The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions · Direction 46
DIRECT. XLVI.
When you have to do only with stigmatized scandalous ones, to vindicate the honour of of Christianity from their scandal, go as far from them as lawfully you can: But with the common sort of sinners, whose conversion you are bound to seek, go not as far from them as you can, but purposely study to come as near them, as lawfully you may, that you may have the better advautage to win them to the truth.
WHen it is our work to avoid persons that they may be ashamed, or that we may shew our detestation of their wickedness, then going from them is our duty, and we must do it; (To the excommunicate in-publick, and to the notoriously wicked and impenitent after admonition, in our private way of life.) But with most men, our duty is to labour their conversion, and in hope to seek the saving of their souls, till they prove as dogs and swine to their exhorters. It is a common question whether we should go as far as we may from wicked-men, or come as … them as we may. And it is very great ignorance to say either the one of the other, without distinguishing of wicked men! Seeing our duty lyeth the clean contrary way, towards one sort of them and towards another.
And there is much difference also to be made of the matter in which our joyning with them, or going from them doth consist. For there are some things which though they are no sin, yet are so like sin, that our doing them is most like to be a snare, and to hinder mens repentance, and not to further it: And in this we must not come too near them. But there are other things in which our going too far from them is like to hinder their repentance.
The injudicious zeal of many young Christians, doth often carry them into this extream. Any fashion of apparel which the common people use, they will avoid as far as modesty will permit them. And any lawfull recreation which they use, they will fly the further from because they use it: And they think it a scandal, to shoot or bowl or use any such game which bad men use. And any form or manner of speech which is lawful in it self they think they must avoid because such use it. But especially any way of worshipping God, or any controvertible opinion in Religion, which is owned by bad men, they flye as far from as they can; By which means all this evil is committed.
First, Their own faith and practise is corrupted: For many an errour is taken up, by going too far from other mens faults. Many a one turneth Pelagian, by flying indiscreetly from Antinomianism. And many a one turneth Antinomian by avoiding Pelagianism. Many a one turneth Papist to shew his detestation of multitudes of sects: And many a one turneth to the giddiest sects, to avoid the things which are held and practised by the Papists; and are so zealous in avoiding the Papists ceremonies and forms and holidays too far, that at last they renounce their Ordination and their Baptism, and some at last deny the Scriptures, the Creed, and the Christ, which the Papists own. Many a one turneth Separatist and Anabaptist and Quaker, to get far enough from Bishops and Liturgies: And many a one is ready to over-run his consideration, and abuse his conscience in the extent of his compliance with all impositions, through the indignation or contempt against the unreasonable humours of the Sectaries. And thus mens own judgement and practise is depraved, while they think more from whence to go, than whither.
Secondly, you lose your advantage of doing good to those you flye from: And therein disobey the will of God, and have a hand in the loss of the souls of men: Paul became a Jew to the Jews, and all things to all men to save some. 1 Cor. 9. 19, 20, 21, 22. I pray you mark his words: It had been no strange thing, if he had become wise to gain the foolish, and shewed himself strong to win the weak, &c. But to become a Iew (as when he circumcised Timothy, and shaved his head because he had a vow, &c.) and to be as under the Law to them that are under Law; and as without Law to them that are without Law; and to become as weak to them that are weak, to gain the weak, and to be made all things to all men, to save some, this is far from the religion of the Separatists. What abundance of things do many now blame, and censure others for as temporizers, which they have nothing against (that may be called Reason) but only that their neighbours use them? If a man stand up at the profession of the Belief; or if he stand up when the Psalms and Hymns of Praise to God are uttered, they say, he con…ormeth to the gestures of the Congregation: and make that his dispraise which is his praise. And what! Is not standing a fit gesture to profess our Faith in? and a fit gesture to praise God in? Or is it praise-worthy to be odd and singular in the Church? and not to do as the rest of the Church doth? Austin professed his resolution, in all such gestures and lawful orders to do as the Church doth where he is: And Paul would have us with one mouth as well as with one mind to glorifie God. I entreat these men to mark whether it was Christ or the Pharisees that came nearest to their way, and whom they now imitate? Was it for going too far from sinners that the Pharisees did censure Christ? Or was it not for eating and drinking with Publicans and sinners (though he did it not to harden them in their sin, but as a Physician conversing with the sick to heal them) was it not for Sabbath-breaking and not being strict enough in such mat…ers, that they were offended with Christ and his disciples? The case is plain: But corrupted nature more favoureth the separating zeal of the Pharisees, than the Loving winning zeal of Christ; And will easilier suffer us to be imitators of the Pharisees than of Christ.
