The Use for Our Humiliation
Reverend and dear Brethren, — Our business here this day is to humble our souls before the Lord for our former negligence, especially of catechising and personally instructing those committed to our charge-; and to desire God’s assistance of us in the employment we have undertaken for the time to come. Indeed, we can scarcely expect the latter “without the former. If God help us in our future duty and amendment. He will surely humble us first for our former sins. He that hath not so much sense of his faults as imfeignedly to lament them, will hardly have so much more as may move him to reform them. The sorrow of repentance may be without the change of heart and life; because a passion may be easier wrought than a true conversion; but the change cannot go without some good measure of the sorrow. Indeed, we may justly here begin our confessions: it is too common with us to expect that from our people, which we do little or nothing in ourselves. What pains take we to humble them, while ourselves are unhumbled! How hard do we press them by all our expostulations, convictions, and aggravations, to wring out of them a few penitent tears, (and all too little,) when our own eyes are dry, and our hearts are little affected with remorse; and we give them an example of hardheartedness, while we are endeavouring by our words to mollify and melt them! Oh, if we did but study half as much to affect and amend our ovn hearts, as we do our hearers, it would not be with many of us as it is! We do too little for their humiliation; but I fear it is much less that some of us do for our own. Too many do somewhat for other men’s souls, while they seem to forget that they have any of their own to regard. They so carry the matter, as if their part of the work lay in calling for repentance, and the hearers in repenting; theirs in speaking tears and sorrow, and other men’s only in weeping and sorrowing; theirs in preaching duty, and the hearers in performing it; theirs in crying down sin, and the people’s in forsaking it.
But we find the guides of the Church in Scripture did confess their own sins as well as the sins of the people; and began in tears for their own and the people’s sins. Ezra confesseth the sins of the priests as well as of the people, weeping, and casting himself down before the house of God. (Ezra ix. 6, 7, x. 1.) So did the Levites. (Neh. ix. 32-34.) Daniel confesseth his own sin, as well as the people’s, (Dan. ix. 20,) and God called such to it, as well as others. (Joel ii. 15-17.) When the fast is summoned, the people gathered, the congregation sanctified, the elders assembled, the priests, the ministers of the Lord, are called to begin to them in weeping, and calling upon God for mercy. I think if we consider well of the duties abeady opened, and withal how we have done them; of the rule, and of our unanswerableness thereto, we need not demur upon the question, nor put it to a question, whether we have cause of humiliation. I must needs say, though I judge myself in saying it, that he that readeth but this one exhortation of Paul in Acts XX., and compareth his life with it, is too stupid and hardhearted, if he do not melt under a sense of his neglects, and be not laid in the dust before God, and forced to bewail his great omissions, and to fly for refuge to the blood of Christ, and to His pardoning grace. I am confident, brethren, that none of you do in judgment approve of the libertine doctrine, that crieth down the necessity of confession, contrition, and true humiliation; yea, and in order to the pardon of sin! Is it not a pity, then, that our hearts are not more orthodox as well as our heads? But I see our lesson is but half learned when we know it, and can say it. When the understanding hath learned it, there is more ado to teach it our wills and afiections, our eyes, our tongues, and hands. It is a sad thing that so niany of us do use to preach our hearers asleep; but it is sadder still if we have studied and preached ourselves asleep, and have talked so long against hardness of heart, till our own grow hardened, under the noise of our own reproofs. Though the head only have eyes, and ears, and smell, and taste, the heart should have life, and feeling, and motion, as well as the head.
And that you may see that it is not a causeless sorrow that God calleth us to, I shall take it to be my duty to call to remembrance our manifold sins, or those that are most obvious, and set them this day in order before God and our own faces, that God may cast them behind His back; and to deal plainly and faithfully in a free confession, that He who is faithful and just may forgive them; and to judge ourselves, that we be not judged of the Lord: wherein I suppose
I have your free and hearty consent, and that you will be so far from being offended with the disgrace of your persons, and of others in this office, that you will readily subscribe the charge, and be humble selfaccusers; and so far am I from justifying myself by the accusation of others, that I do unfeignedly put my name with the first in the bill; for how can a wretched sinner, of so great transgressions, presume to justify himself with Godi or how can he plead guiltless, whose conscience hath so much to say against him 1 If I cast shame upon the ministry, it is not on the office, but on our persons, by opening that sin which is our shame. The glory of our high employment doth not communicate any glory to our sin, nor will afford it the smallest covering for its nakedness; for “sin is a reproach to any people,” or persons. (Prov. xiv. 34.) And it is myself as well as others on whom I must lay the shame: and if this may not be done, what do we here to-day 1 Our business is to take shame to ourselves, and to give God the glory; and faithfully to open our sins, that He may cover them; and to make ourselves bare by confession, as we have done by transgression, that we may have the white raiment that clotheth none but the penitent; for be they pastors or people, it is only he “that confesseth and forsaketh his sins that shall have mercy, when he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” (Prov. xxviii. 13.)
And 1 think it will not be amiss, if in the beginning of our confession we look behind us, and imitate Daniel, and other servants of God, who confess the sins of their forefathers and predecessors. For, indeed, my own judgment is so far from denying original sin, even the imputed part, with, the ancient opposers of it, or those of the new edition, that it doth not so much excuse me from the guilt of my later progenitors’ offences, as most other men’s do seem to excuse them. Let us fetch up then the core of our shame, and go to the bottom, and trace the behaviour of the ministers of the gospel, from the days of Christ till now, and see how far they have been from innocency.
When Christ had chosen Him but twelve apostles, who kept near His person, that they might be acquainted with His doctrine, life, and miracles; yet how ignorant did they long remain, not knowing so much as that He must die, and be a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and be buried and rise again, and ascend into glory; nor what was the nature of His spiritual kingdom! So that it puts us hard to it to imagine how men so ignorant could be in a state of grace; but that we know that those points were after of absolute necessity to salvation, that were not so then.“^^* How often doth Christ teach them publicly and apart, (Mark iv. 34,) and rebuke them for their unbelief and hardness of heart! and yet after all this, so strange were these great mysteries of redemption to them, and these (now) articles of our creed, that Peter himself dissuadeth Christ from suffering, and goeth so far in contradicting His gracious thoughts for our redemption, that he is called Satan, and “tantum non” excommunicated: and no wonder; for if his
* If any one about the time of Moses, offering sacrifice according to the law, were not instructed in the doctrine of the death of our Redeemer, but only believed that God through the means which He knoweth to be most agreeable and convenient, will forgive us our trespasses, it were rashness to go about to exclude such a man from salvation. — Fet. MoliiKjeus de Tradition., c. 19, pp. 251, 2o2.
counsel had been taken, the world had been lost for ever. And as there was a Judas among them, so the twelve are before Christ’s face contending for supeiiority; so early did that pride begin to work in the best, which afterwards prevailed so far in others, as to brins the Church so low as we have seen. What should we say of their jointly forsaking Christ; of their failings even after the pourings out of the Spirit; of the dissension and separation between Paul and Barnabas; how strange Peter made of the calling of the Gentiles; of his compliance with the Jews to the endangering of the liberties of the Gentiles, (Gal. ii.;) of the dissimulation of Barnabas; and the common desertion of Paul in his suffering’? When he had found out Timothy, he saith, he “had no man like-minded, that would naturally care for their estate; for all seek their own, and not the things of Jesus Christ.” (Phil, ii. 20, 21.) A sad charge of self-seeking in that glory of the Church for faith and purity! And what charges are against most of the ano;els of the seven Asiatic churches is expressed, Rev. ii., iii. And it is likely that Archippus was not the only man that had need to be warned to look to his ministry, (Col. iv. 17;) nor Demas the only man that forsook a persecuted partner, and turned after the things of the world; nor Diotrephes the only man that loved to have the pre-eminence, and made quarrels, and dealt unjustly and unmercifully in the Church upon that account!
And even while the churches were frying in the flames, yet did the pride and dissensions even of godly pastors do more than the fire of persecution could do, to turn all to ashes. How sad a story is it that Policrates with all the Eastern churches should be arrogantly excommunicated by Victor with his Romans, upon no higher crime than mischoosing of Easter-day, which our Britons also long after were guilty of! Who would think that so great weakness, and presumptuous usurpation, and uncharitable cruelty, and schismatical zeal, could have befallen the pastors of the Church in the strongest temptations of prosperity, much less in the midst of heathenish persecutions “? AVhat toys and trifles did the ancient reverend fathers of the Church trouble their heads about, and pester the Church with; and what useless stuff are many of their canons composed of! Yet these were the great matter and work of many of their famous consultations. How quickly did they seem to forget the perfection of Holy Scripture, the non -necessity and burdensomeness of ceremonious impositions! And by taking upon them an unnecessary and unjust kind of jurisdiction, they made the Church so much more work than ever Christ made it, and so clogged religion with human devices, that the Christian world hath groaned under it ever since, and been almost brought to ruin by it; and the reverence of their persons hath put so much reputation on the crime, and custom hath so taught it to plead prescription, that when the lacerated, languid churches will be delivered from the sad effects of their presumption, God only knoweth. It would make an impartial reader wonder, that peruseth their canons and the history of the Church, that ever men of piety, charity, and sobriety, could be drawn to perplex and tear in pieces the churches by such multitude of vanities, and needless determinations (to say no worse); and that the preachers of the gospel of peace, which so enjoineth humility, unity, and love, should ever be drawn to such a height of pride, as to think themselves meet to make so many laws for the whole Church of Christ, and to bind all their brethren through the world to the obedience of their dictates, and practice of their histrionical, ensnaring ceremonies, and that upon the penalties of being accounted no less than damned heretics or schismatics. Though Paul had told them betime, that he was afraid of them, lest as the serpent deceived Eve, so they should be deceived, and drawn from the simplicity that was in Christ, (2 Cor. xi. 3,) yet quickly was this caution forgotten, and the thing that Paul feared soon befell them; and instead of the simplicity of doctrine, they vexed the churches with curious controversies; and instead of the simplicity of discipline and government, they corrupted the Church with pomp and tyranny, and varieties of new orders and rules of religion; and instead of the simplicity of worship, they set up such a train of their own inventions, of which the Church had no necessity, that the bishops were become the masters of ceremonies, who should have been the humble and faithful observers of the pure laws and ordinances of Christ. Though their councils were useful for the churches’ conmiunion, had they been rightly ordered, yet so unhappily did they manage them for the most part, that Gregory Nazianzen purposed to come at them no more, as having never seen any that did not more harm than good. And so bold and busy were they in additions and innovations, even in making new creeds, that Hilary sadly complains of it, not sparing the Council of Nice itself, though their creed were allowable, be cause they taught others the way, and set the rest a work. And Luther sheweth us at large in his book “De Conciliis,” what thoughts he had of these
assemblies. Three lamentable vices did the prelates of the Church then commonly abound in — fride the root, contention and vain impositions and inventions, the fruits. No charity that is not blind can hide this guilt. We had never else had the Christian world so plagued with their quarrels about superiority and vain traditions, after such warnings, and lessons, and examples as Christ had given His own apostles. When once the favour of a Christian prince did shine upon the churches, what self-exhortation and contention of the prelates did ensue! So that if they had not been restrained and kept in quiet by the Emperor, how soon would they have made a sadder havoc than they did — perhaps in their first general council itself! And though that council had a good occasion, even to suppress the Arian heresy, yet had not Constantino committed their mutual accusations to the flames, and shamed them from their contendings, it had not had so good an end. And yet as good as it was, Luther saith, p. 226, de Concil., “Arianse heeresis jocus fuit ante Mcenum Concilium, prae ilia confusion e quam ipsi post Concilium excitaverunt.” Augustine’s sad complaint of the loading of the Church with ceremonies, and comparing them to Judaism, is commonly known: of which see Luther’s Comment., ib. pp. 55, 56. And so strange did it seem to Luther, that the learned prelates of those better times should so scold “circa naenia et nugas,” about pre-eminence and ceremonies, and things of nought, that he is again and again taken up in admiring it. Read that treatise throughout.
Is it not sad to think of the heat of an Epiphanius and Theophilus Alexand. against Chrysostom, and of
Chrysostom against them’? of Jerom against Ruffinus, Chrysostom, and many others’? And if Austin had not been more peaceable than he, one of them must have been an heretic, or schismatic at least. How many more such sad examples have we!
And for their damnatory sentences, they were more presumptuous than their laws; few men could stand in another’s way, or fall out, but one of them must be an heretic before they had made an end. Small differences were named damnable heresies: though they had enough among them that were such indeed, whereof some of the clergy were almost always the causes and fomenters; yet did they so multiply them by their imputation, that their catalogues swelled beyond the credit of charity. And he that had the highest reputation was usually safest from the blot, and had power to make others heretics almost at his pleasure; and if a man had once got the vote and fame, it was dangerous gainsaying him. Had Vigilantius or Jovinian had Jerom’s name, some of their heresies might possibly have been articles of faith.
And as they were dangerously forward on one side to make every small mistake a heresy, and cause divisions in the Church by their unjust condemnation, so many on the other hand were as forward to provoke them, by novelties or false conceits, especially about the Trinity, and the person and natures of Christ; so that unquiet spirits knew not when or where to rest; and multitudes of them did turn cheaters and deluders of the vulgar, by pretending to miracles, and revelations, and visions, and drawing the people deeper into superstition; by such means as Bonifacius Moguntinus wrote to the Pope Zachary about the hypocritical Saint
Aldebert. And in that age especially, when few learned men, as Erasmus complaineth, did escape the suspicion of heresy, and he that was a mathematician was counted a magician, it had been more wit to have silenced some unnecessary verities, than to have angered impatient ignorance. Virgilius might have talked more of the world above us, and let the world below us alone, rather than to force the learned Pope Zachary to say to his brother Boniface of Mentz, “De perversa et iniqua doctrina, quam contra Deum et animam suam locutus est; (a high crime) si clariaficatum fuerit ita eum confiteri, quod alius mundus et alii homines sub terras sint, hunc accito Concilio, ab Ecclesia pelle, sacerdotii honore privatum.” — Vid. Usher, syllog. Hibernic. EpistoL, pp. 49, 50. But to mention the twentieth part of the proud usurpation, innovations, impositions, and sentences of those following times, especially among the Romanists, is fitter for large volumes, than a cursory lamentation of the Church’s sins. I will not meddle with the errors and cruel bloodshed of the Popish clergy of late, against the Waldenses and Protestants; nor yet with the sad condition of the rest of the clergy through the Christian world, in Ethiopia, Muscovia, Greece, &c. For you will think that this is less to us that do disclaim them; but let us come nearer ourselves, and we shall find yet matter of further lamentation. And I will purposely say nothing of any of the sins of our foreign reformers, nor meddle with any of those sad contentions which have brought the Reformed Churches into two such exasperated parties, Lutherans and Calvinists, as the)^ are commonly called, and hindered their reconciliation, and frustrated all means that have been used to that end till this day;
N to the exceeding shame of the pastors of these churches, and the pubHshing of our darkness, pride, and selfishness to all the world. But my present business lieth only at home, and that only with the Reformed pastors of our chiu’ches. For though, through the great mercy of God, they are far from the Papal cruelty which made bonfires of their brethren better than themselves throughout the land, and as far from the worst of their errors and false worship; yet have we been so far from innocency, that all posterity is bound to lament the miscarriages of their predecessors.
Is it not a sad history of the troubles at Frankfort, to read that so many godly, learned men, that had forsaken all for the Reformed profession, and were exiles in a foreign land, even in a city where they had but borrowed the liberty of one church, should even then fall in pieces among themselves, and that about a liturgy and ceremonies, so far as to make a division; and after many plotting, and counterplotting, and undermining one another, one part of them must leave the city, and go seek another for their liberty 1 What 1 had not those few exiles that left their native country, lands, and friends, and all for the gospel, that fled so far for the liberty of God’s worship, and had as great advantage as most men in the world to be sensible of the excellency of reformation and liberty; had these, I say, no more Christian love and tenderness, no more esteem of what they suffered for, than to fall out ^”ith one another, and almost fall upon one another, for such things as these 1 Would not suffering abate their pride and passions, and close their hearts, nor yet make them so far patient as to tolerate each other in so small a difference. Even when their dearest friends and fellow-servants were frying in the flames at home, and the prisons filled with them, and they had daily news of one after another that was made a sacrifice to the fury of the Papists, could they yet proceed in their own dissensions, and that to such a height 1 Oh, what is man, and the best of men! Yea, before this, in King-Edward’s days, what rigour was used against Bishop Hooper about such ceremonies! But the prison abated Bishop Eidley’s uncharitableness, and they then learned more charity when they were going to the flames.
