The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The Character of Christian-mens Practice, shewing their multiplied failance both from the rule of that holy profession, and its genuine effect.
AND now who can suspect that a cause so rightly dispos'd, should miss of its effect? That this so auspicious Planet should be counter-influenc't by any malevolent Star? Or that what has so many tenures in us, should be finally disseis'd? For, admit we have not the Piety to be prevail'd upon by the reverence of the Author; yet the excellency of its composition does so much recommend it to our reason, that we must put off the best part of our Nature to evacuate the force of our Religion: nay, supposing us to have done that too, to have struck our selves out of the list of Rationals, yet if we keep but the rank of Animals, if we have not extinguisht passion and sense, it descends even to them; addresses to our hopes and fears with most importunate solicitations, and convincing motives: So that unless we have the absurd ill luck to have much of the Stoick, and nothing of the Philosopher, 'twill be impossible to resist its impressions, and sure he that comtemplates this, will be apt with some confidence to conclude Christendom to be the Goshen of the world, not only in respect of its light, but of its immunity from all those Locusts and Caterpillers, those swarms of mean and sordid Vices which both cover and devour the rest of the Earth.
BUT this must be the inference of a meer contemplative, a Recluse that converses only with his own meditations: for let him be so much secular, as once to look abroad, the most transient glance will serve to unravel all this hopeful speculation, & shew him that Christendom may be as much Heathen as America: whereas 'tis usually said, that ill Manners produce good Laws, we have reverst the Aphorism, and our good Law has introduc'd the most corrupt manners. Our holy faith which like a foundation should support good works, has like a gulf swallowed them up. And so universal a depravation is there among us, that we have scarce any thing left to distinguish us from the most barbarous people, but a better name and worse vices.
AND here, what terms of wonder or of grief can be significant enough to express or to bewail, so strange and so perverse degeneration, that the light of the world should thus darken it: the salt of the Earth be the means of putrifying and corrupting it: that those who were by God drawn out from the Heathen world should so outvie the Gentiles crimes, as if they had forsaken them, only because they were too innocent. This indeed is one of Satans subtillest stratagems, to fill Christ's Camp thus with his Souldiers, by whose intestine treacheries, he has been more triumphant than by all his open assaults and avowed hostilities. What a late States-man said (Prophetically, if we may judge by the event) of England, that it was a vivacious animal that could never dye except it kill'd it self, is no less true of the Church, which has always been invulnerable against all darts, but what have been taken out of its own quiver. Of this the Primitive times were pregnant testimonies, where all the most witty cruelties, the most bloody persecutions, never made any breach in her: but she stood firmer for all those batteries, and like an Arch'd Building, became more strong and compact, by that weight which was design'd to crush her: but the Vice of Professors undermines her very foundation, and does as much exceed the destructiveness of the most hostile assaults, as intestine treachery is more ruinous and fatal, than foreign violence.
AS long as the lives of Christians were the transcripts of their doctrine they render'd it venerable to all, and gave a presumption there was something more than humane in it, that could work such signal effects, that could so transform men as to make the adulterer chaste, the drunkard temperate, the covetous liberal, the contentious peaceable. This, this was the way to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, as the Apostle speaks, Tit. 2. 10. And then the rule of contraries directs us to conclude very distant effects from our now so distant practices, that our very religion should partake of the infamy of our lives, and be thought rather a mystery of iniquity than godliness.
