1. But if these customs, &c. were but indifferent, yet
being abused they deserve to be rejected.--2. The abuse is
acknowledged by those that use them, therefore should leave
them.--3. Such as pretend to seriousness should exemplarily
withdraw from such latitudes: a wise parent weans his child of
what it dotes too much upon; and we should watch over ourselves
and neighbours.--4. God, in the case of the brazen serpent, &c.
gives us an example to put away the use of abused things.--5.
If these things were sometimes convenient, yet when their use
is prejudicial in example, they should be disused.--6. Such as
yet proceed to love their unlawful pleasures more than Christ
and his cross; the mischief they have brought to persons and
estates, bodies and souls.--7. Ingenuous people know this to be
true: an appeal to God's witness in the guilty: their state,
that of Babylon.--8. But temperance in food, and plainness in
apparel, and sober conversation conduce most to good: so the
apostle teaches in his epistles.--9. Temperance enriches a
land: it is a political good, as well as a religious one, in
all governments.--10. When people have done their duty to God,
it will be time enough to think of pleasing themselves.--11. An
address to the magistrates and all people, how to convert their
time and money to better purposes.
I. But should these things be as indifferent, as they are proved
perniciously unlawful; for I never heard any advance their plea
beyond the bounds of mere indifferency; yet so great is their abuse,
so universal the sad effects thereof, like to an infection, that
they therefore ought to be rejected of all; especially those whose
sobriety hath preserved theta on this side of that excess, or whose
judgments, though themselves be guilty, suggest the folly of such
intemperance. For what is an indifferent thing, but that which may
be done, or left undone? Granting, I say, this were the case, yet
do both reason and religion teach that when they are used with such
an excess of appetite as to leave them would be a cross to their
desires, they have exceeded the bounds of mere indifferency, and are
thereby rendered no less than necessary. Which being a violation of
the very nature of the things themselves, a perfect abuse enters;
and consequently they are no longer to be considered in the rank of
things simply indifferent, but unlawful.
II. Now that the whole exchange of things, against which I have so
earnestly contended, are generally abused by the excess of almost
all ages, sexes, and qualities of people, will be confessed by many,
who yet decline not to conform themselves to them; and to whom, as I
have understood, it only seems lawful, because, say they, the abuse
of others should be no argument why we should not use them. But to
such I answer, That they have quite forgotten, or will not remember,
they have acknowledged these things to be but of an indifferent
nature; if so, and vanity never urged more, I say, there can be
nothing more clear, than since they acknowledge their great abuse,
that they are wholly to be forsaken: for since they may as well be
let alone as done at any time, surely they should then of duty be
let alone, when the use of them is an abetting the general excess,
(Phil. iii. 17,) and a mere exciting others to continue in their
abuse, because they find persons reputed sober to imitate them, or
otherwise give them an example. Precepts are not half so forcible as
examples.
III. Every one that pretends to seriousness ought to inspect
himself, as having been too forward to help on the excess, and can
never make too much haste out of those inconveniencies that by his
former example he encouraged any to; that by a new one he may put
a seasonable check upon the intemperance of others. A wise parent
ever withdraws those objects, however innocent in themselves, which
are too prevalent upon the weak senses of his children, on purpose
that they might be weaned: and it is as frequent with men to bend
a crooked stick as much the contrary way, that they might make it
straight at last. Those that have more sobriety than others should
not forget their stewardships, but exercise that gift of God to the
security of their neighbours. It was murdering Cain that rudely
asked the Lord, "Was he his brother's keeper?" (Gen. iv. 9.) For
every man is necessarily obliged thereto; and therefore should be so
wise as to deny himself the use of such indifferent enjoyments as
cannot be used by him without too manifest an encouragement to his
neighbour's folly.
