A WORD to a
PROTESTANT.
1.DON’T you call yourself a Protestant? Why so? Do you know what the word means? What is a Protestant? I suppose you mean one that is not a Papist? But what is a Papist? If you don’t know, say so. Acknowledge you cannot tell. Is not this the case? You call yourself a Protestant: but you don’t know what a Protestant is. You talk against Papists: and yet neither do you know what a Papist is. Why do you pretend then to the knowledge which you have not? Why do you use words which you don’t understand.
2. Are you desirous to know what these words, Papist and Protestant mean? A Papist is one who holds the Pope, or bishop of Rome, (the name papa, that is father, was formerly given to all bishops) to be head of the whole Christian church: and the church of Rome, or that which owns the Pope as their head, to be the only Christian church.
3. In a course of years, many errors crept into this church, of which good men complained from time to time. At last, about two hundred years ago, the Pope appointed many bishops and others to meet at a town in Germany, called Trent. But these, instead of amending those errors, established them all by a law, and so delivered them down to all succeeding generations.
4. Among these errors may be numbered, their doctrine of seven sacraments; of transubstantiation; of communion in one kind only; of purgatory, and praying for the dead therein; of veneration of relics, and of indulgences, or pardons granted by the Pope, and to be bought for money.
It is thought by some, that these errors, great as they are, do only defile the purity of Christianity: but it is sure, the following strike at its very root, and tend to banish true religion out of the world.
5. First, the doctrine of merit. The very foundation of Christianity is, that a man can merit nothing of God: that we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: not for any of our works, or of our deservings; but by faith in the blood of the covenant.
But the Papists hold, that a man may by his works merit or deserve eternal life; and that we are justified, not by faith in Christ alone, but by faith and works together.
This doctrine strikes at the root of Christian faith, the only foundation of true religion.
6. Secondly, the doctrine of praying to saints and worshipping of images. To the Virgin Mary they pray in these words; “O mother of God, O queen of heaven, command thy Son to have mercy upon us.” And, “the right use of images” (says the Council of Trent) “is to honour them, by bowing down before them.” Session 25. Paragraph 2.
This doctrine strikes at the root of that great commandment, (which the Papists call part of the first) Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them, i. e. not any image whatsoever. It is gross, open, palpable idolatry, such as can neither be denied, nor excused; and tends directly to destroy the love of God, which is indeed the first and great commandment.
7. Thirdly, the doctrine of persecution. This has been for many ages a favourite doctrine of the church of Rome. And the Papists in general still maintain, that “all heretics, (that is, all who differ from them) ought to be compelled to receive what they call the true faith; to be forced into the church, or out of the world.”
Now this strikes at the root of, and utterly tears up, the second great commandment. It directly tends to bring in blind, bitter zeal; anger, hatred, malice, variance; every temper, word and work that is just contrary to the loving our neighbour as ourselves.
So plain it is, that these grand Popish doctrines of merit, idolatry and persecution, by destroying both faith and the love of God and of our neighbour, tend to banish true Christianity out of the world.
8. Well might our forefathers protest against these: and hence it was that they were called Protestants: even because they publicly protested, as against all the errors of the Papists, so against these three in particular: the making void Christian faith, by holding that man may merit heaven by his own works; the overthrowing the love of God by idolatry, and the love of our neighbour by persecution.
Are you then a Protestant, truly so called? Do you protest, as against all the rest, so in particular, against these three grand, fundamental errors of Popery? Do you publicly protest against all merit in man? All salvation by your own works? Against all idolatry of every sort? And against every kind and degree of persecution?
I question not but you do. You publicly protest against all these horrible errors of Popery. But does your heart agree with your lips? Do you not inwardly cherish what you outwardly renounce? ’Tis well, if you, who cry out so much against Papists, are not one yourself. ’Tis well if you are not yourself (as little as you may think of it) a rank Papist in your heart.
