CASES AND DIRECTIONS ABOUT SELF-JUDGING.
_Tit. 1. Cases of Conscience about Self-judging._
Because I have said so much of this subject in the third part of my
"Saints' Rest," and in a "Treatise of Self-acquaintance," and in my
"Directions for Peace of Conscience," and before in this book, I shall
be here the briefer in it.
_Quest._ I. What are the uses and reasons of self-judging, which
should move us to it?
_Answ._ In the three foresaid treatises I have opened them at
large. In a word, without it we shall be strangers to ourselves; we
can have no well-grounded comfort, no true repentance and humiliation,
no just estimation of Christ and grace, no just observance of the
motions of God's Spirit, no true application of the promises or
threatenings of the Scripture, yea, we shall pervert them all to our
own destruction; no true understanding of the providence of God, in
prosperity or adversity; no just acquaintance with our duty: a man
that knoweth not himself, can know neither God, nor any thing aright,
nor do any thing aright; he can neither live reasonably, honestly,
safely, nor comfortably, nor suffer or die with solid peace.
_Quest._ II. What should ignorant persons do, whose natural
capacity will not reach to so high a work, as to try and judge
themselves in matters so sublime?
_Answ._ 1. There is no one who hath reason and arts sufficient to
love God, and hate sin, and live a holy life, and believe in Christ,
but he hath reason and parts sufficient to know (by the use of just
means) whether he do these things indeed or not. 2. He that cannot
reach assurance, must take up with the lower degrees of comfort, of
which I shall speak in the directions.
_Quest._ III. How far may a weak christian take the judgment of
others, whether his pastor, or judicious acquaintance, about his
justification and sincerity?
_Answ._ 1. No man's judgment must be taken as infallible about
the sincerity of another; nor must it be so far rested on, as to
neglect your fullest search yourself; and for the matter of fact, what
you have done, or what is in you, no man can be so well acquainted
with it as yourselves. 2. But in judging whether those acts of grace
which you describe, be such as God hath promised salvation to, and in
directing you in your self-judging, and in conjecturing at your
sincerity by your expressions and your lives, a faithful friend or
pastor may do that, which may much support you, and relieve you
against inordinate doubts and fears, and show you that your sincerity
is very probable. Especially if you are assured that you tell him
nothing but the truth yourselves; and if he be one that is acquainted
with you and your life, and hath known you in temptations, and one
that is skilful in the matters of God and conscience, and one that is
truly judicious, experienced, and faithful, and is not biassed by
interest or affection; and especially when he is not singular in his
judgment, but the generality of judicious persons who know you are of
the same mind; in this case you may take much comfort in his judgment
of your justification, though it cannot give you any proper certainty,
nor is to be absolutely rested in.
_Tit. 2. Directions for Self-judging as to our Actions._
_Direct._ I. Let watchfulness over your hearts and lives be your
continual work. Never grow careless or neglectful of yourselves: keep
your hearts with all diligence. As an unfaithful servant may deceive
you, if you look after him but now and then; so may a deceitful heart.
Let it be continually under your eye.
_Object._ Then I must neglect my calling, and do nothing else.
_Answ._ It need not be any hinderance to you at all. As every man
that followeth his trade and labour, doth still take heed that he do
all things right, and every traveller taketh heed of falling, and he
that eateth taketh heed of poisoning or choking himself, without any
hinderance, but to the furtherance of that which he is about; so is it
with a christian about his heart: vigilant heedfulness must never be
laid by, whatever you are doing.
_Direct._ II. Live in the light as much as is possible. I mean
under a judicious, faithful pastor, and amongst understanding,
exemplary christians; for they will be still acquainting you with what
you should be and do; and your errors will be easily detected, and in
the light you are not so like to be deceived.
_Direct._ III. Discourage not those that would admonish or
reprove you, nor neglect their opinion of you. No, not the railings of
an enemy; for they may tell you that in anger (much more in fidelity)
which it may concern you much to hear, and think of, and may give you
some light in judging of yourselves.
_Direct._ IV. If you have so happy an opportunity, engage some
faithful bosom friend to watch over you, and tell you plainly of all
that they see amiss in you. But deal not so hypocritically as to do
this in the general, and then be angry when he performeth his trust,
and discourage him by your pride and impatience.
_Direct._ V. Put yourselves in another's case, and be impartial.
When you cannot easily see the faults of others, inquire then whether
your own be not as visible, if you were as ready to observe and
aggravate them. And surely none more concern you than your own, nor
should be so odious and grievous to you; nor are so, if you are truly
penitent.
_Direct._ VI. Understand your natural temper and inclination, and
suspect those sins which you are naturally most inclined to, and there
keep up the strictest watch.
_Direct._ VII. Understand what temptations your place, and
calling, and relations, and company do most subject you to; and there
be most suspicious of yourselves.
_Direct._ VIII. Mark yourselves well in the hour of temptation:
for then it is that the vices will appear, which before lay covered
and unknown.
_Direct._ IX. Suspect yourselves most heedfully of the most
common and most dangerous sins. Especially unbelief and want of love
to God, and a secret preferring of earthly hopes before the hopes of
the life to come; and selfishness, and pride, and sensual pleasing of
the fleshly appetite and fancy: these are the most common, radical,
and most mortal, damning sins.
_Direct._ X. Take certain times to call yourselves to a special
strict account. As, 1. At your preparation for the Lord's day at the
end of every week. 2. In your preparation for the sacrament of
Christ's body and blood. 3. And before a day of humiliation. 4. In a
time of sickness or other affliction. 5. Yea, every night review the
actions of the foregoing day. He that useth to call his conscience
seriously to account, is likest to keep his accounts in order, and to
be ready to give them up to Christ.
_Direct._ XI. Make not light of any sin which you discover in
your self-examination. But humble yourselves for it before the Lord,
and be affected according to its importance, both in its guilt and
evil signification.
_Direct._ XII. And let the end of all be the renewed exercise of
faith and thankfulness, and resolutions for better obedience
hereafter. That you may see more of the need and use of a Saviour, and
may thankfully magnify that grace which doth abound where sin
abounded; and may walk the more watchfully and holily for the time to
come.
_Tit. 3. Directions for Self-judging as to our Estates, to know
whether we are in a Regenerate and Justified State, or not._
_Direct._ I. If you would so judge of the state of your souls, as
not to be deceived, come not to the trial with an over-confident
prejudice or conceit of your own condition, either as good or bad. He
that is already so prepossessed as to resolve what to judge before he
trieth, doth make his trial but a means to confirm him in his conceit.
_Direct._ II. Let not self-love, partiality, or pride, on the one
side, or fear on the other side, pervert your judgment in the trial,
and hinder you from the discerning of the truth. Some men cannot see
the clearest evidences of their unsanctified hearts, because self-love
will give them leave to believe nothing of themselves which is bad or
sad. They will believe that which is good and pleasant, be it never so
evidently false. As if a thief could be saved from the gallows, by a
strong conceit that he is a true man; or the conceit that one is
learned, would make him learned. Others through timorousness can
believe nothing that is good or comfortable of themselves: like a man
on the top of a steeple, who though he know that he standeth fast and
safe, yet trembleth when he looketh down, and can scarce believe his
own understanding. Silence all the objections of an over-timorous
mind, and it will doubt and tremble still.
_Direct._ III. Surprise not yourselves on the sudden and
unprepared, with the question, whether you are justified or not; but
set about it as the most serious business of your life. A great and
difficult question must have a well-studied answer, and not be
answered hastily and rashly. If one should meet you in the street, and
demand some great and long account of you, you would desire him to
stay till you review your memorials, or have time to cast it up. Take
some appointed time to do this, when you have no intruding thoughts to
hinder you; and think not that it must be resolved easily or quickly
upon the first inquiry, but by the most sober and judicious
consideration, and patient attendance till it be done.
_Direct._ IV. Understand the tenor of the covenant of grace,
which is the law that you must judge of your estates by: for if you
mistake that, you will err in the conclusion. He is an unfit judge,
who is ignorant of the law.
_Direct._ V. Mistake not the nature of true faith in Christ.
Those that think it is a believing that they are actually pardoned,
and shall be saved, do some of them presume or believe it when it is
false, and some of them despair, because they cannot believe it. And
those that think that faith is such a recumbency on Christ as always
quieteth the mind, do think they have no faith when they have no such
quietness. And those that think it is only the resting on the blood of
Christ for pardon, do take up with that which is no true faith. But he
that knoweth that faith in Christ, is nothing else but christianity,
or consenting to the christian covenant, may know that he consenteth,
even when he findeth much timorousness and trouble, and taketh not up
with a deceitful faith.
_Direct._ VI. Remember in your self-judging, that the will is the
man, and what you truly would be, that you are, in the sense of the
covenant of grace.
_Direct._ VII. But remember also that your endeavours must prove
the truth of your desires, and that idle wishes are not the
denominating acts of the will.
_Direct._ VIII. Also your successes must be the proof of the
sincerity of your endeavours: for such striving against sin as endeth
in yielding to it, and not in victory, is no proof of the uprightness
of your hearts.
_Direct._ IX. Mark what you are in the day of trial; for at other
times it is more easy to be deceived: and record what you then
discover in yourself: what a man is in trial, that he is indeed.
_Direct._ X. Especially try yourselves in the great point of
forsaking all for Christ, and for the hopes of the fruition of God in
glory. Know once whether God or the creature can do more with you, and
whether heaven or earth be dearer to you, and most esteemed, and
practically preferred, and then you may judge infallibly of your
state.
_Direct._ XI. Remember that in melancholy and weakness of
understanding, you are not fit for the casting up of so great
accounts; but must take up with the remembrance of former discoveries,
and with the judgment of the judicious, and be patient till a fitter
season, before you can expect to see in yourselves the clear evidence
of your state.
_Direct._ XII. Neither forget what former discoveries you have made,
nor yet wholly rest in them, without renewing your self-examination.
They that have found their sincerity, and think that the next time
they are in doubt, they should fetch no comfort from what is past, do
deprive themselves of much of the means of their peace. And those
that trust all to the former discoveries of their good estate, do
proceed upon unsafe and negligent principles; and will find that such
slothful and venturous courses will not serve turn.
_Direct._ XIII. Judge not of yourselves by that which is unusual
and extraordinary with you, but by the tenor and drift of your hearts
and lives. A bad man may seem good in some good mood; and a good man
may seem bad in some extraordinary fall. To judge of a bad man by his
best hours, and of a good man by his worst, is the way to be deceived
in them both.
_Direct._ XIV. Look not unequally at the good or evil that is in
you; but consider them both impartially as they are. If you observe
all the good only that is in you, and overlook the bad; or search
after nothing but your faults, and overlook your graces; neither of
these ways will bring you to true acquaintance with yourselves.
