Londons Resurrection, Discourse 35
DISCOURSE XXXV.
…t to reform throughout England, whatſoever is manifeſtly amiſs, and can be reformed, would admirably promote the City.
Have diſcourſed of Humiliation, upon ſeveral … accounts, but what ſignifieth Humiliation, with… Reformation, for who was ever truly humbled, …t did not truly reform? A thorough Reforma…on hath been a work ſo long ſpoken off, and ſo …ttle perfected, that ſome may be apt to think of …at, as of the Philoſopher ſtone, (which for ſo …ny ages hath baffled the moſt ingenious chymiſts) that there is no ſuch thing attainable. I ſay of Reformation, as Divines do of ſanctification. Ther… is a perfection of degrees, which cannot be attained in this life, but then there is a perfection of parts, which may; ſome reformation there may be o… all things or kinds of things that are amiſs, all o… a compleat reformation, can hardly be expected in this life, of any one thing, or kind of things which is not as it ſhould be.
Solomon placeth it amongſt the vanities which h… had ſeen under the Sun, that that which is crooke… cannot be made ſtreight, and that which is wanting can not be numbred, Eccleſ. 1.15. Seeming thereby t… mean, that there are ſome evils in the world (an… thoſe not a few) that will never be mended, tha… are like incurable diſeaſes, or like thoſe defects i… nature, which can none be ſupplied. Ex. gr. if a man be born blind, or deaf, &c. But he would no… have us to think, that none of all thoſe things tha… are amiſs in the world can be rectified, or reformed. There are a great many moral, and political diſeaſes, as well as natural, that may be cured though ſome are incurable. Some bones that are out of joynt, may be ſet; and ſome that are broken may be made whole again, though all cannot.
I mention that all and every thing that is amiſ… in the world, cannot be mended, to the end people may not be diſcontented, and ſay with Jona… they have reaſon to be angry to the death, ſo long as they ſee any thing in Church, or ſtate, that is not as it ſhould be, or that would be better otherwiſe. For they that live by that principle, ſhall be always, and in all times, reſtleſs, and male-content, Men muſt be more than mortal men, before they ceaſe to be guilty of any failings, and overſights: or of turning aſide, more, or leſs; either to the right hand, or to the left.
But on the other hand, it is as certain that there are many wilful miſcarriages, and preſumptuous iniquities in the world, which men might avoid, as well as unavoidable infirmities. So much David intimates, when he ſaith, keep back thy ſervant from …eſumptuous ſins, Many things are left unreformed, not becauſe men cannot reform them, or do think they ought not, or need not ſo to do, but becauſe they will not, and becauſe they love darkneſs better than light, and evil more than that which is good. Rom. 1.32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit ſuch things are worthy of death, not only … the ſame but have pleaſure in thoſe that do them.
I meddle not with the reforming of thoſe things which men may rationally doubt, whether they be amiſs or no; or with thoſe peccadillos, which are like ſmaller faults in pointing, or printing, which no ways diſturb the ſenſe, or make it unintelligible, but with the greater Errata's that are committed, even ſo great, that it is hard to be underſtood whether they that do ſuch things have any thing of Chriſtianity, beſides the name, and profeſſion. Let men pluck the beams out of their eyes firſt, and then they will ſee to pull out the motes afterwards.
I exhort not to the reforming and altering of every thing that any body ſhall find fault with, for then we ſhall never have done, then we ſh…ll make as …ald a buſineſs of our reformation, as befel the man in the fable, whoſe young wife pulled out all his grey hairs, and then come an old one afterwards, and pluck of all that were not grey, viz. all that were leſt: or as a Limner, who having hundreds looking on, as he is drawing a picture, ſhould put in and put out according to every ones fancy, and ſuggeſtion.
But if there be things which every body finds fault with, and which the conſciences (if not the tongues) of all people do condemn, and cry out upon, which they that run, may, and do read the evil of, and the iniquity that is in them, doubtleſs ſuch things ought to be reformed. As the boy ſaid to his Father, Father is that true that every body ſaith is true? ſo ſay I is not that evil which every body confeſſeth to be ſo, or cannot deny ſo to be? and ought not that which is manifeſtly evil to be reformed, if it can be ſo? will not otherwiſe our ſins ſeparate between God and us, and hinder good things from us? will not thoſe Achans, our wilful unreformed ſins) trouble us continually, and cauſe God to ſay, as to Joſhua of old, There is an accurſed thing in the midſt of thee: therefore ye cannot ſtand, Joſh. 7.13. Neither will I be with you any more unleſs you deſtroy the accurſed.
