Reformed Religion, Title page – Preface
Reformed Religion, OR, Right Chriſtianity DESCRIBED, IN Its Excellency, and Uſefulneſs IN THE Whole LIFE of MAN.
By a Proteſtant-Chriſtian.
And the Diſciples were called Chriſtians firſt in Antioch. Act. 11. 26.
…eritatem Philoſophi quaerunt, Theologi inveniunt, Religioſi poſſident. Aug.
foreign. Greg. Nyſſen.
LONDON, Printed by J. A. for John Dunton at the Black Raven in the Poultrey over againſt the Compter, 1689.
THE PREFACE.
THE preſent State and Circumſtances of our Engliſh Nation, cauſe great Thoughts of Heart, every wiſe Man conſidering, not what will beſt gratifie his own Humour, Paſſion, perſonal Intereſt, or Opinion, but what may be beſt for the peace, wealth, ſtrength, ſafety, and ſettlement of the Nation. Every Fool can make breaches and diviſions, but it requires good Wiſdom to heal them. A wiſe Mans Heart diſcerneth both Time, and Judgment, ſaith Solomon; & Tempori parendum, was the Motto of Theodoſius the ſecond: we may better ſee what we may be able to do; than what is beſt to be done in our preſent Circumſtances. We have amongſt us a company of raſh, heady, fierce, ignorant, and felf-confident People, who if wiſely managed by the prudence of Government, may be made uſeful in the Nation, to the enriching and ſtrengthning of it, who are no way fit to have the Reins in their own hand, whether they be Conformiſts or not. Was the fear of God, and the Principles of true Religion more ſet up in the Hearts of Men, it would greatly be to the advantage both of Church, and State: I have been thinking how this may be beſt done. And ſeeing though we have many ſorts of Opinions amongſt us, yet we all profeſs our ſelves Chriſtians, and unite in that Centre, I thought it might be a good work to ſhew men briefly, what Chriſtianity is, and what they are obliged to be, by being Chriſtians; and have run over as many particulars about it, as I could at preſent think of; and finding that many of our Diſorders and Miſtakes ariſe, from want of a due underſtanding of, and regular reſpect to Magiſtracy and Miniſtry, I have therefore given a brief deſcription of both, to engage Men to that reverend Honour, and Reſpect which are due to both: And that none may ſatisfie themſelves in being Proteſtants, if they are not alſo true Chriſtians. I find, 'tis not being of this, or that Party, or Opinion in Religion, which makes a right Chriſtian. We may obſerve ſome bad Men in all, and I hope there may be ſome good, I would be loth to condemn all in a Lump. If I ſee a Man's Actions bad, I will ſay he is a bad Man, let his Profeſſion be this or that; and ſo would I hope on the contrary. We have infallible Rules in the Word of God, to judge of Men by: Though for the moſt part we judge of Men by falſe Rules, ſuited to a Party, Opinion, or ſome ſecular Intereſt. But as I hate Prophaneſs and Debauchery, ſo I abhor Diſſimulation, or Hypocriſie, in all Profeſſions, ſo as to make Religion a pretence to Ambition, and Covetouſneſs; to fraud and Couſenage; to Murders, and Maſſacres, to Treaſons and Rebellions. The Form of Religion without the Power of it, the fairer it appears the fouler it is, is a good ſaying of a late Writer. Religion is moſt wounded in the Houſe of its falſe Friends. And ſome upright, and innocent Souls, may ſuffer by the miſcarriages of ſome of their own Party; whereof we have had many Inſtances of late amongſt us. I am confident all good Chriſtians agree in more things, than they differ: And there may be forbearance where there is not agreement, eſpecially when the ſafety of Religion requires it: And ſometimes the Providence of God doth that for a People, which their own endeavours could not accompliſh. Let wiſe Men obſerve its preſent Indications and act accordingly.
I find in the feavouriſh heats of Mens diſputes, the Vitals of Religion are apt to expire, and we have but too many ſad Symptoms of it in the Nation, at this day: And to recover it to its primitive vigour, and activity, in the right Sphear, is the main Deſign of theſe papers; that there may be found more true Chriſtianity, amongſt thoſe who bear the Name of Chriſtians, and the Name of Proteſtants alſo. For the Converſation of many of them is ſuch, that we have as good ground of hope, for the Salvation of Turks and Infidels as of theirs. It is not External Incorporating with any viſible Church, whether the Church of England, the Church of Rome, or any other, that puts a Man into a State of Salvation, without having a ſanctified Heart, and a Reformed Life. Many are ambitious to make Proſelytes to their Opinions, and their Church, and then call them Converts, when poſſibly thereby, they may be made ſeven times more the children of Hell than before.
