Chapter 5: Contests About Religion and Reformation

& Chap. I. Contests about Religion and Reformation, Schoolmen, &c.

The title of this chapter was proposed; the pursuit of it, now ensues. The first paragraph is a declamation about sundry things which have not much blame-worthy in them. Their common weakness is, that they are common. They tend not to the furtherance of any one thing more than another; but are such as any party may flourish withal, and use to their several ends as they please. That desire of honor and applause in the world has influenced the minds of men to great and strange undertakings, is certain. That it should do so, is not certain, nor true: so, that when we treat of religion, if we renounce not the fundamental principle of it in self-denial, this consideration ought to have no place. What then was done by emperors and philosophers of old, or by the later schoolmen on this account, we are little concerned in. Nor have I either desire or design to vellicate any thing spoken by our author, that may have an indifferent interpretation put upon it; and be separated from the end which he principally pursues. As there is but very little spoken in this paragraph, directly tending to the whole end aimed at, so there are but three things, that will any way serve to leaven the mind of his reader, that he may be prepared to be moulded into the form he has fancied to cast him into, which is the work of all these previous harangues.

The first is his in[illegible]nuation, that the reformation of religion is a thing pretended by emulous plebeians, not able to hope for that supervisorship in religion which they see intrusted with others. How unserviceable this is to his design as applied to the Church of England, all men know; for setting aside the consideration of the influence of sovereign royal authority, the first reformers among us, were persons who as they enjoyed the right of reputation for the excellencies of learning and wisdom; so also were they fixed in those places and conditions in the church, which no reformation could possibly advance them above; and the attempt whereof cost them not only their dignities, but their lives also. Neither were Hezekiah, Josiah, or Ezra, of old, emulous plebeians, whose lasting glory and renown arose from their reformation of religion. They who fancy men in all great undertakings to be steered by desire of applause and honor, are exceeding incompetent judges of those actions which zeal for the glory of God, love to the truth, sense of their duty to the Lord Jesus Christ, and compassion for the souls of others, do lead men to, and guide them in; and such will the last day manifest the reformation traduced to have been.

The second, is a gallant commend[illegible]tion of the ingenuity, charity, candor, and sublime science of the schoolmen. I confess, they have deserved good words at his hands: these are the men, who out of a mixture of philosophy, traditions, and Scripture, all corrupted and perverted, have hamm[illegible]ed that faith, which was afterwards confirmed under so many anathemas at Trent. So that upon the matter, he is beholden to them for his religion; which I find he loves, and has therefore reason to be thankful to its contrivers. For my part, I am as far from envying them their commendation, as I have reason to be, which I am sure is far enough. But yet before we admit this testimony, hand over head; I could wish he would take a course to stop the mouths of some of his own church, and those no small ones neither, who have declared them to the world, to be a pack of egregious sophisters, neither good philosophers, nor any divines at all; men who seem not to have had the least reverence of God, nor much regard to the truth in any of their disputations, but we[illegible] wholly influenced by a vain reputation of subtlety, desire of conquest, of leading and denominating parties, and that in a barbarous science, barbarously expressed, until they had driven all learning and divinity almost out of the world. But I will not contend about these fathers of contention: let every man esteem of them as he seems good.

There is the same respect, in that bitter reflection which he makes on those, who have managed differences in religion in this last age, the third thing observable. That they are the writers, and writings that have been published against the papacy which he intends; he does more than intimate. Their disputes, he tells us, are managed with so much unseemly behavior, such unmannerly expressions, that discreet sobriety cannot but loath, and abhor to read them; with very much more to this purpose. I shall not much labor to persuade men not to believe what he says in this matter; for I know full well, that he believes it not himself. He has seen too many Protestant books, I suppose, to think this cen[illegible]re will suit them all. This was meet to be spoken, for the advantage of the Catholic cause: for what there has been of real offence in this kind among us, we may say, Iliacos intra muros peccatur et extra; Romanists are sinners as well as others: and I suppose himself knows. That the reviling, and defamations used by some of his party, are not to be paralleled in any writings of mankind at this day extant.

