must needs be subject yea every Soul not only for wrath but Conscience sake says S. Paul Rom. 13.1 5. Whenas at this time as is notorious Kings and Sovereiâ—â— Powers were Heathens Thus careful were they not to seem in the least to set Men free from any Relative Duties and Obligations towards their Heathen and Idolatrous Relations And this with the more exactness to cut off from the Heathen World who knew well enough the Dueness and Necessity of these things and the Guilt of the contrary without the Preaching of the Apostles all color for aspersing Christianity as overthrowing Justiâ—â— and Morality as pulling up Foundations of Nature and setting persons loose from the Obligations of their several Relations Which would have been the greatest Scandal that could haâ—â— been fixed upon Religion and have made it to turn the Moral and Natural Obligation as well as the Heathen Superstition of the World upside down Teach Wives to be obedient to their own Husbands and to take care of their Children that the Word of God be not blasphemed And Servants to be obedient shewing all good Fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in alâ— things says S. Paul Tit. 2.4 5 9 10. Submit 〈◊〉 every Ordinance of Man says S. Peter for so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the Ignorance of foolish Men. 1 Pet. 2.13 15. Again 2. He calls for these Relative Duties and Performances towards Men of all Religions whatever their Performance on their Part be towards us We must be dutiful Children to hard improvident or careless Parents and faithful Servants to 〈◊〉 and unequal Masters and obedient 〈◊〉 to bad Husbands and good and true 〈◊〉 to ill administring and unrighteous 〈◊〉 â—â—â—vants be subject with all fear not only to the 〈◊〉 and Gentle but also to the froward saith S. Peâ—â—â— not only whilst you receive Right but when 〈◊〉 good Conscience towards God you suffer wrongâ—â— at their hands 1 Pet. 2.18 19. 〈◊〉 Pontius Pilate was far from discharging the 〈◊〉 of a good Governor to our Blessed Saviour 〈◊〉 his Blood only to satisfie the Peoples Claâ—â—s against the Conviction of his own Conscience 〈◊〉 yet our Lord took care to approve himself a 〈◊〉 Subject towards him as he had done beâ—â—â— towards the Chief Priests forbidding his Serâ—â—â—â— to use the Sword against them in his own 〈◊〉 owning even at that time his Power 〈◊〉 from above Jo. 19.11 Ananias the High Priest did not sure perform 〈◊〉 his part when sitting to judge Paul by Law commanded him to be smitten contrary to the Law 〈◊〉 23.2 3. But yet even under this Grievance 〈◊〉 â—aul confesses he ought him all the same Duty 〈◊〉 he should have owed to a more just Judge â—â—d begs pardon for having forgot himself and not spoken so reverently towards him upon that occasion as the Law required towards the Ruler of the People Vers. 5. Saul unquestionably was guilty of Male-administration in an high degree and far from discharging towards David his Duty of Protection yea moreover he was reprobated by God or rejected from being King 1 Sam. 15.23 But yet for all that David was still bound in Conscience to perform his Duty of Subjection towards this unrighteous Sovereign As he did when he had the highest Temptation and the most Providential opportunities to rid himself of him owning him even then for the Lordâ— Anointed and saying Who can lift up a hand against him and be guiltless 1 Sam. 24.5 6. Ch. 26.9 Lastly No man will say the Emperors and Rulers in the Apostles Days performed the Part of Good Governors Persecuting the true Religion instead of Protecting it preying upon the Remains of Roman Liberties instead of preserving them and Ruling by Blood Injustice and Oppression instead of just and regular Administration But yet towards these Non-Performers and Notorious Violaters of Princes Duties the Apostles injoyn all the Subjects of the Empire most punctually and Conscientiously to discharge their Duties putting them in mind to be subject to Principalities and to obey Magistrates Tit. 3.1 not only for Wrath but Conscience Rom. 13.5 as the Will of God and for the Lord's sake 1 Pet. 2.13 15. All which God strictly exacted and Good Men in all times most Conscientiously performed not daring to shake off Subjection and rise up against God's Vice-gerents when they proved the most unjust Invaders of Religion and Rights as they who list may see proved at large In all these Relations each side must look to what concerns themselves Their Duties are Mutual but not Conditional so that we may not break with them tho they break with us The breach of their Part is ill in them And therefore since what is ill in one cannot be good in another the Breach of ours must needs be answerably ill in us too So that not to go along with them in an ill thing or be condemned for Company we must every one take care 〈◊〉 discharge our own Duty whether our Relatives make due Return of Duty and discharge theirs towards us or no. Indeed all the Laws of the Second Table or the Duties of Justice are absolute in Obligation without regard either to the Religion or to the Good Performances and Moral Qualities of Men. We must speak Truth and keep Faith and Promises especially when confirm'd by solemn Oaths and deal justly and where we have received Favours remember them gratefully especially in their need and return them as we can even towards the worst Persons to men of the worst Carriage and of the worst Religions Hereticks or Infidels The Jews â—ere for streightning the Exercise of Justice Gratitude and Kindness not extending it to men of an opposite and hated Religion but confining the Neighbour mention'd in the Law to a Fellow Jew or one of their own Nation and Religion But to cure this our Lord instructs them in the Parable of the man falling among Thieves that the Jews must be Neighbours even to the Samaritans bidding him that asked Who is my Neighbour after he had related how Neighbourly the Samaritan dealt by the Jew in Distress Go and do thou likewise Luk. 10.29 30 37. Honour thy Father and Mother thou shalt not kill thou shalt not commit Adultery thou shalt not steal thou shalt not covet thou shalt not bear false Witness are Commandments that oblige equally towards all Persons We are no more at Liberty to break any of them towards a Pagan than towards a Christian a Papist than a Proetstant an ill and unjust than towards a Good and Righteous Man More particularly kind we ought to be to the Houshold of Faith and those of our own way But just and true and grateful is what in common we are bound to be to all All this is plainly owned and implied in that Maxim which is confessed by all sober Persons and expresly denied by none but some wild Enthusiasts viz. That worldly Dominion
the third Commandment taught men to break the fifth not suffering a man to do any thing for his father and mother after once he had said It is Corban that is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me or I interdict what I have by the vow Corban from ever being helpful unto thee a Form among the Jews of forswearing to help others Which instead of being an approved way of keeping first Table-Duties our Lord charges as setting up the Commandments of men for Doctrines and making void God's Law through their Traditions Mat. 15.5 6 9. Mar. 7.11 We must not suffer our selves to be carried on to break the fifth sixth eighth ninth tenth Commandments i. e. to throw off Duty to our Parents Natural or Civil or any Obligation of Morality of Justice Truth or Gratitude towards men for the Honour and Glory of God or for either the new setting up and erection or the continuance and preservation of a more Orthodox pure and spiritual way of Worship and Devotion It is too common among the worldly wise to consent to several violations of Morality for the Preservation as they say of God's Church or Advancement of his Glory Meaning thereby the Glory and Preservation of a true and Orthodox Profession of Faith and of a pure and Gospel-Worship And the Glory sought thereby for these is to make them externally glorious to seat them in worldly Sway Power or Priviledge that men may own the Confessions and pay the Worship with external ease and encouragement to themselves or without Persecutions But is not God to be glorified and obeyed in his other Precepts as well as in these Confessions of Faith and pure Devotions And is it a way to glorifie him in one point by disgracing him in others Will he receive so much Glory and Service by the Orthodoxy as Disservice and Dishonour by the Immorality Is not God glorious in his Moral Attributes of Justice Faithfulness and the like as well as in the Unity and Spirituality of his Nature And is it not as necessary for those that would duly glorifie him to copy out and display his Glory in these Moral Excellencies as to own and declare it in the other Nay is he not particularly careful to call us to an imitation and Transcript of his Glory in these to be merciful as he is merciful Luc. 6.36 and holy as he who hath callâ—d us is holy and that in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 16 And to tell us that to be created after his Image the new man must put away lying and other immoralities and be formed in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.24 25 c. And must not the Church be preserved in true ways of Justice and Moral Duties as well as of Worship and Confessions of Faith Ought it not to be as much concerned for good Practice as for good Prayers and will it not get as much by good Life as by being Orthodox Nay can immoral men be saved in any Religion or will a good Worship recommend any to God in evil-doing or shall they enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that call Christ Lord Lord but do not obey him There is no way of glorifying God but by being intire in our Duty and performing all that he prescribes us Nor of advancing his Church but by advancing the Practice of all those Duties which are to recommend to save and signalize his Church We may confess the true Faith and Practise a pure and spiritual Worship in keeping all the other Commandments and without the breach of any yea and that in Persecutions if we please and dare run hazards And so may all other persons if they have the heart to do like us And 't is not for us to transgress any of them only as a way to remove hard Tryals from them or from our selves Which is not to glorifie God or our Duty or advance his Church but to discredit and disserve both for our own carnal ease and advantage 2. Secondly That a true Christian be ready to suffer for any point of Morality and Justice as well as for any point of Orthodoxy in Faith or Purity in Divine Worship For upon which soever of these they suffer the cause is Religious and they are alike Confessors The Duties of the first Table indeed have God not only for their Author but likewise for their Object and so are more particularly stiled Piety or Duties towards God on that account As are likewise some Duties injoined in the second Table viz. those of the fifth Commandment towards Parents and Magistrates who are in God's place and on that Account are sometimes in Scripture call'd Gods Thou shalt not revile the Gods saith the Law meaning thereby the Rulers Exod. 22.28 And thus St. Paul calls it shewing piety at home when Children relieve and requite their Parents 1 Tim. 5.4 And the undutiful are stiled â—ons of Belial and impious and Disloyalty impiety or Secundum Sacrilegium a Second Sacriledge as Tertullian's Phrase is But all other Duties are injoined by God and performed for his sake and are as truly Parts of Religion and he accordingly stands upon them as those which are more immediately referr'd to God himself For Religion lies in keeping of the Laws of God at large or in all the Duties of Justice and Morality as well as in the Duties and Acts of Piety The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation that is the Christian Religion consists in living soberly and righteously no less than in living godly in this present world according to St. Paul's distribution of Duties Tit. 2.11 12. And pure and undefiled Religion St. James describes by the moral Acts of visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction and keeping ones self unspotted from the world Jam. 1.27 And the Kingdom of God or the Religion of Christ the Apostle makes to consist in Righteousness and Peace those second-Table and moral Duties as well as in joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 So that to suffer for any second Table-Duties is to suffer for God's sake since God injoins them And to suffer for Religion since Religion implies them Tho they do not so immediately respect God yet are they as much required by Religion and as truly parts thereof as those that do Now it is suffering for Religion that makes men Confessors and Martyrs And this they do who suffer for the moral parts thereof What the Gospel declares blessed is being persecuted for Righteousness sake Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake Mat. 5.10 And if ye suffer for Righteousness sake happy are ye 1 Pet. 3.14 And there is as true and acceptable Righteousness in moral Duties as in any Confessions of Orthodoxy or Purity of Worship and Devotions The Confession which Christ requires of us is to confess him and his words Luk. 9.26 And the Martyrs in the Revelations are expressed by suffering for the Testimony of Jesus and for the word of
