The Mischief of Impositions, Section 1
SECT. I. The Author's Introductory Diſcourſe conſidered; Deſigns for Peace and Union plauſible; as ordinarily managed, unſucceſsful.
I Have read an elegant Oration in praiſe of a Quartane Ague; Another, Extolling the incomparable virtues of the Gout; and one great wit would needs write in commendation of its only enemy, Folly, but never yet could meet with a Panegyrick in Honour of Fiſty-cuffs, and Bloody noſes. Whoever therefore ſhall employ his Pen to write, his Tongue to plead in the Cauſe of Peace and Union, is ſecure to carry the day, without controul; and may claim the Priviledge of him that is of Counſel for the King, to have the firſt and laſt word to himſelf.
But many cry Hoſannah to Peace one day, who will crucifie it the next: And whilſt they ſeem with the good Angels, to proclaim Peace on Earth, yet ſome ſo far do imitate the evil ones, that they have no good will towards men. So common it is, to make a Preface for Peace to Uſher in an Alarm to war; and Invitations to Union a fair Pretext for perſecution; as a Reverend Divine once told his Auditors in the Pulpit, Plain dealing is a Jewel, but he that uſes it will dye a Beggar.
There is nothing more common than to preſs the neceſſity of Union, and yet at the ſame time to continue the neceſſary cauſes of Diviſion: which ſort of Rhetoricians might do well to conſider, that whilſt they declaim moſt paſſionately againſt the evil of Separation, they do but whip their own crimes upon other mens backs, and reproach themſelves by railing at other mens faults. In which popular diſcourſes, we hear of nothing, but the prejudice, paſſion, Interest of thoſe who will not obey; but not a word, I warrant you, of their own Pride, Rigor, and Imperiouſneſs, in what they command; always ſtudying and pretending Reaſons why matters ought to be wrong, but never offering rational expedients to ſet what is wrong, to Rights.
Were it lawful to be pleaſant in a caſe ſo ſad as ours is, this Author has given us the temptation and that only by Inverting his words, without the leaſt perverting of the Truth: There's no impoſſibility, nor conſiderable difficulty to Retrieve the univerſal Peace of the Chriſtian world, if all men were ſuch Chriſtians as they ought to be; (which I dare engage for them they never will) but till mens Lordly pride be ſubdued to a greater degree than the world has yet found it, 'tis in vain ao expect this ſtate of peace and tranquility in the Church. Nor ſhall we need to go far, (not a ſtep) from home, for a ſufficient evidence of this; for though our differences are ſuch, as the wiſer Proteſtants abroad, not only condemn, but wonder at, (and the Proteſtants at home ſmart under the effects of them) yet has it puzzled the wiſest perſons among us, to compoſe them; becauſe they that preſume themſelves to be, and really ſhould have been ſo, have more ſtudied to bring in the cauſes, than to remove the conſequences of our troubles: But the moſt ſurprizing thing in all the Doctors preamble, is his ſad complaint, that neither the miſeries we have felt, nor the calamities we fear, nor the terrible judgments of God upon us, nor the unexpected deliverances vouchſafed to us, nor the common danger we are yet in, have abated mens h…ats, nor allayed their paſſions, or made them more willing to unite with our eſtabliſht Church, and Religion. And may not others make as ſad Reflections upon theſe things as himſelf? That neither theſe, any of theſe, nor all theſe, nor as many more than all theſe, have abated mens Rigors, nor mitigated their fury, nor allayed the ugly luſt of trampling on, and triumphing over Conſcience, nor quencht that immortal ſpark of aſpiring after Empire and Dominion over ſouls, but ſtill they are as unwilling, nay more unwilling to render the preſent conſtitution ſuch as may ſafely, and comfortably be complied with? And have they indeed felt ſuch miſeries? Why has not paſſion taught them compaſſion? and what is that burden they feel? ar… loads of Honour, and Wealth grown ſuch inſupportable grievances? or do they not call (like thoſe that are to be preſt to death) more weight for the Lord's ſake, more weight! But do they indeed fear future calamities? give others a little eaſe from their preſent calamities! are they apprehenſive of approaching danger? what will they