The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. A Survey of the Causes of Disputes; Fourthly, Passion.
A FOURTH grand contributer to our dissentions is Passion, which being by God and nature placed in a subserviency to reason, when it quits its proper station and assumes empire, it must needs disorder and subvert not only the State of the Mind, but of Every thing upon which it has an Influence. I shall not here attempt any Philosophical discourse either of their nature or number; all that concerns the present enquiry falls under one of these two, our love, or our hate; and is either Kindness and Prepossession, or Spight and Prejudice: For the first of these 'tis a thing which common experience attests to be a most forcible corrupter of the understanding, which being by native right design'd a Iudge, is by this interrupted in its office, not permitted to make those impartial Enquiries, on which a right sentence should be founded. But (as it fares sometimes with Magistrates in Popular insurrections) forced to give countenance to its own violation, to own not its proper native dictates, but such as are presented to it, by the prejudicate Phancy. And as it thus lays restraint upon the superior part of the Mind, keeps the understanding in fetters, so (to complete the inversion) it takes off all ties from the inferior: Gives not only licence, but incitation to the other Passions to take their freest range, to act with the utmost impetuosity. And sure there can nothing more be requir'd, to render it a most apt instrument of Tumult and Confusion. For when every opinion that is taken up, shall instead of reason and argument, arm its self with heat and violence, there can be no end of contending. And the truth of this is, God knows, too sadly discernible in our Church-controversies, which derive a great deal of their warmth and bitterness from this Fountain.
OF this prepossession there are two Sorts, the one relating to Doctrine, the other to Persons; by the first I mean not a sober constancy to those principles which being first imbibed by education, are afterwards retain'd upon Iudgment, but an eager tenacity of Opinions, not so much upon Truth or Evidence, as upon a confus'd irrational kindness; a Platonick love of some Doctrine meerly for themselves, and then making them the standards, by which all others are to be measured: And this kind of Prepossession is no Stranger in the world, there being multitudes of men, who assert opinions with all imaginable vehemence, who can give no better ground of it, but because they like them: And as the wiser sort chuse a Tenet, because 'tis right, so these conclude 'tis right, because they have chosen it. And having thus enamour'd themselves of their Helena, they expect all should adore, nor can he scape the note of Profaneness that refuses. By this absurd partiality it is that some doctrines, which would themselves ill abide the Test, are become the Touch-stone both of Doctrines and Men, and no Opinion or Person sanctified which bears not this impress. I need not stand to give instances, either of the Doctrines or the unhappy influence this espousing of them has had on our dissentions; but indeed this kind of Prepossession is oftentimes the consequent of another; and this great veneration of some Opinions is founded in the reverence of their Authors. Men take up a confidence of the learning or sanctity of a Person, and then all his notions are received implicitly, strictly embraced, but not so much as slightly examin'd; and this admiration of mens Persons, has in all ages been of huge mischief to the Church, has nurst up private Phancies into solemn publick Errors, and given an unhappy perpetuity to many Heterodox opinions, which would else have expired with their first Propugners. This seems to have been foreseen by St. Paul, when he so earnestly exhorts the Corinthians against the ascribing their Faith, to their several respective Teachers: But sure I am, 'twas sadly experimented by the succeeding Christians, who owed many of their divisions to it. A pregnant instance hereof was the Millennium, which in spight of its improbability prevail'd long, and almost universally against the Truth upon the strength of Authority. Papias a holy man and Scholar of St. Iohn, having delivered it, the esteem of his Person canoniz'd his mistake, and men chose rather to admit a doctrine, whose unagreeableness to the Gospel Oeconomy rendred it suspicious, than think an Apostolick man could seduce them. And the force of this is yet more considerable, when 'tis remembred that it found Proselytes, not only among the Vulgar, who are commonly flexible to any new Impression, but among those of a higher rank, men that were lights in their generation: Iustin Martyr and Irenaeus having own'd the Opinion, and intimated it to have been received by many others no less Orthodox; and if such a seduction could prevail, so early in those purer times, before mens interests or spleen were adopted into their Religion, and begot voluntary errors, if I say the meer reputation of a Teacher, was then singly so operative; we cannot wonder at its efficacy in conjunction with those auxiliaries, which worse▪ times have brought in. What concurrence of those there was in the several Heresies, which after infested the Church, I shall not now examine, but 'tis visible that many of them grew considerable, chiefly from the fame of their Authors, thus Tatianus upon the credit of being Iustin Martyr's disciple, had an advantage to disseminate his errors, and not only his, but those of Origen Apollinaris and Novatus, gain'd abettors from the reputed Orthodoxy of the Persons, that propos'd them, who having asserted the Faith in some points, were qualified the more prosperously to appose it in others.
