The Kingdom of God Among Men, Tract 1 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
The general civility or common honesty of a Nation makes it more generally receptive of real Christianity or Godliness.
REligion having considerateness and soberness in its nature, hath great advantage by the sober and serious temper of a Nation, City or Country, where its advancement and propagation is designed. Civility is a good preparative to Piety, and experience witnesseth, that among the serious & temperate sort of People, and in the most civilized places Religion takes best; and that it takes least in those places where debauchery and Sensuality raign in those of the higher rank, and a Heathen-like rudeness and stupidity seiseth the common multitude. Wherefore that sort of Men, whose spirit or interest leads them to uphold a corrupt and carnal Church-state, seek to gratifie the most sensual and vicious part of a Nation, because they cannot so easily gain the considerate and soberminded, who are more inquisitive into the principles and practices of different Parties, and look more than others into the inside of mens Devotions.
A Nation may be generally brought to civil conversation and the external part of Religion. For the restraining of filthy lewdness, gross excesses and rudeness best comports with the health of the Body, the security of the estate, and the quietness of the mind. Therefore when it is in use, it is no burden but an ease even to unregenerate Nature, and so may pass generally among a People. Likewise natural Men being convinced and awakened, will easily observe Religious duties so far as the peace of the natural Conscience doth require.
The Conversation of the Pious is exemplary and of great authority, especially when their strictness and seriousness is tempered with the amiable vertues of Meekness and Moderation. By this they may do much towards the civilizing of those that live about them, and to conciliate the minds of Men towards them, and bring them to good thoughts of Religion. But the harshness of some rigid honest Men may exasperate and beget hatred in some, whom condescension and sweetness of conversation might have gained, or at least mol…ified.
Likewise by a discreet and seasonable use of christian liberty in the temperate injoyments of outward comforts in harmless Recreations, and sober cheerfulness in honest Company, the Religious may bring over others to a friendly converse with them, and may be a means to keep them from the more gross and scandalous Pollutions of the world. Yet as they ought to shun an excessive reservedness and austerity, so they must take heed of too great compliance with others in carnal liberty, upon pretence of a friendly converse with them. They may not spend their time in recreations, fruitless visits, merry meetings and the like exercises, wherein there is enough of idleness and vanity, even when there is nothing of dissoluteness or gross immorallity. For by such a trade of life they would lose themselves in a sober kind of Epicurism, or Sensuality under a form of Godliness; and they would harden others in their loose walking, or make them think that Professors are but as other men, except in a name and outward Form. Wherefore they may be sociable no otherwise, than that it may appear they make Religion their business, and walk circumspectly and redeem their time from vanity, for the serious Duties of their general and particular callings.
It may be further noted, that whatsoever promoteth knowledge among the meaner sort, promotes Civility. Likewise where a people are generally settled in a way of industry and frugality, and those of higher extract or education are bent unto exercises truly noble and worthy, that Nation will be disposed to a more considerate and apprehensive habit of mind, and to a more sober and regular course of life; but the State of things is corrupt and tends to general debauchedness, when those of higher Rank and Quality live in idleness and sensual excesses, and have a proportionable number of the meaner sort waiting upon them in much idleness, for the service of those lusts and vanities. This course would vitiate the whole Mass of a people, did not some powerfull opposite means preserve some parts more intire and sound in Morals. Now an order and frame of things settled for frugality is not unworthy of a generous Nation. It is a noble thing for persons of higher birth and breeding to improve their parts, and wealth, and leasure in usefull and liberal studies and exercises, whereby something may be added either to their own Fortunes, or to the common stock and treasure of Mankind.
Where this considerate and sober disposition of a people is affected, it should be esteemed a great happiness, and worthy of the best improvement for the advancement of Religion. Discreet and well minded persons are in no wise to be discouraged or disobliged. If they cannot be raised to a higher pitch, it is better to keep them where they are, than by any matter of disgust to occasion them to fall back first to disrelish, then to loath and oppose a strict profession.