From Frankfort, the sad division, at the death of Queen jMary, was transported into England; and the seeds that were sown, or began to spring up in the exiled congregation, did too plentifully fructify in the land of their prosperity. No sooner doth the sun shine upon them, but contentious spirits began to swarm; and the prison doors are no sooner open, and their bolts knocked ofl”, but they contrive the suppressing of the brethren, as if they had been turned loose as fighting cocks, to fall upon one another, and to work for Satan, when they had sufiered for Clurist. The party that was for prelacy and ceremonies prevailed for the countenance of the state, and quickly got the stafl” into their hands, and many of their brethren under their feet; and so contrived the business, that there was no quiet station to be had in the ministry for those that would not be of their mind and way. And many of them endeavoured to have a brand of ignominy set upon their names who desired the discipline and order of other Reformed Churches: that all mioht be accounted schismatics that would not be ruled by them even in ceremonies. The contrary-minded, also, were some of them too intemperate, and impatient, and unpeaceable; and some few of them turned to flat separation, and flew into the faces of the prelates with reviling. For their sakes many wise and peaceable men were the worse used; and they that were got into the chair began to play the scorners and the persecutors, and thought meet to impose upon them all the nickname of Puritans, as knowing how much names of reproach and scorn could do with the vulgar for the furthering of their cause. Some of these Puritans (as now they had named them) were imprisoned, and some put to death, and some died in and by imprisonment: they are all made incapable of being preachers of the gospel in England, till they would change their minds, and subscribe to the lawfulness of prelacy, and the liturgy, and ceremonies, and use these accordingly when they use their niinistry Oh, how much did many good men rejoice that the Lord had ^asited their native country lith deliverance, and the light of the glorious gospel of His Son! — how much did they long to lay out themselves for the saving of their dear countrymen, and to improve the present freedom for the most efiectual propagation of the truth! — when, alas! their own friends, some of their fellow-sufferers, animated and assisted by many temporisers, did suddenly disappoint their hopes, and shut them out of the vineyard of the Lord, and would suffer none to labour in it, but themselves and theirs. Alas! that persecution should be so soon forgotten; and that they should have no more sense of the cruelty of the Papists, to, have moved them to some more tenderness of consciences and liberties of their brethren: that they had no more compassion on the Church of Christ, than to deprive it of the labours of so many choice and worthy men; and that at such a time of necessity. ATien Popish priests were newly cast out, and multitudes of congregations had no preachers at all, but some silly readers, yet might not these men be allowed to preach. If the judgments of these prelates were never so absolute for the Divine right of their own government; yet could it not be so for the absolute necessity of the cross, surplice, and every part of the forms in their liturgy. Had they but countenanced mostly their own party, and silenced all that did speak against their government and ceremonies, and only allowed them to preach the gospel with subscription to the lawfulness of these things, and mth a silent forbearance of the use of the ceremonies, they might have better secured their own power and way, and have exercised some sense of brotherly love and compassion on the
necessitous state of the Church, and, in all likelihood, might have stood safe themselves to this day. A wonderful thing it seems to me, that wise and good men, for such I doubt not but many of them were, should think it better that many hundred congregations in England (to say nothing of Ireland and Scotland) should be without any preaching at all, to the apparent hazard of the damnation of men’s souls, who were so deep in Popish ignorance before, than that a man should preach to them that durst not use the cross or surplice! AVere these of more worth than so many souls? It was lawful in the apostles’ days to baptize without the cross, and to pray, and praise God, without the surplice. And why might not the prelates of England have tolerated that in the Church’s necessities, at least as a weakness in well-meaning brethren, which the apostolical churches used not at all 1 What if they were lawful? They that thought so might have them. Were they now become more necessary than the preaching of the gospel, when in the apostles’ time they were of no necessity or use at all? If it were obedience to the prelates that was necessary, they might have required obedience to undoubted and necessary things, and they should soon have found it. Had they contented themselves to be officers under Christ, and to see the execution of His laws, and to meddle at least with no needless new leg;islation, I think few would have questioned obedience to them but the ungodly. But it was sadly contrived to have such impositions on men’s consciences in needless or indifferent things, as the most tender-conscienced men were likeliest to disobey, and as might be snares to those that desired to please God, when the business of church governors should be to promote the obedience of Christ’s laws, and to encourage those that are most fearful to disobey them, and to do as the lawmakers. “We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” (Dan. vi. 5.)
But thus it came to pass, that the enemy of the Church did too much attain his ends; such excellent men as Hildersham, Brightman, P. Bayn, Parker, Ames, Bradshaw, Dod, Nicolls, with multitudes more, were laid aside and silenced; and multitudes of them that petitioned for liberty in Lincolnshire, Devonshire, and other parts, suppressed; and the nation, in the meantime abounding with gross ignorance, was brought, by observing the countenance of the times, to like their own readers better than painful preachers, and to hate and scorn the zealous obedience to the laws of Christ, and all diligence for salvation, because they observed that these men that were such were so many of them hated and persecuted by the rulers, though on the occasions before mentioned. And here was the foundation of our greatest misery laid: while some of the rulers themselves began to turn their hatred against practical godliness, (which corrupted nature hates in all,) and the common people took the hint, and no longer confined the word Puritan to the Nonconformists, but applied it commonly through all parts of the land, to those that would but speak seriously of heaven, and tell men of death and judgment, and spend the Lord’s day in preparation thereto, and desire others to do the like; that did but pray in their families, and keep their children and servants on the Lord’s day to learn the way of salvation, instead of letting them sj)end it in gaming or revelhng; they did but reprove a swearer or a drunkard, these were become the Puritans and the Precisians, and the hated ones of the time; so that they became a byword in all the towns and villao;es in Eno;land that ever I knew, or heard of, as to these things. And thus when the prelates had engaged the vulgar in their cause, and partly by themselves, and partly by them, had so far changed their cause, as that all serious Christians that feared sin, and were most diligent for salvation, were presently engaged among their adversaries, and they were involved with the rest, though they did nothing against the Government, or ceremonies, and the most ignorant and impious became the friends and agents of the times, and everywhere made the most pious and sedulous Christians a common scorn, to the dishonour of God, and the hardening of the wicked, and discouraging of the weak; and filling men with prejudice against a godly life, and hindering many thousands from the way of salvation; then did God himself appear more evidently as interested in the quarrels, and rose against them, and shamed them that had let in scorn and shame upon His ways. And this, even this, was the very thing that brought them down.
Besides this, there was scarcely such a thing as church government or discipline known in the land, but only this harassing of those that dissented from them. In all my life I never lived in the parish where one person was publicly admonished, or brought to public penitence, or excommunicated, though there were never so many obstinate drunkards, whoremongers, or vilest ofienders. Only I have known now and then one for getting a bastard, that went to the bishop’s court and paid their fees; and I heard of two or three in all the country, in all my life, that stood in a white sheet an hour in the church; but the ancient discipline of the Church was unknown. And, indeed, it was made by them impossible, when one man that lived at a distance from them, and knew not one of many hundreds of the flock, did take upon him the sole jurisdiction, and executed it not by himself, but by a lay chancellor, excluding the pastors of the several congregations, who were but to join with the churchwardens and the apparitors in presenting men, and bringing them into their courts; and an impossible task must needs be unperformed. And so the controversy, as to the letter and outside, was, VJio shall he the governors of all the particular churches? But to the sense and inside of it, it was, Whether there should he any effectual church government or not f Whereupon those that pleaded for discipline were called by the new name of the Disciplinarians, as if it had been a kind of heresy to desire discipline in the Church.
At last, the heat began to grow greater, and new impositions raised new adversaries. When conformable Puritans began to bear the great reproach, there being few of the Nonconformists left, then must they also be gotten into the net; altars must be bowed to, or towards; all must publish a book for dancing and sports on the Lord’s day, disabling the masters of families, and parents, though they had small time on the week-days, by reason of their poverty or labour, to keep in their own children or families from dancing on that day, that they might instruct them in the matters of God. If a man, as he read a chapter to his family, had persuaded them to observe and practise it, and with any reasons urged them thereto, this was called expounding, and was inquired of in their articles, to be presented together with adultery, and such like sins; so also was he used that had no preaching at home, and would go to hear a conformable preacher abroad. So that multitudes have I known exceedingly troubled or undone for such matters as these, when not one was much troubled for scandalous crimes. Then lectures were put down, and afternoon sermons, and expounding the Catechism or Scripture in the afternoons. And the violence grew so great, that many thousand families left the land, and many godly, able ministers, Conformists, as well as others, were fain to fly and become exiles, some in one country, and some in another, and most in the remote American parts of the world. Thither went Cotton, Hooker, Davenport, Shepherd, Allen, Cobbet, Noyes, Parker, with many others that deserved a dwelling-place in England.
Yet I must profess I should scarcely have mentioned any of this, nor taken it for so heinous a crime, had it not been only cruelty to the persons of these men, though they had dealt much harder with them than they did, and if it had not been greater cruelty to the Church, and if they had but had competent men for their places when they were cast out. But, alas! the churches were pestered with such wretches as are our shame and trouble to this day. Abundance of mere readers, and drunken, profane, deboist men, were the ministers of the churches, so that we have been these many years endeavouring to cleanse the Church of them, and have not fully effected it to this day. ]Iany that had more plausible tongues did make it their chief business to bring those that they called Puritans into disgrace, and to keep the people from being such, so that I must needs say, that I knew no ylace in these times where a man might not more safely have been drunken every week, as to their punishment, than’ to have gone to hear a sermon if he had none at home. For the common people readily took the hint, and increased their reproach, as the rulers did their persecution; so that a man could not, in any place of England that I came in, have said to a swearer or a drunkard, “Oh, do not sin against God, and wound or hazard your own soul,” but he should have been presently hooted at as a Puritan: he could not have said to an ignorant or careless neighbour, “Remember your everlasting state; prepare for death and judgment,” or have talked of any Scripture matters to them, but he was presently jeered as a Puritan or Precisian; and Scripture itself was become a reproach to him that talked of it, and they would cry out, “What! we must have talk of Scripture now 1 You will preach to us! We shall have these preachers ordered ere long,” So that it was become commonly in England a greater reproach to be a man truly living in the fear of God than to live in open profaneness, and to rail at godliness, and daily scorn it, which was so far from being a matter of danger, that many took it up in expectation of preferment; and the preachers of the times were well aware that the rising way was to preach against the precise Puritans, and not to live precisely themselves; and thus both ministry and people grew to that sad pass, that it was no wonder if God would bear no longer with the land.
Even as it was in the Western churches before the inundation of the Goths and Vandals, as Salvian, among others, tells us; indeed I know not a writer that more fitly painteth out the state of our times, — I shall therefore borrow some of his words to express our case, which, it seems, had been then the Church’s case: —
“Ipsa Dei Ecclesia, quae in omnibus esse debet placatrix Dei, quid est aliud quam exacerbatrix Dei? aut praeter paucissimos quosdam qui mala fugiunt, quid est aliud pene omnis coetus Christianorum quam sentina vitioruml Quotum enim quemque invenies in Ecclesia non aut ebriosum aut helluonem, aut adulterum,” &c. —” immb facilius invenias qui totum sit
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quam qui nihil: et quod diximiis nihil nimis forsitan gravis videatur esse censura; plus multo dicam, facilius invenias reum malorum omnium quam non omnium; facilius majorum criminum quam minorum, ed est, facilius qui et majora crimina cum minoribus, quam qui minora tantum sine majoribus perpetrarint. In hanc enim morum probrositatem prope omnis Ecclesiastica plebs redacta est, ut in cuncto populo Christiano genus quodammodd sanctitatis sit, minus esse vitiosum. Itaque, Ecclesias vel potius templa atque altaria Dei minoris reverentise quidem habent quam cujuslibet minimi ac municipalis judicis domum. Siquidem intra januas non modo illustrium potestatum, sed etiam prsesidum et prsepositorum, non omnes passim intrare praesumunt, nisi quos aut judex vocaverit, aut negotium traxerit, aut ipsa honoris proprii dignitas introire permiserit: ita ut, si quispiam fuerit insolenter ingressus, aut caedatur, aut propellatur, aut aliqua verecundise atque existimationis suae labe mulctetur. In templa autem vel potius in altaria atque sacraria Dei passim omnes sordidi ac flagitiosi sine ulla penitus reverentia sacri honoris irrumpunt, non quia non omnes ad exorandum Deum currere debent: sed quia qui ingreditur ad placandum, non debet egredi ad exacerbandum. Neque enim ejusdem officii est indulgentiam poscere et iracundiam provocare: Novum siquidem monstri genus est; eadem psene omnes jugitur faciunt, quae fecisse se plangunt: Et qui intrant in Ecclesiasticam domum, ut mala antiqua defleant, exeunt; et quid dico exeunt ‘? in ipsis pene hoc orationibus suis moliuntur.” (Salv. de Gubern., 1. 3, pp. 86, 87.)
Et p. 180: “0 miseriam lacrymabilem, 0 miseriam luctuosum! Quam dissimilis nunc a seipso est populus Christian US, id est, ab eo qui fuit quondum! — Ecce in quid reducti sumus, ut beatam fore Ecclesiam judicemus, si vel tantum in se boni habeat quantum mali. Nam quomodo non beatam arbitremur, si mediam plebis partem haberet innoxiam, quam pene totam nunc esse plangimus criminosam — superflu unius scelera deflevimus; aut omnes enim, aut pene omnes flendi atque lugeudi sunt.”
Et pp. 195, LOG: “Omnia amamus, omnia colimus; solus nobis in comparatione omnium Deus vilis est 1 Siquando enim veniret, (quod ssepe evenit,) ut eodem die et festivitas Ecclesiastica et ludi publici agantur, quaeso ab omnium Conscientia, quis locus majores Cbristianorum virorum copias haberet 1 Cavea ne ludi publici, an atrium Dei! Et Templum omnes magis sectentur, an Theatrum? Dicta Evangeliorum magis diligant an Thymelicorum? Verba vitae, an mortis 1 Verba Christi, an mimi? Non est dubium quin illud magis amemus quod anteponimus.”
Too like to these, here described, were our times grown, through the fault of those that professed themselves to have the oversight of their souls. A most sad thing it was to see those men that undertook to guide men in the ways of life to be the chief means of discouraging them; and to hear them make a mock at holiness, that should have devoted their doctrine and life thereto. The accusation may seem harsh to those of after-times that knew not this, or that by the patrons of iniquity are persuaded of the contrary. But I say, as Sahdan, 1. 6, p. 197: “Sed gravis est forsitan hsec atque iniqua congestio. Gravis profecto, si falsa.”
Yet through the mercy of God, it was not all the prelates of the Church that thus miscarried; we have
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yet surviving our Usher, our Hall, our Morton, learned, godly, and peaceable men; whose names are as dear to us as any men’s alive. And oh that it had been the will of God that all had been such! Then had we not been like to have seen those days of blood that we have seen, nor those great mutations in Church and State! But so far were these good men from being able to do the good that they would, that they were maligned for their piety and soundness in the faith, and many a time have I heard them despised as well as others, and scorned as Puritans for all they were prelates.
And yet, it were well if all the guilt had lain upon that party! But alas! it was not so. Those pious and painful divines that were oppressed, and much more that part of the yeople that joined with them, were too impatient under their suffering, and bent themselves, some of them, more than was meet against the persons of those that they suffered by, and too much endeavoured to make the prelates odious with the people, as persecutors of the Church of God, and were ready to go too far from them on the other hand, and to think the worse of some things because they commanded them. Doubtless, had we all suffered with more patience, and carried ourselves with meekness and gentleness to those that we differed from, and given them so much commendation as was their due, and put the best construction on their actions that we could, and covered their infirmities with the most charitable interpretations, we might have done more to mollify their minds, or at least to have maintained our own innocency. But as there was no room on their part to a motion for peace, or a petition for liberty, in the time of their prosperity; so when advantages did seem to appear to us of vindicating our liberties, we looked upon them as irreconcilable, and too inconsideratelyrushed on, and were wanting in those peaceable endeavours that were our duty. We did not in our Assembly invite them to a free consultation, that their cause might have the fullest and fairest hearing before it had been condemned. Proposals that had any tendency to healino; and accommodation had never that entertainment from us that they did deserve. What moderate proposals were made to one party by Bishop Usher, which both parties did dislike! How many pacificatory motions and excellent treatises came from that heavenly, peaceable Bishop Hall, especially his “Peace-maker,” his “Pax terris,” and his “Modest Offer!” But how little did they effect! Certainly some of the men were so venerable for their admirable learning and piety, that they deserved to be heard, and consulted with too, as wise and most judicious men. And Prelacy was not so young a plant in the Church, nor had it in former and latter ao;es had so few or mean persons to adorn and credit it, but that it well deserved the fairest hearing and debate.
But thus have we all shewed our frailty, and this is the heed that we have taken to ourselves, and to all the flock. The Lord open our eyes at last, that we may all more fully see our own miscarriages; for surely they lie as mountains before us, and all the world about us may see them, and yet we will hardly see them ourselves.
