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A26158 Ten sermons preach'd before Her Royal Highness, the Princess Ann of Denmark at the chappel at St. James by Lewis Atterbury ... LL.D. and one of the six preachers to Her Royal Highness. Atterbury, Lewis, 1656-1731. 1699 (1699) Wing A4157; ESTC R35290 112,085 264

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Divine Joy to see those Churches rais'd to a greater heighth and adorn'd with a more splendid Magnificency than their first Founders had bestow'd upon them 'T is plain to any one who consults Ecclesiastical History that as the Christian Religion encreas'd and Kings and Emperors became the nursing Fathers of the Church more stately and magnificent Structures were built and Dedicated to the Service of God No Cost was spar'd nothing was thought too good for this sacred Use The whole Christian World did seem to rejoyce that they had the Liberty of bestowing their Goods to this holy Purpose and their profuse Liberality was spoken of with Honour and Approbation St. Jerom. ad Nepotian de vitâ Clerici Ad Demetr Epist 12. Ad Gaudentium 'T is confess'd there are some Passages in the Fathers which seem to condemn these expensive Buildings but then 't was only comparatively when there was so much laid out upon these Structures that there was nothing left to bestow on the living Temples of the Lord and they had such a mistaken Zeal for adorning Churches that they starv'd the Poor and did not provide a competent Allowance for those who serv'd at the Altar And now what remains but that we who profess our selves Members of the Church of England endeavour to adorn our Profession by a diligent and constant Attendance on the Publick Offices of Religion by a due Preparation of our Minds for these Holy Duties and a devout Comportment of our selves in the performance of them and a Filial regard to all those Devout Rites and Solemnities enjoyn'd us by our Superiours That so we who are now Members of the Church Militant may as far as the frailty of our Condition will permit resemble that hidden Dignity and Glory wherewith the Church Triumphant in Heaven is glorified and Worship our God in the Beauty of Holiness SERMON VI. 1 THES V. 22. Abstain from all appearance of Evil. THE latter part of this Chapter is a Recapitulation of several Truths deliver'd in the Body of this Epistle between which there is no strict Connection neither have they any exact dependance one upon another only the words of the Text and those which go immediately before do bear some Relation For in the Verse before the Text the Apostle gives Directions concerning our Practice of those things which are Good We must carefully examine all things by the Touch-stone of God's word whether Doctrines or Practices and we must distinguish between those which seem and appear to be good and those which are really so We must reject the one and hold fast the other Prove all things hold fast that which is good But we must take quite different Measures in relation to those things which are Evil which either are plainly contrary to the Law of God or which we have any probable Reason to suspect are so We must abstain from all appearance of Evil. There is indeed another Interpretation of these words those who follow the Syriac Version render them Abstain from every kind of Evil But since this Word is not so rendred in any other place of the New Testament nor is there any Reason from the Scope and Coherence of the words to translate it so I shall rather chuse with the Generality of Interpreters to follow the vulgar Translation and render it as in my Text Abstain from all appearance of Evil and the rather Phil. 4. ●● because the positive part of this Precept is contained in other places of the Holy Writ The words thus understood may be consider'd either as they relate to the Articles of our Faith or as a Rule for the directing our Lives and Conversations The latter of these is chiefly intended in the Text and therefore my present Enquiry shall be What those Actions and Practices are which have the appearance of Evil and from which we are commanded to Abstain That I may give a more plain and satisfactory Answer to this Question I shall consider these words 1. Absolutely and 2. As they bear a Respect and Relation to our Neighbour First Taken absolutely they may be resolv'd into this Proposition That we must not do any Action which either really is or has the Blush or appearance of Evil. Secondly If consider'd with Respect to our Neighbour they import That we must abstain from all such Actions which may probably be an occasion of Offence or Scandal to our Brother First I shall consider the words absolutely and then they import these three things I. That we must abstain from every Action Word or Thought which is contrary to the Divine Law II. That we must abstain even from lawful Actions if they appear Evil to us III. That we must abstain from all such Actions which have any Tendency to incite insnare and tempt us into Sin 1. That we must abstain from every Action Word or Thought which is contrary to the Divine Law though it may appear of never so little Concernment Whatsoever is a breach of God's Law tho' in the smallest and most inconsiderable Circumstance must be carefully avoided by us because every such Transgression will expose us to God's Anger and by Consequence render us liable to everlasting Punishment Let us therefore carefully avoid even the lighter breaches of our Duty let us make a Covenant with our Eyes and set a watch over the thoughts of our hearts and take Care that we do not offend with our Tongue remembring that at the last day every idle word must be accounted for and that in God's Book all the Thoughts and Intents of our Hearts are recorded Some Sins are indeed of a deeper Dye than others and do admit of more heinous Aggravations Sins committed wilfully and presumptuously are more hateful to God wast the Conscience more and by consequence are more dangerous to the safety of our Souls than those Sins into which we are betray'd by the frailty of our Natures and the surprize of a Temptation But if we consider Sin in it self and in its own Nature no Sin can be small or little or as the Papists speak Venial for every Sin is a willful Transgression of the Law of God 1 Joh. 3.4 and whoever wilfully offends God justly incurrs the Sentence of eternal Damnation Nay even the lighter breaches of our Duty may be attended with such Circumstances and Aggravations as may render them of more pernicious Consequence unto us than those which in their own Nature imply a greater Guilt a small Injury done on purpose to vilifie and reproach us is resented more heinously than when we sustain a greater Damage thro' the Folly and Inadvertency of our Neighbour and therefore we have Reason to conclude That the least Sin willfully committed and obstinately persevered in will deprive us utterly of God's Favour and Protection How vain and dangerous then is that known distinction of Sin amongst the Papists into Sins venial and Sins mortal i. e. as they explain it into such Sins as do deserve eternal Damnation and such as only deserve some Temporary Punishment Especially since under the Head of venial Sins
