Of Christian prudence, or, Religious wisdom not degenerating into irreligious craftiness in trying times

CHAP. IV. Of not Doing Evil, that Good may come.

AS Christian Prudence, is in the first place to fix the Mark whereat we are to aim, and to see, and set out to us, Right Ends: So is it

2. Secondly, to pursue those Ends, only by fit and Christian Ways. Prudence, is most taken up in Choice of Means; appearing either in Sagacity and Acuteness, by Discerning them instantly; or in

Counsel, when it Discovers them by Thought and Study.

And opposite to this, is Imprudence, which has no Due Understanding or Consideration, about Ways and Methods; and doth not either see, or stick to those Means which are fittest for the Ends it aims at. Sometimes it misses them, through in∣ordinate Haste, not staying to take Counsel, or De∣liberate which Course is best. As it happens, when Men are push'd on rashly by their own Will or Passion; not taking time and pains, first to reflect with themselves, and call to mind former Expe∣rience and past Success of the same Course, or view present things and Circumstances, or consider what may be the Effects and Consequences, or Reason and Compare one thing with another, or, where there is need thereof, shew Docility and Regard to other Mens Skill, hearkening to a good and wise Adviser: These, and such like, are the orderly and intermediate Steps, whereby the Mind should proceed from Proposal of a thing to pursuit thereof, and Guide it self as need requires, in con∣sulting about the Fitness of Ways and Methods. And, when without such orderly Process, in a Case that needs it; it fixes on a wrong way in haste, at the impulse of its own Will or Humor, or of some external impellent, without having ta∣ken Counsel about it: This uncounsell'd Choice, or inordinate haste in fixing, is call'd Precipitancy. And this, where it is not only a blind Festination, but bears with it a plain Contempt of known Laws and Rules, which should have kept it in, or such an headstrong Motion, as is a clear Effect of Pride and Presumption; is call'd Temerity. At other

times, when it stays to Consult about them, Im∣prudence misses the right Way and Means, by not viewing sufficiently, but Contemning or Neglecting the Circumstances of things; especially those that are necessary to form a Right Judgment of them: Which act of Imprudence, is called Inconsiderate∣ness. Or, lastly, when it has done all in point of Deliberation, a third Act of Imprudence about the means, is not to stick to what has been once Re∣solved upon, or be stedfast in Right Purposes; which is Inconstancy. Precipitancy, is a Fault and Defect in Consultation; Inconsiderateness in Judging, and Inconstancy in point of Persisting, or Sticking to what had been well fixed or judged before.

Now, as Prudence is thus taken up in Choice and Use of means, so is Christian Prudence in the Choice and Use of such only, as are fit for Chri∣stians. As Prudence, it must Direct to fitting Means. And as Christian, to such as are agreeable to the holy Religion and Laws of Christ Jesus.

One part of this, and that of Great Wideness and Importance, is to see what Ways and Means are fittest for the Attainment or Encrease of all particular Virtues. All Duties have their proper Means, which make way for their Performance, and Hindrances, that do obstruct it. And 'tis the Part of Prudence, in one that would be wise to Do his Duty, to Discern and Direct what these Means are, in the Case of each; that seeking them always in wise and right ways, he may labor after them with the more Success. To shew what these are, through all particular Virtues, what Means are best accommodate to their several Na∣tures, or to our Needs and Temptations in the Ex∣ercise

or Discharge thereof, is besides my prese•••• purpose, and may be learned, as occasion require•• from those good Books, where the Duties them∣selves are Practically and Particularly treated of.

But, besides this seeing what Means are fitte•••• for the Discharge of any Duties: Another part o•• Prudence is, to see, in such Discharge, what way•• are fittest for its or our own outward Encourage∣ment; or that we may Do it with most Ease, Con∣venience, and Safety to our selves. This Pru∣dence looks at, in all our Ways; whether the Dis∣charge of Duty, or any others that are free, and left to our selves. And this Prudence Christianity must moderate, that our Care for our Safety neve•• carry us against, or make us careless of our Duty. And upon both these, viz. The ways of Securing both Religion and our selves, I shall observe severa•• Limitations, which, in regard to the Nature and Rules of Christianity, Spiritual Prudence lays on us, whilst a Latitude is given therein by Fleshly Wisdom, and taken by the worldly Wise.

