Practical Godliness, Title page – Errata
Decus & Tutamen: OR, Practical Godliness
THE ORNAMENT and MUNIMENT OF ALL RELIGION.
Being the Subject of several SERMONS Preached at WESTMINSTER, UPON TITUS ii. 10.
By V. Alsop Minister of the Gospel.
LONDON, Printed for John Barnes at the Crown in the Pall-Mall, 1696.
To all that Love the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity, especially to those who attend upon his Ministry, Grace and Peace.
Beloved Brethren,
WHAT was once preached to your Ears, is now presented to your Eyes, accompanied with fervent Prayers that the God of all Grace would powerfully impress it upon your Hearts. The importunity of Friends is a common Apology for publishing some Pieces, which if Affection had not more prevail'd than Judgment, might as well never have seen the Light. How much of this I might plead to justify or excuse my appearing in Print upon this Subject, many of you do know, but I shall willingly wave those Reasons: The Weight, the Worth, the Necessity of the Argument, as they have been my strongest Inducements, so are they all I shall offer for my Vindication.
The Age into which Sovereign Providence has cast our Lot, does much boast of Light, I wish that a proportionable measure of holy Heat had accompanied that Light; that Grace, Truth, and Peace might have been the Glory of our Times. But here we must bitterly lament that the holy Flame of Zeal for the Concerns of Jesus Christ; that fervent Love to all that bear his Image in Righteousness and true Holiness, has degenerated into, or been expelled by another Fire, not kindled from Heaven, but if we may judge of the Cause by the Effects from a contrary Original: The Spirit of Envy has almost eaten up holy Emulation; and we have disputed so furiously about Truth, that we have almost lost the other half of our Religion, Charity. The noise of Axes and Hammers in building the Temple has been as great, as once it was in destroying it; this Clamour has drowned the softer whispers of the Spirit of Holiness and Peace; our Speculations about what is too high for our Reach, and our Quarrels about what is too low for our serious Regard, have insensibly worn out Practical Godliness, and in the mean time Religion suffers, its Enemies triumph, its few Cordial Friends mourn over it, and suffer with it.
The Gospel of our blessed Saviour if it might have been heard, would easily have compromised all our Differences; but it has fared no better with Religion, than with that charitable Person, who interposing between two Friends engaged with drawn Swords, was in the heat of passionate folly wounded by them both for an unkind Reward of his Kindness.
It is much to be feared that this will be the undeserved fate of whoever shall undertake to reconcile contending Friends, to make them both his bitter Enemies; for in an Age of Fiery mistaken Zeal, he that is not Scalding Hot, shall be censured for Lukewarm, and not to be a Bigot, will be to be reputed not a Christian.
The only Expedient I can recommend to you, my beloved Brethren, in this sad Case is; To maintain Innocence in your own Souls, Peace in your own Consciences, to keep close to your Duty; and if for endeavours of Love, you must be so unhappy as to contract Enmity, to retire with the Psalmist to your God, Psal. cix. 4. and give your selves unto Prayer.
But as the Holy Go…pel of God our Saviour suffers unworthily by our Divisions, and Contentions; it suffers no less by our unsuitable Conversations: which yet is but the evil Effect of an evil Cause, the bitter Fruit of that poisonous Root. For as when one part of the Natural Body grows great beyond its Proportion, it robs the rest of their due Nourishment, and Growth; such is our deplorable Case; we have furnish'd the Head so plentifully with Notions, that we have starved the Members of their proper Supplies, that they cannot perform their proper Operations. We have laid out so much of our Zeal, and Vigor, upon Controversies, that there's little left to support the necessary things of Practical Religion, Holiness towards God, Repentance from dead Works, and the exercise of good Works, and a heavenly Conversation.
I Bless God, from my Soul, that most of you are of another Temper, and Character; though I cannot deny, that the Enemy has studied to sow Tares among you; and while we slept, his Emissaries and Instruments, have watch'd, to bring in among you some Doctrines and Practices which would have Wounded, if not mortally Stabbed, our Holy Profession. But blessed be the Great Superintendent of his Church, who faithfully watched over you, and against them, and has prevented, and defeated their subtle Malice.
It's for the sake of humble sincere Ones principally, that I have drawn up, and sent forth these Papers; who cannot perhaps wield a heavy Argument for the Cause of Christ, and against its Opposers; and yet their Integrity and Uprightness keeps them secure; and the Grace of God on which they humbly and securely depend, enables them to Live down all the Objections of Atheists, Deists, and Profane Persons, by a regular and exemplary Conversation.
We Read of a Philosopher, who when a subtle Sophister disputed zealously, that there was no such thing as Motion in the World; said nothing, but rose up and walked. You may possibly meet with such Profane Wretches, who with great Noise and Clamour, would bear you down that there's nothing real, nothing solid in Religion; that its an empty ineffectual Notion, a curious airy Speculation, that has no power upon Mens Hearts, no command over their Lives; now if you shall meet with this importunate Clamour, which is the best Argument they have; say you nothing, but rise up and Walk. Let Men see your Holy, Heavenly Conversation, and this will silence all their Cavils, and stop the Mouths of all their Objections, better than you can do by fine force and Dint of Argument.
And indeed, let us Dispute, Write, what, and while we please, nothing will vindicate Religion from the Reproaches thrown upon it by impudent Atheism, but the Holy Walking of those that profess it. And it's a thousand pities that false Doctrine should be credited by a severe, morose and rigid behaviour, while Truth it self is blemish'd, and brought into Contempt by a loose one.
Let me therefore Anticipate the following Discourse thus far, as to assure you, that the Credit of our Holy Religion can never be recovered without
1. A more Consciencious Sanctification of the Lord's Day: all practical Religion Rises, Falls, Ebs, Flows with that. When a Generation of Men removed the Observation of that Day from Divine Institution, and laid it upon the Churches Tradition, or the Civil Sanction, the repute of it sunk presently, and the observation of it dwindled away to nothing.
2. A more constant fixed Worshipping God in our Families. As Personal Remisness will creep into the Family, so will Family-Looseness easily infect the Churches. It is in vain to Dream that Congregations will be Holy, if Families be Profane.
This one thing further, Brethren, I have to beg of you, or rather of God for you, that you may most zealously, and unweariedly pursue the things that make for Truth, Holiness, and Peace, and never to divide those things which God has joyned together, and God, even our God, shall give you his Blessing. This is the unfeigned Desire, and shall ever be the fervent Prayer of him, who is, and shall endeavour to approve himself to God, to his own Conscience, and to yours,
Feb. 25. 1695/6. The faithful Servant of your Souls through Christ,Vin. Alsop.
The Reader is desired to Correct these few Errors, which notwithstanding all our Care have escaped the Press.
PAge 19. Line 27. for not read yet, p. 112. line 16. for heart read hurt.