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Section C^ 3^
i/» Z —
\
\
w,4nnes jd, ^rchjepisc0tus%4 Eeorvm.
SERMONS
Preached On
Severatl Occalioiis:
WITH
Two Discourses o F
CONSCIENCE
Bv the Moft Reverend Father in God, Dr. JOHN SHARP, late Lord Arch-B (hop of Tork.
LONDON:
Printed for Walter Kettilby, Eenj, TooAe, and Tha. Caldemt ^ and Sold by Richard Wilk'w, in St. YauPs Church-Yard, B> T. at the Midd/(; Temple- Gate, and T. C at th^Sun in fleet-Street, fyi >.
The CONTENTS of
the Second Volume.
.^.j-
S E R M O N 1. Page i.
REpentance the Means for the averting God's Judgments. Revel, xi. 5;. — — I mU come nnto thee quickly, and win remove thy Canileftick out cf his flace^ except thou Repent.
Preach'd before the Houfe of Commons, 1679.
■ ■ • *
SERMON JI. Vage 42. The Duty of Subjedion to the Higher Powers, Tit. iii. I. Vut them in Mind to be SuhjeU to
principalities and Fowers, to Obey Magijirates.
Preach'd before the Houfe of Lords, Jan. 3 o. i ^l^
SERMON III. Tage 6$. The Reafonablenefs of Believing without feeing<i 5/. John XX. 29. •— Bleffed are they that hav^ nptjeen^ and yet have believed.
Preach'd before the King on V aim-Sun day* i|||.
SERMON IV. Vage 95. Ifaiah xlix. 23. Kings JhaU be thy Nurfing-fa- fhers, and their ^eens thy Nurfing- Mothers. Preach'd at Queen Anne^s Coronation, 1702.
SERMON V. Vage no.
A Serious Exhortation to Repentance ^nd 3 mlf Ljfe, Heb.
The C O N T E N T S.
Heb. ii. i' How JhaU the efcap'e^ if we n^le^ fo great Salvation ?
Preach'd before the Queen, on AJh-Wednefday^
lyof.
SERMON VI. Vage 140.
The Tiuiy and Advantages of frequently Re- ceiving the Holy Sacrament.
Luke xxii. 19. — Thk do in Remembrance tf me.
Pre^ch'd before the Queen, on Good-Friday, 170^,
SERMON VII. Fage i63.
The Defign of Chriftianity.
1 John iii. B. - — For this furpofe was the Son efGod manifejiedy that he might deftroy the Works tj the DeviL
Preach'd before the Queen, on Chrijimof-day, 1704^
SERMON VIII. Page 200.
Chrift's Refurredtion fufficiently proved by chofen WitnefTes.
Ads x; 46, 41. Him God raifed up the Third Vayy and jfhewed him openly ^
Not unto aU the People^ but unto Witnejfes, chofen before of God, even to m, who did eat and drink with him after he rofe from the Dead.
Preach'd before the Queen, on Eafter-day, iyo$,
A Di/cour/e of Confcience ^ with RefpeS to thofe that Separate from the Church ^/^England, Fag. 289.
A Difcourje concerning a Doubting Ccnfcience^ Page 369.
S E R.
SERMON I
Preach'd before the '
Houfe of Commons,
AT
St. Margaret^s Pf^ejiminfier^
On the II*'' of Jpril^ 1^79.
R E V E L. ii. 5.
1 will come unto thee quickly^
and will remove thy Candlejiick out of his Place ^ except thou repent*
WE are this Day met toge- ther to humble ourfelveS for our Sins before God, and to implore his Mercy to this Nation, in the Preferving our KJ'fig^ our Lam^ our Religion' and our Lives, V o L. IL B and
2 The Firji Sermon.
and in BlefTing the prefent Publick Coun- fels, in order thereunto.
And never v/as a Work of this Nature more feafonable or more necefTary than at this Time, and to iis of this Kingdom : For as our Sim were never greater, never cried louder to Heaven for Vengeance, fo the "judgments they defer ve did never more vi- sibly threaten us than they do at this Day. Infomuchjthat if ourCircumftances be duly confidered, we may have juft Reafon to apprehend, that our Saviour in the way of his Providence does now fpeak to the Feofle and Church o^ Engl and the fame Words, that he ordered St. John., by the rvay o^ Letter., to fpeak to the Church of Ephefas. Remember from whence thou art fallen^ and repent., and do the frjl Works ; or elfe I rvtll mme unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candlejlick out of his Place, except thou repents
This Church of Fphcfus, as alfo the other Six Churches of Afia, to each of which St. John^ by the Command of our Saviour, doth here addrefs a feveral Epiftle, were at the Time when thefe Letters were dila- ted very flouriQiing Churches, favoured as much with the efpecial Prefence and In- fluence of Chriil, as ever any Churches were.
This appears from the Preface to this Epiftle in the firft Verfe of this Chapter, wherein Chrift, the Author of the Epillle, is defcribed, as holding the Seven Stars in his
right
The Firji Sermon. 3
right Hand^ and, walking in the midfi of the Seven Golden Candlejitckso
The Seven Stars are the Angels of the Ss- Cap.Lxo: fven Churches, as he himfelf interprets them, that is, according to the Senfe of all Anti- quity, thtBi/Jjops, thQ Prefidents^ theGover- nours of thofe Churches. His holding them in his Hand, is his fupporting and directing them for the Good of the People^ The Seven Golden Candlejlicks in. the midfl ofiblsi, which he v/alked, are, as he himfelf like- wife expounds them, the Seven Churches themfelves, as being the Places v/here thole Stars, thofe Lights did fliine. And his ^valk- ing among thofe Candlefiicks is his Prefence i;l thofe Churches, Encouraging or Repro- ving, Rewarding or Punifhing the Mem- bers of themj as there was Caufe, having the Power in his Hands, either to con- tinue thofe Lights among them, or to re- move them to another Place.
I infift on the Explication of this PalTage^ becaufe it lets us in to the Meaning of the Phrafe that we meet with in the Text, of removing the Candleflick out of its Place, whiclt from hence we plainly fee to be the l/>?- Churching any People, the withdrav/ing the Light of the Gofpel from them.
Well, but this Church of Efhefm, to which the Epiftle I am now concerned in was written, how much foever Chrifi: had done for them, had, it feems, made but a bad Requital of his KindnefTes. At firll: Cap. \i I,
B 2 indeed ^^
4 The Firji Sermon.
indeed they had walked very worthily, and are much commended by our Saviour, for their Xs^^ ^^d Piety and Labour in Reli- gion^ but now they were fallen to a great Degree of Negligence and RemilTnefs.
It is true, they at this Time continued Orthodox in their Dochines and Opinions^ they did both know and profefs the true Religion, and were zealous againft falfe Dodrines, which alfo our Saviour takes vcr. 6. notice of and commends them for, This^ faith he, thou hafi^ That thou hatefi the Deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I alfo hate \ but yet notwithftanding, fo offended was he with the Lofs of their frfi Love, the Decay of De- votion and Charity among them, that he threatens them folemnly in the Text,, That if they did not recent, and do the frfi Works ^ he would remove their Candle ft ick out of its Place; that is, as I faid, he would withdraw from them hisPre fence and thQ Light of h'lsGofpeL This is a brief Account of my Text, as to the firft Defign and literal Meaning of it, that is, as it concerns the Church of Ephe- fu'S. I now deQre leave to make fuch Ap- plication of it to ourfelves, as may be fub- fervient to the Ends defigned in the Solem- nity of this Day.
And we have warrant enough to make fuch an Application ; for let us not flatter ourfelves, what is here Reproved, and what is here Threatened, hath not fuch a peculiar Refped to the particular Church of Ephe-
T^he Firfi Sermon.
J^y but that it doth equally concern all Churches fo far as they fall under the fame Character. Which whether we at this Day do or no, it is fit we fhould ferioufly examine ourfelves about.
Here are Three Things confiderable in the Text. Firfiy A great ^i;?, and Guih, fuppofed. Secondly, A great 'Judgmsnt de- nounced for that Guilty no lefs than the Un-Churching of that People that had con- tracted it. Thirdly^ The Means prefcribed for the averting that Judgment, viz.. Re-
My Application Q^ the Text fliall pro- ceed upon the fame Heads, that is,
I fliall frfi defire leave to enquire, whe- ther we of this Nation, at this Day, for our manifold Sins and Guilty may not be judged to be in as bad or worfe Circum- ftances than the Church of Ephefm in the Text, and confequently have not juft Rea- fon to fear t\\Q{2ivnQ Judgment that they are here threatned with.
Secondly, I fhall confider the Judgment here threatned, how grievous a one it is, and confequently how great an Argument the Conlideration of it ought to be to us all to Repent,
Thirdly, I fhall fpeak fomething of this Repent ance, how it ought to be expreft, if we would thereby prevent the Judgment,
I begin with the firft of thefe Points, which concerns our Sin and our Guilty to
B 3 make
The F'/rJl Sermon.
make fome Reprefentation of the Sftrkual Maladies 2.nd Diieafes that this Nation grOans undei'j tho^Q publick Grievances by which the Holy Spiric of God is provoked to with- draw himfelf from us, and to give us up tQ the Power and Dominion of other Mafters.
This I muft confefs, is a very melancho- ly and unpleafmg Argument, but yet very neceffary to be infifted on, and that very freely too : Efpecially upon fuch an Occa- fion as this ; and mod of all, when I fpeak to thofe whofe Concernment, and whofe Care it is to infpe£l thefe Matters, and from whom we hope for a Cure of our Di- stempers,
It is here taken Notice of the Church of oi Ephefm^ to her Commendation, that fhe retained the Truth of the Chrifiian DoBrine in Oppofition to the Herefies of thofe Times, and this, God be thanked, may be fpoke of us at this Day, we are not much degene- rated from the Purity of Chriftianity as to Dodrinals, Our Church may vie with all the Churches in the World, for Orthodoxy and Conformity to the Primitive Church in Matters of Faith,
And, blelTed be God's Name, this Light is not put under a Bufhel. There is per- haps no Church fmce the Apoftles Time wherein the Divine Truth hath been more publickly and more purely taught, or the oacraments more rightly and duly Admini-
ftred thaa among us, and no Church where-
.1 „.,..._.... . .^
The F}rjf Ser?no?2.
la Knowledge has more abounded among all the Members of it than it does now in Ours.
But the Thing that is charged upon the Church oi Ephefm^ is their Corruption in Manners; and this is the Point we are now concerned in, and which 'tis fit the whole Nation fhould examine themfelves upon, and deeply lay to Heart.
Though we ftill keep up the Form o^Gcd- Imefs, yet have v/e not in a great Meafure loft the Power thereof? Though the Prin* ciples which our Church Ownsth and Prn^ feljeth be excellently good ; yet do not ma- ny of us horribly contradiO: them m our Fraciices ? Is there not a vifible Decay of Chriftian Piety to be obferved among us, and a Deluge of Vice and Wiokednefs of all Sorts over-fpreading the Face of the Land ?
I fpeak not here of the Faults of this or the other particular Perfon, for we know there was never any Age nor any Religion that was free from fuch ; but I fpeak of the National Sins, the reigning Vices of the Times, the Mifcarriages that are fo pre- vailing and fo common that a puhlick Guilt is contracted by them, and the whole Peo- ple may juftly fhare in the Punifhment of them.
I mull confefs, to fpeak ftridly, the De- grees and Proportions in which any Age grows better or worfe than thofe that went B 4 before
8 The Firfi Sermon.
before it, arenoteafily tobemeafured, un- lefs we could live the Space of feveral Ages, and out of our own Experience make Ob- fervations and Remarks upon them. All that we have to make our Eftimate by, is the Hiftories and Records that are left us of the State of former Ages with which we may compare our own ; but yet this way is often very fallacious, becaufe it is thie common Humour and Cuftom of Men, even of thofe that tranfmit the Memoirs p| their own Times to Pofterity, ftill to coriir plain of their own Times mpft, and to pre- fer the former Ages before that in which they live.
Upon this Confideration I fhall not be forward to draw aComparifon between the former Times and ours in order to the fliew- ing how much greater our Sms are than of thofe that went before us, and confequently how much riper we are now for Judgmef^t.
Moft certain it is, that God, as he has done to the Sea, fo has he to every Nation, fei its Bounds of Wickednefs beyond which they Jhall not py^fs y and when their Iniquities are at full, he will not fail to repay Vengeance into their Bofom. The Canaanites, the Jervsy and many other Nations I might name, have been fad Inftances of this kind of proceeding.
But when a Nation is come to that fatal Period none knows but God, and whether
we
The Firjl Sermon, p
we are not already very near it, we cannot tell, but we ought infinitely to fear.
Too evident it is, that Things are in a very bad Pofture among us, and our Sins are grown to that height, that it is a Mi- racle of the Divine Patience and Long-fuf- fering that we are not already confumed. Let us be more particular.
If the prevailing of Atheifm in a Land, and^he Contempt of God and Religion :
If open Lervdnefs and Debauchery y and Im^ morality of all Kinds :
If the turning Religion into a mere Piece o£ Formaliiy, and outward Vrofejfwn:
If Schisms and Divisions and Factions ia a Church :
And laftly, If our general Unthankfulnefs for and Un^rofitablenefs under the Means of Grace, and the many Mercies and Privi- leges that have been vouchfafed us :
If any or all of thefe Sins can provoke God to forfake a Nation and give it up to ruin (and yet thefe Sins are both in the Scripture, and by the ordinary Courfe of God's Providence efpecially markt out for fuch) then are we of this Nation at this Time in a very deplorable Condition, and are to expeQ: Judgment without Mercy, unlefs it be prevented by a fpeedy Refor- mation.
For frfi of all, was there ever more Atheifm and Irreligion in a Chrifiian Nation, at leaft in a Frotefiant Qhrijtian Nation ; or
more
lo The Firjl Sermon.
more Countenance given to fuch Doctrines and Optmons as diredly tend thereto than now among us?
There are not many, perhaps, that dare in exprefsTerms affirm, That there is noGody becaufe they know it is not fafe fo to do : But many affirm it by Confequence, by af- ferting fuch Principles from whence it mufl ceceiTarily be concluded.
For what is the Confequence of fuch Do- ctrines as thefe ; That there is nothing but Body in the World, and that the very No- tion of a Spiritual Incorporeal Being implies a. Contradidion ; That there is nothing Juji or Unjujty Vertuom or Viciom in itfelt, but as it is made fo by the Laws of the King- dom. That all Things come to pafs by a fatal NeceJJityy and that no Man is fo free an Jgent as to be capable of Rewards and Pu- nifhments for his Anions : \V ban is the Re- fult of thefe Dodrines, but the ner^jGTary introducing of Atheifm and the banifhing Religion from among Men p It being upon thefe Principles, not only a needlefs imper- tinent, but an abfurd contradidious Thing.
And yet are not thefe the avowed Prin- ciples of too many among us, and thofe too that are the great Pretenders to Reafon and Fhilofophj ?
But what has been the Effed of fuch PhHofophy? Why fuitable enough to the Notions of it : You may meet with thofe that make no fcruple to feoff at God and
every
The Firjl Sermon.
every thing that relates to the other World, and to turn into Ridicule every Thing that is Sacred. And he is accounted the Great Spirit that thinks freely, and dares [peak boldly what he thinks. And if a Man will fet up for a H^/>, he cannot take a more effectual Courle to gain him that Reputation in many Companies, than to be confident and peremptory in contra- dis5ling the common Sentiments of Mea as to P^eligion^ to be able to Burlefyue the Scriptures humoroufly, to be dexterous in imploying Religious Phrafes to Scurrilous Purpofes, and to Baffle and Droll out of Countenance, thofe that ftand up for the Reputation of Sacred Things.
As the World goes, it is a piece of Ver- tue to believe a God and Providence, and future Rewards and Puniiliments, with the other Principles of Natural Religion ; they do very well that go thus far. But as for Infiituted, Revealed Religion ; for In fiance, Chrifiianity^ How many are there that think themfelves no way concerned in it, but hold it in the fame Rank with Judaifm and Mahometamfm? And if they profefs that rather than cither of thefe, it is only becaufe^ they were Born and Bred up in it ; it is the Religion of the Coun- try where they live; but if either of the other fiiould be fet up in the Place of it, they would as willingly conforn?i to that.
One
12 The Fir ft Sermon.
One would think that fuch Men as thefe (hould not be found in a Country that calls itfelf C^r//?/^;^, muchlefs m a Chriflian Country that calls itfelf Reformed ; and yet fuch is the Infelicity and the Fault of ours, that Men of thefe Principles and Pra8:ices do abound among us. O BlefTed God ! Whither fhall we come at laft, if timely Care be not taken of thefe Things ?
5ut Secondly^ If to the Atheifm and Infi- delity that Reigns among us, we add the open Prophanenefs and Debauchery that is every where to be obferved in our Days, how much blacker will our Guilt ap- pear ?
Where is that Ancient Serioufnefs and Kefervedi^efs^ and Modefiy, that heretofore has been thought not only ElTential to the Spirit of a Chrifiian^ but Natural to the Temper of an Englifhman ?
Alas ! We feem to have changed not only our Religion, but our Climate too : And may for Diffolutenefs and Luxury, for Pride and Vanity, and Idlenefs, com- pare with the Ancient Jfiaticks, and do perhaps out-ftrip feveral of our prefent Neighbour Nations, though of a worfe Religion.
But this is not all ; fo much are we de- generated from the Ancient Stridnefs of Chriftianity, That thofe Things that would not have been named among the firfl Chriftians, without Horror, and Ba-
nilhing
The Firjl Sermon^ 13
nifliing out of their Society all thofe that did them, are frequently praQ;ifed among us. And thofe Vices that even in the word Times of Chriftianity, the Adtors were afraid or afhamed to own, are now made a Matter of Sport and Merriment, a Trick of Touth^ a Humour^ or a Frolick, What was then a Deed of Darknefs, is now too often done in the Face of the Sun ; and the Perfons concerned in the Wickednefs, are fo far from blufhing at their Guilt, that they relate their own Actions as a pleafant Entertainment for their Company.
O the Riots and Drunkennefs; the Frauds and Coufenage; the Filthy and Lewd Speeches ; the Whoredoms and Adulteries ; the Blafphemous Oaths and Imprecations that are Daily, without any Regret, any Senfe of Shame, pra9:ifed
among us.
We feem to have loft not only the Vertue of Modefiy^ but of Hypocrifte too ( if fo bad a Thing may be called by fo good a Name. ) Thofe Vices and LewdnefTes which heretofore fought Corners, and wore a Mask, do now appear with a naked Face.
It is true, it is to be hoped, That the greatefl: Part of us are not guilty of fuch Crimes and Immoralities as we fpeak of: But this does not wholly excufe us ; for we are all faulty in this, that thefe kind of
Vices
J4 r>?i^ Firji Sernion.
Vices are not fufficiently branded and put out of Countenance. They pafs un- der Eafie^ not to fay, Creditable Names* And fo little a Senfe have we of them, that a Man may keep his Reputation among us, though he be never fo Vicious, fup- pofing that his Vices be of the Mode of the Country. This very Thing, with- out our Perfonal Guilt makes the Sw a National Sin', and God will Vifil; thefe Things upon us, except we Repent.
But to make up the Meafure of our Iniquities, we can in. the Third Place live after this dilTolute Rate, and yet at the fame Time many of us think our- felves Religion : We increafe the Guilt of our Fro^hanenefs^ by joyning Formality with it.
If we Would difclaim all Religion, when we led fuch wretchedly Carelefs and Senfual Lives, it would in fome Refpe£ls be more tolerable : For then Chriftianity would not fuifer by us, it v/ould get no Odium ^ no Ignominy in the World, it v/ould not be an Occafion tb Men to tura Atheifts :
But to live Un-Chriiiian Lives, and yet to call ourfelves Chriftians ; nay, to make our Keligio-n a San6iuary for our Vices^ and to think that we may the more freely Indulge ourfelves in them, becaufe we are of the right Religion ; this is intolerable, and extreamly aggravates the Iniquity of
our
The Firjl Sennort. 15
our Pradifes. ^ And yet this is a Fault that we of this Nation are notorioufly guilty of.
We often make Reh'gion to confift in Opinion, and outward Profeffion. If we have but once joined ourfelves to that Party of Chriftians which we think is the Right, and do Efpoufe all their Contra* 'uerfies, and are Zealous in. the Obfer- vancc of their particular Forms and Rues, whereby they are diftinguifhed from the other Ssfh that are in Being among us, we think we are true SaintSy let our Morals be what they will.
This is the Religion that is every where too much in Fafhion. If, for Inftancc, I have Lifted my felf a Member of fome Church of the Separation^ (as there is great Variety of them) if I be but true to the Principles of my Churchy and vigorous in oppofing thofe that are not of my Way j and conftant in my Attendance upon the Brethren at their Jjfemblies ; this Zeal of mine will excufe a Multitude of my other Failings : And though I now and then ufe indired Ways of Dealing in my Cal* ling; though I be Uncharitable and Cen- forious ; though I aifront Authority, and live in a conftant Difobedience and Con- tempt of the Laws of it, yet my Fervour for that which I take to be the True Rdigion^ and the' Relation I Itand in to the People of God^ will bear me out as to thefe Matters, On
i6 The Firft Sermon.
On the other Side, If I be a Member of the Church of England^ I am too often apt to think my felf in a fair Way to Hea- ven, if I be but Stout for the Church, and Xealom againft the Sectaries, and Punctual in obferving the Ceremonies of the Liturgy^ and now and then come to the Sacra^ ment ; Though it may be I have nothing of the True Life and Sprit of Chriftia- nity in me, nothing of that Sobriety and Meeknefs, and Charity, and inward De- votion that our Saviour doth indifpenfably require of all his Followers.
Nay, fo far from that, it may be I think 'tis no Matter how I Live, if I be but a good Suh]eB to the King, and a true Son of the Church, Nay, it is well if I don't go further, it is well if I don't make Vice and Debauchery an EfTential Character of a Man that is right in his Principles ; it is well if I don't brand Serioufnefs of Converfation, and a Care of ones Words and Actions, with the Name of fanatic cifm, and Reproach every one as a Puri- tan, that will not Swear and Drink, and take thofe Un-Chriftian Liberties that I do.
You know there are fuch Men as thefe frequently to be found in all the feveral Se6ls and Ways o^ Religion among us. But, O ! what is become of Chriftianity all the while;
This
The Fiirfi Sermon > if
This fure cannot be thy Reliigion, O JBlefTed Jefusl fince it is fo unlike both thy Aftions and thy Doftrines : Thou never placedft any Vertue or Praife in Kjiorvingy but in Doings in being of this or the other particular External Mode of Religion \ but. in believing thy Gofpely and following thy. Example, in Mortifying our Lufts, and leading a Life of Peaceable- nefs, and Obediencej and Humility, and all manner of inward Holinefs and Pu- rity.
How our Brethren of the Separation, will difpofe of their Members that are of this Temper, I know not ; but as to all thofc that pretend to be of our Commu- nion, and yet live fcandalous Lives, and think that their owning themfelves foir the Sons of the Charch, will make Attone- nient for their Immoralities^ it is to be feared they have done Us more Hurt thaii €ver they will do us Good. And unleis they would Reform, it may perhaps ht wilbed that we were rid of them : Let them declare themfelves Fanaticks^ Fapifisj, any Thing, rather than Members of the Church oi England,
And though by their Receflion, and going over to the Enemies Camp, w6 might poflibly be fo weakened, that we could not fupport ourfelves, but muft b* forced to faU under our Adverfaries ; yet I do not know whetlier cveii then the
Yot. XL C Church
i8 rZ^^ Firjl Sernion.'
Church would not be the better fori it. And, it would, perhaps, be more ded- rabie to live in a mean, low, alftiflled* Condition without fuch Company^ than to govern the World with it. '
But Fourthly^ Thefe are not all the Ma- ladies which this diftreffed Church and Nation labours under: There is another-. Wound that is as wide, and bleeds as much as any of the reft : And which, if timely Care be not taken of it, may caufe her Expiration as foon as any other.
I mean the Unnatural, Un-Chriftian Teuds and Divifions that are amongft us^ our Nations being rent and torn into fd many Parties a.nd Facfh^s, and the cruel and bitter Animoftties with which each Party does profecute the other. And all this, if Men would confider, for lit- tle Things in Comparifon, Things cer- tainly not worth all this Heat, Things that the Wifeft and Beft of the feve- :ral DifTenting Parties confefs to be indif- ferent. ' - f 0 1 How do Men by thefe foolifli and unaccountable Divifions, weaken the xommon Intereft that all pretend at leaft ito be concerned for ? What Advanta- £gcs are hereby given -^ to tic ' Adverfa-
-ries? - r'^'^x'} '^' ''
It is likely, indeed," thai ks' they firft
- fet on Foot, fo they ftill continue to
. ' ^' foment
The Firjt Sermon, 19
foment thefe Differences. They laugh at this Opportunity of making Profelytes to their Religion ; and a plentiful Har- veft they have hereby Reaped to them- felves.
But where is our Wifdom in the mean Time ? Have Men no more Underftand- ing, than to be ftill hot and eager in their Contentions about a Shadow, when there is an Enemy at the Gate, that i? in a fair Way to take from us the Sulf- fiance ?
Some, indeed, may be apt to difpute which Side ought to comply ; Whether the Dijfenters ought to com.e over to the Efiablijhed Churchy or the Church to them ? It is not now a Time fully to debate the Merits of that Caufe. But this may- be truly faid, If Men v/ould be honeft and fincere, and mix no PafTion or world- ly Concernment with their Religion, the Point would foon be decided on the Church's Side.
Every Man that calls himfelf a Frote- ftanty would think himfelf obliged to obey Lawful Authority in all Things, where he was convinced their Commands were not Unlawful. And if he could not, with a fafe Confcience, come up to it in all Things y he would come up as far as he could. And as for thofe Things that he was not fatisfied about, as he would not Condemn or Cenfure thofe that
C 2 were
20 The Pirji SermoH,
were periuaded, or pradifed otherv^ifb, fo neither would he raife any Diftur^ bance in the Church, by joyning himfelf to an oppofite Party. '
And on the other Side, thofe that did Conforni to the Church in all ThingSy would not withdraw their Charity from their Fellow-Chriftians, for riot doing fo much as they. Though they differed from them in feveral Opinions, yet they would joyn Hands with them in all Chriflian Offices of mutual Love and Charity^ and in a jOynt Oppofition of the Common Enemy i
But alas I Things are nOt thUs with us. And I note it as a Fault, for which We ought deeply to be aifeded this Day ; and if Men did duly weigh the Sinfulnsfs and the Danger that all Scbifnn and Sepa- rations of this Kind, do bring upon a Na- tion^ they would be thus affected.
If human Conjectures about the Rea- fons and Caufes of Divine Judgments may be allowed, it will appear from Hiftory and Experience, that there has been as much War and Blood-fhed caufed In the World ; as many Nations Defo- lated, as many Churches Ruined by the Malignity and Evil Influence of this Sin ofSchifm, as any Other.
And if ever God in Judgment fliall
think fit to give over this flourifliing
Church of ours, as a Prey to that mighty
-- '- Hunt erf
The Firji Serinon. 21
Hunter^ that would ered an Univerlal Spiritual Monirchy to himfelf, upon the Ruines of all the particular Churches of Chrifiendomy we fhouid have good Rea- fon to believe, that the unnecefTary D/- njifions and Quarrels aniong ourfelves, had a great Hand m bringing on the 'Judg-^ ment.
In all Appearance, we of this Nation might be Impregnable, as to our Religiony if thofe Proteftants among us, who have been fo long feparated from the Com- munion of our National Church, would once return into its Bofom ; that we might all heartily join together in Loving and Jjfifiirig one another, and O^pftng the publick Jdz-erfary,
But Fiphly and Lajflj, If the State of our Church and Nation- was not near fo bad as I have now reprefented it, yet tliere is another Thing ftill, that atl^ even the hefl of us, have reafon to be fenfible of, and to mourn for \ as that, which of itfelf is fuiScient to bring Deftruftion upon us. And that is, our Ingratitude to God fbr his many Mercies and Deliver rancesy and our Unprofitahlenefs under thofe Means of Grace that he has been pleafed fo long to afford us.
I cannot call this a particular Sin, k is, if you will, an Aggravation of all the reft, pr all of them fummed up together. How- ever, I give it a particular Confideration, ■ C ? be-
2^. The Firjl Sermon.
becaufe it is a Thing that God has fet a-
Mark upon, and has fo far declared his Difpleafure againft it, that he has deter- mined it a juii; Caufe to Ufp-po^le or Un- Church a Nation.
Our Saviour tells us, that when a cer- tain Man had Planted a Fig-Tree in his Vineyard, and came and fought Fruit thereon, and found none he faid unto the Luke xiii. Dreiler of his Vineyard, Behold thefe Three "• Tears I come, feeking Fruit on this Fig-Tree, and find none, cut it down, why doth it cumber the Ground f
Let us apply this Parable to ourfelves, as certainly the Reafon of it will fuffi- ciently prompt us. Was ever Fig-tree or Vineyard more curioufly Planted, more carefully Dreft, more richly Manured, more fecurely Fenced, from the Out- rages of Beafts of Prey, than our Fig- Tree, our Vineyard, the Church of England? For of a Church this Parable is nccef- farily to be underftood.
Is there any one of the Protefiant Churches m Europe, that has been fo re- gularly Reformed ; that in the firft Con- flitution of it was Eftabliflied upon Prin- ciples fo juftifiable, fo agreeable with the Laws of Nature and Chrifiianity, and the Civil Rights of the KJngdom, as this Church of England was ?
Is there any Protefiant Church in. Europe, whofe Articles of Faith -, whofe Difeipline ;
whofe
The Firjt Sermoju 23
whofe Manner and Rites of Worfljip are more correfpondent to Ancient Traditiom_ and Catholick DoBrine and PraBice?
Is there any Frotefiam Church m Eu- ropey wherein the Word of God has been taught more fincerely, and more to the edification of the People than among us?
Is there any Frotefiant Church that has more comfortably lived under their own Fi?ies, and their own F^g-Trees, has more freely enjoyed all the Benefits and Privi- ledges that either Religion or their Birth- right could Intitle them tOj than we have done?
Is there any Froteflant Church that ha? been preferved fo miraculoufly, that hath received fo many wonderful Deliverances from Enemies of all Sorts: Enemies of the Hills and of the Vallies : And yet not- withilanding all ; notwithftanding the Contrivances of falfe Brethren within our- felves, and the AiTaults of the Fublick Adverfaries Abroad, does ftill not only continue in Being, but Flourifheth alfo, as God be thanked we do at this Day?
The Care that God hath taken of this Nation hath been wonderful; his Pro- vidences towards us are to be admired for the Rarenefs and the Gracioufnefs of them. ' And therefore juftly may the Lord of the Vineyard, after all this Care,
C 4 all
y,A The Firjl Sermon.
all tfiefe Providences, expeO: fome Good Fruit from us, proportionable to his Kind- nefs to us. Anci long has he waited ibr it.
But what Fruits have we produced after all thefe great Opportunities, and this great Patience? Can we really fay, that we now are Better than our Fore-^ Fathers of the Reformation, who perhaps had not more Light, certainly had not that Experience of God's Mercies and Deliverances that we have? I am a- fraid our Hearts will give it againft us.
Can we fay that we are not worfe than they ? That we have, at leaft, made as good an Ufe and Improvement of the Talents that have beeii committed to us, as they did ? It is to be feared we fhall be caft upon this Point alfo.
Our own Experience will tell us, if we have lived any confiderable Time in the World, That even fmce our Remem- brance, though God hath more and more, both heaped his Favours and his Severi- ties upon us, yet we have grown worfe and worfe. . . "
His Mercies have not Melted us ; His Judgments have not Reclaimed us ; He liath done all that is PofTible, both by Gentle and Severe Methods, to bring us |;o a Senfe of our Duty ; but We, like the Deaf Adder ^ havejlop^ed our EarSy and have, ■ ' ' ' not
The Firjl Sermon. 25
^ot hearkened to the Voice of the Charmer^ though he charmed never jo wifely.
What therefore, thefe Things confi- dered, can we exped, but that God fhould pafs the fame Sentence upon this Unthankful, this Irreclaimable People of England^ that the Lord of the Vineyard palled upon the fig-Tree in the Para^ ble : Cut it dorvyi^ why doth it cumher the Ground I
Or, if you will take it in the Words of the Prophet, what fliould hinder, or what can we exped, but that God fhould {peak to us, (that is, decree upon us) what he did to his beloved People, in the Fifth of Ifaiahh Prophecy, 0 Inhabitants of Jerufalem, and Men of Judah, Judge y I fray youj between me and my Vineyard, What could 1 have done more to my Vineyard^ that I have not done m it ? Wherefore then, when J looked that it fhould bring forth Grapes^ brought it forth wild Grapes ? And now go tOy J will tell you what I rvill do with my Vine- yard ; I will take away the Hedge thereof and it jhall be eaten up; and break down the WaE thereof and it {hall be troden down^ and I will lay it Wajley it jhall not be Pruned or Dig- gedy but there jhall come up Briers and Thorns,
This is the Judgment that is here threat- ned in the Text, which I now come, in the Second Place, more particularly to confidero
^6. The Firjt Sermon.
A grievous Judgment without doubt ir is, and the grcateft that can fall upon any Nation : For fo much as our Sotds are of greater Concernment to us than out Bo- dies; fo much are »S^«'/>/W Mercies to be preferred before Temporal : And fo much the greater Mifery is it for any People to be deprived of them than of the other. ,
For that Nation that was once God's own peculiar People to be abandoned by him, and to be laid in common with the reft of the World that are under the Prince of the Power of the Air ; for that Nation that once enjoyed the Influences of God's Prefence,' Vnd the Light of the Truth, and the Benefits of his Ordinances, now to be ftript of all thefe; to be without God, without Light, without the ordinary Means of faving their Souls ; O v/hat more deplorable Condition can be imagined!
And yet thus fevere hath God been with many Nations, thus when their Sins have cried loud, and the Sinners have been impudent, and all Methods of Amend- ment have been ineffeftual, God hath in anger removed their. Candlejtkk from among them.
^ The Church of Ephef(ts which Chrift; thus threatens in the Text, nay, all the other Six Churches of Jfta, to which the Epiftles are fent, are fad Inftances of this. Once moft flourifhing Churches they were, even the very Paradife of the Lord j but
now
The Firjl Sernioii. 0.7
now they lie wafte and defolate, over-run with Ignorance and Barbarity and Maho-
That Africa which is not now more fruitful of Mbrifters, than it was once of excellently Wife and Learned Men ; that Jfrica which formerly afforded us our Clemens^ our Origen^ our Tertullian^ our Cyprian, Our Augufiine, and many other extraordinary Lights in the Church of God ; that famous Africa in whofe Soil Chriftianity did thrive {o prodigioufly, and could boaft of fo many flourifhing Churches, alas, is now a Wildernefs. The wild Boars have broken into the Vineyard and eaten it tif, and it brings forth nothing hut Briers and Thorns; To ufe the Words of the Pro- phet.
And who knows but God may fud- denly make this Church and Nation, this our England,, which, Jefhurun-like, is waxed fat and grown proud^ and has kicked againjl God, fuch another Example of the Vengeance of this Kind.
It is true, in all appearance there is no danger of having our Candlefiick removed from us in the fame Senfe or Manner that thofe Churches I have Inftanced in, had theirs. We have no Apprehenfions that either Mahometanifm or Paga?iifm will come into thefe Kingdoms : At leaft not in our Days.
It
2.8 The Firjl Sermon-
Itis^nother kind of Removal pf our C^;^- dlejlkk that we have reafon to fear ; It is another Religion nigher at hand that is inoft likely to difplace our Candlefiick,
You all know what Religion I mean, It is Popery that moft threatens us. It is that reftlefs bufie Religion that has made fo much difturbance in Chrifiendom ; that has always been and is Ml fo aOiive by all Means juft or unjuft, by Fraud or Force to infinuate itfelf into all Places. It is this we pught to have the moft Apprehenfions of.
It h true, thofe that are of this Religion do profefs the Name of Chrift, and we do not deny thern tne Title of a Chriftian Church; But of all Sorts of Chriftianity this feems to he the worft ; and next to the Being of no Churc^ it is the leall defirable to be of This,
And for all the fpecious Titles of Vifible and Ferfetu I and CathoUck and hfaMUy which they would amufe us with ; Tt we did ferioufly confider what a kind or Reli- gion we now en)oy, and what a kind oi Re- ligion will come in the Place of it, if ever they get their Will of us, we fhould fadly rcfleft upon the Change. And for all we continued a Chriftian Country, yet we fhould lament over oui'felves that our Can- Meftick iVM removed out: of its Place.
I believe there are few here but fuffici- ently underftand what a kind of Religion this is, and what you are to expert from ■ji it :
The Firft Sermon. ap
It : But yet I will beg leave to give a brief Account of fome of the Articles of it. Not to inftrud you, but to give you occafion to confider how well it will fuit with us of this Kingdom, or indeed with any that would be Chriftians after the way of Ghrift's Infti- tution.
It is a ileligion, whofe avowed Princi- ples are to keep their People in Ignorance as much as they can. For with them Ig- norance is the Mother of Devotion, And if you do but blindly Believe as the Church Believes^ and blindly Obey what is impofed upon you, you are good Catholicks»
It is a Religion, in which you will not be allowed to have ^LnyFrayers mpihlick that you ean underftand. When you come to Church, you may entertain yourfelves with faying over your Rofary (which is a folemn Set of Prayers containing Ten Add relies to the Virgin Mary for One to our Lord) and other Private Prayers, if you have them : But joyn in the Puhlick Service with the Minifter you cannot, unlefs you underftand Latin,
It is a Religion, into which as foon as you enter you muft give up your Bibles. For the People muft not read the Scripture without efpecial Licenfe, and not at all of that Tranflation you now have of it.
It is a Religion that robs you of half the Sacrament : For you muft never be allow- ed to receive the Cup in the Lord's Sup- per;'
go The Firjt Sermon.
per ; notwithftanding the Inftitution of our Lord in exprefs Words : And notwithftand- ing the Practice of the Primitive Church to the contrary.
It is a Religion, in which you are fo far from being permitted to try all things and to hold to that which is good, according to the Apoftle's Command ; That you muft whol- ly fubmit your Reafon and Underftanding to the DiQ:ates of an Infallible Judge, even fo far, (if one of their greateft Authors fay Bcilar. detrue) to be bound to believe Vertue to be ^.pjP°«-i^^^, and Vice to be Good^ if it fhall pleafe cap. j^."^* his Holinefs to fay fo.
Nay, it is a Religion in which you fhall not be allowed to believe your very 5^;?/^/. For though Four of your Five Senfes tell you that One of the Confecrated Elements in the Sacrament is a Piece of Bread, yet you are obliged, under Pain of Damnation, to believe that it is not fo ; But the very Bo- dy of Chrift that was Crucified at Jerufalem^ and is now in Heaven ; and which, upon this Suppofition, muft be aftually and fepa- rately prefent in a thoufand diftant Places at once every Day.
It is a Religion that will bring you back to the Old Pagamjh Idolatry: Or to that which is as near it as can be. For as the Old Heathens had their inferior Deities, their Damons and Hero'*s to be Mediators between God and them : So will you have your feveral Saints and Patrons ojt the like
Na-
Tie Firjl Sermon. 5t
Nature, which you mud: apply to for the recommending your Prayers to the Divine Majefty. And as they had the Images of their Gods and Mediators to worfhip and felldown before; fo will you alfo for the fame Piirpofe have the Images of the BlelTed Trinity y and the Virgin Mary, and the reft of the Saints.
It is true, the Pagans were mightily re- proved for thefe things, both in the Scrip- ture and by the Primitive Chriftians. And they made feveral Defences and Apologies for their Pradices. And the very fame doth the Church of Rome now make for her Invocation of Saints and Image- Wor- Ihip. But if the one were guilty of Idola- try there is little doubt but the other are fo alfo^' For there is. not an Hair's Breadth difference between the Pleas and Apologies that each Party makes for itfelf.
Nay, it is a Religion that will engage you in a mOre unnatural Idolatry than ever the Pagans were guilty of. C/V^r^ that was Oe Nat: a Heathen himfelf, and knew as much of^^°^' **5' that Religion as any Man lining did ; yet ajfirms, that there was none fo mad in any of the Religions of his Time as topretend to eat his God. But yet this you mtift do in that Religion every time you Receive the Sacrament. And the JPrieft does it every Day when he fays Mafs. For he eats that which himfelf and you all muft worfhip. And you are taught to believe, - ■ ^ that
%z The Pirfi Serinoit,
that what you worfhip in the Mafs is God, thiit is, t\\GVQ\'Y Humanity of our Saviour united Perfonally to his Divinity,
It is true, in tnis Religion there are many Advantages and Conveniences pretended,, that you cannot really have in the Religion you now profefs* But look you to them^ whether they will prove fo in the Event.
The eafie Ways they have to reconcile Sinners to God, even after the moft vicious Life, by the Means of the Sacrament of Penahce-y as it is commonly Taught and Adminiftred in that Church ; togethei* with the Liberty you may take in the Choice of fuch a Gorifeflbr as you think will be moft favourable to your Cafe. Add to thisj the Vertue of Indulgemesi^ and Ma^es for the Dead. As alfo the Effi- cacy oi Pilgrimages^ Reliques and Holy Gar* msnts^ 8cc. For the purging off Sins'.
All thefe things put together inay per- haps rid you of a great many UneafinefTes,' and Scruples, and Pangs of Confcience^ with which you might othervi^ife be troubled ; and which would liot be fo eafily cured in the Way that you are now in. There is little doubt but upon the commonly received Principles of that Religion, you may go to Heaven upon much eafier Terms than you can upon ours : But yet for all that, in a Bufinefs of fuch Confequence as the Salvation of a Man's Soul is, it is good to make a ferious
En*
The Firjl Ser 771077. ^|
iSnquiry, whether of the Two Ways is the fafer.
But there is one Thing in this Religion which will not fo eafily go down witli Englifljmen : And, that is, That you cannot therein be any longer good Subjeds to your Prince, than his Holinefs will give you leavci
If his Majefty fhCuld be a Herstkk (as it is certain his prefent Majefty is, in their Account) nay, in other Cafes Befides that of Herefte ; the Pope has Power to Depofe him, and Abfolve his Subjeds from their Allegiance. And that not only in the Judgment of their moft famous Cafuifis, and by the Eftabliihed Rules of their Ca^o^ Law, but by the Decree of an Infallible General Council. And it has been ■ a frequent Practice of the Pope to rriake ufe of his Power in this Way.
Nay, in this Kingdom of England he needs not ftay for fuch Pretences. For his Holinefs (as appears Upon Record) has declared. That this Kingdom is held in Fee of the Papacy; And that whoever wears the Crown here is their Vaffal^ and confequently may be turned out at plea- fure;
What the EfFe£ls of thefe Dodrihes have Been, we of this Kingdom have had fuffi- cient Experience fince the Reformation 5 not to mention the Troubles they have given us in former TimeSc The Inflances
D are
34 rZv Fhjt Ser?}i07i.
are fo many and fo very well knowp, that I need not Name them : But if they were all forgot, the late fliall I fay or the p-efcm Pop/fi Plot for the taking away the Life of His Sacred Majefty, and fubverting the Proteftant Religion and the Eftabhfhed Government of this Kingdom, now brought to light ; this alone, though all the other Inflances were worn out of Memory, would fufficiently ihevv us what we are to exped from thefe Roman Prmciples, as to the Security either of our Prince^ or our Liherttes^ or our Re^ iigion.
But blelTed be God's Name, that this curfed Defign has been hitherto defeated ; and we are here to Praife him for it, and to Pray to him for a farther Difcovery o? it.
And bleffed be his Name, that he hath given us this remarkable Evidence that he has not yet abandoned us, notwith- ftanding our manifold Provocations. Cer- tainly this extraordinary Providence of God towards us, is one of the mod comfort- able Arguments that we can draw to ourfelves, that God has yet fome pity for this Nation ; if we v/ill but pity ourfelves.
And laflly, BlefTed be God's Name that this Mercy has already had this good Ef- feO: upon us, that we are awakened into a m.ore lively Senfe of the manifold Ini- quity
The Firji Serffion, Ij
quity and Mifchief and Danger of the Popifh Religion and Party.
What is now farther to be defiredj but that the liTue of Things among us may be fuitable to thefe Beginnings ?
God has Once more given this Nation a great Opportunity for the eftablii"hing her tottering Candlefikk^ and who knows whe- ther ever the Hke will be offered again ?
It therefore infinitely concerns all of us-, efpecially you to whom the Managery of Publick Affairs is committed, to improve this prefent Opportunity to the good Pur- pofes for which it was given ; that fo this great Mercy and Providence of God be not loft upon us.
'Offences may come. And we may be difappointed. But as our Saviour faid, Wo he to that Man by rvhom the Offence comet ho Such a Man will never be able to anfwer it either to God, or his Country, or at la ft to his own Confcience.
O may God fo infpire you with the Spi*" rit of Wifdom and Counfel ; with Tem- per and Moderation; with a Spirit fo difengaged from private Ends, and Inter- efts ; fo unbyalTed by particular Fa£l:ion ; and fo wholly intent upon the Publick Good, that you may be the bleiTed In- ftruments of healing all the Diftempers we groan under; and of deriving upon lis thofe ElefRngs which we this Day IPray for.
D 2 . That
3(5 The Ftrjl SermoJi.
That by your Means Atheijm and Con^ temp of Religion^ as alfo Leivd^efs and De- bauchery of all Kinds may be fo difcou- raged that they (liall not daie to appear with an open Face.
That by your Means a Stop may be pat to the fcandalous Schifms and Divifwns that are among us ; that if it be poffible we may ferve God with one Heart and with one Mind.
That by your Means, not only the Per- fon of His Sacred Majefty, and the Rights of His Crown may be fecured againit all wicked Attempts, whether of Papilfs or others ; But alfo that upon his Head the Crown may be fo iiipported, and fo fiou- rifli, that we may at leaft- be in a Con- dition not to fear the Malice or the Power of any foreign Enemy.
Laftly, Thar by your Means as effe£lual l^rovifion as podlble may be made ; both for the keeping out that foreign Religion, which, as we have feen, fo little ferves the Ends of Chriftianity, and fo much diiTerves the Interefl both of King and People : And for the more firm Efta- bliRiment of the Proteftarit: Religw?i of the Church of Er^gLmd: That fo our prefent €andleftick may be continued to our Polie- rity, and they as Well as we may have reafon to blefs God for you.
But in order to the procuring thofe great BicfTings to the Kingdom, there is
a
The F/rJt Sermon. 57
a Duty neceiTary to be performed by all of us in our privdte Capacities, vv'hich is here fpecified in the Text, viz. Refentance^ 1 mil come unto thee quickly, (fays our Sa- viour) and will remove thy C^ndleflick out of its Place, except thou repent, Whicli Repen- tance, how it ought to be performed' by us, is the Third and Lafi Thing I am to fpeak to.
But becaufe I would not exceed the or- dinary Limits of a Sermon, I fliall only mention the Heads of thofe Things which upon this Occafion are proper to be in- filled on.
If we would repent fincerely of our Sins, fo as to do our Parts towards the Pre- vention oi tho^Q^udgments that hang over our Heads, and the procuring thofe Bief fings we ftand in need of; It will be ne- ceiTary that every one of us do deeply humble and aiflift our Souls before God for our own Sins, the Sins which we have in Perfon committed ; devoutly confefling them, and begging of God, that when he makes Inquifition for a National Guilt, he would not remember them, nor let the Publick fuffer any thing upon our Account.
It is alfo neceifary that we be duly {en- iible of the common Sins of others, fo as to repent of them alfo. Lamenting before God the Corruptions of the Times : The publick fafhionable Vices of the Age. This was the Spirit of David, who was con- D 3 cern'4
jS Ti}e F'lrjl Sermon.
cernM for the Faults of others as well a^ his own j Rrjers of Tears (faith he) run dorvn my Eyes hecaufe Men keep not thy Law,
Nay, furthei'j in order to a National Re- pent an ce^ we are obliged to confefs to God the Sins oi: our Forefathers^ and pray for the Forgivenefs of them alfo. What my own former private Sins are to me at pre- fent with refpeO: to my Verfonal Capacity ; the fame are the Sins of our Fathers to us all, confidered as a Nation or People. We are to repent as well of the paft as of the prefent Sins of the Land. This is the Rule that God himfelf hath prefcribed for a Publick Repentance, And for not put- ting that Rule in Praftice, the People of the Jem^ in our Saviour's Time, feverely ^4at.Kxiii. fuffered. For upon the Men of that Gene» ^^° ration (as our Saviour had threatned) rvas revenged all the righteom Blood fljed in the handy from the Blood cf Abel, to the Blood of Zachariah. Though yet none of that Blood was fhed by that Generation. Great Reafon therefore have we at this Day ferioufly to put up to God that Petition which we fo often repeat in our Litany^ Remember not^ Lord^ our Offences^ nor the Of- fences of our Forefathers ; but fpare us, good Lord, fpare thy People whom thou haji le- deemed with thy mojl precious Bloody and bs not angry with us for ever.
But to make tliis Repentance fuch as it ought to be, there is further required a
thorough
The Firjt Sermon. 39
thorough Change in our Hearts and Minds ; io that as we confefs and ask Pardon for the Faults of our Lives, we fliould alfo amend them. Without this all our ceremonious Humiliation will iignifie no- thing.
Nay, we muft not only reform ourfehes, but do what we can in our Spheres to- wards the reforming o( others. And every one of us might do a great deal, if we would ; though it was but 'm this one Thing, in heartily difcouraging fca^idalous and ope^ Sins wherever we meet with them ; fo far as it may be done without Breach of Refpeft to our Superiors, or Forfeiture of^common Prudence. If Vice had once an ill Name in the World, was once generally ftigmatized with Reproach and Ignominy, it would quickly lofe its Empire, and Thoufands that are now the Slaves of it would become Profclytes to Vertue.
But further, If we truly fear the Judg- ment I have been fpeaking of, and by our Repentance would prevent it, let us make this particular Expreflion of that Repen- tance^ viz,. Let us fet a great Value upon the Religion we at prefent enjoy : Let us in all our A6lions fhew a great Zeal and Concernment for it, and do what we can both towards the continuing and promo- ting it,
D4 If
4Q The Firjl Serjfidn.
If every one of us in his way would but exprefs half that Zeal, and Induftry, and Diligence in the Caufe of our Reli- gion that we fee our Adverfaries do ; we Ihpuld probably, in a very little Time, fee a quite different Face of Things : And fliould npt only put a Stop to their pre- fent Succeffes, but gain fo much ground upon them as to caff them into defpair of ever making a Conquefl: of this Na- tion. But here is the Mifery, we are fo confident and fecure of the Goodnefs of our Caufe, that we think it will fup^ port itfelf without any Help of ours. Let us in this Point learn Wifdom from our Enemies.
But efpecially, let us pradice heartily thofe Vertues which our B^eligion peculi- arly teaches, as oppofed to Popery. Let us be Meek, and Gentle, and Long-Suf- fering, even to. thofe that differ in Opi- nion from us. Let us hate all Tricks, and Devices, and Equivocations, both in our "^ords and our Carriage^ Let us be cpnftantly and inflexibly Loyal to our Prince, and let nO Confideration in the World maike us yipiate our Allegiance to him.
' .fo all which, l^t us in the laft Place add pur earnelf and conftant Prayers to God, that he would be pleafed to take pity of us : To avert the "Judgments WQ ave threatned with, and continue the
MeY"
The Firft Sermon. • 41
Mercies we have hitherto enjoyed. That he would prote£t our Religion and make it to flourilh more and more. That he would prefer ve our KJng^ our Government^ pur haws : And in order thereunto, that he would influence and dired all the Pub- lick Councils, efpecially the great Council of the Nation now affembled in Parlia- ment; that this Se/fton of theirs may have ^ happy and a glorious Iffue. Which God of his Mercy grant, ^c
S E R"
4a .
SERMON II.
Preached before the
LORDS Spiritual and Tempo- ral in Parliament Aflembled^
I N T H E Abhey-Church at Wefinunjier^
On the 50th oi January y igi.
TITUS iii. I.
Fut them in mind to he [ubjeEl to Principalities and Powers^ to obey Magijtrates.
YO U all know what Kind of Ar- gument this Day calls for : For by the Defign of keeping it, the Bufi- nefs that the Preacher hath to do, is to prefs Obedience and Subje^ion to the Go- vernment we Hve under, and to Preach
againft
The Second Sermon, 4j
againfl: faUion and Kehellion, And accor- dingly it is prefcribed in the Kubrick of this Day'^s Service, that if there be a Sermon at all, and not a Homtlj, it fliall be upon this Argument.
It is very well that Authority hath taken care, that at fome folemn Times we fhould Preach upon this Subjed in a more folemn Manner. Becaufe though it be as need- ful as any, yet there are fome among us that think it a very improper Theme for the Pulpit, I nmft confefs, I had an eye to this Suggeftion, when I pitch'd upon thefe Words which I have now read to you : Becaufe I think there is fomething to be obfervcd in them which will effectually confute it.
St. Paul here lays his Charge upon Titusy That he fhould put the People that were under his Care m mind, to be fubjeB to Principalities and Powers, arid to obey Ma- gifirates.
Two Things I would here confider. Tirft, The Perfon that is order'd thus to fut the People in mind: And Secondly ^ The Thing that he is to put them in mind of, which is, SubjeBion and Obedi- ence to Principalities^ and Powers, and Ma- gifirates.
I begin with the firft Thing, the Per- fon to whom St. Paul writes this Epiftle ; and to whom he gives it in Charge,
That
44 2^(? Second Sermon.
That he fhould put the People in mind^ to be fabject.
Who was this Ferfon ? Why, it was Ti- tm^ an Ecclefiaftic, a Biiliop, a Preacher of the Gofpel ; not a Lay-man^ not a Ma- gifirate^ but a pure Church-man, What can be more plainly gatherM from hence than this; That it is not foreign to a Clergy- man's Office to Preach Obedience and Subjection to the Government ; but, on the contrary, a Part of his Function, a necefTary Duty incumbent upon him to do it. If any Man affirm other wife, he muft either fay, that St. Paul did not right- ly inftruQ: Tttus in his Office, but enjoin'd him to do that which he had nothing to do with : Or he muft fliew that the Cafe of Titm was different from that of the Minifters of the Gofpel at this Day. Neither of which Things can, I believe, be eafily made out.
And yet into fuch Times are we fallen, that it is taken ill, by many, that Mini- fters fhould in their Pulpit- Difcourfes med- dle with thefe Matters. I muft confefs I think, that of all Men, it moft con- cerns a Minifter of Religion not to be a Bufte-bodj, or a Medler in other Mens Matters : For in truth, he hath Work enough to do of his own ; and fuch Kind of Work too, as, let him behave himfelF as inoffenfively as he can, will create him Difficulties and Eneniies enough. And
there-
The Second Sermon* 45
therefore it would be very imprudent m. him to ufurp other Mens Provinces^ and to hum his fingers where he needs not : Efpecially, confidering, that the Succefs of his Labours and Endeavours among the People doth in a great Meafure depend upon the good Liking they have of him.
But what is it that gives Offence ? Or what is it that renders this Argument wc are fpeaking of fo improper a Subje6: for a Clergy-man to treat of? Why, feveral Things are pretended, and I fhall name fome of them.
Virjl^ It is faid, that the Work of a Clergy-man, is to inftrud Men in Chrift's Religion, to preach againft Vice and Sin^ and to preach up Holinefs and good Lifcy and mutual Love and Chanty: But what has he to do with State^Ajfairs, as Mat- ters of Government are ?
I Anfwer, He hath nothing, indeed, to do with them : But his only Work is to make Men good Chriftians, by endea* vouring to poiTefs them with a hearty Belief of our Saviour's Doctrines and Pro- mifes, and perfuading them to a Con- formity in their Lives to his Precepts- This is our proper Work, and this is that we ought to attend to, all the Days of our Life ; and \^it\\ Goverftment 2in!di State- Affairs we ought not to meddle, m our Sermons efpecially.
But
46 The Second Sermon.
But then, after all this, ft doth ndt follow, but that we are all bound, as we have Occafion, to Preach up Loyalty and Obedience to our Governours. For this is no State-Ajfair^ but an Affair of the GofpeL We cannot inftrud Men in Chrift's Re- ligion, without inftruding them in this.
If, indeed, it was an indifferent Thing to a Man's Chriftianity, or to his Salva- tion, whether he was a good or a had Subjed ; then, indeed, it would be as in- different to a Preacher, whether he inlilfed on thefe Things to the People : But it is not fo.
One great Branch of Chriftian Holinefsj as it is declared in the New Tejlament^ isj That every Man demean himfelf quietly, and peaceably, and obediently to the Go- vernment he lives under ; and that not only for Wrnth^ or Fear of Punilliment, but alfo for Confcience-fakei And this is made as neceffary a Condition of going to Heaven, as any other particular Vertiie is. And therefore if we will inflruft Men'^'in Chrift's Religion, and in the in- difpenfable Points of Holirtefs required thereby, we muft inftrud them In this alfo.
One great Vice and damnable Sin, that the Religion of our Lord has caution'd againft, is the Sm of Faciioufnefs and Re- hellion. And therefore, if it be our Duty to declare againft the Sins and Vices that
are
The Second Sevmon. 4^
are contrary to Chriftianity, it is our Duty to declare and caution againft this alfo.
Laftly, We do readily grant, that a great Part of our Office confifts m mofl affectionately recommending and prefling the Neceflity of mutual Love and, Charity, But if this be necelTary, is it not more foj to recommend and prefs Obedience to Ju^ thority, without which, mutual Love and Charity cannot poflibly fubfiil:? That be- ing the common Ligament of them ; and take away that, we fliould be no better than Bears and Tygers one to another.
But it is faid, in the Second Place, That Preachers ought not to meddle with thefe Points, becaufe they are not competent Judges of them : They do not know the Meafures and Limits of Loyalty and Dif- loyalty^ of being di good^ and a bad Subjedl : Thefe depending altogether upon the Con- ititution of the Government we live under ; and the determining of them belongs to the Ctvtl Courts, and not to their Pro- fe0ion.
To this I Anfwer, That in all thofe In- fiances, wherein this Argument falls under the Cognizance and Determination of P^r- liamentSy Or Judges^ Or Lawyers, we do not pretend to meddle with it. And if any Man do, let him anfwer for himfelf. All that we pretend to,, is to prefs the plain, general, indifpenfable Duties o^ Obedience to LawSf aad of Feaiedknafs, and St^b^^
jeBiOK
The Second Sermon.
jeBion to the Higher Powers^ which Chrift and his Apoftles have every where taught in the Bible.
If, indeed, a Preacher fliould in the Pulpit prefume to give his Judgment about the Management of Publick Affairs; or to lay down Do6lrines, as from Chrill^ about the Forms and Models of King- doms or Common-wealths; or to adjuft the Limits of the Prerogative of the Prince, Or of the Liberties of the Subie6: in our prefent Government : I fay, if a Divine fhould meddle with fuch Matters as thefe in his Sermons, I do not knov/ how he can be excufed from the juft Cenfure of meddling with Things that nothing con- cern him. This is, indeed, a fra^iifwg in State-Matters^ and is ufurping an Office that belongs to another Profe^lon-, and to Men of another CharaBer. And I fhould account it every whit as undecent in a Clergy-man to take upon him to deal in thefe Points ; as it would be for him, to determine Titles of Land^ in the Pulpit^ which are in Difpute in Wefiminfter-HaU,
But what is this to tiie Preaching Ohe- dieme and Subjeifwn to the Eftablifh'd Go- vernment? Let meddling with the Poli- ticks be as odious as you pleafe 'm a Clergy-man; yet fure it mull: not only be allow'd to him, but be thought his Duty, to exhort all Subjefts to be faith- ful to their Prince, to live peaceably
under
The Second Sermoiu 49
under his Government, and to obey all the Laws that are made by Juft Autho- rity : And even where they cannot obey them, yet to fubmit, and to raife no Di- fturbance to the Piiblick upon that Ac- count. And this is the great Thing which we fay Clergy-men have to do in this Matter.
We meddle riot with the Politicks ; we meddle not with Prerogative or Property ; we meddle not with the Difputes and Controverfies of Law that may arife' about thefe Matters : But we Preach a Company of plain LeiTons of Peaceable^ nefs and Fidelity , and Submiffion to our Rulers ', fuch as the Law of Nature teaches ; fuch as both Chrift and his Apoftles did preach in. all Places wherever they came ; and fuch as will at this Day hold in all the Governments of the World, whether they be Kjngdoms or Common-wealths^
And ii at any time we make a parti- cular Application of thefe General Rules to our own Eftablilli'd Government, it is only in fuch Inftances as are plainly of the ElTence of our National Conftitution, In fuch Inftances as are plainly contain'd in the Oaths of jillegiance and Supremacy^ and thofe other Tefts, which, for the Se- curity of the Government, the Law hath taken care that Subjeds fhall Swear to, and confequently muft be thought ob- h'ged both to underftand and pra£life
Vol. IL £ them.
50 The Second Sermon.
them. And how can it be an Invafion of another A-lan's Office, to Preach and Infift upon fuch Things as thefe ? No, certainly; what it is the Duty of every Subjed both to underftand and pra6life in order to his Salvation, that^ without doubt, it is the Duty of their Paftors to put them in mind of.
But Thirdly, It is faid further, That Preachers cannot engage in thefe Argu- ments, but they will of Neceflity fide with fome Farty or Faciion among us ; Now they fliould have nothing to do with Parties or Factions,
To this I Anfwer, That to be on the Side of the Eftabliflied Government, and to endeavour to maintain that, is not to be a Favourer of Parties and Factions, But they are the Factions, They are the Setters up, or Abettors of Parties, who endeavour to deftroy, or unfettle, or dif- parage, or in the leaft to hurt and wea- ken the Government, and the Laws, as they are eftablifhed ; let the Principles y upon which they go, or the Pretences they make, be what they will. So that a Minifter, by Preaching Obedience and SnbjeBton, doth not, in the lea ft, make himfelf of any Party ; but, on the con- trary, he fets himfelf againft all Parties: And fo he ought to do. For his Bufi- nefs is, to be on the Side of the Govern- ment, as it is by Law Eftablifhed ^ and
as
The Second Setmoji. 5
as vigoroufly as in him lies, in fuch Ways as are proper for his Function, to oppofe all thofe that would either fe- cretly undermine it, or openly afTault it ; In a' Word, all thofe that would make any Change or Innovation in it, (by whatever Names they are difcrimina.- ted) by any other Means or Methods, than what the Law of the Land, and the Nature of the Conftitution, doth allow.
And thus much of the Firft Thing I took Notice of in the Text, njiz.. the Ptr- fon to whom the Charge is here given, That he fhould put the People in Mind, I now come, in the Second, Place, to the Thing he was to put them in Mind of, and that is, to be fubje^ to Principalities and Powers^ and to obey Magijlrates,
And here Two Things are to be enqui- red into ; Firft^ Who are thofe Principa- lities and Powers^ and Magiflrates^ to whom we are to be fubje^y and whom wc are to obey. And Secondly^ wherein confiRs that SubjeBion and Obedience that we are to give them.
As for the Firfi of thefe. Who are the Principalities y and Powers^ and Magijlrates ? Why, certainly by thefe Words are meant the Supreme Cifil Governours of every Na- tion; and under them, their fubordmate Officers, Let the Form of Govern men t, ill any Country, be what it will; in E 2 whom*
52 The Second Sermon.
•svliomfoever the Sovereign Authority is lodged, (whether in one, or in many) they are the Principditi.es and Powers to whom we are to be fubjecf; and thofe that are Commiirion'd and Deputed to exercife Authority under them, are the M'lgifirates whom we are to obey*
St. Peter^ in the Second Chapter of his Firft Epiftle, doth thus exprefs them, ( alluding, no doubt, to the Government of the Romari State under which he lived, which was then Monarchical) Submit your fehes, faith he, 'srclayi a.v^^^jcTnvyi jcriiQi, to every Humane Corijlitution^ for the LorcTs Sake : Whether it be to the Kjng. as Supreme ; or unto the Governours^ as unto
them that are fent by him for fo is the
Will of God. Upon which Words of his, the Homily of our Church, appointed to be read on this Day, doth thus glofs. ^' St. Peter doth not fay. Submit your " felves unto me, as Suprenle Head of " the Church. Neither faith he, Sub- " mit your felves, from Time to Time, " to my SuccefTors in Rome. But he faith, " Submit your felves unto your KJng^ " your Supreme Head, and to thofe that " he appointeth in Authority under him. " This is God's Ordinance, this is God's " Holy "Will, that the whole Body in every " Realm, and all the Members and Parts " of the fame, fliall be fubjed to their ^ Heady their Kjng,
As
The Second Sermon,
As for the SuhjeBion and Obedience that is to be paid to thefe Principalities and Power Sy which is the other Thing I am to enquire into, it confifts of a great many Particulars.
It implies in it, for Inftance, That we fhould give all Honour, Refped and Reverence to their Perfonsy looking upon them ( which really they are ) as God's Vicegerents upon Earth.
That we Ihould not rafhly cenfure their Actions, or the Ad minift ration of their Government.
That we fliould at no hand defpife them, or fpeak evil of them, remembring the Character that St. Jtde gives of thofe that defpife Dominions^ and fpeak Evil of Dig- nities.
That as we fliould make Prayers, and Supplications and IntercejfionSy and giving of Thanks for all Men; fo more efpecially for them^ and thofe that are put in Au- thority under them, as St. Paul teaches us.
That we fliould pay them the Tributes and Cujtoms that are due to them, as the fame Apoftle exprefTes it ; that is, the Ex- pences we are legally Taxed at, towards the Support of their Government.
That we fliould, according to our Pow- er, maintain their "Jura Maje/iatu, the Rights and Prerogatives, belonging, by the Conll;itution, to their Office and Dignity.
E 3 That
54 The Second Sermon.
That we fhould aflift and defend theni againft their Enemies.
That we fhould behave our felves peace- ably and modellly in our particular Voca- tions, endeavouring to make their Go- vernment as eafie and as happy as we can, but at no hand to invade any Fubltck p$ce that belongs not to us.
In a Word, That we fhould yield Obe- dietice to all their Laws. And in cafe it ever happen that we cannot with a fafe Confcience obey^ there we are patiently to fuffer the Penalties of our Difobedience : But by no means either to affront their Perfo'fis^ or to difturb their Government^ by raifmg or partaking in any Tumtilt^ or Infurrection^ Or Rebellion*
All this that I have now named, is con- tained in that Duty of Subjection and Obe^ dience which we are here bid to pay to 'Brincipalities and Powers^ as might eafily be ihewn, as p every Particular : But I will not tire you, by running through all thefe Heads, and therefore Ihall only defire leave to fpeak a little to the trvo laft Things I have now mentioned ; both be- cauie they are the moft General, and do irx a m.anner comprehend the Reft ; and becaufe they feem principally intended in the Text I am now difcourfing of. Tut ' tij^m m ?mnd (faith St, Paul) to be fubje^^ and put them in mind to obey. In the one Phrafe feems to be intimated the Duty
of
The Second Sermon, 55
oi A^ive Obedience to the Laws and Orders of our Governours : In the other Phrafe, our Suhmijfion where we cannot obey.
And Vtrft of all, As for the Bufinefs of Aciive Obedience^ (for it is proper to begin with that firft) all that is needful to be faid for the clearing of it, may be com- prifed in thefe Vour following Propoli- tions.
I/?, That the ftanding Laws of every Country are the Rule of the Subjects Obedience y and not merely the Will of the Prince.
