The Reasonableness of Personal Reformation, Treatise 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
The Introduction and State of the Case.
SECT. I.
REason exalts Man above all earthly Beings: 'Tis his Dignity and Priviledge that God hath furnished him with Abilities of Mind to recollect, animadvert, compare, infer, ponder and judge his own Actions. Hereby he becomes not only capable of Moral Government by Humane Laws, which no Creature beside him is; but also of Spiritual Government by Divine Laws; and the blessed Frutions of God in Glory, which no other Species of Creatures (Angels only excepted) have a subjective capacity for.
Right Reason by the Law of Nature (as an …ome-born Judge) arbitrates and determines all things within its proper Province, which Province is extended far and wide. All Action Natural, Moral and Civil are weighed at thi… Beam and Standard: None are exempted but ma… ters of supernatural Revelation; and yet eve… these are not wholly and in every respect exemp… from Right Reason. For though there be som… Mysteries in Religion above the sphere and fligh… of Reason, yet nothing can be found in Religio… that is unreasonable.
And though these Mysteries be not of natura… investigation, but of supernatural Revelation yet Reason is convinced nothing can be mor… reasonable, than that it take its place at the fee… of Faith, which is but to suffer it self to becom… Pupil to an Omniscient and Infallible Instructo… The resolution of our Reason into Faith, an… of Faith into God's Veracity, are Acts highly be… coming Reasonable Beings in such Cases a… these.
It may not pry too nicely into unrevealed My…steries, demand the Reasons, or examine th… Causes of them, (as bold and daring Socinians do… but it feels it self obliged to receive all those thing both as possible and true which God hath revealed counting his Revelation alone to be Reason suffi… cient. For the Veracity of God takes out of Rea…sons mouth all Objections against the truth … them, and his Almighty Power silences all its Scru…ples against the possibility of them.
But in all Matters properly under the jurisdi…ction of Reason, every man is obliged to accoun… with himself, as well as others, for the reasona…bleness of his own Actions; and that Act whic… will not endure the test of sound Reason, i… judges not fit for the entertainment of a Man. … Reason cannot justifie it, 'tis beneath the rank and dignity of a Man to do it.
SECT. II.
The Light of Reason was at first the bright Lamp or Candle of the Lord, till Sin like a Thief melted it down to a Snuff; whereby (comparatively speaking) it is become a poor glimmering Light in the best of men, and almost quite extinguished in some men. Fallen Man is become less than himself, and will never act like himself, till he be fully restored to himself.
Sanctification indeed snuffs and trims the Lamp of Reason; but there being few sanctified Persons …mong men, a double Misery consequently befalls a very great part of Mankind: whose Conversation speaks them not only destitute of Religion, which bereaves them of the blessedness of the World to come; but men almost entirely despoiled of the Benefits and Blessings of their own Rea…on, which makes them unhappy and miserable …n this World: Beasts, rather than Men, as the sa…red Scripture stiles them: Unreasonable men, …nen fallen out with their own faculties, who af…er many a sharp battel with their Reason, are …ow dragging it like a conquered Captive, at …he Chariot-wheels of their victorious and trium…hant Lusts.
SECT. III.
'Tis scarce imaginable that ever Sin should pre…ail so far as it doth to the very unmanning of …en, did they not first delude and bribe their duplicate page duplicate page Reason by close and cunning Applications… their bewitched Affections; whereby though th… cannot make it a party, yet they make it stand … as a silent Spectator or Neuter, whilst they act … Beast, yea, the Devil rather than the Man.
We little know how far unsanctified Reas… may this way be prevailed upon to quit its Thro… and resign its Scepter into the hands of Lust a… appetite; yea, to engage in the defence of the most absurd Laws and Dictates. It only serves some men to invent excuses, pleas and specio… pretences, to justifie or extenuate their beast-li… actions; the basest servitude it can be condemn… to.
If this will not do, sensual Lusts have anoth… way to obtain their satisfaction in despite of Re…son and Conscience, even by stopping their ears the voices of both, and pushing on with a br… tish impetus, they suffer neither to enjoy the o…portunity of a calm debate of these matters wi… them.
SECT. IV.
But let men do what they will, 'tis next to … impossibility they should so far subdue and d…stroy those inbred Principles of Reason and Co…science, but that they will at one time or oth… give them some checks and oppositions in th… profane courses, especially when they shall get t… advantage of some eminent distress, or special da…ger; which disposes them to lend an ear to the voices; and there be few men in the Worl… but are sometimes providentially cast into such …ses and conditions.