God Rev. 20.4 And we have as good word and command for these as we have for any others The Sufferers he respects are those that suffer for his Name Mat. 10.22 But all the Duties required by his Gospel are call'd by his Name And all the Acts of Morality which stood before on Natural Obligation now since he has injoined them and his Spirit helps us to perform them being practised out of Christian Principles and through the Grace of Christ are all become Christian. And the Losses he recompenses are Losses for his sake he that loses his life for my sake shall find it Mat. 10.39 Or as 't is in St. Mark For his sake and the Gospels Mark 8.35 And is it not purley for his sake and in regard to him that we perform any second Table-Duties when we are sure to lose by them And are not those Losses for the sake of the Gospel which are purely out of Conscience to Gospel-injunctions Thus are all the Comforts and Encouragements the Approbation and Acceptance of Gospel-Sufferers common and alike to both Tables And he is as true a Confessor that in Peril of Suffering gives his testimony against any Acts of Unrighteousness and Immorality as he that doth the same against any false Articles of Faith or Acts of false Worship and Idolatry I know among Good things there is a difference in degrees And especially he that suffers for owning Jesus to be the Christ suffers for the whole of the Gospel which is more than some particular Duties thereof whether relating to Faith Worship or moral Practice But sufferings for any are all of the same kind and quality they are alike Religious and the Sufferers alike Christ's Martyrs and Confessors And suitable is the received Judgment concerning Sufferers in these cases John the Baptist was one of God's blessed Martyrs tho the Cause he suffer'd for was that of the seventh Commandment or declaring against an unlawful and incestuous Marriage Mat. 14.3 4 5 10. The persecuted Prophets were brave and Noble Confessors among the Jews Tho what they suffered for and sought to revive was not always or only a right Worship but the Duties of Morality and Justice in Declaring freely and undauntedly not only against Idols or Calves and Groves and High Places but against Falshood and Rapine and Violence and Perversions of Justice and other Grievous immoralities wherewith the Jewish State was over-run in those Degenerate and Corrupt times Thus the Holy Women and Virgins were ranked in the List of Confessors and Martyrs who would Dye or Disfigure themselves rather than yield their Bodies to the Lusts of Tyrants and Persecutors And St. Dionysius of Alexandria tells Novatus It would be as Glorious a Martyrdom nay in my judgment says he a Greater for a man to suffer Death to prevent Schisms and the rending and tearing of the Church among themselves as to suffer the same for Profession of Christianity at the Hands of Persecutors So long as we are suffering for any Duty of our holy Religion be it of Piety or of Justice and Morality the difference as to this is not much To make a Martyr or Confessor it matters not for which Table 't is so long as it is for either And accordingly to be beheaded for the Word of God which extends alike to both is the Character of the Martyrs Rev. 20.4 Now contrary to this is the visible sense and carriage of too many persons For many alas even of those who are free to expose themselves and to suffer in testifying against False Worship and Idolatry seem much more indifferent and unconcern'd about suffering or standing out and Declaring against Unrighteousness and Immorality By Religion they are wont to mean chiefly Confession of Articles and Purity of Worship And to rate that to be suffering for Religion when they suffer for them or that to be acting for the Glory of God and the Good of Religion when this acting is to serve them Nay when 't is only to serve and secure those worldly Interests and Priviledges which are tacked to them And tho in Performance of this Service they take a greater Liberty and make bold with Moral Duties only that they may secure such external Freedom and Encouragement for such pure Worship and Confessions As if that God who has commanded one had not commanded the other as much Or as if we could oblige him by breaking some of his Commands to save others Yea when there is no need of or help by any such Breach to save any but all the intent and use thereof is only to save our selves Which tho it be Right and Reasonable in the Eye of the worldly Wise is not sure the way to be wise for God or for his Glory so far as that is made to lie in our Duty nor must ever pass for that Wisdom which comes by Christ Jesus CHAP. II. Other Ends of Christian Prudence A Fourth End proposed by Christian Prudence is as to discharge the Duties so to serve and promote the Honour of Religion To be wise for God is to be wise for Religion which is the only acceptable and effectual way of serving and honouring him And to contrive wisely for Religion must always study and seek the Honour of Religion For proportionably to the Honour and Esteem the World has for it is like to be their Acceptance and Observance thereof Spiritual Prudence therefore must ever take this care of Religion by acting so in all things where it is concern'd as may set it up highest in mens Opinion and gain it the most cordial Respect and greatest Reverence from them They must consider in these matters what serves best to convince men of the Truth and Sincerity to manifest the Power and Efficacy to set out the Worth and Excellency thereof And never take up with any ways how promising soever on other Accounts that would afford considerate men a Ground in Reason to suspect Religion as if it were a fictitious thing and the Profession thereof as if it were Hypocrisie Or to fansie all its magnified Power to be real weakness and unable to carry men on to the Practice of what before they did profess when in any trying Case they are brought to the push Such Reflections bring Religion under the greatest Dishonour and Disadvantage And therefore whosoever would act prudently for it must have an especial Eye to avoid any thing that would make Religion evil spoken of For this God was highly offended with the Jews that through them the Name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles Rom. 2.24 And for this the Apostle had great indignation against some False Christians that through them the way of Truth was evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2.2 And to prevent any thing of this among Christians are those Commands of God of walking worthy of the Gospel Eph. 4.1 Phil. 1.27 So as becometh Saints Eph. 5.3 Of adorning the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Tit. 2.10 Of walking
all of Almighty God It overthrows as all the Rules so all the Design of Religion and the Grounds of good Practice It can come into the Thoughts only of worldly-wise not of truly Religious Persons who never urged a Temporal Necessity against a Spiritual Duty being not men of this World but of a better There can never be any Necessity of Sinning to him that dare suffer And he who is resolved against Suffering may think himself a worldly-wise man but God will account him no good Christian. But this now is otherwise in the Wisdom of this World Necessity it thinks a Reason not to be argued or disputed And what it calls Necessary is what is necessary to one who is resolved to keep this World not to one who can part with it What is necessary not to one that would set God and Religion above the World but that sets the World uppermost and so makes a God of it If it talk of any thing being necessary for the Interest of God and Religion it means only for the worldly things about them It looks not what is necessary to keep Innocence for other things it accounts more necessary than that but what is necessary for carnal worldly Convenience It is more for things necessary to present Safety than for those which are necessary to good Hopes of Eternity And to make men safe here by affording visible Humane Securities not by ingaging the Protection of God and the Guard of an unseen Providence 2. Secondly Spiritual Prudence will never allow us to justifie any Breach of Duty by the Plea of Providence This is the way of worldly-wise men who are ready to catch at any thing as a good Argument of a way 's being approved by God and pleasing to him if it profits them If God give Success when they use unlawful ways and Expedients especially if in bringing that success about there are any surprising or remarkable Circumstances they cry up the Hand of God and think his prospering it so signally is his approbation God himself here say they is willing to become a Party and such Success is his Testimony But Spiritual Wisdom teaches us to take the Morality of Actions and the goodness or illness of things from Laws not from Providence It is the Laws of God in Nature or Scripture that must teach us our Duty and tell us what will please God or what will offend him Sin is the Transgression of a Law as St. John says and Obedience is the keeping of them And these Laws are publish'd in the Nature of things and the Word of God which are a plain and sure Promulgation of them But as for Providence its Design is not to be a Publisher of Precepts God's Providence is not an Act of his Legislation but of Judicature and Execution It s part is not first to shew and promulge Laws but supposing those promulged before to supervise the Carriage of those they were promulged to and execute their Sanctions Or to recompense Actions by suitable Events according as they have either transgressed or kept them The Judgments of God according to his Will before promulged we may read in the Events and Issues of Providence But what his Will is the Observance or Breach whereof Providence thus rewards or punishes we must read in the Moral Nature of Things and the Holy Scriptures 'T is a bad Use therefore of Providence to make it take off our Eyes from the Morality of Things and the plain Voice of Laws and look for what is pleasing to God and according to his Will only in the Events of Actions Which is like leaving the clear Light of the Sun to go to read by that of a Glow-worm 'T is to go read our Duty where it was not intended to be writ and Neglect or over-look the perusal of that where it is writ And 't is worse when we see both to make Providence carry against plain Laws and the Moral Nature of Things which is to turn the Signification of Providence not only against the Laws but against it self For the use of Providence is to be a Government according to those Laws and the Morality of Things It is to be a Maintainer of them by just Retribution and so is only to back and strengthen but never to oppose them And therefore Providence must never be urged in Favour of an ill and unlawful thing For since its right use is to be a Retribution of Laws and to reward Dutifulness all its right Signification and all our right Remarks thereupon must be only for Encouragement to keep our Duty but not to transgress it It must never be pressed against Laws but always for them and must only draw us to trust and depend upon God in a good thing but never in an ill one which Nature or the Holy Scriptures have forbidden Indeed as Providence is the Administration of God's Judicature here on Earth and he permits or disposes of Events of things or Actions in way of Government and Justice there is a Signification of his Liking or Disliking in these Disposals But 't is hard and unsure to fix this on Persons and Actions to say from these Issues of Providence alone who or what he is Pleased or Displeased withal For in the same Issues and Events Providence is Concerned with a Number of Persons of the most contrary Qualifications they are fatal to one and favourable to another But yet since therein he has an Eye at both from the Event alone we cannot say which God likes and which he dislikes whether the Success is to Reward the Actors Righteousness or to punish the Sufferers Wickedness Nay oft-times in the Justice of Providence God makes some Sinners the Executioners of others and punishes one by anothers Offences making them Grind each other to Pieces So that here on which side soever the Shew of Favor or Success falls it doth not Signifie that God is pleased with either He will speed one to punish another when he is offended with both The Assyrians Success was only as the Rod of God's Anger to scourge the wicked Nations Which once done he and his Ways being no more pleasing to God than the others were he was to be broken himself and fall under like Judgments Is. 10.5 12 16 c. The wicked who in their Course of Wickedness are far from being pleasing to him yet says the Psalmist are a Sword of thine and so long find Success therein Psal. 17.13 Yea as the Thriving of some is not always to shew Favor so the Sufferings of others in Events of Providence is not always to shew Displeasure For many times their Sufferings are not Designed to punish the Sufferers but only to try their Patience and refine and manifest their Virtues and rowze a sluggish World with the Sight of brave Examples Such was the meaning of David's Sufferings and Persecutions under Saul Such was the Signification of Providence in the Sufferings of Job of the holy Prophets of
