The Cure of Misprision, Section 4 – Section 6
Sect. 4.
Queſt. But many grievous things are laid to the charge of all Profeſſors of Religion: which makes me I know not what to think of them.
Anſw. Doe you know any evill by them, if ſo, ſuſpect ſuch: but otherwiſe go not by report, and that from the devils ſervants, for then you will think meanly of all the Prophets, Apoſtles, and our Saviour Chriſt himſelf, for they were ſlandered as much as any, as the whole current of Scripture ſhewes.
Queſt. I can ſpeak little of knowledge, but they are accuſed of many things: as firſt, that they juſtifie themſelves, and are pure in their own eyes.
Anſw. I know this is laid to their charge, but the truth is▪ not they▪ but their accuſers (viz▪ Papiſts, prophane, ignorant, and meer civill men▪ Prelaticall, Arminian, ſcandalous and malignant miniſters: who are pleaſed either out of ignorance or mallice to call them puritans) are gu…ty thereof, as I ſhall ſufficiently prove, if God permit.
Firſt▪ It is manifeſt▪ that the accuſed are ſo farre from juſtifying themſelves, or being pure in their owne eyes: that their thoughts are chiefly tak…n up with their manifold faylings, and infirmities, and with a continuall bewayling of the corruption of their nature, …he wickedneſſe and hardneſſe of their hearts, their offending God, want of faith, and other graces, Job 40 4. and 42. 6. Pſal. 22. 6. Iſa. 6. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 15, Rom. 7▪ 14 to 25.
For touching a privative holines, they will all acknowledge, that there is nor one of thoſe righteous precepts, ſet down Exodus 20. which they have not broken ten thouſand times, and ten thouſand waies: ye…. O God (will the beſt of them ſay) there is no veyn in me, that is not full of the blood of thy Son: whom I have crucified, and crucified agein, by multiplying many, and often repeating the ſame ſins: there is no artery in me that hath not the ſpirit of error, the ſpirit of pride, of paſſion, of luſt, the ſpirit of g…ldines in it, no bone in me that is not hardened with the cuſtome of ſin, nouriſhed and ſuppled with the marrow of ſin, no ſinewes, no ligaments, which do not …ye and chain ſin and ſin together.
And as touching a poſitive holines they well find, and will freely conleſſe; that they are not ſufficient of themſelves to think, much leſſe to ſpeak, leaſt of all to doe ought that is good, 2 Cor. 3 5. Iohn 15. 4. 5. and that there is ſo much weariſomnes, pride, pa… ſion, luſt, envie, ignorance, auke…d…eſſe, hypocriſie, infidelity, vaine thoughts, unprofitablenes, and the like, cleaving to their very beſt actions, to defile them; that their very praying and fiſting, and repenting, their hearing, beleeving, and giving, their holieſt communication their moſt brotherly admonition, &c. are in themſelves as filthy raggs, Iſa. 64. 6. were they not accepted in Chriſt, covered wi…h his rig…eouſ…es, and waſhed white in his moſt precious blood.
True, in Scripture phraſe, and in Gods account they are pure, and holy, and juſt, either becauſe they are ſincere, that is, holy in their purpoſes and indeavours, and aſpiring after perfection of holineſſe, or in regard that Chriſts holineſſe is made theirs, or holy in compariſon of the wicked, or in regard of the worlds unjuſt cenſures. But otherwiſe the more holy a child of God is▪ the more ſenſible he is of his owne unholineſſe: thinking none ſo vile as himſelfe (though few enemies to holineſſe will beleeve it) as it fared with holy Job, Job 40. 4. and 42. 6. and with Iſaiah, chap. 6. 5. and 64. 6▪ and with St. Paul, 1 Tim. 1, 15▪ Rom. 7. 14, to 25. and with holy David, who (almoſt in every Pſalme) ſo much bewailes his ſins, originall and actuall, of omiſſion and commiſſion,
Well may a blind ſenſualiſt (that thinks the commandement is not broken if the outward groſſe ſin be forborne) brag of a good heart and meaning, of the ſtrength of his faith and hope, of his juſt and upright dealing, &c. yea in caſe ſuch abſtain from notorious ſins, what ſhould hinder but they are excellent Chriſtians? If God be not beholding to them for not wounding his Name with oathes, for not drinking, and playing out his Sabbaths: for not rayling on his Miniſters, for not oppreſſing and perſecuting of his poor members
Or ſecondly, Well may a Papiſt (that by maintaining mens works, works out his own maintenance) think he can fulfill the law with eaſe, and by workes of ſupererrogation, merit of God for others. That he may deſerve heaven by his good works, or at leaſt bear half the charges of his own ſalvation.
