The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions to pastors 2 · Direction 10
DIRECT. X.
Remember the common calamity of the Church and of all mankind: What strange disparity there is in mens understandings! and how the Church on earth is a Hospital of diseased souls, and no one man perfectly healed in this life.
WHo can say I have made my heart clean? Prov. 20. 9. He that is kept from presumptuous sins, and heartily prayeth and striveth against his known infirmities, and is desirous to know his unknown sins that he may avoid them, hath attained so far as to be justified by Christ, and loved of those who love as Christ doth. Psal. 19. Ioh. 3. 19, 20. Seneca could say that to carp at th…t fault which was every mans fault, is not to reprove an offender, but to reproach humane nature and all mankind: Christians indeed must lament even the vices which are common to depraved nature, but it is with a common lamentation, which falleth on one man no more than on another. Even as we lament mortality, which is the common punishment of mankind. But he that would have punishment inflicted for a fault which is common to all, would have all men punished or is partial.
If our infirmities are not all the very same, yet it is certain that we are all infirm. Yea we are all of imperfect and erroneous understandings, though all err not the same errour. … And we are every man certain in general that we have errours, though no man know in particular which be his own errours! (For it is a contradiction to say that while I err in judgement I know my errour) so that other men know our errours when we know them not our selves, as we know theirs which are unknown to them. For as all have their common defects, so most men have their peculiar defects and errours, and others excel those persons in some particulars, who excel them in almost all the rest. Therefore if no errour were to be tolerated, no man were to be tolerated: And the wisest in the world must be numbered with the intolerable as well as the rest. And every one that punisheth others, must be conscious of the same intolerable evil in himself, and that nothing but power exempteth him from the same suffering, and therefore none but the King should escape. In many things we offend all: Therefore be not many Masters (too imperious or too censorious towards dissenters and the infirm) lest ye receive the greater condemnation. Jam. 3. 1, 2.
GOD who is One, hath made the creatures MANY and divers: And the further they go from Him, the more they run into multiplicity and diversity: It is admirable in Nature to see that among the millions of persons in the world, there are no two that differ not sufficiently to be discernable from each other: And among the bruits and inanimates it is so too: Among horses and oxen and sheep and all creatures, yea though non ovum ov… similius be a proverb, yet there are no two that do not differ: No nor among the millions of stones which lye scattered over the surface of the earth. There are no two persons in all the world, who are just of the same intellectual complexion and degree, nor no two who are in all things of the same opinions or apprehensions: No nor any one man who is in all things long of the same apprehensions and opinions with himself: Nor is there any man whose thoughts and affections do perfectly consent with themselves in matter and order, any two hours in all his life. And if multiplicity and diversity have so much cause in nature, how much more must needs be added by the common corruption and pravity of nature? When all mankind hath so much ignorance of the mysteries of Religion, and so many degrees of enmity and unsuitableness to holy things, a great difference of judgement is an unavoidable consequent of this.
And mens various educations, and converse, and employments must needs cause a great variety of apprehensions: As their nature so their education may agree in some generals: But there are no two persons at age in the world, whose educations have been the same in all particulars: Though they were children of the same parents, and bred in the same house and time, yet all that they have seen and heard and medled with hath not been in all points just the same: the same in matter, and time and order and all circumstances. And we see what great diversity of judgements any one of these doth daily cause. To have parents of several minds and tempers: To be bred in families where there is great diversity of knowledge and practise: To live among company of contrary principles and practise; when one man heareth one thing, talkt of and maintain'd in his daily converse, and another the contrary: When one hath a teacher of one opinion and another of another: Or one hath a teacher that is cold, and another one that is servent; one a judicious one, and another a rash and intemperate one; what diversity of apprehensions may arise from any one of these?
And so there may from variety of passions of the mind, through a diversity of bodily temperatures: One that is naturally fearful is apt to apprehend a thousand things as terrible, and consequently to be filled with scruples, and to run away from doctrines and practises as dangerous, where another doth apprehend no danger. And one that is dark, or incredulous, or rash or stupid, or hardened by any sinful course, is apt to conceive that he is safe in every dangerous way, and to sleep quietly at the brink of death and hell, and to laught at them that tell him of his peril: As men sit under the same instructions with variety of affections, of fear or hope, of Love or hatred, of joy or sorrow, so variously are they disposed to apprehend what they hear, seeing recipitur ad modum recipientis.
And variety of Gods disposing providences must needs also have some such effect. While one is rich and another is poor; one hath crosses of divers sorts, and another hath prosperity; one is full and another is hungry; one is observed, admired and honoured, and another is taken little notice of, or is vilified and despised; One hath many friends and another many enemies: One hath friends that are kind and constant, and the other such as are unkind and mutable; One is preferred by Rulers, and the other is ruined or oppressed; All these will occasion variety of apprehensions: As it was with the Lady who coming in very cold, in a frosty day, pitied the naked beggars at the door; but when she was well warmed chid them away: We all find that our apprehensions are very apt to vary in sickness from what they were in health; and in poverty from what they were in plenty; and when we are angred, displeased or abused, from what they were when we were pleased: Yea when we have but read a lively book, or heard a lively Sermon, from what they were before our affections were so excited.