As for the perſons concerned in reforming, they are as many as are concerned in the rebuilding of London, (for therein is its rebuilding concerned) or as many of them, as have any thing that ſtands in need of being reformed, and who hath not more or leſs of that? For in many things we all offend.
Here I could mention divers ſorts of reformation neceſſary to be preſſed, and practiſed, viz perſonal, and that both internal, and external, domeſtical, national.
It were endleſs to point at all things which it were needful for us to reform. But firſt of all, if men declare their ſins like Sodom, if they publiſh them in the face of the Sun (as did Abſalom) if they ſwear and curſe, in all companies, and in the open ſtreet, not caring who hears them: if men, women, and children, do groſely and notoriouſly profane the Sabbath, by working or playing; if they that be drunk, will be drunk in the day time, and reel along the ſtreets (as if they had eaten ſhame and drank after it, as our proverb is.) If Atheiſts will ſpeak blaſphemouſly of God & Chriſt, ſcornfully of Scriptures, contemptuouſly of all religion, and that in all, or moſt places, where they come (as if they ſtudied to make proſelytes to infidelity, and to draw others with themſelves to Hell) and if other ſins put on a whores forehead, and a brow of braſs, and appear with broad and open face, as if no body had any thing to ſay to them, or as men might do that were recti in curia, I ſay when ſins, yea the worſt of ſins, ſhall in that faſhion, ſtare all Law and authority in the face, it is high time to reform. For if Laws cannot thruſt ſinners into corners, and make them like Owls to fly the light, and ſins to become the hidden works of darkneſs (as they are called) the adulterer to ſeek the twilight, and to act ſi non taſtè tamen cautè, cautiouſly, if not chaſtly, I ſay, if laws cannot confine ſin to thoſe regions of darkneſs, to which it belongs, without ſome ſpeedy reformation, Laws will be out of countenance, and ſin will give Law, vertue will be counted a vice, and vice a vertue, drunkenneſs, and whoredom will challenge rewards, whilſt ſobriety, and chaſtity ſhall be expoſed to puniſhments, and as the Prophet complained, Mal. 3.15. Now we call the prond happy, yea they that work wickedneſs are ſet up, yea they that tempt God are even delivered. So it will be again, if the impudency of ſin, and ſinners, be not chaſtiſed; and then the ſecond part of Phaetons tragedy will be acted, viz. Sin got into the Chariot of the ſun, I mean to be viſible, and conſpicuous, 'twill ſet the world on fire.
Though it be above the power of Humane Laws, (and of thoſe that make and execute them) and deſtroy the being of ſin in the world, yet not the viſibleneſs of it, whereby it ſpreads exceedingly, flows in like a Torrent that hath broken down all its banks and bounds, bids defiance to all vertue and goodneſs, and ſaith in effect, as Adonijah did when David grew old, I will be King, 1 King. 1.5. I ſay, Laws can ſmother ſin, and fire when ſmothered can do no ſuch hurt as that which breaketh out, and hath full vent. Laws can make ſin, and ſinners do, as is ſaid of the Beaſts of the Forreſt, Pſa. 104.22. The Sun ariſeth, they lay them down in their dens, and that they ſhall do at moſt, but as is ſaid of them; v. 20. Thou makeſt darkneſs, and it is night, wherein all the be…ſts of the Forreſt do creep forth.
Laws do a great matter in reſtraining the publickneſs and openneſs of ſin, becauſe private ſins cannot contract publick and National guilt, becauſe Authority cannot prevent them, as they may do thoſe which are publick; neither is God ſo much diſhonoured and defied, or Religion ſo much brought into contempt by them, though God is greatly diſpleaſed with them alſo. In Judahs daies ſin ſought a covering, or was made to ſeek it; for Tamar intending to proſtitute her ſelf to Judah put on her vail; and it is ſaid. Gen. 38.21. When Judah faw her, he thought her to be a Harlot, becauſe ſhe had covered her face.
To ſuffer people to be debauched by ſuch things as have a manifeſt tendancy thereunto, is utterly a fault, and it is plain ſhould be reformed. Our corrupt natures need no incentives to ſin; give them an inch of that, and they will take an Ell. I ſhall here mention but two things (though it is like there are more) which have been complained of as great irritamenta malorum, great provocations to ſin. The firſt is filthy fooliſh Balads, read and ſung up and down, whereby (it is ſaid) the meaneſt and younger ſort of people, who cannot go to the price of any higher entertainments, have their minds extremely vitiated and corrupted; thoſe obſcene Sonnets, being, as it were, ſhort Catechiſmes of wickedneſs, whereby children are trained up in the way, in which they ſhould not go, and elder perſons confirmed therein.
