13. The Sixth Dividing Principle: What is in itself bestmust be chosen and done, not weighing circumstances or reference
Chapter Thirteen The Sixth Dividing Principle:
What is in itself bestmust be chosen and done, not weighing circumstances or references.
T his brings much trouble to the churches; indeed, it causes much trouble in the spirits and lives of many truly godly. It causes men to break the bonds of their callings, their relations, and their public interests; therefore, certainly, it must needs be a dividing principle.
Some men whose calling is only to a private employment, yet having some gifts and having used sometimes in their families to take a Scripture and speak something out of it; upon this, they think it is a better thing to be exercised in preaching God's Word than to sit in a shop all day at some mean work or selling out wares. Therefore, they think they are bound to give over their callings, which they look at as too low, mean things, and become preachers of the Word, not regarding those due ways that Christ would have men come into such an employment by.
Although I do not think that tradesmen who have good knowledge in the Scripture and are gifted by God to speak the Word to people for their edification—when there is a want of able men who have been all their lives
preparing for such a work and are set apart for it—rather than people should continue in ignorance and so perish (if those who are able and fit to judge shall judge them meet for such a work), they may be employed to make
Christ known to them. Yet for every man that takes himself to be a gifted man—and it may be is so judged by some who are willing to flatter him— to take upon himself or by the advice of two or three of his friends to leave his other employment for the work of the ministry because that is a more noble and excellent work; this is not a way of God but a way of confusion and disorder.
Again, it is in itself a better thing to enjoy a ministry of the most eminent gifts and graces than one of lower; but if this should be made a rule—that a man who is under a pastor who is faithful and in some good measure gifted, upon another man's coming into the country that is more eminent, he should forsake his pastor and join the other; and if after this still a more eminent man comes, he should leave the former and join him; and by the same law, a pastor who has a good people yet if others are more likely to receive more good, he may leave his own people and go to them—what confusion and disorder would there be continually in the church?
Men must consider not only what the thing is in its own nature but what it is to them, how it stands in reference to their relations. If you are joined to a pastor so that you believe he is set over you by Christ to be a pastor to you
(not because the bishop has sent one or an old usurer dies and leaves the patronage of a living to some ostler or tap-wench in an alehouse, and he or she shall send one by virtue of their right to the patronage; this cannot tie a man's conscience to depend upon him for the ordinances of Christ all his days in case he cannot remove his dwelling), but if you cannot but look upon the man as the pastor that Christ has set over you. Though this man
has meaner gifts than others; and it would be more comfortable for you to have another pastor; yet this is not enough to cause you to desert him whom
Christ has set over you; and if people may not leave their pastors because others have more eminent gifts, then surely pastors must not leave their people because others have more eminent livings.
To instance yet further so that you may see how this principle disturbs men's spirits: Many being in the works of their calling have some thoughts come into their mind that prayer is a better work, more noble and spiritual than to be employed as they are; therefore they must needs presently leave their work and go to prayer. How many have been perplexed with temptations this way by which their lives have been made very uncomfortable? Prayer in itself is better, but is it better at this time for me, all things considered? Am I not about that which God has called me to?
By this principle many deceive and trouble themselves in respect of their souls; as some by a conceit of the like nature deceive and bring great trouble to themselves in respect of their bodies. Some who have sickly bodies, their flesh is decayed, think such and such things have most nourishment in them; such things are hot and full of spirits and juice; therefore they will eat and drink altogether such things, leaving their ordinary diet. By this means they many times overthrow their bodies: for though a man wants flesh, yet the way for him to have it may not be to take nourishing things but purging; and though he is troubled with faintness, it may be the way to get good spirits is by eating ordinary diet and cooling his body so that some distemper may be cured, and he may get his veins filled with good blood and spirits got from it rather than by drinking hot waters that are full of spirits which perhaps burn his heart and dry his body so that there is no good blood generated from his diet.
It is not enough, therefore, to say the thing is in itself better, but is it better in all the references I have, and it has? Is it better in regard to others, in regard to the public, for helping me in all my relations? May it not help one way and hinder many ways? If a physician should come to a man, see his disease is hot, and should therefore cool him by giving him water, the man may like it for the present; why is it not better to be cool than so burning hot? But thus the physician discovers his folly, and the patient loses his life.