or no as may be justly questioned in some instances usually alledged in this case particularly the Midwives Answer to Pharaoh 2. But besides this Instance of Veracity or not lying in Words there is also another Part of it which Christian Simplicity takes care of too and that is not to tell a Lye or deceive in Actions There is a Signification in several Actions as well as there is in Words and Expressions Some 't is true are more arbitrary and unsetled in their meanings and may signifie as men please But others are of more fixed and stated Significations I mean not only as Natural Signs and Indications of our Approbation or Dislike or other inward Sentiments But there is also as good Authority of Law or Institution or common and received Use and Custom to settle the Signification of some Actions as there is for Words themselves And accordingly in all reasonable Apprehension men are as much understood to have professed or declared things by some Actions and in all Courts shall stand as firmly bound by them as if they had utter'd the same things with their Mouths And being there is equally a setled Signification in Actions there is also room for our being true or false for affirming or denying in them as well as there is in words themselves Thus the Scripture mentions those who deny God in their works Tit. 1.16 And if my mouth hath kissed my hand the known and received Profession of Worship to the Sun or Moon saith Job I should therein have denied the God that is above Yea says he it had been an iniquity to be punished by the Judge or as good a Declaration of his being an Idolater whereof the Judges then took Cognizance as if he had professed so with his Lips Job 31.26.27 28. Thus they thought and believed in the Primitive Church teaching that men might confess or deny with other Faculties as well as with their Tongues by complying in Actions as well as by verbal Declarations If says the Ancient and Learned Author of the Commentary on St. Matthew whom for his Skill in expounding Scripture Erasmus in his Preface to the Reader Equals to St. Chrysostom himself If any one says he shall say unto thee Thou shalt not eat of things offer'd to the Idol but only view and behold the Idols how beautiful they are If thou lookest upon them on such a provocation thou hast denied Christ with thine eyes Not that 't is any thing to look on an Idol but herein is the Sin to look on such an invitation And if thou shalt refuse to look by such Refusal thou confessest Christ. Therefore it is written Turn away thine eyes lest they behold Vanity Psal. 118. But if he shall say to thee I ask not that thou shouldst look upon the Idol only listen and give ear how that Gentile blasphemes Christ that he may glorifie his own Gods if thou standest to hearken with thine ears thou hast denied Christ. If he shall say to thee I seek not to have thee hear Christ blasphemed but lo how they are offering Incense to the Gods only stand and receive the Odour of that Incense if thou comest near and smellest it by thy Smell thou hast offended Christ. Again if he says to thee Do not chew the flesh with thy teeth but only seem as if thou didst and feigâ— thy self to eat of the Sacrifice if thou shalt feign a Taste tho thou dost not taste it by thy Taste thou hast that way denied Christ. But if thou wilt not feign thou hast therein confessed him as Eleazar who by eating flesh that was really of his own provision would not fallaciously make as if he had eaten that of the Sacrifice commanded by the King 2 Macch. 6. If he shall say to thee I would not have thee feign thy self to eat of the Sacrifice but only touâ—h the Idol with thine hand or hold an 〈…〉 if thou touchest or handlest it by thy touch thou hast denied Christ but if thou refusest by thy Touch thou hast confessed him as it is written If there be any iniquity in my hands For all the Faculties and Members either of thy Soul or Body God hath created not only with an Eye to thee for use but also to himself for his own Glory And since men may thus affirm or deny in their Actions as well as in their Expressions they may be alike true or false shew Veracity or Lying in both We may do a Lye as well as tell a Lye and deceive by working no less than by speaking as the Scripture tells us of working Deceit Psal. 101.7 and of Deceitful workers 2 Cor. 11.13 calling those False Apostles So who as Chrysostom notes assuming only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Person and outward appearance of Truth thus acting a Part served the Purposes of Errour all their fair shews being only acting a Part to deceive men And as this is true of Facts so likewise of Non-Facts or Omissions in things which we are bound to do and profess The not doing these as I formerly noted when we are called to them signifies our being ashamed of them or denying them as the same would be signified by our Expression Confession of a Duty may be by our Practice as truly as by our Words and Denial thereof may be by the same And therefore if we refuse to do it when God gives us a just Call thereto in our visible Practice we disown tho it may be at the same time inwardly in our hearts we joyfully embrace it Now Christian Simplicity will not allow us to falsifie any of these ways As we may not lye concerning any of the Articles of Faith So neither concerning any of the Duties or Laws of Practice And as it is against the Duty of speaking the Truth in our heart to speak against what we inwardly believe of them in Words so likewise to do against it in Actions Truth must be kept in Doing as well as in Speaking the same Sincerity shewn in the use of either Sign since both are of fixed and instituted Signification Among significant Actions there is more particularly a Signification in the Observance of Days which are known and plain Professions of what is aimed at in such Observations To observe a Day of Thanksgiving for instance for any Event is to profess that we are glad of that Event and thankful to God for it To observe a Day of Fasting if it be impetratory or for obtaining something future is a Profession that we are desirous of that future thing and would ingage God to bring it about Or if it be chiefly penitentiary and for bewailing something past that we are sorry for it and seek to appease his Wrath provoked thereby Now if men would deal with the Simplicity of Christians in these Observances unless in heart they are inwardly affected as the keeping of these Days testifies and rejoyce or desire as such Observance professes they should not joyn or
OF CHRISTIAN PRUDENCE OR RELIGIOUS WISDOM Not Degenerating into IRRELIGIOUS CRAFTINESS IN Trying Times LONDON Printed for Jo. Hindmarsh at the Golden Ball over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1691. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Christian Prudence seen in chusing Right Ends. ITS Ends are 1. In every Particular to do our Duty 2. In every Point to make us see what is our Duty Both these are contrary in Fleshly Wisdom 3. It is alike for taking care of both Tables And as ready to suffer for any Point of Morality and Justice as for Purity of Worship and Orthodoxy of Faith CHAP. II. Other Ends of Christian Prudence 4. A Fourth End is as to perform the Duties so to promote the Honour of Religion Of honouring it externally in our Carriage Of Confession Of not changing Doctrines as we change Interests Nor being glad of any Temporal Advantage by ill things CHAP. III. Christian Prudence for Pleasing God and a good Conscience Against Popularity A Fifth End is to please God This will take us ofâ— from Popularity And to please our own good Conscience Of the contrary ways of worldly Wisdom Greatness of Numbers should not draw to anâ— ill thing nor want of Number drive from a good one CHAP. IV. Of not Doing Evil that Good may come This not justifiable by Pretence of Serviceableness to God To the Publick To our selves As accomplishing by these ways some approved Predictions CHAP. V. Of the Plea of Necessity Providence or Prophecies for doing ill Spiritual Prudence allows not of setting aside any Duty 1. On Plea of Necessity 2. Nor justifies it by Plea of Providence 3. Nor by Plea of Prophecy CHAP. VI. SECT I. Of Christian Simplicity and Sincerity And of not Deceiving by Actions Simplicity sometimes notes Unwariness which is no Virtue The difference between the Wariness of the Virtuously simple and of the Fleshly wise Virtuous Simplicity implies 1. Veracity in opposition to Falshood and Lyes Against telling a Lye in Words Or in Actions Of Profession by Observance of instituted Days for Religious Purposes Of Breach of Simplicity herein and in other Actions and by the Libellatici in the Primitive Church 2. A double Tongue A double Practice 3. Openness opposite to Concealment and close Reserves and Plainness opposite to misleading Dress 4. Harmlesness opposite to Dolus Malus The Ground of this Simplicity Preservation of Equality In what Things especially to be shewn and by whom Of the contrary Method of worldly Wisdom CHAP. VI. SECT II. Of Christian Simplicity and Sincerity A second thing implied in Simplicity is Singleness opposite to double Dealing Against a double Mind and Heart CHAP. VII Of not discharging Relative Duties for Ends of Religion or of our own Ease No Discharge of Relative Duties when they grow burdensom for Ends of Religion or of our own Ease No such Discharge towards Relatives of different Religions Or that perform not their part towards us Instead of putting by 't is wont to accomplish Fears This proved from remarkable Instances and Rules of Scripture A Rule to prevent being intangled therein CHAP. VIII Of the Imprudence of pursuing our Ends by unlawful Means The Prudence as well as Religion of not betaking our selves to unlawful Means CHAP. IX Of partaking in the Sins of others He partakes in an unlawful thing 1. That Orders and Commands it 2. Who when in place and station for it doth not duly shew himself to stop and prevent it Thus Magistrates and Parents partake And Ministers when they fail to warn against a Sin or mislead people therein or teach it by corrupt Doctrine or inventing Salvo's for Sin Instances of these among the Jews The great Guilt and sad Consequences hereof 3. Who under another ministers in an unlawful business 4. Who as an Equal helps it forward Several ways of doing this 5. Or who approves it afterwards which set off in sundry particulars 6. Who caused others to sin or gave Scandal by ill Example CHAP. X. Of Relyance on Providence and the Benefit Religion makes by outward Sufferings A third Rule of Christian Prudence about Means is in compassing Effects to look more at Providence than at Humane Appearances A Fourth is to see how well it may compass the Ends of Christianity by Sufferings Christianity is a passive Religion and Christians are to have