HUMAN AUTHORITY, IN MATTERS OF FAITH, REPUGNANT TO CHRISTIANITY: ILLUSTRATED IN TWO DISCOURSES ON MATTH. xxiii. 8.
WITH A PREFATORY ADDRESS, EXPLAINING THE PARTICULAR OCCASION OF OFFERING THEM TO THE PUBLIC.
BY THE AUTHOR OF AN ESSAY ON THE JUSTICE OF GOD.
"As the Church of Christ is the Kingdom of Christ, He himself is King: And in this it is implied, that He is himself the sole Lawgiver to his Subjects:—He hath left behind, no visibly human Authority, no Vice-gerents, who can be said properly to supply his Place; no Interpreters, upon whom his Subjects are absolutely to depend; no Judges over the Consciences or Religion of his People.
"—They, who have other Lawgivers, and Judges in Christ's Religion, besides Jesus Christ—have set up to themselves the Idol of an unintelligible Authority, both in Belief, and Worship, and Practice; in Words UNDER Jesus Christ, but in Deed and in Truth OVER Him."
HOADLEY'S Sermon on the Nature of Christ's Kingdom.
LONDON: Printed for J. JOHNSON, No 72. in St. Paul's Church-Yard, MDCCLXXIV. [Price One Shilling and Six-pence.]
THE PREFATORY ADDRESS, &c.
THE Author of the following Discourses, hath been frequently accused of cherishing in his own breast, and labouring to diffuse among others, a Spirit of enmity against the members of the Established Church. But, this accusation hath no other foundation than the ignorance, or the passions, of those who have raised it. He can seriously, and truly avow, that he knoweth not what it is to wish Evil to any man, that he heartily wisheth well to every one in the world. Others, also, can testify for him, that, next to the love of the Supreme Being, the adorable source of all Good; there are no doctrines which he so earnestly and universally recommends, as an abhorrence of every species of persecution, a candid and dispassionate temper of mind towards those who differ from us, and a generous, boundless, universal charity.
Is there, however, or, can there be, any kind of inconsistency between the sincerity of this profession, and a thorough dislike to the mode of Religion as by law established, with warm and repeated animadversions upon the apprehended corruptions of it? May I not have an unquestionable good will for a Pagan, while I detest Idolatry as a disgrace to man, and the highest insult that can be offered against heaven? May I not be most affectionately disposed towards a Papist, a Mahommedan, and a Jew; while I despise Popery and Mahomedism, and would take every convenient opportunity of exposing them as wicked impostures, and while I have not the most distant inclination to embrace Judaism? Churchmen, who, in the paroxisms of their zeal, most violently declaim against the supposed heresies of the Dissenters, do not therefore I would hope, hate the Dissenters themselves; and there are Dissenters, I am certain, who make no scruple to charge the Church with having adopted, and still maintaining, the most childish, contradictory, uncharitable and anti-christian doctrines, who, notwithstanding, entertain no antipathy against any Churchman on the face of the earth, but wish well to them all, and would, upon all occasions, treat every individual of them, not only according to the laws of
common civility,
but also according to the strictest principles of humanity and brotherly love. One of the most benevolent of men, one who is known to cherish the most friendly disposition towards the members of the Church, as well as towards all men, has repeatedly, however, charged the Church itself with the heinous and barbarous crime of Idolatry, besides taxing it with a great variety of other follies, and absurdities. Nor can I, after revolving again and again the matter in my own mind, see the least reason why the most rigid Churchman should take umbrage either at the boldness, or severity, of this charge. If it be groundless, it reflects dishonour only upon the Author, and is most easily refuted. If, on the contrary, it be well founded, we should not degrade ourselves by traducing the very first genius of the age, nor think that by vilifying him, we change the nature of things, but should acknowledge that he deserves the sincere thanks of mankind, for his honest endeavours to enlighten, reform, and reclaim them to the pure worship of the only Living and True God. Let the matter then be coolly and fairly debated
The friends of Orthodoxy have been repeatedly invited to point out the errors of this Arch-heretic. They have been particularly called upon to enter into a discussion of the doctrine now under consideration. But, they have all observed a profound silence, except one, who indeed cannot fairly rank among them, though he entered the lists as their champion. This gentleman, however, has since acknowledged himself mistaken. If there are other more penetrating geniuses, who, as I have heard some of them pretend, can still demonstrate our obligations to join in the Athanasian Worship, why are they backward in executing so good a work? Why are they not so charitably disposed, as to condescend to inform the more ignorant? Or, if they find themselves unequal to the task, why do they not renounce their claim to infallibility, and give up their favourite idol as indefensible?
. But, let those champions who would refute the charge, and lead Dr. Priestley to the knowledge of the truth, be cautioned, not to take refuge in Church Authority, nor to divert our attention from the point in question, by referring us to the opinions of Fathers, or Councils, nor to mispend their time by descanting upon any topics whatever that are not clearly to the purpose. Let them first precisely consider the nature of Idolatry; and then shew the consistency between the first, and great commandment, and those addresses to Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which run thro' the book of Common Prayer. Let them particularly explain to us, how the true unitarian worship is contained in the following addresses, taken from the
Litany,
the
Collect for Trinity Sunday,
and
the Communion Service.
'O God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy upon us, miserable sinners. O God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us miserable sinners. O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, have mercy upon us miserable sinners. O Holy, Blessed, and Glorious Trinity, three persons, and one God, have mercy upon us, miserable sinners. Remember not, Lord, our ofnces, &c. Spare us, Good Lord.—Good Lord, deliver us.—By the mystery of thy holy incarnation; by thy holy nativity and circumcision; by thy baptism, fasting, and temptation; by thine agony, and bloody sweat, by thy cross, and passion; by thy precious death and burial; by thy glorious resurrection, and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Ghost, &c
See the
Litany.
It is hard to say, what perplexities may not be removed by persons really possessed of the Holy Ghost. This passage, however, is at present covered with such confusion and darkness, in the view of the
unregenerate,
that it seems neither above the dignity, nor below the humility of a Metropolitan to endeavour to explain it. As the greatest men should not wish to have their good evil-spoken of, and as those who we are told have both
received the Holy Ghost themselves,
and have
the power also of conferring it upon others,
can certainly, if our information be true, enable us to comprehend every thing that is agreeable to the word of truth, they should condescend to open the blind eyes, was it only to prevent the strange ideas which some may otherwise entertain of the Faith of Bishops. Until we are thus enlightened, a man who rather means to pity than insult them, may be disposed to say that they have no certain object of religious worship, or that they worship they know not what. Here, in particular it might be said, they first seem to believe, that there is One God, and Father of all, who is both able and willing to save; but, that they have no sooner addressed themselves to him, than they seem to distrust either his power, or his mercy, and that they therefore address themselves to the Son, as if he only could or would have any compassion on them; but that, again, having done this, they seem instantly to lose all confidence, both in the Father and in the Son, and apply themselves, therefore, to the Holy Ghost as their only God. The observer might continue to remark, that when they had proceeded thus far in their worship, they appeared to be all confusion again, and that not knowing whether the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Ghost was the True God, they called upon them all together, not to miss the right object, and, in their extreme precipitation, described the One God as consisting of three Persons. Then follows, it might be added, a strange kind of incantation, as it would seem, to the Three Persons, comprehended under the term
Lord,
which must shock such as are not initiated into
the mysteries,
as it leads them to apprehend that the Athanasians believe their God to have been a mortal man, &c. &c.
.'
'Almighty and Everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants Grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the Eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty, to worship the Unity.
Collect for Trinity Sunday.
This is mystery with a witness. The happy adventurer, who succeeds in unfolding it, will certainly find out the Philosopher's stone.
'Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace, good will towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we give thanks to thee, for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly king, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the Only-begotten Son, Jesu Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us, &c. For thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord, thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father
See the
Communion Service.
It is difficult to determine whether this, or the preceding passages are the most curious. But, perhaps, they will be shortly explained to silence the murmurings of Mr.
Evanson,
and to convince the excellent
Lindsey
of the Error of his ways.
.'