IV. God hath sufficiently excited men to what is said; for in the
case of the brazen serpent, (2 Kings. xviii. 3, 4,) which was a
heavenly institution and type of Christ, he with great displeasure
enjoined it should be broken to pieces, because they were too
fond and doting upon it. Yes, the very groves themselves, however
pleasant for situation, beautiful for their walks and trees,
must be cut down: and why? Only because they had been abused to
idolatrous uses. And what is an idol but that which the mind puts an
over-estimate or value upon? None can benefit themselves so much by
an indifferent thing as others by not using that abused liberty.
V. If those things were convenient in themselves, which is a step
nearer necessity than mere indifferency, yet when by circumstances
they become prejudicial, such conveniency itself ought to be put
off; much more what is but indifferent should be denied. People
ought not to weigh their private satisfactions more than a public
good; nor please themselves in too free a use of indifferent things,
at the cost of being so really prejudicial to the public as they
certainly are, whose use of them, if no worse, becomes exemplary
to others, and begets an impatience in their minds to have the
like. Wherefore it is both reasonable and incumbent on all to make
only such things necessary as tend to life and godliness, and to
employ their freedom with most advantage to their neighbours. (2
Pet. i. 3.) So that here is a two-fold obligation; the one not to
be exemplary in the use of such things, which though they may use
them, yet not without giving too much countenance to the abuse and
excessive vanity of their neighbours. The other obligation is, that
they ought so far to condescend to such religious people, who are
offended at these fashions, and that kind of conversation as to
reject them. (Rom. xiv. 1, to the end.)
VI. Now those who, notwithstanding what I have urged, will yet
proceed; what is it but that they have so involved themselves and
their affections in them, that it is hardly possible to reform them;
and that for all their many protestations against their fondness
to such fopperies, they really love them more than Christ and his
cross. Such cannot seek the good of others, who do so little respect
their own. For, after a serious consideration, what vanity, pride,
idleness, expense of time and estates have been and yet are! How
many persons debauched from their first sobriety, and women from
their natural sweetness and innocency to loose, airy, wanton, and
many times more enormous practices! How many plentiful estates
have been overrun by numerous debts, chastity ensnared by accursed
lustful intrigues; youthful health overtaken by the hasty seizure of
unnatural distempers, and the remaining days of such spent upon a
rack of their vice's procuring, and so made slaves to the unmerciful
but necessary effects of their own inordinate pleasures! in which
agony they vow the greatest temperance, but are no sooner out of it,
than in their vice again. (Lam. iv. 5; Job, xxi. 13, 14; Psalm lv.
23; xxxvii. 10; Eccl. viii. 12; Psalm xxxvii. 1, 2; Prov. ii. 22.)
VII. That these things are the case, and almost innumerable more,
I am persuaded no ingenuous person of any experience will deny:
how then, upon a serious reflection, any that pretend conscience
or the fear of God Almighty, can longer continue in the garb,
livery, and conversation of those whose whole life tends to little
else than what I have repeated, much less join with them in their
abominable excess, I leave to the just principle in themselves to
judge. (Jer. xvi. 5-9.) No, surely! this is not to obey the voice
of God, who in all ages did loudly cry to all, Come out of--_of
what?_--the ways, fashions, converse, and spirit of Babylon. (Isa.
iii. 13-16; Jer. l. 8; xv. 6, 7; Amos, vi. 3-7.) What is that?
The great city of all these vain, foolish, wanton, superfluous,
and wicked practices, against which the Scriptures denounce most
dreadful judgments; ascribing all the intemperance of men and women
to the cup of wickedness she hath given them to drink; whose are the
things indifferent, if they must be so. And for witness, John in
his revelation says in her description: How much she hath glorified
herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her.
And the kings of the earth, who have lived deliciously with her,
shall bewail her and lament her; and the merchants of the earth
shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth her merchandise any
more; the merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and
of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and
thyine-wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and all manner of
vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;
and cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine,
and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and
horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. (Rev. xviii.