But thoſe that are of Chriſts teaching, know both from the word, and by experience: that of themſelvs they are not only weak, but even dead to what is good: moving no more then they are moved: that their beſt works are faulty, all their fi…s deadly, all their natures corrupted originally. And that they deſerved to die, ſo ſoon as they began to live. That their underſtandings are darkned and dulled, their judgements blinded their wills perverted, their memories diſordered, their affections corrupted, their reaſon exiled, their thoughts ſurpriſed, their deſires intrapped and all the faculties and functions of their ſoules no better then poyſoned. Or as one expreſſeth it.
My powers are all corrupt, corrupt my will,
Marble to good, but wax to what is ill.
True we have ability, we have will enough to undo… our ſelves, ſcope enough to hell-ward: but neither motion, nor will to doe good: that muſt be put into us by him that gives both power and will, and power to will.
Finally each ſanctified heart fe…les this, but no words are able ſufficiently to expreſſe, what impotent wretches we are, when we are not ſuſtained: For as a child may aſſoon create it ſelfe, as a man in the ſtate of Nature regenerate himſelf: So in the ſtate of Regeneraſy, there is the like impoſſibility to act: except God beſtow upon us, dayly Privative grace, to defend us from evill: and dayly Poſſitive grace, enabling us to doe good. So that we have no merit, but the mercy of God to ſave us: nothing but the blood of Chriſt, and his mediation, to cleanſe and redeeme us: nothing but his obedience to inrich us. As for our good workes, wee are beholding to God for them, not God to us, nor wee to our ſelves: becauſe they are onelyonly his workes in us.
Thirdly, They are ſo far from juſtifying what they do, that they are humbled for thoſe very ſins from which they are in a manner exempt: knowing that they are beholding to God, and not to themſelves, that Cains envie, Iſhmaols ſcoffing, Rabſhekeyes rayling, Shemies curſing, S…nacheribs blaſphemy, Doegs murther, Phar…ahs cruelty, Sodoms luſt, Judas his treaſon, Julians apoſtacy, &c. are not all their ſins; and as much predominant in them, as they were in each of theſe, for all of them ſhould have beene thy ſins, and mine: if God had left us to our ſelves▪ for out of the heart (naturally) proceeds nothing but evil thoughts, murthers, adulteries, fornications, thefts, falſe witneſſe, blaſphemies, and the like. Matth. 15. 19. And wee are all cut out of the ſame cloth. Lord ſaith St. Auſten, thou haſt forgiven me thoſe ſins which I have done, and thoſe ſins which onelyonly by thy grace I have not done. They were done in our inclination to them, and even that inclination needs Gods mercy: and that mercy he cals pardon. If we eſcape temptation, it is his mercy: if we ſtand in temptation, it is his mercy: if our wils conſent not, it is his mercy: if we conſent, and the act be hindered, it is his mercy: if we fall, and riſe againe by repentance, all is his mercy. And this likewiſe proves that they are no Puritanes.
Briefly, to ſum up all; there is not a beleever, that is any whit acquainted with the Scriptures, but when he hath done any thing amiſſe: he accuſeth himſelf, if any thing well, he giveth all the praiſe to God. And indeed, this is the teſt of a true or falſe Religion, and may be applyed to each particular Chriſtian: that which teacheth us to exalt God moſt, and moſt to depreſſe our ſelves, is the true▪ that which doth moſt prank up our ſelves, and detract from God is the falſe.
Nor would their ſcoffing adverſaries, accuſe the religious of this crime, were they not ſtupidly blind, or diveliſhly malicous; for how can it be thought that they are pure in their own eyes, when miniſters or other faithfull Chriſtians can hardly comfort them, or perſwade them of Gods favour, whereas their prophane accuſers, ſnatch the comfort of every promiſe they heare, as belonging to them, and find nothing amiſſe in themſelves (as commonly they think beſt of themſelves that have leaſt cauſe) yea, how afraid are the one to approach unto the Lords Table▪ by reaſon of their unworthines, whereas the other cannot be kept from it: though they are told from the word, that they eate and drinke damnation to themſelves, as not d…cerning the Lords body, nor once examining their owne hearts, 1 Cor. 11. 27. 28. 29 30.