_Direct._ XV. Look not so much either at what you should be, or
at what others are, as to forget what you are yourselves. Some look so
much at the glory of that full perfection which they want, as that
their present grace seemeth nothing to them; like a candle to one that
hath been gazing on the sun. And some look so much at the debauchery
of the worst, that they think their lesser wickedness to be holiness.
_Direct._ XVI. Suffer not your minds to wander in confusion, when
you set yourselves to so great a work: but keep it close to the matter
in hand, and drive it on till it have come to some satisfaction and
conclusion.
_Direct._ XVII. If you are not able by meditation to do it of
yourselves, get the help of some able friend or pastor, and do it in a
way of conference with him: for conference will hold your own thoughts
to their task; and your pastor may guide them, and tell you in what
order to proceed, and confute your mistakes, besides confirming you by
his judgment of your case.
_Direct._ XVIII. If you cannot have such help at hand, write down
the signs by which you judge either well or ill of yourself; and send
them to some judicious divine for his judgment and counsel thereupon.
_Direct._ XIX. Expect not that your assurance should be perfect
in this life; for till all grace be perfect, that cannot be perfect.
Unjust expectations disappointed are the cause of much disquietment.
_Direct._ XX. Distinguish between the knowledge of your
justification, and the comfort of it. Many a one may see and be
convinced that he is sincere, and yet have little comfort in it,
through a sad or distempered state of mind or body, and unpreparedness
for joy; or through some expectations of enthusiastic comforts.
_Direct._ XXI. Exercise grace whenever you would see it: idle
habits are not perceived. Believe and repent till you feel that you do
believe and repent, and love God till you feel that you love him.
_Direct._ XXII. Labour to increase your grace if you would be
sure of it. For a little grace is hardly perceived; when strong and
great degrees do easily manifest themselves.
_Direct._ XXIII. Record what sure discoveries you have made of
your estate upon the best inquiry, that it may stand you in stead at a
time of further need; for though it will not warrant you to search no
more, it will be very useful to you in your after-doubtings.
_Direct._ XXIV. What you can do at one time, follow on again and
again till you have finished. A business of that consequence is not to
be laid down through weariness or discouragement. Happy is he that in
all his life hath got assurance of life everlasting.
_Direct._ XXV. Let all your discoveries lead you up to further
duty. If you find any cause of doubt, let it quicken you to diligence
in removing it. If you find sincerity, turn it into joyful thanks to
your Regenerator; and stop not in the bare discovery of your present
state, as if you had no more to do.
_Direct._ XXVI. Conclude not worse of the effects of a discovery
of your bad condition, than there is cause. Remember that if you
should find that you are unjustified, it followeth not that you must
continue so: you search not after your disease or misery as uncurable,
but as one that hath a sufficient remedy at hand, even brought to your
doors, and cometh a begging for your acceptance, and is freely offered
and urged on you; and therefore if you find that you are unregenerate,
thank God that hath showed you your case; for if you had not seen it,
you had perished in it: and presently give up yourselves to God in
Jesus Christ, and then you may boldly judge better of yourselves: it
is not for despair, but for recovery, that you are called to try and
judge. Nay, if you do but find it too hard a question for you, whether
you have all this while been sincere or not, turn from it, and
resolvedly give up yourselves to God by Christ, and place your hopes
in the life to come, and turn from this deceitful world and flesh, and
then the case will be plain for the time to come. If you doubt of your
former repentance, repent now, and put it out of doubt from this time
forward,
_Direct._ XXVII. When you cannot at the present reach assurance,
undervalue not a true probability or hope of your sincerity: and still
adhere to universal grace, which is the foundation of your special
grace and comfort. I mean, 1. The infinite goodness of God, and his
mercifulness to man. 2. The sufficiency of Jesus Christ our Mediator.
3. The universal gift of pardon and salvation, which is conditionally
made to all men, in the gospel. Remember that the gospel is glad
tidings even to those that are unconverted. Rejoice in this universal
mercy which is offered you, and that you are not as the devils, shut
up in despair; and much more rejoice if you have any probability that
you are truly penitent and justified by faith: let this support you
till you can see more.
_Direct._ XXVIII. Spend much more time in doing your duty, than
in trying your estate. Be not so much in asking, How shall I know that
I shall be saved? as in asking, What shall I do to be saved? Study the
duty of this day of your visitation, and set yourselves to it with all
your might. Seek first the things that are above, and mortify your
fleshly lusts; give up yourselves to a holy, heavenly life, and do all
the good that you are able in the world: seek after God as revealed in
and by our Redeemer: and in thus doing, 1. Grace will become more
notable and discernible. 2. Conscience will be less accusing and
condemning, and will easilier believe the reconciledness of God. 3.
You may be sure that such labour shall never be lost; and in
well-doing you may trust your souls with God. 4. Thus those that are
not able in an argumentative way to try their state to any full
satisfaction, may get that comfort by feeling and experience, which
others get by ratiocination. For the very exercise of love to God and
man, and of a heavenly mind and holy life, hath a sensible pleasure in
itself, and delighteth the person who is so employed: as if a man were
to take the comfort of his learning or wisdom, one way is by the
discerning his learning and wisdom, and thence inferring his own
felicity; but another way is by exercising that learning and wisdom
which he hath, in reading and meditating on some excellent books, and
making discoveries of some mysterious excellencies in arts and
sciences, which delight him more by the very acting, than a bare
conclusion of his own learning in the general would do. What delight
had the inventors of the sea-chart and magnetic attraction, and of
printing, and of guns, in their inventions! What pleasure had Galileo
in his telescopes, in finding out the inequalities and shady parts of
the moon, the Medicean planets, the adjuncts of Saturn, the changes of
Venus, the stars of the _via lactea_, &c.! Even so a serious, holy
person, hath more sensible pleasures in the right exercise of faith,
and love, and holiness, in prayer, and meditation, and converse with
God, and with the heavenly hosts, than the bare discerning of
sincerity can afford. Therefore though it be a great, important duty
to examine ourselves, and judge ourselves before God judge us, and
keep close aquaintance with our own hearts and affairs, yet is it the
addition of the daily practice of a heavenly life, which must be our
chiefest business and delight. And he that is faithful in them both,
shall know by experience the excellences of christianity and holiness,
and in his way on earth, have both a prospect of heaven, and a
foretaste of the everlasting rest and pleasures.
A MORAL PROGNOSTICATION,
FIRST, WHAT SHALL BEFALL THE CHURCHES ON EARTH, TILL THEIR CONCORD, BY
THE RESTITUTION OF THEIR PRIMITIVE PURITY, SIMPLICITY, AND CHARITY:
SECONDLY, HOW THAT RESTITUTION IS LIKELY TO BE MADE, (IF EVER,) AND
WHAT SHALL BEFALL THEM THENCEFORTH UNTO THE END, IN THAT GOLDEN AGE OF
LOVE.
WRITTEN BY RICHARD BAXTER; WHEN BY THE KING'S COMMISSION, WE (IN VAIN)
TREATED FOR CONCORD, 1661.
AND NOW PUBLISHED, NOT TO INSTRUCT THE PROUD THAT SCORN TO LEARN; NOR
TO MAKE THEM WISE, WHO WILL NOT BE MADE WISE: BUT TO INSTRUCT THE SONS
OF LOVE AND PEACE, IN THEIR DUTIES AND EXPECTATIONS.
TO TELL POSTERITY, THAT THE THINGS WHICH BEFALL THEM WERE FORETOLD;
AND THAT THE EVIL MIGHT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, AND BLESSED PEACE ON
EARTH ATTAINED, IF MEN HAD BEEN BUT WILLING; AND HAD NOT SHUT THEIR
EYES AND HARDENED THEIR HEARTS AGAINST THE BEAMS OF LIGHT AND LOVE.
TO THE READER.
READER,
It is many years since this Prognostication was written (1661, except
the thirteen last lines); but it was cast by, lest it should offend
the guilty. But the author now thinketh, that the monitory usefulness
may overweigh the inconveniences of men's displeasure; at least, to
posterity, if not for the present age; of which he is taking his
farewell. His suppositions are such as cannot be denied: viz.
1. Eccles. i. 9, "The thing that hath been, is that which shall be;
and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no
new thing under the sun."
2. The same causes, with the same circumstances, will have the same
effects on recipients, equally disposed.
3. _Operari sequitur esse_: as natures are, so they act; except
where overpowered.
4. The appetite, sensitive and rational, is the principle of motion;
and what any love they will desire and seek.
5. Therefore, interest will turn the affairs of the world; and he that
can best understand all interests, will be the best moral prognosticator;
so far men are causes of the events.
6. The pleasing of God, and the happiness of their own and others'
souls, being the interest of true believers; and temporal life,
pleasure, and prosperity, being the seeming and esteemed interest of
unbelievers' cross interests, will carry them contrary ways.
7. Contraries, when near and militant, will be troublesome to each
other, and seek each other's destruction or debilitation.
8. The senses and experience of all men, in all ages, are to be
believed about their proper objects.
9. Men of activity, power, and great numbers, will have advantage for
observance and success, above those that are modest, obscure, and few.
10. Yet men will still be men; and the rational nature will yield some
friendly aspect towards the truth.
11. Those that are ignorant, and misled by passion, and carried down
the stream, by men of malignity or faction, may come to themselves,
when affliction, experience, and considerateness have had time to
work; and may repent, and undo somewhat that they have done.
12. As sense will be sense, when faith hath done its best; so faith
will be faith, when flesh or sense hath done its worst.
13. Men that fix on a heavenly, everlasting interest, will not be
temporizers, and changed by the worldly men's wills or cruelties.
14. When all men have tired themselves with their contrivances and
stirs, moderation and peace must be the quiet state.
15. When all worldly wisdom hath done its utmost, and men's endeavours
are winged with the greatest expectations, God will be God, and blast
what he nilleth; and will overrule all things, to the accomplishment
of his most blessed will. Amen.
On these suppositions it is, that the following Prognostications are
founded; which I must admonish the reader, not to mistake for
historical narratives: but I exhort him to know _what hath been_,
and _what is_, if he would know _what will be_; and to make
sure of everlasting rest with Christ, when he must leave a sinful,
restless world.
A MORAL PROGNOSTICATION
OF WHAT MUST BE EXPECTED
IN THE CHURCHES OF CHRISTENDOM,
TILL THE GOLDEN AGE RETURNS,
OR TILL THE TIME OF TRUE REFORMATION AND UNITY.
1. Mankind will be born in a state of infancy and nescience, that is,
without actual knowledge.
2. Yea, with a nature that hath the innate dispositions to sloth, and
to diverting pleasures and business; and more than so, to an
averseness from those principles which are needful to sanctification
and heavenly wisdom. The carnal mind will have an enmity against God,
and will not mind the things of the Spirit, nor be subject to God's
law, Rom. viii. 5-8.
