Orthodoxy and Charity United, Essay 9
ESSAY IX. An Apology for the different Judgments and Practiſes of ſincere Chriſtians that are weak in Knowledge.
In a Letter to a Friend.
GIVE me Leave, my dear Friend, to make a charitable Apology for honeſt and upright Souls, who maintain a ſtrict Courſe of Piety and Virtue, and yet appear to be unalterably determined for or againſt the Communion of the Church of England, upon very ſlight and feeble Grounds: Perhaps we ſhall learn Compaſſion to the Weakneſſes of our fellow Chriſtians, if you and I together meditate on theſe following Conſiderations.
Let us take a Survey how many are the Circumſtances and various Occurrences of human Life, which do ſometimes powerfully determine the Opinions even of good and ſober Men, to one or the other ſide of this Controverſy, whether they ſhall fix their Communion in the Church of England, or amongſt thoſe who ſeparate from it.
Here the firſt thing that naturally occurs, is the Education of different Perſons, which has a mighty Influence to form their Opinions, and to fix their Practice; and this, it muſt be confeſs'd, is not in a Man's own Choice: the Providence of the great and bleſſed God, the Over-ruler of all things, determines this Affair in a wiſe and holy manner, whatever the final Event may be.
Jonathan goes to worſhip every Lord's Day where his Father goes, and as the Child was never led to hear a Sermon at a publick Church, ſo the Youth grows up in a groundleſs Averſion to it, and the Man ſtands at a wider Diſtance, and can hardly be perſwaded to venture in.
By Uſe and Cuſtom from his very Childhood, he underſtands the Methods of the Diſſenters Worſhip, and the Terms that are uſed in their Sermons; and if by any ſtrange Occaſion he is led to the Church of England, he finds no Profit by hearing a Clergyman preach, for he does not clearly take in the Expreſſions and the Meaning; and it muſt be acknowledged, many of them have a different way of managing the Word of God in their Explications of it, different Phraſes and Modes of Expreſſion, and too many of them preach Doctrines different from their own Articles and our common Faith; theſe things are ſhocking and offenſive to the Ear, rather than inſtructive or edifying to a new Hearer.
Beſides, Jonathan has imbibed long Prejudices againſt the Modes of Worſhip and Ceremonies of the Church, the Forms, the Geſtures, the Veſtments, the Reſponſes, &c. and his Soul is thereby mightily unfitted for Edification by the Prayers of the Church of England, that are mingled and interwoven with them; his Palate is ſo much diſguſted with this ſort of Entertainment before hand, that he either diſreliſhes or neglects whatever ſolid and wholeſome Food is ſet before him in the Sermon that follows: I will not ſay, there is nothing of this Folly owing to the Influences of his Education; but it is hard, if not impoſſible, to amend or prevent all the Faults of this kind in the Education of Children, by the beſt and wiſeſt of Parents.*Since I have Occaſion, in this Place, to mention the Education of Children, amongſt Perſons of the Eſtabliſh'd Church, and thoſe that have ſeparated from it, I could ſcarce excuſe it to my own Conſcience, if I ſhould neglect to make this ſolemn Remark on both (viz.) that there is ſomething very dangerous that is early impreſſed on the Minds of Children of the one Party and the other, and they unhappily learn it from the different reſpective Catechiſms in which they are inſtructed. The Children who are educated in the Church of England, as ſoon as they have learnt to anſwer what is their Name? they are immediately told in the next Anſwer, that in their Baptiſm, They are made the Members of Chriſt, the Children of God, and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven. This ariſes from the Doctrine they are generally taught, that Baptiſm and Regeneration are much the ſame thing, or that all Men are regenerated by being baptiſed; whereas in Scripture, Baptiſm is but an Emblem and Repreſentation of ſuch a Change of the Heart, as Regeneration requires and implies; and for want of this Diſtinction, the Children uſually grow up through all their Stations in Life, without enquiring