do to prevent them? which of their ſeverities will they ſuſpend till the danger is over, that they may then more ſafely, at it again? Are the terrible judgments of God upon them? why will they not keep one of Gods faſts to remove them? Iſa. 58.6. to looſe the bands of wickedneſs, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppreſſed go free, and to break every yoak. Some will ſay, this ſcripture is impertinently applied: well, Be it ſo! yet I have this to comfort me; 'tis not ſo hugely wide as that quoted by the Dr. Judg. 5.15, 16. Who confeſſes he neither underſtood it, nor was concern'd in it. Nor yet ſo much as his Text: who infers that we muſt walk further then, becauſe we are commanded to walk as far as we have already attained. But have they enjoyed ſuch unexpected deliverances? Let them not ſay, we are delivered to commit all theſe abominations! And are we all in common danger? Let us ſhare in the common favour! contribute to the common ſecurity! and do not weaken the hands of friends, ſtrengthen the hands of common enemies; nor make it indifferent to diſſenters, whether they be ſmothered in the houſe, or forced to venture their necks by leaping out at the windows: for ſo have the miſerable Hungarians been tempted to think it better to live, nay, to dye once, under the Ottoman ſword, than to be always dying under the Auſtrian tyranny. I ſhall then begin to believe that man is afraid of a Paroxyſme of the Gout, who will retrench his intemperance to prevent it; and will then ſuppoſe them real and ſincere in complaining of what they feel, or fear, when they will forbear, or do, at leaſt ſome very little thing, to remove the one, and obviate the other: But Dominion even in a Dungeon is too ſweet a morſel to be ſpit up again, unleſs God gives a ſtrong vomit; A prelatical ſpirit will be perſecuting when in exile at Frankfurt; and the Jeſuites thought it worthy their ambition, to vex the Seculars, even in Wisbich Caſtle.
Let then the Dr. conclude with that grave ſentence. All parties pretend a Zeal for Peace, ſo they may have it in their own way; by which it appears, that it's not peace they aim at, but victory, nor unity ſo much as having their own wills. I will therefore compound with him at ten ſhillings per pound, that is, let him take one half of this for truth, and reſign …e the other; That one partie has a Zeal for Peace, ſo they may have it in their own way; and then I ſhall gain this by the bargain; That it's …ot Peace they ſeek, but Victory, nor Unity, ſo much, as having their own wills.
Peace then (without bringing in St. Auſtin for a voucher) is a good thing, yes, a very good thing it is, if we could catch it; but thus have I ſeen one ſport with his Dog, ſhewing him a cruſt, which when the poor Cur has zealouſly jumpt to reach, he holds it up higher, and never intends him one ſnap of it.
Our Romiſh adverſaries (it ſeems) do continually upbraid us with our Schiſms and Separations. (Let'em look at home!) To take off which reproach the Dr. thinks, it would be happy, if all thoſe who agree in renouncing the errors, and corruptions of the Roman Church, could as eaſily join together in the great duties of our common Religion, that is in our prayers, and praiſes, and Sacraments, and all ſolemn acts of divine worſhip. And will this make us all happy? Then I proclaim to all Proteſtants from this day forward, ſolid happineſs! for we all join together in the great duties of our common Religion; for though we join not in the private fancies, niceties, and opinions of ſome one partie, in the great duties common to all Proteſtants we are fully agreed: Agreed in the matter of our prayers, if not in the form; in the matter of our praiſes, though not in the mode; in Sacraments, though perhaps not in ſuperſtitions annexed to them; in the Acts of Divine Worſhip, though not in the parts of humane worſhip; in the ſubſtance, not in Ceremonie; and in one God, one Chriſt, though not in one Place, which probably we never ſhall till St. Pauls be built, and probably not then neither, but muſt adjourn our local meeting to the day of the General Aſſembly: Thus are we all agreed, who are agreed, and ſo far as we are agreed in renouncing the errors and corruptions of Rome; but if it ſhall appear that we are not agreed in this, in vain do we expect agreement in other things.
