censured by any and by this open separation they according to this principle are become a particular distinct Church and the Schism is healed and by being parted into two distinct Societies there remains no longer any such division as there was before in one Congregation which is Schism but by going further asunder and separating from one another they are in a wonderful manner brought to Unity in two opposite Congregations And thus by the late rare inventions of men which have been unknown to all former times the rending things asunder and breaking them in pieces are the new found methods to make them one But such a way of Unity if it can please some singular fancies will appear monstrous to the generality of mankind 11. That these notions and practices are great promoters of discord and division is not a bare speculation but hath been manifested by sufficient experience In Amsterdam the separate Communion of the Societies of Mr. Johnson and Mr. Ainsworth under Brownism and in Rotterdam the like of those of Mr. Bridge and Mr. Simpson proceeded upon this principle And this very principle of Independency helped many forward in this Kingdom in our late times of discord to set up new parties of Anabaptists Seekers and other Sects many of which were the off-sets of fermented Independency and its adulterine off-spring And the sad and lamentable relation of the Bermudas Islands called the Summer Islands is also very considerable where after this Congregational way was there undertaken the rejected part are said to have neglected all care of Religion and the gathered or separated part to have run on in dividing till they in a manner lost their Christian Religion in Quakerism And thus many have made a further improvement than the asserters themselves allowed of the allowed liberty for them who (q) Instit o Chur. n. 28. are in Church-fellowship as they call their way to depart from the Communion of the Church where they have walked to join themselves with some other Church where they may injoy the Ordinances in the purity of the same 12. Wherefore this notion of Independency would misrepresent the Christian Society and the Institution of Christ as if whilst Unity was earnestly injoyned therein the state of this Society should be left without that Order and Government which is necessary to preserve it For under this model the Church would be as far from an orderly and regular state as an Army would be when every several Troop or Company were left wholly to themselves and their own pleasure allowing some respect to be had to the conduct of their own Captain and inferiour Officers but not owning any Authority of any General or higher Commander than what is in their own Troop Or it might be somewhat resembled by the state of such an imaginary Kingdom where every Village in the Country and every Parish in a City should have such a chief power within themselves that there should be no appeal for justice to any higher Court nor any other power to punish them but what is executed by themselves If such things as these were put in practice they would not only hinder the serviceableness and usefulness of such an Army or Kingdom if it could be allowed to call them so but here would be also wanting the beauty and comeliness of Unity and Order and a door opened to frequent discords and dissentions 13. Secondly I shall consider their gathering Churches as they call them out of those who were Christian members of the Church of Christ and entring them into their Societies by a particular Covenant made to and with a private Congregation and pretending this Covenant to be the main ground and true way of the establishment and Union of a Church The value they set upon this Covenant may appear from the declaration of the Churches in New England who say (r) Apol. for Ch. Cov. p. 5. First That this is that whereby a company of Christians do become a Church it is the Constitutive form of a Church Secondly This is that by taking hold whereof a particular person becomes a member of a Church And though they frequently speak so fairly to such Christian Churches as do not admit this special Covenant with a single Congregation only as to declare their owning them to be true Churches yet all this cannot well be reconciled with this principle And therefore those of this way in England at their publick meeting speak more openly and more consistently with their own notion when they declared (Å¿) Of Instit of Churches n. 23. every Society assembling for the celebration of the Ordinances according to the appointment of Christ within any civil Precincts and Bounds is not thereby constituted a Church and therefore a Believer living with others in such a precinct may join himself with any Church for his edification But since this in truth is a separating members from that which really is a true part of the Christian Church the Presbyterians truly declared that (t) Pref. to Jus div Regim Eccles gathering Churches out of Churches hath no footsteps in Scripture is contrary to Apostolical practice is the scattering of Churches the Daughter of Schism the Mother of Confusion but the Step mother to Edification But I must acknowledge that the present practices of this party also looks as if they had now laid aside this opinion 14. But this Congregational method doth suppose that Baptized Christians are not obliged by any Church-relation they are already in to Communicate with any particular Church or part of the Christian Church when the natural consequence of the Unity of the Christian Church will be to lay an obligation upon all its members to Communicate with that regular part thereof within whose Precincts they reside And this new notion gives a larger discharge to multitudes of Christians from the duties of Communion than the rules of Religion will allow until they shall enter into such a particular Covenant which is not only unnecessary but unwarrantable also as will hereafter appear And there seemed too much reason for that complaint of the Presbyterians by the Provincial Assembly as they stiled themselves that the removing the Parochial Bounds would open a gap to thousands of people to live like Sheep without a Shepherd and instead of joining with purer Churches to join with no Churches and in a little time as we conceive say they adding in the Margent as our experience abundantly shews it would bring in all manner of profaneness and Atheism And whilst they unwarrantably declare the fixed state of our Church to be such that Christians are not obliged to hold Communion therewith and thereupon both themselves depart from it and teach others to do the like it deserves to be more seriously considered by them than hitherto it hath been how this
considers that Faith or the knowledge of God the vulgar may both have since they may be saved § 8 9 10. and they may have doubts concerning it § 11. and since this Faith is a rational assent § 12. which they who are out of the Church should imbrace § 13. and eminent Wits may be satisfied in § 14. and the most skill'd Adversaries cannot shew its Rule possibly false § 15. and this Rule must assure us what Christ said § 16. From this he gathers seven Properties of the Rule of Faith § 17. 1. It must be plain and self-evident as to its existence unto all 2. Evidenceable as to its Ruling Power to Inquirers even the rude Vulgar 3. Apt to settle and justifie undoubting persons 4. To satisfie fully the Sceptical Dissenters and rational Doubters 5. To convince the most obstinate and acute Adversaries 6. Built upon unmoveable grounds that is absolutely certain in it self 7. And absolutely ascertainable unto us Having given some account of his Discourse I come now to examine whether he hath laid a sufficient foundation to raise from thence the properties of the Rule of Faith and then whether the properties mentioned be rightly raised and do agree to the Rule of Faith The ground he lays from the words Rule and Faith is not sufficiently sure and stable for since these words Rule of Faith even as he treats of them do admit of some ambiguity in their sense it had been necessary to have first declared what was here intended to be signified by them For besides that the phrase of regula fidei or the Rule of Faith is by Irenaeus and Tertullian and other Ancients sometimes made use of for a kind of Creed or comprisal of the chief Articles of Christian Faith I say besides this the word Rule being here a Metaphor the true meaning of it in this place must be searched into Nor doth he sufficiently describe his Rule by saying it is able to regulate or guide him who useth it for still by a Rule may be understood either that which is able to guide him who useth it that by it something to be inquired after may be