Besides, it is well known that the clergy of the Establishment take frequent opportunities of vindicating
their
principles, and of extolling
their
service, as the most pure and perfect system of religious worship under heaven, as, if not inspired and infallible, approaching at least as near to divine perfection as human abilities could possibly carry it. Nay, some of them, on one particular day of the year, not only take occasion to revile the principles of all Dissenters, but all Dissenters themselves; without making any kind of apology for their conduct, without supposing, indeed, that any is necessary, without imagining that they give just cause of offence to any one Dissenter, but rather that they merit the thanks of them all. Why may not a Dissenter, then, freely propose and vindicate, his own principles to Dissenters? Why may not a Dissenter, without harbouring a particle of enmity against any man in the world, declare, avow, and publish, what he apprehends to be the doctrines of Reason and Truth? Why may not a Dissenter, while all the arguments that have been hitherto advanced in favour of Establishments are insufficient to work a conviction on his mind, sincerely recommend, as well as practise, what he believes to be built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Corner Stone? Who is there indeed, has the least right to take offence, at the undisguised declarations of an honest man, who has truth alone for his object, and who recommends what he believes to be truth, not with the view of insulting any individual, but only in the discharge of what he thinks his duty? Besides, should he be imagined to labour under a very discernible weakness of intellect, to have formed a wrong judgment, to be bewildered with inveterate prejudices, and to have entirely mistaken the grand plan of the Gospel, by what other method, but openly communicating his sentiments to others, could he stand any fair chance, to have his understanding strengthened, his erroneous opinions corrected, the thick darkness which envelops him dispersed, and his reason fully enlightened?
I am certain, that I am neither knowingly nor willingly deceived; and that I would readily exchange my present sentiments, for any others that could be shewn to have even the probability of being better founded. But, notwithstanding this, I can embrace nothing as Truth, which does not appear such to me. If still, however, I am not able to discover or comprehend Truth, I can neither help my want of capacity, nor justly incur any blame for it. Those, indeed, who would condemn me in this case, might as reasonably condemn me for being either taller or shorter than themselves, or for not being exactly similar to them in features or complexion. In short, I think any kind of apology for the following work, so far as the matter of discourse may be insinuated to require one, must be already anticipated by every candid mind, or by every person who would deal with others as he wishes to be treated himself. But, to those who are yet disposed to think otherwise, I will frankly declare, in the words of an Author, whom I love to read, and whom I love to think of, that,
'The things, that seem to want an apology, are the doctrines of Original Sin, Predestination, Trinity in Unity, Satisfaction by vicarious punishments, &c. a Hierarchy, consisting of persons, with names and powers altogether unknown in the New Testament: Ecclesiastical persons, as such, invested with Civil Power, contrary to the very genius of the religion of Jesus Christ, whose kingdom was not of this world; Subscriptions to Creeds, and Articles of Faith of human composition; the imposition of ceremonies, by the authority of men in a Church, of which Christ alone is the Head
Such a church, I know, is asserted to be the Church of Christ. But, this seems to be a mistake, as the Church of Christ has only one Head, and that Head is Christ; whereas this other Church, sometimes acknowledges the Bishops, and sometimes the King and Parliament, to be its Head, or Heads.
; and the enjoining of rites, which are the remains and badges of Popish Superstition, such as the wearing of a Surplice, the sign of the Cross, with Godfathers and Godmothers in baptism; confirmation, by the imposition of the hands of a bishop; wheeling about to the East, and bowing at the name of Jesus, as if it was a mere sound that was worshipped; the posture of kneeling at the Lord's Supper, as it were, in adoration of the Elements of bread and wine, &c. &c. &c. Such as these are the things, that look, as if they wanted some
apology;
for, certainly, their reasonableness is far from being evident at first sight
See
the Address to Protestant Dissenters, as such.
.'
Yet, on another account, I confess, some apology may be necessary. The doctrine which is here offered to the world, hath been already repeatedly, and most clearly illustrated, by men of the first rank for learning and genius. Why, then, it may be said, should I challenge the attention of my brethren, to that which has not even the claim of novelty to recommend it? The question, I acknowledge, is by no means improper; and, therefore, I will give it the best answer I can. I would, first, observe, that every Republication of the plainest doctrine, in a different style and manner from that of preceding writers, may possibly be of considerable service, to re-impress it upon our minds, and to make us renew our acquaintance with it, with fresh solicitude and success
'Some advantage may arise from the same things being said in a different manner, and upon a different occasion.'
See
Address,
&c.
on the approaching Election of Members of Parliament, with respect to the state of Public Liberty in general, and of American Affairs in particular.
. What did not particularly strike us at one time, may very forcibly strike us at another, and lead to many unexpected and important enquiries. Besides, the peculiarity of address, belonging to any distinct writer, however uncouth and unpleasing to the many, may yet happen exactly to suit a certain class of readers. As the most common scene of nature, must, when within their view, communicate greater satisfaction to short-sighted people, than the most enchanting distant prospect, which their eyes cannot reach; so, to some persons the simplest language will have its advantages above the most elevated. We are not all so constituted, as to relish the grateful odours of the most sweet-scented flowers, or to discern the beauties of the finest, or to find much entertainment among the greatest variety. Some, again, will prefer the open lawn to the cultivated garden. Some will bask under the piercing sunbeams, rather than sequester themselves in the shady groves. Some delight in tumultuous cities; others, in the silent villages. Some climb the lofty mountains; others, can traverse only the humble vale; and, while some have sufficient fortitude and strength to penetrate the bewildering forest, without being much alarmed or perplexed; others, have a thousand difficulties to contend with, in travelling through the champaign country. In like manner, the metaphisical subtleties, and sublime eloquence of a profoundly learned philosopher, may be wholly lost upon persons of inferior understanding, who will, yet, be much pleased and edified with plain language and unpolished periods.
But, if any farther apology should be deemed necessary for the publication of the following discourses, there are some Dissenters, whom it may possibly be a more arduous task to satisfy on this head than even the generality of rigid churchmen
The latter, however, need not plume themselves on this account, whatever be the severity, and narrow way of thinking of the former, still Freedom is found with the Dissenters alone. This very Freedom prevents their disguising one anothers faults, and makes them drop all ceremony where they apprehend one another are to blame. On the contrary, there are those of the Establishment to be found, who, when they think the honour of their church is concerned, are ready to throw the mantle of oblivion over ten thousand things, which, in themselves, by no means please them; and whatever, in theory, be the boasted freedom of many Churchmen, they can have no great cause of glorying while they are known to continue in their chains, and either have not inclination, or resolution sufficient to shake them off.
. Some Dissenters, have such a peculiar
delicacy
about them; others are so
prudent;
others again are so sharp-sighted in
business,
or so obsequious to
fashion,
that a man becomes their enemy for telling them the Truth. The author is concerned to reflect, that he has had frequent proofs of this. These discourses, in particular, gave great, and almost universal offence, to a certain society of Dissenters, who would be thought to be possessed of liberal, candid, and enlarged principles
Some persons have suggested, that the disgust conceived against these Discourses was universal. But the author has the strongest proofs to the contrary, as he knows several, who were both highly pleased with the sentiments they contain, and with the freedom in which they were delivered.
. They abused the author, as a flaming incendiary, who meant to offer them an outrageous insult, and to excite them to wage incessant war with the church; and they boasted, with a peculiar self-satisfaction, how generally the laugh circulated among them, while the discourses were delivering.
They must surely be delighted, then, to receive entire from the press the subject of so much pleasantry. As their memories are possibly not so perfect, but that some sentiments, which they eagerly endeavour to recollect, may have escaped them, and as they would no doubt, fondly retain the particular obnoxious passages which so highly disgusted them, that they may indulge their good-humour upon them afresh, and likewise edify others by their remarks; he is willing, therefore to gratify them to the full, and to give them the best opportunity they can wish for of throwing confusion upon his whole scheme. He is willing at any rate, for more reasons than One, that they should reconsider the matter. Particularly, as persons often find fault with a speaker, only because they misapprehend him, this publication may be of some use to prevent a misrepresentation of things, as it will empower those, who did not hear it, to criticise upon it as precisely and judiciously as those who did.
But, whatever be the Event, should the respectable society he is speaking of still continue in the same sentiments, and be able also clearly to convince him that he has totally mistaken his subject, he shall, after all, express his great surprise and astonishment, that they, as Dissenters, should have so little forbearance among them, or that they should have been so vehemently irritated against him for what, in any view, can be called by no harsher name than the weakness of an honest zeal. His surprise and astonishment will continue to encrease, as he proceeds to reflect, what peculiar advantages this society has enjoyed for a long series of years past, under the ministry of a trulyapostolic teacher.