About the appellation[illegible]s he shall think meet to make use of, in reference to the persons at variance, we will not contend with him. Only I desire to let him know, that the reproach of Galilean from the pagans, which he appropriates to the papists, was worn out of the world, before that popery which he pleads for, came into it. As Roman Catholics never tasted of the sufferings wherewith that reproach was attended, so they have no special right to the honor that is in its remembrance. As to the sport he is pleased to make with his countrymen, in the close of this paragraph, about losing their wits in religious contests, with the evils from there ensuing, I shall no further reflect upon; but once more to mind the reader, that the many words he is pleased to use in the exaggerating the evils of managing differences in religion with animosities and tumults, so seemingly to persuade men to moderation and peace, I shall wholly pass by, as having discovered, that that is not his business, nor consequently at present, mine.

It is well observed by him in his second Paragraph, that most of the great contests in the world about perishing things, proceed from the unmortified lusts of men. The Scripture abounds in testimonies given hereunto: Saint James expresly; From where come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members? you lust and have not, you kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain; you fight and warr, yet you have not (chap. 4:1, 2). Men's lusts put them on endless irregularities, in unbounded desires, and foolish sinful enterprizes for their satisfaction. Neither is Satan the old enemy of the well-fare of mankind wanting to excite, provoke, and stir up these lusts by mixing himself with them in his temptations, thrusting them on, and intangling them in their persuit. As to the contests about Religion, which I know not with what mind or intention he terms an empty airy business, a ghostly fight, a skirmish of shaddows or horse-men in the clowds, he knows not what principle, cause, or sourse, to ascribe them to; that which he is most inclinable to, is, that there is something invisible above man, stronger and more politick then he, that does this contumely to mankind, that casts in these apples of contention among us, that hisses us to warr and battail, as waggish boys do dogs in the street. That which is intended in these words, and sundry others of the like quality that follow, is, that this ariseth from the intisements and impulsions of the Devil. And none can doubt, but that in these works of darkness, the Prince of Darkness has a great hand. The Scripture also assures us, that as the scorpions which vexed the world issued out of the bottomless pit, so also that these unclean spirits do stir up the powers of the earth to make opposition to the truth of the Gospel, and religion of Jesus Christ. But yet neither does this hinder, but that even these religious fewds and miscarriages also, proceed principally from the ignorance, darkness, and lusts of men. In them lies the true cause of all dissentions in and about the things of God. The best know but in part, and the most love darkness more than light, because their works are evils. A vain conversation received by tradition from men's fathers; with inveterate prejudices, love of the world, and the customs thereof, do all help on this sad work wherein so many are imployed. That some preach the Gospel of God with all their strength, in much contention, and contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints; as it is their duty, so it is no cause, but only an accidental occasion, of differences among men. That the invisible substances our Author talks of, should be able to sport themselves with us as children do with dogs in the street, and that with the like impulse from them, as dogs from these, we should rush into our contentions, might pass for a pretty notion, but only that it over-throws all Religion in the world, and the whole nature of man. There is evil enough in corrupted nature to produce all these evils which are declaimed against to the end of this Section, were there no Daemons to excite men to them. The adventitious impressions from them, by temptations and suggestions, doubtless promote them, and make men precipitate above their natural tempers in their productions; but the principal cause of all our evils is still to be looked for at home, Nec te quaesiveris extra.