9. For, first, How do you hope to be saved? “By doing thus and thus? By doing no harm, and paying every man his own, and saying your prayers, and going to church and sacrament?” Alas! alas! Now you have thrown off the mask. This is Popery barefaced. You may just as well speak plain, and say, “I trust to be saved by the merit of my own works.” But where is Christ all this time? Why, he is not to come in, till you get to the end of your prayer. And then you will say, for Jesus Christ’s sake—because so it stands in your book. O my friend, your very foundation is Popish. You seek salvation by your own works. You trample upon the blood of the covenant. And what can a poor Papist do more?
10. But let us go on. Are you clear of idolatry any more than the Papists are? It may be indeed, yours is in a different way. But how little does that signify? They set up their idols in their churches: you set up yours in your heart. Their idols are only covered with gold or silver: but yours is solid gold. They worship the picture of the queen of heaven; you, the picture of the queen or king of England. In another way, they idolize a dead man or woman; whereas your idol is yet alive. O how little is the difference before God? How small pre-eminence has the money-worshipper at London, over the image-worshipper at Rome? Or the idolizer of a living sinner, over him that prays to a dead saint?
11. Take one step farther. Does the Papist abroad persecute? Does he force another man’s conscience? So does the Papist at home, as far as he can; for all he calls himself a Protestant. Will the man in Italy tolerate no opinion but his own? No more, if he could help it, would the man in England. Would you? Don’t you think the government much overseen, in bearing with any but those of the church? Don’t you wish, they would put down such and such people? You know what you would do, if you was in their place.—And by the very same spirit you would continue the inquisition at Rome, and rekindle the fires in Smithfield.
12. It is because our nation is over-run with such Protestants, who are full of their own good-deservings, as well as of abominable idolatry, and of blind, fiery zeal of the whole spirit of persecution; that the sword of God, the great, the just, the jealous God, is even now drawn in our land: that the armies of the aliens are hovering over it, as a vulture over his prey; and that the open Papists are on the very point of swallowing up the pretended Protestants.¹
13. Do you desire to escape the scourge of God? Then I entreat you, first, Be a real Protestant. By the Spirit of God assisting you (for without him you know you can do nothing) cast away all that trust in your own righteousness, all hope of being saved by your own works. Own, your merit is everlasting damnation; that you deserve the damnation of hell. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. Lie in the dust. Let your mouth be stopt. And let all your confidence be in the blood of sprinkling; all your hope in Jesus Christ the righteous; all your faith in him that justifieth the ungodly, thro’ the redemption that is in Jesus.
O put away your idols out of your heart. Love not the world, neither the things of the world. Having food to eat and raiment to put on, be content: desire nothing more but God. To-day, hear his voice, who continually cries, My son, give me thy heart. Give yourself to him, who gave himself for you. May you love God, as he has loved us! Let him be your desire, your delight, your joy, your portion, in time and in eternity.
And if you love God, you will love your brother also: you will be ready to lay down your life for his sake: so far from any desire to take away his life, or hurt a hair of his head. You will then leave his conscience uncontrolled; you will no more think of forcing him into your own opinions, as neither can he force you, to judge by his conscience. But each shall give an account of himself to God.
14. It is true, if his conscience be misinformed, you should endeavour to inform him better. But whatever you do, let it be done in charity, in love and meekness of wisdom. Be zealous for God: but remember, that the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God: that angry zeal, though opposing sin, is the servant of sin; that true zeal is only the flame of love. Let this be your truly Protestant zeal: while you abhor every kind and degree of persecution, let your heart burn with love to all mankind, to friends and enemies, neighbours and strangers; to Christians, Heathens, Jews, Turks, Papists, Heretics; to every soul which God hath made. Let this your light shine before men, that they may glorify your Father which is in heaven.
HYMNS.
HYMN I.
1.WHERE have I been so long
Fast bound in sin and night,
Mix’d with the blind self righteous throng
Who hate the sons of light?
2. O how shall I presume,
Jesus, to call on thee,
Sunk in the lowest dregs of Rome,
The worst idolatry!
3. A stranger to thy grace,
Long have I labour’d, Lord,
To ’stablish my own righteousness,
And been what I abhor’d.
4. Foe to the Popish boast
No merit was in me!