Where, indeed, the Legijlative and the Executive Power are both in one hand, (as It is in thofe we call Abfolute Monarchies) there the Will of the Prince ftands for Law, But where People are fo happy as to live under a Legal Eftablifhment, as ours is, there the Publick Laws muft govern and fleer their Adions, and not the Prince's private Pleafure. So that tho' the IQng can do no Wrongs (as our Maxim is) yet the Subject is anfwerable for every thing he doth again ft Law, even when he doth it by the King's Command.
idlj^ Whatever Laws are made by Juft Authority, whether in Civil Matters, or in Matters relating to Religion^ if they be not contrary to God's Laws, there the Sub- jed is bound in Confcience to obey them, even tho' he apprehends they are incon- venient.
E 4 I
56 The Second Sermon.
I own, indeed, that the Matter oi fome I^aws may be of fo fmall Importance, that a Man fhall not need much to charge his Confcience with the Obfervance of them : It being enough that he fubmit to the Pe-^ naltj^ in cafe of Tranfgreflion : And, per- haps, the Government never meant to extend their Obhgation farther. But for all that, it is in the Power of the Le- gijlativej when there is reafon, to bind our Confciences to Ohedience^ as well as to award Punifliments to our Difobedience, And the Reafon of this is evident, be- caufe we are bound by the Laws of God, who h^th the Supreme Pominion over our Confciences, to obey our Lawful Go- vernours in Lawful Things,
Nay, I fay farther, ( which is my Thini Propofition,) that even where we doubt of the Lawfulnefs of their Commands, we are bound to obey; fo long as we only doubt of their Lawfulnefs, but are 'not fer- fuaded that they are unlawful.
For certainly the Authority of our Go- vernours ought to over-rule any Man's private Doubts. There is all the Reafon in. the World that it fhould do ^q : And there is no good Reafon to be urged to ihe contrary.
Pray, what is it we mean, when we fay, that a Man doubts concerning a Thing, whether it be lawful or no ? Is it not f his ? That his Judgment is kept fufpended
between
The Second Sermon. 57
between equal Probabilities on both Sides of a Queftion. He is enclined by feme ELeafons to believe that the Thing is law- ful, and he is inclined, by other Reafons, to believe that the Thing is unlawful. And thefe Reafons do appear fo equally proba- ble to him on both Sides, that he doth not know how to determine himfelf : He doth not know which way he fhould frame a Judgment about the Point in queftion.
This is the Notion of a Doubt, Now in fuch a Cafe as this, when Authority interpofeth, and declareth it felf on one Side J and pronounceth not only that the Thing is lawful to be done, but alfo, that it will have it done ; and accordingly lays its Commands upon the Man to do it : I fay, if there be not fo much Weight in Jtithority as to turn the Scale in fuch a Cafe as this, and to oblige a Man to aft in Obedience to it ; it is the lighted Thing in the World, and fignifies very little as to the influencing the Affairs of Mankind.
But, Fourthly and Lafily ; If the Matter be out of doubt : If a Man be really con- vinced that the Thing which Authority Commands him, is not lawful in itfelf, but is contradiftory to the Laws of God : In that Cafe he muft not do the Thing com- manded ; on the contrary, he is bound to. forbear the Bradice of it.
If any Human Law, let it be made by the beft Authority upon Earth, fhould
com-
58 The Second Sermon^
command us to believe any Point in Mat- ters of Faith which we are perfuaded to be contrary to the Revelation of Chrift and his Apoftles ; or fhould command us to frofefs and declare our Belief of any Matter whatfoever, tho' never To indif- ferent, when yet we did not really be- lieve it; or, lalHy, fhould oblige us to the doing of any Acfion which we did ia our own Confcience judge to be aTranfgreflTion of a Divine Command : I fay, in none of thefe Cafes are we to yield Obedience to the Law^ by what Authority foever it was Enacted. And the Reafon is plain : We muft always chufe to obey God rather than Men. Where God's Law hath commanded us, there no Human Law can abfoive us from the Obligation. Where God's Law hath forbidden us, there no Human Law can lay Obligations upon us.
And it is the fame Thing as to our Praftice, that we believe God's Law hath ty'd us up, as if it had really done fo. So that, whether we are really in the right, or in the wrong, as to our Perfua- jtons in thefe Matters, we muft not a(5t againft them; becaufe we muft not aQ: againft our Confciences. Only this we are to remember, that it extremely con- cerns us rightly to inform our Confci- ences in thefe Matters where Human Laws have interpofed their Authority.
For
The Second Sermon, 5p
For if we make a wrong Judgment of Things, and upon that account deny our Obedience to the Laws, where we fliould have given it ; though we ought not to a£i againft our Confcience, as I faid, (nay, it would be a great Sin in us i£ we fhould,) yet, on the other Side, we are not to be excufed for difobeying the Commands of Authority, where we might lawfully have obeyed them; unlefs it fhould prove that it was through no Fault of ours that our Judgments were mifin- formed.
And thus much concerning my Firji Head, that of Obedience to Lam: I now come to the other, that of SuhjeBton ; as that Word implies patient Submif- fion to our Governours, where we can- not aciively comply with what they re- quire of us.
And this is that DoQ;rine of FaJJive Obe- dieme which of late hath had fo ill a Sound among many of us : But I dare fay, for no other reafon, but becaufe it may have been by fome mifreprefented. For wherever it is rightly underftood, it can give Offence to none but to fuch as are really difaffecled to the Government, and do defire Alterations.
That there is fuch a Submiffion due from all Subjefts to the Supreme Authority of the Place where they live, as ihall tie up their Hands from Oppofmg or Refifting
it
6q The Second Sermon.
it> by Force, is evident from the very Nature and Ends o^Politkal Society. And I dare fay, there is not that Country upon Earth, let the Form of their Government be what it will, (Jbfolute Monarchy, L^- ^<3!/ Monarchy, Ariftocracy, or Common- wealth) where this is not a Part of the Conftitution. Subjects muft obey ^af- fively, where they cannot obey a^ively : Other wife the Government would be precarious, and the Publick Peace at the Mercy of every Malecontent, and a Door would be fet open to all the Infur- reftions. Rebellions and Treafons in the World.
Nor is this only a Sfafe Dodrine, but the Doftrine alfo of Jefus Chrift, and that a neceffary, indifpenfable one too ; as fuf- ficently appears from thofe famous Words of St. Paul, Rom.yAii. 1,2. which are fo plain, that they need no Comment : Let every Soul (faith he) bs fubjeB to the Higher Towers J for there is no Power but of God \ and, the Powers that be, are ordained of God. Who- foever therefore refijleth the Power, rcjifieth the Ordinance of -God. ; and thsy that refijl, (hall receive to themfelves Damnation. So that fo long as this Text Hands in our Bibles, the Doctrine of Non-Refifiance, or Pajfive Obe- dience, muft be of Obligation to all Chri- ftians.
But then, after I have faid this, care muft be taken that this General Doftrine
be
The Second Sermon. 6t
be not mifapplied in particular Countries. Though Non-Refiftarjcey or Fajjive Obedi- ence, be a Duty to all Subjefts, and un- der all Governments, yet it is not ex- ErelTed the fame way in all Places ; but oth the Objects and the Inflames of it do vary in different Nations, according to the different Models of their Govern- ment.
To fpeak this as plainly as I can. As the Laws of the Land are the Meafures of our ABive Obedience ; fo are alfo the fame Laws the Meafures of our Submijjion, And as we are not bound to obey but where the Laws and Conftitution require our Obedience \ fo neither are we bound to ftibmit but as the Laws and Confti- tution do require our Siibmifjion.
Taking now this to be the true ftating of the Dodrine of PaJJlve Obedience, as I verily believe it is, I do not fee what co- lour of Reafon can be offered againft it. Sure I am, the common Pretence, that it tends to introduce Tjranny, and Arbi- trary Government, and to make People Slaves, is quite out of Doors. For you fee it makes no Princes Ahfolute, where, by the Conftitution, they were not fo be- fore. Nor doth it deftroy any Liberty of the Subjeds that they were before in Poffeffion of. All that it doth, is to pre- ferve and fecure the National Settlement lu. the fame Pofiure, and upon the fame
Foot^
62 The Second Sermon,
Toot^ in and upon which it is ah'eady Eftablifhed. And this is fo true, that there is not a Common-wealth in the World fo free, but that thefe Dodrines of Non-Re fifiance^ and PaJJlve Obedience^ muft for ever be taught there, as ne- ceflary even for the Prefer vation of their Liberties,
As for what this Dodrine imports among us, and in our Conftitution, or how far it is to be extended or limited, it belongs not to me to determine. But thus much the Occafion of this Day's Meeting will not only warrant me, but oblige me to fay upon this Head, and it is all the A^fltsation I fhall now make, namely.
That by all the Laws of this Land, the Terfon of the KING is Sacred and Invio- lable; and that to Attempt his Life in any Way, or upon any Pretence, always was and is High-Treafon. And if fo, what are we to think of that Fact which was on this Day committed upon the Ferfon of our late Sovereign, of BlefTed Memory, King Charles I. taking it with all its Cir- eumftances? Why certainly, hov/ flight foever fome People among us may make of it, it was a mod Barbarous Murther ; a Violation of the Laws of God and Man, a Scandal to the Froteftant: Religion^ and a Reproach to the People of England ; ' whilft the impiou.s Rage of a Ferv^ flands
im-
The Second Sermon. 63
imputed by our Adverfaries to the whol^ Nation. All this I may fay of this faci \ for it is no more than is faid of it by the hord.s and Commons of England^ m that Ad of Parliament, which appoints the keeping of this Day as a perpetual Faft,
I am fenfible how uneafie fome are at the mentioning of this ; and how gladly they would have both the Thing, and the Memorial of it, forgot among us. I mufl: confefs, I could wiih fo too, provided we were fure that God had forgot it ; fo, I mean, forgot it, as that we were no longer obnoxious to his Judgments, upon the Account of that Innocent Blood : And provided Hkewife, in the Second Place, that thofe FaBiom^ Republican Principles which have once over-turn'd our Govern- ment, and brought an Excellent Prince to an unhappy End, were fo far forgot among us, as that there was no Danger from them, of ever having this or the like Tragedy a£led again in our Nation. But fo long as we have Apprehenfions from either of thefe Things, fo long it will be fit for us to remember this Faci^ and this Day ; and both to implore the Mercy of God, that neither the Guilt of that Sacred and Innocent Blood, 7ior thofe other Sins by which God was provoked to deliver up both m and our Kjng into the Hands of cruel and unrea- finable Men, may, at any Time hereafter, be vifited upor^ us, or our Pojlerity : And like- wife
64 The Secd7id Sermon,
wife to.fuffer our felves to be put in mind of that Duty, which, by St. PauPs Au- thority, I have been all this while infifting on, namely, to hs fub'ject to Prmcipalities and Powers^ and to obey Magijlrates : Oi*, if you will rather take it in the Words of Solomon, PrOV, xxiv. 21. To fear the Lord and the Kj^g-, ^nd not to meddle with them that are given to Change »
s E R.
SERMON III
Preached before the
KING
I N
St. JAMES'S Chapel^
On F aim-Sunday^ March 24. i|^.
St. JOHN XX. 29-
hlejfed are they that have not
feen^ and yet have believed.
THESE are our Saviour's Words to St. Thomas after his Refur re- gion. The Occafion of them was this : The other Difciples had afTured Thomas^ that our Saviour was rifen from the Dead, and that he had in Perfon ap- peared to them. Thomas would not be- lieve this upon their Report, b^Jit required V o Le IL F farther
66 The Third Sermon.
farther Evidence. Except (faith he) I {hall fee in hi^ Hands the Print of the Nailsy and thrufi my Hand into his Side^ I will not he- lieve. The next time that our Saviour appeared to them, Thoma^s was in the Company, and then he was pleafed to give him fuch a Proof of his Refurre£i:ion as he himfelf had ftood upon ; for he calls upon him, and bids him reach forth his Finger, and behold his Hands where the Print of the Nails was, and reach forth his Hand, and thrufi it into his Side, and after this, not to be faithlefsj but believing. Hereupon Thomas owns himfelf fully convinced, and in Token thereof, he anfivered and f aid unto him. My Lord, and my God, Then come in the Words of the Text : Jefm faith unto htm, Thomas, Beoaufe thou .hajt feen me^ thou hafl believed : Blejfed are they that have not feen, and yet have believed.
In which Words, as our Saviour tacitly reproves Thomas for his Incredulity, in not believing a Matter of Fa£l well at- tefted, unlefs he himielf faw it; fo he lays down an univerfal Propofition for the Encouragement of all Mankind m future Ages of the World, to believe m him,, though they had not feen him.
Our Saviour knew very well, that this was to be the Cafe of far the greateft Part that were to believe in him. For it was only to the Men of that Age in which he lived, and of that Country
where
The Third Sermon* 67
where he converfed, to whom k was given to hear from his own Mouth his Divine Do6lrines, and to fee with their Eyes the Proofs that he gave of his Divine Miffion, particularly that Illuftrious one of his Refurre(3:ion from the Dead. But for all the fucceeding Generations of Men, they were to believe without feeing. Their Faith was not to be grounded on the Evi- dence of their Own Senfes, but on the Teftimony of thofe that had had that Evidence. And therefore for the obliging and encouraging all Mankind, in the Ages to come, to embrace his Religion upon fuch Motives and fuch Evidence as this, he pronounceth thefe Words, Bleffed ars they that have notfeen^ and yet have believed,
I doubt not but that all Chriftians- are fully fatisfied both of the Truth and Rea- fon of this Propofition of our Saviour, and are convinced that they have Motives enow to oblige them to believe in him, and to own his Religion ) though they never faw, nor were capable of feeing the Original Proofs and Evidence he gave for the Truth of it. Indeed, if it were otherwife, none of us at this Day could be Chriftians upon rational Grounds. But this Doctrine will not pafs among all Men. On the contrary, by feveral, their not See^ tng^ is made the great, if not the only Pretence, for their not 'Believing, This being fo \ I hope it will not be Time mif-
F 2 fpentj
68 The Third Sermoft.
fpent, if I endeavour to anfwer this Plea of theirs ; and, I think, I cannot to better Purpofe difcourfe upon this Text, than by' doing fo.
The Cafe is this. Sortie there are among us that endeavour to run down all ReveaPd Religion, If you ask them^ whether then they are for any Religion at all ? They will tell you, Yes ; they are for that which Natural Reafon teacheth. We wiOi they were in good Earneft when they fay this : For then we fhould hope to be foon all of a Mind. For we cannot doubt but that whofoever doth fincerely believe all that Natural Reafon will teach him about Religion, and doth ferioufly endeavour to frame his Life accordingly ; fuch a one will not fail to embrace Chri- fiiamty^ whenever the Doftrines of our Saviour, and the Proofs he gave for the Truth of them, are fairly reprefented to him. But, in truth, thefe Mens loofe way, both of difcourfmg, and of living, renders it fufpicious, that their ProfefHon of Natural Religion is not very (incere ; but only for the fheltering them from the Imputation of Atheifm, and ferving other fecular Ends. For fuch a Sche?ne of Natural Religion have they framed to them- felves, as will not much trouble their Con- fciences, let them live how they will. But now the Chrifiian Religion (which is that they chiefly oppofe under the Name of
Re^
The Third Sermon, 69
Revealed Religion) is a more flubborn Thing, and will not fo eafily be brought to comply with their Humours and In- clinations. And that vjq fear, though they are loth to own it, is the fecret Reafon of their Grudge againft it. The Gofpel of Chrift doth not favour fuch Sort of Principles as thefe Men have taken up, nor fuch a Kind of Life as they are engaged in ; but, on the con- trary, feverely declares againft them. And therefore fome colourable Reafon muft be found out, for the fetting a fide the Au- thority of this Gofpel, which is fo contra- di8:ory to their htere(ls. But how is this to be come by?
To objed againft the Sufficiency of the Proof that our Saviour gave to the World of his being fent from God to teach this Religion to Mankind, that there is no colour for : For they are fenfible, that if his Hiftory, as it is related in the Gofpel, be admitted to be a true Hiftory, fo that one may depend upon the Matters of Fa8: there recorded concerning him : If this, I fay, be admitted, it cannot be denied, but that our Saviour gave abundant Evi- dence, that he was what he pretended to be, th^ Son of God, and the great Prophet whom all Men were to be obe- dient to, if they meant to be faved.
Since therefore they cannot faften upon thisj they pitch upon another Method.
F 3 They
yo The Third Sermon.
They endeavour to run down all our Evi- dence for the Truth of Chrift's Religion, by making a Difference between yd'^/V/g- out Saviour's Miracles, and reading them in a Book. They will allow, that if any Man heard or faw Jefus Chrift fpeaking thofe Things, or doing thofe Things, which are recorded of him ; fuch a Man would have fujSicient Reafon to induce him to be his Difciple : But they deny that they have any fuch Reafon to be {o^ becaufe they neither heard nor farv any of thofe Things ; nor are they convinced that fuch Things were ever done. They reproach us, that when they defire of us a Proof of the Chriftian Religion, all the Anfwer they can obtain of us is, that they muft go to fuch a Book (which we call the Bible) and that will fatisfy them. But why fliould they pin their Faith upon any Book in the World ? This is what they urge for their Infidelity.
This now being the State of the Con- troverfy between Us and feveral of the Unbelievers among us, you fee it turns upon this fingle Point that is now before us ; namely, Whether a Man that does not fecy may not have fufficient Reafon to believe at many hundred Years diftance ? Or more particularly thus ; Whether we in thefe Days, who never [am our Sa- viour, nor his Miracles, (particularly that of his Rejurrc^my with Reference^ to
which
The ThWd Sermon. 71
which thefe Words were fpoken) have not abundant Reafon to believe in him, upon the Teftimony of thofe that did fee all thefe Things. We fay we have. They fay we have not. Here therefore we join IlTue.
Now for the making good our Side of the Queflion, J proceed by thefe Steps.
In the Yirft Place, We lay it down as a L Principle, and, I fuppofe, every body will agree to it ; That if Jefus Chrifi and his Apoftles, when they firil: Preached the Gofpel, did give fufficient Frxsof and Evi- dence that what they Preached was from God : And likewife, if both the Dodrine they Preached, and the Proof and Evi- dence they gave for it, be faithfully tranf- mitted to us ; and with fuch Certainty likewife, that we cannot have any rea- fonable Doubt that it is fo tranfmitted : Then, I fay, we can have no reafon in the Earth to complain, that we want Evidence for the Truth of the Gofpel. I do not fay yety that we have as llrong Proof, as if we had feen or heard thofe Things ourfelves : But, I fay, we have fufficienf Proof to convince any reafonable unbiailed Man : This, I prefume, no body will deny, and k is all that we ask at prefent.
In the Second Place ; I believe none will II. deny, that what was once really fpoken, or what was once really done, may be F 4 V truly
72 The Third Sermon-
truly and faithfully put into Writing. And it is poUible, likewife, that thofe Writings may come fo well attefted, to them that live many Ages after thofe Things were fpoken, or done, that none in any Age can reafonably doubt that they give a true and faithful Account of the Things therein reported to be done or taught. I fay, I believe, none will deny this ; for if it be not admitted, we can give no Credit to any Hiftory that was written; nor, confequently, to any Mat- ter of Fa 61 that was done in former Ages. It therefore will, I hope, be granted, that both the Dodrines of our Saviour, and his Proofs of them, might, in this way, if God {o pleaied, be fo faithfully tranf- mitted to Pollerity, that future Ages might certainly come to the Knowledge of themo HI. In the Third Place we fay, That it is obvious to all Mankind, that if ever there was any Affair in the World, wherein the Providence of God was concerned, that there fliould be a faithful Convey- ance of it made to all Generations to come ; and carrying the Marks of its own Credibility, this Affair of the Gofpel of Chriit was fuch a one ; becaufe the Importance of it to all the Children of Men was fuch, that their Salvation or Damnation, to the End of the World, did depend upon the Belief of it, \^ the
Author
The Third Sermon. 7:
Author of this Gofpel delivered a true bof^rine. And therefore we may cer- tainly conclude, that if what Chrift taught at the firft, was from God ; God would take care that what he taught, together with fufficient Proof of the Truth of it, fhould be conveyed to all the Ages of the World. And if all this was to be contained in a Book; we may likewife be aiTured, that Book fhould come to us, with fuch Evidence of its being true, that we could have no reafonable Sufpi- cion concerning it. We are fure God's Providence hath taken care that Writings of an ancienter Date than the Gofpel, that are of infinitely lefs Confequence to Man- kind, fhould come down to us without any Sufpicion of Impofture : And can it be imagined then, his Providence fiiould be unconcerned, in preferving and bring- ing fafe to our Hands, the Records of a Thing, by the Belief or Denial of which, the Eternal State of Men in the other World is to be concluded ?
In the Fourth Place, having laid thefe IV. Foundations, we advance a Step higher. It is certain, that there was a timely and a faithful Record of all the Things that Jefiis Chrifi taught, m order to Sal- vation, and of all the Proofs he gave for the Truth and Divinity of his Dodrine : And this Record is contained in. the Books of the New Teftament.
That
74 The Third SeriJion-
That this is true Matter of Fa8:, we have all the Proof that a Thing of this Nature is capable of. Thefe Books were written, either by Men that were Eye and Ear WitnefTes of our Saviour's Miracles, and Do£i:riae, and Converfation ; or by fuch as Converfed with thofe that were. This appears not only fit)m the Wri- tings themfelves, which carry in them all the Marks of their being written by Per- fons fo qualified ; but alfo from the con- stant Tradition that hath in all Ages gone in the World, about the Authors of thefe Writings. And you may with as much, or more reafon doubt, that thofe Writings among us, which go under the Name of Ckeroy or C^Jar, or Seneca ; or any other moft unqueftioned Author, were none of theirs, but forged fmce their Times ; than you can doubt that the Gofpels of St. Mat- thew^ Mark^ and John, and Luke\ both Gofpel and A8:s of the Apoftles, and St. PatiPs Epiftles, were not writ by thofe Authors, or in the Age they pretend to be. I fay, there is a great deal more Reafon to doubt of that, than there is of this : Becaufe we have not only all the Proofs of the Genuincnefs of thofe Writings, that can be given for any other Writings, which are the moft unqueftioned in the World ; but this over and above, which is compatible to none but thefe; namely, That the Matter of thefe Wri- ^ tings
The Third Sermon. 75
tings is of fuch a Nature, that all Man- kind were concerned to detect the Fraud and the Forgery of them, if there had been any : But yet they have always pafTed under the Names they bear at this Day ; nay, and, in every Age, from the firft Publifhing of them, we have Au- thentick Authorities, in a continued Suc- ceflion to vouch for them.
Well, but fuppofing thefe Men to be the Authors of thefe Writings ; yet how can we depend upon the Truth of what they have reported ?
In Anfwer to this, I fay, in the Fifth V. Place, Let any Man read them, and then fpeak from his Confcience, Whether he does not think that thefe Men were m good Earneft, and did really write accord- ing to their own inward Senfe ? And yet the Matters they wrote were fuch, as it was not poflible they could be deceived about them, becaufe they were all plain Matters of FaQ: ; Things which their Eyes and Ears were witnelTes of. But that is not all : They who lived in thofe Days, and had full Opportunities of exa- mining the Truth of what they had writ- ten, gave Teftimony to them ; fince they built their Faith upon the Matters of Fad they had delivered. If therefore you fup- pofe thefe Writers to be fmcere honeft Men, it is certain that what they re- corded concerning our Lord Jefus, and
his
76 The Third Sermon.
his Dodrines, and his A<Ei:ions, muft be true. On the other Side, if you fuppofq them to have had Defigns of impofing upon the World with a falfe Story ; you iiiuft, at the fame Time, fuppofe a great Number qf People (of whom there is no ground for fuch a Sufpicion) to be perfect Fools or Madmen, who gave fo much Credit to all that Matter which they related concerning our Saviour, that they laid down their Lives to atteft the Truth of it. '
I know nothing to be faid againfl. this, unlefs it be. That though they could not well be fuppofed to be miftaken in the Matters of Fa£i: which they relate con- cerning our Saviour, yet they might ia the Matter of his Do^rines. Thefe they might mifreprefent, and cpnfequently their Writings ought not to be of that Author rity with us, as that we fliould be bound to believe all that they -fay. But to this I give a very fhort Anfwer ; If we do ad- mit them to be true Reporters of Mat- ters of Facf^ we muft aUb of Neceflity admit them to be true Reporters, nay, I fay more, Infallible Reporters of our Sa- viour's Do^rine ; fo as that their Decla- rations of it muft for ever conclude all Chriftians. And the Reafon is this : The Authors of thefe Writings were either Apoftles, or Apoftolick Men, as has been faid before : and it is one of the Matters
of
the third Sermon* 77
of FaB rep6rted in thefe Writings, that oUb Saviour did fo aflift thefe Men with his Holy Spirit, that they were -enabled faith- fully and infallibly to Preach that Dodrine to others which he had delivered to them. Now, if we be fare they were infpired m ^''•^^ what they Preached, we may be as much af- fured they were infpired in ^«m>^ what they Preached into writingy fmce it was the fame Dodrine that they Preached and that they Wrote ; and, efpecially, fihce after it was written it was to remain to all fucceed- ing Generations, and to be a Rule of Mens Faith fo long as the World fliould iafl:. And further. We are fure that all the Chriftians of thofe Days did look upon thofe Writings to have a Stamp of Divine Authority upon them, and diftinguifhed them from all other Human Compofitions. And to Evidence this, they made thefe Writings to be the Standard of their Be- h'ef ; the Meafure by which they tried all Opinions and DoBrines in Religion : So that whatever was not found in thefe Scrip- tures, was not accounted as neceffary to •Salvation; and whatever was found dif- agreeing from thefe Scriptures, was re- jeded as an Innovation, or an Error m Chriftianity : And of this we have fuffici- ent Evidence from Antiquity.
Well, but hov/ fhall we know whe- ther thefe Scriptures be faithfully tranf- mitted down to us? How do we know
but
78 The Third Sermon,
but that they may have been corrupted fince the Time they were written, and made to fpeak different Things now, from what they did at the firft? This is the laft Queftion upon this Argument; and, VI. in Anfwer to it, I fay, m. the ^ixth Place,
If the Providence of God, as I told you before, was ever concerned to prefer ve any Writings from being depraved or cor* rupted ; it was certainly more efpecially concerned to do it, as to the Writings we are now fpeaking of^ they being of fuck vaft Importance to all the Generations of Mankind. But I do not leave the Matter fo. There is Evidence of faB as well as Reafon to be offered ia this Cafe.
Let the Books of the New Teftament, as we now have them, be tried by the fevered Rules of Criticifm : Let the Co^ pes both Ancient and Modern, which are extant of them, be compared: Let the feveral Verfions of them likewife that were made, in the earlieft Times, be examined : Laftly, Let all the Ecclefiafiicd Writers, from the Beginning of Chriftianity to this Day, who have either commented upon them, or proved any Dodrine from them, or but occafionally quoted them in their Writings, be fearched into ; it will appear, by all thefe Ways of Tryal, that our Scriptures are the fame at this Day, that they were at the Beginning, without any material Difference.
Indeed^
The Third Sermon. 79
Indeed, confidering the Multitude of Copies that were taken of thefe Books, and the fevcral Tranflations that were made of them into other Languages, even fhortly after the Time they were firft publifhed ; we cannot imagine it poflible, that, in After-ages, any thing could be foifted into them, to ferve the Turn of any 'Party^ but the Impofture would have been prefently difcovered. And accordingly we find, that when any Attempts of this kind have been made, there Were not wanting thofe who took care to deteO: and expofe them.
I do not, when I fay this, deny that there are many Differences and various Readings to be met with, in the ancient Copies of thefe Books, occafioned by the Negligence or Miftakes of Tranfcribers : Nay, and fome few Paffages may be wanting, in fome Copies, that are found in others. But then I defire it may be obferved, that thefe Differences are of fuch fmall Moment, that it is of no Im- portance to the Chriftian Faith, which of the Readings be right, and which of them be wrong ; for they all agree in all the Matters which concern either our Saviour's DoBrines, or his Precepts^ or the Proofs he gave of his Divine MifFion : And farther Agreement than this, I think, none needs to defire.
In-
8o The Third iSermofL
Indeed, if flight and verbal DifFerenceSj' in Copies, be a good Argument againft the Genuinenefs of a Writing, we have no genuine Writing of any ancient Au- thor at this Day ; for the fame Thing has happened to all old Books whatfo- ever, that have been often tranfcribed : And to fuppofe that it fhould be other- wife, in the Books of the Scripture, is to fuppofe, that God ought in every Age, as immediately and infallibly to guide the Pe?? of every Tranfcriber of them, as he did the Mwds of their firft Authors.
To make now a little Refle(9:ion on what I have faid about the Scriptures of the Netv Tefiament, It is urged by our Deifts, as a very hard Thing, that where- as, when the Gofpel was firft preached^ Men had Opportunities of being convinced by their Senfes of the Truth of it ; (or, at leaft, it is pretended they had fuch Op- portunities) we now are only referred to a Book that gives us an Account of thefe Matters : Why, I defire to know, what other Way they would have had an Account of them but by Books? Would they have had our Saviour to come down from Heaven every fifty or Threefcore Years, and to Preach the fame Do6irine, and confirm it by the fame Miracles to the Men of that Generation, that he once did among the Jews? Yet this it muft be fuppofed necefTary for him to do, li Men \ . Gannot
The Third Sermoih %t
cannot otherwife be convinced of the Truth of his Religion, but by their Senfes : Nay, that would not be enough^ he muft not only publifh his Do6lrine, and repeat his Miracles to every Age^ but to every individual Man of every Age\ otherwife all Men had not Opportunity of being convinced by their Senfes^ and^ confequently, could not, upon reafonable Grounds, believe in him. Butj if this Suppofition be abfurd, as it certainly is; then we muft be content (and there is all the Reafon in the World we fhould be fo) with thlt Sort of Evidence for the Truth of his Gofpel, that other Mat» ters of Fa£l, done at a great Diftance of Time from us, are capable of: That is to fay, Authentick WitnefTes of them at the firft ; and the Teftimony of thofe WitnefTes faithfully tranfmitted down to Poftefity* And how any Teftimony can be more faithfully tranfmitted, than by the Way of Writing, let them fhew us, if they can.
And then, as for the Books or Writings that we refer you to in this Cafe, we ask no more for the gaining Credit to them, than only that it may be ferioufly confidered, of what Sort they are^ and what Authority they carry along with them.
We do not fend you to Herodotm^ and Fliny^ or fuch-like Writers ; who^ though
Vqj.^ II» G they
82 The Third Sermofi.
they were very good Authors, yet took a great deai of what they faid, from lin^ certain Reports. ■ - '.« -
Much leis do we ferid^olk'to'a Golden Legetid^ or the Lives of the Saints, as they have been written of later Days-, by Men who took Advantage of the Ig- norance and Credulity of the Age they liv'd in, to obtrude what they pleafed upon the World.
But we fend you to Authors who therafelves knew, and were WitnefTes of .what they wrote.
Who gave all polTible Proof of their Sincerity and Integrity, not only by pub- lickly, in all Places, averting the Truth of what they had Written, but fome of them alfo Sealing it with their Blood.
Who were fo afTifted with the Divine Spirit, that they themfelves wrought the fame Miracles, for the Confirmation >of Chrift's Dodrine, that they had recorded him to have done.
And laftly. Who in all fucceeding Ages ' were had in fuch Veneration among Chri- ftians, that their Writings were efteemed the Platform and Standard of true Faith : And upon which they fet fo high a Va- lue, that they would keep them at the Peril of their Lives. And Inftances we have of Multitudes, who rather chofe Torments and Death, thaa they would deliver up their Bibles-
Taking
The Third Sermon, 83
Taking now all this together, can any thing like it be faid for the Truth or the Authority of any other Book in the World ?
But this is not All. I defire in the Se- VIL ve^th and Lafi Place, it niay be confidered, iThat we dO' not fend you to a bare 'Book for the Proof of the Chriftian Re- ligion, how much foever that Book may have the Marks, not only of a True and Genuine, but alfo of a Divine Hiftory. But we infift upon a great many other Things for the Proof of the Matters con- tained in that Book, befides the Authority of the Book itfelf.
If, indeed, nothing had followed upon Chrift's publifhing his Gofpel, and we had never heard more of it, or him, fave what We might happen to meet with in thofe Old Writings ; I do not know how far their Evidence alone, now, at the Di- ftance of near Seventeen hundred Years, would have prevailed with us to embrace his Religion : But now when we fee and are convinced, that fo many remarkable Effects enfued upon his Preaching in the World, and ft ill continue vifible at this Day ; which yet cannot be afcribed to any other Caufe, than to the particular Power and Providence of God, which was con- cerned to juftify our Saviour, and his Pre-^ tenfions to the World : This is certainly a new Evidence, and a ftanding oiie, both
G a for
84 ^'^^ Third Sermon,
for that Book which mentions all thefe Things, and, efpecially, for that Caufe it maintains.
The Cafe of the Chriftian Religion is plainly this : Jefm Chrifi^ a mean Perfon as to his outward Circumftances, fets up for a Preacher of a new Religion. And this, not m the Times of Ignorance and Barbarifm (when an Impofture might be fuppofed more eafy to be carried on, and which Advantages Mahomet afterwards made ufe of) but in the Reign of Au- gujlm Cafar^ when Learning, and Arts, and Sciences were in the moft flourifhing Condition, that ever they were known to be.
He chufes a Company of very ordinary Urdettered Men, but very Honefi Men, to be the Witnefles of his Converfation and Doftrine : And thefe he defigns for the Spreaders of his Religion throughout the World.
He neither makes ufe of Arts, nor Arms for the gaining Difciples to him- felf : Only declares plainly, that he is the Perfon, whom God had long before pro- mifed to fend, and whom he did now fend, to publifli Eternal Salvation to all that fhould believe in him.
The Religion which he taught, and which all his Followers were to take upon them, was fo far from gratifying Flefh and Bloody that it feemed much
better
The Third Sermon. 85
better contrived, as the World then ftood, for the frighting Men from it, than for the alluring Profelytes to it.
For there was nothing in it that mi- niftred to any fenfual or worldly Pur- pofes; nothing that tended to make a Man either wife, or rich, or great, or happy, in the Senfe of this World ; but all the quite contrary. He that would be his Difciple, muft quit all the popular Notions about Happinefs. Inftead of be- ing thought wife, mull: fwbmit to be coun- ted a Fool for Chrift's fake. Inftead of getting Wealth, or Honour, or Prefer- ment, muft be prepared to part with all thefe Things, if he was already polfeffed of them ; muft deny himfelf, and all his Temporal Interefts ; nay, muft forfake Fa- ther and Mother, and his own Life alfo, whenever he was called to it. The way tp Heaven, as he taught it, was by Hu- mility and Meeknefs, and Contempt of the World, and all the Glories of it ; by patient fuffering Affiidions and Injuries, and an abfolute Refignation of ourfclves to God, to do and fuffer whatever was his Will. And he himfelf, as he lived thus, fg did he thus go off the Stage ; being, after Three Years preaching this Sort of Dodrine, hanged up on a Crofs, as an Impoftor, and that by the Vote of his own Country-men.
G I Where
B6 The Third Sermon*
Where now was the Temptation to the Generality of Men, to own this Man as a Prophet fent from God to Mankind X "Why, in truth, by what I have yet re- prefented, there was very Uttle: Nay, indeed, to any one that confiders thefe Beginnings of the Gofpel, it will be Mat- ter of Aftonifhment that any more came of it, and that it did not prefently die with the Author of it.
But here Was the Thing. Our Lord, in how poor a Condition foever he lived, yet he j'fake as iieuer Man fpake. He fo explained the Old Scriptures which fore- told of him ; He taught fuch important Truths concerning another Life, concern- ing the Nature and Providence of God, and his Mercy to loft Mankind, and the Way in which he would be ferved, and in what Sort of Things it was, that true Religion did confift, that he pierced the very Souls of thofe that heard him. There was fb, much Evidence in the Truths themfelves that he delivered, that no honeft vertuoufly-difpofed Minds could ftand out againft them? but muft be con- vinced, in their own Confciences, that this, of all that they had ever heard of, was a Religion worthiell to come from God, and moft accommodated to the Spiritual Needs of Men ; nay, and their Temporal ones too, fuppofing that all Men would embrace it.
And
The Third Sermo72, 87
..And then *the whole Tenor of his Life was fuitable hereunto: For he appeared in. all his A^liqns and Converfation, to be a Man of fo much Candor and Good- nefs, and Clearnefs of Spirit; fo Humble, fo Juft, fo Prudent, fo Charitable, fo Ob- liging to all Mankind ; fo full of J^iety and Devotion, and Refignation tq God ; and laftly, fo free from all Sufpicion that he carried on any felfifli Oefigns, that all thefe Heavenly Doctrines came better put of his Mouth, than if any other had delivered them.
But that which crowned all was this ; that throughout the whole Stage of his Life there '■ was a vifible Evidence of 2, Divine Power and Prefence going along with him, which fiiewed itfelf in a thou- fand Inftances of the moft glorious Mira- cles that ever were feen or heard of in the World, and that to the Amazement of the whole Country where he lived.
In this manner, I fay, did our Saviour lay the Foundation for a Belief of his Do- 6:rine, to all fucceeding Generations ; and a folid unfhaken Foundation it was.
But yet, for all that, if the Power of God had flopped here, I do not know what Superftrudure would ever have been made upon this Foundation.
For fo it was, that thofe very Men, thofe honeft plain-hearted Men that he had taken ii^to his Family, to be Wit-
(j 4 nefles
§B Hhe Third Sermon.
neffes of what he did and taught, with a defign, as I told you, of fending them abroad to publifli all thofe Things through- out the World ; yet, when he came to ^'iQ', fuch poor-fpirited Creatures they proved, that every Man of them forfook him.
0 fad Example of human Frailty and Inconftancy ! Thofe Men that had the greateft Opportunities of knowing hint and his Dodrine, and had profelTed the moft firm Refoiutions of adhering to him ; yet all forfook him in the Hour of Danger, and fliifted for themfelves.
But God Almighty, tho' he fuffered good Men to aft as Men, did not there- fore lay afide that great Defign he had fet on foot by our Lord Jefus ; no, nor of accomplifhing it by the Miniftry of thefe very Men*
For he raifed up his Son from the dead on the Third Day- (as our Saviour had before t6ld them he would); and this put new Life and Spirit into thofe Pei*- ions that had lately abandoned him.
But that vi^as not all. Oiir Saviour calls them all together after he was thus rifen from the dead. He acquaints them with the Work that he had committed to them. He aiTures them that he will be with them, and thofe that fhould fucceed them m that Miniftry for ever: :t^ot m Perfon ; for he was to continue in
Heaven
The Third Sermon. 89
Heaven to intercede for all Believers at the Right Hand of God ; but by the Virtue and Prefence of the Holy Spirit, who was to be his Deputy and Vice- gerent upon Earth. This Holy Spirit he would in a few Days fend down upon them, who fhould effeOiually furnilh and endue them with all Powers, and Qua- lities, and Abilities, needful for the Dif- charge of fo great a Work, as the Con- verfion of the World to his Religion, 3vas. And after he had told them thefe things, he vifibly, in their Prefence, afcended up into Heaven.
Here now begins Chrift's Kingdom. He had conquered Death before, and now he comes to conquer the Devil and the World, From henceforward you hear of no Fear, no Pufillanimity, no mean Beha- viour in any of the Apoftles. They then go and preach to all the World that Gofpel which their Mafter ordered them. No Danger frights them : No human Learning or Philofophy is able to iland before them. The greateft Obftacles, the greateft Terrors that come in their way, are fo far from making them quit the Work they had begun, that they rather prove Incentives to them to go on in it. They make it their Bufmefs to gain Souls in every Place to Jefus Clirifl: : They run about the whole Komm Empire, and far- ther than ever that extended- They
pretend
90 The Third Sermon.
pretend to no Eloquence, no polite Learn- ing, no Arts of Infinuation: But they preach a plain, honeft, pious Dodrine; but withal fuch a Doctrine, that as the Times then went, a Man muft expert to bid an everlafting Adieu to all the Wealth, and Pleafures, and Honours of this World, if he once embraced it. They declare to all People the Authority they had for the Preaching this Dodrine. They vouch our Lord Jefus Chrift as the Author of it, who Ued for the bearing Teftimony to it, and rofe again for its Confirmation, and is now King of Hea- ven and Earth. And they fhewed, that they had an authentick Commiilion from Heaven for the doing all this ; by fpeak- ing the Language of every Country where they came, without ever being taught it ; by curing all difeafed People that were brought to them ; by difpoffefling Devils ; by giving Sight to the Blind, and making the Lame to. walk, and reftoring dead Bodies to life.
All thefe wonderful Things they did all the World over. And what the Effeds hereof were, was manifeft every where, and continues manifefl: to this Day.
The Gofpel fpread like Lightning in all Places ; And wherever it came, Pagan Idolatry was confounded : Till at lafl: the whole Roman Empire was converted to the Religion of Jefus Chrift. Converted
it
The Third Sermon. 9t
it was by Men naked and unafTifted; without the leaft Encouragement at the firfl from the Secular Powers, nay, in Contradiction to the fevereft Penalties that the Secular Powers could contrive or decree to hinder iu
We grant, indeed, that many Thou- fands of brave Men did lofe their Lives in this Kelkious War between our Lord Jefus Chrift and the Devil (who was then the Prince of this World) and did patiently fubmit to Death, that they might afTert the Truth of our Saviour's Caufe : But that was Chrift's Way of vanquifh- ing the Devil ; he did thus break the Ser- fent'^s Head^ while the Serpent brut fed his Heel: And he did at laft, by this Way, effedually break his Kingdom ; as is vi- fible and notorious even from that Time to this Day.
And now I Appeal to every one, whe- ther this, which is Matter of Fad, and known to all Men that look into the Hiftories of Time ; and of which we, at this Day, fee and enjoy the happy Effects, in having the Chriitian Religion not only received among us, but made a Part of our National Conftitution: I fay, whether this be not a convincing PrQof, both of the Truth of our Reli- giony and likewife of thofe Scriptures from whence we fetch it.
Had
02 The Third Sermon.
Had not the Chriftia^ Religion h^^n true, How could thefe Things have ever come to pafs? Seeing it is utterly yn^ conceivable, that without a Divine Power, they could be efFeded : And fure none can fuppofe that God would exert his Power for the confirming of a Falfliood.
A^d again : Hg.gi not our Scriptures been true lil^ewlfe, or had they been the Fidjpns of any defigning Men ; How is it poflible they fhould have given us an Account of thefe Things fo long before they came to pafs, and when there was fo little Appearance of th^ir ever coming to pafs ? And yet all that I have now mentioned is plainly there fet down, as foretold by our Saviour, and his Apoftles : And not only thofe Things, but a great many other remarkable Events are there alfo foretold, which have fmce been ex- ad ly made good.
I hope, by what hath been faid, it doth appear that we, at this Day, have fuf- ficient Arguments to oblige us to believe and adhere to the Religion of Jefus Chrift, tho' we never faw the Origiftd Proofs he gave of it ; which was the Point I was to make good. For, I think, I have fhcwed. That if thofe Proofs were good and conclufive at the firif, to them that faw them, and were Witnelfes of them ; they are fo to us now, who re- ceive them upon' their Teftimony. And
as
The Third Sermort. 93
as for the Difference that may be al- ledged in Point of Evidence, between a, Man's [eeing a Thing, and receiving it upon the Report of others ; all that, I think, by the Account I have given, is in a great Meafure out of Doors as to this Matter. For the Report upon which we receive the Gofpel, being fo authen- tick, fo unexceptionable, and like wife fo confirmed by Matters of Fad ftill vifible to us, it amounts to as ftrong a Proo^ as if we had Evidence of Senfe. And I do in my Confcience believe, that there is not a Man in this Nation now ftands out again ft the Religion of Jefus Chrift, but who would have done fo, if he had lived in the Time of our Siviour, and heard him preach the Gofpel.
As for us who believe, let us perfevere in our Faith without wavering. Our Faith is never the worfe for not Jeewg. Blejfed are they that have not feen^ and yet have believed. And as for thofe that do not believe, their not feeing will be no Excufe for them, if our Saviour may be credited : For it was as well with re- fped to them that did not fee, as to them that did, that he pronounced his Definitive Sentence, when he fent out his Apoftles to Preach his Religion : Go (faith he) and preach the Gofpel to every Crea- ture : He that believeth and ii baptized fjjall be faved * but he that believeth notfljall be damned,
God
94 ^'^^ TJj'ird Sermon,
God give us all Grace to confider the Things that belong to our Everlafting Peace. That both all thofe who now oppofe the Trt^th as it is in Chrifi Jefusy may be converted from the Error of their Ways ; and that all thofe who do own and profefs it, may adorn the Doctrine of God which he 'hath called them to, by a pure, holy, and unblameable Life ; To the Glory of God, and the Eternal Salvation of their Souls, in the Day of our Lord Jefus. To whowy Sec,
S E R^
95
;o :: :•
SERMON IV.
Preached at the
Coronation of §^een Anne;
I N T H E Abhey-Churcb at WeJlMinJiery
, • I ■ .
On the 23d 0^ Jfril, 1702.
ISAIAH xlk. 23.
Krngs Jhall be thy Nurjing-FatherSy and their Qiieens thy Nurjing- Mothers.
I Am aware how much Time the following Solemnity will take up, and therefore I mean to give as little Interruption to it as poflible ; being very fenfible, that the Shortnefs of my Sermon will be the beft Recommendation of it. Three Things I beg Leave to do upon this Occafion*
Fh-ft
96 The Fourth SermoH.
Firfiy To give fome Account of the Pro^ mife here made in my Texf^ and what Obligation it lays upon Prmces, with Re- lation to their Suhje^s,
Secondly, To Congratulate with You, and the whole Kingdom, the happy Profpedb we have of God's making good this Fromife to us at this Day, in fetting Her Prefer M^j^fiy upon the Throne of Her Amejiors,
Thirdly, To fliew what Returns of Dut) and Gratitude, and Filial Obedience^ this Confideration of the Queen's being a Nur- fmg-Mother to Her People, doth call for froifi us, arid all other Her Subjeds.
I begin with the Tirft,
This Chapter, but of which I have fa- llen my Text, hath always been under- ftood to be, and it certainly is, a Prophecy of our Lord Jefus ,Chrlfi, and of the Propa- gation of his Religion, and the fpreading of his Church throughout the World. And it teacheth us, That tl^ough the Be- ginnings of this Religion, this Church of Chrifi, were very fmall and incdnfiderable ; yet in due Time, a vaft Number of A^^- tions and Peoples fliould be brought in to it : So that KJ^^^ and Queens fliould fub- mit their Scepters to that of Jefus Chrifi, and become Nurfmg-Fathers and Nurfing^ Mothers to his Church and People* .
As for the fulfilling of this Promife, efpecially among us of this Nation, I fhall fay fome thing by and by. That which
• ■ A
The FoUrt/j Sefmofi. p7
I now defire to take Notice of, is the Term by which the Relation between Chriftian Princes and their People^ is here exprelTed j Nurfmg-Fathers and Nurftng- Mothers,
Let us take thefe Terms in what Senfe we will ; whether for Natural Parents, or for thofe thsitfupply the Place of Parents ia the taking Care of Children, that is to fa 5^^ Guardians or Nurfes ; yet the Relation in. both thefe Notions, doth imply a wonder- ' ful Truft repofed m Princes ; and a won- derful Care, and Solicitudej and Tender- nefs, required of them. On the Behalf of their Subjecls*
Kjngs jhall he thy Nurfmg-Fathers, and Queens thy Nurftng' Mothers^ 01 if all Chri- ftian Princes confidered this, and looked upon themfelves as placed by God on their Thrones, for the making good this Office and Character ; with what a Zeal would it infpirc them for their Peoples Good?
They would then look upon the whole Kjngdom as their own Family, and concern themfelves as much for the Welfare of their Subjects, as Parents do for their Chil- dren, or Guardians for their Pupils,
It would be impoflible, upon this Sup- pofition, that ever they fhould make their onm Interefts diftin£l or feparate from thofe of their People, How great foever their Powers or Prerogatives were^ yet they.*
Vol. IL H would
gS Tie Fourth Sermon.
would never think them well employed, but when the Publkk Good was promoted by them. Nor could they propofe any other End to the mfe Ives in their Govern- ment, but to defend thofe under their Charge, from all Infiilts from Abroad ; and to maintain them in Peace at Home, and to make every Soul of them as hap- py as their Condition will bear.
And for the doing of this, they would think themfelves obliged, above all Things, to take Care of the Church of God ; re- membring that it is chiefly with Refpe£b to That, that they have the Charge of being Nurfmg-Fathers and Nttrftng-Mothers. As fuch therefore, they would make it their Bufinefs to maintain and defend the true Religion ; to encourage Fiety and Venue \ to oppofe and difcountenance all Atheifm and hfdeUtj, all Here fie s and Schijins, and all Vice and Wtckednefs, and Jmpetj, of what Nature foever. They would ufe their utmoft Endeavour to make all their Subjefts good Men, and good Chriftiansy as knowing that it is im- poflible for them to be happy, even in this World, without being fo.
And in order to this, they would be fure, in their own Perfonsy to fet good Examples to their Subje£ls, of Piety and Devotion, of Temperance and Moderation, and all other Vertues. And they would likewife take Care, as much as in them
lay,
The Fourth Sermon. 99
lay, that all that are about them d\di the like.
They would be continually thinking of that Vfalm of Davidy which he compofed upon his being advanced to the Kingdom of Ifraely and wherein he declares the Rules he refolved to obferve In his Go- vernment. It is the Hundred and Firft Pfalm, / will Sing ( faith he ) of Mercy and Judgment, unto thee ^ 0 Lord, will I Sing. 0 let me have Under fianding in the Way of GodAinefs. When wilt thou come unto me? I will walk in my Houfe with a perfect Heart, I will take no wicked Thing in Hand ; / hats the Works of the Unfaithful, no fuch jhall cleave unto me, A froivard Heart Jhall de^ fart from me \ I will not know a mcked Per^
fan, 'My Eyes look upon fuch as are
faithful in the Land, that they may dwell with me, Whofo leadeth a Godly Life, he JJjall be
my Servant, 1 (hall foon defiroy all the
Ungodly that are in the Land, that I may root out all wicked Doers from the City of the Lord,
And as fuch Nurfing-Lathers and AV- ling-Mothers as we are fpeaking of, would thus concern themfelves for God and his Religion, and the Spiritual Interefts of their People ; fo no lefs folicitous would they be to fecure and promote their Tej^nporal Peace and Happinefs. And accordingly they would think themfelves obliged, as much as they could, to look into the H 2 Affairs
loo The Fourth Sermon.
AtFairs of the Kingdom with their own Eyes ; and to fee that all the Magifirates under them did. their Duty in their re- fpedive Stations and Offices. They, would take Care nor to fuffer their Favourites to encroach upon them, nor ever to mak^! Ufe of their Credit with the Fr'ince for the opprefling the meaneft oi tht Peofle, But they would provide that Impartial jf«-* jlice fliould be Adminiftred to all theifc Subjefts ; but yet fuch Jufiice as is' tempered with Mercy. Remembring what God hath told them in the Scrip- Prov. XX. tures, that their Thrones Jhall be u^holden 28. yy Mercy.
In a Word, As the Ends they pro- pofed to themfelves in their Government, would be the Good of their People ; fo the Meafures they pitched upon for the Ad- miniftration of it would be accordingly. That is to fay, in fuch a Conftitution as ours, wiiere the People have their fixed Rights and Liberties and Properties^ the ftanding Lan^s of the Kingdom would al- ways be the Rule of their Aftions. Nor would they either violate thofe Laws themfelves, nor give any Difpenfation, or even Encouragement to others to do it.
O how happy is that People that have fuch Princes to Reign over them ! They are out of all Fears of Defpotick or Jrhi- trary Proceedings. Indeed, Arbitrarinefs is a Word fit for none but God ; for all his
Crca-
The Fourth Sermon, loc
Creatures are under Laws^ by which they muft be Governed. And yet I think it is an Aflront to GW to fay, that even he Jiimfelf ever a£ts arbitrarily^ in the Senfe we commonly ufe that Word.
God dothy indeed, tvhatfoever pleapih him^Vf ck^kv. both in Heaven and in Earth, But then ^• that Pleafure of his, is always Governed by the eternal Laws of iVifdom, and R/fh- teoufnefs^ and Goodnefs^ which are eilential to his own Mind.
We may likewife truly fay, that God doth all Things, both in Heaven and m Earth, for his own Glory -, but then that Glory doth only confift in _the Manifefta- tion of his Excellencies and Perfections to liis Creatures, and doing them the greated Good they are capable oT^
Now fuch a Glory as this,^ it is allowa- ble to every Man in his Sphere, to be ambitious of, but Princes ought to be fo above all others : For by this, .they truly imitate God, and make good their Cha- racter of being his Reprefentatives upon Earth; a fort o^ Gods among Men, as the Scripture often calls them. And by Go- verning after this Way, they render them- felves truly Glorious, in being Efteemed, and Loved, and Honoured while they live, and tranfmitting their Memories, with a grateful Odour, to all fucceeding Generations,
H 3 But
I02 The .Fourth Sermon.
Bat for the moft abfolute Princes upon Earth, to ufe their Power for the oppref^ fing, or doing Hurt to the meaneft of Mankind ; or to think of advancing their Glory by any other Methods, than by doing all the Good they can to all the World, and efpecially to their own Sub- je£ls ; this is being Arbitrary in a wicked Senfe, and gives fuch a NOtiofl of Glory ^ as was not known among the Creatures of GOD, till the Revolt of the fallen An- gels, from whom fome of the corrupted Mafs of Mankind, by their Inftigation, have fince taken it.
But I proceed to my Second Point; to fpeak fomething of the fulfilling of this Prophecy in my Texty of G 0 13 V raifi^g up Kjngs and Queens to be our Nurjmg- tathers and Nurling-Mothers,
And blelTed be GOD this Promife hath, for many Ages, from Time to Time, been made good to Abundance of Nations and Peoples:' But to none more amply, more fignally, than to us of this Kj^g- dom.
As the Chriftian Faith was Planted here as early, almoft, as in any Nation, (for it was Planted here in the Time of the Apoftles, and probably by one of _ them ) {o if we may beheve our Hifto- rics, h was this Country of ours, to which GOD vouchfafed the Honour of i;. Lucius- having the Firft ChrtjHan Kjng in Europe^
and
The Fourth Sermon, 103
and confequently the firll Nurftng- Father, And Jikewife the Honour of giving Birth to that EmperoTy who was the fiiil iV//; - Connjn- jing'Father to all Chrifiendom ; fo early was ^^°^ this Promife of G O D to his Church, fulfilled among us.
It is not likewife a little to the Ho- nour of our Nation, nor a little ArgUr ment of G O D's Care over us, that when the Liberties of all Chrifiian Kjvgs and Feo^le were invaded and opprefTed by the Vapal JJ furcations ; and Chriilianity it felf was corrupted by Superfittion and Ido- latry : It was an Englifh King that firil threw off the Foreign Toak ; and it was an Englijh Kjng alfo, that firft begun the Re- formation of Religion,
But the Honour of perfcding that great Work, was referved for a Quee?i, You all know whom I mean, the Im- mortal Eliz^abethy whofe Name will be precious, not only in this Nation, but in all the Reformed Countries of Europe^ as long as Time fhall laft.
Her Reign alone will let us fee, that it was not without great Reafon, that in my Text, Queens are joyn'd as equal Sharers with Kjngs, in making up the Jjleffing which is here promised to GO D's People.
And fuch another Q.ueek w^ truft GOD has now given us.
H 4 Wc
104 The Fourth Sennon.
We ought, indeed, to admire G O D's Goodnefs to us : Often have we provoked him by our manifold Sins and Impieties. And often hath he punifhed us for them. But yet in liis 'Judgments he hath always remembred Mercy. When we have been in our greateft DiftrefTes, he hath always raifed up Deliverers to us.
Even then, when our Conftitution was not long fmce ( not fo long fmce, but that many here prefent may remember it ) quite fub verted by FaHwm at Home) yet in a little Time did he Reftore our Lawful Kjng^ and with him om Churchy and Laws, and Liberties.
And when upon his Death, all of them were again m Danger by a Faction frorr^ another Quarter; and we had no Profpe6t but of finking under the Calamity; yet then he raifed up our late KJng and Queeny of Glorious Memory, to refcue us from our Dangers, and to fecure us in the PoflefTion of all that was dear and valuable to us.
So that, blelfed be G O D, we flill con- tinue upon the fame Bottom we were : We have ftill the fame Religion^ the lame Churchy the fame Government : We ftill enjoy the fame Rights and Liberties, and Properties^ that ever we did. O may they for ever be continued to us and our Po- fterity. And we hope in G O D's Mercy that they v/ilL
For
T^he FourtJj Sermon, 105
For tho' it hath pleafed him to deprive us of thefe Two great Bleffir/gs, by taking to himfelf, firfl: our incomparable Qv e e n, and now lately our King, who was the great Support, not only of thefe King- doms, but of all Europe: Yet fuch is his Goodnefs, that he hath prefer ved to us another Branch i)i the fame Royd Stocky to repair our LolTes. Ramo uno avulfo non deficit alter Auretis,
- A Sifter of our never-to-be-forgotten , Q^UEEN, is yet left us. Of whom, if we may make Prefages, either from the long Experience we have had of her many Perfonal Vertues, exprefs'd in a more pri- vate Condition, and particularly her Firm- nefs to the Englifh Church, and Engltfb Intereft, in the moft difficult Times :
Or from the Inftances fhe has already given, (ince her Acceflion to the Throne;
Of Her Zeal for the fupporting of the common Caufe of Europe^ againft the ex- orbitant Power of France ;
Of Her tender Love to Her People, exprefs'd in fuch a Donative^ as is hardly to be parallel'd by any Thing heretofore feen in this Kingdom ;
Of Her Concern for our Religion^ our Laws^ our Liberties ; for the Continuance of the Crown in the Protejlant Line ; for the Government in Church and State, as by Law Eftablfjh'd : AW which She has affur'd us in her Gracious Declarationy and from
the
io6 The Fourth Sermon.
the Throne^ are as dear to her., as to any Per- fon whatfoever ', and that no Pains nor Dili- gence fhall ever be wanting on her Party to trsferve and maintain them,
Lafiljy Of Her Solemn Refolution, (de- clar'd in her Proclamation') to Difcounte- nance and Punifh all manner of Vice and Pro- fanenefsy and Immorality^ in all Perfons^ of whatfoever Degree or Quality ; and par^ ticularlyy in fuch as are emplofd near Her Royal Perfon, And thaty for the greater En- couragement of Religion and Morality, She willy upon all Occaftonsy dijlinguifh Perfons of Piety and Vertuey by Marks of Her Royal Y at' our,
I fay, if we may draw good Omens from thofe former Experiences of her Majefty's htfey and from theje Aufpicious Beginnings of her Reign '^ There is juft Reafon for US all to Congratulate with the whole Kingdom, the happy Profpe£l: we have, that God, in fetting Her upon the Throne, hath again fulfilled his Promife in my Text ; hath given us in Her^ another Nur- png-Mother to his Church and People ; and one who will make good that Character, in all the Inftances I have before men- tioned.
What have we now to do, but to thank God heartily for all the repeated Inftan- ces of his Favour to us, and particularly this laft one. And to pray earneftly for Her Majefty, that her following Reign
may
The Fourth Sertfioiu 107
may be fuitable to thefe happy Begin^ nings.
But in Order to thefe Prayers being effe£lual, there is fomething required of us, which is fit here to be mentioned, as being a Natural Application of what I have already faid.
And that is. That we take Care not to hinder or obftruQ: the happy EfFe£i:s of Her Majefty's Gracious Intentions to her People, by any unbecoming Carriage of ours : But always bear in Mind what Re- turns of Vuty^ and Gratitude, and Filial Obedience, this Confideration of the Queen's being a Nurfing-Mother to her People, doth call for from us, and all other her Subjefts.
This is the Third, and laft Thing, I propofed to fpeak to, but for fear of be- ing too long, I fliall but juft touch upon it.
If all Subjedls did ferioufly confider this Relation between their Frinces and thenty they would think themfelves obliged to bear the fame Love and Ajfeciion, to pay the fame Honour and Reverence, and Obe- diencs to their Nurfing-Fathers and Nurfing- Mothers, as they do to their Natural Parents.
They would endeavour to make their Reigns as eafy as was poflible, by contri- buting, every Man in his Sphere, what AfTiftance they could to their Prince, for the promoting the common Good.
They
io8 The Fourth Sermon.
^ They would make it their Study to live in as much Peace and Unity with their Fellow-Subjeds, as \i they dwelt together m one Family. ^
They woiild. jiave no hterefis feparate from the Com^nvn'-ivealth ; ■ nor would they, fur the advancing themfelyes, ever feek the Ruin of others. *; ■ '. ^ They woulci hot, for Diiference in Opi- iiion, about the Methods of the Publick ConduQ:, break out into -Par ties and TaBions : Much lefs, in Cafe of fuch Di- vifions, would they Sacrifice the Peace of the Kjngdom^ to their own private Refent- msnts^ and mingle Heaven and Earth for the fupporting of a Side,
They would ferioufly remember the Caution which St. Paul \wi\\ given us, and which indeed concerns every one of this Nation, but efpecially thofe that are concerned in the Publick Management, Gal.v. If. often to think of. jfjT (faith he) j^ bite and, devour one another^ have a. Care that ye he not consumed one of another, i^Iothing can ever fo much endanger this Kingdom as our own Divifions. And if ever we be ruin'd, in all Probability, it is thefe will be the Caufe of it.
It is one very good Omen (among the reft that I have mentioned) of her Ma- jefty's Happy Reign, that no Prince ever came to the Throne with a more general Satisfaction, and with more good Wiflies of the People. ' And
The Fourth Serrnoii, 109
And it muft be faid, to the Honour of this Parliament^ that never any Farliament gave more extraordinary Teftimonies of their fincere Affedidn and Duty, and Kindnefs to their Prince, than this Far-^ Uament hath given to the Queen.
O may this good Underflanding> thefe mutual Endearments between the Queen and Her People, for ever continue. And abhorred be the Memory- of that Man, that makes the firft Step towards the breaking of them.
Then fhall we, be Happy: As Happy as the Viciflituyes of this World will allow us to be. And as the Queen will rejoice in her People ; fo it will be Her Peoples daily Prayer, that God would long, long prefer ve Queen A N NE.
I- ...
';-,'"• ■.r:i-S E R-
no
SERMON V.
Preached before the
QUEEN
A T
St. JAMES'S Chapel,
On JJhtvednefday, February lo. lyo^.
H E B. ii. 3.
How JhaU we efcape^ if we neglect fo great Salvation ?
TO fhew the Meaning of this Text, and the Ufe we are to put it to, there needs no more to be done, than to enquire what is here meant by Salvation: And then Secondly ^^ Upon what Occafion thefe Words come in, and what was the A^file^ Defign in thera.
As
The Fifth Sermon.
As to the Fir ft ; Salvation^ in its general Senfe, imports any great Deliverance from Evil or Danger, Thus God's concluding the Jfraelites through the Red-Sea, and drowning the Egyptians, is called Go£s SaU nation, Exod, xiv» i^. Thus the Delive- rance of the Jfraelites out of the Hands of the Fhiliftines, is called a great Salvatiofty I Sant, xiv. 45. And indeed this is the ufual Senfe of the Word throughout the Old Teftament. But now, becaufe the greateft of all Evils and Dangers which Mankind are obnoxious to, are thofe that are occafioned by their Sins ; therefore is the Word Salvation, by way of Eminence appropriated to that Deliverance, which our Lord Jefu^ Chrift wrought for Mankind, from their Sins, and the Fumjhment of them. So that our Salvation, in the New Teftament Senfe, is the fame Thing with our Redemption by Chrift Jefus. Chrift came to be our Saviour, and that Redemp- tion he wrought for us, is our Salvation. And as many Parts or Branches as there go to the making up that Redemption ; fo many Parts and Branches there go to the making up our Salvation,
This now, is that Salvation my Text fpeaks of; only with this Difference ; That by an ufual Figure, the Apoftle here puts Salvation for the Do^rine of Salvation, or that Gofpel of Chrift which tenders this Salvation to Mankind ; as appears by what
follows
112 The Fifth Sermon.
follows in the Verfe ; How [hall jve efcape^ if rve negleci fo great Salvation ; which at the prjl began to he fpoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto w by them that heard him ? Now what Sahation could that be, which was firfi fpoken by our Lord, and confirmed by the Apoflles that heard him, but the ' Docirine, or the Goffel of this Salvation
which they Preached ?
As for the other Thing; The Connexion of this Text with what goes before, and the D^y?^;^ that is here purfued, it lies thus; The Afoftle begins this Chapter with an Exhortation, by way of Inference from his former Difcourfe. We ought therefore ( faith he ) to give the more earneft Heed to the Things we have heard, ( tliat is, the D0(5trine of the Gofpel he had been recom- mending to them ) left at any Time we let them pp. In the next Verfe, he gives a Reafon why they ought to be fo regardful of thefe Things : Becaufe ( fays he ) if the Word fpoken by Angels was Jtedfajl^ and every Tranfgreffion and Difobedience, received a jufl Recompence of Reward ; How Jhall we efcape^ if we negle5i fo great Salvation ; which at the frfl began to he fpoken by the Lord, See ? That is to fay ; If the Old Law, the Law of Mafes, which was delivered only by An-* gels, was of fo great Authority, that God would not permit any wilful Tranfgref- Con of it to go without a fevere Punifh- ment: How Ihall we efcape, if we ne-
gled
the Fifth Ser?7to?i^ it|
gled or defpife the New Law of the Gofpel ; the DoBrine of fo great a Salvation^ as is delivered to Us by no lefs ± Perfon than the Son of God, and cdnfirmed to us by his Jpoftles, who were WitnelTe^ of what he did and taught ?
The Text then, you fee, is brought ia as a Motive or Argument to enforce the Apoftle's Exhortation in the beginning of the Chapter. And I do not know how I can better ferve the Ends of this Day's Meeting, than by making Ufe of it to the fame Purpofe.
My Bufinefs, at this Time, is to call upon all that hear me, to employ this prefent Seafon that we are now entring upon, in the Examining the State of their Souls, and Repenting of their Sins piaft-^ and turning to God with all their Hearts, by ferioufly applying themfelves to the Work of Religion^ if they have hitherto neglected it : And all this in order to the attaining thofe Benefits, that Salvation which is made over to all true Penitents^ by the Gofpel of Jejus Chrifi, Now whit better Method can I ufe, to prevail upon any of you to put this in Practice, than by endeavouring to convince you of your utter Inexcufahlenefsy and the Impoffibility of your efcaping, if you do not? And further^ what better Argument can I pitch upon^ for the convincing you of this Inexcufa^ hlenefs, this ImpofjMlit) of your Efcaping; y o L, IL I than
114 The Fifth Sermon.
than that which here the Apoftle lays To much Weight upon : Namely, The (jteatnefs of that Salvation which you de- fpile, fo long as you continue in a State of Jmfemtence ? Hoiv fja/l rve efcapey ( faith he ) if we neglect' fo great Salvation ? This fmgle Point, when put into a true Light, carries in it fo many Obh'gations and Engage- ments to make us all forfake our Sinful Courfes, and to lead Holy and Rehgious Lives, that where it is duly confidered, it can hardly fail of producing that Effed* This Point, therefore, I beg Leave at this Time to inGft upon, and to apply it, with all the Plainnefs and Earneftnefs I can, to the aforefaid Purpofes.