NOR has it been only the mishap of elder times to have felt the mischiefs of such praepossession; the disease has still advanced, and every day improved in worse effect, by how much men have more degenerated from primitive integrity, so that the easie Proselyte is now in danger, not only from the blindness, but the treachery of his guide, and is often led out of the common road, as thieves draw passengers into by-ways for the better opportunity of robbing them: But 'tis not my present business to send Hue and cry after them, to examine what the intentions of those leaders are, who misguide their tractable admiring followers, 'tis enough for my purpose to observe, that those who so deliver up themselves in a blind assent to the dictates of any man, are in his power to be abused by him if he pleases: I shall leave it to others, to estimate the probability that they shall not be actually so: But certainly this may be said, that these later ages have beyond all the former given Opportunities of seducing to any that will use them. The one establisht Doctrine of infallibility among the Romanists is eminent for its propriety that way, while under pretence of submission to something they call Infallible, 'tis evident that the faith of the ignorant Vulgar resolves its self into that which they acknowledge most fallible; the Doctrine of their immediate Teachers. But indeed take it at the best, such a perswasion is not only an error in its self, and an apt foundation for innumerable others, but it necessarily renders them incorrigible; the least retractation of a mistake being so inconsistent with the claim of infallibility, that while they retain the one, they must never attempt the other, nor can they cease to Erre, till they confess it possible they may do so. How much more than possible that has been, the many Innovations of that Church sufficiently witness; and consequently the danger of presuming upon the unerrableness of a guide. But would all that upbraid it there, were themselves secure from it, and that many did not in their practice transcribe that decried doctrine, and that too with the improvement of worse circumstances. I must call them worse, by how much the probabilities of Erring are greater under the extemporary conduct of a Private person, than the fixt rules of a community, and by how much again the voluntary enslaving my self is more excuseless, than that which the principles of my Profession, and consequently a seeming obligation of Conscience exposes me to. And as to the matter of Fact, I think 'tis evident enough, that the admiration of mens Persons is a spreading disease that has overrun Christendom, and though a great part of it inveigh against implicite faith, yet if it be throughly scanned, 'twill appear 'tis rather the object than the act we differ about. He that vehemently opposes that homage to the Conclave, will yet tamely pay it to a Classis: and he that refuses it there, yields it to the Votes of a Congregational Church; or if he hold out against that too, yet chuses to himself some private Teacher on which to cast it: Like Micah, Iudg. 16. Makes him a Teraphim and a Priest too, for his private use; and then confidently consults his Oracle, and has nothing to do but believe its responses. Nay, that which makes the matter yet more sadly ridiculous, is that the very Opposition to one Usurpation makes them deliver themselves up to another. How many when they have heard a Preacher rail fiercely at the Pope, have presently made him theirs, and supposing that Zeal an indication of a safe guide, have given him as absolute a rule of their Consciences, as that he exclaim'd against (perhaps Envied) elsewhere: And the like instances might be given among our other dissenting parties. And this has taught some Seducers a lucky artifice, made them observe to what opinions their Proselytes had the greatest aversion, and by complying with their anger so steal away their love, that they might after lead them to what they pleas'd, yea, perhaps to that which they so much detested: For there want not examples of some, who have by back ways been brought to those Opinions, which at first they most defied. What have been the attempts or success of the Emissaries of Rome this way, I shall not pronounce, though some (not improbably) speak them great.
FROM this blind and passionate esteem of several Teachers have flowed many pernicious consequents, particularly those distinct Appellations, which form differences into Sects, many of which expresly own this original, by bearing the names of their first Authors. I might here put them in mind, that they are illegitimate persons, whom our Law directs to write with an alias, and ask them, whether the Church from their superinduced name, has not cause so to repute them. But I am sure I may with the utmost seriousness say, that this practice is to the great violation of Christian unity, and reproach of Christian profession, which seems to be abandon'd and disown'd by us, who instead of denominating our selves from the Author and finisher of our Faith, find out new Patrons, as if we were asham'd of our first Relation. Alas, how is the title of Christian, which was so glorious to the Primitive owners, that they gladly bought the occasion of boasting it with Torments and Death, become so despicable to us, that every the obscurest name is courted to supplant it. Have any of our Idolized readers bought their Interest in us so dear as Christ has done, why then are we rather ambitious to be accounted their dependants than his? 'Tis the Apostles own argument, 1 Cor. 1. 13. when he refutes their factious entitling themselves to Paul and Apollo, &c. by asking them if Paul were crucified for them: And indeed he there says so much upon this point, that I need only refer the Reader thither to learn, either the unreasonableness of this Schismatical zeal for our several Teachers, or the inevitable contentions and animosities which spring from it; only let me observe, that every of his Arguments are more pressing upon us, than on the Corinthians; those taken from the unreasonableness sure are, by how much the names we so adore are less venerable than those of Paul and Cephas or Apollo, and those from the consequencies are so also. For those Teachers were industrious to prevent, whereas ours commonly are no less busie to promote contentions on their behalf, and so we are more ascertain'd never to want them.