whether they have had any ſuch real Change in their Souls, as includes in it Repentance for Sin, and a turn of Soul towards God and Godlineſs, whereby a Man is born again and becomes a new Creature. And this neceſſary Change, upon which the Favour of God, and an Intereſt in the Salvation of Chriſt, and the Kingdom of Heaven depend, is very groſly and ſhamefully neglected by them through their whole Lives, they always ſuppoſing, as they have been taught, that all this Work is done in Baptiſm. And for this Reaſon many Divines of the Church of England have heartily wiſhed that either theſe Words in the Catechiſm were a little altered, or that this Anſwer ſhould never be taught to Children without explaining the Meaning of it. Among the Diſſenters, one Part of the Education is uſually learning the Catechiſm written by the Aſſembly of Divines at Weſtminſter. Now in the 19th Anſwer it is ſaid, That all Mankind by their Fall, are under the Wrath and Curſe of God, and ſo made liable to all the Miſeries in this Life, to Death itſelf, and to the Pains of Hell for ever: And ſome Perſons have been ſo groſly unwiſe, as to aſſert under this Influence, that there are Children of a Span long ſuffering the Vengeance of God in Hell, for their Intereſt in the Sin of Adam. Now the very Hint of ſuch a Notion frights Children terribly, and while they are required to love God with all their Hearts, it gives them a very terrible and cruel Notion of the great and bleſſed God, who has ordain'd young Children to theſe everlaſting Torments for the Sin of Adam. There are ſome that deny this Anſwer, and renounce this Doctrine roundly. Indeed there is one Author that has endeavoured to explain it in a moderate way, and to make a juſt Diſtinction upon this Subject, and that is in the laſt Queſtion of a Book called the Ruin and Recovery of Mankind. There it is ſhewn that all good Chriſtians by their Faith in Chriſt, are become the Children of Abraham, and that they and their infant Children have an Intereſt in the Promiſe made to Abraham, Gal. iii. 26.29. (viz.) that God would be their God, and the God of their Seed, which gives abundant Hope for the Children of good Parents dying in Infancy, that they are tranſlated to the Bleſſedneſs of Heaven, and the Hope of a joyful Reſurrection by the Covenant of Abraham. And it is the Children of the Wicked, who have never accepted of the Covenant of Grace, are left under the Curſe, i. e. of temporal Death, which Adam had incurred for himſelf and his Poſterity, and that without any Prediction or Promiſe of any Reſurrection at all. Now I ſpeak of thoſe who never ſinned actually, nor enjoyed a State of perſonal Trial for themſelves in this World. See the original Writer. When theſe things will be corrected in the Education of Children, of the one Side or the other, it is only the Providence of God can determine.
Theſe Things joined together, put a ſtrong Biaſs upon the Judgment of the Man, and it is exceeding difficult to be removed; and 'tis evident that his Prayers, his Practice in Religion, his ſecret Acts of Devotion, are all regulated by the Inſtructions he has received from his Parents or ſome of his Teachers: This makes his Spirit grow uneaſy under ceremonious Forms, and he is quite untun'd for Devotion by the very Sound of the Organ. Theſe Things muſt needs have a mighty Force on the Minds of young ſincere Creatures beginning their Courſe of Religion and Chriſtianity, to eſtabliſh them in the Nonconformiſt Way.
And I might alſo add, how rude and indecent a Thing the plain and natural Worſhip of the Diſſenters appears to one, that has been bred up to Ornament and Ceremony in the ſeveral Parts of Worſhip in the eſtabliſh'd Church.
By Education and Cuſtom, a particular Form of Religion is ſo mingled with their Nature, and wrought into their Conſtitution, that you might as ſoon alter their Palate, and change their Taſte of Meats, as you can perſwade their Souls to diſlike the Miniſtry under which they have been brought up, and to forſake the Mode of Worſhip to which they have been trained. They are ſo poſitive they are in the right, that they never had any Thought of calling theſe Things to a new Examination.
