Dictates as essentiael to Christianity which the Scripturs and the next Ancient and venerable Writings do assure us are not There are those that call us Hereticks and have often proved us so as clearly as Fire and Faggot can do it because we are so strait-laced as to Believe but just so many Truths and Articles of Faith as were at first delivered to the Saints And are so Nice and Humorous as not to Believe the flattest contradictions to them There is a Church that for several Ages and in several Councils hath Decreed the Extirpation of Hereticks i.e. the most Orthodox Christians by Fire and Sword and fairly Recommended it as an Eminent Test of Catholick Zeal Others at least there have been who with mighty Confidence pretended to secret motions and Immediate Warrants from Heaven to Worry and Destroy all that should withstand them and their Doctrin I might tire you with instances of both kinds and make it appear that the Zeal of Christians against One another hath in point of Fierceness and Cruelty far exceeded the Pattern in the Text. For the Proof of this I might but desire you to take a short Review of the Ruines which Romish Zeal hath made in Protestant Countries from our own to the very borders of the Ottoman Empire To keep nearest home I might appeal to the Holy League of France for the Utter Extirpation of the Reform'd Religion And to the Barbarous Usage of more than many Thousand Christians in the United Provinces Grot. Annal lib. 1. I mean before the Quarrel began with the Civil Government I might refer you to Inquisitions Invasions and Massacres to the Burning Zeal of the Marian days and the Powder Conspiracy here in England that Master-piece of Inhumanity design'd no doubt to make amends for the long Peace and Tranquility we enjoyed under the Pious and gentle Reign of our Immortal Virgin Queen After these it were cold and endless to mention all the Impious and Unnatural Artifices of the Agents of Rome against the Lives of our Princes the felicity of our Government Foulis Hist of Romish Treasons and Vsurp and the Vitals of our Religion One thing in the general you may observe that when ever the Church of Rome hath lost any thing by dint of Argument she hath presently betaken her self to sharper and deadlier Weapons for the Recovery of it And methinks it is the least of Wonders that a ChurchPamper'd with Power and Wealth and Honours that thinks her self fit to give Law to the whole Christian World and that it is her Unquestionable Right and Duty by all possible means to do it should not wave her Principles and content her self to admonish and Weep over Obstinate Hereticks as our Blessed Lord did over Jerusalem when her designs call for Blood and Cruelty and 't is apparent that Men will not be made Obedient without them On the other hand there has been another sort of men that under pretence of Refining the Reformation have shamefully violated the Pure and Undefiled Religion that came from Heaven And for this I might refer you to the Wicked Outrages of the Anabaptists at Munster and the Terrible Battles which have been fought for little Phansies and affected singularities in Religion I might call to your Remembrance the many Insurrections and what I even Tremble to speak of the horrid Murther of the late Arch-Bishop in Scotland I might desire you to reflect upon the fierce and bloody Attempts which in our Memory and Nation have been managed upon the fifth Monarchy Principles In a word I might carry you to the Tombs of Kings Nobles and Prelates of worthy Patriots and Ministers of Justice of Preachers and Ambassadors of Peace who by hands lifted up to Heaven have been offered to use the Apostles Phrase upon the Sacrifice and Service of your Faith which some call Heresie and according to which we now Worship the God of our Fathers Now to apply these Allusions to the purpose of the Text I shall only observe to you that the chief Actors and Parties in them have at one time or other confest that they verily thought they were engaged in a good Cause many Apologies have been made and many volumes have been written for them Yea many have sealed it with their Blood and pronounc't it with their last breath that the things they did and Dyed for as ill as they look'd towards the World were done out of Zeal to God and Religion that is they thonght they ought to have done them as contrary and Dishonourable as they really were to the Name of Jesus I come now in the second place 2. To shew whece it is that Men are liable to be thus Misguided by Erroneous Principles and Transported with this Extravagant and destructive Zeal I confess 't is very natural to men to be warm and zealous for their own Doctrines and Sentimests ill so much that they that have the Truth on their side have not always the Charity and Good-Nature that should attend it But that this Inclination should so mightily raise the Spleen and fire the Spirits of Men That it should grow so violent Quarrelsome and Impetuous as to scorn the Restraint of Laws both Divine and Humane and break down all the Fonces of Government to set