discovered knowably or else a Rule is that from which all things about which such a Rule may be made use of may receive the most exact perfect and compleat way of trial and discovery Now that is not the Rule of Faith by which a man may be guided to believe some Divine revealed truths or most truths which yet may either misguide in some others or not most exactly guide to the knowledge of them but it is that by which all Divine revealed truths are sufficiently discovered by which there may be had the best determination of all Questions about such truths which are necessary to be decided and which is the most sure and firm ground of believing every Divine revealed truth The want of considering and observing this hath cast this Author upon a threefold miscarriage First He hath omitted the most principal and necessary property of the Rule of Faith which is that it is the way to know try and determine all matters of Faith or revealed Truth and that it is sufficient to do all this so far as it is requisite it should be done For if this property be omitted all those laid down by this Discourser will not have light enough to discover which is the Rule of Faith certainly and infallibly For instance this sentence God Created the Heavens and the Earth or any other such like so delivered to us that it appears certainly to come from God though it cannot be called a Rule of Christian Faith because it contains not so much Divine truth as is necessary either for every mans Salvation or for the determining Controversies in Religion so far as it is requisite they should be decided and this is received as much amongst the unbelieving Jews as amongst Christians yet all the properties mentioned by this Discourser may be applied unto it as much as to the Rule of Faith 1. It may be to all self-evident as to its existence That there is such a truth delivered 2. It may be knowable to have a ruling power even to the Vulgar 3. It may settle them who undoubtingly receive it 4. It may satisfie either Dissenters or Doubters 5. It may convince Adversaries 6. It may be certain in it self and 7. Ascertainable to us A Second miscarriage hence arising is That in this Treatise he useth the phrase of the Rule of Faith in a very uncertain fallacious and ambiguous sense sometimes to signifie one thing and sometimes another For under Faith as he treats of it he sometimes includes all Divine revealed truth so far as to a general ending of Controversies about them So Praef. § 7. he saith Controversie or the skill to know what is Faith if a Science must be grounded on some self-evident Principle and soon after he tells us he hath indeavoured to shew the first Principle Catholicks proceed on self-evident and this he calls the first principle in controversie Where it is plain he includes under Faith all Divine revealed truths concerning which there are any Controversies raised But in Disc 1. § 8. where he lays as a ground that the Vulgar are to be saved that is are to have Faith or the knowledge of God he cannot mean that they must be surely and rationally determined as he grants Faith must be such an assent in all points of Faith about which there is any Controversie for it is plainly evident that even amongst the Papists the Learned men have not been determined in all points de Fide by the help of their Tradition So by the Rule of Faith he sometimes means an only way to come to Faith as Disc 2. § 9 10. he saith Faith is not possible to be had without the Rule of Faith other times he understands by it only a sufficient way to come to Faith as Disc 1. § 8 9. he calls it the means to arrive at Faith or come to Faith Sometimes he calls it the ordinary way to Faith so Corol. 1. and yet thence concludes none can pretend to have Faith who hold not to the true Rule and yet as having his heart misgiving him in this confidence he saith Disc 1. § 11. The Rule of Faith is the best if not the only means to come to the knowledge of Faith Now to treat of the Rule of Faith in such a manner as not to keep to one sense but some time by his Rule to mean an only way sometimes a sufficient way sometimes an ordinary way other times the best if not the only way and by Faith of which it is the Rule sometimes to understand such Faith as is in all the believing Vulgar and at other times under Faith to take in all Controversie about matters revealed of God this is a strange jumbling of different things together and as it discovers much want of accurateness and rational proceeding in the Author so
of Faith That it must be apt to settle and justifie those unlearned persons who rely undoubtingly upon it that this may be done such a person he saith must proceed on such Principles as he takes to be true ones Thus he cannot act in receiving Scripture because as he can himself have no self-evidence of its being Gods Word so it is senseless for men to believe a multitude which sayes it may possibly err in what it tells them Or if here skill in History Language or Fathers may secure them from error this he cannot judge of And principally when he considers that they who pretend to Scripture differ and condemn and persecute each other his reason will tell him that since there is but one truth for want of the light or directive power of that Rule they all but one party and may be that also go miserably astray To this I answer The Principles which he relies on who closeth with Scripture are such as may abundantly satisfie him which indeed will follow from what was said to the former Discourse concerning the rational evidence he hath of the Scripture What he adds that it is senseless to receive Scriptures as Gods Word from the delivery of a multitude who say they may possibly err is if not a senseless yet a very unaccountable Assertion Will he think that nothing can be credited that is seen by the eye because in a mist or some dark place the eye may be possibly mistaken or can there be nothing truly known by the understanding of a man because he who is Master of the best reason may in some things misapprehend if this Author would thus argue he must disclaim all pretences to demonstrations and Science yea and certainty likewise in all things in the World We know in common affairs that all men are capable of being mistaken where they have not sufficient evidence and yet we do not thence discredit the preservation of Records and Charters as if that could be no way assured since we know men are capable here of sufficient evidence to inform them and Protestants are no more fallible nor acknowledge themselves no more fallible than all men are that is they may be deceived where they have not sufficient light and evidence to discern by but where they have this light and discern and receive it there they neither are nor can be deceived and such evidence as we have shewed they have of the Scriptures so that the knowledge thus grounded in Protestants is infallibly certain not from the infallibility of the persons as if they were no where liable to error but from the infallibleness of the clear evidence of truth which whoever receives is certainly as to that thing so evidenced free from error Yet we receive Gods Word not only from the delivery of Protestants but of all ancient Churches who yet were and owned themselves to be men subject to error Yea the Church of Rome and even the Council of Trent who pretend to infallibility do also deliver all the Books we receive but we have no more reason to believe them for this pretence than we should have to believe certainly all that man shall say who hath the confidence to declare his tongue not liable to utter falshood when we can certainly know this very speech cannot be truth There is nothing else in these Paragraphs which hath not been before answered saving what he objects concerning the differences amongst Protestants which do not conclude Scripture which is our Rule either uncertain or not sufficiently clear For there are many things which many men over eagerly inquire after and too rashly determine which it may be God did not think fit to determine in his word though all things requisite and necessary are clear enough and there are many things clear enough in the Scripture to diligent inquirers whilst some err about them by too hastily closing with some conceptions of their own not grounded on sufficient evidence and then too passionately promoting of them and in neither of these cases the Rule is to be blamed but the persons and to one of these heads belong all our differences This same Argument was urged both by Jews and Heathens and particularly by Celsus against Christian Religion as is related by Clem. Alex. Strom. 