THUS is Christ wounded in the house of his friends, and has more reproach cast on him by those that profess his name, than by the loudest blasphemies of those that oppose it. For when those who have not opportunity to examine our faith, see the enormousness of our works, what should hinder them from measuring the Master, by the disciples? it being scarce imaginable that any one Sect of men should so universally run counter to all the rules of their profession: For let any sober Heathen look upon Christendom, as it is at this day weltring in the bloud, not of Martyrdom but War, and will it be possible for him to think it owns a Gospel of Peace; or that those who so perpetually do those outrages they are unwilling to suffer, profess obedience to the the Royal Law of love thy neighbour as thy self, Jam. 2. 8. Can be see the violence and oppressions, the frauds and underminings, the busie scramblings for little parcels of Earth; and yet believe we count our selves strangers and pilgrims in it, and have laid up our treasure in Heaven? Can he observe the strange and almost universal distortion of speech, whereby it has lost its native property of being interpreter of the mind, and under intelligible words so far exhibits the Babel confusion, that no man understands anothers meaning? And can he imagine we have any such Precept, as lye not one to another, or any such penalty upon the infringer, as exclusion from the new Ierusalem? Shall he hear our God mention'd more frequently and earnestly in our imprecations than our prayers, and every part of our crucified Saviour, recrucified in our horrid oaths; and shall he not think that his second executioners bear him as little reverence as his first: or that he has given no such command as swear not at all? When he discerns self preservation bow'd to as the Supreme Law, can he ever dream of another so inconsistent obligation as that of taking up the cross? Or that suffering for righteousness sake is one of our greatest felicities when he sees us run so affrighted from it, that no crime, perjury, rebellion, murder, is block enough in our way to stop our flight? In fine, when he considers how much of our business it is, first to excite, and then to cloy the flesh, to spurr it on to riots even beyond its own propensions, that the whole year is but one mad carnival, and we are voluptuous not so much upon desire or appetite, as by way of exploit and bravery: when I say he considers this, can he possibly guess our institution directs us to beat down the body, to mortifie the flesh with the affections and lusts, interdicts us all rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, and all provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof. Certainly all rules of discourse will direct him to the quite contrary conclusion. And when he sees a Set of men that have enhans'd the common humane pravity, he will be apt to infer their Principles have taught them the improvement: And upon that supposal he wanted not temptation to his Option that said, Let my soul be with the Philosophers.
AND while we thus misrepresent our holy profession to others, it will be no wonder if we finally do it to our selves, that we forget its native shape, and look on her only in the ugly dress our selves have put on, and that effect seems already too visible among us: our lives have so long confuted it that we triumph over it as a baffled thing; and like Amnon loath it because we have ravisht and defil'd it. Many of us take notice of the better Morals of Turks and Infidels not in reproach of our selves but our Religion, and because we have so many Lepers, think Abanah and Pharphar, better than all the waters of Israel, this is openly in the mouths of many, but is so prodigiously irrational as well as unjust, that one can scarce think it possible to be in their hearts, unless they be pursued by the fate of habitual lyars, that at last come to perswade themselves.
CERTAINLY there is no other parallel instance wherein men conclude so perversely: he that shews a man that precipice upon whose brink he stands, that intreats, yea importunes him to retire from the danger; nay bribes him with the greatest rewards to chuse safety, has done all that can be expected from a friend, or charitable man: and if after all, the wretched person so advis'd, shall cast himself headlong upon ruine; assuredly no Inquest would return his murder in any other form than that of Felo de se. And why then should our Christianity be accus'd of those ills which it would infallibly averr, if our obstinacy would permit it: indeed the charge is so wilde, that it seems rather design'd as an artifice of diversion, a sprout of that first fig-tree which was to hide the nakedness of lapsed Adam. Men think it policy to transfer their guilts, and are willing, the violence of their lusts should pass for the impotence of their religion. Like irregular patients blaming their Physician for those ill accidents which they know owing only to their own unruliness. A pregnant testimony of the reproachful nature of sin, that men are content to betake themselves to the most forlorn shifts to avoid the owning it: but the consciousness is so pressing and intolerable, that with many it drives on to yet higher outrages: 'tis not enough for men to decry their Christianity as a feeble insignificant thing, but they load it even with contradictory imputations, and that which sometimes they call the foolishness of preaching, to bring it in scorn and contempt,, shall at another be stiled an Art and trick to bring it into suspicion and hatred, be arraign'd for imposture and deceit, a project of imposing upon credulous souls, and gaining real advantages to the managers while they feed the silly Proselyte with imaginary ones. How groundless a calumny this is, as it appears from the sanctity, and eminent simplicity of Christian Religion, which above all things excludes fraud and falshood; so also from the designments and aims of its first promulgators, who as they can not be suppos'd dextrous enough to lay such a scene of taking Pageantry; so all their visible acquests were scourgings and imprisonments, persecutions and death. If this were the case it would indeed go near to reconcile the before mention'd contradictory imputations, whilst the imposing upon credulous souls at this dear rate, would be in very deed the foolishness of Preaching, the greatest madness in the world. Men of common reason would be asham'd to use such frivolous cavils: but who can without horror hear them from profest Christians? that while Infidels are modest in their reproaches, look upon our Doctrine only as erroneous, Disciples should be bitter and charge it as insiduous and treacherous. Thus does the Church experiment the truth of her blessed Lords Predictions, and finds her foes are those of her own house: and though she be Christs Dove, yet is subjected to the fate of the Viper, and has her bowels torn out by those that spring from them.