I am ſure the chief End of all Religion is the Salvation of Mens Souls, and they are not likely to attain it in any Religion, if they are not ſincere in it: And ſincerity lies more in the Heart, than the Head: And therefore ſeeing mens heads, have of late been much exerciſed about Diſputes, and the Polemical parts of Religion, and vindicating the Doctrine of the Church of England againſt the Errors of the Papiſts, (and of which there hath been great uſe,) I thought it might be ſeaſonable to ſubjoyn ſomething about practical Religion, which is ſo much wanting in the Nation. Our Saviour ſtyles his Apoſtles not only the Lights of the World, but the Salt of the Earth; And ſent them forth not only to inform Mens Judgments, but to ſeaſon and ſanctifie their Hearts and Lives. The chief buſineſs of theſe Papers is to expoſe good Salt to publick Sale; and as Solomon calls upon Men to buy the Truth, and the Prophet Iſaiah, To buy wine and milk, So I hope this Salt will be bought up a pace, it being ſo neceſſary for every mans uſe. For as corruption in the Heart and Life doth oftentimes corrupt the Judgment, and makes Men receptive of any Religion, ſo Sanctity of Heart and Life may be a great means to preſerve men from Popery, and erroneous Doctrines, and eſtabliſh them in the true Religion. Therefore I hope theſe Papers will not be thought unſeaſonable. We know the Proteſtant, Reformed Religion, is the Profeſſion of theſe Nations, and therefore attempts to promote a true Reformation are ſurely ſeaſonable in ſuch a juncture, when the three Eſtates of the Land are ingaged in the eſtabliſhing of it. My deſign is to draw a ſtrait Theological Line, whereby Men may diſcern both Rectitude and Obliquity; what they are, or what they ought to be. And if any will account me a Fool for ſpeaking plainly, I am content to be ſo accounted, if I can make others wiſe.
And let me advertiſe the Reader, that he will not find any rare things in the following Diſcourſe, I mean rare in the Notion, but many things, God knows, too rare in Mens practice.
REFORMED RELIGION, OR, Right CHRISTIANITY DESCRIBED, &c.
ALL Religion in the World hath Reſpect to a Deity; and was there no God, there need to be no Religion, and they caſt off a Deity, and may be termed Atheiſts, who caſt off all Religion. But there are ſuch bright Characters of a Deity in the Works of Creation, and in every Mans Conſcience, as that there are but few who embrace not ſome Religion or other: And tho ſome Men ſeem to live as though there was no God, yet when they are in diſtreſs, or in the approaches of Death, the ſenſe of a Deity returns upon them; as motions againſt Nature will at ſome time or other recurr. And therefore ſuch as promote Impiety under pretexts of Religion, are likely to do more miſchief, and have greater ſucceſs, then thoſe who ſeek to do it by diſputing againſt a Deity. I know ſome have endeavoured to make themſelves and others Atheiſts; as Lucretius boaſts of Epicurus, that he was the firſt that ſought to deliver the World from the burthenſome Yoke of Religion: but he had not many Followers. Yet I fear the notion of a Deity may be much ſtifled in many; for when they ſee all things come to paſs by ſecond cauſes; when they▪ ſee Vice and Wickedneſs rampant in the world, and true Piety, and Virtue under Contempt; and when they obſerve ſo many Sects in the World, and differences about Religion; and how the generality of Men, though they have no fear of God, yet they fare as well as thoſe that fear him; and when they ſee the Apoſtacy and Hypocriſie of many that have made great Profeſſion, and the ſimpleneſs and weakneſs of others; they begin to think, all that is diſcourſed about a Deity, Providence, Judgment to come, Heaven and Hell, or any Religion, are but fanatick Fancies, ſuperſtitious Conceits, or politick Inventions, either of Princes to keep the People under Government, or of Prieſts to make Markets of Peoples Conſciences. But my buſineſs at preſent is not with theſe, but ſuch as own and acknowledge a Deity, profeſs Religion, yea, the beſt, and only true Religion, the Reformed Chriſtian Religion; a Religion founded firſt in Gods Eternal Councels, for the higheſt Manifeſtation of his own Glory, and formed for the good of Mankind in this World, and for conducting them to the Eternal Felicity of the World to come. And was it not defaced by the vicious practices of falſe Chriſtians, it would either convince or convert the World to it; and vindicate it ſelf from the Reproaches under which it lies with many at this day; moſt Men looking more at the Actions of Men, than the Rules of the Religion they profeſs, to judge it by; though ſome look upon it as ſome vindication of the Name of Chriſt againſt