The Author must farther remark, that he thinks the Dissenters here referred to have paid their acquaintance of the Establishment but a coarse kind of compliment, when they supposed that these would discover a high resentment either against him, or against them, for the Freedom he used, that is, for vindicating, while he continues to think it right to separate, his separation from the Establishment. We should not suppose, without full evidence at least, that the members of the Establishment, would even wish to abridge us of the liberty of declaring our sentiments without disguise, or that they would refuse to be upon the most friendly terms with us, because we consistently affirm that we believe them to be in the wrong, and ourselves to be right. But, if they will unreasonably be angry with us, we cannot help their displeasure, nor shall it reduce us to silence
Some persons are forward to raise the cry of
disturbers of the peace
against us, when we presume to utter or recommend any sentiments that deviate a little from those of the multitude. But they should learn, as the famous bishop of Bangor expressed himself upon this subject, that,
'The
peace
of
Christ's kingdom,
is a manly and reasonable
peace;
built upon Charity, and Love, and mutual forbearance, and receiving one another, as God receives us. As for any other
peace;
founded upon a submission of our
Honesty,
as well as our
Understandings;
it is falsely so called. It is not the
Peace
of the
Kingdom of Christ,
but the
Lethargy
of it: and a
sleep unto Death,
when his
Subjects
shall throw off their relation to
Him;
fix their subjection to
Others;
and even in cases where they have a right to see, and where they think they see his Will otherwise, shall shut their eyes, and go blindfold at the Command of Others; because those
Others
are not pleased with their enquiries into the Will of their great Lord and Judge.'
.
My great remaining difficulty is, that the very persons, who expressed so warm an indignation at these discourses, acknowledged, at the same time, as I am informed, that every assertion contained in them was true. Will they avow, then, that truth is their abhorrence? Will they insinuate, that truth is inimical to mankind? Will they pretend, that we should be ashamed of important truths, or that we should only communicate them in secret? What sentiments, upon this supposition, can they entertain of Jesus Christ? He was Truth itself; truth came by him; he taught us nothing but truth; and he appeared to lead us into all truth. There seems, therefore, to be a high insult offered to him, and very reproachful reflections cast upon his conduct, when we resent the declaration of known, or apprehended truths. For, upon the same principle, had we lived in his age, we would, as his kingdom was not of this world, have treated him with as unrelenting severity as he experienced from the Jews.
But, instead of minutely accounting for what appears to me to be a glaring contradiction in their conduct, I will now leave them to their own deliberations; after sincerely assuring them, that, in whatever light they may be still pleased to judge of me, they shall always enjoy my hearty good wishes.
HUMAN AUTHORITY, IN MATTERS OF FAITH, &c.
DISCOURSE THE FIRST.
MATTH. XXIII. viii.
ONE IS YOUR MASTER, EVEN CHRIST, AND ALL YE ARE BRETHREN.
THE Gospel precepts are remarkable, in general, for their simplicity. They come not recommended to us by the borrowed charms of eloquence, or by any of the embellishments of art, but, by what is of much greater importance, their own intrinsic excellence; and, as we would naturally expect, that the Great Governor of the world, when he condescendeth to reveal himself to man, would not suffer things of the utmost consequence to be involved in obscurity; we find accordingly, that the more important any doctrine is, the more intelligible are the terms in which it is universally expressed. The way of duty, the way to happiness, is always pointed out in such legible characters, that he that runs may read. That allegiance also, which is required in spiritual things, is unfolded to us in the plainest language. But, to our great astonishment, those very doctrines, in which sophistry itself can discover no ambiguity, have been the most grosly perverted, the most presumptuously and impiously opposed. But, without searching the ample page of history for a variety of particulars in proof of this; such reflections, as offer themselves to our consideration from the words of the text, will be abundantly sufficient to our purpose.
As an introduction to what I propose, it will be proper, first of all to observe, that the whole chapter abounds with some singularly affecting animadversions, which our Lord had made upon the superstition, hypocrisy, and other vices of the Scribes and Pharisees. He gives us a summary view of their injustice, cruelty, oppression, and uncharitableness; and stripping them of all their artificial sanctity, delineates their true characters in the most lively and expressive colours.
'They imposed,'
he says,
'heavy burthens upon others, by which they would not be bound themselves. They pretended to be the most strictly just and pious of men, at the same time that they devoured widows houses: and, while they were so punctiliously exact in their attention to what was then a branch of the externals of religion, as to tithe such things, as mint, anise, and cummin, they scandalously neglected those weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith.'
But, besides a variety of other crimes, to which they were notoriously addicted, they compleated their infamy, by exercising an impious dominion over the consciences of others. They claimed the power of prescribing certain
ceremonies;
and shut up the kingdom of heaven against all opponents. With all the grimace of an affected superlative holiness, they compassed sea and land, to make one proselyte, when in their own hearts, there was nothing but ravening and wickedness. In short, they laid a much greater stress upon a devout attention to insignificant forms, than in living up to the perfect rules of righteousness and truth; and, as our Lord expresses it,
'They strained at a gnat, and swallowed a camel.'
It might be well expected, then, that a teacher sent from God, would most cautiously guard his Disciples against such enormous corruptions; and that he would charge them, with a peculiar earnestness, not to assume those over-bearing principles of pride and superiority which actuated their enemies, nor to form the most distant intention of founding a system of religious aristocracy over one another. This had been the very fountain of all those iniquities, which filled his pure mind with the utmost indignation and abhorrence. He, accordingly, thus solemnly addresseth himself to those
whom he had chosen out of the world,
'Be not ye called Rabbi, that is, Doctors, or spiritual guides; for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren:'
that is, all children of the same common, universal Father, and all, therefore, in religious matters, invested with exactly the same authority and power. He could not have more fully expressed himself, if he had said, I only am the way, the truth, and the life; those doctrines, which I have received of my Father, are henceforth to be accounted the only true standard of faith, and practice; by those, therefore, you should be governed here, because by those alone you shall be judged hereafter.
Had all those, who have ever since professed themselves the followers of Jesus, observed a due submission to these divine admonitions, we might now familiarize to our minds the various and complicated transactions of former times, with perpetually encreasing pleasure and delight; we might be able to read the histories of a long succession of past ages, without that degree of over-whelming horror which unavoidably rises in the soul, at the view of that violence and barbarity which have been exercised upon the saints of the earth, who have been crusaded, massacred, burnt, and torn in pieces, and that by those who have impiously named the name of Christ, for no other cause whatever, than their honestly maintaining an inviolable allegiance to Christ.
But we all know, that this Anti-christian, and diabolical spirit, which formerly prevailed among the Scribes and Pharisees, was next adopted, in all it's aggravating circumstances, by that
mother of harlots and abominations of the earth,
the church of Rome: and, we know the horrible, and unparrallelled inhumanities of this church, what fires she hath kindled, what rivers of blood she hath shed, what cities and towns she hath laid in ruins, what extensive provinces she hath desolated, and what thousands of innocent victims she hath butchered, in order to support these hellish claims. But, happy would it be for the world, unspeakably happy, if we could name no other church which hath been partaker of her sins. Happy would it be for the world, if the monster of which we are here speaking, was not still living, beyond the boundaries of the Papal Empire, and blasting the fair fruits of the blessed Gospel, among those who call themselves Protestants. Happy would it be for us, if even in this enlightened land, there was now only one Master, even Christ. But, whatever pain and astonishment we must feel at the recital, truth compels us to declare, that, whereever there is any Human Creed established, there, there are more Masters than One; there, there is an Authority diametrically opposite to the Authority of Christ, and fundamentally subversive of it. This I propose to illustrate in the following Discourses. It is evident, I think, indeed, from the words of the text thenselves. For, when our Lord says,
One is your Master, even Christ;
he means as much as if he had affirmed, You have no spiritual jurisdiction at all one over the other;—Churches
The Author refers to such constitutions, as have been since called churches.
are not your Master; mitred priests, or ghostly fathers are not your Master; Christ alone is your Master; and his laws are to be learned only from his own mouth, without the intervention of any human Authority whatever.
But, now, to establish this doctrine upon the very best foundation, I shall endeavour to shew, in the first place, that Jesus Christ had the unquestionable authority of heaven for assuming that distinguishing preheminence, which he here claimed, namely, that of being our only infallible teacher of Religion, as the word
Master,
in this place, signifies; and, hence, it will be easy to shew the inconsistency, absurdity, and impiety, of those, who, by naming the name of Christ, most solemnly admit this doctrine, and yet, in every instance of their conduct, and with a shameless effrontery, act repugnant to it.
In the first place, I shall endeavour to shew,
'That Jesus Christ had the unquestionable authority of heaven, for assuming that distinguishing preheminence which he here claimed, namely, that of being our only infallible teacher of Religion.'