So that appeals to the Reason of the most pro…igate wretches are not altogether vain and use…ess.
For if the case cannot be tryed and decided at the bar of Reason and Conscience one time, it …ay with more advantage at another; and haply Appeals to Reason may produce Reformation in …ome men, sooner than Appeals to the Scriptures, …r Principles of Faith; especially when the World … so notoriously drenched in practical Atheism, …hat serious Religion becomes the common subject of drollery amongst multitudes of men.
Yet it were hard and uncharitable to imagine …ny man sunk so deep into the mire of bestiality and profaneness, as not still to retain some value and veneration for his own Reason, and as much as he abuses it, yet to refuse the whole world in exchange for it; and to account it a greater misery to be utterly deprived of it, than to have the hoofs of an Horse given him in exchange for his Hands and Feet.
SECT. V.
The Scriptures therefore do in many cases appeal to the Reason of Sinners, and design their reformation by such Appeals. For it being a most shameful thing for a man to be convicted at the bar of his own Reason, of acting like a beast rather than a man, every man is presumed to be afraid and ashamed of such an Indictment. Such Miscreants are the shame and reproach of Humanity it self. They are branded for bruits throughout the sober world. Their company declined and shun'd by all wise and good men. He that hath no reason to justifie his actions, may yet be supposed to be owner of some stock of natura… shame, which cannot but afford a blush upon su… a plain conviction. This therefore was the coun… which the Prophet Isaiah took by divine directio… to reform the idolatrous Israelites, Isa. 46. 8. …states the case at the bar of their own Reason, an… calls for a verdict upon it. The case was this; Wh…ther Idols having not power enough to shew themsel… Gods, those that worship them must not want wisdo… enough to shew themselves men? Remember this, a… shew your selves men, and bring it again to mind, … transgressors! q. d. for shame let not men act li… bruits, which have no animadversion.
SECT. VI.
When things therefore are brought to such … exigence, that ruin or reformation is the on… Choice men have to make, and all religious in pressions so obliterated and worn out, that me… pay no reverence to them; an Appeal to the Reaso… of men seems then to be an hopeful method … prevailing with them, to suffer a reformation … …ther than a ruin. Not that I imagine the Topicks … Reason able to afford more powerful Argumen… than those of Religion do; but that they who … their ignorance, and strong prejudices against R…ligion, have made themselves more uncapab… of conviction that way, may haply feel the for… of Reason prevailing so far, at least, as to … their outragious lusts under some restraint.
As for the Scriptures, and serious Religion … gotten by them in the souls of men, they are pe…fect strangers to all, but the names of these thing… And even their very Names are grown almost r…diculous with them too. But Reason may convince and shame them. What force the Reason of man hath, even without saving grace, to produce Civility, Sobriety, and other Moral Vertues, is abundantly evident in the very Heathens, who by the only Light of Reason discovered so much …diousness in Vice and Immorality, and such amiable beauty in Justice, Temperance, and the other Moral Vertues, that their praises for them are sounded throughout the world.
Now whatever unthinking men dream, to me it is evident, that when Kingdoms and Commonwealths are overflowed with unrestrained Vices and Immoralities; when cursing and swearing becomes the common Language; Drunkenness and Adultery the common practices of the Inhabitants; God will either sweep away the filth of those Nations by the Besom of a general Reformation, or he will sweep away their Inhabitants out of them with the Besom of Destruction. For if we have not excussed the Notion and Belief of a God, and that he animadverts the wickedness of men (which the very Heathens by the Light of Nature, saw and acknowledged) we may thereby easily be led to this Conclusion, that such overflowings of abomination do, and must certainly presage our Desolation, except speedy and general Reformation do prevent it.
SECT. VII.
Now the persons whose Reformation I particularly design by this method, being men that exercise more Reason than Religion, might (methinks) be prevailed with to take up at last, and reform their unreasonable as well as ungod… courses, could they be once prevailed with … debate these matters with cool, considerative mind becoming men governed by reason, not wholl… swayed like bruit-beasts by lust and appetite.