THESE are the growing consequences of resolute impiety, he who will not be kept within the bounds of duty, seldom contents himself with that bare violation: he not only breaks the bonds in sunder, but casts them away too; is impatient they should keep a reputation to upbraid him, when he has rob'd them of the power of restraining him: and this sure is the bottom of all that deep reasoning, by which men have learnt to argue themselves and others out of their Creed: And though this be indeed the great Arcanum the Philosophers Stone they aim at; yet they have met with another good experiment by the way: and have, by I know not what Chimistry, extracted a reputation out of these most unapt materials. He passes for a considering man that disputes principles, and is thought most to own his reason that least owns his faith: and then 'twill be no wonder if this success animate, and give them not only confidence, but vanity to avow what is thus creditable.
Indeed Satan is too subtle a manager to lose this advantage, and the event sadly shews, he has not neglected to improve it, as appears not only by the number of such pretenders unto reason, but even by their advancing to higher degrees. The voluptuary who likes his portion in this world, and fears that in another, is at first only prompted by his interest to quarrel the last Articles of the Creed, and so in his own defence denies the life everlasting: but when he finds his necessity made a vertue, and himself struck into the repute of a wit; upon that account he doubts not, his fame will encrease with his irreligion, and so proceeds still to unravel farther, till at last he leaves not so much as I believe in God, that many have advanc'd so far is too evident: and by some so own'd that they will not thank his charity, that shall hope better of them.
'TWAS once the triumph of infant Christianity, that it silenc'd all the Heathen Oracles, and within a while demolish'd even the Synagogue too: but alass its mature age gives us that effect in a most inverted sense, it now has serv'd to suppress even the common notions of a Deity, turn'd out the one as well as the many Gods, and instead of Polytheists and Idolaters has made Atheists, and that which Christ tells us was design'd to perfect and fill up the Law, has by the strange pravity of its professors at once obliterated both Law and Law-giver out of mens minds, thereby exemplifying the old Axiom, Corruptio optimi est pessima; and the Saint as well as the Angel, if he desert his innocence, commences Feind and Devil. These are such sad, such direful transmutations as excite not so much wonder, as grief and lamentation; and what rivers, what Oceans of Tears are competent to bewail such unutterable evils.
THE removal of the Candlestick is so formidable a judgement that the threatning of it, is us'd by Christ as the most awaking menace to the Seven Churches Revel. 2. 3. but the removing it by our own hands is yet an enhansment of that highest calamity; when men are come to such an insensate obduration, that they court their Plagues, become their own Lictors and make that their choice which is their extremest punishment, they are certainly too secure of that ruine they call for; And may we not fear it may prove general, and involve us all: that while so many cry out to be deliver'd from their Christianity as their load and pressure, and so few express their dissent to that demand: God may in judgment grant it, hearken to those that cry loudest, rescue his Gospel from our profane and impious violations and give it to others that may bring forth the fruits of it.
NOR is this to be fear'd only from the explicite importunities of the blasphemous, for it is interpretatively the vote of many others; whoever give themselves up to the dominion of any lust, do implicitly renounce their obedience to Christ, and say we will not have this man to rule over us. And when he is thus depos'd from his regal and directive power, we have reason to believe he will despise a meer titular soveraignty, not suffer the Scepter of his Word to remain as an Empty Ceremony among those, who pay it no real obedience: nor be again cloath'd with Purple, crown'd, and saluted King to advance the triumph of his scorn and crucifixion.