7. Orig. lib. 3. cont Cels who pleaded that Christian Religion was not to be heeded and believed because they who professed it differed so much from each other or opposed contradicted and blamed each other and many Heresies were spread amongst them To which they returned answer That such differences were common in all cases where men entertained any thing by their judgments if the things were any way eminent and excellent such there was amongst Philosophers who were Gentiles and such amongst the followers of Judaism so that he who would close with this Argument must reject all ways of knowledge and professions of Religion They observed likewise that men will not refuse all Physick because amongst Physicians there are many various opinions nor will Travellers refuse to go in the Kings High-way because some went out of this Road-way to by-paths which bring them to Precipices nor should we for this reject the Scriptures and Christian Religion but more diligently seek into them since it is foretold that there must be Heresies and that the Tares will be with the Wheat To this purpose those Fathers answered for Christianity and the same answer pleads for us But if this Author do indeed believe that there cannot be evidence enough in that Rule where they who profess to follow it are of different opinions let him begin at home and put it into practice and it will ingage those of the Romish Communion to renounce their Rule of Faith since it is plainly evident that there have been many different opinions and high animosities amongst the pretended followers of that Rule not only formerly amongst the followers of different School-men and their different Orders of the Clergy but also more of late amongst the Jesuits and the Priests of other Orders more especially the Jansenists and the same continue to this day To all this I shall add that if by reason of the things objected by this Authour the Scripture be not now sufficient to justifie him in his belief who shall receive it as a Rule then by the same reason were the Beraeans to be condemned who searched the Scriptures to examine the Apostles Doctrine for which S. Luke commends them Act. 17.11 Nor could they justifie Timothy's receiving them from a Child yet S. Paul commends that in him and sayes they were able to make him wise unto Salvation 1 Tim. 3.15 For as they could have no more self evidence of Scripture than we have so they received these Scriptures from men whom themselves believed to be fallible for the Scriptures they received as delivered by the Jewish Church which if they had not judged fallible they could not have given heed to the Apostles Doctrine
consent in all material things Nor can I imagine that either this Author or any understanding Papist can believe this story for since it appears to be much their design to bring the New Testament and Old likewise so far into question that it might not be capable of being a Rule if they thought in truth that Archbishop Vsher observed so much of various readings as would effectually do this it cannot be doubted they would soon collect and publish such various readings or procure some other to do it unless they do imagine that that was observed by Bishop Vsher which cannot be observed by any other man Now as their not performing this perswades us Protestants that the Papists themselves do not believe this story so it discovers to us that we have no reason at all to believe it our selves Thus having discovered the Doubts moved by this Discourser not to be acute and convictive we conclude that this Property notwithstanding these Doubts doth belong to Scripture that it is defensible against the most acute Adversaries and there is sufficient evidence concerning it to prevail with them An Answer to the fourth Discourse shewing that the two last Properties of the Rule of Faith do agree to Scripture § 1. THese two last Properties are Certainty in it self and ascertainableness to us That the latter cannot agree to Scripture is the subject he saith of his foregoing Discourse and depends upon the former its being certain in it self What he urged in his foregoing Discourse I have in mine answered and shall now examine what he writes against the certainty of Scripture § 2. To shew Scripture not certain in it self he tells us the material Characters in Books may be burnt torn blotted out or worn out and this he calls a deep consideration because it would be a disorderly proceeding to lay such a weak means for so main an end as the salvation of mankind These are indeed but vain and empty words which he calleth his deep consideration For doth this Author imagine that there is no certainty in any other Records which are preserved because they consist of matter capable of perishing and where did he learn that nothing which is not of the most unalterable nature in the World must be made the means of mans salvation Let this deep Considerer think whether after the Promise to Abraham of the Messias to come out of Isaac's Seed this Seed could not be a means for the Salvation of mankind because Isaac might possibly have been killed before he had any Seed and all his Children were mortal men and was there not a much greater possibility then of Isaac's death before he had any Seed or of all his Seed after than there now is of all the Copies of Scripture being destroyed And may not the same be urged concerning the Seed of David and Solomon Yea so perniciously dangerous are the assertions of this Authour that they would tempt men to reject the ever-blessed Jesus as well as the Scriptures But dare he say that the life and Ministry of our Lord Jesus could not be a means for the salvation of mankind because he was in our nature lyable to death and to him who only considers this nature it might seem possible he might have died before he had declared all Gospel-Doctrine But this empty and vain consideration of this Author hath its foundation either in imagining the World without a God to order it or at least in supposing that the means of mans salvation must have their effect from the strength of nature and not from God who can use the weak things of the World to confound the Mighty But the Scriptures are not so lyable to be destroyed as any thing else in nature as this Authour falsely asserts Was there but one Copy to be found as it was in Josiah's time if this was in the hands of a professed enemy to Religion there might be fear of the Scriptures being lost if we had no eye to Divine Providence But since there are so many millions of Copies and the number yearly increased and these in the hands of many thousands who would hazard their lives to preserve them there will appear more reason to fear that all the generation of mankind now growing up should perish and die before they come to their full stature and so mankind cease for want of propagation than to imagine that all the Copies of Scripture should be destroyed For as it is certain that in every generation many thousands die in their infancy or childhood so there can be no demonstration nor rational proof that all shall not unless it be by considering the Providence of God and as a Copy of Scripture is in it self much more durable than the life of a man as appears by many Copies written several ages since and these Copies are more capable of lying undiscovered from the eye of an enemy than a man is who must be where he may have food to preserve him so there is as much reason to eye or hand of Providence in preserving Scripture as in preserving mankind For these Scriptures never could be destroyed when there were not such innumerable Copies as now there are When the Jews only had these Oracles of God many learned men are of opinion that Manasseh and some that Amon designed the destroying all Scripture Copies yet there was one left which was found in the Temple and brought to Josiah Antiochus Epiphanes as Josephus relates Antiqu. Jud. lib. 12. c. 7. made the same attempt but could not effect it And after Christ the same was indeavoured by Dioclesian Euseb Hist Eccl. lib. 7.20 but such designs prevailed not and yet then there was not probably one Copy of Scripture for some hundreds now Yea further if the case should be such that no Copy of Scripture was to be found it is not impossible with God who could have raised Isaac from the dead if he had been slain by extraordinary messengers to renew the Scriptures if they were not otherwise to be had God hath taken other care by his Providence for their preservation yet those ancient Fathers as Tertullian de Habitu Muliebr c. 3. Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. Irenaeus advers Haeres lib. 3. c. 25. and S. Hierome c. who were of opinion that the Scriptures then written were lost at the time of the Captivity did assert them again restored by Ezra But that Position of the Scriptures then being lost is exploded by the most learned and judicious Papists such as Baronius ad An. 180. Bellarmine and others not only as being an Apocryphal story contradicted in Neh. 8.1 2. but by Baronius in the place cited it is expresly declared not possible that since they had at least as many Copies of Scripture as Synagogues yet none of them should be preserved Much less can they now be lost since it is not improbable that there are now as many thousands of Copies as were then Jewish Synagogues Hence we may observe that
