The Reasons of the Christian Religion Part 1, Part 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Experiments of the difficulty of all this Duty, and what it will coſt a man that will live this holy life.
HItherto I have proved that there is a GOD, of Infinite Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs; the Creator, and conſequently the Owner, the Ruler, and the Father or Chief Good of Man; and that Man as his creature is abſolutely his own, and therefore ſhould reſign himſelf as his own to his diſpoſal; and that he is abſolutely his ſubject, and therefore ſhould moſt exactly and diligently obey him; and I have ſhew'd particularly wherein; alſo that Man is his Total Beneficiary, and made to love him as his chief Good and End; and therefore ſhould totally devote himſelf to him in gratitude and love, Malè de me l…quuntur, ſed mali: Moverer, ſi de me Marc. Cato, ſi Laelius ſapiens, ſi duo Scipiones iſta loque…entur. Nunc malis diſplicere, laudare eſt. Sen. Videturne ſummâ improbitate uſus non ſine ſumma eſſe ratione. Nec ſcena ſolum referta eſt his ſceleribus, ſed multo vita communis poene majoribus. Sentit domus uniuſcujuſque, ſentit forum, ſentit curia, campus, ſocii, provincia, ut quemadmodum ratione rectè fiat, ſic ratione peccetur: alterum & à paucis & raro alterum & ſaepe & à pluribus: ut ſatius fuerit nullam omnino nobis à Diis datam eſſe rationem, quàm tanta cum pernicie datam. Ita Colta contra Deos in Cic. de Natur. Deor. 3. p. 111.and deſire him, ſeek him and delight in him above all the world, and live in his praiſes and continual ſervice. All this is fully proved to be Man's duty. And now let us ſee on what terms he ſtandeth in the world for the performance of it.
§. 1. There is in the preſent diſpoſition of Man a great averſeneſs to ſuch a life of Reſignation, Obedience and Love to God, as is before deſcribed, even when he cannot deny it to be his duty, and to be the beſt, moſt honourable, and moſt felicitating life.
Too ſad experience confirmeth this. The bad are ſo averſe, that they will not be perſwaded to it: the godly have ſuch a mixture of averſeneſs, as findeth them matter of continual conflict. It is this averſneſs which ſerveth inſtead of arguments againſt it, or which is a pondus to the very judgment, and maketh it ſo hard to believe any arguments which go againſt ſo ſtrong a contrary inclination.
§. 2. We find that the ſenſes of men are grown maſterly and inordinate, and are too eagerly ſet upon their objects, and hold down the mind from riſing higher, and cauſe it to adhere to things terrene.
So that man's life now is like that of the bruits: it is things of the ſame nature that he valueth and adhereth to, and moſt men live to no higher ends but to enjoy their ſenſual pleaſure while they may.
§. 3. We find that Reaſon in moſt men is ſo debilitated, that it cannot potently reduce it ſelf into action, nor ſee that practically which ſpeculatively it confeſſeth, nor clearly and powerfully obſerve thoſe Perfections of God in his works, nor thoſe Duties of man, which we are convinced to be true: but by inconſiderateneſs and dull apprehenſions is almoſt as no reaſon to them, and falleth down before their ſenſuality.
§. 4. Hereupon men grow ſtrangers unto God, and have no thoughts of him but dark, and dull, and ineffectual.
§. 5. The world is full of allurements to the fleſh, and thoſe Mercies which ſhould raiſe the mind to God, are made the food of this ſenſuality, and the greateſt means to keep it from him.
Senſe is irrational, and faſtneth on its object: and when Reaſon faileth in its office, there we are left like Dogs gnawing upon a Carrion, and in greedineſs fighting for it with each other; when we have ſeparated the creature from God in our minds,Vir bonus nec cito fieri, nec intelligi poteſt: Nam ille alter fortaſſe Phoenix anno quingenteſimo naſcitur. Nec eſt mirum, ex intervallo magna generat; mediocria & in turbam naſcentia ſaepe fortuna producit: ſed qui ſciret quid eſſet vir bonus, nondum ſe eſſe credere, fortaſſe etiam fieri poſſe deſperaret. Sen. ep. 42. Diogenes ſaid, He found good children at Lacedaemon, but good men no where in all Graece. and ſo deprived it of its life and beauty, which fitted it for another uſe. And when every place and ſtate of life hath ſuch baits as theſe, which hourly are allureing a mind ſo weakly fortifi'd againſt them, no wonder if they do prevail.