Now the Greatnefs of this Salvation which the Gofpel tenders to us, I fliall here confider, in thefe Two Particulars. f/>/, The Greatnefs of the Ble/Jings con- tained in it. Secondly^ The Greatnefs of the Encouragements we have to fet about it. Upon both which Accounts it w^ll ap- pear, that we are infinitely inexcufmcy fo long as we continue to negle5i it.
I begin with the Ftrft Head ; The Greatnefs of the Salzration itfelt^ which our Lord Jefus hath made over to us ; or the Great BLeJfings it containeth in it. In which Reipetl: we have juft Reafon to cry out, How fh a II we efcape^ if we negkoi fo great Salvation }
The
the Fifth SeYinon. lij
The Salvation of Chrijt is not like that of Mofes^ or Jofhua^ or Gideon ; . a Temporary^ Secular one ; a delivering of us Out of the Slavery of Egjpt ; or a putting us into a peaceable Polfeffion of a Landy?^nw^ n^/V/j ikf///t' ^W Honey ; Or a faving us from' the Invafions and Ofpreffions of our Enemies : Tho' thefe are great Salvations^ and are celebrated as fuch in the Old Tefiament : And it is a Salvation of this Nature9 ■that the Jews do yet expe6l from their Meffiah : But it is a Thing infinitely greater and more de fir able.
The Salvation which Chrifl: purchafed, and the Gofpel tenders to every Creature^ is a Comprehenlion of the richeft Bleffings that God can beftow, and a Deliverance from the greateft Evils that Mankind can fuffer. It contains in it all that can make the Nature of Man perfeO:, or the State of his Life haf>py ; and frees him from all that either doth or can render his Condition ?mferable. Indeed, the Bleffings of it are great beyond all Imagination. Eye hath not fee?^ nvr Ear i Cof. % heard) neither did enter into the Heart of S' Maffy the Things rvhich God hath prepared for them that love him.
For in the Firfl Place ; To be faved as Chrift came to fave the World, is to have all our Sins forgiven ; all our num- berlefs Iniquities and Tranfgreflions blot- ted out ; ail thofe. heavy Loads ot Guilt
X a which
ii6 The Fifth Sermon,
which opprefTed our Souls^ and might even juftly fink them into Defperation, quite removed from our Minds.
it is to be reconciled to God, and re- ftored to his Favour and Friendfhip; fo that he flia^ll be no longer a confuming Firey no longer an angry, terrible, re- venging Gody but a moft kind, compaf- fionate, and tender-hearted Father to us.
It is to be at Peace with Hmy and at Peace with our own Confciences -, and to have a Title to his peculiar Love, and Care, and ProteQ:ion all the Days of our Lives.
Again, Secondly^ To be faved as Chrifi: eame to fave the World, is to be refcued from the cruelleft Bondage of our cruelleft Enemies ; from the Dominion of Sin, and the Tyranny of the DeviL
It is to be tranflated out of the Pow- er of Darknefs into the Kingdom of our dear Lord j fo that Sin (ImII reign no longer in our mortal Bodies, but we jjjail ferve God in the Newness of the Spirit.
It is to be alTerted into a State of true Freedom and Liberty: So that we fliall be no longer under the controul of blind Vajjlons ; or be hurried on by our impe- tuous Lujh to do thofe Things which our own Reafon doth condemn \ but are in fuch a Condition, that we can difpofe of ourfelves according to our own De- . (iresy and our Defires fhall be always fuch
The Fifth Sermon, 117
as are fit and becoming a reafonable Nature.
It is to have a new Frimi^le of Life infufed into us ; by the Means of which, we fhall not only hve up to the Per- feftion of the Human Nature, but be made Partakers of the Divwe.
It is to become the Temples of the Holy Spirit, to have him as a perpetual Gueft and Lodger in our Hearts; whofe Holy Fire will confume all our Drofs and Impurity ; whofe comfortable In^ fluences will always chear and refrefh us, and whofe wife Counfels will always ad- vife, direft, and govern us.
In a Word, It is to live like God, to be transformed into his Image, and to be made like unto him in Wifdom, and Righ- teoufnefs, and Puritj, and all other Per- fedions which the Nature of Man is capable of.
Furthermore, in the Third Place ; To be faved as Chrill: came to fave us, is to be delivered from the Wrath to come ; from that dreadful Vengeance which' fhall one Day overtake all the World.
When the Heavens (hall pafs aivay mth a crackling Noife of Fire ; and the Ele- 2 Vet. iii^ ments fhall melt with fervent Heat ; the Earth ^°' alfo a?}d all the Works that are therem jfjalL be burnt up.
When the Lord (hall defcend from i/^«7t'(f;? i Tlicf.iy, xvith a mighty Shout, with Ten thoufands of
I 3 his
ii8 The Fifth Sermon,
^ Thef. i. htf Jngelsj to take Vengeance in framing Tire^ Kude I r. ^*P^^ ^^^ ungodly Men, for all the ungodly Deeds ivhich they have unrtghteoujly com- mitted.
When all Men, both [mall and great^ dead and livings fliall be fummoned to appear before a dreadful and impartial Tribunal^ and give an Account of all their Aoiions.
When the Greatefi and the moft Prof- ferom Sinners that the Sun ever (hone upon, fhall tremble^ a.nd fneak^ and be conr founded ; and fliould think themfelves hap- , py, if they could hide themfelves in the Dens of the Mountains : When they jhall fay to the Rocks fall on u-Sy and cover us from- the face of him that fitteth ufon the Throne^ and from the Wrath of the Lamb, whofe Salvation we have defpifed. - I fay, f^om this dreadful Day of Wrathy and all thofe amazing Terrors that do at- tend it ; and which are but the due Por- tion of them that do Evil, doth Chrift's Salvation^ and His only, fet us free.
But neither is this the greateft Blefling that is contained in this Salvation. For, ' in the Laft Place ; To be faved as Chrift came to fave the World, is after a Holy^ and a Heavenly^ and m fome meafure a Ha^py Lifs in this World, to be tranflated into a State of Endlejs Hap^inefs in ano- ther World.
Never
The Fifth Sermon.
Never to die any more ; never to fuf- fer the Uneafineiles and Infirmities of an Earthly Body any more ; never to know Pain or Sicknefs^ Grief and Sorrow, Labour and Wearinej's^ Difqiiiet or Vexation any more. But to live in perfed Eafe and Peace ; in perfedt Freedom and Liberty ; in a perfect Enjoyment of our Selves^ and the greateft Good we can be Partakers of^ and that in the moll perfec} Way for ever and ever.
- It is to have our Bodies that flept in the Duft, raifed again, and reunited to our Souls: But no longer Grofs, Earthly^ Corruptible Bodies ; but Spiritual, Heavenly , Immortal ones ; fajhioned like unto Chrijfs Glorious Body, in the which he now Sits at the Right Hand of God.
It is to live in the City of the Great KJ^g 7 the Heavenly Jerufalem ; a Country of perpetual Light and Bltfs -, where the Glory of the Lord doth fill the Place ; and, where every Objed that prefents itfelf, adds a new Beauty, and contributes to the Increafe of the Delight.
It is to fpend an Eternity in the mod Noble and Agreeable Employments : la viewing and contemplating the wonder- ful Works of God ; in admiring the Wife Contrivances of his Providence in all Ages ; in adoring his Infinite Love to the Sons of Men ; in reflecting upon our own inexprelTible Happinefs^ that arifeth I 4 from.
1 20 The Fifth Sermoit»
from his Communications to us ; and in finging Everlafting Hymns of Fraifcy and "^oy^ and Triumph to God^ and our Lord ^efm^ upon Account of all thefe Things.
It is to dwell for ever in a Place where there are no Objedts of Pity or CompaJJion ; of Anger or Envy ; of Hatred or Dtfirufi, Every Perfon there being as happy as he defires; and all increafing the Happinefs of one another, by their mutual KindnefTes and Endearments.
It is to converfe with the moft de- lightful Company in the World ; to be reftqred to the Sqciety of all our dear Friends and Relations^ that died in the Faith of Chrift ; and to have an Acquain- tance with all the Qreat Souls whofe II- luftrious Verities and Atchievements mad? then;i famous in their Generations.
Laftly, It is to be with ^efa Chrift ^ and to behold hts Glory \ and to live for ever in feeing and enjoying the Great God^ in whofe Prefence is the Fulnefs of Joy, and at whofe R,ight Hand there are Fleafures for evermore.
This is the Salvation which Chrift hath purchafed for us. This is the Salvation which is offered to all Mankind in the GofpeL And now have we not great Jleafpn to cry out with the Apoftle, Horv ftali we efcape^ if we negle^i fo great Sal- vation ?
Can
The Fifth Sermoiu 12 1
Can any thing be faid in Excufe for fuch a Wretch, as being convided of grievous Crimes, and thereupon juftiy fentenced to fufFer Death for them ; yet through the powerful Interceflion of the Trince with his Father^ hath not only a Fardon offered him, but Preferment and Honour J and the Fayoar of his Sovereign ; doth yet, neverthelefs, ftand out againft thefe Overtures, and defpifeth thefe un- deferved Bounties, and chufeth rather to die miferably, than to live happily ? I fay. What can be faid in Excufe for fuch an unaccountable Madnefs as this? Who can pity fuch a Jlupid Fool, that will thus againft all Senfe and Reafon undo himfelf?
Why, Brethren^ this is juft our Cafe, In as bad a Condition are all of us, by reafon of our Offences againft Heaven, as this cfondemned Malefactor ; or rather in a much worfe. For the worft of his Puniiliment is but Temporal Death ; but Spiritual Death, and all the horric} Con- fequences thereof, are the defer ved Wages, the juft Recompence of our Tranfgref- fions.
But fo infinitely kind is our God to us, that through the Mediation of his Son Jefusj he is willing not to take thefe Advantages againft us ; nay, he offers a Pardon of all our Sins; nay, not only fo, but he offers his Love^ his Friendfhif^
his
The Fifth Sertnon.
his Favour, which is better than Life itfelf\ He o(Fers to advance us into the nearell Relation with himfelf ; to be the Children Q^ the mofi High ; to be the Brethren of our Lord J(^fii^ ; to be KJ^gs and Priefts with his own Son ; and Heirs, together with him, of an Eternal Inheritance in the Hea- vens, of a Crown of Glory that fadeth not arvay.
Is it not now the extremeft Stupidity in the World, not to clofe with thefe gra- cious Tenders ? To be fo in. Love with Sif^ and Mifery, to be fo fond of Chains and Darknefs, as to defpife thefe unfpeak- able Bleflings which Heaven holds forth to us?
0 Blejjed God ! That Thou fhouldft be ib rich in Mercy, fo abundant in Kind- nefs and Love, as to propofe the moft ineftimable Treafures of thy Grace and Favour to the Acceptance of every Hu- man Creature ; and that yet moft of us ihould be fo foolifh, or fo wretched, as to take little Notice of them !
But we, fhalloiv Things as we are, are bewitched with this prefent World. A few painted Bubbles do {o hold our Ejes, that we cannot look up to thofe gloriom, un- valuable Gews^ that are fo fairly prefented before us.
O the bafe degenerate Spirits of Man- kind ! That they fliould be contented to lead the Life o{ Brutes, -(and it would be
well
The Fifth Sevniov. 125
well if they could die like them too,) when it is in their Power to live like Angels^ and God himfelf 1
That they fliould with Patience endure the ValTalage of the Devil, and a Thou- fand Lufts as Impure and Tyrannical as He ; when they may enjoy the moll: glorious Liberty of the Sons of God !
That they fhould chufe to fpend their Days in Vanity and Emptinejs, in Fo/iy and Mifery, in fanciful Satisfactions^ but in real Care and Sorrow ; and after all this, reap nothing but Anguifh, and Woe, and Con- fufion for ever: When they may both live happily here, (God, even in this World, requiting them for all the Pains and Trouble they undergo for his fake;) and, in the World to come, be the No- hlefi^ the moft Glorious Beings that Words can exprefs, or the Mind of Man con- ceive of.
O if we would fit down, and give our felves leave calmly to ponder thefe Things ; How would it be polfible for us to lead fuch Livxs as many of us do ? How would it be poflible for us to live loofely and carelefly, without God, without any Senfe of Religion, wholly minding the Gratifi- cation of our Brutifi?, or our Worldly Incli- nations? Thefe Arguments are of fuch Force, that it is hard for Human Nature to ftand out againfi: them, if they be vigoroufly applied to the Mind.
If
1^4 ^^^ -F^/^^ Sermon.
If we did heartily believe, and ferioqily confidcr what the prefent Life is, and what will come after : If we did fedately weigh the infinite Difproportion between a Moment and Eternity ; and what a very Trifle even the greateft Bufmejfes^ the greateft Enjoyments^ and the greateft Suffer- tngs in this World, muft needs be thought in Comparifon with that Eternal Weight of Glory y or that Everlafiing Shame and Confu- fion of Face that will be hereafter :
I fay, If we did in good Earneft attend to thefe Things, we could fcarce avoid the finding a. ftrange and a fpeedy Alte- ration in our felves. We fhould perceive iievy Thoughts^ new Defires, new Defigns and Refolutions to arife in our Minds.
We fliould, with the greateft Paftion, cry out, Let U5 be happy in the next World, and then let what will become of us in this. Deal with us here, 0 Lord, as Thou pleafeft, fcourge us, affli^ us, pu» niflj us, difpofe us into w1iat Circumftances Thou wilt ; let us but Reign with Chrift hereafter, and we have enpugh.
Were our Minds once ferioufly aflTeded with thefe Things, all the Greats and the Rich^ and the Gay Things of this World, which ufually carry fuch Magick in them, would look fo contemptibly, as that we fliould be amazed at our felves, ever to liave had fo little Judgment, as once to have put the Qiieftion, Whether for thei^
fakes
The Fifth Sermon. 125
fakes we fhould lofe our Innocence, and the Peace of our Mind, and forfeit pur Title to the Favour of God.
O with what noble Thoughts and Re- folutions would the Hopes of living for ever with our Lord Jefus in his Glory^ infpire us ! How regular would it make us in all our Converfation ? How diligent in. the Mortification of our Lulls and evil Habits ? How ftrid and folemn in the Exercife of Devotion? How ferious and conftant in the ProfefTion of Chrift's Re- ligion? And how follicitous above all Things to keep a good Confcience, and to do nothing inconfiftent with our Du- ty, for the ferving any Ends whatfoever*
But I have dwelt too long upon this Head. I pafs on to the other General Point which I mentioned, touching the Greatnefs of this Saltation ; and which will ftill farther extremely aggravate our Neg- lect of it : And that is, The Greatnefs of the Encouragement we have given us to let about it. In this refoe£i: alfo we have reafon to cry out, How fhall we efcape^ if we neglect fo great Salvation ?
Now under this Head, of the Encou- ragements that God hath given every Chri- ftian, to apply himfelf to the obtaining this Salvation^ I fhall infill on thefe Threir Particulars.
Firfiy The Eafmefs of the Terms upon which he offers it*
Secondly,
J 26 The Fifth Sermon,
Secondly^ His Readmefs to accept even t\\Q great efi Sinners that will fet themfelves about it.
Thirdly^ The great Afftfiances he doth af- ford for the obtaining of it. Of each of thefe very briefly.
And Firfl of all, Let us put the Text thus. How fliall we efcape, if we neg- lect fo great Salvation ; which may he had u^on fuch eajy Terms ?
It is true, God, when he propofes Sal- vation to us in the Gofpel, dealeth with us as a M?/?^r doth with his Servants \ we muft do fome Work before we have our Wages : If, indeed, Salvation can in any Senle be called Wages, and not rather the gratuitous Bounty of God ; fince there is no Proportion at all between the Work we do, and the Reward we receive for that Work. But fome Work we muil: do, and therefore we are bid to rvork out our Sal- vation. Some Services are to be per- formed on our Parts, otherwife we are not to expe£l to enter into our Mafter'^s -Joy.
But then, fo infinitely kind a Mafter we have, and fo Nohle^ fo Rational, fo In^ genuous a Service he hath put upon us ; that the very Eafmefs of his Terms will be one of the blackell Aggravations of our Bafenefs and inexcufable Guilt, ia refu- fmg his Salvation*
If
The Fifth Sermon, 1 27
If the CcMiditions that God requireth of us had been fuch as are reprefented in the Fifth of Micah, where the Prophet brings in a Man fpeaking after this manner ; Wherewith fhall I come before the Lord^ and borv my felf before the Moft High God? Will the Lord be f leafed with Thou- fands of RamSy or Ten thoufand Rivers of 0)1? Or fljall I give my Firfl-born for my Trarifgreffioffy the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul ? I fay, if the Terms of Recommending our felves to God had been fuch as thefe, we had had fome Reafon to complain of the Severity of them ; and confequently fome Excufe for our not being fo forward to fet upon that Salvation which was promifed upon them : They being neither good m them- felves, nor praificable to the moft. For at this rate, none but very Rich or very Cruel Hard-hearted Men could be fuppofed to go to Heaven.
But when, as the Prophet goes on, God hath commanded us only thofe Things that are Good, And what doth the Lord require of U6y but to do jufily^ to love Mercy, and to rvalk humbly with our God ? I fay, fince this is our Cafe, v/hat Excufe can- be made for that Man, that will not purchafe Ever- lafiing Salvation at fo eafy a Price as ^ this ?
Certain it is, that the Terms of our fu- ture Happinefs, as they arc propofed by
our
128 the Fifth Sermbn.
Dur Saviour, are made up of Duties, which are in themselves fo agreeable to the Make and frame of our Nature ; do fo highly tend to the Improvement and PerfeSioii of our Faculties; nay, and are fo needful to our Happwefs and Well-being in this World: That we muft of Necedity, if we would not be miferahle, have impofed them as a Law upon our felves, though God had not oblig'd us to them. And can it be accounted hard Ufage in God, to promife Eternal Rewards to the doing of thofe Things^ which we fhould have thought reaibnable to be done, though no fuchR^- wards had been promifed ?
Are we not very hardly dealt with, think, you to have all the Glories of Hea- ven offered to us upon fuch Conditions as thefe ? That we will live up to the Dig- nity of our Natures; that we will lead' tlie Life of Meni^ and not of Brute Crea- tures ; and that we will endeavour in this World, to make our Being as happy as we can, by the Practice of Vertue and Righteoufnefs. And yet thefe are the Terms upon which God hath offered Salvation to Mankind in the Gofpel. O wonderful Severity 1 O. heavy Burthens, not to be endured upon our Shoulders !
What fhall we fay to the Perverfenefs of Senfual Men ? The greateft Pleafures that are to be had on Earth, are fo ferri- ble to them, that for their Sakes they dare
not
The Fifth Sermon. 1^9
hot call a Look towards the Happinefs of Heaven, Such Self-denying Creatures they are, that rather than be as Mappy as is poflible in this World, they will venture Eternal Mifery in the World to come.
How is it poffible to lay a furer Foun- dation for Eafe and Feace^ and the Enjoy- ment of our Selves in all States and Condi- tions of Life, than to have a hearty Senfe of God's Prefence and Goodncfs? To love him who is the moft lovely ObjeQ: in the World ; to believe his Revelations who is ICruth itfelf, to depend upon him in all our Neceflities, and to rejoice continually in the Expreflions of his Kindnefs and Boun- ty to us. To procure to our felves as many Friends^ and as ferv Enemies as is pof- fible, by being True^ and Faithful ^ and Jufi in our Dealings^ and exercifing Meeknefs^ and Charity^ and Kjndnefs^ and Fcrgtvenefs to all Men. To live \w a Sober and Mode- rate Ufe of all the good Things of this Life. To keep our Paffions and Appetitei within fuch Bounds, as fball neither d'h- fturb our Healthy nor our XJnderfiundings^ nor the Eafe and Q^iet of our Mtnds, In a Word, to govern our felves, and all our Anions, by the Laws of the beft and moft perfed Reafon.
What, I fay, can be more natural or more delightful^ or what can more contri- bute to a comfortaUe and happy Life in this
Vol, IL K World,
130 The Fifth Sermon.
World, than the Pradlice of thefe Things? And yet thefe are the; dreadful Burthens that Chrill: has laid upon us. Thefe are the terrible Bugbears that fright us from en- deavouring after that E'verUfiing Salvation which he offers to us m the Gofpel.
I know it will be faid, That Repentance and Mortification^ and difengaging our felves from Vicious Habits^ which is necefTary to be done, in order to Salvation, are not fuch delightful ^h.m'^s] but are very uneafy and troublefomei I anfwer, So is Phjjick very troublefome and uneafy to a Sick Man ; but when it has performed its Effeds, then Health and Joy fucce^ds in the Place of it.
But befides, As the Hardfliip-of thefe Duties lafts but a very little while; fo even during the Time it doth laft, a Man's Life is much more eafy and' com- fortable, than while he liv'd a Slave to his Lujlsy and was perpetually haunted with an Evil Conjcience, And this every Man in the World that ever tried, mull needs acknowledge : Religion, even when its Severities are the greateft, ( which is at the Entrance of it,) yet yields more Peace and Happinefs, and Satisfaction, than a Life that is led without it.
So that, upon the Confideration of the whole Matter; The Terms upon which Chrifl hath promifed this great Salvation^ mufl: be acknowledged fo highly reafon- ahle^ fo extrerjiely ea^, that there will be . . no
the Pift/j Sermon^ ', igi
iib Fretems of Excufe left for that Maii, no PoJJihHity of his Efcapng^ that doth ne« gleft it. Efpecially, if we add to this, in the
Second Place, The Umverfality with tvhich it is ojferedt
It is tender'd nloft ferioufly and afFe= 6:ionateiy to all Sorts of Men : None are excluded ; no, not the greateft Sinners^ How bad foever our Lives have formerly been ; how much foever our Confciences are opprefTed with the Guilt of Sin : Yet if we will clofe with our Saviour's Terms^ (and very ^^^ ones you fee they are,) he is ready to beftow his Sdvation upon us. This alfo is another Confideration, which as it gives us the greateft Encouragement to fet about this Work, fo it will make us appear ftill more inexcufable and unfitiahley if wc do not. How Hi all we efcape, if we negledl: a Salvation whtch is tender'^d fo freely^ fo unrefervedly to all Sinners^ ( even the greate(t ) rvithout Excefticn ?
It is a Senfe of Guilt that oftentimes makes Men more guilty^ It is Defpair of Mercy that often flops up the Way to Amendment^ and carries Men on to fliil more wicked and defperate Courfes. But to have Hopes^ nay, to have Ajfurance of Forgivenefs and Mercy, muft needs fure have quite other EfFe6ls.
For the Great God to proclaim his tie- neral Pardon to all his KehellioHS Creatures ;
K St nay,
The Fiftb Sermon.
nay, not only fo, but to intreat them, to befeech them to accept of it, promifmg withal his Favour and Eternal Life .i^ they do : Sure this kind Ufage is able to melt any Ingenuous Mind into the moft wil- ling and hearty Submilfions. Sure he muft be a ftrange Kind of Creature, that is not won by fo much Goodnefs, to lay afide his Enmity againft Heaven^ and reconcile him- felf to liis God^ fliall I fay ? or to his Ten- der-hearted Either,
O my Brethren, to confider the ftrange^ furfriz,wgj r^nexpechd Mercy that is made over to Stnners in the Gofpel ; how ought it to atfed us? How ought it to aroufe the moll jiupid^ infinfihle Mortals ; and in- flame them with a Defire of returning to their Gractom God, from whom they have fo long wandcr'd in the Mazes of Eolij and <SV//.
It is not only the Right eom and Innvcent^ that fhall have Benetit by the Blood of Chrilt : Thofe that through a Good Edu- cation, and a Vertuous Difpo{ition^ have, in a great Meafure, efcaped the Pollutions of the I'Vorld, and have all their Lives long given up themfelves to the Service of 'Jefus Chriji: I lay, it is not to thefe only, that the Mercies of the Gofpel are ex- tended ; ( though, of all others, thefe are the moll: happy People ; ) but the Gate is open, even to the Prodigal Children ; thofe that have wafied all their Father'^s
Stibjtame
The Fifth Sermon.
Suhfiame in Leivdnefs^ and Kiotom Living : Even thefe the Father is ready to receive with open Arms, if they can but have the Heart to return to him.
O hearken to this and confider it, All you ( if there be any fuch Perfons here ) that have hitherto lived Loofely and Care- lefly; that have never minded God and his Religion^ but Iiave purfued a Courfe of Ftce and SenjuaUty^ and Wickednejs^ all your Lives long; that have given the Reins to your Brutifl) Pallions and Ap- petites, and have, with a high Hand, affronted and provoked the Majefty of Heaven and Earth by your repeated Tranfgreflions :
Yet, as Bad as you are ; as loudly as your Sins do cry to Heaven for Ven- geance, your Cafe is not defperate, if you can Repent.
Defperate^ did I fay ? The Gate of Mercy is open to you, the Great God waits for you, and is ready to receive and em- brace you.
Chrift Jefus flied his Blood for jy;//, even for you^ and begs and intreats you to come and partake of the Benefits thereof.
The Angels of God do wifh for your Converfion^ and there will be "Joy in Hea- njen at the News of it.
And all this, We that are the Mini- fter's of Chrift's Gofpel, have Authority
K 3 from
134 J'^^ f{/^^ Sermon,
from hirn to publifli and declare to you; and therefore tve do hefeech you, in Chriji^s Steady that you would be reconciled unto God»
It is not yet too late. You may yet be everlaftingiy happy, if you will confi- der and turn, Chrift yet offers you his Salvation. The Lord himfelf fpeaks to Ifa. s. i6, you \ Wafhj youy make you clean, pit away n* the Evil of your Doings from before my Eyes ^ ceafe to do. Evil, learn to do JVelL And then, though your Sins be as Scarlet, they jhai'l be as rvhite as Snow • though they be red like Crimfon, they (hall be as Wooll,
O my Brethren ; Having thefe kind In- vitations ; having thefe reviving Hopes, t:hcfe AHurances of God's Mercy ; Why fliould any of us be wicked any longer? "Why fhould we go on a Step farther towards our own Undoing? Why fhould we not prefently break loofe froni our Sins, and go whither our Gracious God fo lovingly calls us, to his Mercy, to his Favour to our own Everlajiing . Salvation ? But if after all thefe aftonifhing Over- tures of Grace ancj Goodnejs, you ftill harden your. Hearts, and negleB this great Salyatton; be you yourfelves Judges, whether yoa fhall deferve any Favour, any Ptty or Compaflion when you come nioft't^ need it; and when in the An- guifh of your Souls, you bitterly cry out
o,
The Fifth Sermon,
O, it will ht a fiinging Confide ration one Day', to think of the Greatnefs of that Mercj that you do now rejed : To think horv often God called you, but you re- fufed: How often he ftretched forth his Hand^ to have kept you from that De- ftruBion you were fo eagerly purfuing, but you did not regard htm : How often he would have gathered you to him^ a^ a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings^ but ye would not.
fhen will you fadly rvi/hy th.at you had, in this your Day under flood the Things that belong to your 'Peace, But it will be too late, they will then be hid from your Eyes.
But Thirdly and Laflly^ to Conclude. Our Neglecf- of ChriiVs Salvation will ftill appear more Criminal and Inexcufa- ^ble, if we confider the Encouragement we have to fet about it, upon Acountr of the great Ajjiflances that God is ready to afford m for the obtaining of it.
It is natural for Men, when they are beaten out of other Excufes, to fetch Apologies for their Negle£l or Slothful- nefs, in any Bufmefs that is prefs'd up- on them from the Greatnefs of the Work, and their own want of Strength and Abi- lity to go through it. And here it i,s, that the Senfual and Carelefs among us, notwithftanding what has been hitherto reprefentedj will be apt to take Refuge. K 4 Though
1^6 The Fifth Sermon,
Though Heaven ( fay they ) be a Qlo^ rious Place, and the Way to it plainly enough defcribed, yet it is a very Long 'journey, and we muft expeO: to meet with many PifficuUies in it. Whatever you talk of the Reafonablensfs and the Ezfmefs of that Courfe of Life that leads to it, yet we find by our own Trials, that it is very hard for Flejh and Blood to live after that Rate of Stri^nefs,
The Temptations to Sin are every wher^ fo many, and fo powerful; and our own Strength for the refilling of them, fo little and inconfiderable ; that we m^y in fome Meafure be excufed, if we be not fo forward in the Under- taking, or fo fuccefsful in the managing of fuch an Affair as this.
But O, how vain are thefq Allega^ tions ! a§ i§ you had no Supports againft tiiefe D;fcouragements ; but Chrift had left you to \vork out your Salvation erir tirely by your Q\7n Strength. Do but caft your Eye^ upwards, and look at the mighty Succours which Chriji Jefns holds forth to you; and you 'vvill confefs, that wer^ thofe Weaknejfes you complain of, thofe Diffictdties you have to conflid with, much more confiderable than they are ; yet they are not to be accounted Q?j they are not to be named, being fo exceedingly overballanced by thofe Di- vine Powers and Aids which. God wijl de- rive
The Fifth Sevmoih 137
rive upon you, if you will ferioufly en- gage in this Work.
Chri(t Jejh hath not only Purchafed a Kingdom for you, and taught you the Way to arrive to it, but he hath Pur- chafed the Holy Spirit to be your conti- nual A fliftant in your Way thither.
He hath not only fet you a Glo- rious Example, and bid you to follow him, but he liath fent down the Holy Ghoftj as his Vicegerent upon Earth, to condud you to that BlefTed Place where Jie is.
You have the Grace and the Vrefence of the Living God always ready at Hand, if you ferioufly Pray for it, to ftrengthen your Weaknejfes, to a (lift your Endeavours^ to enlighten your Alinds, to fortify your Wilis, to excite your Jfecfions, to fupport you under all Temptations , and , in a Word, to Fight all the Lord's Battels with you • provided you be Sincere and Honejly in the Profecution of that Glo- rious Warfare, which God hath called you out into.
What can you defire more than this? God hath promifed, That he will never nth. Tkw. leave you, nor for fake you. You are afTured ^* by his Apoftle, That greater is he that is in i John ir. you, than he that is in the World, And 4* another Jpojlle doubts not to affirm, That nothing Jhall be able to feparate you from the Rom. viii. Love of Gody which is in Chrtft Jeftts, Net- ?8, 59.
ther
igS The Fifth Sermon.
ther Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Vrln- cifalities, nor Poivers, nor Things frefent, nor Things to come, nor Height, nor Depth, nor any other Creature. Nothing under Hea- ven, except your felves, can do you any Mifchief.
And now this being our Cafe; what muft be faid of us, if we be not Vertuom and Hapfy ? How fhali we think to efiape, if we negled a Salvation, for the obtain- ing of which, we have fuch mighty Suc- cours and Jffiftance afforded to us.
O let theie Confiderations fire us into ^r^'z/^ and n'(7r% Thoughts I Let us make no more vain Excufes, Let us no longer pretend I knov/ not what Difficulties; but let us chearfully and refolvedly apply our felves to the working out our Sal- vation ; knowing, That as it is God which worketh in us the vV ill, fo the fame God will alfo work in m the Power of doing it.
We have no reafon to be ^/r^/^ of any Thing; to ho Mfcouraged at any Thing. For God Almighty is with us ; God Almighty that made us, ftill takes Care of us. And is ready for ever to aflill all his faithful -Servants in all their Extremities.
Chrift Jefus, our High-Priefi, fits at the Right Hand of God, and continually makes Interceflion for us.
The Holy Spirit never fails to vouchfafe his Prefence in the Souls of all well-dif- pofed Perfons, to carry them through all
Dan-
The Fifth Serfnoii. 139
Dangers^ through all Difficulties^ through, all Temptations,
In a Word, we need fear nothing, fo long as we deftgn and refohe well, and endeavour to do well. For both 'Father^ Sony and Holy Ghofiy have engaged them- felves ia the Salvation of all fuch Perfons. To which Eternal Gody &-c.
s ER.
140
SERMON VI.
Preached before the
QUEEN
A T
StJJMES's Chapel,
On Good'Fridayy March 26. 1703.
LUKE xxii. 19. • — Tbis do m Remernhrance of me.
I Hope it will not be thought unfea- fonable, if on thi^ Day, on which our Saviour ff/ffered, I entertain you with a Difcourfe of that Holy Sacrament^ which was on purpofe inftituted by him, for the Commemoration of thofe his Sujf'erings. For as this Argument will lead me to treat of mofl: of thofe Things which are the pro- per Subjeds of our Meditations at this
Time ;
The Sixth Sermon. 141
Time \ fo confidering that all of us who are Religioufij difpofed, are preparing our- felves to partake of that Holy fsafi on EaJler-DdLy ; a Sermon upon that My fiery may be of fome Ufe to us in that re- fped : Efpecially, it being an Argument which is not often treated of in this Place.
Three Things I beg leave to lay before you,, relating to this Sacrament.
Firfi, The Obligation that lies upon all Chriilians to Communicate in it, and to Communicate frequently.
Secondly^ The Benefits and Advantages we fliall receive by fo pra8:ifing.
Thirdly^ The little or no Weight that there is in the common Fretences^ which ufually keep People from this frequent Communicating.
I begin with the Firfi Thing ; viz. The Obligation that lies upon all Chrifiians to re^ ceive the Sacramsnt^ and to receive it fre- quently. And here I take my Rife from our Saviour's Words that I have now read to you, Do this (faith he) in Remembrance of me. Thefe are the Words by which he did inflitute or appoint for ever this Sacred My fiery of the Communion. Here he gives a Commandment to his Difci- pies, that they fhould do this in Kemeni- brance of him. But what is it they mufl do? Why, the Words going before do inform us. They muft do that whicli
Chrill:
14^ The Stkth S&tnion^
Ghrift now did; that is, they muft take Breads and blefs />, and break />, and give it: This they muft do in Remembrance of Chrift. Now if it was the Duty of the Jfoftles^ and thofe that fucceeded them in the Miniftry of the Church, thus to take Bread, and blefs it, and break it, and give It ; then certainly it muft be the Duty of all Chriftians committed to their Care, to receive^ and eat the Bread fo taken, and blefTed, and broken, and given, in Remem- brance of Chrifl, And the fame likewife as to the Cu^^ which our Saviour appoin- ted to go along with it.
You fee then, in the Brfi Place^ That the receiving of the Sacrament is a necef- fary and a perpetual Duty, incumbent upon all Chriftians. For it is exprefly commanded by our Saviour ; and the Rea- fon of the Command doth extend to all Perfons, and to all Ages of the World. Do thisy fays he^ in Remembrance of me. And to the fame Purpofe St. ?aul ( i Cor. xi. 26.) As often ai ye eat this Bready and drink this Cup, ye do jbew forth the hero's Death till he come. If now it be a per- petual Duty to remember Chrift; if it be a perpetual Duty to (hew forth hi^s Death till he comes ; then it muft of necefTity be a Duty, to make ufe of thofe Symbols and Ceremonies that he hath appointed to re- member him, and to jhen) forth his Death by y and it muft be a Duty thus to do
The sixth SerinoJi. 145
to the WorWs End, becaufe Chrift is not to come till then. And further; If it be a Duty to remember Chrifl, and to fhew forth his Death frequently ; and the more frequently we do it, the better Chri- flians we are, (as is on all Hands acknow- ledged:) Then, in the fame Degree and Proportion, ought we to think ourfelves obliged IQ 2i frequent V2iVX.m^2itiQu. of this Sacrament »
But Secondly, That we fliould thus join in giving and receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's- Supper, in Remembrance of Chrijty is not only his exprefs Command ; but fuch a Command, that, if we confider the Time in which it was given, and the Circumftances like wife with which he gave it, we cannot but be fenfible that we ought to have a moft efpecial particular Regard to it. This was m a Manner the laft Command he gave to his Difciples. He was now a going to part from them, and to do the greateft Kindnefs for Mankind that ever was done. He was a going to lay down his Life, as an Offering for the Sins of Men, and by his Death to procure everlafting Salvation for them ; and now, at part-^ ing, he defires this particular Thing of them, which he would have obferved by them, and all that came after them; namely, That in Memory of him they would blefs Bread and Wtne, and eat and
drink
144 ^'^^ Sixth SeVmon,
drmk them for his Sake. Ought hot thefe Cfrcumftances to be a ftrange Endear- ment of this Infiitution^ to all that pro^ fefs themfelves his Difciples? Will not every good-natur'd ingenuous Man that confiders thefe Things, be naturally apt to put a rnore than ordinary Value upon thofe dear Pledges that our Dying Saviour hath thus bequeathed to us ? Or is it pofTible that any one can fo much as pretend to love our Lord Jefu^^ and yet be fo infenfible of his la ft Commands, and the GircUmftances wherewith they were given, as to Hve m ^ conftarit and wilful Negled of them?
But this is not all that doth recom- mend this Duty to us. There is this far- ther Thing in the Third Place to be con- fidered : This is in a Manner the peculiar Command of our Saviour, the only pro^ per A8: of Chriftian Worfhtp that he hath appointed. To alTemble together m Pub- lick for the Service of God ; for the ask- ing Pardon for our Sins \ for the begging Mercies and Favours from him ; for the returning our Thanks, and Praifes, and Acknowledgments for Benefits received • and alfo for the receiving Inftrudions and Admonitions about our Moral Con- verfation, and the Truths and Duties of our Religion, is common to all the Re- ligions in the World : Both Jews and Turks do this as well as Chrijlians^ But to join
together
The Sixth Sermon^ 145
together iil Commemorating the Ddath of Chrijl, is the peculiar Duty . that is ia- cumbent on us, as we profefs to be the Followers of 'Jefu^, It is the dijiingutfljmg Badge of our Profeilion. It is an A£t of Worfhip that our Lord hath ordained, for our Evidencing to all the World that we are Hi^ Difciples, and that we own Him to be our Lord and Mailer. And therefore, tho' in our other Offices of De- votion, we may be truly faid to Wor^ fhip God, and to give Honour to our Saviour; yet we cannot be faid fo pro- perly to Woriliip as Chrtfiians^ except we joyn in thofe Sacred Myfieries that Chrifh has made peculiar to his own Religion. And upon this Account it was, that the Primitive Chriftians looked upon this Ser- vice of the Communion as fo necelTary, fo effential a Part of the Chrifitan Worfhip^ that they never held their Publick Affem- blies without it ; and none of the Faiths ful in thofe Days, that came to Prayer Sy Went away till they had been Partakers of the Sacrament, This Conlideration fure- ly ought to lay a mighty Obligation upon all that call themfelves by the Name of Chrift, and would be thought his daily Worfhippers, to omit no Opportunity that is offered them, of doing Homage to their Saviour in this Way.
But fourthly and LajHyy To give you a
farther Argument of our Obligation to
y oi. IL L the
146 The Sixth Sermon.
the frequent Pradice of this Duty, let me a little more particularly infift on the End for which this Sacrament' was infti- tuted, as it is here affigned by our Sa- viour. Do this^ fays he, in Remembrance of me. The great Bufmefs of this Sacred Myftery is to Commemorate the Death of our Lord, and the Benefits we receive thereby, and to exprefs our Thankfulnefs to God, and him for them. Now can any Man profefs himfelf a Chriftian, and yet not think himfelf obliged to take every Occafion of doing this ? Nay, and to be glad when fuch an Occafion is of- fered ? Doth all the great Love of our Saviour in laying down his Life, and thereby purchafing Eternal Happinefs for us, not deferve fo much as a Remembrance ? Are there no Thanks due to him, for the inexpreffible Humiliation of himfelf, to take our Flefli upon him? And in that FLe4ii to undergo God knows how many Sorrows and Alftidions for our fakes j and at lait for our fakes to expofe him- felf to an Ignominious Tormenting Cru- cifixion ; that through his firipes we might he healed • through his Death we might obtain Life? What, I fay, is not all this worthy of fome Remembrance? SontQ Thanks? Yes certainly, every one among us, that believes Ch nil: to have done and fuffered all this for us, muft needs think we ought to remember this great Kind-
nefs
the Sixth SerinoH. 14^
riefs as long as We live, and to give hiiri continual Thanks for it. But yet let me tell you, the only Solemn Way that he hath appointed for our Commemoration of thefe his Benefits, and exprefling our Thankfulnefs for them, is this of receiv- ing the Sacramenti Do thi^ in Remem-- hrance of me. This is the great Purpofe and Intent of it. This is the Way in which Chrift will be remcmhred and thanked, for his Favours. And fure it is very idle to think of any other Methods than what he himfelf hath appointed ; and they muft be intolerably ungrateful, that will not do thus much for him* If our Saviour, for the Commemoration of his Benefits, and the iliewing our Thankful- nefs for them, had commanded us fome extremely fevere Thing; (as among fe- veral of the Pagan Nations their Comme- morative Myfieries^ in Honour of their Dei- ties, were cruel and fevere enough;) we might then, indeed, have had fome co- lourable Excufe for our feldom or unfre- quent Expredions of our Obedience to his Commajids. But now, when he re- quires no more of us, than to come to his Table ^ and there to eat and dnnk m Remembrance of him, and in Token of our Thankfulnefs to him, they muft either be no Believers, or have very little Senfe of his Kindnefs, that can eafily abfent themfelves, and deny him fuch ExpreiTions of their Gratitude^ L 2 I
148 The Sixth Sermon,
I muft confefs to you thefe Things feem to me to carry fo much Weight and Force in them, that I cannot but wonder how it comes to pafs that our Communions are generally lb little fre* quented ; nay, that they are not as full as our Affemblies for Prayers or Sermons: The Duty being lb very necelfary, and the Performance of it to little trouble- fome, and withal the Benefits that accrue to us from the due Performance of ky being fo many, and fo great. Of which I now come to fpeak ; that being the Se- cond Head I am to difcourfe of.
In the Second Place ; As for the Benefits and Jd'vantr'ges which we Ihall reap by a confcientious Difcharge of our Duty in this Matter, they are truly Great, I may fay Unvdltiable. Indeed, m all the In- llances wherein God has laid his Com- mands upon us, we may, from the Obe- dience we yield to them, certainly pro- mife to ourfelves great Bleflings and Re- wards ; for all God's Commandments are for our good, and not for his. But this holds in none more than in this par- ticular Liftance we are now fpeaking of. Three Things I fliall briefly reprefent to' you upon this Head. And they are of lb great Moment, that whoever confiders them, cannot but be convinced that it is, extremely to his own Lofs and Prejudice, that he doth at any time negleO: the Op- portunities
The S}yth Sermon. 149
portnnities ' tliat are afforded him of ap- proaching to the Lord's Table.
¥irft oi all, The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is the great and jolemn Means that Chrtfl has appointed in his Church to all Chnfiians^ for the obtaining the Pardon and Forgivenejs of their Sins committed ftnce their B'jptifm, As the Sacrament oi'Baptifm was Inilituted by Chrift, for the entrtng Men into Covenant witJi God ; by the Means whereof, all the Sins they were guilty of before they became Chriftians were forgiven : So this other Sacrament of his Suffer was Inftituted for the Renewing that Covenant with God ; by tlie Means where- of, all their Sins fince their Baptifm are remitted to them, and a Conveyance likcwife made of all the other Benefits of Chrift's Sacrifice on the Crofs.
Tliis is the Doctrine of the Catholick Church in this Matter of the Two Sacra- ments, And it will receive fome Light from the Two great Sacraments among the ^ews^ Circurncifwn and Sacrifices^ which were eminent Types and Figures of our Baptifm^ and the Lord's Supper.
Among the ^jeivs^ the Way that God ap- pointed for the entring Perfons into Cove- nant with him, was Circumcifwn : And whoever was Circumcifed, was entitled tliereby to all the Benefits and Advan- tages that were promifed and made over by that Covenant. And the fame Thing
L J we
150 The Sixth Serinon,
\ve fay, as to all thofe that are entred into the New Covenant of Jcfus Chrift by Baptifm, Well now, but if an Ifraelite thus entred into Covenant with God, hap- pen'd afterwards to tranfgrefs any Law of God; before he could obtain Forgive- nefs, and be reftored to God's Favour, lie muft offer fuch Sacrifices as the Law had appointed in that Cafe : And by of- fering thefe Sacrifices he renewed his^ Covenant with God, and was admitted to that State which by his Sin he had forfeited. And the very Way of offer- ing up thefe Sacrifices, did very hveiy re- prefent thiso For when a Man brought any of this Kind of Sacrifices ; after that Sacrifice had been offered to God, Part of it v^as burnt upon the Altar, which was God's Portion ; and another Part of it was given back to the Man that, brought it, for him to Feaft upon with his Family, By which was fignified, That the Man thus eating of God's Meat^ and feedings as it were, at God's Tablcj was reftured to his Grace and Favour, and in Covenant with him : Eating and drinking together^ being the Ceremony ufed among all Nations, for the exprefling 1' Friendship and Reconciliation, and for the ratifying Leagues and Covenants.
Now to the fame Ufe and Purpofe (fay
we) ferves our Sacramsnt of the Lord's
Supper • or, as it was called by the An-
,7 tients,
The Sixth Sermon. 151
tients, the Chrifiian Sacrifice. Not that we pretend in our Communions to Of- fer up the Real Body and Ulood of Chrifl in Sacrifice to God, as the Papifts do : For that (as the Apoftle tells us) was once done by himfelf upon the Crofs, and by that one Offer irig he hath for ever fer- Heb. x. fected all them that are fan^ified ; fo that ''^^ there is no need of any fuch Offering any more ; But we Commemorate that Sacrifice which Chrift has on this Day made for us ; and we thank God for it ; and we heartily befeech him, that he would accept of it on our Behalf, and that it may make Attonement for all our Sins: And we likewife /^^^ upon it (as the 'Jews did upon 1.\\.€vi Sacrifices \^ that is to fay, by eating of that Bread which he made to be his Body^ and drinking of that Cuf which he made to be his Blood, Now, in doing of this, we may be truly fa id both to Offer up a Sacrifice to God, and likewife to kee^ a Feafl upon this Sa- crifice. We Offer up, by Commemoration and Thankfgiving^ and hearty Prayer^ that Sacrifice that was once offered by Jefus Chrift at Jerufalem near Seventeen hun- dred Years ago, for the Salvatioa of all Mankind. And we partake both of the Body and Blood of that his Sacrifice, by partaking of the Bread and jVine that he has Confecrated not only to be the Symbols and Signs of them, but to Convey the real
L 4 Benefits
152 The Sixth Sermon.
Benefits of his Paffio^ and Sacrifice to ail Believers. So that we may be truly faid to feed at God's Tahle, whenever we re- ceive the Sacrament : And if we come wor- thily difpofed, to have all our paft Sins blotted out, and to be received into his Grace, and Favour, and Frtendjhip : Which is all that T mean by Renewing our Co- venant with him.
But that I may not feem to ground fo Importaiit a Doarine as this is, merely upon the Types and Figures of the Old Tejia- ment, I ought to tell you, That all I have faid, is fufficiently clear both from our Saviour's own Words in the Inftitution of this Sacrament, and likewife from St. FauL Our Saviour calls the Cup of
•Luke xxii, the Sacrament, Tl)e New Covenant in his ^°' Blood: Or, as it is in another Evangelift,
Matth. 'Flje Blood of the New Covenant, which was ^^*' ^ ' i^-^ f^^ many for the Kemiffion of Sins, St.
I Cor.K. paj^i likewife tells us. That the Cup of Blefjing which we hlefs, and the Bread which we break, is tJje Communion of the Body and Blood of Chrifi : The Senfe of which is plainly this, That thefe Sacred Signs make them that ufe them, to have Cojnmumon vjith' Chrifi Crucified, The Partaking of the Bread, and of the Cup, is the Means that God hath appointed for our Parta- king of the Benefits of Chrift's Body that was Broken, and of his Blood that was Shed for us ; that is to fay, The Forgive-.
nefs
The Sixth Sermon. 153
neis of our Sins, and all the other Fruits and Advantages of his Paflion.
Is not this now a Confideration that fhould Itrongly oblige all Chriftians to a frequent Participation of this Sacrament? Can any thing more recommend this Or- dinance to us, than the Thoughts that it cancels all the Scores between God and us, provided we come prepared as we ought to be ? That it puts us into a State of his Favour, and enters us into fo ftrid a League of Friendfhip with him, as not all the Powers of Earth and Hell can diffolve, unlefs we ourfelves be Trai- tors to ourfelves.
Thefe are great Things ; but thefe are not all. For, in the Second Place, another Advantage we have by the Sacrament is, That it is in itfelf an excellent Inffrtiment for the making Men grow in Vertue and, Good- nefs.
That ferious Refie^lion upon a Man^s own Ways ; that careful Examination and Enquiry into the State of his own Soul ; thole Expreflions oi Sorrow and Repen- tance for what he finds amifs in. him- felf ; and the earneft Prayers he makes to God for his Grace, together with the hear- ty Refolutions he enters into, of a bet- ter Obedience for the future : All which Things are neceffary Preparations for the worthy Partaking of this Solemn Myftery, efpeciaily in one that comes but feldom to
It;
The SiM Sermon.
it; (for indeed the Cafe is otherwife as to thofe that fo Live as to be always Pre- pared for it, and accordingly do take all Occafions of Receiving it : ) I fay, thefe Things are the HkeUell: Means in the World not only to keep up in a Man, the Senfe of Vertue and Piety tov^^ards God, but alfo to reftore it, when through Carelefnefs it is in a Manner quite loft ; or, if it be not loft or decayed, to in- creafe and advance it, and to make it much clearer and brighter than ever it was.
O how ought this Confideration to pre- vail with all Perfons that make a Confci- ence of Religion, and endeavour to ferve God as well as they can, and mean to perfevere in that Courfe of Life; to take every Occafion that is offered to partake of this Divine Ordinance. Such is the Na- ture of our Souls while they are pent up in thefe Eahhly Tabernacles, and fur- rounded with fenfible Objefts, that the Spiritual ImprefTioiis that are ftampt upon them, muft be continually renewed, or elfe, m a little Time, they will be quite defaced and loft. The moft ardent Love to God and Vertue will by degrees flag and grow cold, unlets it be by fome Means or other frequently excited. IVife^ ly therefore, and admirably for our Advan- tage, hath our Lord Jefus contrived this Means of the Holy Sacra?nem^ for the pre- venting
The Sixth Sermon. 155
venting or remedying thefe Inconveni- encies. By obliging us to a frequent Com- niunication in this Divine Office, he hath put us upon the Neceflity of fo often think- ing and meditating on Spiritual Matters, of imprefTing upon oar Souls all thofe Argu- ments that at firfl: prevailed with us to enter upon a Courfe of Yertue, and of reinforcing all our Vows and Refolutions to give up ourfelves to the Service of God ; that it will not be an eafie Matter to forget our Duty, or to relapfe from our good Purpofes.
And the Nature of the Myftery itfelf is fuch, that nothing in the World can be better contrived for the attaining thefe Ends ; that is to fay, for the working m us a perfeft Hatred of all Sin and Wick- ednefs, and railing up our Affedions to the moft pafTionateLove of our Saviour. Since there we have, in the moft fenlible Man- ner, reprefented to us, the infinite unfpeak- able Kindnefs that the Son of God exprefTed to the Sons of Men, in laying down his Life for them ; and the infinite Malignity that is in Sin, which was fo odious to the pure Eyes of God, that nothing lefs than the Blood of his own Son could make Ex- piation for it.
Whoever therefore is now pioufly dif- pofed, and intends to go on in that good Way, and to grow better and better, let him as frequently as he can make Ufe of
this
156 The Sixth Serfnon-
this Means which God hath appointed for thefe very Ends. This is the heft Way to make the Grain of Mufiaroi-Seed^ fown in oui Hearts, to become a great Tree, This is the fureft Method, not only to keep the fmoaking Flajx from being quenched > but to make it blaze out in Flames.
Which we fhall be farther convinced of, if we confider, in the r/;/>^ Place, another Advantage which we reap by this Sacra- ment; and that is this, That it doth not only minifter to the promoting Piety^ and Holinefs, by making us more lerious, and putting us more upon the Exercife of De- votion ; but alio, in this refpeQ, that it is a Means whereby more Grace and Strength is derived to us from thei I^oly Spirit of Cfjrtfi.
We have already faid, That ouc Lord ordained this Sacrament as the general In- ftrument whereby he would actually ap- ply to Believers all the Benefits of his Paf- lion. Now the Benefits that Chrifi: pur- chafed for us by his Death, were not only the Pardon of our Sins, of which we have fpoken before, but alio the Grace and Jf- fifiance of his Holy Spirit^ in order to our performing thofe Conditions which he hath required of us. Now as the par- taking of this Sacrament is the ftanding ordinary Means of receiving the former Benefit, namely, the Pardon of our Sins ; fo is it alfo of receiving the latter ; that
is.
The Sixth Sermoii. 157
is, the Strength, and Suppon, and Influences of the Holy Spirit, By partaking of thefe Holy Myiteries as we fhould do, we are made one rvith Chrijty and Chrifi with w^ as our Church exprelTes it ; we become living 'Branches of the true Vine, and, con- fequently, derive all that vital Juice and Sap from Chrift our Root, that is need- ful for our bringing forth ^c;t^^ Yruit. This is the proper Method to allure down the Divine Spirit of ^jefu^ to come and dwell with us; to oblige him to take up his Habitation in our Hearts, fo that wc fhall be truly the Temples of the Living God.
O what an Inducement ought this to be to us to make ourfelves conftant Guefts at this Holy feajt ! Since we may there get Strength againft all our Infirmities, Phyfick for all our Difeafes, Support a- gainft all the Evils that opprefs us. Are there any of us that are hard put to it, either through the prevailing Infirmities of our Natures, or thofe that our evil Cuftoms have brought upon us ? Are there any of us that want Strength or Courage to grapple with our Spiritual Enemies, or to refifi: thofe Temptations that daily make Affiults upon us in our AVay of Living ? Why here we may have Remedy. By coming frequently, and con- fcientioufly, and devoutly to this Feafi: of God, we may gain fuch Refreshment , fuch
Supports
The Sixth Sermon.
Support^ fuch Strength and Power, as will enable us to go through our Work chear- fully and fuccefsfuUy ; {uch Succours as will not fail, if we faithfully make ufe of them^ to vanquifh all our Spiritual Adverfaries ; and laftly, fuch Comfort and Peace of Mind as will make our Lives tolerably eafie un- der all the Difficulties, and Troubles, and Calamities of this miferable World.
And now thefe Confiderations, one would think, fiiould fufficiently recom- mend the frequent Praftice of this Piece of Religion to all of us, that have either any Love to God, or Regard to their own Happinefs. But notwithftanding all this, there are fome fuch fatal Prejudices that Men have too often taken up con- cerning this Sacrament, that all Difcourfes of this Nature are generally ineffeftual. Some of thefe therefore I fliall endeavour, in the Third and Lajl Place, to remove out of the Way, and fo concludei
The Prejudices and Mifapprehe^jftom that Men lie under as to this Bufinefsj and which ufually fright them from coming to the Sacramenty are very many ; but the greateft and moft common of them, are thefe Two following. The general Senfe that Men have of their own Uuftnefs to re- ceive it ; and the infinite Danger they run^ ii they fliould happen to Receive tinwor- thilj. Upon thefe Two Accounts it is, that many that are otherwife well-difpofed
Perfonsj
The Sixth Sermon, 1 59
Perfons, dare not come to the Lord's Table. They are fo affrighted with the Apprehen- fion of their own Guilt, and their Unwor- thinefs to partake of fo Solemn a Myftery ; and likewife with the terrible Panifhment that is threatned to all thofe that Receive Unworthily ; that they think it much bet- ter wholly to abfent themfelvcs from the Sacrament, than run the Hazard they muft do, by taking it in the Circumftances they are. Thefe Two Things I fhall, it this Time, briefly fpeak to. "^
And Firfi, ' It is commonly urged, by- the Generality of Men, as an Excufe for abfenting tliemfelves frorn the Sacrament, That they are no way qualified for ito They are not m a Condition of coming to the Lord's Table, by reafon of the Re- mifnefs and Garelefnefs of their Lives, and their falling fo many Degrees fhort of that Holinefs theGofpel of Chrift requires of them. ' J"^'^^
But to this, let me fay, in the Pirfi Place, Whofe Fault is this? Why do we not all live better ? Who hinders us fronS being fo good a$ we ought to be ? Either it is m our Power to live fo, as may put us into a Condition of worthily perform^ ing this Inftance of our Duty to our Lord, or it is not in our Poweiv If it be ia our Power, then we cannot in the leafl plead this for an Excufe of our not doing it : If it be not in our Power, then we can
con trad
i6o The Sixth Sermon.
contrad no new Guilt by coming to Re° ceive, tho' we Ihould prove to Receive Unworthily, provided we have done the beft we can. But, in God's Name, how dare we live at fuch a Rate, that we are uncapable of joyning in the Principal Part of the Chriftian Worfhip ? Nothing in the World can unqualify us for that, but what, at the fame Time, doth render us unqualified for the Kingdom of Heaven. And dare we live fo, that, if God fhould this Day call us out of the World, we fhould think ourfelves in a State of Dam- nation ?
But Secondly, Tho' we do not live fo well as we defire; tho' our Lives be not fo Holy, and fo Pure, and fo Heavenly, as may become the Partakers of fo Divine a Myftery as that of the Sacrament is ; yet let us not for this wholly abfent our- lelves fiom it; Nay, rather let us come the oftner to it ; for that is the Means to make us better. It is the moft effedual Courfe we can take to promote Vcrtue and Piety in ourfelves^ Whereas, if we never come at all, we take the dire£k Way to be always as bad as we are, or rather to grow worfe and worfe.
Would any one advife a fenfual carelefs Man, by no means to take a Bible into his Hands, or to come to Prayers^ or to hear Sermons ; becaufe he is very unfit for, and unworthy of fuch Exercifes ? No
furely,
the Sixth Sermojir, 161
fiirdy,. he will rather propofe the Ufe of tiiefe Things to fuch a Perfon, as a fin- gular Means to gain him to Vertue and Sobriety. The very fame Thing we may fay of the Ufe of the Sacrament of the hordes Supper, It may, and often doth, prove a happy Expedient, through the Mercy of God, to make thofe Good th9.t were not fo beforei
I fpeak not this to encourage any vi- cious, evil Liver to approach to this Or- dinance, if he thinks of continuing in his Sins. No, very linfit it is that That Holy Bread fhpuld be given to fuch unclean Crea- tures, But this is that I would fay, Let hone upon Account of their fore- paft Lives^ be difcou raged from doing their Duty to God in this Ordinance. On the contrary, if they can be truly forry for their Sins^ and heartily refolve with the Grace of God to forfake them. Let them come with Chearfulnefs to the Lord^s Table ^ not doubting but God will kindly receive them, and will give them fuch Grace and Strength^ that if they will make ufe of it, they fhall not fail of being true Converts to Holi- nefs and fiety.
Biit it is faid, in the Second Place, Tha£ the Sin of unworthy Receiving is fo great^ and the Funifhrnent threatned to it fo grievous, that it feems fafer not to Re- ceive at all, than to run fuch a defperate Mazard6 This is another Confideration
¥oL^ i'L ' M that
1 62 1^^ Sixth Sermon.
that frights many from the Sacrament, tho' otherwife well-difpofed Perfons. That Paf- fage of St. Vaul is always running in their Minds, (i Corxi. 29.) He that eateth and drinketh umvorthily^ eateth and drinketh Dam- nation to himfelf. This is the Text that frights them. But now as to this, I pray let it be confidered :
In the ¥irfi Place, Thofe among us that are fo fearful of coming to the Sacrament, are in no Danger at all of Receiving Un- worthily ; in the Senfe that St. Paul ufeth this Term. For the unworthy Receiving that he fo feverely cenfures in the Corin- thians^ was their approaching to the Lord's Table with fo little a Senfe of what they were about, that, as he here exprelTeth it, they did not difcern the Lord*s Body : That is to fay, they made no Diflinftion between the Bread of the Sacrament^ and Common Food. Things were then at that pafs among the Corinthians, that when they met together to Receive the Sacrament, (which, in thofe Days, was ufually uflier'd in by a Common Feaft of Rich and Poor together) they ufed the Church more like an Eating or Tipling-Hou/}, than the Houfe of God, This you may fee in the 20th Verfe of that Chapter: iVhen (faith he) ye come together into one Place, thi^ is not to eat the Lord^s Supper, For in eating, every one takes before other his own Stopper, and one is hungry, and another U drmrken^ What^ have
The Sixth Sermon. 163
ye not Houfes to eat and drink in^ or defpije ye the Church of God? What /ball I fay to you? Shall I praife you in this? I praife you not. Thus far St. Faul^ in that Place. Now fure fuch an Unworthy, Irreverent, Profane Carriage as this, at the Receiving the Holy Sacrament, might juftly deferve that fevere Cenfure that jhe there pafTeth upon it : He that eateth and drinketh thus unworthily^ eateth and drinketh Damnation to himfelfj becaufe he difcerneth not the Lord^s Body, But, I hope, there is none of thofe among us that are fo very fcrupulous about coming to the Sacrament, can be in any ' Danger of Profaning it after this Manner.
But Secondly J The Damnation which St. Paul here denounceth, is not perhaps fo frightful as is commonly apprehended. For all that he faith, if the Original be confulted, will appear to be no more than this; He that eateth and drinketh unwor- thily, eateth and drinketh Judgment to him^ felf ; meaning hereby. That he who doth thus affront our Lord's Inftitution, by ma- king no DifliniElion between the Bread of the Sacrament^ and Common Food, doth by this his Profanenefs, draw down fevere Judgments from God upon his own Head : For^ for this Caufe (faith he in the next Words) many are weak and ftckly among you ^ and many are fallen ajleep. But here is not a Word of Everlafiing Damnation ; much lefs of any Man's being concluded in that
M 2 State,
164 7^^ S'2:>^th Sermon.
State, by Keceivwg Unworthily : Unlefs one vt^ill fay, That all thofe who are vifited by God's Judgments in this World, fhall be damned in the next ; which is fo far from being true, that St. Faul^ in this very Place, affirms the contrary, namely, in Verfe 32. where he tells us, Tha.tmhenive are thm judged (in this World) we are cha- Jtened of the Lord, that rve JJjould not be con- demned with the World,
But Thirdly, Admitting St. Faul^ in thefe Words to mean Damnation in our ufual Senfe ; yet ftill the utmoft they can come to, will be no more than this ; That whofoever eateth ^nd drinkcth thus unwor- thily, as th.e Corinthians did, is guilty of a Damnable Sin, But now there are a great many other Cafes, befides this of the Sacramjnt, in which a Man is guilty of a Damnable Sin, if he do not per- form his Duty as he ought to do. He that Vrays or Hears Unworthily, or in any Inflance performs the Worfliip of God, or profefleth the Chriftian Religion Un- jvorthily : I fay, fuch a Man, according to the Proteftant Dodrine, may be faid to do thefe Things to his own Damna- tion, upon the fame Account that he is faid to Eat and Drink his own Damnation that Communicates Unworthily in the Sacrament ; though perhaps, not in fo high a Degree. That is to fay. Such a Man is guilty of a Sin that is in its own
Nature
The Sixth Sermon, 165
Nature Damnable; and may prove fo to him, unlefs either by a particular or ge- neral Repentance, he obtains God's Par- don for it. But yet for all this ; there is no Man will for thefe Reafons think it advifable to leave off the Practice of thefe Duties. But the only Confequence he will draw from hence, is, that he is fo much the more concerned to take Care that he perform them as he ought to do.
But Fourthly and Laftly, to conclude; Let the Sin of coming to the Sacrament JJ^T^orthiljy be as Great and as Damnable as we can realonably fuppofe it ; yet this is that we contend for ; the Sin of totally withdrawing from it, is Greater and more Damnable: So that if he who partakes of it Unworthily^ doth Eat and Drmk Dam- nation to himfelf; he that Partakes not at all, is fo far from mending the Mat- ter, that he doth increafe that Damnation, The Truth of this Affertion depends upon that known Rule of Cafmftical Divinity, That it is a greater Sin ta omit a known Duty altogether, than to perform that Duty as well as we can, though with much Unwprthinefs.
But I dare hold you no longer upon this Argument; I would only fay this, and I have done. Though I am far from en- couraging any to approach the Lord's Ta- ble without due Quahfications ; or from extenuating any Man's Sin that comes m-
M ^ worthily,
The Sixth Sermon.
worthily^ (^unworthily ^ I mean in the Scrip- ture Senfe of the Word, and not as it is underltood by fome People among us:) Yet this I fay, That if Men did ferioully confider what a Sin it is to live without the Sacrament ; it being an apparent Ne- gled, and looking like a Contempt of our Saviour's Infiitution^ and a Renouncing the Worjhip of God, and the Communion of the Church, in the great Inftance of Chriftian Worfhip and Chriftian Com- munion : And withal, what terrible Con- fequences they bring upon themfelves thereby, even the depriving themfelves of the Chief of thofe ordinary Means which our Lord hath appointed for the obtaining RemiJJion of Sins, and the Grace and Influences of the Holy Sprit : I fay, if Men did ferioufly confider thefe Things, they would not look upon it as fo flight a Matter, voluntarily to Excommunicate themfelves from the Society of the Faith- ful, as to the Partaking in this Great Duty and Privtledge of Chriftians; but what Apprehenfions foever they had, of the Sin and Danger of Receiving unwor- thily^ they would, for all that, think it more Sinful and more Dangerous not to Receive at all.
I pray God give us all Grace, ferioufly to conflder thefe Things, and fo enlighten our Minds, and difpofe our Wills by his Holy Spirit, that laying afide all Preju- dices
The Sixth Sermon. 167
dices and Sloth, and Carnal AfFeftions, we may fincerely apply our felves to ferve God conftantly and diligently, in this, and all the other Inftances that he hath commanded us -, to the Glory of his Blef- fed Name, and to our own great Com- fort, and Increafe in Piety and Vertue. This, GoA of his Infinite Mercj grant ^ &c.
M 4 S E R-
1^8
SERMON yil
Preached befqre the
Q u E E k
A T
StJJMES's Chapel,
On Christmas -Day, 1704.
I J O H N iii. 8.
—For this Purpofi was the So?i of God man'ifejied^ that be might {iejiroy the Works of the DeviL^
WHAT is here meant by the Works of the Devil., is plain from the former Part of the Verfe. He that committeth Sin ( faith the Apoftle) is of the Devil -^ for the Devil finned from the Beginning', and then it follows, for this Purj?ofe was the Son of God manifefiedy
that
The Seventh Sermon. 169
that he might dejiroy the Works of the DeviL So that the Works of the Devil are all man* ner of Sin and Wickednefs ; and confe« quently the dejiro^ing of the Works of the Devil, muft mean the deftroying out of Mankind all Sin and Wickednefs, and in the Place thereof, planting in them all manner of Vertue and Holinefs. And this the Apoftle here affirms to be the great End of thrift's coming into the World.
It is the fame Account of Chrift's Un- dertaking, in other Words that St. Paul gives us in the Second to Titu-s, Chrifl therefore gave himfelf for us^ that he might redeem m from all Intc^uity, and furifie to him-' felf a peculiar People zealous of good Works. And the fame Account likewife that St. Peter gives of it in the Third of the A^s, Unto you firfi (faith he) God having raifed up his Son Jefi^, ( that great Pro- phet whom God, by Mofes, promifed to raife up to his People) hath fent him to blefs joif in turning away every one of yotc frdm his Iniquities. Lajfly, It is the fame Account that Z^charias gives us of the Defign of our Lord's Coming into the World, m the Firft of St. Luke, Namely, That tve being delivered from the Hands of our [ Spiritual ] Enemies, might ferve God without Fear, m Holinefs and Righteoufnefs before him all the Days of our Life.
