The Kingdom of God Among Men, Tract 1 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
The enmity of the World against Godliness, and the Calumnies and Reproaches cast upon it considered.
THe security and increase of true Religion is a matter of no small difficulty. The enmity against it is general and perpetual, in the first race of Mankind it brake forth even to Bloud, and throughout all Ages it hath been propagated, & that with great rage, as well within as without the Pale of the visible Church. The adverse World knows not the new Nature what it is, for it knows not God, whose Image it is. The World is not only alienated from the Life of God, but opposite to it by the antipathy of the carnal Life, and so not only wants the true relish, but hath a strong disrelish of the divine and heavenly Nature. Moreover true Christianity is a light, by which all things that are reproved, are made manifest; and the World that lives in sin and loves darkness, hates the light, by which it is condemned, not only with an hatred of Aversation, but of hostile Persecution.
Nevertheless, the Unregenerate sort of Men in general, cannot and would not abandon all sense of Religion, which is so deeply imprinted in human Nature, and the form whereof may be acceptable even to corrupt nature. Wherefore they own the name, while they hate the thing; and keep up a shew and form thereof, while they deny the Truth and Power. And having a false apprehension of Christ they adore him, while they trample upon his present Members, that really bear his Image; and having a false Idea of Godliness, they honor the memory of the Saints of former Ages, while they vilifie those of their own times, in whom Godliness really exists, which shews, that if Christ and the former Saints were now on the Earth to appear what they were indeed, they would be no less hated and scorned than the Faithfull that are now living.
The manifold ways of destruction and misery wherein the wicked walk, though contradictory to each other, do all conspire in this Enmity; and Godliness is put to conflict not with one sort of Enemies, but with the various corrupt Parties of the divided carnal World. Yet worldly Interests often make their advantages of Christianity, and have their designs upon it, and complicate themselves with it in some external and accidential Ingagements for a season, and then the Enmity is restrained. And not a few, that fall short of Regeneration, may be so illuminated and wrought upon, as not only to cease from malignancy and hostility against it, but to promote and strengthen its external Interests. But for all this, the Serpentine nature hath hitherto been more predominant in this lower World, and Gods Kingdom hath had far greater Opposition, than assistance from the Powers thereof.
Now we are noting the injury and despight that is done to Godliness, the calumnies and reproaches, heaped on the serious Professors of it to render them hatefull and contemptible, requires some animadversion. Their adversaries set them forth as Proud, Froward, Stubborn, False, Rash, Fierce, Petulant, Sullen, Fanatical, Hypocritical, Censorious, Pragmatical, Unruly, Schismatical, Seditious, Unpeaceable, Presumptuous, Selfish and such like.
If we would judge rightly of these imputations, we are to mind many things, viz. The intrusion of Hypocrites, the multitude of half Converts, the great weakness of Grace, and defect of wisdom in the greater part of Sincere Christians, and the imperfections of the best and chiefest of them. It is further to be considered that faults real or seeming, are more remarkable in strict Professors than in any others, as spots in a white Garment; also that the common malignity will aggravate the same above measure; likewise that the things, they are charged with (were they truly charged) are not peculiarly theirs, but the corruptions of the world in general; and that some degrees thereof are found in all, in whom human weakness is found, and that they are less and in a lower degree in this party of men than in any other. Add hereunto that the faults of some are commonly objected against all, and the sins of men not yet made perfect, are cast upon that holy and perfect way, which condemns those sins, and hath broken the dominion of them.
Moreover, when it is undeniable that this sort of men in general have renounced palpable dishonesty, injustice, filthy lewdness, wantoness, intemperance, luxury and other gross pollutions of the world, they are burdened (according to the true method of calumniation) with matter of suspition or evil surmise, as Hypocrisie, Self-conceitedness, Fancicalness and secret Pride, things mostly belonging to the hidden man of the heart; or with Spiritual wickedness, as Envy, Malice, Bitterness, Vain-glory, Ambition, Self-admiration and Contempt of others, things of more close and covert nature, and as not easily proved, so not easily disproved where they are objected; or with the ambiguous charge of Schism, Faction, Turbulency, Singularity, Peevishness, Perversness, Obstinacy; which opposite parties are continually casting upon each other, faults and duties, vertues and vices happening to be called by these names. And in this method of of accusation, the innocent are sooner injured than cleared, and slanderers do their work, for the reproaches are boldly cast abroad, and something sticks.
