The Reformed Pastor, To the reader – Quotations
TO The Lay-Reader.
THE reaſon why I have called this volumn, the firſt Part of the book, is becauſe I intend, if God enable me, and give me time, a Second Part, containing the duty of the people in relation to their Paſtors, and therein to ſhew; 1. The Right and Neceſsity of a Miniſtry. 2. The way to know which is the true Church and Miniſtry, and how we juſtifie our own calling to this office, and how falſe Prophets and Teachers muſt be diſcerned. 3. How far the people muſt aſsiſt the Paſtors in the work of the Coſpel, and the Paſtors put them on, and make uſe of them to that end. And 4. How far the people muſt ſubmit to their Paſtors, and what other Duty they muſt perform in that Relation. But becauſe my time and ſtrength is ſo uncertain, that I know not whether I may live to publiſh my yet-imperfect preparations on this ſubject, I dare not let this firſt Part come into your hands, without a word of caution and advice, leſt you ſhould miſunderſtand or miſapply it.
1. The caution that I muſt give you, is in two parts.
1. Entertain not any unworthy thoughts of your Paſtors, becauſe we here confeſs our own ſins, and aggravate them in order to our humiliation and reformation. You know it is men and not Angels that are put by God in the office of Church-guides! And you know that we are imperfect men: Let Papiſts and Quakers pretend to a ſinleſs perfection; we dare not do it; but confeſs that we are ſinners. And we ſhould heartily rejoyce to find the ſigns of imperfect ſincerity, in them that ſo confidently pretend to ſinleſs perfection; yea if in ſome of them we could find but common honeſty, and a freedom from ſome of the crying abominations of the ungodly, ſuch as cruel bloodineſs, lying, ſlandering, railing, &c. If it would make a man perfect to ſay he is perfect, and if it would deliver a man from ſin, to ſay, I have no ſin, I confeſs this vvere an eaſie vvay to perfection.
There is one Richard Farnworth called a Quaker, that hath lately publiſhed a Pamphlet againſt our Agreement for Catechizing; and the ſubſtance of it is this: becauſe vve confeſs that by neglecting that vvork of the Lord, vve have ſinned, and do beg pardon of our miſcarriages, and ſay that by Nature vve are children of vvrath, and prone to do evil, &c. therefore he vvill prove us deceivers and no Miniſters of Chriſt, as from our ovvn Confeſsion. As if they that are Dead by Nature, may not be made alive by Grace! And as if Are is not as proper a term as Were, when we ſpeak of the ſtate of all mankind in their natural condition, wherein the moſt do ſtill abide! And as if the confeſsing our ſin would prove us to be ungodly! O ſhameleſs men! God ſaith, He that confeſſeth and forſaketh his ſin ſhall have mercy. And the Quaker maketh it a matter of his reproach. Iohn ſaith, If we confeſs, he is faithful and juſt to forgive: And the Quaker maketh it a ſign that we are not forgiven. God will not forgive us, if we refuſe to confeſs: And the Quaker makes us unpardoned, becauſe we do it. What would this wretch have ſaid to David, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, &c. if he had lived in their daies, who made ſuch full confeſsions of their ſins! God hit them not in the teeth with them; but the Quakers will! Chriſt did forgive even Peters denyal of him! but it ſeems the Quaker would have condemned him for the penitent lamenting of it: Is Paul damned for confeſsing himſelf the chief of ſinners (of whom I am chief, (1 Tim. 1. 15.) and that formerly he was a perſecutor, blaſphemer, &c. Or becauſe he ſaith, Eph. 3. 8. VntoUnto me, who am leſs then the leaſt of Saints. Or for crying out, O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death! What I would that I do not, and what I hate that do I. I find a Law, that when I would do good, evil is preſent with me, &c. Rom. 7. 24. 15. 21. Or is Iſaiah a wicked man, and no Prophet of God, for ſaying, Wo is me, I am undone, becauſe I am a man of unclean lips, &c. Iſa. 6. 5. Or Jacob, for ſaying, Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the leaſt of all thy mercies, &c. Or Job for abhorring himſelf in duſt and aſhes, Iob 42. 6. It irketh me to ſpend words upon ſuch Impudent revilers! But in this much you have a ſufficient Reply to his book.
But for our parts we believe that he that ſaith he hath no ſin, deceiveth himſelf, and the truth is not in him, I Iohn 1. 8. and that in many things we offend all, I am. 3. 2. and we profeſs to know but in part, and to have our treaſure in earthen veſſels, and to be inſufficient for theſe things. And therefore ſee that you love and imitate the holineſs of your Paſtors, but take not occaſion of diſ-eſteeming or reproaching them for their infirmities.
2. I take it to be my duty as a watchman for your ſouls, to give you notice of a train that is laid for your perdition. The Papiſts who have found that they could not well play their game here with open face, have masked themſelves, and taken the vizards of ſeveral ſects; and by the advantage of the licence of the times, are buſily at work abroad this Land, to bring you back to Rome. What names or garb ſoever they bear, you may ſtrongly conjecture which be they by theſe marks following. 1. Their main deſign is to unſettle you, and to make you believe that you have been all this while miſled, and to bring you to a loſs in a matter of Religion, that when they have made you diſlike or ſuſpect that which you had (or ſeemed to have) you may be the more reſpective of theirs. 2. To which end their next means is to bring you to ſuſpect firſt, and then to contemn and reject your Teachers. For ſaith Ruſhworth, one of their Writers, Not one of ten among the people indeed do ground their faith on the Scripture, but on the credit of their teachers, &c. therefore they think, if they can but bring you to ſuſpect your teachers, and ſo to reject them, they may deal with the ſheep without the Shepherds, and diſpute with the Scholars without their Teachers, and quickly make you ſay what their liſt. To this end their deſign is partly to cry them down as falſe teachers (but how are they baffled when it comes to the proof?) and partly to perſwade you that they have no calling to the work; and urge them to prove their calling (which how eaſily can we do?) and partly to work upon your covetous humour, by crying down tythes, and all eſtabliſhed maintenance for the Miniſtry. And withal they are buſie yet in contriving how to procure the Governors of the Nation, to withdraw their publique countenance and maintenance, and ſacrilegiouſly to deprive the Church of the remnant that is devoted to it for God, and to leave the Miniſtry on equal terms with themſelves or all other ſects (which in Spain, Italy, France, &c. they will be loth to do.) And time will ſhew you, whether God will ſuffer them to prevail with the Governors of this ſinful land to betray the Goſpel into their hands, or not? but we have reaſon to hope for better things. 3. Their next deſign, is to diminiſh the Authority, and ſufficiency of Scripture: and becauſe they dare not yet ſpeak out, to tell us what they ſet up in its ſtead, ſome of them will tell you of New Prophets, and Revelations, and ſome of them will tell you, that in that they are yet at a loſs themſelves: that is, they are of no Religion; and then they are no Chriſtians. I ſhall now proceed no further in the diſcovery: but only warn you, as you love your ſouls, keep cloſe to Scripture and a faithful Miniſtry! and deſpiſe not your Shepherds if you would eſcape the wolves. If any queſtion our calling, ſend them to our writings where we have fully proved them; or ſend them to us, who are ready to juſtifie them againſt any Papiſt or Heretick upon earth. And let me tell you, that for all the ſins of the Miniſtry which we have here confeſſed, the known world hath not a more able, faithful, godly Miniſtry then Brittain hath at this day. If at the Synod of Dort the Clerus Anglicanus was called ſtupor mundi, before all thoſe Ignorant and Scandalous ones were caſt out; what may we now call it? Brethren, let me deal freely with you! The ungrateful contempt of a faithful Miniſtry, is the ſhame of the faces of thouſands in this Land! and if through-Repentance prevent it not, they ſhall better know in hell, whether ſuch Miniſters were their friends or foes, and what they would have done for them, if their counſel had been heard. When the Meſſengers of God were mocked, and his words deſpiſed, and his Prophets abuſed, the wrath of the Lord aroſe on the Iſraelites themſelves: and there was no remedy, 2 Chro. 36. 16. Shall Miniſters ſtudy, and preach, and pray for you, and ſhall they be deſpiſed? When they have the God of Heaven and their own conſciences to witneſs, that they deſire not yours but you, and are willing to ſpend and be ſpent for your ſakes, and that all the wealth in the world would not be regarded by them in compariſon of your ſalvation, and that all their labours and ſufferings is for your ſakes; if yet they ſhall be requited with your contempt, or ſcorn, or dicourageing unteachableneſs, ſee who will prove the loſers in the end: When God himſelf ſhall Juſtifie and Condemn them, with a Well done good and faithful ſervant; let thoſe that reproached, deſpiſed, and condemned them, defend their faces from ſhame, and their conſciences from the accuſations of their horrid ingratitude, as well as they can! Read the Scripture and ſee, whether they that obeyed Gods Meſſengers, or they that deſpiſed and diſobeyed them ſped beſt? And if any of the Seducers will tell you, that we are not the Miniſters of Chriſt, leave them not, till they tell you, which is his true Church and Miniſtry, and where they are? and by that time they have well anſwered you, you may know more of their minds.