A man would think that now if the heart of man be curable, we should by this time be all brought to the sense of our miscarriages, and be prepared to a closure on any reasonable terms. Who would think but after all the smart of our divisions, we should long ere this have got together, and prayed, and consulted ourselves into peace! But, alas! there is no such matter done; and few do I find that mind the doing of it. We continue our quarrels as hot as ever. As Salvian saith in another case, “Miseri jam sumus: et nee dum nugaces (discordes) esse cessamus!” (1. 6, p. 202.) Et p. 200, “Mala incessabiliter malis addimus, et peccata peccatis cumulamus: et cum maxima nostri pars jam perierit, id agimus ut pereamus omnes.... Nos non vicinos nostros tantum ardere vidimus, sed ipsi jam ex maxima nostrorum corporum parte arsimus. Et quid hoc, proh nefas, mali est 1 Arsimus, arsimus, et tamen flammas quibus jam arsimus non timemus. Nam quod non ubique agantur quae prius acta sunt, miserie est beneficium, non disciplinse. Facile hoc probo. Da enim prioris temporis statum, statum ubique sunt quae fuerunt.”
The minds of many are as much exasperated or estranged as ever. Three sorts I meet with, that all are too backward to any accommodation.
1. The violent men of the prelates’ side, especially those of the new way, who are so far from reconciliation and healing of our breaches, that they labour to persuade the world that the contrary-minded are schismatics, and that all the ministers that have not episcopal ordination are no ministers, nor any of the Churches that have not prelates are true Churches, (at least, except it can be proved to be through unavoidable necessity.) And they say, to agree with such, were to strike a covenant with schism itself.
2. Some on the other side say, “Do you not see, that except an inconsiderable number, the Prelatical party are all empty, careless, if not scandalous, ungodly men? Where are almost any of them whose communion is desirable, that set themselves to the winning and saving of souls, and are serious men in the matters of salvation, in whom you can perceive a heavenly conversation 1 Hath God brought down these enemies of godliness, and persecutors and depopulators of His Church, and would you make a league with them again “? Do you not see that they are as bitter and implacable as ever ‘? And have not some of them the face to justify all the former impositions and persecutions, and draw, or continue the guilt of it upon their heads; and would make the world believe that they are wrongfully ejected, when so many accusations in Parliament before the division, so many centuries of horrid, scandalous ones published by Mr White, and so many more centuries, that lie on record under depositions in the several counties of the nation where the committees ejected them, will be perpetual witnesses of the quality of these men 1”
3. Others there be that are peaceable men on both sides, that will not justify the former miscarriages, nor own the present evils of any; but think, though there be too much truth in these latter accusations, yet the nature of the difference, and the quality of some of the persons is such, as deserveth our desires and endeavours of reconciliation. But they think the work to be hopeless and impossible, and therefore not to be attempted.
And thus our breach is made: but how or when it will be well healed, the Lord knoweth. But this is not all; it behoveth us yet to come nearer home, and inquire into the ways of the present approved godly ministers, of what party soever; and doubtless, if we are willing to know ourselves, we may soon find that which will lay us very low before the Lord. I shall in all, have an eye at my own corrupt heart, which I am so far from justifying in this common lamentation, that I take it as my necessary duty to cast the first stone at myself.
The great sins that we are guilty of, I shall not imdertake to enumerate; and therefore my passing over any particular is not to be taken as a denial of it for our justification. But I shall take it to be my duty to give instances of some few, that cry loudly for humiliation and speedy reformation. Only I must needs first premise this profession: that for all the faults that are now among us, I do not believe that ever England had so able and faithful a ministry since it was a nation as it hath at this day; and I fear that few nations on earth, if any, have the like. Sure I am the change is so great mthin these twelve years, that it is one of the greatest joys that ever I had in the world to behold it. Oh, how many congregations are now plainly and frequently taught, that lived then in great obscurity! How many able, faithful men are there now in a county in comparison of what were then! How graciously hath God prospered the studies of many young men, that were little children in the beginning of the late troubles; so that now they cloud the most of their seniors! How many miles would I have gone twenty years ago, and less, to have heard one of those ancient, reverend divines, whose congregations are now grown thin, and their parts esteemed mean by reason of the notable improvement of their juniors! And in particular, how mercifully hath the
Lord dealt with this poor county, (Worcestersliire,) in raising up so many of these, that do credit to their sacred office, and self-denyingly and freely, zealously and unweariedly do lay out themselves for the good of souls! I bless the Lord that hath placed me in such a neighbourhood, where I may have the brotherly fellowship of so many able, humble, unanimous, peaceable, and faithful men. Oh that the Lord would long continue this admirable mercy to this unworthy country! I hope I shall rejoice in God while I have a being for the common change in other parts, that I have lived to see; that so many hundred faithful men are so hard at work for the saving of souls, “frementibus licet et frendentibus inimicis;” and that more are springing up apace. I know there are some men, whose parts I reverence, who being in point of government of another mind from them, will be offended at my very mention of this happy alteration; but I must profess, if I were absolutely prelatical, if I knew my heart, I could not choose for all that but rejoice. What! not rejoice at the prosperity of the Church, because men differ in opinion about its order! Should I shut my eyes against the mercies of the Lord? The souls of men are not so contemptible to me, that I should envy them the bread of life, because it is broken to them by a hand that had not the prelatical approbation. Oh that every congregation were thus supplied! But all cannot be done at once. They had a long time to settle a corrupted ministry; and when the ignorant and scandalous are cast out, we cannot create abilities in others for the supply; we must stay the time of their preparation and growth; and then, if England drive not away the gospel by their abuse, even by their wilful unreformedness, and hatred of the light, they are likely to be the happiest nation under heaven. For as for all the sects and heresies that are creeping in daily and troubling us, I doubt not but the free gospel, managed by an able, self-denying ministry, will efifectually disperse and shame them all.
But you may say, this is not confessing sin, but applauding those whose sins you pretend to confess’? Ans. It is the due acknowledgment of God’s graces, and thanksoivino; for His admirable mercies, that I may not seem unthankful in confession, much less to cloud or vilify God’s graces, while I open the frailties that in many do accompany them.
Among the many things that are yet sadly out of order in the best, I shall touch upon these few particulars following: —
1. One of our most heinous and palpable sins is ‘pride; a sin that hath too much interest in the best; but is more hateful and inexcusable in us than in any men. Yet is it so prevalent in some of us, that it inditeth our discourses for us; it chooseth us our company, it formeth our countenances, it putteth the accents and emphasis upon our words: when we reason, it is the determiner and exciter of our cogitations; it fills some men’s minds with aspiring desires and designs; it possesseth them with envious and bitter thoughts against those that stand in their light, or by any means do eclipse their glory, or hinder the progress of their idolised reputation. Oh, what a companion, what a tyrannical commander, what a sly, and subtle, and insinuating enemy is this sin of pride! It goes with men to the draper, the mercer, the tailor; it chooseth them their cloth, their trimming, and their fashion. It dresseth them in the morning, at least the outside. Fewer ministers would ruffle it out in the fashion in hair and habit, if it were not for the command of this tyrannical vice; and I would that were all, or the worst, but, alas! how frequently doth it go with us to our studies, and there sit with us and do our work! How often doth it choose our subject, and more often choose our words and ornaments! God biddeth us be as plain as we can, for the informing of the ignorant, and as convincing and serious as we are able, for the meltins; and chano-ino- of unchansed hearts; but pride stands by and contradicteth all; and sometimes it puts in toys and trifles, and polluteth rather than polisheth, and imder pretence of laudable ornaments, it dishonoureth our sermons with childish gauds, as if a prince were to be decked in the habit of a stage-player or a painted fool. It persuadeth us to paint the window, that it may dim the light; and to speak to our people that which they cannot understand, to acquaint them that we are able to speak unprofitably. It taketh oflf the edge, and dulls the life of all our teachings, under the pretence of filing off the roughness, unevenness, and superfluity. If we have a plain and cutting passage, it throws it away as too rustical and ungrateful. When God chargeth us to deal with men as for their lives, and beseech them with all the earnestness that we are able, this cursed sin controlleth all, and condemneth the most holy commands of God, and calleth our most necessary duty a madness; and saith to us, “What! will you make people think you are mad”? Will you make them say you rage or rave? Cannot you speak soberly and moderately 1” And thus doth pride make many a man’s sermons, and what pride makes, the devil makes; and what sermons the devil will make, and to what end, we may easily conjecture. Though the matter be of God, yet if the dress, and manner, and end be from Satan, we have no great reason to expect success.
And when pride hath made the sermon, it goes with them into the pulpit; it formeth their tone, it animateth them in the delivery, it takes them off from that which may be displeasing, how necessary soever, and setteth them in a pursuit of vain applause; and the sum of all this is, that it maketh men, both in studying and preaching, to seek themselves, and deny God, when they should seek God’s glory, and deny themselves. When they should ask, “What should I say, and how should I say it, to please God best, and do most good?” it makes them ask, “What shall I say, and how shall I deliver it, to be thought a learned, able preacher, and to be applauded by all that hear me 1” When the sermon is done, pride goeth home with them, and maketh them more eager to know whether they were applauded, than whether they did prevail for the saving change of souls! They could find in their hearts, but for shame, to ask folks, how they liked them, and to draw out their commendation. If they perceive that they are highly thought of, they rejoice, as having attained their end; but if they perceive that they are esteemed but weak or common men, they are displeased, as having missed the prize of the day.
But yet this is not all, nor the worst, if worse may be. Oh that ever it should be spoken of godly ministers, that they are so set upon popular air, and of sitting highest in men’s estimation, that envy the parts and names of their brethren that are preferred before them, as if all were taken from their praises that is given to another, and as if God had given them His gifts to be the mere ornaments and trappings of their persons, that they may walk as men of reputation in the world, and all His gifts in others were to be trodden down and vilified, if they seem to stand in the way of their honour! What! a saint, a preacher for Christ, and yet envy that which hath the image of Christ, and malign His gifts for which He should have the glory, and all because they seem to hinder our glory! Is not every true Christian a member of the body, and therefore partaketh of the blessings of the whole, and of each particular member thereof? And doth not every man owe thanks to God for his brethren’s gifts, not only as having himself a part in them, as the foot hath the benefit of the guidance of the eye; but also because his own ends may be attained by his brethren’s gifts as well as by his own? For if the glory of God and the Church’s felicity be not his end, he is not a Christian. Will any workman malign another because he helpeth him to do his master’s work? Yet, alas! how common is this heinous crime among men of parts and eminence in the Church! They can secretly blot the reputation of those that stand cross to their own: and what they cannot for shame do in plain and open terms, lest they be proved palpable liars and slanderers, they will do in generals and malicious intimations, raising suspicions where they cannot fasten accusations. And so far are some gone in this satanical vice, that it is their ordinary practice, and a considerable part of their business to keep down the estimation of any they dislike, and defame others in the slyest and most plausible way. And some go so far, that they are unwilling that any one that is abler than themselves should come into their pulpits, lest he should be applauded above themselves. A fearful thing, that any man that hath the least of the fear of God, should so envy God’s gifts, and had rather that his carnal hearers were unconverted, and the drowsy not awakened, than that it should be done by another who may be preferred before them. Yea, so far doth this cursed vice prevail, that in great congregations that have need of the help of many teachers, we can scarcely in many places get two in equality to live together in love and quietness, and unanimously to carry on the work of God! But unless one of them be quite below the other in parts, and content to be so esteemed, or unless one be a curate to the other, or ruled by him, they are contending for precedency, and envying each other’s interest, and walking with strangeness and jealousy towards one another, to the shame of the profession, and the great wrong of the congregation. I am ashamed to think of it, that when I have been endeavouring with persons of public interest and capacity to further a good work, to convince them of the great necessity of more ministers than one in great congregations, they tell me, they will never agree together! I hope the objection is ungrounded as to the most: but it is a sad case that it should be so with any. Nay, some men are so far gone in pride, that when they might have an equal assistant to further the work of God, they had rather take all the burden upon themselves, though more than they can bear, than that any should share with them in the honour; and for fear lest they should diminish their interest in the people.
Hence, also, it comes to pass, that men so magnify their own opinions, and are as censorious of any that differ from them in lesser thino-s, as if it were all one to differ from them and from God; and expect that all should be conformed to their judgments, as if they were the rulers of the Church’s faith! And while we cry down Papal infallibility and determination of controversies, we would, too many of us, be popes ourselves, and have all stand to our determination, as if it were infallible. It is true, we have more modesty than expressly to say so: we pretend that it is only the evidence of truth that appeareth in our reasons that we expect men should yield to, and our zeal is for the truth, and not for ourselves: but as that must needs be taken for truth which is ours, so our reasons must needs be taken for valid; and if they be freely examined, and found to be infirm and fallacious, and so discovered, as we are exceeding backward to see it ourselves, because they are ours, so how angry are we that it should be disclosed to others! “We so espouse the cause of our errors, as if all that were spoken against them were spoken against our persons, and we were heinously injured to have our arguments fully confuted, by which we injured the truth and the minds of men! So that the matter is come to that pass through our pride, that if an error or fallacious argument do fall under the patronage of a reverend name, (which is no whit rare,) we must either give it the victory, and give away the truth, or else become injurious to the name that doth patronise it. For though you meddle not with their persons, yet do they put themselves under all the strokes which you give their arguments, and feel it as sensibly as if you had spoken it of themselves, because they think it will follow in the eyes of men, that weak arguing is a sign of a weak man. If, therefore, you take it for your duty to shame their errors and false reasonings, by discovering their nakedness, they take it as if you shamed their persons; and so their names must be a garrison or fortress to their mistakes, and their reverence must defend all their sayings from the light.
And so high are our spirits, that when it becomes a duty to any man to reprove or contradict us, we are commonly impatient both of the matter and of the manner. We love the man that will say as we say, and be of our opinion, and promote our reputation, though he be less worthy of our love in other respects; but he is ungrateful to us that contradicteth us, and differeth from us, and that dealeth plainly wdth us in our miscarriages, and telleth us of our faults! Especially in the management of our public arguings, where the eye of the world is upon us, we can scarcely endure any contradiction or plain dealing. I know that railing language is to be abhorred, and that we should be as tender of each other’s reputation as our fidelity to the truth will permit: but our pride makes too many of us to think all men contemn us that do not admire us, yea, and admire all that we say, and submit their judgments to our most palpable mistakes! We are so tender, that no man can touch us scarcely but we are hurt; and so stout and high-minded, that a man can scarcely speak to us. Like froward children, or sick folk that cannot endure to be talked to, the fault is not that you speak amiss to them, but that you speak to them. So our indignation is not at men for writing or speaking injuriously or unjustly against our words, but for confuting them. And a man that is not versed in complimenting, and skilled in flatteryabove the vulgar rate, can scarcely tell how to handle them so observantly, and fit their expectations at every turn, but there will be some word or some neglect which their high spirits will fasten, and take as injurious to their honour: so that a plain countryman that speaks as he thinks must have nothing to do with them, unless he will be esteemed guilty of dishonouring them.
I confess 1 have often wondered at it, that this most heinous sin should be made so light of, and thought so consistent vdih a holy frame of heart and life, when far lesser sins are by ourselves proclaimed to be so damnable in our people! And more have I wondered to see the difference between ungodly sinners and godly preachers in this respect. When we speak to drunkards, worldlings, or any ignorant, unconverted men, we disgrace them as in that condition to the utmost, and lay it on as plainly as we can speak, and tell them of their sin, and shame, and misery: and we expect, not only that they should bear all patiently, but take all thankfully, and we have good reasons for all this; and most that I deal with do take it patiently; and many gross sinners will commend the closest preachers most, and will say that they care not for hearing a man that will not tell them plainly of their sins. But if we speak to a godly minister against his errors or any sin — if we honour them and reverence them, and speak as smoothly as we are able to speak — yea, if we mix commendations with our contradictions or reproofs, if the applause be not apparently predominant, so as to drown all the force of the reproof or confutation.
and if it be not more an applause than a reprehension, they take it as an injury almost insuj0ferable. That is considered jailino; ao-ainst them that would be no better than flattery in them to the common people, though the cause may be as great.
Brethren, I know this is a sad and harsh confession; but that all this should be so among us, should be more grievous to us than to be told of it. Could this nakedness be hid, I should not have disclosed it, at least so openly in the view of all. But, alas! it is long ago open in the eyes of the world: we have dishonoured ourselves by idolising our honour; we print our shame, and preach our shame, and tell it unto all. Some will think that I speak over charitably to call such persons godly men, in whom so great a sin doth so much prevail. I know where it is indeed predominant, and not hated, bewailed, and mortified in the man, there can be no true godliness; and I leave every man to a cautious jealousy and search of his own heart. But if all are graceless that are guilty of any, or many, or most of the forementioned discoveries of pride, the Lord be merciful to the ministers of this land, and give us quickly another spirit; for grace is a rarer thing than most of us have supposed it to be.