It is, undoubtedly, the sole prerogative of the eternal Jehovah, to give laws to man. It is his prerogative, likewise, to communicate these laws, at what time, in what manner, by what sanctions, and by what messengers he pleases; and, whenever, or by whomever, his wisdom determines, either to re-publish and enlarge old laws, or to reveal new laws, it is our indispensable duty to obey. But, then, we are not to receive, as Divine Laws, all doctrines, that are recommended to us as such. For, this would expose us to the most palpable contradictions, and to millions of impositions. On the contrary, because we are required to submit to the Divine Authority only, we should first be assured, before we receive any doctrine, that it is Divine; and, this we can only know, by bringing the said doctrine before the high tribunal of Reason. Reason, is unquestionably a Divine Law, written with indelible characters upon every human heart; and, as the peerless perfections of Almighty God will not admit even the thought, that he can contradict himself, or that he can give us contradictory laws; we may, therefore, conclude that no laws can be Divine, which are a contradiction to our Reason, or which are plainly repugnant to that sense of Right and Wrong which is implanted in the soul, and which is another Divine Law. But, if, on the contrary, any doctrines that are recommended to us as Divine, be found to correspond with the congenial sentiments of our minds, and with the demonstrable perfections of God in the universe around us, and are moreover confirmed by the most incontestable evidences of the Divine Power; then, we may rest assured, that these doctrines descended from above, from the Father of lights, and that the teacher of these doctrines, is the Sent of God.
Hence, then, it will clearly appear, that Jesus Christ was the anointed Messenger of God, and fully commissioned, by him, to point out the way of Salvation to man. For, he taught us no doctrines that are contrary to our Reason, but such as rather illuminate and perfect our Reason in the highest degree; and, he established these very doctrines, not, as ignorance or malice have falsely asserted, by attempting to extinguish the light of Reason within us, but by the most solemn appeals to this primary law of God to man. What a wonderful contrast do we discover between him, and all his pretended delegates, or vice-gerents and coadjutors upon earth! How proud are they? How humble was he! Without professing the least portion of his spirit, they have lorded it over God's heritage with a rod of iron. But, he, tho' the way to truth, and the life, tho' he spoke as never man spoke, and tho' God was always with him, and always taught him, did not yet require an implicit faith from any of his followers. He knew, on the contrary, that one Divine Law, is best enforced and recommended by another Divine Law; and he, therefore, submitted all his claims to the decisions of Reason. He drew up no inexplicable systems of faith, for us to subscribe, or to acquiesce in, in the room of works. The point that he laboured was to make men good, and not what the fashion of the times had received as orthodox. In short, he never addressed himself to the Jews, in the imperative tone of modern priests:
'Swallow down this mystery, and the other mystery; believe, tho' your own Reason demonstrates the contrary, that Three are no more than One, and that One is as many as Three, else you shall have no peace in the other world, and I will give you as much trouble as I can in this.'
No; he challenged them to examine his own pretensions, according to those very Scriptures in which they themselves believed.
Search the Scriptures,
says he,
for they be they that testify of me.
He challenged them to accuse him, if they could, of any single transgression of the Divine Laws.
Which of you convinceth me of sin?
He challenged them to convict him of any falshood, or to fix upon him any expressions, or declarations, that were contrary to the most indubitable perfections of God.
And, if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
He challenged them to shew, that any one of his miracles could be effected by any other Power than that of Omnipotence.
And, if I do not the works of my Father, believe me not:
And, he challenged them to produce any arguments, why God would be with him in all that he did, if he had not come to do the will of God, and had not received his commission immediately from God.
The works which I do, in my Father's name, bear witness of me. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. And, if Satan cast out Satan his kingdom cannot stand. But, if I by the Spirit of God, overwhelm the works of darkness, then is the kingdom of God come unto you.
All this, we must see, was sound reasoning, and demonstrably proved, that Jesus was the Son of God with power, that he came not of himself, that he spoke not of himself, that he did nothing of himself, but that whatever he did was by the power of the Highest. His holiness, his wisdom, his humility, his self-denial, and his innumerable astonishing miracles, did all proclaim him to be the well-beloved of the Father, full of grace and truth: and, the importance of his doctrines, and the benevolent scheme which he came to propose to the souls of men, call up our most earnest attention to all that he did, and taught, and suffered for us.
He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners; the spotless lamb of God, without blemish, without guile, without a single deflection from the ways of righteousness and truth. All this, was fully characteristic of his heavenly origin. It is such a one as he, whom we would naturally expect the Holy Majesty of the Universe, and the Father of all mercies, to send into the world; one, who could no more betray us, by his example, than by his precepts; one, who was as amiable and lovely in his life, as in his doctrines; one, in whom virtue might be seen breathing celestial sweetness; displaying a thousand thousand inexpressibly venerable charms, adorned with every grace, possessing every excellence and beauty, and superior in glory to the splendor of the sun, and the brightness of the firmament.
But, the Wisdom of Jesus, is another demonstrable proof of his divine mission. The people might well be astonished at his doctrines; for they were such as never had been taught before, such as infinitely surpassed all the systems of the antient sages. He carried morality to its highest purity and perfection; nothing now can be added to what he has said upon it; and, after a trial of above seventeen hundred years, no exception can yet be made to a single precept he has given. Besides, he alone hath represented to us the perfections of the True God, in their native dignity and glory; leading us to consider Him, as the One Spirit, and Universal Father, the only Omnipotent, the only Author of every good, whose Providence continually watcheth over the minutest works of his hands; and, he being the best judge of human nature, that ever appeared in our world, both, in delivering those sublime and unparrellelled doctrines, universally, and with an astonishing exactness, adapted his address to the various characters of his audience; frequently drawing them to condemn their impious conduct, according to their own principles; and, afterwards, with irresistible force, in extempore parables, abounding with innumerable beauties, and such as have never been equalled by any other son of man; beating down all the strong holds of iniquity that stood before him, and majestically scattering the whole immense mass of darkness which covered the world. Now, upon what other conceivable foundation is such wisdom to be accounted for, than by allowing him to have been a Divine Messenger? How is it possible to be accounted for, that the reputed son of a poor carpenter, untrained in the schools, without any of the aids of philosophy, should have been the wisest of men, and the only infallible teacher of righteousness and truth, unless he was taught of God, and sent by him, to be the light of men? Could he, without either any divine or human aids, have been so singularly happy, as to have infinitely eclipsed in knowledge all the men who lived before and after him? Or would the God of all wisdom and grace, have given
him only
an understanding to know the things that are excellent, had not he been under the constant influence of his good will and pleasure?
But, the humility and self-denial of the blessed Jesus, likewise demonstrably prove him, to have been our heavenly appointed Master, or Teacher. Had he come to establish some favourite scheme of his own, he would certainly have aimed at as much power and authority as he could prudently assume. He would have availed himself of the friendship of this world; and would have let no fair opportunity escape of fanning the fire of popular prejudices in his favour. But, he was meek and lowly of heart, and came not to be ministred unto, but to minister. He sought not honour from men, but that which cometh from God only. Instead of aiming at temporal dominions, grasping at the sceptre of universal empire, or climbing the summit of transient greatness, he chearfully offered himself to be the servant of all. He declared, in the most unequivocal language, that his kingdom was not of this world; and, that if we would stand candidates for his favour, or finally enter into the joy of our Lord, we must deny ourselves, and take up our cross daily, to follow him; and, he died as he lived, gloriously avowing the same sentiments, maintaining the same dignity, expressing the same contempt for all earthly possessions, discovering the same generous benevolence to man, and reposing the same unlimited confidence in his God and Father.
Now, could all this have possibly happened, unless God had sent him? Did any person ever yet espouse a cause, that promised, and aimed at nothing, but poverty, contempt, and sufferings, and die in the same without reluctance, unless he had full evidence, clear and irresistible evidence, that this cause was the cause of God? The supposition is ridiculous, and a contradiction to itself. This argument alone, therefore, sufficiently proves, that Jesus had his authority from above; that the God of all wisdom inspired and taught him; and that he was divinely appointed to be our Master in Religion.
But, besides the holiness, the wisdom, the humility, and self-denial of our Lord; God also bore witness to him, by a successive train of the most stupendous miracles; miracles which mere human art or power can no more accomplish, than we can arrest the sun in its course, or create another sun or another world. The tempestuous ocean was instantly becalmed; lunatics were restored to their right mind; the deaf, the dumb, the lame, and the blind, lost all their complaints, and the sick all their diseases, in a moment; and the dead were raised to life, only by his word, or touch; and, these things were not done in a corner, nor transacted in darkness, but in the face of day, and amidst thousands of spectators, and under the inspection too of determined enemies.
But, last of all, God gave his omnipotent sanction to all his claims, by making him victorious over death and the grave the third day after his crucifixion, and shortly after carrying him up visibly into heaven, to give him the government of thrones and dominions, and principalities and powers. Hence, then, it is demonstrable, that he was his well-beloved Son, in whom he was well-pleased; that he could have taught us nothing but the will of the most High God, since the most High God was always with him; and that he had, therefore, the most unquestionable Authority, for assuming and exercising the sublime office of instructing all the children of men in the way of Salvation.
This point, then, being once illustrated, it will clearly follow, that it is our indispensable duty to submit to him as our one master; and that the same deference and obedience are now due unto his Laws, as if they were immediately proclaimed to us from the lofty throne of God.