Sect. 5.
I confeſſe there are a generation (whom the blind world ſuſpects for religious) that think too well of themſelves, whom the holy Ghoſt hath well painted out, Pro. 30. 12. Iſa 65. 5. Luke 18▪ 9. they are as righteous as Chriſt himſelf, they cannot ſinne, or be n Chriſt, and then ſin if you can; they neede not …ray, nor repent, God can ſee no ſin in them, nor be …ngry with them, &c. namely, your Antinomians, …ut farre be it from me to acknowledge them religious; a people who will not allow the Law, either to …e a ſchoole-maſter unto Chriſt, or for a rule …o walk by; yea if I ſpeak for, or ſpare to ſpeak againſt theſe white devils, let my words be underva▪ued, and my errors aggravated, for ſuch take the …eady way to plucke up all piety, and the power of Religion by the rootes, yea, they ſhame Religion by profeſſing it, and make Gods truth ſuſpected; …hough i… men were wiſe, they would not accuſe the ſober, for what drunken men do, nor the wiſe, for what fools do.
True, they have a forme of Religion, and a fe…oriſh kind of zeal, but hear them diſcourſe, and you ſhall ſoon ſee, that an ignorant pride hath frighted them out of their wits; and that they are a people whom Satan hath reſerved for there laſt times, and violently ſtirred up to diſturbe the peace of our Church, and to hinder that bleſſed reformation (ſo much fought after, and hoped for) which nothing could hinder ſo much as errors on the right hand, and Satans tranſforming himſelf into an Angel of light. … Cor. 11. 14. And ſo much to prove that the accuſed doe not in the leaſt juſtifie themſelves.
Now bring we their accuſers to the tryall, and you ſhall ſee it is far otherwiſe with them. As,
Sect. 6.
Firſt, How common is it with all that are in their natura…l condition, that are ſcoffers at Religion, or that at any time uſe the name Puritan in …riſi…n; to have all their thoughts, yea and their words too, taken up with other mens faults, and their owne perfections, Luk 18. 11. &c. yea whatſoever their words and actions be, they thanke God they have good hearts, and mean aſwell as the beſt, and they have ſo ſtrong a faith, that they never doubted in all their lives; yea it were pitty they ſhould live, if they did not beleeve in Chriſt, and hope to be ſaved by him: never conſidering how that perſwaſion only which followes ſound humiliation, is faith: that which goes before it, preſumption: for as Saint Ambroſe ſpeaks, none can repent of ſin, but he that, beleeves the pardon of ſin, nor none can beleeve his ſins are pardoned, except he hath repented.
No they have not the wit to know that as faith is▪ wrought by Gods ſpirit, ſo where it is wrought it brings forth the fruits of the Spirit, mentioned Gal. 5. 22. whereas preſumption, as it is of the fleſh, ſo it brings forth the fruits of the fleſh, verſ. 19.
But the better to know the purity of their hearts, Aske them, are you proud, (a good queſtion to try whether a man be ſpi…tuall, and his knowledge experimentall: whether he be acquainted with his own heart &c.) they will anſwer proud, no not they, none are proud but fooles; and they hate a proud man &c. And yet it is pride only, mixt with ignorance, that makes the anſwer, they condemn pride, but it is with a greater pride.
Men that care only to ſeem Chriſtians, if they can get Gods livery on their backs, and his name in thei… mouthes, if they can keep their Church, give an Almes, bow their knee, ſay their prayers, pay their tithes, and once a year receive the Sacrament (not caring how corrupt hearts, how filthy tongues, how falſe hands they have; they thinke themſelves as compleat Chriſtians as live: and that they may outface all reproofes when the truth is, they are ſo far from being Chriſtians; that they have not made one ſtep towards Chriſtianity: for the firſt ſtep to Religion is to love Religion in another, whereas theſe men generally hate ſcoff at and perſecute the power of Religion, wherever they perceive it: And doth not God hate them ſo much more then pagans, by how much they being pagans pretend themſelves, and might be excellent Chriſtians. But