The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions · Direction 25
DIRECT. XXV.
Be not over-tender of your reputation with any sort of men on earth; nor too impatient of their censures, displeasure, or contempt.
THe fangs of the censorious are a common scandal; and as strong a snare or temptation to some men, as worldly preferments are to others: When we come among men whom we take for the most Religious, and hear them keenly censure all for hypocrites, or formalists, profane or schismaticks, who are contrary to them in opinion or practise; at the first we are in danger of being carried away as Barnabas in dissimulation, and to say as they say, or at least comply with them by our silence and practise, lest we should be censured by them as others are. Especially Ministers are greatly in danger of this snare. For the prophane hate them for their doctrine and their holy lives; And it is the godly that are the fruit of their labours, and the satisfaction which they have for all their sufferings, and the comfort of their lives: And if these forsake them and despise them, with whom shall they find any comfort in the world? Therefore they are very much in danger of complying too far with their errours and weaknesses, to keep their interest in them: And they think it is that they may do them good. And perhaps this was the case of Peter and Barnabas, with the weak Judaizing Christians. For Paul telleth us Rom. the 14. that it was the use of the weak (who thought those things to be duties and sins which were not so) to judge the strong, who knew their liberty: And it was the custome of the strong to despise the weak: Just as at this day, the mistaken superstitious Christian, saith, They are prophane that are not against all that he is against: And those that see his errour say, what giddy whimsical fanaticks are these? So was it then; and so it is like to be, till God give the world a better mind. Many a faithful Minister I have known, who have freely confessed to me, that the censures of peevish self-conceited Christians, enclined to separation, was a far stronger temptation to them to forsake or overrun their own understandings, than all the offers of honours, or riches could be on the other side. It is a hard thing, when we have spent our labour and lives to bring men to Christ, and have got them into a state of hope and forwardness, to be shortly after cast off by them as formalists o… temporizers or any thing that their sick fancies will call us. But for all this, it is but one of those trials which God will have his servants undergo: And both Ministers and private persons must be above the praise and the dispraise even of self-conceited Religious persons, before they can be sit to follow Christ, as tried and firmly setled men. Stand your ground if you are in the right. Truth will bear all your charges at the last, and will defend it self and you: If you please men (whoever they be) contrary to God and conscience, you are servants of men, and verily you have your reward. Math. 6. But you are no longer the servants of Christ. Gal. 1. 10. And you will never be setled, but change as the Moon as the parties or opinions of the censurers change. But if you stick to the words of truth and soberness, at last the sober part of the Religious will be your encouragers, and many of the giddy will come to you by Repentance, when experience hath shewed them that which they would not learn of you. That which is vertiginous will at last settle its rest on that which is permanent and firm: As boys when they have made themselves wheel-sick with turning round, will lay hold on the next post, to keep them from falling. Therefore bear the censures of the ignorant. Please them in all things lawful for their good and edification; and become all things to all men in a lawful way: But depart not from the principles or practise of Christian-union, Communion, Charity, or Sobriety, to please a dividing hot-brain'd party, nor to escape their sharpest censures. He is unfit to be a Physician that cannot bear a mad m…ns railing…, or the harsh expressions of his friends, when a phrensie or feaver makes them brain-sick. When you have followed them in their violent hea… a while to avoid their censure, either you must come back with sorrow, or run to the end with them, as many in this age have done to their own, and to the Churches, and the States confusion; or which is worst of all, God may …stly give you up, to be of their minds, and to think that way right and necessary at last, which at first you only yielded to, in compliance with the heats of other men. And when you have sinned against God to avoid their censures, and keep an interest in them, its two to one, but they will turn on still further and further, till you are forced to let them go, and you shall in the end be more censured and despired by them, than if you had never humoured them at all. These things are written in an age of full experience, by one that hath seen the proof in multitudes.
For my part, I will be so ingenuous and thankful, to the dis…ngenuous and unthankful world as to confess, that they have used me with unusual moderation and civility; in that they have still mixed too high commendations with their blind unreasonable Censures. But yet I must say that he is worse than a fool who would not be taugh▪ by so much experience as I have had, of the vanity of the judgings of the vertiginous world, to choose a more stedfast seat for his rest, than a windmills-sails. The malicious censurers and railers on one side, and the pe…vish censurer… on the other side, have taught me to stand to the judgment of God, and to pity the poor hypocrite, who hath no better a reward, than, the thoughts and praise of mortal men.