Yet in my works I put my trust,
And not alone in thee.
5. For works that I had wrought
I look’d to be forgiven,
And by my virtuous tempers thought
At last to purchase heaven.
6. Or if I needed still
The help of grace divine,
Thy merits should come in to fill
The small defects of mine.
7. Alas! I knew not then
Thou only didst atone
For all the sinful sons of men,
And purge our guilt alone.
8. Didst shed thy blood to pay
The all-sufficient price,
And take the world’s offence away
By thy great sacrifice.
9. But O! my dying God,
By thee convinced at last,
My soul on that atoning blood,
On that alone I cast.
10. I dare no longer trust
On ought I do, or feel,
But own, while humbled in the dust,
My whole desert is hell.
11. My works of righteousness
I cast them all away;
Me, Lord, thou frankly must release,
For I have nought to pay:
12. Not one good word or thought
I to thy merits join,
But gladly take the gift unbought
Of righteousness divine.
13. My faith is all in thee,
My only hope thou art,
The pardon thou hast bought for me,
Engrave it on my heart:
14. The blood by faith applied
O let it now take place,
And speak me freely justified,
And fully sav’d by grace.
HYMN II.
1. FORGIVE me, O thou jealous God,
A wretch, who on thy laws have trod,
And robb’d thee of thy right,
A sinner to myself unknown,
’Gainst thee I have transgress’d and done,
This evil in thy sight.
2. My body I disdain’d to incline
Or worship at an idol’s shrine
With gross idolatry:
But Oh! my soul hath baser prov’d,
Honour’d, and fear’d, and serv’d, and lov’d
The creature more than thee.
3. Let the blind sons of Rome bow down
To images of wood and stone;
But I with subtler art,
Safe from the letter of thy word,
My idols secretly ador’d,
Set up within my heart.
4. But Oh! suffice the season past:
My idols now away I cast,
Pleasure, and wealth and fame,
The world, and all its goods I leave,
To thee alone resolv’d to give
Whate’er I have or am.
5. Lo! in a thankful, loving heart
I render thee whate’er thou art,
I give myself to thee;
And thee my whole delight I own,
My joy, my glory, and my crown
To all eternity.
HYMN III.
1.O THOU who seest what is in man,
And shew’st myself to me,
Suffer a sinner to complain
And groan his griefs to thee.
2. A sinner, that has cloak’d his shame
With self-deceiving art,
Thy worshipper reform’d in name,
But unrenew’d in heart.
3. The servants most unlike their Lord,
How oft did I condemn;
The persecuting church abhorr’d,
Nor saw myself in them!
4. The ♦spirit of my foes I caught,
The angry bitter zeal,
And fierce for my own party fought,
And breath’d the fire of hell
5. Threatning I did and slaughter breathe,
(The flail of heresy)
And doom the sects to bonds, or death,
That did not think with me.
6. To propagate the truth, I fought
With fury and despight,
And in my zeal for Israel fought,
To slay the Gibeonite.
7. “The temple of the Lord are we!”
And all who dared deny,
I would not have their conscience free,
But force them to comply.
8. With wholsome discipline severe
To conquer them I strove,
And drive into the pale thro’ fear,
Who would not come thro’ love.
9. How vainly then the zealots blind
Of Rome did I disclaim?
Still to the church of Satan join’d,
And differing but in name.
10. How could I, Lord, myself deceive
While unreform’d within,
Protest against their creed, and cleave
The closer to their sin?
11. Their foulest sin my own I made,
(And humbly now confess)
While by my anger I essay’d
To work thy righteousness.
12. A murtherer convict I come
My vileness to bewail,
By nature born a son of Rome,
A child of wrath and hell,
13. Lord, I at last recant, reject,
Thro’ thy great strength alone,
The madness of the Romish sect,
The madness of my own.
14. Lord, I abhor, renounce, abjure
The fiery spirit unclean,
The persecuting zeal impure,
The sin-opposing sin.