passive Spirits Some Rules to ingenerate passive Spirits CHAP. XI Of Spiritual Prudence chusing Seasons and tempering to Circumstances 1. It is for taking the most advantageous Seasons in its Prusuit Three Rules to prevent setting aside any Duties as out of Season in compliance with carnal Wisdom 2. It is for tempering what we do to Circumstances Three Rules to prevent such tempering thereof as would impair or give it up for our external Quiet 3. Of flight in Persecutions Of Flight of Pastors Some Rules to keep off from doing harm to our Duty in Caution to avoid harm to our selves CHAP. XII Of Caution in preventing Harm by any Duties and of Flight in Persecutions 3. It is for shewing Caution to prevent ill Consequences Of staying for a Call in persecuted Duties CHAP. XIII Of Spiritual Prudence in Worldly Matters or as over-ruling all other inferior Prudence about things of this Life And of Solicitude The Rules of Religion are the truest Wisdom for the Ends of this Life When worldly Wisdom thwarts these Rules in pursuit of any Ends of this Life it over-rules it in such Motions Thus when it is apt to transgress about Ends or about Means Some Rules for this The point of Solicitude stated Of fleshly Wisdom are all so many Branches of Jesuits Morals which are not to be taken up to drive out Popist Superstitions CHAP. XIV A Recommendation of Christian Prudence The Prudence and Simplicity hitherto described recommended from St. Paul's Practice 2 Cor. 1.12 The contrary Rules ERRATA Pag. 16. lin 22. dele the figure 1. p. 18. l. 14. for Equal read Equally p. 24. l. 5. purly r. purely p. 36. l. 16. drive r. drove p. 41. l. 20. necessity r. necessity p. 55. Ch. 3. after the Title dele the first five lines and begin the Chapter Fifthly and lastly p. 136. l. 11. p. 151. l. 5. fool r. foot p. 200. l. 3. dele Take p. 207. l. 21. in justice r. injustice p. 264. l. 3. r. St. Peter p. 320. â—27 far r. for OF GODLY WISDOM OR Religious Prudence Not Degenerating into irreligious Craftiness in Trying Times MAnkind were formed and placed by God in this World but design'd for another And the condition and employment of our Life here is to be a passage through this World in pursuit of and preparation for a better And whilst we are duly careful for the next and omit nothing that is to bring us to the end of our Stage we may wisely provide for this too and contrive for our quietness and convenience by the way The way to the other World of true and perfect Joys are all the Duties and Directions of Religion
Truths which a little deliberation and enquiry would shew to be Falshoods Former Tenets and Opinions which usually are so very tedious and difficult to be extirpated shall be laid aside upon much less Argument and offer of proof than that whereby they had before been maintained Yea the very same things shall be offered as good Arguments which when offered by others had been cast out and confuted as false ones Variety of Topicks shall be started to make up in number what they lack in weight And tho all are so uncertain that they who use them keep themselves upon the reserve and are afraid to stand or fall by any one alone yet they shall conclude that some or other of them is right and sufficient to prove what they draw from it Which I think is not the way of seeking Truth but serving Interest 'T is to resolve upon the conclusion before one sees the Reason which can make it good Worldly Wisdom says this must be held and then if one Topick that is pressed for proof cannot make it out another must Yea confessedly weak and false Arguments shall pass for Evidence and great Names or Numbers when they fall on this side fleshly Wisdom will call in its own Case a proof of Right Tho looking abroad every where else in the World where store of Opinions about other matters have these same Supports and yet are condemned by our selves at the same time in our Neighbors Case it shall be ready to Declare that Names and Numberâ— are no sure Argument of Truth but too commonly the false colour and fair show of Errour These and such like are the effects of that affected ignorance which worldly Wisdom would be held in of any Duties which it is like to lose by And this is quite opposite to spiritual Prudence and must never be yielded to by any that would make sure their eternal concerns or pass for truly religious honest virtuous Dispositions In matters of Salvation the best and truest security is being in the right way And I know no relief for any man in the wrong but a sincere willingness to see and follow the right when the Providence of God shall lay it sufficiently before him Which gives no relief at all to those who for want of love to a saving Truth especially when persecuted and through too much love of this world are afraid to come in the way thereof and unwilling to let it in 1. It is not enough for one that seeks to approve himself a good man that he follow that Duty which he sees but he must also take care to see every thing which is his Duty that he may follow it The Knowledge of our Duty must not sure be ranked among indifferent things for Faith as well as Obedience makes up the Gospel-terms To believe and know what Christianity makes necessary to be known is as requisite as to Do what it makes necessary to be Done Nay to know those things which are necessary to be Done is as necessary as to Do them since we cannot do them till we know them Indeed if the Ptovidence of God affords not an honest mind the opportunity of such Knowledge he will graciously connive both at the want of Knowledge and Practice But if we have no mind to know what we might know we shall suffer both for the want of Practice and Knowledge 'T is plainly there a want of Virtue in the heart that causes a want of Understanding in the head such evil doers as our Lord says love darkness and hate the light and will not come to it lest their deeds should be reproved Joh. 3.19 20. An honest mind must never be unwilling or afraid to see its Duty no not where 't is most costly It must have a Love for it when 't is persecuted as well as when 't is applauded when in the eye of the world it is a losing as well as when it is a gaining Virtue They must receive the love of the Truth that they may receive the belief thereof and to keep off as St. Paul says from being of their number that perish in their unrighteousness by believing lyes because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved thereby 2 Thess. 2.10 11 12. This Love will not only make them to listen to it but to be inquisitive after it where sufficient instruction is not voluntarily offer'd and thankfully to see and receive the will of God whether it be with their worldly interest and fleshly inclination or against them And this is true Docility and Teachableness of Temper which is what the Scripture calls the ear to hear or the necessary Preparative profitably to hear a Religious or Moral Lecture 'T is necessary to Faith especially of those Truths or Laws of God which are more unsavoury and uneasie to flesh and blood And being such a previous Requisite of Faith and implied in it 't is sometimes in Scripture expressed thereby Pray that I may be delivered from unreasonable men says St. Paul for all men have not faith 2 Thess. 3.2 Noting those who receive or reject what is tender'd only by Humour or inclination of Flesh and Blood not by Reason as men void of Faith i. e. of a teachable Temper and Disposition 3. Thirdly Christian Prudence is alike for taking care of both Tables or for discharging faithfully as all the Duties of Piety so equall all others of Justice and Morality Since both are equally parts of God's will they are equally a matter of its care and its constant aim and study is how it may inviolably observe both and transgress neither but never to set one against the other Both Tables it receives as coming from one Authority and claiming one Obedience Well knowing that he that said Thou shalt not worship an Idol said also Thou shalt not kill or steal And if thou keep free from Idolatry yet if thou kill as St. James argues in this case thou art become a Transgressor of the Law Jam. 2.11 There is no transgressing of one to save another nay there is no breaking of one to save all For whosoever shall keep the whole Law besides saith the same Apostle and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all v. 10. And if for breaking that one he will be punish'd as if he had broke all there cannot be any room left to think of breaking one tho it were upon pretence to save all Which I call a Pretence because indeed it is a mere Pretence For the Commandments never oppose one another and we can never reasonably pretend to break the latter that we may keep the former since if we please we may at all times keep both and as we never can have any Authority so neither can we be under any necessity of breaking either The Effect and Consequence I shall observe from hence is 1. First That we never oppose the first to the second Table As the Pharisees who to keep
Disciples in shunning it it can be no Condition of their Worthiness to take it up Lastly were it no Point of Duty and Religion for which they were sure to be finally rewarded this taking up a Duty with the Cross upon it could have nothing inviting here for them to Glory and Triumph in it And yet this our Saviour and his Blessed Apostles direct all good Christians to do at such times If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ or for Righteousness sake as Ch. 3.14 happy are you for the Spirit of Glory rests upon you 1 Pet. 4.14 If any man sâ—ffer as a Christian let him glorifie God on that behalf v. 16. 3. In these Confessions it is another Part of Spiritual Prudence not to stay till we are under an absolute Necessity or Force but to confess with Freeness I do not say this is absolutely necessary in all cases And when there is utmost Peril the Torture extreme and Confession Capital the case is Pitiable and to wait in case of several Truths or Duties for Proof from Prosecutors seems more excusable But this is only connivence and Condescension to Humane weakness and to be Free in owning any necessary Articles or part of Virtue and Godliness on a just Call thereto openly preferring it to our own Lives is the Praise of Confessors and most excellent and rewardable in it self Being judicially asked he voluntarily confesses it being condemn'd he gives thanks for it says Tertullian of the Primitive Confessors This again is for the Honour of Duty and Religion that its Followers are not driven by Nenessity but led to own it by Affection 'T is not for its Reputation that its own Servants would do no more for it than they needs must nor appear in its Cause so long as they can lie hid This argues it to be little beloved by its own Retainers and that the acknowledgments it has from them at such Trying times is out of Fear which needs to be driven not from Love much less from Zeal which would shew forth not only a free but Forward Motion Men may serve the Duty when they shew not their Adherence till they are necessitated to it but to Honour it they must move of themselves and be prompt and forward to profess it And this Freeness as it is requisite to the Honour of any Part of Duty or Religion So I think is implied in the Nature of Confession Conviction indeed may be a forced thing and we are at Liberty there to plead Not-Guilty and not own the Charge till it is judicially proved upon us And this may be taken by all Malefactors in what they are ashamed of and acknowledge to be ill things But Confession is to be our own and the Praise of it lies in being a voluntary and free thing and of our selves we are to profess and own there on any just Call when in way of publick Tryal or Private Usefulness we are put to the Question And this is the way in any Duties which we profess to glory and triumph in When we stay to have it Proved upon us as if it were a thing we would not own but are ashamed of we are Convicted as Criminals Or if we come in as Confessors there it is as having before voluntarily and freely chosen to be or Do what we plainly saw would bring us into Danger we are Confessors only in respect of what we practised or Professed under terrifying Prospects before not in Respect of our present Answer But when we are ready to own it our selves and to glory in what they accuse that is a further Degree and then we answer as Confessors And this Freedom and Promptness to own and profess such persecuted Truths or Duties was most eminently seen and