Yet I must needs say, that it is not all that I intend. To the praise of grace be it spoken, we have some among us here, and I doubt not but it is so in other parts, that are eminent in humility, and lowliness, and condescension, and exemplary herein to their flocks and to their brethren; and it is their glory, and shall be their glory; and maketh them truly honourable and amiable in the eyes of God and themselves: and oh that the rest of us were but such! But, alas! this is not the case of all.
Oh that the Lord would lay us at His feet, in the tears of unfeigned sorrow for this sin! Brethren, may I take leave a little to expostulate this case -with, my own heart and you, that we may see the shame of our sin, and be reformed? Is not pride the sin of devils, the firstborn of hell? Is it not that wherein Satan’s image doth much consist 1 and is it tolerable evil in a man that is so engaged against him and his kingdom as we are? The very design of the gospel doth tend to self-abasing; and the work of grace is begun and carried on in humiliation. Humility is not a mere ornament of a Christian, but an essential part of the new creature: it is a contradiction to be a sanctified man, or a true Christian, and not humble. All that will be Christians must be Christ’s disciples, and come to Him to learn; and their lesson is, to be meek and lowly. Oh, how many precepts and admirable examples hath our Lord and Master given us to this end! Can we once conceive of Him as purposely washing and wiping His servants’ feet, and yet be stout and lordly still! Shall He converse with the meanest, and we avoid them as contemptible people, and think none but persons of riches and honour to be fit for our society! How many of us are oftener found in the houses of gentlemen, than in the poor cottages of those that have most need of our help! There are many of us that would think it base to be daily with the most needy and beggarly people to instruct them in the matters of life, and supply their wants, as if we had taken charge only of the souls of the rich! Alas! what is it that we have to be proud of? Of our bodies? Why, are they not made of the like materials as the brutes, and must they not shortly be as loathsome and abominable as the dungi Is it of our graces ‘( Why, the more we are proud of them, the less we have to be proud of. And when so much of the nature of grace is in humility, it is a great absurdity to be proud of it. Is it of our learning, knowledge, abilities, and gifts 1 Why, surely if Ave have any knowledge at all, we must needs know muck reason to be humble; and if we know more than others, we must know more reason than others do to be humble. How little is it that the most learned know, in comparison of that which yet they are ignorant of 1 And to know that things are past your reach, and to know hoAV ignorant you are, one would think should be no great cause of pride! However, do not the devils know more than you 1 And will you be proud of that which the devils do excel you in 1 Yea, to some I may say, as Salvian, lib. 4, de Gubern., p. 98, “Quid tibi blandiris, 0 homo quisquis es, Credulitate, quae sine timore atque obsequio Dei nulla est? alic[uid plus Dsemones habent. Tu enim unam rem habes tantummodo; illi duas. Tu credulitatem habes; non habes timorem: illi et credulitatem habent pariter et timorem.” Our very business is to teach the great lesson of self-denial and humility to our people, and how unfit is it then that Ave should be proud ourselves! We must study humility, and preach humility, and must we not possess and practise itl A proud preacher of humility, is at least a self-condemning man. What a sad case is it, that so vile a sin is no more easily discerned by us! But many that are most proud, can blame it in others, and take no notice of it in themselves. The world takes notice of some among us that they have aspiring minds, and seek for the highest rooms, and must be rulers, and bear the sway wherever they come, or else there is no standing before them. No man must contradict them that will not partake of the fruits of their indignation. In any consultations, they come not to search after truth, but to dictate to others that perhaps are fit to teach them. In a word, they have such arrogant, domineering spirits, that the world rings of it; and yet they will not see it in themselves.
Brethren, I desire to deal closely with my own heart and yours. I beseech you consider, whether it wdll save us to speak well of the grace that we are without; or to speak against the sin that we live in? Have not many of us cause to inquire once and again, whether sincerity can consist with such a measure of pride 1 When we are telling the drunkard that he cannot be saved unless he become temperate; and the fornicator, that he cannot be saved unless he become chaste, (an undoubted truth:) have we not as great reason if we are proud, to say of ourselves, that we cannot be saved unless we become humble 1 Certainly, pride is a gxeater sin than whoredom, or drunkenness; and humility is as necessary as chastity and sobriety. Truly, brethren, a man may as certainly, and more slily and dangerously make haste to hell in a way of profession, and earnest preaching of the gospel, and seeming zeal for a holy life, as in a way of di’unkenness and filthiness; for what is true holiness but a devotedness to God, and a living to Him 1 And what is a “wdcked and damnal)le state, but a devotedness to our carnal selves, and a living to ourselves? And doth any man live more to himself, or less to God, than the proud 1 And may not pride make a preacher study for himself, and pray, and preach, and live for himself, even when he seemeth to outgo others in the work, if he therefore outgo them, that he may have the glory of it from men “? It is not the work without the principle and end that will prove us upright: the work may be God’s, and yet we do it not for God, but for ourselves. I confess I feel such continual danger in this point, that if I do not watch against it, lest I should study for myself, and preach for myself, and write for myself, rather than for Christ, I should soon miscarry; and after all, I justify not myself, when I must condemn the sin. Consider, I beseech you, brethren, what baits there are in the work of the ministry, to entice a man to be selfish; that is, to be carnal and impious, even in the highest work of piety! The fame of a godly man is as great a snare as the fame of a learned man: and woe to him that takes up with the fame of godliness instead of godliness. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. When the times were all for learning and empty formalities, then the temptation of the proud did lie that way; but now through the unspeakable mercy of God, the most lively, practical preaching is in credit, and godliness itself is in credit: and now the temptation to proud men is here, even to pretend to be zealous preachers and godly men. Oh, what a fine thing doth it seem to have the people crowd to hear us, and to be afiected with what we say, and that we command their judgments and affections! What a taking thing is it to be cried up as the ablest and godliest man in the country, and to be famed through the land for the highest spiritual excellencies! Alas! brethren, a little grace will serve turn to make you to join yourselves with the forwardest of those men, that have these inducements or encouragements. To have the people plead for you as their felicity, and call you the pillars of the Church of God; and their fathers, the chariots and horsemen of Israel, and no lower language than excellent men, and able divines, and to have them depend upon you, and be ruled by you; though this may be no more than their duty; yet I must again tell you, that a little gTace may serve to make you seem zealous men for this. Nay, pride may do it without any special grace. Oh, therefore, be jealous of yourselves, and in all your studies be sure to study humility. “He that exalteth himself shall be brought low, and he that hnmbleth himself shall be exalted.” I observe commonly, that almost all men good and bad do loathe
the proud, and love the humble: so far doth pride contradict itself, unless it be where it purposely hideth itself, and, as conscious of its own deformity, doth borrow the homely dress of humility. iljid we have cause to be the more jealous, because it is the most radicated vice, and as hardly as any extirpated from the soul. “Nam saepe sibi de se mens ipsa mentitur, et fingit se de bono opere amare quod non amat: de mundi autem gloria, non amare quod amat;” inquit Gregor. M. de cura Pastor, p. 1. c. 9. When it was a disgrace to a man to be a godly, zealous preacher, then had not pride such a bait as now. As the same Gregory saith, ibid., p. 21, c. 8, •” Eo tempore quo quisquis plebibus prseerat primus ad Martyris tormenta ducebatur; Tunc laudabile fuit Episcopatum quserere, quando per hunc quemque dubium non erat ad supplicia majora pervenire.” But it is not so now, as he saith in another place, 22G GILDAS SALVIAXL’.S:
cap. 1. initio: “Sed quia autliore Deo ad. Eeligioiiisreverentiam omne jam prsesentis seculi ciilmen inclinatur, sunt nounulli qui intra sanctam Ecclesiam per speciem regiminis gloriam afFectant lionoris; Videri Doctores appetunt, transcendere ca3teros concupiscunt, atque attestante veritate, primas salutationes in foro, primos recubitus in coenis, primas eatliedras in conventibus quserunt, qui susceptum curse Pastoralis officiuniministrare digne tanto magis nequeunt, quanto ad liujusbumilitatis magisterium ex sola elatione pervenerunt; ijDsa qnippe in Magisterio lingua confunditur, quando aliud discitur, et aliud docetur.” (Hactenus Gregoriu.s, et ipse nirais magnus.)
But I have stood longer upon this sin than is proportionable to the rest of my work. I shall be the shorter in the confession of some of the rest.
2. Another sin the ministers of England, and much more of many other Churches, are sadly guilty of, is undervaluing the unity and peace of the whole Church. Though I scarcely ever met with any that will not speak for unity and peace, or at least that will expressly speak against it, yet is it not common to meet with those that are addicted to promote it; but too commonly do we find men averse to it, and jealous of it, if not themselves the instruments of division. The Papists have so long abused the name of the Catholic Church, that in oyposition to them, many do either put it out of their creeds, or only fill up room with the name, while they understand not or consider not the nature of the thine”. or think it enough to believe that there is such a body, though they behave not themselves as sensible members of it. If the Papists will idolise the Church, shall we therefore deny it, disregard it, or divide? It is a gi-eat and common sin through the Clu-istian world to take up religion in a way of faction, and instead of a love and tender care of the Universal Church, to confine that love and respect to a party. Not but that we must prefer in our estimation and communion the purer parts before the impure, and refuse to participate with any in their sins, but the most infirm and diseased part should be compassionated and assisted to the utmost of our power, and communion must be held as far as is lawful, and nowhere avoided but upon the urgency of necessity. As we must love those of our neighbourhood that have the plague or leprosy, and afibrd them all the relief we can, and acknowledge all our just relations to them, and communicate to them, though we may not have local communion with them; and in other diseases which are not so infectious we may be the more with them for their help, by how much the more they need it. Of the multitude that say they are of the Catholic Church, it is too rare to meet with men of a catholic spirit; men have not a universal consideration of and respect to the whole Church, Init look upon their own party as if it were the whole. If there be some called Lutherans, some Calvinists, some, amono- these, of subordinate divisions, and so of other parties among us, most of them will pray hard for the prosperity of their party, and rejoice and give thanks accordingly when it goes well with them; but if any party suffer, they little regard it, as if it were no loss at all to the Church, If it be the smallest parcel that possesseth not many nations, no, nor cities on earth, they are ready to carry it as if they were the whole Church, and as if it went well with the Church in the
Ptomish pale, and no doubt but thia is an abominable schism; but alas! how many do imitate them too far while we reprove them! And as they foist the word Roman into their creed, and turn the Catholic Church into the Roman CathoHc Church, as if there were no other Catholics, and the Church were of no larger extent; so it is with many others, as to their several parties. Some will have it to be the Lutheran Catholic Church, as if it were all reformed; some the Anabaptist Catholic Church, and so of some others. And if they differ not among themselves, they are little troubled at differino- from others, thouo-h it be from almost all the Christian world. The peace of their party they take for the peace of the Church. No wonder, therefore, if they carry it no further.
How rare is it to meet with a man that smarteth or bleedeth with the Church’s wounds, or sensibly taketh them to heart as his own, or that ever had solicitous thoughts of a cure! No, but almost every party thinks that the happiness of the rest consisteth only in turning to them; and because they be not of their mind, they cry, “Down with them,” and are glad to hear of their fall, as thinking that is the way to the Church’s rising — that is, their owm. How few are there that understand the true state of controversies between the several parties, or that ever well dis- -cerned how many of them are but verbal, and how many are real! And if those that understand it do, in order to right information and accommodation, disclose it to others, it is taken as an extenuation of their error and a carnal comphance with them in their sin. Few men grow zealous of peace till they grow old, or have much experience of men’s spirits and principles.
and see better the true state of the Church and several differences than they did before. And then they begin to write their “Irenicons,” and many such are extant at this day. Parens, Junius, and many more, have done their parts; as our Davenant, Morton, Hall — whose excellent treatise called “The Peacemaker,” and his “Pax Terris,” deserve to be transcribed upon all our hearts — Hattonus, Amyraldus, also have done. But “recipiuntur ad modum recipientis,” as a young man in his heat of lust and passion was judged to be no fit auditor of moral philosophy, so we find that those same youno- men who mav be zealous for peace and unity, when they are grown more experienced, are zealous for their factions against these in their youthful heat. And therefore, such as these before mentioned, and Duraeus, who hath made it the business of his life, do seldom do much greater good than to cjuiet their own consciences in the discharge of so great a duty, and to moderate some few and save them from further guilt, and to leave behind them when they are dead a witness against a wilful, self-conceited, and unpeaceable world.
Nay, commonly it bringeth a man under suspicion either of favouring some heresy, or abating his zeal, if he do but attempt a pacificatory work: as if there were no zeal necessary for the great fundamental verities for the Church’s unity and peace, but only for parties and some particular truths.
And a great advantage the devil hath got this way, by employing his own agents, the unhappy Socinians, in writing so many treatises for catholic and archcatholic unity and peace, which they did for their own ends, and would have done it on insufficient terms; by which means the enemy of peace hath brought it to pass, that whoever maketh motion for peace, is presently under suspicion of being one that hath need of it for an indulgence of his own errors. A fearful case, that heresy should be credited, as if none were such friends to unity and peace as they; and that so great and necessary a duty, upon which the Church’s welfare doth so depend, should be brought into such suspicion or disgrace 1
Brethren, I speak not all this without apparent reason. We have as sad divisions among us in England, considering the piety of the persons, and the smallness of the matter of our discord, as most nations under heaven have known. The most that keeps us at odds is but about the rioht form and order of church-government. Is the distance so great that Presbyterian, Episcopal, and Independent might not be well agreed 1 Were they but heartily willing and forward for peace, they might — I know they might. I have spoken with some moderate men of all the parties, and I perceive by their confessions it were an easy work. Were men’s hearts but sensible of the Church’s case, and unfeignedly touoiied with love to one another, and did they but heartily set themselves to seek it, the settling of a safe and haj)py peace were an easy work. If we could not in every point agree, we might easily find out, and narrow our differences, and hold communion upon our agreement in the main; determining of the safest way for the managing of our few and small agreements, without the danger or trouble of the Church. But is this much done ‘? It is not done. Let each party flatter themselves now as they please, it will be recorded to the shame of the ministry of
England, while the gospel shall abide in the Christian world. What will be recorded 1 What! AVhy, this: That learned and godly ministers in England did first disaaree amons; themselves, and head and lead on their people in those disagreements! That they proceeded in them for the space of fourteen years already; how much more will be, God knows, and in all that time had as great advantages and opportunities for agreement as any people in the world. They had the sad experience of the conflagration of the Commonwealth, and were scourged to it by a calamitous war. They saw the fearful confusions of the Church; and the perverting of multitudes of seduced souls, some to be Seekers, some Socinians, some Eanters, Quakers, or Infidels. They saw the continual exasperation of minds, and the jealousies and bitterness that their distance bred, and how it was the fuel of a daily course of sin: and yet for all these, they were moved little to them. They had magistrates that did not hinder them from the work; but gave them full liberty to have consulted and endeavoured a full agreement. They lived near together, and might have easily met too-ether for the work: and if one or two or an hundred meetings coid.d not have accomplished it, they might have held on till it was done. And yet for all this there is no such thing done, nor any considerable attempt yet made. And, oh, what heinous aggravations do accompany this sin! Never men since the apostles’ days, I think, did make greater profession of godliness: the most of them are boimd by solemn oaths and covenants, for unity and reformation. They all confess the worth of peace; and most of them will preach of it, and talk for it, while they sit still and neglect it, as if it were not worth the looking after. They will read and preach on those texts that command men to follow peace with all men, and as much as in us lieth, if it be possible, to live peaceably with them; and yet we aire so far from following it, and doing all that we possibly can for it, that too many will snarl at it, and malign and censure any that endeavour it, as if all zeal for peace did proceed from an abatement of our zeal for holiness; and as if holiness and peace were so fallen out, that there were no reconciling them; when yet they have found, by long experience, that concord is a sure friend to piety, and piety always moves to concord. We have seen how errors and heresies breed by discord, as discord is bred and fed by them. We have seen to our sorrow that where the servants of God should live together as one, of one heart, and one soul, and one hp, and should promote each other’s faith and holiness, and admonish and assist each other against sin, and rejoice together in the hope of their future glory, we have contrarily lived in mutual jealousies, an d drowned holy love in bitter contendings; and have studied to disgrace and undermine one another, and to increase our own parties by right or Tong; and we that were wont to glory of our love to the brethren, as the certain mark of our sincerity in the faith, have now turned it into a love of the party only, and those that are against that party have more of our spleen, and envy, and malice, than love. I know this is not so with all, nor prevalently with any true believer, but yet it is so common that it may cause us to question the sincerity of many that are thought by themselves and others to be most sincere. And it is not ourselves only that are scorched in this flame, but we have drawn our people into it, and cherished them in it, so that most of the godly in the nation are fallen into several parties, and have turned much of their ancient piety into vain opinions, and vain disputes, and envyings, and animosities. Yea, whereas it was wont to be made the
certain mark of a graceless WTetch to deride the godly, how few are there now that stick at secret deridino- and slanderinoj those that are not of their opinion! A pious, prelatical man can reverently scorn and slander a Presbyterian; and some of them an Independent; and an Independent both. And which is the worst of all, the common ignorant people take notice of all this, and do not only deride us, but are hardened by us against religion; and when we go about to persuade them to be religious, they see so many parties that they know not which to join with, and think that it is as good be of none at all, as of any, when they are uncertain which is right; and thus thousands are grown into contempt of all religion by our divisions; and poor, carnal wretches begin to think themselves in the better case of the two, because they hold to their old formalities, when we hold to nothing. Yea, and these pious contenders do more effectually plead the devil’s cause against one another, than any of the ignorant people can do. They can prove one another deceivers, and blasphemers, and what not; and this by secret slanders among all that they can handsomely vent them to; and, perhaps, also by public disputation, and printed slanderous books. So that when the obstinate drunkards are at a loss, and have nothing to say of their oti, against a man that would drive them from their sin, they are prompted by the railino; books or reports of factious, zealous malice; then they can say, “I regard him not, nor his doctrine; such a man hath proved him a deceiver and a blasphemer; let him answer him if he can.” And thus the lies and slanders of some, (for that is no news,) and the bitter, opprobrious speeches of others, have more effectually done the devil’s service, under the name of Orthodoxy and Zeal for Truth, than the malignant scorners of godliness could have done it. So that the matter is come to that pass, that there are few men of note of any party, but the reproaches of the other parties are so publicly upon them that the ignorant and wicked rabble that should be converted by them, have learnt to be orthodox, and to vilify and scorn them. Mistake me not: I do not slight orthodoxy, nor jeer at the name; but disclose the pretences of devilish zeal in pious, or seemingly pious men. If you are offended with me for my harsh lanouase, because I can tell you that I learnt it of God, I dare be bold, therefore, to tell you further, that you have far more cause to be offended at your satanical practices. The thing itself is surely odious, if the name be so odious as to turn your stomachs. How should the presence and guilt of it terrify you, if the name make you start! I know that many of the reverend calumniators do think that they shew that soundness in the faith, and love to the truth, which others want. But I will resolve the case in the words of the Holy Ghost, “Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you”? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envying (or zealousness) and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, de-’i]ish. For where envying (or bitter zeal) and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James iii.) I pray you read these words again and again, and study them.