Do I speak according to the most common judgment of Divines▪ The Sectary saith, my light is divine: I speak but by rote, and not by true illumination. Do I pretend to add any clearness to the methods or points received, or to correct any error which hath got the major Vote of the injudicious? Then I am self conceited, and a novellist; and if not a heretick, its well I And the honour of all the Divines which are of a contrary mind, must be engaged to promote the Censure. And the fear that sober Christians have of novelty and errour, must be called up to make them abhor any truth which the grave and ignorant censurer doth not understand: And they that confess that they never seriously read what I have written, on such or such a subject, yet have wisdom and honesty little enough to say behind my back, O take heed of such a mans Books, for they are tantum non heretical▪ Though in presence they are as gentle as Lambs, or as quickly silenced (or worse) as the Owls at the approach of da… light: If such a judicious Writer, as Camer, or Dav…nant, or Usher, or Gr…cius, or Bengi…, or Amyrald, or Placa…u…, or …apellus, or Test…rdus, or Bl…ndel, or D…ll…us, or … Blan… (in his late excellent impartial judicious Theses) or Iunius, or V…ssius, or Strangius, &c. do tell any of the unstudied or injudicious sort of Divines, any more than they have received from that party of Teachers, who are in greatest reputation with them; you shall have those that never understood them, tell the ignorant (that cannot contradict them) how erroneous they are, and how they contradict themselves: and what inconsistencies and absurdities they speak: And it all goes down with deluded auditors, as if the Speaker were an Oracle; or at least, knew what he said.
And to teach you to despair of the hypocrites reward, let me tell you; that till God make the world another thing than now it is, there is no hope that ever the honester sort of Christians or Teachers (much less the dishonester) should ever come to so high attainments, that the major part should be truly judicious in judging of deep and difficult controversies! And that there is as little hope, that either of them should know how little they know, till their knowledge in the matter it self increase; or that ever the world (whether Christians or Heathens, Pastors or People) should cease to overvalue their own apprehensions; till greater Light and study bring them first to Doubting, and lastly to separate the certainties from the uncertainties, and to fasten upon one, and lay by the other. But I have been long upon this instance.
And it is so in almost all things else. Scarce a day or hour that I spend, but I must sin or be censured for it. If I neglect my most publike labours, my conscience and those at a distance censure me. If I do not, those at hand who expect all my time should be spent in private converse with them, censure me, If my publike duty command me away, yet he that expected that hour in conference, thinks that I disdainfully neglect him; And if I should cast off preaching and writing, it is almost all one: For that hour which I have been spending with one, another hath been that while expecting▪ and censuring me as sharply for his frustration.
If I had a benefit to do or give, which I can give but to one, ten shall censure me, because they have it not, when the one that had it is scarcely thankful. If you would give all that you have to the poor, when all is given, many that had nothing will censure you more then those that had it will be grateful. Expectations with most men are high, and they understand not your inability: And mens necessities are many and great; And every one will say, why I look but for so much; when all set together is ten times more than you have to give.
And as to the Manner of our duties, the censures will be as sure and many. If I would cure any hearers of an error, instead of a cure, they make me know they feel the smart; And that they came not to be taught, but to be pleased. (So dangerous a thing is it for men to come into the School of Christ, as Iudges and not as Scholars, (or Disciples.) Its two to one but there are present many persons of contrary opinions▪ what shall I do to please them all? shall I first preach for Separation, Anabaptism, Antinomianism, P… pery, to please those on those sides; and then preach against them all again to please those on the other side? This would displease them all: (and God and Conscience who are more than all.) If I speak on one side, I lose the other. If I meddle with no Controversie▪ I must meddle with no truth: For one or other controverteth all things; (the Immortality of the Soul, Christianity and the Deity, not excepted.)
If in prayer it self I let fall a confession of the controverted sin, which any are guilty of who are present, they censure that Confession, and instead of repentance, are ready to say they will joyn with such a one no more; And it is the Confession which must be the sin.
But if once we have to do against the sin, of any that are Great or Godly, that power or piety is made a patron of the errour; then it may be a smarting censure indeed, which we may expect: One crieth out, He is a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition, as they did of Paul, though I hate and preach-against sedition. Another saith, he is bitter and speaketh against the Godly, when I spend my self to preach up Godliness.
But if it be a party that is engaged in the errour, you must expect the censure of all the party. And what errour is it that hath not a party? or that hath neither Greatness nor Godliness for a refuge?
If in doctrinal or practical consultations of great moment you have to do with injudicious unskilful men, if you contradict their way (be it never so modestly) you are proud and self-opi…ionated, and must have your own way: If you follow their mistakes, and contradict them not, you may wound the Church and Cause of Christ, and be more generally censured at the last.