But notwithstanding all the obloquie and calumny, the whole world may be challenged to produce an instance of any Sort or Sect of men, that have exceeded or equal'd the serious Professors of the true Christianity in things honest, and just, and comely, and usefull, and praiseworthy. It must not be exspected, but that during their imperfect State obliquities & aberrations will be found more or less in them, as they are more or less remote from perfection. But if true honesty and vertue be a reality and not an empty name, and if it be not perished out of the world, it exists and resides in them.
Howbeit in this way there are inevitable occasions of stumbling, not given but taken, and such fall thereat, as do err in their hearts, and have not known Gods ways. The practice of true Piety lying out of the common road, is misjudged as a kind of humorous Singularity.
To speak Feelingly of Divine things, seems folly or meer fancy to them, who have no knowledge or tast thereof in themselves.
To express with zeal or vigor such things as seem to others incredible, though they be most true and excellent, is taken for Madness.
Tenderness of Conscience, strictness of life, servour of devotion, mortification and heavenlymindedness, is by Sensualists, Formalists, and carnal Politicians, judging by their own measure taken for Hypocrisie, designing the applause of men, or some eminency and advancement in a party, or some other Self-interest.
A Pious regard to the lesser as well as the greater commands of the Law, and a dread of despising the least Commandment, is commonly esteemed peevishness and needless preciseness.
To distinguish between the Holy and profane, the zealous and lukewarm, the carnal and Spiritual in the visible Church, and to judge of both sorts as they are, is a great offence to the world, for which the Religious are thought to be Proud, Boasters, Dispisers of others, Uncharitable, Censorious; and Formalists are magnified against them for their large charity towards all, which is indeed no Charity, but indifferency in Religion, not seldom accompanied with bitterness towards the Godly.
To speak as the Scripture doth of a peculiar people, and as Christ himself, of the fewness of Gods chosen among the many outwardly called, is accounted the confining of godliness to a Party, and the fancying of themselves to be the only People of God. Now such arrogance is justly charged on those that place Religion in narrow opinions, and platforms, and methods of their own chosing, and judge of all men as they are nearer or farther from them: yet nothing is surer than that God hath a peculiar People, who are comparatively a small number distinguished from the world by his own mark, which is no other than his own image in righteousness and true Holiness.
To discern a laborious, lively, faithfull Ministery from that which is lazy, lifeless and deceitfull, and to regard the one and the other accordingly, to note the ignorant, foolish, profane and scandalous of that Function, to contemn a vile person, and to honor them that fear the Lord, to take notice of the Serpentine Seed, and to turn away from such, to abhor impiety, and to have no fellowship with the wicked in their evil deeds, provokes an evil Generation that are hereby reproved and judged, and they raise an outcry against the Godly as Factious, unsociable despisers of Government, makers of Parties, and enemies to Peace.
To examin the doctrines, precepts, traditions, and customs of Men by Gods Word, to use all just means to discern his Will, and to choose to obey God rather than Men, when their commands are contrary to his, is reviled for proud perverseness, contempt of ancient Customs, and the authority of Superiors, disobedience to Kings and Laws.
To be zealous for Gods honour, and the purity of Religion, to be earnest and active in stopping the course of Sin, and promoting Piety and the means of Salvation, and to be concerned for Gods Interest in the World more than the common Sort are, make the Religious to seem pragmatical, turbulent, and unpeaceable.
Not to run into the common excess of Riot, nor to comply with mad Mirth and Jollity, offensive Gallantry, or any Extravagancy that is in Fashion, is accounted Stoical Superciliousness and Morosity.