Thirdly, This going too far from those whom we should win, doth not only lose our advantage to do them good, but greatly tendeth to harden them in all their prejudices against a religious life; and to hinder their conversion and to undo their souls. When they hear and see us place any of our Religion, in avoiding a lawful recreation, or a lawful use of words, or a lawful fashion of apparel, or a lawful gesture or circumstance in Gods worship, they will judge of the rest of our Religion by that part: And this is one thing that hath hardened thousands (especially of the rich who are enclined to excesses) in a scornful contempt of strictness in Religion, under the name of Puritans and Bigots and Precisians, and such like: They think they are but an ignorant humorous sort of people, who are almost mad with a pride of their singularity in Religion; And think that when you tell them of a Conversion, you would have them become such whimsical fanaticks: And that the difference between their Religion and yours is but, whether such a form of prayer, or such a gesture, or such a fashion of apparel, or such musick or other recreation, be lawful, or unlawful; In which they are confident that they are in the right? And what greater cruelty can you shew to souls, than thus to harden them in their sin and misery? Little do such persons think, how many be in Hell, through these scandals and snares which they have set before them? And yet they take on them, that is because they would not encourage men in sin, that they thus flye from them. When they do their worst to make all the world believe that strict religiousness, is but the whimsie of a giddy sort of people, who are almost out of their wits with pride. And what greater injury can men do to Christ and to Religion than this? To make it the scorn and contempt of the world?
I know they will say that Religion was ever scorned by the wicked, and ever will be? But if it be scorned for its genuine nature, its heavenly wisdome, purity and goodness, this is the disgrace only of them that scorn it: Or if they maliciously and causelesly call wisedome, folly, or call good, evil, this will redound to the speakers shame, where true Reason hath but leave to work. But if you will therefore do as the Jews did, and cloath Christ in a fools Coat, and put a Reed in his hand for a Scepter, to expose him to the laughter and scorn of the beholders, it is you that will be found his deriders and crucifiers! If you blind-fold him, and others smite him, and say, Read who smote thee; his buffetting will prove to be caused by you: If you will paint a saint in the garb of a mad man, the countries hatred and abuse of saints will be imputed unto you.
Fourthly, yea I may add, that you are the great cause of the persecutions of the godly, and of the damnation of the persecutors. While godly people appear in their own likeness, in wisdome and love and humility and meekness and sobriety, the world doth usually bear some reverence to them, though it hate them. But when you have made men believe that those that call themselves Godly people, are but a company of superstitious Pharisees, that cry, Touch not, tast not, handle not; or a sort of melancholly humorists, who must sit because their neighbours stand, or must go out of the way, because their neighbours go in it; This maketh them justifie all their cruelties, to you and others, and think persecution to be their duty: and to say that, the whip is for the fools back, and wanton children must be made wise by the rod; and that it is no wrong to a mad man to lie in Bedlam.
If you say, that Godliness hath been alwayes perse…uted, I answer, But if you are the causers of it, though it must needs be that scandal or offence come, yet wo to him by whom it cometh. Math. 18. 7. Luk. 17. 1, 2.
The way of heavenly wisdome is pure, but peaceable and gentle and easie to be entreated: The way that Christ and his Apostles have led us, is to draw as near to sinners as we can, by Love and all the offices of Love, neither following them in any sin, nor flying from them in any thing that is lawful; that they may be convinced that it is not humour and disdain and pride, but true necessity and Gods command, which maketh us differ from them as we do. And that we may not be disabled by any contrary errours of our own from evincing and oppugning theirs.