3. Sound learning, or wisdom, in things of so high a nature as are the
matters of salvation, will not be attained without hard study, earnest
prayer, and humble submission to instructions; and all this a long
time patiently endured, or rather willingly and delightfully
performed.
4. And if the seeds of wisdom be not born with us, in a capacious
disposition of understanding; but contrarily a natural unapprehensiveness
blocks up the way; even time and labour will never (without a miracle)
bring any to any great eminency of understanding.
5. And they that have both capacity, and an industrious disposition,
must have also sound, and able, and diligent teachers; or at least
escape the hands of seducers, and of partial, factious guides.
6. There are few born with good natural capacities, much less with a
special dispositive acuteness; and few that will be at the pains and
patience, which the getting of wisdom doth require; and few that will
have the happiness of sound and diligent teachers; but fewest of all
that will have a concurrence of all these three.
7. Therefore there will be but few very wise men in the world;
ignorance will he common, wisdom will be rare.
8. Therefore error or false opinions will be common. For unless men
never think of the things of which they are ignorant, or judge nothing
of them one way or other, they are sure to err, so far as they judge
in ignorance. But when things of greatest moment are represented as
true or false, to be believed or rejected, the most ignorant mind is
naturally inclined to pass its judgment or opinion of them one way or
other; and to apprehend them according to the light he standeth in,
and to think of them as he is disposed. So that ignorance and error
will concur.
9. He that erreth, doth think that he is in the right, and erreth not:
for to err, and to know that he erreth in judgment, is a contradiction,
and impossible. (However in words and deeds a man may err, and know
that he erreth.)
10. He that knoweth not, and that erreth, perceiveth not that evidence
of truth which should make him receive it, and which maketh other men
receive it; and therefore knoweth not that indeed another is in the
right, or seeth any more than he.
11. Especially when every man is a stranger to another's mind and
soul, as to any immediate inspection; and therefore knoweth not
another's knowledge, nor the convincing reasons of his judgment.
12. As no man is moved against his own errors, by the reasons which he
knoweth not; so pride, self-love, and partiality thence arising,
incline all men naturally to be overvaluers of their own understandings,
and so over-confident of all their own conceptions, and over-stiff in
defending all their errors. As pride and selfishness are the
firstborn of Satan, and the root of all positive evil in man's soul;
so a man is more naturally proud of that which is the honour of a man,
which is his understanding and goodness, than of that which is common
to a beast, as strength, beauty, ornaments, &c. Therefore pride of
understanding and goodness oft live, when sordid apparel telleth you
that childish pride of ornaments is dead. And this pride maketh it
very difficult, to the most ignorant and erroneous, to know their
ignorance and error, or so much as to suspect their own
understandings.
13. He that seeth but few things, seeth not much to make him doubt,
and seeth not the difficulties which should check his confidence and
stiffness in his way.
14. He that seeth many things, and that clearly knoweth much;
especially, if he see them in their order, and respects to one
another, and leaveth out no one substantial part which is needful to
open the signification of the rest.
15. He that seeth many things disorderly and confusedly, and not in
due method, and leaveth out some substantial parts, and hath not a
digested knowledge, doth know much, and err much, and may make a
bustle in the world of ignorants, as if he were an excellent, learned
man; but hath little of the inward delight, or of the power and
benefits of knowledge.
16. He that seeth many things but darkly, confusedly, and not in the
true place and method, cannot reconcile truths among themselves; but
is like a boy with a pair of tarrying irons, or like one that hath his
clock or watch all in pieces, and knoweth not how to set them
together. And therefore is inclined to be a sceptic.
17. This sort of sceptics differ much from humble christians; and have
oft as high thoughts of their understandings as any others: for they
lay the cause upon the difficulties in the objects, rather than on
themselves: unless when they incline to brutishness or Sadducism, and
take man's understanding to be incapable of true knowledge, and so lay
the blame on human nature as such, that is, on the Creator.
18. Few hope so much as to see the difficulty of things, and make them
doubt, or sceptical. But far fewer know, so much as to resolve their
doubts and difficulties: therefore, though (as Bishop Jewel saith of
faithful pastors) I say not that there will be few cardinals, few
bishops, few doctors, few deans, few Jesuits, few friars, (there will
be enow of these,) yet there will be few wise, judicious divines and
pastors, even in the best and happiest countries.
19. Seeing he that knoweth not, or that erreth, knoweth not that
another knoweth, or is in the right, when he is in the wrong;
therefore he knoweth not whose judgment to honour and submit to, if he
should suspect or be driven from his own: and therefore is not so
happy, as to be able to choose the fittest teacher for himself.
20. In this darkness therefore he either carnally casteth himself on
the highest and most honoured in the world, where he hath the most
advantages for worldly ends; or he followeth the fame of the time and
country where he is, or he falleth in with the major vote of that
party, whatsoever it be, which his understanding doth most esteem and
honour; or else with some person that hath most advantage on him.
21. If any of these happen to be in the right, he will be also in the
right materially, and may seem an orthodox, peaceable, and
praiseworthy man; but where they are in the wrong, he is contented
with the _reputation_ of being in the right, and of the good
opinion of those whom he concurreth with; who flatter and applaud each
other in the dark.
22. When wise men are but few, they can be but in few places; and
therefore will be absent from most of the people, high or low, that
need instruction. Besides, that their studiousness inclineth them,
like Jerome, to be more retired than others, that know less.
23. This confidence in an erring mind, is not only the case of the
teachers, as well as of the flocks; but is usually more fortified in
them than in others: for they think that the honour of learning and
wisdom is due to their place, and calling, and name, and standing in
the universities; how empty soever they be themselves. And they take
it for a double dishonour (as it is) for a teacher to be accounted
ignorant; and an injury to their work and office, and to the people's
souls, that must by their honour be prepared to profit by them; and
therefore they smart more impatiently under any detection of their
ignorance, than the common people do.
24. It is not mere honesty and godliness, that will suffice to save
ministers or people from this ignorance, injudiciousness, and error;
there having ever been among the very godly ministers, a few judicious
men, that are fit to investigate a difficult truth, or to defend it
against a subtle adversary, or to see the system of theological
verities in their proper method, harmony, and beauty.
25. Morality hath innumerable difficulties, as well as school
divinity; because that moral good and evil are ordinarily such by
preponderating accidents (actions as actions, being neither; but only
of physical consideration). And the work of a true casuist is to
compare so many accidents, and to discern in the comparison which
preponderateth, that it requireth both an acute and a large,
capacious, farseeing wit, to make a man a true resolver of cases of
conscience. And consequently to be a judicious pastor, that shall not
lead the people into errors.
26. As few teachers have natural capacity for exactness, and a
willingness and patience for long, laborious studies; so many by their
pastoral oversight of souls, and many by the wants of their families,
(especially in times of persecution, when all their public maintenance
is gone, and they must live, with their families, on the charity of
people, perhaps poor and persecuted as well as they,) are hindered
from those studies, which else they would undergo.
27. It is few that grow to much exactness of judgment without much
_writing_ (for themselves or others); for study which is to be
exactly ordered and expressed by the pen, is usually (at last) the
exactest study: as the Lord Bacon saith, "Much reading maketh a man
full; much conference maketh a man ready; and much writing maketh a
man exact." There are few Cameros, men of clear judgment, and
abhorring to write. And there are few divines comparatively that have
opportunity to write much.
28. They that err in divinity, do think _their falsehoods_ to be
_God's truth_; and so will honour that which he hates, with the
pretence of his authority and name.
29. Therefore they will call up their own and other men's zeal, to
defend those falsehoods as for God, and think that in so doing they do
God service.
30. And the interest of their own place, and honour, and ends, will
secretly insinuate when they discern it not, and will increase their
zeal against opposers.
31. Therefore, seeing they are usually many, and wise men but few,
they will expect that number should give the precedency to their
opinions, and will call those proud, or heretical, that gainsay them,
and labour to defame them, as self-conceited, opinionative men.
32. Therefore too many godly ministers will be great opposers of many
of those truths of God, which they know not, and which they err about,
and will help on the service of Satan in the world; and will be the
authors of factions and contentions in the churches; whilst too many
are "proud, knowing nothing," (in those matters when they think they
are most orthodox,) "but doting about questions and strifes of words,
whereof cometh envy, strife, railing, evil surmisings, perverse
disputings of men of corrupt minds, (in this,) and destitute of the
truth," 1 Tim. vi. 4, 5.
33. And if many good men will erroneously stand up against that truth
which any man wiser than themselves maketh known, the worldly and
malicious, that have a manifold enmity against it, will be ready to
strengthen them by their concurrence, and to join in the opposition.
34. Not they that are wisest at a distance, but they that are nearest
the people, and are always with them, are most likely to prevail to
make disciples of them, and bring them to their mind: so great an
advantage it is, to talk daily and confidently to ignorant souls, when
there is none to talk against them, and to make their folly known.
35. Especially if the same men can get interest in their esteem as
well as nearness, and make themselves esteemed the best or wisest men.
36. Therefore Jesuitical, worldly clergymen, will always get about
great men, and insinuate into nobles, and will still defame them that
are wise and good, that they may seem odious, and themselves seem
excellent, and so may carry it by deceitful shows.
37. And they will do their best, to procure all wise and good men,
that are against their interest, to be banished from the palaces of
princes and nobles, where they are; lest their presence should confute
their slanderers, and they should be as "burning and shining lights,"
that carry their witness with them where they come: and also to bring
them under public stigmatizing censures and sufferings; that their
names may be infamous and odious in the world.
38. And heretical pastors will play a lower game, and creep into the
houses of silly people, prepared by ignorance and soul-disturbers to
receive their heresies.
39. Between these two sorts of naughty pastors, (the WORLDLY and the
HERETICAL,) and also the multitude of weak, erroneous, honest teachers,
the soundest and worthiest will be so few, that far most of the people
(high and low) are like to live under the influences and advantages of
erring men; and, therefore, themselves to be an erring people.
40. In that measure that men are carnal, their own carnal interest
will rule them. And both the WORLDLY and HERETICAL clergy, are ruled
by carnal interests, though not the same materially. And the more
honest, erring ministers, are swayed by their interests too much;
insomuch, that on this account, it was no overvaluing of Timothy, or
wrong to the other pastors, that it should plainly be said by Paul,
"For I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your
state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus
Christ's," Phil. ii. 20, 21. "Of your ownselves shall men arise, and
speak perverse things, to draw away disciples after them," Acts xx. 30.
Besides the grievous wolves which would not spare the flocks.
41. The interest then of the WORLDLY clergy, will consist in pleasing
the great ones of the world; for lordships, and worldly wealth, and
honour, and to be made the rulers of their brethren, and to have their
wills: and the interest of heretics will be to have many to be of
their own opinion to admire them: and the interest of upright
ministers will be to please God, and propagate the gospel, increase
the church, and save men's souls; yet so that they have a subordinate
interest, for food and raiment, and families, and necessary
reputation, which they are too apt to overvalue.