appellation of Catholick they must be content with other names as Lutherans Zuinglians Protestants c. He who observes the former part of this Paragraph will find it to be an acknowledging all his former Discourse ineffectual for if the formerly mentioned Motives may want application if Discipline be neglected and false tenets may be taking if Governours be not vigilant than all the pretended security of truth being preserved in the way of Oral Tradition must depend upon the supposed goodness and care of such persons as are to administer the Discipline of the Church and since there have been many bad Councils it is certain there have been bad and careless Church Governours and there cannot any security be given that these Governours might not sometimes cherish the false Doctrines and oppose the true and thereby the more effectually destroy the way of Oral Tradition But though there may be defection from truth this Discourser here seems to venture to find a way how the deliverers of Tradition may be known I will now examine all his Characters above recited First They who forsake truth are not alwaies an inconsiderable number in respect of the other When the ten Tribes served the Calves in Dan and Bethel they were a greater number than those who remained to Worship at Jerusalem In Elijah's time it was in Israel but a small number in comparison of the whole that did not bow their knees to Baal In the time when Christ was first manifested in the flesh the Dissenters from the Scribes and Pharisees in their pernicious Doctrines were not the greater number and when Arianism most prevailed the greater part of the Christian Church did acknowledge and own it for truth so that if the greater number have oft imbraced false Doctrine in points of Faith there can be no evidence from such numbers which is the true Doctrine Secondly Nor can the Professors of the true Doctrine be known by standing upon an uninterrupted succession of Doctrine publickly attested if by this he understands as he must the Oral and not the Scriptural way of attesting though even in the latter some may stand upon having what they have not and so likewise in the former for by this Rule the Scribes and Phasees and Talmudists who stand upon a constant succession of their Doctrine from Moses and Ezra must be acknowledged to hold truth where they differ from and contradict the Apostles and Christians nor can there be any reason why standing upon Tradition from Christ should be a security for truth when standing upon Tradition from Moses who was a faithful deliverer was no security yea by this Rule as hath been before observed Paganism would be defended for a true Religion and the Jews worshipping of Baalim and in the Christian state the Heresie of Artemon denying the Divinity of Christ since all these pretended a right to the most publick and open way of Oral Tradition Thirdly Nor are they to be accounted for Hereticks who make use of Criticisms for though nothing more than common reason and capacity is necessary to understand the main Doctrines of Christian Faith yet if all the users of Critical Learning in matters of Religion or points of Faith were to be condemned for Hereticks then not only Learned Protestants but all the most eminent writers among the Papists must be accounted Hereticks yea and even all the Fathers who have left any Books to us of considerable bigness must be taken into the number Yea the blessed Apostle S. Paul made use of Critical observation against the leven of the false Apostles in the Churches of Galatia Gal. 3.16 To Abraham and his Seed were the promises made he saith not unto Seeds as of many but as of one And to thy Seed that is Christ Yet I suppose this Discourser will not dare to say that S. Paul was in the error or Heresie because he made use of Criticisms and his opposers in the truth who pleaded a successively delivered Doctrine amongst the Jews Fourthly Nor can the true receivers of Christian Doctrine be known by being called Catholicks for first though the name of a Catholick be deservedly honoured by Christians and the persons who truly answer that name yet it was not the name whereby the Apostles did first call them who held the true Christian Faith but they were called Christians yea some both of the Ancients and of the Learned Moderns assert that this name of Catholick was not at all in use in the Apostles daies however that which then was not the chief name commonly applied to them who hold the truth can by no shew of reason be proved to be now the Character to know which hold the true Faith Secondly is it necessary they must be called Catholicks by all men or only by themselves and men of their own way if it be sufficient that they of their own way call them Catholicks then even the Arians must be acknowledged to have held the truth who published their Confession in the presence of Constantius under the name of the Catholick Faith as is asserted by Athanasius De Synodis Arim. and Seleucia and by this Rule Papists indeed will come in but if this was enough who sees not that it would be in the power of any party of men to evidence to the world that their Heresies are truths by their declaring themselves by the name of Catholicks But if it be necessary that they must be generally called Catholicks by them who differ from them then it would likewise follow that it is in the power of the Adversaries of the truth to take away from the holders of truth that certain Character whereby they may be known to hold truth if they refuse to call these holders of truth by the name of Catholick and it will likewise follow that their holding of truth must be judged of by the opinions or words of opposers and not from their own Doctrines and Positions And yet by this Rule the Papists must not be owned for holders of the truth for Protestants do not generally give them the name of Catholicks nor acknowledge them to be truly such but to be Schismaticks We indeed oft call them by the name of Roman Catholicks or Pseudocatholicks and when ever any Protestants call them Catholicks they mean those who call themselves so and would be so owned in the same manner as our Saviour called the Scribes and Pharisees Builders saying he was the stone which the builders refused Thirdly Nor is it possible there should be any such latent virtue in the name Catholick to shew who hold the truth more than was in the Old Testament in being called the Children of the Prophets and the Covenant which God made with Abraham the followers of Moses and the Keepers of the Law which were terms applied to the unbelieving Jews in and after the times of Christ Fifthly Nor is it the mark of an Heretick to be called by some other appellation than that of Catholick for if
of this Principle of making Scripture our Rule that if any Christians should live under such a Power as this Author speaks of should be a self-condemning tyranny over mens consciences if in this case Subjects make Scripture their Rule they must live in patience meekness peace humility and subjection to the Higher Powers and it must be from pride wrath passion malice and refusing to be subject all which are directly contrary to the Scriptures that all Rebellion against Government must proceed Whence amongst the Primitive Christians where the Laws of their Persecutors commanded them the worship of a Deity and yet punished them for worshipping the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and Christ his Son with the holy Spirit which is the only God and the Christians knew there was none else and punished them for not worshipping as Gods them whom they knew were no gods yet in this case the Christian Principles which the Scripture delivers kept them in all loyal subjection to their Governours If this Principle of making Scripture every where our Rule both as to Faith and Life be prevalent as it will guide us aright into the truth so it will end all quarrels silence all animosities and contentions and would reduce the world to such a perfect state of quiet peace friendship and love as never yet flourished upon the face of the Earth § 5. He tells us The use of this Discourse is to conclude the deserters of the way of Tradition to be very few to which he hath received our