the Assemblies of Gods Servants 3. And more particularly let him not neglect the opportunities of receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as often as they are presented to him unless some weighty occasion hinder or disable him It is well known to have been the use of the primitive Church to administer this holy Sacrament as often as it held any solemn Assembly for divine worship and the Christians then as duly received it as they came to Church nor did the frequency of it abate their reverence to it but highly increased it rather And this office they therefore called the Communion because it was the symbol of a compleat member of the Church and the fullest instance of that Society To have been kept from it by any accident was then looked upon as a great Calamity but to be debarred from it by the censure of the Church was as dreadful to them as the Sentence of Death They sought to be restored to it with tears with prostrations in SackCloth and Ashes with all the intercession of their Friends and all the interests they could make There was no need in those times to use arguments to convince men of the duty or repeated exhortations to press them to the performance of it the Ministers of the Church had no trouble in answering objections against it or removing impertinent scruples about it much less was there any occasion to urge the observance of it by humane Laws for they remembred it was instituted by their Saviour on the same night in which he was betrayed for the Commemoration of his Passion and recommended to their observance by the most obliging circumstances they found the constant solemnity of it setled in all Churches by the Apostles and they were well aware of the unspeakable comforts of it Now the reason of all these things holds as much in these times as then saving that men are not so conscientious and devout as they were for in the first place it hath been the custom of the Church in all times since to make this Sacrament the badge and cognizance of her members until of late those have pretended to be Churches where there was neither Order nor Unity neither Sacraments administred nor indeed persons qualified to administer them and it 's great pity and shame that such an unhappy novelty should prescribe against all Antiquity And then secondly as for the institution of this Sacrament by our Saviour it is manifest that he did not deliver himself by way of counsel and advice so as to leave it to our discretion or courtesy to observe this Sacrament or omit it but by express and positive command Do this in remembrance of me and therefore there is no room for the cavil against mixt Communion as if we were excused from celebrating the Lord's Supper because others do it unworthily which is as much as to say because some do it as they should not I may chuse whether I will do it at all But as I said here is an express command that we do it and therefore we have no liberty to omit it upon any such pretence And upon the same account it will be in vain to pretend I am not prepared for it and therefore must be excused for when our Lord hath made it our duty to do it it is our duty also to do it as we should do and the neglect of one duty will not excuse another i. e. our sin of unpreparedness will be no apology for our sin in total omission of the Sacrament The whole truth is here are two things required of us one expressed and the other implied the express duty is that we celebrate the memorial of our Saviours Passion the implied duty is that this be done with such preparation as agrees with so sacred a mystery both these therefore are to be performed for as my coming to the Sacrament will not excuse my coming unpreparedly so much less will my unpreparedness excuse my not coming at all But of the two it seems far the more pardonable to come though somewhat unpreparedly than not to come because of unpreparedness for that is neither to come nor prepare neither I say though neither ought to be done yet it is plainly better to offend in the point of an implied duty than of an express one but especially it is more tolerable to commit one sin than both as he that comes not to the Lords Supper at all notoriously doth But then thirdly for the comforts of this holy Sacrament those are so vastly great that the man is as well insensible of his own good as of the honour of Christ Jesus who willfully neglects the Lords Supper For in the first place by commemorating the Passion of our Lord in that holy Feast we not only perform an office of obedience and gratitude to our Saviour but we strengthen our Faith in the efficacy of his Death and Sacrifice for the expiation of sin which affords the greatest relief to our guilty Consciences that can be And together herewith we melt our own hearts into contrition fears and sorrow for those sins of ours which required such an atonement For who can consider what his Saviour suffered and look upon him whom we have pierced and not mourn heartily for his sin and his danger Again by eating and drinking at the Lords Table we are made sensible of the happy estate of Friendship with God which we are now restored to by the intercession of our Lord Jesus Moreover by commemorating his Death and the ends and effects of it we fortify our own minds against the fear