Secondly, The Prejudice of the Mind in favour of the Diſſenters grows yet ſtronger, if Jonathan has found his Soul awakened to a Fear of Hell, and been effectually convinced of Sin by the Terrors of the Law under the Preaching of ſome Boanerges, ſome Son of Thunder in a Meeting-houſe; and has been afterwards led gently into the Knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt the Saviour, and has been taught to apply himſelf unto him for Salvation by humble Faith.
If the Spirit of God has made the Preaching of Pardon and Grace, by a Diſſenting Miniſter, effectual to claim the Surges of his troubled Conſcience, and to lead him the Way of Peace and Holineſs towards Heaven, perhaps he feels his Paſſions refined, his ſinful Appetites mortified, his Temper changed from earthly and carnal, to ſpiritual and heavenly, how naturally will his whole Soul be carried out to love this Miniſtry? and he would not willingly abſent himſelf one Day from the Teachings of this Barnabas, this Son of Conſolation; he deſpiſes all the finer Flouriſhes of Eloquence, he can take no Pleaſure in the more polite, and perhaps more argumentative Diſcourſe of a Doctor or a Biſhop in the Church of England; but where he has found Light and Food, and Reſt for his dark and diſtreſſed and hungry Soul, thither he will go conſtantly to Worſhip, and he calls that the Sanctuary of the Lord, without once enquiring whether a Pariſh Church may not be the Sanctuary of the Lord too; nay perhaps his Paſſion for the Diſſenters may riſe ſo high as to deny the Preſence of God in the Aſſemblies of the eſtabliſh'd Church, or to allow very little of it there.
And by the ſame falſe Method of Reaſoning may a Churchman, whoſe Soul has been brought to Repentance and Holineſs by the Miniſtry of the public Church, on which he has attended, almoſt hate the Name of a Nonconformiſt, and ſeverely inveigh againſt them all as Sciſmatics and fooliſh Teachers, when perhaps he never ventur'd into a Meeting-houſe, nor heard one Sermon in any of their Aſſemblies.
So far is it poſſible for Piety, Ignorance and Prejudice to meet in the ſame Mind: But our God, who knows the Frame of human Nature, looks down and pities and forgives. A hearty Tendency towards God, and a Purſuit of Heaven is well-pleaſing in his Sight; though perhaps the Traveller, through Ignorance, takes many a wrong Step, and performs many a Duty not exactly conformable to the Directions of the Word.
Now, though this Argument be ſufficient to determine him to be a Chriſtian, in Oppoſition to other Religions, becauſe other Religions have not this Power to ſanctify him, yet it ought not to be ſufficient for ever to determine him to a particular Party of Chriſtians, becauſe it was not the particular Opinions of that Party, but the ſubſtantial and great Doctrines of Chriſtianity or the Goſpel, which are profeſſed and pretended to by both Parties, that were ſo powerful to the turning of his Heart towards God.
After all this Diſcourſe, I would not be underſtood as though I encouraged this Lazineſs of Men, and Neglect of due and juſt Reaſoning; no, for Reaſon is the Talent that God hath given to be uſed in the Affairs of Religion, and he hath given us the Rule of his own Word for our Determination, by which all our Worſhip ought to be regulated, and not by human Inventions; and Men are highly guilty in their Neglect hereof: But a gracious God will forgive, for he knows our Frame and our Frailty.
I believe God doth accept of ſuch inward, ſincere and experimental Arguments as vulgar Chriſtians uſe to make or keep themſelves Churchmen or Diſſenters, Calviniſts or Arminians. If they feel their Souls raiſed to a more heavenly Frame, and effectually engaged to the Love of God, Religion and Juſtice, by attending occaſionally on a Miniſtry different from their Education, ſometimes they will be ready to ſeparate even from a true Church to which they belonged, for want of knowing the Guilt and Terrors and Damnation that ſome Men include in that hard Word, Schiſm; and I perſwade myſelf that a gracious God will accept of their upright Deſigns and their honeſt Motives, will pardon their Separation, though it ſhould prove unwarrantable, and bleſs their new Communion to the Advantage of their Souls.