7, 9, 11-13.) Behold the character and judgment of luxury: and
though I know it hath a further signification than what is literal,
yet there is enough to show the pomp, plenty, fulness, idleness,
ease, wantonness, vanity, lust, and excess of luxury that reign
in her. But at the terrible day, who will go to her exchange any
more? Who to her plays? Who will follow her fashions then? And who
shall traffic in her delicate inventions? Not one; for she shall be
judged. No plea shall excuse or rescue her from the wrath of the
Judge; for strong is the Lord, who will perform it. (Rev. xviii.
8.) If these reasonable pleas will not prevail, yet however I shall
caution such in the repetition of part of Babylon's miserable
doom: mind, my friends, more heavenly things, hasten to obey that
righteous principle which would exercise and delight you in that
which is eternal; or else with Babylon, the mother of lust and
vanity, the fruits that your souls lust after shall depart from you,
and all things which are dainty and goodly shall depart from you and
you shall find them NO MORE: O Dives! No more. (Rev. xviii. 14.) Lay
your treasures, therefore, up in heaven, O ye inhabitants of the
earth, where nothing can break through to harm them; but where time
shall shortly be swallowed up of eternity. (Luke, xii. 33, 34.)
VIII. But my arguments against these things end not here: for the
contrary most of all conduces to good; namely, temperance in food,
plainness in apparel, with a meek, shame-faced, and quiet spirit,
and that conversation which doth only express the same in all godly
honesty: as the apostle saith, "Let no corrupt communication proceed
out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying,
that it may minister grace to the hearers; neither filthiness, nor
foolish talking, nor jesting, but rather giving of thanks: for let
no man deceive you with vain words, because of these things cometh
the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." (Col. iv.
5, 6; 1 Thes. iv. 11, 12; 1 Pet. iii. 1-4; Eph. iv. 2; v. 3-6; 1
Tim. iv. 12; Phil. iii. 16-20.) And if men and women were but thus
adorned after this truly Christian manner, impudence would soon
receive a check, and lust, pride, vanity, and wantonness find a
rebuke. (1 Pet. ii. 12; Prov. xxxi. 23-31; James, ii. 2-9.) They
would not be able to attack such universal chastity or encounter
such godly austerity: virtue would be in credit, and vice afraid
and ashamed, and excess not dare to show its face. There would be
an end of gluttony and gaudiness of apparel, flattering titles,
and a luxurious life; (2 Pet. iii. 11; Psal. xxvi. 6;) and then
primitive innocency and plainness would come back again, and that
plain-hearted, downright, harmless life would be restored, of not
much caring what we should eat, drink, or put on, (Luke, xii.
22-30,) as Christ tells us the Gentiles did, and as we know this age
daily does, under all its talk of religion; but as the ancients,
who with moderate care for necessaries and conveniencies of life,
devoted themselves to the concernments of a celestial kingdom, and
more minded their improvement in righteousness than their increase
in riches; for they laid their treasure up in heaven, (Matt. xxv.
21,) and endured tribulation for an inheritance that cannot be taken
away.
IX. But the temperance I plead for is not only religiously but
politically good: it is the interest of good government to curb
and rebuke excesses: it prevents many mischiefs. Luxury brings
effeminacy, laziness, poverty, and misery; (Prov. x. 4; Eccl.
x. 16-18;) but temperance preserves the land. It keeps out
foreign vanities, and improves our own commodities: now we are
their debtors; then they would be debtors to us for our native
manufactures. By this means, such persons who by their excess, not
charity, have deeply engaged their estates, may in a short space
be enabled to clear them from those incumbrances which otherwise,
like moths, soon eat out plentiful revenues. It helps persons of
mean substance to improve their small stocks, that they may not
expend their dear earnings, and hard-got wages upon superfluous
apparel, foolish May-games, plays, dancings, shows, taverns,
ale-houses, and the like folly and intemperance, of which this land
is more infested, and by which it is rendered more ridiculous than
any kingdom in the world: for none I know of is so infested with
cheating mountebanks, savage morrice-dancers, pick-pockets, and
profane players, and stagers, to the slight of religion, the shame
of government, and the great idleness, expense, and debauchery of
the people: for which the Spirit of the Lord is grieved, and the
judgments of the Almighty are at the door, and the sentence ready
to be pronounced, "Let him that is unjust be unjust still." (Rev.
xxii. 11; Eccl. xii. 1.) Wherefore it is that we cannot but loudly
call upon the generality of the times, and testify both by our life
and doctrine against the like vanities and abuses, if possibly any
may be weaned from their folly, and choose the good old path of
temperance, wisdom, gravity, and holiness, the only way to inherit
the blessings of peace and plenty here, and eternal happiness
hereafter.
