Of the reasonableness of Christian religion by H.H. D.D.

CHAP. V. (Book 5)

The exceptions against some particulars in Christian Religion; and 1. Gods dispositions of Providence.

[Sect. 1] IT now remains that I proceed from the gross to the retail, from the general to the particular view, and consideration of those particular branches of Christian Religion, which seem to men at this time to be least supported with Reason. And they will be of two sorts, either concerning Gods Providence, or concerning Gods Commands now under the Gospel. The first concerns his wis∣dom in dispensing the things of the World among men, the second his choice of duties, wherein to exercise us.

[Sect. 2] For the first of these, it will briefly be reduced to this questi∣on, Whether it can be deemed rational, that injustice should prosper, and patience never be relieved or rewarded in this life, as it is every where taught to be the Method of God, and is most eminently exemplied on Christ himself, in his own person, in the Gospel.

[Sect. 3] Where first, If the question were, whether Injustice could be really favoured by God, or by him so approved, and encouraged, as to be thought worthy of any the least reward, though but of a cup of cold water, by him, or (as consentaneous to that) whe∣ther Injustice by going unpunished here, and by being triumphant in this World, might be thence concluded to be an act either of sanctity or of innocence, owned, and commended, and justified by God, by its thus prospering, I should then, I confess, acknow∣ledg this to be irrational, and not plead, or undertake to be the advocate of that Religion, which should teach one such Doctrine as this.

[Sect. 4] For this were to make a God (who by being such, is supposed to be of an immutable wil, and justice) to become inconstant and contradictory to himself, to forbid oppression, as contrary to his wil, and yet without making any change in the matter (with∣out withdrawing what he hath given to one, and disposing it to another, as in the case of the Aegyptians Jewells, and the Ca∣naanites land) to reward it, as agreeable to his wil, to pronounce

that no covetous person, without repentance, shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and yet to give the covetous, beside an in∣fallible title to the Kingdom of God, continued to him, as a spe∣ciall Saint of his, the addition of all the blessings of this life. In a word, this were the same irrational thing, as to affirm, that thief, which prospered in his assault, and actually robbed the Traveller, and perhaps killed him too, to be by that means turned honest man, and that nothing but miscarrying in his attempt could denominate, or demonstrate him a thief; that no sin were any lon∣ger a sin, if it were once acted, no oppression any longer oppressi∣on, if it were permitted to come to its fulness; that every the fou∣lest violence as soon as it were come to the height, bearing down all the resistances of divine and humane Laws, and force, did then presently cease to be violence, and by being the lowest fiend in hell commence ipso facte the most rewardable Saint: And there∣fore the onely Religion, that hath been known in the World to maintain and countenance this, that of the Turk or Mahometan, I profess to believe absolutely irrational.

[Sect. 5] But for Christianity, that is so distinctly contrary to this, that the great fundamental History, upon which all our Religion at once is built, is the most lively example, and doctrine of the con∣trary. For when Christ himself was delivered up into the power of wicked men, and by them arraigned, and reviled, and cruci∣fied, not onely the Disciples, which were his constant atten∣dants, but his Army of Miriads of Angels, that were alwayes at his command, doing nothing toward his release, when this consultation of the Sanhedrin became successful, and obtained the desired event against him (the highest, and most prosperous oppression of the greatest innocence and virtue) then though there were more circumstances, which might affixe this on God his Father, and seem to draw him into partaking in it, then we finde recorded of any, or all other sinful actions (as that Gods Hand and Counsel did foredetermine this to be done, that God foretold it by all his Prophets, and from the certainty that they could not lie, doth, when it is done, conclude, that Christ ought thus to suffer, that they that did it, even the chief Rulers of them, * 1.1 had the excuse of some ignorance, untill Gods raising him from the dead dispelled this mist from before their eyes, that what

God had thus foretold, and praedetermined, viz. that Christ should suf∣fer, he had thus fulfilled, Acts 3. 18. that he that suffered, voluntarily laid down his life, and by a speedy taking it up again, was freed from the saddest part of death, the remaining under the power of it, nay was, in the issue, so far from being the worse for suffering, that, beside the glorious advantages that came to his disciples and children by it, he himself was in that humane nature of his highly rewarded, and exalted for this his suffering; though, I say, all these circumstances concurred to make the injury less, the crime more excusable, and altogether more fit, and more honourable to be charged upon God, and so to turn it from the crime of murther, to the vertue of obedience to Gods will, and charity, and benefaction to mankinde, (and even to him that suffered) set this one act of the Jews, their doing, against the express command, and will of God, that thing, which yet was by God * 1.2 determined to be done, their crucifying an innocent person, that desired nothing, but their a∣mendment, their committing that act, which by God was forbidden, under the Commandment of murther, is thought fit by that God, whom the Christians worship, to be punished most prod giously, and exemplarily, that ever any sin of the deepest die, and the most mischievous effects, was ever punished, even with the utter desola∣tion of the whole Nation, and all the prodigies that have been read of, the greatest pomp of aggravating circumstances, the calling Heaven and Earth together, to make the execution of these cru∣cifiers the more solemn and remarkable; so far is Christianity from owning any such irrational doctrine as this.