honourably discharged as I noted from Tertullian yea sometimes to Excess in the Primitive Liberty or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Ancient Confessors The Zeal of Numbers carrying them under the greatest Hazards and amidst the most terrifying Examples to profess before they were accused and Pâ—blish in open Court their own Faith whilst they saw their Brethren Tryed and Condemned for it as we learn abundantly from the Story of those Times 4. I shall add in the last Place that 't is for the Honour of Religion in these Confessions that they be divested of too scrupulous and nice a Care of our worldly Interests I do not condemn all prudent Care of Confessors for securing their worldly Concerns when their Duty is first secured and they are not wanting either by Word or Deed to assert and honour it as they are call'd to it When they have taken care to save Religion and a good Conscience first they may be allowed a just and reasonable Care for saving what they have in this World next it being reasonable that they should save what they well can when 't is against Reason and Religion too that they should lose any thing And thus the Apostles and Primitive Christians about Jerusalem when they saw the Storm coming on sold their Lands and private Properties putting the Prices into the hands of the Church in Preparation for the approaching Wants and Confiscations Acts 4.34 c. But I think they are most Honourable to Religion when they are not most Solicitous at such times nor exact in all Arts and Methods of indemnifying themselves Such Confessions are a Tryal of the Spirituality of our Minds how able they are to contemn this World and how far they are set above it and how strong their Faith and Trust in God is And we acquit our selves best in manifesting this when we only shew a moderate Care and take the plainest and most reputablâ— ways of Saving when we are not scrupulously exact in things or immoderately Solicitous 〈◊〉 stretch to the utmost Lengths we dare in any indemnifying Arts which may fully this Profession and Proof of Spirituality by a suspicion of Earthly-mindedness and of Faith in God's Providence by signs of immoderate Care for our selves Oâ—â— Sufferings as well as our Service is Honourable and Useful to God and Religion at such times A Prophane and Atheistical World and an exploded Duty need a suffering Testimony And when we may exalt and advance our Duty by our Losses as well as by our Practice and Professions godly Wisdom looks more to serve God and Goodness than to secure our selves bidding such Loss of Goods welcome and taking it joyfully as the manner was of the Primitive Saints And tho it will not rashly and unnecessarily without a Call throw its worldly things away yet when 't is call'd thereto it will not be over-careful or scrupulously inquisitive how to keep them Now all this is contrary in the aim of worldly Wisdom It s great End is to be Free and forward in getting but forced in losing worldly things to move of it self in any way of compassing but to move no faster than 't is driven in any way of parting with them It will readily
good Books where the Duties themselves are Practically and Particularly treated of But besides this seeing what Means are fitteâ—â— for the Discharge of any Duties Another part oâ— Prudence is to see in such Discharge what wayâ— are fittest for its or our own outward Encouragement or that we may Do it with most Ease Convenience and Safety to our selves This Prudence looks at in all our Ways whether the Discharge of Duty or any others that are free and left to our selves And this Prudence Christianity must moderate that our Care for our Safety neveâ— carry us against or make us careless of our Duty And upon both these viz. The ways of Securing both Religion and our selves I shall observe severaâ— Limitations which in regard to the Nature and Rules of Christianity Spiritual Prudence lays on us whilst a Latitude is given therein by Fleshly Wisdom and taken by the worldly Wise. 1. In the first place then I observe of Spiritual Wisdom that it is never for doing Evil that Good may come This Good is any Fleshly Convenience or Benefit of this World that concerns us either as Men or Christians And this whose worldly Convenience soever it serves whether our own or our Friends and Relations whether of few or many private or publick of Religion or Civil Government Church or State These things are the main Care of the Wisdom of the Flesh and the great Mark which the Prudence of this World drives at And Spiritual Prudence allows the seeking thereof so long as it is without Sin but it gives no leave to Do ill i. e. to omit any Duty or transgress any Commandment for them I speak of Commandments that require things of a Natural or Moral Obligation In mere Positives as Circumcision Shew-Bread and the Sabbatick-Râ—st God sometimes allows more Liberty in case of Necessity or Great Convenience As the Omission of Circumcision was Conniv'd at for the extream Burdensomness thereof whilst they were in a Travelling State in the Wilderness But Natural or Moral Obligations are not to give way to any outward Convenience In case of these Spiritual Prudence is not for Doing a Spiritual Ill for any Worldly Good It will rather suffer any Ill than Do it It gets by the Ill it suffers if it can suffer with Patience and Innocence But it always loses by the Ill it doth Tho it get a worldly Convenience it parts with what is incomparably better its Integrity and a good Conscience It will never yield to commit a Sin no not for the Worldly Convenience of the things of God and Religion not owning that corrupt and ungodly Maxim of breaking Religion to preserve Religion Be wise as Serpents but simple and innocent as Doves saith our Saviour Mat. 10.16 That is says an old and learned Comment to speak in a word be wise as Serpents that you may understand and shun what is ill But be simple as Doves that you may not Do any thing that is ill It may seem needless perhaps to prove this to be a Rule and Precept of true Spiritual Wisdom to Christians or indeed to any Persons of Natural Honesty and good Moral Tempers But yet we see by sad Experience when they are brought to the Pinch and cannot have the Good they seek without Doiâ—g Ill for it That not only Christians but Christians of all Persuasions are ready to think and profess 't is otherwise This is the General Effect of the VVisdom of the Flesh and in their Necessities offers it self and too oft God knows with over-much Success to all that have Fleshly Natures and is not confin'd to any Sects or Parties They that will blame it when they do not need it and cry out of it in others are ready alass most shamefully many times to justifie it in their need and practise by it themselves But when they do thus it is only at the Incitation of Fleshly Wisdom of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Craftiness that makes use of any thing which will help on a Design and which the Scripture notes and taxes in VVorldly wise Men Eph. 4.14 1 Cor. 3.19 But is what Religion and Christian Prudence which contrives more for God and Goodness than for VVorldly Convenience will never allow of This Doing a Spirituall Ill that a Worldly Good or Convenience may come thereby is not to be justified 1. First by any Pretence of Serviceableness or Ends of Piety towards God VVe must never Sin for him or Transgress his Laws to please or do him Service He has no need of our Sins for 't is only human Impotence which has no place in him that is the Parent of and puts upon all unlawful Expedients And he will never accept or be served by them For our Service is not so much to Do him Good who being all Fullness and perfectly happy in himself stands in no need of any thing from us as to shew our Obedience And if the acceptance of all our Services lies in our Obedience we cannot think he will ever count himself served by seeing his Laws broken and himself therein disobey'd When Saul spared the Fat things the best of the Sheep and Oxen of the Amalekites it was indeed a Breach of Duty God having expresly commanded him to destroy all and spare none but it was upon a Pretence of Piety They were spared as he pleads for himself only for a Sacrifice which he thought was more for God's Glory and Service 1 Sam. 15 15. But what says God to Saul's committing this ill to do good to him or sinning for his Glory and Interest Hath the Lord as great delight in Sacrifice and Burnt-offerings as in obeying the Voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better than Sacrifice i. e. than to yield to an Act of Disobedience that we may have a Sacrifice and to hearken than the Fat of Rams v. 22. When well-meaning Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it to bear it up when the Oxen shook it and it tottered in the Cart he did ill 't is true for he touch'd it with a forbidden hand God having order'd on any Carriage of the Sanctuary and of the Ark that no unhallowed hand of those that bare it should touch any holy thing lest they dye Num. 4.5 15. But this ill thing he did in an apparent danger and with a most visible appearance of Good to come to the Things of God thereby What might Uzzah think may not I especially in a seeming little thing transgress one Precept when there is an apparent necessity for it to save even the Ark of God that Glory and Strength of Israel as 't is called or to keep and Preserve a Church already tottering from tumbling to the Ground But how doth God receive this unlawful indeed but well meant Course of committing a seemingly little Sin to save the things of his own House which he himself had made of highest Dignity and Importance The Anger of the
Circumvention Prov. 14.8 Their Counsels says he again are Deceit Prov. 12.5 The Wisdom of this World saith S. Gregory is to cover and conceal their hearts by subtle Sleights and Devices to Draw a Veil before their Meanings by dark or deceitful Expressions to mak◠Falshoods appear as if they were Truths and Truth◠pass for Falshoods The general aim of worldly Wisdom indeed is to compass its End by any means And where it has Power and Confidence enough it will not stay perhaps to go about and use Deceit but serve it self by open Violence But in most Cases it needs to serve its Ends by keeping them undiscerned Or when it doth serve ill Ends it would also save its Credit by not being thought to serve them which is by Deceit So that Deceit is its great and usual Instrument But contrary to this Simplicity and Plain-Dealing are the great Duty and inviolable Care of Christian Wisdom We have renounced the hidde◠things of Dishonesty saith S. Paul not walking i◠craftiness 2 Cor. 4.2 There is scarce any thing that makes us Degenerate so far from Spiritual Nobleness as Fraud and Deceit and nothing doth more hurt in the Church than versute Simulation saith S. Chrysostom Simplicity is what Christ requires of us at the most pressing Seasons when we are put most to our Wits and Driven to use any Arts or Double Dealings to save our selves Behold says he to his Disciples I send you forth as Sheep in the midst of Wolves be ye therefore wise as Serpents but innocent as Doves Mat. 10.16 The Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Simplicity as well as Innocency So 't is rendered Rom. 16.19 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Translated Wise concerning Good and Simple concerning Evil. And accordingly in some Manuscripts our Saviours Words are read not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most Simple 〈◊〉 are the Doves If any thing could excuse the Subtilty of Foxes their Doublings and Deceitful Turnings it would be the Pressing Necessity of such Times when all their fallacious Arts are only Evasions and they betake themselves to ways of Delusion and of begetting a wrong Belief or Expectation in others only to save themselves Yet even then will not Christ allow his Followers to use any more of the Serpentine Subtilty than what consists with the Doves Simplicity And accordingly S. Paul when he speaks of his being pressed in Asia out of measure above strength when they had the Sentence of Death and no hope in themselves yet professes for all this that he had held his Conversation in the World not with Fleshly Wisdom but in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity and by the Grace of God 2 Cor. 1.8 9 12. And it was amidst all the great Tryals and Perils he run through in the Discharge of his Ministry under which says he we faint not that instead of