The Kingdom of God Among Men, Tract 1 · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV.
The Care and Wisdom of the Church in preventing, and curing the evil of Fanatical and Sectarian Error.
AMong the Wiles of Satan, whereby he depraveth the Spiritual excellency of pure Religion, and mightily hinders its advance in the Kingdoms of this World, Fanatical and Sectarian aberrations, are not the least. If these follies were but heeded by those that are most in danger, before they are ingaged and drunken with errour, it were in great part an antidote against this mischief. For the well minded that are but weak, and of easie impression, are lead aside chiefly for lack of attention and observation. Many are Children in understanding, and many are passionate and inconsiderate, and an innate levity, and inconstancy of mind is very common.
It behoves the Guides of the Flock to possess the minds of the People with sober principles; and to have a watchfull eye upon the first rising of any Pragmatick Fancies that feed on notions and novelties, under a shew of a more discerning Spirit in Gospel Mysteries, than others have. Such being vanity puff'd up, will be starting questions and multiplying slight exceptions against the received Truth, and will please the itching ears, and slight Spirits of some pretenders to Godliness, who will become their hasty proselytes, and join with them to unravel one thing after another, in the texture of holy Doctrine. And by the repute of their good parts and seeming Piety, may stagger others of good intentions, but weaker judgments. And of this sort, none are more dangerous than vain-glorious Teachers: ambitious of leading Parties, and by plausible indowments furnished for such designs. These to raise their own fame, and make to themselves a devoted People, will become absolute Sect-Masters; and those that close with them, they hold with pleasing devices, and serve their humours, that they may serve themselves of them. There is also in some Persons a right Sectarian leaven, which is evermore to follow peculiar Opinions, and some separated Party in Religion, and they speak security to their own Souls, by being of such an Opinion or of such a Party.
Against the Sectarian and Fanatick Spirit, it concerns the Church to keep a continual watch and ward; but not so as to imprison the truth, to lock up the key of knowledge, to stifle Godly zeal, to detain a People in dead and dull principles, that will not reach to the New Birth and Divine Life. For this were all one as to prevent or cure a frenzy by causing a Lethargy, or some other such like stupidity.
Moreover, a Superstitious formal love, and sensual way of Religion, will in no wise be able to prevent or suppress this evil, but will give occasion to its rise and growth, except in times of profound ignorance and silence, as in the depth of Popish darkness. But whensoever the light breaks forth, and the People see with their own eyes, and the Ecclesiastical Governours will not admit a true reformation, but persecute those that seek it, then are many in danger of falling into this opposite extream. For they are cast upon it, both by the hatred of the present corruptions, and by the weakness of their own judgment, being not throughly instructed in the solid truth. And so they …un hastily from superstition and externalness into delusion and wild fancies; from the common dissoluteness and remisness of those that call themselves Orthodox, into a vain boasting of perfection; from the usurpations of proud men incroaching upon Christs Prerogative and their false constrained Unity, into Anarchy and confusion; and from a wrathfull zeal and persecuting cruelty, into a disorderly promiscuous and familistical love, or indulgence towards all. On the contrary, a Church state that is agreeable to the Spiritual Ministration of the Gospel, and truly Apostolical, is the surest remedy against Sectarianism and Phanaticism, truly so called. When the Church abandons Romish Tyranny and Superstition, and yet is settled in a regular and stable Polity; when the publick Order throughly promotes the means of sound knowledge, and incourageth real Godliness, it satisfie the minds of them who justly expect in a Gospel Church and Ministry, more than an outward Form, even the manifestation of Truth and Spiritual Light, and Life and Power; an… it prevents their wandring to seek after it i… the devious paths of Sectaries.
It is of great moment, that of the mo… learned, able, and judicious Persons of Orthodox profession, there be many eminently Pious, whose authority and reputation may b… able to hold in those, whose affection an… fancy is apt to outrun their judgment; likewise that the Pastors of the Church, who a… called the Light of the World, do so walk i… the Light, as that there be no occasion o… stumbling in them through notorious Prid… Covetousness, Self-Seeking, inordinate sensuality, or the vehement appearance of any gross evil. For the weaker sort is commonly undone by offences.
And because seducers are very active and spare no cost nor travel, but as they have done of old, do compass Sea and Land to gain Proselites, it behoves the Pastors carefully to keep their People, and the People carefully to keep themselves out of the hands of these Hucksters. The common remisness in this matter is deplorable.
Sometimes the manner of opposition against Seducers, is unadvised and prejudicial. To contend for truth by wrath, and clamour, and contumelious language and usage, inhanceth the price of Error, and adds to its reputation. But the surest way is to converse much with our plain hearted People, and to season them with right principles, and to detect the subtile methods of deceitfull workers, and the dangerous issues of their allurements, and by honest and inoffensive applications to prepossess those holds, of which deceivers seek to possess themselves.
And here it is of chief importance, that the influence of the Pastors and other prudent and able Persons, upon the common multitude of professors, be more prevailing, than the influence of the common multitude upon the Pastors and other prudent Leaders. Servile temporizing with vulgar fancies, degrades the Authority and Wisdom of prudent Guides, and lifts up a vulgar Spirit, and will bring it to that pass, that the weakest and most inconsiderate shall sway the Churches Interest. Let Persons of approved worth be more faithful and noble, than by such servility and treachery, to raise to themselves a power in the hearts of the weaker sort. Let them rather commend themselves by their known Integrity, Wisdom and Goodness, and by being ready also in all condescention, to serve and please them to their Edification. And such faithfulness is the surest means to gain them love and honour.
Let the Religious beware of seeking to be admired and magnified among one another, or of overprizing each others esteem. This latter seems to be the cause that drew Peter to a fit of dissimulation and separation from the believing Gentiles, while he sought too much to please them that were of the Circumcision.
Sometimes we know not our own Spirits. It is good to beware of provocations like to be given or taken. Upon a supposed affront or injury, men of parts have been hurried into dangerous contests, and to make head against petty passionate opposition, they have run beyond their own thoughts, and wrought strange confusion. Discretion and charity seeks to convince and satisfie, and not to exasperate an offended Brother.
It is well observed, that no turbulent Opinion or Party doth usually arise in the Church, but by the Church's neglect of some truth or duty. Wherefore if an evil spirit seek an occasion of mischief, reform the abuse, and so prevent his working upon the simple.
And forasmuch as some of upright hearts being deceived with a fancy of a more sublime and perfect way, may pass into the tents of Sectaries so far as conce…ns Church Order and external Worship, a compassionate regard must be had of such as walk honestly, and retain those fundamental Truths, that may be a ground-work for saving Faith and godly Life. Now towards such, the greatest charity is exercised in labouring to remove the stumblingblock of their error, and to make it plain before them, that the Faithfull whose Communion they forsake, contend for the Perfection of holy Scripture, and the explicit Knowledge of the doctrine of Salvation, and the reasonable service of God according to his Word, and spiritual Worship sutable to the Gospel Dispensation, and the lively use of holy Ordinances, in opposition to unwritten Traditions, Mens inventions, implicit Faith, ignorant devotion and meer formality; That they declare by word and deed against the iniquity and impiety of this evil World, and therefore the world hates them; that they insist upon no forms or usages in Religion, but what are commanded by the positive Laws of Christ, or are necessary in their general reason by the law of Nature; that they seek no worldly advantages or advancements in the Church, but what are necessary for the support of the Truth, according to Gods ordinary Providence; and lastly, that human infirmities must not be thought strange in them, that have not obtained Angelical perfection. These and the like things should be laid open before honest People that have been seduced into Sectarian error.