It
170 The Seventh Sermon.
It were to be wifhed, that this was more confidered and lay'd to Heart by all of us that profeis to be Chrift's Difciples. If it was, it would be impoflible for many of us to lead fuch Lives as we do, with- out the utmoft Confufion, and the conti- nual Reproaches of our own Confciences. But whilft other Sorts of Accounts have been taken up concerning Chrift's Under- taking, and the Defign of his Religion, fo different from that which my Text, and the other PafTages I have quoted do give of it : Whiifl Men have reprefented our Saviour to themfelves, as one that was fent rather to free them from the Punifhment of their Sins, than from the Power and Dominion of them; as one that came not fo much to make them really righteous in their own Perfons, as to impute his own Righteoufnefs to them; and to fulfill the Law of God for them, rather than to oblige them to a more ftrid Obedience to it : Whilft they have been willing to look upon his Gofpel, not as a practical Inftitution to teach us, and oblige us to live well, or as the Means appointed by God for the reforming the Manners of Mankind; but only, as a Syftem of Propofitions to be believed and profeiTed, together with fome few outward Precepts to be pra8:ifed by us, in order to the diftinguifhing us from the reft of the World : Whilft, I fay, we have enter-
tain'd
The Seventh Sermon. 171
tain'd fuch Notions as thefe concerning the Religion of our Lord Jefus Chrift; it is no Wonder that it hath no greater EfFed upon Mens Lives, than we fee it has at this Day ; but is become a bar- ren, evanid, ineffedual Thing, a Matter of Words and Difpute, a mere piece of Book- learning, a Name to diftinguifh Parties by, and little more.
Give me Leave therefore, at this Time, and on this Day, on which wc are met to commemorate the Son of God's being manifefted in the Flelh, to Difcourfe to you of the great End and Defign of this his Manifeftation, as it is here declared to us by his Apoftle. This I am fure, as it is a proper Argument for the Seafon ; (b if it be well confidered, it will efFe£lually keep us from placing our Chriftianity in fuch Things as we fee Men commonly do ; and will oblige us, above all Things, to a ferious and hearty Endeavour after uni- verfal Vertue and Sandity ; it being cer- tain that the planting of this in us, and the dejlrojing out of us all Sin and Wick- ednefs, which are the proper Works of the Devil ^ was the great End of Ch rift's com- ing into the World, and of the Religion which he fet on Foot among Men.
This is the Point therefore, that I fhall endeavour to make out at this Time. And in order to the fo doing, it will be fuffi- cient to fhew thefe Two Things.
Firft,
I7Z 7he Seventh Sermon-
Firft, That this was an End and Dejlgn moft worthy of the Son of Gody to propofe tp himfelf in his Undertakings for Mankind^ And Secondly, That the Htjtory of our Lord^ and the Religion he infiituted^ do all along^ throughout the whole Structure and Contri^ vame of them, vifibly exprefs fuch a Deftgn.
I begin with the Firft, that to deliver Men from the Bondage of their Sins, an4 to reftore their Natures to a State of Ver- tue; and Holinefs, was a Defign mod worthy of the Son of God to propofe to himfelf in his Undertakings for Mankind. Now the Truth of this will appear, if we either confider how neceiTary, how effential an Ingredient Holinefs is to the Happinefs of Mankind ; or on the other Side, how impoflible it is in the Nature of the Thing, for any Man to be happy that is under the Power and Dominion of Sin: For from hence it will be evident, ehat if our. Saviour's Errand into the World, was to ferve the Interefts of Mankind, he could propofe no Defign to himfelf more glorious, more worthy of the 6oa of God, than this that we are fpeaking of
And Firfty Let us fee how much a holy Divine Frame of Soul, contributes to (Our Happinefs. I pray what doth the chief Happinefs of any Being confift m ; -but in thcfe Two Things? In having its Nature advanced to the greateft Perfe-
dion
The Seventh Sermon* 17 j
£lioii it is capable ofj and Secondly^ In being put into the PoffefTion of the great- eft Good it can enjoy. Let us now apply this to Mankind* And F/Vy?, I ask what is the higheft Excellence and PerfeOiiOn that Human Nature is capable of? Is it not to be made as like unto God as is pofUble? There is no doubt of it. The Meafure of all created Excellency and Perfedion, can be nothing elfe but the Divine Nature, which is Perfe£^ion itfelf ; and therefore the Neareft Approach that any Nature can make to that, is a State of the utmoft PerfeQrion that that Na- ture can arrive to t But now there is no- thing in the World by which we can ap- proach nearer unto God, nothing that can give us a greater Refemblance of his Nature, than thofe Moral Accomplifh- ments of the Mind we are fpeaking of, that is to fay, univerfal Purity and Righ- teoufnefs and Goodnefs. For as on the One Hand, thefe are the Things that con- flitute the very Being of the Divine Life, and are ( if one may fo fpeak ) the Top, the Flower of all the Perfections that are in God's Nature : So on the other Hand, thefe are the only Qualities in which it is poflible for Mankind to. imitate him. Our Natures will not admit that we fhould be Infinite, Independent, Omnipo- tent and Omnifcient, as God is : But we may be, nay, we are commanded to be
Holy
174 ^'^^ Seventh Sermon.
Holy, as God is Holy, Merciful, as God is Merciful, and perfed in the inward Goodnefs and Rectitude of our Minds, as our Heai^enly Father is perfed. That is the Fifft Thing,
And then, Secondly^ As for the being put into the PofTeffion of the greateft Good we are capable of, which is the other Part of the chief Happinefs, and with- out which, indeed, all Excellency of Na- ture would not fignify very much: foraf- much as no Creature, how excellent fo- ever, is Self-fufficient : As for this I fay, I ask again, whether there can be a greater Good than God? if not, then, whether he that is put into a Condition of enjoying God, be not put into the Pof- fellion of the greateft Good he is capable of? It certainly muft be granted. But now I fay, it is true Holinefs and Good- nefs only, that can put Mankind into a Capacity of enjoying God ; nay, not only fO; but doth put thofe that are endowed with it into an a8:uai Enjoyment of him. [In fome Degree in this Life, but in Ful- nefs and Perfedion hereafter. ] For pray, wherein confifts the Enjoyment of God ? Doth it not confift in loving him with all our Heart, and Soul, and Strength, and rejoycing in the Senfe of his Love to us ; in being inwardly and powerfully af- fe£ied with his Prefence, with his Good- nels, with all his Excellencies ; and in a
Word,
The Seventh Sermojt, 1 75
Word, in having one Mind and one Will with him? But what is all this, but ci- ther the very Effence, or the proper and natural Exercife of that Holinefs and Goodnefs we are now difcourfing of? As therefore before we faw that true Holinefs makes us like unto God : So by what has been now faid, we fee that it infeparably unites us to him ; and thereby makes that inexhaufted Fountain of all Good to be as much ours as our Capa- cities will admit of. And ftill the more holy, the more pure, the more devout we grow, ftill we fliall more and more enjoy God, and fo for ever and ever.
There needs no more to be faid for the (hewing how necelTary, how effential true Goodnefs is to the Happinefs of Mankind. 1 do not here fay that this alone will make a Man compleatly happy : For Hu- man Nature being made up of Soul and Body, there muft be a great many other Things taken Care of, befides the Holi- nefs and Purity of the Mind, in order to the rend ring that Compound which we call Man^ entirely happy. And the pro- viding for thefe likewile, was one Part of our Saviour's Bufinefs in the World. But feeing the main Things required to our Happinefs are thofe we have been fpea Ic- ing of, it was necelTary that he fliould, in the Firft Place, provide for them. And therefore with good Reafon do we
fay,
176 the Seventh Sermon.
fay, that that was the Firft and great Defign of his Coming, namely, to re- ftore the Image of God in fallen Man- kind.
But for i:he farther clearing of this Truth, let us, in the Second Place, turn bur Thoughts to the State of Mankind, as they are under the Power and Dominion, of Sin ; and fee whether fo long as they continue in that State, it be not impoflible for them to be happy, though there was no other Punifhment to be dreaded from their Sins, but only fuch as arifeth froni the Sins themfelves.
Sin is an infinite tmperfe(Ei;ion, and therefore an infinite Evil. It is the worft Corruption, and the greateft Debafement of Human Nature that is pollible, and the farthefl: Recellion in the World from the Divine Perfe8;ions, from their Ap-^ proach to which all other Perfections, have their Name and Eftiniate.
It is truly ^^icih^ -A^ajj ^A-^scv, as one of the Philofophers calls it, a perfeQ: lapfe into Brutality, a State of flat Contradi- d:ion to God.
It is Evil pure and unmixt ; no Cir- cumllance in the World can make it in any Senfe Good, whereas all other Evils fo reputed may be fo Circumilantiated, as to have fome Mixture of Goodnefs or Coni- mendablenefs in them*
The Seventh Servion, I7;t
It IS that which puts Mankind into an utter Incapacity of ever enjoying the Su- preme Good, which no other Evil can do. For It is not more impolTible (as the Apo- ftle exprefleth it) for Light to havs Corr;- munion with Darknefsy than for God to have Fellowfhip with BdiaL For tlioiigh we fhould fuppofe a wicked Perfon, a Whore- monger for Inftance, a Worldling, a Ma- licious, Profane, or Irreligious Perfon, to have all his Sins forgiven iiim ; and not only fo, but to be compafTed about, and (as I may fay) gilded over with all thofe external Glories, m which we do believe Good Men Oiall fliine m the Life to. come ; nay, and farther, to have an ex- cellent Underftanding given to him, fo as that he was able to reach the Height of Seraphims in his fublime Contempla- tions : Yet fo long as that wicked Nature remains m him, he would nor, for all this, be a whit nearer to the enjoying of God; forafmuch as there can be no En- joyment, where there is no Love, no Likenefs of Nature, no Union of Mind. Nay, I know not whether thefe Circum- fiances we have placed him in, (fuppo- fingfuchCircumftances compatible to fuch a M"an) would not make him more mi- ferable than otherwife he would be. For the Excellency of his Underfranding, and thofe external Glories, would not fuiTer him to doubt, but that the greateil Good
Vol. II. N was
The Seventh Sermon.
was to be had in God : Yet through the perverfenefs of his Nature he would find, that this Good would be fo far from being a Good to him, that it would be the greateft of Evils : Forafmuch as there was the moft infinite Unfuitablenefs and Difagreement between the ObjeQ: pre- fented to him, and his Faculties, that were to be exercifed about it
What fhall I fay more ? As Goodnefs is Health, fo Sin is Sicknefs and Death: The worft Abufe of our higheft Facul- ties, a State of Violence to Nature. 'Tis all that we call Unreafonablenefs, Con- fufion, Deformity, Monftrofity. In a Word, it is the greateft of all Evils, as being at the greateft Diftance from the greateft Good.
So that thefe Things confidered, we may reafonably conclude, that if Chrift bad any Defign to make us happy ; nay, if he had any Defign to make us not mi- ferable; it was neceffary for him to re- deem us from the Slavery of Sin, and to reftore our Natures to their Primitive Ile£litude, by making us Vertuous and Good.
How inconfiderate then, how unrea- fonable are thofe Men, that would make the ultimate End of our Saviour's Under- taking, to be the freeing Men from the Punilhment of their Sin, and the enti- tling them to eternal Happinefs, without
any
The Seventh Sermon, 179
any rcfpeO: had to the Change and Re- newing of their Natures. For in the Firil Place, from what hath been faid, it is eafie to fee, how very much they do hereby difparage the Love and Kindnefs of our Saviour, and lelTen his Underta- king. For whilft they make him only to have redeemed us from his Father's Wrath, and the Punifhments confequent thereupon, leaving us, in theTtfean Time, to the Impurity and Corruption of our Natures, which, of it felf, without the Acceflion of any external Evil, is a Mifery great enough ; they do but make him half a Saviour : One that freed us indeed from fome outward Evils, but left us irreme- diably expofed to many inward ones as great, or greater, than the other. One that delivered us from the Apprehenfions of a Gibbet or an Executioner, but could not, or would not cure us of the intolera- ble Fevers and other Diftempers under which we fatally languifhed.
Secondly, It is eafy to fee likewife, how abfurd a Notion thefe Men have of Hap- pincfs. For whilft they make a Man under the Power and Dominion of Sin, capable of the Happinefs of the other World, which chiefly confifts in the Frui- tion of God's Excellencies and Perfections, they do in EffeQ: affirm, that a Man may be made happy by that, of which he hath no Senfe, no Perception at all j or rather, N 2 to
i8o The Seventh Seirmoiu
to rpeak properly, by that to which he hath the greateft Averfion and Antipathy. But in true fpeaking, Heaven to fuch a Man, (I am fure that Heaven that is promifed in the Scripture) would be fo far from being a Place of Happinefs, that, bating the corporeal Pains, it would, in all Refpeas, be Hell itfelf.
Nor will it here help the Matter, to
fay, that the Righteoufaefs of Chrift is
imputed to all Believers ; and that by
Virtue thereof, they are to all Intents and
Purpofes made Righteous, even as much,
as if they were Righteous in their own
. ?erfons: I fay, this will not help the
Matter. For fo long as Sin and Wicked-
nefs are not mere Names, but real Things,
and have their immutable Properties: Let
Chrift's Righteoufnefs be never fo much
imputed to us, yet fo long as they remain
\n us, they will be Evils, they will make
us Miferable, they will put an eternal
Bar to our Enjoyment of God. And we
can no more hope to remedy this, by the
Imputation of anothers Righteoufnefs,
than a Blind Man can hope to fee by
the Eyes of another ; than a Man in the
' , Fit of tlie Stone or Gout, can hope to
find Eafe by the Help of his Phyfician ;
than a crooked deformed Perfon can hope
to be made Straight and Beautiful by the
Comelinefs of his Friend.
But
The Seventh Sermon. i8t
But to come to our Second Head of Difcourfe. As the dejlrojing the Works of the Devil from among Men^ and. the making them fincerely Righteom^ and Holy, and Good^ ivas a Deftgn mofi worthy of the Son of God to undertake: So, in the Second Place, his jvhole Tranfaciions upon Earth j and the Reli^ gion he fet on Foot in the JVorld^ rvere fo con* trived in every Part of them, as to be a mani- fejt Purfuance of this Defgn,
This is the Second Thing I am to fpeak tOj and for the making it Good, there needs no more to be done, than only to defire any Man to caft his Eyes, either on the Precepts which our Lord dehvered ; or on the Dofhines he taught ; or on the Life he lead ; or on the Death he fuffered; or Laftly, on what he hath been doing for Men at the Right Hand of God ever fmce; All which taken together, do make up the entire Hiftory of our Saviour, and the whole Scheme of his Inftitution. If now it do appear, that the natural Ten- dency of every one of thefe was to make Men Good ; and that that was the End they all aimed at; then I hope our Pro- pofition is fufficiently proved.
To go over all thefe Particulars at thia Time, would prove too great an Exercife of your Patience, which I would not wil- lingly injwe; and therefore I fhall con- fine my felf to the T/?r5^ Firft of them, and thofe too I fhall treat of very briefly and generally. N 31 And
182 The Seventh Sermon.
And firft of all, that this was the De- fign of all our Saviour's Precepts, and the Laws that he gave us, is evident beyond Contradiction. There is not one of them which is not either an Injundion of fome moral Vertuc, or a Prohibition of fome Vice, or a Recommendation of the Means by which fome Vertue is to be acquired, or fome Sin to be mortified.
Whatever other Liberties the Gofpel may have indulged unto Men, it is cer- tain it grants none to their Vices. Never was Vertue taught m fuch Perfe£!:ion, or exaded with fuch Severity, as we there find it. Never did any Man fet the Du* ties of Human Life, in all its Relations, towards God, towards our Neighbours, and towards our felves, at fo high a Pitch, as our Saviour hath there fet them. All the Gentile World cannot fhew us, out of all their great Mafters of Morality, their moft refined Philofophers, fuch a Colle-
?ion of fublime and accurate Precepts of iving, as are delivered in one fmgle Ser- mon of our Saviour's: That, I mean, upon the Mount.
So far is he from giving Countenance to any fort of Wickednefs or Impurity in the Pradices of Mankind, that he hath forbid all the Tendencies and Approaches to it in the very Thoughts ; having put Reftraints upon the mod fecret and un- difcetnable Workings of our Minds to- wards
The Seventh Sermon.
wards every Thing that is Evil. To look u^on a Woman to lufl after her^ is in his Account to commit Adultery. To be raQi- ly and uncharitably angryy is forbid by him as a Degree of Murder, Not to for- give an Injury, is by his Law a Sin, as well as to do one.
I own that there is the greateft Encou- ragement given by our Saviour to all repenting Sinners that is poflible; nay, though they have been the greateft of Sinners. But then he requires both a thorough Change of their Minds, and a thorough Reformation of their Manners too, before they muft hope for any Bene- fit from him.
I own likewife, that there is in the Gof- pel all the Allowance made for the natural unavoidable Frailties and WeaknelTes of Mankind, that can be defired. But then it fuppofes, the Perfons to whom this Al- lowance is made, to be fincerely (though not perfectly) pure and upright, both in their Minds and Lives ; that they har- bour no Iniquity in their Hearts, nor pra£^ife any known Sin in their Conver- sation j nay, and that they do their beil Endeavours likewife to overcome their ve- ry Infirmities.
In a Word, it is the fundamental Law of the Gofpel, that without HoUnefs no Man Ihall fee God ; and all the particular Precepts we there meet with, do exadly
N 4 aftfwer
184 Ibe Seventh Sermon.
anfwer this general one, and are a pur- iuance of it.
Nor, in ,the Second Place, is this Defign of making Men Vertuous more confpicuous in our J^ifaviour's Precepts, than in the Doftrines he deUvered to Mankind. I'hofe Truths (I mean) which he revealed from God to be believed by all thofe that iliould Embrace his Religion. There M^as none of them calculated for the Gratifi- cation of Men's idle Curiofitics, the bu- fying and amufing them vi^ith airy and uftlcfs Speculations. Much Icfs were they intended for an Exercife of our CreduUty, or a Tryal how far we could bring our Reafons to fubmit to our Faith. But as on one Hand, they were plain and fmi- pie, and fuch as by their Agreeablenefs to the rational Faculties of Mankind, did higlily recommend themfelves to our Be- lief; fo, on the other Hand, they had an immediate Relation to Pra6lice; and were the genuine Principles andFounda- : tions upon which all Human and Divine
Virtues were naturally to be fuperftrudled. The Dodrines which our Saviour deli- vered, will all of them tall under one of thcfe Three Heads.
They were either in order to the clearing, improving and confirming the great Truths of natural Religion, without which a Yertuous, Holy Life could not be
lead.
Or
The Seventh Sennon. 185
Or they were in order to the removing of thofe erroneous wicked Principles out of the Minds of Men, that then com- monly prevailed in the World, and were great Hindrances and Obftrudions of true Vertue and Piety.
Or laftly, They were fuch as contained new Arguments, new Encouragements, new Engagements to put us upon the PraOiice of Holinefs, that Mankind never thought of before. And of this laft Sort were thofe Dodrines which we call the peculiar Articles of the Chriflian Faith; as namely, the infinite Love of God to Mankind, exprelTed in fending his own Son for their Redemption : That Son of God's offering up of himfelf as a Sacrifice for the Sins of the World, and thereby Seal- ing a Covenant of Pardon and Reconci- liation to all true Penitents that believe m him : That Son of God's being after- wards raifed from the Dead, and carried up into Heaven, to appear there as a per- petual Advocate and Intercellor for us at the Right Hand of God ; and at the fame Time fending down his Holy Spirit, as his Vicegerent upon Earth, to maintain and promote his Caufe and Religion in tlie World ; and by his inward Influences, to affiR all Chrift's faithful Difciples in their Endeavours after Vertue : And laftly, Tha£ Son of God's coming down again from 'Heavea at the End of the World, to Judge
both
i86 The Seventh Sermon.
both the Quick and the Dead, according to their Works done in the Flefh ; and to Reward all Good Men with Eternal Life and Happinefs, and to PuniQi all bad Men in Hell-fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.
This now is the Sum of thofe Do- ftrines that were delivered by our Savi- our; and as to all, and every one of them, I ask, whether they be not truly Practical Doftrines? Whether the whole Scope and Defign of them be not to make Men Good? Nay, Laftly, Whe- ther m thefe Doctrines there be not a more powerful, a more efFe£lual Method laid down for the reforming Human Na- ture, and obliging the whole World to forfake their Sins, and to lead Holy and Vertuous Lives, than was ever taught before, nay, or than was pollible to have been contriv'd by all the Wit of Mankind.
By what I have now faid it plainly appears, how groundlefs the Pretence of thofe Men is, who would explode the Dodrine of the Blefled Trinity out of the Chriftian Religion, as being a mere Me- taphyseal Speculation, and nothing at all tending to the promoting of Piety and Vertue among Men. For as that Do- ^rine is delivered by our Saviour, it is certainly fo far from being a Matter of mere Speculation, that it is the grea?"
Found a-
The Seventh Sermon. 187
Foundation of, and the greateft Engage- ment to a Vertuous Holy Life, that was pofTible to be given. We own it is a My^ fiery, and a great one but not an ufeleis fpeculative Myftery, but a Myftery of God- linefs (as the Apoftle ftiles it.) God Al- mighty did not reveal that Myftery to us as a Piece of Philofophy, for the fil- ling our Heads with new fublime No- tions about his Nature; but as a Prin- ciple or Hypothefis, abfolutely neceifary for the right under/landing the Strudure and Contrivance of the Gofpel-Difpenfa- tion. Wherein difcovering in how won- derful a manner, each Perfon in the Di- vine EiTence, was feverally engaged in the great Affair of bringing Men into Repentance; We might, in. the Firft Place, have abundant Reafon to embrace and adhere to that Religion, in which alone, of all the Religions in the World, was a Method difcovered, of reconciling Men to God, without Injury to any of the Divine Attributes, or Violence done to the Liberty of Man's Will : And Se- condly, might have the ftrongeft Engage- m.ents imaginable, ferioufly to fet our felves upon the great Work of the Re- formation of our Lives; for the effeding of which both Father, Son and Holy Ghoft had fo zealoufly, and with fuch aftonifhing Condefcenfion concerned them-
felves.
When
i88 The Seventh Sermon.
When we tlierefore confider the Do- 61 fine of the Holy Trinity ^ as an Article of the Chriftian Faith ; we are not barely to confider it, as it denotes or exprefTes Three Eternal^ Divine Perfons fubfijling in one Divi?is Nature \ much lefs are we to trouble our Heads with the Manner of the Emanation of one Perfon from ano- ther, and other fuch Things, ( with their curious Inquiries into, and Definitions a- bout which, fome (it is to be feared ) in- flead of clearing, have rather obfcured and perplexed that Sacred Myltery: But we are to confider this Myftery, as the Holy Scripture propofeth it ; namely, every Per- fon as converfant about, and co-operating m the Work of our Redemption. God the Father^ as having an infinite Compaf-* fion and Kindnefs for loft Mankind, and thereupon fending his Son to reftore them: God t\iQSon as taking Human Nature up- on him, that by his Life he might both Inftru£l us in God's Will, and be to us an Example of Living ; and by his Death y he might make a Propitiation for our Sins : And Laftly, God the Holy Ghofi^ as fent into the Hearts of all Believers to be a new Principle in them of a Divine Life; to alTift all well difpofed Perfons with his Grace to the End of the World, in the fubduing their Corruptions, and in the Performance of all that Obedience which Chrift had required of them. And cer- tain Iv
The Seventh SeriJion. 189
talnly the Doctrine of the Trinity tlius be- lieved, thus confidered, is a Foundarioa of Piety, with a Witncfs : A Dodrine that carries in it the ftrongeft Argu- ments that can pofTibly be made Ufe of to a reafonable Nature, to oblige us to give up our felves entirely to the Service of God.
But in the Third Place, pafs we from the Docirines our Saviour Taught, to the Life he liv'd in the World ; which will arfbrd us another undeniable Proof of the Point we are upon : For whoever confi- ders the Particulars of that Life, as it is Recorded in the Gofpels, cannot but be convinced, that it was wholly Framed to the Purpofes of teaching Univerfal Ver- tue to Mankind, by giving us a moft lively and yet a moft imitable Example of all the Branches of it.
The Life that our BlelTed Lord led up- on Earth, was full of Innocence and Sim- plicity, free from all manner of Guile, and from the leaft Sufpicion of Vice, or any Thing that looked like it. There was nothing in his Temper, or in his Conver- fation, that favoured of Sournefs, or Chur- liflmefs ; of Vain-glory, or Ambition, or Self-feeking ; of the Love of Pleafare, or of the Love of the World. On the con- trary, he was the reverfe of all thefe: being the modefteft, the humbled, the beft-naturcd, the moft felf-denying, and
difm-
ipo 715^ Seventh Sermon.
difinterefted Man that ever appear'd in the World. He had no Views in any of his Actions; but the pure Glory of God, and the Good of Mankind. He was dead to the World while he liv'd in it ; very well pleafed and contented with his low Condition ; extremely devout to- wards God, and converfing much with him by Prayer and Meditation, and yet making that no Pretence of neglecting the Bufmefsof his Calling. He bore Iniuries and Affronts with the greateft Meeknefs, though he was a Perfon of the higheft Quality in the World. Patient he was to Admiration, under unheard of Sufferings, and not only ready to forgive his Enemies, but to oblige them all the Ways they were capable.
It would be endlefs to purfue all the Inftances of that glorious Vertue, in which our Saviour fhined forth as a Light to the Pathsy and, a Lantern to the Feet of all the Ages and Generations of the World. I fhall therefore here only defire Leave to take Notice, how exqui- fitely the Circumftances of our Saviour's Life were contrived, for the rend ring him every Way a compleat and proper Ex- ample of Vertue' to the Sons of Men. And there are Two Particulars efpecially that make hither.
Firfiy His chufmg the Life of a private ordinary Perlon. Had he appeared in
the
The Seventh Sermon. 191
the Qiiality, and with the Equipage of a Prince, or fome fuch Illuftrious Perfonage (as indeed the Jews expeQed fuch a one for their Meffia^s ) and framed his Manners and Converfation according to that Character ; the Vertues and Gra- ces he muft then have chiefly exercifed, would not have been imitable by much the greater Part of Mankind ; as who, being placed in a quite different Sphere, muft alfo have different Patterns and Pre- cedents to Frame their Lives by ; and confequently, the Benefit of his Example would have redounded, comparatively, but to a few. Befides, that State of Life would not have led him to Opportunities of exemplifying feveral Vertues, which the Generality of Mankind have the moft fre- quent Occafions for ; and for the obtaining of which, by reafon of their extreme Dif- ficulty, they moft ftand in need of the Gui- dance and Encouragement of an Exam- ple. Such, for Inftance, are, Contented- nefs in a mean Fortune, a continual De- pendance on God's Providence; patient Suffering of Injuries and Perfecutions, with feveral of the like Nature. But now our Saviour appearing as he did, in lowly and common Circumftances, in that Rank and Quality into which the Lot of the greateft Part of Men is caft ; and therein continually Confliding with all thofe Dif- ficulties and Temptations, to which the
Condi-
T92 The Seventh Sermon.
Condition of Human Life is moft expofed ; he rendred himfelf hereby an Example of the moft univerfal Influence, fuch a Copy of Vertue as the Neceffities of Mankind did moft require, Ihould be given them to write after.
Again, Secondly, What I have obfcrved as to the outward Condition of our Savi- our's Life, the fame, and to the fame Purpofes I obferve of his Vertues. They were, indeed. Perfect m the nigheft De- gree ; but yet the Inftances of them were very ordinary and very familiar, comply- ing^ with Human Society, and propor- tioned to the Strength and Capacities of all Men. There was nothing of Prodigy in his Converfation : Nothing that by its Greatnefs and too much Luftre, migl>t rather dazle our Eyes than guide us, ra- ther fcare our Endeavours than encourage them. And herein differs the Story of our Lord, from that of feveral of his Fol- lowers and Difciples m after-Times: Whofe Lives, as they are related to us, are rather fit to fright and amaze us, to enfnare and to create Scruples in us ; than to conduct us in the Ways of an even and regular Piety. But our Saviour's Life w^as nothing fo. We do not find him forward in thofe prodigious Mortifica- tions, thofe long and tedious Abftra6;ions pf Spirit, thole llrange Liftances of un- commanded Charity, with which the
Legends
The Seventh Sermon. 193
Legends of the Saints are ftuffed. But in all the Anions in which he did pro- pofe himfelf imitable by us, he did fo converfe with Men, that Men might with Eafe and Pleafure, and without the leaft Prejudice to their fecular Affairs, converfe in the World after his Exam- ple. In a Word, his whole Life was perfedly framed to a Conformity with his Dodrine, and Articles of Faith. As thefe v/ere fitted to every Man's Under- ftanding, fo was that fitted for every one's Imitations
Nay, let me add this farther; His Ve- ry Miracles and inimitable Actions Were alfo Framed as much as was polTible for the carrying on this Defign. For they were all of fuch a Quality, that they did not only Evidence the Divine Authority of his Religion to Mens Under (landings, which was one great End of them ; but did alfo powerfully recommend Goodnefs and Charity to their PradiceSc We might in them, at the fame Time^ dif- cover both the Truth of Chriftianity, and the Spirit and Temper of it. For it is obferveable of all the great and won- derful Works that our Saviour wrought^ that they v/ere not mere Signs and Pro- digies, fuch as the carnal '^ews hankered after ; but Adions of Beneficence to Mankind ; Illuftrious Expreflions of the moft large and diffufive Charity, He
V o L. IL O never
104 ^^^ Seventh Sermon.
never exerted that Divine Power that was in him, but to the Ends of benefiting feme Perfon or other. His conftant Courfe of Miracles, was but a continual going about doing Good.
And herein remarkably appears the Difference between our Saviour's Mira- cles, and thofe of Mofes and £//>/; the one the Author, the other the great Re- ftorer of the JewiQi Law. Theirs were for the moft Part vindicative and de- ftrudive j dreadful Plagues and Judg- ments upon Gain-fayers ; Waters from the Deep to drown them, and Fire from Heaven to confume them ; and this fui- tably enough to the Nature and Genius of that Difpenfation, to which they did hereby gain Authority. But our Saviour, who came to infufe another kind of Spi- rit into Mankind, chofe to confirm his Religion by Miracles of Mercy ; by heal- ing the Sick, feeding the Hungry, open^ ing the Eyes of the Blind, calling out Devils, and raifing dead People to Life again : Plainly hereby making us to un- derfland, tlmt the great Bufinefs of his Religion, was to make Men kind and good-natur'd ; and to produce in them all the Fruits of an ufeful and charita- ble Converfation, and this in a Degree far higher, than either the Law of Mofef^ or any other Religion in the World did
oblige Men to.
And
The Seventh Sermon^ i^l
■ And thus much for our Saviour's Life and Example, which was the Third Head I was to fpeak to. As for the Two re- nlaining Parts of his Hiftory, which I mentioned, as further Proofs of the Point we are upon ; I fhall not now meddle with them, having (I fear) been too tedious already. And therefore I only beg Leave to draw Two fliort Inferences from what hath been faid, and I lliall conclude.
And Firfl, If this Account Vv^e hav^ given of the Ends of Chrift's Manife- ftation in the Flefh be a true one; thcil we may learn, what Jud-gment we are to make of all fuch Do6lrines and Opi- nions, as do either directly teach Vice and Profanenefs and carelefs Living, or by neceffary Confequence Open a Door to it: Of all fuch Dodrines as difpofe ^ Man to believe, either that Hjlincfs of Life is not neceitary to Salvation ; or at lead not fo necerfary, but that there tiiay be ways found out to fupply the Want of it : Of all fuch Dodrines as do check and difcourage Men's Endeavours after univcrfal Vertue, either by repre- fenting it unto them, as a Thing unat- tainable in this Life ; or by filling their Minds with hard, and unworthy, and penurious Thoughts of God and his Good- nefs: Of all fuch Do8:rines as tend to extinguifih the inward Life and Spirit of
O 2 Reli^
196 The Seventh Sermon.
Religion, by turning it into Cuflomari- nefs, or Formality, or Superftition : In a Word, of all thofe Doftrines that do any way hinder or obftru^t Good Life. For it is certain we may affirm of all fuch, that they are not of God; that Chrift never taught them ; that the Holy Scrip- ture, in the true Senfe of it, cannot pof- fibly own them, as being direftly con- tradictory to the great Defign and Intend- ment of it, which, as we have feen, is to Plant in Men all manner of Vertue and Holy Converfation.
This is an excellent Rule to examine the Truth of Religious Opinions by ; and may be of great tjfe for the guiding our Judgments as to many Points, which are with great Eagernefs Difputed among Chriftians at this Day. And I mention ity not without a particular Reflection upon many of the DoClrines taught in the Church of Rome-, and upon fome, hkewife, that are too much propagated among our felves, ( though, God be thanked, never owned by our Church : ) Both of which Sorts, if they be brought to this Teft, will appear manifeftly Falfe and Unchriftian : As being either appa- rently contrived to ferve a fecular Turn ; 0r if not that, yet all of them, direct- fy, or by necelTary Confequence, incou- raging Men in a careiefs or a vicious Life.
But
The Seventh Sermon. 197
But Secondly, fince the End and De- fign of our Lord's coming into the World, is fuch as hath been faid ; then, in the Name of God, let every one that names the Name of Chrifij depart from all hi- quitj. This is the mod natural Infe- rence that can be drawn from this Do- ctrine.
All of us here prefent do call our felves Chriftians ; nay , and I believe, would take it ill of any one that fhould think otherwife of us. For God's Sake then, let us make it appear that we are fo, by living up to the Defign of our Chriftianity. Let us lliew that we are indeed the Difciples of Chrift, by walk- ing . as we have him for an Example. Let us make all the World fee that we believt his Dodrines, by conforming our felves to his Precepts: That we fear his Threatniiigs, by flying every Thing that is bafe and finful : That we exped his Rewards in the other World, by living ^bove the Vanities of this. Let our cQnftant and vigorous Purfuit of every Thing that is Good, of every Thing that is Juft, of every Thing that is Lovely, that is VenerablQ, that is of good Report, bear Witnefs for us, to what Mafter, and to what Religion we do belong.
There is no other Way but this to Evidence, that we are indeed what we
O 3 pre-
pS The Seventh Sertnon.
pretend to be. It is not fuiBcient to Entitle us to the Name of Chriftians, that we were Baptized into Chrift, that we profefs his I^'aith, that we reft upon him tor Salvation, that we are Mem- bers of an Orthodox Church : No, what St. Paul faid of Circumcision^ the fame may be faid of Baptifmy and all thofe other Things, (I ufe the Words of a late Eminent Divine of our Church) *^' They do ^verily Profit^ if we keep the Law " of Chrift; but if we be Tranfgreffors " of that Law, our Baptifm is no Bap- " tirm;""our Faith is mere Infidelity, our ^' Chriftianity is no better than Hea- thenifm. Nay, further, I will be bold to fay, there is not a Turk or a Hea- then, but if he live better than we ; if he be more Innocent, more Chafte, more Hun:ible, more Juft, more Charitable than we, he is to all Intents and Purpo- fes a better Chriftian : Forafmuch as he lives more up to the Ends of Chrift's Re- ligion. And a Thoufand Times rather would I chufe to appear at the laft Day, before the great Tribunal of Gpd, in the Perfon of fuch a poor Infidel, than In the Condition of the moft Orthodox Chriftian, if he foil and unhallow his Profeilion by. a vicious . Life. God Al- mighty touch all our Hearts with a Senfe of thefe Things, and grant that that Grace of his^ which as on this Day
hath
The Seventh Seriiion, 199
hath appeared unto Men^ may efFedlually teach every one of u^ to deny Ungodlinsf's and worldly Lajls, and to live Righteoujlyy and Soberly y and Godly in this prefent World ; looking for the BleJJed Hope , and the Second and more Glorious Appearance of the Great God^ and our Saviour, To whom, l^c.
O 4 S E R.
%QO.
S E R, M O N VIII.
Preached before the
QUEEN
A T
St. JAMES'S Chapel,
On Easter-Day, 1705.
A C T S X. 40j 41.
Him God raifed up the Third Day^ and Jhewed hh)i openly^
Not to all the 'People^ hut unto Wit- nejfesy chofen before of Gody even ta us^ who did Eat and Drink with him after he rofe from the Dead>
THE Solemnity of this Day lead- ing me to treat of fomething re- lating to our Lord's Refurredion from the Dead ; I fliall beg Leave at this Time, to give an Account of one Cir-
cumftance
The Eighth Sermon. 20i
cumftance of it, which is not commonly infifted on in the Difcourfqs upon this Argument : But which yet is looked upon by fome, (who are glad of any Sort of Weapons, though never fo flight ones, wherewith they may Attack the Chriftian Religion) to contam a ftrong Objeftion againft the Sufficiency of the Proof w:e have of that great Article of our Faith, It is that which is here told us by St. Peter^ in the Words I have now read unto you ; namely, that when God raifed u^ our Lord, Jejm on the Third Dig, and fieived him to be alive^ he did not jjjerv him to all the Peo- ple^ but only to chofen H^itneffes appointed by Qod for that Purpofe.
It is certain that Chrifi'^s Refurreciion is the great Fundamental Article of Chri- ftianity. Our whole Religion ftands or falls with it. If Chrifi be not Rijen, then is our Preaching "vain, and your Faith is alfo vaifiy as St. Paul tells us. And therefore this Point, above all others, ouglit to have fuch a Proof and Atteftation as is clear, and full, and convincing, and liable to no Exception or Evaiion. Forafmuch as whatever fhakes the Credit of this, ihakes the Credit of our whole Reli- gion.
Now we Chriftians do fay, and we have the greateft Reafon in the World to fay it ; That we have as good Proof of Chrift's Refurredion, as any Man can
reafon-
202 The Eighth Sermon.
reafonably defire. We have fuch an At- teftation of it, as none can juftly except againft. For we have the conftant agree- ing Teftimony of fcveral credible Witnef« fes, to whom our Saviour fhewed him- felf alive after his Crucifixion ; and with whom he did Eat and Drink for feveral Days together, and in whofe Prefence he did vifibly afcend up into Heaven. And we have that Teftimony authentickly conveyed down to us ; and confirmed likewife with all the Sorts of Evidence ; that any Matter of Fact, done at the fame Diftance of Time from us, that this was, is capable of.
Well, but to this it is objected, that thefe WitnelTes we fpeak of, were all of them Chrift's Friends, and Follov/ers, and Dependents. There are no Witneffes pro- duced of his RefurreiElion, but fuch as were his own Difciples, fuch as had efpoufed his Intereft, and were of his Party, and confequently were bound, right or wrong, to keep up his Reputa- tion in the World. If Chrift did indeed Rife from the Dead, and meant to give fufficient unfufped:ed Evidence to Man- kind of that his RefiirrecliGn, it was fit that he ihould have appeared after his Death to Men of all Sorts, to his Ene- mies, as well as to his Friends; to thofe that did not believe his Religion, as well as to thofe that did. But yet we find
that
The Eighth Ser7non. 205
that he fliewed himfelf only to his own Followers, and converfed with none but them ; not at all with the unbelieving 'Jews or Romans. And this is owned by the Apoftles themfelves. St, Feter here in my Text, when he preached Chrift's Re- furreftion to Cornelius^ confefRng and de- claring, that when God raifed uf Jefe^ on the Third Dajj and fheived him openly^ yet it was not to all the People^ but to Wttneffes cho- fen before of God, even his own Apoftles, Ti'ho did Eat and Urink with him after he rofe from the Dead,
This is, indeed, one of the ftrongeft Obje6lions that is brought againft the Ar- ticle of Chrift's Refurredion, and it is not a new one ; for Cel/hs particularly. Fifteen Hundred Years ago, urged it againit the Chriftians, as Origen acquaints us. My Bufinefs, at this Time, fliall be to confider it, and to give a fair Account of this Matter. And here I have Three or Tour Particulars to lay before you, which if they be well confidered, will convince any reafonable Man, that how plaufibly foever this Objection looks at the firft Sight, yet there is nothing in the World in it ; but it is all meer Cavil.
I. And Ftrfi of all, let it be confidered, that though it be true what St. Feter here tells us, that when God raifed up oar Lord from the Dead, he did not {hew him to all the People: Yet it is not true,
which
204 T^he Eighth Sermon^
which is fuppofed in the Objection, that there were no other WitnefTes of Ch rift's pLefurredion, but only his own Difciples : For the Soldiers that were placed by the "^em^ Magiftrates, to guard the Sepulchre after they had Sealed it up, were Witr nefTes of the whole Tranfadion, as St. Matthew informs us. It is not indeed faid, that they faw our Lord Jefus after he was Rifen; but they were fenfible of the Earthquake which preceded his Refur- redion: And they faw the Angel that came down from Heaven, and rolled a- way the Stone from the Door of the Se- pulchre, and thereupon were ftruck with fuch Terror, that they became as dead Men \ and they faw likewife, that his Body was milling in the Grave, as ap- pears by the Account they gave of thefe Things to their lylafters, who thereupon bribed them with large Sums of Money to give out that ridiculous Story, that whilft they were afleep, his Difciples came and liole away his Body : As if it was credible, either that Sixty Men that were fet to Watch, (for fo many they tell us a Roman Cujhdia confifted of) could all be afleep at once ; or if they were, that they could give an Account of what was done while they flept.
But pray what Sort of Man was St. Paul, when our Saviour firji appeared to him (for he appeared to him oftner than
once )
The Eighth Sermom 205
once ) in that aftonifhing Manner that is fet down in the Ninth of the Acis^ when he, and all his Company, were ftriick to the Ground by that Glorious unfup- portable Light that furrounded them. Was he then one of Chrift's Followers or Difciples? So far from that, that he breathed forth nothing but Threatnings and. Slaughter^ againji all that were of that Wajy and was at that very Time going to Da- mafcus^ with a Commiflion from the Jemjh Sanhedrim, to bring bound to Jerufalem^ all, both Men and Women, that believed on our Lord Jefus Chrift. There were then other WitnefTes of our Saviour's Re- furre8;ion, befides his own Difciples. That is the Flrfi Thing.
n. But Secondly, Though there had been no other WitneiTes of Chrift's Re- furreclion than his own Followers ; Yet their Teftimony was to all Intents and Purpofes fufficient to afcertain all reafon- able Men to the World's End, of the Truth of the Matter of FaLl ; nor is there any poflible ObjeQ:ion againft it : As win appear, if we confider either the Number of the WitnefTes ; or, the Manner of Chrift's Appearance to them ; or, the Times of it; or, the Quality of the Perfons; or, the no Reafon they had to abufe the World with fuch a Report, if it had been falfe ; or, lajlly, the other Evidence, be- fides their own Word, that they gave of the Truth of it, ' For
io6 The Eighth Sermon.
For their Number^ they were niany^ both Men and Women, even fome Hun- dreds that our Saviour fhew'd himfelf Alive to, after he had been put to Death.
For the Manner of fhewing himfelf to them, it was the moft convincing that could be. He did not appear to them One by one, but to Multitudes of them together, even to five Hundred Brethren dt once^ as St. Paul tells us, i Cor. xv. of ^vhom the greateft Part were alive at the Time when he wrote that Epiftle. Nor did he fliew Iiimfelf to his Difciples, by only giving them a Glimpfe of him, or juft appearing to them, and then va- nifliing : But he Converfed with them ; he Eat and Drank with them ; he ex- pofed himfelf to be felt and handled by them*
For the Times^ it was not Once or Twice, but frequently, for the Space of Forty Days ; at the End of which, he lead them out to the Mount of Olives^ and there, in their Prefcnce, did he vifibly afcend up into Heaven.
For the Quality of the WitnejOTes, and tht Matter they gave Teftimony to; there was no polTible Sufpicion, eitlier of their being deceived themfelves, or deceiving others. The Perfons were plain, fimple, illiterate Men, and the mofl: unfit in the World for the carrying on fuch an Impo-
fture^
^^ ^£he Eighth Sermon, 207
flu re, if this had been one. The Matter that they gave Teftimony to, was a plain Matter of Fa£l, obvious to all their Sen- fes ; and let them have had never fo little Wn-, yet if they had but Honefijj their Teftimony concerning it, might be relied on. And that they had Honcjly^ appears beyond all Exception from this ; That no Promifes or Threatnings could work upon them to depart from their Evidence ; but notwithftanding all the Sufferings they underwent upon Account thereof, they continued conftant to the Death, in. main- taining to all the World, that Jefus was Rifen from the Dead.
That they had no Inducement to be thus conftant in their Teftimony, but the Obligations that their own Confciences laid upon them, is abundantly plain : For what Advantage in the World could they expefl: to themfelves, from their perfift- ing m fuch a Story as this, if it had been an Untruth ? Why nothing but Ha- tred, and Reproaches, and Infamy and Perfecution, and Lofs of Goods, and of Life itfelf. This was all the Reward they were to hope for from the World.
And this Conhderation alone, if it be well attended to, will quite take away the Ground oi the whole Objeclion. The main Force of the Objedion lies here ; That the Witnefies of Chrift's Pvcfurre- etion were his Friends : o'i his own Party,
and
2o8 the Eighth Sermoft-
and confequently were bouhd to keep up his Reputation among Meia, Right oir Wrong ; arid therefore their fingle Tefli- mony ought not to be relied on. Now it muft be confeffed^ this Gircumftance would have Occaiioned fome Sufpicion in other Cafes, where it was apparent fome WorMly Defign was carried on; or where there was a Profpeft of Riches, or Power,- or fome other Temporal Advantage to be attained by. the Succefsful Management of an Intrigue : But there is nothing of this to be pretended in this Cafe of Chrift's Witneffes. If Chrill: did not Rife from the Dead, they had a World of Reafons and Inducements to have deferted both him and his Religion : But they had none to make fuch a grofs Lye for his Sake^ how much foever they had been his Friends before; Nay, fo far from that) that as I faid, it was againft all their Worldly Interefts to own his Refurre- £lion, though they were never fo much convinced that he did really Rife from the Dead. As Things then flood, no- ' thing but a Senfe of their Duty could have put them upon it, how well foevei* he had deferved of them. They muft be very good Friends^ and very honefi and fwcere Men too, that will venture all they are worth in this World, and their Lives to boot, for the Sake of their Friend, even while he is alive; and though the
Caufe
The Eighth 'S-:fmoiu
Caufe they appear in, on his Behalf, ht never fo juft. But is it credible; Nay^ is it poflible to be conceived, that fuch a Number of Men fhould have had fuch a Kindnefs for a 'Priend, ; a Friend too that was IDead.^ and from whom they could hope for nothing ; nay, a Friend too that- had been moft unfriendly to them, in ha- ving moft groOy deluded them: I fay, is it poflible (as Human Nature is Confti- tuted ) that fo many Men, for the Sake of fuch a Pei'fon, would forge lb monftrous a Lye, as his rifmg from the Dead, and ftand to it too ; when they not only got nothing by the Cheat, but expofed them- felves thereby to all the Miferies that Mankind can endure?
But, Lajtly^ The Evidence of Ch rift's Refurredion did not fo much depend upon the bare Teftimony of thefe Wit- nefles, as upon other Proofs they gave of the Truth of it: For thofe Men that preached Chrift's Refurreftion, gave De- monftration of the Truth of the Matter of Faft, by the Works that they them- felves wrought.
For here was the Cafe. Chrift, When he departed from his Apoftles, to go up into Heaven, told them, that he had ap- pointed them to be his Wanejfes, not only in yudea and Samaria, but to the utter?nofi Farts of the Earth : But they muft not en- ter upon that Office, till they had their
Vol. II. P Creden-
2.10 The Eighth Seruton.
Credentials ; and therefore he bids theni {lay at Jerufalem till they were endued with Power from on High. Ten Days after* this, the Holy Ghoft defcends upon them in a vifible Manner, and that in a full AiTembly. Upon this they every one be- gan to fpeak in Languages that they ne- ver had bpen Taught, to the great A- mazement of vaft Numbers of People of feveral Nations, who, upon the Rumour of this, fiock'd thither. Then were they qualified to preach Chrrft's Refurre£lion. And they did fo: And to confirm the Truth of it, they wrought all Sorts of Miracles. They cur'd all Difeafes : Nay, they them- felves raifed the Dead to Life again. Nay, not only this, but they communicated the s fame Power of working Miracles to all
thofe they laid their Hands upon^ And all thefe mighty Wonders they folemnly did avovy, they perform'd by the Power oi Jefu-s Chrifl, who was Crucified at Je- rufalem^ and who was now Alive at the Right Hand of God. What now was the EfFeQ: of all this? Why, where-ever they came, they brought over Multitudes, both of Jervs and Gentiles^ to the Faith of Jefus Chrifl. One of thefe Witnefles ( St. Peter hy Name) by one Sermon, converted Three Thoufand. By another Sermon he converted Five Thoufand, And within a very few Years, (lefs than Forty) by the Preaching of thefe Wttfteffesy and the
mighty
The Eighth Sermon. i\t
mighty Signs and Wonders they wrought, Was Chriflianity fpread throughout the World; and continues fo to this very Day.
yow can any reafonable Man define greater Evidence for any Matter of Fa£t, than all thefe Particulars I have men- tioned will amount to, for the Matter of Fafl: of our Saviour's Refurre8:ion ? Nay, I add farther, was ever any other Mat- ^ ter of Faft in the World better attefted than this is?
III. And if this Evidence be fufficient, then all that remains in the Objedion will very eafily be anfwered. For, in the Third Place, what is pretended, that Ghrift ought in Reafon to have given Proof of his Refurre£lion to all about him promifcuoufly, and not to have con- fined his Appearance and Converfation to a feled Number ; is very unreafona* hit. For, Was this Way of Proceeding neceflary for the Convincing the World of the Truth of Chrift's Refurredion ; Or was it not neceflary? If it was not neceflary, why is it urged ? If it was ne- ceflary ; then that very Thing which the Obje(iion would have Chrift to have, done, if he had done it, would not have been fufficient, but he muH have done more* For by the fame Reafon or Ar- gument that any Man can prove, that it was neceflary for the afcertaining Men of Chrift's Refurreftion, that he fhould
P 2 have
112 The Eighth Sermon.
have appeared to all about him, to all in the City where he rofe; by the fame Reafon k may be proved, that it was necefHiry he ihould have appeared to all the '\jews in the Land of Canaan ; nay, not only fo, but to all the Roman Empire: For: other wife they would have had the fame Caufe of objecting againft his Re- furreftion, that is now brought; namely^ that the Thing was a Plot of the Jewijb Nation, for the bringing in one of their own Country to be worThipped as a God throughout the World. Nay, further up- on this Principle, it would have beeii neceffary for Chrift to have (liewed him- feif in Perfon, not only to all that lived at that Time, but to all of the feveral fucceeding Ages, even to this Day.
The Argument therefore of the Obje- £l:ion proves too much, and therefore it proves nothing at all. The plain Defign of it is, to take away the Credit of all fuch Teilimony as is given by a feleft Number of Witnefles. And if that be once admitted , then the Confequence will be this, That we can have no good Evidence of the Truth of Matter of Fa6i:, but Evidence of Senfe, And though we have Chrift and his Apoftles witnefTing to us^ and a Tlioufand Witnefles more, yet with the Rich Man in the Parable, we mil not he perfe^aded, unlejs one rife from the Deady and appear to us.
IV. And
The Eighth Sermon, 113
IV. And .th,ei'efore, Fourthly^ taking it for granted, tlut the Witnelles of Chriil's Refurreclion could but be fuch a deter- minate Number of Men ; ( fur otherwife, he muft have appeared to all Mankind;) the Queftion is, What kind of Men Chri(l fhould have chofen for this Purpofe ; his Friends^ Or his Enemies^ The Obje£lioa faith, Both ; but we fay there is no llea- fon in the World for it. His Enemies ha- ving fo long been obilinate \\\ their Un- belief, notwithllanding all the Arguments, and all the Miracles he had given them for their Conviftion, had render'd them- felves utterly unworthy of fuch a Fa- vour. Ay, but (it will be fa id) ChriiVs Appearance from the Dead to them, would have convinced them of their Er- ror. Suppofing that ; yet ilill it was not fit that God Ihould convert them after that Manner. According to the Methods in which he deals with Mankind, Faith and Religion is to be a Vertue, a Thing of Choice, and not the EtfeQ: of uncon- trollable Demonftration. If they had had fufficient Means for the Enlightening their Underftandings before, and yet had re^ jeded them, as they did, there was no Reafon that they fliould have new and greater Means ufed with them ; fuch Means as the Force of which they could not refift . If this was reafonable ; then \i is reafonable, that every Atheift, or
P 3 Unbe-
Zi4 ^^^ Eighth Sermon.
Unbeliever now among us, that is not perfuaded by the common {landing Ar- guments of Religion, fhould exped a Mi^ rade for his Converfion. But this kind of Proceeding is to do a Sort of Violence to Mens Natures, and to take away all the Praife, and all the Reward of being Religious.
But indeed it is not fo certain, that thofe Men that had refifted all Chrift's Preaching and Miracles, and had after- wards moil; inhumanly Crucified him, would have been brought over to the Belief of him, though he had appeared to them from the Dead, On the con- . trary, thofe that could impute his Won- derful and Divine "Works that he wrought in his Life, to Magkky and Confederacy with the Devil, in all Reafon would have given the fame Account of this his Appearance after he was Dead. For feme Men are fo far gone in Vice and Wickednefs, that even a Demon ftr at ion^ or one from the Dead, will not bring them to a Senfe of their Errors.
Now, fiippofing this to be the Cafe ; I am fure fuch Men as thefe, were by no Means fit to be put among the Wttnejfes ehofen of God, to whom our Saviour fhould fhew himfelf Ahve after his Death : Be- caufe fuch WitnefTes as thefe would have done his Caufe more Hurt, than ever they would have done it Good.
Since
The Eighth Sermon. 215
Since therefore there was of Neceflity .to be a fet particular Number of Witnel- fes for the Attefting our Saviour's Re- furredion to the World, it v/as infinitely fit for the gaining Credit to their Tefti- mony, that great Care lliould be taken m the Choice of them. And if fo ; who were fitter to be pitch'd upon for that jEmployment, than thofe that were all known^ tried, honeil Men, and who had attended upon our Lord during all the Time of his Publick Miniltry, and fo were perfedly well acquainted both with his Life and his Doctrine, as well as with the Truth of his Refurreclion ? And Laftly, Who would fo firmly perfiil: in their Teftimony, that they would not fcruple to undergo any Sufferings, nay, even Death itfelf, for fo good a Cauf-. And fuch a Choice as this our Lord did make ; and fuch a Choice, all Men that confider Things ferioufly, cannot but al- low to be Reafonable.
I cannot think of any Thing that can be further objected upon this Argument, unlelsTt be this: That though it was not fit our Saviour fliould vouchfafe that ijindnefs to his Enemies and Cr//r/- pers^ as to appear to them; yetj at ieaft, he ought to have chofen forpe other Witneifes, befides his own Dif- ciplesj of his Refurre8:ion ; feme Per- Ibns that were indifiPerent, that were
P 4 neither
21 6 The Eighth Sermon,
neither engaged for him, or againft him.
Well, Let this be admitted as a reafon- able Thing : But in Anfwer to it, I fay. That for any Thing we know to the contrary, Chrift did make fuch a Choice pf his WitneiTes : For of thofe Five Hun- dred, Brethren that St. Fatd tells us our Saviour appeared to at once, feveral of them might not be Brethren^ might not be Chriftians before his Appearance to them, but might be converted by that Appearance : So that at the Time of that Appearance, they might be indifterent to him and his Religion, though they were not fo afterward.
But whether it were fo or no, it mat- ters not : For it will be one and the fame Thing as to the Event, and confequently the Objection will be idle and frivolous. for let us put this Queftion : Would we have had thefe Indijferent Unconcerned Per» fons, to whom we wifli Chrift had ap^ peared after his Refurre<£lion, and ap- pointed them WitnefTes of it ; I fay, v/ould \ye have had them, after this Ap- pearance, to continue in this Indijferency and Unconcernednefs, or would we not? If we would, then we would have them to continue Infidels and Unbelievers, not^ withftanding Ch rift's Refurredion, which they were Eye-Witneffes of. But upon this Suppontlon, what Service were they
like
The Eighth Sermon. 2I7
like to do the Chriftian Caufe by their Teftimony ? This Sort of Perfons were like to prove rare Preachers of the Gofpei to others, wlio though they own'd Chrift's Refurredion, yet did not believe his Do- ctrines. But, on the other Side, if we would have all thefe Indifferent Uncon- cerned, Men, upon the Evidence of Senfe that they had of Chrill's Refurredion, to be convinced thereby, that he was a true Prophet fent from God, and upon that Conviftion to become his Difciples ; then the whole Obje£lion we have been fo long upon, vanillieth into nothing : For the Thing is admitted that we have beea all this while contending for ; namely. That every one that was qualified to be a Witnefs of Chrift's Refurredion, mud be a Convert to his Religion ; and none could do any Service to his Caufe, but thofe that were fuch. And certainly this is true: And the more you confider it, the more you will be convinced of it. And li you turn over in your Thoughts all the Ways that can be imagined con- cerning this Bufinefs, you will find that the Way that God chofe for the Tefti^ fying his Son's Refurre8:ion, both to the prefent Generation, and to future Ages, was the beft, was the wifeft, was the leaft exceptionable, was the moft eifedlual for the gaining Credit to it, of any that can be thought of.
And
3i8 The Eighth Sermon.
And thus much let it fuffice to have fppken touching my Text, and the Ob- jedion that is taken froni thence againft our Lord's Refurredion. AlLthat \ fliall do further, is to draw Two or Three Ufe- ful LefTons from this great Article of our Faith; for our Inftruftion, and for pur Comfort, and for the awakening us to a Senfe of our Duty, and this by Way of Application.
And in the Tirf Place, taking it for granted, that our Saviour's Refurredion is fufficiently and unexceptionably at- tefted, we have hereby the greateft AfTu- rance given to us of the Truth of^the Chriftian Religion, that we can pombly willi or defire : For it is the ftrongeft and mod indubitable Seal that God could fet to the Verity of all our Saviour's Do- tlrines. It being utterly impoflible, (as being inconfilient with God's Veracity, who cannot fet his Seal to a Lye \) that if Jefus had been any other than what he pretended to be, namely, the Son of God, and the Saviour of the World, God would have raifed him again to Life, and taken him up into Heaven: Efpecially, our Saviour having more than once puhj- lickly declared before-liand, that after he was put to Death, he would thus rife again; and gave that as a Sign to the y^n'i", that he was no Impoftor, but a frue Prophet fent from God.
Ser.ond,l'jj
The 'Eighth Sevmoiu 219
Secondly^ Another Confequence of our Saviour's Refurreftiorij is, That we have thereby the greateft Demonftration given us of the Certainty of Future Rewards in another World : Which is the great Argument that muft prevail upon the Spirits of degenerate Mankind, to purfue the Paths of Vertue and Hohnefs. For by this Men might be clearly convinced that there was another Life after this, fince they had their own Senfes to Wit^ nefs it : He that was once Dead and Bu- ried, now Living again, arid vifibly As- cending up into Heaven : And the fame Perfon that now liv'd again, had told them before, that all thofe that believed on him, fliould be raifed up again at the lafl Day, by that Spirit which railed him. What more could be thought of for the afTuring us of a Heavenly Inheritance, if we be good Chriftians, than this ? And what can more powerfully engage us fe- rioufly to endeavour to be fuch, than the Confideration of that Heavenly Inheri- tance ?
But Thirdly and Laftly, Another Effea or Confequence of Chrift's RefurreQ:ion, is, That thereby God hath declared him to be the Judge both of the Quick and the Dead. This St. Vaul tells us, in the xviith of the A^s', God (faith he) now com* mandeth all Men every where to repent \ be^ caufe he hath appointed a Day in which hff
mil
2,20 The Eighth Sermon.
mil judge the World in Righteoufnefs^ by that Man Ivhof/^ he hath ordained ; of which he hath given Ajfurance unto all Men, in that he hath raifed him from the Dead, And this is the Point that St, Peter likewife, here in my Text, takes care to inculcate to Comeltmy when he Preached Chrift's Reiurredion to him. Him (faith he) God 'raifed uv the Third Day^ and fhsived hi^t openly y Sec. Jnd he commanded m to Preach to the People^ and to Tejlify that it is He ivho is Ordained 'of God to he the 'Judge of Quick and Dead, And Laftly, This is that which the Angels de- clared to the Apoftles while they were looking ftedfaftly towards Heaven, as our Saviour Afcended thither: Why jiand ye (fay they ) ^^^/«^ up into Heaven ? This fame 'Jefus Tvhich is taken up from you into Heaven^ jhallfo come in like manner as ye have feen him Sio into Heaven,
O what ConfuHon will this be to all Unbelievers and impenitent Sinners, when they fhall fee that very Perfon whom they thought fo meanly of, and whofe Offers of Salvation they fo often defpifed, appearing in the Clouds "with Ten Thoufand Glorious Angels about him, and coming in the molt Terrible Manner that can be ima-? gined, to call them to Account for their Lives paft, and to execute Judgment upon all Ungodly Men !
They will not then any longer (with the Scoffers that St. Peter td\^ us ihall ^.e
in
The Eighth SemiofL 221
in tlie La ft Days) fay, Where is the Prvm/fi of his coming ? for we fee that all Thif2gs con-^ tinue as they were from the begirtning of the Creation : For they fhall be convinced, that however his Coming was for good Reafons deferred, yet he fhall then come to purpofe; to the everlafting Confufion of their Faces, that oppofed, or defpifed, or negleded Him and his Religion.
Then fliall they fay, Yonder He is whom we flighted, whofe Religion we drolled '^ upon, whofe Servants and Followers we took to be no better than a Company of credulous Fools. Lo, yonder He is in the Clouds, whofe Tenders of Mercy v/e have refufed, whofe Counfels we have reje6ted, to whofe Spirit we have done defpight, whofe Sides we have often fierce d, by oui* high Affronts, in as rude a Manner as the Soldiers did at "Jerufalem. Yonder He is ; but no longer a Carpenter''s Son, no longer a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Griefs ; no longer a mean obfcure Galilean ; no longer a Crucified God ; as we in Derifion called him : But the Sovereign of Angels, the Judge of Mankind and Devils, and the Lord of all Things both in Heaven and Earth.
On the other Side, this Reflexion, that our Lord by his Refurreclion is made the Judge of the World, doth not afford Mat- ter 01 greater Terror to his Enemies, than it doth of Comfort to his Friends and Fol*
lowers.
222 T^^^ Eighth Sermon.
lowers. How mufl It revive the Heart of every honeft Chriftian, and encourage him to go on patiently and chearfully in the Service of his Mafter, notwithftand* ing the many Frailties and Infirmities he groans under ; notwithftanding the many Slips and Errors, that after his beft Endea- vours do attend the Courfe of his Life ; to confide r that He who is to take his Ac- counts at the Laft Day, and to pafs Sen- tence upon him, is no other than his Dear Redeemer ?
If we look upon the Judgment to come only in this View, that then all the hid- den Works of Darknefs fhall be brought to Light, the Secrets of all Hearts be laid open, the Adions of all Mankind ftridly examined and fcanned, and Sentence pafs upon every one according to his Works done in the Flefh : I fay, if we have no other View of the Laft Judgment than only this, it would not be very com- fortable to the beft of us, who are all Sinners, and therefore cannot plead our Innocence at that Great Tribunal But when we confider further. That it is our Saviour that fliall then fit upon the Throne; that it is our Saviour to whom God hath committed the Judging of us : Our Saviour, I fay, that knows our Frame, that is fenfible of all the Difficulties we have to conflid with, as having himfelf^ in the Days of his Flefli, had fufiicient
Expe-
The Eighth Sermon. 223
Experience of them (^he having been in all Votnts temped, as roe are^ only without Sin : ) And that this Saviour of ours will not . Judge us according to the Rigour of the Law, but according to the Gracious Al- lowances of the Gofpel : The Confidera- tion of this, I fay, will prove an effedual Antidote againft all the Pears, and Dif- quietudes, and Defpondency we may lie under upon Account of our own Unwor- thinefs.
Let none of us therefore, that heartily own our Lord Jefus, and his Religion, and honeftly endeavour to live up to the Laws of his Gofpel, fright our felves with fuch Thoughts as thefe: How fball I, poor Wretch, dare to appear before the Face of my Judge, at the laft Day ; who have fo many grievous Sins to Anfwer for ? Let us but go on in the good Courfc we are in, Jet us but hold the Profeflion of our Faith without wavering ; and daily apply to the Throne of Grace, for Strength and Afli- ftance againft our Corruptions; and to our Prayers add our fincere Endeavours to increafe in Vertue ; and the longer we live, ftill to grow better: And then I dare fay, whatever Sins we may have bQen guilty of, we fliall not need to have any Apprehenfion or Fear of our Condi- tion, upon Account of them, when we cpme to dye ; but we may with Confi- dence appear before the Tiibuna,! of our
Lord,
'288 The Eighth Sermon.
Lord, and exped our Part m that Com-! fortable Sentence which he will at the Laft Day pronounce to all his true Di/^
ciples and Followers ; Come ys Bleffed of my Father^ inherit the Kjngdom prepared for youy from the Youndation of the World, To which Kingdom God Almighty bring us *11, ^iT.
A DIS.
289
A
DISCOURSE
OF
COI^JSCIENCE;
With Refpeca to thofe that Separate from the Commu- nion of the Church of Eng*^ Jand, upon the Pretence of it, &^c.
THER^ is nothing more in our Mouths than Confiisme ; and yet there is few Things we have gene- rally taken lefs Pains to underftand. We fit down too often with this, that it is fomething within /^, We do not know what, which we are to Obey in. all that it Suggefts to us, and We tro,uble our felves iio further about it.
By which Means, it frequently comes
to pafs; that though we have efpoufed
very dangerous Errors, or happened to be
ingaged in very Sinful Pra^icesj yet Be-
VoL* IL U iieving
A D'lfcourfe of Confaeiice.
lieving and Acting, as we fay, according to our Confcience •, we do not only think our felves perfeftly Right and Safe, while we continue in this State ; but are effectu- ally Armed, againft air Sorts, of Arguments and Endeavours that can be ufed for the bringing us to a better Mind.
This is too Vifible in many Cafes ; but in none more than in the Cafe of thofe that at this Day Separate from the Com- munion of the Churchy as it, is Eftablillied among us. Though the Laws of the Land, both. Ecdejiajlical and Civil ^ do oblige them to join in our Communion ; though ^ many Arguments are ofter'd to convince them, not only that they Lawfully may, but that they are bound to do it : Though they themfelves are fenfible, that manifold and grievous Mifchiefs and Dangers do enfue from this Breach of Communion, and thefe unnatural Divifions, both to the Chriftian Religion in General, and to our Reformed Religion in Particular ; yet if to all thefe Things, a Man can reply, that he is fatisfied in his Confcience that ne doth well in refufing his Obedience to the Laws ; Or that he is not f'atisf-ed in his Confcience y that he ought to join with us upon fuch Terms as are required ; this fingle Pre- tence n^all be often thought a fufiicient Anfwer, both to Laws and Arguments. \ A ftrange Thing this is- that Confcience^ which among other Ends^ was given to
Man-
ji Difcotirfe of Confcience. igt
Mankind for a PreferVative, and Security of the Publick Peace ; for the iliore efFe* dually obliging Men to Unity, and Obe- dience to Laws ; yet fliould often be a Means of fetting them at Diftance, and prove a Shelter for Difobedience and Dif Order : That God fliould command us to obey our Governours in all Lawful Things, for Confciencc fake, and yet that we fliould difobey them in Lawful Things for Con- fcience fake too.
It is the Defign of this Difcourfe, to" ex- amine what there is in this Plea, that h fo often made by our Diifenters, for their not complying with the Laws, viz^i Thai it is again ji their Confcience fo to do; and to fliew in what Cafes this Plea is juftly made, and in what Cafes not; and where it is juftly made, how far it will juftify any Man's Separation, and how far it will not. And all this in order to the poilef- fing thofe who are concerned, with a Senfe of the great NeceiTity that lies upon them, of ufmg their moft ferious Endea- vours to inform their Confcience aright in thefe Matters, before they p'refume to' think they can feperate from us with a, good Confciemc^ which is" all we defire of them ; for it is not our Bufinefs to per- fwade any Man to conform againft his Confcience, but to convince every Man^ iiOv/ dangerous it may be to foUoiv d mijin- formed QoHfaieme; . ' ' " -^ i fet
lg^ A Difcourfe of Conscience.
