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Show 3io 166S. ~- .}oho. J6. 2· Ti·t.-2. 4· I"I,12,J.;.; No c R 0 s s; No c R.O w.N. Voi.. l . §. XVI. And as this unwarrantable Pride fer. rhc:m fidl at work, to per. verr the Spirituality of th:e CbrifliaR Cult, makmg tt rat~er to refemblc. the Shadowy Religion of rhe.Jew.r, and.the Gawdy ~o~fhtp of.the _Egyprz~n.r; than the g1eat Plaionefs and Si!llplicny of. the Cbri}llan lnfluutzon, wh1cb iS neither ro refemhle th11t of the Mount am, nor the other of ]erufakJR; fo has the fJme Pride and Arrogancy fpur'd them on, by all im:~ginable CnJe/t ies to maintain rh,is great Diana of ~heirs. No med. Supphc:rtions ilor bumhie Remo.nftrancCs of thofe that ~e.pt tlofe t~ primi~ive Purity i~ Wor(hip and DoEtrine, could prevail with rhefe Nomm~i.Chriflum.r, todif.. -penfe with the Jmpofition of their Un·ilpoflo(u.al Tradmons.. Bu~ as th_e Miniftersand Bilhops ofthefe degenerate Chnlhans, left. thelf patnful V1~ fitation and Care over thrift's Flock, and grew JJ.mblltatn, Coveto11:1 and LJtxyrio11:~, refembling rather Wpr!dly Pounrarer, than the Humble·~_piri~ ted >nd Mortifi<d Followers of the Blelfed Jifra; fo >lmoft every Hi!tory reUs us, with wltat Pride and Cruelty, Blood and Buubery, and that with unufual and exquifit Tormrer, they havC" perfecuted the holy Members of Chrift, out of the World; iJ.nd that upon fuch AnathemiZI, that, as fur' as they could, th~y have difappointed theil} of the B!effinlr of.lieaven too, 1hefe,. true Chriflianr call Martyrs, but the Clergy like the perfecuci.ng ]ewr have !tiled them Blajphemm a~d Herttic&s' In which they have fulfilled the Prophecy of our Lord Jefus Chrill; who did not fay, that they lbould rh.ink, they do tlte Gods good Service to kill the Chri(Uans, his dear Followers (which might refer to the PeFfecutionsof the Idolatrous Genrilts} but that !hey jho11/d tbin.k tbq do God good SerVice to kilJ them: Which thews, that they fhould be fu·oh, as profeifedly owned the true God, as the Apofiate Chr1fi:ians have all along pretended to do. So that they mufi: De thofe \Voives, that rhe ApolHe foretold, jhould arije o111 ofrhemfelves, and u:orry the Flock of Chri1t, after the great falling away fhopld commence, r'hat was foretold by him, and made neceffary, in , Order to the· proving. oftllc Faithful, and rhe Rev.ebtion of the great Myftery oflni~ quity. . 1 fhall conclude this Hea-d whh this Afi'ertion, That it is too tmdmiahlt "Trutb, where the C!ergj hm hetn mo.ft in Power and Authorit-y, and bas bpd rbe greatefl Influence upon Princes and States, therebm been moflConfu .. .fionB, VV rangfes, Blood·fhed, Sequeftr:Hions, lmprifontnents and Exiles : To the Julli!ying of which, I call the Tefiimony of the Recordrof all Times. How it' is in O}.!t Ag.e, I leave w the Experience of the Living: Yet there is one Demonfirauon that can·hardly fail us: The People are not conver--ted but debauchedj to a Degree, that Time will not allow us an •Example. The Worf!J~p of Chrifiendpm is Vifible, Ceremonious and Gawdy, The ~/ergya:mbtttou~ of worldly Preferments, under the Pretence of Spiritual Promotioiu; maKing the :E:utllly Revenues of Church·Men, much the Reafan o~ their F11nflion; being· aim oft ever fure, to lene the prefent fmaller I~Cumbe~;e, to. fqll_ic.ir- aod. obta-in Benefices of larger Title, and lttcome. So tha_rwtth the1r "Pnde and Av~rice, which good old Peter forefaw, would te ~hpr Snares, t~ey have drawn· after them, Ignorar.ce, Mifery, and Ir-: n·bgwn upon Chnftendorn. §. XVII. The Way of Recovery from this mife1able Defeaton, is to c,~me to afavzng ~ow/edge a/Religion' ; th~t is, an Experience of tbe Di· vzne f!'ork of God tn !be Soul; To.obtain which, be dilig_cnt to obey the ({race that appears In thy own Soul, 0 Mpn! that hnngs Salvation, It turns rhee ~\it of th~ Broad Way, into the Narrow Way; fr9m thy Lufts, to thy Dury, from S1n to Holinefs, from SJtan to God. Thou mufi fcc andebh{>r Self, .Jhou muftWatch, apd thou mult Pray, and rhou muft yaft : Thou m~~ ~at look a~ thy Tempt~r, but at thy Preferver, avoid 1ll ~ompany, r~nre to thy Soh tudes, and be a chafl: ~Hgrim in this Evil 'Vorld: And thus t4ou wilt anive at the Knowledge of God and Cbrift, !1flt ,br!JI.gs Erernal Li.fe to t~e _Sou~: A ,well grounded .AjJ11rance from w~att a 'C"an/eelr and llnows <Mbm h•mf<tf: Such lball not be moved with ev!l !dingS. CHAP. VoL. I. No CROSS,~ CROW!J. §. I. BU T let us fee the next moft cpmmon, Eminent, and Mifchie.