Strictness of Profession, seriousness and necessary preciseness of Conversation seems to many to be the same thing with Phariseism, wherewith the most conscientious are commonly most reproached, and so the hatefull name of Christs worst enemies is cast upon his true and faithfull Followers.
Wherefore it is worth the while to note who and what they were. It is evident from the Gospel-History, that the Pharisees were a strict Sect, and in great reputation for seeming-Holiness, no Separatists from the Jewish Church, but of chiefest sway therein, and of great esteem among the Rulers. They little cared for the ordering and government of the Heart, and placed Perfection in outward works, and in Rituals more than Morals, and chiefly in the Ceremonies of their own devising, and the Traditions of the Elders, and in zeal for the Corban or the Churches Treasure, and to these things they made the weightiest duties of the Law give place. They wore broad Phylacteries, and affected a proud reservedness and formal gravity. Those Fastings, Prayers and Alms-deeds, that should have been done in secret, they made a shew of openly to be seen of Men. They would be counted Rabbies, and owned for absolute teaching Masters and Leaders of the People, and would have all subject to their dictates. And they were Maligners and Opposers of the power of Godliness, and Persecutors of the true Israelites to maintain their own institutes and interest. Now for our part we have no need, nor mind to vindicate the true off-spring of such Forefathers. It concerns all Christians, as Christ warn'd the Disciples to beware of this leaven. But the truth is, something of Phariseism may be found among some of all Parties, as self-confidence, vain-glory, self-praise, censoriousness, arrogance, partiality, perverseness of conscience, or straining at gnats and swallowing of camels. And peradventure, those that most object it to others, may be most deeply infected with it themselves; but however, it concerns all Sorts to beware of it, and do as much as is possible to purge it out from among them, and every Christian should strive to keep himself from any smatch of it, seeing it was so unsavoury to Christ.
It is thus very discernable from the manifold misapprehensions of the way it self, how Godliness falls under the hard thoughts and speeches of the mistaken World. But wisdom is justified of her Children. And if Godliness it self by misapprehension become a rock of offence, no wonder the World is scandalized at the hypocrisie of false Pretenders, and at the real faults and weaknesses of sincere Professors. But Christ hath said, Blessed is he that is not offended in me.
Undoubtedly the making of an higher Profession doth not exempt any from a just conviction and reproof. That Hypocrites should be detected, and the scandalous faults even of sincere Christians noted, is the interest of true piety. And charity both towards them that give offence, and towards them that take it to their hurt; requireth such discovery. The Godly lay to heart no evils more, than the scandals of Professors; and they know they are most concerned to take heed, lest any root of bitterness bearing gall or wormwood should spring up among them. And those, that sin before all, their discipline is to rebuke before all, that others may fear. But the great mischief is, that some so speak and write of Hypocrites and offences, as to reproach Godliness it self, and bring the Profession of it into disgrace.
When they take notice of any thing amiss in Men professing Godliness, whether the matter of fact be true or false, or the scandal be in reality or appearance only, they presently say these are your Professors, they are all such, and the whole pack affords no better.
The real or seeming hypocrisie, pride, covetousness, unrighteousness, uncharitableness, selfishness of some is cast upon all.
From some instances of aberration they argue against a godly tenor of Conversation, and deny sincerity where they see a falling short of Perfection.
They disparage a serious and circumspect course of Life, by pretending it may be but a meer guise or shew, there may be lurking vices, and they who have scaped gross Sensuality may be guilty of spiritual sins, as pride and envy; and so they ground their detraction upon suppositions and surmises of what may be, though not appearing.
They inveigh against hypocrisie in that manner, which hardens the vicious in their de…auchery; and they incourage Libertines in …dleness and excess of vanity, by telling them, that the Precisians may do worse.
Those godly exercises that lie out of the common road (as to instance in Holy conference) they bring into contempt, by objecting an unseasonable and preposterous use thereof, or the impertinency and weakness of some therein.
They censure inordinate transports of zeal, and whimsies in Religion more bitterly than lewdnesses, outrages, gross impieties, and daring wickedness of dissolute Persons.
They will burden the sober-minded, that are zealous for their God, with the inexcusable madness of some intemperate Zealots.