Sect. 3. Pag. 34. In the next Section of this Chapter whereunto he prefixes, Nullity of Title, he pursues the persuasive to Peace, Moderation, Charity, and Quietness, in our several persuasions, with so many reasonings, and good words, that a man would almost think that he began to be in good earnest, and that those were the things which he intended for their own sakes to promote. I presume, it cannot but at the first view seem strange to some, to find a man of the Roman party so ingeniously arguing against the imposition of our senses in Religion magisterially and with violence one upon the other; it being notoriously known to all the world, that they are, if not the only, yet the greatest imposers on the minds and consciences of men that ever lived in the earth; and which work they cease not the prosecution of, where they have power, until they come to fire and fagot. I dare say, there is not any strength in any of his queries, collections, and arguings, but an indifferent man would think it at the first sight to be pointed against the Roman interest and practice. For what have they been doing for some ages past, but under a pretence of Charity to the souls of men, endeavouring to persuade them to their opinions and worship, or to impose them on them whether they will or no? But let old things pass; it is well if now at last they begin to be otherwise minded. What then, if we should take this Gentleman at his word, and cry, A match; let us strive and contend no more; Keep you your Religion at Rome to your selves, and we will do as well as we can with ours in England; we will trouble you no more about yours, nor pray do not you meddle with us or ours. Let us pray for one another, wait on God for light and direction, it being told us, that If any one be otherwise minded, (than according to the Truth) God shall reveal that to him. Let us all strive to promote godliness, obedience to the Commands of Christ, good works, and peace in the world; but for this contending about opinions, or endeavouring to impose our several persuasions upon one another, let us give it quite over. I fear he would scarcely close with us, and so wind up all our differences upon the bottom of his own proposals; especially, if this Law should extend itself to all other Nations equally concerned with England. He would quickly tell us, that this is our mistake; he intended not Roman Catholics, and the differences we have with them in this Discourse; It is Protestants, Presbyterians, Independents, Anabaptists, Quakers, that he deals with all, and them only, and that upon this ground, that none of them have any title or pretence of reason to impose on one another, and so ought to be quiet, and let one another alone in matters of Religion. But for the Roman Catholics, they are not concerned at all in this Harangue, having a sufficient title to impose upon them all. Now truly, if this be all, I know not what we have to thank you for, Tantúmne est otii tibi abs re tua, aliena ut cures, eaque quae ad te nihil attinent? There are wise and learned men in England, who are concerned in our differences, and do labor to compose them or suppress them. That this Gentleman should come and justle them aside, and impose himself an umpire upon us, without our choice or desire, in matters that belong not to him, how charitable it may seem to be, I know not; but it is scarcely civil. Would he would be persuaded to go home, and try his remedies upon the distempers of his own family, before he confidently vend them to us. I know he has no salves about him to heal diversities of opinions, that he can write Probatum est upon, from his Roman Church. If he have, he is the most uncharitable man in the world, to leave them at home brawling, and together by the ears; to seek out practice where he is neither desired, nor welcome, when he comes without invitation. I confess, I was afraid at the beginning of the Section, that I should be forced to change the title before I came to the end, and write over it Desinit in piscem. The sum of this whole Paragraph is, that all sorts of Protestants, and others, here in England, do ridiculously contend about their several persuasions in Religion, and put trouble on one another on that account, whereas it is the Pope only that has title and right to prescribe a Religion to us all; which is not to me unlike the fancy of the poor man in Bedlam, who smiled with great contentment, at their folly, who imagined themselves either Queen Elizabeth, or King James, seeing he himself was King Henry the Eighth. But, seeing that is the business in hand, let us see what is this title, that the Pope has, which Protestants can lay no claim to. It is founded on that of the Apostle to the Corinthians, Did the Word of God come forth from you, or came it to you only? This is pretended the only rule to determine, with whom the preeminence of Religion does remain: Now the Word came not out originally from Protestants, or Puritans, nor came it to them alone. So that they have no reason to be imposing their conceptions on one another, or own others that differ from them. But our Author seems here to have fallen upon a great misadventure; there is not, as I know of, any one single text of Scripture, that does more fatally cut the throat of papal pretensions, than this that he has stumbled on. It is known, that the Pope and his adherents claim a preeminence in Religion to be the sole judges of all its concernments, and the imposers of it in all the world. What men receive from them, that is Truth; what they are any otherwise instructed in, it is all false and naught. On this pretence it is, that this Gentleman pleads nullity of title among us as to all our contests; though we know, that Truth carries its title with it, in whose hands soever it be found. Give me leave then to make so bold (at least at this distance) as to ask the Pope and his adherents An à vobis verbum Dei processit, an ad vos solos pervenit? Did the Gospel first come from you, or only to you, that you thus exalt your selves above your brethren all the world over? Do we not know by whom it first came to you, and from whom? Did it not come to very many parts of the world before you? To the whole world as well as to you? Why do you then boast your selves as though you had been the first revealers of the Gospel, or that it had come to you in a way or manner peculiar and distinct from that by which it came to other places? Would you make us believe, that Christ preached at Rome, or suffered, or rose from the dead there, or gave the Holy Ghost first to the Apostles there, or first there founded his Church, or gave order for the empaling it there, when it was built? Would we never so fain, we cannot believe such prodigious fables. To what purpose then do you talk of title to impose your conceits in Religion upon us? Did the Gospel first come forth from you, or came it to you only? Will not Rome notwithstanding its seven hills, be laid in a level with the rest of the world, by virtue of this rule? The truth is, as to the oral dispensation of the Gospel, it came forth from Jerusalem, by the personal ministry of the Apostles, and came equally to all the world: That spring being long since dried up, it now comes forth to all from the written word; and to them who receive it in its power and truth does it come, and to no other. What may further be thought necessary to be discussed, as to the matter of fact, in reference to this rule, the reader may find handled under that consideration of the first supposition; which our Author builds his Discourse upon.