Nor will the fawning Professions of the demure hypocrite avert, but accelerate this Fate: He that makes the Golden Scepter in Christs hand, a rod of iron in his own, that thinks his Saintship licenses him to all the severe censures, and the yet severer (because more effective) oppressions of others, he is certainly to be lookt on not only as a Rebel, but an Usurper too, and is of all others the highest provoker. He that tramples under foot the Son of God, does not so much violate him, as he that pretends to erect him a Throne upon bloud and rapine, on perjury and sacriledge: nor does he that accounts the Bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing, so much profane it, as he that uses it as a Varnish to paint over his foulest lusts. The Apostle has long since told us, there is no concord between Christ and Belial, and can we think he will be patient thus to be made subservient to his enemy: or suffer his Ark to be set for the support, which should be the confusion of Dagon. Do we find him so severely upbraid the hypocrisie of the Iews, that stole, murdered, committed adultery, and swore falsly, and yet came and stood before him in his house, Jer. 7. 9. and shall we hope he will connive at it in Christians? Was it intolerable profanation in them to account his house a den of robbers, and shall we be permitted to make it so: they are sent to Shiloh to read their own destiny, and surely we are as likely to find ours there too; to be deprived of those advantages which we have so unworthily abus'd: nor can we expect, that though God cause the natural Sun to rise still as well on the evil as the good, yet that the Sun of righteousness shall continue to shine on those who will only bask themselves in his Rays, grow Aethiops from his neighbourhood; but will not work by his light.
WHEN all this is consider'd, what a sad abode does it make? When the blasphemies of the Profane, the sensualities of the Voluptuous, and the mockeries of the Hypocrite, send, as it were, daily challenges to Heaven, we cannot but look it should at last overcome its long-suffering, awake God to vindicate the honour of his Name, and not suffer it any longer to be thus prostituted and polluted: that when he sees his light serve only to aid us the more subtilly to contrive our deeds of darkness, he should withdraw it, smite us with blindness like the Sodomites, whom he finds in such impure pursuits: and were that blindness such as our Saviour speaks of, Io. 9. 41. that inferr'd the no sin, 'twere a desirable infliction, but alas it has none of that property: That which is design'd for the punishment can never be the extenuation of our guilt; but as in Hell there is an happy Separation of effects, the scorching of the flame without the light, and the blackness of night without the rest: so in this nearest approach to it; this Portal to those Chambers of death, there is the ignorance without the excuse, the darkness divested of its native quality of hiding: and when we are enter'd among Heathens here, we must yet expect the sadder portion of Apostatiz'd Christians hereafter.
AND O that this consideration might at last have its proper operation, rouse and awake us timely to prevent those evils which it will be impossible to cure. That by bringing forth some more genuine and kindly fruits, we may avert that dismal sentence, Cut it down, why cumbreth it the ground. That men would generally lay to heart both the sin and infamy of being promoters of publick ruine; and quench that fire with their tears which their sins have kindled, that the fasting and prayers, the sighs and groans of the Primitive Christians may supplant the profane luxuries, the carnal Jollities of the Modern: and that Sackcloth and Ashes may become the universal mode, the only fashionable dress among us. This both Reason and Religion suggest as matter of our most importunate wishes; would God our hopes were but half as pregnant.
BUT the less appearance there is of this universal reformation, the more jealously ought every single person to look on himself, lest he be one that obstruct it: for so he does who stays till it be a fashion, but neglects to contribute his part to the making it so. Men are willing to discourage themselves from attempts of this kind, and with an unseasonable modesty can reflect what a nothing one man is to so many millions, when alas all that vast Empire Vice has got in the world, is founded in the pravity of single persons, & would certainly be ruin'd by their reformation. The more reasonable Collection would be, that he who considers himself but as one, should not suffer himself to grow into less; to fall from that Unit to a Cypher, by permitting sloth or cowardize to enfeeble and Emasculate him, but on the contrary should recollect his spirits, actuate all his strength, and therefore be sure to do his utmost, because that utmost is but a little.