answer § 3. and the Cause laid to preserve Traditionary Christians is far more steady than that laid to preserve mankind I have answered his comparison of Tradition and Propagation § 1. But if he will be so confident as to tell his Reader that the way of Tradition is as surely supported as the Propagation of mankind I would only advise him to be so ingenuous as to speak plainly out his meaning and say that as in mankind the causes for keeping intire the nature of man are such that no company in the World ever pretended themselves to be of the nature of man who really were not so the way to preserve Tradition is such that no Society of men ever did pretend to have received and held this truth when indeed they had it not and if he would thus do he might amuse his Reader but would never deceive him having before told him that there have been many Hereticks in the World and that even amongst these the way of continuing Heresie is the propagating of it by the way of Tradition An Answer to his eighth Discourse shewing that uninterruptedness of Tradition is not proved à posteriori § 1. HE declares That he will trie to conclude the indeficiency of Tradition from such an effect as can only spring from Traditions indeficiency of its Cause § 2. he saith this seems needless against Protestants who yield the points of Faith we agree in to have come down by this way of Tradition He presseth therefore from Protestants a candid Answer to these Queries 1. Was not the Trinity Incarnation and all other Points in which we agree held in all Ages since Christ by Gods Church 2. Whether seeing those points were held ever of Faith Fathers did not actually teach Children so or the former Age the latter if so they came down by Tradition 3. By what virtue did Tradition perform this and whether the same virtue was not as powerful to bring down other things had any such been 4. Is there not a necessary connexion between such a constant cause and its formal effect so that if its formal effect be those Points received as delivered ever the proper Cause must be an ever-delivery But because he fears the Protestant will flie off here he will follow his designed method Sure he rather supposed the Protestant could easily baffle these fancies than that he would flie from such shadows To the 1. Qu. I answer That if we indeed understand by Gods Church that number of Christians who have intirely and constantly held all the Principles of Christian Religion they must needs have held these great truths likewise But many have pretended to be Gods Church who held them not Nor hath this belief been alwaies preserved in the Churches who once imbraced it since the Eastern Churches who before received the true Doctrine of Christ were drawn aside by the Arian infection and denied those points which shews Tradition not certainly enough to preserve these points in any particular Church To the 2. Qu. I answer That in the Church of God which ever held these points Fathers did teach their Children these Doctrines yet were they not only nor chiefly continued by the way of Oral Tradition For the Primitive Christians made Scripture their Rule as shall be after shewed from their Writings and Fathers taught Children chiefly then by what they read and received by the writings of the Scriptures And the Children of these Parents had not only their Parents teaching but they had also the Scriptures read among them and perused by them and by this means in the Primitive times were these Doctrines continued That the Apostolical Doctrine was continued in the Church chiefly from the Scriptures Irenaeus testifies even of those Primitive times Adversus Haeres lib. 4. c. 63. The Doctrine of the Apostles is the true knowledge which is come even unto us being kept without fiction by the most full handling of the Scriptures That Christians then received their instruction in the Church chiefly from Scriptures he likewise sheweth lib. 5. c. 20. where he exhorts to flie from the Opinion of the Hereticks and flie unto the Church and be brought up in its bosom and be nourished by the Lord's Scriptures For saith he the Paradise of the Church is planted in this World therefore the Spirit of God saith Ye shall eat food of every tree of the Paradise that is eat ye of every Scripture of the Lord. For very many more testimonies and those very clear I refer to what shall be purposely discoursed in answer to his consent of Authority Yea such was the esteem of the use of Scripture that in the Primitive times before their Children were taught matters of human literature they were instructed in the holy Scriptures Thus was Origen brought up Eus Hist Eccl. lib. 6. c. 3. and Eusebius Emissenus according to the common custom of their Country in like manner first learned the Scriptures Sozom. Hist Eccl. lib. 3. cap. 5. To his 3. Qu. Were it certain that these truths had been preserved by the way of Oral Tradition only in the true Church of God as indeed they have not been yet this is not by any such virtue in the way of Tradition as would secure the right delivery of all other things For this is wholly contingent in respect of Tradition depending upon this supposal that in such a Society it hath alwaies been rightly delivered and rightly received which
to be in many things blameable more than the Papists at this day as dissimulation infidelity and the like which were the faults by Leo charged on the Manichees but not by Gelasius charged on them he writes of but still in that fault for which Gelasius condemns them he writes against the Papists at this day are altogether guilty of it that is in dividing the Sacrament or not receiving both Bread and Wine which he saith cannot be without great Sacriledge Nor can any here make a third reply upon any rational ground that it then was Sacrilegious to have administred only in one kind because the known practice and Canons of the Roman Church required administration in both kinds But since it hath in after times declared this practice mutable and ordered the Communion to be given only in one kind it is not now sacrilegious For this answer will not agree with the intent of these words and the Doctrine formerly received in the Roman Church The reason why Gelasius declared it great sacriledge to take this Sacrament in one kind alone is intimated sufficiently in this Canon not to refer to the Churches Constitution but the Sacraments Institution in that he calls both species or kinds one and the same Mysterie and sayes this one and the same Mysterie cannot be divided without grand sacriledge which is to referr us to the nature of the thing it self and its Institution as being not mutable Yea further the ancient Tradition of the Roman Church held as a Point of Doctrine that the Elements in the Eucharist ought to be administred according to what Christ instituted that is the Bread and Wine to be given to the Laity distinctly and separately because Christ gave them so then cannot this third Reply reconcile the present Doctrine of the Roman Church with what was formerly delivered To shew this I could produce many testimonies but shall only instance in Julius a Roman Bishop in a Canonical Epistle to the Bishops of Egypt recorded also in Gratian de Consecrat Dist 2. Cum omne Where he declares that he had heard of some who contrary to the Divine Orders and Apostolical Institutions consecrated Milk instead of Wine others who deliver to the people the Eucharist dipped For it is read in the truth of the Gospel Jesus took Bread and the Cup and having blessed it gave it to his Disciples But for that they gave the Eucharist dipped to the people they have received no testimony produced out of the Gospel in which he commends to us his body and his blood for the commendation is rehearsed separately of the Bread and separately of the Cup. In which words he makes Christs Institution a Rule by which he condemns other practices different from it and from this Institution he requires that both the Bread and the Cup be separately given and this even with reference to the Laity or as he speaks to the people to whom it was delivered and by this Rule he condemned the giving the Bread dipped in Wine whereas both should be given asunder so doth Gelasius by the same condemn the receiving only in one kind when it should be received in both All this considered the former Tradition of the Roman Church may from this instance appear to condemn the late Tradition as sacrilegious and therefore I may conclude that the same Tradition hath not been alwayes kept to as may appear by preserved Monuments out of which instances may be easily multiplied An Answer to his ninth Discourse shewing that the way of Oral Tradition in the Church hath not so much strength as other matters