BUT besides this kinder prepossession towards some mens persons, there is another of a different nature, a sinister one. I mean prejudice and disgust, and this has done no less harm in Ecclesiastical affairs than the former. Men take up piques and displeasures at others, and then every opinion of the disliked person must partake of his fate, and be engaged in the quarrel: Nor will those that are enemies ever allow one another the honour of being in the right: Nay, some have been so perversly malicious, that they have given up their understandings to their spleen, forsaken an Opinion themselves approved, only that they might find matter of contest with one they maligned. A memorable instance of this Socrates gives in his Eccl. Hist. in Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria, who having formerly attested the Orthodox belief, that God was incorporeal; yet upon a sudden indignation against Dioscorus and his brethren, who maintain'd the Tenet, he embraced the contrary Heresie of the Anthropomorphites, that so under the Colour of a difference in faith, he might the more advantageously pursue his malice; & the Effects of it were very Tragical, not only to private persons in Tumult and Blood-shed, but to the Church by reviving that Error, which was before near expiring, and might as Socrates affirms, have lain in the dust, had it not been thus awaken'd. And indeed in Church story scarce any thing occurs more frequently than examples of those, who upon private grudges have either begun or fomented Heresies and Schisms. Thus Marcion being denied the Communion of the Roman Church, having before by a scandalous crime been cut off from his own, he reveng'd himself by publishing his detestable doctrine: In like manner Miletius upon a displeasure at Peter Bishop of Alexandria, first separated from the Church, and after took part with the Arians: So also Lucifer incensed at Eusebius for not approving of his Electing Paulus to the See of Antioch, broke Communion, and gave both rise and denomination to a new Sect. The like is said of Apollinaris, that he was excited to the broaching his Heresie by his impatience of the Excommunication inflicted on him and his Father, by Theodotus Bishop of Laodicea; and several others might be given to the same purpose, out of the Records of those first Ages.
AND certainly the World seems not to have so much improved in meekness since, as that we should think the same principle is not still as active, and if the Task were not more envious than hard, many recent instances might be given to Parallel the former, especially of such as having justly smarted under the stroke of Ecclesiastical discipline, have sought to revenge themselves both on it and the inflicters, by Factions and Tumults; so making the publick at once cloak the Infamy, and bear the charge of their particular rancors. But this is a Subject neither grateful nor necessary to be more distinctly spoken to. One may however in the general say, that where these private Animosities are any thing violent, they usually beat down all Consideration of publick good. Historians observe of Themistocles, that he always thwarted the Councils of Aristides, not that he thought it the Interest of the Common-wealth, but his own, to keep down the growing reputation of his Competitor: And I fear that envious artifice has been too often transcrib'd, as well in Ecclesiastick, as in Civil Transactions: No detriment is thought so formidable to a malicious mind, as the prosperity of his Adversary; and publick Ruptures shall still be allowed to widen, till they swallow up the whole, rather than he will close with his Antagonist. The History of the Scottish Church gives an apposite Example of this, in a ruling Presbyter, who being by King Iames advis'd with about the readmitting Marquess Huntley, and prest with the present exigencies of Church and State, which requir'd it, gave his final answer in these terms. Well Sir, I see you resolve to take Huntley in favour, if you do, I will oppose it, chuse whether you will lose him or me, for both you cannot have. Some may think the greatest propriety of this instance lies to shew the insolence of that Tribe towards Majesty; but however 'tis not impertinent to the matter in hand also; and shews how light the greatest publick concerns are, when malice is the counterpoize: And indeed the Naturalists experiment, that flame will not mingle with flame, never justifies its self better than when applied to minds thus accended, which however they may meet in mutual flashes, can never unite and incorporate: The sadness of it is, that they should only conspire to common vastation, and make the Church its self a burnt-offering.
THUS fatal have our several sorts of prepossions been to our Religion, for as if that were the common Enemy, our most distant contrary Affections, our love and our hate equally annoy it; those brutish parts of us our Passions, which like the beasts under the Law, were never to be brought into the Temple, but for sacrifice, are now found there upon a far differing account, not to be slain, but ador'd; like the Aegyptian Isis and Osyris, enshrin'd to receive our Devotions, for that the Zeal we pretend elsewhere is really paid to them, is alas too manifest.