And is it not highly reasonable, that men shoul… weigh their own actions at the same beam an… standard where they weigh other mens actions, an… renounce all that with shame and detestation which they themselves must censure as utterl… beneath and unworthy of a man? Wherefore hat… God planted a principle of Reason and Consc…ence within us? Is it rational to think it was plan…ted there for no other end or use but to scan and censure other mens words and actions by, bu… not our own? Or to be wholly useful to othe… mens interests, without any benefit to our selves▪ Ask thine own Reason, silly man, why God Pla…ced it in thy Soul, and for what use it was inten…ded and it will tell thee, it was particularly de…signed and appointed to regulate and order thin… own life and actions; and next, for the benefit and good of the Community. It will tell thee, there is not a single act thou dost of any weight or mo…ment, but thou oughtest to consult with it, and have its Pass or License before thou do it. But when thou entrest into a series and course of actions, thy consultations with it ought to be very frequent and solemn, because these things are o… great importance to thee.
Thy Reason will tell thee, Sinner, that it is … vile affront to it, to be thrust by thee from the Council-table, unworthily dismissed from its office, and discharged from any further attendance upon thy life, and the concerns thereof, and bruitish lust and appetite consulted in its room; and that it needed not at all to have been implanted into thy soul, if the same Principles that govern the beasts of the field must also be thy governing Principles. It stands ready to offer its service to thee, to save thee from, or to receive thee out of those mischiefs thou hast or mayest run thy self into; if thou wilt but hear and obey its advice. It tells thee, it is thy Privy-Councellor by God's appointment; and if thou wilt not find leisure among the heats and hurries of thy lusts, to consult it, and …hearken to its counsels now; if thou wilt forsake the conduct of thine own Reason and Conscience, which have a right and authority to govern thy words and actions, and follow thy blind and headstrong lusts and passions, thou shalt hear other language from them, when thy lusts have precipitated thee into thine own ruin and destruction, as they speedily and inevitably must and will do, according to the course they now steer for thee.
SECT. VIII.
And there is yet more ground to hope, that reason may prevail with men living under the Gospel, to return to sobriety and temperance, when we consider their Reason is assisted by some illumination from the Christian Religion. They live in a Land of Bibles and Ministers, where they cannot avoid the light; an advantage far beyond whatever the Heathens enjoyed, who yet by their single unassisted Reason arrived to an eminency in Moral Vertues.
Our Reasons and Consciences do not only con…vince us (as theirs also did them) that there is a God, and a future life of retribution, wherein e…very man shall be judged according to his work… but also, that the Scriptures are the very Word o… God, and Rule of Faith and Manners. And i… there be any among the debauched Crew that que…stion or deny it, we may be confident none of them are able by plain and sound reason to overthrow those mighty Arguments pleaded for the confir…mation of that truth. At least they find in them…selves a strong suspicion, and fear, that they ma… prove to be true; which jealousie and suspicio… working together with their own Reason and Consciences, are no contemptible helps towards thei… recovery.
For if what Reason, Conscience and Scriptur… with one mouth pronounce, be true and certain (as undoubtedly it will be found to be) then i… must be plain and obvious to them also, that thei… brutish lusts have put them into the direct and rea…dy way both to ruin themselves, and also greatly to hazard the Community to which they belong.
SECT. IX.
As for themselves, if they will make a judg…ment upon their own condition in the light of… Reason, Conscience, or Scripture, (and they ve…ry well know they take their measures in perfec… darkness, if they take them not by this direction then continuing the same course they now do, they are a lost generation.
All their lawful and faithful guides tell then with one mouth, they are certainly in the broa…way to damnation. And that how irksome and terrible soever the thoughts and apprehensions of Hell are to them, yet thither they must certainly come, if they pursue this course. Their Reason plainly tells them, he that chuseth the means, and engageth in the way leading to Hell, must and ought to make account that Hell is the place he is preparing for.
Conscience is as plain and positive with them, that they must either return or perish. The Scripture confirms the testimonies of both, by telling them plainly, that the end of these things is death, Rom. 6. 21.
'Tis down-right folly and madness, by the vote of the whole rational and sober world, for any man to conclude, or hope he shall be happy in the world to come, whose life is drawn through and finished in all manner of obscenity, filthiness, and prophaneness in the present world.
For let the case be brought into the light of your own Reason, as dim as it is, and let it freely judge when you are belching out your black and horrid Blasphemies against God, imprecating damnation from him upon your own souls, wallowing in beastly lusts, vomiting and roaring in Taverns and Alehouses: Ask, I say, your own Reason, Conscience, or the Scripture, whether all or either of them will allow you to say or think, Now we are in the right way to eternal blessedness? This is the very course that will bring us to happiness in the world to come: This pleaseth God better, and is a surer path to glory, than Repentance or Faith, Mortification, Prayer, or Reformation. No, no; as blind as your Reason is, and as seared as your Consciences are, you will never bring them to comprobate or subscribe such absurd and horrid conclusions a… these.