up the Kingdom fo Christ which is not of this World That the Disciples of so meek a Master as our Saviour was and the Professors of so Charitable and obliging so Holy and Healing an Institution as Christianity is should think themselves bound to promote every Crude Opinion with the Sword Nay that inspired and as they call themselves Infallible Men should be so much out of the way so exceedingly fierce and angry with all that are not of their Minds as to devote them to Present and Eternal Ruine These things are so extreamly full of Scandal and Contradiction that without a Demonstration of the Truth it were scarce Charity to believe the possibility of them But let us do that Right to Christianity and our selves as to see where the fault lyes and what it is that under the pretence of Conscience has wrought so much Misery and Coufusion in the Christian World To assign all the causes of these Evils would require more Time and Patience than the present occasion will allow I shall therefore confine my self to such as I think have the greatest Interest in them and are best able to answer for them 1. The first is Bad Education which has a strange Influence upon the Spirits and Persuasions of Men and is able to change the sweetest natural Dispositions into the Bitterest and fiercest Tempers The great Spring and Mover of Humane Actions in the Judgment of the Mind and therefore the first Information of the Judgment which is the Business of Education must have a mighty stroke in the Conduct of the Life of Man and the rather because the Impressions we receive of things while our Minds are free from all suspition and Prejudice are
of the Truth do not use to be Bashful in asserting their Principles when they find their Interests in them 1 Tim. 6.5 But fupposing Gain to be Godliness as the Apostle observes of them are generally very forward to shew their good Affection to it and like Demetrius to put the World into an uproar out of zeal to the Magnificence of their Great Diana and their Profits from her Shrines and Altars Conscience 't is true at the first has the least share in the Actions of these Men whose Interests choose choose their Principle for them But what they strongly Affect and desire should be true in time they strongly believe and having willfully Rejected the Truth are given up by the Just Judgment of God to their own Delusions to Believe and defend the Lye 4. Some Principles are so bad in themselves as to inspire men with a furious and Unchristian Zeal and without the help of Worldly Interest to instigate and push them on to violent and Unnatural Actions Such are these which Warrant the Killing of men for Christs sake and the Gospels and promise them Heaven for the Vilest Pnactices in the World For Assassinating their Natural Prince Betraying their Country and putting it under a Foreign and insupportable Yoke Such are all those that make Unlawful and indifferent things absolutely Necessary to Salvation and eneourage Men to think the better of themselves for their Zeal against such as pretend to nothing but the plain Rules of Christianity and a Decent Way of serving of God in Spirit and in Truth These Principles do naturally produce an Envious and Ill-natur'd Zeal 'T is the property of those that are under the POwer and Guidance of them to allow no Man a Name for Religion but themselves to be angry with every one that do's not Espouse their Follies to Glory in their Marks of Distinction and take themselves to be the Holier and better men for differing from all Christians upon Earth And this is too often the effect of that odd and Peevish Principle that Innocent and indifferent things cease to be Lawful when they are once Commanded No Man knows the malignity of such an Errour as this should it once get the Ascendant which is the Aim and Tendency of it over that Authority which God hath placed in the Rulers of his Church Do we not already find the Insluence of it upon some of the straintest Sect of our Religion who yet have reserved themselves a sufficient Latitude in Scorning and Deriding their Brethren and are extreamly lavish in their Censures of Persons of the highest Chaeacter and Reverence in the Church of God Nay many there are that prize and commend themselves upon these very Accounts and look upon it as a mark of Sanctity to Break and blemish the Communion of that Church which they pretend no other Quarrel with than only for interposing her Authority in some indifferent things i.e. making use of the Power which Christ himself hath given to every Church for the benefit and Edification of it And what is this but to Consecrate a Schism into a state of Perfection and to do that for Religions sake which directly tends to the undoing and subversion of it 5. Enthusiasm or a false pretence to Divine Inspiration is a Fatal cause of this Extravagant Zeal When men have the Considence to ascribe their Errors to the immediate Dictates of the Spirit When they take themselves to be the peculiar Favourites of God in whose Breasts he hath lodg'd his choicest Secrets whom he hath chosen and