The zealous, and impartial Protestant shewing some great, but less heeded dangers of popery, in order to thorough and effectual security against it : in a letter to a member of Parliament.

CHAP. IV.

III. OVr carelessness, and indifferency in Religion is one of the greatest, and most unhappily influencing occasions of our fears, and dangers of Popery. Religion requires, and de∣serves our highest Affections, and most diligent Endeavours. It is Zeal; so in the truth of things, and in the general sense of Mankind: So that where Zeal is not, People will not be∣lieve that Religion is there: The Zealous still lead them, and have their company; and when ever it happens, that the ge∣nerality of a Church, or Way, are cold, dead, and uncon∣cern'd either to Religion in general, or to their own particu∣lar Profession; that Church, and Profession is like to be de∣serted by those of warm affections, who will betake them thi∣ther where they may have company in their Zeal, and enter∣tainment for it.

Here now hath been a principal occasion that many have fall'n off from our Church, to the Roman Superstition. Blessed be God, we have an excellent constitution of Religion refor∣med according to Primitive, Apostolick Doctrine, and Usage: But the misery is, We, the Members, have by our Carelessness, Indifferency, Irreligion, brought disgrace upon it, and laid it low in the opinion of many zealous, and devout People; for the most will judg of Religions by the Professors of them.

Our difsenting Adversaries were, and are very zealous, they have a Zeal for God, though not according to Knowledg; that heat hath been very wild, and very mischievous; and by the ill conduct, and bad effects of it, we are prejudiced (many of us) against the very Word, and against the Thing: So

that we run (as 'tis usual) into a quite contrary extream, and are afraid of any thing that looks like warm Concernment, in, or for Religion.

The Sects are earnest in their Prayers, so to Folly, and Ex∣travagance: On the contrary how indifferent are many of us to the Service of our Church, those sober, grave Devotions, which formerly, when they were supprest, we disputed so earnestly for: How little have they of our Company? How undevoutly do we demean our selves at them? How slightly do many talk of saying Prayers, and being Devout; as if they were things to be jested with? How little Reputation doth Devoti∣on give any one among us? How little Shame or Disrepute the contrary?

The Dissenters are Superstitious, as to hearing Sermons; are swift to hear, place almost all Religion in it: Whereas too ma∣ny of us, reckon little of Preaching, perform it as an Exer∣cise, hear it as an Entertainment, (at the best) divers make nothing of it; at least, are without any affectionate concern∣ment about it.

The holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, which the Fana∣ticks impale within their select numbers, but is freely permit∣ted to us, how many slight? how few attend? The greatest part neglect it quite, and will not by the most constant, and earnest importunities of their Ministers, be persuaded to do thus much, to testifie their being Christians.

The Sects are zealous contenders for their dear Models of Government, and Discipline: But how little do we (most of us) heed the Government, and Discipline of the Church? We care not how it is affronted, or trampled on, yea, we are ready upon every occasion, and without any sometimes, to flie in the Face of the Governours of it, and to tear them, our selves.

The Separatists are zealous to Superstition, in the obser∣vance of the Lords Day: Some of us in opposition, reckon not much of it: most I doubt are too negligent, and remiss here. In nothing doth the humour of Opposition appear more

among us than in this. We hold sacredness of places on the account of dedication to religious uses, and respect due to them; for this the Sects despise us as Superstitious: They on the other side hold Sacredness, and Divine Separation of some time, the Lords Day (at least;) this Doctrine and the conse∣quent Practice, some among us, impeach as Superstitious, and heed not that Day as they ought. Frequent Acts of Parlia∣ment are made to inforce its Religious observation, and to re∣strain abuses, and prophanations of it, which yet are the same as before, and Magistrates that should execute Laws, in many places, take little or no notice of them.

Now the consequence of this unhappy Coldness, and Indif∣ferency, must be, that many People that are affectionate to Religion must needs turn away, and joyn themselves either to the Conventicles on the one hand, or the Papists on the other, both which have great appearance of Zeal and Devo∣tion; and many, no doubt, have gone off to the Roman Church upon this only score, being scandaliz'd by our neg∣lects, and indevotion. This was the temper of Laodicea, and the Remedy prescribed, to prevent Ruine, was Zeal, Rev. 3. 19. And except we learn, and practise this, our Church in he necessary consequence, must fall to nothing.

Our Enemies on both sides are diligent, studious, zealous, and if we continue negligent, and careless, their designs to destroy us at length, must of necessity succeed; and here is one of the most considerable Causes they have succeeded so far already. The way of Cure and Prevention, is sober, active Zeal, both in Clergy, and People.