42. Therefore, it will be the great trade of the WORLDLY clergy, to
please and flatter the rulers of the world, and by all artificial
insinuations, and by their friends, to work themselves into their
favour, and by scorns and calumnies to work out all other that are
against their interest.
43. And it will be the trade of heretics, to insinuate into the more
ductile people, especially as ministers of truth and righteousness,
that have somewhat more excellent in knowledge or holiness, than the
faithful ministers of Christ.
44. And it will be the work of faithful ministers, to save men's
souls. But with such various degrees of self-denial or selfishness, as
they have various degrees of wisdom and holiness.
45. Many great and piously disposed princes, like Constantine, will
think that to honour and advance the clergy, into worldly power and
wealth, is to honour God and the christian religion; and great
munificence is fit for their own greatness.
46. And because such honour and wealth cannot possibly be bestowed on
all, it must make a great disparity, and set some as lords over the
rest.
47. And the unavoidable weakness, passions, and divisions of the
clergy, will make rulers think, that there is a necessity; that
besides the civil government, there should, be some of their own
office, to rule the rest, and to keep them in order, obedience, and
peace.
48. Ambition and covetousness will abuse this munificence of princes:
and whilst that any church preferments are so great (beyond the degree
of a mere encouraging subsistence) as to be a strong bait to tempt the
desires of a proud and worldly mind, the most proud and worldly that
are within the reach of hope, will be the seekers, by themselves, and
by their friends.
49. Mortified, humble, heavenly men, will either never seek them, or
with no great eagerness; their appetite being less, and their
restraints much greater.
50. Therefore they that have the keenest appetites to church grandeur
and preferments, and are the eager seekers, are most likely to find.
51. Therefore the lovers of wealth and honour, are more likely still
to be the lords among the clergy; except in such marvellous happy
times, when wise and pious princes call the more worthy that seek it
not, and reject these thirsty seekers.
52. The greatest lovers of worldly wealth and honour, are the worst
men, 1 John ii. 15; James iv. 4, &c.
53. Therefore, except in such times as aforesaid, the worst men will
be still the rich and powerful in the clergy, for the most part, or at
least, the worldly that are very bad.
54. These carnal minds are enmity to God, and cannot be subject to his
law. And the friendship of the world is enmity to God. And the honour
and wealth of these worldly men, will be taken by them for their
interest; and they will set themselves to defend it, against all that
would endanger it.
55. The doctrine and practice of humility, mortification, contempt of
the world, forsaking all, taking up the cross, &c. is so much of the
christian religion, that however the worldly clergy may formally
preach it, their minds and interests are at enmity to it.
56. Such men will make church canons according to their interests and
minds.
57. And they will judge of ministers and people according to their
interest and mind; who is sound, and who is erroneous; who is honest,
and who is bad; who is worthy of favour, and who is worthy of all the
reproaches that can be devised against him.
58. The humble, mortified ministers and people, that are seriously the
servants of a crucified Christ, and place their hopes and portion in
another world, have a holy disposition, contrary to this worldly,
carnal mind; and their manner of preaching will be of a different
relish, and the tenor of their lives of a contrary course.
59. The generality of the best people in the christian churches will
perceive the difference between the worldly and the heavenly manner of
preaching and of living, and will love and honour the latter far above
the former; because their new nature suiteth with things spiritual,
and fitteth them to relish them.
60. The worst of vicious and worldly men will disrelish the spiritual
manner of preaching and living, and will join with the worldly clergy
against it.
61. The worldly clergy being hypocrites, as to christianity and
godliness, (like Judas that loved the bag better than Christ,) they
will make themselves a religion, consisting of the mere corpse and
dead image of the true religion; of set words, and actions, and
formalities, and orders, which in themselves are (many, at least, if
not all) good; but the life they will not endure.
62. This image of true religion, or corpse of godliness, they will
dress up with many additional flowers out of their own gardens, some
tolerable, and some corrupting: that so they may have something which
both their own consciences and the world may take to be honourable
religion; lest known ungodliness should terrify conscience within, and
shame them in the world without.
63. This image of religion, so dressed up, will suit their carnal
auditors and people too, to the same ends; and therefore will become
their uniting interest.
64. That which is but a weed among these flowers, the more heavenly
ministers and people will dislike, and much more dislike the loathsome
face of death (or lifelessness) in their religion.
65. These differences of mind and practice, will engage both parties
in some kind of opposition to each other. The worldly clergy, or
hypocrites, will have heart-risings against the ministers and people
that think meanly of them, and will take it for their interest to
bring them down: for enmity is hardly restrained from exercise. And
Cain will be wroth that Abel's sacrifice is better accepted than his
own.
66. The better ministers will be apt, through passion, to speak too
dishonourably of the other; and the rash and younger sort, and the
heretical hypocrites that fall in with them, will take it for part of
a godly zeal to speak against them to the people, in such words as
Christ used of the scribes and Pharisees.
67. Hereupon the exasperations of each party will be increased more
and more; and the powerful, worldly clergy will think it their
interest to devise some new impositions, which they know the other
cannot yield to, to work them out.
68. Whether they be _oaths_, _subscriptions_, _words_, or _actions_,
which they believe to be against God's word, the spiritual and upright
part of the clergy and people will not perform them; resolving to obey
God rather than man.
69. Hereupon the worldly part will take the advantage, and call them
disobedient, stubborn, proud, schismatical, self-opinionated,
disturbers of the public peace and order, "pestilent fellows, and
movers of sedition among the people," that will let nothing be quiet,
but "turn the world upside down," Acts xxiv. 5, 6; and will endeavour
to bring them to such sufferings, as men really guilty of such crimes
deserve.
70. And because the suffering and dissenting party of ministers, when
silenced, will leave many vacancies in the churches, they will be fain
to fill them with men, how empty and unworthy soever, that are of
their own spirit, and will be true to their interests.
71. The exasperation of their sufferings will make many, otherwise
sober ministers, too impatient, and to give their tongues leave to
take down the honour of the clergy whom they suffer by, more than
beseemeth men of humility, charity, and patience.
72. When the people, that most esteem their faithful ministers, are
deprived of their labours, by the prohibitions of the rest, and
themselves also afflicted with them; it will stir up in them an
inordinate, unwarrantable, passionate zeal; which will corrupt their
very prayers, and make them speak unseemly things, and pray for the
downfal of that clergy, which they take to be the enemies of God, and
godliness. And they will think that to speak easily or charitably of
such men, as dare forbid Christ's ministers to preach his gospel, and
by notorious sacrilege alienate the persons and gifts that were
consecrated solemnly to God, is but to be lukewarm, and indifferent
between God and the devil.
73. And when they take them as enemies to religion, and to themselves,
the younger and rasher sort of ministers, but much more the people,
will grow into a suspicion of all that they see their afflicters stand
for: they will dislike not only their faults, but many harmless
things, yea, many laudable customs, which they use; and will grow into
some superstition in opposition to them, making new sins in the manner
of worship, which God never forbad or made to be sins; and taking up
new duties, which God never made duties; yea, ready to forsake some
old and wholesome doctrines, because their afflicters own them; and to
take up some new, unsound doctrines, and expositions of God's word,
because they are inclined by opinion and passion conjoined, to go as
far as may be from such men, whom they think so bad of.
74. And the vulgar people that have but little sense of religion,
(that are not by the aforesaid interest united to the afflicting
clergy,) having a reverence to the worth of those that are afflicted,
and an experience of the rawness and differing lives of many that
possess their rooms, will grow to compassionate the afflicted, and to
think that they are injured themselves, and so to think hardly of the
causers of all this.
75. Hereupon the powerful clergy will increase their accusations
against the party that is against them, and declare to the world in
print and from the pulpits, their ignorance, unpeaceableness,
unruliness, giddiness, false opinions and conceits about the manner of
worship, and how unsufferable a sort of men they are.
76. By this time the devil will have done the radical part of his
work; which is to destroy much of christian love to one another, and
make them take each other for unlovely, odious persons: the one part,
for persecuting enemies of godliness, and hypocrites, and Pharisees;
the other for peevish, seditious, turbulent, unruly sectaries. And on
these suppositions, all their after characters, affections, and
practices towards each other will proceed.
77. By this enmity and opposition against each other, both parties
will increase in wrath, and somewhat in numbers. The worldly,
afflicting clergy will multiply not only such as are disaffected to
them, but downright fanatics, and sectaries that will run as far from
them as they can, into contrary extremes. For when they are once
brought into a distaste of the old hive, the bees will hardly gather
into one new one; but will divide into several swarms and hives. As
every man's zeal is more against the afflicting party, so he will go
further from them; some to be separatists, some anabaptists, some
antinomians, some seekers, some quakers, and some to they know not
what themselves.
78. For the women, and apprentices, and novices in christianity, that
have more passion than judgment, will abundance of them quite overrun,
even their own afflicted teachers, and will forsake them, if they will
not overrun their own judgments, in forsaking those that do afflict
them.
79. And many hypocrites that have no sound religion; but ignorance,
pride, and uncharitableness, will thrust in among them, in these
discontents; or spring up in the nurseries of these briers of passion,
and will bring in new doctrines, and new ways of worship, and make
themselves preachers, and the heads of sects; by reason of whom, the
way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
80. And many unstable persons seeing this, will dread and loathe so
giddy a sort of men, and will turn papists, upon the persuasions of
them that tell them that there is no true unity nor consistency but at
Rome; and that all must thus turn giddy at last, that are not fixed in
the papal head. And thus they that fly too far from the Common Prayer
Book, will drive men to the mass; and the afflicters will make
sectaries, and the sectaries will make papists.
81. When the violent clergy, instead of a fatherly government of the
flocks, have driven the people into passions, distempers, and
uncharitable disaffections to themselves, and have also been the great
cause of multiplied heresies and sects by the same means, instead of
being humbled and penitent for their sin, they will be hardened, and
justify all their violences, by the giddiness and miscarriages of
those sectaries, which they themselves have made.
82. And when they publish the faults of such, for the justification of
their own violence, they will draw thousands into an approbation of
their courses, (to think that such a turbulent people can never be too
hardly called or used,) and consequently into a participation of their
guilt.
83. By all this, the dissenters will be still more alienated from
them; and many will aggravate the crime of the ministers that conform
to their impositions, and obey them: and for the sake of a few that
afflict them, they will condemn many laudable conforming ministers,
that never consented to it, but could heartily wish that it were
otherwise.
84. And the younger, and more indiscreet, passionate sort, will
frequently reproach such, as unconscionable temporizers, that will do
any thing for worldly ends, and that as hypocrites for a fleshly
interest, concur with the corrupters and afflicters of the godly.