'For since he hath not spoken of himself, but that the Father, who sent him, gave him a commandment what he should say, and what he should speak; he therefore that believeth on him, believeth not on him, but on him that sent him; and all, therefore, should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son,
since he was sent by the Father,
honoureth not the Father who sent him
John 5, 23.
. These words cannot possibly convey so absurd and impious an idea, as that we should consider the Son upon an equality with the Father, or even that the Son should become as high an object of our adoration. The word
never signifies
aequaliter, equally,
but
quum, sicut, inasmuch as;
and, the only rational construction that can be put upon this celebrated passage, is,
that all men should honour the Son, if they really do honour the Father,
or,
if they would shew that they really honour the Father;
and, thus our Lord fully explained it in the following words, when he says,
He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father who hath sent him.
As if he had said, by affirming that
all men should honour the Son,
&c. I mean,
that he that honoureth not the Son,
&c. As he said at another time;
he that despised him, despiseth not him, but him that sent him.
It was really the Father who was dishonoured, when no regard was paid to the declarations of the Son. He acted under the authority of the Father; and he vindicated, not his own authority, (he claimed no authority of his own) but the authority of the Father.
'I can of my own self,
says he, in this very chapter,
do nothing: as I hear, I judge—I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another, that beareth witness of me—the works which the Father has given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me; and the Father himself, who hath sent me, hath borne witness of me—I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not,'
&c. How astonishing is it, then, that men can represent our Lord, as contradictorily claiming, in the same breath, what he had so repeatedly disavowed and rejected, namely, those Divine honours which belong to the Father only, or as teaching us, that we should make no distinction between
him
who did nothing of himself, and
him
who did all things by him, and can do all things of himself, and that we should render the same personal homage to the
messenger
of God, whose whole dependance was upon God, as to the
Unchangeable and Everlasting God
himself.
.'
Hence, then, we should be taught, to pay the most solemn attention to every doctrine he hath revealed, lest we, by the rejection of any, either through interest, or influence, or lust, or through any other motives whatever, should be found fighting against God. Hence, again, we should be particularly taught not to take any of these doctrines upon trust, lest they should be disguised or misrepresented to us; but, since they are not communicated to certain delegates to put what interpretation they please upon them, but graciously communicated to all men, to be persuaded, each of us for himself, to examine seriously what they are, as they stand recorded in the Sacred Volume. Again, after they thus appear to us, in their full extent and native purity, all the honours and applauses of men, all the riches and pleasures of the world, and all the powers of earth and hell united, should not prevail so much as the dust of the balance to draw us from our duty. We should be stedfast and immoveable in our adherence to them, in opposition to every enemy, and every temptation. We should be ready even to lay down our lives in witnessing a good confession, for, it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God, or to incur his sovereign displeasure by a negligent inattention, or obstinate resistance to his will. None can deliver out of his hands, nor can any corner of the universe conceal us from his view, or place us beyond the reach of his power.
But, besides the motive of escaping the folly and impiety of defying the Omnipotent wrath of God; or besides the just apprehension that we shall appear guilty before God for pouring contempt upon his Ambassador; it is also to be considered, that Jesus Christ recommends himself to us, as our most endearing and acceptable Master, by the importance of the doctrines which he taught, and the benevolence of the scheme, which he has proposed to the souls of men. The doctrines he taught, are of the utmost importance to the peace and happiness of the whole human race: they oppose all our destroying enemies, and are freedom, health, and joy to the mind. That we would love the Supreme Being with all the heart, and repose an unlimited confidence in his unceasing bounty; these doctrines aggrandize the soul, and afford us infinite security and complacency in all circumstances; and, that we would fly from all distraction and woe, from all the fears of jealousy, from all the pains of envy and discontent, and from all the bitterness of wrath and malice, by receiving and cherishing the heavenly blessings of temperance, chastity, truth, righteousness, and brotherly love; these are the doctrines, which every man, who wisheth well to human nature, would see universally taught and practised. These are the doctrines, which every friend to man would wish to have ushered into the world, by the most glorious displays of the Divine Power; and, these are the doctrines, which every friend to himself would cherish as his joy and crown, and perpetually observe and cultivate. For, nothing more is wanted to banish misery out of the world; nothing more is wanted to plant sweets in the desart, and shelter us from all the storms of life. Nothing more is wanted, to root up the briars and thorns, which so often weary and perplex us, and to make the whole earth a paradise of delights. That man is, therefore, the enemy of human nature, as well as his own tormentor, and a traitor to his God, who would oppose the progress of the Gospel; who does not rejoice that Christ is our divinely appointed master; and who would not chearfully spend and be spent, to bring all the sons and daughters of men into subjection to his authority. But the benevolent scheme, which the Son of God has proposed to our acceptance, is much greater than all this, goeth far beyond the line of time, graspeth in its reach the utmost bounds of immense Eternity. For God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself, gracious, forbearing, and long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, and therefore communicating through him the glad tidings of Everlasting Salvation to the whole body of his rational creatures here below; besides providing in the best manner for their temporal happiness, and instructing them how to overcome those lusts that war against the soul; he was likewise pleased, in the adorable overflowings of his love, to hold out to their admiring view, the bright prospect of endless life and endless bliss. He was rich unto all that called upon him; and he granted to all a full remission of all the sins that were past and repented of; and, while he enlightened and refreshed them with the most reviving precious promises of pardon, of a complete conquest over death and the grave, and of an unfading future and eternal crown of glory; these wonderful communications of his love, were accompanied with the solid encouragements to cast all our cares and burthens upon God, and to cry unto him in all our distresses, as our ever-present protector and friend; and these were likewise accompanied with the blessed assurances, that God will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able, that he will never leave us nor forsake us while we persevere in our duty, and that he will make all things work together for good to them that love him. In short, the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord comprehendeth in it every thing that our ambitious hearts can wish or desire, is amply sufficient to employ all the wonder of the most enlarged faculties of the most capacious soul, and to satisfy us for ever. Nay,
'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things, which God hath prepared for them that love him;'
and to bring us to the possession of which, he, of his infinite wisdom and goodness, hath appointed Jesus Christ to be our One Master, Example and Guide.
How, then, should we joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ! What gratitude should possess our hearts! What divine pleasures should fill our souls! With what unceasing warmth of affection should we look up to heaven, to reflect that so excellent a personage is appointed to reign over us, to save us from our sins, to lead us to all truth, and to make us kings and priests unto God for Ever! There can be no greater salvation. The very thought of it should make us break out into the loftiest songs of adoration and praise. Indeed, every thing in the world should be estimated as dross and dung, when compared with this. We should, therefore, hold this fast. We should sell it for no price. We should value it above all precious substance. It should be dearer to us than our lives. In short, we should willingly relinquish every earthly comfort, and chearfully submit to every earthly suffering, in maintaining our allegiance inviolable to our One Divinely-appointed Master, even Christ. For, How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? and, what shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Hence, then, let us be seriously persuaded, humbly and joyfully to acquiesce in the authority of Christ, and to testify, through life, the most dutiful and ready compliance with all those laws which he hath revealed. Let not, on the one hand, all the terrors of persecution that can be raised against us; nor, on the other hand, all the accumulated honours that can be bestowed upon us; and, much less, let the mode or fashion of the times, which can only influence slaves, be able to turn us aside from our obedience. But, considering our dignity and privileges, as the children of God, and the called to an inheritance, that is incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us, let us nobly, and triumphantly resolve with the apostle Paul,
'that neither the world, nor death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But, having now shewn you, that Jesus Christ had manifestly the high authority of heaven for claiming that distinguished preheminence which he assumed in the text, namely, that of being our One Master, or our only infallible teacher of Religion, and having, hence, clearly pointed out our duty and happiness to be guided by him in the true way to Eternal life; our next enquiry will be, what is particularly implied in our acknowledging him as our One Master, our Only Master, and submitting to him as such. But, at present, our time will not permit us, to enter upon this part of our subject.
Let me, however, just express my sincere wishes, that, what hath been said, may have a sufficient force to bind us to our duty, to make us, in all circumstances, approve ourselves the genuine disciples of Christ, aiming at whatever is good and acceptable to the Lord, and not caring what shall befall us in this life, so that we may finish our course with joy.
To this purpose, let us exercise ourselves during the interval of social worship, in preferring petitions to the Father of Lights, that he may guide us by his counsel, that all prejudice may be rooted out of our hearts, that we may know the
Truth,
and that the Truth may make us
free.
Amen.
HUMAN AUTHORITY, IN MATTERS OF FAITH, &c.
DISCOURSE THE SECOND.
MATTH. XXIII. viii.