of Death and by feeding upon his body and blood we have the pledges of our own Resurrection and Immortality and to say no more though in so copious and comfortable a subject by partaking of his body and blood we become united to him and partake of the same spirit that was in him And now after all this who will make that an excuse for omitting the Sacrament that they do not find or observe that either themselves or others profit by it What is it no profit that we have done our duty and exprest our gratitude to so great a Benefactor Is it no profit to see Christ Crucified before our Eyes and to see him pour out his heart blood for Sinners Is it no profit to be made ingenuously to weep over our own sins Is it no priviledge no comfort to be admitted to the Lords Table in token of Friendship and reconciliation with him Certainly there is no body but profits something more or less by these things and if there be any man who doth not profit greatly by them he must needs have a very naughty heart indeed and had need to prepare himself and go often to the Sacrament that it may be mended But however let the good Christian gladly imbrace all opportunities of this holy solemnity and not doubt to find comfort by it 4. As for the other offices of the Church such as Prayers
instruct Moreover it was also the intention of our Saviour that this Church of his should be but one and Catholick imbracing all the true Believers all the World over and therefore it is called his Body and his Spouse from whence it follows that every man who will partake of the benefits which flow from him must be a part of this Body and thereby hold Communion with him by Conjunction with that which is otherwise impossible to be done than by joining with that part of the Catholick Church where it hath pleased the Divine Providence to settle our abode and habitation that is in the Parish and Neighbourhood where we dwell for without this though it 's possible we may retain the fame Faith in our hearts with the Catholick Church yet we cannot perform the offices of members nor serve the ends of such a Society The result is therefore that it is ordinarily every Christians Duty to communicate in all the offices of Christianity to submit to the Officers to be subject to the censures ahd to comply with the orders of that part of the Church amongst which the Divine Providence hath placed him I say ordinarily because it may happen that the Society of Christians amongst whom a man lives may be heretical in their Doctrine or Idolatrous in their Worship and then it will not be his sin but his duty to separate from them but bating that case and where the Doctrine is sound and the worship free from Idolatry I see not what else can acquit him of Schism that separates or what can be sufficient to dissolve the obligation of joining with the Catholick Church by Conjunction with that particular Society or Member of it where he is placed Therefore let not the good Christian without flat necessity suffer himself to be alienated from the particular Church lest by so doing he lose the comforts and benefits of the Catholick Church but let it be his care and indeavour so far as it is in his power that there may be but one Church in the World as was the intention of our Saviour to this purpose let him not hearken to the fond pretences of purer Ordinances and double refined worship or to the vain boasts of greater edification in other Assemblies for besides that a man may justly expect most of Gods blessing upon those means which are most his duty to apply himself unto it is also evident that if such suggestions be attended to it will be flatly impossible that there should ever be such a thing as unity or order in the Christian Church nay these conceits will not only distract and confound the order of the Church but they serve to fill mens heads with endless disputes and their hearts with perpetual scruples about purity of administrations so that they shall rest no where but under pretence of soaring higher and higher shall ramble from one Church to another till at last they cast off all Ordinances as the highest attainment of spirituality Nor let him give ear to any peevish insinuations against the Church and publick worship upon account that there are some Rites or Ceremonies made use of which are only of humane institution for it is not only reasonable to hope that God will be well pleased with humility peaceableness and obedience to humane Laws but certain that there is no Church in the World that is or can be without some observances that have no higher original than humane institution But against these and all other such like principles of separation let him indeavour to secure himself First by dismissing the prejudices of Education and the unnecessary scrupulosities of a melancholy temper and above all acquit himself of pride and pragmaticalness and then he will easily and comfortably comply with any sound part of the Christian Church In pursuance whereof 2. He must diligently frequent all the publick offices of Religion in that Society whether it be Prayers Preaching or reading the word of God or Administration of the Sacraments c. For it is a mighty shame that a man should pretend to be of the Church who cares not how little or how seldom he comes