In a word, when such a multitude of things are matters of Controversie, as many may be the matters of Censure. One will censure me for praying with a form, or book, and another for praying without it. One for being too long, and another for being too short: one for this gesture, and another for that: One for preaching when I am silenced; another for not preaching more. One for being too gentle to dissenters, and another▪ for being too severe: One for being too narrow in my principles, and communion; and another, for being too large and universal.
And if in the sense of the sin and misery of some Christians Love-killing principles and practises, I have spent the best of twenty years, in writing, preaching (while I had leave) conferring and praying for the Union of Christians and the Churches peace; I have but made a wedge of my bare hand, by putting it into the clift; and both sides have closed upon me to my pain. But I have turned both parties in the fray, which I endeavoured to part, against my self; when each side had one adversary, I had two.
Nay this is not the worst to be expected: But moreover I must add, that I was never more accused of any thing as a crime, than of that which I did most against, And even for doing so. Never more suspected of Carnal compliance, than when I exercised the greatest self-denial: Never more accused of unpeaceableness, than for labouring for the Churches peace. Never was I more accused of Schism, than for striving with all my power, to have united the Ministers, and healed the Church, or at least prevented further divisions. Never more accused of enmity against the true Discipline of the Church, than when I have done most (and at the dearest rates) to stablish it, and to prevent its fall.
In all this I meddle not with my Civil Superiours, as thinking it meeter patiently to bear, than to aggravate their censures, though not all so tolerable as private mens.
I might give you as many instances of the matters of common Converse: He that hath much to do in the world, shall hardly escape the censure of many. The buyer will say he sells too dear: The seller will say, he would buy too cheap. Every one that expecteth a commodity, will censure him that hindereth it, and steps in before him.
If I have a friend or kinsman unworthy of any office or preferment, he is nevertheless peremptory in his desires and expectations, for being unworthy. If I will not speak for him and further his suit, I am censured as unnatural and unkind, and turn a friend into an enemy: If I do speak for him, I am false to my conscience and the common good; and I must look to be censured accordingly by many.
But I will add no more instances, lest what I intend for instruction, seem to be but a complaint. But to what purpose is all this?
It is to let the Reader know, that man is not God, nor his judgement to be rested in, nor his favour to be over-valued. To call to you, O cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils; whose heart is deceitful and desperately wicked! For wherein is he to be accounted of! Look up to God, and take him for your God indeed: Rest in his Love, and be satisfied in his approbation▪ Despise not man, nor lay any stumbling blocks before them; but as to your own interest in their esteems (farther than Gods service and their benefit requireth it) account it but a shadow, and a thing of nought: And say of it as Paul, With me it is a very small thing, to be judged of you or of mans day (or judgement) For I have one that judgeth me even the Lord. 1 Cor. 4. 3.
It is GOD (Christians) it is GOD, it is only GOD, whose infallibility, justification, and unspotted truth and goodness, you must make your rest. It is Heaven, it is Heaven, it is only Heaven, where perfect truth, and impartial righteousness, and the full vindication of all the just, and the fruition of perfect Love and Concord, is to be expected: and where malice, and lies, and discord, and the father of them, are totally and finally shut out.
As you would not be used as Hypocrites by God, and deprived of the true Reward of faith, O seek not after the hepocrites reward! What is the applause of mortal man! Can you not bear the censure of such a shadow? How then would you suffer martyrdome for Christ? Over-value not the esteem of High or Low, of the Great or of the Godly, of the many or of the few. Gods approbation is sufficient to be your reward. See that you be Godly, and then be more indifferent though you are thought ungodly. See that you be loyal, and peaceable, and then you may bear it, if you be called the contrary. Abhor all unwarrantable divisions, and then you may bear to be reputed schismaticks. Study you to be good, and not to be accounted good.
And what if I should look further, to historical fame when I am dead! Away with the overvaluing of that too, as part of the hypocrites reward! I confess God usually blesseth the memory of the just, and sets their names above the power of the greatest tyrants, and causeth the names of the wicked to rot: But this is but a temporal and uncertain thing. If one write in my praise to the highest, and another write a Volume of false reproaches, how shall posterity know which is true, who knew neither party nor the cause?
But yet the nearer reason of all this admonition is, to let you know that as contention comes by pride, so over-valuing the esteem and censures of men (though Good or Great) is a dreadful snare, and cause of schismes: For then you will be stretching your consciences, and using your wits to please the party whose censures you must escape: And you will wound the truth▪ and be warping to their errours and extreams: And though by this you may think, that some present necessity may be satisfied, and some inconveniencies avoided, yet at the long running, the wound will be found to be increased; and the cure the harder because of the delay. Converse with all men as those that must be finally judged by God: and remember that the Judg is at the door.