ONE IS YOUR MASTER, EVEN CHRIST, AND ALL YE ARE BRETHREN.
I HAVE endeavoured to shew, in the preceding Discourse, that our Lord had the unquestionable authority of heaven for claiming that high and distinguishing preheminence which he here assumes, namely, that of being our one Master, or only infallible teacher of Religion. This appears, I observed, from all those most illustrious virtues and heavenly graces, which composed his character; from that sublime, and unparallelled knowledge which he possessed; and from that Divine Power which universally upheld, and bore witness of him. His holiness, his wisdom, his humility, his self-denial, and those innumerable and astonishing miracles which he performed thro' the power of the Highest; together with the purity, benevolence, perfection, and importance of the doctrines which he taught, all demonstrably evince, that he was the well-beloved of the Father, the chosen messenger of his salvation, full of grace and truth.
Hence, I observed, as the clear consequence of this doctrine, that it is our indispensable duty to submit to his authority, and to pay the same deference and obedience to all his laws, as if they were now immediately proclaimed to us from the lofty throne of God.
But our duty being once obviously pointed out, it then becomes a matter of the greater importance. I shall therefore as was proposed, in the next place, enquire at present, what is the full extent of this duty, or what is particularly implied in acknowledging Christ to be our one Master, and submitting to him as such; and, this evidently implies no less, than that we should acknowledge no other man, or body of men whatever, considered either as in competition with him, or in conjunction with him, to be our Master. The
one Master
signifies the one only Master. We accordingly find, that he had all authority committed to him by the Father, and that he is constituted the only Lawgiver and King in his Church; and, from this, it incontrovertibly follows, that we, as the true subjects of his kingdom, must, in a religious capacity, submit to his Laws only. These laws, it is again obvious to observe, are to be found in the Gospel only. For this sacred volume contains the whole doctrine of Christ, which was either taught by himself in person, or by his apostles, whom, after him, he commissioned to preach his name among all nations.
Thou shalt not diminish aught from it; neither shall any thing be added to it.
Hence, then, we learn, in the first place, that every law of the Gospel demands our full acquiescence and obedience; but that every law, on the contrary, that is formed in opposition to the Gospel, is a daring encroachment upon our native rights, a traiterous imposition upon our understandings, and an impious rebellion against God himself, because a rebellion against the one Master, whom he has appointed.
Should any system, or doctrine, therefore, by the wife and the learned, be now proposed to us as a rule of faith, our first business is to enquire, whether this be the religion of Christ? If this be affirmed, we would then ask, whether the thing proposed be the Gospel itself? If this be denied, on the contrary, we would say, that
we have only one Master, even Christ.
But, if we are again told, that,
what is proposed is a true summary of the Gospel;
we would, in this case, reply, that the Gospel is its own best summary, that we have nothing to do with any other; that Christ has expressly taught us to
search the Scriptures,
but never taught us, to take up with any pretended summary of them. But should it farther be insisted on, that
the thing proposed is the doctrine of the True Church;
we would then ask, of what true church? Should it be answered,
of the true christian church;
we would say, that the true christian church has no rule of faith, but the naked Gospel. Should we, however be still told,
of the true christian church, as established by human laws;
to this we would give in our testimony, that Christ's kingdom is not of this world, that he hath appointed no Sub-governors in his church, and that when one is of Paul, and one of Apollos, and one of Cephas, all these have so far withdrawn themselves from the church of Christ. But, if it should be said, in the last place, that we are incompetent judges of the Scriptures, that the busy part of mankind have not time to study them, nor capacities to understand them, and that, therefore, for the prevention of heresy, there are certain
holy
officers appointed in God's church, and purposely
trained up
at the foot of the
altar,
and solemnly CALLED and
consecrated
to deliver to us the
true
sense of Scripture: all this, I would positively deny. Or, willing to do something more than offer what may be called a bold assertion, I would argue in this manner; if there be, as is here pretended, any officers appointed in God's Church to deliver to us the true sense of Scripture, let them produce their credentials, before they authoritatively require us to abide by their decisions. God can certainly bear witness of himself: and, if he has sent these men, it may be expected that he will work miracles by them. But, on the contrary, if men have sent them; or, if they of themselves have assumed what they have not the least ground of pretension to, let them return from whence they came; for, the Christian has only one Master, even Christ.
Besides, the pretence itself, that we are incompetent judges of the Scriptures, at least so far as our salvation is concerned in the understanding them, is absolutely without proof, not being warranted, in a single instance, either by Christ, or by any of his apostles. Our Lord, on the contrary, addresseth himself to the understandings of men. For,
If I do not the works of my Father,
says he,
believe me not
A farther proof of this, among many others, is, that our Lord proposed that his
Gospel should be preached to the poor;
signifying, that the
poor
and
illiterate
were competent judges of its contents, and that they should judge of it for themselves, independently of the explication of the
rich
and the
learned.
. The apostles, in like manner, supposed that we are all capable of reasoning and determining for ourselves.
Why even of yourselves,
is their language,
judge ye
not what is right? I speak as unto wise men; judge ye what I say;
and, truly, had the matter been otherwise, or, had men been taught implicitly to acquiesce in the dictates of their leaders, instead of being directed by their own enquiries after truth, there could never have been a christian in the world.
But, still farther, the authority in question, namely, that of imposing upon one another any particular sense of Scripture, and calling ourselves the Church, and then drawing up a rule of faith for others, which ignorance may invent, and power enforce under the pious sanction of pains, imprisonment, &c. this authority, I say, which has always extended it's influence in proportion to the barbarism of the age, is expressly, and most solemnly condemned, by the authority of Christ. He says, that
we are all brethren,
that we have, therefore, no authority over one another. He says, that we have only
one Master.
It is an act of treason, therefore, committed against him, to acknowledge any other Master; and, he says, that
we shall not,
as his followers we cannot,
like the unenlightened Heathens, exercise
lordship or dominion over one another
What is here asserted, is an undeniably clear inference from the express words of Christ, Matth. xx. 25, 28.
Ye know,
said he, to the disciples,
that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you.
See the whole context to this passage, as we find it related, from the 20th to the 28th verses. See also, the parallel places, Mark x. 42. and Luke xxii. 25.
; that, therefore, neither those men, nor those churches, that usurp any kind of spiritual jurisdiction over our faith, can belong to his kingdom
I would not, however, be understood to insinuate, that none but the professors of pure Christianity will be saved. None but the dishonest need dread the displeasure of God. Besides, there are many, who, in their moral conduct act up to the character of Christians, whose profession is Anti-christian. These, would certainly be more exalted characters, if, renouncing all inferior authority, they would put themselves under the direction of Christ alone. But, they cannot consistently call themselves the true servants of Christ, while they submit to any foreign jurisdiction.
. He has, moreover, instructed us, that
we are to search the Scriptures
ourselves, and not that
others are to search them for us
John v. 39.
Search the Scriptures;
that is, Do you yourselves search the Scriptures for yourselves; be your own judges what they say; and how not, like slaves, in what is submitted to your own understandings, to the magisterial decisions of those who would interpret them for you.
.
The apostles of Christ, likewise, charge every man
to be fully persuaded in his own mind,
and
to stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.
They, again, teach us, instead of submitting, or subscribing to any articles and confessions of faith, composed by weak and fallible, or, by proud and tyrannical men,
to prove all things, and to hold fast that which is best:
and they pretend to commend themselves to the consciences of men, only by manifestation of the truth
Paul peculiarly distinguished himself in recommending these doctrines. The other apostles breathed the same spirit.
. They, farther, instead of calling themselves our
Spiritual Lords,
or our
Right Reverend,
or
Reverend Fathers,
utterly disclaim the being Lords over God's heritage, would only be esteemed examples to the flock, helpers of their joy, and their brethren; and, once more, they instead of requiring an implicit faith from their followers, highly applauded the conduct of those, who tried even
their inspired doctrines,
according to the Divine Rule; and
those of Berea,
said they,
are more noble than those of Thessalonica, because they searched the Scriptures, to see if those things,
those things that were spoken by the apostles themselves,
were so,
or not
The Bereans, in the opinion of some of our modern Doctors, should have submitted to the decisions of the Church, should have humbly and dutifully acquiesced in the various glosses and commentaries of the Scribes and Pharisees, the legally appointed leaders of the national worship. But, they were such
heretics
as to search the Scriptures themselves; and the apostles were such
heretics,
as to applaud them for this very conduct.
.