authorized to bring his most glorious Designs to pass 't is not to be expected they should long content themselves with the Pleasure of these Delusions srons That Evil Spirit that hath blinded their Eyes and taught them to Belye the Holy Ghost had a farther Design upon them And as the Philiftines dealt with Sampson when they had put out his Eyes will surely Employ them in his Drudgeries and put them upon the most destructive Attempts 'T is hardly to be imagined what desperate Projects men will freely contribute their Service to when they are once possest with a Spirit of Delusion and struck Blind with an Opinion that whatever they strongly Fancy is Infallibly so That 't is impossible for them to Err having Private Instructions from God himself hitherto hid from Ages and Generations to Advance the Kingdom of Christ and exalt it to a more glorious Height To which purpose an Eminent Divine of this Church who had a peculiar Sagacity in Tracing and detecting the Errours of his time hath left us this memorable passage * Mr. Hook Pref. to Eccl. Pol. When Men are once Erroneously persuaded that 't is the Will of God to have those things done which they Fancy then Opinions are as Thorns in their sides never suffering them to take rest till they have brought their Skpeculations into Practice The Impediments of which Practice their restless desire and study to remove leadeth them every Day into more dangerour Opinions sometimes quite and clean contrary to their first pretended meanings So that what will grow out of such Errours as go mask'd under the Cloak of Divine Authority impoffible it is that ever the Wit of Man should imagine till time has brought forth the Fruits of them I Proceed now in the third and last place 3. To make some Inferences brieefly from this Discourse From whence it will follow 1. That we have no Reason when we see the Effects of this Distructive and Unchristian Zeal to be stagger'd in our Religion or to suspect our Faith That the best Religion should meet with the sharpest Opposition from Men that the worst sctions should pretend to serve it and receive Authority and Encouragement from it that Men of Learning and Knowledge and of High and Extraordinary Zeal should Combine against it are no new things in the World The Church from her Infancy had been acquainted with them and our Saviour and his Apostles have expresly foretold them on purpose that we should not be Offended when we see and feel them 2. Hence we learn that an Erroneous Conscience is a very unsafe and dangerous Guide And it must needs be so because it is supposed to Dictate the mind of God and by his Authority to guide our Practice And accordingly the greatest Troubles and Persecutions which have befallen the Church are manifestly Owing to the Delusions which have past under the Name of Conscience in several Ages which should mightily awaken us to look well to our Principles and to keep our Minds Pure and untainted with Errour If the Light saith Christ that is in thee he Darkness Mat. 6.23 how great is that Darkness A little speck in the Eye fed by an Invincible Humour often Deftroys the most Useful and Noble Sense 'T is sad to observe from what small beginnings the greatest Errours both in Judgment and Practice have in a short time spred and diffused themselves to the infinite Prejudice
of Christianity and the unspeakable Trouble and dishonour of the Church To give you one Remarkable Instance of this In the beginning of the Reformation in Germany Sleid. com lib. 10. They who first scrupled only the Doctrine of Infant Baptism by degrees so Intangled themselves in New and greater Errours that in a few Years they grew the highest Enthusiasts vented the Rankest Blasphemies and the most Fulsome Opinions And after the fairest shew of sanctity and self-denial threw off all Humanity Indulging themselves in the most Beastial and Impudent vices in fine They Renounc't all Allegiance to their Lawful Superiours set up a Pupper King of their own Dignified him with the Title of Universal Monarch and to Compleat the Tragedy Baptiz'd one another with their own Blood 3. That the greatest Zeal is no Evidence of the goodness of any Cause or Principles While some contend as earnestly against as others do for the Truth their Zeal can Determine nothing on either side 'T is the goodness of Principles and the Merit of a Cause that can only Justify our Zeal for them If they be wanting Zeal is no better than Rage and Frenzy Therefore saith the Apostle Gal. 4.18 It is Good to be Zealously affected always in a good thing which Implies that when our Zeal is not thus Qualified it is good for nothing Or if it rises above the Goodness of its Object it so far over-shoots it self and Degenerates into Vice and Folly And this is the Fault of those that lay the Weight of Religion upon slender things that can find nothing to spend their Zeal upon but an Innocent Phrase or Ceremony that Dispise Communion with a Church that does not hit their Phancy in every Punctilio and seem almost contented the Protestant Religion should fink rather than the