The other is ſuch Plays (for with ſuch only I ſhall meddle) which contain in them laſcivious, or otherwiſe profane paſſages, whereby (it is obſerved) that perſons of a higher quality than thoſe Catechumeni of the Devils, who receive their inſtruction from Balads that are ſung to them free-coſt, and want a few farthings to pay for them) are notoriouſly debauched. The Ancients were ſo ſenſible of the great miſchief that did accrew by Plays ſtuffed with wantonneſs and impiety, that (as Biſhop Uſhen hath obſerved) they have inſerted a paſſage againſt them in the Baptiſmal Vow, viz. that we ſhould renounce the pomps of the world: Now foreign (ſaid he) did of old ſignifie Stage-Plays, which having been found (as they were mannaged) exceedingly to corrupt the hear's and lives of men and women, they laid an ingagement upon children at their Baptiſme, to ſhun and avoid them.
The ill living, and ill preaching of ſome Miniſters (I ſay of ſome, for bleſſed be God all are not ſuch, but alas there are too too many of them) is another thing that calls for ſpeedy reformation. Thoſe blind Sampſons that are fit for nothing but to grind in a Mill, to turn round and round, where they cannot go out of their way (blind I call them from their groſs ignorance, Sampſons from their great ſtrength (yet not ſuch as Sampſons was) but ſuch as the Prophet denounceth a woe againſt, Iſa. 5.22. Woe unto them that are mighty to drink Wine, and men of ſtrength to mingle ſtrong drink.) I ſay, thoſe blind Sampſons have already taken hold upon the Pillars of the Church, and will (if not prevented) go nigh to tumble it down upon the heads of themſelves and others. It hath been obſerved of the Papacy, that if the good and mortified lives of ſome few of their Clergy, had not made ſome amends for the great pride and luxury of the reſt of them, that Religion had never been able to ſtand to this day, and it may be verified amongſt us; neither may we truſt to that alone, but ſhould remember what the Poet ſaith, Immedicabile vulnus enſe recidendum est ne pars ſincera trahatur; that is, gangreened and incurable members muſt be cut off, or elſe thoſe that are ſound will be indangered.
If any thing, but what is of abſolute neceſſity, doth hinder the ſpreading of Soul-ſaving knowledge, and its covering the Land as waters cover the Sea, I only ſay if it be ſo (for I will leave it to others to judge what is of abſolute neceſſity to preſerve the peace and ſafety of Church and State) we may be ſure that God is provoked thereby, and that the Reformation thereof is indiſpenſable. When the Jews obſtructed the Salvation of the Gentiles, they are ſaid thereby to have filled up their ſins, and that wrath came upon them to the uttermoſt, 1 Theſ. 2.16.
I am loth to proceed in rehearſing what I think were neceſſary to reform, and ſhall therefore chuſe to ſay no more but this: Let thoſe that have power in their hands, reform but all thoſe things which they think in their conſciences ought to be reformed, and that no good account can be given thereof to the great God, when they ſhall ſtand before his Tribunal; I ſay, let them reform but ſo much, (which is alſo certainly within the verge of their power, though there may be difficulty in it) and when they have ſo done, that both London, England, and all the three Kingdomes, will reap the happy fruits of it, I make no queſtion.
And now that I have beſpoken a Reformation, of what is not diſputably, but manifeſtly amiſs, that God may bleſs us in our great deſign of rebuilding London, it may be expected, I ſhould expreſs whom I would have to be the Reformers. If then the queſtion be put concerning the reforming not of a perſon, or family, but of a Nation, and of ſuch abuſes as are National: I profeſs ſincerely that I am utterly an enemy to a popular Reformation (further than of their own perſons, and families) that is, unto the people, or body of the people, or any party from amongſt them, riſing up, and ſaying, This and that is amiſs either in Church or State, and we will reform it: As our Saviour replied, Luke 12.14. Who made me a Judge, or a divider of you? So may I ſay to the people, who made them Judges? or who hath authorized them to be Reformers? If thoſe waters uſe to overflow their banks, inſtead of making the Land fruitful, (as Nilus did Egypt) they will drown and ſwallow up all: The Law ſaith, a miſchief ought to be endured, rather than an inconvenience: Now for the common people to have a power of judging and determining what is amiſs, and altering all things at their pleaſure, were an inconvenience, in the ſenſe of our Law, viz. a ſtanding evil, and principle of miſ-rule; whereas to deny them that power, is a rule that is generally good and ſafe, though it ſhould admit of ſome exception now and then, and breed what they call a miſchief.