Oh, doleful case to think of! that a while ago we were afraid of nothing, but lest Papists and deboist persons should have swallowed up the gospel and our liberty, and destroyed us together; and now when the work hath been put into the hands of those men, that were joined in these fears, and are joined in the strictest profession of piety, and are of one judgment in all the articles of the faith, they cannot, or will not unanimously join in carrying on the work; but they either fall upon one another, or live at a distance, and cast their work upon an hundred disadvantages by the bitter disagreements that are among themselves! Oh, what a nation mioht Enoland have been ere now, if it had not been for the proud and obstinate contentions of godly ministers I A hat abundance of good might we have done! Nay, what might we not have done, if our perverseness had not marred our work! Did we but asree amons; ourselves, our vrords vrould have some authority with the people; but when they see us some of one mind, and some of another, and snarling and reviling at each other, they think they may well enough do so too. “AYhy may not we call them sectaries or deceivers,” say they,” when they call one another
SO 1 “Nay, if we were not all of a mind in some smaller matters, yet if we did but hold communion and correspondence, and join together in the main, and do as much of God’s work as we can in concurrent unanimity, the peDple would far more regard us, and we might be in a greater capacity to do them good. But when we are single, they slight us; and when we disagree and divide, they despise us; and who can marvel at it, when we despise one another! “What I” say they, when a minister doth his duty alone,” must we be ruled by every singular man? Are you wiser than all the ministers in the country ‘? Are not such and such as learned as you V But when we go hand in hand, it stops their mouths. They think either themselves may be wiser than one or two ministers, or at least other ministers may be wiser than they; but common modesty will not suffer them to think that they are wiser than all the ministers in the country, or in the world. I know that matters of faith are not to be received upon our credit alone; but yet our credit may do much to remove prejudice, and to unblock the entrance into men’s minds, and procure the truth a more equal hearing, and therefore is necessary to our people’s good.
Nay, more than all this — I know” it — I see and hear it — that there are some ministers that are glad when they perceive the people despise their brethren that differ from them in some lesser things; they would have it so, and they foment it as far as they can for shame; and they secretly rejoice when they hear the news of it. This is next to prelatical silencing them, and casting them out of the Church. And I confess, I cannot but suspect that such men would go near to silence them, if they had their will and way; for he that would have a minister under disgrace, would have him useless, which is next to silencing him, and tendeth to the same end. You will say, “We do not desire that he should be disabled to do good, but to do hurt.” I answer, But the question is, whether his error be so great, that the holding or propagating it doth more hurt than all his preaching, and the labours of that whole party which you would disgrace, is likely to do good 1 If so, then I think it is a desirable work to disgrace him, and silence him in a just measure, and by just means, and I would concur therein; but if it be otherwise, we are bound to keep up that reputation vlitli others, which is necessary ordinarily to the success of their labours.
I may not here, without wTong to my conscience, pass over the late practices of some of our brethren of the new prelatical way, for those of the ancient prelacy are more moderate. I know it will be displeasing to them, and I have no mind to displease them; but yet I ill more avoid the treacherous or unfaithful silence which may wrong them, than the words of faithful friendship, which may displease them; and I will say no more to them, than, if I know myself, I shoidd say if I were resolved for prelacy. It is the judgment of these men that I now speak of, that a prelate is essential to a church, and there is no church without them; and that their ordination is of necessity to the essence of a presbyter; and that those that are ordained without them (though some will except a Case of necessity) are not ministers of Christ. Hereupon they conclude that our congregations, here in England, are no true churches, except where the presbyter dependeth on some prelate, and the ministers ordained by presbyters only are no true ministers; and they will not allow men to hear them, or communicate with them, but withdraw from our congregations like Separatists or Recusants. And the same note many of them brand upon all the Reformed Churches abroad, that have no prelates, as they do on us: so that the Church of Rome is admirably gratified by it; and instead of demanding where our Church was before Luther, they begin to demand of us where it is now “? And, indeed, had it been no more visible in the ages before Luther, than a reformed prelatical church is now, they would have a fairer pretence than now they have, to call upon us for the proof of its visibility. Suppose that the presbyters who rejected prelacy were guilty of all that schism and other sin, as they are ordinarily accused of, (for I will now go on such suppositions,) must the people therefore turn their backs on the assemblies and ordinances of God? Is it better for them to have no preaching, and no sacraments, and no public communion in God’s worship, than to have it in an assembly that hath not a prelate over it, or from a minister ordained without his consent? I confess I would not for the world stand guilty before God of the injury that this doctrine hath already done to men’s souls, much less of what it evidently tendeth to. They lay out themselves faithfully for the healing of that ignorance and common profaneness which got so much head under their careless or drunken predecessors. They desire nothing more than the saving of souls; they preach sound doctrine; they live in peace; and it is the greatest of their grief that many of their hearers remain so ignorant and obstinate still. And
Bce wliiit a help these poor impenitent sinners have for their cure! They are taught to turn their backs upon their teachers; and whereas before they heard them but with disregard, they are nov, taught not to hear them at all; and if we privately speak to them, they can tell us that it is the judgment of such and such learned men that Ave are not to be heard, nor our churches to be communicated with, nor we to be at all regarded as Christ’s ministers. And thus drunkards, and swearers, and worldlings, an<l all sorts of sensualists, are got out of gun-shot, and beyond the reach of our teaching or reproof; and those that do not (for shame of the world) obey their doctrine to stay from the assembly, yet do they there hear us with prejudice and contem2)t, and from the communion of the Church in the Lord’s Supper they commonly abstain. Were it only the case of these few civil persons that conscientiously go this way, and address themselves to these kind of men for government and sacraments, I would never have mentioned the thino-; for it is not them that 1 intend. For what care I what minister they hear or obey, so it be one that leadeth them in the ways of truth and holiness? Let them follow Christ, and forsake their sins, and go to heaven, and I will never contend with them for the forsaking of my conduct. But it is the common sort of profane and sensual men that are everywhere hardened against the ministry, and they have nothing but the reputation of the prelatical divines to countenance it with. If their teachers do but differ in a gesture from these men, they vilify them and reject their guidance, having nothing but the authority of such men to support them. Fain would Ave reach our consciences to awaken them from their security; for it pitieth us to see them so near unto perdition. But we can do no good upon them, for our ministry is in contempt because of the contrary judgment of these men. Not that the poor people care any more for a prelate, as such, than for an ordinary minister: for if prelates would have troubled them as much with their preaching, and reproofs, and discipline, they would have hated them as much as they do the ministers. But because they found by experience that under their government they might sin quietly, and make a scorn of godliness without any danger or trouble, and that to this day the men of that vray are so much against those precise ministers, that will not let them go quietly to hell, therefore are they all for prelacy, and make this the gTeat shelter for their disobedience and unreformed lives. So that I confess I think that the hurt that Separatists and Anabaptists do in England at this day is little to the hurt that is done by these men: for I count that the greatest hurt which hardeneth the greatest number in the state and way of greatest danger. An Anabaptist may yet be a penitent and godly person, and be saved; but the sensual and impenitent worldlings can never be saved in that condition. I see by experience, that if separation infect two or three, or half a score in a parish, or if Anabaptistry infect as many, and perhaps neither of them mortally, this obstinate contempt of ministerial exhortation, encouraged by the countenance of the contrary minded, doth infect them by the scores or hundreds. If we come to them in a case where they have no countenance from the ministry, how mute or tractable, comparatively, do we- find them! But if it be a case where they can but say that the prelatical divines are of another judgment, how Tinmoveable are they, though they have nothing else to say! Try, when we come to set on foot this work that we are now upon of catechising and private instruction, whether this will not be one of our greatest impediments, though in a work of unquestioned
lawfuhiess and necessity: even because they are taught that we are none of their pastors, and have no authority over them. I know that some of these men are learned and reverend, and intend not such mischievous ends as these: the hardenins; of men in imorance is not their design, but this is the thing effected. To intend well in doing ill, is no rarity. Who can, in reverence to any men on earth, sit still and hold his tongue, while he seeth the people thus run to their own destruction, and the souls of men be undone by the contendings of divines for their several parties and interests 1 The Lord, that knows my heart, knows that, if I know it myself, as I am not of any one of these parties, so I speak not a word of this in a factious partiality for one party, or against another, as such; much less in spleen against any person; but if I durst in conscience, I would have silenced all this, for fear of giving them offence whom I much honour. But what am I but a servant of Christ “? and what is my life worth, but to do Him service 1 and whose favour can recompense for the ruin of the Church? and who can be silent while souls are undone? Not I, for my part, while God is my Master, His Word my rule. His work my business, and the success of it, for the saving of men, my end. Who can be reconciled to that which so lamentably crosseth his Master’s interest and His main end 1 Nor yet would I have spoken any of this, if it
Q had been only in respect to my own charge; yet I bless God the sore is but small in comparison of what it is in many other places. But the observation of some neighbour congregations, and others more remote, methinks should make the very contrary-minded divines relent, if they were present with them.
AVould it be a pleasant hearing to them, to hear a crowd of scandalous men to reproach their ministers that would draw them to repentance, and to tell them they have no authority over thera, and all this under the pretence and shelter of ther judgments 1 Had they rather men went to hell, than be taught the way to heaven by presbyters that had not their imposition of hands? Is that point of order more necessary than the substance of the work, or the end itself? Nay, I must needs in faithfidness say yet more, that it is no credit to the cause of those reverend men, nor ever was, that the generality of the most wicked men, and haters and contemners of all devotion, are the great friends and maintainers of it; and the befriending of such a party did more to gain their love, than to save their souls; and the engaging such a party for them, hath not been the least cause of their fall. This is true, however it be taken.
And what a case would the churches of England be in, if we should yield to the motions of these reverend men! Supposing that men’s judgments are not at their own wills, and therefore many cannot see the reasons for prelacy, must we all give up our charges as no true ministers, and desert the congregations as no true churches? Why, whom will they then set over them in our stead? First, it is known that they cannot, if they had fit men, procure them what liberty their way requires, because of the discountenance of authority: and it is known that they have not fit men for one cougi-egation of very many. And had they rather that the doors were shut up, and God had no public worship, nor the people any public teaching or sacraments, than any but they should have a hand in the performance of it? Or if the ministers keep their places, can they wish all the congregation to stay at home, and live like heathens 1 Nay, are they not angry with us for casting out a grossly ignorant, insufficient, scandalous sort of ministers, who were the great means of the perdition of the people whose souls they had taken charge oil As for the casting out any able, godly men upon mere differences about the late troubles and state affairs, I speak not of it, I approve not of it; if any such thing were done, let them maintain it if they can that did it, for I neither can nor will. But it is a very sad case, that any men of judgment and piety would not only be indifferent in matters of such moment, but should think it a persecution, and an injury to their party and cause, to have hundreds of unworthy wretches to be ejected, when it was a work of so great necessity to the Church.
And indeed, by all this they plainly shew what a condition they would reduce this nation into again, if it were in their power. Surely they that would have the people disown and withdraw from them as being no ministers, and turn their backs on the word and sacraments, would silence them if they could: I think there is no doubt of that. And surely they that are so offended that the insufficient and scandalous ones are cast out, would have them in again if they could. And if this be the change that they desire, let them not blame men that believe the Scripture, and value men’s salvation, if they have no mind of their change. If it “were a matter of mere opinion, we should be more indifferent with them; or if the question were only whether men would be conducted in ways of holiness by a prelate, or by mere presbyters only, we should think it of less moment than the matter that is before us: but when it comes to this pass, that the prince of darkness must be so gratified, and so much of the Church of Christ delivered overmuch into his power, and the people led by multitudes to perdition, and all for the upholding of our own parties, or interests, or conceits, we cannot make light of such matters as these: these are not mere speculations, but matters that are so obvious to sense and Christian experience, that they must not think much that serious, experienced Christians are against them.
But that I be not mistaken, it is far from my thoughts to speak what I have done of any peaceable man of the prelatical way, or to meddle in the controversy of the best way of government: nor do I speak to any of the new prelatical way, but only those who are guilty of the miscarriages which I have spoken of; and for them I had rather bear their indignation than the Church should bear the fruits of their destructive, intemperate conceits.
The most common cause of our divisions and unpeaceableness, is men’s high estimation of their own opinions. And it ordinarily worketh these two ways: sometimes by setting men upon novelties, and sometimes by a censorious condemning of all that differ from the party that they are of.
Some are as busy in their inquiries after new doctrines, as if the Scripture were not perfect, or Christ had not told us all that is necessary; or the way to heaven were not in all ao;es one and the same, from Christ to the end of the world; or the Church were not still the same thing. And they look not only after new discoveries in lesser things, but they are makino; us new Articles of Faith, and framing- out new ways to heaven. The body of Popery came in at this door; their new fundamentals were received on these terms; their new Catholic Church, which their forefathers knew not, was thus set up. Before, it consisted of all Christians throughout the world; and now it must consist of none but the Pope’s subjects. So it is with the Anabaptists; they must now, in the end of the world, have a new church for Christ, even in the natural capacity of the matter! Never since the creation can it be proved that God had anywhere a church on earth where infants were excluded from being members, if there were any among them. They were members before the law, under the promise, under the law, and under the gospel, through the Christian world, to this day; and yet they would needs make Christ a church now without them, — as if Christ had missed it in the formins; of His Church till now; or as if He begun to be weary of infants in His Church now at last; or as if the providence of God did now begin to be awakened to have a rightly formed church in the conclusion of the world, and to eject those infants as incapable, who till now have been in the bosom of His family!