of Humane Authority § 1. BVt saith he some may say all this is nature if the Objector means reason wrought upon by Motives laid by Gods special goodness to bring man to bliss I wonder what else is supernaturality But this point is out of my road otherwise than to shew how Christian Tradition is strengthened above the greatest humane testimony whatever by those Motives which we rightly call assistances of the Holy Ghost Not to examine his Notion of supernaturality and the assistances of the Holy Ghost because they concern not the Discourse in hand I shall only tell him what Protestants or any other men who are true to reason would say to this Discourse and that is that what he hath said hitherto is of so low natural evidence and so far from reason that in this way the Christian can have no more evidence of the truth of Christian Religion than an Heathen may have of the truth of Paganism nor is there any such certainty in Tradition concerning the main Body of Christs Doctrine as is comparable to many other matters of humane testimony § 2 3. He observes the Mahometans Tradition for Mahomets existence will convey the truth thereof to the Worlds end if followed and Protestants acknowledge it hath had the force hitherto to be followed And the Tradition in the Church for the main Body of Christs Doctrine far exceeds that of the Turks for Mahomets existence because supposing the quality of the testifiers equal much greater multitudes in divers Countreys were testifiers of Christs Doctrine being converted by powerful Miracles than the few witnesses of Mahomets existence it is easier for those few Syrians or Arabians to conspire to a lye than for these Christians nor can Christians be so easily mistaken concerning Christian Doctrine In answer to this I in the first place grant That there is an Historical Traditionary certainty amongst the Turks concerning the existence of Mahomet and it is very reasonable that rather more should be allowed to the Tradition of Christians than of Mahometans But that it may truly appear how far Tradition may be relyed on for the conveyance of truth we must distinctly consider the matters delivered Of which some things there are which are not probably capable of mistake nor liable to be perverted and to receive a mixture of much falshood and have this advantage that the delivery of them from one to another doth still continue and no interest perswades the generality of men to deny or indeavour the concealing of them Now all these properties agree to the assertion of Mahomets existence amongst the Turks to the delivery of the Being of a God among the Gentiles to Moses being the great Prophet among the Jews and to Jesus being the Christ and I may add S Peter and S. Paul c. being his Apostles among the Christians thus the fame of a good or true Writer may be continued amongst Historians and in these things and many other such like I will grant it is not only possible but probable that Tradition may convey a certainty But there are other things lyable to mistake whence in many matters of common fame sufficiently known to the first Relater by the misapprehension of them who hear the relation the ordinary report is oft-times false or else 2. They are subject to be perverted or are concealed and not delivered which hath been
of the Apostles and Evangelists the common delivery by word of mouth which Theophilus had heard of concerning matter of Christian Religion was not so certain as the Evangelical writing and therefore this Gospel was written that Theophilus might know the certainty of those things S. John would not have written his Gospel to this end that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God Joh. 20.31 if he did not think this writing should direct and rule our Faith S. Paul would not have told his Philippians Phil. 3.1 To write the same things for you is safe unless notwithstanding the force of delivery by word of mouth they stood in need of this advantage of the Apostles writing for their safety and establishment nor yet would this be safe for them unless this writing was sufficient to effect this establishment which could not be unless it was a Rule of Faith Yea that the writing of Scripture was the way by which the spirit of God intended to preserve the Doctrine of Faith in after times when the Apostles were deceased S. Peter declares 2 Pet. 1.12 I will not be negligent to put you alwaies in remembrance of these things though you know them v. 15. I will indeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things alwaies in remembrance And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle useth signifies to make a short comprisal of things for the help of memory Now if this was the design of S. Peters Epistle it will necessarily follow that the preserving Christian Doctrine in memory is best secured by the Written Word of God otherwise possibly they could not have been able to have these things in remembrance And lest if this Apostle had said no more of this subject any might have objected that he endeavoured they might be able to have these things in remembrance by Tradition he himself directly shews that this is the advantage of his writing and the end of both his Epistles 2 Pet. 3.1 This second Epistle beloved I write unto you in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance So that notwithstanding the force of delivery by word of mouth he thought writing necessary to keep these things in their remembrance And Jesus himself said to the Jews If you believe not Moses writings how shall you believe my words John 5.47 SECT II. What the Synod of Lateran owned for the Rule of Faith NExt his search after Scriptures this Author pretends to give the Judgement of some few Councils which he asserts to own Oral Tradition for the Rule of their Faith I might here mind him that others of his Church have delivered that Councils owned Scripture as their Rule Nicol. de Cusa a Cardinal of the Roman Church lib. 2. de Concordant Cath c. 6. sayes That the manner of the General Councils was to have the holy Gospels placed in the middle where they were assembled And a little after he adds Matters of Faith were first treated of The Synod decreed according to the testimonies of the Scriptures But to examine his Testimonies The first is from the Synod of Lateran which was no ancient Synod being above six hundred and forty years after Christ They say We all confirm unanimously and consonantly consonanter not consequently with one heart and mouth the Tenets and Sayings of the holy Fathers adding nothing to those things which were delivered by them and we believe so as the Fathers have believed we preach so as they have taught These words are delivered indeed by that Synod but if that Synod be enquired into this will make little for Oral Tradition This Synod of Lateran was held under Pope Martin against the Monothelites in which were read the Testimonies of several Fathers S. Ambrose Austin Basil Cyrill Hippolytus Epiphanius Chrysostom Justine Athanasius Hilary Nyssen Nazianzen Leo and others with reference to whose words the Synod added We all confirm c. Where it is observable they proceeded upon the written Testimonies read out of the Fathers to determine what was the Doctrine of the Fathers and this is no way of Oral Tradition nor any thing rejected but highly approved by Protestants Yea here the Bishop of Rome and his Roman Council own that as Catholick Doctrine which was delivered in the Writings of the Fathers and eminent Writers in other Churches which is not this Discoursers way And it is further observable that these sayings of the Fathers no way appear to be the Rule of their Faith but are owned by them as Truths unto which they all agree whence these words Dogmata patrum omnes firmamus we all confirm their Doctrines cannot signifie that they make these their Rule but that they consent with them in the things alledged and confirm their saying to be truth And this Protestants will do as well as the Synod of Lateran But that we may enquire what appears to have been the Rule of this Synod it is observable that none of the Fathers Testimonies here cited against the Monothelites who denyed two wills in Christ refer to any Oral Tradition but very many to several grounds of Scripture For instance Leo Bishop of Rome is by Pope Martin produced in the opening that Synod that Christ said According to the form of God I and my Father are one but according to the form of a servant I came not to do my own will but his who sent me where he plainly manifests two wills Again from Leo He who was incarnate for us by his uncreated will and operation of his Divinity of his will wrought Miracles whence he testifies saying As the Father raiseth the dead and quickens them so the Son quickneth whom he will by his created will and operation he who is God above nature as man willingly underwent hunger thirst reproach sorrow and fear and this again the Evangelist testifies saying he went into an house and would have none know but could not lye hid and again They went through Galilee and he would not that any should know And again he would go into Galilee also they gave him Wine mingled with Gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink So S. Austin Ambrose Cyril c. in their testimonies read in this Council to prove the humane will of Christ urge farther If it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt My soul is sorrowful to death Now is my soul troubled And Deus-dedit Bishop of Sardinia declared in this Council that the testimony of Cyrill of urging those Texts was for the perfect refuting those Hereticks S. Austin is likewise produced thus glossing concerning Christs Humane Nature If we say he was not sorry when the Gospel saith My soul is exceeding sorrowful if we say he did not eat when the Gospel saith he did eat the worm of rottenness creepeth in and there will be nothing left sound then his body was not real nor his flesh real but