But on the contrary, they will tell you, That i… you will have the pleasure, you must have th… pain and torment of sin. That 'tis madness to sa… you are afraid to burn, but not afraid to sin: Tha… you are loath to be damned, and yet challenge the… Almighty God to his face to damn you; as much a folly as to drink a baneful Dose of known Poison, and think to feel no painful gripes afterwards.
As for the Scriptures, they appeal to the Reason of men in this case, as a most known and allowed thing, scarce imaginable to lie hid from any man, 1 Cor. 6. 9. Know ye not, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God..
It would make the bowels of a compassionate Christian to rowl and yearn within him to behold multitudes of souls of invaluable worth, running greedily on to their eternal ruin, wilfully stopping their ears all the way to the voices of their own Reason and Conscience, as well as to the voice of God in his word, not once making a pause, till they fall into that gulph of eternal and intolerable misery, into which with great precipitation they are casting themselves.
SECT. X.
And then for the Community to which they belong, how dangerous, yea, how destructive such persons are to it, cannot possibly be hid from any wise and serious observer. For if one Sinner destroys much good, if one Achan trouble the whole Camp of Israel, how much more will whole swarms and droves of drunkards, blasphemers and adulterers, as now fill every place, pull down the judgments of God upon those States and Kingdoms wherein they breathe? If our fears and dangers were greater than they are, yet Reformation might save us: Jer. 5. 1. Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, (i. e. a publick man, a man in authority) if there be any …hat executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it. And if our hopes and confidences were much higher than they are, yet unre…ained sin would undo us. Kingdoms and Commonwealths are not so much endangered by the pow…rs and policies of their enemies without them, …s they are by the unreformedness of profligate wretches within the amongst them. Reformation quickly recovers the Ancient Glory of Kingdoms, and makes them the terror of their Enemies.
For tho there will be still too much sin privately committed under the best Laws, and most vigorous and impartial execution of them; yet abundance of sin would thereby be prevented, and the sins that are committed would not become National, but personal only, and these would not so much concern and hazard the publick weal and tranqui…lity of the State.
Moreover, States and Kingdoms are in no sma… hazard by the publick debauchery and commo… prophaneness of their Subjects, for as much as … this very sink and puddle of their lusts, the man… wisdom, sprightly courage, and true gallant… of their Subjects are quenched and drowned, the Spirits softened and effeminated. 'Tis hard to im…gine those men will engage far in the Cause of R…formation, when Reformation it self is the on…thing they hate and fear.
Nor need we wonder to find men intimidat… and low-spirited in times and places of emine… danger, who not only carry about them so muc… guilt (which is the fountain of fear) but are who…ly addicted to sensual pleasures which they are lo… to hazard upon publick accounts and considerat…ons, these being the only Heaven they have, … hope for; Whoredom and Wine, and new Wine take…way the heart, Hos. 4. 11. 'Tis in the very natu… of these sins to make men sottish, and in the ve… nature of guilt to make them pusillanimous.
Seneea observes (and his Observa…on is true) That the conscience of a wick man is a terrible scourge and torment him, Seneca, Epist. 97.perpetually lashing him with solli…tous thoughts and fears, so that he distrusts all ſecyrti… and knows not where to be safe. Hence it comes pass, that many men of good Extraction, Libe… Education, and Excellent Natural Endowmen… become so useless, yea, so pernicious as they a… who could they be recovered but to temperan… and sobriety, would become both excellently u…ful and ornamental to the Nation where they … their birth, and to the safety and honour whereof they owe their service.
SECT. XI.
This most desirable recovery and reformation of prophane debauched persons, is not simply and absolutely impossible: And if Magistrates and Ministers were every where exemplary themselves for sobriety and piety, zealous and impartial in the discharge of their respective Duties, a general Reformation would not be difficult. But when those, whose Office it is to suppress wickedness, shall associate themselves with leud and profligate persons, and vye with them in their prophane courses, or discourage more consciencious persons in the discharge of their Duties; this makes Reformation morally impossible.
If Prophaneness were once found the general Odium of the people, and a bar to all Preferments, it might be hoped things would quickly alter for the better. 'Twas an ancient custom among the Heathens (as Learned and Excellent Mr. Hale of Eaton, out of Chrysostom observes) that if a man offered himself to contend in the Olympick-Games, he was not permitted so to do, till Proclamation had been first made, whether any man knew him to be either a Servant, or a man of infamous Life; and if any such Imputation were proved against him, it was sufficient to keep him back, let his skill be what it would.