As the Wiſdom of God hath thought fit to conſtitute Husbands to be the Head of their Wives, becauſe though here and there a woman (one of a thouſand) may have more wiſdom than her Husband, and could govern the family better than he, and to ſuch it is a miſchief; (though but what they deſerve, for chuſing Husbands that have leſs wit than themſelves) yet the generality of women being not ſo fit for government as men are, an inconvenience much worſe than that miſchief is avoided thereby, viz. by placing the headſhip of the family in the Husband. The like may be ſaid of Gods placing the ſole power of publick reformation in Magiſtrates, and men in Authority, and denying any ſuch power to the common people; becauſe though the community of the people might now and then do better things than are done by perſons in power, yet generally they would do worſe, and be the Authors not of better order, but of more confuſion: People may humbly repreſent to thoſe that are in Authority, what they take for grievances, and implore the redreſs of them, ſo far as to their wiſdom ſhall ſeem fit (beſeeching God to incline their hearts thereunto) but that is all they can do. This Paragraph I have added as a grain of ſalt wherewith to ſeaſon what I have ſaid, as touching ſome things which ſeem neceſſary to be reformed, the notice whereof taken with this grain of ſalt, can do no body any hurt: There is no hurt in ſeeking a Reformation of what is manifeſtly evil, but only in ſeeking it from the peoples hands, from whom it is not to be ſought, but only from the Magiſtrate. Could we whiſper in the ears of Magiſtrates, (which we have not opportunity to do) what we ſuppoſe doth need their reforming hand, by my conſent the people ſhould never hear of it, their Errata's ſhould be mended (if it were poſſible) before the people did ever ſo much as know of them, nor have we preſumed to acquaint them with any thing of that Nature, but what they knew too well before, and do ordinarily complain of, though not where they ſhould, viz. to them that can afford them relief, to whom this Treatiſe directeth all its complaints, (if there be any in it) as to them by whom it is moſt fit they ſhould be heard.
Reformation is needful in two caſes: Firſt, in caſe there be good Laws, but ill obſerved, notoriouſly broken and violated: There are not better Laws in the World, than many, if not moſt of ours in England, as for the curbing and reſtraining moſt kinds of vices, drunkenneſs, ſwearing, whoredom, &c. but yet alas they abound, as if the Laws were rather for, than againſt them, which ſhews one Law is too much wanting, viz. a Law to put the reſt in execution. And verily, they to whom the execution of Laws doth appertain, are the perſons upon whom it is incumbent, and whoſe proper work it is to ſee thoſe miſcarriages, which are contrary to good Laws, regulated and reformed. But ſecondly, It is poſſible that Laws themſelves (humane Laws I mean) may ſome of them not be good, or not ſo good as they ſhould be, and in that caſe a reformation of the Law it ſelf is as neceſſary, as in the former, a reformation by it. I am ſure that Decree of Darius, Dan. 6.17. That whoſoever ſhall ask a Petition of any God or Man for thirty daies, ſave of the King, ſhall be caſt into the Den of Lyons, was a ſinful Law; as was alſo that of Nebuchadnezzar, That every man ſhall fall down and worſhip the Golden Image, Dan. 3.10. Magiſtrates are not infallible, in Cathedra, or in the Seat of Judgment; (as the Pope pretends himſelf to be in St. Peters Chair) nor do Proteſtant Magiſtrates pretend, that they who ſit in Moſes his Chair, whilſt they ſit there, cannot erre; they know themſelves to be but fallible men, and the Laws of ſuch cannot be infallibly good.
I confeſs that private men ought to be very tender of ſpeaking evil of the Law, and judging the Law: To allude to James 4.11. yet Laws may have their faults as well as men, and when they have ſo, there are but two remedies I can think of; and the firſt is, that thoſe who are Legiſlators, or Law-makers, ſhould either repeal, or alter them; as Nebuchadnezzar did his Decree, Dan. 3.29. and Darius his, Dan. 6.26. though the Laws of the Medes and Perſians were ſaid to be unalterable: or if that be not done, that thoſe who have power to ſuſpend the execution of unwholeſome Laws, though not to repeal them, be pleaſed to ſuſpend their execution. I have only ſhewed how an evil, or ſinful Law, may be reformed, and by whom, but not preſumed to call any Law evil, but that of Darius and of Nebuchadnezzar, which themſelves by recalling did acknowledge as ſuch.