What shall we say, then, of the pretended successors of the apostles, when they would deprive us of the liberty of searching the Scriptures? Arrogant and impious men! How dare they so much as name the name of Christ; and, yet, establish, by violence, their own opinions, in opposition to the word of God, most explicitly revealed by Christ? Or, how dare they deny us the privileges of rational beings, who have the Candle of the Lord within us as well as themselves, by affirming or insinuating, that we must take
their sense
of Scripture for the
true sense,
and that we must neither judge nor think for ourselves? Nay, grant them but this single point, and they as effectually rob us of the benefit of the Scriptures, as if we had no possible access to them, or could never be permitted to see them but in an unknown tongue.
But, whether God is to be obeyed, rather than man, judge ye.
The Scriptures, are the great charter of heaven to every man; which we are required to examine for ourselves, and of which we are required to judge for ourselves. As they, therefore, demand our most cordial and grateful reception, we should inviolably maintain the full possession of them, and not, by neglecting to make that proper use of them which the Divine Being intended, spurn them from us as gifts not worth preserving. But, while, without evidence, we submit to that sense of the Scriptures which has been affixed to them by men, we are then only the servants of men. On the contrary, while we seriously read, and judge for ourselves, and are determined by that sense of Scripture, which appears to the conviction of our own minds to be the true sense of Scripture, we then submit to the Divine Authority, and are the servants of Christ.
Upon the whole, it is evident, that all human authority in matters of faith, is fundamentally subversive of the Christian Religion; and that all those, therefore, are, so far, the enemies of Christ, who
submit
to any such authority, or who either directly, or indirectly,
countenance
any such authority. When any men, therefore, or body of men, or, when any Church, pretend to claim, or exercise any such Authority, to establish any human Creeds, or Articles, or Confessions of Faith, we are warranted to conclude with the inspired Address,
'Come out from among them, O my people, and be ye separate, and not partakers of their sins.'
But, secondly, we may advance a step farther, and shew likewise,
'That all human authority in matters of faith, is absolutely repugnant to the very nature of Religion itself.'
Religion, is a conformity to
the will of God,
arising from his dominion over us, and all the obligations which we owe him. But, how are the opinions of men, to be regarded as his will? These vary as much as our faces, and positively contradict one another; which
his
will cannot. These also contradict
his
will, when they contradict that law which is written in our hearts; for this law is his will. Those, therefore, who, upon their own authority, would impose on us any particular standard of faith, dethrone as much as in them lies the Divine Authority: and those, again, who submit to their authority, do so far disclaim all loyalty to the King of Kings. Besides; God is our Father. He himself hath shewn us what is good, and revealed to us the way of life. Our own breasts, therefore, are our best monitors; and the Word of God our only guide
Those very men, who would impose upon us additional Creeds, &c. confess that the Scriptures contain the word and will of God. When at the same time, then, they will not allow the Gospel to be a sufficient guide to heaven, but presume, as it were, to perfect it by their additions, Do they not most daringly, and impiously set themselves above God?
. It is to be considered, too, that he is possessed of all power, as well as of all wisdom and goodness. His perfections, then, will not admit the thought, that he hath left our precious souls in the feeble hands of the Church, whether it be a Popish one, or an Episcopalian one, or a Presbyterian one. Nor shall any of those
Creed
and
Confession-makers,
therefore, persuade us to be led blindfold to salvation, until they can first produce their commission, clearly sealed with the Seal of Heaven. Nay;
If the blind lead the blind, both must fall into the ditch;
and, to conclude this point, unless our religion be supported on a thorough conviction, and a deliberate choice, it can neither be a reasonable service, nor pleasing nor acceptable to the God of Truth.
But, I would observe, in the third place, that
'All human Authority in matters of Faith, is a notorious departure from our original and avowed principles as Protestants?'
I might considerably enlarge upon this head; but, besides being precluded thro' the want of time, very few observations will be sufficient to my purpose. We cannot, then, it is obvious, without the greatest absurdity, and the most glaring contradictions, claim that as our own right, which we oppose in the Church of Rome; for, that is certainly lawful in the Church of Rome, which is lawful in any other Church. But, was it not human Authority, in particular, that we first opposed in the Church of Rome? Was it not entirely by human authority, that she established the most enormous superstitions, the most hellish doctrines, and the most execrable impieties, that ever disgraced the children of men? And, was it not, only for protesting against human authority that the first Reformed were called Protestants? This cannot be denied. They nobly pleaded, that we have only one Master, even Christ. They solemnly protested against any other Master. They protested against the claims of any man, to prescribe the terms of acceptance, or settle the faith of any other man. They protested against all persecutions for conscience sake. They protested against the power, in any man, or in any men, of determining the sense of the Word of God, for any other man, or men. They knew, that it was the usurping of this power, which had overwhelmed the world with darkness, and deluged all Europe with the blood of the Saints of the earth; and they, therefore, justly considered all who exercised this power, as rebels against reason, apostates from Revelation, traitors to God, and destroyers of men.
We, therefore, as Protestants, have espoused the same principles, have enlisted in the same liberal, generous cause, the cause of humanity, the cause of truth, the cause of Jesus, and the cause of God. But, if we build again the things we have destroyed, we make ourselves transgressors. If we claim the right of exercising that very power, which we opposed in our enemies, we stand self-condemned, we deserve every measure of reproach and abhorrence, and should be covered with shame and confusion at the name by which we are called. But, if we, on the contrary, vindicate the glorious principles of Liberty, of pure, impartial Liberty, of necessary, reasonable, divine Liberty; I say, of Liberty, not only to differ from the Creed of Rome, but likewise to reject every other Creed but the blessed Gospel, and to form our sentiments even of this, not according to the public voice, but according to every particular man's own reason and conscience: if such, my friends, be our principles, then may we rejoice, and glory in the name of
Protestants;
for, then, this will be only another name for
Christians;
for those, who are under the sole influence and authority of our one Divinely-appointed Master, even Christ.
But, once more,
'All human Authority in matters of Faith, is likewise diametrically repugnant to our original, and to our present avowed principles, as Protestant Dissenters.'
We still continue to vindicate these principles, upon the very same foundation that we vindicate our separation from the Church of Rome; and, certainly, as was hinted before, if we object to human authority in the Church of Rome, we must, to be consistent with ourselves, not to say, if we would profess a dutiful subjection to Christ, object to human authority, wherever else it be found.
Let us examine, then, a little, how the case stands between us. We know, that when King Henry the eighth threw off the Pope's supremacy, he laid claim to, and assumed, this supremacy himself. By denying the Pope to be our one Master, he did no honour to Christ, because he, likewise, at the same time, denied Christ to be our one Master; and usurping the unalienable authority of Christ, he declared himself to be our one Master. He, accordingly, published certain articles of what he called Religion, which bear the same stamp of folly and blasphemy with those of other uncommissioned spiritual guides, and which whoever denied, or disputed against, was to suffer death. Thus this detestable tyrant, this monster of pride, iniquity, and lust, made himself the absolute Lord of the lives and consciences of his passive subjects.
His lofty daughter Elizabeth, unhappily trod in her Father's steps. Tho' a sufferer herself under her bloody sister, still she retained so much of the spirit of her Father, and of that
merciful
church from which she would be thought to separate, as not to be able to learn the lesson of mutual charity and forbearance, or to hear of the Gospel precept
of doing to others, as we would that they should do unto us.
But, as if she had been the light of the world, or, as if God commanded an unlimited submission to her pleasure, or, as if it was treason against her and against heaven, to affect to know more or less than she knew, or not to worship exactly as she did, let the conviction of any persons mind be what it would to the contrary; together with the anti-christian Act of Supremacy, she
piously
procured another Act, called,
'An Act for Uniformity of
Common
Prayers, and service in the Church, and Administration of the Sacraments;'
and besides adopting, according to her Royal taste, a multitude of Popish rites and ceremonies; she likewise chose to have her priests cloathed after the Popish model. She farther, erected a Court of High Commission to enforce universal obedience to her commands; and she punished, or
enlightened,
all the refractory Non-conformists, with suspension, imprisonment, fines, confiscation of goods, banishment or death. These wholesome severities, she found had been practised by preceding princes; and were, no doubt, in her apprehension, essential to her monarchical dignity, and expressive of the tender concern of an
affectionate
mother for her
untoward
and
undutiful
children.
But hence happened that Separation from the Church, which has continued ever since, and which, while there are any such things as reason and truth among men, will ever justify itself to the world. Indeed, all that the Queen's officers could argue, was, that
'the things they imposed were
indifferent,
that it was requisite to
order
and
decency
to impose them, and that she had, therefore, a
right
as Supreme Ecclesiastical Governor to
impose
them;'
that is, she had a
right,
by virtue of an office which could not possibly belong to her, to lord it over God's heritage, which
very right
it was death to ascribe to the bishop of Rome. But, our noble ancestors, after seriously consulting their own breasts, and the Word of God, declared this
right
to be a violation of their Christian Liberty. This liberty, they well observed, allowed not the imposition of those things, that were left indifferent in the Gospel. They also objected their scruples of Conscience to the use of the Vestments, not because they had any turpitude in themselves, but because they had been the uniform of Pagan and Popish priests, and might therefore be the means of still supporting Pagan and Popish Superstition. They affirmed, again, that weak Christians ought not to be constrained to admit of indifferent things, when they think them unlawful; and, they drew up a declaration, in substance to this effect, called,
Reason grounded on Scripture:
'It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God, for doing that, which our own consciences, informed by the Word of God, judge to be Evil: For, we would always keep in remembrance that alarming saying of St. John,
If our conscience condemn us, God is greater than our conscience.