best support of it should stand I mean the Union of Protestants in our Establish't National Religion These are Humours that Charity it self can hardly Excuse in them or look upon as any other than the excesses of a mistaken and Intemperate Zeal In short Zeal is either the best Friend or the keenest Enemy to Religion for which reason we ought to look narrowly to the Grounds and Tendencies of it 4. We see what reason we have to be aware of those Persons who Teach and Promote such Principles as are contrary to the True Spirit and Interest of Christianity I know not what can be said worse of any Religion than that it inspires Men with Rage and Cruelty Quenches the Spirit of Love and Meekmess and Represents God as the Author of Confusion a Humourous and Discontented Being that is never Pleased long with his own Prescriptions and therefore must be sooth'd and flatter'd with something that is New and Fanciful that looks like an Excess or Transport of Devotion that is Owing to the Good-Will or III-Nature of Men such Religion as this can never reconcile it self to the Doctrine of Christianity but will be supplanting it where-ever it comes And the Zeal it infuses into Men will if not effectually restrained Act over all those Dismal Tragedies again of which the Christian Church has been almost the Constant Scene ever since the Foundation of it We should therefore be jealous of it in all shapes Whether it Pleads for Unity as the Church of Rome do's who takes her self to be the Only Church and therefore Reprobates all that will not be United to her Or whether it declares for Free-Grace i.e. a Gospel without a Sanction as the German Antinomians and Ranters did who turn'd the Grace of God into Lasciviousness and liv'd as if it taught them to deny themselves no Ungodliness or Worldly Lusts whether it pretends to Visions and Revelations of the Lord contrary to the Doctrines Received and delivered by his Apostles from him Or whether it sets up for Purity of Worship in mistaken or doubtful Instances against the Peace of the Church and contrary to the Wisdom that is from above which is first Pure then Peaceable Jam. 3.17 Gentle and Easy to be intreated Not Peevish or implacable not apt to Quarrel with Shadows and much less to put three Kingdoms into a Flame for the sake of three harmless Ceremonies 5. Lastly Since Christianity is liable to and has endured so much Opposition from Men we should learn to adore Gods Infinite Widsom and Goodness in Preserving his Truth and Protecting his Church against the Zealous Endeavours of their Enemies to stifle and destroy them And certainly We of this Nation have seen as extraordinary Evidences of this kind as ever any Christian Nation did Our deliverances have had so many visible marks of a Divine and Peculiar Providence upon them that one would think they should at once clear the Nation of all Atheistical Dotage Open the Eyes of its Divided Inhabitants and Discourage its most zealous Adversaries from Daring any longer that All-seeing Eye that hath so often discovered from strugling any more with that Omnipotent hand that hath so seasonably baffled their Closet and most perfidious Designs and Practices And doubtless were we as sensible as we ought to be of God's singular goodness towards us in casting us into the Bosom of a Church where we have all advantages for Eternal Salvation and in lengthening out our Peace and Tranquility in despight of our Enemies we should think it out Interest to leave our selves still in his hands I do not mean by sitting still and neglecting our Guards but by a patient continuance in Well-doing by attempting nothing that is Unworthy of our excellent Religion By a clear and genuine Zeal for the Honour of God our Saviour by our Unfeigned thankfulness to him for his Wonderful Mercies by confiding in his Goodness and Protection by the Fervency of our Prayers and Intercessions with him and by mutual Exchanges of kindness and condescention to one another in any thing that may truly promote our Common Interest In a word by adhering to the Old Principles of Christianity and avoiding the two dangerous Rocks of Superstition and Enthusiasm and what ever else is contrary to the Name of Jesus Grant O Lord we beseech thee that the course of this World may be so Peaceably Ordered by thy Governance that thy Church may Joyfully serve thee in all Godly quietness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Sermon III. Of the Different Dispensations of Grace and of Impenitency under the best means of Salvation Matthew 11.21 22. Wo unto thee Chorazin Wo unto thee Bethsaida For if the Mighty Works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have Repented long ago in Sack-cloth and Ashes But I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the Day of Judgment than for you Chorazin and Bethsaida were Cities of Galilee situate on the Sea-Shore not very far from the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon They profest the Jewish Religion and had the Priviledge of hearing our Saviours Doctrine and beholding his Miracles But