There are two things, at which the Church might poſſibly aim, whenever merciful providence ſhould recover it out of the gloomy ſhades of perſecution; the one, Purity, the other external Splendor and Glory: But it's ſadly obſervable that Church-men who always engroſs to themſelves the conduct and management of affairs, commonly begin at the wrong end of their work; Securing in the firſt place their own Grandeur and Dignity, and leaving the Reforming the Abuſes which had ſilently crept in, as a matter of leſs concernment, to their better leiſure: So was it in the days of Conſtantine, Queen Elizabeth, ſo was it in our own, when the Clergy fell a ſcrambling for preferments, (as boys for a largeſs of nuts and apples) whilſt Reformation lay a bleeding, a gaſping, a dying, for they had other Irons in the Fire, which muſt not cool; ſo the Sorboniſt in his Philoſophia Vulgaris refutata, informs us; Jam poſtquam horrendae tyra… norum Carnificinae deſierunt, & pax omnimoda parta eſt, &c. That is, When once the bloody ſhambles of Tyrants by God's Providence were ſhut up, and welcome Peace began to ſhine upon the late clouded Churches, they wiſely fell to work with exterior things, and buſied themſelves about Religious Rites, Ceremonies, Ornaments; about matters of Order, and Subordination; about the Degrees of Miniſters, their outward Splendor, the power and efficacy of Church-Diſcipline; about Laws, Canons, and Eccleſiaſtical Government; about the Union, and Combination of Churches; about the exalting ſome in preeminence above others, and ſubjection of the poorer to the greater and richer; about maintaining Uniformity, and preventing Schiſms. And this part indeed the Church happily effected; and when they ſhould have proceeded to the other of Reformation, a diſmal hurricane, by the irruption of the Northern, and barbarous Nations, overſpread the face of the Church with Egyptian darkneſs, that it was ſome Ages before ſhe could recover her former brightneſs.
This is the ſad Fate that commonly attends great and general Deliverances; Churchmen are cumber'd with many things, and neglect the one thing neceſſary; and inſtead of reducing Doctrine, Worſhip and Diſcipline to their Original Integrity, to what they were in the beginning, are otherwiſe employ'd about ſetling Liturgies, re-inforcing Ceremonies, exacting Uniformity, advancing their own Dignity, till God, in righteous judgment, removes from them the opportunities of acting for themſelves, who ſlighted thoſe inviting junctures wherein they might have ſerved their God. And moſt men have noted, that within theſe twenty years Providence offer'd them three ſeaſons, wherein with great eaſe, they might have healed our Breaches; the firſt, after His Majeſties happy Reſtauration; the ſecond, after the Plague, Fire, and War; the third, after the Diſcovery of the late Horrid and Popiſh Plot: but yet it pleaſed not God to give them, with the opportunities, to ſee the things that belong'd to our Peace.
We ſee then Peace is a Commodity everywhere expoſed to view: They complain that we cheapen it, but will not buy: And indeed we would not out-bid our Purſes, nor buy Gold too dear. We complain that they offer it, but at ſuch unreaſonable Rates, that we cannot reach it; but ſo have many done, that have got rich Goods in their hands, ſet 'em too high, outſtand a good Market, and at laſt, perhaps, may be glad to put 'em off for an old Song.
But it's time to come to my ſelf, and attend the Doctor, who, after an eloquent Preamble, in commendation of Peace, which all men grant; and of the danger of Diviſions, which none ever yet denied; is pleas'd to command our Attendance to the Word of God, written in Philip. 3.16. Nevertheleſs whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the ſame Rule, let us mind the ſame things.