ever having Recourse to he Declares as I noted how he had renounced the hidden things of Dishonestty or Shame never privately betaking himself to that which he should be ashamed to have known abroad not walking in Craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully 2 Cor. 4 1 2. In such Tryals Faith in God and Trust in Providence made all that up to them which crafty Shifts do to carnal Politicians who can ground no Hope but in humane Appearances They would never part from their Simplicity for carnal Security Whilst they were in this or any other discharge of Duty which is God's way they knew they were in God's hand and so long they were not afraid of whatsoever could befal them In the Acceptation of the World Simplicity has one Sense wherein it is no Virtue viz. as it signifies Unwariness A simple man in the common way of speaking is the same as an unwise or unwary man that doth not see before or look about him And this is no Commendation of Goodness but impeachment of Discretion it shews no Person to have a better Heart but only a weaker Understanding It argues nothing but that a Man either wants Understanding or neglects the use thereof when he needs to shew it which is no Ornament in the Eyes of God more than 't is in the Eyes of men And instead of calling us to Simplicity in this sense true Spiritual Wisdom calls it How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and ye Fools hate knowledge Turn ye at my reproof says Wisdom Prov. 1.22 23. But the Simplicity which is a Virtue and which Christian Wisdom injoyns is only Veracity and Plainness in what it shews to others not Improvidence or Unwariness in what it either doth to or expects from them It doth not think every Person it has to do withal means honestly because it means so it self nor by heedless Security or Short-sightedness doth expose it self without any Guards against Dangers or dishonest Actions The virtuously simple are provident and wary as well as the worldly crafty but with this difference The Caution of the virtuously Simple is first against Sin and next to that against Suffering It is more concern'd how to keep true and innocent than how to keep safe and quiet In seeking either to obtain Good or shun Loss its Eye and Care is in the first place to do nothing that will offend God or is of ill Report and dishonourable to Religion nor that will delude the Opinion or abuse the Faith and Expectation of men And when this Consistency with Religion and a good Conscience is taken care for but not before it is as wise and watchful to remove or avoid all worldly Evil as it can It seeks out the Subtility and Wisdom of the Serpent when according to our Lord's Rule it has first secured the innocency of the Dove It first considers of the Lawfulness of the way it is about to take and then is moved by the Expedience or Usefulness thereof but never admits of the least thought of doing it self or others good by the Breach of any Commandment But contrariwise the Caution of the Crafty or of the Wisdom of the Flesh is either all or at least in the first place against Suffering and none at all or only in the next place against Sin The Caution of this World is for the Ends and things of this World To save our worldly Interests or serve our fleshly Ease and Appetites is that which it would have first done And that if it can by ways of Innocence Truth and Openness but yet so as to take up with unlawful means with Arts of Falsehood or things of ill Report rather than it should be left undone And this where it bears the most good will for Religion but too often the Caution of fleshly Wisdom or worldly Craft is all against Persecution Loss or Suffering but none at all against Sin So that in any case it only considers what is fit to be done for Interest in this World And
wickedness 1 Sam. 2.17.24 And thus it is when the Ministers of God shall go before the People in an idolatrous or superstitious worship Or in prostituting and prophaning of Prayers and Praises to immoral uses immorality and injustice being as certainly abominable to God in worship as superstition is applying all the Solemnities of Prayer and Thanksgiving to the countenancing and carrying on of wicked and unrighteous things As the Jews who whilst they were going on in the greatest immoralities as Theft Murder Perjury c. would in the midst thereof recommend themselves and their ways to God in his own house so prophaning the most sacred Services of Religion to credit and set off their wickedness and say we are deliver'd to Do or as the Syriack deliver us O Lord whilst we are Doing all these abominations By which prophane usage his house as he says was become a den of Robbers or a place to protect to shew forth and carry on injustice in their eyes Jer. 7.9 10 11. Or when they go before them in horribly perverting the Solemnities of Repentance their Fastings and Humiliations not to cure but to carry on their unrighteousness As the Lord complained of the Jews who fasted for unjust strife and debate and to smite not in a righteous cause but with the fist of wickedness not with intent to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoak or depraved judgment and sentence as the Chaldee nor to loose the bands of wickedness i. e. tied on by the Congregation of wicked Judges in fraud of the innocent as from the Chaldee Grotius notes but to bind those bands still faster on Isa. 58.4.6 Or lastly when they shall lead them on in gross hypocrisie and dissimulation uttering those desires or affections to God in words which they neither have themselvâ—s nor would have others to have in their hearts which may come under the sending forth hypocrisie through the Land or gross dissimulation and plain mockery of God that according to the rendring of the margin is so severely threatned Jer. 23.15 When the Ministers of God who in Prayers and Devotions are the mouths of the People shall by these or any other ways put ill things into their mouths and lead them on not in a pure but in a polluted and prophane Service or otherwise in any wicked or unrighteous thing tâ—ey are accountable for their followers as well as for themselves and must expect to share in their Peoples unrighteousness or impiety as well as to bear the burthen of their own 3. Thirdly Through false Doctrine when they teach them to take darkness for light preach peace where they should denounce judgements and so either at first seduce or afterwards sâ—rengthen and confirm them in any ungodly or unrighteous thing This is like to be the consequence of the former For if once the Guides go before the People in an unlawful thing their practice will be headed by a Doctrine to call in others and to justifie and bear out both what their People and themselves have done And thus to teach Men to sin is to be guilty of their sins with a witness He that shall break the least of these Commandments and shall teach men so shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.19 And thus it is when the Ministers of Christ instruct and hearten on their followers to do any thing contrary to right and justice to Christian simplicity truth and faithfulness to their Promises or Oaths to the Duties they owe God or God's Vicegerents or to any Commandment respecting either God our Neighbour or our selves This teaching others to go against the obligation of any of God's Laws is commonly by distinguishing away a Duty so to shorten and abridge it that it shall not reach us Or to blanch and varnish over our own actions with palliations or fair Pleas and Pretences of excuse that they may not be thought to oppose or infringe it This pains in making such Fig. leave covers for moral Nakedness and starting plausible Palliations for foul Practices God taxes as daubing in the false Prophets One that is the People Built a Wall says he viz. of ill manners and loe others i. e. the false Prophets whom he there accuses Daubed it with untempered Mortar i. e. palliated or blanch'd it over with fair Colours and Pretences that thro these as Grotius notes men might not see the filthiness of their Vices Ezek. 13.10 Such was their Pretence who bore the Jews in hand that the securing of Religion or of Gods Temple and Service would defend and warrant them in any Acts of immorality and unrighteousness The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord was what they had to oppose as a sufficient defensative against all denunciations of judgments for perversion of Justice and which therefore God tells them were lying words and would fail those that relyed on them Jer. 7.4.8 And when there was nothing but Bribery and Corruption the Heads judging for Reward and the Priests teaching for hire and the Prophets Divining for Money yet would they say none evil can come upon us and that leaning on the Lord because the Lord is amongst us Mich. 3.11 And this Grotius conceives was the Salvo of those false Prophets of Jerusalem who so strengthened the hands of evil-Doers that none returned from his wickedness viz. as he explains it by flattering them in their vices and promising things prosperous because of the Temple and the House of David Jer. 23.14 These Salvos and Palliations they woâ—ld still start anew as in the way they were iâ—gaged in any came to need them and fit them to every ones case Which God in Ezekiel calls making Kerchifs or Vales for every Stature i. e. as he Comments fair Pretences to cover the sins both of great and small Ezek. 13.18 And these base flatteries to please and bolster up Sinners St. Paul absolutely disclaims thro' the whole course of his Ministry Neither at any time used we flattering words courting favour by speaking pleasing things or suiting our Preaching and Doctrines to the humours or necessities of Men like the temporizing Gnosticks 1 Thess. 2.5 These Palliations and Pretences they would still change as put to it by new necessities Or go off from one when it was sore pressed or seem'd more weak to another that could promise to help them better out and was thought able to bear up that wicked or unrighteous Act which they sought to defend by it And accordingly of the False Prophets the Spirit of God observes that they caused his People to err as by their Lyes so by their Lightness Still shifting Principles and Pretences as serving turns and necessities did inforce thinking and saying now this thing and anon that very unconstantly as Vatablus explains it Jer. 23.32 And by such Salvos and deceitful Pretences shifted as oft as their Necessities or new Tryals would require it they bolstred up Sinners in their sins and made their
Ends and Ways are likewise necessary Requisites of Prudence which is not only for Doing a Good thing but for Doing it well and wisely And Christianity is for Ruling this Part of Prudence by the Laws of Christ and lays on us sundry Restraints which in this matter are easily and ordinarily broke through by the worldly wise 1. First in the Execution of our Purposes by the ways aforesaid Christian Prudence is for taking the most Advantageous Seasons To every thing and to every purpose as the Wise Man says there is a Season Eccles. 3.1 And every thing is both most easie to effect and most Beneficial and Beautiful when it is effected in its Season He hath made every thing Beautiful in its time Eccles. 3.11 And a word fitly spoken or in its Season is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver says Solomon Prov. 25.11 'T is the work of Prudence to see these Seasons or to Discern Opportunities and take them A Fool still slips his Opportunities and sees them not but a wise man's heart Discerns both time and judgment Eccles. 8.5 His Eyes says he again are in his head to look before him and round about or to espy both what to Do and when Eccles. 