Yea, this disturbing vice doth also work by setting a higher rate of necessity upon some truths than the
Cliurcli of Christ had ever done; when we wall needs make that to be of absolute certainty, which hath been either not before received, or but as a dark and doubtful thing, and we will make that to be of necessity to salvation, which the former ages did hold but as a point of a far lower nature, which some were for and some against, without any great disagreement or mutual censure. I confess I do hold some points of doctrine myself to be true, which I cannot find that the Church, or any in it, did hold of many ages after the apostles; but then I cannot lay such a stress on them as to think them of necessity to the welfare of the Church and the saving of souls; as the doctrine of the certain perseverance of all the justified, and some few more. If I may think that Austin, Prosper, and all the Church in those ages, did err therein, (as I think they did;) yet to think that they erred fundamentally, were to think that Christ had no church. I will not take the judgment or practice of the Church, in any age since the apostles’, as my rule of faith and life; but 1 will suppose that they had all things, in the most defiled age, that were of absolute necessity to salvation. I know that we must be justified in the same way as they were, and upon the same terms. Faith is the same thing now as it was then, and hath the same object to apprehend for our justification, and the same ofiice in order to our justification. Many new notions are brought in by disputers, which must not be made matters of necessity to the soundness or integrity of the Church’s faith. We may talk of peace as long as we live, but we shall never obtain it but by returning to the apostolical simplicity. The Papists’ faith is too big for all men to agree upon; or all their own, if they enforced it not with arguments drawn from the fire, the halter, and the strappado. And many Anti-Papists do too much imitate them in the tedious length of their subscribed confessions and novelty of impositions, when they go furthest from them in the quality of the things imposed. I shall speak my mind to these in the words of Vincentius Lirinensis, cap. 26: — “Mirari satis nequeo tantam quorundum hominum vsesaniam, tantam excoecatoe mentis impietatem; tantam postremo errandi libidinem, ut contenti non sint tradita semel et accept antiquitus credendi regul; sed nova ac nova in diem quserunt, semperque aliquid gestiant religioni addere, mutare, detrahere: Quasi non coeleste dogma sit quod semel revelatum esse suflficiat, sed terrena institutio, quae aliter perfici nisi assidua emendatione, immo potius reprehensione non possit.” When we once return to the ancient simplicity of faith, then, and not till then, we shall return to the ancient love and peace.
But the pride of men’s hearts doth make them so overvalue their own conceptions, that they expect all men else should be of their mind, and bow down to those reasons which others can see through, while they are as confident as if there were no room for doubting. Every sect is usually confident in their own way, and as they value themselves, so they do their reasons. And hereupon arise such breaches in afi”ections and communion as there are, while most men cry down the divisions of others, but maintain the like. Some will have no communion with our churches, because we have some members that they take to be ungodly, and do not pull up the tares in doubtfill, unproved cases, where we caDiiot do it without pulling up the wheat. Others are so confident that infants should be unbaptized, and out of the Church, that they will be of no church that hath infant members, till these scandalous infants be (I say not excommunicated, for that supposeth a prior right, but) taken as such that have no part or fellowship in the business, they will not join with such a society. Christ tells us, that except we become as little children, we shall not enter into His kingdom; and they say, except little children be kept out of the Church, they will not enter or abide in it. Is not this extreme height of spirit to be so confident, as to avoid communion upon it, in a case wdiere the Church hath been in all ages, or almost all, by their own confession, so much against them 1 Would they not have separated from the whole Church on the same ground, if they had lived in these times 1 Others, as is before said, are so confident that we are no ministers or churches for want of prelatical ordination and government, that they separate also, or deny communion with us. And thus every party in the height of their self-conceitedness is ready to divide, and condemn all others that are not of their mind.
And it usually falls out that this confidence doth but betray men’s ignorance, and that too many make up that in passion and wilfulness which they want in reason. How many have I heard zealously condemning what they little understand 1 It is a far easier matter to say that another man is erroneous, or heretical, or rail at him as a deceiver or blasphemer, than, to give a sound account of our belief. And as I remember twenty years ago, I have observed it the common trick of a company of ignorant, formal preachers, to get the repute of that learning which they wanted, by railing at the Puritans as being all unlearned; so it is now the trick of some that can scarcely give a sound reason for any controverted part of their belief.
The truth is, most ministers in the world do take up their opinions in compliance with their several parties; and they look more who believeth it, than what is believed, and on what ground; or they have nothing but what is spoken by the men that they must concur with: and thus too many take up their religion in a faction, even the truth itself; and therefore they must speak against those that they hear that party speak against. As Prosper said of the detractors of Austin, Praef. ad capit. Gall., “Injustis opprobriis Catholici praidicatoris memoria carpitur; in quod peccatum cadunt, qui aliena instigatione commoti; scriptorem celeberimi nominis promptius habent culpare, quam nosse.” And as Salvian saith in his Preface ad Salonium: ad Cathol. Eccles.,” Tam imbecilia sunt judicia hujus temporis, ac pene tam nulla, ut qui legunt, non tam considerant quid legant, quam cujus legant: nee tam dictionis vim atque virtutem quam dictatoris cogitant dignitatem.’^ Hov»’’ many a hot dispute have I heard of several subjects, which the disputants have been forced to manifest that they understood not! And yet they will drive all to damnatory conclusions, when the parties understand not one another’s meaning, and take not the subject of the dispute in the same sense, or, at least, not the several predications. One disputeth for free will, another against it; and call them to give you their definition of free will, and you shall see to what purpose it was. And so in many other cases.
And thus do we proceed in a contentious zeal to divide the Church, and censure our brethren, and make our difierences seem greater than they are, while we know not well what they are ourselves, who so eagerly manage them.
3. The next sin that I shall mention that we are lamentably guilty of is this: we do not so seriously, unreservedly, and industriously lay out ourselves in the work of the Lord as beseemeth men of our profession and engagements. I bless the Lord that there are sp many that do this work with all their might! But, alas! for the most part, even of those that we take for godly ministers, how reservedly and how negligently do we go through our work! How few of us do so behave ourselves in our office as men that are wholly devoted thereto, and have devoted all that they have to the same ends! And because you shall see my grounds for this confession, I shall mention to you some of the sinful discoveries of it, which do too much abound.
(1.) It is common with us to be negligent in oiu? studies. Few men will be at that pains that is necessary for the right informing of their understandings, and fitting them for their further work. Some men have no delight in their studies, but take only now and then an hour, as an unwelcome task which they are forced to undergo, and are glad when they are from under the yoke. Will neither the natural desire of knowing, nor the spiritual desire of knowing God and things divine, nor the consciousness of our great ignorance and weakness, nor the sense of the weight of our ministerial work — will none of all these keep us closer to our studies, and make us more painful in seeking after the truth? This dilio-ence is now the more necessary for ministers, because the necessity of the Church doth draw so many from the universities so young, that they are fain to teach and learn together; and for my part, I would not discourage such young ones, so be it they be but competently qualified and quickened with earnest desires of men’s salvation, and are drawn out by the present necessities sooner than they would go if the Church could longer wait for their preparation, and will but study hard in the country. For I know, that as theology is a practical science, so the knowledge of it thriveth best in a practical course. Laying out here is a means of gathering in; and a hearty endeavour to communicate and do good, is not the smallest help to our own proficiency. Many men have not been ashamed to confess how young and raw they were at their entrance, who yet have grown to eminent parts. Vigihus the Martyr was made Bishop of Trent at twenty years old. Ambrose, de Offic, li. c. 1, saith thus: “Homines discunt priusquam docent, et ab illo accipiunt quod aliis tradant: Quod ne ipsum quidem mihi accidit: Ego enim de tribunalibus atque administrationis infulis ad sacerdotium captus, docere vos coepi quod ipse non didici. Itaque factum est, ut prius docere inciperem quam discere. Discendum igitur mihi simul et docendum est, quoniam non vacavit ante discere. Et quantum libet quisque profecerit, nemo est qui doceri non egeat dum vivit.”
Oh, what abundance of things are there that a minister should understand, and what a great defect is it to be ignorant of them, and how much shall we miss such knowledge in our work! Many ministers study only to compose their sermons, and very little more, when there are so many books to be read, and so many matters that we should not be unacquainted with. Nay, in the study of our sermons we are too negligent, gathering only a few naked heads, and not considering of the most forcible expressions by which we should set them home to men’s hearts. We must study how to convince and get within men, and how to bring each truth to the quick, and not leave all this to our extemporary promptitude, unless it be in cases of necessity. Certainly, brethren, experience will teach you, that men are not made learned or wise without hard study and unwearied labours and experience.
(2.) If ministers were set upon the work of the Lord, it would be done more vigorously than by the most of us it is. How few ministers do preach with all their might; or speak about everlasting joy or torment in such a manner as may make men believe that they are in good sadness! It would make a man’s heart ache to see a company of dead and drowsy sinners sit under a minister, and not have a word that is likely to quicken or awaken them. To think with ourselves, “Oh, if these sinners were but convinced and awakened, they might yet be converted and live!” And, alas! we speak so drowsily or gently, that sleepy sinners cannot hear; the blow falls so light, that hard-hearted persons cannot feel it. Most ministers will not so much as put out their voice, and stir up themselves to an earnest utterance. But if they do speak loud and earnestly, how few do answer it with earnestness of matter; and then the voice doth little good; the people will take it but as mere bavrling, when the matter doth not correspond. It would grieve one to hear what excellent doctrines some ministers have in hand, and let it die in their hands for want of close and lively application; what fit matter they have for convincing sinners, and how little they make of it; and what a deal of good it might do if it were set home, and yet they cannot or will not do it. 0 sirs, how plainly, how closely, and how earnestly should we deliver a message of such a nature as ours is, when the everlasting life or death of men is concerned in it! Methinks we are nowhere so wantinor as in this seriousness. There is nothing more unsuitable to such a business than to be slight and dull. What! speak coldly for God, and for men’s salvation! Can we believe that our people must be converted, or condemned, and yet can we speak in a drowsy tone I In the name of God, brethren, labour to awaken your hearts before you come, and when you are in the work, that you may be fit to ax’aken the hearts of sinners. Remember that they must be awakened, or damned; and a sleepy preacher will hardly awaken them. If you give the holy things of God the highest praises in words, and yet do it coldly, you vnll seem in the manner to unsay what you said in the matter. It is a kind of contempt of great things, especially so great, to speak of them mthout great affection and fervency: the manner as well as the words must set them forth. If we are commanded, whatever our hand findeth to do, to do it with all our might, then certainly such a work as preaching for men’s salvation should be done with all our might. But, alas! how few, how thin are such men! Here one and there one, even among good ministers, that have an earnest, persuading, working way, or that the people can feel him preach when they hear him.
(3.) If we are all heartily devoted to the work of God, why do we not comyassionate the poor, unprovided congregations about us, and take care to help them to able ministers; and in the meantime, step out now and then to their assistance, when the business of our own particular charge will give us leave? A lecture in the more ignorant places purposely for the work of conversion, performed by the most Hvelyworking preachers, might be a great help where constant means are wantino;.
(4.) The negligent execution of acknowledged duties, doth shew that ‘we be not so wholly devoted to the work as we should be. If there be any work of reformation to be set on foot, how many are there that will go no further than they are drawn; and it were well if all would do but that much.
If any business for the Church be on foot, how many neglect it for their own private business: when we should meet and consult together for the unanimous and successful performance of our work, one hath this business of his own, and another that, which must be preferred before God’s business.
And when a work is likely to prove difficult and costly, how backward are we to it, and make excuses, and will not come on! For instance: What hath been more talked of, and prayed for, and contended about in England for many years past, than the business of discipline “? And there are but few men (the Erastians) but they seem zealous in disputing for one side or other: some for the Prelatical way, and some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Congregational.
And yet, when we come to the practice of it, for ought I see, we are most of us for no way. It hath made me admire sometimes to look on the face of England, and see how few congregations in the land have any considerable execution of discipline, and to think withal what volumes they have written for it; and how almost all the ministry of the nation are engaged for it — how zealously they have contended, for it, and made many a just exclamation against the opposers of it; and yet for all this will do little or nothing in the exercise of it. I have marvelled what should make them so zealous in siding for that which their practice shews that their hearts are against: but I see a disputing zeal is more natural than a holy, obedient, practising zeal. How many ministers in England are there that know not their own charge, who plead for the truth of their particular churches, and know not which they are, or who are the members of them; and who never cast out one obstinate sinner; no, nor brought one to public confession, and expression of repentance and promise of reformation; nor yet admonished one publicly to call him to such repentance. But they think they do their duty if they give them not the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, when it is perhaps avoided voluntarily by themselves, and thousands will keep themselves away without our prohibiting them; and in the meantime we have them stated members of our clmrches, and grant them all other communion with the Church, and call them not to personal repentance for their sin. Read Albaspineus, a sober Papist, in his Observations, 1, 2, 3, after his Annot. on Optatus, and see whether church-communion in former times was taken to consist only in co-partaking of the Lord s
Supper. Either these hundreds that we communicate not with in the Supper, are members of our churches, or not: if not, then we are Separatists, while we so much disclaim it; for we have not cast them out, nor have we called them to any profession, whether they own or disown their membership, but only whether they will be examined in order to a sacrament; nor do we use to let them know that we take their refusal of examination for a refusal of church-membership, and exclusion of themselves. It follows therefore, that we have gathered churches out of churches before they were unchurched, or before we took God’s way to cast any of them, much less all of them, out. But if they are taken for members, how” can we satisfy our consciences to forbear all execution of discipHne upon them “? Is it not God’s ordinance that they should be personally rebuked and admonished, and then publicly called to repentance, and be cast out if they remain impenitent? If these be no duties, why have we made such a noise and stir about them in the world as we have done 1 If they be duties, why do we not practise them 1 If none of all these persons be scandalous, why do we not admit them to the Lord’s Supper? If they keep away themselves, is not that a sin which a brother should not be permitted to remain in? Is it not a scandal for them to avoid the ordinances of God and the communion of the Church for so many years together as they do ‘i Yea, and many a one of them avoideth also the very hearing of the word. The ancient discipline was stricter, when the sixth General Council at Trull, in Constantinople, ordained Can. 80, that “whosoever was three days together from the church, without urgent necessity, was to be excommunicated.”
Brethren, for my part, I desire not to ofifend any party, nor to bring the least dishonour to them; but I must needs say, that these sins are not to bo cloaked over with excuses, extenuations, or denials. We have long cried up discipline, and every party their several ways. Would you have people value your way of government, or not “? No doubt but you would; why, if you would have them value it, it must be for some excellency; shew them then that excellency. What is it, and wherein doth it consist *? And if you would have them believe you, shew it them not only in paper, but in practice; not only in words, but in deeds. How can the people know the worth of bare notions and names of discipline, without the thing 1 Is it a name and a shadow that you have made all this noise about? How can they think that that is good which doth no good ‘? Truly, I fear we take not the right way to maintain our cause, but even betray it while we are hot disputers for it. Speak truly; is it not these two things that keep up the reputation of the long-contendedfor discipbne among men; viz., with the godly, the mere reiutation of the ministers that stand for it; and with many of the ungodly, the non-execution of it, because they find it to be toothless, and not much troublesome to them 1 Verily, brethren, if we get the late prelates’ carnal wisdom, and go their way to work, by ingratiating our way of government with the ungodly multitude, by the mere neglect of practice, and the befriending of their sins, we may well look for the same blessing and issue as the prelates had. If once our government come to be upholden by the votes of those who should be corrected or ejected by it, and the worst men be friends to it, because it is a friend to them
R in their uno-odliness, we then eno-ao-e it against the Lord, and He will appear as engaged against us. Set all the execution of discipline together that hath been practised in a whole country ever since it was so contended for, and I doubt it will not appear so observable as to draw godly people into a liking of it for the effects. How can you wonder if many that desired deeds and not words, reformation and not the mere name of reformation, do turn over to the separate congregations, when you shew them nothing but the bare name of discipline in yours *? All Christians value God’s ordinances, and think them not vain things; and therefore are unwilling to live without them. Discipline is not a needless thing to the Church: if you will not difference between the precious and the vile by discipline, people will do it by separation. If you will keep many scores or hundreds in your churches that are notoriously scandalous, and contemners of church-communion, and never openly, nor perhaps privately, reprove them, nor call them to repentance, nor cast them out, you cannot marvel if some timorous souls do run out of your churches as from a ruinous edifice, that they fear is ready to fall upon their heads. I pray you consider, if you should do in the same manner with them in the sacrament as you do in the discipline, and should only shew the bread and wine, and never let them taste of it, could you expect that the name of a sacrament should satisfy them, or that they would like your communion? AVhy should you think, then, that they will be satisfied with the empty sound of the word church government f And consider but what a disadvantage you cast your cause upon in all your disputations with men of another way. If your principles be more right than theirs, and their practice be more right than yours, the people will suppose that the question is, whether the name or the thing, the shadow or the substance, be more desirable? And they will take your way to be a mere delusory formality, because they see you but formal in the use of it, yea, that you use it not at all. I speak not against your government, but for it, all this while, and tell you that it is you that are against it that seem so earnest for it; while you more disgrace it for want of exercise than you credit it by your bare arguments: and you will find before you have done, that faithful execution will be your strongest argument. Till then, the people will understand you as if you openly proclaimed, ‘’ We would have no public admonitions, confessions, or excommunications; our way is to do no good, but to set up the naked name of a government.” Doubtless it was a fault more past all disputation for the prelates to destroy discipline and to do little or nothing in it, than for them to be jirelates; and if they had but done the good that discipline is ordained for. Prelacy might have stood to this day for ought I know; I am sure it would have had no opposition from many hundred godly people that have opposed it; and again, I say, if you will run into the error, you may expect their fate.