§. 6. Education, cuſtom and ill example confirm theſe vicious habits with the moſt, and much encreaſe them.
§. 7. The beſt have ſome of this inordinate ſenſuality and weakneſs of Reaſon, and are imperfect in virtue, and are tempted by the world as well as others.
§. 8. Therefore no man can live to God according to his certain duty, who will not deny the deſires of his fleſh, and bring it into ſubjection, and live in vigilancy and daily conflict againſt its luſts.
Obj. But the appetite of meat, and drink, and ſleep, and eaſe, and venery, and ſport, and pleaſure, and gain, and honour, is natural to us: and that which is natural is no vice, nor to be denied or deſtroyed.
Anſw. It is natural to have the appetite, but it is the diſeaſe of nature that this appetite is inordinate, and no otherwiſe natural than the Leproſie is to thoſe to whom it is propagated by their Parents. But is it natural to you to have luſt and appetite, and is it not natural to you to have Reaſon to moderate and rule them? If not, it is natural to you to be Bruits, and not natural to you to be men: What is more natural to Man than to be Rational? is it not his eſſential form? And whether is Reaſon or Appetite, think you, naturally made to be the predominant faculty? Should the Horſe rule the Rider, or the Rider the Horſe? The Soul and Body are much like the Rider and the Horſe; bethink you which ſhould naturally rule.
Rari quippe boni: numero vix ſunt totidem quot Thebarum portae, vel divitis oſtia Nili. Juven. Quae ego ſcio, populus non probat: Quae probat populus ego neſcio. Sen. ep. 29.§. 9. The inordinacy of the fleſhly appetite and phantaſie, maketh it a continual pain to the fleſh to be reſtrained and denied.
As it is to a head-ſtrong wilful Horſe to be governed, the more inordinate the appetite is, the more it is pained by denial and reſtraint.
§. 10. The far greateſt part of the world do live an ungodly ſenſual life, and the intereſt of the fleſh is predominant in them.
Sad Experience puts this quite out of controverſie.
§. 11. Ʋſually, Imperitia in omnibus majori ex parte dominatur, & multitudo verborum. Cleobulus in Laert. Offendet te ſuperbus contemptu, dives contumeliâ, petulans injuriâ, lividus malignitate, pugnax contentione, ventoſus & mendax vanitate? Non feres à ſuſpicioſo timeri, à pertinace vinci, à delicato faſtidiri. Senec. de Ira. l. 3. c. 8. Praeſtat cum paucis bonis adverſus malos omnes, quàm cum multis malis adverſus paucos pugnare. Antiſthenes in Laert. l. 6. c. 1.the more Riches and Fullneſs of all Proviſions for the fleſh men poſſeſs, the more ſenſual and vicious they are.
It is not alwayes ſo; but that its uſually ſo, we need no proof but the knowledge of the World: nor need we take it from Chriſt only as a point of Faith, That its hard for a Rich man to enter into Heaven: And Reaſon telleth us, that when the love of the World above God is the mortal ſin, thoſe are moſt in danger of it, to whom the World appeareth moſt lovely: And they that have moſt temptations are in the greateſt danger to miſcarry.
§. 12. The Rich are commonly the Rulers of the World, who have the liberties, eſtates, and lives of others, much in their power.
I never yet knew or heard of that place, where the poor long ruled.
§. 13. Commonly, the more averſe men are to Godlineſs, and the more prone to ſenſuality; the leſs can they endure thoſe that would perſwade them to Godlineſs from their ſenſual Lives; or that give them the Example of a holy ſelf-denying life.
For as it ſeemeth intolerable to them to leave their ſenſuality, and to betake themſelves to a contrary life, which they are ſo averſe to; ſo they take him as an enemy to them, that would draw them to it, and are furious againſt him, as a hungry Dog againſt him that would take away his Carrion. Experience puts this paſt all doubt (of which more anon.)
§. 14. Hence it cometh to paſs, that in all parts of the World, the fore-deſcribed life of Godlyneſs, is the matter of the common hatred, ſcorn and cruel perſecution of the ſenſual and ungodly.