[Sect. 6] But this being thus disclaimed, and the Doctrine, which is ac∣knowledged to be Christian, being cleared to be onely this, that in Gods dispensations and providence, and governing of the World, under the Gospel, it is not unusual for injustice to prosper, and pati∣ence, and innocence never to be relieved, or rewarded in this life. This I shall now assume on me to be clear to be perfectly reason∣able; and it shall be by thus taking it asunder.

[Sect. 7] First, That wicked men should be permitted to be wicked, when all fair rationable means have successlesly been used to bring them to repentance, to restrain them from waxing worse and worse; that they that will not mend by all the probablest, and most effectual means, should at last be left to themselves, and

become incorrigible; that God should not proceed from per∣swasion to violence, and force them to be good (contrary to the na∣ture of man in this his state of proficiency, who was created with a wil, or freedom of doing evil, if he pleased, and contrary to the nature of free, and rewardable goodness, which, if compelled, ceaseth to be such) who will not be restrained from evil without force: This will never be deemed rational in God, who hath an∣other Tribunal to arraign▪ and punish those, who will not sub∣mit to Exhortation, and Discipline here. But on the contrary it will very ill become the servant of God for his own ease, and se∣curity, to wish the disturbance of that method of God with man∣kinde, to expect that man, which, when he was in innocence, was created with a liberty to chuse the evil, should now amidst the briers, and thorns, after the provocations of a long vitious life, have such shackles laid on him, as that he should not be able to break Gods Bands and Laws; and all this onely that the good man may be protected, who, if he be not, knows that 'tis far more for his advantage, then if he were.

[Sect. 8] Secondly, That they which are wicked, and have cast off all restraints of Divine and Humane Laws, which break through all the ties, and securities, that promises and oaths can lay upon them (the greatest protection for innocents, that any Religion, or Law, hath ever provided for them) should, by these advan∣tages above other men, be able to over-reach, and defraud o∣thers; and by this means having acquired a power of hurting, should, when they have it, make use of this power, to do what is most agreeable to their lusts and interests to do, This again hath nothing in it strange, or irrational: It is far more strange, that it is not alwayes thus, that (wicked men, allowing themselves all the liberty, and being by their very sins furnished with all armor, and instruments to work their will, and all innocent men, that resolve to continue such, being by this means disarmed, and naked be∣fore them) the wicked should not get the whole World into their possessions.

[Sect. 9] This certainly were to be expected, and by this means all that have wicked inclinations, would, in any humane likelihood, be encouraged to act to the height of their power of hurting, were there not a peculiar hedg of providence to defend the meek, with∣out

any of their own (considerable) contributions toward it, to guard them wonderfully in the open field, without any visible means of doing it: And if this shall otherwise happen at some one time, perhaps but once in many Ages, and that for some very great end, in Gods Wisdom more considerable to the God∣like Government of the whole World, then the miraculous re∣scuing of a few meek innocents from a short oppression (in earthly things, which are not worth their possessing) could be deemed to be; there is sure no great wonder in this, nothing irrational in the sometimes permitting of it.

[Sect. 10] He that were secured in his inheritance in a quiet Kingdom, as long as any man enjoyed his own, as Majesty were permitted on the throne, or Law, and Justice on the bench, would never desire a fairer conveyance, or a longer lease of the most valued pos∣sessions of this life; and this security remains to the meek man, though once in many Ages it may have happened not to prove good unto him.

[Sect. 11] And as there hath been nothing strange, or irrational on the part of the wicked oppressor that prospers, so next on the part of the patient, or sufferer, that smarts under him, there will appear to be as little.

[Sect. 12] For first, Absolute innocence is a thing, which (save in the per∣son of Christ) hath never been met with in Man or Woman on the Earth; and therefore he that is guilty of no fault in one par∣ticular, may yet be culpable, and punishable in many others; he that is legally possest of an estate, and hath done nothing to forefeit it in Law, may yet have sinned against God, and so have punishments due to him from that eternall Justice; which if they fall upon his body, or estate in this World, there is no∣thing irrational in that, but especially if so light a Discipline may passe for all the revenge, and (through the sufferings of Christ, and interposition of mercy) avert all future punish∣ment, and be accepted in commutation for the torments of another Judicature, this sure is all the charity and bounty in the World, that may be admired, but not complained of as un∣reasonable.

