The True Christians T est, Part 2 · Meditation 7
MEDITAT. VII. The Quakers Arguments anſwered.
BUT ſtill it remains that I do invalidate or moderate the Arguments taken from Scripture Examples and Doctrine, againſt giving and receiving Honour.
Moſes, indeed, was a perſon of admirable Humiity, Fortitude, Patience, Meekneſs, and Contempt of the World, but far from our modern Quakers: For however he refus'd a cer…ain kind of Honour that was offered him at one time, as being upon the matter inconſiſtent with the Religious courſe he had entred …, yet at other times we read that he was very much honour'd by the People, and it was the pleaſure of God that he ſhould be honour'd by them. God himſelf did magnifie him in the ſight of all Iſrael. I believe he eſteem'd it as great an Honour to be accounted the Son of Abraham, as the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter; and to lead and feed ſo great a People ſo miraculouſly in the Wilderneſs, as to live in the Pomp and Eaſe of the Egyptian Court. As for the Inſtances that are brought out of the Behaviour of Mordecai, who would not vouchſafe his Cap and Knee to the proud Agagite; of Eliſhah, who would not vouchſafe a Look to the wicked King of Iſrael. By that time ſomething be allow'd to the Conſtitution of theſe men, ſomething to their extraordinary Spirit, and ſomething to the extraordinarineſs of their Circumſtances, eſpecially the former, the Argument from hence will be very much moderated: And when it ſhall be obſerv'd, that theſe very men at other times both gave Honour to men, and themſelves receiv'd great Honour from men, as is very evident in their ſtory, it will appear that they were no Quakers in this point. In the mean time I confeſs I could heartily wiſh that this civil reſpect might not be ſo indifferently beſtow'd, and proſtituted, by being made common to all men alike both good and bad. For if all men profeſſing the Goſpel, were of that purity and fortitude as becomes them, and ſo free from folly and flattery, ſlaviſhneſs and partiality, as the true Spirit of the Goſpel requires, there would be a great diſtinction between the precious and the vile, in honour, and all expreſſions of it; although there would be a juſt reſpect kept up to all men with relation had to their authority; which is ſomething divine. For honour ought to be agreeable to the worth, and it's reaſonable to think, that the outward Expreſſions of Honour which we ſhew, ought to be proportionable to the Honour we bear: otherwiſe we ſhall be chargeable with ſomething of Hypocriſie, Flattery, or Partiality, which the Simplicity of the Goſpel knows not.
The Baptist indeed was an auſtere man (a Nazarite) but his particular Faſhion of Apparel, and his way of Diet, and Converſe, were not intended to be an Example to the reſt of the World; for neither did his Lord and Maſter conform to his Guiſe, (John came neither eating nor drinking) nor yet do the Quakers themſelves, take themſelves bound to gird themſelves as he did, nor with him, to feed upon Locuſts and wild Honey.
If they imitate him in the Doctrine of Repentance, it's no other than what every Evangelical Miniſter will conſent to be a Quaker in as well as they only perhaps he will not be content to preach it ſo Nakedly, as they do ſometimes, and as I my ſelf have ſeen them.
As for that familiar Phraſe and plain Reprehenſions which both the Baptist and Christ Jeſus uſed toward Herod and the Phariſees, let all Divines that have the ſame underſtanding in Points of Divinity, and the ſame Spirit of diſcerning Hearts, be as plain and as poſitive as they. And oh that the ſmooth Flatteries, and colloguing Addreſſes of many Miniſters, did not ſo much tempt the Quakers to a contrary Extreme, of handling men Rudely, and without any Reſpect to their Civil Quality, as they do at this day!
As for the familiar Converſe that Chriſt held with the worſt ſort of men for their Edification, his loving and undiſdainful Behaviour to the Poor, his valuing of all Perſons according to their real Worth, and preferring the ſpiritual Cognation before the Carnal, I would to God we were all thus far Quakers, I mean, faithful Followers of his Humility, Patience, Zeal, Charity, and Compaſſion! which I doubt not but many men are as much, or more, than theſe that call themſelves Quakers.
But what ſhall I ſay to the plain Commands of not being call'd Rabbi, of not calling any man Father or Maſter upon Earth, of ſitting down in the lowest places at Feaſts, and the like. Why, I have this to ſay, That they are not plain Commands, nor muſt they be underſtood in the plaineſt and moſt literal ſenſe: It is not fair for the Quakers to make Chriſt ſpeak for them, ſo as to make him ſpeak againſt himſelf.
Theſe Paſſages can no way be underſtood to eſtabliſh the Doctrine of not giving and receiving Honour; for we know Chriſt himſelf was called Rabbi, and commends, elſewhere, the good Manners of his Diſciples, in calling him Maſter: And when he himſelf ſpeaks of mens Natural Parents, he calls them their. Father and their Mother, [Suffer him not to do ought f…r his Father or Mother.] And Paul owns himſelf the C…rinthians Father. But they do teach the Doctrine of Humility in general, and not to depend upon the Authority of any men as Abſolute and Supr…me.
As for our Saviour's Doctrine, John 5. 44. That … cannot believe, who receive Honour one from …: It cannot be underſtood in the Quakers ſenſe, … we are ſo expreſly required to honour one … which would be utterly in vain, if none were … to receive the Honour that is given them.
Some therefore interpret it by way of Compariſon, … that is given of God, and make it the ſame in … with John 12. 43. They loved the praiſe of men, m…re than the praiſe of God. I confeſs, for my part, I cannot embrace this Interpretation as genuine; for I do not ſee any Compariſon in the Text, nor diſcern that they lov'd the praiſe of God at all. Neither will the word foreign infer it; for the word is often uſed by way of Correction or Oppoſition, where there is no Compariſon at all; as in John 3. 19. Now men love darkneſs more than light, becauſe their deeds are evil. Where the meaning is, that men lov'd Darkneſs, and not Light: For ſo it follows in ver. 20. Every one that does evil, hates the light. And ſo divers other places: But it is plainly to be underſtood of being carried with the affectation of Vain-glory; Ye cannot believe, that receive Honour one from another: i. e. that ſeek and ſtrive, and covet to receive. For in Scripture that is ſaid to be done, which is only endeavoured or ſought to be done. Thus, Ezek. 24. 13. I have purged thee, and thou waſt not purged. Amos 9. 3. Though they be hid from my ſight in the bottom of the Sea. Rom. 2. 4. The goodneſs of God leadeth; that is, ſeeketh to lead thee to Repentance. In this very Chapter, ver. 34. and 41. Chriſt ſayi, He received not Honour from men: And again, I receive not Teſtimony from men. Though we know well enough he received the Teſtimony of John. The meaning is therefore, That he ſought not, ſtrove not, coveted not to receive the Honour and Teſtimony of man. So here, Ye cannot believe, that receive Honour one from another; that is, that are carried away with popular Applauſe; that ſeek and ſtudy the Honour that is from men, as appears by the oppoſition in the latter Clauſe of the Verſe, Ye ſeek not the Honour that is from God onelyonly.