The more exactly any man ſhall ſet himſelf to obey God,Seneca Epiſt. 87. ſcribit, Tam neceſſarium fuiſſe Romano populo naſci Catonem quam Scipionem: Alter enim cum hoſtibus noſtris, alter cum moribus, bellum geſſit. And if a Cato was at warre with the manners of the World, much more will a true Saint, that is more fully acquainted with Sacred Verity. the more he croſſeth the luſts and carnal Intereſt of the wicked; and the more he commonly ſuffereth in the World. So full of malice and prejudice is the World, againſt ſuch faithfull Subjects of God, that they ſlander them and make them ſeem the moſt odious ſort of men: And ſo unreaſonable are they and unjuſt, that the fulleſt evidence for their Juſtification, doth but ſeem to aggravate their faults; and nothing is ſo great a Crime as their higheſt Virtues! Or if their Juſtification be undenyable they rage the more, becauſe they are hindered from making them ſuffer as deeply in their Names as in their Bodies. Theſe things are no more queſtionable than the Warrs of Alexander or Caeſar, the World having longer proof and fuller evidence of them.
§. 15. And ordinarily God himſelf ſo ordereth it, that his faithfulleſt Subjects ſhall be the deepeſt ſufferers in this life.
§. 16. Therefore ſelf-denyal, mortification, contempt of the World, and patience under manifold ſufferings from God and Man, are neceſſary to all who will be faithfull to God, in the unqueſtionable duties before deſcribed.
It is tryed Friendſhip and Obedience which is moſt valuable. And unwholſom pleaſures though preferred by the fooliſh Patient, are forbidden by our wiſe Phyſician, that they hinder not our health, and greater Pleaſures.
§. 17. Therefore if Worldly fleſhly pleaſures were our end and chief Good, the beſt men would have the ſmalleſt meaſure of them.
Obj. But you reſtrain man further than God reſtraineth him, and binde him to more than God bindeth him to, and make ſuperſtition to ſeem his duty, and then raiſe theſe conſequences from ſuch Premiſes.
Anſw. What I mean by ſin and duty I have ſo fully opened before, and proved to be ſuch by the light of Reaſon, that this Objection hath no place. Even the ſober Heathens, the Greek Philoſophers, and Romane Worthies found and confeſſed all this to be true. If there be any thing in the Life before deſcribed, which all ſound Reaſon doth not juſtifie and command, let him that is able manifeſt ſo much: If not, it is no ſuperſtition, *Qui toto dies precabantur & immolab…nt▪ ut ſui liberi ſibi ſuperſtites eſſent, ſuperſtitioſi ſunt appellati: Quod nomen patuit poſtea latius: Qui autem omnia quae ad cultum Deorum pertine…ent, diligenter pertractarent, & tanquam relegerent, ſunt dicti Religioſi, ex relegendo, ut elegantes ex eligendo, à diligendo diligentes, ex intelligendo intelligentes: ſuperſtitioſi & Religioſi, alterum vit…i nomen, alterum l…udis Cicero de nat. Deor. lib. 2. p. 73, 74. …rdua…re haec eſt opib…s non tradere mores. Martial. Pittaci dictum eſt, Perdifficile eſt eſſe bonum. Bruſon. All Cicero's Books de Finib. ſhew the worthleſneſs of Pleaſure in compariſon of Virtue., to live as a man that is governed by God, and led by Reaſon; and to do that which all our faculties were made for. And for auſterities, I have pleaded for none, which are not become needfull to our own preſervation and felicity: As a Patient will endure a ſtrict dyet, and exerciſe, and blood-letting, and bitter Phyſick for his health: It is not any affected unprofitable auſterities, that I plead for; but thoſe which are for our good, and fit us for our duty, and keep the fleſh from rebelling againſt Reaſon, and keep Man from living like a Beaſt: Even leſs than many of the Philoſophers plead for; and he that uſeth but thus much which is needfull, will finde it both oppoſed as unſufferable by the World, and murmured againſt by his ſuffering and diſpleaſed Fleſh; and that the Soul cannot do its duty, but at a conſiderable coſt and trouble to the Body. Though there may be an evil masked and cunningly moderated, which men call Goodneſs, which may be had at a cheaper rate. But ſaith Seneca truly, Non eſt Bonitas, peſſimis eſſe meliorem.