· vous EffeU of this Evil. Pride does extreamly crave Power, than which, not one Thing has proved more Troublefom and defiruEtive to Mankind. I need not labour tny fclf much in £"vidence of this, fince moQ: <If the Wars of Na~ions, Depopulation of Kingdoms, R11in of Cities, with the Slavery and Mifery that have followed, both our own .. Experience and Unqueftionable Hiitories acguaint us to have been the Ejfcfl of Ambition, whicR is the Lufl oj" Pride ajter Por.cer. . §. II. How fpecious foever mi&ht be the Pretences of Korab, Dathnn and .Abiram againfi Mofes, 'twas thexr Emulation of his mig1uy Power it;~ _the Camp of Ifrael, thlt put them upon Confpiracies and Mutinies. They long'd for his Authority, and their not having it, was his Crime: For they had a Mind to be the Heads and Leaders of the People. The Confequence of which, was a tcmark:tble DefiruCHon to themiclves, and all their unhap-grt 166S. ~ Chap.VIIL PY Accomplices. · §. llf. ilbfalom too was for the Peo~le's Rights, againft the Tyranny~ • Sam. •Si his Father and his Kins-; at leaft, with this Pretence, he pctlliated his Am~ • bition: But his Rebelhon fhewcd he was impatient for Power, and rhat he refolved to Saciifice his Duty, as a Son and Subjeft, to the Importunities of his Reftlefs Pride, which brought a rniferable Death to himfelf, aod an extraordinary Slaughter upon his Army. §, IV. J\ebucbad!Jczzllr is a lively lnftance of the exceffive Luft of Pride for Power. His Succeffes and Empire were too Heady for him: So much too fh9ng for his Underftand.ing, ,that he forgot he did not make hi.m,felf, or that h1s Power had a Superior. He makes an Image, and all muit Bow to Dan. 1• it, or be burnt. And When Sb,zdt·acb, M-ejbllch and Abednc_go rcfufcd to comply, Who (fays he) is 1hat God that jhaU ,deliver you out of my Hands? And notwithftanding the Convi8:ions he had upon him, at the Confbncy of thofc excellent Men, and Daniel's Interpretation of his Dreams, it was not long before the Pride of his Power had fill'd his Heart, and t~en his M?u1h, with this haughty Qpefiion, Is not tbU Great Babylon rbatl have huz!t for tbe Houf~ of the Kingdom by the Migbt of my .ff.rter, and for the Ch. 4- lO. Hono11r of my Ma;cfty? But we are told~ that while the Words were in his M?uth, .A Voice fto.m Heaven rehuk.'d the Pride of hi~ Spirit, and h.e wdl Jnven :from the Soc rely of ftlen, to Graze among _the Beaj1s of the Field. §. V. If we look into the Hillories of the World, we !hall find many lnilances to prove the Mifchief of this Lufi of Pride. I will mention a few of them for their Sakes, who have either not reJd or confidered them. Solon made ilrben~ free by his excellent Confiitution of Laws: But the Ambition of PiftflratliS began the Ruin of it before his Eyes. illexantler not. contented with his own Kip~dom, invades others, and filled with Spo1~ and Sl::iughter thofe Countnes he .fubdue.d : And it was not. ill flid of h1m, who, when .Alexander accufed h1m ofl>~tacy, to1cl him to h1s Face, Tp~t Alexander wtU the Greaufl Pirate in the World.. It was the f:urie Ambmon that made C~Jrtr turn Traytor to his Mafters, and with their own Army, put into his Hand for their Service, fubdue them to his Yoke, and ufurp the Government; which ended in the Expuljion of Freedom and Vrr~ tue tOJ.ether in that Common·Wealtb. For GoOdnefs quickly grew robe Faaion in Rome; and that Sobriety and Wifdom which ever rendred her Senators |