But for fear of tediouſneſs, I would preſs hard for that kind of Reformation for which we need not be beholden to any man but our ſelves, viz. perſonal and domeſtical Reformation; I ſay to any other man (as for the two forementioned we muſt be) for the Divine aſſiſtance muſt at no hand be excluded: We need ask no man leave to let us be juſt, and chaſt, and ſober, and heavenly-minded, and charitable, and filled with all the fruits of righteouſneſs which are by Chriſt, to the praiſe and glory of God; nor yet to ſuffer us to reſolve as Joſhua did, and to hold that reſolution, that we and our houſe will ſerve the Lord. Let us not pull down that City with our feet, (our irregular walking I mean) which we are building up with our hands. By what I have ſaid, not only the way of reforming, but the feaſibleneſs of reforming in ſuch a way, is evident enough: Some things we have ſhewed, may be reformed by thoſe to whom the making of Laws doth appertain, (and by them only,) others by them to whom it belongeth to put Laws in execution, and many others by every private perſon.
Did not ſome think it a ſhame to reform, and to recede from what they have once done: I ſhould have more hope to prevail by what I have ſaid; but ſome do ſo carry it, as if perſeverance were as neceſſary in that which is evil, as in good. I am ſure that ſame is no univerſal rule, Quod fieri non debuit factum valet, (that is) that when a thing is done, it ſhould be perſiſted in, though it were ſuch as ought not to have been done. I ſay that is no general rule: For then might Noah have perſiſted in his drunkeneſs, Lot in his inceſt, at leaſtwiſe Zacheus might have kept what he had gotten by fraud, and oppreſſion, which he did not dare to do, but offered to reſtore fourfold. Pilate did well to anſwer, what I have written I have written, John 19.22. (meaning he would not recede from it) becauſe he had written as became him, viz. Jeſus of Nazareth King of the Jews (for ſo he was) but in caſe the inſcription which they would have had him to alter, had not been true, and good, he had been much to blame for refuſing to write any otherwiſe.
Shall men not be aſhamed to ſin, and yet be aſhamed to repent? Is it beneath us to cry God mercy, when we have injur'd him? Are we better than David and Solomon, and all other great and good Kings, whoſe repentance is in the ſcripture recorded to all future ages? Is that repentance below us, which was not below them? As ſome do glory in their ſhame, ſo others ſeem to be aſhamed of their glory, I mean of that which would be ſo, viz. the manifeſtation of hearty repentance, which is the beſt thing next to innocency. Prima conditio eſt non peccaſſe, ſecunda vero penituiſſe. It is beſt not to ſin, but having ſinned, the beſt thing we can do is to repent. S. Auguſtin is ſaid to have gotten more credit by his Retractations, and confeſſions, than by any thing elſe: Men will never think faults to be no faults, becauſe they by whom they were committed, venture to perſiſt in them; nor yet conclude from thence that they who perſiſt in them, do not know them to be ſuch: for who knows not drunkenneſs, and whoredom, and deceit, and oppreſſion, to be heinous ſins, and yet how many do perſiſt therein? He that is aſhamed to recall and undo what he hath done amiſs, is aſhamed to repent: and he that is aſhamed to repent, is in effect aſhamed to be pardoned, and to be ſaved. If men will to Hell for ſhamefacedneſs who can help it?
How conducing a thorough reformation of what is manifeſtly, and confeſſedly amiſs, would be to the rebuilding of our City, were eaſy to inform our ſelves from many texts of ſcripture; of which I ſhall name ſome few, and ſo conclude this Chapter. Who contributed more (if ſo much,) to the building of Jeruſalem, and the Temple of God therein, than did Ezra & Nehemiah? and they two were great reformers, in their time, Ezra 10. Nehem. chap. 5. and chap. 13. How did Nehemiah beſtir himſelf to reform the officers of the houſe of God, and the violation of the Sabbath, and the Jews their marrying with ſtrange wives, and their wicked uſury? Neh. 5.10. I pray you (ſaid he) leave off this uſury. Never was there a more reformed, and a more reforming King than Hezekiah, After him was none like him amongſt all the Kings of Judah, neither was there any before him for he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, 2 Kings 18.6. And never did man proſper better than he, v. 7. And the Lord was with him, and he proſpered whitherſoever he went forth. See a promiſe to the caſe in hand, 2 Chron. 7.14. If my people ſhall turn from their wicked ways (and what is that but reforming?) I will forgive their ſin and will heal their land. The ſenſe and meaning of thoſe words is as much to our purpoſe as need to be, but they that deſire a promiſe in more expreſs terms (which may be as well applied to us, as the promiſe made by God to Joſhua, Joſh. 11.5. was by the Apoſtle, to all believers, (Heb. 13.5.) You may read it, Jer. 24.6. where God having ſaid of the Jews, They ſhall return to me with their whole heart, ſaith this alſo, I will build them, and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them …. v. 4.