The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions to pastors 2 · Direction 12
DIRECT. XII.
Remember that the Pastoral Government is a Work of LIGHT and LOVE: and what cannot be done by these is not at all to be done by you: And therefore you must make it your great study and employment, first to Know more than the people, and to Love them more than they Love you or one another; and then to convince them by unresistable evidence of truth, and to cause the warmth of your Love to be felt by them, in every word and act of your Ministration; As the Mi…k is wa…m by the natural heat of the mother, and so is fitted for the nourishment of the child.
AS the Gospel is the revelation of the Love of God, and it is a message of Love which we have to bring, and a work of Love which we cooperate to effect; so it is a spirit of Love which must be our principle, and it is an office and work of Love which we are called to; and the manner must be answerable to the work. Faith is the Head, and Love is the Heart of the new Creature: And as there is no Light in our office and work, if there be no Faith and evidence of Truth, so there is no Life in it, if there be no Love. God himself in the great work of our Redemption, & Christ in his Incarnation, life and suffering, hath taught the world, that the manifestation of Love is the way to win Love and to cure enmity: And he is not worthy the name of a Minister of Christ, who hath not learned this lesson, and doth not imitate his Lord in this: That as our office participateth subordinately of his office, both Ruling, Teaching & Priestly, so we may participate of that Spirit of Love, which was his Principle and must be ours. If it be not a work of Love which we do, it is not the work of a Minister of Christ, and Preacher of the Gospel. Can you well Preach so great Love of Christ to men without Love? if you shew not Love to them, you can never expect to win their Love to your selves. And when you overmuch desire to be loved your selves (as which of you doth not,) you pretend that it is, to make your endeavours more successful, when you perswade them to the love of Christ. And doubtless a just Love to the person of the Preacher is a good advantage to this success. And in good sadness, can you believe that any thing is so likely to win Love as Love, or did experience ever teach you, that reproach, or contempt, or hurting men, was the effectual way to make them Love you? This way hath been long tried by the Mountebanks in Italy, Spain and many other Countries, but alas with what success? Indeed solitudinem faciunt & pa…m vocant, as Tertullian saith: When they have killed those that they had first oppressed, they affrighted the rest to say they loved them, and really won the Love of their surviving blood-thirsty enemies: but that was all. If the new knack of transfusion of blood cannot do this feat, by letting in the blood of a Spaniel (who loveth him that beateth him) when you let out their own, phlebotomy will never do it.
Account then that Sermon, that converse, that reproof, that discipline in which Love is not apparently predominant, to be but a lifeless useless thing, as to the winning of a sinners heart to Christ. Though I deny not but when the case of the sinner appeareth desperate, the severity of Discipline in casting him off, may express more of another affection as to him: But that is because in so doing you must shew greater Love to the Church which must be saved from the infection.
But perhaps you'l say, They despise me, and injure me, and follow others and admire them, who deserve not so well of them as I do.
Answ. First, we are most of us too partial to be competent Judges of our own deserts. Selfishness too often maketh us think better of our selves, our preaching and our lives, than there is cause: And it too often filleth men with envy against those, whose greater worth and better labours cause them to be preferred by the hearers: And envy usually breeds detraction. I know that many giddy persons heap up Teachers to them selves and follow seducers, & coutemn the faithfullest servants of the Lord. But I know withall, that there is usually a convincing power in the preaching of able experienced Ministers, which is not to be found in the cold & formal discourses of an hypocrite. And that there is a suitable principle in true spiritual experienced Christians, which causeth them to relish this spiritual experimental preaching much more than the more-adorned carkas…es of formality: And seriousness is still acceptable to serious Christians: Yea even to common natural men, unless the malicious possess them by slanders with prejudice against it. Now if this should be the cause that others are preferred before you, O how heynous were your sin? As if it were not enough for you to neglect your duty, and to do the work of God deceitfully, and injure the souls of men in a cause of such importance, but you must also impenitently justifie such a crime, and also maligne those that have more of the grace and gifts of God than you, and that do more to help to save mens souls!
Secondly, But suppose that your deserts be as great as you conceive, and their love to you as little; I would further ask you: First, is it for their own sake who thus hinder their own edification by it, that you are troubled at them? or is it for your selves, because you have not the respect which is your due. If it be the later, I need not tell you what it is for Ministers of Christ thus to seek themselves, and overvalue their own esteem: If it be the former, 2 Why doth it not please you then that they are edified by others, though not by you. Do you think that it is not the same Gospel which others preach to them. And may not that Gospel edifie and save them, by the Preaching of another as well as by yours. And if their dis-esteem of you, be a sign or means, that they are not edified by you, is not their great esteem of others who are as faithful a sign and means that they are or may be edified by them.