As to the Prayers of the Church; the Ministers' ought to read them with more affection, and external Devotion; the People to attend them with more diligence, and constancy; and their attendance ought to be more humble and devout. There was never more reason for our constancy, and zeal in this Duty than now: Prayers are always seasonable, but most necessary in times of publick Difficulties, and Dangers. The rude Mariners betook them to their Prayers in the Storm,

JOB. 1. In their affliction they will seek me early, Hos. 5. 15. If we do not so in ours, it will be a sad symptom.

We should further express our Zeal in being constant, and unanimous in attending on the holy Sacrament; our neglect of this is shameful, and intolerable: Nothing hath given so great a blow to our Religion, it hath made some believe, and say we have none. We are earnestly invited by our Lord, and his Messengers; How many earnest Sermons, how many ex∣cellent Books, press this Duty upon us, and give us direction in it? And yet we are little moved. We come for fear of the Temporal Penalties, when we have entred into Offices, and Trusts, but the Authority of our Supreme Legislator, and the eternal Penalties he threatens, prevail little. This is scanda∣lous Neglect: And we declare to all the World, that Religi∣on hath no power upon us, when it cannot obtain thus much from us. Of this carelesness we ought to repent deeply, to reform speedily, Solemn appearance at the Lord's Table would give us the face of a Church, and make our Religi∣on look like something; the contrary exposeth it to Con∣tempt.

Our Zeal also should ingage us to study the Constitutions of our Church more, to search into the grounds of our Govern∣ment, and Discipline, that we may be acquainted with their Antiquity, Reasonableness, and Piety, and thereby inabled to stop the mouths of Gain-sayers, and to contend intelligently for our Profession, and Practice.

The Lord's Day should be more diligently, and religiously observed by us. This is the publick, solemn time for the ex∣ercise of Devotion; so it is acknowledg'd, whether it be of Divine, or only of Ecclesiastical Institution, and therefore should be reverenc'd by those of each Opinion, and kept as a Day separate from other days, and other uses: Places we think and say ought to be so, Churches, and Altars; and with rea∣son we believe this: There is at least the same reason for Times, some others we allow; and this also in Doctrine; let not the zeal of our Adversaries in this instance abate, and quench

ours. The reverence and all the great interests of Religion are in great part maintain'd, and kept alive by the due obser∣vance of this Day. Let us express our Zeal, and Devotion here also: To devote one day of seven to God, and his pecu∣liar Service, should not, methinks, be grievous to us: In this there is no Fanaticism, nothing but what is very agreeable to the Doctrine of the Church of England, which we should streng∣then, and do honour to by such practice: This Zeal is honest, laudable, necessary, and 'tis popular: And in Christian Pru∣dence we should do, and study all lawful things that tend to the inlargement of the Church, and the edification of its Members.

There is yet another Instance, in which Zeal should be more exprest; which I have reserv'd for the last, because I shall take the liberty to inlarge on it: It is concerning Preaching, and hearing Sermons. I pretend not to teach, but shall with sub∣mission to better Judgments deliver my opinion, which is, That in Preaching, Ministers should chiefly, mostly, treat on plain, practical, awakening Subjects, speaking of them gravely, and affectionately, without Vanity, or Affectation, with de∣sign still to do good, and to make themselves, and their Hear∣ers better. Such I think should be the matter, and such the measure of Preaching: And 'twould do no hurt if our Prea∣chers generally took more Zeal into their Pulpits than is usu∣al with us, Zeal without Folly: Methinks our Divines should not suffer others to out-do them here; much-less should they quit this to them: The too usual want of this Zeal here, is a principal cause of our Mischiefs: Some are almost ashamed, or affraid to be zealous in their Pulpits. The preaching of too many is Declamatory, they deliver not Theological Sermons, not such as are apt to instruct, or edifie, but seem to design the gratifying vain Phancies, and the pleasing of wanton Hear∣ers: They aim at Wit, and fine Sayings to gain applause among the injudicious by silly Affectations, and when they are com∣mended they have their end, and the work is done: They move no devout Affections, seem not to design it: Their Ser∣mons

are lifeless, dull Harangues, full of studied Vanity, with∣out Piety, or as much as good Sense. Hence many Religious are scandaliz'd, and they nauseate such Preaching, and are tempted by it to run away into Corners and Sects; and here is one great ground of Separation, and loss of our People.

