A Caveat to the Standing Christian, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Reaſ. 2. A Second Reaſon is drawn from the conſideration of the great diſhonour which is caſt on God, on Chriſt, on all the ways of God. 1. On God, as if he were not a good God to enjoy, a good Maſter to ſerve, as if there were no profit in ſerving the Almighty, or that there were more profit in ſerving baſe luſts, then in ſerving God: See how God complaineth of ſuch, Jer. 2.5. Thus ſaith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me? So God may ſay to ſuch revolters, you think that I am an unjuſt God, that I have not ſhewn my ſelf ready to do you good, that I am an hard Maſter, exacting, like Pharaoh, performance of your tasks, and pay you no wages: what all ye that ye fall off from me? declare if there be any iniquity in me: what am I a barren wilderneſs, a broken ciſtern, that ye go far from me?Aquinas. ſhew me what fault is in me. Aquinas gives 3 reaſons why men forſake a preſent enjoyment for another: 1. Either it is becauſe it is majoris boni impeditivum, becauſe it hinders a man from the enjoyment of a greater good, therefore he forſakes it; or, 2. Becauſe it is faſtidioſum, it is loathſom and diſreliſhing; or, 3. Becauſe it proves minus delectabile, & minus utile, leſs delightful, and leſs profitable. When men fall away from God, they charge God with all theſe.
1. They look upon him as an hinderer of a greater good; the pleaſures of ſin, the profits of the world are greater good things to them then God is, while they follow him they cannot enjoy theſe things, therefore they caſt off God to embrace this preſent world.
2. They charge God to be a loathſom God, unworthy of their love, ſervice, and enjoyment, therefore they caſt him off.
3. They charge God not to be ſo uſeful, ſo good, ſo neceſſary as he is. Is it not a diſhonour that baſe creatures ſhould caſt off their Lord and Creatour, as if he were unworthy of their ſervice?
2. Fallers away caſt inſufferable contempt and diſhonour on the Lord that bought them: the Apoſtle ſaith of ſuch, that they tread under foot the Son of God, Heb. 10.29. a ſin beyond the ſin of Judas who betrayed him, beyond the ſin of Pilate who condemned him, beyond the ſin of the Souldiers who crucified and pierced him, beyond the ſin of the Jews who mocked him, they offered not ſuch contempt to him as to tread him under their feet: The phraſe alludeth to our cuſtom; things which we deteſt and abhor, we caſt them under our feet and trample upon them; thus theſe men caſt away Chriſt as if he were the off-ſcouring of the world. When Pompey's Souldiers made a mutiny againſt him for reſtraining them from going to a certain place they deſired to go to, and were reſolved to go in ſpite of him; when no perſwaſions could prevail, but go they would, he laid himſelf down on the ground, ſpeaking thus unto them; If ye will go, then tread on me your Emperour and General: So Chriſt ſaith to backſliders, will ye go away from me? then tread on me your Saviour, trample on this body of mine that was broken for you, reject the blood of the Covenant as an unholy thing, and do deſpite to the Spirit of grace, that is, offer injurious rebellions againſt his motion on your hearts, againſt his holy gifts and workings; ſuch men do interpretatively ſay to the Spirit of grace, Let me alone, I am joyned to the world, and I will be joyned; let me alone, move no more upon the face of my heart, depart and take thy gifts with thee; for I will have my will, I will fulfill my luſts.
3. They bring an ill report on Chriſtianity it ſelf, on Religion, on all the Ordinances, as if there were no goodneſs in Religion, no pleaſantneſs in the ways of God, no excellency or efficacy in his Ordinances; and by this their falling off harden the hearts of men againſt the ways of God, againſt Religion and the Profeſſors of it.Hoord, Serm. in Eph. 4.30. The Hebrews call the Winter foreign becauſe it is a reproach, either actively to the earth, as if it had no fructifying power in it, and to the other Seaſons of the Year, as if they were all like to the Winter; or paſſively to it ſelf, becauſe it is a time, by reaſon of the ſad face of it, the ceſſation of the fruitfulneſs of the earth, leaves, bloſſoms, and comelineſs of trees, and of the warmth of the Sun, that is evil ſpoken of. It is a name that befits a backſliding Chriſtian, he is a reproach to the Ordinances of God, as if they had no quickening and fructifying virtue in them; he is a reproach to all his Society, as if all Chriſtians were like himſelf; and he is a great ſtumbling-block to others, many in Hell take their damnation upon it, that the falling off of a Profeſſor from the ways of God, was the ſtumbling-ſtone at which they ſtumbled and fell into Hell. Math. 18.7. Wo to the man by whom the offence cometh. The greateſt offence that falls out in the world is the falling away from the profeſſion; it is a ſcandal with a witneſs, it is ſcandalum magnatum, of God, of Saints, of the Goſpel, of godlineſs. Wo to the world becauſe of offences.