[Sect. 13] Secondly, That those that for their other faults might justly be punished, should have this punishment inflicted on them by

those which themselves are wicked, and are actually such in thus afflicting them, If this seem to have any thing unreason∣able in it, it will soon be answered by the necessity of the mat∣ter, which makes it impossible for any but wicked men to be employed in it. The Israelites were once used to root out the Nations, but that by an infallible Commission from God, the Su∣preme Law-giver (and whose will being once made known, over-rules all former Laws) and the universal owner and dis∣poser of all the World, and the possessions thereof: And by this Commission this became to them not onely lawful, but ne∣cessary, an act not onely of justice, but of obedience; and so upon the like Commission, the Levites killing their Brethren was an act of sanctity, a consecrating themselves unto the Lord, those bloody Sacrifices were in a manner the Ceremonies of their Con∣secration to their Priests Office. But then, first, all this depen∣ded upon the infallible validity of their Commission, which had it been falsly pretended by them, or had they not been as∣certained that it came from God, their actions had been as un∣godly, and murtherous, as Abrahams sacrificing his son must have been deemed, without the like Commission: And secondly, this Commission was by no means to be enlarged to any other, but those particular subjects, or matters, to which it was given. The Jews might not at that time have destroyed or invaded any other Nation, upon the face of the Earth, nor might the Levites at any other time have killed their Brethren, on strength of that command, much less may any other People of any other Nation, on strength of that example. And so now that such Commissioners are out-dated, when all is left by God in the hands of standing Laws, in opposition to new Revelations, and consequently when that which is most just for me to suffer, or God to permit (or by prospering in him, to inflict on me) is most injurious in him that doth it, were it not perfect fury, much above the pitch of irrational, to demand that Gods dearest Children should act as the vilest men? To require such explicite contradictions, that none but godly men should be permitted to oppress, to kill, to commit Sacriledge, to lay waste, and to destroy, to break all those Commandments of God, which he that doth, ipso facto, ceaseth be to godly? If there be

any wickedness to be done in a City, shall the righteous be the onely men to doe it? This were worth wondering at indeed: But for the wicked, whose trade it is, whose joy of heart to be thus for∣ever occupied, he is in his element, he needs no call, or incita∣tion to do it. The turning him out of that office, and employ∣ing any body else, were the greatest unkindness to him, as the casting the Divels out from tormenting the man, was by them looked on as the destroying them before their time, whereas the Angel of Light, would have looked upon it as a de∣gree of Hell, had hee been sent in, on that errant to torment him.

[Sect. 14] Thirdly, Beside the perfect reasonableness of having offen∣ders punished temporally here, (which were reasonable, if it were for ever in another World) there is a second, not onely Justice but Mercy in such sufferings, on whomsoever they fall. They are Admonitions, and Doctrines, and Spirituall Medicines, Disciplines of the soul, to awake us out of secure, and stop in wilful sinning, and are by God on purpose made use of to that end, when prosperity hath been long used, and experimented to have no such auspicious influences in it, to be proper to feed, and foment, very improper to starve, or sub∣due enormities. And if the Physitian administer a bitter Po∣tion, if the Surgeon apply a Corrosive, or Caustick, when Julips, or Balsoms are judged, and proved to be uneffectu∣all, sure it is not the manner of men to count such methods ir∣rationall.

[Sect. 15] Nay, it will be no Hyperbole to affirme, that the addition of such documents as these, may sometimes deserve to be preferred, and more pretiously valued, then all the Doctrines in the Book of God it self without these, one such seasonable Application, then all other Receipts in his dispensatorie. The Word of God gives rules of living to all men, but those so general, and un∣applied, that it is ordinary for passionate men not to see them∣selves concerned in them. These punishments and visitations will be able to bring home, and make us, while we are under the Discipline, confess, that we are the very men to whom by pecu∣liar propriety they appertain.

[Sect. 16] But there is yet a third sublimer benefit, of such dispensa∣tions

of God under the Gospel, which will render them abun∣dantly rational. And that is the exercise of many Christian graces of the greatest price in the sight of God, and such as shall be sure to be the most richly rewarded by him, which were it not for such changes as these, would lie by us unprofitably, such are Patience, Meekness, Humility, Contentedness with whatever lot, faithful dependance on God in all outward things, thanks∣giving for plenty, and for scarcity too, a submitting to Gods Will in suffering, as well as doing it cheerfully, yea, and to his Wisdom too, in resolving Gods choices for us to be absolute∣ly fitter for our turns, then any our own wishes; and lastly, that Wisdom, which Saint James speaks of, the skill of Spiritual judg∣ing, * 1.3 which can really prefer this state of suffering for Christ, (an ex∣cellence that Angels do not partake of) beyond any other state or condition of life.

[Sect. 17] Were it but onely for the variety, that all the burthen of the day might not lie on those graces, which are exercised in fair weather, but that those other, provided for the storm or winter, might take their turns and give them some relaxation, this would be very ra∣tional and useful for us, as Aristotle saith, that the change of mo∣tions from up hill to down hill, and so back again, doth provide against lassitude, more then the constancy of any one, be it in the easiest smoothest plain, because that layes all the burthen incessantly upon one pair of muscles, without any relief or assistance from any other. But when withall, every exerise of each of these graces hath attending it an addition of more Gems in our Crown, more de∣grees of Glory in another World, (that I may not adde also of present Joy, and Satisfaction, and Ravishment in the present exer∣cises here) then sure the superfluities, and pleasures of this life, the any thing that is ever taken from us by the Harpies, and Vultures of this World, are richly sold, and parted with by the Christian (which knows how much, or indeed how little they are worth enjoying) if they may thus bring him in that rich fraight of never fading bliss in another World. And this will serve for justifying the rationalness of Gods dealing with us now under the Gospel, in respect of his Providence.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Acts 3. 17.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.3

  James 1. 5.