Thirdly. But ſuppoſe a Man ſhould forcibly diveſt himſelf of all former Averſions and Inclinations to the ſeparate or the eſtabliſh'd Churches, and enter into a ſober Search, and ſolemn Debate with himſelf about the Merits of the Cauſe; how few are there, whoſe neceſſary Affairs of Life a low them Time enough to go through the Study of theſe laborious and intangled Controverſies? How ſmall a Part of Mankind that are born to ſecular Affairs, can, in their few Hours of Leiſure, find out the Depth of ſome of theſe Difficulties? Who is ſharp enough on the Sudden to diſtinguiſh Truth in the Midſt of the Clouds of Duſt that are caſt on it by the litigious Wrangle of all Parties?
The Soul of many a Tradeſman is but juſt of a Size with his Shop and Buſineſs, and hath not Strength of Parts or Improvement to attain great and accurate Knowledge in any Thing beſides; and thoſe whoſe Ingenuity is greater, may eaſily waſte all the ſpare Hours of their Life in treading the Mazes of Diſpute about Forms and Ceremonies, and at laſt find themſelves bewilder'd: Now I queſtion whether ſuch a Man's Head would lie eaſy upon a dying Pillow, who had ſpent his Time among Briars and Thorns, and neglected the Fruit of the Tree of Life, or taſted but very little of it; he has been dwelling upon the Moſs and the Ivy, and not gathered the Product of thoſe eminent Branches of our holy Religion, whence he might have extracted ſweet Cordials for a languiſhing and fainting Hour.
Fourthly. Again, how very few are there amongſt the giddy Race of Men that can ſo far annihilate their old Opinions, and refrain ſo long from embracing new ones, till they have made a thorough Scrutiny into the Arguments and Pretenſions on both Sides? Who can dwell for Months together in the uneaſy State of Dubitation? Who is there that has Power enough over his own Thoughts, as to hold his Judgment in Suſpence for a conſiderable Seaſon, till the Matter in queſtion be fairly debated, and brought to an Iſſue in the Court of Reaſon and Scripture? How ready are we to incline our Aſſent one Way or another, as the various Occurrences of Life preſent Shadows of Argument for either Opinion? A Story of a wicked Clergyman of the Church will warp the enquiring Soul of a Plebeian towards a Meeting-houſe; and an old Song of Charles the Martyr will determine another's Judgment againſt the cruel Diſſenters, and make him a compleat Churchman. A Flaſh of Rhetoric, a Show of Reaſon, a warm Sermon, and Affections raiſed by a Tillotſon at Weſtminſter, or a Mead at Pinners-Hall, will immediately turn the Mind from its Equilibrium; and you know when a Balance is juſt turned, though it be but by a Grain of Weight, it falls effectually on that Side, and ſometimes almoſt irrecoverably too.
When we have thrown off all old Prejudices, 'tis not eaſy to ſecure one's ſelf from new ones. When we have ſo far gained the Victory over Education and Cuſtom as to retain none of our ancient Opinions, we are apt to fall inſenſibly under the Power of the oppoſite Doctrines, and become Captives and Slaves to new Notions, merely becauſe they are new. Novelty is as great a Prejudice to fair Reaſoning as Antiquity; though perhaps not ſo univerſally prevailing. And there's many a giddy and headſtrong Youth that has haſtily embraced Maxims and Practices contrary to thoſe of his Parents, to ſhow how bravely he has broke all the Fetters of Education, and to make it appear that he thinks freely. When we puſh the Boat off from the Shore where it has long ſtuck in the Mud, 'tis hard to prevent its being ſtranded on the adverſe Side. 'Tis exceeding difficult to keep the Mind in this Medium of Suſpence till right Reaſon determine it; 'tis very troubleſome to maintain the Judgment in a Poiſe till ſome weighty and ſolid Argument ſink one of the Scales downward, and equitably decide the depending Strife of Opinions; there is Need of continual caution and wary Motions of Thought: A doubting Spirit is in Pain, and willing to be releaſed. We are very deſirous to believe ſomewhat, though upon ſlight Grounds, that our Souls may be at Eaſe, and fall to Practice.