Also variety of Temptations may occasion great variety of apprehensions: When one mans temptations are all alluring, to lust or gaming or stage-playes, or Romances, or drunkenness, or gluttony, or pastime; and anothers temptations are all to melancholy, and inordinate at sterities and despair; When one man is tempted to errours of one kind, and another to the contrary. Even he that overcometh in the main, yet seldome so far conquereth as to receive no misimpression upon his mind.
Moreover variety of Callings, studies and employments occasioneth variety of apprehensions: A mans mind is much wrought upon by the business and objects which he is daily conversant about: And therefore we find that usually the Courtier, the Souldier, the Sea-man, the Citizen and the Country-man much differ in their apprehensions. And usually (though not every duplicate page duplicate page individual yet) as to the most part, all men are wisest in their own professions: Lawyers are wisest in matters of Law and Divines in matters of Divinity. Opportunities of study and instruction make exceeding great differences in the world. The Lawyer and Physician perhaps may on the by, have bestowed a few years time in Divinity, in the midst of other interrupting studies: When the Divine hath studied almost all his life, and drawn out his meditations in one uninterrupted thred. And so we discern that Lawyers and Physicians have oft different apprehensions, of matters of doctrine, worship and discipline, from those of the best Divines.
And diversity of Interests maketh no small difference of apprehensions. And those that are advantaged by their helps and studies may be disadvantaged by their interests. And therefore we say the Magistrate and the subject, the Lawyer and the Divine, the Prelate and the Presbyter, the Papist and the Protestant (both Princes, Prelates and People) so strangely differ in their thoughts; that one seemeth certain of that which another seemeth certain to be false; and one ventureth his salvation on that, which another ventureth his salvation against. Interest worketh secretly and too much with the best; but openly and predominantly with the worst.
And then the interest and opinion of the several Kingdomes, Churches, Pastors, parties or Sects which men are related to, or are engaged with, doth strongly tend to different apprehensions in all matters which those interests are concerned in. And many very good men think, that publick interest may be allowed much power upon their minds, though private and personal must be denied. Is it not a wonder to see, not only that almost all Christians are incorporated into one sect or party or other, but how easily the inconsiderable reasons of their party can prevail with them, and how hardly the better reasons of their adversaries, seem to them of any weight or worth? Not only the parties of Papists and Protestants, Lutherans and Reformed, &c. shew this; but in the same Church the Regulars and Seculars, the Bishops and the Jesuits, the Dominicans and Jesuits, the Thomists, Scotists, &c. declare it. And the difference made by, natural capacities is yet more than all this. When one man is born to a duller understanding, and another hath a quick and clear apprehension; All that these men read and hear and meditate on, is like to make different impressions on their minds. And this is the greatest thing of any one, which maketh many controversies endless, and maketh both Divines and people run away from one another as dangerously erroneous: If a few men have clearer understandings than the duller and unstudied sort, they are like to be the minor part: For the dull and slothful (and yet self-conceited) will ever be the greater part, many to one, till the golden age return. And when all the world feeleth the consequents of this difference, can we doubt of it, or so far dote, as to think it possible to cure it?
Yet the various degrees of the Grace of God, do certainly also make great variety of apprehensions. When God giveth to some those true illuminations, those …hirsting desires after truth, those heart-experiences, those delightful rel…shes, those powerful effects and victories, which he giveth not to others, they are made to differ & must needs have different apprehensions of such things. In which sense Christ saith, that he came not to send peace but division, that is, to be such an object, and preach so holy a doctrine, and give such grace, as would …ccasion divisions, by making his sanctified ones differ from the world, and occasioning the erritation of the worlds malignity.
And indeed the grand difference between the seed of the woman and of the serpent, the holy and the carnal seed, is that which is the root of the greatest and sorest divisions in the world; which will never be reconciled till Christ at the day of judgement shall say to one part, Come ye blessed, and to the other Go ye cursed: For the carn…l mind is enmity against God, and is not subject to his law, nor indeed can be (in sens… comp…sito.) Rom. 8. 6, 7, 8. It was not for nothing that God permitted that great eruption of it, in the first man that ever was born into the world, against his innocent brothers life, on the bare account of their religious sacrifices! And the Cainites are still too strong for Alel's successors, and too numerous. And why did he kill his brother? But because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous. Gen. 4. 10, 11. 1 Joh. 3. 12. And as Paul saith of the two sons of Abraham, as he that was born of the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now. Gal. 4. 29. For the flesh fighteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other. Gal. 5. 17. And that which is born of the flesh is flesh, & that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Joh. 3. 6. And they that are of the flesh do savour mind or understand the things of the flesh, and they that are after the spirit do mind the things of the spirit. Rom. 8. 5, 6. Our heavenly teacher told his disciples, that if they were of the world the world would love them; but because they are not of the world, but he had chosen them out of the world, the world would hate them (even as it hated him.) Ioh. 15. 18, 19, 24, 25. Ioh. 17. 14. And every one that doth evil hateth the light. Ioh. 3. 19, 20. Nothing then can be surer or plainer to a believer, than that there will be still as great divisions and diversitie of apprehensions as radicated enmity can breed.