But before I enter upon this Difquilitiony it will be neceiliry, in the Fiift Place, to prepare my Way, by laying down the Grounds anct Principles I mean' to proceed upon. And here, that I may take in all Things that are needful to' be known be- fore-hand, about this Matter, I fhall treat diftindly of thefe Five Heads. -
1 . Of the Nature of Confc'tence^
2. Of the Kule of Confcieme, And under that,
- 5. O? thQ Power of Humane Laws to Oblige the Conference,
: .4. And particularly in the Injlance of Church Communion-
■ 5. Of the Authority of Confcience : Or how far a Man is obliged to be guided, by his Con- fcience in his Anions,
I. And Firft, As for the Nature of Con-< fcience, the trueft Way to find out that will be, not fo much to enquire into the Signification of the 'Word Confcience^ or the feveral Scholafiicd Definitions of it ; a^ to confider what every Man doth really mean by that Word, when he has Occa- fion r.a make Ufe of \t ) for if it do ap- pear that all Men do agree in their No- tions and Senfe, about this Matter ; that without Doubt, which they all thus agree in^ is the true Notion and Senfe of Con-- fcience.
Now as to this, we may obferve m the Firft Place^ that a Man never fpeaks of
A Difcourfe of Cojifcience- 2-93
his Qonfcience^ but with refpe<^ to his oim A^wfis, or to fomething that hath the Na- ture of an A£tion which is done or omit- ted by him, or is to be done or omitted- Matters of meer Kjiowledge^ and Specula- tion, we do not concern our Confcience with ; as neither with thofe Things ia which we are purely ?ajfive\ as neither with ABionSy if they be not our own. We' do not, for Inftance, make it a Point of Confcience, one Way or other, whether a Thing be true or falfe ; or whether this or the other Accident that befals us, be profperous .or unfortunate; or wliether another Man hath done good or bad Acti- ons, in which we are no way concerned. Thefe kind of Things may indeed prove Matters of great Satisfaction or Difquiet ; of Joy or Grief to us : But we do not take our Confcience to be affefted with thera. That Word never comes in, but with refped to fomething willingly done, or left undone by us ; or which we may do, or may forbear.
Secondly, We may obferve, that' in Common Speech, we do not neither ufe this Word Confcience about our Adions, but only, fo far as thofe Actions fall un- der a Moral Confideration ; that is, as they have the Nature of Duties or Sif7Sy or as they are Lawful or Unlanful. Al- ways when we fpeak of Confcience in our Adions, we have Refped to fome il^u^.or
U 3 'jRuhy
A Difconrfe of Confdence.
Rule, by which thofe Adioris are to be directed and govern'd, and by their Agree- ablenefs or Difagreeablenefs with which they become morally Good or Evil,
Thirdly, This being fo, the only Thing remaining tp be enc^uired into for the finding out what Confcience is, is what can be reafonably thought to be our Senfe and Meaning, when we ufe the Word Confcience^ with fuch Application to our Actions^ as we have now faid. Now for that I defire it may be confidered, that when we talk of our Aclions as we con- cern our Confcience in them, they can but tall under thefe Two Heads of Diftindion \ that is to fay, in the Firft Place, we either confider our A6:ions as already done or omit- ted : Or we confider them as yet not doncy hut as we are deliberating about them. And then Secondly, Whether we confider them as done, or not done ; as paft, or future ^ yet we Rank them under one of thefe Three Notions.
We either look upon them as Commanded by God, and fo to be Duties \ or as Vor^ hidden by God, and fo to be Sins ; or as neither Commanded nor Forbidden, and fo to bQ indifferent Adions. (With thefe laft Adions, indeed, Cpnfcience is not pro- perly or dire£lly concerned, but only by Accident ; to wit, as thofe indifferent Jcli- ons do approach to the Nature of Duties grSins:) Our A6lions, I fay, do not touch """'■■''''■■■ ' Qur
ADifcourfe of Co?ifde?ice. 295
our Confcience, but ^s they fall under fome of thefe Heads.
Now in all thefe Refpeds, we have in- deed different Ways of bringing in Con- icience, but yet, as it will appear, we mean the fame Thing by it in them all. Firft of all, when we are confidering an Action as yet not done^ if we look upon it as Commanded by God, we fay, we are bound in Confcience to do it ; if we look upon it as a Sinful Action, we fay, it is again fi our Qon- ■fcience to do it ; if we look upon it as an indifferent Thing, we fay, we may do it, or not do it, with a fafe Confcience. Now, I pray, what do we mean by thefe Expref- lions ? I defire that every one would con- fult his own Mind, and deny, if he can, that this is the Senfe of his Words. If he faith he is hound in Confcience to do this or the other Thing, whether he doth not mean this? That he verily thinks it his Duty to do that Aftion. If he faith that it is againft his Confcience to do fuch an AQiion, whether he means any more than this ? That he is perfwaded m his Judg- ment, that to do fuch an Action is an Of- fence againft God. If he faith that he can do it with a Safe Confcience ; whether he hath any other Meaning than this ? That to the bell: of his Knowledge and Judg- ment, the Adion may be done without TranfgrefTing any Law of God. This is now undeniably, the Senfe that every Man
U 4 in
2^6 A Difcourfe of Confcience.
in the World hath, when he makes Men- tion of Confcience as to Adions that are not yet done, but only propofed to his Confideration. So that taking Confcience as it refpefts our AHions to be done or omitted, and as it is to Govern and Con- dud them, (in which Senfe we call Con- fcience a Guide, or a Monitor, and fome- times, though very improperly, a Rule of our Adions, ) it can be nothing elfe, in the Senfe of all Men that ufe that Word, but a Man's Judgment concerning the Goodnefs or Badnefs, the Lawfulnefs or Unlawfulnefs of Adions, in order to the Condud of his own Life.
But Secondly, If we fpeak of our Ani- ons that are done and paft, and conlider Confcience with reference to them; here, indeed, we do a httle vary the Expreflion about Confcience, but the Notion of it is the fame we have now given. As for In- fiance, when we talk of ?6ace of Confcience^ or Trouble of Confcience^ with reference to fome Adion we have done or omitted • when we fay, my Confcience hears me Wit-^ 77efsy that I have aded rightly and ho- neftly in this Affair; or my Confcience acquits me from Blame, as to this or the other Action ; or I am troubled in Con- fcience for doing what I have done : If we turn thefe Phrafes into other Words, we fhall find that there is nothing more at the bottom of them than this ; that re-
fletlifig
A Difcourfe of Confctence. 297
fleeting upon our own Aftions, we find, that in this or the other Inftance, we have either afted or omitted, as we are convinced in our Judgment we ought to do; and the Remembrance of this is fome Pleafure and Satisfa6i:ion to us; or we have done or forborn fomething contra- ry to what we take to be our Duty, and the Remembrance of this affe£ls us with Grief and Trouble. But ftill, in both thefe Inftances of Expreflion, that which we mean by Confcience, is the fame Thing as in the former Cafes, viz. It is our Judg- ment and Ferfivafwn concerning what rve ought to doy or ought not to do^ or lawfully may do ; only here we add to it this Confideration, that the A6lion which we are perfwaded to be good, or bad, or indifferent, is now done or omitted by us, and we do re- member it. In the former Cafe, Confci- ence was confidered as the Guide of our Actions; In the latter Cafe it is confi- dered as the Witnefs of our Aftions : But in both Cafes, Confcience is the Judge, and confequently in both Cafes the No- tion of it is the fame, only with this Dif- ference, that in the former it was a Man's Mind, making a Judgment what he ought to do, or not to do; in the latter it is a Man's Mind, reflefting upon what he hath done, or not done, and judging whether he be Innocent or Culpable in the Matter he reflecls upon.
I
298 A Difcourfe of Confcieiice.
I do not know how to give a clearer Ac- count of the Nature of Confcience in gene- ral, than this I have now given. This I beheve is the Natural Notion that all Men have of it, and there is no Expreflion in Scripture about it, but what doth confirm this Notion. If, indeed, we put Epithets to Confcience, and talk of a Good Con- fcience, or an Evil Confcience ; a Tender Confcience, or a Seared Confcience, or the like ; then it includes more, both in Scrip- ture, and in common Language, than I have now mentioned. But to give an Account of thofe Things, I am not now concerned, as being without the Limits of our prefent Enquiry.
n. And now we are fufficiently pre- pared for our Second general Point, which is touching the Rule of Confcience ; if, in- deed, after what we have already faid, it be not fuperfluous to infill upon that.
It appears plainly, by what I have re- prefented, that Confcience muft always have a Rule which it is to follow, and by which it is to be governed. For fmce Confcience is nothing elfe but a Man's Judgment concerning Acitons^ as good^ or hady or indifferent ; it is certain, that a Man mull: have fome Meafures to proceed by, in order to the framing fuch a Judgment about A£lions ; that is to Hiy, there mufb be fomething diftinct from the Man him- feh^ that makes Adlions to be good, or
bad,
A Difcourfe of Confcience. 299
bad, or indifferent ; jind from which, by applying particular Anions to it, or com- paring them with it, a Man may be able to Judge, whether they be of the one Sort, or the other. Now this, whatever it be, is that which we call the Rule of Confcience ; and fo much it is its Rule, that Confcience can be no farther a fafe Guide, than as it follows that Rule.
If now it be asked, what this Rule of Confcience is ; or what that is, which makes a Difference between A6tions, as to the Moral Goodnefs or Badnefs of them; the Anfwer to it is obvious to Every- body ; that it can be nothing elfe but the Law of God : For nothing can be a Duty^ but what God's Law hath made fo ; and nothing can be a Sin^ but what God's Law hath forbidden ; ( the very Notion of Sin being, that it is a Tranfgrellion of the Law : ) And Laftly, we call a Thing Lanfuly or Indijferent^ upon this very Ac- count, that there is no Law of God, either conlmanding or forbidding it ; and where there is no Law, there is no Tranfgref- fion. So that undeniably the Great, nay, I fay, the only Rule by which Confcience is' to be Governed, is the Law of God^ confdered either as it commands ABionSy or forbids them^ or as it neither commands them nor forbids them.
^ But in Order to the giving a more di- ilind Account of this Rule of Confcience^
there
300 A Difcourfe of Confcience.
-there is this needful to be enquired into, ^iz. In what Senfe we take, or what we mean by the Law of God, when we fay, it is the Rfde of Confcience.
Now to this our Anfwer is, That by the Law of God, wc here underftand God's Will, for the Qovernment pf Mens Acti- ons, in what Way foever that Will is de- clared to them.
Now the Will of God is declared to Men Two Ways ; either by Nature, or by Revelation ; fo that the Juft, and Adequate Rule of Confcience, is made up of Two .iParts, the Law of Nature, .and God'*s Re- pealed Law.
By the Law of Nature^, we mean thofe Principles of Good and Evil, Juft and Vn- juft, which God hath Staaip'd upon the Minds of all Men, in the very Conftitu- tion of their Natures. There are fome Things Eternally Good in themfelves; fuch as to Worlliip God, to Honour our Parents, to ftand to our Covenants, to live Peaceably in the Government, from which w;e receive Protedion ; and the contrary to thefe will be' Eternally Evil ; the Heads of all which Things, thus Good in themfelves, are writ fo Plainly and Legibly, in the Minds of Mankind, that there is no Man, who is come to the Ufe of his Reafon, but muft of NecefTity be convinced, that to PraQ:ife thefe Things, will alwav be his Diity, and not to Pra-
aife
A Difcourfe of Confdence. 301
ftife them, will always be Evil, and a Sin. Now all the fe Heads and Principles, put together, is that we call the Law of Nature ; and this is all the Rule of Con- fcience that Mankind had, before God was pleafed to difcover his Will, by more particular Revelatiorj, And this is that Law which the Apoftle fpeaks of, when he faith, that the Gentiles ^ who had not the Law of Mofes, yet had a Law written in their Hearts ; by their Ading according ta which, or contrary to which, their Con- fcience did hear Wttnefs to thern^ and did either Accufe them, or Excufe them.
But then Secondly, to us Chrifiians, God, to this Law of Nature, hath fuperadded a Revealed Law, which is contained in the Books of Holy Scriptures. Which Re- vealed Law yet, is not wholly of a diffe- rent Kind from the former, nor doth it at all void the Obligation of it. But only thus; God hath, in his Revealed Law, declared the Precepts of the Law of Na- ture, more certainly and accurately than before ; He hath given greater Force and Strength to them, than they had before, by the Sandicns of greater Rewards and Punifhments : He hath likewife herein perfected the Law of Nature, and hath obliged us, in Point of Duty, to more and higher Inftances of Vertue, than Na- ture did ftriclly oblige us to : And Laftly, he hath added feme pofitive Laws for us
to
502 A Difcourfe of Confcience.
to obferve, which were not at all con- tained in the Law of Nature ; as for In- flance, to believe in 'Jefm Chrifi, in order to Salvation, to make all our Applications to God, in the Name of that Mediator Chnfi Jeftis^ to enter into a Chriftian Society by Baptifm, and to Exercife Communion with. that Society, by partaking of the JLor£s-Supper.
And this is that Law, which we Chri* fliam are obliged to, as well as to the Law of our Natures ; and which, as it is a Summary of all the Laws of Nature, fo, indeed, is it a Summary of all our Duty. So that if any Man will call it the great, or only Rule of Chrtjiian Confcience^ I flaall not much oppofe him, provided that this be always remembred, that.
In the Third Place, when we fay, That the Natural and Revealed Law of God, is the juft Rule by which we are to govern our Confcience ; or when we fay, that the Law of God, as Revealed arid Con* tained in the Bible^ is, to us ChriftianSj the jufi Rule, We are fo to underftand this Propofition, as to take into it, not on- ly all that is diredlly and exprefly com- manded or forbidden by either of thofe Laws ; but alio all that by plain Col* leclion of Right Reafon, in applying Ge- nerals to Particulars, or comparing one Thing with another, doth appear to be sommanded or forbidden by them^
A Difcourfe of Conf device. 30 5
So that by the Law of Nature ^ as it is a Rule of Confcience, we are not only to underfland the prime Heads, and moft general Didates of it, ( which are but a iQ'W ) but alfo all the neceffary Deductions from thofe Heads. And by the Law of Scripture, as it is the Rule of Confcience, we are not only to underftand the ex- prefs Commands and Prohibitions we meet with there, in the Letter of the Text; but all the Things, likewife, that by un- avoidable Confequence, do follow from thofe Commands, or Prohibitions. In a Word, when we are deliberating with our felveSj cOnqerning the Goodnefs, or Badnefs, the J^awfulnefs or Unlawfulnefs of this, or the other particular Adion^ We. are not only to look upon the Letter of the Llw, but to attend further to what that Law may be fuppofed by a Rational Man. to contain in it. And if we be fconvihced, that the A6lion we are deli- berating about, is commanded or forbid- den, by direct Lafereme^ or by Parity of Reafof7j we ought to look upon it as a Duty, or a Sin, though it be not exprefly corrmmnded or forbidden by the Law, in the Letter of it. And if neither by the Let- ter of the Law, nor by Confequence from it, nor by Parity of Reafon, the Action before lis appear, either to be com- manded or forbidden ; in that Cafe, we are to look upon it as an indifferent
Action ;
304 ^ Difcourfe of Confcience.
Action, which we may do, or let alone, with a fafe Confcience : Or to exprefs the Thing more properly, we are to look upon it as an Aftion, in which our Con- fcience is not fo much concerned as our Prudence.
III. Having thus given an Account of the Rule of Confcience^ that which natu- rally follows next to be confidered, with reference to our prefent Delign, is, What Share Humane Laws have in this Rule of Con" fcience: Whether they be a Part of this Kule, and do really bind a Man's Con-, fcience to the Obfervance of them, or no ? Which is our Third General Head.
Now as to this, our Anfwer iSj that though the Lmvs of God be the great, and indeed the only Rule of Confcience, yet the Lam of Men, generally fpeaking, do alfo bind the Confcience, and are a Part of its Rule, in a Secondary Senfe; that is, by Virtue of, and in Subordination to the Laws of God.
I (hall briefly explain the Meaning of this in the Four following Propofitions.
Firft, There ' is nothing more certain, than that the Latv of God, as it is declared^ both by Nature and Scripture, doth Command us to obey the Laws of Men,
There is no One DiQiate of Nature, more obvious to us, than this, that we are to obey the Government we Live un- der, in all Hojieft and Juft Things. For
this
A Difcourfe of Confcience* 305
this is, indeed, the principal Law and Foundation of all Society. And it would be impoflible, either for Kingdoms, or States, for Cities, or Families, to fubfifl-, or at leaft to maintain themfelves in any tolerable Degree of Peace and Happinefs, if this be not acknowledged a Duty.
And then, as for the Laws of God in Scripture, there is nothing more plainly declared there, than that it is God's Will, and our Duty, to obey them that have the Rule over us\ and to fubmit our fehes to every Ordinance of Man^ for the Lor^s Sake^ and to be fubjeB^ not only for Wrath, but for Confcience Sake. So that no Man can doubt, that he is really bound in Duty to obey the Laws of Men, that are made by Juft and Sufficient Authority. And con- fequently no Man can doubt, that Hu- mane Laws do really bind the Confci- ence, and are one Part of the Rule by which it is to be Direded and Go- verned.
But then having faid this, we add this farther in the Second Place, That Humane Laws do not bind the Confcience, by any Vir- tue in themfelves, but meerly by Virtue of God^s L'7H', who has Commanded, that we jhould in all Things, be Subject to our Lawful Governours, not onlj for Wrath, but for Con- fcience Sake. Confcience is not properly concerned with any Being in the World, fave God alone ; it hath no Superiour but
Vol. II. X him :
2o6 -A Difcourfe of Confcience.^
liim : For the very Notion of it, as I^h^e often faid, is no other than our Judgment^ of what Things rve are bound to do by God*s Law, and what Things we are fpj[hidden to dto by God'^s Law. " . '
So that all the Men in the Wbrld, can- not bind any Man's Confcience, ^by Virtue of any Power or Authority that is m them : But now God having made it an Everlaft- ing Law, both by Nature and Scripture^ that we fhould obey thofe who are fet oyer us, whether they be our Parents, or our Mafters ; and much more our Princes, and • the Soveratgn Legi(lative Power, under whom we Live ; by Virtue of this Command of God, and this only, we are for ever bound in Confcience, to Govern our Actions by the Commands that they impofe upon us ; and thofe Commands of theirs are a Rule, ( tho' a Confeqiiential or a Secondary Rule,) by which we are to govern our Confcience, becaufe they arc the Inftances of our Obe- dience to the Laws of God.
But then, in the. Third Place, This is alfo to be remembered ; that Humane Laws do no further hind the Confcience, and are a Rule of tt, than as they are agreeable to the Laws of God, If any Law, or Command of Man, do clafh with any Law of God^ that is, if it be either Evil in itfelf, or Con- " tradiclory to the Duty of C/?r/7?/^///, as laid down in the Scriptures, in that Cafe, that Law or Command, by what Humane Au- thority
j4 Difcourfe of Confcience. 307
thority foever it was made or given, doth QOt bind our Confcience, nor is any Rule |bf our Anions. On the contrary, we are not, at any Rate, to yield Obedience to It; but we are here reduced to the Apo- ftles Cafe, and mud Ad as they did ; that is, we mu(t obey God rather than Men^ and we Sin '.if we do not. For fince God only hath proper and dire£l Authority over our ^ Confcience, and Humane Power, only by Delegation from him: And fince God hath not given any Commiffion to the moft So- veraign Princes upon Earth to alter his Laws, or to impofe any Thing upon his Subje£ts, that is inconfiftent with them : It follows by necelTary Confequence, that no Man can be obliged to obey any Laws of Men, farther than they are agreeable to, and confident with the Laws of God. There is yet a Fourth Thing neceffary to be taken in, for the clearing the Point we are upon, and that is this, That tho' Humane Laws, generally fpeaking, may be faid to bind the Confcience, and to be a Part of its Rule ; yet we do not ajGTert that every Htimane Larv, ( though it doth not interfere with any of God's Laws) doth at all Ttrnesy and in all Cafes ^ oblige every Mm^s Confcience to Auiive Obedience to tt ; fo as that he Sins againft God, if hetranfgrefs it. No, it would be a very hard Thing to affirm this ; and I do not know what Man among us, upon thefe, Terms, would be Innocent.
X 2 Thus
3d8 a Difcourfe of Confcience.
Thus much I believe we may fafely lay jdown as a Truth ; Th^t where either the Matter of the Law is of fuch a Nature, that the Publick, or fome private Perfon, fhall futfer Damage, or Inconvenience, by ptjr not obfcrving it. Or, Secondly, Tho* tlie L"w, as to the Matter of it, be never fo triRing; nay, tho' perhaps, all Things confidered, it be an inconvenient Law; yet, if the Manner of our not obeying it, be fuch as gives Ojfence to our Superiors, or to any others ; that is, either argues a Cori" tempt of Authority, or fets an ill Example before our Fell ow-Subjedls: I fay, in either of thefe Cafes, the Tranfgreflion of a Hu- mane Law, renders a Man guilty of a Tatdt^ as well as obnoxious to the Penalty of that Law. But out of thefe Two Cafes, I mult confefs, I do not fee how a purely Humane Law doth oblige the Confcience ; or how the Tranfgreflion of it, doth make a Man guilty of Sin before God. For it is certain, if we fecure thefe Two Points ; that is to fay, the Good of the Publick, and of private Perfons ; and with all the Sacrednefs and Refped which is due to Authority, (which is like wife in Order to the Publick Good : ) we Anfwer all the Ends, for which the Power of making J^aws, or laying Commands upon Inferiors, was committed by God to Mankind.
So that though it be true, that Humane J-.a\ys (Jo oblige the Confcience, yet it is
alfo
A JDifcourfe of Confcierice. 509
alfb true, that a great many Cafes may, and do happen, in vvliich a Man may AQt contrary to a purely Humane Law, and yet not be a Sinner before God. Always fuppofing ( as I faid, ) there be no Contempt or Refra^orinejs expreffed towards the Go- vernors; nor no Scandal^ or ill Example given to others by the J^io-^. For if there be either of thefe in the Cafe, I dare noi: acquit the Man from being a TranfgrefTor of God's Law, in the Inftance wherein he tranfgrefTeth tlie Laws of ii/<?».
For this is that which we infifl: upon; that the Authority of our Governors, ought to be held and efteemed very Sacred, boch becaufe the Laws of God, and the Publick Good, require it fhould be fo. And there^ fore, wherever they do peremptorily lay their Commands upon us, we are bound in Confcience fo far to comply, as not to co^- tefi the Matter with them, nor to feem to do it. And though their Commands, as to the Matter of them, be never fo flight ; nay, though they fhould prove teally in- convenient, either to our felves, or th6 Publick. Yet, i^ they fia/id upon them, i£ they perfift in requiring our Obedience to them, we muft yield, we mutl obey; al- ways fuppofing they be not againft God's Laws.^ For we are at no Hand, either to affront their Authority our felves; or to encourage others, by our Example, to do it. For to do either of thefa Things, is a X ^ greater
aio -4 D'ifcourfe of Confdence.
greater Evil to the Publick, than our Obe- dience to an inconvenient Larv can: eafily be. ■
IV. And now it is Time for us to apply ' what hath been faid in General, concern- ing the Rule of Confcience^ and the Obliga' tion of Humane Laws^ to the particular Mat- ter here before us ; that is, the Bufinefs of Church Communion \ the Ohltgation of Confer- ence^ to vi^hich, in fuch Manner as the Larvs have appointed, is the Fourth General Head we are to confider.
This Point of the Obligation to Communion rvith the Churchy as by Law Eflablifiedy hath been largely handled by feveral Learned Men of our Church, and particularly it is the Argument of one of thofe Difcourfes, which have lately been writ for the fake of our DifTenters. Thither, therefore, I refer the Reader, for full Satisfaction about this Matter, being only juH to touch upon it here, as one of the Principles we take for granted, and fl:iall proceed upon in the fol- lowing Difcourfe.
And heVe the Propofition we lay down is this. That it is every Man's Duty, and con- fsquently every Man is bound in Confcience, to join in Communion rvith that Church, rvhich ii EjlahUjhed by Law in the Place where he Lives \ fo long as that Church is a true, found Part of the Catholick Church, and there ts ?jothing im- i^ofed or required, a^ a Condition of Communi- cating with it, that is repugnant to the Lan>s of God J or the Appointments ofjeju^ Chrifi,
This
ji Difcourfe of Confdejice. 311
This Propofition is evident, not only be- caufe it neceflarily follows from the fore- going Principle ; which was, that every Man is bound in Confcience to obey the Laws of Men, that are not contrary to the Laws of God; and therefore, confequentlyj a Man is bound to obey in Ecdefiafiical Matters^ as well as Civil ; ( unlefs it can be fliew'd, that Chrift hath forbid all Hu- mane Authority, whether Ecdefiafiical or Civil^ to make any Laws or Orders about Religion; which I believe never was or can be iliew'd : ) ^
But it is evident, upon another Account, which I defire may be confidered. We are all really bound, by the Laws ofjefus Chrifi^ and the Nature of his Religion, to preferve, as much as in us lies, the Umty of the Church: Which Umty doth confift, not only in pro- fefling the fame Faith^ but joyning together with our Brethren under Common Gover^ nors., in the fame Religious Communion of WorOiip and Sacraments* And therefore, whoever breaks this Unity of the Church, by withdrawing his Obedience from thofe Church Governors, which God hath fet over him in the Place where he Lives; and feparating from the Eftabliflied Religious AlTemblies of Chrjjlians^ under thofe Go- vernors, doth really tranfgrefs the Laws of "Jsfu^ Chrifi, and is guilty 0^ that Sin of Schifm, which is fo very much cautioned againft, and fo highly condemned in the
X 4 Scrip-
312 u4 Difcourfe of ConfcieJice.
Scriptures of the New Teftament : Unlels, in the mean Time, it doth appear to the Man, who thus withdraws, and feparates, that there is fomething required of him in thofe AlTemblies, and by thofe Governors, and that as a Term and Condition of hold- ing Communion with them, which he can^ not fubmit to without Sin.
And this Point I do heartily wifli was well confidered by our DiiTenting Bre- thren. They do feem often to look upon this Bufmefs of coming to Church, and joyning with us in Prayers and Sacra- ments, no otherwife to bind their Confci- ence, than other purely Humane Laws. They think they owe no Obedience to the Laws in thefe Matters, different from that which they yield to any common Ad of Parliament. And therefore no Wonder they often make fo Gight a Bulinefs of them.
But this is a great Miftake, there is much more in. thefe Things than this comes to. The withdrawing our Communion from the Church, carries a far greater Guilt in it, than the Violating any Law that is purely Humane. For though we do rea- dily grant, that all the Circumftances of Publick Worlloip enjoyned in the Church; as for Liilance, the Times, the Geftures, the Forms of Pi ayer, the Methods of Read- ing the Scripture, and Adminiftring the Sacraments; as ah^o, the Habits of the Mi- nillers that are to Officiate, be all of Hu-
mane
A Difcourfe of Confctence, 313
mane Inftitution, and may be altered and varied, at the Dilcretion of our Governors; yet the Pablick Worfliip itfelf, under Pub- lick Lawful Governors, is of Divine Ap- pointment, and no Man can Renounce ir^ without Sinning againft Jefm Chrifi, as well as offending againft the Ecclefiajticd Laws., A Humane Law, grounded upon a D/- "vme^ or to fpeak more properly, a Divine " Law, Modify'd or Clothed with feveral Circumftances of Man's Appointment, doth Create another Kind of Obligation upon every Subjecl, than a Law that is purely. Humane ; that is to fay, a Law, the Matter of which, is neither Good nor Evil in it- felf, but perfectly indifferent. In the for- mer Cafe, we muft yield Obedience to the Law, as to the Law of God, however it comes Clothed with Circumftances of Man's Appointment. In the other Cafe, we only yield Obedience, as to the Com- mand of Man \ and for no other Reafon, than that God, in General, hath obliged us to obey our Superiors.
To make this a little plainer, let us, for Inftancc, take the Bufmefs of Paying I>;- hute and Cujlom m this Nation, in which Cafe there is a Complication of a Divine Law with a Humane, as it is in the Cafe we are now upon. That every Sub- ject fliould Fay Tribute^ to whom Tribute is due ; Cujtom^ to rvhom Cttftcm is due ; is a Law of God, as being a Branch both of
Natu-
^14 A Difcourfe of Confaence.
Natural and Chriftian Juftice : But out of what Goods we fhould Pay Tribute or Cu- ftom, or what Proportion of thofe Goods fhould be Paid, this is not defined, either by the Law of Nature, or the Law of the Gofpel, but is left to the Determination of the Municipal Laws of every Kingdom. But now, becaufe Humane Authority doth interpofe in this Affair, and fettles what every Man is to pay to the King, and out of what Commodities ; doth it therefore follow, that if a Man can, by Fraud or Concealment, detain the King's Right from him, that he incurs no other Guilt for this, but only the tranfgrefling of an A£l of Par- liament, and the being Obnoxious to the Penalties, iw Cafe he be detefted? No, certainly ; for all that the Cuftoms in that Manner and Form, be fettled upon the King by Humane Law only, yet the Mat- ter of that Law being a Point of Natural Juftice between Man and Man, the Man that is thus Guilty, ought to look upon himfelf as an Offender againft the Divine Law, as an unjuftPerfon before God. And his Willingnefs to Submit to the Forfeiture of his Goods, will not render him lefs un- )uft, or more excufable.
The Cafe is much the fame, as to the Matter w6 have, now before us. It is not a meer Humane Law, or A£l of Parlia- ment, that obligeth us to keep the Unity of the Church j to bring our Children to
be
A Difcourfe of Confcie?ice. ^15
be madfe Chriftians by Baptiftn ; to meet' together at Solemn Times, for the Profef- fioil of our Faith, for the AVbrlfeiping God, for the Gommemorating the* Death of our Saviour, in the Sacrament of his Supper. All this is tied upon us by the Laws of Chrift. Thefe Things are as- much' required of us by God, as Qhrijliam^ as it is required? that we fhoiild pay the King, and eVei^ Man, what is doe to thetti, if we would not be Difhoneft and Uri/uft^ It is true' that the particular Forms, and Mode^, and Circumftkrices of doing- thefe; Things, are not commanded, nor prefcribed bf. the Laws of Chrifiy . in this . Inflance of Church Comnluriion,, no 'more than they' are prefcribed by the Laws df'G-W, in the other Inftance' I gave : But ' thiey are ' left entirely to the Prudence and. Di&retion of the GOvernours that God hatf) fet over US,; in Ecclefiaftical Matters, juft as they are' in the other. But, in the mean Time thefe Things, thus Clothed by Humane Autho- rity, as to their Circumfiances -, yet being, ioxrth^ Matter of them, bound upon us by C^r//?'himfelf, we can no more deny our Obedience to the Publick Laws about ihem, than we can in the other Inftance I have* named. And that Man may as well,' fot' Inftance, purge himfelf from the Imputa- tion oiKpavery before God, that will con- trive a Way of his own, for the paying his juft Debts, contrary to what the Law oP
the
3i5 j4 Dtfcourfe of Confclence.
the Land hath declared to be Juft and Honeft; as any Man can acquit himfelf from the Sin of Schifm before God, that will chufe a Way of his own for the Pub- lick Worfhip, different from, and in Op- pofition to what the Laws of the Church have prefcribed ; always fuppofing, that the Worfhip Eftabliflied, be commanded by juft Authority, and there be nothing required in it, as a Condition of Commu- nion that is againft the Laws of Jefm Chrifi, The Sum of all this is, that it is every Man's Duty, by the Laws of Chrift, as well as the Laws of Man, to Worfhip God in the Way of the Church, fo long as there is nothing required in that Worfhip, that can juftly offend the Confcience of a Wife and Good Chriftian. And therefore, there is more in departing from the Com- munion of the Church, when we can lawfully hold it, than meerly the Violation of a Statute^ or a Humane Laiv, for we can- not do it without breaking the Law of God. Nay, fo much is it againft the Law of God to do this, that I think no Autho- rity upon Earth can warrant it. So that even if there was a Law made, which fhould Ordain, that wilful, cauflefs Sepa- ration from the Ellablifhed Church, fhould be Allowed and Tolerated, and no Man Ihould be called to an Account for it ; yet, neverthelefs, fuch a Separation would ftill be a Schifm, would ftill be a Sin againft God ;
for
A Difcourfe of CoJifdence. 317
for no Human Law can make that Law- ful which God's Law hath forbid.
There now only remains our lad General Head about Confcience to be fpoken to, and then we have done with our Prelimi- nary Points ; And that is, concerning the Authority of Confcience^ or how far a Man is obliged to follow or he guided by his Confcience in his AHions,
When we fpeak of the Obligation of Confcience, or of being bound in Con- fcience to do or not to do an Adion ; it fufficiently appears from what hath been laid, that we can mean no more by thefc Phrafes than this, that we are convinced in our Judgment that \t is our Duty to do this or the other Adion ; becaufe. we believe that God hath Commanded it. Or we are perfwaded in our Judgment, that we ought to forbear this or the other A£lion ; becaufe we believe that God hath Forbidden it.
This now, being that which we mean by the Obligation of Confcience \ here we come to enquire how far this Perfwafion or Judgment of Ours, concerning what is our Duty, and what is Sinful, hath Au- thority over us ; how far it doth oblige us to Ad or not Aft, according to it.
Now in order to the refolving of this, we muft take Notice, that our Judgment concerning whit God hath Commanded, or Forbidden, or left Indifferent, is either
True
3 18 A Difcqurfe pf Conscience.
True OF Falfe* We either make a right Judgment of our Duty, or we make a wrong one. In the former Cafe, we call our Judgment a Right Con[cknce-j in the latter we call it an Erroneom ConfcieHce. As for thofe Cafes where we Doubt and. Hefitate, and know not well how to make any Judgnient at all (which is that we call a Doubting Confcience-, but, indeed, is properly no Confcience, unlefs by Acci- dent,) we have nothing here to do with them, but fliall referve them to another Place. Here we fuppofe, that we do make a Judgment of the Thing ; that is, we are perfwaded in our Minds, concern- ing the Goodnefs or Badnefs of this, or the other A£lion: And that which we are to enquire into, is, how far that Judg- ment binds us to Ad according to it. j .•Now if our Confcience be a Right Copf-^ fcieme-j that is, if we have truly informed our Judgment according to the Rule of God's Law ; it is beyond all QueftiOn, and acknowledged by all the World, that we are in that Cafe perpetually bound to A£1 according to our Judgment. It i^. for ever our Duty fo to do; and there can no blame, no guilt fall upon us, for fo doing, let the Confequence of our ilfling, or not Ading, be what it will. So that as to a Right Confcieme^ or a well informed Judgment, there is no Difpute among any Sort of Men.
But
A Difcoiirfe of Confcience. 319
But the great Thing to be enquired in« to, IS, \yl^at Obligation a Man is under to A£t according to his Judgment, fuppofing it be Faife, fuppofing he hath not rightly informed his Confcience, but hath taken up falfe Me,afures of what God hath Commanded, or Forbidden.
Now for the Refolution of this, I lay down thefe Three Prppofitions, which I think will take in all that is needful, for the giving Satisfa<Slion to every one, con- cerning this Point.
Firjft, Where a Man is mifiaken in his 'Juiig- ment^ even in that Cafe it is always a Sin to AB againft it. Be our Confcienge never fo ill intruded, as to what is tiood^ or Evily though we fliould take that for a Duty^ which is really a Sm ; and on the contrary, that for a Sin which is really a Duty, yet fo long as we are thus per- fwaded, it will be highly Criminal in us, to Aft in Contradiction to this Perfuafion ; and the Reafon of this is evident, becaufe, by fo doing, we wilfully Aft againft the beft Light, which at prefent we have, for the direftion of our Aftions; and confe- quently our Wtll is as faulty, and as wicked, in confenting to fuch Aftions, as if we had had truer Notions of Things.
We are to remember, that the Rule of our Duty, whatever it be in itfelf, can- not touch or affeft our Aftions, but by the Mediae ion- of our Confcience) that is,
no
320 A Difcourfe of Confdence.
no farther than as it is apprehended by us, or as we do underftand and remem- ber it. So that when all is done, the m- mediate Guide of our A£lions, can be no- thing but our Confcience) our Judgment and Perfwafion, concerning the Goodnefs, or Badnefs, or Indifferency, of Things.
It is true, in all thofe Inftances where we are miftaken, our Confcience proves but a very bad and unfafe Guide ; becaufe it hath it felf loft its Way, in not following its Rule as it fhould have done : But, however, our Gt4ide ftill it is, and we have no other Guide of our Actions but that. And if we may Lawfully refufe to be guided by it in one Inftance, we may v^ith as much reafon reje£t its Gui- dance in all.
What is the Notion that any of us liath of a Wilful Sin, or a Sin againfl: Knowledge, but this ? That we have done; other wife than we were convinced to be our Duty, at the fame Time that we did fo. And what other Meafures have we of any Man's Sincerity or Hjpcrify ; but only this ? That he AQs according to the beft of his Judgment, or that he doth not Ad according to what he pretends to Believe,
We do not indeed fay, that every one is a good Man, that A£ls according to his Judgment \ or that he is to be commend- ed tor all Anions that are done in pur- fuance of his Perfuafion : No, we mea-
fure
A Difcourfe of Confcwncc. 321
fure Vertue and Vice by the Ktde^ accord- ing to which a Man ought to Ad ; as well as by the Man's intention in AQing. But however, we all agree, that that Man Is a Kjiave^ that m any Inftance Ads con- trary to that which he took to be his Duty, And in pafling this Sentence we have no regard to this ; whether the Man was Right or miflaken in his Judgment; for be his Judgment Right or Wrong, True or Falfe, it is all one as to his Honefty, in Ading or not Ading according to ir.
He that hath a falfe Perfvvafion of Things, fo long as that Perfwafion con- tinues, is often as well fatished that he is in the Right, as if his Perfwafion was True. That is, he is oftentimes as confident when he is in an Error, as when he is in the Right. And therefore we cannot but con- clude, that he, who being under a milfake will be tempted to Act contrary to his Judgment ; would certainly upon the fame Temptation A£b contrary to it, was his Judgment never fo well informed : And therefore, his Will being as bad in the one Cafe, as in the other, he is Equally a Sin- ner as to the Wtifulnefs of the Crime, tho', indeed, in other refpeds there will be a great difference in the Cafes.
This, I believe, is the Senfe of all Men in this Matter. If a Man, for Inftance, fliould of a jF^.'v become a ChrtjtLw^ while yet in his Heart he believeth that the
Vol. :I. Y Meffiah
522 A Difcourfe of Conference.
Mefjiah is not yet come, and that our Lord Jefus was an Impoftor. Or if^iPapiJt fhould, to ferve feme private Ends, Renounce the Communion of the Roman Church and joyn with Ours ; while yet he is per^ fwaded that the Roman Church is the only CV/W/^y^ Church ; and that our Reformed Churches are Heretical or Schifmatical : Though now there is none of us will deny that the Men in boththefe Cafes have made a good Change; as having changed a K?//^ Religion for a True one : Yet for all thai:, I dare fay, we fiaould all agree, they were both of them great Villains and Hypocrites^ for making that change, becaufe they made it not upon Honeil Principles, and in purfuance of their Judgment, but in dired Contradiction to both. Nay, I dare fay, we fhould all of us think better of an ignorant well-meaning Frotefianty that be- ing feduced by the Perfwafions and Arti^ fices of a cunning Popfh FoHorj did really out of Confcience, abandon our Com- munion, and go over to the Romanifisy as thinking theirs to be the fafeft ; I fay, we fliould all of us entertain a more favourable Opinion of fuch a Man in fuch a Cafe, though really here the Change is made from a True Religion to a falfe one, than we fhould of either of the other Men I have before named. All this put together is abundantly (fufficient to fhew, that no Man can in any Cafe Ad againft his Judg- ment
A Difcourfe of Confcience, 323
ment or Perfwafioii, hut he is Guilty of Sin in fo doing. . ' ■■
But then, our Second Propofition is thi^j The miftah of a MarPs '^jud.gment may be offuch a Nature^ that as it mil he a Sin to AB again ji his Judgment^ fo k will Ukeivife be a Sin to ^ci according to it.
For what Authority foever a Man's. Confcience has over hiin? it can never bear him out, if he do an Evil Thing in Compliance with it. My Judgment is (as we have faid) the guide of my Adions ; but it may through my Negligence be fofar mif- guided itfelt, as that if I follow it, it will lead me into the mofl: horrid Crimes in the World. And will it be a fuffijient Excufe or Juftification of my Action in fuch a Cafe, to fay, that, indeed, herein I did but Act according to my Perfwafion? No verily; I may as certainly be damn'd without Re- pentance, for AiEling according to my Judg- ment, in fome Cafes, where it is miftaken, as I fhall be, for Ailing contrary to it in other Cafes where it is rightly informed.
And the Reafon of this is very plain. It is not my Judgment or Perfwafion that makes Good or Kvtl^ Right or Wrongs Juflice or Injuftice, Fertile or Vtce : But it is the Nature of Things themfelves ; and the Law of God, ( and of Men under that ) Commanding or Forbidding Things, that makes them fo. If the Mor d. Goodnefs or Badnels of Adions was to be meafured
Y 2 by
324 -^ Difcourfe of Confc'tence.
by Mens Opinions, and Perfwafions ; then Good and Evil, Duty and Sin, would be the moft various, uncertain Things in the World. They vi^ould change their Na- tures as often as Men change their Opi- nions; and that which to Day is a Vertue, to Morrow would be a Crime ; and that which in one Man, would be a Heroically good A^ion, would in another Man be a pro- digious piece of Villainy • though yet there was no difference in the Action it felf, or in the Circumftances of the Man that did it, fave only the difference of Opinion.
But fuch Confequences as thefe are in- tolerable, nor indeed do Men either talk or think after this Manner. Every Man when he fpeaks of Good or Evil, Lawful or Unlawful, means fome certain fixed Thing which it is not in his Power to alter the Nature and Property of. That A8:ion is good, and a Duty, which is either fo in it felf, or made fo by fome pofitive Law of God. And that Adion, is Evil, and a Sin, that is Forbid by God, in either of thefe Ways : So that unlefs it was in our Power to change the Nature of Things, or to alter the Laws of God ; it will unavoidably follow, that we fliall be for ever Obliged to do feme Anions, and to forbear others, whatever our Judgment concerning them is ; And confequently v/e may be Guilty of Sin, if in thefe In- Jlances we Ad contrary to this Obli- gation j
A hifcourfe of Confcience. 325
gatlon, though, at the fame Time, it fliould happen, that we are firmly perfwaded that we ought fo to do.
And thus is our Proportion fully proved; but then, for the further clearing of it, I defire it may be taken Notice of, that we do not thus lay it down, that every Miftake of Judgment, about Good or Evil, doth in- volve a Man in Sin, if he Ad according to that Miftake : But only thus, the Mi- ftake of a Man's Judgment may he of fuch ^ Nature, that as it will be a Sin in him to A61 again ft it, fo \i will like wife be Sin to A(Et according to it* It is not every Er- ror m Morals, that brings a Man under the Neceility of Sinning, if he purfues it in his Adions* A Man's Conscience may miftake its Rule in a Hundred Inftances, and yet he may fafely enough Ad accord- ing to it. And the Reafon is, becaufe a Man may entertain a great many Miftakes^ and falfe Notions of his Duty, and Ad ac- cording to them too ; and yet, in fuch Adi- ons, he fhall not tranfgrefs any Law of God.
Now, this that I fay, holds chiefly in thefe Two Inftances* For Example, in the Firft Place, if a Man believe a Thing to be Commanded by God, which yet indeed is not ; but neither is it forbidden : As if a Man fhould think himfelf obliged to retire Jiimfelf from his Buiinefs Seven Times, or Three Times a Day, for the Purpofe of De- votion > or to give half of his Yearly In-
y 3 come
326 J Difcourfe of Confdence.
come to Pious and Charitable Ufes, if he can do it witiiout Prejudice to his Family. Now, in this Cafe, he is certainly miftaken in his Duty ; for the Law of God hath not bound him up to flich Meafures in either of thefe Inftances : But yet, becaufe God hath not, on the other Hand, laid any Commands upon him to the contrary ; it is certain he may, in both thefe Inftances,' A6t accord- ing to this Miftake, without any Guilt in the World : Nay, fo long as that Miftake continues, he is bound to Ad accordingly. Again, in the Second Place, if a Man believe a Thing to be forbidden by God's Law, which yet is not, but neither is it Com- ' manded : As for Inftance, if a Man think that he ought, by Virtue of a Divine Com- mand, to abftairi from all Meats that are ftrangled, or have Blood in them •, or if he believe it unlawful to play at Cards or Dice; or that it is forbidden by God's Word, to let out Money at. Intereft : Why, in all thefe Cafes, he may -follow his Opinion, though it be a falfe one, without Sin / Nay, he is bound to follow it, becaufe it is the Didate of his Confcience, however his Confcience be miftaken. And the Reafon is plain, be- caufe, though he be miftaken iri his Judg- ment about thefe Matters, yet, fmce God liath not, by any Law, forbid thefe Things,, there is no TranfgrefFion folbws upon a5* ■ing according to lli t h a Milkke^-' -- ■
But
^ Difcourfe of Confcience, 327
But then in other Cafes, where a Man's Miliake happens to be of fiich a Nature, as that he cannot Adl according to his Con- fcience, but he tranfgrelTeth fome Law of God, by which Confcience ought to be Governed : As for Inftance, when a Man looks upon that as a lawful Adion, or as a Duty, which God hath Forbidden ; or looks Upon that as a Sin, or at leafl: an indiffe- rent Adion, which God hath Commanded j here it is that the Miilake becomes dange- rous. And in fuch Cafes the Man is brought into that fad Dilemma we have been repre- fenting, viz.. That if he Aft according to his Perfwafion, he tranfgrelTeth God's Law, and fo is a Sinner upon that Account : If he A£ls againfl his Perfwafion, then he is felf-condemned, and very guilty before God upon that Account.
Well, but is there no avoiding of this ? Muft it be laid down as a conilant univer- fal Truth, that in all Cafes where a Man's Judgment happens to be contrary to the Rule of his Duty, Commanding or Forbid- ding an Adion, he muft of Neceility Sin, whether he Ad, or not Ad, according to that Judgment ? If, indeed, he Ad againfl his Confcience, it is readily granted he Sins; hut it feems very hard that he fhould be un- der a NeceflTity oi Sinning, when he Ads according to it ; efpecially when he is per- fedly ignorant of, or miilaken in the Law againfl \Vhich he offc;nds* ... xi-^y.\.^i Y 4 This'
328 A Djfcourfe of Confaence,
This is, indeed, the great Difficulty that occurs in this Matter; and for the unty- ing it, I lay down this Third General Pro- pofition, VIZ, That: the great Thing to be at- tended to in this Cafe, of a Man^s following a mrjlaken 'judgment y is the Culpablenefs or In- udfahienef, the Ymltinefs or Innocence of the Miftake upon which he AUs ; for according of this isy jo will his Guilt in A^ing according to it he either greater, or lefs, or none at alL
We do not fay, that a Man is always guilty of a Sin before God, when, upon a Milinfonnatron of Judgment, he omits that which God's Law hath Commanded ; or doth that which God's Law hath Forbid- den : No, though thefe OmifTions or Adi- eus, may be faid to be Sins in themfelves ; that is, as to the Matter of them, as being TranfgreflTions of God's Law : Yet before we affirm that they will be imputed to a Man as fuch ; that is, i^rovQ formally Sins to him ; we firft confider the Nature of the Adion, and theCircumftancesof theMan. If we Bnd, upon Examination, that the In- stance wherein God's Law is tranfgrelTed, is fuch an Inftance, as even an Honell- minded Man may well be fuppofed to mi- itake in: And if we find, likewife, that the Man had not fufficient Means for the in- forming himfelf aright as to this Matter ; ^nd that he hath done all. that he could do, in his Circumftances, to underftand his Duty : If in fuch a Cafe as this, he be mi-
ftaken
A Difcoiirfe of Confchnce. 329
ftaken in his Duty, and A£l upon that Mi- ftake, yet we do not fay, that the Man is properly guilty of any Sin in that Action ; however, that A£lion is indeed contrary to the Law of God. On the contrary, we believe him to be innocent as to this Mat- ter ; nor will God ever call him to an Ac-^ count for what he hath done or omitted in thefe Circumftances.
And the Reafons and Grounds upon which we affirm this, are plain and evi- dent at the firft Hearing. No Man can be obliged to do more then what is in his Power to do. And whatever a Man is not obliged to do, it is no Sin in him if he do it not : So that if a Man do all that one in his Circumftances can, or fhould do, for the right underftauding of his Du- ty ; if he happens to be miftaken, that mi- ftake cannot be imputed to him as a Sin, becaufe he was not obliged to underftand better. And if his Miftake be no Sin, it is certain, to Ad according to that Mi- ftake, can be no Sin neither.
So that the whole Point of Sinning, or not Sinning, in following an Erroneom Con- fcience^ lies here. Whether the Man that is thus mifperfuaded, is to be blamed, or not blamed, for his Mifperfuafion. If the Error he hath taken up, do not proceed from his own Fault and Negligence, but , was the pure unavoidable Eifeds of the Circumftances in which he is placed;
(which
j30 A Difconrfe of Cojifcience.
(which Circumftances, we fuppofe, he contributed nothing to, but he was put into them by the Difpofition of Divine Providence : ) Then of what Nature foever thQ Error be, he doth not contraQ: any Guilt by any Adion which he doth m purfuance of that Error : But if it was in his Power to redify that Error • if he had Means and Opportunities to inform his Confcience better ; and the Nature of the AQ:ion was fuch, that it was his Duty io to do; fo that he muft be accounted guilty of a Grofs and Criminal Negled m not do- ing it ; in this Cafe the Man is a Tranf- greflbr, and accountable unto God, asfuch, for all the Adlions that he doth or omits^ contrary to God's Law, while he Ads un- der that Miftakc, or in purfuance of lU And accordingly, as this Negledt or Care* lefnefs is greater or lefs ; fo is the Sinful- nels of the A6lion which he doth in pur-* * fuance of it, greater or lefe likewife.
And this is a plain Account of this Mat- ter : So that we fee there is no fatal un- avoidable Neceifity laid upon any Man to commit a Sin, by Afting according to his Confcience^ But if at any Time he be brought under thofe fad Circumftances, he brings that Neceflity upon himfelf. God never put any Man into fuch a Condition, but that he might do that Duty which was required of him, and be able to give a good Account of his Adions. But here is the
Thing j
A Difcourfe of Cojjfcknce. 331
Thing ; Men, by their Vice and Wicked- nefs, by neglecting the Means of InftruQiion that are afforded them, and not ufing their Reafon and Underftanding as they fhould do, may fuffer themfelves to be brought under the Bondage of fuch Falfe and Evil Principles ; that they fhall, fo long as they- hold thofe Principles, fall into Sin, whe- ther they Aft according to their Confcience, or Aft againft it.
I have done with the general Points con- cerning Confcience^ which I thought need- ful to be premifed, as the Grounds and Principles of our following Difcourfe. I now come to that which I at firft pro- pofed, and for the fake of which all this is intended; that is, to fpfeak to the Cafe of thpfe that Separate from the Qommunion of the Church of England, upon this Pretence''^ That it 16 agawfi their Confcience to join with lis in it.
Now all that I conceive needful to bei done, in order to a full Difcullion of this Cafe, and giving Satisfaftion about it, are thefe l\vo Things ;
^' -Firft, To Separate the Pretences of Confci- erne that are frttly and j»ftif made in this Mat-* ter^ from the falfe ones: Or, to fhew who thofe are that can rightly plead Confcience for their Nonconformity, and who thofe are that cannot.
Secondly, To inquire how far this Plea of C,Qnfcir/ne^ when it is tralj-fnadey mll]u*
jHfj ,
3 3 i -^ Difcburfe of ConfCience.
ftify an) Dilfenter that continues in Separation from the Churchy ai Efiablifhed among us ; and what is to be done by fuch a Perfon, in order to his Ading with a fafe and good Confcience in this Affair.
Our Firft Inquiry is, What is required, in order to any Man's truly pleading Con- fcience for his refufing to join in Commu- nion with the Eftablifhed Church? Or, who thofe Perfons are, that can with Ju- ftice make that Plea for themfelves ?
I think it very convenient to begin my Difquifition here, becaufe, by removing all the falfe Pretences to Confcience, the Con- troverfy will be brought into a much lefs Compafs; and the Difficulties that arife will be more eafily untied* The Truth is, if the Thing be examined, I believe it will be found, that the Pretence to Confcience, in the Matter we are talking of, is, as in many other Cafes, extended much farther than it ought to be. My Meaning is, that of all thofe who think fit to withdraw from our Communion, and to live in Difobe- dience to the known Laws of the Church, and pretend Confcience for fo doing, in a great many of them it is not ConS:ience, but fome other Thing miftaken for Confci- ence, which is the Principle they A£t upon* So that if the true Plea of Confcience be feparated from thofe Counterfeit ones, which ufually ufurp that Name, we fhall not find either the Perfons to be fo many
that
ji Difcourfe of Confcwnce. 333
that refufe Communion with us, upon the Account of Confcience truly fo called ; nop the Cafes to be fo many in which they do refufe it upon that Account.
Now, in order to the making fuch a Se- paration or Diftinftion between Confcience truly fo called, and the feveral Fretjnces to it, in this Bufmefs of not conforming to the Eftabhfhed Worfliip, I lay down this ge- neral Propofition ; that, if the Principles I have laid down about Confcience, be ad- mitted, then it is certainly true, that no Man among us can juftly plead Confcience for his Separation from the Church of Engm land, ; or can fay, that it is againft his Con- fcience to joyn in Communion with it; but only fuch a one as is perfwaded in his own Mind, that he cannot Communicate with us, without Sinning againft God in fo doing.
For fince, as we have faid, Confcience is nothing elfe but a Man's Judgment con- cerning Aftions, whether they be Duties or Sins, or Indifferent : And fince the Law of God Commanding or Forbidding Ani- ons; or neither Commanding them, nor Forbidding them ; is the only Rule by which 3. Man can judge what A8:ions are Duties, and what are Sins, and what are Indifferent: It plainly follows, that as a Man cannot be bound in Conscience to do any Aftion which it doth not appear to him that God's Law hath fome Way or other com- manded,
334 ^ Difcourfe of Confcience,
manded, and made a Duty ; fo neither can \t go £!gawfi a Man's Confcieme^ to do any Afiion which he is not convinced that God's Law hath fome Way or other forbid- den, and fo made a Sin. And therefore, in our prefent Cafe ; That Man only can juftly plead Confcience for his Nonconfor- mity, that can truly fay, he is perfwaded in his Judgment, that Conformity is for- bidden by fome Law of God : Or, which is the fame Thing, no Man can fay, it is againfl: his Confcience to joyn in our Com- munion, but only fuch a one as really hq-. lieves he (hall Sin againft fome Law of God, if he do joyn with us.
If againft this it be excepted, that it is very poflTible for a Man to be well fatisfied that there is nothing diredly Sinful in our Worfhip ; but yet, for all that, it may be againft his Confcience to joyn with us in it : As for Inftance, in the Cafe where a Man takes it really to be his Duty, to hold conftant Communion with fome other Con- gregation, where he believes he can be more Edified, or to which he is related by fome Church Covenant : To this I Anfvver, that in this Cafe, I grant, Confcience is rightly pleaded for Separation, ( though how juftifiably, I do not now examine : ) But then, I fay, this Plea proceeds upon the fame Grounds I juft now laid down. For if the Man ( as is fuppofed in the Cafe ) be convinced, that it is his Duty by God's La w,
(as
A Difcourfe of Confcience. 335
( as there is no other Meafure of Duty ) to hold Communion with others, and not with us; then he muft, at the fame Time, be convinced, that he cannot, without Tranf- gieflion of God's Law, (that is, without Sin) joyn with us; and that is the fame Account which we give, of its being againft any Man's Confcience to hold Communion with us.
Further, If it be urged againft our PrQ- pofition, that not only in the Cafe where a Man is perfwaded of the Unlawfulnefs of our Communion, but alfo in the Cafe, where he only doubts of the Lawfulnefs of it, a Man may juftly plead Confcience for his Nonconformity, fo long as thofe Doubts remain : And therefore, it is not truly faid of us, that in order to the pleading Con- fcience for Nonconformity, one muft be perfwaded in his own Mind, that Confor- mity is forbidden by fome Law of God. I Anfwer, that if the Man who thus doubts of the Lawfulnefs of Conformity, hath real- ly entertain'd this Principle, that it is a Sin to do any Thing with a doubting Confci- ence; I grant that it muft go againft his Confcience to conform, fo long as he doubts. But then, this is but the fame Thing we are contending for ; for therefore it goes againft his Confcience to Communicate with us, doubting as he doth, becaufe he believes he fhall Sin againft God if he fhould. But if the Man we are fpeaking of, do not think
it
33^ -^ Difcourfe of Confcience.
it a Breach of God's Law, to AQ: with a doubting Confcience; then I do not fee how it can, intheleaft, go againft his Con- fcience to Communicate with us upon that Pretence. So that notwithftanding thefe Two Exceptions;, which are all I can think of, it will ftill remain true, that no Man can juflly plead Confcience for his Separa- tion from the Church, but he that is per- fwaded that he cannot joyn with it, with- out Sinning againft God. ^ : ..iu
Now, if this Propofition be true, as cer- tainly it is, then how many Mens Pretences to Confcience for their feparating from us, are hereby cutoff: And, indeed, how few (in Comparifon of the Multitude of DilTen- ters among us) will be left, that can be able with Truth to fay, that it is againft their Confcience to Communicate with us in our Prayers, and in our Sacraments.
In the Firft Place, it is evident, That all thofe who feparate from us, upon Account of any private Grudge or Pique, becaufe they have been difobliged, or have received fome pifappointment in the Way of our Church, or by the Men that are Favour- ers of it; and therefore, out of a Pet, will joyn themfelves to another Communion ; All thofe that think they can ferve their own Turns more effectually, by being of another Way; as for Inftance, they can thereby hQittr pleafe a Relation from whom theyhave Expedances; they can better
advance
A Dtfcourfe of Confcieme. 337
advance their Trade, or increafe their For- tunes; they can hQttei: procure a Reputatiotiy or regain one that is funk. In a Word, all thofe that to ferve any Ends of Prtde^ or In- terefiy or Paffion^ or out of any other Worldly Confideration, do refufe us their Company in the Worfhip of God ; I fay, all fuch are certainly excluded from pleading Confcience for their Separation.
In the Second Place, all thofe Lay People, who refufe our Communion, upon Account that the Pajtors and Teachers^ whom they moft Love and Reverence, are not permit- ted to Exercife their Function among us; whofe Pretence it is, that if thefe good Men were allowed toTeach in our Churches, they would come to our Congregations ; but fo long as that is refufed, they will hear them where they can : I fay, all thefe are like- wife excluded from pleading Confcience for their Separation. For, however, it may really and truly be againft the Confcience of their Mwifters to conform, (there being other Things required of them, than of ] Ordinary People,) yet it is not againft their Confcience fo to do ; for they know no 111 in Conformity, but only tliat fo many good Men are filenced.
In the Third Place, all thofe that refufe our Communion, upon a meer Difl/ke of fe* veral Things in our Church Offices: They do not, for Inftance, like a Form of Prayer in General, and they have feveral Things Vol. IL Z to
238 -4 Difcourfe of Confaence.
to objeQ: againft our Form in Particular) they do not like bur Ceremonies^ they do not like the Surplice, or the Crofs in Bap- tifm; and fundry other Things they fihd feult with : Not that they have any Thing to fay againft the Lawfulnefs of thefe Things, but only they have an Averfion to them : All thefe Men, likewife, are cut off from pleading Confcience for their Separa- tion : For they do not pretend that it is unlawful, or a Sin againft God, to joyh with us in our Service, ( which is the only Thing wherein their Confcience can be concerned ; ) but only, they are not pleaje^ with many Things in our Service, as fancy- ing them not to be fo decent, or conveni- ent, or not to be fo prudently order'd as they would have them. But what of all this ? Admit the Things to be fo as they fancy them ; yet ftill, fo long as they do not think there is any Sin in them, it can- not go againft their Confcience to joyn with any AlTembly in which they are pra£l:ifed : Becaufe Confcience, as we have often faid, is not touched, is- not affeded, where no Law of God is tranfgreffed.
In the Fourth Place, all thofe that are Icept from our Communion, purely upon the Account of Edjcation, or Axjquaintance with Perfons that are of another Perfwa- fion. Thofe that have nothing to fay againft our Worfhip, but only that they were br^d in another Way j or thofe that would joyn i . -.; • . - - • with
A Difcourfe of Confaejice. 339
with us in it, but that they know a great many Religious, Godly Perfons, that do condemn it, and therefore they dare not come at us : Thefe, now, may be very well-meaning Men, but yet they cannot reafonably plead Confcience, upon this Ac- count, for their Separation. For it is not a Man's Education, or the Example or Opi- nion of other Men, that makes any Adlion to be a Duty, or a Sin,, but the Law of God commanding or fordidding that Aftion. And therefore, before I can fay that this, or the other Aclion, is againil: my Confcience, Imuft believe that God's Law hath, either in General, or in Particular ; either Dired- ly, or by Confequence, made that Aftion unlawful. I grant, the Opinions of other Men, efpecially thofe that are Learned and Pious, are always to be liftened to in doubt- ful Cafes. But then, no Man's Opinion can be the Rule of my Confcience ; nor am I at all concerned in Confcience to follow it, any farther than I am convinced that it de- clares God's Law to me. And therefore, fure in this Cafe of Church Communion^ I can be but very little concerned to follow any Man's Opinion; when, both there are fo many Perfons, and thofe as Learned and as Pious as any others, that are of another Opinion; and when, alfo, the Publick Law, which has much more Authority than any private Opinion, hath determined what I am to do in the Cafe. So that it is great
Z 2 Weak-
340 A Difcmrfe of Confcience.
Weaknqfs and Sillinefs, and not Confciencc, that prevails with thefe Men I am fpeak- ing of, to liye in Difobedience to the Laws, If, indeed, they be really perfwaded ia their own Minds, that our Way of Wor- fhipping God, is in any Part or Inftance of it, unlawful or forbidden, ( let that Per- fwafion be upon what Grounds it will,) then they may truly fay it is againfl: their Confcience to joyn with us : But, if they be not convinced of this, I do not fee how the Example, or the Advice of their Friends and Acquaintance, can in the leaft give them a Title to plead Confcience for their refufing our Communion.
Fifthly, Thofe that withdraw from the Church upon this Account, that our Go- vernors, in their Laws and Prefcriptions about God's Worfhip, have not rightly ufed the Power which they are intrufted with, but have exceeded their Bounds; have made, perhaps, too great Encroachments upon Chrifitan Liberty ; or laid more Strefs than was meet, upon indifferent Things: Thefe, likewife, are excluded by the for- nier Rule, from pleading Confcience for their Separation. For admit the Law- givers have been to blame in the Exercife of their Power in thefe Matters, ( which yet is fooner faid then proved,) and have really done more than they can anfwer to God for; yet, what is this to them? The Confcience pf the Governors is indeed deeply concerned ^^^- '-'^ ^' about
Jl Difcourfe of Co7tfdence, 341
about thefe Things ; and they muft give an Account to God for the Abufe of their Authority, if there be any. But how this doth concern the Confcience of the Subjeft,? is not eafily underltood ; fo long as what is commanded or enjoined, doth not appear to interfere with any Law of God. But having faid this, I fear there is too much Reafon to add ; that thofe who fo much ftand up for Chrifiian Liberty^ and would be thought the great Patrons of it; do, by their endlefe. Scruples about indifferent Things, and re-^j fufmg to obey Authority in fuch Matters, in all Appearance take the moft effe£tual , Courfe to deftroy all Chrifiian Liberty, in the ' true Notion of it • and to bring in a Re- ligion that Ihall confift of Touch noty Tafie noty Handle not, and fuch other un- ■ commanded Things. * ^
Sixthly, and Laftly, ( to Nanie no more Inftances) All thofe that can Communicate Occafionally with US, in our Prayers and Sa* craments : As for Inftance, thofe that, when they have a, Turji to be ferved; when there is an Office, or.fome fucK Thing \n the Cafe ; can come to Church, and re- ceive the Communion, but at other Times they do not afford us their Prefence : Thefe are alfo excluded from pretending to Con- fcience^ for their not confiantly joyning iri Communion with us. For if, indeed, they did believe it V7as a Sin in them to joyn with us in our Prayers and Sacra nients,
Z i with
A Difcourfe of Confdence.
with what Confcience dare they do ft at all ? They ought not, for any Worldly Good, to venture upon fuch an A6lion as they do believe to be forbidden by God's Law : But if they do not believe, that to joyn in our Communion is a Sinful Thing, (as, I dare fay, none of thefe Perfons do) then I will be bold to make the Inference ; that it cannot be more againit their Confcience to do it Thme, than to do it 0/2ce; and do it confiantly^ than to do it Thrice,
But let us leave the falfe Pretenders to . Confcience, and come to the Cafe of thofe, who can juftly plead Confcience for their Separation; or that can truly fay, it is again ft their Confcience to joyn in our Communion.
Of this Sort are all flichy and none but fuch, as do really believe that our Commu- nion is unlawful, or that they cannot Com- municate with us without Sin, as I have be- fore proved.
As for thofe that only doubt of the Law- fulnefs of our Communion, but are not per- fwaded that it is unlawful ; I do not here confider them, becaufe they cannot fay, that it is agawfi their Confcience to Commu- nicate with us, any more than they can fay, that they are bound in Confcience to Com- municate with us ; for they are uncertain as to both thefe Things, and are not de* termined either Way. But, however, be- caufe
A D/fcourfe of Confcience. 343
caufe thefe Men may juftly plead Confci- ence upon this Account; that they think it is a Sin to joyn with us, fo long as they doubt of the Lawfulnefs of our Commu- nion: I fllall confider their Cafe after- wards, in a particular Difcourfe upon that Argument.
Thofe that I am now concerned with, are fuch as do believe, or are perfwaded, that there is fomething in our Worfhip, which they cannot comply with, without Sinning againfk God.
And my Bufinefs is to examine, Whether fuch a Beliefs or Ferfrvafion of the Unlarvfulnefs of our Communion y will juflijy any Marias Sepa- ration from us ? Or hojv far it will do it ? And what is to he. done by fuch Per fans ^ in order^ either to their Communicating^ or not CommU" mcating with m^ with a fafe Confcience ? This is our Second Point, and I apply my felf to it*
There are a great many among us, that would, with all their Hearts ( as they fay ) obey the Laws of the Church, and joyn in our AiVorfhip and Sacraments ; but they are really perfwaded that they cannot do it without Sin : For there are fome Things required of them, as Conditions of Commu- nicating with us, which are Forbidden by the Laws of God.
As for Inftance, It is againfl; the Com- rnands of Chnf^ to appoint, or to ufe any Thing in the Worftiip of God, which God
Z 4 him-
344 ^ Difcourfe of Confcience.
himfelf hath not appointed* For this is to add to the Word of God, and to Teach for Do^rinesy the Commandments and Traditions of Men.
It is againfl: the Commands o^Jefus Chrifi^ to fimt the Spirit in Prayer, which all thofe that ufe a Form of Prayer, muft neceffarily do.