We, therefore, chuse to obey God rather than man; and to suffer, if it be the will of God, for an unshaken attachment to his commandments, and to the dictates of our own consciences, in opposition to the commandments of men.'
These were the sentiments of our glorious forefathers. These were the arguments, on which they formed and vindicated their separation from the Establishment; and, neither of these sentiments, nor of these arguments, can we yet be ashamed, unless we first renounce the principles of reason, of liberty, of truth, and of the Gospel, unless we are dead to every spark of honour, generosity, and greatness of mind; unless, indeed, we be ashamed of Christ himself. It is, on the contrary, of the opposite principles that we ought to be ashamed; of the principles of pride and ambition, of slavery and darkness, of priestly dominion, implicit faith, and diabolical Antichristian tyranny. Of these we ought always to be ashamed, as of what unman, and degrade us to a level with the beasts of the field.
But, I would once more, and particularly, observe upon this point, that we do not, now, if we know any thing of our principles, or indeed if we have any principles of our own, profess to be directed any farther by the sentiments of our forefathers than they were directed by Truth. We do not profess, even by regarding their example, to believe any one of their doctrines, or to embrace any one of their opinions, unless such doctrines and opinions are in perfect harmony with our own Reason, and the Word of God. Nay; we profess to reject as freely any doctrines of our fore-fathers, or any of our own former doctrines, as the most obnoxious doctrines of Popery, if the same doctrines now appear to us Anti-christian or absurd.
Some Christians seem to think, that it would reflect the greatest reproach upon them, to become wiser than their fathers, or wiser even than themselves when children.
My father thought so; I was born, and educated so; therefore,
&c. But that which really disgraces man, is his making no progress in Divine knowledge, his taking things of the utmost importance upon trust, and not endeavouring to improve that knowledge, as well as that estate, which he inherited from his ancestors: and that which does honour to man, is not, the
not changing
his sentiments or profession, but his being open to conviction, and yielding to evidence. Besides, it is an uncomfortable kind of dignity, which centers in such a uniformity of conduct, as will not allow us to assert our freedom and independency, nor to remedy any Evils under which we groan. In short, it is not shameful to
have been
in error, but to
continue
in error, and to refuse to
come out
of darkness, when we are surrounded with light.
In short, we profess, as Protestant Dissenters, to have, in all our religious concerns, only One Master, even Christ. Or, to adopt the rational and spirited declaration of the celebrated Chillingworth—
'The Bible, the Bible, is our only religion. To this every one of us ought to adhere; for by this every one of us shall be judged; and not according to the understanding, or obedience of any man or body of men, but according to our own understanding and obedience. What diligence and impartiality we use in learning our duty here, belongs not unto men to judge, but unto God.'
Upon the whole, I may now, I think, fairly conclude, that the most distant attempt to introduce any kind of human authority in matters of faith, is a most abominable despotism, repugnant to the very nature of religion itself, to the genius and groundwork of the christian religion, to the dignity of reason, to the genuine principles of freedom, to the best interests of humanity, to the common Protestant cause, and to our avowed principles as Protestant Dissenters. If, therefore, we have only One Master, away with all other Masters; let none other, however famous for wisdom, or rendered conspicuous by sounding titles of honour, have the dominion over us; and, what should particularly and most powerfully induce us to regard the exhortation, is, that the more we examine the several systems that have been espoused by that authority which we oppose, the more shall we find them all to have been of a piece with that authority itself. Whether we take up the Popish Manual, the English Thirty-nine Articles and Common Prayer, the Scotch Directory, the Augsbourg Confession, the articles of Lutheranism, or the Institutions of Calvin, we shall find in them all some things that are equally irrational, impious and antichristian. It can, therefore, be nothing less than downright tyranny and blasphemy, which establish any such authority, or which continue to support it; and it can be nothing less than slavery and darkness which pay any submission to such authority. But if there be those, after all, who still determine to submit to human authority, we pretend not to be their judges. They are amenable to a future tribunal: and, according to their actions, according to the sincerity and diligence they used in improving the talents committed to their trust, they shall find their sentence. Yet I cannot help observing, that, until they change their present conduct, they should, to maintain a consistent character, renounce the principles of Reason, reject the name of Protestants, and disclaim all the priveleges of Christians.
Let us, however, as members of a kingdom not of this world, resolve to reject all those doctrines of men, which tend to make void the doctrines of God. Let us firmly and deliberately resolve to submit only to our One Master, even Christ. But, as he was divinely authorised to communicate to us the whole will of God, and nothing but the pure will of God, let us be persuaded to attend to all his instructions as we regard our own Salvation. Let us, whenever we open the sacred Volume, to be taught of him, consider ourselves as under the direction of God himself, because he was taught of God; and let us, whenever his animating discourses are read to us out of this Volume, hearken with that reverence which is due to the wisdom of God. Again, let us consider, that mere knowledge only puffeth up. Let us, therefore, while we are earnestly endeavouring to treasure up the doctrines of Christ, endeavour also, in our conduct, so to make our light shine amongst men, that others seeing our good works, may be hence led, with us, to glorify our Father who is in Heaven.
The grand point is this. We should set our affections upon the things that are above. Seeing that we look forward to a future incorruptible inheritance, this inheritance should ever be our jewel of great price. We should consider in the same view, as the passing vapours, all the riches, and honours, and pleasures, of this present transient scene. We should account nothing honourable, which does not respect the will of the Supreme Lawgiver. We should esteem nothing great or good, which is not a resemblance of his most glorious perfections. We should be endowed, therefore, with bowels of the most tender mercies to our fellow men. We should be strangers to all wrath, and malice, and envy, and evil-speaking, and especially to all cruelty, oppression, and revenge. We should love, as brethren, the whole human race; remembring that GOD IS LOVE, and that in this was the love of God manifested, that he gave us his Only-begotten, or his well-beloved Son, that whoever believeth in him might not perish, but have Everlasting life.
The mention of
this life,
is sufficient to make us SHEW OURSELVES MEN. With such an object in view, we can pronounce nothing very grievous that may befal us here. With such an object in view, though all the terrors of our spiritual adversaries are at the same time before our eyes, we shall be stedfast and immoveable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. We shall not envy the high and mighty. We shall not be moved to neglect the least duty, by the tide of popular prejudices. Pomp and shew, will but little affect us. Truth will have more charms in it than all the world besides. We will blush for those, who triumph in their successful ambition. We will sit easy under the laughter of fools. We will pity the scorner; and, all the pride, reviling, and ridicule, to which we stand exposed, shall not be able to touch us.
Besides, that the world is against us, should not greatly affect us, or rather should give us no kind of pain or discouragement. The world was against our Lord; but the High and Lofty One, who inhabiteth Eternity was his refuge; and we, in like manner, if we follow his steps, shall be always secure under the arms of Omnipotence. The friendship of God, will always support and refresh us, will give light to our souls in the dark valley of the shadow of death, and, at last, deliver us from every Evil, and crown us with every good. His friendship, truly, is sufficient to reconcile us to all circumstances.
To know, likewise, that our inevitable allegiance to Him, brings troubles upon us, that we suffer for espousing the Everlasting Laws of Righteousness and Truth, instead of making us disconsolate, must make us always happy. For, this is the noblest cause in the world. To vindicate such a cause, places us among the first of human beings. To be cast into dungeons for such a cause, is a distinguishing honour. To finish our course upon the scaffold for such a cause, is our greatest glory. Nay; we mention, with a high veneration, those heroes, who fall in battle fighting for their country. With a sort of wonder and reverence, we rehearse the name of Wolfe. But, what are ten thousand such to the great Captain of our Salvation! What are ten thousand such, even to any other man, who sacrifices his Life in the cause of sacred truth! The martyrs of Religious Liberty suffer for our dearest privileges, and our best interests, for the cause of God, and the most important concerns of all mankind; and their names are written in Heaven, and shall be held in EVERLASTING REMEMBRANCE.
ERRATA.
Page xvi. of Preface, line 2 of Note, after
Account,
put a period.
Page 14 of Discourse, line 8 from the Bottom, for
both
read
hath.
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