85. These censures and reproaches will provoke those conforming
ministers, who are not masters of their passions, nor conquerors of
their pride, to think as badly of the censurers as their afflicters
do, and to join with them in the displaying of all enormities, and
promoting their further sufferings, and publishing the folly and
turbulency of their spirits, with spleen and partiality.
86. By these kind of speeches, preachings, and writings, multitudes
of the debauched will be hardened in their sin against all religion:
for when they observe that it is the same party of men, who are thus
reproached, that are the strictest reprovers of their lewdness, their
fornications, tippling, gaming, luxuries, and ungodliness; they will
think it is no great matter what such a defamed, giddy sort of people
say, and that really they are worse themselves.
87. Each party of these adversaries will characterize the adverse
party as hypocrites: the passionate sufferers will call the afflicters
hypocrites and Pharisees, that have no religion, but a formal show of
outside ceremonies and words, and that tithe mint and cummin, and wash
the outside, while within they are full of persecuting cruelty, and
are wolves in sheep's clothing, loving the uppermost seats, and great
titles, and ceremonious phylacteries, whilst they are enemies to the
preaching of the gospel of Christ, and get revenues to themselves, and
devour not only the houses, but the peace and lives of others, under
pretence of long liturgies; and that devour the living saints, while
they keep holy days and build monuments for the dead ones, whom their
fathers murdered, &c. And the powerful clergy will call the others
hypocrites, and labour to show that the Pharisees' character belongeth
to them, and that their pretences of strictness in religion, and their
long praying and preaching, is but a cloak to cover their
disobedience, and covetousness, and secret sins; and that their hearts
and inside are as bad as others, and that their fervency in devotion
is but a hypocritical, affected whining and canting; and that they are
worse than the lesser religious sort of people, because they are more
unpeaceable, and disobedient, and add hypocrisy to their sin.
88. The ignorant, worldlings, drunkards, and ungodly despisers of
holiness and heaven, being in all countries most contradicted in their
way, by this stricter sort of men, and hearing them in pulpit and
press so branded for hypocrites, will joyfully unite themselves with
the censurers; and so they will make up as one party, in crying down
the precise hypocrites; and usually make some name to call them by, as
their brand of common ignominy: and they will live the more quietly in
all their sins, and think they shall be saved as soon as the
precisest, that make more show, but have no more sincerity, but more
hypocrisy, than themselves.
89. The suffering party, seeing the ungodly and the conforming
afflicters of them thus united, and made one party in opposition to
them, will increase their hard thoughts of the adverse clergy, and
take them for downright profane, and the leading enemies of godliness
in the world, that will be captains in the devil's army, and lead on
all the most ungodly against serious godliness, for their worldly
ends.
90. And the young and indifferent sort of people, in all countries,
that were engaged in neither part, being but strangers to religion,
and to the differences, will be ready to judge of the cause by the
persons: and seeing so many of the dignified, advanced clergy, and the
more sensual sort of the people, on one side, and so many men of
_strict lives_ on the other, that suffer also for their religion, and
hearing too that it is some name of _preciseness_ that they are
reproached by, will think them to be the _better side_; and so the
title of the godly will grow by degrees to be almost appropriated to their
party, and the title of _profane_ and _persecutors_ to the other.
91. All this while the nonconforming ministers will be somewhat
differently affected, according to the different degrees of their
judiciousness, experience, and self-denial.
Some of them will think these passions of the people needful, to check
the fierceness of the afflicters (which doth but exasperate it); and
therefore will let them alone, though they will not encourage them.
Some of the younger or more injudicious, hot-brained sort will put
them on, and make them believe, that all communion with any conforming
ministers or their parish churches is unlawful, and their forms of
worship are sinful and antichristian; and that they are all
temporizers and betrayers of truth and purity, that communicate or
assemble with them.
The judicious, and experienced, and most patient and self-denying
sort, will themselves abstain from all that is sin; and as far as it
is in their choice and power, will join with the churches that worship
God most agreeably to his word and will; but so, as that they will not
be loud in their complaints, nor busy to draw men to their opinions in
controvertible points; nor will unchurch and condemn all the churches
that have something which they dislike as sinful; nor will renounce
communion of all faulty churches, lest they renounce the communion of
all in the world, and teach all others to renounce theirs: but they
will sometimes communicate with the more faulty churches, to show that
they unchurch them not (so they be not forced in it to any sin);
though usually they will prefer the purest: yea, ordinarily they will
join with the more faulty, when they can have no better, or when the
public good requireth it. They will never prefer the interest of their
nonconforming party, before the interest of christianity, or the
public good. They will so defend lesser truths, as not to neglect or
disadvantage the greater, which all are agreed in. They will so
preserve their own innocency, as not to stir up other men's passions,
nor to make factions or divisions by their difference. They will so
dislike the pride and worldliness of others, and their injuries
against God and godliness, as not to speak evil of dignities, nor to
cherish in the people's minds any dishonourable, injurious thoughts of
their kings, or any in authority over them. They will labour to allay
the passions of the people, and to rebuke their censorious and too
sharp language, and to keep up all due charity to those by whom they
suffer; but especially _loyalty_ to their kings and rulers, and
peaceableness as to their countries. They will teach them to
distinguish between the cruel that are masters of the game, and all
the rest that have no hand in it; and at least not to separate from
all the rest for the sake of a few. If they will go as far as Martin
(in Sulpitius Severus) to avoid all communion with Ithacius and
Idacius, and the councils of bishops, that prosecuted the
Priscillianists, to the scandal of godliness itself; yet not for their
sakes to avoid all others, that never consented to it: nor with
Gildas, to say of all the bad ministers, that he was not _eximius
christianus_, that would call them ministers, or pastors, rather
than traitors. They will persuade the people to discern between good
and evil, and not to run into extremes, nor to dislike all that their
afflicters hold or use; nor to call things lawful, by the name of sin,
and anti-christianity; nor to suffer their passions to blind their
judgments, to make superstitiously _new sin_ and _duties_, in
opposition to their adversaries; nor to disgrace their understandings
and the truth, by errors, factions, revilings, or miscarriages; nor to
run into sects; nor to divide Christ's house and kingdom, while they
pretend to be his zealous servants. They will persuade the people to
patience, and moderation, and peace, and to "speak evil of no man,"
nor by word or deed to revenge themselves; much less to resist the
authority that is set over them by God; but to imitate their Saviour,
and quietly suffer, and being reviled not to revile again, but to love
their enemies, and bless their cursers.
92. The more sober sort of the people will be ruled by these counsels,
and will do much to quiet the rest. But the heretical part, with their
own passions, will exasperate many novices and injudicious persons, to
account this course and counsel aforesaid, to be but the effect of
_lukewarmness_ and _carnal compliance_ with sin, and a halting
between two opinions, and a participation in the sin of persecutors
and malignant enemies of godliness: and they will believe that whoever
joineth with the parish churches, in their way, is guilty of
encouraging them in sin, and of false worship.
93. Hereupon they will defame the nonconforming ministers last
described, as men of no zeal, neither flesh nor fish; and perhaps as
men that would save their skin, and shift themselves out of
sufferings, and betray the truth. And when such ministers acquaint
them with their unsound principles and passions, they will say of them
that they speak bitterly of the godly, and join with the persecutors
in reproaching them.
94. And they will carry about among themselves many false reports and
slanders against them; partly because passion taketh off charity and
tenderness of conscience; and partly because an opinionative model,
and siding religiousness, hath ever more followers, and a quicker
zeal, than true holiness; and partly because they will think that
human converse obligeth them to believe the reports which those that
are accounted good men utter; and partly because that they will think,
that the upholding of their cause (which they think is God's) doth
need the suppression of these men's credit and reputation that are
against it.
95. But the greater part of the honest nonconformist ministers will
dislike the headiness and rashness of the novices and the sectaries,
and will approve of the aforesaid moderate ways. But their
opportunities and dispositions of expressing it will be various. Some
of them will do it freely, whatever be thought of it; and some of them
that have impatient auditors, will think that it is no duty to attempt
that which will not be endured, and that it is better to do what good
they can, than none. And some will think, that seeing the worldly
clergy forbid them to preach the gospel of salvation, they are not
bound to keep up any of their reputation or interest, as long as they
have themselves no hand in the extremes and passions of the people.
And some that have wives and children, and nothing but the people's
charity to find them food and raiment, being turned out of all public
maintenance by their afflicters, and prosecuted still with continued
violence, will think that it is not their duty to beg their bread from
door to door; nor to turn their families to be kept on the alms of the
parish, by losing the affection of those people, whose charity only
they can expect relief from: and therefore, they will think that
necessity, and preservation of their families' lives and health, will
better excuse their silence, when they defend not those that would
destroy them, against the over-much opposition of the people; than the
command of their afflicters will excuse their silence, if they neglect
to preach the christian faith. And some will think, that finding
themselves hated and hunted by one party, if they lose the affection
of the other also, they shall have none to do their office with, nor
to do any good to; and that they shall but leave the people whom they
displease, to follow those passionate leaders, that will tempt them
to more dangerous extremities, against the peace of christian
societies.
But the most judicious and resolved ministers, that live not on the
favour or maintenance of the people, or are quite above all worldly
interest, will behave themselves wisely, moderately, and yet
resolvedly; and will do nothing that shall distaste sober and wise
men, nor yet despise the souls of the most impotent or indiscreet: but
by solid principles, endeavour to build them upon solid grounds; and
to use them with the tenderness, as nurses should do their crying
children. But yet they will not cherish their sin, under the pretence
of profiting their souls; nor, by silence, be guilty of their blood;
nor so much as connive at those dangerous extremes, that seem to serve
some present exigence and job; but threaten future ruin to the
churches, and dishonour to the christian cause. And therefore they
resolve not to neglect the duties of charity to the bitterest of their
persecutors; and the rather, because it will prove in the end a
charity to the church, and to the souls of the passionate, whose
charity they labour to keep alive. And silence at sin is contrary to
their trust and office: and they will not be guilty of that carnal
wisdom, which would do evil that good may come by it; or that dare not
seek to cure the principles of uncharitableness, divisions, or
extremities in the people, for fear of losing advantages of doing them
good; or that dare not disown unlawful schisms and separations, for
fear of encouraging those malignants that call lawful practices by
that name. They will do God's work (though with prudence, and not
destructive rashness, yet) with fidelity and self-denial. And they
will lay at Christ's feet, not only their interest in the favour of
superiors; and their peace, and safety, and liberty, and estates, and
lives, which are exposed to malignant cruelty, among the Cainites of
the world; but also all the good thoughts, and words, and favour of
the religious sort of people, yea, and pastors too. And they will look
more to the interest of the whole church, than of a narrow party; and
of posterity, than of the present time; as knowing, that at long
running, it is only truth that will stand uppermost, when malignant
violence, and sectarian passions, are both run out of breath. And
therefore, in simplicity, and godly sincerity, they will have their
conversations in the world; and not in fleshly wisdom, or selfish
blinding passions or factions. Let all men use them how they will, or
judge or call them what they will; they will not therefore be false to
God and to their consciences. And seeing it is their office to govern
and teach the people, they will not be governed by the favour of the
most censorious, ignorant, or proud; but will guide them as faithful
teachers, till they are deserted by them, and disabled. But the sober,
ancient, wise, and experienced, will always cleave to them, and
forsake the giddy and sectarian way.