And (to prevent many objections) let these three things be noted.
First, That this grand difference which lieth in the greatest matters, in head and heart, must needs have influence upon abundance of inferiour controversies: Both as the Persons and main cause are concerned in them. Reason and experience have put this past controversie.
Secondly, That this doth not concern only the visible Church and the world, but the visible Church within it self: For all the Hypocrites and carnal worshippers, have still the Cainish serpentine nature: Yea those that by advantages and interest are brought over to the Orthodox as well as Christian side. And it is a happy Church where the Hypocrites are not the greater part: And it is neither great Learning, nor degrees, nor the Pastoral office, nor the profession of the highest zeal, which will serve turn to cure the carnal enmity, without the sanctifying spirit of grace. So that when controversies arise, we see not in the hypocrites that carnal mind, which in the strictest pro…ession, or greatest learning, or most venerable function, will work against the interest of holiness: But we are sure that there it is, though we know not the persons in whom but by the full effects.
Thirdly, And note also that there is a mixture or remnant of this unhappy root and principle even in the sanctified themselves. And it is hard in a controversie to perceive in our selves, much more in others, how much our judgements may be moved by this party; and what influence it may have into our conclusions.
So that all this maketh it but too manifest, what a certainty there is of perpetual differences in the Church, upon all these foresaid accounts.
Add also this great and unavoidable cause, that one errour leadeth in another: And no man being without some; and every one being generative, and inferring more, what will it come to when all those also shall have their off-spring? and the further they go, the more they will increase and multiply?
And as the judgement by one is laid open to another (even as truth inferreth truth) so the will is engaged, and espouseth mens own opinions as their interest; which maketh them stretch their w…ts in study to maintain what once they have received and asserted: And alas how often have I heard wise and reverend persons cry out against this pride and partiality in others, who in their next discourse or the same, have shamefully shewed it in themselves: making much of their own inconsiderable reasonings, and vilifying cogent evidence against them; and being so intent on their own inventions and cause, that they could scarce have patience to hear another speak; And when they have heard him, their first words shew, that they never well weighed the strength of his arguments, but were all the while thinking what to say against him, or how to go on as they had begun.
Lastly (not to run into any more causes) there is an universal lamentable cause of differences, that almost all people naturally are apt to be very confident of all their own apprehensions, And very few have any due suspicion of their own opinions; or an understanding submission to wiser men. Yea boyes (that are once past their Tutors dictates) and the weakest women, are usually as confident that they are in the right, as the most learned and experienced persons. Yea none are so apt to be too doubtful and di…ident of their own understandings, as the Learned who are next the highest form: For they have knowledge enough to know what can be objected against them, and to see an hundred difficulties, which the ignorant never saw. So that the more weak & worthless and erroneous any ones judgment is, usually the more furious are they in their prosecution of it, as if all were most certain truth which they apprehend: These are the boldest both in schisms and persecutions; as being so sure that their conceits are right, that they dare censure or separate or scorn or despise, or afflict dissenters.
It is a common thing to hear religious people speak meanly and humbly of their own understandings in the general; But when it cometh to particulars, it is the rarest part of humility in the world, to find: Very few do shew any competent modesty (except the grosly ignorant who have no pretence to wisdome): What abundance of good people of the darker sort, have I been fain to rebuke for their over-valuing me and my understanding; who when I have but crost their opinions about any thing, which most groundlesly, they took for a duty or a sin, have held as fast their vain conceits, and made as much of their most senseless reasonings, and as passionately and confidently rejected the most unquestionable proof which I have offered them, as if they had been infailible, and had taken me for an errant fool.
And this is not the case of one or two Sects only; but naturally of almost all men, till God hath taught them that rare part of humility, to have Humble Understandings, and low thoughts of their own judgements, and a due suspicion of their apprehensions.
And their cure is the harder because they know not how to have a humble suspicion of themselves without running into the contrary, extream of scepticism, and being cold and unfaithful to the truth; They know not how to hold fast that which is good, and to be constant in religion, without holding fast all which they have once conceited to be good, and being constant in their errour: Especially when good or evil is voted to them by that party whose piety they most esteem and reverence.
Nor is this a Religious distemper only, but it is so natural to mankind, that even in common matters neighbours and neighbours, masters and servants, husband and wife, and almost all, have a strange diversity of apprehensions: One thinks that this is the best way, and another that the other is best; and let them reason and wrangle it out never so long, usually each party still holdeth his own, and hardly yieldeth to anothers reasons.
And when they do yield, they are so unhappy that they are as like to yield to one more erroneous than themselves, and to change into a worse opinion, as to yield to the truth. For commonly, Appearance, Advantage, Interest, and a taking tone and voice, do more with them than solid evidence of truth.
Out of all this if you infer a necessity of Government, so do I. But if a necessity of force and rigor, think on it again, and first hear what I shall further say: And consider what I have said already. Distinguish between the common frailties of mankind, and special enormities: And forget not that you are men and live among men: And let not men be cast out for Original sin; nor punish a few for that which is common to all the world; Nor condemn not your selves in condemning others. Of which I further add: