Of National Churches, Chapter 13
Chap. XIII. What are the dangerous Diſeaſes of a National Church.
§ 1. DEath cometh on Bodies Politick, as on Natural Bodies, by degrees, as Diſeaſes weaken and break them. And while they are Diſeaſed, they are in an unlovely troubleſome condition. Gods Word, and Hiſtory, and Experience hath told us, what Diſeaſes they be that are the uſual preſages of Confuſion or Diſſolution.
§ 2. In general, All ſin is to the Soul what Sickneſs is to the Body, and hath ſome tendency to deſtruction. And the increaſe and abounding of Sin, is a dangerous Prognoſtick: ſins of Senſuality, Gluttony, Drunkenneſs, and Fornication, when they grow common and impudent, ſeldom go unpuniſhed. O how dangerous then is the caſe of England, in which the Sin of Adultery and Fornication, is commonly ſaid to be ſo increaſed, that multitudes are guilty now, for One that was ever ſuſpected of it before the Reign of K. Charles the Second. And brutiſh Wretches ſcarce take it for a ſhame.
Sins of Injuſtice and Unmercifulneſs, eſpecially Rich Mens oppreſſion of the Poor, Landlords grinding their Poor Tenants, and Judges, Juſtices and Lawyers unrighteouſneſs in Suits and Judgments, are Sins threatned by the Prophets as the fore-runners of Deſtruction.
§ 3. But eſpecially when Rulers are the Leaders in Sin, and the Patrons of the Wicked. The Sins of Men in publick Place are publick Sins, and ſooner bring publick Judgments, than the Sins of private Men. The publick Authors of the late Calamitous Wars of Ireland, Scotland and England, had a deep part in the Puniſhment as they had in the Guilt. O what a Torrent of Guilt in the Reign of Charles the Second did from King and Court over-flow this Land, by the ſhameleſs filth of all uncleanneſs! When Men ſhall affectedly keep Whores as the way to pleaſe the Court by Conformity to the King, as if it were an Honour or no great Diſhonour; what can be expected from ſuch horrid wickedneſs, but Publick, Divine, Revenging Juſtice?
§ 4. When did it ever go well with Judah or Iſrael when they had a fooliſh wicked King? How eaſie is it for ſuch a King and a fooliſh wicked Senate or Parliament to undo a Nation, by Laws of Hereſie, Cruelty, Perſecution, Diviſion and Iniquity? How ordinarily do ſuch make Snares for the Conſcionable, by commanding them on pain of Fining, Impriſonment, or Death, or Baniſhment, to do ſomething that God forbiddeth, or not to do what God commandeth; and then to cry them down, reproach and ruine them, as unruly, diſobedient, deſpiſers of all Order and Government, Schiſmaticks and Rebels? And who may call them ſo with leſs contradiction, than they that can at their pleaſure make them ſeem ſuch, and few dare contradict them?
§ 5. Great is the advantage that Supreme Rulers have, to put the Name of Evil upon Good, and of Good on Evil, and to procure the Vulgar to ſay as they? Saving that the Innocency and Worth of the Upright (eſpecially of Wiſe and Charitable Perſons) conſtraineth approbation from thoſe that know them, and are not deplorate in Diaboliſm. The fooliſh words of Princes ſeem wiſe to ignorant flatterers. But he that will dwell in Gods Tabernacle, and be a Bleſſing and not a Plague to the Church, muſt be a Contemner of vile Perſons, and an Honourer of them that fear the Lord, Pſal. 15. Antiſhenes could ſay that the Nation is hopeleſs, that cannot difference good Men from bad.
What maketh almoſt all under Papiſt Rulers to be Papiſts, and under Turks to be Mahometans, and under Heathens to be Heathens, but the Intereſt of the Opinion, Example and Power of their Rulers?
§ 6. In England and moſt Nations that are Chriſtian, the King and Rich Patrons, or the Pope and his Servants, have the choice of Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Deans and Paſtors. And can it be expected that bad Men, and covetous Men, and the haters of ſerious Piety, ſhould chuſe Men that will promote the Doctrine and Practice which they hate?
If the King make the Church of England, is it like if he be a Papiſt or Malignant, that he will chuſe a Proteſtant and pious Church? Or that a Covetous, Drunken, Filthy, Licentious Patron will chuſe a Man that will Zealouſly Preach againſt his Sins?
§ 7. But the great Cauſe of the Ruine of a National Church, is the Ignorance, Viciouſneſs, Pride, Malignity, Covetouſneſs, and Perſecuting Cruelty, of a Degenerate, Carnal, Worldly Clergy.
Magiſtracy and Miniſtry are Gods great Ordinances, by which as his Inſtruments, and partly Repreſentatives, he doth by an eſtabliſhed Order, govern and keep up Order and Piety in the World. Magiſtrates repreſent him in his Super-eminence and Ruling Power: And Miniſters in his Guiding and Sanctifying Wiſdom and Love. And God (that will not ordinarily turn ſetled Order into Miracles) worketh by theſe, according to the aptitude of the Inſtruments, and the Receivers. And where there is kept up a wiſe and holy Magiſtracy and Miniſtry, when and where did it ever go ill with ſuch a people, by any publick deſolation?
§ 8. If Miniſters be Ignorant, or unskilful in their publick Work, they will be deſpiſed. If they be Worldly and Covetous the Poor will reproach them. If they be Drunkards, Gluttons, Unclean, Idle, or any way Senſual, they will become the common Scorn: But if they be Enemies to ſerious Godlineſs, or Revilers, or Perſecutors of Godly Men, the wicked will be encouraged to be like them and hardned in their Sin; but Pious and Sober men will abhor them as the Servants of Satan, though they will not therefore caſt off their Honour to the true Miniſterial Office and Work.
It is not an Honourable Office, or a Reverend Garb, and Name and Title, that will hide the ſhame of Ignorance, Ungodlineſs, Senſuality or Malignity. Their White Cloathing and Sacred Titles, which render their filthineſs more viſible and odious. Bad Men will prove a greater injury to Sacred Offices, than open Enemies. And it is not the Holineſs of the Office, or the Goodneſs of Laws and Order, that will ſerve to Reform or make Happy a Church or Nation, in the hands of wicked Men.
§ 9. Therefore when Biſhops ſhall be ſuch, who Ordain and Govern the Inferior Clergy, that Church or Nation is near loſt and ruined. If bad Princes chuſe bad Prelates; and they Ordain bad Miniſters, and ſavouring nothing but Wealth and Reputation, ſhall prove the Jealous Adverſaries of Piety, and Perſecutors of the moſt ſerious Chriſtians, and Encouragers of the malignant, vicious and profane, that Church and Nation is next to dead, though it have a Name to live, and be called, Honourable and Rich; how comely ſoever its Order and Ornaments may be, and though its Doctrine and profeſt Opinions be Orthodox.
§ 10. And it will yet render the caſe more deſperate, if the ſame carnal, worldly, malignant Biſhops and Clergy ſhall grow juſtly reputed the Adverſaries of the moſt Learned, Judicious, Godly, and Laborious, and Powerful Preachers, and ſhall ſeek to Silence, Diſgrace and Oppreſs them. The ſober part of the Nation will then be tempted to take them as the Devils Militia, armed againſt Chriſt and Mens Salvation; and this the more wickedly as doing it in Chriſts Livery and in his Name.
§ 11. And if ſuch a Clergy ſhall in enmity to the Godly, flatter the profane Lords, Knights and Rich men of the World, and make them their upholders and patrons and party, to ſtrengthen them in their ſin, the Confederacy will threaten Gods Vengeance on them all.