the Impoſtor Mahomet, in the great ſucceſs of the Chriſtians, ſo called, againſt the Turks; yet we may fear, that the unjuſt Practices, groſs Idolatries, inhumane Perſecutions, and ſcandalous Lives of many called Chriſtians, may keep them from embracing Chriſtianity. But becauſe my deſign is general, I ſhall not make it my buſineſs now to conſider any one Party or Denomination of Chriſtians diſtinct from another, but ſhall briefly treat of Chriſtianity it ſelf, in the Principles, Rules, Myſteries, and Deſigns of it; that all may here as in a Glaſs ſee their own face; and as moſt, I fear, may have cauſe to bluſh, ſo it may tend to reduce the Chriſtian world to a better Temper, eſpecially our own Engliſh Nation. I find all Parties ready to reflect one upon another, whereas all may be guilty: And whilſt each are contending for ſome particular Opinions and Circumſtances in Religion, they may evidently tranſgreſs the Rules of common Chriſtianity: And while ſome are called Papiſts, others Proteſtants, ſome Lutherans, ſome Calveniſts, ſome Conformiſts, others Nonconformiſts, all are apt to forget they are called Chriſtians: And while we are contending for that which is Primitive in Church order, and in the Externals of Religion, we regard not that which is primitive in the right Temperament of our Hearts and Lives, which if we could arrive at, or did ſtudiouſly endeavour, it might prevent the miſchiefs, which have befallen us, for time to come; and allay our late contentions in Religion, more than all the wrangling diſputes which have been among us; and though in doubtful things it is commendable to ſearch out Truth, and plead for it, yet not with minds poſſeſt with Paſſion, or Prejudice, which blind the Judgment, and break the bonds of Unity, Love and Peace: As the two Men mentioned by Anſelm, who diſputing and then falling to blows in the Morning, about the place where the Sun would riſe, beat out one anothers Eyes, and ſo neither of them could ſee it. It's no great advantage to a Man to be a Papiſt, Lutheran, Calviniſt, Epiſcopal, Presbyterian, &c. if he be not a right Chriſtian. Our greateſt zeal is about thoſe things for the moſt part, that are not neceſſary to Salvation; and which may leave us ſhort of Heaven: So that we may take up the complaint of the Hiſtorian, about the Diviſions of the Eaſtern, Weſtern and Lybian Churches among themſelves, Tanta confuſio Niceph. cap. 25. lib. 16.mentiumque Caligo orbem univerſum inceſſit. Opinions get into Mens luſts, and are twiſted with Intereſt, which make Men furious and violent, who are altogether Strangers to Chriſtianity in the life and power of it: And though I have not told the World my Name, either who I am, or what I am, yet I think I need not care who knows it; for I ſuppoſe no man will be angry with me for wiſhing all Men well; and as for praiſe of Men, as I deſerve none, ſo neither can I expect it from a work of this Nature: this I ſhall only ſay, I have lived now the full Age of a Man, have been an Obſerver of the Conteſts of the late Times, and have ſeen little good fruit upon the Spirits of moſt Men; many have changed their Opinions, their particular Profeſſions, and Parties, but ſtill have retained the ſame Hearts, and Religion in the Power of it hath been manifeſtly declining; either by being rarified into airy Ceremonies, or condenſed into ſtupid Formality, or refined into ſpeculative Notions, or rent aſunder by manifold Opinions, and perverſe Diſputes, or abuſed to unwarrantable Deſigns; and Men have made it their work to trample others down, and their Conqueſts have proved their Snare, and then their Ruine; wherein the ſaying of Solomon is fulfilled, There is a time when one man ruleth over another to his own hurt, Eccl. 8. v. 9. I fear moſt Men know not, or forget what it is to be a right Chriſtian: And what that worthy Name doth oblige them to; which was the Name whereby all Chriſts Diſciples were called, before all thoſe Names were known in the World, whereby ſince they have been diſtinguiſhed or reproached.
And as it was the firſt Name given on Earth, ſo it may probably continue for ever in Heaven, For of Chriſt the whole Family of Heaven and Earth is named, as t…e Apoſtle ſpeaks: I ſhall therefore endeavour to ſhew in ſeveral diſtinct Aphoriſms, what a right Chriſtian is in general, and then apply my Diſcourſe to Men in particular Capacities, and Relations: And I have not been careful to obſerve Method, which my deſign will not well admit of, but have put things down in my Paper as they came into my Thoughts, without conſulting any Author; yet they are all contained in the Scriptures, as I could eaſily ſhew, whence a Chriſtian derives the Practice and Principles of his Religion.