letters are Barbarians as to our speech Cap. 5. He saith Tradition being thus in the Church let us come to that proof which is from Scripture and so spends several Chapters in shewing the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles out of Scriptures From what hath been observed it is evident 1. That the Hereticks Irenaeus dealt with were in some thing of the Spirit of this Discourser that is only for their own Tradition and would neither be tryed by Scriptures nor any other Tradition but what was amongst themselves as our Discourser will disown tryal by Scriptures and by what was delivered in the Fathers Writings or Councils Cor. 14. and from all other Churches but the Roman Church Cor. 13 17. 2. That the reason why he so much insisted upon Tradition was because these Hereticks as they denied Scripture so they pretended to the best Tradition which way of his arguing speaks not Tradition the Rule of Faith but of considerable use in this case even as if we should dispute with a Pagan who owns not Christian Revelation concerning the truth of Christian Religion the using rational Arguments against him will shew that we count them very useful in this case but will not conclude that we own reason and not revelation for a Rule of Faith so if a Christian shall urge the Doctrine of the Old Testament as sufficient and certain against the Jew it would be a vain consequence to inferr that he makes this only and not the New Testament-Revelation the Rule of his Christian Faith 3. That Irenaeus did not think the urging the present Tradition of the Church sufficient against those Hereticks but thought it necessary to have recourse to the ancient Churches Tradition and this Doctrine of the ancient Church he evidenceth sufficiently from the writings as also from the verbal testimonies of them who were famous in the ancient Church and Protestants are as ready as any to appeal to the ancient Church and had we such a man as Polycarp who conversed with S. John we would receive his testimony as far as Irenaeus did But having only ancient Writings which Irenaeus thought sufficient in the case of Tradition we readily appeal to them 4. That when Irenaeus saies the Apostles Tradition is manifest in the whole World lib. 3. c. 3. or lib. 1. c. 3. though there be divers tongues in the World yet the vertue of Tradition is one and the same That is the Church in the whole World believes and delivers the same Faith He speaks this against those Hereticks about those great Articles of Faith That there is one God and one Jesus Christ c. as himself expresseth lib. 1. c. 2. and lib. 3. c. 3. for even in the time of Irenaeus there was not in all the World an agreement in all Doctrines since Victor Bishop of Rome and Irenaeus did not agree in this whether it was Lawful to Excommunicate the Asian Churches for their different observation of Easter Eus Hist Eccl. lib. 5. c. 6. Now is this any consequence That Doctrine which teacheth one God c. against those Hereticks was generally continued in the Church till Irenaeus his time which was not two hundred years after Christ therefore all Doctrine must certainly be preserved without corruption in the Churches Delivery above sixteen hundred Years after Christ though we certainly know that besides Protestants other Churches do not now deliver the same things 5. When he said Ought we not to have followed Tradition if the Apostles had not left us the Scriptures He saith not we ought to do so now they have left them but rather in these words intimates the contrary But now more directly to see his opinion of the Rule of Faith consider these words of his lib. 3. c. 1. The Gospel they then preached they after delivered to us by the Will of God in the Scriptures to be the foundation and pillar of our Faith And then shewing how the Evangelists have delivered to us by Writing saith If any man assent not to them he despiseth even Christ the Lord and the Father and is condemned of himself and resisteth his own salvation Lib. 2. c. 46. Wherefore since the holy Scriptures both Prophetical and Evangelical clearly and without ambiguity and as they may of all be heard declare c. they appear very dull who blind their eyes at such a clear discovery and will not see the light of preaching C. 41. Having therefore the truth it self for our Rule and the testimony of God being openly manifest we ought not to reject the firm and clear knowledge of God If we cannot find the solution of all things in Scripture we must believe God in these things knowing that the Scriptures are perfect being spoken by the word of God and his Spirit Lib. 4. c. 66. Read more diligently the Gospel which is given us by the Apostles and read more diligently the Prophets and you shall find every action and every Doctrine and every passion of our Lord set forth in them Lib. 3. c. 11. The Gospel is the pillar and firmament of the Church and the Spirit of life wherefore it is consequent that it hath four pillars he hath given us a fourfold Gospel which is contained in one Spirit If then according to Irenaeus men may believe by the Scripture and that is the pillar and foundation of Faith and they that seek may find all Doctrine in it which is there clear and manifest is not this enough to shew he makes it a Rule of Faith If not we have observed him calling it by the name of a Rule also and declaring that none but the Barbarous Nations did then receive the Faith in an unwritten way SECT XI What was owned by Origen as the Rule of Faith ANd first in his Books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where in the begining of his Prooem having observed that some who profess themselves to believe in Christ differ in so great things as concerning God our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost by which words he manifestly refers to such Hereticks as Irenaeus before him treated of Such were Montanists Valentinians Marcionists c. he begins to lay a Rule he will proceed by in the words referred to by this Author Let the Ecclesiastical Preaching delivered from the Apostles by order of succession and remaining in the Church to this time be preserved that only truth is to be believed which in nothing differs from the Ecclesiastical Tradition This is his Rule he will proceed by in these Books by which in opposition to those Hereticks he means the Churches delivery of truth which was chiefly contained in the Scriptures as I shall evidence first because he useth promiscuously the phrases of Ecclesiastical Preaching and Scripture frequently in this Prooem and excepts against the Book called The Doctrine of Peter as being no part of it and in the end of the same Prooem declares that therefore he who would treat of these things to know what is truth in
