A Gospel Glass, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Their Vngodlineſs: their Ignorance: their Errours, etc.
HAve not many Profeſſors been ungodly men, foreign, men without worſhip? Profectors Vngodlineſs.If to deny or withhold any part of that reſpect or honour, that is due unto God, Jude 4.be ungodlineſs; how much ungodlineſs hath there been, and is there ſtill amongſt us? Which of us hath not been guilty of not giving God his right or due honour? Have not we ſuck'd in many ungodly Principles? As that it is in vain to worſhip God, there is no happineſs (comparable to what the World doth afford) in communion with God; Religion is but a notion and fancy; Policy is the only Piety; This world muſt be look'd after, whatever becomes of Conſcience, &c. Pſal. 50.21. Job 22.12, 13. Pſal. 14.1.Have not we been guilty of ungodly thoughts? have not we thought, that God is not ſo harſh, but we may take liberty in ſinning; that he taketh no notice of what we think, ſpeak and do, yea that there is no God? Have not we ſpoken ungodly words? have not we uttered thoſe very hard ſpeeches which ungodly ſinners ſpeak? Have not we ſpoken againſt Gods ſervants? yea have we been afraid to ſpeak againſt his Servant Moſes? And have not many of our deeds been ungodly, yea though we have not ungodly committed them? God hath always been ſorely provoked by ungodlineſs; The Flood ſwept away the World of the Ungodly; 2 Pet. 2.7.but yet we might have been ungodly under the Law, at a cheaper rate, than under the Goſpel; becauſe the Goſpel gives us more clear, and certain notions, of Gods excellency and glory, and lays more obligations upon us to reſpect God, and therefore is called a doctrine according to godlineſs. 1 Tim. 6.3. Pſa. 1.5. Jude 15.The ungodly ſhall not ſtand in judgement, neither in the world to come, nor in this world. The day of Judgement is appointed on purpoſe to take vengeance of ungodly perſons.
Firſt, Their Ignorance of God. 1 Cor. 15.34. John 4.22.Have not ſome Profeſſors been, and ſtill are, altogether ignorant of God? Some have not the knowledge of God, I ſpeak this (ſaith the Apoſtle) to your ſhame. May it not be ſaid to many of us, Ye worſhip ye know not what? Do not many Profeſſours worſhip God upon no other account, than the Romans did their Jupiter, or the Epheſians their Diana, viz. becauſe he is the God of the Nation wherein they were born; becauſe he was their fore-Fathers God, becauſe his worſhip is in credit, and becauſe the Magiſtrate commands that God be worſhipped? Have not we worſhipped God by Tradition, more than out of Conviction of Judgement? Hath not our worſhip been to the unknown God? Acts 17.23,God is truly, in a Scripture ſenſe, unknown to all, that do not know him experimentally and practically. Now, have we taſted and ſeen, Pſal. 34.8.that the Lord is gracious? Have not we ſaid, we knew God, and yet kept not his Commandements? He that ſaith ſo, is a Lyar, 1 Jo. 2.4, 3.and the truth is not in him: Hereby know we that we know him, if we keep his Commandements. If we do not thus know God, we are none of his Children; he hath no Child ſo little, but he knoweth his Father: Jer. 31.4.They ſhall all know me, from the leaſt to the greateſt. Our being the People of God in Profeſſion, will not ſecure us from ruine. Hoſ. 4 6 2 Theſ. 1.8.My People are deſtroyed for lack of Knowledge. The Lord Jeſus will come in flaming Fire, to render vengeance on us; for he will ſo deal with all that know not God.