AND to this certainly there want not encouragements, we see in common affairs the wonders that industry and resolution are able to effect, and a single courage being exerted has often without Romance, overcome giantly difficulties. 'Tis a great prejudice is cast upon vertue by the pusillanimity of those that like, but dare not abet her. When most men commit all impieties daringly▪ and openly, and those few that do mourn for it, do it but in secret, the example of the one is contagious, but the other has no means to diffuse its self. Would men stoutly own duty, and not like Peter, follow Christ afar off, they might yet hope to make a party and gain ground in the world. And how noble an attempt were this, thus to encounter Satan in his highest triumph, and recover a lost field: and methinks those who have any warmth of Piety glowing within, may easily thus improve it into a flame, foreign adde to their faith vertue, as that signifies courage: and then readily would succeed, that train of Christian excellencies reckon'd up by St. Peter, 2 Ep. 1. 5. knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, and superstruct on these, as it there follows, brotherly kindness, and the most comprehensive charity. We should be not only devout towards God, but zealous towards Men, endeavouring by all prudent means to recover them out of those snares of the Devil, whereby they are taken captive. And since among all those snares there is none more entangling, than the creditableness and repute of customary vices, to set themselves especially against that overgrown covering and ornament; those Locks wherein its great, its Sampson-like strength lies: and strive to render it as contemn'd as it is base: and to this purpose nothing is so apt, as the exalting its competitor, fetching vertue out of the Dungeon, that darkness and obscurity wherein it has long lain forgotten, and by making it illustriously visible in their own practice, put it into the possibility of attracting others. Indeed there only it appears in its true splendor, they are but dead colours the Sublimest speculation can put on it, he that would draw it to the life, must imprint it upon his own. And thus every pious person may, nay ought to be a Noah, a preacher of righteousness: and if it be his fortune to have as imperswasible an Auditory, if he cannot avert the deluge, it will yet be the providing himself an Ark, the delivering, yea advancing his own soul, if he cannot benefit other mens.
NAY, this being a Noah may qualifie him to be a Moses too, give him such an interest with Heaven, that he may be sit to stand in the gap, to be an intercessor and Mediator for a provoking people. And God knows never any generation more needed that office: nor any part of this more than our sinful Nation, which having long been in the furnace, is indeed now come out, but so unpurified, that we have all reason to expect a return, and that not upon the former frustrated design of refining; but upon that more infallible and fatal one of consuming us. This is so dreadful, but withal so just an expectation, that if there be any Iacobs among us; any, who can wrestle and prevail with God, there never was so pressing need of their intercession. O let all that are thus fitted for it, vigorously undertake this pious work, let no Moses's hands ever wax heavy, but be always held up in a devout importunity, let them transcribe that holy Oratory, which he so often effectually used, plead to God his own cause, with a what wilt thou do to thy great Name, and when there is nothing in us that can pretend to any thing but vengeance, ransack Gods bosom, rifle his bowels for arguments of compassion, repeat to him his own titles, that he is long-suffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, Numb. 14. 18. And by these solicite, yea, conjure him to pity. And how great an ardency is required to this intercession? What strong cries must they be that shall drown so loud a clamor of impieties. And how does it reproach the slightness of our sleepy heartless addresses? Can we hope to bind Gods hands with Withs and Straws? To arrest his vengeance with such faint and feeble assaults? And when nature and danger suggest to Heathen Nineveh, not only to cry, but cry mightily to God, shall the superaddition of our Religion damp ours into a whisper, a soft unaudible sound. A storm will teach the profane Mariner to pray in earnest, and alas, we have not wanted that discipline. 'Tis not long since we might have said with those, Acts 27. No small tempest has long lain on us, neither Sun nor Stars in many days, nay in many years appearing, nothing but black and dismal portents of a final wreck to a poor weather-beaten Church, and then sure 'twas time to be importunate, to learn so much of instruction from the waves that tossed us, as to make our prayers keep pace with them, in swift uninterrupted succession, in loud and not to be resisted violence. That we did so then I dare not affirm, but sure I am the necessity of it is not yet out-dated; for though the Sky however black with clouds carry no thunder in it, though the impetuous winds that blow from every quarter, should not break out in tempest, and bring shipwrack to us; yet we too fully exemplifie the truth of the Prophets Axiome, That the wicked are like the troubled Sea, that cannot rest: we have within us a principle of ruine, which can operate though nothing from without excite it. A tempest is not always necessary to sink a Ship, one treacherous leak may do it in the greatest calm, and what security can there then be to our torn Vessel, whose rents our continued divisions do still keep open. Indeed our preservation must be as our restoration was, the work of Omnipotence; thither therefore let us address with St. Peters pathetick Prayer, Save Lord or we perish. O that all who are concern'd in the grant of that Petition, would qualifie themselves to present it. Lift up such pure hands, that God who hears not sinners, Io. 9. may yet hear them, afford a gracious ear, and give an answer of Peace.