A physician, in prescribing some medicine, needs to have many considerations in his head at once: how one part stands affected to the other, of what years the man is, of what complexion, how long the disease has been upon him, what was last done to him, etc.
So it should be in the duties of religion. A Christian who desires to walk orderly, to beautify and honor his profession, to enjoy communion with God and peace in his own soul, and be useful to the public, needs to have his wits about him. He should not immediately fall upon a work because it is now presented as good to him in a single consideration; he must compare one thing with another and see what it is in all its references. Otherwise, he will interfere; he will hack and hew, bungle, and disturb himself and others in the ways of religion. He will make religion tiresome to himself and others. He will be in danger of eventually casting off strictness and growing more loose than others by how much more constrained he has been in a disorderly way than others.
I believe some of you have known those who, in their youth, have been very strict and tender. Whatever they have conceived to be better than others, they have immediately followed with all eagerness, never considering circumstances, references, or consequences. But the thing is good; it must be done. Yet being wearied with this, they have afterward
grown loose in as great an excess the other way; indeed, they may have vanished and come to nothing.
Chap. XIII The Seventh Dividing Principle: It is Obstinacy for a Man Not to Be Convinced by the Judgment of Many More Learned and Godly Than
Himself The making of this to be the rule to judge obstinacy by has in all ages caused great divisions by exasperating the spirits of men against one another. In times of Popery, what rage did it raise against men who were most conscientious? The generality of men thought they did God good service by persecuting those who would not yield to the judgment of others who had the repute of learning and piety. Those who were conscientious could not yield to their determinations, not seeing the truth of God in them, and this made the stir.
While men appear obstinate, by the rule of Christ we are not to bear with them; and this principle sets thousands of godly peaceable men in the seat of the obstinate. These cannot in conscience yield, and others cannot but in conscience oppose them. What reconciliation then can there be hoped for?
Either men must captivate their consciences, causing them in a sordid way to bow down to slavery, or else there must needs be continual division and opposition where this prevails.
I confess such a principle as this would make for union amongst those who either think they need not or through carelessness regard not to search out truth but with implicit faith take in all that shall be imposed upon them.
They think ignorance of God's mind and conscience slavery is no great evil.
This is never urged with violence but either by those who have given up their consciences to be serviceable to the ease and content of the flesh or
those who have or hope to have power in their hands to bring others into subjection to them.
Because rightly informing our judgments in this may much conduce to peace, I shall endeavor:
1. To show you what due respect is to be given to men's judgment who are learned and godly.2. Yet not so much as to make their judgments the rule to judge men obstinate if they differ from them.3. What then should be the rule? By what should we judge a man to be obstinate?
For the first, certainly much respect is to be given to the learning and godliness of men. There is a great delusion in many men's hearts that makes them think it to be half Popery to give any respect to learning. Although the abuse of learning has done much evil—against that much has been and may be said—I dare avow this: never since the beginning of the world could a man be found to speak against learning but an ignorant man; neither is it likely—nay, I may aver—it is impossible that any but such will be found to the end of the world. Learning has so much of God in it that it never had nor will have any enemy but ignorance.
1 Tim. 4:13: "Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."
Verse 15: "Give thyself wholly to them," ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι (be in them). And when we see grace added to learning, it should add much to our esteem of such a man; it is the orient pearl in the gold ring; it is a great testimony to a way that it is the way of good men. Prov. 2:20: "That thou mayest walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous." The judgment and counsel of such are to be received with very great respect, especially if the eminence of their grace appears in the tenderness of their spirits so that we may see much of the fear of God in them. Ezra 10:3: "Now let us make a covenant according to the counsel of my lord and of those that tremble at
the commandment of our God." And when not only some few godly men are of this mind but when it is that which God has sealed in the hearts of the saints generally, very high respect is to be given unto it.
Wherefore he that differs in his judgment from wise, learned, godly men had need first spend much time in prayer and humiliation before the Lord.
There is a notable expression of Basil cited in an appendix of an epistle of Luther to the ministers of Nuremberg who were at variance one from another: He who will separate himself from his brethren had need consider many things even to anxiety; he had need break his sleep many nights and seek from God with many tears the demonstration of the truth.