And what are the hindrances now that keep the ministers of England from the execution of that discipline which they have so much contended for? I hear not all speak; but I hear some, and see more. The great reason, as far as I can learn, is — “The difficulty of the work, and the trouble or suffering that we are likely to incur by it: we cannot publicly reprehend one sinner but he will storm at it, and bear us a deadly malice. We can prevail with very few to make a public profession of true repentance. If we proceed to excommunicate them, they will be raging mad against us; they will be ready to vow revenge against us, and to do us a mischief. If we should deal as God requireth with all the obstinate sinners in the parish, there were no living among them; they would conspire in hatred against us to the hazard of our lives. AVe should be so hated of all, that as our lives would be uncomfortable, so our labours would become unprofitable; for men would not hear us when they are possessed with a hatred of us: therefore duty ceaseth to be duty to us, because the hurt that would follow would be greater than the good, and the affirmative bind not ’ ad semper.’”
These are the great reasons for the non-execution of discipline, together with the great labour that private admonition of each ofi’ender would cost us. And to these I answer —
[l.] Are not these reasons as valid against Christianity itself, in some times and places, as now against discipline? Christ came not to send us peace; we shall have His peace, but not the world’s, for He hath foretold us that they will hate us. Might not Bradford, or Hooper, or any that were burnt in Queen ]Iary’s days, have alleged more than this against duty 1 They might have said, “It will make us hated if we own the Reformation, and it will expose our Uves to the flames.” How is he concluded by Christ to be no Christian who hateth not all that he hath, and his own life, for Him; and yet we can take the hazard of our life as a reason against His work! What is it but hypocrisy to shrink from sufferings, and take up none but safe and easy works, and make ourselves believe that the rest are no duties 1 Indeed, this is the common way of escaping sufferings, to neglect the duty that would expose us thereunto. If we did our duty faithfully, ministers should find the same lot among professed Christians as their predecessors have done among the infidels. But if you could not suffer for Christ, why did you put your hand to His plough, and did not first sit down and count your costs 1 This makes the ministerial work so unfaithfidly done, because it is so carnally undertaken; and men enter upon it as a life of ease, and honour, and respect from men, and therefore resolve to attain their ends, and have what they expected by right or wrong. They looked not for hatred and suffering, and they will avoid it, though by the avoiding of their work.
[2.] And as for the making yourselves incapable to do them good, I answer. That reason is as valid against plain preaching, reproof, or any other duty which wicked men will hate us for. God will bless His own ordinances to do good, or else He would not have appointed them. If you admonish, and publicly rebuke the scandalous, and call men to repentance, and cast out the obstinate, you may do good to many that you reprove, and possibly to the excommunicated: I am sure it is God’s means, and it is His last means, when reproofs will do no good; it is therefore perverse to neglect the last means, lest we frustrate the foregoing means, when as the last is not to be used but upon supposition that the former were all frustrated before. However, those within and those without may receive good by it, if the offender do receive none; and God mil have the honour, when His Church is manifestlydifferenced from the world, and the heirs of heaven and hell are not totally confounded, nor the world made to think that Christ and Satan do but contend for superiority, and that they have the like inclination to holiness or to sin.
[3.] And I would know, whether on the grounds of this objection before mentioned, all discipline should not be cast out of the Church, at least ordinarily; and so is not this ag-ainst the thin of itself, rather than against the present season of if? For this reason is not drawn from anything proper to our times, but common to all times and places. Wicked men will always storm against the means of their public shame; and the use of church censures is purposely to shame them, that sin may be shamed, and disowned by the Church. What age can you name since the days of the apostles wherein you would have executed the discipline that you now refuse, if you go on these groimds, supposing that it had not been by magisterial compulsion 1 If, therefore, it be discipline itself that hath such intolerable inconveniences, why have you so prayed for it, and perhaps sought for it, and disputed for it as you have done? What! must all Dissenters bear your frowns and censures, and all for a work which you yourselves judge intolerable, and dare not touch with one of your fiugers? AVhen do you look to see all these difficulties over, that you may set upon that which you now avoids Will it be in your days’? or will you wait till you are dead, and leave it as a part of your epitaph to posterity, that you so deeply engaged and contended for that which you so abhorred to the death, that you would never be brought to the practice of it! And doth not this objection of yours plainly give up your cause to the Separatists; and even tell them that your contending is not for your way of discipline, but that there may be none, because it will do more harm than good? Certainly, if this be true, it would have been better to speak it out at first, before all our wars, and tears, and prayers, and contentions, than now in the conclusion to tell the world, that we did all this but for a name or word, that the thing is so far from being worth our cost, that it is not tolerable, much less desirable.
[4.] But yet let me tell you, that there is not such a lion in the way as you do imagine; nor is discipline such a useless thing. I bless God upon the small and too late trial that I have made myself of it, I can speak by experience, it is not vain; nor are the hazards of it such as may excuse our neglect.
But I know the pinching reason is behind. They say, that, “When Ave pleaded for discipline, we meant a discipline that should be established and imposed by the secular power; and without them what good can we do, when every man hath leave to despise our censures, and set us at naught 1 And therefore we will not meddle with it,” say they, “without authority.” To which I answer, [1.] I thought it once a scornful indignity that some fellows attempted to put upon the ministry, that denied them to be the ministers of Christ, and would have had them called the ministers of the State, and dealt with accordingly. But it seems they did not much cross the judgments of some of the ministry themselves, who are ready to put the same scorn upon their own calling. AVe are sent as Christ’s ambassadors, to speak in His name, and not in the prince’s; and by His authority we do our work, as from Him we have our commission; and shall any of Hjs messengers question the authority of His commands? The same power that you have to preach “udthout, or against the magistrate’s command, the same have you to exercise pastoral guidance and discipline without. And shall all ministers refuse preaching if the magistrate bid them not ‘i yea, or if they forbid them? [2.] AVliat mean you, when you say, you will not do it without authority? Do you mean the love or the countenance and approbation, or the command upon yoursehes 1 or do you mean a foi’ce or pe;ia% on the people to obey you? The magistrate’s leave we have; who hindereth or forbiddeth you to set up discipline, and exercise it faithfully? Doth the secular power forbid you to do it, or threaten or trouble you for not doing it? No, they do not. To the shame of the far gTeatest part of the ministers of England it must be spoken — for we have so opened our own shame that it cannot be hid — we have had free liberty to do the work of Christ which we have desired and pleaded for, and yet we would not do it. What might not the ministers of England have done for the Lord, if they had been but willing! They had no prohibition, nor any man to rise up against them, of all the enemies whose hearts are against their work; and yet they would not do it. Nay more, for aught you know, you have no approbation of authority. You have the commands of former powers yet not repealed. You have the protection of the laws and present governors: if any one seek revenge against you for the sake of discipline, you have not only laws, but as jnany willing magistrates to restrain and punish them, as ever you knew, I think, in England. And what would you have more? “Would you have a law made to punish you if you will not do your duty? What! dare you tell God that you will not do this work unless the magistrate drive you to it with scourges? I confess, if I had my will, it should be so; and that man should be ejected as a negligent pastor, that will not rule his people by discipline — though yet, I might allow him to be a preacher to the unchurched — as well as he is ejected as a negligent preacher that will not preach. For rulingis as essential a part of a pastor’s office as preaching, I am sure. And therefore seeing these men would fain have the magistrate interpose, if he did eject them for unfaithful, neghgent pastors, (were it not for the necessity of the Church that hath not enough better,) I know not well how they could blame him for it. It is a sad discovery of our carnal hearts, when men can do so much more with us than God, that we would obey the commands of men, and will not obey the commands of Christ. Is he fit to be Christ’s officer, that will not take His command as oblio;atory
But I know the thing expected is, that all the people should be forced under a penalty to submit to our discipline. I confess, I think that the magistrate should be the hedge of the Church, and defend the ministry, and improve his power to the utmost to procure a universal obedience to Christ’s laws, and restrain men from the apparent breach of them, especially from being false teachers and seducers of others. How far I am against the two extremes of universal licence, and persecuting tyranny, I have frequently manifested on other occasions. But I shall now say but this: [l.] Doth not this further discover the carnal frame of our hearts, when we will not do our duty unless the magistrate will do his to the full, and all we conceive may be his duty 1 What! will his neglect excuse yours 1 Hath Christ bid you use the keys of the kingdom, and avoid a scandalous sinner upon condition that the magistrate will punish him with the sword ‘i Is not this your meaning, if you would speak it out, that you find a great deal of difiiculty in your work, and you would have the magistrate by terrifying offenders make it easy to you 1 For if it be not safe, and cheap, and easy, you are resolved you will not do it; and of such servants Christ may have enough. Nay, is not your meaning, that you would have the magistrate to do your work for you? Just as your pious people have long cried and prayed for discipline, and called upon ministers to do it, but we cannot get them to reprove offenders, and deal with them seriously and lovingly for their good, and inform the church-ofiicers of them that are obstinate; so do we toward the magistrates: the Word of God is so much beholden to us, that we would all have it done, but few will do it. We can easier censure and talk against others for not doing it, than do it ourselves. Oh, the guilt and hypocrisy of our hearts!
[2.] But further, AVhat is it that you would have the magistrate to do? I pray you consider, how you will answer it before God, that you shoidd wilfully neglect your own duty, and then make it your religion to quarrel with others. Is it not a fearfid deceit of heart for a man to think himself a godly minister for finding fault with them that are less faulty than himself?
I say less faulty; for tell me truly, whether the magistrate do more of his part in government, or you in yours? I am no more a flatterer of the magistrate than of you; nor was ever taken for such, that I could understand: but we must deal justly by all men. AVould you have the magistrate to punish men “eo nomine,” because excommunicated, without any particular cognisance of the fact and case “? 1st, That were unjust; then he must do wrong whenever we mistake and do wrong. If an honest man were an hangman, he would be willino- to know that he hano-ed not a man that was unjustly condemned. However, the magistrate is not the mere executioner of the ministers, but a judge; and therefore must be allowed the use of his reason to know the cause, and follow his own judgment, and not punish men against it. 2d, And excommunication is so great a punishment of itself, that I hope you do not think it nothing unless the magistrate add more. If so, then the temporal punishment might serve turn, and what need of yours? But I suppose that this is not your sense, but you are so just, that you would have the magistrate to punish a man as an offender, and not as excommunicated. And if so, I think it is not nothing that he doth. Are all the penalties against swearers, cursers, drunkards, peace-breakers, Sabbath-breakers, &c., nothing “? Certainly the laws of the land do punish much sin against God. Well, what do you as church-governors against these same sins? The magistrate fineth and imprisoneth them; that is his part. It is your part to bring them to open repentance, or to cast them out. Have you done this as often as he hath done his part? Doth not the magistracy of England punish ten.
268. GILBAS SALVIANUS!
twenty, what if I say, an hundred swearers, drunkards, or Sabbath-breakers by the sword, for one that the elders of the Church do punish by censures, or bring to public repentance for the satisfaction of the Church? Brethren, these things seem strange to me; that the case should stand thus as it doth, and yet that the deceit of our hearts should be so great, and that we should go on to account ourselves such blameless, godly men, whom magistrates and people are bound to reverence, and to speak against the magistrate so much as Ave do. I believe they are all slack and faulty; but are not we much more faulty 1 What if they should pay us in our own coin 1 What language might they give the ministers, that after so many years’ talk of discipline will do nothing in it! I say nothing in most places: to meet together for consultation is no exercise of discipline, nor reformation of the Church, which our meetings should conduce to.
[3.] And I give you this further answer: What had the Church of Christ done till the days of Constantino the Great, if it had no better pastors than you, that will not govern it without the joined compulsion of the magistrate? Discij)line, and severe discipline, was exercised for three hundred years together, where the prince did not give them so much as a protection, nor toleration, but persecuted them to death. Then was the Church at the best, and discipline most pure and powerful; say not then any more for shame, that it is to no purpose without a magistrate, when it hath done so much against their wills! Oh, what an aggravation is it of our sin, that you cannot be content to be negligent and unfaithful servants, but you must also fly in the face of your Lord and IMaster, and obliquely lay the blame on Him! What do you else, when you blame church-censure as ineffectual, when you should blame your lazy, self-seeking hearts, that shift oflf the use of them “? Hath Christ put a leaden sword into your hands, when He bids you smite the obstinate sinner 1 Or are you cowardly and careless, and then blame your sword instead of using it, as thinking that the easier task? Are the keys of Christ’s kingdom so unmeet and useless, that they will not open and shut without the help of the sword 1 or are you unskilful and lazy in the use of them? If they have contracted any rust, by which they are made less fit for service, next to the prelates, we may thank ourselves, that let them lie so long unused.
[4.] And I must tell you, that too much interposition of the sword with our discipline, would do more harm than good. It would but corrupt it by the mixture, and make it become a human thing. Your government is all to work upon the conscience, and the sword cannot reach that. It is not a desirable thing to have repentance so obscured by mere forced confessions, that you cannot know when men mean as they speak; and so it will be the sword that doth all, by forcing men to dissemble; and you will not discern the power of the word and ordinance of Christ. I confess since I fell upon the exercise of some discipline, I find by experience, that if the sword interpose and force all those public confessions of sin, and professions of repentance, which I have persuaded men to by the light of the AVord of God, it would have left me much unsatisfied concerning the validity of such confessions and promises, whether they might indeed be satisfactory to the Church: and I find that the godly people do no further regard it than they perceive it hearty and free; and if it were forced by magistrates, they would take him for no penitent person, nor be any whit satisfied, but say, “He doth it because he dare do no otherwise.” And I must add this word of plainer dealing yet. You blame the magistrate for giving so much liberty; and is it not long of yourselves that he do so? You will scarcely believe that such enemies to liberty of conscience are the causes of it. I think that you are; and that the keenest enemies have been the greatest causes. For you would run too far to the other extreme, and are so confident in every controversy that you are in the right, and lay such a stress upon many opinions of your own, as if life or death did lie upon them, (when, perhaps, the difierence may prove more verbal than real, if it were searched to the quick,) that this occasioneth magistrates to run too far the other way; and if they look on such as
, and dare not trust the sword in such hands, you
may thank yourselves. Truly, brethren, I see by experience, that there is among many of the most injudicious of us such a blind, confused zeal against all that is called error by their party, that without being able to try and make a difierence, they let fly pell-mell at all alike, and make a great outcry against errors, when either we know not what they are, nor how to confute them, nor which be tolerable in the Church, and which intolerable; nor how far we may hold or break communion with the owners of them, and perhaps are the erroneous persons ourselves. The observation of this hath made the magistrates so over-jealous of us, that they think if they set in with a party in each contention, we shall never be without blood and misery.
And I confess I see in some ministers so little of the fire of Divine love, and Christian charity, and compassion, not heavenly-mindedness, nor an humble sense of their own infirmities; and so much of the zeal that James describeth, (James iii. 1 4, 1 5,) which is kindled from another fire, that makes them full of suspicions and jealousies, and keen and eager against their brethren, censuring, defaming, and unconscionably backbiting them, and straining an ill sense out of their well-meant words and actions, and lildng towards them in plain envy and malice, instead of Christian love and peace: I say, I see so much of this in many that affect the reputation of orthodox, while they are indeed factious, that I am the less sorry that the magistrate doth so little interpose. For were the sword in such enT[ous, angry hands, there would be little quiet to the Church: for there are no two men on earth but differ in something, if they know or believe anything. And these men must square the world to their own judgments, which are not always the wisest in the world. They that dare so rail at others as blasphemers, when they know not what they say themselves, durst surely smite them as blasphemers, if they had power. This may possibly make the magistrate think meet (seeing we are so quarrelsome and impatient) to let us fight it out by the bare fists, and not to put swords into our hands till we are more sober, and know better how to use them; for if every passionate man, when he hath not wit enough to make good his cause, should presently borrow the magistrate’s sword to make it good, truth would be upon great disadvantage in the world! Magistrates are commonly the most tempted and abused men; and, therefore, I know not why we should call so loud to have them become the arbitrators in all our quarrels, lest error have two victories where truth gets one. I could wish the magistrate did more; but ‘if he do but give us protection and liberty, especially if he wiL. but restrain deceivers from preaching against the great unquestionable truths of the gospel, and give public countenance and encouragement to those master-truths, I shall not fear, by the grace of God, but a prudent, sober, unanimous ministry will ere long shame the swarm of vanities that we think so threatening.