96. In the heat of these extremities, the most peaceable and sober
part, both of the conformists and nonconformists, will be in best
esteem with the grave and sober people; but in the greatest strait,
with both the extremes.
97. The godly and peaceable conformists, will get the love of the
sober, by their holy doctrine and lives: but they will be despised by
the sectaries, because they conform; and they will be suspected by the
proud and persecuting clergy, as leaning to the dissenters, and
strengthening them by their favour; because these ministers will, in
all their parishes, more love and honour the godly nonconformists,
than the irreligious, ignorant, worldly, dead-hearted multitude, or
the malignant enemies of godliness.
98. Hereupon these conformists being taken for the chief upholders of
the nonconformists, will be under continual jealousies and rebukes.
And perhaps new points of conformity shall be devised, to be imposed
on them, which it is known their consciences are against; that so they
may be forced also to be nonconformists, because secret enemies are
more dangerous than open foes.
99. These conformists being thus troubled, will feel also the stirring
of passion in themselves; and by the injury, will be tempted to think
more hardly of their afflicters than before. And so will part of them
turn downright nonconformists; and the other part will live in
displeasure, till they see an opportunity to show it. And these are
the likeliest to cross and weaken the worldly, persecuting clergy, of
any men.
100. And as for the moderate nonconformists, that understand what they
do, and why, and seek the reconciling of all dissenters; they will
also be loved and honoured by the sober, grave, and experienced
christians: but both extremes will be against them. The sectaries will
say, as before, that they are lukewarm, and carnal, selfish, complying
men. The proud, imposing clergy will say, that it is they that have
drawn the people into these extremes; and then complain of them that
they cannot rule them. And they will tell them, that till they conform
themselves, their moderation doth but strengthen the nonconformists,
and keep up the reputation of sobriety among them. And the nearer they
come to conformity, the more dangerous they are, as being more able to
supplant it. And thus the moderate and reconcilers, will be as the
wedge that is pressed by both sides, in the cleft of church divisions;
and no side liketh them, because they are not given up to the factious
passions or interest of either.
101. Only those will, in all these extremities and divisions, keep
their integrity; who are, 1. Wise. 2. Humble and self-denying. 3.
Charitable, and principled with a spirit of love. 4. And do take the
favour of God and heaven alone for their hope and portion, whatever
becometh of them in the world. But the WORLDLY persecuting, and the
SECTARIAN party, will be both constituted by these contrary
principles: 1. Ignorance and error. 2. Pride of their own
understandings; every one thinking that all are intolerable that are
not of their mind and way. 3. Uncharitableness, malice, or want of
love to others as to themselves. 4. And overvaluing their worldly
accommodations, honours, and estates.
102. Hereupon the instruments of a foolish shepherd, will still be
used to the greater scattering of the flocks. And because none are so
able to dispute against them as the moderate, therefore they will be
taken for their most dangerous adversaries. And when they are greatly
inclined to the healing of these wounds, the violent and lordly will
not suffer them; but will pour oil upon the flames, which moderate men
would quench. And, as if they were blindfolding and scourging Christ
again, they will follow the people with afflicting wounds; and then
charge the moderate ministers with their discontents; and charge them
to reduce them to peace and conformity. And if they cannot get them to
love and honour those that are still scourging them with scorpions,
the scourgers will lay the blame on these ministers, and say, it is
all long of them that the people love not those that wound them. And
they that cry out most for peace will not endure it, nor give the
peace-makers leave to do any thing that will accomplish it; nor will
keep the spur out of the people's sides, whilst they look that others
(spurred more sharply) should hold the reins; which yet at the same
time they take out of their hands, and forbid them to hold, by
forbidding them to preach the gospel. So that it will be the sum of
their expectations, Perform not the office of pastors, nor preach the
gospel of peace and piety to the people any more: but yet, without
preaching to them, see that you teach them all to love and honour us,
while we silence you, and afflict them; or else we will account you
intolerable, seditious schismatics, and use you as such.
103. In some kingdoms or countries, it will be thought, that the
people will be brought to no obedience to the _lordly pastors_, till
their most _able_ or _moderate ministers_ are kept from them, by
banishment, imprisonment, or confinement; which will accordingly be
done.
104. When the ministers are banished or removed, that restrained the
people's passions, the people will make preachers of themselves; even
such as are suited to their minds.
105. Where papists or heretics are shut out by laws, they will
secretly contribute the utmost of their endeavours, to make the
sufferings of _dissenting protestants_ as grievous as possibly they
can; that in despite of them, their own necessities may compel them to
cry out for liberty, till they procure a common toleration for all,
and open the door for _papists_ and _heretics_, as well as for
_themselves_.
106. "Surely oppression will make wise men mad," Eccl. vii. 7.
107. Madmen will speak madly, and do madly.
108. They that speak and do madly, will be thought meetest for Bedlam,
and for chains.
109. When the ministers are banished or removed, and the people left
to their passions, and their own-made guides and teachers; passionate
women and boys, and unsettled novices, will run into unwarrantable
words and deeds; and will think those means lawful, which seem to
promise them deliverance, though they be such as God forbiddeth.
110. The seditions and miscarriages of some few will be imputed to the
innocent.
111. For the sake of such miscarriages, in some kingdoms, the sword
will be drawn against them, and the blood of many will be shed.
112. Hereupon the misguided, passionate youth, being by the proud
clergy deprived of the presence of that ministry that should moderate
them, are likely enough to think rebellion and resisting of authority,
a lawful means for their own preservation; and will plead the law of
nature and necessity for their justification.
113. If any of the sober, wise, experienced pastors be left among
them, that would restrain them from unlawful ways, and persuade them
to patient suffering; they will be taken for complying betrayers of
religion, and of the people's lives; that would have them tamely
surrender their throats to butchery.
* * * * *
As in a parenthesis, I will give them some instances for this
prognostic.
(1.) The great Lord Du Plessis (one of the most excellent noblemen
that ever the earth bore, that is known to us by any history) being
against the holding of an assembly of the French churches, against the
king's prohibition, was rejected by the assembly, as complying with
the courtiers (because they said, the king had before promised or
granted them that assembly); but the refusing of his counsel cost the
blood of many thousand protestants, and the loss of all their
garrisons and powers, and that lowness of the protestant interest
there that we see at this day.
(2.) The great divine, Peter De Moulin, was also against the
Rochellers' proceedings against the king's prohibitions (and so were
some chief protestant nobles); but he was rejected by his own party,
who paid for it, by the blood of thousands, and their ruin.
(3.) I lately read of a king of France, that hearing that the
protestants made verses and pasquels against the mass and processions
of the papists, made a severe law to prohibit it. When they durst not
break that law, their indiscreet zeal carried them to make certain
ridiculous pictures of the mass priests and the processions; which
moderate ministers would have dissuaded them from, but were accounted
temporizers and lukewarm: by which the king being exasperated, shut up
the protestant churches, took away their liberties, and it cost many
thousand men their lives. And the question was, Whether God had
commanded such jeers, and scorns, and pictures, to be made at so dear
a rate, as the rooting out of the churches, and religion, and the
people's lives?
(4.) Great Camero (one of the most judicious divines in the world) was
in Montabon, when it stood out in arms against the king (accounted
formerly impregnable). He was against their resistance, and persuaded
them to submit. The people of his own religion reviled him as a
traitor: one of the soldiers threatened to run him through. In a
Scottish passion he unbuttoned his doublet, and cried, _Feri,
miser_, Strike, varlet, or do thy worst; and in the heat, striving
to get his own goods out of the city, fell into a fever and died. The
city was taken, and the rest of the holds through the kingdom after
it, to the great fall of all the protestants, and the loss of many
thousand lives.
* * * * *
114. Where the devil can bring differences to extremities of violence,
the issues are not hard to be conjecturally foreseen; but are such as
my prognostics shall no further meddle with, than to foretell you,
that both sides are preparing for the increase of their fury and
extremities, and at last for repentance, or ruinous calamities, if
they do as I have described.
115. Carnal and discontented statesmen and politicians, will set in on
both sides, to blow the coals, and draw on feuds for their own ends,
and head the discontented people to their ruin.
116. But in those countries, where the difference never cometh to such
disorders, there will be a war bred, and kept up in the people's
hearts; and neighbours will be against neighbours, as Guelphs and
Gibellines.
117. When kingdoms are thus weakened by intestine discontents, it will
increase the hopes and plots of foreign enemies, and make them think
that one party (that suffer) will be backward to their own defence, as
thinking they can be no worse (which is the hopes of the Turks in
Hungary).
118. It will be a great injury, and grief, and danger to christian
kings and states, to have their kingdoms and commonwealths thus
weakened, and the cordial love and assistance of their subjects made
so loose and so uncertain.
119. And it will be a continual vexation to wise and peaceable
princes, to govern such divided, discontented people; but to rule a
united, loving, concordant, peaceable people, will be their delight
and joy.
120. A WORLDLY, covetous, proud, domineering, malignant, lazy clergy,
will, in most christian nations, be the great plague of the world, and
troublers of princes, and dividers of churches; who, for the interest
of their grandeur, and their wills, will not give the sober, and
peaceable, and godly ministers, or people, leave to serve God quietly,
and live in peace. And the impatient, self-conceited, sectarian
spirit, which, like gunpowder, takes fire upon such injuries, is the
secondary divider of the churches, and hinderer of christian love and
peace; and by their mutual enmity and abuses, they will drive each
other so far into the extremity of aversion and opposition, that they
will but make each other mad; and then, like madmen, run and quarrel,
while sober men stand by and pity them; but can help neither the one
party nor the other, nor preserve their own or the public peace.
121. The grand endeavour of the worldly clergy, will be (in most
kingdoms of the world) to engage princes on their side, and to borrow
their sword, to do their work with, against gainsayers: for they have
no confidence in the power of the keys; but will despise them secretly
in their hearts, as leaden, uneffectual weapons, while they make it
the glory of their order, that the power of the keys is theirs.
122. If princes suppress disorders by the sword, the said clergy will
ascribe the honour of it to themselves; and say it was _their
order_, that kept up so much order in the churches. And when they
have put princes to that trouble, will assume to themselves the
praise.
123. The devil will set in, and do his utmost, to make both rulers and
people believe, that all this confusion is long of the christian
religion, and the strict principles of the sacred Scriptures; and so
to make men cast off all religion, and take christianity to be
contrary to their natural and civil interests.