Secondly, even when you cannot agree with their judgments, you must preserve due reverence in your heart and show respect to men of learning and grace according to their worth. We have a notable account of that holy man, Mr. Greenham, in a letter of his to the Bishop of Ely, in whose diocese he lived. The Bishop, seeking to bring him to conformity, objected thus:
"Why will you not yield? Luther approved of these things; are you wiser than he?" His sober and gracious answer was, "I reverence more the revealed will of God in teaching that worthy instrument of God, Mr. Luther, so many necessary things to salvation than I search into His secret will, why
He kept back from his knowledge other things of less importance."
Thirdly, if those things wherein we differ from the judgments of learned and godly men are not matters of duty and only may bring us to some suffering, we should silently yield for peace's sake and out of respect to them, not oppose.
Fourthly, in all things wherein you may have any help from them, you should seek them out and desire to partake of the benefit of those gifts and graces God has bestowed upon them.
Fifthly, in all things wherein you can agree, you should be more careful to manifest all possible observance and respect to them, blessing God for any help He grants to you by them, either in making known His truth to you or at least in further confirming you in it by them.
Sixthly, in what still your consciences will not allow you to agree with them, you are to take it as your affliction and to account that way you are in as lacking a great luster and most desirable encouragement, in that so many learned and godly men's judgments and practices are against it.
We are to raise our respect for men of learning and godliness this high; but if we should go so high as to give up our judgments and consciences to them, we would dishonor Christ in honoring them; indeed, they would consider themselves dishonored. Those who are truly godly and wise consider it their honor to carry a loving respect for those who differ from them rather than desire that men should follow them blindly without understanding their grounds. Prelatical spirits indeed consider it their honor to force men to be of their mind; it is their glory that they can say to the consciences of men, "Bow down before us." A gracious spirit abhors the thought of such tyranny. This excessive raising of respect due to learned, holy men has been very hurtful in the Church, prejudicial to the souls of men, but especially to the honor of Christ.
I will give you an instance. Erasmus was no novice, yet how dangerously he was taken with this will appear by a strange expression of his in an epistle he wrote to one Bilibaldus: "How far the authority of the Church prevails with others, I know not; but with me it has that power that I could be of the opinion with Arians and Pelagians if the Church did but allow that which they taught." This you will say is a strange expression coming from a learned man and one too not addicted to the Church that then was in that
excess as others were; how then did this concept prevail with weaker men who gave up their consciences to others through their blind superstition?
Wherefore secondly, though great respect is to be given to holy and learned men, yet not such that a man must be judged obstinate if he does not submit to their judgments and determinations. For,
First, if a man should believe or do anything before he sees some other grounds besides their judgments or examples, though the thing were in itself never so good, yet it would be sin to him. If indeed this were enough to answer Christ: "Lord, I am a poor weak man; I cannot find out Thy truths myself; therefore seeing learned godly men to be of such a judgment and doing such things, I thought it too much presumption for me to differ from them; therefore I also believed it to be true and practiced accordingly," this would be an easy way for people to agree, and it might well be judged obstinacy to gainsay. But this account Christ will not take, for He tells us,
"Whatsoever is not of faith is sin," and the judgments and practices of godly learned men He never made to be the rule of faith.
Secondly, if God in revealing His mind to men always did it according to the proportion of their gifts and graces, then it would be too much boldness for any to differ from those who are most eminent; but experience tells us it is otherwise. As God causes His rain to fall upon one field and not upon another; and as the wind blows where it wills, so are the workings of the Spirit of God upon men. Although He reveals to all His saints whatsoever is absolutely necessary for salvation, yet for other truths, a man of eminent parts shall know one thing while another of weaker parts shall know another. David was a man as eminent for parts and was filled with the Spirit of God as much as Nathan, both in regard to prophecy and godliness; yet sometimes that was revealed to Nathan which was kept hidden from David.
When the Book of the Law was found and read before Josiah, they sent to Huldah the prophetess even though there were prophets in the land at that time.
But you will say, is it not more likely that men of learning and piety should know what is right and what is not better than others?
Answer: True, it is more likely they should; but God many times does things which we think are not likely; that which is most unlikely to us God many times chooses as best to serve His ends.