2.14 And this is one part of that Circumspection or walking Circumspectly which the Scripture calls upon us to use that we may appear to act not as Fools but as Wise Eph. 5.15 For that Circumspection or looking about us is as for the most commodious ways so for the fittest times and best opportunities of Performing Actions or bringing about any Business And as the Prudence of Worldly Men is shewn in taking their best opportunities for the things of this Life So must the Prudence of Christians be shewn in a Commodious Timing and Watching the most Advantageous Seasons for what they Do in care of their Souls and in Service or Honour of Christ Jesus But here care must be taken in determining what are Good Seasons for Religious Actions either Professions of some Points of Faith or Practice of some Duties Of this there is the more Danger because Religion says one thing and Flesh and Blood another in this Matter So that when Spiritual Prudence that minds Religion says one time is a Good Season for such a Profession or Practice Worldly Prudence that minds outward Ease will often â—ry they are most unseasonable But Christian Prudence must not take its Seasons from the Serviceableness of any Duty to worldly Purposes but to its own Ends. To prevent our setting aside any Duties as out of Season at the Suggestion of Carnal Wisdom when indeed we have an obliging Call and Season to Discharge them I shall note these things following 1. First in Determining the Seasonableness or Unseasonableness of Professing any necessary Truths of Christ or Practising any Christian Duties we must not say there is no Season for such Practice or Profession when there is hazard in them This indeed is the way of Worldly Wisdom which thinks Suffering in this World to be Seasonable at no Time and so accounts persecuted Suffering Duties to be ever out of Season To call for the Fruits of Righteousness or Morality when 't is Loss of Power or Place of Goods or it may be of Life it self to produce them it looks upon as a most unreasonable and unskilful miss-timing of things As bad as to come to the Trees to gather Fruit in the Spring e're 't is put forth or in the Depth of Winter when both Fruit and Leaves are fallen off long before The only Season it owns of Doing them is when it is like to Do it self no worldly hurt thereby but when they bring Suffering it cries out This is no time to talk of them But this is to Rate the Seasons for Spiritual Duties not by Ends of Virtue and Religion or the Advancement and Honour thereof which are Spiritual Considerations but only by Present Interest and Security which are Worldly Motives and lye ever closest to a Worldly Mind It is to make the Duties of our Religion not to be Duties at all times As if the Truths thereof were not to be professed or the Laws practised when we are call'd to Suffer but only when in Worldly account we are like to get or at least to save by them But these men never consider that Christianity as I observed before is a Doctrine of the Cross or a Suffering Religion all the Truths whereof were published and its Duties prescribed not for a Thriving but for a Suffering time Instead of excepting them it was Calculated for Days of Persecution since in such it enter'd and begun in such it got footing and daily maintained and enlarged what it had got among men All its Duties look for their Reward in another world and so must be duly observed when they draw after them the Greatest Dangers or Losses in this world Persecution tho' 't is no Good Season for getting or keeping any worldly Goods by Discharge of Duties yet is as Good as any nay better than others for getting Heaven thereby Though 't is no Season to serve Flesh and Blood 't is the properest Season to serve Truth and Virtue which are then most especially to be defended by us when others attack them and to be own'd by their stedfast Friends when their Enemies Explode and their own Dependants are ready to Desert them And these being the Ends of Spiritual Prudence instead of esteeming Persecutions which conduce so much thereto as unseasonable for Christian Duties it accounts them as I have before shewn the most obliging and Advantageous Seasons 2. Secondly We must not say there is no Season for Christian Duties when there is no worldly Appearance of Doing Good by Discharging them This is usually taken up by Worldly Wisdom when any necessary Truth or Virtue is born down with a Torrent They say it is in vain for the Servants and Professors thereof to practise or appear for it which would be only to oppose their single selves against an Host and to endeavor by their own Strength to stem a tide when the course thereof is most violent and drives away all before it This they think is only to Destroy themselves without doing their Duty any Good which however it may be pitiable as well intended yet say they is not commendable as being a Service altogether miss-timed and most imprudent But here men should consider that their Obligation to profess the necessary Truths or perform the Laws of God as they are call'd to them is not only for their Serviceableness as an Expedient but for their own sakes In Free and Discretionary things indeed men are to look to the usefulness and to go according to the probability of doing Good therewith But in the necessary Truths and Laws of Christianity which are bounden Duty towards God there Duty its self is their End and they have enough to ingage them to any Act without looking further if they do their Duty therein They
to Temper themselves so towards all Neglecting or Despising none that the Good they Do may be best received and win most upon the minds of men and give the least offence to them And when they Do any things more Free and Discretionary for the Honour or Interest of Virtue or Religion or for any other Good Design that they so moderate and order the things they press as will be best bore by Persons and Places as may get them most or best Friends or fewest and faintest Opposers as may afford most ease and success to them in compassing their Designs and most Fruit and Effect both to themselves and the Good Designs they carried on when they have compassed them There is Place for this wise tempering themselves to Circumstances not only in these Free things which are matters of Prudence but also in Doing their bounden Duty which is matter of Conscience Not so tempering themselves to Places or Persons Ends or Instruments as to let their Duty alone when the meer Doing thereof will Distemper and Disturb them But tempering themselves in all that is extrinsecal about it and in the manner of Doing it that bating what the Duty it self Doth which ought to be Done nothing annexed to it or in the manner of Doing it shall give them any unnecessary Provocation It need not be Done for instance with bitterness and fierceness of Spirit when a milder way and being more Gently and Compassionably offer'd would be like to be more easily welcomed and take more effect It need not come with accusations and invectives against others when it would be more heeded and operate higher in the way of opening our own Consciences It need not come tacked to any other things which are more Displeasing when it may enter better by it self alone In these and the like matters not our Duty which we cannot mince or alter but our selves and our manner of expressing it which we may alter to Circumstances is much for the Advantage both of it and of our selves And is no more but that Caution which Christ call'd his Disciples to when in their Free Profession of Persecuted Duties he bid them withal beware of Men. And when they were sent forth as Sheep among Wolves though they should undauntedly Deliver the Message they were Charged with yet to be as harmless as Doves which besides what their Duty it self did would give those Wolves no unnecessary provocations Mat. 10.16 17. But if Worldly Wisdom comes to temper the doing of our Duty to places and persons it will so temper it as at any time to give it up for our external Quiet It will take so much as will go down and throw aside the Rest and answer all by saying the Times or Affairs the Places or Persons would not bear it To prevent such tempering of Duty to Circumstances therefore for our own Quiet as would be an impairing or Breach of Duty I shall give these following Cautions in this Point 1. This tempering of our selves to Circumstances in the doing of our Duty is never by omitting any Duty as I said when God Calls for it but only by tempering our own manner of Performance so as best suits the present Circumstance and may give the least offence The Christians for instance would temper their Devotions to the Circumstances of persecuted men in the first Ages by not letting those Devotions fall but by Praying and Communicating in the Night in the Desart in Close Meetings when they could not with safety do it openly and in publick for fear of the Jews and Heathens They temper'd themselves at Jerusalem to a time of Distress and Confiscations for the Profession of Christianity not by Concealing or Denying their Sect and Profession but by Selling their Lands and Houses and putting it into a common Stock that so when their own Estates were seized on for owning the Christian Name the Church might have wherewithal to relieve them St. Paul and the other Apostles were sent out to Preach the Gospel to a prepossessed incensed and spiteful World as so many Sheep in the midst of Wolves as our Lord says And they temper'd themselves to these men and times not by letting fall their Preaching or keeping back any part of the Counsel of God not that of the Cross of Christ which gave the most offence being to the Jews a Stumbling Block and to the Gentiles Foolishness nor any just Reproof of Idolatry and Superstition so irksom to the Heathen nor any of the elevated Duties of Morality and Godliness which were so very disgusting to the Lusts of men or the like But by Delivering these things in fairness and tenderness without giving any more offence than would unavoidably be taken at the things themselves Becoming all things to all men as St. Paul says that they might by all means gain some 1 Cor. 9.22 The Exercise of Discipline indeed was more a matter of Prudence and Discretion And therefore in Rules thereof they would temper to the State of the Church sometimes pressing and sometimes suspending now executing and then omitting them as the place and time would bear and as might best suit the Circumstances of those they had to do with But in matters of Duty which are not at the liberty of Discretion but under Necessary Obligation they never temper'd that to any Persons Place or other Circumstances by omitting it They never smother'd it when call'd to profess it nor omitted it or did the contrary when call'd to the performance thereof Their Prudence in tempering themselves to Circumstances in Points of Duty was by tempering themselves thereto whilst they did their Duty never whilst they let it alone or acted contrary Theirs was a Godly Prudence or a Wisdom twisted evermore with Virtue and Circumspection never separate from innocence When they put on the Subtilty and Circumspection of Serpents they put on withal according to our Saviour's Order the innnocence of Doves or look'd about them to take care for their Duty before they look'd about to take care for themselves Not as the worldly-wise who will temper away their Duty to Compound for their outward Peace and Enjoyments Though it be at other times it is not to be done say they in our Circumstances That is if it is like to lose our Friends or give opportunity to our Enemies to pull us down and set up themselves if it suits not with the minds of Men or the state of Affairs with the seeming Safety of Mens Persons of Religion Laws or Liberties Such Circumstances it makes a Ground to set aside Duties not only to temper us in the Discharge thereof Instead of tempering the full Discharge of Duty with Prudence it thinks it Prudence then to throw it quite off and allow it no Observance or Discharge at all 2. This Tempering to Circumstances must not be by abating of Moral Duties to Compliance with Worldly Necessities and Convenience This is the way of the Worldly-wise where they do not throw off
