Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
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A61531
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Christian magnanimity a sermon preached in the cathedral church at Worcester at the time of the assizes, September 21. 1690 / by ... Edward, Lord Bishop of Worcester.
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Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing S5566; ESTC R2456
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16,305
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41
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Christian Magnanimity A SERMON Preached in the CATHEDRAL CHURCH AT WORCESTER AT THE Time of the Assizes September 21. 1690. By the Right Reverend Father in GOD EDWARD Lord Bishop of Worcester LONDON Printed for Henry Mortclocke at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1690. To my Honoured Friends ROBERT BERKELY Esq High-Sheriff of the County of WORCESTER AND The Gentlemen of the Grand-Jury Gentlemen IT is at Your Request that I Publish this Sermon which You were Pleased to think might be Usefull to others as well as to those who heard it And I could not deny the First Request that was made to me by the Gentlemen of this Country in which I have found so much Civility and Kindness I thank God I came hither with no other Intention but to do as much Good as I could and I hope I shall always pursue that Design with a sincere and vigorous Mind as far as I have Health and Opportunity I thought I could not do my Duty at this time without Representing the Evil and Mischief of some very unseasonable Heats and Animosities among those who pretend to the same Common Interest as to Religion and Laws which are the most certain Standard of our Publick Good and none but such as are Enemies to it can understand it otherwise May God Almighty Bless this Country and the Whole Nation with a hearty Zeal and Concernment for it I am Gentlemen Your Faithfull Servant for the best Ends E. WIGORN Worcester Sept. 23 1690. A SERMON Preached at The Assizes AT WORCESTER September 21. 1690. 2 TIM I. 7. For God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Power and of Love and of a Sound Mind IF we look into the Scope and Design of this Epistle we shall find S. Paul at the time of writing it under more than ordinary Apprehensions of the sad Condition of the Christian Church As to Himself he had great Satisfaction in the particular Care of Divine Providence towards Him For God had not onely formerly delivered him out of many Persecutions but had lately Rescued him out of the Mouth of the Lion i. e. from a great and imminent Danger And though he foresaw that the time of his Departure was at hand yet that was so far from giving him any Trouble that he had the Comfort of a Good Conscience in looking back I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith and in looking forward Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that Day But all his Dissatisfaction did arise from looking about him For without were Fightings and within were Fears The Persecutions abroad were indeed so sharp and severe that none could keep a Good Conscience without a share in them which makes him say Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer Persecutions But this was not that which troubled him most for there were two things which seem to have made a deep and sad Impression upon his Mind 1. He observed a great Coldness and Indifferency among some who pretended a mighty Zeal for the common Interest of their Religion before Of this he gives a strange Instance in his own Case At my first Answer saith he no man stood with me but all men forsook me I pray God it be not laid to their Charge They might think it Prudence and Caution at such a dangerous time but the Apostle certainly thought it a fault or else he would never have pray'd that it might not be laid to their Charge Something might be said in Excuse of those who were so near danger but what can be said for the general Coldness of those at a Distance This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me A sad Consideration to Timothy who was entrusted by him with the particular Care of those in Asia For what Comfort could he hope for among them who were turned away from S. Paul Such a Defection as this must needs bring great dishonour to Religion as well as dissatisfaction to him 2. He observed a busie sort of Seducers who were crept in among them who were crafty restless and designing Men such as could not compass their own ends without taking upon them a pretence of Zeal for Religion They were Men of as ill Tempers as we can well imagine Men to be They were lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud c. But he concludes their Character with what one would have least expected from such a sort of Men that they had a Form of Godliness They were such painted Sepulchres that made a more than ordinary Shew and Appearance but within there was nothing but Rottenness and Corruption Men who pretended to Religion without Vertue and hoped to be accounted Godly without any real Goodness They made a great Shew of Zeal about some things and were industrious in gaining Proselytes for which end they crept into Houses c. but whatever they pretended their own Interest lay at bottom Supposing that gain is Godliness and they were so far from any hopes of Amendment that S. Paul gives that dreadfull character of them that they waxed worse and worse deceiving and being deceived And what now should Timothy do under such a Complication of ill Circumstances Should he onely stand still and see which way things would go Or should he give way to Despondency and sink under the Burthen of his Fears No S. Paul although at a Distance and a Prisoner yet thinks fit to Rouse to Animate to Incourage him and not onely to put him in Mind of the Gift of God which was in him but of that Spirit and Temper which true Christianity possesses mens minds with For God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Power of Love and of a Sound Mind Which words may be considered Two ways I. With Respect to Difficulties and Troubles in the World and so it is not a Spirit of Fear but of Power Some render it Spiritum Timiditatis a timerous pusillanimous Spirit which is apt to be dejected with Fears so as not to have Courage and Resolution enough to do ones Duty for fear of Danger and a Spirit of Power is that which supports and bears up the Mind under a Prospect of Difficulties so as not to be hinder'd thereby from that Duty which lies upon us II. With Respect to the Humours and Passions of Men and so it is a Spirit of Love and of a Sound Mind Not a peevish froward exasperating provoking Spirit but a Spirit of Love Not a turbulent seditious unruly Spirit but of a Sound Mind I. With Respect to Difficulties and Troubles Which may be understood Two ways 1. As it may relate to such as S. Paul and Timothy We have not received i. e. we that have an Apostolical Spirit given to us 2. As it may