such circumstances as I forbear to mention And the consideration of this temper may give us some account of the great eagerness and restless earnestness of these erring Parties in propagating their particular Interests 3. Concerning the aiming to gain the applause and favour of Men in the neglect of Duty Our Church in its Rules of Doctrine lays the same stress upon all Duties to God or Man that the Gospel of our Saviour doth without yielding to the Humours of the Profane the Debauched or the Turbulent and Unruly The Romanists suit themselves to all Dispositions they have severe Rules in some of their Regular Societies for the more Serious but they take great care to gratify Wicked and Debauched Persons also with as much Liberty as they can well desire Their Casuists generally declare That an act of Attrition or such Sorrow for Sin as is not accompanied with hatred against it or the true Love of God is at last sufficient with Absolution to remove the guilt of Sin and secure them from Eternal Death But if temporal Punishment remains for them this can only bring them to Purgatory and here they may have considerable help from Indulgences and the Treasury of the Church which are dispensed for Ave-Maries and other Prayers visiting certain places having Masses said for their Souls and by other works without their becoming really holy and good And besides this their feigned Miracles and Revelations their pretended power of Transubstantiating of dispensing the Treasury of Merits in the Church and of justifying them who are not contrite by Absolution seem methods contrived to gain admiration from the People And other Sects make their Interests and seek Reputation by popular Arts and often by promoting or conniving at Uncharitableness Mens high Conceits of themselves and a Temper averse from Unity and Obedience which are things of a very evil Nature And some of their chief Teachers acknowledg that in some things they act against their own Judgments in compliance with their People 4. Concerning Superstitious urging those things as parts of Religion which are not such Our Church owneth no necessary Article of Faith but what is in our Creed nor any Doctrines of Christianity but what are deducible from the Holy Scriptures Our Constitutions for Decency and Rules of Order are established only as such and are withal innocent useful few and agreeing to Primitive Christianity But at Rome a great part of their Religion as they make it consists in acknowledging many things to be de Fide which are neither contained in the Scriptures agreeing with them nor acknowledged in the ancient Church in entertaining various false Doctrines and pretended Traditions with equal reverence to the Holy Scriptures and in using divers Rites as operative of Divine Aid and Grace which God never appointed to that end Our other dividing Parties are too nigh the Pharisaical Doctrine concerning the Obligation of their voluntary Vow against their Duty to Superiours And many of them lay a Doctrinal Necessity either upon disowning Episcopal Authority which hath so great a Testimony of Apostolical Appointment Or in being against Forms of Prayer at least such wherein the People vocally join or in condemning as sinful innocent Appointments decent Ceremonies and suitable Gestures And those who own not these Positions nor condemn our Worship as sinful and yet divide from us must assert other Positions for Doctrines which are equally erroneous and dangerous For if their Principles be agreeable to their Practice they must assert that Men may break the Churches Peace and expose it to the greatest hazards gratify its Enemies and disobey Authority which are great Sins to maintain an opposition to those things which themselves dare not charge with any Sin But this is to aver such Doctrine to be from God which is contrary to his Religion his Nature and his Will and are but the Precepts of Men and it is to strain at a Gnat but swallow a Camel Now if to counterfeit the Seal or Coin or falsely to pretend to the Authority of an Earthly Prince be greatly culpable can it be otherwise to stamp a Divine Impression on things which God disowns 5. Concerning Obedience and Submission to Superiors this Duty is regularly enjoined in our Church both with respect to Private Relations Spiritual Guides and Civil Rulers In the Romish Church there is strict Obedience required in their several Orders to the Superiors thereof in the Laiety to the Clergy and in all to the Pope But this is so irregular that thereby the natural Honour to Parents is much discharged and St. Peter's Precept of Honouring the King is under the name of his Vicar changed into such Positions as when occasion serves may encourage the Deposing and Murdering him And among other Dissenters their Divisions as they are circumstantiated are ipso facto such visible Testimonies of their want of Submission to their Ecclesiastical and Civil Governours that nothing need be added And it is known there were some of these Parties whose Principles allowed them to take Arms against their King and who exposed his Royal Person to Violence and Death 6. Concerning a loose and licentious Life Our Church requires a Sincere Holy Exercise and presseth all the Precepts of our Saviour and the Motives and Arguments of the Gospel and enjoineth the careful observation of our Baptismal Vow But in the Romish Church he that considers the immoral looseness of the Jesuits and other Casuists may wonder that such things should be owned by Men of any Religion much more of them who profess the Christian Religion For instance By our Saviour's Doctrine to love God with all the heart is the great and first Commandment But Azorius asserts Azor. Tom. 1. l. 9. c. 4. That it is hard to fix any time when this Precept of Loving God doth oblige to any exercise thereof with respect to it self but only when it is necessary to Repentance And he roundly saith We are not obliged to any exercise of Love to God when we attain to the use of Reason nor at the receiving any Sacrament not at Confession nor at the approach of Death Filiuc Tr. 22. c. 9. Filiucius thinks this Opinion probable and therefore safe by their Doctrine of Probability but prefers another Opinion which is but little better That we are bound to act Love to God at the time of Death and in some other extraordinary cases if they happen and that ordinarily Men ought to exercise an act of Love to God at least once in five years But I am amazed to think how sparing such Men were of inward Religious Devotion and what Strangers to it And for the practice of Repentance which is another great Duty of our Religion Though Contrition which includes an hating and forsaking Sin and turning to God be acknowledged of good use by them yet Filiucius saith Fil. Tr. 6 c 8. n. 196 197 and 208. Men are not obliged to acts of Contrition every year but once in
better State for such charitable Hopes And whosoever are engaged in any of those Evils which were included in Pharisaism and condemned in Christianity had need carefully to reflect on themselves and heartily and timely to amend But if any should be offended at a Discourse that represents to them the Danger of their Practices and should be more ready to censure it as uncharitable than to weigh and consider it they may know that as this speaks a very bad Temper of Mind prevailing in them so the letting Men alone in their sinful Actions is so far from being any part of that Charity which our Saviour practised or enjoined that it is more agreeable with the Temper of the Evil One who is willing that they who do amiss should continue in their Evil be flattered therein and not so consider thereof as to forsake it Secondly Let all who are of our Church and whoever embrace the true Catholick Communion be careful and serious in practising Holiness and Righteousness Our Doctrine and Profession condemneth and disowneth all unsound Principles and corrupt Practices And as the more devout Jews daily blessed God that they were born Jews and not of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gentiles so have we great reason to praise God that we live in this excellent Church and are thereby free from various Snares to which many others are exposed But if amongst us Debauchery Profaneness or Irreligion prevail upon any Persons whomsoever such Wickedness of Life will exclude Persons of the purest Profession and Belief from ever entring into Heaven St. Austin sometimes warns against this Aug. de Civ Dei l. 20. c. 9. de fid oper as a considerable Defect in the Pharisees Righteousness that while they sate in Moses's Chair our Lord tells us they say but do not If ever we will be happy our Practice must answer our Profession the Doctrine of Christianity is a Doctrine according to Godliness and must be improved to that End An Heretical or Schismatical Life as some ancient Writers call that vicious Conversation which separates the Man from the Ways of God and Religion is the more unaccountable and inexcusable when it contradicteth and crosseth the most Catholick Profession and the best Rules of Duty clearly proposed Wherefore let us be careful that as the Righteousness required in the Doctrine of our Church in conformity to the Gospel of our Saviour doth greatly exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees so may that of our Lives also in conformity to that Doctrine Which God of his Mercy grant through the Merits of our holy and blessed Saviour To whom c. 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