124. And the papists will every where persuade high and low, that all
this cometh by meddling so much with the Scriptures, and busying the
common people with religion; and leaving every man to be a discerning
judge of truth and duty, instead of trusting implicitly in the
judgment of their church. And so they would tempt princes tamely to
surrender half their government (that is, in all matters of religion)
to the pope; and persuade the people to resign their reason or
humanity to him; (that he who is so far off may rule it all over the
world, by his missionaries and agents, who must live upon the prey;)
and then he knoweth that he shall have both swords, and be the
universal king.
125. To this end, they will strive to make some rulers as bad as they
would have them, to do their work, and to make the rest thought worse
of than they are, that they may have a fair pretence for their
treasons and usurpations; which was the case of all the writers, that
plead for Pope Gregory the Seventh, against the German emperors; who
took that advantage, to settle the cardinals' power of elections; and,
in a council at Rome, to declare the pope to be above the emperor, and
to have power to depose him: and as bad was done in the general
council, at Lateran, under Innocent the Third. Can. 2, 3.
126. Concerning princes, I shall give you no prognostics but Christ's;
that it will "be as hard for a rich man to enter into heaven, as for a
camel to go through a needle's eye." And therefore, you may know what
men the rich will be, in most countries of the world.
127. And the rich will be the rulers of the world; and it is meet it
should be so: not that men should rule because they are rich, but they
that rule should be rich; and not exposed to contempt, by a vulgar
garb and state.
128. But some wise and good princes and magistrates God will raise up,
to keep the interest of truth and justice from sinking in
barbarousness, and diabolical wickedness.
129. And where princes and magistrates are bad, they will seldom do so
much hurt as good, or prove very cruel, where the worldly and corrupt
clergy do not animate and instigate them; their reason, their
interest, and their experience will lead them, by man-like usage, to
seek the people's love and quietness, and their kingdom's unity and
strength. But bloody persecutions (such as that of the Waldenses,
Piedmont lately, France, Ireland, Queen Mary's, &c.) are ordinarily
the effects of clergy interest and zeal.
130. The grand design of the devil, through the world, will be to
corrupt the two great ordinances of God, _magistracy_ and _ministry_;
and turn them both against Christ, who giveth them their power. The
instances of his success, are most notorious in the Turkish empire,
and the papal kingdom, called by them the catholic church; which
Campanella, de Regno Dei, doth labour to prove, by all the prophecies
cited by the millenarians, or fifth-monarchy men, to be the true
universal kingdom of Christ; in which, by his vicar the pope, he shall
reign over all the kings and kingdoms of the earth.
A PROGNOSTICATION
OF THE CHANGES THAT WILL BE IN CHRISTENDOM IN THE GOLDEN AGE,
AND TIME OF TRUE REFORMATION AND UNITY.
1. Because it is made part of our prayers, "Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven;" and, "we look for a new heaven, and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness." I hope their opinion is not true, who
think that the earth shall still grow more and more like to hell, till
the general conflagration turn it into hell, and make it the proper
seat of the damned. Yet, lest this should prove true, I will place my
chief hopes in heaven; remembering who said, "Sell all, and follow me,
and thou shalt have treasure in heaven" (and not on earth). But
supposing that ever the world will come to full reformation and
concord, (of which I am uncertain, but do not despair of,) I proceed
to my prognostics of the way.
2. God will stir up some happy king, or governor, in some country of
christendom, endowed with wisdom and consideration; who shall discern
the true nature of godliness and christianity, and the necessity and
excellency of serious religion; and shall see what is the corruption
and hinderance of it in the world; and shall place his honour and
felicity in pleasing God, and doing good, and attaining everlasting
happiness; and shall subject all worldly respects unto these high and
glorious ends. And shall know, that wisdom, and godliness, and justice
leave the most precious name on earth, and prepare for the most
glorious reward in heaven: in comparison of which, all fleshly pomp
and pleasure is dross and dung, and worthy of nothing but contempt.
3. This prince shall have a discerning mind, to know wise men from
foolish, good from bad; and among the ministers of Christ, to discern
the judicious, spiritual, heavenly, sober, charitable, and peaceable
sort, from self-seeking, worldly men; that make but a trade of the
ministry, and strive not so much for heaven, and the people's
salvation, as they do for worldly honours, power, and wealth. And he
shall discern how such do trouble the churches and the world, and
cause divisions, and stir up violence, for their own worldly interests
and ends.
4. He will take the counsel neither of worldlings, nor true fanatics,
and dividing persons; but of the learned, godly, self-denying, sober,
peaceable divines; with his grave and reverend senators, judges, and
counsellors; that know what is reason and justice, and what belongeth
to the public good, as well as to the true interest of the church, and
of men's souls.
5. He will know those men, whom he is concerned to use, and to judge
of, as far as may be, by personal acquaintance and observation; and
not by the partial reports of adversaries, behind their backs: and so
he will neither be deceived in his instruments, nor disappointed by
them.
6. He will call together the wise, peace-making persons; and with the
strictest charge, commit to them the endeavours of reconciling and
uniting the several parties; by drawing their differences into the
narrowest compass, and stating them more correctly than passionate men
do; and by persuading them to love and peace, and to all such
abatements and forbearances, as are necessary. And his own prudent
oversight and authority (like Constantine's at Nice) will facilitate
the success.
7. He and his people will inquire, what terms of concord are meet, not
only for some one corner or country, but for all the christian world;
that when he hath found it out, he and his kingdom may be a pattern to
all christendom, and the spring and leaven of a universal concord of
all christians.
8. Therefore, he will inquire of Vincent. Lirinensis, Catholic Terms
of _Quod_, 1. _Ab omnibus._ 2. _Ubique._ 3. _Semper, receptum est._
(1.) What all christians are agreed in, as christians, in the
essentials of their religion.
(2.) What all christians did agree on, in the apostles' time, which
was the time of greatest light, love, and purity.
(3.) What all christians, in all kingdoms of the world, since then, to
this day, in the midst of all their other differences, have been and
still are agreed in, as their religion.
For he will see, that there is no hope of agreeing the disagreeing
world (at least, in many an age) by changing men's judgments from what
they are, and bringing them all in controverted things to the mind of
some party; nor to agree them on any terms, in which they do not
really agree. But that their concord must be founded in that, which
they are indeed all agreed in; leaving the superfluities or additions
of each party, out of the agreement.
9. The peace-makers will then find, that the christian religion is
contained in three forms.
(1.) In the sacramental covenant with God the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, as the briefest formula.
(2.) In the creed, Lord's prayer, and decalogue; as the summaries of
the _credenda_, _appetenda_, and _agenda_, matters of faith, will,
(or desire,) and practice, as the larger form.
(3.) In that canon of Scripture, which all the churches receive, as
the largest form or continent.
And that he who is understandingly a sacramental covenanter with God
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, was ever taken for a visible
christian. And therefore baptism was called our christening; and the
baptized taken for christians, before they knew the controversies of
_this_ church, or _that_: and that the competent, explicit understanding
of the creed, the Lord's prayer, and decalogue, was ever taken for a
competent understanding of the sacramental covenant, and more. And
that he that implicitly receiveth the commonly received canonical
Scripture, as God's word, (though he understand no more than as
followeth,) and that explicitly understandeth the creed, Lord's
prayer, and decalogue, and receiveth them, and consenteth to the
sacramental covenant, always was accounted, and is still to be
accounted, a christian. On these terms, therefore, the peace-makers
will resolve to endeavour the union of the churches.
10. Therefore they will pare off, and cast away, (as the greatest
enemy to unity,) all those unnecessary controversies, or things
doubtful, which christians (yea, or divines) were never agreed in, and
which never were the happy and successful means or terms of any
extensive concord; and which have long been tried to be the great
occasions of all the scruples, and contentions, and divisions, and
woeful consequents in the churches. And they will once more say,
"IT SEEMETH GOOD TO THE HOLY GHOST, AND TO US, TO LAY UPON YOU NO
GREATER BURDEN THAN THESE NECESSARY THINGS," Acts xv. 28. All
christians shall, in general, receive the canonical Scripture as God's
word; and more particularly, the creed, Lord's prayer, and decalogue,
as the summary of necessaries; and shall profess, with competent
understanding of it, their consent to the sacramental covenant; and
vow and devote themselves therein to God. And this shall be all the
title, which they shall be forced to show, for their visible church
communion. And though a higher measure of the understanding of the
same principles and rules, shall be required in teachers, than in the
flock; and accordingly, the ordainers shall try their understandings,
together with their utterance and ministerial readiness of parts; yet
shall the teachers themselves be (ordinarily) forced to no other
subscriptions, professions, or oaths, (besides their civil
allegiance,) than to assent and consent to all aforesaid; and to
promise ministerial fidelity in their places. All councils, called
general or provincial, canons, decretals, articles, formulas, rubrics,
&c. shall be reserved to their proper use; but be no more used for
insnaring and dividing subscriptions, professions, or oaths; or made
the engines to tear the churches.
11. When all those superfluities, and foot-balls of contention, are
cast out of the way, the power of the keys, or pastoral government,
shall come to be better known and exercised, and the primitive
discipline set up; which took place before Cyril of Alexandria took up
the sword, and pride swelled the bishops into a secular state, and way
of rule. Then it shall be church government, to see that the people
be duly taken into the sacramental covenant, and learn the creed,
Lord's prayer, and decalogue; and be instructed in the word of God,
and live together in sobriety, righteousness, and godliness. And the
pastors shall leave secular matters to the magistrates; and be no more
troubled nor corrupted by their use of any forcing power: their
government shall be a paternal, authoritative exercise of instruction,
and of love, and no more; like that of a tutor to his pupils, a
physician in his hospital, a philosopher in his school (supposing a
divine commission and rule). The church itself shall be all their
courts, (supposing the magistrates,) and the people the witnesses; and
the present incumbent pastors be the judges, without excommunicating
and absolving lay-chancellors, surrogates, commissaries, or officials.
And all the materials of contention being now gone, they shall have
nothing to do in these courts, but to try whether the people have
learned and understand their catechisms, and consent to God's
covenant, and communicate in his worship with the church; and when any
are accused of wicked living, contrary to sobriety, righteousness, and
godliness, to try whether these accusations be well proved: and if so,
to persuade the offenders to repent; and by plain Scripture arguments,
to convince them of the sin; and with tears, or fatherly tenderness
and love, to melt them into remorse, and bring them to confess and
forsake the sin. And if this cannot be done at once, to try again and
again, and pray for their repentance. And, when there is no other
remedy, to declare such a one openly incapable of church communion;
and to require the church to avoid communion with him, and him to
forbear intruding into their communion: and to bind him over by a
ministerial denunciation of God's displeasure, (as against the
impenitent,) to answer it at the bar of God himself; as one that is
under his wrath, till he do repent. And this is the utmost of the
pastoral power that shall then be used (supposing private
admonitions): and this only in that church or congregation wherein the
sinner had before his communion; and not at a distance, nor in other
churches, or parts of the world, where the pastor hath no charge. Yea,
this much shall not be exercised irregularly, and at random, to the
injury of the flock; but under the rules and remedies afterward here
expressed.