X. Lastly, supposing we had none of these foregoing reasons justly
to reprove the practice of the land in these particulars; however,
let it be sufficient for us to say, that when people have first
learned to fear, worship, and obey their Creator, to pay their
numerous vicious debts, to alleviate and abate their oppressed
tenants; but above all outward regards, when the pale faces are
more commiserated, when the famished poor, the distressed widow,
and helpless orphan, God's works, and your fellow-creatures, are
provided for; then, I say, if then, it will be time enough for you
to plead the indifferency of your pleasures. But that the sweet and
tedious labour of the husbandman, early and late, cold and hot, wet
and dry, should be converted into the pleasure, ease, and pastime
of a small number of men; that the cart, the plough, the flail,
should be in that continual severity laid upon nineteen parts of
the land, to feed the inordinate lusts and delicious appetites of
the twentieth, is so far from the appointment of the great Governor
of the world, and God of the spirits of all flesh, that, to imagine
such horrible injustice as the effects of his determinations, and
not the intemperance of men, were wretched and blasphemous. As
on the other side, it would be to deserve no pity, no help, no
relief from God Almighty, for people to continue that expense in
vanity and pleasure, whilst the great necessities of such objects
go unanswered; especially since God hath made the sons of men but
stewards to each other's exigencies and relief. Yea, so strict is
it enjoined, that on the omission of these things, we find this
dreadful sentence partly to be grounded, "Depart from me, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire," &c. (Matt. xxv. 34-41.) As on the contrary,
to visit the sick, see the imprisoned, relieve the needy, &c. are
such excellent properties in Christ's account, that thereupon He
will pronounce such blessed, saying, "Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you," &c. (Matt. xxv. 34-41.) So
that the great are not, with the leviathan in the deep, to prey upon
the small, much less to make a sport of the lives and labours of the
lesser ones, to gratify their inordinate senses.
XI. I therefore humbly offer an address to the serious consideration
of the civil magistrate, that, if the money which is expended in
every parish in such vain fashions as wearing of laces, jewels,
embroideries, unnecessary ribbons, trimmings, costly furniture, and
attendance, together with what is commonly consumed in taverns,
feasts, gaming, &c. could be collected into a public stock, or
something in lieu of this extravagant and fruitless expense, there
might be reparation to the broken tenants, workhouses for the able,
and alms-houses for the aged and impotent. Then should we have no
beggars in the land, the cry of the widow and the orphan would
cease, and charitable relief might easily be afforded towards the
redemption of poor captives, and the refreshment of such distressed
Protestants as labour under the miseries of persecution in other
countries: nay, the Exchequer's needs, on just emergencies, might
be supplied by such a bank: this sacrifice and service would please
the just and merciful God: it would be a noble example of gravity
and temperance to foreign states, and an unspeakable benefit to
ourselves at home.
Alas! why should men need persuasions to what their own felicity
so necessarily leads them? Had these _vitiosos_ of the times but a
sense of heathen Cato's generosity, they would rather deny their
carnal appetites than leave such noble enterprises unattempted.