they rank the grossest Enormities so that even Murder shall become a venial Sin if committed to maintain a Man's Honour or under Pretence of returning some trivial Affront A Box on the Ear has been made by some Jesuitical Casuists a justifiable Provocation for a Man to imbrue his hands in the Blood of his Neighbour tho' our Saviour has in express Terms determin'd the quite contrary so plainly do these Men make void the Law of God by their Traditions and Distinctions But 2. We must abstain even from lawful and justifiable Actions if they appear Evil to us For we are told That whatsoever is not of Faith is sin i. e. Rom. 14.23 whosoever doth any Action without that perswasion and assurance of Mind of the Lawfulness of his doings which is here call'd Faith he sins in so doing 'T is therefore our Duty to Act according to the present Perswasion of our own Minds and having us'd the best means to inform our Consciences of what is good and lawful convenient and most expedient to be done and by consequence most pleasing unto God to walk according to our knowledge in Uprightness and Integrity And there is no Question but he who thus Acts according to the Light of his own Conscience and performs what he sincerely believes to be his Duty will be more excusable when he doth amiss than that Man who thinks he Acts in Contradiction to the Divine Will and his own Knowledge tho' he should happen to be in the right For no Actions are good without the rectitude of the Will of him who performs them and therefore he who resolves upon an Action which he believes to be a Transgression of the Divine Law doth violence to his own Conscience and commits a very heinous Sin tho' the Action in it self should be lawful and Praise-worthy For our Conscience is God's Vicegerent in our Souls and sustains the part of a Judge as well as a Witness and Accuser and supposing our Conscience duly inform'd whilst we follow its Determinations we cannot do amiss But yet this is not so to be understood as if we were hereby excus'd from performing a known and absolutely necessary Duty only because we are not fully satisfy'd in the Lawfulness of every minute Circumstance which is requir'd to the performance of it This would administer Fuel to such perplexity and scruples in the Service of God as would render Christ's easie Yoke far more Burthensome than all the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jewish-Law If therefore we are commanded by an unquestionable Authority to perform an Action which our Consciences tell us is lawful and necessary to be done our Christian Prudence will direct us not to be too nice in weighing every particular Circumstance but in this Case to prefer our Submission to a known Law of God or our lawful Governours before the trivial Doubts of an unsetled and wavering Conscience And the Reason is plain because the willful Omission of a known Duty is certainly a grievous Sin whereas we are not certain whether the performing of it with that questionable Circumstance is so or no and therefore common Prudence will direct us rather to venture upon some Circumstances of an Action we are not so fully satisfy'd in than on the Omission of a known Duty which is certainly a Sin and to abstain from those Actions which are manifestly Evil rather than from those which have only the Appearance of it Thus a common Soldier is oblig'd to execute the Commands of his Superiour Officer a Servant of his Master without playing the Casuist and nicely enquiring into the Reason of them they are only the hands which are to execute what the Head Commands and if the Action is not plainly Contradictory to the known Laws of God or the Land they ought to Obey Their Superiours will be answerable for all the lesser Defects whilst there will be great Allowances made to that Man who for the maintenance of Order and Discipline Peace and Charity not only Sacrifices his own private Opinions but squares his Actions in things of lesser moment so as to comply with the great Ends of Government But 3. We must abstain from such Actions as have any Tendency to incite ensnare and tempt us unto Sin and avoid as far as possibly we can all such things as are the necessary Occasions and Incentives unto Evil For he that wills the Cause wills the necessary Effects and Consequences which follow thereupon he that exposes himself to Temptation is Blame-worthy tho' he doth not fall into it nor is over-power'd thereby 'T is the Business and Duty of a reasonable Being by reflecting on its past Actions to collect from thence what will be the necessary Effects and Consequences of things and to avoid not only those things which are Evil in the least Degree but also all those which were the Inlets and Inducements to it The true spiritual Warrior will not have any Parley with his Enemy he stands continually on his Guard and will not suffer him to make the least Approaches towards him well knowing that he is only then secure when his Enemies have not the Power and Ability to hurt him and that the first step towards his Ruin is to be secure Psal 30.6 and to fansie he stands so fast that he can never be moved It will be therefore the wisest Course for every one to consider what Sins he is most addicted to what Vices bear the greatest sway in his Temper and Constitution how he comes to be betray'd into these Sins what were the Occasions the Motives and Inducements to them and let him take up the Resolution of the Psalmist I will set no wicked thing before mine Eyes Psal 101.3 I will remove far from me all such Objects and Examples Shews and Appearances as may prove a snare to me and betray me into Sin Thus for Example If he finds himself of a malicious and revengeful Temper let him as much as possibly he can avoid being Angry let him endeavour to subdue and keep under his Passion when first rais'd and throw these Coals out of his Bosom as soon as he can for 't is impossible that he should retain them long the●e and not be burnt Anger maintain'd and encourag'd turns naturally either into Fury or Malice and when once it degenerates into either of these Devilish Tempers of Mind who knows what will be the mischievous Effects of it That spark which might easily have been suppress'd will be ungovernable when blown up into a Flame and therefore 't is the safest way either to bring our selves to such a meek and humble Temper of Mind as not to be angry at all Or to restrain it within its due Bounds and hereby prevent its being criminal and sinful If he finds himself addicted to Uncleanness and Lust let him make a Covenant with his Eyes Rom. 13.14