Sect. 4. Pag. 48. Heats and Resolution, is the title of this section; in which if our Author be found blameless, his charge on others will be the more significant: the impartial reader, that will not be imposed on by smooth words, will easily know what to guess of his temper. In the mean time, though we think it is good to be well-resolved, in the things that we are to believe and practice in the worship of God; yet all irregular, and irrational heats, in the prosecution, or maintenance of mens different conceptions and apprehensions in religion, we desire sincerely to avoid and explode. Nor is it amiss, that, to further our moderation, we be minded of the temper of the Pagans, who in their opinion-wars (we are told) used no other weapons but only of pen and speech: for our Author seems to have forgotten, not only innumerable other instances to the contrary, but also the renowned battle between Ombos and Tentyra. But this forgetfulness was needful, to aggravate the charge on Christians, that are not Romanists, for their heat, fury, and fightings, for the promotion of their opinions; as being in this so much the worse than Pagans, who in religion used another manner of moderation. And who I pray is it, that manageth this charge? From where comes this Dove, with an olive-branch? This orator of peace? If we may guess from where he came, by seeing whither he is going, we must say that it was from Rome. This is their plea, this the persuasion of men of the Roman interest: this their charge on Protestants: to this height the confidence of mens ignorance, inadvertency, and fullness of present things amounts. Could ever any one rationally expect, that these gentlemen would be public decryers of fury, wars, and tumults for religion? May not Protestants say to them, Quae regio in terris nostri non plena cruoris? Is there any nation under the heavens, whereunto your power extends, wherein our blood has not given testimony to your wrath and fury? After all your cursings, and attempted depositions of kings and princes, translations of title to sovereignty and rule, invasions of nations, secret conspiracies, prisons, racks, swords, fire, and fagot, do you now come and declaim about moderation? We see you not yet cease from killing of men, in the pursuit of your fancies and groundless opinions; anywhere, but either where you have not power, or can find no more to kill: so that certainly, whatever reproach we deserve to have cast upon us in this matter, you are the unfittest men in the world to be managers of it. But I still find my self in a mistake in this thing: it is only Protestants and others, departed from the Roman Church, that our Author treats: it is they, who are more fierce and disingenuous than the Pagans, in their contests among themselves, and against the Romanists; as having the least share of reason, of any upon the earth. His good Church is not concerned, who as it is not led by such fancies and motives as they are, so it has right (where it has power) to deal with its adversaries as seems good to it. This then, Sir, is that which you intend; that we should agree among our selves, and wait for your coming with power to destroy us all. It were well indeed, if we could agree; it is our fault and misery, if we do not, having so absolutely a perfect rule and means of agreement as we have. But yet, whether we agree, or agree not, if there be another party distinct from us all, pretending a right to exterminate us from the earth, it behooves us to look after their proceedings. And this is the true state of all our Author's pleas for moderation; which are built upon such principles as tend to the giving us up unarmed and naked to the power and will of his masters.