Secondly, Their E…rours;How erroneous have been Profeſſours? None can be ſuch a ſtranger to our Iſrael, as to be ignorant, that a Spirit of Deluſion hath been let looſe abroad, from Dan to Beerſheba, ſo that the Pillars of Religion are ſhaken, the moſt concerning Truths queſtioned, if not exploded with ſcorn and contempt. Have not ſome made God the Author of Sin? Have not others forgot that they were Creatures; and have aſſumed the liberty, or rather higheſt impudence, to ſay, that they were Godded, and that the fulneſs of the God-head doth dwell bodily in every Saint, in the ſame meaſure as it did in Chriſt Jeſus, whilſt he dwelt upon the Earth? Nay, have not others affirmed, Jeſus Chriſt to be a Baſtard? Have not others ſaid, They were Chriſt, and would, in the pride of their hearts, have others to worſhip them? Have not ſome denied Chriſts Deity, affirming, That he was not God eſſentially, but only nominally; yea, that his pure Nature was ſtained with Sin? How many have denied the Trinity of Perſons? How many, under pretence that the Law of Works binds not, have abrogated all the Laws of Chriſt, and turned curſed Libertines? How many have, under pretence of advancing the Spirits teſtimony, maintained Sanctification to be a dirty qualification, and cryed down all marks and ſignes? How many have held, that the Doctrine of Repentance, Faſting, and Humiliation, are too Legal for the Spirit of a Chriſtian? How many have denied Chriſts ſitting in a Body at the right hand of God? How many have denied his Satisfaction and Purchaſe? Have not ſome held, that there is no Heaven, no Hell, no Reſurrection from the Dead, and that the Beaſt and Man have one common end? How many have been altogether for Inſpirations, and profeſs'd themſelves above the Sphere of all Ordinances? How many have denied Water-Baptiſm, the Supper, the Miniſtry, yea the Scriptures of God? How many have accounted it their higheſt Perfection, to ſin away all tenderneſs of Conſcience; and look'd upon themſelves the more holy, by how much Villany they could be guilty of beyond others?
How can we refrain from weeping out our eyes, how ſhould our eares tingle, Conſiderations to promote mourning for errours.to ſee and hear theſe Abominations? How hath the God of Truth been provoked by theſe curſed miſcreants? What horrible affronts have been offered to the dread Majeſty of God thereby? How many thouſand Souls have periſhed by theſe Deluſions? And what a…diſhonour hath come to the Chriſtian Religion by reaſon thereof, I cannot expreſs. Certainly (ſaith one) there is more deadly miſchief, Bp. Hall.and higher offence to God in them, than in thoſe practical evils, which honeſt hearts profeſs to abhorr: Theſe, as they are immediate fruit of our ſpiritual part, ſo they do more immediately ſtrike at the God of Spirits in his truth and holineſs: And as Religion is the higheſt Concernment of the Soul, ſo the depravation of Religion muſt needs be the moſt dangerous and damnable. When Hezekiah heard the blaſphemies of Rabſhekah, it is ſaid, He rent his clothes, and covered himſelf with ſackcloth, and went into the Houſe of the Lord, and ſaid, This is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blaſphemy. If an Aſſyrian Blaſphemer was ſo great a troubler, what troublers are Nominal Chriſtians, thus abuſing their Profeſſion, and the God they pretend to ſerve.
But alas! Profeſsors miſcarriages as to errours, Not mourning for them,How little have we been affected with the Floud caſt out of the Serpents mouth after the Woman? Though the Trumpet hath ſounded, Woe, Woe, Woe, to the Inhabitants of the Earth, becauſe of Spiritual Plagnes; We have been puffed up, and have not mourned; We have ſpoken laughingly of thoſe ſins; We have not conſidered this Judgement, as coming from the Lord, as a token of his wrath (in giving up ſo many of our Country-men to ſtrong deluſious, to believe lyes) We have ſhewed little Zeal for Gods glory, that hath been blemiſhed by theſe deteſtable things: Neither have we pittied the many that have followed theſe pernicious ways. How little have we mourned for them, though the Apoſtle ſaith, their damnation ſlumbereth not.
How few means have we uſed for their reducement? Not uſing mouns to reduce the erroneous.hardly put up a Prayer for them? not admoniſhed them, but let them alone to periſh in their deluſions? Not ſo much as requeſted an able Miniſter to have recourſe to theſe poor deluded Souls in order to the turning of them from the Idols of their own brains?
How little have we endeavoured to ſtrengthen our ſelves? Not preparing Antidotes againſt the Infection.to prepare Antidotes againſt this Infection? We have not ſtudied the Scriptures, that we might warn the unruly, and reſiſt gain-ſayers, and be eſtabliſhed in the preſent Truths; but, though we have ſeen ſo many ſhip-wrack their Faith and Conſciences, yet we have been high-minded, and have not feared.
Have we not been guilty of not expreſſing our diſlike of the wayes of Hereticks as we ſhould? Not diſliking them.We have not ſhunn'd them as we ought. To maintain a Party, to ſtrengthen a Faction, how have we too much countenanced them? their fellowſhip hath not been enough avoided. How little have we regarded thoſe Apoſtolical injunctions? Now I beſiech you, Brethren, mark them, Rom. 16.17, 18.which cauſe diviſions and offences, contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them; for they that are ſuch, ſerve not our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, but their own bellies; and by good words, and fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the ſimple. 2 Theſ. 3.14.And if any man obey not our word, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be aſhamed. We have ſhunn'd the houſe where one with the Plaguefore dwells, Prov. 19.27.but we have not with-drawn from them that cauſe to erre from the words of Knowledge.