3. My laſt advice to you is this. See that you Obey your faithful Teachers, and improve their help for your ſalvation while you have it; and take heed that you refuſe not to learn when they would teach you. And in particular, ſee that you refuſe not to ſubmit to them in this duty of Private Inſtruction, which is mentioned in this Treatiſe. Go to them when they deſire you, and be thankful for their help. Yea and at other times when you need their advice, go to them of your own accord, and ask it. Their office is to be your guides in the way to life: If you ſeek not their Direction, it ſeems you either deſpiſe ſalvation it ſelf, or elſe you are ſo Proud as to think your ſelves ſufficient to be your own Directors. Shall God in mercy ſend you Leaders to Teach you and Conduct you in the way to Glory, and will you ſtoutly ſend them back, or refuſe their aſsiſtance, and ſay, We have no need of their Direction? Is it for their own caſe or gain that they trouble you, or is it for your own everlaſting gain? Remember that Chriſt hath ſaid to his Meſſengers, He that deſpiſeth you, deſpiſeth me! If your obſtinate refuſal of their Inſtruction, do put them to bear witneſs againſt you in Judgement, and to ſay, Lord, I would have taught theſe ignorant ſinners, and admoniſhed theſe worldly impenitent wretches; but they would not ſo much as come to me, nor ſpeak with me! look you to it, and anſwer it as you can: For my part I would not be then in your caſe for all the world. But I ſhall ſay no more to you on this point, but only deſire you to read and conſider the exhortation, which is publiſhed in our Agreement it ſelf, which ſpeaks to you more fully: And if you read this book, remember that the Duty which you find to belong to the Miniſters, doth ſhew alſo what belongs to your ſelves. For it cannot be our duty to Teach, Catechize, Adviſe, &c. if it be not yours to Hear, and Learn, and ſeek Advice. If you have any temptation to queſtion our office, read the London Miniſters Ius Divinum Miniſter. Evang. and Mr. Tho. Balls book for the Miniſtry: If you doubt of the duty of learning the Principles, and being Catechized, read the London Miniſters late Exhortation to Catechizing, and Mr. Zach. Croftons book for Catechizing (now newly publiſhed.)
April 16. 1656. Rich. Baxter.
Dr. H. Hammond of the Power of the Keyes, cap. 4. ſect. 104. pag. 113.
NAY thirdly, there will be little matter of doubt or controverſie, but that private, frequent, ſpiritual conference betwixt fellow-Chriſtians, but eſpecially (and in matters of high concernment and difficulty) between the Presbyter and thoſe of his charge, even in the time of health; and peculiarly, that part of it, which is ſpent in the diſcuſsion of every mans ſpecial ſins and infirmities and inclinations may prove very uſeful and advantagious (in order to ſpiritual directions, reproof and comfort) to the making the man of God perfect. And to tell truth, if the Pride and ſelf conceit of ſome, the wretchleſneſs of others, the baſhfulneſs of a third ſort, the nauſeating, and inſtant ſatiety of any good in a fourth, the follies of men, and artifices of Satan had not put this practice quite out of faſhion among us, there is no doubt but more good might be done by Miniſters this way, then is now done by any other means ſeparated from the uſe of this particularly, then by that of Publike Preaching (which yet need not be neglected the more when this is uſed) which hath now the fate to be cryed up, and almoſt ſolely depended on, it being the likelyer way, as Quintilian ſaith, (comparing Publike and private teaching of youth) to fill narrow mouth'd bottles (and ſuch are the moſt of us) by taking them ſingle in the hand, and pouring in water into each, then by ſetting them altogether, and throwing never ſo many bottles of water on them.
Mr. William Gurnal in his excellent Book called, The Chriſtian in compleat Armour, pag. 2, 5.
THE ignorant ſoul feels no ſuch ſmart: If the Miniſter ſtay till he ſends for him to inſtruct him, he may ſooner hear the bell go for him than any Meſſenger come for him: You muſt ſeek them out, and not expect that they will come to you. Theſe are a ſort of people that are afraid more of their Remedy, than their diſeaſe, and ſtudy more to hide their ignorance, then how to have it cured; which ſhould make us pitty them the more, becauſe they can pitty themſelves ſo little. I confeſs it is no ſmall unhappineſs to ſome of us, who have to do with a multitude, that we have neither time nor ſtrength to make our addreſſes to every particular perſon in our Congregations, and attend on them as their needs require; and yet cannot well ſatisfie our conſciences otherwiſe. But let us look to it, that though we cannot do to the height of what we would, we be not found wanting in what we may. Let not the difficulty of our Province make us like ſome, who when they ſee they have more work upon their hands, than they can well diſpatch, grow ſick of it, and ſit down out of a lazy deſpondency, and do juſt nothing.—O if once our hearts were but filled with Zeal for God and compaſſion to our peoples ſouls, we would up and be doing, though we could but lay a brick a day; and God would be with us. May be, you who find a people rude and ſottiſhly ignorant, like ſtones in the quarry and trees unfell'd, ſhall not bring the work to ſuch perfection in your daies as you deſire! Yet as David did for Solomon, thou mayſt by thy pains in teaching and inſtructing them, prepare materials for another, who ſhall rear the Temple.—
Read the reſt.