But I have been too long on this. I shall only conclude it with this earnest request to my brethren of the ministry, that they would speedily and faithfully put in execution, at least all the unquestionable part of the discipline, that they have so much contended for. When we are so offended with the Parliament for their enumeration of scandals, as too defective, and a protestation was published that we acted only on supposition that it was defective, surely we little thought then that we, that were so earnest to have had more power, would use none; and we that must needs have authority, to reject more than the Parliament did enumerate, would censure so few even of them as we have done, since we have had more liberty to do it.
But one objection is common, which I forgot; they say, we are but single pastors, and therefore cannot excommunicate men alone, unless we should make every pastor a pope in his parish, or a bishop at least.
Ans. For my part I have no mind to obtrude my own opinion on such, (for the power of a single person to excommunicate.) I have sufficiently already proved myself a novelist, and singular -with some, by asserting ancient and most common truths. But yet, [l.] I could wish these men so much moderation, as to be sure that they are in this as much wiser than the contrary-minded, as their confidence doth import, before they proceed in calling them popes; lest, as the cunning of the times is by making many antichrists, to make none, so these men should, contrary to their intention, credit the pope, by making so many popes, and the prelates too, by making such kind of prelates.
[2.] A pope is the pretended head of the Catholic Church, and a universal bishop to govern it. Are single ruling pastors such 1 A diocesan bishop is the ruler of all the pastors and churches in a diocese; is such a pastor one of these 1
[3.] Why do you in your disputes against the prelates maintain that every minister is a bishop of his own church, and do you now abhor it?
[4.] AVhat if you might not excommunicate; may you not therefore do the rest 1 May you not personally and publicly reprove them, pray for them, &c. “?
[5.] Must not the people avoid a notorious drunkard, &c., whether you bid them or not ‘? If not, why hath God commanded if? If yea, why may you not bid them do that which is their duty?
[6.] Have you none in your parish, not one or two, to make ruling elders of, that by their conjunction you may be authorised to do more than now you do 1 I mean according to your own principles, for I confess it is not according to mine.
[7.] And what hindereth but you may join together if you will ■? If it must needs be many pastors conjunct that must exercise any act of discipline, why is
s it not so done? Doth any forbid them, or threaten them if they do it 1 If you say, “I am alone, because no neighbouring minister will join with me,” you speak hardly of all the ministers about you. What! are they all so negligent ‘? Blame us not then to reprove them. But it is an incredible thing that they should be all so bad that are of your judgment, that no one or two will be persuaded to assist you. And I think you will confess that two or three may do it authoritatively, though no one else in the county do it. I could wish that the prelates had not such an argument given them as this. No one presbyter hath the power of the keys, by their own confession; therefore two or three have not; lest they go further in proving the consequence than you expect. But if it must be so, I could yet wish that no single pastor, for the excusing of himself, would lay such a reproachful charge upon all the ministers in the country that be of his own judgment, as to say that discipline is cast aside, because they can get none to join with them in the execution! At least, till they have thoroughly tried whether it be so indeed or not.
(5.) Another sad discovery, that we have not so devoted ourselves and all we have to the service of God as we ought, is. The prevalence of worldly, fleshhj interests too much against the interest and work oj Christ. And this I shall further manifest in these three instances following: — Our temporising; our too much minding worldly things, and shrinking from duties that will hinder our commodity; our barrenness in works of charity, and in the improving of all that we have to our Master’s use.
[1.] I would not have any to be contentious with those that govern them, nor to be disoljedient to any of their law-fiil commands. But it is not the least reproach upon the ministry, that the most of them for worldly advantage still suit themselves with the party that is most likely to suit their ends. If they look for secidar advantages, they suit themselves to the secular power; if for the air of ecclesiastical applause, then do they suit themselves to the party of ecclesiastics that is most in credit. This is not a private, but an epidemical malady. In Constantine’s days how prevalent were the orthodox! In Constantius’s days they almost all turned Arians, so that there were very few bishops at all that did not apostatise or betray the truth, even of the same men that had been in the Council of Nice. And when not only Liberius, but great Osius himself fell, who had been the president, or chief, in so many orthodox councils, what better coidd be expected from weaker men? Were it not for secular advantage, or ecclesiastic faction and applause, how could it come to pass that ministers in all the countries in the world are either all, or almost all, of that religion and way that is in most credit, and most consistent with their worldly interest 1 Among the Greeks, they are all of the Greek profession; and among the Abassines, the Nestorians, the Maronites, the Jacobites, the ministers generally go one way. And among the Papists, they are almost all Papists. In Saxony, Sweden, Denmark, &c., almost all Lutherans; in Holland, France, Scotland, almost all Calvinists. It is strange that they should be all in the right in one country, and all in the wrong in another, if carnal advantages and reputation did not sway much. AYhen men fall upon a conscientious search, the variety of intellectual capacities causeth unavoidably a great variety of conceits about some hard and lower things; but let the prince and the stream of men in credit go one way, and you shall have the generality of ministers too often change their religion with the prince in this land. Not all, as our Martyrology can mtness, but the most. I purposely forbear to mention any latter change. If the rulers of a university should be corrupt, who have the disposal of preferments, how much might they do with the most of the students, where mere arguments would not take! And the same tractable distemper doth so often follow them into the ministry, that it occasioneth the enemies to say, that reputation and preferment is our religion and our reward.
[2.] How common is it with ministers to drown themselves in worldly business! Too many are such as the sectaries would have them be, who tell us that we should go to plough and cart, and labour for our living, and preach without so much study; and this is a lesson easily learned. Men take no care to cast off and prevent care, that their souls and the Church may have their care. How commonly are those duties neglected, that are likely, if performed, to diminish our estates! For example: Are there not many that dare not, that will not set up the exercise of any discipline in their churches, not only on the forementioned accounts, but especially because it may hinder the people from paying them their dues? They will not offend sinners with discipline, lest they offend them in their estates; yea, though the law secure their maintenance. I find money is too strong an argument for some men to answer, that can proclaim the love of it to be the root of all evil, and can make large orations of the danger of covetousness. I will say no more now to these but this: If it were so deadly a sin in Simon Magus to offer to buy the gift of God with money, what is it to sell His gifts, His cause, and the souls of men, for money 1 and what reason have such to fear lest their money perish with them 1
[3,] But the most that I have to say is to the third discovery. If worldly and fleshly interest did not much prevail against the interest of Christ and the Church, surely most ministers would be more fruitful in good works, and would more lay out what they have to their Master’s use. Experience hath fully proved that the works of charity do most potently remove prejudice, and open the ears to words of piety. If men see that you are accustomed to do good, they will the more easily believe that you are good, and the more easily believe that it is good that you persuade them to. When they see that you love them, and seek their good, they will the more easily trust you; and when they see that you seek not the things of this world, they will the less suspect your intentions, and the more easily be drawn by you to seek that which you seek. Oh, how much good might ministers do, if they did set themselves wholly to do good, and would dedicate all their faculties and substance to that end! Say not that it is a small matter to do good to men’s bodies, and that this will but win them to us, and not to God, nor convert the soul; for it is prejudice that is a great hindrance of men’s conversion, and this will remove it. We might do men more good, if they were but willing to learn of us; and this will make them willing, and then our further diligence may profit them.
Brethren, I pray you do not think that it is ordinary charity that is expected from yon, any more than ordinary piety. You must, in proportion to your talents, go much beyond others. It is not to give now and then twopence to a poor man; others do that as well as you. But what singular thing do you with your estates for your ]Iaster’s use 1 I know you cannot give away that which you have not; but, methinks, all that you have shoidd be for God. I know the great objection is, “We have wife and children to provide for: a little will not serve them at present, and we are not bound to leave them beggars.” To which I answer — 1st, There are few texts of Scripture more abused than that of the apostle, “He that provideth not for his own, and especially those of his family, hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” This is made a pretence for gathering up portions, and providing a full estate for posterity, when the apostle spcaketh only against them that cast their poor kindred and family on the Church, to be maintained out of the common stock, when they were able to do it themselves. As if one that hath a widow in his house, that is his mother or daughter, and would have her to be kept on the parish, when he hath enough himself. His following words shew that it is present provision, and not future portions, that the apostle speaketh of, when he bids “them that have widows administer to them, or give them what is sufiicient.” 2d, You may educate your children as other persons do, that they may be able to get their own livings, in some honest trade or employment, without other great provisions. I know that your charity and care must begin at home, but it must not end there. You are bound to do the best you can to educate your children, so as they may be capable of being most serviceable to God, but not to leave them rich, or a full estate, nor to forbear other necessary works of charity, merely for a larger provision for them. There must be some proportion kept between our provision for our families, and for the Church and poor. A truly charitable, self-denying heart, that hath devoted itself, and all that he hath, to God, would be the best judge of the due proportions, and would see which way of expense is likely to do God the greatest service, and that way he would take. 3d, I confess I would not have men to lie too long under endangering strong temptations to incontinence, lest they wound themselves and their profession by their falls; but yet, methinks, it is hard that men can do no more to mortify the concupiscence of the flesh, that they may live in a single, freer condition, and have none of these temptations from wife and children, to hinder them from furthering their ministerial ends by charitable works. If he that marrieth not doth better than he that doth, surely ministers should labour to do that which is best; and if he that can receive this saying must receive it, we should endeavour after it. This is one of the highest points of the Romish policy, which they pretend to be a duty of common necessity, that all the bishops, priests, and other religious orders, must not marry, by which means they have no posterity to drain the Church’s revenues, nor to take up their care; but they make their public cause to be their interest, and they lay out themselves for it while they live, and leave all that they have to it when they die: so that their Church’s wealth doth daily increase.
as every bishop, abbot, Jesuit, or other person, doth gather more in their lifetime, and usually add it to their common stock. It is a pity that, for a better cause, we can no more imitate them in wisdom and self-denial, where it might be done. 4th, But they that must marry, should take such as can maintain themselves and their children, or maintain them at the rate as their temporal means will afiford, and devote as much of the Church means to the Church’s service as they can.
I would put no man upon extremes; but in this case flesh and blood doth make even good men so partial, that they take their duties, and duties of very great worth and weight, to be extremes. If worldly vanities did not blind us, we might see when public or other greater good did call us to deny ourselves and our families. Why should we not live more sparingly and poor in the world, rather than leave those works undone, which may be of greater use than our plentiful provisions ‘i But in matters of duty we consult with flesh and blood; and what counsel it will give us, we may easily know. It will tell us we must have a competency; and many pious men’s competency is but little below the rich man s rates. If they be not clothed with the best, and fare not deliciously every day, they have not a competency. A man that preacheth an immortal crown of glory must not seek much after transitory vanity; and he that preacheth the contempt of riches must himself contemn them, and shew it by his life; and he that preacheth self-denial and mortification must practise these in the eyes of them that he preacheth to, if ever he would have his doctrine prosper. All Christians are sanctified, and, therefore.
themselves and all that they have are consecrated and dedicated to their Master’s use; but ministers are doubly sanctified: they are devoted to God, both as Christians and ministers, and therefore they are doubly obliged to honour Him with what they have.
0 brethren, what abundance of good works are before us, and how few of them do we put our hands to! I know the world expecteth more from us than we have: but if we cannot answer the expectations of the unreasonable, let us do what we can to answer the expectations of God, and conscience, and all just men-It is the will of God that with well-doing we should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Especially those ministers that have larger maintenance must be larger in doing good.
1 will give but one instance at this time, which I mentioned before. There are some ministers that have £150 or £200 or £300 per annum of church means; and have so great parishes that they are not able to do a quarter of the ministerial work, nor once in a year to deal personally with half their people for their instruction, and yet they will content themselves with public preaching, as if that were all that were necessary, and leave almost all the rest undone, to the everlasting danger or damnation of multitudes, rather than they will maintain one or two diligent men to assist them. Or, if they have an assistant, it is but some yoimg man to ease them about baptizings, or burials, or such work, and not one that will faithfully and diligently watch over the flock, and afford them that personal instruction which is so necessary. If this be not a serving ourselves of God, and not a serving God, and a selling men’s souls for our fuller maintenance in the world, what is? Methinks such men should fear, lest while they are accounted excellent preachers and godly ministers by men, they should be accounted cruel soul-murderers by Christ; and lest the cries of those souls whom they have betrayed to damnation should ring in their ears for ever. WiU preaching a good sermon serve the turn, while you never look more after them, but deny them that closer help that you find to be necessary, and ahenate that maintenance to your own Hesh vrhich should provide relief for so many souls 1 How can you open your mouths against oppressors, when yourselves are so great oppressors, not only of men’s bodies, but their souls? How can you preach against unmercifulness, while you are so unmerciful 1 And how can you talk against unfaithful ministers, while you are so unfaithful yourselves? The sin is not therefore small, because it is unobserved, and not become odious in the eyes of men; nor because the charity which you withhold is such as the people blame you not for withholding. Satan himself, their greatest enemy, hath their consent all along in the work of their perdition. It is no extenuation, therefore, of your sin that you have their consent; for that you may sooner have for their hurt than for their good.
I shall proceed no further in these confessions and discoveries, but beseech you to take what is said into consideration, and see whether this be not the great and lamentable sin of the ministers of the gospel, that they are not fully devoted to God, and give not up themselves and all they have to the carrying on of the blessed work which they have undertaken? And whether flesh-pleasing and self-seeking interests distinct from that of Christ, do not make us neglect much of our duty, and walk too unfaithfidly in so great a trust, and reservedly serve God in the cheapest and most applauded part of His work, and withdraw from that which would put us upon cost and sufferings’? and whether this do not shew that too many are earthly that seem to be heavenly, and mind the things below while they preach for the things above, and idolise the world, while they call men to contemn it 1 And, as Salvian saith, (li. 4, ad Eccles. Cath., p. 454,) “NuUus salutem plus negligit quam qui Deo aliquid anteponit.” Despisers of God will prove despisers of their own salvation.
And now, brethren, what remaineth, but that we all cry guilty, of too much of these fore-mentioned sins, and humble our souls in the lamentation of our miscarriages before the Lord! Is this taking heed to ourselves, and to all the Jlockf Is this like the pattern that is given us in the text ‘? If we should now prove stout-hearted and unhumbled men, and disregard these confessions, as tending to our disgrace, how sad a symptom would it be to ourselves and to the Church! The ministry hath been often threatened here, and is still maligned by many sorts of adversaries; though all this may shew their impious malice, yet may it also intimate to us God’s just indignation. Believe it, brethren, the ministry of England is not the least or last in the sin of the land. They have encouraged the common profaneness; they have led the people into divisions, and are now backward to bring them out; and as sin hath been found in them, so judgments have been found and laid upon them. It is time, therefore, for us to take our part of that humiHation which we have been calling our people to so long. If we have our wits about us, we may perceive that God hath been offended with us, and that the voice that called this nation to repentance, did speak to us as well as others. He, therefore, that hath ears let him hear the voice of railing enemies of all sorts, the voice of them that cry, “Down with, us, even to the ground;” all calling to us to try our ways, and to reform. He that hath eyes to see, let him see the precepts of repentance written in so many admirable deliverances and preservations, and written in so many lines of blood. Bj fire and sword hath God been calling even us to humiliation; and as judgTaent hath begTin at the house of God, so, if humiliation begin not there too, it will be a sad prognostic to us, and to the land. What! shall we deny, or excuse, or extenuate our sins, while we call our people to such free confessions? Is it not better to give glory to God by a full and humble confession, than in tenderness of our oaati glory to seek for fig-leaves to cover our nakedness; and to put God to it, to build His glory which we denied Him, upon the ruins of our own, which we preferred before Him; and to distrain for that by a yet sorer judgment, which we denied voluntarily to surrender to Him 1 Alas! if you put God to get His honour as He can, He can get it to your greater sorrow and dishonour. If any of our hearers in a day of humiliation, when sin is fully confessed and lamented, should be offended at the confession, and stand up against it, and say, “You wrong me; I am not so bad! You should have told me of this in private, and not have disgraced me before the congregation;” what could we think of such a man, but that he was a hardened, impenitent wretch, and as he would have no part in the confession, so he should have none in the remission 1 And shall we do that which we scarcely ever see the most hardened sinner do? Shall we say, “This should not have been spoken of us in the ears of the people, but we should have been honoured before them!” Certainly, sins openly committed are more dishonourable to us when we hide them, than when we confess them. It is the sin, and not the confession, that is our dishonour. And we have committed them before the sun, so that they cannot be hid. Attempts to cloak them, do increase the guilt and shame; there is no way to repair the breaches in our honour, which our sin hath made, but by free confession and humiliation. I durst not but make confession of my own; and if any be oflfended that I have confessed theirs, let them know, that I do but what I have done by myself. And if they dare disown the confession of their sin, let them do it at their peril. But as for all the truly humble ministers of the gospel, I doubt not but they will rather be provoked more solemnly in the face of their several congregations, to lament their sins, and promise reformation.