15. Let others draw with fierce despight,
Th’ eradicating sword,
And with the devil’s weapons fight
The battles of the Lord:
16. But Oh! my gracious God, to me
A better spirit impart,
The gentle mind that was in thee,
The meekly loving heart:
17. The heart whose charity o’erflows
To all, far off, and near,
True charity to friends and foes,
Impartially sincere.
18. Heathens, and Jews, and Turks, may I
And Heretics embrace,
Nor ev’n to Rome the love deny
I owe to all the race.
A WORD to a
FREEHOLDER.
WHAT are you going to do? To vote for a parliament man? I hope then you have taken no money. For doubtless you know the strictness of the oath, That you have received no “Gift or reward, directly or indirectly, nor any promise of any, on account of your vote” in the ensuing election. Surely you start at perjury! At calm, fore-thought, deliberate, wilful perjury. If you are guilty already, stop. Go no farther. ’Tis at the peril of your soul. Will you sell your country? Will you sell your own soul? Will you sell your God, your Saviour? Nay God forbid! rather cast down just now the thirty pieces of silver or gold, and say, “Sir, I will not sell heaven. Neither you, nor all the world is able to pay the purchase.”
I hope you have received nothing else, neither will receive; no entertainment, no meat, or drink. If this is given you on account of your vote, you are perjured still. How can you make oath, you have received no gift? This was a gift, if you did not buy it. What will you sell your soul to the devil for a draught of drink, or for a morsel of bread? Oh consider what you do. Act, as if the whole election depended on your single vote: And as if the whole parliament depended (and therein the whole nation) on that single person whom you now chuse to be a member of it.
But if you take nothing of any, for whom shall you vote? For the man that loves God. He must love his country, and that from a steady, invariable principle. And by his fruits you shall know him. He is careful to abstain from all appearance of evil. He is zealous of good works, as he has opportunity, doing good to all men. He uses all the ordinances of God and that both constantly and carefully. And he does this, not barely as something he must do; or what he would willingly be excused from. No; he rejoices in this his reasonable service, as a blessed privilege of the children of God.
But what if none of the candidates have these fruits? Then vote for him that loves the king: king George, whom the wise providence of God has appointed to reign over us. He ought to be highly esteemed in love, even for his office sake. A king is a lovely, sacred name. He is a minister of God unto thee for good. How much more, such a king, as has been in many respects, a blessing to his subjects. You may easily know those who love him not. For they generally glory in their shame. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities: no, not even of the ruler of their people.
Perhaps you will say, but I love my country, Therefore I am for the country-interest. I fear, you know not what you say. Are you against your king because you love your country? Who taught you to separate your king from your country? To set one against the other? Be assured, none that loves either. True lovers of their country do not talk in this senseless manner.
Is not the interest of the king of England and of the country of England, one and the same? If the king is destroyed, doth it profit the country? If the country, does it profit the king? Their interest cannot be divided. The welfare of one is the welfare of both.
Have you an objection of a different kind? Do you say, I am for the church? The church of England for ever! Therefore I vote for ——. He is a true churchman, a lover of the church. Are you sure of that? Friend, think a little. What kind of a churchman is he? A whoring churchman? A gaming churchman? A drunken churchman? A lying churchman? A cursing and swearing churchman? Or, a red-hot persecuting churchman, that would send all dissenters to the devil at a clap? For shame! for shame! Do you call a man a churchman, who knows no more of God than a Turk? Call a man a churchman, that does not even pretend to so much religion, as would serve an honest Heathen? He is a lover of the church who is a lover of God, and consequently of all mankind. Whoever else talks of loving the church is a cheat. Set a mark upon that man.
Above all, mark that man, who talks of loving the church, and does not love the king. If he does not love the king, he cannot love God. And if he does not love God, he cannot love the church. He loves the church and the king just alike. For indeed he loves neither one nor the other.
Oh beware, you who truly love the church, and therefore he cannot but love the king: beware of dividing the king and the church, any more than the king and country. Let others do as they will, what is that to you? Act you as an honest man, a loyal subject, a true Englishman, a lover of the country, a lover of the church; in one word, a Christian! One that fears nothing but sin, that seeks nothing but heaven, and that desires nothing but God. Nothing but glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men!
