Compulsion of Conscience Condemned, Section 4 – Section 5
page missing It has been (and will be till reform'd) the Reproach of Chriſtianity, that Preachers have err'd on both Extreams, ſome talk Nonſenſe, ſome talk above common-Senſe. I have (ſaies one of our Prelates) ſeen ſome Learned Men call Children together, and ask them a few Queſtions; and then to begin a Profound Lecture, ſhaped according to his own large Dimenſions, at whom Boys and Men gaze at, as a prodigious Monſter of Learning: ſome ſaying as Feſtus to Paul, Much Learning hath made him Mad. Sure he knows not where he is, why, he is not in a Univerſity School of Divinity, but in an Aſſembly of weak and ſilly Youth, who underſtand his Engliſh, no more than Hebrew.
He adds, If Men would mark the form and phraſe of the Goſpel, and what kind of Matter and Language the Divine Oracle uſed in Preaching, even to the Learned Scribes and Phariſees, and read 1 Cor. 1. and the beginning of the ſecond, it would Inform them what Language that is, that's Cloathed in ſuch Meretricious Attire, &c. Haec Ille.
The Scope and Intention of this Digreſſion, is to ſhew how this Sacred Office of Preaching is abuſed, and of what Influence that Abuſe is to ſcare people away, who love to underſtand, and profit by what they hear; And ſo I ſhall conclude this Section in imitation of a late Ingenious Author (tho' not in his very words) That if there be not ſuch a parcel of things as call themſelves Preachers that Act thus; then no body is concern'd in this Character; but if there be, the Abuſe is worth looking after, in order to Reformation, if not Puniſhment, of ſo great a Spiritual Grievance.
SECT. V.
Expreſs Scripture againſt Compulſion of Conſcience.
THeſe Excellent and Important Truths mentioned, are not only built upon the firm Foundation of ſolid and unanſwerable Reaſon, but alſo upon the Infallible Authority of the Law, and Word of God. To convince you of which, pray be pleaſed to conſider the following Texts.
Hear what the Apoſtle Paul ſaies, 2 Tim. 2. 24. (mark that this Epiſtle is written to a Biſhop) And the Servant of the Lord muſt not ſtrive, but be gentle unto all Men; apt to Teach, Patient, (or foreign Bearing.) ver. 25. In weakneſs inſtructing thoſe that oppoſe themſelves, if God peradventure will give them Repentance, to the acknowledging of the Truth. ver. 26. And that they may recover themſelves out of the ſnare of the Devil, who are taken Captive by him at his Will.
From this paſſage it is evident, that the Apoſtle forbids all rigorous Courſes, even towards Infidels; and that he expreſly ſets down the right Chriſtian Courſe of Convincing and Converting them, viz. By Charity and Meekneſs: And if Chriſtians will make uſe of Church Curſes, and Humane Laws, Enacted only againſt Seditious perſons, and Diſturbers of the Government, to force Innocent Chriſtians that agree with themſelves, in the Eſſential Articles of Chriſtianity, to Diſputable Modes of Circumſtantial Ceremonies, confeſs'd by all to be of Humane Original; In my Opinion, they diſagree with this Bleſſed Man, who after he Teaches the Biſhop his Duty, adviſes him to leave the ſucceſs to God; But not a ſyllable of Jayling, Impriſoning, or Fining them.
Another Apoſtle forbids us to Condemn one another▪ James 4. 12. There is one Law-giver (ſaies he) who is able to ſave and to deſtroy: Who art thou that Judgeſt another? ſuitable to which (mark I pray) what the former Apoſtle ſaies, Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that Judgest another Mans Servant? to his own Maſter he ſtandeth or falleth; yea, he ſhall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand. ver. 5. One Man eſteemeth one Day above another: another eſteemeth every Day a like. Let every Man be fully perſwaded in his own mind. ver. 22. Haſt thou Faith? have it to thy ſelf before God. Happy is he that Condemneth not himſelf in that which he allowloweth. That is, whoſe Conſcience accuſeth not his outward Profeſſion.
This moſt zealous Preacher of the Goſpel, returns ſo condeſcending and moderate an Anſwer to a Caſe of a far harder ſound than is here maintained, which argues that he took his gentle Pen from the ſoft Wing of the Dove. 1 Cor. 7. 12. &c. If any Brother hath a Wife that believeth not, and ſhe be pleaſed to dwell with him, let him not put her away. ver. 13. And the Woman which hath a Husband that believeth not, and if he be pleaſed to dwell with her, let her not leave him. ver. 14. For the unbelieving Husband is ſanctifyed to the believing Wife (viz. in a Matrimonial Correſpondence.) And the unbelieving Wife is ſanctifyed to the Husband, &c. ver. 15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart; A Brother or a Sister is not in Bondage in ſuch Caſes: But God hath called us to Peace. ver. 16. For what knoweſt thou O Wife, whether thou ſhalt ſave thy Husband? Or how knowest thou O Man, whether thou ſhalt ſave thy Wife? ver. 17. But as God diſtributed to every Man, as the Lord hath called every one, ſo let him walk, and ſo Ordain I in all Churches.