Reason as well as we can and if Reason doth not cure them nothing else will But let us suppose the Fears Reasonable i. e. such as considering the State of the World a Prudent man may justly apprehend is it not possible to master these Fears Not to Cure our Apprehension when it is Reasonable but to take Care that it do not torment and disquiet our Minds but especially that it do not hinder us from doing our Duty And this is that Spirit of Christian Magnanimity which I design to speak of and to make the matter as clear as I can I shall 1. Enquire into those things which the Nature of Magnanimity requires in general 2. Shew the particular Measures of it according to Christianity 3. Consider the Possibility of attaining it and the Means in order to it 1. As to Magnanimity in general It is not so much any one Vertue as a Result from several put together and especially these 1. Integrity of Mind Which implies these things 1. A Freedom from any mean and sinister Ends in what we do Aristotle who considered the Nature of Moral Vertues as well as any man saith there can be no Magnanimity without Simplicity and Truth And Cicero saith Men of Courage and Magnanimity are men of Simplicity and Truth and not given to Tricks It is the Sense of its own Weakness which disposes any Living Creature to Craft and Cunning The Lion knows his own strength and despises it the Fox is sensible he hath not strength enough for his own Security and therefore tries all other ways to compass his End A Spirit of Magnanimity is above all little Arts and Shifts which tend onely to some mean and pitifull end not worthy to be regarded Men of Artifice and Design may think it Weakness and Folly but it is really a Greatness of Mind which makes a Good and Wise Man despise such things as unbecoming that true Greatness which lies in a Generous Integrity which cunning men can no more reach to even when they affect it than an Actor upon a Stage can the true Greatness of a Prince 2. Sincere and unaffected Goodness Which is that which Aristotle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and makes absolutely necessary to Magnanimity The first thing in the Character of a Good Man among the Moralists is that he be inwardly so not taking upon him the Appearance and Shew of Vertue for the sake of others but forming his Mind and Temper according to the Principles and Rules of it And when he hath done this the whole Course of his Actions will be agreeable thereto he will not onely be just and temperate but kind and obliging ready to do Good to all according to his Circumstances and behaving himself under all as becomes a Good Man 2. There must not onely be Integrity but Courage and Resolution without which in difficult times it is impossible to maintain Integrity I do not by this mean any sudden and violent Heats which rather shew the Greatness of the Passions than of the Mind but a calm and sedate Courage which exceeds the other as a man of true Valour doth one that is rash and fool-hardy The latter may do bolder things than the other but none of the Moralists allow it to be true Fortitude for that must be guided by Reason and Discretion The bold and daring man never considers what he doth but he is carried on by a sudden and violent Impetus or such an agitation of Spirits that suffer him not to Think but on he goes and if he meets with Success it is more owing to his Passion and Heat than to his Wisdom or Courage Violent and furious Heats although under a pretence of Zeal for Religion are like the furious Onsets of undisciplined Souldiers which do more Mischief by their want of Order than they do Good by unseasonable Courage True Courage must be a Regular thing it must have not onely a Good End but a wise choice of Means and then the Courage lies in the vigorous Pursuit of it not being disheartned by difficulties nor giving over through despondency or disappointments 3. There must be an Indifferency of Mind as to the Event of doing our Duty Not a perfect Indifferency which human Nature is hardly capable of but such as keeps a mans mind firm and constant so as not to be moved from the Dictates of a well-satisfied Conscience by the Motives of this World It was a remarkable saying of Socrates which Antoninus takes notice of That man saith he is of no value who regards any thing so much as doing his Duty It is not whether a man lives or dies but whether what he doth be just or unjust whether it becomes a Good man to do it or not which he is to look after If thou canst not find any thing in Life saith that excellent Emperor himself better than Iustice and Truth a sound Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here used and a discreet Courage then make this thy great business and apply thy self to it with all thy heart Let neither popular Applause nor Power nor Riches nor Sensual Pleasure draw thee off front it Choose that which is best and pursue it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with simplicity of mind and the free Inclination of thy will But the Roman Orator goes beyond them when he saith that Nothing argues so mean and narrow a mind as the Love of Riches nothing savours more of a great Mind than to contemn them and if Men enjoy them to bestow them in Beneficence and Liberality And again To value Iustice and Honesty and Kindness and Liberality above Pleasure and Riches and Life it self and the Common Good above ones private Interest argues a truely Great Mind and is most agreeable to human Nature These things I have mention'd not onely to clear the Nature of Magnanimity but to shew what generous Notions these Heathens had concerning the Practise of Vertue and Integrity even when it was accompanied with Losses and Hardships for the sake of it and what a mean Esteem they had in Comparison of that great Idol which the World still worships i. e. Riches 2. I now come to shew the true Measures of Magnanimity according to the Christian Doctrine And that consists in two things 1. In studying to Please God above all things 2. In choosing rather to Suffer than to Displease him 1. In studying to Please God above all things Aristotle hath observed that Magnanimity hath a particular Respect to Honour the Question then is whether it relates to what gets Esteem and Honour among Men or to that Honour which comes from God It 's true the Heathen Moralists knew very little of this although Aristotle once mentions the Kindness which God hath for Persons of the most excellent and vertuous Minds as being nearest of Kindred to the Gods But this was not settled as a Principle among them but it is the Foundation of all