The failings of the Religious they aggravate above measure, and particularly some passionate disorders, that are commonly complexional, and have less of the will, and consequently of sinfull malignity in them, than many sins that make lesser noise, and raise less clamour: and they magnifie the eveness, moderation, mildness and other humanities of loose or lukewarm Persons for the true Christian Spirit.
They upbraid the Godly with their solemn confessions and aggravations of Sin before the Lord, and with their acknowledgment and bewailing of such scandals before the World, as have been given by some among them; as also with their publick Testimonies against Errors and Corruptions, that have risen in their times; and so they reproach them for their humility, sincerity, and impartiality in abusing themselves and giving glory to God, and condemning Sin where ever they find it.
They scoff at those that speak of communion with God, spiritual experiences, desertions, and the like matters; and use in scorn Scriptural words and phrases, and other holy expressions used by the Religious; and profane the terms of Holy, Godly, Saint, Sanctified, by the use thereof in scandalous Ironies, and so they make sport for profane men, and harden them in their irreligion.
They would render holy things contemptible by nothing, some little oversight and indecencies (mostly involuntary) in those that perform the same, as perhaps in the Preachers tone or gesture.
And to say the truth, it is one of the easiest things in the World for licentious wits to play upon the most serious and sacred things, and to make the most acceptable Service of God and his choicest Servants, seem ridiculous. These are some of the many vile and wretched ways of disgracing true Religion: And I will add one more, to wit, that madness of opposition, on what side soever it be, which to make a different Party odious, will not fear to expose Godliness it self to the contempt and scorn of them that scorn all Religious Parties.
Surely it is a fearfull thing to be a hater, reviler, and scorner of Persons, and things dear to God, and precious in his sight: What is it to provoke the Lord to jealousie, if this be not? Wherefore he doth no ill service that detects this perillous folly: And men would easily shun such mistake and prejudice, as makes them misjudge and condemn the Pious, if they would but deal fairly, and exercise the same equity and candor towards them, which is due to all sorts, and which towards themselves all do justly challenge.
But Godliness will be still Godliness, let presumptuous wits imploy their Tongues and Pens to transform into never so ugly shapes, Invectives, Sarcasms, odious, and ridiculous Tales and Stories, Scenial representations and disguises will not confound it, nor sink its authority and reputation. On the other hand the fairest coverings, and best contrived Apologies, the most notable and advantageous Policies, will not make corrupt things savoury, nor insipid things relishable, nor little empty things great and weighty, nor uphold the estimation of a degenerate, carnal, outside, lifeless state of Religion, where better things are known. The wit of man may adorn or palliate any folly, and deform true Wisdom: but in a lucid Region, where knowledge is diffused, Wisdom will shew it self, and the folly of fools cannot be hid.
But let the Religious know, that it behoves them to take care that they suffer not so many things in vain; for these indignities may do them more good, than the vain applause of men: If their Enemies give them advantage (as indeed they do) for the learning of more Wisdom, Sobriety, and Circumspection, let them receive it; it is pity they should not make the most of such harsh Instructions. What manner of Persons should they be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness, that as much as in them lies, there might not be that wo to the World because of offences; and that with well doing, they might put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; More especially they should do their uttermost to shun even the appearance of the sins more peculiarly charged upon them, as Hypocrisie, Pride, Wildness of Fancy, Affected Singularity, and Self-Flattery; and to be adorned with a conspicuous sincerity, humility, and charity.
And whatsoever contumely they indure, let them by no means retaliate in the same kind, remembring their blessed Lord, who being reviled, reviled not again, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. Wickedness cometh from the wicked: scurrility, petulancy, bitterness and all intemperate language, is more agreeable to their adversaries, than to them: And it is observed, that the flinging of witty sarcasms, biting jears and scoffs, and railing words against a Party, do vex and gall more than hurt or break them; and provoke, but not convince them; and serve indeed to feed a humour, and make sport, and do some present feat, but do not carry the main cause, or prevail in the end, but turn rather to the dammage and blemish of those, for whose service they were designed.