It is againft the Commands o^JefHs Chrifi^ to life any Significant Ceremony in Religion : As for Inftance, the Crofs in Baptifm j for that is to make new Sacraments.
It is againft the Commands ofjefus Chrifiy to K»eel at the Lord*s Supper ; for that is di- re£lly to contradid our Saviour's Example, in his Inftitution of that Sacrament, and favours, befides, of Popijb Idolatry.
Since, therefore, there are thefe Sinful Things in our Worfbip ; and thofe too, im- pofed as Terms of Communion ; how can we blame them, if they withdraw them- felves from us ? Would we have them joyn with us in thefe Praftices, which they ve- rily believe to be Sins ? Where then was their Confcience? They might, perhaps, by this Means, fliew how much they were the Servants of Men : But what would be^ come of their Fidelity to Jefu^ Chrift,
What now fliall we fay to this? They themfelves, are fo well fatisfied with their own Doings, in thefe Matters, that they do not think they are in the leall: to be blamed, for refufing us their Communion,
f©
A Difcourfe of Confdence. 344
fo long as Things ftand thus with them. They are fure they herein follow their own Confcience, and therefore they cannot doubt but they are in a fafe Condition, and may juftify their Proceedings to God, and to all the World, let us fay what we pleafe.
This is the Cafe. Now in Anfwer to it, we muft grant them thefe Two Things.
Firft of all, That if, indeed, they be right in their Judgment, and thofe Things which they except againft in our Communion, be really unlawful, and forbidden by Jefus Chrift^ then they ate not at all to be blamed for their not Communicating with us. For in that Cafe, Separation is not a Sin^ but a Duty ; we being for ever bound to obey Gody rather than Men.
And Secondly, Suppofing they be mi- ftaken in their Judgment, and think that to be unlawful, and forbidden by God, which is not really fo; yet fo long as this Perfwafion continues, ( though it be a falfe one ) we think they cannot, without Sin, joyn in our Communion. For even an Erroneous Confcience (as we have fliewed ) binds thus far, that a Man can- not, w^ithout Sin, Ad in Contradidion to it. Thefe Two Things, I fay, we grant them, and let them make the beft Advan- tage of them.
But then this is the Point we ftand upon, and which if it be true, will render this whole Plea for Nonconformity upon
account
34'5 A Difcourfe of €onfciente.
account of Confcience, as I have nowo'-i pened it, wholly infufficient, virz. If it Ihould prove that our DilTenters are mifta- ken in their Judgment ; and that our Gover- nours do indeed require nothing of them in the matter of Church Communion, but what they may comply with, without breach of God's Law : Then, I lay, it will not acquit them from being" Guilty of Sin before God in withdrawing from ;our Com-, munion j to fay, that they really believed our Communion td be unlawful; and upon that Account they durft not joyn* with us. •
It is not my Province here to Anfweii all their Objedions againft bur Forms of Prayer, our Ceremonies, our Orders and Rules, in Adminiftring Sacraments, and other things that concern our Communion i This hath been done feveral Times ; and of late by feveral Perfons which have treat- ed of all thefe particular Matters ; and who have fhewed with great Clearnefs and Strength, that there is nothing re- quired in our Church Appointments, which is in the leaft inconfiftent with, or Forbidden by any Law ofjefus Chrifi : But on the contrary, the Eltablifhments of our Church, are for Gravity, Decency, Purity, and agreeablenefs with the Pri- mitive Chriftianity ; the moft approvable, and the leaft exceptionable of any Church Conftitutions at this Day in the World.
Thffe
^ A Difcourfe of Confclence, 347
Thefe Things therefore I meddle noc with, but this is the Point lam concerned in : Whether, fuppofmg it be every Man's Duty to joyn in Communion with the Efta- blifhed Church ; and there be nothing re- quired in that Communion, but what may be Lawfully Praftifed? I fay, fuppofing thefe Two Things; whether it will be fufficient to acquit any Man from Sin, that withdraws from that Communion, upon this Account that through his miftake, he believes he cannot joyn with us without Sin ? Or thus, whether will any Man's per-* fwafion that there are Sinful Terms re- quired in our Communion ( when yet there are not any ) juftifie his Separation from us.
This is the General Queftion truly put ; And this I give as the Anfwer to it : That in general fpeaking a Man's Erroneous Per- fwafion doth not diffolve the Obligation of God's Law, or juftifie any Man's Tranf- grefTion of his Duty. So that if God's Law doth Command me to hold Communion with the Church where I have no jufl Caufe to break it : And I have no jufl: Caufe to break it in this particular Cafe, but only I think I have : my Mifperfwafioa- in this Matter doth notdiicharge mefrom my Obligation to keep the Communion of the Church; or acquit me from Sin before God if I break it.
The
348 A Difcourfe of Confcience.
The Truth and Reafon of this I hav^ fully fhewed before, in what I have faid about the Authority of Confcience. I fhall now only by way of further Confirmation ask this Qtieftion : Was St. Faul guilty of Sin or no, when he perfecuted the Chrifti- ans; being verily perfwaded in his Own mind that he ought fo to do, and that he Sinned if he did not ? If any will fay that St. Paul did not Sin in this, becaufe he did but A6: according to his Confcience \ they contradift his own cxprefs Words < For he acknowledgeth himfelf to be the greatefi of Sinners^ and that for this very Reafon, becaufe he ferfscuted the Church of Chrift, If they fay that he did Sin in doing this; then they muft at the fame Time acknowledge, that a Man's Per- fwafion that a Thing is a Duty, will not excufe him from Guilt m Pra(3:iiing it; if really and indeed it be againfl: God's Law : And on the other fide, by the fame Reafon, that a Man's Perfwafion that a Thing is Unlawful, will not excufe him from Guilt in not practifing it; if indeed God's Law hath made it a Duty.
So that it infinitely concerns all our Dificnring Brethren to confider very well what tfiey do, when they withdraw from our Communion. Schifm undoubtedly is a great and crying Sin. A Sin, againft whtjh, tricre are as many hard Things fcid ia XM Oifcjurfes or our Lord and
his
A Difcourfe of Conference. 349
his Apoftles, and in the Writings of the Ancient Chri/lians, as againft any other Sin whatfoever. And therefore let thofe that forfake our Communion ; and fet up, or joyn with other AfTemblies in Oppofition to ours ; I fay, let tliem look to it, that they be not involved in the Guilt of this dreadful Sin. They muft be fure that their Separation proceeds upon good Grounds, if they would free them- Iclves from the imputation of it. It is not always enough to excufe them ; that they do believe there are Sinful Conditions im- pofed in our Communion, and confe- quently it is their Duty to withdraw. For unlefs the Thing be fo indeed ; their believing fo will not cancel their Obliga- tion to our Church Communion ; or make it ceafe to be Schifm, to withdraw themfelves from it.
This may perhaps at the firft hearing feem very ftrange Do<^rine to many, but yet it is true for all that ; and will appear a little more Evident, if we put the Cafe in another Inftance, wherein we are not fo nearly concerned.
Here is one of the Roman-Catholkk Per- fwafion, (as they call it,) that hath been trained up in Popery ; and heartily be* lieves it to be the true Religion, and the only One, wherein Salvation is to be had ; and therefore in Obedience to the Laws ^nd Cuftoms of that Church, doth pay
Religious
350 j4 Difcotirfe of Confcience.
Religious Worfhip to Images ; doth Pray- to Saints and Angels, doth give Divine Adoration to the Confecrated Bread in the Sacrament ; as really believing it to be turned into the Body of Chrill, to which his Soul, and Deity, is Perfonally United.
Is now fuch a Perfon as this, guilty of Idolatry in thefe Pra8:ifes, or is he not? He doth verily believe that he is not. He would abhor thefe Pradifes, if he did in the leaft believe that God had forbid them, as Idolatrous. Nay, he is fo far from be- iieving that they are forbid, that, on the contrary, he hath been taught to believe that they are necefTary Duties, and he can- not be a good Catholick, unlefs he thus Worfhip Images, and Saints, and the Bread of the Hoft. Well, now the Point is, Whe- ther fuch a Man, believing as he doth, be, upon that Account, acquitted from the Sin of Idolatry ? We all grant, that if he had fuch clear Information about thefe Things, as we Protertants have ; he would certainly be an Idolater^ if he fhould continue in thefe Pradices: But whether his Belief, and Opi- nion, and Perfwafion concerning thefe Things, do not excufe him, and make that ceafe to ho. Idolatry, that wouldo tlier wife befo; this, I fay, is the Queftion : But yet none of us make any great Queftion of it. For we do charge the Papifis indif- criminately with Idolatry in their Worfhip,
not-
A Difcourfe of Confcience. 351
notwithftanding their difclaiming it ; not- 'withftanding their Profeffion to Worfliip God, no other wife than according to his own Will ; notwithftanding they do really take themfelves obliged in Confcience, to give Divine Worfhip to the Confecrated Elements, and thofe other Obje8:s. And we charge them rightly in this. For if it ^^y^^//y Idolatry, by God's \yord, to do thefe Things, then it will be Idolatry in any Man to do them, let his Opinion about them be what it will. A Man's Ignorance, or Miftake, pr falfe' Opinion, doth not al- ter the Nature of Things, it can neither make that ceafe to be a Duty, which God hath Commanded, nor that ceafe to be a Sin, which God hath Forbidden. All that it will do, is, that according to the Nature and Circtimftances of it, it may more or iefs extenuate the Tranfgreflion that i% committed upon the Account thereof. ■ And the Cafe is juft the fame in the Mat- ter before us. For any Man to withdraw his Communion from that Church, with which he ought, and with which he may lawfully Communicate ; that is as properly the Sin of Schifm, as it is the Sm of Idola- try^ to give Divine Worfhip to that which is not God. For any Man, therefore, to break the Unity of the Church, though it be upon this very Account, that he doth believe it is his Duty fo to do ; or that he caiinot Communicate with that Church
without
352 A D'tfcourfe of Confcience.
without Sin : Yet, if this Perfwafion of his be Falfe, and Erroneous, he is no lefs a Schifmatick for all this, than the other Man is an Idolater^ that thinks it is his Duty to adore Images, and thofe other undue Ob- jeOis of Divine Worlhip among the Roma- mfis. It is true, the Man's Ignorance, or Mifperfwafion, will, according to the greater or lefs Culpability of it, more or lefs excufe the Man's Perfon before God, as it doth in the other Cafe. But it cannot in the leaft, mak| that which God hath made to be Schifrfy to be no Schifm ; no more than in the other Cafe, it makes that to be no Idolatry y which God's Word hath declared to be Idolatry,
Y/ell, now admitting all this; here comes the Pinch of the Thing. It will be faid, What, would you have a Man do in this Cafe ? fie cannot conform with a fafe Con- fcience, and yet he is a TranfgrefTor if he do not. If he comply againft his Con- fcience, you grant he is guilty of Sin m fo doing : If he doth not comply, then you fay he is a Schifmatick, and fo is a Sinner upon that Account. Why, to this I fay, that both thefe Things are often true; and here is that Dilemma, which Men, by fuffering their Minds to be abufed with Evil Principles and Perfwafions, do fre- quently run themfelves into. They are reduced to that Extremity, that they Can neither A6:, nor forbear Ading ; they
can
A Difcourfe of Confcience. 353
can neither Obey, nor Difobey, without Sin.
But what is to be done in this Cafe ? t know nothing but this ; that all imaginable Care is to be taken, that the Error and falfe Principles which mifled the Man, be de- pofed ; and that his Judgment be better informed ; and then he may both do his Duty, which God's Law requireth of Iiim, and avoid Sinning againft his Confcience.
But how is this to be done? Why, no other Way, but by Ufmg Confcientioufly all thofe Means which common Prudence will recommend to a Man, for the gaining Infl:ru£lion and Information to himfelf, a- bout any Point that he defires throughly to underftand : That is to fay, freeing his Mind from all Pride, and Paffion, and In- terefl, and all other Carnal PrepofTeflions, and applying himfelf ferioufly and impar- tially to the getting right Notions and Sen- timents about his Duty in thefe Matters : Confidering, without Prejudice, what can be faid on both Sides : Calling in the beft Afliftance of the ableft and wifeft Men that he can come by: And above all Things, ferioufly endeavouring to underftand the Nature and Spirit of the Chrtftian Religion, and to pra£tife all that he is undoubtedly convinced to be his Duty ; and for the Mat- ters in Queftion, mod earneflly imploring the AlTiftance of God's Spirit to guide and dired him. . Vol. II. A a Well,
354 ^ Difcourfe of Conference.
Well, but fuppofing a Man has endea- voured to inform his Judgment as well as he can, and hath ufed all thofe Prudent- Means that were in his Power, to fatisfy himfelf of the Lawfulnefs of our Commu- nion, but yet, after all, he is of the fame Perfwafion that he was, viz.» That he can- tiOt joyn in our Worfhip without Sin ; What will we fay to fuch a Man as this ? Will we ftill fay, that this Man muft either Con- form, though againft his Confcience, or he is a Schifmatick before God? This is the great DijSiculty, and I have Two Things to fay to it.
In the Firft Place, We do heartily wifli that this was the Cafe of all, or of the moft of our Diffentefs, (^viz, that they have done what they can to fatisfy them^ felves about our Communion.) For if it was, I do verily perfwade my felf, that there would prefently be an End of ail thofe much-to-be- lamented Schifms and D/- vifions which do now give fo much Scan- dal to all good Men, and threaten the Ruin of our Reformed Religion j and this poor Church oi E?'igla?idy which hath fo long la- . boured and groaned under the furious At- tacks that have been made upon her, by Enemies without, and Enemies within her own Bowels, would, in a little time, be perfe£tly fet free from all Apprehenfion of Danger, at the leaft, from tiie one Sort of bci* Adveriaries*
If
A Difcourfe of Confdence.
If all our Brethren of the Separation would ferioufly follow after the Thmgs that make for Peace, and ivalk by the fame Rule, as far as they were able ; and in Things ivhere they were otherrvfe minded, would re- ligioufly apply themfelves to God for Di- redion, and to the Ufe of prudent Means for Satisfaction ; I doubt not but the Face of Things would prefently be changed among us, and we fhould hear no more of any Divifion or Schifm in our Nation, that was either dangerous to the Church, or to the Salvation of the Men that were concerned in it._
But alas, we fear we have too great Reafon to fay, that the Generality of our DifTenting Brethren, even thofe of them that plead Confcience for their Separation, have not done their Duty in this Matter ; have not heartily endeavoured to fatisfy their Minds about the Lawfalnefs of Con- formity, in thofe Points which they ftick at*
If they had, one would think, that after all their Endeavours, they fhould, before they pronounced Conformity to be Unlawful, be able to produce fome one plain Text of Scripture for the proving it lb, either in the Whole, or in any Part of it. But this they are not able to do. They dOj indeed, produce fome Texts of Scripture, which they think do make for them ; but really they are fuch, that if they had not fupinely
Aa a taken
356 A Difcotirfe of Confcience.
taken up their Meaning upon Truft, but ' would have been at the Pains of carefully examining them, and ufing fuch Helps as they have every where at hand for the underftanding them; it would have been fomewhat difficult for them to have Ex- pounded thofe Texts in fuch a Senfe as would infer the Unlawfulnefs of our Com- munion.
But farther ; I fay, it is not probable that the Generality of our DilTenters, who con- demn our Communion as Unlawful, have ever anxioufly applied themfelves to the confidering the Point, or gaining Satif- fadion about it; becaufe they do not feem to have much confulted their own Teachers in this Affair, and much lefs thofe of our Way : If they had, they would have been difpofed to think better of our Communion, than they do. For, not to mention what the Churchmen do teach and prefs in this Matter ; the mod Eminent of their own Minii^ers are ready, thus far, to give their Teilimony to our Communion , That there is nothing required in it, but what a Laj-Perfon may Honeftly and Lawfully comply with, though there may be fome Things inconvenient, and wliich they wifli were amended. Nay^ they them- felves are ready, upon Occafion, to afford us their Company, in all the Inffances of Laj'Commumon,
Bus
J Difcourfe of Confdence.
But I defire not to enlarge upon this Argument, becaufe it is an Invidious one. All that I fay, is, That we wi(h it was not too apparent, by many Evidences, that moft of thofe who feparate from us, are fo far from having done all they can to bring themfelves to a Compliance with our Church Conftitutions, that they have done little or nothing at all towards it ; but have taken up their Opinions, hand over head, without much Thinking or Enquiring ; and having once taken up an Opinion, they ad- here to it, without fcarce fo much as once thinking that it is polTible for them to be m the Wrong.
If you fpeak of a Man, that may with reafon be faid to have done his Endeavour to fatisfy himfelf about the Points of his Duty in this Matter : Give us fuch a one as hath no End, no Intereft to ferve, by his Religion, but only to pleafe God, and to go to Heaven ; and who, in the Choice of the Way that leads thither, hath the Indif- ference of a Traveller ; to whom it is all one, whether his Way light on the Right Hand, or the Left, being only concerned that it be the Way which leads to his Jour- ney's End.
Give us a Man, that concerns hirafelF as little as you pleafe in the Speculative Dif- putes and Controverfies of Religion, but yet is wonderfully folicitous about the Pra- dice of his Duty, and therefore will re-
A a 3 fufe
358 j4 Difcourfe of Confcience.
fufe no Pains or Trouble that may give him a right Underftanding of that.
Give us a Man, that in the midft of the e;reat Heats and Divifions, and diffe- rent Communions of the Church, is yet modell, and humble, anddocible; that be- lieves he may be miftaken, and that his private Friends may be miftaken too; and hath fuch an Efteem and Reverence for th© Wifdom of his Governors in. Church or State, as to admit, that it is probable they may fee farther into Matters of State, and Religion, than he doth : And that there- fore every Tenet and Opinion that was imbibed in his Education, that wasinfufcd by private Men of his Acquaintance, or that was efpoufed upon a very few Thoughts, and little Confideration, ought not to be fo ftifly maintained, as to Con- troul, or to be fet in Oppofition to the Pub- lick Eftablifhments of Authority.
Laftly: Give us a Man, that where the Publick Laws do run counter to his Private Sentiments, and he is at a lofs to reconcile his Duty to Men, with his Duty to God ; yet doth not prefently, upon this, fet up a Flag of Defiance to Authority ; but rather applies himlelf, with all the Indifference and Honefty he can, to get a true Infor- mation of thefe Matters : And to that End, he prays to God ::ontinually for his Afli- ftance ; he calls in the beft Helps, and con- fults the beft Guides he can ; his Ears are
op^n
^ Difcourfe of Confcience. 350
open to what both Sides can fay for them- felves ; and he is as willing to read a Book which is writ againft his Opinion, as one that defends it : In a Word, if he be Pre- judiced, or Biafs'd any Way, it is on the Side of Authority ; being rather defirous to find himfelf miftaken, and his Governors m the right, than himfelf m the right, and his Governors miftaken. I fay, fhew us fuch a Man as this, and we readily grant you have produced a Perfon that doth fmcerely ufe his Endeavours to fatisfy himfelf about the Lawfulnefs of our Com- munion. But then we muft fay this alfo, , That as the Cafe ftands between the Church of England and the Diilenters, we can hardly believe that fuch a Man will long continue in Separation from the Church; but will, in a little time, gain the Satif- fadion of feeing, not only that he may Law- fully joyn with us, but alio, that it is his Duty fo to do.
But let us admit, that a Man may have endeavoured to inform his Judgment as well as he can, and yet be fo far from being con- vmced that it is his Duty to joya with us in our Worfliip, that he is ftill of Opi- nion it is his Duty to feparate from us : What will we fay of fuch a Man ? Will we ftill brand him for a Schijmttick^ not- withftanding he hath done all he can to bring himfelf over to us, but cannot?
Aa 4 To
360 A Difcoiirfe of Confcience.
To this I Anfwer, in the Second Place, according to the Principles I have before laid down, That if fuch a Cafe do ever hap- pen; though the Man cannot be excufed from Schifm, as to the Matter of it, ( becaufe where-ever there is an AQ:ual Separation from a Church, with which we ought, and with which we may, Lawfully Com- municate ; there is an Actual Schifm com- menced, let the Pretence for the Separation be what it will : ) yet I truft, he fhall not be charged before God with the Formal Guilt of the Schifm^ any farther than the Error that led him into it was contra£b ed by his own fault.
Though Schifm in itfelf ( as we have faid) be a great Sin ; yet we do not fay, that all thofe who are engaged in the fame Schifm^ are equally Guilty before God.
In the Firft place, Thofe that feparate from the Church, to ferve any private fe- cular Turn, thefe are moft horribly guilty of Schif?n, and there is nothing to be faii in their Excufe.
In tije Second place, Thofe who feparate from the Church, through Mifperfwafions, and Miftakes of Judgment, which they groundleily and fooliQily took up, and ' might have avoided, and would yet ftill certainly correft in themfelves, if they were but fo Careful and Confcientious about j-heir Duty as they ought to be : Thefe M.en have, indeed, far more to fay for
them-
A Difcourfe of Confdence. 36
themfelves than the former ; but yet they are very blameable, and are bound, as they love their Souls, to take more Care of in- forming their Confcience aright, that fo they may leave that Sin they are engaged in.
But Thirdly, Thofe that feparate from the Church of God, becaufe they know no better, nor never had Means to know bet- ter; or thofe that have fincerely endea- voured to underftand their Duty, as much as could be expected from one in their Circumftances ; yet, through weaknefs of Underftanding, or want of Opportunity, light into wrong Paths : In a Word, thofe that are unhappily engaged in a Schifmy but God Almighty, who feareheth the Hearts, knoweth that it is not through the Fault of their Wills, but the Misfor- tune of their Circumftances : I fay, if there be any Man among us that is in this Con- dition, though he be a Schifmatick Mater i- ally^ yet he is Innocently, at lea ft Pitiably^ fo: And if he be as free from Blame in the other Parts of his Life, he may be a good Chriftian for all that. And God Almighty, we hope, who judgeth of Men by their inward Sincerity, and not by their out- ward Circumftances, will impute that Schifm, ( which in others, perhaps, is a wilful Crime) to this Man, no otherwife than as a pure 6m o^ Ignorance, which fliall not (upon a general Repentance for all
Sins,
g62 A Difcoiirfe of Confcience.
Sins, known and unknown ) be accounted for at the Lafl: Day. Efpecially, ii this In- nocently-miftaken Man we fpeak of, do, to the other Regularities of his Life, add a diligent Care m thefe Four following Points.
Firft, That he be not Ohftinate^ and Per- tinactom in his Way ; but that he keep his Mind readily prepared and difpofed to receive any ConviQion, which God, by any Means or Inflruments, fhall offer to him.
Secondly, That he feparate no farther from the Church, of which he ought to be a Member, than he needs muft; but do chearfully comply with the Publick Laws and Eftablimments, in all thofe Inftances where he is fatisfied he may do it with a fafe Confcience.
Thirdly, That where he cannot give ABive Obedience to the Laws, he do, in thofe Inftances, Vatkmly and Chrifiiady fubmit to the Penalties which thofe Laws infli£t ; neither exclaiming againft his Go- vernors, or the Magift rates, as Perfecutors, for Enafting or Executing thofe Laws ; nor ufing any undue, illegal Means, to get himfelf more Eafe and Liberty ; but in all Things behaving himfelf as a quiet and peaceable Subjed to the Government lie lives under.
And Fourthly, and Laftly, That he fhew liimfelf a good Neighbour^ as well as a good
Subjecty
A Difcourfe of Confcience. 363
SuhjeSf, in avoiding all peevilh and bitter Cenfures of thofe that differ in Opinion and Perfwafion from him ; and exercifing Humanity, and Friendlinefs, and Charity to all his Fellow-Chriftians.
Whofoever, I fay, of our Brethren of the Separation, make good thefe points : That is to fay, are, in the Firft place, ve- ry flncere in their Endeavours to inform their Confcience aright in the Matter of our Communion : And, in the next place, when they cannot fatisfy their Confcience about our Way, do yet, in their Diilent from us, obferve the Four Particulars I have now named : I fliould be loth, for my part, to Cenfure them either as ill Me», or ill SuhjeBsy or ill Chriftians.
But then, all that I have faid in this Matter, doth no more juftify the Sin of Schifmy or extenuate the Hainoufnefs of it in its own Nature, than it would ferve to juftify or extenuate the Sin of Idolatry, if all that I have now faid, was applied to the Cafe of an Ignorant, Well-meaning, Devout Papift. For I do verily beheve, that what I have now reprefented, by way of Apology, for an innocent, miftajien Se^id' raiifi, will hold true, mutatis mtitandis^ in the Cafe of a deluded Romamfi, who is in- vincibly, and without any Fault of his, intangled in the Pra6ilice of their IdoUiries, But I believe, for all that, the Sin oi Idola- try is in itfelf a moft grievous Sin, and [fo
I be-
564 -^ Difcourfe of Confcience,
I believe is the Sin of Schifm ; and there- fore, notwithftanding all that may be faid, concerning the Innocence or Ex- cufeablenefs of fome Mens Miftakes about thefe Matters; yet neverthelefs, it infi- nitely concerns every Perfon to have a Care how he be engaged either in the one or the other.
To come to a Conclufion : That which I would moft ferioufly prefs, from what hath been faid, is this; It appears from the foregoing Difcourfe, how abfolutely necef- fary it is, that every Man fhould endea^ vour to inform his Judgment aright, in the Matters that offend his Confcience, before he withdraw his Obedience from his Lawful Governors, and his Commu- nion from thofe that Worfhip God in Pub- lick under them. It appears likewife, that it is not enough to juftify a Man's Separa- tion, that this or the other Thing in our . Worfhip is really againft his Confcience ; for he may be a great Sinner, notwith- ftanding that, for leaving our AfTemblies, i£ it fhould prove at laft that he is miftaken in his Notions.
What! therefore fhould every DifTenter among us do, that hath any Regard to his Duty, and would preferve a good Confci- ence ? I fay. What is there that more con- cerns him to do, than prefently to fet about the ^true informing of his Judgment in the Points where he is now difiatisfy'd, for
fear
A Dijcourfe of Confaence. 365
fear he be found to live in a grievous Sin, all the Time he feparates from us.
And therefore, let no Man that lives out of our Communion fatisfy himfelf with fuch frivolous Pretences as thefe : That as for all the Subflantials of Religion, the Mat- ters of Faith and Good Life^ they do agree with us J and that as for the other Matters which concern Ceremonies and Difcipline^ thefe are nice, controverted Points, Points difputed pro and con, amongft the Divines; and therefore why fhould they trouble their Heads about them ; nay, perhaps, if they fhould, they have neither Abilities nor Opportunities to underftand them.
It muft be confefTed, that fomething of this is true ; but yet it is nothing to their Purpofe. It is very well that we all agree in the Rule of Faith and Manners-, and it would be happy if all the Chriftian World did fo too: But ftill, Schifm is a dreadful Sin ; and a Man may as certainly, without Repentance, be Damned for that, as for being an Heretick in his Opinion^ or a Drunkard^ for Inflance, in his Manners. Sure I am, the Ancient Chriftian Fathers thought fo.
It is true, likewife, that the Bufmefs of Church Government and Difcipime, and other Points of Ecclefiajiical Conformity^ is a Mat- ter of Difpute and Controverfy among us : But who is it that made it fo? The Church of Englandy without doubt, would have
been
^68 A Difconrfe of Confcience.
been very well pleafed, i^ there had been no Dull raifed, no Difpute or Contentions moved in thefe Matters, but that every Member would have done his Duty pea- ceabl}^ and quietly in his Station: Or, that if any Controverfy had arofe, it fhould have been debated among Learned Men, and never have proceeded to Sepa- tion from the Communion.
We do not pretend to lay any Strefs up- on Skill and Knowledge about thefe Mat- ters, in order to a Man's Salvation. We believe and teach, that a Man may be a very good Chrifiian^ and go to Heaven, that never underftood how to juftify the Crofi in Baptifm, or to defend the Common" Pra-^er-Book againft all the Exceptions that are made againll it. All that we fay, is, that if any Man will fcruple and except againft the Ufe of thefe Things, it lies upon him, nay, he is bound, as he would keep a good Confcience, to ufe the beft Means he pofTibly can, to get Satisfaction about them : Or if he do nor, at his own Peril be it ; nay, even at the Peril of his Salvation, if he breaks the Churches Peace and Communion upon that Account.
And as for thofe that pretend that thefe are Subtile Points, and above their Reach and Capacity, and they have not Uiiderfianding and Wit enough to dive into them : Why, in God's Name, who defires them? We fay, that they might innocently
enough,
A Difcourfe of Confcience, 367
enough, aad with a good Confcience, com- ply with. their Governors in thefe Points, as they do m a Hundred others, without ever diving into them. But fince, it feems, they have Wit and Underftandhig enough to Cavil and find Fault with thefe Thiqgs> and upon that Account to deny their Obe- dience to thofe Lawful Powers which God hath fet over them : One would think they fhould, at the fame time, have fo much Honefty^ as ferioufly to endeavour tQ give themfelves Satisfadion as to thofe Things they find Fault with ; and this is all we defire of them ; and it is for their own Sakes too, as well as ours, that we defire it. For otherwife they will never be able to Anfwer, either to God or Man, for the horrible Inconveniencies and Mif* chiefs that arife to the Church of Chrifl:, by the Divifion and Separation which they are engaged in.
To conclude: If in any Inflance, that famous Precept of the Apoftle, 0^ proving all Things, and holding fajl that which is Goody do oblige Chriftians, it doth efpecially in this. If ever it be a Man's Duty to fa- tisfy himfelf about the Goodnefs and La w- fulnefs of a Thing that he is ape ro doubt of, k is certainly in the Cafe where hrr^- periors have laid their Commands upon him j for there he cannot difobey without Sin, unlefs he can aifure himfelf that he hath done all that he can to reconcile
their
568 A Difcourfe of Confclence.
their Commands with his Duty to God; but upon the beft Means he hath ufed, he finds them Irreconcileable. For ^ Man to difobey, till he has done this, is an un- warrantable Thing ; and, in the Cafe that I now fpeak of, it is no lefs than the Sin of Formal Criminal Schifm.
THE
3^9
THE
CASE
O F A
Doubting Confcience.
I Have in a former Difcourfe fpoken to the Cafe of thofe DifTenters, who Separate from the Eftablifhed Church for this Reafoa, That they are Perfwaded that they cannot Lawfully join in our Communion. I now come to fpeak to the Cafe of thofe who Separate from us for a lefs Reafon^ viz.i Becaufe they Doubt whether they may Lawfully Communi- cate with us or no ; and fo long as they thus Doubt, they dare not come near us, becaufe they fear they fhould Sin againft God, if they fhould do any Adion with a Doubting Confcience,
To this indeed a fhort Anfwer might be given from the former Difcourfe, and that is this, That let the Obligation of a Doubting Confcience be as great as we can reafonably fuppofe it, yet if Communion with our Church, as it is Vol. IL B b EiU-
5^o A Difconrfe concerning
Eftabliflied, be really a Duty, then a Man's Doubts concerning the Lawfulnefs of it, will not make it ceafe to be fo, or juftifie his Separation from it. For if a Man's fettled Perfvaffm, that an Action is unlawful, wilj not ordinarily acquit him from Sin, if he omit that Aftion, fuppofing God's Law hath Commanded it (as I there fliew'd;) much lefs will a Man's bare Doubt concerning the^ Law- fulnefs of an AQion, juftifie' his OmilTion of it in fuch a Cafe.
But becaufe this Anfwer feems rather to cut the Knot, than to untie it ; it is jny Meaning, in the following Difcourfe, particularly to examine; and difcufs this Plea of a Doubt ^f^g Confcience^ and' to fhew what little force there is in it, to keep any Man from Conformity, that would Gtherwifc Conform. Hopiiig that fome Reader, whofe Cafe this is,- may, hy what he here finds offer'd toward his Satisfaftion, either be prevail'd with to fay afide his Doubts m the Matter of pur Communion, or at leafl be convinced, th^t it is more reafonable and fafe to Communicate wish us, Doubting as he doth, than to continue in Separation from us.
In handling this Cafe of a Doubting Conjcknce^ I fhall obferve the fame Me- thod I did 'n\ the foimer Difcourfe, be- cau-fe indeed I cannot think of a better \
a Doubting Confcience. ^71
That is, I fhall endeavour to give an Account of thefe Four Things :
I. Of the Nature of a Doubting Confci^
encey and how it is diftinguifhed from the other Kinds of Qonfcience^
II. Of the Rule of a Doubting Confcience^
or what Meafures a Man is to proceed by, for the determining himfelf in a doubtful Cafe.
III. Of the Forver that Humane LawSy Ecclefiaftical or Civil, have, to Over-rule a Man's Doubts in any Matter*
IV. Of the Authdrity of a Doubting Con-^ fciencey i, e. Whether at all, or how far a Man is Obliged by it.
. Thefe Four Heads do, I think, take hi all the Difficulties that are in the Cafe of a Doubting ConfciencCo
I. I begin with the firft Head, The Nature of a Doubting Confcience, In fpeak- ing to which, I fhall Treat of thefe Three Things, i. Of Doubting in Gene- ral. 2. Of fuch Doubts as do afFe8: or concern a Man's Confcisnsei. ^. Of the Difference between the Doubting Con- fciencey and the Scrupulous o
I. As To the firft of thefe, V/hich is concerning the Nature of Doubting in Ge- neral, we may take Notice, That a Man Is properly faid to dotibty when he can- not give his A (Tent to eitber part of a Contradidion;, that is, cannot make i B b 2 Judg-
372 A Difcourfe concerning
Judgment whether the Thing he is con- lidering, be fo, or be not fo ; but through the equal, or at leaft fair pro- bability that is on both fides of the Queftion, continues irrefokite and unde- termined; now, perhaps, he thinks this fide the more probable, and by and by the . other, but he is uncertain as to both, and cannot fix upon either.
So that a Doubtim Mind is not more ufually, than properly, refembled to a Ba- lamey which, by reafon of the equal Weight which is put into both Scales, is not call: on either fide, but hangs in the fame Poflure, or waves up and down, without either Scale coming to the bot- tom» , : .'
Neverthelefs, in a Doubtful Cafe, a Man may lean more to one fide of the Queftion than the other, and yet con- tinue Doubtful ftill. Juft as there may be fo much more Weight put into one Scale than the other, as will be fuffi- cient to incline the Balance more to that fide ; while yet that Weight is not fo confiderable as to be able perfe£tly to turn it, lb as to carry down the Scale to the ufual mark of Down-weight, and there to fettle it.
There is indeed this difference between thele Two Things, that a Ballance through the exa£l equality of the Weights "put into each Scale, may be fo poi4ed,
as
a Doubthjg Confc'ieiice, 375
as to hang perfectly ia dquilibrio^ without inclination either way, and continue fo to do : But it will be difficult, li not im- poflfible, to put a Cafe or a Qiieftion,^ where a Man's Mind, after all Things con- fidered, is fo perfeftly indifferent to both fides of it, as not to be more inclined to chufe one, than the other.
When once there appears fo much more Evidence on one fide of the doubt- ful Cafe, that the Mind is enabled to determine itfelf, and to give a fettled alTent on that fide, then the Man ceafeth to doubt any longer; for that which was a Doubt before, is now turned into a Per- ftvafton. And i^ it be a Cafe wherein Confcience is concern'd, that which was before a Doubting Confcience, is now changed into a Refohed Confcience. Here, to refume our former Comparifon, the Balance no longer hangs in ^quiltbrid^-^ or moves unfettledly this way or tliat way, but is plainly turned and fixed on one fide.
It is true, in this Cafe a Man dotl^ not always determine himfelf with the fame degree of Perfwafion, or Satisfaction to his own Mind. Sometimes the Evidence is fo ftrong, as to Command an entire AiTent of his Underftanding ; an AiTent fo- full, that it hath not the leall: mixture of Doubtfulnefs in it; and this we call an Ajjurancc^ or a ///// Perfvaficr/, At otiier B b 3 titncs
J74 -^ Difcourfe concerning
times the Evidence may be of force enough to gain an AfTent, but yet not fo ftrong an AfTent as to exclude all Doubt of the contrary ; and this kind of Affent we call an Opinion^ or a probable Perfivajifm, And fomething like this we may obferve in the Ballance : The Scale that preponderates, is not always carried down with the fame Force and Brisknefs ; but according as the Weight that turns the Balance is greater or lefs, fo, in pro- portion, it may plainly be difcern'd that the Scale defctnds either more ftrongly and nimbly, or more weakly and flowly. But ftill in both thefe Cafes, the Man hath formed a Judgment of the Point ; the Balance is turned, and where-ever this happens, there is an end of the Doubt or ALquilibrium ; and confequently, if it be in a Cafe that concerns a Man's Con- fcience, it ceafes to be any longer a Doubt- ing Confcience, and becomes refolved and determined, though perhaps not fully fatisfied and free from all kind of Doubt and Scruple about that thing.
2. And thus much of Doubting in Ge- neral. I now come to confider it with refpe£i; to Confefcme, i. e. to enquire hoii?f far, or in what Cafes a Man's Confcience is affeded with his Doubts? Which is bur Second Point under this Hea^.
There are a Thoufand Cafes in which
a Man may be doubtful, as to which his
' Confcience
a houhting Confcknce. 375
ConfGfence fball be no way concerneci. A Man's Doubts may indeed be as various as are the Objeds he hath to confider, and to make a judgment of; < and there- fore unlefs we will fay, that every thing that a Man thinks of, or faith, or doth, affeds his Confcience, we muft not fay that every Doubt doth.
As a Man's Conicience is not touched or affeded with any thing but his own Adions ; fo neither do a Man's Doubts affe6lor touch his Confcience, any farther than they concern his Actions. So that Doubts about Matters of meer Specula- tion^ (as whether fuch a Propofition be true or falfe,) and likewife Doubts about Matter of Ka^, (as, whether fuch a thing was done or not done,) which do not re- late to the Government of a Man's own Actions, thefe Doubts do not concern his Confcience. •
As a Man's Confcience is not alfe^led with his own Adions, under any other Notion, or Confideration, than only as God's Law is to regulate them, viz, as they are either commanded by that Law, or forbidden by it : fo neither do a Man's Doubts concerning his Adions, affed his Confcience any farther, or upon any other account, than^ohly as God's Law may be tranfgrelTed by doing or not doing the Aftion he doubts of; that is, as he may Sin againft God, either by omitting B b 4 the
376 ^ Difcourfe concerning
the A£lion, when God's Law hath com- manded it, or by doing it, when God's Law hath forbidden it.
So that in all doubtful Cafes, where a Man apprehends no danger of tranf- grefling God's Law, whether he doth the Adion he doubts about, or doth it not, there his Conference is not properly concerned. And this is fo true, that though we flioald fuppofe one fide of the AQ:ion in queftion to be really, all Things con- fid ered, more expedient and more eligible than the other, yet fo long as we are fa- tisfied that we may, without breach of God's Law, chufe either fide, we are not concern'd in Confcience to chufe that fide which is the moft expedient, or the moH eligible. For the truth of this, be- fides the reafon of the Thing, we have the Authority of St, Paul, who when this Cale was propofed to him. Whether it was better for the Chriftians in thofe Times to Marry, or not to Marry ? He thus refolves it, That though indeed, as Things thtn flood, it was better not to Marry, yet they might do what they would ; for if they did Marry, they finned not : And though (as he faith) he that gave not his Virgin in Marriage did better than he that gave her in Mirrlags \ yet he allows, that h^ that gave her tn Marrirge did wefl^ and confequently did acl with a good Coi'fcience. Vid, i Cor.'j. ■ 'o '■' Z^ From
a Doiibting Conscience. 377
^. From what hath been faid, we may be able to give a clear Account of the Nature of a Doubting Confctencey and to diftinguifh it from the other forts of Con- fciende; particularly that which they call the Scrupulof^, which is our Third Point under this Head.
Conjcieme is ufually, though how pro- perly I will not now difpute, diftributed into thefe Three Kinds, the Refolved, the Scrupulous^ and the Doubting,
When we fpeak of a Refolved Con- fcience, every body knows that we mean no more by that Phrafe than this, that a Man is fatisfied and refolved in his own Mind, concerning the action he hath been deliberating upon, 1//^. that he is bound to do it, as being a Duty; or that he is bound to forbear it, as being a Sin ; or, that he may either do it, or forbear it, as being an indifferent Adiion^ neither com- ma^nded, nor Forbidden by God. Now this Perfwafion, if it be according to the Rule of the Divine Law, we call it a Right Confcience: If it be contrary to that Rule, we call it an Erroneous Confcience. But of this we need fpeak no more here, fince it was the whole Argument of the former Difcourfe. '
f As for the Scrupulous Confcience, as that is made a diftind fort of Confcience from the Refolved and the Doubting^ \vt may thus define it: It is a Confcience tn Jome ' rnsajiire
378 ' A Difcourfe concerning
measure refolved^ but yet accompanied with a Fear of afting according to that Refolution, It is the unhappinefs of a great many, that when they are pretty well fatisfied in their Judgment concerning this or the o- ther Point, which they made a Matter of Confcience, and have nothing confi- derable to objeQ: againft the Evidence that is given them, but, on the contrary, are convinced that they ought, or that they may lawfully a6l thus or thus ; yet for all that, when they come to aft, they are very uaeafie, and make a World of Difficulties. Not that there is any new Reafon appears that can pretend to unfettle, much lefs overthrow the Grounds of their firft Determination ; but only their unaccountable Fears muft pafs for Keafom, This now is to have a ScrupU'^ lous Confcience in the proper Senfe.
But a Doukmg Confcience, (which is that we are now concerned in) though in Common Speech it be often confounded with the Scrupulous, is quite different from both thefe forts of Confcience." For in both thofe, a Man is fuppofed to have paffed a Judgment in his Mind, whether the A&ion before him be Recording to God's Law, or againft it. But in the Cafe of a Doubting Confcience, it appears, from what I have faid, that a Man hath not, nor cannot, fo long as he Doubts, make any Judgment at all, but
* is
a Doubting Confcience. 379
is uncertain as to both fides ; having, as he thinks, as many Arguments to incline him one way, as the other ; and when once he comes to have fo much Evidence as to create a Perfwafton or Opimon on one fide, then he ceafeth to have a Doubting Confcience.
So that the True Difinition of a Douk'^ ffjg Confcience, as it is commonly called, Js this : Th^ Sufpeme of a Marias Judgment in a Q^ejlion about the Duty or the Sin of aft ABion^ accafioned by the Equal (or near Equal) Probabilities on both fides.
And iikewife, the true Difference be- tween a Doubting^ a Kefolved^ and S-Scrtd* pulous Confcience, is this ; That the Re- folved Confcience is fatisfied about its Point, and a£ls confidently^ at leaft chear^ fully : The Scrupulous Confcience is like- wife fatisfied in the general, but either dares not a£t, or adts fearfully. The Doubting Confcience is not fatisfied at all ; for the Point before it is ftill a Queftion^ of which it can make no Judgment, no - Refolution, becaufe of the equal appear- ances of Reafon on both fides.
This is a plain Account of the Doubting Confcience. But after all, it muft be ac- knowledged, that this which we call a Doubting Confcience, and which we have been all this while Difcourfing of, is, truly and f]:riQ:ly fpeaking, fo far from being any particular fort or kind of Confcience, as
we
380 A Difcourfe conceriimg
we have hitherto fuppofed it, that it is no Confcience at all. ' Confcience, as we have often faid, is a* Man's Mindy making a 'Judgment about ths Morality of his Anions ; but that which we are now talking of, is a Man'^s Mind ma^ king no Judgment as to that Point, but continuing wavering, and undetermined. Now, how a Man's Judgment^ and his no Judgment J which are the Contradictories to one another, fhould agree in the fame, common Nature of Confcience, h not eafy to be underftood. The Truth is, by the fame Logick or Propriety of Speech, that we fay a Doubting Confcience, we may alfo, if we pleafe, fay an Unrefolved Refo- lution, or a Perfrvafion, without an Ajfent, But, however, becaufe Ufe hath given the Name of Confcience to the Doubting Mind, and becaufe Confcience is fometimes really concerned about Acting in Doubtful Cafes, I chufe to follow the common Way of Speaking.
II. I now proceed to ouv Second General Head, which is concerning the Rule of a Doubting Confcience,
In fpeaking to this, I fliall do thefe Two Thfngs ; ^..'iz, I fhall Ihew,
Firfl, What /OW of Rule we here fpeak of; that is, which Confcience needs in a Doubtful Cafe.';;:. ; ri .^. .
Secondly, What thajf-JR///^ is, orwherein it doth con fid. * Iv l^An.
I. As
a Doubting Conference. 381
I. As to the Firft of thefe. When we fpcak of the Rule of a Doubting Confcience^ we do not mean fuch a Rule by which a Man fhall be enabled to refolve all his Doubts concerning every Point, fo as that he fliall ceafe to doubt any longer con- cerning that Point: But we mean only fuch a Rule^ by which a Man may be direfted how to determine himfelf in every Doubtful Cafe, fo as to Aft with a fafe Gonlcience, whether he can get rid of his Doubts or not.
There is juft as much Difference between thefe Two Things, as there is between Doubting^ for Inftance, whether a Thing in General, be Lawful, or not Lawful ; and Doubtmg what I am to do in a parti- cular Cafe, where I doubt of the Lawful- nefs of the Thing. The Firft of which Doubts^ the Cafuifts call a Speculauve Daubt^ the other a Practical,
It is plain, that a Man may often very eafily come to a Refolution of this latter kind of Doubt ; that is, be very well fatis- fied what it becomes him to do, as to this prefent A6:ion, without being able to re- folve his Doubt of the former kind.
Thus, for Inftance, a Man may not be able to refolve this Qiieftion, Whether it be Lawful, or not Lawful, to play at Cards or Dice ? Which is the Speculative Doubt, as the Schools call it : But he may be very able to refolve tliisQueftion, What
is
^Sz ^ Difcourfe concerning
is moft rcafonable for him to do, in the Cafeoffucha Doubt? Again, a Man may not be able to refolve this Etoubt, Whether the prefent "War, in which his Prince is in- gaged, be a juft War or no ? But yet he may be very well able to fatisfy himfelf as to the PraCiical Doubt ; that is, what is his Duty to do, in Cafe his Prince command him to ferve in that War, concerning which he doth thus doubt ? , .
Now, it is the Doubts of this latter kind^' thefe Practical Doubts, as they are calFd, tliat Confcience is diredly and immediately concerned with ; and confequently, for the refolving of which, it chiefly needs a Rule to direfit it< For if a Man can but get latisfied what is mof! agreeable to his Du- ty to do, as to the prefent Aftion he doubts' aboutj it is no great matter, as to his Con- fcience, whether he can get his General o\! Speculative Doubts about that Adion, re- folved, or no. Thefe kind of Doubts, if they cannot be Refolved, muft be Over" ruled.
The Truth is, it is a X^ery idle things for Men to Talk, that a Man mufl: do- no Adion, till all his Doubts about it be i'efolved. Thus far, we grant, it concerns him, that his Doubts Ihould be refolved, viz. That he fhouid be fatisfied in his own Mind, that that fide of the Adion he de- termines himfelf to, is, all things confi- ^^dered, the more fit and reafonable to be
ehofcn :
a DotibUng CoufcteJice. 383
chofen : And to ;'fre6l a Man in making fuch a Choice, is our principal Byfinels under this Head. But if it be meant, that a Man muft fo reiblve all his Doubts about an Adion, as to fee clearly through all the Speculative Points which occafion his Doubts, fo as to be able to untie all the Difficulties which before entangled his Underftanding, and from intrinfick Argu- ments, drawn from the Nature of the. Thing, to pronounce concerning the Me- rits of the Queftion; I fay, if this be their Meaning, there is nothing more abfurd than to fay, That a Man is not to do aa A8:ion, till he has refolved or depofed all, his Doubts about it.
For in many Cafes this is utterly impof- fible to be done; the Perfon concerned, perhaps, having no fufficient Means for the obtaining fuch a Refolution of his Doubts as we fpoke of; or if he had, the Cafe may be fuch, as will not allow him fufficient Time of Confideration for the doing it, for he muft either Aft or not A£t prefently ; and he is m equal Perplexity, both as to the one, and as to the other. What now, in fuch a Cafe, can a Man poffibly do, more than this? viz, by his own Reafon, and the Advice of his Friends, to get fatisfied what is moft reafonable, and mod: agreeable to his Duty, for him to do in the prefent Circumftances, and to pro- ceed accordingly ; for as for other kind of ,
Refo--
384 A Difcoufife cojicernhtg
Refolution of his Doiibts, as things ftand with him, he hath not the leaft Profped of it. . ' .
And, Indeed, when all is faid, we fee, de fa5io^ that this is the ufual Way of proceeding among Men, even thofe that are very Honeft and Confqientious. I dare fay, if we take all the Doubtful Cafes that happen, vC^here there is one Cafe in which a Man proceeds to Acbion, upon fueh a Re- folution of his Doubts as we before fpoke of, there are ten CafeS Where the Doubt is Over-ruled^ and the Man proceeds to A£lion without fuch a Refolution, fitting down fatisfied with this, that though he cannot Anfwer the Difficulties on both fides, yet, all things confidered, it is mofl reafonable for him, in the prefent Circum-*' ftances, to Ad thus, leather than other- wife ; for this he takes to be mofl: agree- able to his General Duty ; or this is that which Wife and Good Men, whom he hath confulted, do ad vile him to.
And now, having fufficiently explained vrhat kind of Refolution of Doubts that is which a Man's Confcience ft:ands in need of, in order to his Ading fafely in a doubt- ful Cafe,
11. I come to the Second Quefl:ion upon this Head, which is, What that Rule is, by which we are to proceed, in thus refolving our Doubts^ or determining
our
a Doubting Confcience, 385
Our felves to one Side tr other, in any Doubtful Cafe that happens to us.
In Anfwer to this Enquiry, I fhall do thefe Two Things. Firfty I mall give fome Account of the General Rule by which a Doubting Confcience is to be guided. Se- condlyj I fhall apply this General Rule to the feveral Heads of Doubtful Cafes, wherein a Man's Confcience may be con- cerned ; that fo every one may be furnifbed with fome Principles, for the determining himfelf in any Matter, concerning which he happens to have a Doubt,
I. As to the Firfl of thefe, Whoever hath confidered what we have before faid, will eafily be perfwadedj that nothing ought to turn the Ballame^ in a Doubtful Cafe, but the greater Weight of Reafon on one Side than the other. For fince the Very Notion of Doubting, is the Suffence of a Man's 'judgment in a Quefiion^ upon Ac- count of the equal Appearances of Reafon or^ both Sides of it ; it is plain, that that which is to fettle the Judgment^ and to determine the Doubt, can be nothing elfe but thisj 'viz. That, after all Things confidered, there doth appear greater Reafn to lie on this Side of the Queftion, than there doth on that. So that the General Rule of a Doubting Confcience, and from which the Meafures of refolving all particular Cafes^ are to be taken, cannot be laid down other- Wife than thus \ viz.* That in all Doubtful
Vol, IL C c Qafesi^
1>
86 -^ Difcourfe concerning
CafeSy that Side ivhichy all Things duly conji^ dered^ doth appear more reafonahley that is to be chofen,
I am not ignorant that the Cafuifts have trfually propofed this Rule in other Terms, ijiz. That in all Doubtful Cafes, the fafer Side is to be followed. But I do purpofely avoid the exprefling it fo, becaufe of the uncertain Meaning of the fafer Side? For according as that Word is Expounded, ( as ' it may be Expounded different Ways, ) fo is the Rule fo Worded, true Or falfe.
If we take Safety in the ftriO: and proper Senfe,and as itis,indeed,ufuallyunderftood, "viz, as it is oppofed to any Hazard or Danger: It is fo far from being an Adas- quate Rule of a Doubting Confcience, in all Cafes, to follow the fafer Side, that in many Cafes it will be very unadvifable fo to do.
Sure I am, that in Doubtful Cafes, which concern the Civil Life, no Wife Man doth - always make this a Rule to himfelf. We fee a Hundred Inftances every Day, where Men venture upon the \ds fafe, and the more hazardous Side, upon the Account of other Reafons and Confiderations, which they think ought more to prevail with them. It is certainly, in general Speaking, more fafe, (that is, more free from Hazard or Danger) to Travel on Foot, than on. Horfe- back ; to ftay at Home, than to go into Fo- reign Countries j to Traffick by Land, than
tor
a Doubting Confcience, 387
to, venture one's Stock on the uncertain Seas, But yet, for all this, the Confideration of .the Eafe and Expedition that is to be had in the Fir/l Cafe, and the Improvement and Benefit that is to be hoped for m the Second, and the Gain and Profit in the lail, do we fee. every Day over^ballance the Confideration o^ Safety in^thefe Cafes, and determine a Man not to that Side which is freeft from Danger^ but to that which is more Conueniem, or more Ufeful^ or more Advantageous.
And thus it is likewife, as to thofe Doubt- ful Cafesy wherein a Man's Confcience is concerned. I fuppofe, that when we fpeak of the fafr Side of any Action, with Re- ference to Canfcience^ we generally mean that Side on which there appears the leaft Hazard or D^^^^^r of tranfgrelling any Law of God. But now, in. this Senle of Safety, I do not think that it is always a good Rule, for a Doubting Confcience, to chufe thQ fafer Side: On the contrary, I think, that if the Rule be thus put, and thus un- derftood, it will often prove a Snare to a Man's Mind, and rather entangle him further in Difficulties, than help him out of them.
If it was receiv'd as a Rule, That a Man is, in all his Aclions, to keep himfelf at the greateil: Diftance he can, from the Danger of Sinning, ( which is the Notion oi Safety I here fpeak of) I date fay, there? Cc 3 are
388 j4 Difcourfe concerning
are very few Perfons that converfe much in the World, but have Reafon, almoft every Day, to call themfelves to Account for tranfgreflTing this Rule. For they do every Day ingage in fuch Adions, in which they cannot but acknowledge, that they do ex- pofe themfelves to a greater Danger of Sin- ning than i^ they had not ingaged in them.
Thus, for Inllance, what Man is there among us, who, although he know him- felf to be prone enough to the Sin of /v- temferance^ in Eating or Drinking, when Temptations are offered ; and accordingly, for this Reafon, doth moft ferioufly fet hrmfelf againft this particular Sin; yet makes any great Scruple of going to Feafis and Entertainment Sy when he is invited by others ; nay, or of making them himfelf, when Decency or Civility^ or the ferving any of his Temporal Affairs, doth require him fo to do ? But yet it is certain, that by thus doing, he runs a much greater Ha- zard of falling into the Sin he fears, than if he fhould ftn-bear aH fuch Occafions or Temptations of Intemperance.
Many other Inftances, which Daily oc- cur in Humane Life, might be given, wherein Good Men, nay, even the beft of Men, do, for the Sake of their Bufinefs, or other laudable Defigns, which they think fit to purfue, frequently venture to expofe themfelves to fuch Dangers of Sm-
. mng
a 'Doubting Confcience. 389
ning, as they might have avoided ; and this without any Reproach from their oxvn Confcience, or any Cenfure from other Men.
The Truth is, God hath no where commanded us to avoid all poilible Danger oi Sinning^ but Qnly to avoid all Sin when we are in Danger, It is enough fpr the fecuring a Man's Duty, that he doth not tranfgrefs the Laws of God in any A6lion that he takes in Hand : But it is not re- quired that he fhould, in every Inftance of his Converfation, preferve himfelffroni the utmoft PofTibility, or (if you will) Danger of fo doing. For, upon this Sup- pofition, it would be impodibie for one to live like a Man of this World, and perform the common Offices of Civil Life, and much more to live to any great Purpofes for the ferving his Generation. Indeed, the RefuLt of all would be, that whoever would approve himfelf to be truly Religion^s and " Confcientiomy muft abandon all Secular Af- fairs, and retire to a Cloyfter or a Defart. But it may be faid, What is this to our Bufinefs? Thofe we now fpDke of, are fuppofed to be fully fatisfied in their own Minds, that they may fafely venture on the more dangerous Side of an Atlion, for the Sake of fome confiderabie Good that they defign in that Afl:ion : Bat the Cafe we are now concerned in, is that of one who is altogether Doubtful whether he
Cc 3 may
590 A bifcourfe concern'mg
may Lawfully do the Aftidn or no. To this, J Aniwer, That my Buflriefs is now to give an Account of the Riile by which Men are to proceed, in determining them- felves in Doubtful Cafes; and that which I have faid, doth thus far, I think, coni^^ Home to that Bufinefs, that if it be al- lowed that it isadvifeablerin any Cafe, to forfake the niore pife Side 'of an A6iion, and to chufe the more hazdriom ; we will take it for granted. That it may be as ad-^ vifeable in a Doubtful Cafe, as in any other* until it be made to appear, that God hat{i. appointed a Rule for Doubting Perfons to govern themfelves by, different from that he hath given to other Men : Or, to fpeak the Thing more plainly, till it be made to appear, that thofe who are fo unhappy as to Doubt^ are debarred of the Priviledge of Acting according to the beft of their Rea^ fan and Difcretiony which Men that do not Doubt are allowed to do.
But to come more ftridly to the Point, I do beheve there do abundance o^ Doubt. ful Cafes, properly fo called, frequently happen, in which no Man of Underftand- ing, although we fuppofe him never fo Honeft, doth think he is obliged to deter- mine himfelf to that Side of the Aftion on which he apprehends there is leaft Danger of Sinning: But on the contrary, he will often forfake that Side which is fafer^ in this Senfe, for that which doth more re- '" ■' commend
a Doubting Confcience, 391
commend it felf to him upon other Ac- counts.
Thus, for Inftance, Tome times Doubtful Cafes do happen, in which the greater Frobahiltty on one Side, will turn the Bal- lance againft the greater Safety on the other. Thus, if a Man fhould Doubt whether it may be Lawful to Eat any Thing Strang' led, or that hath Blood in it, (becaufe there are fome PaiTages in the Scripture, that feem to forbid thefe Meats ; ) and iliould repair to fome intelligent Perfon about this Matter, who fhould give him fuch an Account of thofe Texts, and of all the other Difficulties in this Affair, that the Man comes away fatisfied, that it is far more probable that all Kinds of Meats are allowed by the Chriftian Religion, than that any are forbidden.
I ask now, Whether this Degree of Sa^ tisfa6lion have not Weight enough to put an End to a Man's Doubt in fuch a Cafe as this, fo as that he may, with a quiet Con^ fcience, Eat of thefe Meats as there is Oc- cafion ? I believe moll: Men will be of this Opinion ; but yet, the Doubt here is not determined on the fifer Side, but on the more u^fafer For it is certain, a Man is in. lefs Danger of Sinning, if he wholly forbear thefe Meats, than if, for the ferving a prefent Convenience, he do eat of them. And the Reafon is plain ; be- caufe there are fair Grounds from the Cc 4 Scrip-
39^ ^ Difcourfe condernmg
Scripture, and Antiquity, for making it a Quefiion, whether thefe Meats be Law- ful or no ; and it is really yet a Queflion among many, and it was lately fo to the Man himfelf : But no Man in the World ever made a Quefiion^ whether thefe Meats might not at any time be Lawfully for* born, there being no Law of God pre- tended, that obliges a Man to Eat of them. Again, As the greater Vrohahility will turn the Ballance againfl: the [afer Side of a Doubt ; fo oftentimes fuch Doubtful Cafes do happen, in which, when the Probabi^ lines are equal on both Sides, the Con(i- deration of the greater Temporal Advan- tages on the one Side, will have Weight enough with a very Honeft Man, to over- ballance the Confideration of the greater Safety on the other. [ Still taking Safety m the Senfe we before gave. ]
Thus, for Inftance, Suppofe one fhould demand of another Man a Sum of Money which he pretends to be due to him ; and the Man of whom it is demanded, after the ftrideft and mofl confcientious Enqui- ry he can make, is not fatisfied in his own Mind that it is due. But fuch is the Con- fidence of the Demander, and fuch Ap- pearances of Reafon he offers, that the Man comes to doubt equally^ whether it be due or no; fothat there are here equal Trobabtlities on both Sides. The Thing in Qi^efiion now is, Whether it be ad- •' '^ vifable
a Doubting Conference. p93
vifable in point of Confcience, for the Man to pay the Money demanded, till he have better Evidence of the Juftice of the De- mands ?
If a Man be to follow the faj^er Side, it is certain he muft pay it. For it is unde- niably more fafe, that is, farther removed from the Danger of Sin, to fatisfy the Demands, though it be to his own Lofs. For by this Means he perfeftly fets him- felf free from the Apprehenfions even of the Poilibility of wronging his Neighbour, which is the Sin that he fears in this Cafe : Whereas if he do not pay the Money, he is uncertain whether he detains the Man's Right from him or no.
But then, on the other Hand, if he fhould pay the Money when it is no Way due, (as he hath as much Reafon to be- lieve that it is not due, as that itis, ) hQW fliall he Anfwer to his Wife and Children, for parting with fuch a Sum, which, as his Circumftances may be, he cannot fpare without great Prejudice to them ?
This is the Cafe, and thefe are the Ar- guments that are to be urged on both Sides of it ; and I leave it to any confidering Man to judge which ought to prevail. I am pretty confident, that mofl: Men will thus determine, viz,. That fince in this Cafe it is as probable, that the Demands aforefaid are I//?/?//?, as that rhcy are J^Ji ; . and fince no Man is obliged to .depart from
that
394 * -^ Difcourfe concerning
that he is pofTefTed of, till it do appear by good Evidence, that it is due to another Man : And fince, withal, it is imreafonahle fo to do, when it will be to the Prejudice of a Man's Self and his Family : Thefe Things being fo, it will be more advifable for the Man, in this Cafe, to keep his Mo- ney, till it be either by Law adjudged, or he have more convincing Proofs to his own Confcience, that he ought to pay it.
I think I need not ufe either more In- ftances, or more Words, to fhew that it is not. always a Kuie to a Doubting Confci- ence, to chufe the fafer Side of the Doubt, taking the fifer Side for that which is at the greatcit Diftance from the Danger of Sinning: It being abundantly plain, that Hiany Doubtful Cafes may, and do hap- pen, in which, though one Side may ap- pear farther removed from the Danger of tranfgrefnng God's Law ; yet while it doth not appear that the other Side is un- lawful^ and withal it is evident, that upon Other Accounts that Side is more eligible to a Prudent Perfon, no Good Man (if he be but as IVtje as he is Good ) will make any Difficulty of waveing the [afer Side for the more Prudent^ and that without thinking himfelf ever the lefs Confcientious for fo doing.
But after all this, If on the other Hand,
'any Man have another Notion of Safety^
than that we have now been fpeaking of;
that
a Doubting Conscience. ^95
that is to fay, will enlarge the Signiiica« tion of the Word, and will call by the Name of the fafer Stde, nOt that which hath only this to recommend it, that it is farther rcmcued from the Dhnger of Sinnijig '; but that which h freeft fro?n all Dangers and Inconveniences of all Kjnds whatfoever : So as that (hall always h^ Xht fafer Side of a Doukfid'C^ic, which, after all Things con- fide red, doth appear to be mod agreeable to thp Man's Dtitj in the Circumftances he r^'iii, ov Which is attended with the feweft Jbftirdities and Evil Conf&quences of all Sorts> and doth beft ferve all the Interefts Spiritual and Temporal^ taken both together, that a Wife and a Goody[d.n can propoie to him- felf: I fay, if any Man do mean this by tliQ fafer Side, I do readily agree with him, that it will for ever, and in all Cafes, be siTrue, and a Wife, and a Good Rule ; (nay, I add,} the only one, to a Doubting Confci- ence, to follow the /^^r Side,
But then, in this Senfe of Safety, the fafer Side, and the more ' Reafonahle, is all one Thing. And confequently this Rule of following the fifer Side, and that I before laid down, of following the more Reafonahlc, are the fame in Senfe, though differently exprelfed. Only I think this latter Way of ExprefTion is more plain, and lefs liable to Mifconftrudion, and therefore I chofe it. But it is indifferent to me how Men IVprd Things, fo long as we agree in our Senfe,
II. Having
39^ ^ Difcourfe concerning
11. Having thus given an Account of the General Rule by which a Man is to deter- mine himfelf in Doubtful Cafes; I come now, in the Second Place, to treat of the feveral Heads, or Sorts of Doubtful Cafes, wherein a Man'^s Confcience is concerned, and to make Application of this Rule to them ; and this it will be no hard Matter to do, admitting the Grounds we have before laid down.
There is no Doubt wherein Confcience is concerned, but it will of Neceflity fall un- der one of thefe Two Sorts. It is either a. Single Doubt, or a Double one.
We call that a Single Doubt, when a Man doubts only on one Side of the A6lion, but is very well fatisfied as to the other. As for Inftance, he doubts concerning this or the other particular A£^ion, whether it be Lawful for him to do it: But on the other Side, he hath no Doubt, but is very well alTured, that he may Lawfully let ft alone. Or, on the contrary, he is very well fa- tisfied that the Adion is Lawful, and that Jje may do it : But he doubts whether God's Law hath not made it a Duty, fo that he cannot Lawfully omit it. This is that which we call a Single Doubt.
We call that a Double Doubt, where a Man doubts on both Sides of an Aclion ; that is to fay, he doubts on one Side, whe- ther he be not bound to do this Adion ; God's Law, for any Thing he knows, made
it
a 'Doubting Consciences 597
it a t)uty. But on the other Side, fo is the Action Circumftantiated with refped to him, or he with refpe£i to it, that he doubts whether he be not bound to for* hear the Aftion, as it is now prefented to him ; God's Law having, for any Thing he knows, forbid, it. So that he is at a Lo(s what to do, becaufe he fears he may Sin, whether he doth the Action, or doth it not. I fay, it will be impoflible to put any doubtful Cafe wherein a Man's Con- fcience is concerned, which will not fall under one of thefe Two Heads*
I. Now, as to the Cafe of a Single Douht^ we may thus apply the Gemral Rule, That when a Man doubts only on one Side of an A8:ion, there it is more Reafonable to chufe that Side of the Action concerning which he hath no Doubt, than the other ^ con- cerning which he Doubts, fuppofing all other Confiderations be equal.
And here comes in that famous Maxim, which hath obtained both among Chriftians and Heathens, Quod duhitas nefecerii\ which, with the Rellriftion I have now mentioned, will for ever be good Advice in all Cafes of this Nature.
It muft needs be unreafonable to venture upon any A6lion where a Man hath the lead fear or Sufpicion that it is ^cjfihle^ he may tranfgrefs fome Law of God by it, when it is m his Power to Ad without any ¥ear or Sufpicjon of that Kind ^ fuppofing
al! •
598 -A Difcotirfe concerfiing
all along^ this Confideratioii of the Pofli- bility of offending by this A6:ion, be not over-ballanced, and fo the Fear of it re- moved, by other Confiderations which the Circumftances of the AlElion do fugged. ' Thus, for Inftance : Here is a Man Doubts whether it be allowable in a Chri- ftian io Drink a tiealfh, or put out Money to Interejlf or to go to Law ; as having con- verfed with fuch Men, or fuch Books, as do condemn thefe Pradices, and that ::ot without fome Colour from the Word of God. The Man is not, indeed, fo con- vinced by their Difcourfes, as to have ta- ken up any Ofimon or Perfwafwn that thefe Pradices are unlawful ; nor would he Ccn- fure any Man that ufes them, becaufe he fees there are as Good Men, and for any Thing he knows, as good Arguments for the other Side : But he is not fo clear in his Judgment about thefe Points, as to be able to pronounce any Thing pofitively concerning them either Way. He cannot fay, that he believes them Lawful, though he is not perfwaded that they are Unlaw- ' ful^ which is the true State of a Doubting Mind. Now in thefe, and all other fuch like Cafes, the Rule is plain. That while a Man's Judgment continues thus in Suf- pence. it is more reafonable for him to forbear thefe t'ra£l:ices. For there is no Pretence f rOblig: ion upon him from God's Law to eixgage -ia any of them, and why
ihould
a Doubting Conference. ^pp
fhould he rafllly throw hlmfelf into Dan- ger, by venturing upon an Adtion, con- cerning which he is uncertain whether it be Lawful or no ? He runs no Hazard by forbearing thefe Things, but if he pradife them he doth.