1. Becauſe their falling away is the great ſtumblingblock, that rock of offence at which the world of wicked men ſtumble and fall eternally into deſtruction; they make men doubt whether that way of profeſſion which they took up, be a good and ſafe way or not; hereupon many grow reſolute to continue in their wicked and ungodly life, rather then to receive that faith, or walk by thoſe rules of life which ſuch backſliders make profeſſi…n of. Salvian in his time doth often aggravate the ſins of Chriſtians on this very ground: It cannot be ſaid (ſaith he) of the Gentiles,Non poteſt dici de Gentib…, Evangelia legunt, & impudici ſunt, Apoſtolos audiunt, & inebriantur, Chriſtum ſequuntur & rapiunt, vitam improbam agunt, & probam Legem ſe habere dicunt. In nobis igitur Chriſtus patitur opprobrium, in nobis patitur Lex Chriſtiana maledictum. Vide Chriſtianos, quid agunt, & evidenter poteſt de ipſo Christo ſciri, quid loceat. Salvian, lib. 4. p. 139. they read the Goſpels and are unchaſt, they hear the Apoſtles and are drunk, they follow Chriſt and plunder, they lead a wicked life, and have a good Law, as they ſay: but it may be ſaid of us: well, what of this? he tells us; In us therefore doth Chriſt ſuffer reproach, in us doth the Chriſtian Law endure ſome diſgrace; for they ſay of us, Lo what manner of men they be that worſhip Chriſt it is falſe, that they have a good Law, as they ſay they have; for if they learned good things, they would undoubtedly be good perſons; ſuch is the Sect, as are the Sectators and Followers of it. And a little after he brings in the Pagans thus ſpeaking: Look upon the Chriſtians, ſee what they do, and by that you may eaſily know what their Chriſt teacheth. But why do they charge us Chriſtians and our God thus? he anſwereth; Why? only for their ſakes who are called Chriſtians, but are not, who by their flagitious and filthy lives do defame the Chriſtian name. By theſe ſpeeches we may collect how ill the bad lives of Chriſtians made Pagans judge of the way of Chriſtianity; and conſequently, what a blemiſh the evil converſation of Profeſſors may occaſionally caſt upon their profeſſion, though never ſo pure and glorious in it ſelf: But wo to the man by whom theſe offences come.
2. Becauſe not only the guilt of his own falling away, but the damnation of others will lye upon him alſo, as a milſtone to ſink him down to the bottom of Hell.Vide Heylin's Geograph. of America. I have read a ſtory of Hathvey, an Indian Nobleman, who by the cruelties and inſolencies of the Spaniards, of which his miſerable Country had woful experience, was ſo much prejudiced againſt the Chriſtian Religion,Barthol. Caſſ. Narrat. Region. Ind. that he refuſed to be baptized: They perſwaded him by many arguments to become a Chriſtian: He demanded firſt, what place was appointed after this life for ſuch as were baptized; anſwer was made, Heaven and its joys: ſecondly, what place they that were not baptized ſhould go unto; it was anſwered, to Hell and its torments: thirdly he asked, which of theſe places was appointed for the Spaniards; anſwer being made that Heaven was, he reſolved againſt his intended Baptiſm, proteſting, that he had rather go to Hell with the unbaptized, then to Heaven with ſo cruel a people. Whoſoever ſinneth greatly (ſaith Salvian Salvian.) without the offence of others, doth purchaſe damnation only to himſelf; but he that cauſeth others to blaſpheme, caſteth very many together with himſelf into deſtruction. Wicked men have little cauſe to ſcoff at ſuch men, and at Religion for their ſakes, becauſe their falls are a wo to them alſo.