For the rest of this section, wherein he is pleased to sport himself in the miscarriages of men in their coining and propagating of their opinions, and to gild over the care and success of the Church of Rome, in stifling such births of pride and darkness, I shall not insist upon it. For as the first, as generally tossed up and down, concerns none in particular, though accompanied with the repetition of such words as ought not to be scoffed at; so the latter is nothing but what violence and ignorance may anywhere, and in any age, produce. There are societies of Christians, not a few, in the East, wherein mere darkness and ignorance of the truth, has kept men at peace in errors, without the least disturbance by contrary opinions among themselves, for above 1000 years; and yet they have wanted the help of outward force to secure their tranquillity. And is it any wonder, that where both these powerful engines are set at work for the same end, if in some measure it be compassed and effected. And if there be such a thing among the Romanists (which I have reason to be difficult in admitting the belief of) as that they can stifle all opinions, as fast as they are conceived, or destroy them as soon as they are brought forth; I know it must be some device or artifice unknown to the Apostles and primitive churches; who notwithstanding all their authority and care for the truth, could not with many compass that end.

Sect. 5. Pag. 54. The last Section of this Chapter contains motives to moderation three in number; and I suppose, that no man doubts, but that many more might be added, every one in weight out-doing all these three. The first is that alone which Protestants are concerned to look to: not that Protestants oppose any motive to moderation; but knowing that in this Discourse, Moderation is only the pretence, Popery (if I may use the word without incivility) the Design and aim, it concerns them to examine, which of these pretended motives, that any way regards their real principle, does tend to. Now this motive is, the great ignorance our state and condition is involved in, concerning God, his works, and Providence; a great motive to moderation, I wish all men would well consider it. For I must acknowledge, that I cannot but suppose them ignorant of the state and condition of mortality, and so consequently their own, who are ready to destroy and exterminate their neighbors of the same flesh and blood with them, and agreeing in the main principles of Religion, that may certainly be known, for lesser differences, and that by such rules as within a few years may possibly reach their nearest relations. Our Author also lays so much weight on this motive, that he fears an anticipation, by men, saying, That the Scripture reveals enough to us; which therefore he thinks necessary to remove. For my part; I scarce think, he apprehended any real danger, that this would be insisted on as an objection against his motive to moderation. For to prevent his tending on towards that which is indeed his proper end, this obstacle is not unseasonably laid, that under a pretence of the ignorance unavoidably attending our state and condition, he might not prevail upon us to increase and aggravate it, by enticing us to give up ourselves by an implicit faith to the conduct of the Roman Church. A man may easily perceive the end he intends, by the objections which he fore-sees. No man is so mad, I think, as to plead the sufficiency of Scripture revelation against Moderation; when in the revelation of the will of God contained in the Scripture, Moderation is so much commended to us, and pressed upon us. But against the pretended necessity of resigning ourselves to the Romanists for a relief against the unavoidable ignorance of our state and condition, besides that we know full well, such a resignation would yield us no relief at all; this plea of the sufficiency of Scripture revelation is full and unanswerable. This put our Author on a work which I have formerly once or twice advised him to meddle no more; being well assured, that it is neither for his reputation, nor his advantage, much less for his soul's health. The pretences which he makes use of, are the same that we have heard of many and many a time; the abuse of it by some, and the want of an infallible interpreter of it as to us all. But the old tale is here anew gilded with an intermixture of other pretty stories, and application of all to the present humours of men; not forgetting to set forth the brave estate of our fore-fathers, that had not the use of the Scripture; which what it was, we know well enough, and better than the prejudices of this Gentleman will give him leave