Thirdly, if there were no other reason why a man of weaker parts should differ from others than because he is conceited about his parts and thinks himself more able to understand than those who are far his betters, then there would be more liberty to deal severely with him. But being there may be this reason why men who are weak yet differ from those who are eminent: Christ has laid this charge upon them that they must not believe or practice anything in matters of religion but what they shall first see ground for out of His Word. If a man shall be jealous of himself, fearing lest his own understanding should mislead him, and in the use of all means he can seeks God and yet cannot see from Scripture the ground of those things learned and godly men have determined; having received such a charge from Christ not to alter his judgment or practice until in the use of these means he should receive further light from Him; what would you have this man do? If he yields to you, he sins against the charge of Christ and his own conscience; if he does not either now or after such a time you prescribe him alter his judgment and practice, you judge him obstinate and in the name of Christ deal with him as such. Do not you by this make that bond that Christ has laid upon him (to do all he does from a principle of faith) heavier than
Christ would have it?
Fourthly, the more learning and godliness men have, and the more effort they put into finding the truth, the less reason there is to judge those who differ from them as obstinate, simply because they differ. You might ask, how can that be? If men are very learned and godly, and work hard to find the truth, shouldn't we trust their judgments more than our own?
Answer: We must indeed honor them more; however, the depth of their learning, the prominence of their godliness, and the diligence of their efforts in discovering truth may excuse those from being labeled obstinate who cannot see all that they can from the Word. Is it not more than probable that those who are weaker and significantly beneath them might, through mere weakness, be unable to see the scriptural rule in matters that these learned individuals have understood with the help of their great learning, godliness, and tireless efforts? Can it be expected that those who have not reached such eminence or who cannot invest as much effort in searching should attain what these eminent and industrious men have achieved? Can they, in a few months, come to understand what these scholars have been studying and debating for years before they could see it? Can they be satisfied in their consciences about the mind of Christ when these eminent men struggled for a long time to satisfy one another? Indeed, even after all their learning, godliness, and diligent efforts, they may view many things as merely probable or more likely than not. They may not have full assurance in their own hearts. Should those who do not see enough ground for faith to settle upon be judged and treated as obstinate simply because they do not yet share their views? God forbid.
Fifthly, there is much danger in making this the rule. If going against the judgment of godly and learned men is considered obstinacy now, it may soon lead to a situation where opposing those in power is deemed obstinacy,
regardless of who they are. Who would dare question their learning and piety? Despite any future failures in appointing unlearned and ungodly individuals to positions of power, those who do not share their views may still be judged as obstinate. What predicament would we then find ourselves in?
If you say, "True, our situation would be dire, but we must risk it; better an inconvenience than a mischief."
Answer: But this would not be merely an inconvenience; it would be a mischief. In civil matters, we must indeed take this risk because we are not required to understand the reasons and grounds for everything. As long as nothing appears contrary to justice and piety, we must submit. However, in religious matters, it is different; we must understand everything from the Word. Therefore, those who propose that we may treat these men as obstinate by Christ's ordinance—if after two or three admonitions they do not share the same judgment or actions as learned and godly men—bring the Church into greater bondage than they realize.
Sixthly, learned and godly men still possess flesh as well as spirit, and personal engagements often influence them significantly. Here with us, we know how most learned and godly men lean one way, but in New England, most lean another way. Recently, most learned and godly men in Old
England judged submission to Prelatical power in the Church and the practice of ceremonies and use of Common Prayer to be lawful. I hope this is no longer the case.
Seventhly, if it is always considered obstinacy not to believe or practice what they deem should be believed and practiced, then sometimes it will be obstinacy not to believe and practice a contradiction. We know some
learned and godly men determine one thing while others determine the opposite; indeed, they often contradict themselves.
Eighthly, it goes against the Apostle's rule: "Test all things; hold fast what is good; abstain from every form of evil." If after testing prophecy there is even an appearance of evil, we are bound to abstain.
Ninthly, from our own experience, we know we have differed from many more learned and godly than ourselves, yet our consciences excused us before God. We did not act out of obstinacy; even if our lives depended on it, we could not have changed our stance at that time.
But if we do not judge those who go against the determination of those most able to judge as obstinate, then every man may do what seems right in his own eyes, leading to confusion.
Answer: Not so. Although this is not the rule to judge men as obstinate by, there are other rules by which men can be judged as such and dealt with accordingly. These include:
First: If the matter in which men differ goes against the common principles of Christianity, then those who profess Christianity involve themselves in obstinacy if they oppose these principles.
Second: In other matters, if their behavior is turbulent and entirely unbecoming of a Christian differing from his brethren.
Third: Where there is neglect of means of reformation that he cannot reasonably oppose.
Fourth: If he contradicts his own principles so that he appears selfcondemned.