Fifthly. But ſuppoſe Men ſhould have Leiſure, and Books and other Advantages, joined with Reſolution and Patience enough to endure the Pain of Dubitation, and the long Fatigue of deep Study and Thoughtfulneſs; yet how ſmall is the Number of thoſe that are capable to diſtinguiſh betwixt real and apparent Reaſon; eſpecially in Subjects where the Differences are of ſo nice and intricate a Kind? How few Underſtandings are ſo acute, how few Judgments ſo ſolid and juſt, ſo well form'd and well-improv'd, as to determine Controverſies ſo long and ſo much darkened? Who can ſee through all the falſe Shows and Pretenſions of Argument, and diſcern the true Gold from that which only gliſters?
Turn your Eyes inward, my Friend, and behold a Soul there that has more Knowledge and Judgment than Hundreds of the Animals that are round about you, and that you are forced to converſe with; and yet after all your unbiaſſed Searches and Labours, and earneſt Prayers, how hard a Thing you find it to reſolve the Point, whether you ought to remain in the Communion of a Diſſenting Church, or become a Separatiſt from them, and unite yourſelf to the Church of England. Now, if all your Leiſure, your Advantages, and your Application, ca…not fix your Aſſent and Practice, infer then how vain a Thing it is to expect that Reaſon and Argument ſhould conſtantly determine and govern a blind, a raſh, a ruin'd, and a wretched World.
I confeſs, in Things of greater Importance, and Neceſſity to Salvation, our Directions lie ſo plain, as to lead the moſt ſtupid Souls that are honeſt and ſincere, to the Knowledge of Truth and Duty, unleſs it be here and there a Man who violently breaks through the very Language of Scripture, and runs into great Errors or Irregularity of Practice: But in Things of loſs Moment, how impoſſible is it that the generally of Mortals ſhould build every leſſer Opinion of them upon ſolid Foundations and unſhaken Grounds? Or how can we expect they ſhould be able to defend every ſmaller Circumſtance of their Practice by juſt Reaſonings?
If I were to recapitulate theſe Things in ſhort, I would draw up my charitable Concluſion thus:
Since our firſt Apoſtacy from God has ſo perverted and ſpoiled our rational Powers, and enſlaved our Minds to ſo many Prejudices and Paſſions; ſince the Impreſſions of Education and Cuſtom are unavoidable and neceſſary, deep and ſtrong; ſince the Affairs of the World that is under a divine Curſe, are ſo juſtly and unhappily ill conſtituted; ſince Capacity, Leiſure, Application, Humility, and Prayer, are all found together but in very few Perſons; and ſince the divine Oracles, in Matters leſs neceſſary, have ſo much Obſcurity in themſelves, and ſo much thicker Darkneſs caſt upon them by contending Parties, why ſhould we be ſo much amazed or ſo angry, to ſee ſo many different Sentitiments and Practices amongſt Men of honeſt Piety, and deſirous of Truth?
Farewel, thou dear Companion of my Studies, and if your Light and Knowledge ſhould be ſo far improved by your further Enquiries, as to lead you away from that Communion, and thoſe Methods of Worſhip wherein we have ſo often and ſo delightfully join'd; yet I hope that upon the Review of this Letter, you will maintain a very charitable Opinion of
Your uninlightened Friend, &c.
FINIS.
End of the text · Isaac Watts, Orthodoxy and Charity United (1749)