Thus far is right. But then, as I faidj this is always to be underftood with this Provifo, Cceterisfaribti'S, For if there fhouId happen to be fuch other Gonfiderations in the Adion, as have Force enough to over-* ballarice this Confideration o^ Uncertainty '^ it . will then be reafonable to chufe that Side of the A£lion concerning which I did before doubt, rather than that of which I had no Doubt at all.
Thus, if; th^ Man that makes a Que- ftion about any of the Three Things I be- fore-mentioned, fhould light into fuchCir- cumftances, that, for Inftance, he mull: either drink fuch a Single Healthy or a Qiiar- rel is like to enfue ; nay, and that perhaps to the Danger of fome of the Lives of the Company. Or again, That he has no Means of improving his Money ( in which his whole Fortune confifts) in any other Way but by that of UJury ; fo that he and his Family muft in Time ftarve, unlefs they be maintained by this Courfe, Or Lailly, If an Orphan be trufted to his Care, and the Eftate of that Orphan is fo entangled, that he muft be put upon the NecefHtV eitlier of waging a Laiv-Suh for the clearing
it.
4GO A Difcourfe concerning
it, or fuffering his near Relation, commit- ted to his Charge, to be defrauded of his Right. I fay, if the Cafes happen to be thus Circumftantiated ; he that before doubted in General, whether it was Law- ful to drink a Healthy or to put out Money to Ufury^ or to ingage, in Larv-Suits^ may, I fhould think, certainly fatisfy himfelf, that it is not only Lawful^ but Expedient in this particular Cafe, notwithftanding his Ge- neral Doubt to do any of thefe Things ; and if he be a Wife Man, he will make no Scruple of A£ling accordingly.
Indeed he cannot be well excufed if he do not thus Ad : For it will not be fuffi- cient to fay, I doubt whether thefe Pra- ftifes are Lawful or Unlawful, and therefore I dare not ingage in them. Why Man ? If you only Doubt about them, you do by this acknowledge, that for any Thing you know they may be Lawful, as well as that for any Thing you know they may be UnlawfuL And if you be thus in aquilibrio^ fure fuch prefling Confide rations as thofe which are prefented in this Cafe, ought to turn the Ballance* Otherwife I do not know how you will Anfwer, either to your felf, or the World, for the Confequen- ces that may enfue* For my Part, in fuch Cafes as thefe I fhould think, that nothing lefs than a Belief or Perfwafon that the Thing in Queftion is unlawful, will juftify a Man's Prudence in Ailing on that Side
which
a Doubting Confcience* 401
which he calls the Safer, and which, had not thefe Circumftances happened, would really have been fo.
To Conclude ; If a great Good may be eompaffed, or a great Evil may be a- voided, by doing a Thing concerning which we have a General Speculative Doubt whether it be Lawful or no ; this very Confideration is in Reafon fufiicient to filence the Doubt : that is, it is e- nough to perfwade us, that it is not only Ldwful but Jdvifable to do that irt i the prefent Circumftances, which before^ and out of thofe Circumftances, we Doubted in General whether it was Law- ful to be done or no.
IL And thus much concerning the Rula by which we are to proceed in the Cafe of a Single Doubt', I now come to con fid er that which we call a Double Doubt, and to fliew what is to be done in that Cafe*
A Double Doubt, as I have faid, is this, when a Man doubts on both fides of an. Action ; that is to fay, he doubts on one fide whether he be not bound to do this Aftion, God's Law having for any thing he knows commanded it ; but on the other fide, fo doth the Adion come circumftantiated to him^ that he doubts whether he be not by fome other Law of God, bound to forbear it as it is now otfer'd : So that he is at a lofs what to to do, becaufe he fears he may fin
Vol- n. Dd whe-
402 A Dtfconrfe concerning
whether he do the Aftion, or do it not. ^ ~ ; ;. ; ' V ^
That which is commonly faid in this Cafe, 'viz. That the Man that is entang- led muft get his Doubt removed, and then he may with a fafe Gonfcience a£l or not ad, according as he is fatisfied ijj his own Mind, is, as I faid before, very often impertinent : For it is no more in a Man's power to leave off Doubting when he will, than it is in the power of a Sick Man to be Well when he wilL And befides, though it might be fuppofed, that the Man with Time and good Counfel might be enabled to extricate himfelf out of this Perplexity ; yet in our Cafe that Benefit is not always allowed : For per- haps the Circumftances of the Cafe arc fuch, that the Man is under a p(-efent HccefRty either of ading or not adding, and whether he doth the one or the other, he doubts he offends God.
But what then is a Man to do in this Gafe? Why, he is to follow the fame Rule that he doth in all other Doubtful Cafes, and which we have been all this while infifling on; that is to fay, he is to j4^ as reafonably as he can : And if he do this, I am fure he incurs no blame, whether he do the Aftion he doubts about, oi* do it not. If there fhould happen to be any Sin in the A^lion, it comes upon forae other account than that of Ailing with, a Doubfirig Qofifcieme^ But
a Douhting Conscience. 403
But now the Application of this (jene- fal Rule to our prefent Cafe is various, according to the Degrees of the Man's Doubtfuinefsy compared with the Degrees of the fm he is in danger of, by a£ting on the one fide or the Other. And likewife according as other Confiderations do hap- pen about the Aftion, which ought to have (bme influence in determining the Man. However, I think all thofe varie- ties may be comprized in thefe Four fol- lowing Propofitions.
Fir ft y If the Sm we are afraid of, in. doing or not doing the Action, doth on both fides appear eo^ud, there we are to determine ourfelves to that fide where we have the lead Doubt of offending God ; that is to fay, to that fide which to our Reafon appears more Prohahle to be free from the danger of Sin, rather than that Other which is lefs Probable to be free froni that danger : For certainly this will al- ways be reafonable, that a Mart' JhouU chufe a greater Probability before a lefs^ fuppoling all other Things equal.
But Secondly^ If we doubt equally Ori both fides ; fo that we apprehend that we are in like danger of tranfgreiling God's Law, whether we do the Adion or do it not : In this Cafe We are to determine ourfelves to that fide on which it doth appear we fhall be guilty of the leaft Sin^ For certainly, by the fame reafon for vohich Dd 2 i»}
404 A D}fcoiirfe concerning
ws are obliged not to Sin at ally rve fhall be obliged to chufe a lefs Sin rather than a greater^ where we cannot avoid Sinnincr^
Thirdly^ If the Doubt be unequal, and the Sin likeways unequal ; that is,' if it fo hap- pen that one fide of the Cafe is more probable, but the othei* fide lefs fmful, as not involving a Man in fo heinous a Crime as the other would, if it fliould prove that he was miftaken : In this Cafe a Man may chufe either the one fide or the other ; according as the degree of the Probability, or the degree of tlie Sin, com- pared with one another, do preponderate. The Cafe may be fuch, that there is fo much more Probability on the one fide than the other, and Ukewife fo inconfiderable a difference and difproportion between the Sins we are in danger of on each fide, tliat a Wife Man will be determined to the more Probable fide, and venture all the Confequences of his Miftakes on the other.
But then, on the other hand, the Cafe may likewife be fuch, that the Confequences on one fide, if a Man fliould happen to be miftaken, are fo terrible, that they will over-ballance all the Probabilities on the other fide, let them be never fo great; (fuppofing they do not amount to fo much evidence as to create a Perfwaficn, and fo put a Man out of the ftate of Doubling.') Now here a Wife Man will not A£1: on
the
a Doubthig Confc'ie?ice, 40
the more Probable fide, but on that which fets him free from the danger of thefe Confequences. Thus, if a Prifoner was Tryed for a Capital Offence, and the Evidence againft him doth not appear fo full as to create a Perfwajio^ in the Judge or Jury that the Man is Guilty, though indeed it is more Probable that he is, than that he is not : In this Cafe I believe all Men will fay, that confidering there is fo great a difproportion between the Evil of condemning an Imwcent Per- fo^, and acquitting a Guilty one, (it being Murder in the one Cafe) the Judge or Jury fhould rather follow the fafer fide than the more Probable^ and fo clear the Man, rather than find him Guilty.
Fourthly, If the Cafe be fuch, that the Man doubts equally on both fides, and the Sin he is afraid of appears like wife to him to be equal on both fides : Here other Confiderations are to turn the Bailance. In this Cafe he is to confider what Pru* dential Inducements he has to do the Adion, or forbear it ; as how far his Eafe 3.nd Quiet, his Advantage and Benefit, his good Naym and Reputation, his Friends or his Family is concerned one way or other; and fi nee all other Confiderations, that are of a Moral Nature, are equal on both fides ; thofe of this kind, which are the fi:rongeft, muft add fo much weight to the Scale, as to determine the Man Dd ^ cither
4o6 A Difcourfe concerning
either to do the Action he doubts about, or to let it alone.
And indeed, it cannot be denied, that thefe Confiderations will often have a . great Influence even upon a good Man, not only in the Cafe I have now put, where the diredly Moral Arguments arc equal on both fides, but in all the other doubtful Cafes I before mcAtioned.
We may talk very rationally about the Degrees of Probability^ and the Degrees of Sin^ and what weight each of them is to have with us, and all this with fo much Evi- dence, that no Man can deny the rea- fonablenefs of the Rules we lay down in Thefi : But yet when we come to AQ:, we find that Icarce any Man doth exaOily proceed according to thefe Rules; but mixes fome of thefe Prudential Confidera- tions which I have mentioned with his De- liberations, and though they do not whol- ly, yet they help to turn the Ballance. And for my part, I dare not fay, that all thole who thus proceed, are to be bla- med for fo doing ; fuppofing that the Cafe wherein they thus Ad, be a Cafe of pure Doubt, and there be no Perfwafwn on either fide y and withal, that the Man who thu^ proceeds, is fatisfied in his own Mind with his proceeding. The truth is, when all is faid, every Man in doubtful Cafes is left to his own Difcretion ; and if he A£l^ according to the beft Reafon he hath, he
a Doubting Coufcknce. 407,
is not culpable, though he be miftakea in his Meafures.
Thefe are all the Rules that are to be given in the Cafe of a Double Doubt, And I think No- body can objed againft the Truth of them. But I am fenfible of ano- ther Objeftion that may be made, and that is, Why I do mention them at all ; Since to the Generality of Men, for whom this Difcourfe is intended, they feem altogether unprafticable. For how few are there who are Competent Judges of thefe different Degrees of Probability or Sinfulnefs in an A£lion that we here talk of, and much lefs are capable of fo balan- cing thefe Things one with another, as to be able from thence to form a good Judgment upon the whole Matter.
But to this I Anfwer, That if Rtdes are to be given at all for the deter- mining Men ill Doubtful Cafes, we mufl give thefe, becaufe we can give no other. Thefe being the only Fr in- doles that Men have to govern their Adions by in thefe Cafes, And I truft alfo, they will not be wholly ufelefs to the moil ordinary Capacities, for the Pur- pofes they are intended. Becaufe all may hereby at leaft learn thus much, viz. What Methods they are to proceed by for the guidance of their Adions in Doubt- ful Cafes. And though they may have falfe Notions of the Dcwgers and the De^ D d 4 grees
408 A Difcourfe concerning
grees of particular Sins, and fo may fome^ times make falfe Applications of thefe Rules to their own Cafe ; yet it is enough for their Juftification, as I faid before, | that they have Reafined as well they can. Since they are not bound to Adt in Doubtful Cafes, according to what is befi arid moft reafonable in it felf : But \ it is abundantly fufficient, that they do J endeavour it.
But to render thefe Rules about a Double Doubt more intelligible and more ufeful, I think it will not be amifs to give my Reader a Sfecimen^ both how they are to be applied to particular Cafes, and likewife when they are applied, what light they give to a Man for the chufmg his way in any Doubtful Cafe he happens to be ingaged in. And fince it would take up too much room to give every particular Rule a feveral Inflance, I (hall pitch upon one Cafe, under which I may confider all the Varieties oi 2i Double Doubt i have now reprefented ; and it fhall be that Celebrated Cafe of the Sacrament^ than which we have not a greater or a more frequent Inftance of this kind of Doubt in any Cafe among us. And becaufe I •would not by the difculFion of this Cafe, divcic my Reader (againft his Will) from the main Argument, I have taken care to have it fo marked in the Print, that every one may without trouble (if he
have
a Doubting Confaence, 409
fiave no mind to read it) pafs it over as a long Parenthefis, and §0 on to the next Point.
This is the Cafe. ' Here is a Man that believes it to be his ^ Duty to take all Opportunities of Re- ^ ceiving the Sacrament, or at leaft to
* take them frequently : But on the other ^ fide, fuch is his Condition, that he is
* conftantly under great Fears and Ap-
* prehenfions of his being unqualified for
* it; and to receive the Sacrament Unrvor-
* thily he knows to be a great Sin : Not ^ that there is any grievous notorious Sin
* lies upon his Conscience unrepented of;
* much lefs that he is ingaged in fome ' vicious Courfe, which he is unwilling
* that his new Vows at his approach to *■ the Lord's Table fhould divorce him
* from : For indeed he defires and endea- ^ vours in all Things to live honejlly^ and to ' keep a Confcience void of offence towards
* God and towards Man.
*• But this is the Cafe, He is not fo
* devout a Chriftian, nor lives fo Pure and
* Spiritual a Life, as he thinks becomes
* the Partakers of fuch Heavenly Food.
* Or perhaps he cannot bring himfelf to ' fo feeling a Senfe and Contrition for his ' paft Sins, or fuch ardours of Love and
* Devotion to our Saviour, as he hath ^ been taught that every worthy Com- ^ municant ought to be affected with.
'Or
4IO A Difcourfe concerning
Or perhaps he wants Faith in the Blood of Chrift, not being able to apply the Benefits of his Paflion fo comfortably to his own Heart as he thinks he ought to do. Or perhaps, in the laft place, his mind is io haunted with a company of idle and naughty Fancies, efpecially when he fets himfelf to be more than ordina- rily ferious, that he thinks it would be a great Profanation of the Sacra- ment, for him to come to it ia fuch Circumftances.
*' Thefe, or fuch like, are the Things that trouble him. And though he hath feveral Times endeavoured to put him- felf into a better Condition, yet he could never fatisfie himfelf, nor get over thefe difficulties. What now muft this Man do ? He would fain receive the Sa- crament, as thinking himfelf bound to do it ; but he dare not receive it, as looking upon himfelf to be unqualified for it. If he do not come to the Lord's Table, he denies his Attendance on the moll Solemn Ordinance of Chriftianity, and fo doubts he Sins on that account: If he do come, he doubts he approaches unwoithily, and fo Sins upon that account.
^ It is here to be remembred, that the
Queftion to be fpoken to in. this Cafe
is not this ; What Courfe the Man is to
♦ take for the Curing or Removing his
^ ' Doubt-
a Doubting Conscience. 411
Doubtfulnefs in this matter, that fo he may come to the Sacrament with Sa- tisfaction to his own Mind : but this ; Suppofing the Man after all his endea- vours cannot cure or remove his Doubt, what he muft do ? Muft he come to the Sacrament, or muft he forbear? One of them he muft do, and yet, which of them foever he chufeth, he fears he Sins.
*• If the former had been theQueftion, th^ Refolution of it would have been thus j That the Man is to ufe the beft Means he can to get better Inftrudlion and Information about the Nature and Ends of the Chriftian Sacrament ; and about the Qualities and Diffofitions that are needful to fit a Man for it, particularly thofe of Faith and Repentance, For it is the Man's Ignorance or Miftake about thefe Things, that makes him pafs fo hard a Cenfure upon himfelf, and {o occafions all the Doubtfulnefs in this Cafe. If he once come rightly to un- derftand thefe Points, his Doubts would of themfelves fall to the Ground ; and the Man would be perfeftly fatisfied^ that as his Cafe is (fuppofing it to be fuch as I have now reprefented) he may, without any Fear or Scruple in the World, at any time approach to the Holy Table ; becaufe he is indeed in fuch a State and Difpofition of Mind,
412 A Difcourfe concerning
as renders him habitually qualified for the performance of that Duty. ^ But this, as I faid, is not the Qiieftion before us ; we here fuppofe the Man, either through want of Means of In- flruBion^ or through .ftrong Prejudices from Education^ Or the like, to be inca- pable at prefent of this Satisfaction, and to be in great perplexity on both fides ; and that which we are to enquire into is, to which fide of the doubtful Cafe he mufl determine himfelf. Shall he receive the Sacrament doubting as he doth ? or fhall he forbear it doubting as he doth?
' Now I fay, a Man hath no other way of coming to a Refolution of this Queflion, but by applying the Rules I before laid down to his prefent Cafe : which may be be done in this manner. ' Siflce the Man we fpeak of doubteth that he Sins whether he come to the Sacrament, or forbear, the lirfi thing to be confidered is, on which fide he doubts leafi-^ Or which fide appears to him moil likely and probable to be free from the danger of Sinning : For, if all other things , in the Cafe be equal, the Ballance is to be turned on that fide, accord- ing to our fiyfl Propofition. ' Now if our prefent Qiieftion be put upon this IfTue, I am confident the Man, whofe Cafe I am reprefenting,
^ will
a Douhtwg Conference,
will think it more reafonable to repair to the Sacrament, even in that evil pofture he takes himfelf to be ; than cuftomarily to abftain from it : Becaufe by thus doing, he doth certainly follow the more prohahle, and the lefs doubtful or dangeroum fide of the Queftion. For it is evident, he cannot pretend to be half fo certain of this Particular^ viz. That he is unprepared for the Sacrament, which is the reafon of his abftaining, as; he is certain in the General that it is his Duty to frequent it.
* If indeed the Man was a Perfon of ill Life and Manners : Or if he had been lately guilty of any Notorious Wilful Sin, and came to the Lord's Table with that Sin upon his Confcience unrepented of; then I will grant he had fome rea- fon to believe that he was as much in danger of Sinning, by receiving unwor- thily ; as by withdrawing himfelf from God's Ordinance. But the Cafe here is not fo. The Man is really an honeft well-meaning Chriftlan, nor hath he done any thing of late, which can give him any fufpicion of his having forfeited that Title. Only tlirough his Miftake about the Notion of Preparation for the Sacrament, he apprehends, he is not qualified as he ought to be ; though yet if moft others were to be Judges of his Condition, thev would fay, he was.
' Whv:
4T4 ^ Difcourfe concerning
Why: certainly in this Cafe, it muft be evident to the Man, that he runs a greater danger of tranfgreiRng the Law of God by abfenting iiimfelf from the Communion, efpecially if he do it cuftomarily ; than i^ he (hould come to it with all his Fears and Doubts about him.- For, as I faid, his Fears and Doubts of his own unworthinefs, cannot poffibly be fo well grounded as his Fears and Doubts that he Sins againft God by habitually denying his attendance on that great Chriftian Service. For thofe are founded on the exprefs Laws of the Gofpel : The others are founded only on uncertain con- jeduralSurmifes about his own Condition s that is to fay, he is certain that he is bound to take frequent Opportunities of paying his Homage to Jefus Chrift in the Sacra- ment ; but he cannot pretend to have fuch afTurance in his Cafe that he is un- qualified for paying that Homage. * But Secondly, Let us fuppofe the Doubt is equal on both (ides : That is to fay, that the Man hath as much reafon to believe that he is an unworthy Receiver if he receives at all, as he hath reafon to believe that it is a Sin in him if he do not receive : Which yet can hardly be fuppofed in our Cafe ; but let us fup- pofe it, nay, if you pleafe, let us fuppofe the Man doth certainly Sin, whether he receives or forbears : Here then this comes
' to
a Doubting Confdence.
* to be confidered ; which of thefe Two
* ^ins is the leafi : To Receive unworthily^
* yet out of a Setife of Duty, or not to
* receive at all. For on which fide foever ' this laft Sin happens to be, to that fide
* the Man is to determine himfelf accord-
* ing to our fecond Rule. It being eter-
* nally reafonable, That of Two Evils wefhould
* chufe the leajt^ whert rve cannot avoid both,
* Now putting the Cafe before us upoa
* this IfTue there needs no more to be < done for the refolving it, than only to
* ask this general Queftion.
* Which is the greater Sin of thefe Two j *- for a Man to omit a known Duty, and fd
to break a known Law of God for Con- fdence fake ; or to yeild Obedience to that Law for Conference fake, when yet it fo happens, that a Man cannot do that, with- out Dreaking another Law of God in the? manner of his Performance of that Duty ? For my part, I fhould think, that the Man ts^ho doth this laft, though he can- not be faid to be Innocent, yet is he guilty in a far lefs degree^ than the Man that pradifeth the former, and a great deal more is to be faid in his Juftification. ' Let us fuppofe Two Men, both of theni confcious to themfelvcs, thai as Things ftand with them, they are not in a fit Condition, fo much as to (ay their ^ray- ers, or to perform any otjier aQ: of Re- ligious Worfbip as they ought to do ; now
' one
4i6 A Difcourfe concerning
one of thefe Men doth upon' this accoimt forbear all Prayers both Fublick and Fri- vate ; neither ufing his Chfet^ nor frequent- ing the Church. The other hath fuch a Senfe of what both Natural Religion and Chriftianity do oblige him to in this mat- ter, that he dares not forbear his ufual Offices either in Fublick or Frivate, though yet he believes he finfully performs them. * If the Queftion now be put, which of thefe Two is the better Man^ or the leaft Offender, I dare fay that all Men will give their Judgment in favour of the lat-^ ter,- though yet no wife Man will think that this Perfon is to be excufed for li- ving at. fuch a rate, that he cannot/^/ his Frayers without Sin. i
' This Judgment, I fay. Men would pafs in this Cafe ; and there is a great deal of reafon for it. For certainly no indifpofition that a Man hath contra8:ed^ of what nature foever, will take off from his Obligation to obey the Laws of God^ * If a Man cannot do his Duty fo well as he ought, he nluft at leaft do it as well as he can. And therefore let his Circumftances be what they will, he muft needs be lefs Criminal in perform- ing a known Duty in the beft manner that his Condition will allow him, though with many and defer ved Reflections upon his own linworthinefsy than in wholly omtt* ting or difufmg that Duty. Becaufe a
* negled
a Doiibting Confclence, 417
* negleft in the manner of Performing a
* Duty, is a lefs Fault than to negled
* the Subjiame of it. ' Let this now that I have fa id be ap- plied to our Cafe, and we have an eafie refolution of the Queftion before us. viz. That fince a greater Sin is to be a- voided before a lefs^ when a Man fup- pofes himfeif to be under a neceflity of being guilty oi one:, it is more reafon- able that the Man we fpeak of, fhould come to the Sacrament with all his Doubts concerning his unworthinefs, than that he fhould cuitomarily and habitually with-^ draw himfeif from it, becaufe it is a greater Sin to do tliis latter than the
* former,
*• Well, but fome fay. How can this < confift with St. PauPs Dodrine ? Who
* exprefly affirms, That whoever eateth and i Cor, 1 1: ^ drinketh unworthily^ eateth and drinketh ^9"
' Damnation to himfeif ^ Can there be any ' more dreadful Sin than that, which if
* a Man be guilty of, it will a£lually
* Damn him ? Certainly one would think ^ by this,, that a Man runs a much lefs
* hazard in not Receiving at all, than in ^ venturing to Receive whilft he hath the
* leaft Doubt that he Receives unwor- ^ thily, confidering the dreadful Confe- ' quences of it.
* But to this I briefly Anfwer. Such a
* Man as we all along fuppofe in our
Vo L. IJ. E e ' Cafe^
4iS -^ Difcourfe concerning
* Cafe, is in no Danger at all of Receiving
* unworthily^ in the Senfe that St. Faal
* ufeth this Term. For the unworthy
* receiving that he fo feverely Cenfures in
* the Corinthians^ was their approaching to
* the Lord's Table with fo little a fenfe
* of what they were about, that they
* made no diftin5iion between the Lord"*^ nid.v.2g,' Body and common Food: But under a Pre- V. 20,21, « tence of meeting for the Celebration "• • of the Lord'*s Supper, they ufed the
* Church of God as if it was an Eating or
* Tipling Houfe : Some of them Revelling
* it there to that degree, that they went ' away Drunk from thefe Religious Af-
* femblies- All this appears from the
* Text. But I hope none among us
* (efpecially none of thofe who are fo
* doubtful about their being duly quali-
* Red) do profane the Sacrament in this
* manner.
• But further, Perhaps the Damnation
* which St. Paul here denounces, is not
* fo frightful as is commonly apprehended.
* For all that he faith (if either the O-
* riginal or the Margin of our Engl/Jb ' Bibles be confulted) will appear to be ^ this. He that eateth and drinketh unwor^
* thily^ eateth and drinketh 'Judgment to
* himfelf. Meaning hereby, in all proba-
* bility, that he who doth thus affront our
* Lord's Inftitution, by making no diflin-
* dion between the Bi'ead of the Sacra-
' mens
a Douhtmg Confcknce. 419
ment and common Meat ; dot^l by this his profanenefs draw fevere Judgments of God upon himfelf. For, for tlm cj:iJsVer.'^, (faith he) many are weak and ftckly among youy and many are fallen ajleef : Kut here is not a Word of Ever la /ling Damnation ; much lefs of any Man's being put into that State by thus receiving umvorthtly: Unlefs any Man will fay, that all thofe who are vifited with God's Judgments in this World, are in the State of Dam- nation as to the next. Which is fofar from being true, that St. Paul in this very Place affirms the contrary, viz, in the 3 2d Verfe, where he tells us, That Wheti Tve are thus judged [in this World] ive are chafiened of the Lord, that rve fbould not be condemned with the World, i, e. with Wicked Men in another Life. * But further, Admitting St. Faul m thefe Words to mean Damnation in the ufual Senfe, yet ftill the utmoft they can come to, will be no more than this : That whofoever eateth and drinketh thus unworthily, as the Corinthians did, is guilty of a Damnable Sin* But now there are a great many other Cafes befides this of the Sacrament, in which a Man is equal- ly guilty of a DamnMe Sin, ii he do not perform his Duty as he Ought to do. He that Prays or Hears unworthi- ly ; He that Fajii or gives AUns unwor- thily : Ift a word, He that in any In- E e 2 * ftaace
420 j4 Difcourfe concerning
ftance performs the Worfliip of God, or profelTeth the Chriftian Religion un- worthily : I fay, fuch a Man, according to the Proteftant Doftrine, may be faid to do thefe things to h{$ own Damnation^ upon the fame account that he is faid to Eat and Drink his own Damnation that Communicates unworthily in the Sacrament ; though indeed not in fo high a degree. That is to fay, fuch a Man is guilty of a Sin that is in its own Nature Damnable^ and may prove aQ;uaI]y fo to him, unlefs either by a particular or general Repentance he ob- tains God's Pardon for it. But yet for all this, there is no Man will for thefe Reafans think it advifeable to leave off the practice of thefe Duties ; but the only Confeqaence he will draw from hence, is, that he is fo much the more concerned to take care that he perform them as he ought to do. * But in the laft place. Let the Sin of
* coming to the Sacrament unworthily,
* be as great and as damnable as we rea-
* fonably can fuppofe it; yet this is that ' we contend for, the Sin of totally with-
* drawing from it, is much greater and
* more damnable : So that if he who *■ partakes of it unworthily^ doth eat and,
* drink Damnation to himfelf', he that pac-
* takes not at all, is fo far from mending ' tlie matter, that he doth much increafe
* that Damnation^- ^ The
a Doubting Coiifdejice. 42 1
* The Truth of this doth fully appear from what I have before fpoke in General, eoncerning the much greater Sin of tranfgrefEng a known Law of God, than ofobferving that Law as well as we can, though with much unworthi- nefs. I will only add this further, with reference to this Particular of Receiving the Sacrament.
' Though I am far from encouraging any to approach to the Lord's Table without due Qualifications ; or from ex- tenuating any Man's Sin that comes un- worthily ; ( unworthily I mean in the Scripture Senfe of that Word, and not as itisunderftood by many melanchollylcru- pulous Perfons ) Yet this I fay ; That if Men did ferioufly confider what a Sin it is to live without the Sacrament, it being no other, than living in an open affront to the exprefs hfiitution of our Lord Jefus, and a renouncing the JVorjhip of God and the Communion of the Church, in the great Inftance of Chriftian Worfhip and Chriftian Communion : And withal^ what dreadful Confequences they bring upon themfelves hereby, even the depri- ving themfelves of the chief of thofe ordi ■ nary means which our Lord hath appoint ed for the obtaining Remiffion of Sins, and the Grace and Influence of his Holy Spirit : I fay, if Men did ferioufly confider thefe Things, they would not look upon it as Ee 3 * fg
A Difcourfe concerning
'• fo flight a matter, voluntarily to Excom- ' municate themfelves as to the partaking
* in this great Duty and Priviledge of ■ Chriflians ; but what Apprehenfions fo-
* ever they had of the Sin, and the danger
* of receiving unworthily, they would for < all that, think it more fmful and more
* dangerotis not to receive at all.
' 1 have faid enough in Anfwer to this
* Objedion from St. Paul ; perhaps too ^ much, confidering how often thefe
* Things have been faid. I will now go
* on with our Cafe.
* In the Third place, therefore, let us
* fuppofe our Doubting Man, ( for thefe or
* fuch like Reafons as we have given ) to
* have fuch a Senfe of his Duty, that he ^ generally takes the opportunities that are
* offered him, of doing Honour to our
* Lord, by partaking in his Supper, though
* perhaps he is not often very well fatisfied
* about his Preparation : But fo it happens, *• that fmce his iaft Communicating, he
* finds his Mind in a much worfe frame
* than it ufed to be. He hath lived more f loofly and careltfly than he was wont j ' or j)erhaps he hath been very lately guilty
* of lome grievous Sin that lies heavy up-
* on his Confcience : So that when his > next ufual time' of Receiving comes, he
^ cannot but apprehend himfelf in a very
* unfit Condition to Communicate in To Sa- f cred a Myftery. Upon this^ he is in
' ' 'a great
a Doubting Canfdence. 4:^3
a great perplexity what to do. For or}, the one fide, he thinks he hath more reafon to believe that he offends God if he cOmes to the Sacrament in thefe Circum- ftances, than if he forbears ; becaufe he is more certain, that there is a Law of God that forbids him to come unworthi^ Ijy than he is certain, that there is a Law of God that commands him to re- ceive every time that he hath opportunity. But now, on the other hand, ifitfhould prove that he is really bound by God's Law to Commemorate the Death of Chrift in the Sacrament, every time that an opportunity is offered ; he is fenfible in that Cafe, it is a greater Sin to ne- gleft this Duty, than to perform it un- worthily, fo long ftill as he performs it out of Conscience. What now is the Man to do in thefe Circumftances ? * This is an exad InftanceoFthe Cafe I fpoke to in my Third Propofition; where on one Side the Man runs a greater Danger of Sinning ; but on the other Side, if he Ihould prove miftaken, he Sins in a greater Degree »
'' Now for a Refolution of this Cafe, I fay. That if the Queftion be put con- cerning the Man's abfenting himfelf only Once or Txvice from the Communion, in order to the Exercife of Repentance, and the putting himfelf into a better frame of Mind agaiaft another Opportunity : The Be 4 An-
424 -^ Difcourfe concerning
Anfwer ( according to our Third Propor- tion ) muft be this, That it is very rea- fonable thus to do.
' And there is good ground for this An- fwer. For certainly a Man is more in danger of Sinning, if he receive unwor- thily, than if he do not receive every Time that'there is a Communion. There being an exprefs Law a gain ft the one, but' no exprefs Law obliging to the other. For Chrilt hath no more appointed that we^ fhould receive the Sacrament fo many times in a Tear^ than he hath appointed' that we fhould Fray fo many times in a Day ; or that we fhould give fuch a de- terminate Proportion of our Annual In- come to Charitable Ufes. As to thefe Things he hath bound us in the General ; but as to the Particulars^ the Circumftan- ces of our Condition, and the Laws of our Superiors are to determine las. Only this we are to remember, that the oftner we perform thefe Duties it is the better ; and we can hardly be faid to be Chri- ftians, if we do not perform them fre- quently.
' This now being fo : Though it be true that a Man would be guilty of a greater Sin, if he lliould at any Time, though but once, abftain from the Communion, than if he fhould come to it with fuch Unworthtnefs as we are here fpeaking of; fuppofing that Chrift's Law had precifcly
< tie4
a Doubting Confcience, 425
^ tied him up to Communicate every time that a Communion is appointed : Yet fince there is fo little Appearance of Rea- fon to conclude that Chrift has thus tied him up ; and withal, on the other Hand, he runs fo certain a Danger of Sinning, if he fhould Communicate at this Time, apprehending himfelf to be fo unworthy as he doth: This Confideration of the certain Danger^ muft needs, in this Cafe, over-ballance the other of the greater Sin^ and make it appear more reafonable to the Man to fufpend his Receiving to ano- ther Opportunity, againii which Time he hope$ to be better prepared, than to adventure upon it in his prefent Circum* fiances.
' But then, if the Queftion be put con- cerning the Man's abfenting himfelf Cu- fiomarily and Habitually from the Lord's Table upon this Account of Umvorthinefs, that which I have now faid will not hold. For in this Cafe, the Man is in as much danger of Sinning by not Receiving at all^ as by Receiving unworthily ; nay, and a great deal more, as I fhewed in my Fir (I- Par- ticular about this Cafe. And withal, he is guilty of a much greater Sin in wholly withdrawing from the Sacrament, than in coming to it, though with never fo great Apprehenfions of his own Unwor- thinefs, as I fliewed in my Second. And therefore, fmce the Danger is at leaft equal
' on
426 A Difcourfe concerning
OA both Sides, he muft chufe that Side on which the kafi Sin lies : That is to fay, he muft Communicate frequently (at leaft fo often as the Laws of the Church do enjoin him, which is Three times a Tear) though he be in Danger of doing it unworthily, rather than not Com- municate at all.
' Having thus gone through Three of our Propodtions concerning a Double Doubt ; All that remains is, to put our Cafe about the Sacrament fo, as that it may ferve for an Inftance or Illuftration of our Fourth and Laft.
' Here, therefore, we are to fuppofe our Doubting Man to be in fuch a Condition, that he apprehends he runs an ec^ual Dan- ger of Sinning^ whether he receives the Sa- crament, or receives it not. And withal, fo unskilful a Judge is he of the Morality of Anions, that he apprehends no great Difference in the Degree of the Sin, whe- ther he do the one or the other.
* In this Cafe now, all the Man can do is, to confider what Inducements he has, in Point of Prudence or Interefi^ to do or to forbear the Adion he doubts about ; for fmce all other Confiderations in the Cafe are equd^ thofe of this Kind are to turn the Ballance, according to our Fourth Pro- pofition.
* But if the Cafe turn upon this Point, I dare fay no Man will be long doubtful,
' whe-
a Doubting Confaence. 427
whether he fhould frequent the Sacra- ment in Obedience to the Laws, or for- bear it. For it is plain that he A£ls more Prudently J and more confults his own Advamagey both Temporal and Spiritual^ by doing the former. ' As for the Temporal Advantages which a Man receives by obeying the Laws ia this Matter, I will not now infift on them, though they are neither few nor inconfiderable. That which I defire chiefly to be here confidered, is this, That in point of Spiritual Advantages, it is much more advifable for our Doubting Perfon to come to the Sacrament, than to abftain from it. For by frequenting this Ordinance, he takes the beft Method, both to grow more mrthj, if he be now tmrvorthy^ and likewife to cure the Doubts and Scruples he is now troubled with. But if he negleO: this Means of Grace, he not only takes an effedual Courfe to increafe and perpetuate his Fears and Doubts^ ( it being very probable that the longer he defers his receiving the Sacra- ment, ftill the more doubtful will he be of his being qualified for it;) but alfo is in great Danger to lofe that Senfe of Vertue and Religion that he now hath upon his Spirit, becaufe he denies himfelf the Ufe of thofe Means and Helps which are moft principally neceflary for the pre*- ferving and maintaining it.
f Now,
428 ^ Difcourfe concerning
* Now, I fay, fuppofing all other Things ^ in the Cafe ^^«^/, this very Confideration
* alone will prevail with a reafonable Man
* to r(9w^ to the Sacrament, rather than /(3r-
* bear it, even at the fame time that he ^ mightily doubts whether he fhall not re^
* ceive unworthily.
*• Thus have I given a large Exemplifi- ^ cation of all Dur Rules concerning a Double
* Doubt in this Inftance oi receiving the Holy ^ Communion. If I have dwelt too long ^ upon this SubjeQ:, I hope the Frequency ^ and the Importance of the Cafe, will in ^ fome Meafure excufe nie.
III. Having thus prepared our Way, by fettling the Notion and the Rule of a Doubting Conference, I come now more direftly to the main Bufinefs that is before us, and that is, to give an Account what Share Humane Larvs, Ecclefiafiical or Civil, have in the Rule of a Doubting Confcience, or what Power they have to over-rule a Man'^s Doubts in any Cafe? Which, according to the Method I pro- pofed, is the Third general Enquiry I am to refolve.
This is, indeed, the great Point that is difputed between /^, and thofe of the Sepa^ ration. Nay, I may fay, it is the Point upon which that whole Controverfy turns, fo far as a Doubti}7g Confcience is concerned in it. And therefore I fliall difcufs it as carefullv as I can j but yet in fuch a general
Way,
a Douhtmg Confciefice. 429
Way, as that what I have to offer, may ferve for all other Doubtful Cafes of this Nature, as well as this which we are now concerned in.
Their A.^Qvt\(yn generally is this, (^generallj^ I fay : For there are fome of the Diffen- ters, and thofe as Learned and Eminent a:$ any, who have declared themfelves of ano- ther Opinion ) viz. That wherever a Man doubts concerning the Lawfulnefs of an A£lion, that very Doubt of his is a fufficient Reafon to make him forbear that " Adion, though Lawful Authority hath commanded it.
On the other Side, our Affertion is. That wherever Lawful Authority hath Com- manded an Action, that Command, is (ge- nerally fpeaking ) a fufficient Warrant for a Man to do that A<^ion, though he Doubts whether in itfelf it be Lawful or no.
That I may fpeak clearly to this Point, I fhall firfi Premife fome Things, in order to our more diftin^t Underftanding the State of the Queftion. Secondly^ I fliall fhew the Grounds and Reafons of our Af- fertion. Thirdly^ I fhall endeavour to k'Ci' fwer the Chief Arguments that are brought on the other Side.
L What I think needful to be premifed for the right apprehending the State of the Queftion, I Ihall comprife in thefe fol- lowing Particulars, by which it may be eafily difcerned how far we agree with the
DilTenters
A^o A Difcourfe concerning
DlfTenters in this Matter, and in what we differ from them.
Brfiy We do readily owi) with them, that no Authority upon Earth can oblige its Subjects to do any A£lion which the Law of God hath forbidden, or to forbear any Afbion which the Law of God hath commanded.
Secondly^ We agree Hkewife with them in this, That wherever any Subje£l hath taken up an Ofinion or Perfwafton that fuch an A£lion which his Governors h^ve obliged him to, is againft the Law of God ; though it be a falje Opinion or Perfwafion, yet it will fo far bind him, that He cannot in that Inftance obey their Laws, without offend- ing God. But then we fay, on the other Hand, that though he cannot Obey without Sin, fo long as this Ferfwafion continues ; yet he is at the fame Time guilty of Sin in dif- obeying^ if he fhould prove to be mifiaken^ fuppofing that it was through his own Fault that he fell into that Mifiake,
Thirdly^ We acknowledge further. That in a Cafe where a Man cannot be faid to be perfivaded that the particular Action en- joined by Authority is a Sinful Ad ion, but only he Doubts whether it be fo or no ; Yet if the Man hath a general Perfrvafion that no Publick Law will warrant him to A£i againft his Private Doubt ; in this Cafe he can no more do the Adlion enjoined with- out Sin, than he could in the former Cafe.
But
a Doubting Cofifciefice. 431
But then, if this Notion of his be falfe, (as it is my prefent Bufinefs to (hew that it is fo,) he cannot be excufed from Sin, in dif^ obeying his Superiors, unlefs upon the for- mer Account of inculpable Ignorance,
Fourthly^ We fay this farther, That a Culpable Doubt doth no more excufe the do- ing an Evil A£lion, than a Culpable Igno^ rance^ /. e, it doth not excufe it. My Meaning is this • If a Man fhould be fo little inftru^ted in his Religion, as to Doubt whether that which is plainly enjoined by God's Law be a Duty or no : Or whether that which is plainly forbid by God's Law, be a Sin or no: (So plainly, I mean, that it is the Duty of every Honefk Man to know this, and he muft be moft crimi- nally Ignorant^ that can be fo jhipid as to make a Doubt of it. ) If, I fay, in fuch a Cafe as this, a Man fhould Doubt whether the thing commanded by his Superiors was Lawful or no : We are lb far from faying, that a Man doth well in obeying his Superiours in fuch an Inftance where their Commands do fo manifeftly contra- dict the Laws of God ; that on the con- trary, we affirm the Man is highly accountable to God for all fuch Adions that he doth, though they were done purely in obedience to that Authority which God hath fet over him ; and pure- ly in compliance' with this Principle we are now contending for, viz, That"^ in
' all
432 ^ Difcourfe concerHmg
all Doubtful Gafes, it is moft reafonable to govern our Anions by the Commands of out SuperiourSi
Far are we therefore from afferting, That whatever our Governors do com- mand, the Subjedl is bound to perform, fo long as he only Doubts, but is not ferfwaded of the unlawfulnefs of the Thing commanded : And that if there be any Sin in the Adlion, he that commands it is to Anfwer for it, and not he that obeys. For we do believe, that in Matters where a Man's Confcience is concerned, every on^ is to be a J^idge for himfelf, and muft Jnfiver for himfelf. And therefore, if our Superiours do command us to do an AQ:ion which their Superiour, God Al- mighty, hath forbid ; we are Offenders if we do that Action, as well as they in commanding it, and that whether we do it Doubt ifigly, or with a Ferfivafion of its Lawfulneis.
But then thefe Two Things are always to be remembred, Firfi.^ That this is true only in fuch Cafes where (as I faid) a Man is bound -to know that God's Law hath forbid that Action which his Gover- nours do command, and it is either through his grofs carelefnefs, Or fome other worfe Principle in him, that he knows it not, or is doubtful of it. For where-ever a Man is innocently, and in- culpably Jgmram or Doubtful, how the
Law
a Doubting Conscience* 433
Law of God (lands as to fucli a particular Matter which Authority hath obliged him to ; as neither' having means to come to the knowledge of it ; or if he had, the Circumflances of his Condition not re- quiring that he fhould fo accurately in- form himfelf about it : In fuch a Cafe as this, I fay, a Man cannot formally be fa id to be guilty of Sin in obeying his Law- ful Superiours, though the Inftance m which he obeys fhould happen to con- tradict fome Law of God. For the Larv of God here, is as no Law to him, that is, it doth not oblige him, becaufe he neither knows it, nor is bound to know it. And where there is no hmv^ there is no Tranjgrejfion,
And then further this is alfo to be re- membred, that when we own that a Man may be guilty of Sin as well in obeying his Superiours, when he only doub!:s of the Lawfulnefs of the Adion commanded, as when he is Perfivaded that the Aftion is unlawful-: I fay, this we are to re- member, that whenever this Cafe happens, the Man's Sin doth not lie in his oheji-ig his Superiours with a Doubting Confcience (which is commonly run away with :) For the Man would as certainly Sin, if m this Cafe he did the Action with a Ferfiv.^fton that it was Lawful ; as he doth in doing it with a Doubt, whether it be Lawful or no. But the Sin lies here 5 'viz,, in do- ing an Action which God's Law hath for^
Y o L. IL F f bid )
424 -^ Difcourfe concerning
bid; and which the Man would have known to be an ill Aftion, if he had been fo honeft, and fo careful in minding his Duty as he fhould have been. It is his Ailing contrary to a Law of God, that here makes tht matter of the Sin ; and it is his vicious criminal Ignorance of that Law which gives the Form to it. But as for the obeying his Superiours, whether with a Douk or without one, that is no part or ingredient of the Sin at all.
Fifthly, We add this further, That whatever Power or Right we give to our Superiours, for the over-ruling a Private Doubt ; it is not to be extended fo far as either to deftroy the Truth, or to fuper- fede the life of thofe Rules I have before laid down in order to the direQ:ing a Man's proceeding in the Cafe of a Double Doubt. For this Cafe of obeying the Com- mands of our Superiours, when we doubt of the Lawfulnefs of them, being a Double Doubt as properly as any other, thofe Rules are here to take place as much as m any other Inftance.
And therefore where-ever a Man's Doubts are in this Cafe very unequal : That is to fay, he apprehends himfelf m much greater danger of Sinning if he obey his Superiours in this particular Inftance, than if he obey them not; as having abun- dantly more Reafon to believe that their Commands are Unlawful^ than that they
are
a Doubting Conscience. 435
are 'Lawful: In that Cafe we cannot fay, he is obliged to ohejy but fhould ra- ther dtfobey^ fuppofing all other Confidera- tions be equal : For no Man is bound to obey his Superiours any farther than they command Lawful Things. And therefore if it be two to one more Pro- bable that their Command is Unlawful than that it is Latvfuly it is likewife more Pro- bable that a Man in this Inftance is not to obey them. And a greater Probability^ caeteris paribus, ts always to be chofenbefore a lejs^ according to our Firfi Rule.
But, then though the Authority of our Superiours alone will not in this Cafe be of force enough to retrieve the Ballance which is fo far inclined the other way, and to turn it on its own fide ) yet there may be, and very ufually are, fuch other Arguments drawn from the Confiderati- on of t\iQ greater Sm^ and the more dreads ful Cmfeo[uences^ o^difobeymg in this Inftance, than of obeying: As will to any reafon- able Man out-weigh all the Probabilities on the other fide (fo long as they are not fo great as to create a Perfwafion) and make it reafonable for the Man ra- ther to do the Adion, how lirong foever his Doubts be of the unlawfulnefs of it (fo long as they are hut Doubts -^y than to omtt it after La v/ful Authority hathenjoyned it.
But however this happen ; it is always to be born in mind,as belbre, thatif itlhould
F f 2 prove
436 -^ Difcourfe concerning
prove that our Superiours do command no- thing in the particular Inftances, but what they Lanfully may do : It will not juftifie any Man's difobedience, to fay, that he ap- prehended it was more dangerous or more Jmful to obey them, than to difobey them : For our Mi flakes and falfe Reafonings^ will not take off from the Obligation that is upon us to obey our Lawful Superiours in their Lawful Commands; unlefs, as I have often faid, we can fatisfie our felves, that in thofe Inftances we neither were bound, nor had fufficient m^ans to under- ftand better.
And now having thus cleared our way, by removing from our Quefiion thofe Things that are h'oreion to it, and which indeed, by being ufually blended with it, have made it more Intricate than otherwife it would be ; we are pretty well prepared to propofe our Point*
111 t\iQ Sixth place then. Excluding (as we have done ) out of our Cafe all thofe Things and Circumftances we have been fpeaking o^ with none of which we have here to do ; the plain Qijeftion before us is this.
Whether in the Cafe of a pure Doubt . about the Lrnvfulnefs or Unlawfulnefs of an Adion, where the Probabilities are on both lides pretty equals and where likewife the Man concerned, hath done all that he was obliged to do for the fatisfying himfelf:
Whether,
a Doubting Confdefice. 457
Whether, I fay, in this Cafe the Command of a Lawful Superiour ought not fo far to over-ballance the Douk, as not only to make it reafonable for the Man to do that of which he doubteth ; but alfo to oblige him fo to do ?
We hold the Affirmative of this Queftion ; and I now come to give the Reafons why we fo hold, which is the Second Thing to be done under this Head.
II. Our Propodtion is this, That if Law- ful Authority do Command us to do a Thing which as on the one hand we can- not fay it is Lawful ; fo on the other hand, we cannot fay it is TJnlawful ; but our Judg- ment remains fufpended, as having equal, ^ or near equal Arguments on both fides : In fuch a Cafe as this, though if we were left to our own Choice, we fliould general- ly forbear the Action for the Reafons I before gave ; yet being Commanded by our Superiours, who by the Law of God have Authority over us ; it is not only rea- fonablcj but our Duty to do it.
For Ftrfi of all, even in point of Humility and Modefy^ though there was no other Confideration ; one would think that a Subje6: owes as much deference to the Judgment and Difcretion of his Superiours as this comes to.
So much Influence as this, even a Con-
feffor or a Private Friend, hath over our
Confciences. In a Cafe where we are al-
Ff 5 togetr*^*
438 -^ Difcourfe concerning
together uncertain on both fides, w^ ufually fo far fubmit our felves to them, as to be fwayed and over-ruled by what they advife; and that oftentimes not fo much upon Confideration of the weight and force of their Reafons, as meerly upon this account, that we take them to be abler to guide us in thefe Affairs than we our felves are, as having better confidered them, and feeing farther into them than we do.
I dare fay there are few of thofe we are now difputing with, if a Doubt fhould happen to arife in their Confcience about the Lawfulnefs of any PraQ:ice in their T/dde, or their other Civil Concernments, and they fhould upon this apply to fome Friend of theirs, of whofe Learning and Pr«* denccj and Honefiy they have a good Opini- on, and put their Cafe to him; but would ( if the Doubt was fo equal on both fides as in our Cafe we fuppofe it) without any great difficulty be concluded and determin- ed by the Judgment of the Man they thus apply to ; efpecially if that Judgment be feconded by the fuffrage of fome other Learned Pious Men, whom they have thought fit upon this Occafion to confult iikewife.
If now the Opinions of One or Two Vri- 'vdte Men be of fo much weight as to over- rule a Doubt about the Lawfulnefs of an Adion, when the Reafons on both fides are equal j is it not very hard if the joynt Re-
folution
a Dotihthig Confdence. 43 ^
folution and Determination of our 'Puhlick Govemoursy whofe Office and Bufinefs it is to Confult and Command for the Beflr, fhould not in fuch a Cafe have the fame In- fluence upon the Minds of their own S^ih- jecfs? Or would it not argue much Self- conceit and Arrogance^ and a very me.m Opi^ nion of our Superiours, and a great Contempt of their Authority, to refufe that refpecl to them which we give to qwq\:y priv<ite Man almoft that we think wifer than ourfelves.
Seco-adly^ I defire that may be taken notice 05 which the Cafuijh^ and in particular our Excellent Bifhop Sanderfon^ have urged in this Affair, viz. It is a known Rule in Law, That in all difputed Cafes, . he that is in Poffejjion of the Thing contended for, hath the Advantage of the other that contends mth him, fuppofmg all other Things he ec^uil. In controverted Matters, the Right is always prefumed to be on the fide of the Pojfefjor, unlefs there be a good Reafon fliewn to the contrary.
Thus for Inftance, If I be in PofTciffion of an Efiate which another Man makes a Claim to ; and it is equally doubtful whe- ther that Efiate belongs to him or me, yet fo long as I have the PofTeflion of it, I have a good Title to it by the Laws of God and Man ; nor can I without Injuftice be Dif- poireffed of it, till my Adverfary hath made it appear that he hath a better Tide to it than L
F f 4 Let
440 ^ Difcourfe concerning
Let us now apply this Rule to our pre- fent Cafe. Here is a Conteft or Difpute between the Supsriour and nhQ SubjeCi^^ about a Matter of Right as to a particular Adion. Tlie Superiour faith^ it is his Right to Command his Subject in this Inftance, and accordingly doth Command him. The Suhjecf faith, that he doubts whether his Superiour hath Right to Command him in this Inftance, becaufe he doubts whether this Command be not againft the Law of God.
But in the mean time the Superiour is in adual PolfefTion of the Power and Authority to Command, though it be un- certain a.ad doubtful whether as to this inftance he do not exceed the juft Limits of his Power.
V/liy, certainly by the former Rule, ib long as the Cafe is thus doubtful, the 3ub)e£t: muft yield ; and at no hand by his difobedience difpoffefs his Superiour Of that Authority he is pofTelTed of, till he be convinced in his own Confcience that he hath greater reafon to difobey in this Inftance than to obey ; which in our Cafe it is imDOftible hefliould have, becaufe we Jiere fuppofe that the Reafons • on both iides are equal.
But, Thirdly^ If this Argument appear too fubtie ; let the Qtieftion before us be decided by X.\\q Common Rule ^ viz. That in all Doubrf/d Cafes tiie pffer fide is to be chofen. Now
a Doubting Confcience. 441
Now putting the Point upon this IfTue, I ask which is frfefi^ with refped to Con- fcience^ for a Man to obey his Superiours in fuch a ptrely Doubtful Cafe as we here fpeak of J or to difobej them ? I think this Queftion will foon be Anfwered by any Man that will attend to what I am going to reprefent, t'tz.
There is a Plain Law of God, and ac- knowledged by us to be fo, that Commands us to obey our Superiours m all Lamful Things: But as to the particular Cafe, about which we are now fuppofed to Doubt^ it is very Uncertain and QuefiGna- hie to us,, (even after our beft endeavours to fatisfie ourfelves) whether there be any Law of God which forhiddeth that thing which our Superiours have enjoyn- ed us.
This now being. fo, we thus Argue : If it fhould prove that our Superiours do in this Inftance command an Unlawful Thing ; yet the haz^ard we run in obeying them is very fmall and inconfiderable, in comparifon with that we run in difobcying them, fuppofing it fhould indeed prove that they command nothing but what is Juft and Righty and conducing to the Pub- lick Good.
For by doing the former, by obeying our Superiours, the only hazard we run, is of tranfgreffjng fome Unknown Law of God ; fome Law which doth no way ap^^ear to
us;
442 A Difcourfe concerning
us ; all that we can pronounce after our beft enquiry being no more than this, that it may be there is fuch a Law, and it may be there is not : And therefore we may reafonably prefume, that if there ' fhould indeed be fuch a Law of God ; it is either not of fuch Confequence that we in our Circumftances were bound to know it ; or if it was, that we had no fufficient meaijs to come to the Kjiowledge of it : in each of vi hich Cafes, as I faid, a Man's Ignorance doth excufe the Violation of the Law.
But now, on the other fide, if in fuch an Inftance as this we difobey Authority when it hath peremptorilj laid its Coni- mands upon us; we venture upon a much greater danger. For in that Cafe we run the hazard of tranfgrefling a Plain Law of God ; a Law of which no Man can or ought to be fuppofed Ignorant ; and withal, a Law it is of fuch Impor^ tance and Confequence to Mankind, that we may truly fay, the very beings as well as the Happmefs of all Societies depend upon it.
Suppofing now this to be a true Ac- count of the hazard we run in Ading on one fide or the other in our prefent Quefi:ion, I leave it to any indifferent Per- fon to judge, whether it be not much fafer in fuch Circumftances as we here fpeak of, to obey our Lawful Superiours
with
a Doubting Confcience. 443
with a Doubting Confcience, than to difohey them with a Doubting Confcience.
Fourthly^ If there yet remain any Difpute in this Matter, let, if you pleafe, our Savi- our's Rule determine it. As ye would that Menjhould do untoyou^ evenfo do ye unto them. We defire no more favour for our Superi- * ours, than this eternal Law of Equity will oblige us to.
y If a Man will but be fo impartial, as to pafs the fame Judgment in the Caufe of Authority when he is a Subject^ as he doth in his own Caufe when he is a Su^eriour^ we believe there would be prcfently an end of this Controverfy.
For let Men talk as gravely as they ple&fe about the Danger of obeying the Fublick Laws with a Doubting Confcience ; Yet I dare appeal to themfelves, whether they would not think it very unreafonable for any Domeftick of theirs, over whom they have Lawful Authority, to live in Contradiction to the Frivate Rules and Orders of their Family, upon a Pretence of doubting whether thofe Orders were Lawful or no.
If a Parent^ for Inftance, fhould com- mand his Son to fit uncovered before him; He would not take it for a good An- fwer from the Young Man, to fay. Sir, I am doubtful whether it be not un- lawful to ufe any fuch Ceremonies to Men, and therefore I pray excufe me,
if
444 -^ Difcourfe concerning
if I do not pay you that Refped you require.
If a Mafier fhould order his Servant to provide Dinner for him on the Lord's Day ; and he fhould reply*, I would do it with all my heart, but that I am m doubt ♦ whether it be not forbidden by God's Word to do any Work on the Sabbath. I am not indeed perfwaded that it is for- bidden, but in the mean time I am not fatisfied that it is Lawful, and therefore till I be refolved ia this Point, I pray, Sir, be pleafed to Pardon me.
Would now a Parent or a Mafier think thefe Anfwers Reafonable ? Would he take them in fuch good part, as to think his Son or his Servant had done nothing but what they were bound to do in thus re- fufmg to obey his Commands? No, I dare fay he would not ; but on the con- trary would tell them, you are my Son or my Servant j and you muft leave it to me to judge what is fit for ms to com- mand and for you to do. I will take care .to comniand you nothing but what is lawful and juflifiable: But in the mean time, you muft not think by your foolifli 1 Doubts and Scruples (fo long as you con^ fefs you know nothing unlawful in what I bid you do) to controul my Orders and Commands ; that I think neither becomes you to do, nor mc to fuffer.
a DoiihUng Confdence, 44r
I dare fay moft Men would judge this a very fitting and juft Reply in fuch a Cafe. And if fo, it is a ftrong Argument, that we are all naturally apt to think that in purely Doubtful Cafes, our Superiour is to be obeyed notwithftanding our Doubt, and that if in any Cafe we think otherwife, it is where our own Liberty and Interefi are concerned, and where confequently we may be juftly prefumed unequal Judges, as being prejudiced in favour of our- felves.
Fifthly^ Let me add this one Confidera- tion more, and I have done. If in meer- ly Doubtful Cafes, our Superiours have not a Power of Determining us ; what will their Authority fignifie ? If it be not of weight enough when the Scales hang even to turn the Ballance ; it is truly the lighteft thing in the World ; indeed it is worth nothing ; and there will not be left Power enough in thofe that are to govern us, for the fecuring in any tole- rable degree the Peace and Happinefs of the Society they are to govern.
For I pray confider, What can there be fo wifely Commanded, or Provided for, either in a Family^ in a CV/j, or m a Kjng^om^ but may be liable to exception, and become a Matter of Doubt to fome Perfon or other ?
There is nothing in the whole compafs of indifferent things (and fuch chiefly are
the
446 -A Difcourfe concerning
the Matters of Humane Laws) but fome Perfon or other will be found to douh whether it be ft or lawful. And if fuch a Douk be a juft Reafon to deny Obedience to the Law or the Command, in what a Condition are all Families and Corporations^ and Societies in the World ? What will be the Confequence of fuch a Principle ? Why certainly nothing but perpetual Jars, and Difturbances, and Confufions.
For Inftancc, If whenever a Prince de- clares War againft his Enemies, it fhould be fuppofed Lawful for any Subject to withdraw his Alliftance from his Sove- raign in Cafe he doubts whether that War be a Lawful War or no ; in what a fad Cafe would that Prince or that Kindom be that is to be fupported and proteded upon thefe Terms? Every Man is hereby made a Judge of the Merits of a War \ and though he be never fo ignorant, never fo unex- perienced, never fo unable to make a Judg- ment of thefe momentous Affairs of the Kingdom ; yet if fome Rumours or uncer- tain Stories have reached his Ears, that make him doubt whether this War was Lawfully begun or no ; why,, he is upon this Principle warranted to deny not only his Perfonal Service, but his Contributions towards the Charge of that War* But thefe Confequences are intolerable ; and there- fore the Principle from whence they floWj muft needs be thought mtokrable alio.
in. Having
a Doubting Conference. 447
III. Having thus given the Reafons of our Aitertion I come now in the Third Place to Anfwer the Arguments that are brought on the other fide.
All the Arguments I have met with a- gainft the Dodrine we have been eftablifli- ing, may be reduced to X6r6>(?; andofthofe Three, the Erfi I have prevented by my Hating the Queftion ; the Second I have al- ready Anfwered in my Pi/oofs of our Af- fertion; fo that the Third only remains to be fpoken to. However I will name the Two firfi.
The Ftrft Argument is drawn from the mifchievous Confequences of our Dodrine. For, fay they, If a Man fhould think him- felf obliged in every doubtful Cafe to be de- termined by the Command of his Superi- ours, it would be the ready way to involve him often times in moft grievous Sins. As for Inftance, if a Man fhould fo halt between Two Opimonsy as to doubt whether 'Jehovah or Baal was the true God, as the Ifraelites fometimes did • and at the fame time ( as it then happened among them) the Chief Ruler fhould command, that Bad fhould be worfhipped : Why now in this Cafe ( fay they ) according to your way o^refol- ving Doubts^ the Man muft be obliged to worfhip att Idol^ and to renounce the true God.
This is the Argument. But it is no Ar- gument againil us; Becaufe v\ the ftating
c3
448 A Difcourfe concerning
ofourQueftion, we have excluded allfuch Doubts out of it, as do proceed from a Man's Grofs and Crimiml Ignorance of his Duty ( as it is Apparent and Notorious that the Doubt in this Inftance doth. ) On the con- trary, we are as forward to acknowledge as they, that if any Man do an Adion that is plainly contradi£lory to the Laws of God, it is not his Ignorance ^ and much lefs his Doubt fulntfs^ that will excufe him, though he do it in Obedience to his Gover^ nours. So that though this Argument would fall heavy enough upon thofe than plead for an Abfolute Blind, Obedience to Au- thority in all things indifcriminatelyy (which no Man of the Church of England doth : ) Yet it doth not at all touch us, who only affert. That where we doubt equally^ whe- ther an Adion be Lawful or no, and have ufed our beft endeavours to fatisfie our- felves how the Law of God Hands as to that Matter, there the Command of our Superiours is to over-rule our Doubt,
But further, to fhew what little Force there is in this Argument, which indeed hath made a great deal of noife ; we will try whether it will not make as much a- gainft our Adverfaries, if they will give^itf leave to put the Cafe, as it feems to make againft us, when they put the Cafe*
Let us fuppofe therefore, as before, that an Ifraelite was very Doubtful^ whether Jehovah Or Baal was the true God ; And
let"
a Douhthtg Co7ifcie?:ce.' 449
let us fuppofe likewife (as we reafonably may ) that the King ofljrael made a Law^^ that all the Temples and Jltars o£ Baal fliould be Demolifhed, and that Jehovah only fliould be Worfhipped. What Advice npw would they, give to the doubting Man in this Cafe ? Will they fay, that he muli comply with the King's Laws, and Wor- fliip Jehovah only, while yet he Is doubt- ful in his own Mind whether Baal be not the true God ? Why this is againft their own Principle, and gives away the Caufe to us. But, will they then fay, that while this Doubt remains, the Man muft not obey Au- thority in Worfhipping Jehovah only \ but he mull either Worfliip Baal and not Je- hovah ; or both Baal and Jehovah together ; Why, this is indeed agreeable to their Prin^ ciple ; but then I appeal to my Reader^ whether according to their way o^refolving of Doubts, a Man is not as necelTarily in- gaged in Idolatry, and other grievous Sins, as he is by our way.
So that you fee this Argument concludes as ftrongly againft them, as aga.inft us- But in Truth it concludes nothing either one way or other, but is wholly Foreign to^ the Queftion, as I fhewed inmyftatingof it, whither I refer the Reader,
The Second Argument is drawn from the Limitations which God himfelf hath put to the Obedience we are to pay to* our Governours, and it may be formed thus*
Y 9 L' n* G g God
^^jo A Difcourfe concerning
God hath not commanded us to obey our Superiours ahfolutely, and in ^//Things ; but only in all fuch Things as are not contrary to his Law : So that where-ever we are m- certair^ whether the Commands of our Supe- riour be Lanftd or no, we muft at the fame time be as much uncertain whether we be bound to obey : And if fo, how can you fay, that it is any more our Duty to obey theriS, than to disobey them in a Doubtful Cafe ?
To this we Anfv/er, That though we acknowledge that no Man is bound to obey his Superiours any farther than they com- mand Lawful Things: Yet whenever it hap- pens that they command fuch Things as we ec^ually doubt whether they be Ld.rvful or no ; there are fo many weighty Reafons to be given, why a Man fliould obey rather than difobey in that Cafe, as will perfwade any Wife and Good Man to think it his Duty to obey. And for thofe Reafons I refer my Rea- der to the F/z'^ Particulars I before infiftedon. The Third and indeed the Principle Ar- gument, is drawn from the Words of St. i^dul in the 14th oiWiQ Romans, andthelaft verie, He that doubt eth is Damned if he eaty hecaufe he eateth not of Faith ; and vphatfoever is: not of tanh is Sirj, From whence they thus Argue, If it was a Sin in thofe Chrifti- ans that St. Paul fpeaks of, to eat any Food ^-^ though ia it felf Lawful to be eaten, fo long as they Doubted whether it was Lanful or no: Then, by parity of Reafon, it muft be
a Douhtmg Confcience. 451
a Sin to do any other Adlion, fo long as we have a Doubt in Qtir Minds concerning the Lawfulnefs of \.t\ and if fo, it is not the Magiftrates commanding that Adion, that will make it ceafe to be a Sin in us to do it.
This is the great Argument that is brought againft our Point, and I (hall give it a full and a juft Difcuffion : Becaufe, in Truth, if we come clearly olf from this Text of St: F'aul ; not only all that is fa id againft Oheywg Authority with a Doubting Cfwfeie^ce v/i\\ fall to the Ground; but likewile moft of the Difficulties which en* tangle and perplex the Cafe of a Douki^g Confcience in other Matters, will be in a great meafure removed.
But before I enter upon a particular Dif- ciillian of this Text, with reference to our prefent ContrOverfy, it will be needful to premife fome General Account of it, for the fake of ordinary Readers ; that fo un- derftanding before-hand the Cafe which the Apolile fpeaks to, and the meaning of the Exprefjions he here ufeth, they may be the better able to go along with us.
Firfl, therefore, I fhall give an Account of the Subje^ Matter of St. Patilh Difcourfe in this Chapter, II. Of What it meant by Doubting in this Text. III. What is meant by eating not of Faith, IV. What is meant by being Damned or Condemned for fo doings
Gg 2 Firft,
452 A Difcourfe concerning
Firft, As to the^ Subje^ Matter of Sfe. Faulh Difcourfe in this Chapter, k is un- doubtedly the Cafe of thofe Jemjh Chrifti- ans that were not fo fully inftruded in their Chrifiian Liberty, but that they ftill believed all the Ceremonial Laws of Mofes^ concerning the Obfervatian of Days, and the Difference of Meats, to be ftill in force, and to oblige their Confcience : Or at leaft they mightily doubted whether they did or not. So that whereas other Chriftians, who were better inftrufted, made no fcruple of eating any kind of Food, though forbid- den by the Law of Mafes y thefe Men had great Reafon to forbear fuch kind pf Meats, becaufe they were Perfwaded, or at leaft it appeared more probable to them, than o^ therwife, that they were bound fo to do.