Now one, and a chief occasion that this Humour hath so much obtain'd, is, that many of the Laity, and such as pre∣tend much to the Church of England, are for the formal, unedifying, wittilizing Way; they have not the patience to hear a Grave, Serious, Affectionate Sermon that plays no Tricks: But will be ready (some of them) to Stigmatize, and rail against such a Preacher as a Presbyterian, though he be zea∣lously opposite to their Principles, and Ways, and most hearty and affectionate to the Church of England. These would have none (it seems) but affected, insipid, sensless Fops of it: They are willing to give away all, or most of the men of Reason, and Religious Zeal to the Sects; take them who will, they will not own them: These men have done the Church of Eng∣land the great Mischief, and have raised most of the Cla∣mour, and Opposition against it.

No Church in the World hath better Preachers than this, and there are not upon Earth worse than those I have last de∣scrib'd; or rather they are none at all; what they do is not Preaching; it is throughout doing another thing, Declaiming, silly, childish speech-making; what you will; there is scarce any other abuse of Speech bad enough to resemble it to. I cannot speak of it with too much Contempt. Such Preachers are Prophaners of sacred things, contemptible even in the things they aim at; their Oratory, their Wit is so; neither true; both boyish, ridiculous, despicable to men of Sense. And yet (as I intimated) some that pretend Zeal for the Church of England; that is, the Name, the Shadow, applaud those Tri∣flers, Players; and thereby tempt young men to take up after their Way; and the affecting such stuff hath spread far to the Scandal of the Church, and the discountenancing the serious, earnest, effectionate Method, which is so much out of fashion

among this sort, that they cannot endure that the Preacher should as much as seem to be in earnest: They will not allow him to speak warmly, to move in the Pulpit, or to preach off his Notes. All must be dead, cold Form to please them. If this humour be not supprest, and Preachers, generally as all the Wise already do) don't take another course, the Church will never recover its just Interest, and Esteem. Preaching must be more Serious, Affectionate, Zealous, this is in the power of every Preacher; to be Profound, and Learned, is not so. In the many poor insufficient Livings we may not expect men of great, and deep Knowledg, and where such are, this Qualification doth not recommend them to the generality of the People, their Zeal doth much more: In this the meanest Preachers may abound, and by this they will affect their Hearers, though Wit, and shews of Learning are wanting. These, as things are, the least able endeavour to ostentate, and such most; but the highest they can attain to, in it, is but Pedantism, and Childish∣ness, which are despised by the Judicious, and not understood by the rest; so that they lose their end, and the end of Preaching more; they do no good, get no hold on the People; whereas did even these but aim at instructing the Ignorant seri∣ously, and the exciting all to their Duty earnestly, and de∣voutly, it would atone for their imperfections with the Judici∣ous, and have good effect upon the rest.

I have spoken freely in this Matter, under a great sense of this Evil, and I hope I shall not be understood to reflect upon any worthy men of our Church, I design'd only to express my just indignation against wanton Witlings (Preachers, and Peo∣ple) whose number, thanks be to God, lessens daily, and among all Intelligent Church-men this way is exploded, and every where despised.

There is another Error in defect, in reference to Preach∣ing, it is of those that reckon it an indifferent, a meerly humane thing; when as it is certainly of Divine appointment, to continue to the end of the World, Mat. 28.20. We ought in the sense of this, to be more frequent, and heedful, in our

attendance on Sermons than many are; and not shut out Preaching or Hearing, under pretence of Zeal for the Church-Prayers. Those that pretend one Duty to the prejudice of another, do really care for neither. Our Zeal should be Vni∣form, and respect every duty proportionably to the Dignity, and necessity of it. And if generally we had been so disposed, thus Zealous as we ought, many of the People that now run away from our Communion, had still been ours. They like Presbyterians, and other Sects, because the Preachers are ear∣nest, and make shew of much Zeal (as the People also do) not because they are for such, or such a Church-Government, for this, or that Opinion: The multitude understand not these things, follow them not for that Cause, but for the opinion they have of their being Godly, and Zealous. And we may be, we should be as zealous for Religion, in the true Way, as they seem to be in the wrong: Our Church permits, requires this from us. We ought not to distinguish our selves from them by slighting, and avoiding the lawful expressions of Christian Zeal; the Interest of our Church doth not require that, but the contrary. If our Zeal were more proportion'd to the goodness of our Cause, that goodness of our Cause would be more known, and acknowledg'd, and our Adversa∣ries would more easily be reconcil'd unto it.