§ 12. And yet the caſe will be more deſperate, if the wicked in ſuch power ſhall bring an Univerſal Infection of Idleneſs, Senſuality, and Factious Enmity to ſerious Godlineſs, on the Univerſities and other Schools of Learning, and ſhall make them to be Nurſeries of Ignorance, Errour, Impiety and Malignity. And if the Prelates and Prieſts ſhall teach their Pupils and Candidates to account men of Conſcience that obey not their ſinful Impoſitions, to be Fanatical Schiſmaticks, and on pretence of bringing Schiſm into diſgrace, ſhall caſt their dirt in the Face of Piety, and ſo train up youth into an enmity and ſcorn of that which ſhould have their chiefeſt Love and Labour. Alas, if ſuch a Serpentine Generation, ſhall for ſtaying ſo many years in Idleneſs and Luſt in Univerſities, be thought to have right to take the charge of multitudes of Souls, that never took juſt care of their own, and to have right to Church Dignity and Maintenance, if any bad Patron will but preſent them; how ſad a caſe is ſuch a Church and Nation in? They will bring their Ignorance and Malice into the Pulpit, and then thoſe hearers that know bitter from ſweet, and the unclean from the clean, will loath their folly: And when the Prieſt ſeeth that he is deſpiſed or loathed, he will become the Enemy of thoſe that diſeſteem him; and ſo he will become a Wolf to the Flock: And then it is the Ungodly part that muſt be his Friends and Companions in Sin, whom he will harden to their own Deſtruction: Thus hath a bad Clergy been the ruine of many Churches.
§ 13. And this will prove ſo ſtrong a Temptation to the Religious part, to diſaffect the Miniſtry, and to go too far in ſeparations, as that Schiſms and Pernicious Diviſions will be ſoon multiplied: And then Perſecution muſt be tryed on them inſtead of Light and Love.
§ 14. But the Immediate dividing and diſſolving of Churches and overthrow of the Peace of Chriſtian Kingdoms, is by Ignorant, Malicious or Tyrannical Laws or Canons, that impoſe things forbidden of God, on pain of ejecting, and ſilencing the moſt Faithful Miniſters, and ſcorning and ruining the moſt Religious People, that will not ſell their Souls for Worldly Intereſt, nor to humour the ill deſigns of Tyrants. Theſe ſnares are often made by meer malice and revenge, as Daniel was forbid to pray; Becauſe they could find no fault or accuſation againſt him except it were concerning the Law of his God. Eſpecially when, ſome great quarrels have exaſperated revenge.
§ 15. But uſually error concurreth with Malice, while Ignorance and Pride make Prelates and Prieſts ſtill confident that all their Opinions and Impoſitions are juſt and blameleſs; and that all are willfully erroneous that refuſe them: So rare is a humble underſtanding.
§ 16. And it fixeth a National Church in this way to ruine, when ſuch an unworthy Miniſtry muſt be continued till they die, and there is no great viſible hope of removing them. How many difficulties muſt be overcome, before one Pariſh can get a cure of ſuch?
§ 17. And yet worſe is it, when there is ſmall hope of a better when the bad Prieſt is dead; but the corrupt Fountain is ſtill ſending forth polluted Streams; and Money and Friendſhip chuſe the Man: And when the worſt Man that hath but Money enough to buy a Patronage ſhall have the choice of a Paſtor for Mens Souls.
§ 18. And yet worſe will it go, when the Keys, which are the moſt peculiar part of the Priviledge and Office of the Paſtors, ſhall be exerciſed by Lay Civilians, in the Biſhops name, without his judging or conſent. And Government by the Word is managed by ſuch Men, in the manner that Secular Affairs are managed, without due reverence to holy things.
§ 19. And worſt of all is it, when the Body of the Nation is by ſuch means brought to ſo much ignorance and ſinfulneſs, that they would have it ſo; And are glad to have ſo much countenance to their malignity and ſin; and follow their malicious Military Leaders.
§ 20. And laſt of all when their madneſs hath drawn their own Swords againſt each other, or provoked God to let in a Foreign Enemy on them, then they muſt expect that God avenge the quarrel of his Covenant; ſpecially when after great Mercy and long Patience they would not know the time of their Viſitation, nor in their day the things that belong to their peace, but defend their ſin.