at it and who slights the advantages of its Communion For such a man however he may hector and swagger for the notion of a Church manifestly betrays that all is but humour or interest and no true principle of Christianity at the bottom and really he doth more dishonour to that Society than the professed Schismatick doth or can do For besides that he incourages them in their contempt of it and discourages good men in their zeal for it he foments the suspicion of Atheistical men that Religion is but a politick trick to catch silly persons with whilest those that are privy to the plot keep out of the bondage of it I need not adde That he defeats the institution of our Saviour that he baulks his own Conscience if he have any and aggravates his own Damnation which are all very sad things On the other side the blessings and comforts of frequenting the offices of the Church are so many and great that it is not imaginable how any man who is convinced of the duty of Communion in general should be able to neglect the particular instances of it For besides that the Church is Gods House where he is especially present and where we meet him and place our selves under his eye and observation and from whence he usually dispenses his favours it is a great furtherance of our zeal and piety to be in the presence of one another where the example of holy fervour and devotion in one powerfully strikes and affects others There is also an extraordinary majesty in the word of God when it is not only fitted to our peculiar condition but authoritatively pronounced and applied to our Conscience by Gods Messenger Above all in Prayers when our Petitions and requests are not only put up to Almighty God by his own Minister appointed for this purpose but our weakness is relieved our spirits incouraged and we are inabled notwithstanding our private meanness or guilt to hope for acceptance and success in our desires by the concurrent Devotions of so many holy men as there join with us in the same suit and in the same words and whose united importunity besieges Heaven and prevails with Almighty Goodness for a blessing Wherefore let no man permit the private exercises of Piety it self such as Prayer reading or Meditation to supersede or hinder his attendance upon the publick offices of the Church seeing that as these yield more publick honour to the Divine Majesty so they are more effectual for our own benefit much less let sloth or too great eagerness upon the affairs of the World make us forget or neglect them but least of all let any lukewarm indifferency or Atheistical carelessness seise upon any man in this particular but let the man who glories to be of the Christian Church be sure to be found there in
THE Old Religion Demonstrated in its PRINCIPLES And described in the LIFE and PRACTICE thereof Jerem. vi 16. Thus saith the Lord stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the Old Paths where is the Good Way and walk therein and ye shall find Rest for your Souls LONDON Printed by J. M. for R. Royston Book-Seller to His most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-Corner MDCLXXXIV THE EPISTLE TO THE Pious Reader Good Reader THou art here presented with a new Book concerning the Old Religion As therefore thou art not to expect thy curiosity should here be gratified with new Notions for I am not describing a new way to Heaven but directing thee in the good old way which the holy Scriptures have marked out and which wise and good men have all along walked in so neither art thou to think thy self disappointed if thou meetest not with a Discourse modishly drest up with all the fashionable Ornaments of Wit and Eloquence For give me leave to tell thee though that would have been acceptable to the humour of the Age and perhaps might without any great difficulty have been complied with yet it would neither have suited so well with the nature of the subject I am upon nor especially have fitted the persons for whose sake this little Book was written That therefore which I here pretend and which I hope thou wilt not fail of in the Papers before thee is First A brief but plain and substantial proof of the grounds and fundamental Principles of Religion in general Secondly A discovery and confutation of several vulgar Opinions which deform the beauty and defeat the efficacy of Christian Religion in particular And lastly A clear description a rational deduction and a serious inculcation of the most important duties of that Religion wherein either the glory of God our own comfort or the peace and happiness of Mankind are principally concerned As for the management of these Points though I have not given countenance to this Discourse by citation of Authors nor either adorned the Text with fine Sayings nor the Margin with great Names yet I hope thou wilt find a vein of sound Reason in it and the spirit of the Gospel running quite through it I assure thee I have dealt sincerely and conscientiously herein I have impartially consulted the holy Scriptures I have made use of the best understanding God hath given me and I here set before thee though not the product yet the result of many years observation consideration and experience And so I leave it to Gods blessing and thy candid acceptance Farewel THE CONTENTS PART