That this was the Cafe of thofe that St. Vaul here ftyles the rveak Chrijlians, appears from feveral PaiTages of this Chapter, nor I think is it much queftioned by any. As for what is intimated in the Second Verfe concerning their abftaining from Flejh alto- gether, and only eating Herbs ', which would make one think that it was not purely their refped to the Law o^Mofes, but fome other thing, which made them thus to put a difference between Meats ; be- eaufe by that Law they were no more tyed from Flefij ( excepting only Swines Flejh and a few other Sorts ) than they were from Hfrbj: St. Chryfojloms hathwell obviated
tllis
a Doubting Confcie?Jce. 45 2
this difficulty, in the Account he gives of the Cafeof thofeChriftians. 'There were ( faith he ) feveral of the Believing 'Jewsy who taking themfelves to be obliged in Confcience by theLawof M?/^y, even after their Chriftianity, did ftill retain the Ob- fervation of Meats, not daring wholly to throw off the Yoa?k of the Law : Thefe now, left they fhould be found out, and reproached by the other Chriftians for thus abftaining from Swines-Flefh^ and the like, upon account of Confcience -^ chofe to eat no Flejh at all, but to feed altogether upon Herbs ; that fo this way of living of theirs, might pafs rather for a kind o'tFafl or Religous Abftinence^ than for a Legal Obfervance, Thus St. Chrj- fofiome ; and to the fame purpofe Theodoret and Theophjla^.
But if any one be not fatisfied with this Account of that Bufmefs; but will further contend, that St. Paul here doth not only fpeak to the Cafe of Jemjb Chriftians who were zealous for Mofes^s Law ; but alfo takes in the Cafe of fome Gentile Chriftians at that Time, who (upon a Fythagorean t*rinciple they might have entertained ) were Averfe to the eat- ing any kind of FLejh ; as thinking all fuch Food to be Unclean : They may, notwith- ftanding what I have faid, enjoy their own Opinion. For it is indifferent to our Con- troverfy, whether the Perfons whofe Cafe Gg 3 is
454 -^ Difcourfe concerning
is here fpoken to, were ^em or Gentiles. Qnly thus much appears plainly, that the moil of them were Jexvi[h Chrjftians, who together with their Chrifiianity^ had a Confcientious Regard to the,. Law: Pf
Mofes, * : : ■
The Word Secondly^ As for what is meant; by iiia^ativui \_Doukmg^ m the Text, the Reader may thle"\i- be pleafed to take notice, that the Word tber m '[hccKP/v6fj.iv(^'] which we here Tranflate m?tJerC^^ ?to Doukethl doth as properly fig- Aitihor}ig-m^t to diflinguiflj or make a Dtfferencey a$- n^s ^0 to Dc?//^/- or Hefitate. And thus it is ufed^ ^°"^o^ both by Profane Writers, and in Holy ufuaUy to Scripture; as particularly in the 22dof St» P.^^^^J°''"' y«^^'s Epiftle. And of fome have Compaf gujfh, 5r //W, making a difference^ \_^cLK^v(>/xivoi'] the make a very Word in the Text. -
Diffe- ^ ^
rence, a/s h is frecinently u^ed in the Nexv Tejlanient, Vli. Mat. XVI. 5." AftbXV. 9. 1 Cor. IV. 7. VI. 5-. XI. 29. The Word \_iiax.ejvoiiAt'] is fometimes tahn A<fl:ively, and then it hjth the fame Signification witb \_J\teLiiej.v(^~\ i. e. to make a difference. As is plain mtofil) in St. JudeV Text here quoted ; but in St. James, Chap. II. 4. Where our Englifh Tranflition hath indeed very well rendred the A^>oftle\ Senfe thm [ Are ye net rartiaQ But if they had truly reiidred bis WoT&Sy they rtiujl hue »^;« 7Vuny7dtei [Do ye not make a difference ? J
Agasr,^ fome timet it is til^n Paffivdy^ani then the Signification of it is this^ tfl be Divided, cr Severed, or DlAinguiflied. And when it is ufed in this Senfe, it fometimes happens thjt t/;e Englifh fVord [^Doubtin^^ doth con^ vetjiently enough .exprefs it. Doubting, j^eing indeed nnhing etfe^ but & ^hn's being Divided as ta hii own Mind. And accordingly in fome FUi-es our TranjUtors have thus Kni,lif\:ed it ^though I believe in fome of ^hffc, more proper Words mi^ht be found out to exprefs its Senfe. ) But though it a Few Texti h be thus ,M[ed in Scripture i yet I do not find that any Profane Author dtd ever ufe ii in thif Senfe 0/ Doubting. And therefore untefs there be evident Reo-fon, I ^0 no> hnow why we fhould depart from the i-\3tun\ and ufual Signifctikton, ^of the Wo:d in ths text roe art
ttOn> u'-on.
Now
a Donhthig Coiifcience, 455
Now confidering the Apoftle's Argu- ment in this Chapter is the Cafe of the '^ewijh Chriftians, who were divided in their Perfwafions about the L^^^z/Obfer- vations, fome making a difference be- tween clean and unclean Meats, and fuch like Things; and others making none; It feems every whit as proper and natural, and more fuitable to the fcope of the Place, to take the Word in this Senfe in this Place, rather than in that other, accor- ding to which it is ufually Tranflated. So that the Text is thus to be rend red, He that maketh a dijjerence between clean and unclean Meats ; If he do eat any thing which he judgeth to be unclean, he ts Damned or Condemned for fo doing, be~ caufe he eateth not of Faith,
And fo probable is this rendring, tliat our Englifi Tranflators took care to put it in the Margin of our Bibles, as may be feen by eveiy one. Nor doth it want good Authority ; for the Fulgar Latin thus Tranflates the Place, and not only fo, but Erafmus Hentenius^2Lnd gcner^iWy all thQ Latin Expofitors, if we may believe £//////, who yet him felf Interprets it the Common way.
Indeed I doubt not but this is the true Verfion of this Word in this Text, How- ever I do not fo much (land upon it, as to preclude any Man from the liberty of ta- king the other if he likes it bettci% For though this way of rendring doth better Gg 4 ferve
45 6 A Difcourfe concerning
ferve our Purpofe, (as quite putting an end to the Controverfy : ) Yet our Caufe doth not fo abfolutely depend upon it, but that we may very well allow of the com- mon Tranflation ; as will appear hereafter. Thirdly^ As for the Word Faith, which is here ufed ; let it be taken Notice of, that when in the Verfe before the Text, the A- poftle fpeaks of having Faith ; and in the Text, of ^^^/>g without Faith, ov nqtQf Faith: and that, rvhatfoever is not of Fatrh, is Sin : We are not to take Faith here in the large Senfe, as it fignifies a Belief in Jcfus Chrill:, or an AfTent to God's Revelations, par- ticularly thofe, of the Gofpel ; which is the ufual Notion of Faith in the New Tefta- ment : But only for a Man's Jffent to the Goodnejs or Larvfulnefs of any particular Aciion that he takes in Hand.
So that to have Faith about an A8:ion, is to be perfwaded that that A£lion may be Lawfully done in the prefent Circum- fiances, or at lea ft not to be Confcipus of any Reafon that fhould make it Unlaw- ful. And, on the other fide, to do an Action M'tthotit Faith or not of Faith, as the Apoftle here exprelTeth it, is to do an A6lion of the Lmfulnefs of which we are no way fatisfied, but, on the contrary, think we have good Reafon to believe that it is an unlawful Adlion.
Fourthly, Whereas St. Paul faith, that he that daubteth Or dijferencethy is damned or
Con-
a Bonhtwg CoiifcteJice. 457
Condemned, if he eat ; we are to take No- tice, that tljat ExprefRon is not to be un- derftood of the Fumjhment of his eating in the other World, (which is that which in common Speech we call Damnation : ) But only of the guilt of his eating as to hi$ own Confcie?ice. Indeed there is no co- lour why our Tranflators fliould here life the Word [ Damned ] fmce [ Condem- ned ] is the natural Word, whether we confider the Propriety of the Greek or the Englijh Language : So that this is the meaning of the Propofition. Hethat doubt- eth (with fuch a Doubt as is here fpoken of) and yet eateth; fuch a Man is Condem- ned for fo doing. Condemned ; how ? why Condemned of himfelf, (as the Apoftle had expreffed it in thie Verfe before, ) Con- demned of his own Confcience, becaufe with- out NecefTity, having free Power over his own A8:ions, he doth that which he apprehends to be Sinful.
1 dare fay, the Reader will be fatisfied of the Truth of our Interpretation, as to both the laft named Particulars, if he will carefully Read the foregoing Verfe together with the Text (as indeed they do but both make one compleat Sen- tence ) and judge of one by the other.
St, Paul hath for a good while been addrelling himfelf to the ftronger Chrifti- ans, in order to the Perfwading them fo to ufe their Knowledge and their Chrifti-
. an
438 A Difcourfe concerning
an Liberty, that they might edifie the Weak Brethren among them, but in no Wife give Scandal to any of them ; and he thus concludes his Advice in this Chapter.
p.afi thou faith ? have it to thy [elf before God, Happy is he that condemneth not him- f elf in that thing which he allorveth : But he that', doiibteth (or maketh a difference) is con- demned if he eatf hecaufe he eateth not of Faith^ apd whatfoever is not of Faith^ is Sin,
L^are appeal to any indifferent Perfon, that hath read St. PauPs foregoing Dif- courfe in this Chapter^ whether the mean- ing of this whole Paflfage be not to this^ Effea.
Art thou fo well inftruQed in thy Re- ligion, as to be perfwaded that the Gofpel hath taken away all difference of Meats, and that thou may eft Lawfully eat of any Food that is fet before thee ? why, it is very well for thee ; but then, be con- tent that thou art thus perfwaded, and do not upon every Occafion inake fuch an Oftentation of thy Faith in this Matter, nor defpife others that have it not ; as to lay a Snare before thy Weak and Un- inftruO:ed Brethren, who are of another Perfwafion, to Sin againfl their Confcience, by Ading as thou doft. It is fufficient for thee that God fccth thy Fatth^ and that thou canft juftifie thy eating to thy own Confcience. For I can affure thee,
it
a Doubtmg Confcience. ^rjp
it h no fmall Happinefs for a Man to be able to fatisfie his own Confcience in that Aftion which he takes io Hand.
[This is undoubtedly the meaning of that ExprelTion, Happy ts he that condemneth not himfelf in that thing which he approve th^ That is, it is a great Comfort to a Man that his Confcience doth not condema liim ia that Aftidn which he thinks fit to do. /;; ea re quam agendum fufcipity faith GrotiuS', In eo quod agendam elegit^ faith £/?i/// ; En ce qiPiL vent faire.^ faith the late excellent French Tranflation, And it \% juft the fame thing that St. ^ohn faith 'm Qther Words, Eph, I. 5,21. Mj Brethreny if our own Hearts (i, e. our Confcience ) conr'. demn us noty then have we confidence towardsi God.'\
But then, ( as the Apofile goes on ) as to thofe that are fo uninltruded in the Nature of Chriftianity, as ftill to inake a difference between clean and un- clean Meats ; as it infinitely concerns them to have a care what they do; fo it concerns thee likewife to have a care how thou layefi: a ftumbling Block before them. For in what a Condition would any of them be, if being tempted by thy Infolent Car- riage, and Unreafonable Example, he fliould through Eear or bafe Compliance venture to eat fuch Things as he judgeth to be un- clean? Why, certainly he is both an ill and a miferable Man for ^o doing ; becaufe he
460 A Dtfcourfe concerning
is condemned of his own Confcience, For he eats not only without being convinced of the Lawfulnefs of his eating, but pre- fuming the contrary, and whatever is thus done againll: Confcience, muft needs be a Sin. This I take to be the true Mean- ing of this whole PafTage, for which, if need was, we might produce feveral Authorities, particularly that of St. Chry- fofiome, who gives much the fame Account of k»
Having thus given an Account of the Text, as it lies in the Chapter, and with r^ation to the Bufmefs that St. Paul had there in hand ; I now come to confider it with reference to our prefent Contro- verfy with the DifTenters, and to take off the Argument they bring from it, againft the Pofition we are now con- tending for.
Their Argument, as I faid, is this.
St. Pafd here affirms, That whofoever Douketh about the Lawfulnefs of any par- ticular Meaty and while that Doubt re- maineth, eateth of that Meat, fuch a Man SinSy and is Condemned for ib doing ; becaufe he eateth not of Faith, If now it be fo in this particular Cafe, it muft be fo in. all other Doubtful Cafes; and confequently in the Cafe of Obeying Au- thor ity^ where a Man Doubts of the Law- fulnejs of the thing enjoyned : That is to fay, wlioibever, in any Cafe whatfoever,
doth
a Doubting Confdeiice. J^i
doth an Adlion of the Larvfuhefs of which he Doubts ; he Sms and is Condemned for fo doing, becaufe he A£teth not of Faith»
This is the Argument fairly put, and I fhall now endeavour as fairly to Anfwer it.
And firfl of all, I fay, This Argument proceeds upon a falfe Ground. For it fup- pofeth St. Fatd in this Text to fpeak to the Cafe of a furely Doubting Confcience, ( which is the Subjed of our prefent Con- troverfy : ) Whereas it may be made to appear with good Evidence, that it is tlie Cafe of a refolved Confcience only, that he here Treats of. So that this Text is wholly mifapplied by the Diffenters, and makes Nothing at all to the Bufinefs, For though there be indeed in this Text a very ievere Cenfure of all thofe that A£l againft any kind of Perfivafion; yet there is nothing here faid that toucheth a Man's Ading Dotibtinglj^ either one way or other.
That this is true, appears from the Ac- count I have before given of the Subje^ Matter of the Apoftle's Difcourfe in this Chapter ; which is, the Cafe of thofe Chriftians who were not barely Doubtful and Wavering in their own Minds, whe- ther they might Lawfully eat of fuch Meats as were then Difpuced : But were Perfwaded they ought not; as believing that the Law of Mofes, which had de- clared
^52 ^ Difcourfe concerning
clared them Unclean^ was ftill in Force ; or elfe believing thera to be Unclean ia them-
That this Vas indeed the Cafe here dif- cufTed, feems very clear from the 2d and 5th Verfes of this Chapter, w^here the A- poflle jiates it ; and more particukrly froni the i4thVerfe, where he gives afummary Refolution of it ; and in my Judgment the very fame Refolution that he doth in the Text, I ^;!?aa^ (faith he) and am perfivaded that there is nothing unclean of itfelf , but tb him that efleemeth any thing to he unclean^ to him it is uncleam So that it feems the Per- fon whofe Cafe St, Vatd fpeaks to, was not Uncertain or unrefolved, whether the Meats under Deliberation were clean ov unclean^ but he was perfrvaded they were unclean, he efieemed them to be fuch, and he muft of neceffity do fo, fo long as he believed the Law of Mofes to be in Force, as by all that appears in this Chapter he did believ^e.
But may fome fay. If this was the Cafe, why then doth St. Faul ufe the Word Doubting m the Text ? To Doubt of the un- lawfulnefs of an A6lion, is quite another thing, than to be Perfrvaded of the unlaw* nefs of it.
In Anfwer to this, I refer my Reader to the Account I have before given of the Word l\iccK^v6juiv(^s2 which may as properly be rendred, He that maketh a difference between Meats j as he that Doubt"
eth
a Douhtmg Confcieiice. '4^^
eth about Meats. Now if this Verfton be admitted, the ground of this Objeclion is quite taken away. And I fee no reafon why it fhould not be admitted, fince (as I faid) it is as natural as the other, and withal, it makes the Apoftle\ Senfe to rua more coherently with what he had faid before.
But further, Let if you pleafe the com- fnon Tranflation be retained ; let th^ Text be interpreted of one that Doubtethy and not of one that maketh a difference : Yet ftill this will make nothing againft what we have now faid. For it is undeniably plain, that what St. P^r// here calls Doubting is in our way of fpeaking a degree of Per' ftvafwn. My meaning is this ; The Doubts ing which St. Paul here fpeaks of, is not that where a Man's Judgment is fufpend- ed, upon account of the equal Probabili- ties on both fides of the Qiieilion, which is the proper Notion of Doubting^ and that which we are now concerned with : But he fpeaks of a Doubt ftrengthned with fo many Probabilities^ that it wanted but Ve- ry little of a Perfrvafion) or, to fpeak more properly, it was a real Perfrvafwny though with fome mixture of Doubtfulnefs m it: That is to fay, the Man had fo ftVong Convi8:ions of the Unlarvfulnefs of eating on the one Hand, and fo little Satisfaction about the Lawful nefs of it on the other ; skat if he was not fully perfwaded that
it
4^4 -^ Difcourfe concerning
it was a Sin to eat ; yet it appeared by; many degrees more probable to him that it was a Sin, than that it Was not.
That this now was the Cafe, is evident beyond all exception, from the Words that follow. He that doubteth (faith the Text) is condemned if h? eat, that is, Co»- demned of his own Confcience, as I fhewed before. Now how could tlmt be,- if the Man was not in fome degree perfwaded that his eating was unlawful ? It is certain no Man can be further Condemned of his own Confcience for doing any Aftion, than he doth believe that Action to ht forbidden by Tome Law of God. To fay, therefore, that a Man is Condemned of his own Confci- ence for eatings muft of Necerfity imply, that he doth believe his eating to be un- lawful, and if fo, it is certain he doth more than fimply doubt whether it be lawful or no. ,
Well, but doth not the Apoftle fay, ia this very Chapter, Let every one be fully ferfwaded in his own Mind ^ What is the meaning of that, but that every one ftiould afTure himfelf that the Adion he takes in Hand is a lawful A(^iOn, or elfe he doth not Ad with a fafe Confciencei" And is not that the very fame thing-that is here faid. He that Doubteth is Condemned if he eat ; becaufe he eateth not of Faith, or with a full Perfwafion ? There is there- fore good Realdn why we (hould Interpret
a Doiihting Confaeitcd 465
this Text in the proper Senfe of Douhting ; the Apofile himfelf dire6ling us fo to do by this Pailage.
This is the moft confiderable Objediort that can be made againO: our way of Expounding this Text^ and probably it was with a refped to that PaiTage that fo many Interpreters have Tranflated it as they have done ; but whether they had any juft Reafon from thence fo to do, is the Qiieftion. Or rather I think it will be no Queftion with any one who attends ei- ther to the Defign, or the Words of the ^/d)/?/^ in that Paffage. i ^.^^ u- ;..,,.' i;:;iji The PalTage is in the '^th.Ferfe ohUisChap^ ter^ where the Apofile is giving an Account of the State of the prefent Gontroverfy. On^ Wlan ( faith he ) ejteemeth one Day above ano* ther^ another Man ejteemeth every Day alike: Let every Man he 'fully perfwaded in his owft Mind, So we render it ; but how truly, I fliall now Examine^
It cannot well be conceit'ed by the commg in of thefe Words, that St. Fad had any fuch thing in his Mind when he Writ them, as we would now make them to ex- prefs. It was certainly none of his Bufi- nefs in this Place, to oblige the contending Parties to get full Perfwafions in their fe- veral Ways, and then all would be right, for there was too much of that already amongft them. Neither was it his mean- ing here to tell them, that if in any Cafe Vol, II. Hh ' they
A Difcotirfe concerinng
they aQ:ed without a full Perfaafw^ of the Lawfulnefs of the Adion, they Sinned againft Confcience ; for befides that this is certainly falfe, it was nothing at all to his Purpofe.
P'But this was that which he defignM in this PafTage, to perfwade both the con- tending Parties quietly to permit each other to enjoy their feveral Opinions and Terfrvafions ' (iri thofe little Matters, which did no way concern their Duty,) without Cenfuring or J^^^gi^g one another.
This now is a Meaning that perfeclly fuits with all the other good Advice he gives them in this Chapter, and this Mean- ing he doth exprefs in as apt Words as can be thought on. One Man ejteemeth one Day above another, another Man efieemeth ■every Day alike. Let every Man be filed mth his orvn Mind, Or, fitisfied with his own Ferfrvafwn, The Original Words are rExar(^ IV tJ l^tifi vo) (or -77^ l\(cfi vol (without the Prepofition, as is read in fome good Copies) -rcM^po^^y^.J Which, faith Grotms, is an Hebrew way of Ex- preflion, and (ignifies no more than this, i^uify) fruatur fua Sententia ; Let every Man enjoy his own Opinion : Or, as the Vulgar Latin moft properly Tranflates, Unufquifq-y infuofenfu abundet, i,e. Let eve- ry one abound in his own Senfe : Or laft- ly, as the Commentaries that go under the N^me of St, Jmbrofe^ Unujquilf^ rennttatuf
[ui4
a Douhtmg CoJifdence.
fuis Confdiis, Let every one be left to his own Counfels. And to the fame Senfe alfb both St. Chryfoftome and Tbeoderet do expound this Paltage. This Interpreta- tion, though it be very different from that in our Englijh Bible, yet exprelTeth the Signification of the Original Text as well as that, and withal, hath better Autho- rity to recommend it: But that which wc chiefly ftand upon, is, that the Subje^i: Matter, and the Scope of the Apoftle doth necefTarily require this Interpretation.
For, in Truth, IfthisPaffage be rendred -the common way, fo as that it ihall im- port, that every Man, in every Cafe, is to hQ fully perfevaded in his own Mindj I do not know how the Precept here given, can be fuppofed to be either Reafonable or Poffible. It is certainly no more in. every Man's Power to be fatisfied about all his Douksy than it is to believs or disbelie-vs what he pleafes. When there appears Reafon of Doubting^ it is in. vain to com- mand a Man not to Doubt. Nay, it is as much a Man*s Duty to Doubt^ and to keep his Judgment in fufpence, when the weight of Prbbabtlity is on both fides equal, as it is to believe or to disbelieve upon clear Evidence. Or rather in that Cafe a Man cannot chufe but Doubt. He can- not reafonablyy nay, he cannot poffiblj do Qtberwifc,
H h ii I think.
A Difcourfe concerning
I think, by what hath been faid, it doth plainly appear, that this Text of St. Paul we are upon, [viz. He that Doubteth is Condemned if he eat^ hath nothing to do with a Doubting Confcience in our Senfe ; but only with a refolved one ; and confe- quently, that the Argument which is brought fron^ hence againft our AfTertion, is nothing at all to the Purpofe, becaufe it is grounded upon a falfe Expofition of the Text.
But though this is (as I think) the true Anfwer to this Argument ; and the Anfwer indeed which I mainly fland up- on ; yet there is another Anfwer given to it by the Cafuifts; which, becaufe it is the Anfwer that our Learned Bifhop San^ derfon, thought fit to pitch upon, I ought not to pafs it by without Mention, nor, if I can, without fome Improvement.
I mud: confefs, if we do admit this An- fwer, the Authority and Obligation of a Doubting Confcience will be fet higher than I do m this Difcourfe fuppofe it : But however, it may be a good Anfwer to the DilTenters ; becaufe it unties the Difficul- ty upon their own ^^rinciples : The An- fwer is this.
2. In the Second Place, allowing that the Man whofe Cafe St. Paul fpeaks to in this Text, was really a Doubting Perfon, and not one that was Perfoaded (as we have hitherto fuppofed :) Yet it doth by
no
a Douhting Coiifdence. 466
no means follow, that, becaufe this Man was guilty of 67;?, and Condemned for eating thofe Meats, of the Lawfulnefs of which he Doubted. : Therefore a Man that 0%jr Authority in an Inftance where he Doubts of the Lawfulnefs of the Connnand ; that fuch a Man Sins and is Condemned for fo doing ; this, I fay, doth not at all follow. For there is a vaft Difparity in the Cafes ; and to argue from one to the other, is to argue from a Particular to an Univerfaly or from one Particular to another^ without refped to the diiferent Circum- ftances of each Cafe j which is againft all the Rules of Logick,
If St. Paul had faid [He that Doubtetli is Damned if he Acf] there had been fome pretence for making his Sentence an univer- fal Propofition, fo as to extend to all Doubting Men in all Cafes : But now only faying, [He that Doubteth is Damned if he eat^i it fliews that he only fpoke to the Particular Cafe that was before him; and that other Cafes are no farther con- cerned in his Proportion, than as they do agree in Circumfiames with the Cafe he there fpeaks to.
Now the Cafe the Apoftle there treats of, and That which we arc now concerned about, are fo fai* from any way agreeing in the main Cir cum fiances^ by which a Man is to meafure the Goodnefs or the B^dnefs of an Adion, that there cannot Hh 3 be
A Difcourfe concerning
be Two Doubtful Cafes put, that are more di'ff?rent^ as I fliall now fhew.
If St. Paul do at all here fpeak to the Cafe of a Ijouhtm^ Man ; he fpeaks of one that Acted Douh-mgly in a Matter where it was in his own Power to AB. without a Doubt: that is, He was in fuch Cir- cumftances, that he knew he might cer- tainly without Sin refbfe to eat thofe Meats concerning which he Doubted ; for there was no colour of Obligation upon him to eat them: But yet ta this Cafe, where he was perfectly at Liberty to let alone ; for the ferving fome evil unwar- rantable Ends, he would not chufe that fide which was/?/>, and where he need fear no Sin, which was to forbear', but would chufe that fide that was Doubtful-^ that is, would run a needlefs hazard of tranfgreffing fome Law of God. It is of fuch a Man, and in fuch a Cafe as this, that St. Paul fpeaks, when he faith, He that Doubteth is Condemned if he eat: Sup- pofing indeed that his Words are at all to be Expounded in this Senfe.
But now becaufe it is thus in this Cafe (and in all fuch like, if you pleafe:) Doth It therefore follow from thefe Words, that a Man that is in other Circumftances ; that is not ac Liberty to chufe his own "Way; as not being at his own difpofaJ, but under the Dire6lion and Government pf Authority ; That this Man Sins and "•■- is
a Doubting Confcience. 471
IS Condemned if he obey the Orders of hh Superiours, when he is Doubtful of tha Lawfulnefs of the thing m which he ex- prelTeth his Obedience ? No, by no means. For this Cafe hath a quite different Con- fideration.
In the former Cafe there was* only dmger on. one ftde^ and that was la A^ing\ and the Man might forbear if he pleafed, and that without any danger : But in the other Cafe there is danger on both fides, and the Man runs at ieaft as great a hazard in forbearing the Adlion, (nay, we fay, a much greater,) as if he fliould do it.
So that undeniably (unlefs we will make one Rule to ferve for all Cafes, though never fo different, which is the abfurdeft thing in the World;) for any thing that St. Paul hath here faid to the contrary; this latter Man may not only without Sin do the thing he Doubts of; but is bound to do it. Whereas, if the other Man fpoken of in the Text, fhould do the A6lion he doubts of, it might be a Sin in him.
But further, That St. Paul meant not to extend his Propofition to all Doubtful Cafes, but only to fuch Cafes as he here treats of; is pretty evident from the Rea- fon that he gives, why he that eateth Doubtingly Sim in jp doing ; njiz, Becaufe h^ eateth not ^ of FaUh,
H h 4 . He
A Difcomfe concernmg
He dotii not fay, He that Doubt eth is Condemned if he eat^ bscaufe he eateth with a Dcubiifig Confcience. If he had faid fo, I grant the Reafon of his Propofition would have reached all Doubting Men in all Cafes ; but this is that which he faith. He that poubteth is Condemned if he eat, he- caufe he eateth not of faith.
So that if there be any Doubtful Cafes wherein a Man may Aci with raith not- withftanding his Doubt ; I hope it will be allowed, that thofe Cafes are excepted out of St. PauW Propofition.
Now, that there are fuch Cafes ; and that our Cafe/ of Obeying Authority is one of them, I thus prove.
Whofoever fo ASs, as that he is fa- tisfied in his own Mind, that what \\q, doth is according to his Duty in tlie pre- fent Circumilances ; fuch a Man Ads with ¥aith in Reference to that Action. This is evident from the very Notion of faith ^ as it is here Ipoken of, of which I have before given an Account.
But now it is very poffible, that a Man may have a Doubt concerning the Law- fulnefs oi an Aftion, and yet be in fuch Circum fiances, as that he fhall be fatisiied that is very reafonahie and agreeable to his Dmy^ nay, (as the Cafe may be) that he iii really houhd to do jhat Adion concern- ing which he thus Doubts, rather than not to do it : Becaufe the not doing that
Acliooj
a Doubting Conscience. fry 3
Action, all Things conlidered, appears to him more dangerous, or attended with worfe Confequences,
This now being granted, it undeniably follows; That where-ever a Man lights in- to thefe Circumftances, he is nor a Sinnerj even according to the ftri8:eft Senfe of thefe Words though he Ad with fome kind of Doubt, becaufc he Ads in Faith ; That is, he is refolved in his own Con- fcience, that thus it behoveth him to ad in the prefent Cafe, and that it would be unreafoncMe or Sinful to ad otherwife.
So that let our Adverfaries make the moil of St. Patdh Words that they can, it is a very Illogical Inference, to fay, That whoever Ads with a Doubt upon his Confcience in any Cafe, is guilty of Sin ; and much more is it fo, to affirm it; in our prefent Cafe of Obeying Authority, For it is certain, that many Men are (and I believe all Men may be) fatisfied, that in a purely doubtful Cafe, it is not only more reafonable^ but their Duty to Obey their Superiours.
Well, But it will be faid, Do not we here talk Contradidions ? Can a Man have Faith about an Adion, that is, be refolved in his own Confcience that fuch an Adion is to be done, or may Law- fully be done, and yet doubt concerning ip at the fame Time.
I An-
4-74 ^ Bifcourfe concerning
I Anfwer, This is fo far from being a Contradiftion, that it is a Cafe that eve- ry Day happens, where a Man hath a Doubt on both fides, as it is in the In- fiance before us. A Man often hath ve- ry great Doubts of the Lawfulnefs of this or the other A(3:ion, when he con- Uders the Ad ion in general : But yet when he comes to weigh the Circumilances he is in, and the Reafons he hath in thofe Circumftances for the doing the Adion ; he may be perfwaded, that it is better for him to do the Aftion, than to let it alone, notwithftanding all the Doubts he hath about it : that is, Though he doubt of the Lawfulnefs of the A&ion it felf, confidered without his prefent Circum- ilances; yet as it comes Circumftan- tiated to him, he doth not doubt but it may be Lawfully done by him. But of this I have fpoke largely before, in my Explication of the Rule of a Doubting Confcience.
oj But is not all Doubting contrary to Faith ? 1 Anfwer, No, it is not : For fuch kind o^ Doubting as we here fpeak of, doth, we fee, very well confift with Faith, My meaning is, it is not necelTary, in order to a Man's having Faith about an Adion, that all his Doubts concerning that A£lion ~ Jhould bcdeflroyed; it is abundantly fuffi- cient tliat they be over-ballamcL
That
a Douhthtg Ccnfcience. 475
That which I would fay, is this. Where-ever a Man hath fuch a degree of Verfrv.ijion toucliing any Action he is deh'- berating about, that he believes it more advifable to a reafonable Man, all Things conlidered, to do that Adtion, than to forbear it 3 fuch a Man hath all the Faith that is needful to the doing that Adion with a fafe Confcience ; though in the inccin Ti'iTie he may have {uch Doubts concerning that A(£tion, as will perhaps be too hard for him to refohe, and will create him likewife fome trouble and un- eafmefs in the doing of it. Though in- deed, to fpcak properly, I think thefe ought not any longer to be called Doubts^ after they are thus over-ruled or over-bal- ianced\ but rather to go under the Name and Notion oi pure Scruples^ which the Cafedfis of all Perfwafions do not only allow, but advife that a Man fhould afet a- gainft.
In plain Englijhy That Doubtfulnefs a- bout an AQ:ion which St. Paul fpeaks of, and which he Cenfures as a Sin, was fuch a Doubtfulnefs^ as after the Adlion was done, rendred the Man Self-condemned -, his Confcience could not but reproach him for doing as he did : But now in pur Cafe, the Man is not at all Self condem- ned, becaufe he hath the Teftimony of his Confcience that he hath aded according to the beft of his Judgment and Pifcre-
tioi]o
476 A Difconrfe concerning
don. Though he a£ls with a Douk^ yet he is fatisfied he hath made the moft reafon- able Choice that he could in his Circum- ' fiances. And where-ever a Man doth fo, he both Ads in Faith^ and without any danger of Condemnation from his own Confcience.
So that after all the Bufiile that is made about doing or forhearmg an Action with a Doubting Confcience ; you fee there is no great intricacy in the Cafe, nor any ne- ceflity of Sinning on both Hands, always fuppofing a Man to be Sincere and Honeft. For if he be really fo, he will always do that which he judges moft according to his Duty, or at leaft, that which he judges to be confident with it ; and where-ever a Man doth thus, it is certain he A6ts with a fafe Confcience, notwithftanding any Doubt he may have about the Adion. Bccaufe more than the former a Man can- not do, and more than the latter he is not bound to do.
As for what Sins an Erroneous Confcience may ingage a Man in ; or what trouble- fome Refledlions a Melancholly Imagination may occafion to him in thefc Cafes; I am not to Anfwer for them, they are of another Confideration.
IV. Having thus largely treated of the Nature 0^ a Doubt i/ig Confcience^ and of the Rules by which a Man is to Ad, when- ever it happens ; and that, both when he
is
a Doitbtmg Co?ifcie?ice. 477
is left at his own Liberty^ and when he Is under the Commands of others : All that remains to be done, is to fpeak fomething > about the Authority or Obligation of a Doubting Confcience -, which is our Fourth and laft General Head.
But in Truth the Difcuflion of this might very well be fpared, after what I have faid relating to this Argument in feveral Places of the foregoing Difcourfe, particularly under my laft Head. How- ever I ihall endeavour to give fome Ac- count of this Point; though I intend it a very fliort one, becaufe, indeed what I have to offer is not fo much any new Matter, as an Application of the Prin- ciples I have before laid down to our prefent Purpofe*
The Point in Queftion is concerning the Authority of a Doubtir^ Confcience : Or, Whether a Doubting Confcience doth bind at all, and how far?
In Anfwer to this, I fay in General; It is certain that a Doubting Confcience of it felf lays no Obligation at all upon a Maa any way : Indeed it is a kind of Contra-* didion to fuppofe that it fliould.
For, I pray, What is the Notion of a Doubting Confcience^ but this, That a Maa is uncertain or unrefolved in his Mind, whether as to this particular Adion he be bound or not bounds To fuppofe now, that a Man is obliged m Confcience either
wayj
478 ^ T)ifcourfe concerning
way, by virtue of this Doubt-, is plainly to fuppofe, that a Man takes himfelf to be bounds while yet at the fame time he is difputing with himfelf whether he be bound or no.
To fpeak this plainer if I can. Since Confcience, as I have often faid, is no- thing elfe but a Man's 'Judgment concerning Actions^ whether they be Duties or Sins^ or in-' different : And fince the Law of God Com- manding or Forbidding Anions, or neither Commanding or Forbidding them ; is the only Rule by which a Man can judge what Actions are Duties^ and what are Sinsj and what are Indifferent: It plainly fol- lows, that a Man cannot be bound in Con- fcience to do any Adion, which it doth not appear to him, that God's Law hath fome way or other Commanded^ and made a Duty ; or to Forbear any A6iion which he is not convinced in his Judgment, that God's Law hath fome where or other For* bidden^ and fo made a Sin* And therefore, (ince in a Cafe where a Man is purely Doubtful^ he cannot be fuppofed to have any fuch Convictions that the Law of God doth either Command or Forbid the Adion Doubted of (for if he had, he would no lon- ger Doubt :.) It follows likewife by un- deniable Confequence, that a Man's Con* fcience is not bound on either fide of the A£l:ion, but he may either do it ov forbear it with a fafe Confcience.
So
a 'Doubting Conscience* 47P^
So that \i there be any Obh'gation at all upon a Man to Ad thus, rather than o- therwife in a Doubtful Cafe; that Obli- gation muft arife upon one of thefe two Accounts, njiz. Either there is fome La]v of God concerning a Doubting Conscience which hath tied a Man up to fuch precife Meafures of AQing : Or, at leaft a Man hath a Perfevafony that there is fome fuch Law of God.
< Now I grant, That in both thefe Cafes, there doth a direft Obligation pafs upon the Man's Confcience : But then it is to be remembred, that this Obligation doth not arife from the Man's being Doubtful in his Confcience ; but from his being re- fohed in his Confcience : That is to fay, if there be really any fuch Lmv of God ; it is the Obligation of a Right Confcience : Or if there be not, but the Man only judges that there is ; it is then the Obligation of an Erroneous Confcience : But as for the Ob- h'gation of a Doubting Confcience there is no fuch thing.
The great, therefore, or indeed the on- ly Point that is to be inquired into, in or- der to the Refolution of our prefent Quefti- on, is this. Whether there be any Law of God which doth determine our Adions one way or other, in the Cafe of a Doubt j and what that Law is ?
Now in Anfwer to this Inquiry, I fay. That it doth not appear that there is any
€XDjre&
ijSo A Difcourfe cojicernlng
exprefe Law of God in Holy Scripture, that hath laid any Obligation upon us as to this particular of a Doubting Confcience, either one way or other.
The only Texts that I know o^f, which are thought to make for this purpofe, are the Two Paffages m the 14th of the Ro- jnansy which I have before largely given aa Account of, viz. That in the 5 th Verfe, Ijet every Man be fully perfwaded in his own Mind, And that other in the laft Verfe, He that Doubteh is damned if he eatj hecaufe he eateth not of Faith. But now I think I have made it plain, by feveral Arguments, that thcfe Texts do not at all concern our prefent Cafe of a Doubting Confcie'nce^ properly {o called. ,
So that there being no exprefs Particular Law of God in Scripture, about adiing with a Doubting Confctence^ we feem to be left as to that Affair, to the General Laws of God, as they are declared, whether by Nature or Scripture,
Now the moft that any Man can be Obliged to by the General Laws of Gorf, whether Natural or Revealed^ in the Cafa of a Doubt, is only thefe Two Things. Firfl:, to ufe his Endeavour to get himfelf as well inftrudled in his Duty, as his Cir- cumflances and Opportunities will allow him. And Secondly, where he is at a lols for Information in that Cafe, tp ad as rea- fonably as he can.
I.d9
a Doubting Cojifciencei 481
I do not fay, that a Man in every Doubt- ful Cafe that happens, is ftritlly obliged to thus much. But I fay, it is impoiTible he fhould be obliged to more. Becaufe in- deed more than this he cannot do; and no Man -can be obliged to more than is in his Power.
Where-ever therefore a Man m a Doubt- ful Cafe takes care to obferve thefe Two Things, he Ads with a ffe Confcience, however he may a£l Doubtingly in that Cafe.
Thus far I think we are clear beyond Exception. But it may be, fome will not be fatisfied with this Account of our Pointy but will be putting a farther Queftion.
We have before laid down feveral Kulei about a Man's Ading in a Doubtful Cafe^ the Sum of all which comes to no more than what wd have now faid, viz,. Tlmf in every doubtful Cnfe a Man is to aci as reafon^ ably as he can, ' The Queilion now is, Whe^ ther a Man is ftriftly bouni in Confcience always to follow this Rule? Oc-f which ia to the fame effed, Whether a Man in a Matter concerning which he iiath only at pire Doubt^ may not without Sin iadif' ferently chufe either fide of ^the Adion, though yet perhaps one fide; doth appear to him more reifonabk o^siimt^- fafe tlla-a the other ? r- ,'\'-. ? = .' ' . '
This Qiiefttoix 'is indeed 'more curious than ufefuL. But however, fince it properly
V o'l. IL ' I i falls
A Difcotirfe concernmg
falls under the Argument we are hdw treating of, and tends fomewhat to the clearing of it; I fhall venture to fay fome- thing to it. Only I declare before-hand, that I mean not in what I fliall fay, to ad'ert any thing Dogmaticallj/, but only to propofe, in order to further Examination : And withal, that whether that which we fay be True or Falfe ; it doth not at all affed the Merits of the main Caufe we have undertaken.
That now which I have to fay to this Queftion, is this. That though it be eter- nally iit and natural^ and conducing to a Man's Ha^finefs both ia this World and the other, that he fliould in all Cafes, and efpecially in Doubtful CafeS) govern his Anions by the belt Reafon that he bath (and certainly the Wifer and the Beuer any Man is, the morefteadily will he pur* fue this Rule:) Yet, on the other hand, I dare not fay, that a Man is ftridly bound in Confciencc fo to do ; fo as tbat he is properly guilty of Sin if he do not.
My Reafon is this; Becaufe theiie is no Law of God whicii doth oblige us i'n all Cafes, to do that which is Bejt: And if we be not bound to do always that which is Befty we are not bound to do always that which is moft ReafbmbU', ^ certainlv, that which is Befty is always raoft Reafonme : And if We be not bound to do that which is moft ReafonabUy much lels
are
a Donhtjng Confaence.
are we bound to do that which is Safeft^ becaufe that which is S^fsfly is not always either Be(t or mod Reajonahle, And [^ there be no Law of God that doth obh'ge us to any of thefe Things ; tlien it is cer- tain we do not Sin if we Aft othei'wife. For where there is no Law, there ts no Tranf-^ greffton.
Now, That the firfl: of thefe Principles \s True, we have as good Proof as caa be defired, viz,» the Authority of St* Pmli who hath in the 7th of the Firfi of the Corinthians thus determined : And if that be true, the other Two mud: needs be fo likewife, becaufe they follow from it by unavoidable Confequence.
Taking now this for granted. I ask^ what Law doth a Man Tranfgrefs, that in a purely Doubtful Cafe, chufeth either fide indifferently, without refpeft to what is Safejl or moft Re aj on ablet Always fup- pofing that the fide lie chufeth, be not irt itfelf evil and forbidden by God. I fay, according to thefe Principles he tranf- greileth no Law at all, and confeqnently cannot properly be faid to Sin at all.
If the Man be at all guilty, it is upon one of thefe Accounts, viz, either becaufe he Afteth againll the dt^ate of his Con* fcience^ or becaUfe he A6leth againll the Law of God, In preferring that which is lefs reafonable and /^/^, befor^ rthart whiclii is rtiore fo^ .. ;■
li 2 No\4%
A Difcourfe concerning
Now, Upon the former account he k not at all guilty, for his Confcience hath paffed no Dilate, no Verdici in this Mat^ ter, and therefore he cannot be fuppofed to Ad againil: any fuch Dilate or Verdici : The Man is in fuch a State that he ei- ther believes he may Ad as be doth, with- out Violation of his Duty : Or, at leaft he hath no belief to the contrary ; fo that his Confcience doth not any way Condemn him. , ,1. yd
And as for the other thing, of his not chufmg that fide of the Doubtful Cafe which appeared to him mofl reafonable\ it is true, if there was any Law of God which obliged him to make fuch a Choice, he would be guilty of Sin if he chofe o- therwife. But now it doth nOt appear, tiiat there is any fuch Law of God. Nay, fo far from that, that it appears from St, Fauly that there is no fuch Law? but that every Man is left to his own Liber- ty in this Matter ; always fuppofing that he take care not to chufe, or do any thing that he judgeth to be inconfiftent with his Duty ; which in our Cafe we do lil^e- wife fuppofe.
But then having faid this, we muft add further. That though we here have concluded, that no Man, in a Doubtful Cafe, properly fo called , \% ftridly obliged by any Law of God, un- dei' the Penalty oi Swy to chufe ope lide
; niore
a Doubting Confcience. 485
more than another, but may indifferently chufe either.
Yet in the Firfi Place, W|ioevcr doth helieve^ or is perfwaded in his own Mind, either that he ought not at all to Ad a- gainft a Douk, or that in every Doubtful Cafe he is bound to follow the Jafer fide, fuch a Man, fo long as he fb believes, cannot without Sin Aft according to the Principles we have now laid down.
And Secondly, We are far from en- couraging any Man to A61 thus Hand over Head in a Doubtful Cafe ; much lefs from commending him for fo doing. For though we fay, that, ftridly fpeaking, a Man doth not Sin which way foever he Ad: in a purely Doubtful Cafe ; yet on the other hand, I think he is but in a low Difpenfa- tion as to Venue and Goodnefs^ that never looks further into his Aftions, nor takes more care about them, than only that they be not diredly SinfuL
He that is heartily Good, will with St. Faul^ not only confider what Things are Lawful^ but what Things are Expedient and do Edifie,
It will not ordinarily be fufficient to ingage fuch a Man in an Adion, to fatisfy him, that he may do that Adion, without tranfgrefling any Law of God : But he will examine whether the doing or forbear^ ing the Aftion doth more ferve the ends of Vertue and Charity. And according-
A Difcourfe concerjiing
Jy as that appears to him, fo will he de*- termine his Choice.
In a Wore), The Better and the more yertuous any Man is, the more delicate and tender Senfe will he have, not only of that which the Law of God hath pre- cifely made his Duty, and fo in a proper Senfe doth oblige his Confcience ; but alfo of ^V^ry thing that is Reafomhle and Excellent and Praife-worthy : So that it will really grate upon his Mind, to do many Things, which in Ihi^l fpeaking, cannot be ac- counted unlawful or forbidden.
And thus it is in our prefent Cafe. If we fuppofe a Man to be a Devout Chri- ftian, and a fmcere Lover Of God, he wrll not be able to prevail with himfelf, in a Q-x'i^ where he Doubteth^ to chufe either fide indifcriminately (though if he fliould, I do not know, as I fa id betore, what Law of God he tranfgrclTeth:) but he will weigli and confidcr the Reafons on both fidts, and.tliat which appears to him, after fuch Confidcration, to be moll rea- ibnable and conducing to God's Glory, and his own, and the World's Good, that fhall have the preference.
To come to a Conclufion. The Sum oi what I have now faid, is this. As Confcience is the immediate Guide of our Actions ; So the Rule by which Confci- ence itfelf is to be guided, is the LaW of pod, and nothing eife.
Though
a Douhtmg CoJifcience.
Though therefore we cannot be fafe la following our Confcience, where our Con- fciencc is not guided by the Law of God, (becaufe, as I have often faid, our falfe Judgment of Things doth not cancel our Obligation to Ad according to what the Laws of God require of us ; unlefs we can juftly plead unblameable Ignorance of thofe Laws:)
Yet, on the other hand, where-ever Confcience tells us, that we muft do this Adion, becaufe the Law of God hath commanded it ; we muft do it, or we Sit?,
And again, Where-ever Confcience tells us, that we muft ^T^o/W this Adion, becaufe the Law of God Imth forbidden it, we muft for If ear that Adion, or we Sm,
But if Confcience cannot fay, that this Adion is commanded or forbidden ; there we are not tyed under the penalty of Sin- ningj either to do or to/(?r^^^r that Adion.
But yet if a Man's Confcience fhould thus fuggeft to him; Though I cannot fay jdiredly that this Adion is a Duty^ or that it is a Sin, becaufe I am at a lofs how the Law of God ftands as to this Matter, and confequently, I cannot lay any direft Obligation upon you either way ; yet my Advice is, that you would chufe this way, ratlier than the other : For this way, all Things confidered, appears moft fit aud reafonable to be chofen ; for their is more Probability that this is the right way than li 4 the
A Difcourfe concerning'
the other : or there is lefs harm^ though yuu fliould be miftaken, in going this way then the other : Now in this Cafe, though a Man be not properly obliged uri- der the Guilt of 67;-; to obey his Conlcience, becaule Confcicnce doth not propoie the Choice to hicn under that Condition, yet if he be a wife and a good Man, he will undoubtedly chufe that fide which Con- fcience, all Things confidered, hath re- prcfented to him to be the moll p and rea- fonable to be chofen,
And thus much concerning our Fourth and laft General Head. •'
Thus I have largely DifcufTed the Cafe of a Dofiht/f/g Conjcience in General, and Anfwered all the Confiderable Enquiries, that can be made about it. I am not fenlible that I have left any material Dif- ficulty in this Argument untouched ; though I am very lenfible I have faid a great deal more than needed, in order to the Refokitipn of thatCafe, for the fake of which, I undertook this Difcourfe. But I Intended fuch a DiicufTion of this Argument, as would ferve for all other Cafes as well as that. .
I do not know whether it be needful to make a particular Application of what I have faid upon a Doubting Confcience to the Cafe of our prefent DJiTenters. However, it will not be amifs if I offer fomething towards it ; li it be but to fa\^
the
a Douhthig Confcience, 489
die Reader who is concerned in that Cafe the Labour and Trouble of doing it.
The Cafe whichlann to fpeak to is briefly this: There are levtrral Perfons that are unfatisfied about the Lawfulnefs of our Communion, as it is eftabiilhed and en- joyned ; and that, upon feveral Accounts. Some perhaps Doubt of the LawfuLiefs of all Forms of Prayer. Others about the Lawfulnefs of ot^r Form. Others Doubt a- bout the Lawfulnefs of our Cerumonies, or our way of Adminiltring the Sacrament: And others it may be about other Things. None of them can indeed fay, that any of thefe Things do go againfl: their Confci- ence, or that they believe the ufeof them to be unlawful :' For that is the Cafe of a R.Jolved Confcience, with which we have nothing here to do : But they are undeter- mimd and uncertain whether they be Law- ful or no ; and fo long as they continue under this Sufpence of Judgment, they dare not joyn in our Worfhip \ fearing they would Sin againft God if they fhould.
Now of thofe that thus Doubt there may be Two Sorts.
There are fome perhaps that have only a Single Doubt in this Matter ; that is to fay. They make a Doubt whether they may Lawfully ]oyn with us, fo long as thofe fufpected Conditions are required of them : But they make no Doubt, but are very well fatisfied, that they may Lawfully 6V^ far ate from US. Again?
490 A Difcourfe co7tcer7ihjg
Again, there are others that Doubt on both fides as they have good Reafon to do. That is, As they Doubt on one haDd, whether the Terms of our Communion be not Sinful : So they Doubt oh the other hand, whether it be not Swful to Separate upon account of thofe Terms.
Now of thefe hkewife^ there may be Two Sorts.
Some perhaps are equally Doubtful whe- ther the Terms of our Communion be Lawful or no.
Others Doubt unequally ; that is, are more inclined to believe that they are Sinfuly than that they are Lawful.
That now which is to be enquired into is ; What is moft Reafonable and Advile^ able in Point of Confcience to be done m each of thefc Cafes.
Now as to the Firft of thefe Cafes, where a Man hath only a Doubt on one fide, and that is, Whether he may La w^ fully Communicate with us ; but he hath no Doubt that he may Lawfully Separate. To this I fay Two Things.
F/r/, That the Man's Doubting only on one fide in this Matter, doth not make it more fafe for him to Separate, than if he had Doubted on both fides. Becaufe in- deed i^ he muft Doubt at all, it is his Duty, he is bound to Doubt on both fides ; and he is guilty of grofs aud criminal Ig- norance of the Laws of God, if he do nor.
And
a Douhthtg Confaefice. 491
And if To, then his Doubting only on one fide, doth not alter the Cafe, but it muft have the fame Refolution as if it was a Double Doubt proper ly fo called.
If it be faid, that it is a conftant Rule of a Doubting Confcience, and we have allowed it as fuch ; that in Cafes where a Man hath only a Doubt on one fide of an Adion, it is more iafe to chufe that fide on which he hath no Doubt, than that other concerning which he Doubts : I do readily grant it. But it is to be remem- bred, that that Rule is always intended, and doth only obtain in fuch Cafes where a Man may certainly without danger of Sinning forbear that Adion of the Law- fulnefs of which he Doubts ; though he cannot without danger of Sinning do the Adion fo long as he Doubts about it. JBut now in our Cafe here, it is evident tp all Men that are not wilfuU)^ blind, that as there may be a danger of Sinning^ if a Man fhould conform with a Doubting Confcience ; fo there is certainly a danger of Sinning (^nsiy J and we fay amuchgreat- ter danger) if a Man do not conform. So that that Rule hath here no Place at all.
The truth is, Our Cafe if it be rightly put, is this. A Man is here fuppofed tq Reafon thus with himfelf. ' I am very well ' fatisfied in my own Mind, and I make • no Doubt at all, that I may Lawfully ,' and without danger of Sin, cut my felf
off
492 >A D'tfconrfe concernmg
* off from the Communion of the Churcli-
* [which yet by his Chriftianity he is ^ bound to maintain and preferve as far ^ as he can] And I may like wife Law-
* fully and without danger of Sinning,
< live in a coniiant Difobedience and Re-
< fradorinefs to all that Authority that
< God hath fet over me [to which yet ^ by as plain Laws as any are in Nature, ^ or the Gofpel, he is bound to be Sub- ^ jeO: :] I fay, I ^mfatisfied in my own Mind, ^ that I may Lawfully do both thefe
* Things. But I am very twfatisfied and
* doubtful whether in my prefent Circum-
* fiances, it is not my Duty thus to do ; fo ^ as that I fhall SmUl do not.
What now would any Prudent Man fay to this Cafe ? Why certainly he would fay this ? That he who can Doubt after this Fafhion, is either a very /// Man or a very Ignorant one. And that fuch a Man doth a great deal more ftand in need of good Advtce^ and wholfome Inflructions a- bout the plain Duties of Chriftianity ; than of Rules and Direct was how to be- have himfclf in Doubtful Cafes. Becaufe indeed the beft Riiles of that kind are not to his his Cafe, fo long as he con- tinues-thus Ignorant. And if he fliould obferve them., yet that would not juftifie his A£^ing, if it fliould indeed prove con- trary to the Law of God, becaufe it was both in his Power, and it was his Duty
to
a Douhthig Confaence. 493
^o know better. A Man's Right pro- ceeding according to the Rules of a Doubt- ing Confciemey in a Cafe where he is is en- tangled by a wilfully Erroneous one ; will no more difcharge him from Sm^ as to his Souly if he do an evil Adion ; than the Second ConcoQion, though never fo regular, > can redifie the Errors of the Firji as to his Body,
But Secondly, Though that which I have now offered be the proper Anfwer to the Cafe before us ; yet there is this further to. be faid to it, vis.. Though vi^e fliouldfuppofe that the Law of God had not obliged us to keep the unity of the Church, or to Obey our Lawful Superiours; but had left it as an indifferent Matter, and that there was no danger at all in /(?r^^^r/>z^thefe Things; . but the only danger was in doing them : So that the Doubt about Conformity, ilaould have perfedly the Nature of a Single Doubty as it is put in the Cafe : I" fay, now even upon this Suppofition k will bear a juft Difpute, whether C>;;/^r- mity or Non-conformity be the more eligible fide; Nay , I fay further, that if the Rule I laid down about a Single Doubt be true, it will appear, that as thefe Things now ftand, it is more reajonable for a Man to Obey the Laws, and Communicate with the Church, lb long as he hath only a bare Doubt about the Lawfalnefs of thefe Things, than, to .Difobey and Separate.
494 -^ Difcourfe concerning
For thus I Argue. Though in a Si?igte Doubt the Rule be, That a Man fhould chufe that fide of an Adion concerning which he hath no Doubt) rather than that concerning which he Doubts: Yet, as was faid before, that Rule is always to be underilood with this Provifi, That all other Confiderations in the Cafe be equal- If it fhould happen that a very great Good. may be compafTed, or a very great Evtl may be avoided, by Acting on the Doubt- ful fide: That very Confideration hath weight enough with a Wife Man to turn the Ballance on that fide; and to make that which abftra£t:edly confidered, was a Doidbtful Cafe, to be clear and flain when it comes cloathed with fuch Circumftances. As I gave Inftances in the Cafe of Ujury and Law Suits. And Twenty more might be added to them, if it was to any Purpofe.
If this now be admitted for Truth, we have a plain Refolution of the Cafe be- fore us, that is this. There are fo many great Advantages both to the Kingdom^ and to a Man s felf, to be obtained by Worfhipping God in the way of the Church ; and likewife fo many both Pulp- lick and Private Mifchiefs and Inconve- niences that are confequent upon Separa- tion : That if in any Cafe thefe Confidera- tions have weight enough to Over-ballanc« a firaple Doubt about the Lawfulnefsof an A^ion, d*ey will certainly have fu^
ficieni
a Doubting Confcience. 495
ficient weight in this Cafe. And that a Man who is not Swayed by them, doth not Aft fo reafonably as he might do.
Foi- my part, I fliould think it very foolifhly done of any Man, that, {0 long as he is utterly uncertain whether he be iR the Right or the Wrong (as every one that Doubteth is) Ihould be fo confident of his Point ; as to venture upon it no lefs a ftake than the Ve^ce of the KjngAom where he lives, and the Security of the Religion Eftablilhed ; and withal his own Ka[e and Liberty^ and laftly, the Fortunes aKb of his Pofterity. And yet fuch a wife Venture as this doth every one among us make, that upon the account of a bare Douk a- bout the Lawfulnefs of the Things en- joyned in our Communion, doth perftjft: rn Difobedience to the Goverment, and Separation from the Churcii.
I wilh this was well confidered by our Doubting Diffenters : They are wife enough as to the World in other Matters : it is to be defired that they would be a^ wife in this. And if they were, I dare (ay it would not at all prejudice their Wifdom as to the other World. It will be but little either to their Comfort or their Reputa* tion at the long-run, to have it faid of them ; that befides the Difturbance they have all along Occafioncd to the PubHclc ^eace and Umty^ they have alfo brought their Efiatos and Fmnliei into danger of
Ruin;i
49^^ -^ Difcourfe concerithtg
Ruin, by the juft Profecutions of Law they have drawn upon themfelves ; and all this for the fake of a Caufe they them- felves muft confefs, they are altogether uncertain and unrefolved about.
But this will appear much clearer, when we have fet the Doubt about Cott-^ formity upon the right Foot, 'viz,, Confidered it as a Double Doubt ^ as indeed it is, in its own Nature : Which I come now to do.
In the Second place. There are other Diffenters who (as they have good Rea- fon) do Doubt on bothCides of this Qi-ieftion. As they Doubt on one band, whether it be not a <S/> to Conform to our Wor- fiiip ; becaufe there are feveral Things in- It which they fufpeft to be unlawful: So on the other hand, they Doubt whe- ther it be not their Duty to Conform to it ; becaufe the Laws of the Church and of the Land, do require them fo to do. And of thefe, as I faid, there are like-' wife Trvo Sorts. Some perhaps are equally Doubtful whether the Terms of our Com^ munion are Lawful or no, and confequent- ly muft Doubt equally whether they be bound to Conform or no. Others Doubt unequally : That is to fay, of the Two, it ap-*- pears more probable to them, that our Com- munion is Sinfuly than that it is a Dutyi ■
Now as to the Firft of thefe Cafes^ The Anfwer is very fhort, and it is this. * We Jiave before proved by many Ar-^
^ guments^
a Douhthig Confaence, 497
* guments, that in a Cafe of a Pure Doubt, ' about the Lawfulnefs of an Adion where
* the Probabilities on both fides are pret- ^ ty equal: In that Cafe the Command of ^ Authority doth always turn the Bal^
* lance on its own fide ; fo, as that it is not
* only reafonable for the Man to do that
* in Obedience to Authority, of the Law- ^ fulnefs of which he Doubteth ; but it is
* his Duty to do it ; he Sins if he do not. For this I refer my Reader to the Third General Head of this Difcourfe.
The only difficulty thereof is m the other Cafe, where the Doubt is unequal. And here the Cafe is this. As the Man ap- prehends himfelf in danger of Sinning if he do not come to Church, and obey the Laws; fo he apprehends himfelf in a greater danger of Sinning if he do : Be- caufe it doth appear more probable to him, that our Communion is 5/>////, than that it is a Dut^ : and a greater Probablity, ceteris faribus^ is always to be chofen before a lefs.
But to this likewife we are ready pro- vided of an Anfwer from the foregoing Dif- courfe, viz. ' That though it fhould be ^ fuppofed, that in fuch a Cafe as this, where ' the Baillance is fo far inclined one way 5 ' the Authority of our Superiours alone
* will not have weight enough to caft it oia « its own fide : Yet in this Particular Cafe i of Church Communion, there are fo i marty other Arguments to be drawn front ' Y o La il.' K k i\n
A Djfcourfe concermng
* the Con fideration of the greater Sin^ and the ' more dreadful ConfequenceSy of difobeying ' the Laws than of obeying them ; as will
* with any Impartial Confcientious Man ' out-weigh all the Probabtlites on the other ' fide, fo long as they are not fo great as
* to create a Perfwafwn ; and make it rea- ' fonable for him rather to Conform^ how ' llrong foever his Doubt be about the ' Lawfulnefs oi Conformity (fo long as it is
* but a Doubt -y) than to continue in 6V-
* faration. Vide Third Propofitfon about a ' Double Doubt pag. 404.-
This is the Iffue upon which we will try the Point before us, and I refufe no indifferent Man, that will but have the Patience to hear what we have to fay, to be Umpire between us and our Diffenting Brethren, as to this Controverfy.
In the Firft Place, let us fuppofe and admit, that the Man who hath thefe Doubts and Suspicions about the Lawful- nels of out Elfablifhed Worfhip, doth really Doubt on the true fide; and that he would indeed be a TranfgrelTor of the Law of God, if he fhould Conform to it. But then it muft be admitted likewife, that That Law of God which forbids thefe Things in difpute, is wonderfully obfcurely declared.
There are no dire8: Prohibitions, either in the Law of Nature or the Book oiGod a- bout thofe Things that are now Contefted ;
a Doubthig Confaence, 499
fo that the unlawfulnefs of them is only to be concluded from Confequences.
And thofe Confequences like wife are fo obfcure, that the Car',.j.ick Church, from Chrift's Time till our Reformation, was wholly ignorant of them. For though it doth appear, that either theie, or the like Ufages, have always been in the Church ; Yet it doth not appear, in all that compafs of Time, either that any particular Church ever condemned them as Sinful : Or indeed, that any particular Chriftian did ever Se- parate from the Church upon the Account ofthem.
And even at this Day, thefe Confe- quences by which they are proved unlaw- ful, are not difcovered by our Governours either in Church or State, No, nor by as Learned and Religious Divines of all Per- fwafions as any in the World.
The moft Divines, by far the moft ; and thofe as Pious and as Abie as any, are clear- ly of Opinion, that there is nothing Udarv- ftd in our Worfhip ; but that, on the con- trary, all Things therein prefcribed are at leaft Innocent, and free from Sin, if not Pure and Apoftolical.
So that if it fliould at laft prove, that they are all miftaken : Yet the Law of God, which forbids thefe Things, being fo very obfcure, and the Senfe of it fo hardly to be found out ; it is a great Prefumption that a Man may very innocently and inculpably
Kk 2' h^ '
A Difcourfe concerning
be Ignorant of it. And if fo, it will be a very little, or no fin at all in him to aQ: a- gainft it : Becaufe if it was not his Duty to know this Law, it cannot be his Sin that his Pradice is not according to it. And if it was his Duty to know it, yet it being fo ob feu rely delivered, and only to be gather- ed by fuch remote Confequences ; it can at mofl be but a Sm of Ignorance^ in an or- dinary Perfon, where fo many of the beft Guides are niiftaken, if he fhould trangrefs it.
And then farther. This muft likewife be confidered ; That if Conformity to our , Liturgy and Worfhip ftiould prove a Sin in any Inftance : Yet the Evil Confequences of it extend no farther than the Man's Per- fon that is guilty of it. There is no damage arifeth either to the Chriftian Religion, or to the Publick Intereft of the Kingdom, by any Man's being a Confor- mift. But on the contrary, as Things ftand with us ; Umy and Conformity tO the Efta- blifhed way, feem to bring a great Ad° vantage to both (as I hinted before) and to be a probable means to fecure us from many Dangers, with which our Reformed Religion, and the Peace of the Kingdom is threatned.
Well, but now on the other hand« Let us fuppofe the contrary fide of the QLieftion to be true, viz,. That our GO' vernour^ in this Matter are in the Rtght^,
and
a "Doubting Confctence. 501
and we are in the Wron^. That there is nothing required of us in the Church of Englatid, as a Term of Communion, but what is very Innocent and Lawful ; how- ever it be our misfortune to Doubt that there is ; and in a zealous Indulgence to thefe Doubts, we take the liberty to live in open difobedience to our Lawful Go- _ venours, and break the Unity of the Church into which we were Baptized.
I fay, admitting the Thing to be thus ; what kind of Sm fhall we be guilty of then ? Why certainly we are guilty of no lefs a Sin than caufelefly dividing the Body o^ Chrifiy againft which we are {6 feverely cautioned in the New Teftament;
We are guilty of the Breach of as plain Laws as any are in the Bible, viz. Of all thofe that oblige us to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace : that Com- mand us to Obey thofe that are over us irt the Lord ; to he SuhjeB to the Higher Powers \ to fubmit to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord'^s fake; to befubjeci not only for Wrath^ but for Confcience fake, I fay, thefe plain Laws we dtfobey for Confcience fake ; and we difobey them top in fuch Inftances, where we have the whole Catholick Church of old, and far the greateft and the beft part of the prefent Church, of a different Perfwafion from us.
Well, but as if this was not enough. "What are the Confequences of this our
Sin?
C02 ui Difcourfe concerning
Sin? (For by the Confequences of a Sin, the greatnefs of it is always to be eftimated, I fpeak as to the Material part of it, with which we are here concerned.) Why, they are moft Terrible and Dreadful, both with refped to our felves and others.
By this unnatural Separation, we do, for any thing we know, put our felves out of the Communion of the Catholick Church ; and confequently out of the en- joyment of the ordinary means of Sal- vation.
We maintain and keep up Divifions and Diforders in the Church, and lend a help- ing hand to all thofe Animofities and Hatreds, all that bitter Contention and Strife, and Uncharitablenefs, which hath long torn the very Bowels of Chrift's Church, and given occafion to that Deluge of Atheifm, and Profanenefs, and Impie- ty which hath over-fpread the Face of it.
We put Affronts upon our Lawful Go- vernours, who iliould be in the place of God to us. We give Scandal to all our Brethren that make a Confcience of living Peaceably and Pioufly. And laftly, as we offer a very fair Handle and Pretence to all Difcontented and Fadious Men to Pra£f ife againft the Bsft of Governments ; lb we t^ake moft effectual courfe to Ruin the Beft Conftituted Church in the World, and with it the Reformed Religion in this Kingdom.
This
a Doubting Conference. 505
This now being the Nature, and thefe being the Confequences of our Separatiopt from the Eftabliflied Church among us; I leave it to any indifferent Man to Deter- mine^ whether any Donk about theLaw- fulnefs of our Communion, though that Doubt be backed -with gve^tev Probahilines than do appear on the other fide ; nay, if you \vill, wifch all the Probabilities that can confifl with the Nature of a Doubt ; can have weight enough to Ballance a« gainft fuch a Sin^ and fuch Confequences as Separation in our Cafe doth involve a Man in ? I think there is no unconcerned Perfon but will pronounce, that fuppofing where tliere are Doubts on both fides, a Man is to chufe that fide on which there is the leaft appearance of Sin ; he is in this Cafe certainly bound to chufe Communion with the Ertablifhed Church, rather than Separation from it. And that is all I Con* tend for.
But now, after all this is faid ; it muft b^ acknowledged, that if there be any Man who hath other apprchenfions of thefe mat- ters, and that after a Confideration of all things that are to be faid for or againft Con- formity, it doth appear to him upon thg whole matter, both movQ probable that our Communion is fmful, than that It is a Duty ; and withal, that to Communicate with us, will involve him in a greater ftn, and in worfe Qonfe^uemesj than to con- tinue
j4 Difcourfe:, &c*
tinue in Separation : I fay, if any Mari have fo unfortunate an underftanding as to make fuch an eftimate of things ; we muft acknowledge, that according to aU the Rules of a JJoubting Confcience, fuch ^ Man is rather to continue a Non-con?^ formift, than to obey the Laws of the King and the Church. But then let hint look to it ; for his ading ia this Cafe ac* cording to the Beft Rules of a Doubting Confcience, will not (as I faid before) at all acquit him either of the Guilt or Con- fequences of Criminal Schifm and Difobe- dience: Suppofing that indeed he is all along under a Miftake as (we fay) he certainly is ; and that there is nothing re- quired in our Communion, that he might not honeftly and lawfully comply withy as there certainly is not. Unlefs in the mean time, the Man fell into thefe Mif- takes without any Fault of his; and God Almighty^ who is the Judge of all Men^ Hearts and Circumftances, doth know he bad not means and opportunities to un- derftand better.
£m.
T/j^ End of the Second Vo x u m i.
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