1. In the first place then, I observe of Spiritual Wisdom, that it is never for doing Evil, that Good may come.

This Good is any Fleshly Convenience or Bene∣fit of this World, that concerns us, either as Men or Christians. And this, whose worldly Conve∣nience soever it serves, whether our own or our Friends and Relations; whether of few or many; private or publick; of Religion or Civil Govern∣ment; Church or State. These things are the main Care of the Wisdom of the Flesh; and the great Mark which the Prudence of this World drives at. And Spiritual Prudence allows the seek∣ing

thereof, so long as it is without Sin; but it gives no leave to Do ill, i. e. to omit any Duty, or transgress any Commandment for them. I speak of Commandments, that require things of a Natural or Moral Obligation. In mere Positives, as Circumcision, Shew-Bread, and the Sabbatick-R••st; God sometimes allows more Liberty, in case of Necessity or Great Convenience: As the Omission of Circumcision▪ was Conniv'd at for the extream Burdensomness thereof, whilst they were in a Travelling State in the Wilderness. But Natural or Moral Obligations, are not to give way to any outward Convenience. In case of these, Spiritual Prudence is not for Doing a Spiritual Ill, for any Worldly Good: It will rather suffer any Ill, than Do it. It gets by the Ill it suffers, if it can suffer with Patience and Innocence. But it al∣ways loses by the Ill it doth. Tho it get a worldly Convenience, it parts with what is incomparably better, its Integrity, and a good Conscience. It will never yield to commit a Sin, no not for the Worldly Convenience of the things of God and Religion; not owning that corrupt and ungodly Maxim, of breaking Religion to preserve Religion. Be wise as Serpents, but simple and innocent as Doves, saith our Saviour, Mat. 10.16. That is, says an old and learned Comment, to speak in a word, be wise as Serpents, that you may understand, and shun what is ill: But be simple as Doves, that you may not Do any thing that is ill.

It may seem needless, perhaps, to prove this to be a Rule and Precept of true Spiritual Wisdom to Christians; or, indeed, to any Persons of Natu∣ral Honesty, and good Moral Tempers. But yet

we see by sad Experience, when they are brought to the Pinch, and cannot have the Good they seek without Doi••g Ill for it: That not only Christians, but Christians of all Persuasions, are ready to think and profess 'tis otherwise. This is the General Effect of the VVisdom of the Flesh, and in their Necessities, offers it self, and too oft, God knows, with over-much Success to all that have Fleshly Natures, and is not confin'd to any Sects or Parties. They that will blame it when they do not need it, and cry out of it in others, are ready, alass! most shamefully many times to justifie it in their need, and practise by it themselves. But when they do thus, it is only at the Incitation of Fleshly Wis∣dom; of that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Craftiness that makes use of any thing which will help on a Design, and which the Scripture notes and taxes in VVorldly wise Men, Eph. 4.14. 1 Cor. 3.19. But is what Religion and Christian Prudence, which con∣trives more for God and Goodness, than for VVorldly Convenience, will never allow of.

This Doing a Spirituall Ill, that a Worldly Good or Convenience may come thereby, is not to be justified,

1. First, by any Pretence of Serviceableness, or Ends of Piety towards God. VVe must never Sin for him, or Transgress his Laws to please, or do him Service. He has no need of our Sins; for 'tis only human Impotence, which has no place in him, that is the Parent of, and puts upon all un∣lawful Expedients. And he will never accept or be served by them. For our Service is not so much to Do him Good, who being all Fullness, and perfectly happy in himself, stands in no need of

any thing from us: as to shew our Obedience. And if the acceptance of all our Services, lies in our Obedience; we cannot think he will ever count himself served, by seeing his Laws broken, and himself therein disobey'd. When Saul spared the Fat things, the best of the Sheep, and Oxen of the Amalekites: it was, indeed, a Breach of Duty, God having expresly commanded him to destroy all, and spare none; but it was upon a Pretence of Piety. They were spared, as he pleads for himself, only for a Sacrifice, which he thought was more for God's Glory and Service, 1 Sam. 15, 15. But what says God to Saul's committing this ill to do good to him, or sinning for his Glory and Inte∣rest? Hath the Lord as great delight in Sacrifice and Burnt-offerings, as in obeying the Voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than Sacrifice, i. e. than to yield to an Act of Disobedience, that we may have a Sacrifice, and to hearken, than the Fat of Rams, v. 22.

When well-meaning Uzzah, put forth his hand to the Ark of God, and took hold of it to bear it up, when the Oxen shook it, and it tottered in the Cart: he did ill, 'tis true, for he touch'd it with a forbidden hand; God having order'd, on any Car∣riage of the Sanctuary, and of the Ark, that no un∣hallowed hand of those that bare it, should touch any holy thing, lest they dye, Num. 4.5, 15. But this ill thing he did, in an apparent danger, and with a most visible appearance of Good to come to the Things of God thereby. What, might Uzzah think, may not I, especially in a seeming little thing, transgress one Precept, when there is an apparent necessity for it, to save even the Ark of

God, that Glory and Strength of Israel, as ‖ 'tis cal∣led, or to keep and Preserve a Church already tottering, from tumbling to the Ground? But how doth God receive this unlawful, indeed, but well meant Course, of committing a seemingly little Sin to save the things of his own House, which he himself had made of highest Dignity and Importance? The Anger of the Lord was kind∣led against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his errour, and there he Dyed by the Ark of God, 2 Sam. 6.6, 7.