Thirdly, And why are you not much more troubled at the state of all those who are not converted or edified by you, though they do not slight you or forsake you. How many be there that seem to love and honour you, and yet do not love and honour God? but despise religion and their own Salvation? If it be for their sakes and not your own that you are offended, you will grieve most for them that are most ungodly, though they honour you never so much; and you will be glad for them that are faithful and Godly, whose Ministery soever it be that they most esteem.
Fourthly, But suppose them yet so foolish and faulty, as to run from you to their own perdition; The question is, What is the way to c…re them? Is Love caused by hard words or stripes? Will you say to them, Love me, or you shall be fined or imprisoned? Christ doth not teach you, to use such arguments when you speak for him, but to beseech men in his name and stead tobe reconciled to God, 2 Cor. 5. 19, 20. But your own work will be done in your own way.
Obj. But Christ threatneth Hell to the impenitent, and Paul pronounceth him Anathematized that loveth not the Lord Iesus: and he talketh to his hearers of coming with a rod.
Answ. No doubt but the corrupted mind of man, hath need not only of Love to draw them home to God, and work the cure, but of Threatnings to drive them and to help on the cure! And though it be Love that causeth Love, which is their Holiness, yet Fear removeth many impediments: But still remember that it is Love which is predominant, and fear is but subservient; And that the fear which is contrary to Love is a vice, and hindereth the…r salvation: And remember that Fear and Love towards God, will better stand together, than Fear and Love to you will: For men know Gods Soveraignty and Iustice; and know that he is not to be questioned or resisted: But if they suffer by you, it will not be so digested, nor will it so consist with love. A patient will not bear to be whipt by his Physician to force him to take his medic…nes, though a child will bear it from his parents, whose Love and Power are more unquestionable to him. I desire you but to mark your own experience, and let your Love be predominant in all your ministrations, and use no force or hurting course which will really abate their Love to you, and then I shall leave you in the rest to your discretion. Secondly, Yet still we grant that Christs threatnings may be preached by you, and must be; Thirdly, And that the rod of discipline must be used: But this must be done only on the scandalous and such as more dishonour Christ than you: And it must be so done, that it may appear to be Christs own work, and done by you upon his interest and at his commund, and not either arbitrarily or for your selves.
And I shall be bold with confidence to add that in those cases where violent restraint or …oaction is necessary, the Pastor is the unmeetest person to meddle in it. It is the Magistrates work to drive and force (where it must be done) and the Pastors to perswade and draw. The flock of Christ is led by himself the Lamb of God, and his Ministers must go before with him, and attend him in the conduct; and the Magistrate must come behind and drive; and it is the hindermost, and not those before that must be driven. Pastors should be so far from calling out for the help of violence (unless it be to keep the peace) that they should rather shew their love and tenderness, by seeking as far as they may to mitigate it: And they should desire that no such ungrateful work be at all imposed upon them, as to seem the afflicters of their flocks: because when once they have lost their love, they have lost their opportunity and advantage of edifying them.
And it is not Pilate's hypocritical washing of his hands, that will excuse him: Nor the Romish Clergies disclaiming to meddle in a judgement of blood, which will reconcile the minds of sufferers to them, as long as they are Masters of the Inquisition, or deliver them up to the secular power, and excommunicate and depose the temporal Lords who will not do such execution as they require.