ADVICE to a
SOLDIER.
1.ARE you to die? Must you leave this world, and carry nothing of it away with you? Naked as you came out of your mother’s womb, naked shall you return. And are you never to come back into this world? Have you no more place under the sun? When you leave these houses and fields, this flesh and blood, do you part with them for ever? Are you sure of this? Must all men die? Can none at all escape death? Do rich men likewise die, and leave their riches for others? Do princes also fall and die like one of their people? Can you then escape it? You do not think so. You know death is as sure as if you felt it already: as if you was now gasping for life, sweating and trembling in those last pangs, till the soul started off from the quivering lips, into the boundless ocean of eternity.
2. And are you to be judged? How is this to be? Why, the Son of God shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him; and then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them from one another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. Behold he cometh with clouds! And every eye shall see him, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty! And I saw (wilt thou also say) a great white throne, and him that sat thereon, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and they were judged, every man according to his works. And shalt thou also be judged according to thy works? All thy works, whether they be good or evil? Yea, and for every idle word which thou shalt speak, thou shalt give an account in the day of judgment. But this is not all: the Lord, the judge searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins. He understands all thy thoughts; and for all these likewise he shall bring thee into judgment. Supposest thou it is enough to be outwardly good? What! though thy inward parts are very wickedness? And are they not? Is not thy soul fallen short of the glory (the glorious image) of God? Look into thy breast. Art thou not a fallen spirit? Dost thou not know and feel, how very far thou art gone from original righteousness? Desperately full thou art of all evil, and naked of all good? Is there not in thee, an earthly, sensual, devilish mind? A mind that is enmity against God? ’Tis plain there is. For thou dost not love God. Thou dost not delight in him. He is not the desire of thy eyes, or the joy of thy heart. Thou lovest the creature more than the Creator. Thou art a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God. O how wilt thou stand in the judgment!
3. Are you then to go to heaven or hell? It must be either to one or the other. I pray God you may not go to hell! for who can dwell with everlasting burnings? Who can bear the fierceness of that flame, without even a drop of water to cool his tongue? Yea, and that without end; for as the worm dieth not so the fire is not quenched. No, whoever is once cast into that lake of fire, shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. O eternity! eternity! Who can tell the length of eternity? I warn thee now, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, that thou come not into that place of torment!
4. But alas! Is not hell now begun in thy soul? Does thy conscience never awake? Hast thou no remorse at any time? No sense of guilt? No dread of the wrath of God? Why these (if thou art not saved from them in this life) are the worm that never dieth. And what else is thy carnal mind? Thy enmity against God? Thy foolish and hurtful lusts, thy inordinate affections? What are pride, envy, malice, revenge? Are they not vipers gnawing thy heart? May they not well be called, the dogs of hell? Canst thou be out of hell, while these are in thy soul? While they are tearing it in pieces, and there is none to help thee? Indeed they are not fully let loose upon thee. And while thou seest the light of the sun, the things of the world that surround thee, or the pleasures of sense divert thy thoughts from them. But when thou canst eat and drink no more, when the earth, with the works thereof is burnt up, when the sun is fallen from heaven, and thou art shut up in utter darkness, what a state wilt thou be in then? Mayst thou never try! Seek thou a better habitation, a house of God eternal in the heavens.
5. There the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest. For God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain, but everlasting joy upon their heads. But this joy our ears have not yet heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man to conceive. Yet a little of it the children of God can conceive, from what they already enjoy. For the kingdom of heaven is within them. God has given them eternal life; the life which is hid with Christ in God. They have heaven upon earth; righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Their souls are renewed in the image of God. They love God. They are happy in him; and they love their neighbour (that is every man) as themselves, as their own souls. Being justified by faith, they have peace with God, yea, a peace which passeth all understanding. And they rejoice in him, knowing their sins are blotted out; that they are accepted in the beloved, and that they are going to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled, and that fadeth not away.