What care was here taken that their Vanities should not be discredited! And will neither Reason nor Religion convince us, that not only equal, but far greater care ought to be taken to discourage prophaneness among Christians, than th… blind Heathens ever took to preserve the reputati…on of their vain Exercises? Let all subordinate Mi…nisters of State, and Officers in the Church, consi…der how great a part of this blessed Reformatio… is demandated to their hands.
SECT. XII.
Were Kingdoms and Commonwealths on… purged from that spirit of prophaneness and d…bauchery, which thus defiles and overflows them and the people generally reduced but to civility, so…briety and temperance, experience would quickl… shew them the comfortable effects and happy fruit… thereof.
For though this be much short of what Christi…anity exacts from all its professors, and insuffici…ent to obtain the happiness of the world to come yet it is greatly conducent to the civil happines… and flourishing of the Kingdoms of this world and therefore richly worth the studies and endeavours of all men to promote and obtain it.
There is no Kingdom or Commonwealth in the Christian world, which would not by thi… means breed and send forth multitudes more than they do, with excellent abilities and qualification… fitting them to sit at the Helm of Government▪ and steer a more prosperous course than they do at present. A wise and steddy direction of the a… duous and important affairs of Kingdoms, can only be expected from those that are able to govern themselves, and their own affairs, with sobriety and discretion.
If the Laws of Nations take care for the preservation and growth of Timber fit for the building of Houses and Ships, and every one sees the usefulness and necessity of such acts; much more ought they to take care for such an education of men, as may render them serviceable members to the State both in Camp and Council.
Magistrates are (in a Sense) the foundation of Kingdoms, the strong Shoulders that bear the burthen of Government; and reason will tell, that so great a weight and stress as the Affairs and Concerns of Kingdoms, ought not to be laid on their Shoulders, whose Legs through debauchery are too weak to bear their own reeling and staggering Bodies.
Seamen and Soldiers are the Walls of Kingdoms, and under God their Prudence and Courage are the Peoples defence and safeguard. Plutarch tells us, there were two Virtues in Hannibal which made him prosperous and successful. There was in him plurimum audaciae ad capienda pericula, & plurimum consilii inter ipsa pericula. He was bold in attempting, and prudent in managing the most difficult Services; the former had signified little without the latter. Courage may throw Men into the midst of difficulties, but Counsel and Wisdom helps them to emerge those difficulties; and I'm sure that cannot be rationally expected from Men that daily dethrone their own Reason by debauchery.
But when Men not only sober, just and temperate, but religiously good, are employed in publick Trusts and Services, we cannot but think the Security and Prosperity of such a State are abundantly provided for. And our confidence hereof is not only founded upon the Maxims of Hum… Reason, but of Scripture, Wisdom, and Authori… also.
What a renowned, prosperous, and successf… Captain of the Armies of Israel was good Joshu… No Man was able to stand before him all the da… of his Life, Josh. 1. 5. But what bred those brav… gallant and undaunted spirits in the breast of th… Heroe, and crowned his noble designs with suc… admirable success? If we look into ver. 8. we sha… find, it was Religion that gave both the edg… and point to his natural courage. This Book of t… Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou sha… meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest obser… to do all that is written therein: for then thou sha… make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have go… success.
Hezekiah this way became a none-such amon… the Kings of Judah; for he clave to the Lord, a… the Lord was with him, and he prospered whithe… soever he went forth, 2 Kings 18. 5, 6, 7. And d… ing David from an whole life of experiences, n… commended this as the only method of prosper… ty unto Solomon his Son, Keep the charge of the Lor… thy God, to walk in his ways, that thou mayst prosp… in all that thou dost, and whithersoever thou turn… thy self, 1 Kings 2. 3, 4.
How great a lustre therefore doth this Trut… cast about it, that the restraint and reformation o… Vice, and the due encouragement of Virtue an… Piety, becomes the very Civil interest of Kingdom and Nations, by the joint votes and suffrages both of Humane and Divine Wisdom? Let any Kingdom or State make tryal of this method, and from that very time they shall date their prosperity This will make them become the Terrors of their Enemies round about them; Peace and Prosperity shall flourish in the midst of them, which is the true Level and Design of this most necessary and seasonable attempt.