to tell us. But if the lawful and necessary use of any thing may be decried, because of its abuse, we ought not only to labor the abolishing of all Christian Religion in general, and every principle of it in particular out of the world; but the blotting out of the Sun, and Moon, and Stars, out of the firmament of Heaven, and the destruction of the greatest and most noble parts, at least, of the whole Creation. But as the Apostles continued in the work of preaching the Gospel, though by some, the grace they taught was turned into lasciviousness; so shall we abide to plead for the use of the Scripture, whatever abuse of them by the wicked lusts of men can be instanced in. Nor is there any reason in the world, why food should be kept from all men, though some have surfeited, or may yet so do. To have a compendious narration of the story and morality of the Scripture in the room of the whole, which our Author allows of, is so jejune, narrow, and empty a conception, so unanswerable to all those divine testimonies given to the excellency of the Word of God, with precepts to abide in the meditation and study of it, to grow in the knowledge of it, and the mysteries contained in it, the commendations of them that did so, in the Scripture itself, so blasphemously derogatory to the goodness, love, and wisdom of God, in granting us that inestimable benefit, so contrary to the redoubled exhortations of all the ancient Fathers, that I wonder any one who dares pretend to have read it, or to be a Christian, can own and avow such a notion. All the fine stories, allusions, and speculations, about madness, that he is pleased to flourish withal in this matter, are a covering too short and narrow to hide that wretched contempt of the holy Word of the great God, which in these notions discovers itself. Men who by corrupt principles have been scared from the study of the Scripture, or by their lusts kept from its serious perusal, or attendance to it, that value not the authority of God, of Christ, or his Apostles, commanding and requiring the diligent study of it, that disregard the glorious mysteries, revealed in it on set purpose that we might all come to an acquaintance with them, and so, consequently, that have had no experience of the excellency or usefulness of it, nor lie under any conviction of their own duty to attend to it; may perhaps be glad to have their lusts and unbelief so far accommodated, as to suffer themselves to be persuaded, that there is no need that they should any further regard it, than hitherto they have done. But in vain is the net spread before the eye of any thing that has a wing; for them who have tasted the sweetness of the good Word of God, who have attained any acquaintance with its usefulness and excellency, who have heard the voice of God in it, making the knowledge of his will revealed therein of indispensable necessity to the salvation of their souls; believe me, Sir, all your rhetoric and stories, your pretences and flourishes, will never prevail with them to cast away their Bibles, and resolve for the future to believe only in the Pope. Of the interpretation of the Scripture I have spoken before, and showed sufficiently, that neither are we at any such a loss therein, as to bring us to any uncertainty about the principles of our Religion; nor, if we were, have we the least reason to look for any relief from Rome. When I happen upon any of these discourses, I cannot but say to myself; What do these men intend? Do they know what they do, or with whom they have to deal? Have they ever read the Scripture, or tasted any sweetness in it? If they instruct their disciples to such mean thoughts of the holy Word of God, they undo them for ever. And if I meet with these bold efforts against the wisdom of God twenty times, I cannot but still thus startle at them.

The two following Motives being taken up, as far as I can apprehend, to give our Author an advantage to make sport for himself and others, in canvasing some expressions & discourses of our talkative times, and the vulgar brutish management of our differences, by some weak unknowing Persons, need not detain us. Did I judge it a business worthy of any prudent man's consideration, it were easie to return him for his requital, a collection of the pretty Prayers and Devotions of his good Catholics, of their kind treatments one of another, or the doubty Arguments they make use of among themselves and against us; abundantly enough to repay him his kindness, without being beholding to any of those Legends, which they formerly accommodated the people withal, in room both of Scripture and Preaching; though of late they begin to be ashamed of them.