all to pare away part of the Obligation and to perform no more than in their present Circumstances may be tolerably suitable and the Flesh will consent to They will urge the Circumstance of the Person Another man say they might Discharge the Duty more fully in this Case But as for me Men must consider my Relation how I am joyn'd in Affinity or Blood my Obligations how Great Favours I have received or the Necessity of my Condition and my Dependance for Support or Interest on those who are warm and zealous for another way So that it is not to be expected from me that I should keep so fully and invariably to the Duty as another Person of more easie and agreeing Relations Obligations and Dependance may do And the Circumstance of the Place Were I in a Place says a mind that retains too much of this World where this or that Duty would go down where the due Discharge of it would be like to be quietly received or where the Minds of men were any ways impressible to give some appearance of its doing good upon them much more Fidelity might be shewn therein But I live where the Spirits of Men are in a Ferment where the Duty is Generally Decryed or bitterly Persecuted and the Practice thereof instead of procuring any Religious Regard from the Beholders provokes only their outrage against the Practisers thereof So I am forced to Sail as near the Wind as I can that I may not endeavour both against Wind and Stream I omit what will not be endured and practise what will and this meerly to content the People as forced on by the press of a Crowd one Man being unable to withstand a whole Multitude And the Circumstance of the Instruments or Auxiliaries Though they would discharge the Duty fully were they left to themselves yet now they are upon Designs and must consider not only what will pass with themselves but with their Complices They must keep in with their Humane Succors and therefore they must abate of their Religious Duties lest standing too stifly and inflexibly for them they disoblige and lose their Patrons or Auxiliaries It is well say they if by a Man so linked in some part can be performed whilst some part is abated Some part must be yielded to gratifie their Interests or their Principles some to keep those of wrong and some to keep the loose and immoral or those of no Religion And the Circumstance of the End They would as please God in the Duty so profit his Church thereby And a Duty happens at some time not to suit the interest of their Party in Religion If they will abate or infringe it they may set up or keep up themselves but if still they will faithfully discharge it as they ought in all appearance they must become subject and truckle under others To deduct something in the present Circumstance is most safe or serviceable for that Party of Christians they espouse which they call God's Church And in this strait they think they should not be censured if they practise so much as is serviceable and lay the rest aside And the Circumstance of the Time admitting no season for the full practice of any Duties or profession of any Truths when there is hazard in them or no probability of doing Good by them or they are like to be impeditive of some designed Good or much desired Settlement to Church or State of which I spoke before Thus is Worldly Wisdom for making bold with its Duty to save its Worldly Concerns and for tempering Duty to the present Circumstances by abating it and by parting with so much thereof when it retains the rest as all its Circumstances consider'd shall make it draw least inconvenience after it from any of them Which is nothing else but setting up this World above Almighty God and our own Convenience above his ways Whereby however we may promise our selves to pass for Worldly Wise we shall be sure to appear ill Christians as I think is clear enough from the foregoing Chapters I speak not this of abating in Discharge of our Duty thus to Circumstances where Circumstances really make Abatements I know there is not so much due from us in some Circumstances as there is in others For some Circumstances are incapacities and these abate so far and so long as they incapacitate Impossibilium says the Moral Rule nulla est obligatio No Man is tied to impossibilities And therefore where we owe never so much Duty we are not bound to an actual exercise and discharge thereof whilst we are not in capacity So far as it is Providentially out of our Power and so long as it is so our actual Discharge thereof is under a Suspension 'till by Degrees it come to be in our power again which always brings back with it a like gradual Return of our Obligation But I speak of their tempering their Duty in these Abatements to Circumstances of Worldly Convenience where there is the same State and Foundation of their Religious Obligations as at other times We must not abate our Duties whose Ground and Obligation is still the same and which we have Power and Opportunity to Practise if we dare run Hazards and sustain Inconveniences and Losses for them to temper them to the external Ease and Convenience of Place or Persons or other present Circumstances Which in this tempering is not to respect the Obligation of Circumstances but only the Fleshly Ease Convenience and Advantage of them 3. This Tempering to Circumstances must lie only in our not unnecessarily provoking Men whilst we do no ill our selves not in our carrying on the unreasonable or ungodly wills of others It is â—ne thing to temper our selves to the Necessities of things another to the Lusts or Vices of Persons one thing to suit their innocent wants or ways another to set on their wickedness This is to have Fellowship with the works of Darkness to partake of other Mens Sins and Sin along with them for Company So that we must never talk of tempering our selves to Circumstances by putting our selves into other mens ill circumstance or by complying in any ungodly or ill things If ill things then are driven on by the violence and press of People or the Power of Rulers if all seem to Conspire together and Combine to oppress an innocent Person or to explode an Excellent and Good thing to pull down what is Right and set up what is Wrong to seek safety by what is Sinful or Publick Good either of Church or State by Doing Evil it must not be thought any part of our Prudence to temper our selves to their Ungodly Wills by Compliance by striking in and countenancing by being or seeming to be for them by crying up or carrying on or going along therewith If we would seek to be truly Good rather than falsly to appear Wise Religion is not for such ebbs and flows for being fast and loose with virtuous or
we live in a time when to the greatest Numbers Popery that is indeed a very Corrupt Religion seems more formidable than any other thing And to call a way Popish sounds worse in the ears of the Populace than to say it is Unchristian And therefore to conclude this Subject I shall note in the last place how all the foresaid Methods of the Worldly Wise which I have taxed before are no better than Popish Corruptions There are Popish Morals as well as Popish Superstitions and Idolatries The Depravations of Good Practice and of Moral Honesty and Justice by a Number of their Casuists have been as scandalous and will prove as fatal to those Souls who are deluded by them as their Depravations in Matters of Faith and Devotion And the forecited Rules of the Worldly Wise are among those very ways whereby too many Papists have Corrupted Christian Morals Nay they are the Morals of Jesuits who are the worst of Papists and whose scandalous accommodations of Christ's Rules and Precepts to comply with Fleshly Passions and Interests suiting Religion to Self-Ends and basely bending Moral Duties to serve Corrupt Turns and Worldly Necessities are Condemned in these and such other Points by the sober Papists themselves And this I the rather note because I see so many Reverend and Worthy Persons who seem the strictest and truest Examples of Moral Integrity among us and stand out against all these Unlawful Compliances and Insincerities of the Fleshly Wise appearing as the Patterns and Confessors for Honesty and Morality in a Day of General Temptation and Defection are yet among other Marks of common hatred and scorn branded with the Name of Papists notwithstanding all the opposition they made to Popery and some of them most Eminently when the Day of Tryal was for these their brave and truly Christian oppositions of Popish Morals Yea and that by those who content with a Zeal against Popish Errors in Faith and Superstitious Devotions in the midst of all their heat against them are running into the worst parts of their Morality sucking in the rankest Poyson of Jesuitish Honesty unawares For as to the Points before mentioned such as these are the Jesuits Principles all Taught by some or other for God forbid I should Charge all therewith in that Order They are for Doing Evil that Good may come This is the meaning of that Grand Salvo so much magnified and made use of among them viz. The Right Direction of the Intention which affords them such wonderful help in an unlawful Thing Thus they clear men of the worst Crimes as Simony False Witness Thefts Duels and Murther it self Plead but Necessity and say there is need of it for Religion or the Church or their Society for the Publick or a Man 's own Private Good to preserve his Life Estate or Reputation and then the Breach of the Precept they make to be without Guilt if therein a Man â—oth but Direct his Intention aright permitting the Evil of the Action if the Actor doth but take care to purifie his Intention They are Notorious for Giving a Discharge of Relative Duties particularly towards Princes when those Duties grow Burthensom or Vnsafe under Impious or Oppressive Rulers For of all others they are the men that are foremost leading others and fullest in Asserting the Deposition and Dethroning of Kings the Absolution and Discharge of Subjects from the Obligation of their Natural Allegiance and the Lawfulness of Rising in Arms against Heretical or Tyrannical Princes There is scarce any one thing wherewith for so many years last past not only this Order of 〈◊〉 but the Church of Rome have been more â—earnedly Charged and more Shamefully Silent'd Yea 't is the Test of Popery by our Laws the Legal Conviction of Papists being by the Tender of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy which were made to Secure and Defend our Princes against the Poison of these Tenets They are infamous for all Arts of Insincerity and Fallaciousness Having been the Pest of Humane Society by their Doctrines of Equivocation or using of Doubtful Words and Ambiguous Speeches which the Parties concern'd shall take otherwise than they mean them And of Mental Reservation Reserving in their own Minds some hidden and unexpressed Clauses in their Declarations or secret and unexpected Conditions in their Promises So to make their Speech a Truth to themselves though it be a Lye to others Of getting and compassing their Ends by Deceitful Suggestions or setting out so much Truth as to serve the turn and craftily hiding what would hinder it And instead of that Plainness and Simplicity which is prescribed by Religion studiously assuming all counterfeit Shapes and inventing and propagating all those Fallacious ways or Liberties of Dissembling which the Father of Lyes can suggest to their hearts whereby to overthrow the Faith of Men. Whilst they Reserve their Minds or inward Service for God they are for Giving the External Service or outward Appearance to any Wickedness expected from them Thus as the Author of the Provincial Letters observe◠〈◊〉 they allow'd the Chinese to worship a Chines◠〈◊〉 if they were careful to hide under their Cloaths an Image of Jesus Christ to which by a Mental Reserve they were to pay those Publick Adorations which in visible Appearance the Idol Receiv'd They are for Tempering their Duty to Circumstances of outward Convenience Doing so much as they safely may without Worldly Loss or Disadvantage Contenting themselves as they did in the Indies to Preach up a Glorified Jesus to those that would not hear of a Crucified Jesus And abating the Duties of Religion till they have brought them Down to the Pitch and Proportion the Wants and Worldly Necessities of those that consult them They are for Changing Doctrines as they Change Turns and Interests Not only in Different Turns of their own or their Societies Affairs but of their Disciples Having one Resolution for one man and at one time and a contrary at another By this looseness taking in all comers and fitting and reconciling all Times and Persons to their own Ends. They are for Holding and Maintaining what is once ill got And make Unjust Possession a Just Title to it And order Easie Amends and Restitutions for Wrongful and Evil-Deeds no more than can consist with the Offenders own Credit and Convenience They have invented Salvo's whereby men may keep innocent and yet Act in an Vnlawful Business and Minister and help other Men to Sin without Sinning themselves They vacate at their Pleasure and put by the Laws of Morality as they lye in their way rendring them insignificant and of little or no Force or Obligation Either by Interpretation of Terms or so expounding the Terms used in Prohibiting any Sins as shall exempt all or almost all their own Transgressions from coming under them Or by allowing the Thing not under the Name whereby it stands forbidden but the very same thing in another Form like to what they Resolved in the