12. The primitive church form shall be restored: and as (where there
are christians enough) no churches shall be too small, so none shall
be greater for number or distance, than to be one true particular
church; that is, a society of christians united as pastor and people,
for personal communion and assistance in God's public worship, and
holy living: that is, so many as may have this personal communion, if
not all at once, yet _per vices_, as oft as is fit for them to
meet with the church (which all in a family cannot usually do at
once). So that Ignatius's church mark shall be restored, To every
church there is one altar, and one bishop, with his fellow-presbyters
and deacons. And there shall no more be a hundred, or six hundred, or
a thousand altars to one bishop, _primi gradus_, and in one
church of the first form, called a particular church. Nor shall all
the particular churches be unchurched for want of true bishops; nor
all their pastors degraded into a new order of teaching ministers,
that have no power of pastoral government; nor the true discipline of
the churches be made a mere impossible thing, whilst it is to be
exercised by one bishop only over many hundred congregations, which do
every one of them afford full work for a present bishop. Nor shall the
bishop's office be thought so little holy, any more than preaching,
and sacramental administrations, as to be performable by a
lay-delegate, or any one that is not really a bishop. But the people
shall know them that are "over them in the Lord, which labour among
them, and admonish them; and shall esteem them very highly in love for
their work's sake; and shall be at peace among themselves," 1 Thess.
v. 12, 13. Such bishops as Dr. Hammond in his "Annotations"
describeth; that had but one church, and preached, baptized,
catechised, visited the sick, took care of the poor, administered the
Lord's supper, guided every congregation as at present in public
worship, and privately instructed and watched over all the flocks;
shall be in every church that can obtain such.
13. Where the churches are so great as to need, (as most will do,) and
so happy as to obtain, many faithful presbyters or pastors, whether
they shall live together in a single college life, or married, and at
a distance; and whether one as the chief, or bishop, shall be
president, and have a negative voice, or all be equal in a concordant
guidance of the flocks; shall be left to the choice and liberty of the
several churches, by mutual consent of pastors, and people, and
magistrates, to do and vary, as their several states and exigences
shall require: and shall neither be called antichristian or odious
tyranny on the one side, nor made of necessity to the church's
communion or peace on the other, as long as the true pastoral or
episcopal office is exercised in every particular church.
14. Neither magistrates nor other bishops shall make the bishop's or
pastor's sermons and prayers for him; but leave it as the work of the
speaker's office, to word his own sermons and prayers; and to choose a
set form or no set form, the same or various, as the case requireth:
yet so as to be responsible (as after) for all abuses and
mal-administrations, and not suffered to deprave God's worship, by
confusion or hurtful errors, or passionate and perverse expressions;
but to be assisted and directed to use his office in the most edifying
ways, by such kind of helps as his personal weaknesses shall require.
And where set forms are used, none shall quarrel with them as
unlawful.
15. None of the people shall have the high privileges of church
communion and sacraments bestowed on them, against their wills; no
more than a man impenitent and unwilling, shall be ministerially
absolved from the guilt of sin. For every sacramental administration,
whether of baptism, or of the body and blood of Christ, is as full an
act of ministerial absolution as any pastor can perform: and what he
doth to particular persons upon their penitence after a lapse, that
the pastor doth to the whole church at the Lord's supper. And as
consent is made by Christ the condition of pardon and covenant
benefits, which no non-consenter hath a title to; so therefore
professed consent is necessary to the sacramental collation or
investiture: and those that are but constrained by the apparent danger
of a fine or gaols, are not to be accounted voluntary consenters by
the church; when the Lord of the church will account none for
consenters, that will not forsake all, and endure fines and gaols,
rather than to be deprived of the benefits of mystical and visible
church communion. The magistrate therefore will wisely, and
moderately, bring all the people to hear that which is necessary to
their good; but will not by penalties force the unwilling to receive
either absolutions or communion with the church, in its special
privileges. But if the baptized refuse church communion afterwards,
they lamentably punish themselves; and if it be found meet to declare
them excommunicate, it will be a terrible penalty, sufficient to its
proper use.
16. The magistrate will not imprison, harm, confiscate, banish, or
otherwise punish any of his subjects, _eo nomine_, because they
are excommunicate; for that is to punish his body because his soul is
punished. Nor will he hearken to those unbelieving clergymen, that cry
up the power of the keys as their office; and when they have done,
scorn it as an ineffectual shadow of power, which will do nothing
without the magistrate's force. But he will himself hear and judge
before he punish, and not be debased to be the clergy's executioner,
to punish before he have tried the cause; because clergymen's pride
and passions may else engage him to be the instrument of their vices
and revenge. Yea, as he that seeth a man punished in one court, will
be the more dilatory to bring him to punishment in another, for the
same crime; so the magistrate that seeth a man excommunicated for his
fault, will rather delay his civil force against that man, to see what
effect his excommunication will have: because the conjunction of the
sword against the excommunicate as such, doth corrupt Christ's
ordinance, and make the fruit of it utterly undiscernible, so that no
one can see whether ever it did any thing at all, or whether all was
done by the fear of the sword. And verily, a faithful minister, that
seeth a sinner come to confession of his fault, but when he must else
lie in gaol and be undone, will be loth to take that man for a true
penitent. And to force pastors to absolve or give the sacrament to
every one that had rather take it than lie in gaol and be undone, is
to set up such new terms of church communion, which Christ will give
men little thanks for. Church communion is only a privilege due to
volunteers and penitents. But yet the magistrate may punish men with
fines or other penalties for the same faults for which they are
excommunicated, having tried and judged them in his own court; but not
"_quarterus_" excommunicate, but according to the nature of the
crime.
17. The schools of learning, and academies, shall not educate youth
either in idleness, luxury, or hypocritical formality; but under
learned, pious tutors, in learning sobriety and piety; from whence
they shall not over-hastily leap into the pastoral office.
18. None under thirty years of age (at what time Christ himself
entered on his public works) shall take a pastoral charge, except in
case of mere necessity of the church, no, not on pretence of
extraordinary fitness; but till then shall employ themselves as
learners, catechists, schoolmasters, or probationers. Nor shall they
meddle in the pulpits with matters of such controversies as the church
is in danger to be troubled with.
19. Ministers shall all be commanded by the magistrate, and advised by
the neighbour pastors, to forbear all unnecessary controversies in the
pulpits; and to teach the people the foresaid substantials, the
covenant of grace, the creed, Lord's prayer, and decalogue, the duties
of faith, love, repentance, and obedience; and shall reserve their
subtle and curious speculations for schools and theological writings:
and so the christian people shall be bred up in the primitive, plain
simplicity of doctrine and religion; and their brains shall not be
heated and racked with those new-coined phrases and subtleties, which
will but distemper them into a proud, contentious, wrangling disease;
but will not be truly understood by them, when all is done. And so,
when it is the people's work to hear only (usually) the doctrine of
the catechism, and simple old christianity, and to talk of no other;
1. Their time will be employed in promoting faith, repentance, love,
and obedience, which was wont to be spent in vain janglings and strife
of words. And, 2. Religion will be an easier thing; and,
consequently, will be more common (as cheap food and raiment is every
one's pennyworth): and ministers may hope to bring the generality of
their people to be savingly and practically religious: whereas the
fine-spun religion of novelists, and wranglers, that pretend new light
and increase of knowledge, doth not only dwindle into a cobweb of no
use, or life, or power; but must be confined to a few, that can have
leisure to learn to talk in new phrases, and will but become the
matter of ignorant men's pride and ostentation; and make them think,
that they only are the religious people; and all that cannot talk as
they, are profane, and not to be admitted to their communion. Whenas
the apostolic, primitive, plain religion, without the laces, and
whimsies, that dreamers have since introduced, would make men humble,
holy, heavenly, obedient, meek, and patient; and spare men the loss of
a great deal of time.
20. The maintenance of the ministry shall neither be so poor, as to
discourage men from devoting their children to the office, or disable
them from a total addictedness to their proper work, by any
distracting wants or cares; nor yet wholly disable them from works of
charity: nor yet so great, as may be a strong bait to proud, covetous,
worldly-minded men, to intrude into the ministry for fleshly ends. It
shall be so much, as that the burden of their calling may not be
increased by want; but yet not so much, but that self-denial shall be
exercised by all that undertake the ministry; and of the two, the
burden of the ministerial labours, with its proper sufferings, shall
to flesh and blood seem to preponderate the worldly advantage. So
greatly needful is it to the church, that all ministers be
self-denying men; that valuing things spiritually can practise
humility, mortification, and contempt of the world, as well as preach
it.
21. There shall be a treble lock upon the door of the ministry:--
(1.) Whether they are fit to be ministers in general, the ordainers
shall judge.
(2.) Whether they are fit to be the pastors of this or that particular
church, the members of the church shall so far judge, as that none
shall become their pastors without their own consent.
(3.) Whether they be fit for the magistrate's countenance,
maintenance, and protection, the magistrate himself shall judge.
And therefore, all three shall severally try and approve each pastor:
yet so, that the two first only be taken as necessary to the office
itself; and the third only to the maintenance and encouragement or
defence of the officer. And though sometimes this may occasion
disagreements and delays for a time; yet, ordinarily, the securing of
a faithful ministry, and other good effects, will countervail many
such inconveniences.
22. No one church shall have the government of another church; and the
secular differences of metropolitans, patriarchs, &c. which was set up
in one empire, upon secular accounts, and from secular reasons, shall
all cease. And no differences shall be made necessary among them,
which Christ hath not made necessary. But christian princes shall take
warning by the Greek and Latin churches, and by all the calamities and
ruins which have been caused in the christian world, by bishops
striving who should be the greatest, when Christ decided the
controversy long ago, Luke xxii.
23. As christians hold personal, christian communion, in their several
particular churches; so churches hold a communion of churches, by
necessary correspondencies and associations: not making a major vote
of bishops in synods, to have a proper government over the minor
part; but that by counsel and concord, that may help and strengthen
one another, and secure the common interest of christianity. And that
he that is a member of one church, may be received of the rest; and he
that is cast out of one, may not be received by the rest, unless he be
wronged. So that it shall not be one politic church, but a communion
of churches.
24. The means of this communion shall be,
(1.) By messengers.
(2.) By letters and certificates communicatory.
(3.) By synods.
25. These synods shall, as to a few neighbour churches, be ordinary
and stated; and the meetings of ministers in them shall be improved,