6. Will you reply to all this, “But I am a soldier, and have therefore nothing to do with these things?” Hold! Have soldiers nothing to do with death? How so? Do soldiers never die? can you fright death away? No, my friend; he will not regard all your big words and looks; nor all the weapons of your warfare. You can neither conquer, nor escape him. Your profession may excuse you from many other things; but there is no excusing yourself from death. Are you less sure of this than other men are? No; there is one lot for all. Are you farther from it than they? Nay, rather nearer. You live in the very jaws of death. Why then a soldier (if there be any difference) has more to do with death than other men. It is not far from every one of us: but, to him, it is just at the door.
7. Or, do you fancy a soldier has nothing to do with judgment? Will you say then (as poor Captain Uratz did, when he was ask’d a few minutes before his death, if he had made his peace with God) “I hope God will deal with me like a gentleman?” But God said unto him, “Thou fool! I will deal with thee, as with all mankind. There is no respect of persons with me. I reward every man according to his works.” Thou also shalt receive of the righteous judge, according to the things which thou hast done in the body. Death levels all; it mingles in one dust the gentleman, soldier, clown and beggar; it makes all these distinctions void. When life ends so do they. Holy or unholy is the one question then. Lo! the books are opened, that all the dead may be judged according to the things that are written therein! O may thy name be found written in the book of life!
8. For, have soldiers nothing to do with hell? Why then is it so often in thy mouth? Dost thou think God does not hear the prayer? And how often hast thou prayed him, To damn thy soul? Is his ear waxed heavy that it cannot hear? I fear thou wilt find it otherwise. Was not he a soldier too, (and a terrible one) to whom God said of old, “Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming?” And what marvel? For sin is the high road to hell. And have soldiers nothing to do with sin? Alas! How many of you wallow therein, yea and glory in your shame? How do you labour to work out your own damnation! O poor work, for poor wages! The wages of sin is death; the wages of cursing, of swearing, of taking the name of God in vain, of sabbath-breaking, drunkenness, revenge, of fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness. Now, art thou clear of these? Does not thy own heart smite thee? Art thou not condemned already? What voice is that which sounds in thine ears? Is it not the voice of God? Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a sinner as this? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Be very sure that thou art stronger than he, before thou fliest in his face! Do not defy God, unless thou canst overcome him. But canst thou indeed? O no. Do not try. Do not dare him to do his worst. Why should he destroy both thy body and soul in hell? Why shouldst thou be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power?
*9. But if there were no other hell, thou hast hell enough within thee. An awakened conscience is hell. Pride, envy, wrath, hatred, malice, revenge; what are these but hell upon earth? And how often art thou tormented in these flames? Flames of lust, envy, or proud wrath? Are not these to thy soul, when blown up to the height, as it were a lake of fire, burning with brimstone? Flee away before the great gulph is fixt: escape, escape for thy life! If thou hast not strength, cry to God, and thou shalt receive power from on high: and he whose name is rightly called Jesus, shall save thee from thy sins.
10. And why should he not? Has a soldier nothing to do with heaven? God forbid that you should think so! Heaven was designed for you also. God so loved your soul, that he gave his only begotten Son, that you, believing in him, might not perish, but have everlasting life. Receive then the kingdom, prepared for you from the foundation of the world! This, this is the time to make it sure; this short, uncertain day of life. Have you then an hour to spare? No; not a moment. Arise, and call upon thy God. Call upon the Lamb who taketh away the sins of the world, to take away thy sins. Surely he hath borne thy griefs, and carried thy sorrows! He was wounded for thy transgressions, and bruised for thy iniquities. He hath paid the ransom for thy soul. Believe in him, and thou shalt be saved. Art thou a sinner? He came, not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Art thou a lost, undone sinner? He came to seek and to save that which was lost. May he that gave himself for thee, give thee ears to hear, and a heart to understand his love! So shalt thou also say, “The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God.” So shall the love of God be shed abroad in thy heart, and thou shalt rejoice with joy unspeakable. Thou shalt have the mind that was in Christ, and shalt so walk as he also walked; till having fought the good fight, and finished thy course, thou receive the crown that fadeth not away!
The End of the Ninth Volume.