If God would accept of Wickedness for any Ends, certainly it must be for his own Glory, which is worth all the World besides; and which has some Plea of Compensating him for the Dis∣obedience, and making him a Gainer by the Ex∣change. And if he would allow of any Sin for his Glory; one would think it should be an offi∣cious Lye: when his Servants and Well-wishers, think, and stretch beyond the Truth, or traduce the opposite Parties, especially where they have some Plausible Colour in Pressing Consequences, merely because they think his Honour needs it, and they know not how they can otherwise well defend his Cause. But yet God will not accept of any Service, by any such Sin, or Breach of Duty, as this.

For, what says the Scripture, to Job's Friends? Will ye speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him? Will ye accept his Person in judging, as you do between him and me, when he requires in Judgment to accept no Person? Job 13.7, 8. But now, all the Unrighteousness, or ill they did against Job, was only thereby to clear God's Ho∣nour

and Justice in Job's Sufferings. They were Forgers of Lyes against the innocent, as he tells them, v. 4. but all with a design to justifie the Proceedings of God. Eliphaz accuses him, that he had plowed iniquity, and sowed wickedness, and now reaped the same, Job 4.8. But this was, to make God juster than Job, in his Sufferings, v. 7.17, 18. Bildad tells him, that his Children were wicked, and he himself an hypocrite, Ch. 8.4, 6, 13. But this he said, lest else in his Case, God should appear to pervert Justice and Judgment, v. 3. Zo∣phar charges him, that he had been wicked, and that iniquity was still in his Tabernacles, Ch. 11.3.6, 14. But the design hereof, was to justifie God's dealings, and to shew he exacted of him less, than Job's iniquity deserved, v. 6. All these ill things, which Job's Friends did, were well meant: their hard Judgments against Job, were only the effect of their Respecting the Person of God, and taking his Part. This is Job's own Construction of them: Will ye, says he, accept his Person? Ch. 13.8. Their unjust Surmises and Accusations, were only pious Falshoods; God's Proceedings needing them, as they conceived. And yet for all the ill was done with so pious an intention, will ye speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him? Was a Re∣port unanswerable, when Job objected it against them, Ch. 13.7.

God will never allow his Servants to go out of his own way, tho it be on Pretence to serve him∣self. He will never think, and we must never say, he is glorified, when he is disobeyed; or that he can ever get any Glory, by our Transgres∣sing of our Duty. We glorifie his Power and So∣vereignty,

when we obey it; his Wisdom, when we follow it; and Religion, when we keep and practise the Rules thereof. We glorifie him, as I formerly observed, by shewing forth his Glorious Attributes, and expressing them in our selves. Whereas all Sin, is never the expression, but al∣ways the defacement of his Image; and therefore his Glory can only be sought, as 'tis only com∣passed, by Obedience.

2. Nor is it to be justified, by any Pretence to serve the Publick. However the Good of the Pub∣lick, is of more account, than any Private Good: yet is it of less, than the Honour and Interest of Almighty God. And therefore, if we may not be allow'd to sin, to serve God; we can never be allow'd to do more for the Service of any o∣ther Master, or sin to serve the Publick. This, indeed, is a specious Cover for unlawful Expe∣dients, and nothing is more ordinarily pretended by those that use them, for their own Defence. For this is the way to make all People Parties, to stop their mouths from branding it with just Censures, nay, to bribe their Favour and Appro∣bation of the Expedient, to perswade the Publick it is made use of only for their sakes.

But this will never pass, before an impartial and most just God; however it may stop the mouths, of Partial, and Corrupt men. This Pretence the Jews had, in the Murder committed upon our Blessed Saviour. If we let this man alone, say the Pharisees at their Council held about him, all men will run after him, and the Romans will come, and take away both our Place and Nation, Joh. 11.48. 'Tis expedient, said the High Priest Caiphas, for us, that

one man should dye for the People, and that the whole Nation perish not, v. 50. But yet for all this Pre∣tence, and Warranty of publick Expedience, this was a Murder acted by most wicked hands, Acts 2.23. The Publick must be sought under God, not set up against him; and it, as well as private Per∣sons, must rule it self by ways of Righteousness, not by ways of mere Expedience.