Though I have some where else mentioned it, I will again request the Reverend Pastors of the Church, to peruse the story of Idacius and Martin in Sulpitius Severus. The sum of it is this. Priscillian and many others (some Bishops and some Presbyters and some private persons) were zealous in religion, but heretical (Gnosticks saith Sulpitius:) Ithacius and Idacius were two Orthodox Bishops who were very hot against these her…ticks: Both of them men of rash and haughty spirits, and one of them at least (saith Sulpitius) an injurious person that scarce cared what he said or did by others (see what persons a good cause may be defended by.) These Bishops drew in the Bishops of the neighboring Churches, & in their Synods first condemned the Priscillianists; and next provoked the Emperour against them. The Priscillianists found that if that were the way, an Emperours Court was not so Orthodox or constant, but there might be as good hopes for them: And therefore they got a powerful friend in Court to undertake their business, and got the better of the Bishops: The Bishops being born down for a time, at last Maximus was proclaimed Emperour, and came over with power and victory into Germany (such another as Cromwel, who by the Bishops was accounted a very Religious Christian, but usurped the Empire, and fought against and killed one of the Emperours, and pretended that the souldiers made him Emperour against his will.) This Maximus (whether sincerely or for his own advantage is unknown) did take part with the Orthodox and greatly honour the Bishops and promote Religion, and got a great deal of love and honour. Ithacius and Idacius and the rest of the Bishops apply themselves to Maximus against the Priscillianists; who hearkened to them, and to please them put Priscillian and some others to death, and punished others by other wayes of violence. The more rude ungodly sort of Christians, so far concurred or over-went the Bishops, that they turned their fury against any that seemed more Religious than their neighbours: so that if any one did but fast and pray more, and read the Scriptures more than others, he was reproached as a Heretick and favourer of the Priscillianists: Martin Bishop of Turen was at that time a man of no great Learning, but so famous for Holiness, Charity, and numerous miracles, as the like is scarce written with credibility of any man since the Apostles (for which he is canonized a Saint.) This Martin was grieved partly to hear strictness brought into reproach, and partly to see Magistrates called to the suppression of heresies by the Bishops; and so every heretick taught how to persecute and suppress the truth, who could burget the Emperor on his side: Therfore he petitioned the Emperour for mercy to the Priscillianists, and told him that it was a thing not used by Christians, to propagate sound doctrine or suppress mens errours by the sword: He also avoided the Synods of the Bishops, and refused not only their Councils, but their Communion: Whereupon the Bishops not only despise him as an unlearned man, and one that deceived the people with false miracles; but also suggested to the Emperour that he was a favourer of the hereticks himself: Insomuch that Martin hardly escaped suffering with them, through the Bishops calumnies. But the great piety and clemency of the Emperour preserved him; And at last did promise him the saving of the lives of some that were further appointed to suffer, on condition that he himself would communicate with the Bishops. Martin saw that there was no other means to save the life of one that else was presently t…odie, and thinking that Christ who would have mercy and not sacrifice, would in such a case allow it, he promised to have Communion with the Bishops, and so did communicate with them the next day, and saved the mans life. When he had done it he was in great doubt and perplexity about it, whether he had done well or not? and in this trouble went secretly out of the City homewards: And by the way in a Wood as he was in heaviness and doubt, an Angel appeared to him, and rebuked and chastened him, for communicating with them, and bid him take warning by this, lest the next time he hazarded his salvation it self by it. And Martin professed that long after this, the gift of miracles was denied him; but he communicated with the Synod and Bishops no more.
This History I only recite without determining how far the Reader is to believe it: But I must say that the reading of it was a temptation to me, to doubt concerning my Communion, the Reader may easily know with whom. For though I know how credulous and fabulous many ancient Writers were, yet I considered, that th…s Historian is one of the most ancient, one of the most learned, one of the most strictly Religious of all the old Historians of the Church; and that he was himself an intimate acquaintance of Martins, and had it from his own mouth; and most solemnly protesteth or sweareth that he feigneth nothing, and that the miracles of Martin were known to him partly by his own sight, partly by Martin's own Relation, and partly by many credible witnesses: And they were so believed commonly in that age by good men, that it was the occasion of his Canonizing. And if such History is not to be believed, I will not mention the consequences that will hence follow.
And yet on the other side I considered; First, That it was possible that a holy man might be mistaken by fear and scrupulosity, and take that for an Angels appa…ition which was but a dream: Secondly, That his avoiding Communion with the Bishops might be only a prudential act, fitted to that time and place, upon accidental or circumstantial reasons which will not suit with another time and place: Thirdly, It is dangerous making the actions of any men, upon pretense of any Revelations and Miracles, to be instead of Scripture, the rule of our faith or duty; much more to prefer them before the Scripture when there is a contrariety between them. Fourthly, And his separation was but temporary, not from the Order, nor from any of the other Pastors, or from the people; but only from those individual persons, whom he supposed to be scandalous. And these considerations I judge sufficient to resist that temptation.
Whoever understandeth what a man is, and what a Christian is, and what the office and work of a Pastor is, will make no doubt, but that his Guidance must be paternal, and that as Love is the effect to be produced in the people, so Love in him must be the means of causing it; & that he must expect that the success of his preaching & discipline should not exceed the measure of Love, which is manifested therin; further thanas God may extraordinarily work beyond the aptitude of the means. And when he hath complained of the people as sharply as he will, he shall find that whatsoever it is that Love cannot do, in order to their conversion and edification, and which Light or evidence cannot do in order to their conviction, is not by him to be done at all. And if he will be trying with edge tools, he may cut his own fingers sooner than cure an erring mind; And shall find that the people will much worse endure acts of force and corporal penalty, from a Pastor, than from a Magistrate; and will hardly believe by any cloathing that he is a sheep, if they once perceive that he hath bloody teeth. Our work is to win the heart to Christ: And he is unfit to be a Pastor, that knoweth not how hearts are to be won.