But that they should eat, drink, play, game, and sport away their
health, estates, and, above all, their irrevocable precious time,
which should be dedicated to the Lord, as a necessary introduction
to a blessed eternity, and than which, did they but know it, no
worldly solace would come in competition: I say, that they should
be continually employed about these poor, low things is to have the
heathens judge them in God's days, as well as Christian precepts
and examples condemn them. And their final doom will prove the
more astonishing, in that this vanity and excess are acted under a
profession of the self-denying religion of Jesus, whose life and
doctrine are a perpetual reproach to the most of Christians. For
He was humble, but they are proud; He forgiving, they revengeful;
He meek, they fierce; He plain, they gaudy; He abstemious, they
luxurious; He chaste, they lascivious: He a pilgrim on earth,
they citizens of the world: in fine, He was meanly born, poorly
attended, and obscurely brought up; He lived despised, and died
hated of the men of his own nation. O you pretended followers of
this crucified Jesus! examine yourselves, try yourselves, know
you not your own selves; if He dwell not, if He rule not in you,
that you are reprobates? Be ye not deceived, for God will not be
mocked, (at last with forced repentances,) such as you sow, such
you must reap. (1 Cor. xiii. 5; Gal. vi. 8.) I beseech you to hear
me, and remember you were invited and entreated to the salvation of
God. I say; as you sow, you reap: if you are enemies to the cross
of Christ,--and you are so if you will not bear it, but do as you
list, and not as you ought;--if you are uncircumcised in heart and
ear, and you are so, if you will not hear, and open to Him that
knocks at the door within, and if you resist and quench the Spirit
in yourselves, that strives with you, to bring you to God, (and
that you certainly do who rebel against its motions, reproofs,
and instructions,) then you sow to the flesh, to fulfil the lusts
thereof, and of the flesh will you reap the fruits of corruption,
(Rom. ii. 8,) woe, anguish, and tribulation, from God, the Judge
of quick and dead, by Jesus Christ. But if you will daily bear the
holy cross of Christ, and sow to the Spirit; if you will listen to
the light and grace that comes by Jesus, and which He has given
to all people for salvation, and square your thoughts, words, and
deeds thereby, which leads and teaches the lovers of it to deny all
ungodliness and the world's lusts, and to live soberly, righteously,
and godly in this present evil world, then may you with confidence
look for the blessed hope and joyful coming, and glorious appearance
of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. (Tit. ii. 11-13.)
Let it be so, O you Christians, and escape the wrath to come! Why
will you die? Let the time past suffice: remember, that No Cross,
no Crown. Redeem then the time, for the days are evil, (Eph. v.
16,) and yours are but very few. Therefore gird up the loins of your
minds, be sober, fear, watch, pray, and endure to the end; calling
to mind for your encouragement and consolation, that all such as
through patience and well-doing wait for immortality, (Rom. ii. 7,)
shall reap glory, honour, and eternal life in the kingdom of the
Father: whose is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever.
Amen.
END OF PART I.
NO CROSS, NO CROWN.
THE
SECOND PART:
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF THE REMARKABLE SAYINGS
OF
MEN EMINENT FOR THEIR GREATNESS,
LEARNING, OR VIRTUE;
COLLECTED IN FAVOUR OF THE TRUTH DELIVERED IN THE
FIRST PART;
BY WILLIAM PENN.
PREFACE.
No Cross, No Crown, should have ended here; but that the power which
examples and authorities have put upon the minds of the people,
above the most reasonable and pressing arguments, inclined me to
present my readers with some of those many instances that might be
given, in favour of the virtuous life recommended in our discourse.
I chose to cast them into three sorts of testimonies, not after
the threefold subject of the book; but suitable to the times,
qualities, and circumstances of the persons that gave them forth;
whose divers excellencies and stations have transmitted their names
with reputation to our own times. The first testimony comes from
those called Heathens; the second from professed Christians; and
the last, from retired, aged, and dying men; being their last and
serious reflections, to which no ostentation or worldly interests
could induce them. Where it will be easy for the considerate reader
to observe, how much the pride, avarice, and luxury of the world
stood reprehended in the judgments of persons of great credit
amongst men; and what was that life and conduct, that in their most
retired meditations, when their sight was clearest, and judgment
most free and disabused, they thought would give peace here, and lay
foundations of eternal blessedness.