Pray mark, good Reader, what can be ſaid more Efficaciouſly to oblige Chriſtians to Chriſtian forbearance, than ſo plain an Injunction to live peaceably with meer Heathens. You may ſee moreover, that 2 Cor. 1. 24. He denies that even the Apoſtles themſelves have any Soveraignty over the Conſcience, but only Commiſſions to aſſiſt the Conſcientious.—Not for that we have Dominion (ſaies he to the Corinthians) over your Faith, but are helpers of your Joy: For by Faith you ſtand. In this he exactly obſerves the Orders which Chriſt gave to his Apoſtles, Go and Teach, (not compel) Math. 28. 19. And whoſoever ſhall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that Houſe or City, ſhake off the Duſt of your Feet, as we find practiſed, Act, 13. 51. Mark, they are not commanded to trample upon them as Duſt under their Feet; the Planters of Chriſtian Religion had never any ſuch Commiſſion. If the people would not believe, they did e'en let them alone, with only that harmleſs Teſtimony that they had done their Duty, and left them to God▪—O how widely different is this little Duſt-ſhaking, which neither Kill'd not Jayl'd any body, from the Thunder-claps of Popiſh Bulls, Interdicts, Smithfield Flames, Impriſonments, Fines? &c.
Conſonant to this Principle of Meekneſs, our Saviour himſelf inſtructs his Diſciples. Matth. 23. 10. Be not call'd Rabbi, (that is, Impoſers in Spiritual Matters, or Lords over the Conſcience) For one is your Master, even Chriſt; and all ye are Brethren. From theſe Texts Reader, infer what you can rationally,—for it were but to light a Candle to the Sun, for me to go about to Illuſtrate them.
I wonder what the Patient forbearing of the Tares means, and letting them grow together till the time of Harveſt, Ay, and along with the Wheat too, til the Spiritual Reaper comes,—unleſs it be a Chriſtian Tolleration. I cannot fix any other Senſe upon that Scripture Parable, but that we ought not to pluck up each other by the Roots, becauſe we are not alike,—for it may happen that ſome of the very Wheat may be deſtroyed by Corn-Weeders. Therefore 'tis certainly the ſafeſt and ſobereſt way to be quiet, and leave the management of the Spiritual Corn-Fields to the Lord of the Harveſt, till he Orders the contrary.
That admirable Preſident of mildneſs towards the Samaritans, a Surly Inhoſpitable ſort of people, (that would not receive even Christ himſelf) is very Notable. The Diſciples James and John, would have Fire immediately Commanded down from Heaven to Conſume them, as in the Days of Elias; but our Merciful God Rebuked their Zeal with this ſweet and tender reply, Luk. 9. 55, 56. Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of: For the Son of Man is not come to deſtroy Mens, Lives, but to ſave them. This one Example abundantly ſatisfies all Objections drawn from the Practice of Elias, Jehu, the Sons of Levi, &c. in the Old-Teſtament; For as they had an Expreſs Command from▪ God to warrant their Zeal, we have an Expreſs Warrant from Chriſt to Command Meekneſs.
If any one ſhall ſhuffle in a ſuſpition that this moderate temper was meant only for the Times of Perſecution, when the Chriſtians had no temporal power; let him firſt confeſs that theſe were the beſt and pureſt Times, and then ſhew a Warrant Dormant under our Saviour's hand (that is in his Goſpel) to Commiſſionate his Diſciples, as ſoon as they ſhould get the Sword into their hands, to uſe the ſeverity of Penal Laws againſt all diſobeyers, and I ſubmit. But if they can cite no ſuch Authority, let them conſider whether compulſion of Conſcience is conſiſtent with the juſt Liberties and Priviledges of a Chriſtian.
The Church of England approves not of Donatiſm, nor that Romiſh Arrogance which pronounces All Diſſenters ddmn'd. No, no; 'tis evident both by publick Declarations, and the Writings and Preachings of many of the moſt Eminent Church-men, that Salvation is not tyed up here, to a meer Conformity to what the Engliſh-Church differs in, from others; Of this we have a freſh and famous Inſtance in the Charitable and Chriſtian-like entertainment given to the French Proteſtants that came hither for Sanctuary, from the preſent Perſecution in their Native Country. This clearly manifeſts that our Church Quarrels not with the Diſſenting-Proteſtants; For it would be a very ſtrange Riddle, to entertain Proteſtants of the very ſame perſwaſion with ſo much tenderneſs and hoſpitality, and at the very ſame Inſtant, exact the utmoſt mite, that the Penal Laws require, from their Proteſtant Country-men, who diſagree in nothing from theſe forreign Brethren, but only in Language (I mean with reſpect to Articles of Religion) ſo that lie that will charge the preſent Proſecutions upon the Church of England, does charge her at one and the ſame time, with ſeverity to our own Natives, and Charity to Strangers of the ſame Profeſſion. Now, ſince it is not to be preſumed that the Church of England would act with ſuch Partiality and Condradiction, may we not rationally conclude, that this unſeaſonable Proſecution, (when Popery is watching all opportunities to Ruine Conformiſts, as well as Nonconformiſts) is to be charged only on ſome particular Self-ſeeking perſons, or ſuch as do not calmly conſider what the Circumſtances of things are?
The Judgment of His Majeſty, and the Reſolves of our laſt Parliaments, (all true Patriots and Church-men, that have given ſecurity to the Government, by taking ſuch Teſts and Oaths as the Law requires,) are convincing demonſtrations, that 'tis not the Church and State, but ſome certain perſons that care not how the World goes, (ſo their preſent ends be acccompliſhed,) are Authors of the ſevereties ſome feel, from the Execution of ſuch Laws, as ſtand lookt upon, rather to be forborn by publick Votes, as aforeſaid; And which ('tis hop'd) that Auguſt Aſſembly (King, Lords, and Commons) when His Majeſty will be pleaſed to call a Parliament, will mitigate, to the great joy of many Innocent Subjects, that mind only their own particular Concerns, and quietly ſubmit to the Eſtabliſh'd Government.