Indeed, nothing is so true, and serviceable an Expedient for the Publick, as an intire Practice of Religion, or Performance of Duty and Plea∣sing God. This is the best Bottom, and firmest Security, of Common Good, or Publick Interest. 'Tis not thought so, I confess, by worldly men, who look only at sensible and present things. But it will appear so to all raised and Spiritual Minds, who know God has the most to do, or the greatest hand in bringing any Events about, and rely on Providence. For to be sure, they that rest on Providence, more than on Humane Pro∣visions and Appearances, will never think they can serve the Publick Interest by Disobedience. Fiat Justitia, ruat Coelum, is their Maxim. To do their Duty, is their Care: to govern the World, and see this do no hurt, is God's. And when they have done their Duty, which is their Part; they can chearfully trust, and rely on him, for Events.

3. Nor by any Pretence, to serve our Friends or Relations; nay, or to serve our selves, or our own Lives. If an unlawful Expedient may not be ta∣ken to serve God, to be sure it may not be taken to serve us: for his interest is infinitely of more account than ours; and he is not so like to dispense with the Breach of any of his own Laws, for us,

as for himself. If it may not be done for the Pub∣lick, sure it must not for any Private account: for the Publick Good contains that of Private Persons, and is worth more to God, than any Private is.

Indeed, if Self-Love may be Judge, we might soonest take these Liberties in our own Case, and stretch furthest to serve our selves. But Self-Love and Religion, are two things: and as the Great Rule of that, is Self-pleasing; so the Fundamental Principle of this, is Denying of our selves. 'Tis al∣ways without Exception, for Denying of our Sins, and not doing the least ill, to get out of the greatest Distress. Tho my Soul is continually in my hand, says the Psalmist, yet do I not forget th•• Law. The wicked have laid a snare for me: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I erred not from thy Precepts, Psal. 119.109, 110•• They had almost consumed me upon Earth, but I for∣sook not thy Precepts, v. 87. When there is no way to escape the Cross, but a Sin; Religion is for taking up the Cross, not for escaping it. Tho we may Love our Selves, and Love our Friends, and seek what is pleasing both to them and us: ye•• must that be under God, not against him; and we must prefer our Duty, and pleasing him, be∣fore both. If any man love Father, or Mother, or any thing else, yea his own Life above me, says our Saviour, he is not worthy of me, Mat. 10.37. Luk. 14.26. And when St. Peter in this way of Selfish Expe∣dience, out of pure humane Love and Friend∣ship, fell to dissuade Christ, from that last and hardest part of Obedience, in his Sufferings; Get thee behind me, Satan, says he to him, Mat. 16.22, 23. Such Counsels never come from God,

nor are accepted with him; but always have Satan and Selfish Natures at the Bottom, and are pleasing to them alone.

Thus, upon no Pretence of Good to come, may we ever break a Commandment, or venture on an evil Action. Expediency or Serviceableness, tho to the best Purposes, will never hallow an unholy, or justifie an unlawful Thing. When we are proposing any Good, we must take a good way to it: Good Ends must be compassed by good Means and Methods. To make a good Action, we must not only do what is good, but do it with a good Design. For Bonum, as the Rule says, est ex integra Causa, taking in the Goodness, both of the Act, and of the Intention. But to render, what we do, an ill Action; 'tis enough if we either do an ill thing, tho with the best Design; or a good thing, if we do it with an ill one. For Malum, as the Rule of Morals says, est ex quolibet Defectu, and will come in, either by the illness of the thing, or by the illness of the intention. An ill thing, is still an ill thing, tho men do it with the best intention: and the A∣ctors are punishable in Religion, for the illness of the Action; not justifiable, for the Goodness of the intention. Some, indeed, once laid this to St. Paul's Charge, as if he taught them to do ill with a good intention, or to do evil that good may come, Rom. 3.8. But this, says the Apostle, was a slanderous Report; and the Doctrine, was a Do∣ctrine for loose Libertines, not for holy Christi∣ans, such as he did by no means own, but abhor and throw out with indignation. Some slande∣rously report that we say, let us do evil that good may

come, whose Damnation is just, Rom. 3.8. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God hath commanded no man to do wickedly: So, be the Pretence what it will, neither hath he, as the wise Son of Sirach says, given any man licence to sin, Ecclus. 15.20.

Notes

• Incerti Authoris in Mat. ap. Chrys••st.
• v. 2, 3.
• ‖

  Psal. 78.61. & 132.8.
• See Psal. 44.17, 18, 19, 22. & Psal. 119.51.