What ſhall I ſay? Nor contending for the Faith.We have not ſo heartily and vigorouſly contended for the Faith, which was once, and but once, delivered to the Saints, as we ought. The Lord humble us for our luke-warmneſs. We have cryed up Moderation, and counted him an Hagio maſtix, that hath appeared againſt the abominations of the Head. Sure we have not been valiant for the Truth upon the Earth. Jer. 9.3.We have not ſparkled ſo much the more in an holy Zeal, becauſe others have perverted the right wayes of the Lord. Becauſe Fools have not been anſwered, Prov. 26.4, 5.they have grown Wiſe in their own conceit. We have been afraid to meddle with ſome, becauſe they have (unreaſonably) ſhrowded themſelves under the name of Saints; Gal. 2.11.but Paul with-ſtood Peter to the face, when Truth was like to ſuffer. I do not in all this go about to juſtifie undue rigours. God knows how for baſe reſpects, intereſts, names of our own, we have been too ſevere againſt ſome things of leſs moment, ſome circumſtances of Church Government, &c. too much zeal about mint and anice: we have been too impoſing of what lies dark and obſcure in the book of God: and this while the Enemies tares have been ſuffered to grow, and the Fundamentals of our Religion have been (at leaſt) endangered. But that which hath been Englands Sin is too much permitting and countenancing of damnable Doctrines. What ſhall I ſay? When God hath ſaid, Who is on my ſide? who! We have hardly anſwered for our ſelves. We have been doubtfull in the Faith, wavering and reeling, not quite on, nor quite off, but ſtaggering and tottering: Our Religion hath been rather Opinion, than Faith, ſo that we have ſtood looking on as Neuters, whilſt Hereticks have made Merchandiſe of Souls with fained words. 2 Pet. 2.3.The great Truths of God have lyen looſe upon our hearts, they have not been faſtned by the Maſter of the Aſſemblies, as nails in a ſure place: and having little experience of what we profeſs to know, hence luke warmneſs followeth on courſe, or blind zeal for our Anceſtours Religion.
O how by reaſon of the great defection amongſt us hath the way of Truth been evil ſpoken of? 2 Pet. 2.2.The common Enemy faſtneth all upon Religion. They will not diſtinguiſh between Truth and Errour, yea between Truth and Hereſie, and never would put a difference between the Orthodox and the Heterodox; but if any one that had been called a Chriſtian fell into any damnable Errours or Practiſes, all Chriſtians ſuffered thereby; which forced the Primitive Fathers to Penne Remonſtrances, Confeſsions of Faith, and Apologies, that they might clear Chriſt and his Church from being Mother or Nurſe to ſuch a curſed Progency. And though ſome amongſt us have by Confeſſions of Faith, and otherwiſe, born witneſs againſt Errours, yet doubtleſs our Conſciences will tell us, that we have not by Faſtings, Prayers, Studies, and all Endeavours improved all our time and Spirits for the ſuppreſssing and drying up the floud of the Serpent, the Soul-deſtroying floud, as we ſhould; but if we have had any Acrimony of Spirit, we have let it forth upon them, that have croſt us about Modes of Government; rather than againſt them, who have ſhaken the Foundations of our Religion. When I conſider the multitudes of Sects that have been, and are ſtill amongſt us, I wonder not that the Goſpel hath had a miſcarrying Womb and dry Breasts. In all times Chriſtianity hath ſuffered hereby. Zozomen ſaith, that many would have followed Chriſt, Noſcio quod dogma eligam, quod praeferam.but they were diſcouraged by the divers Doctrines amongſt his followers. Chryſoſteme profeſſeth that an Heathen told him, He would become a Chriſtian, but he knew not to what party of them to joyn, there are ſo many opinions and contentions among Chriſtians. When the multitude of Chriſtians were one-ſoul'd, Act. 2.32, 33.then Fear, and Aw, and Reverence upon all the people; But now that one ſaith I am of Paul, &c. Now Religion is had in deriſion, and Atheiſme grows exceedingly. O that mine head were as waters, &c.