I. An Introduction to an holy and comfortable Life CHAP. I. THE wisdom of being religious Page 1 CHAP. II. The reasonableness of Religion in general p. 9 CHAP. III. Of the rewards of Religion in another World p. 21 CHAP. IV. Of the great influence and mighty efficacy of believing Heaven and Hell or rewards and punishments in another World p. 38 CHAP. V. Of the choice of a Religion or what particular Religion a man should apply himself to p. 55 CHAP. VI. More particular Directions for the setling a mans mind in Religion p. 71 CHAP. VII Cautions against some Opinions which are hindrances both of an holy and of a comfortable life p. 85 CHAP. VIII Directions for the effectual prosecution of Religion p. 139 PART II. The practice of holy and comfortable Living CHAP. I. OF Secret Devotion and particularly of secret Prayer p. 181 CHAP. II. Of several other instances of secret Devotion p. 209 CHAP. III. Of private Devotion or Family-Piety in general p. 235 CHAP. IV. Of Family Duties in special p. 254 CHAP. V. Of Family-Discipline or by what means a Family may be brought to the observance of Religion p. 281 CHAP. VI. Of publick Piety and particularly in relation to the Church and publick Assembly of Christians p. 301 CHAP. VII Of Civil Piety or how a man may and ought to promote Gods honour and the publick good of the Parish considered only as a Civil Society or Neighbourhood p. 346 AN Introduction TO AN HOLY AND A Comfortable LIFE CHAP. I. The Wisdom of being Religious THE Holy Scripture that Book of Books and Treasury of Divine Wisdom expresses it self thus concerning Religion Psal III. V. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and a good understanding have all they that keep his commandments Eccles 12. 13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty or business of man S t Luke 13. 23. Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able Phil. 2. 12. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling c. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure S t Mat. 6. 33. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you S t John 6. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth to eternal life S t Mat. 16. 26. What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul By all which and abundance of other such like passages it appears that Religion is as much our interest as our duty and that Piety and Care of another World are not only the Commands of God and his impositions upon us but the upshot and result of the best and truest Wisdom For Wisdom doth not consist in sceptical jealousies and suspicions but in a determinate knowledge and resolution what is fit to be done not in a superficial smattering of many things but in a clear and distinct apprehension of the just nature value and moment of them not in an endless hunting after curiosity but to know where to stick and fasten not in pilling a flint or laborious beating out of unprofitable difficulties but in applying a mans self to such things as are savoury and useful not in tricks of wit sophistry or eloquence and least of all in a jest or a repartee but to discover what is fit to propound to a mans self as his end and design and by what means to attain it to have great things in a mans thoughts and to despise and scorn little and petty designs in a word to see a great way before him and to be well provided for the future Now all this is verified in Religion more than in any other thing in the whole World for here a mans mind is taken up with the greatest thoughts and sublimest objects God and Eternity he takes care to secure the main stake his own Soul he imploys himself about things of the greatest moment and consequence by inquiring about another World he gives proof of the greatest foresight in considering of it he gives evidence of a sagacious temper in resolving upon it he shews judgment in pursuing it by the means appointed he
perswasions incouragements and all other fit means to prevail with the whole Neighbourhood or Parish to frequent the Church For as he would not go to Heaven alone nay knows assuredly he shall not come there if he do not indeavour to carry others along with him so neither is he contented to feed upon the fatness of Gods House alone but would have others partake with him He hath a holy indignation to observe Theaters to be filled Exchanges and Markets thronged and Gods House unfurnished with Guests He wonders at the inconsiderateness of men who incur such a guilt by the contempt of Religion and pitties their folly that deny themselves so many comforts and advantages as Gods House affords above any other place of resort whatsoever Besides he considers that not only God is more honour'd by a general confluence to his service but that his own heart is more inlarged and chearful and his affections more raised as it were moving in Consort when there is a brave concourse in Divine Offices Psal 122. 1 2. I rejoiced saith the holy man when they said Come let us go up to the House of the Lord our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem Well-disposed persons it seems then were wont to call upon and provoke one another and to flock together in Companies towards the Temple and it was a pleasant spectacle to the Psalmist to behold it And let good Christians be ashamed to be outdone in any thing of this kind since our Church and worship is so incomparably more excellent than theirs What was it that a zealous Jew could provoke his Neighbours to go up to the Temple for to see a Beast slain and a smoke made with the fat and entrails or to muse upon the obscure Hieroglyphicks in the Fabrick the Utensils the Ornaments and Service of that House But a Christian goes to the Church to hear the lively Oracles of God to see Heaven opened in all its glories and to be shewed the way thither Therefore he that is sensible of the great odds on the side of the Christian worship and who hath so much Prudence and Charity as to render him serviceable amongst his Neighbours to such a purpose will jog and awaken them out of their sloth and negligence of going to the Church by wise and manly Discourses and friendly and familiar Exhortations from the considerations of the scandal to Religion and discouragement to the Minister by the peoples remissness and of the duty and benefit of diligent attendance and he will with the same zeal and care indeavour to answer their objections and remove their scruples about it and especially considering that this is commonly better taken and sinks deeper into such men as need it when it is done not only by the Minister who is presumed by these incogitant persons to do it for his interest or the reputation of his person or profession but by those who are upon the same terms with themselves To all this the pious man aforesaid will wisely improve the interest of his Charity to oblige the poorer sort to their duty dispensing most liberally to them who are most inclinable to follow his counsel in this particular and for the middle sort of men he will trade and buy and sell upon choice with those that are best affected to the Church and Religion But if all this should not do and that he cannot prevail upon all yet 10. In the last place he will not fail at least to over-rule his own Family that they shall universally and constantly frequent the Church and so be an example to the Neighbourhood This I have shewed before every Governour of a Family hath authority from God to do and the holy Scripture affords us several instances of the efficacy and success of making use of it to this purpose amongst the rest by virtue hereof Joshua undertook for his House that they should serve the Lord and Cornelius prevailed upon those under him so that he is said to fear the Lord with all his House And indeed a Master of a Family will be able to give a very sorry account of his Family if he cannot oblige them to go to Church with him for we find by woful experience that where under pretence of scruples about the publick worship inferiours have claimed the priviledge of exemption and been permitted to resort to Conventicles the effect hath been that such persons have not only grown captious and insolent and by degrees to despise their Superiours but having by this means gotten from under the Eye of their Governours have made no scruple to run into Debauchery Therefore let the pious man strictly charge himself thus far and look upon himself as very insignificant in his place if he do not so much publick honour to God and Religion as to bring his Family to the House of God CHAP. VII Of Civil Piety Or How a good man may carry himself so as to promote Gods honour and the publick good together with his own peace and comfort in the Parish considered only as a Civil Society or Neighbourhood WHen our blessed Saviour Mat. 5. 13. saith to his Disciples Ye are the salt of the earth he did not direct himself only to his Apostles or to them and their Successors the Pastors of his Church as some have imagined but to all his Disciples in general For besides that the Beatitudes which he pronounces in the former part of the Chapter and his other Discourse pursuant of them which immediately precedes these words apparently concern all Christians so far as they are qualified for them It is evident also by S. Luke Chap. 14. comparing the 25 Verse with the 32. that it was his intention to apply this title of being the salt of the earth to the whole body of true Christians And then the importance of that expression will be this That the true spirit of Christianity is and ought to be a principle of activity and the Professors of this Religion are not to content themselves with passive innocency and that they escape the contagion of evil Example nor be corrupted and debauched by the temptations or customs of the World But that they must look upon it as their duty to better and improve the state of Mankind to influence upon it to season and preserve others from corruption as well as themselves Nor is this activity of true Christianity to be strictly confined within the limits of the Church or to display it self merely in the great duties of Religion properly considered For as our Saviour designed not only to shew men a way to another World above but also to amend the condition of this present World below and to make it a more quiet and comfortable habitation so doubtless when he calls his Disciples the salt of the whole Earth he intended to require that every good man should within his whole sphere indeavour to promote humanity morality and the civil and political happiness of mankind The