Section IV. Some Particular Errors That Have Risen From Several
Of The Preceding Causes--Censuring Others.
IN some cases perhaps they have chiefly owing to one, and in others to
another, and in others to the influence of several, or all conjunctly.
And here the first thing I would take notice of is, censuring professing
Christians of good standing in the visible church, as unconverted. I need
not repeat what I have elsewhere said to show this to be against the plain,
frequent, and strict prohibitions of the word of God. It is the worst
disease that has attended this work, most contrary to the spirit and rules
of Christianity, and of the worst consequences.--There is a most unhappy
tincture that the minds of many, both ministers and people, have received
that way. The manner of many has been, when they first enter into conversation
with any person that seems to make any pretences to religion, to fix a
judgment of him, from his manner of talking of religious things, whether
he be converted, or experimentally acquainted with vital piety, or not;
and then to treat him accordingly, and freely to express their thoughts
of him to others, especially those of whom they have a good opinion, as
true Christians, and accepted as brethren and companions in Christ. Or
if they do not declare their minds expressly, yet by their manner of speaking
of them, at least to their friends, they will show plainly what their
thoughts are. So, when they have heard any minister pray or preach, their
first work has been to observe him on a design of discerning him, whether
he be a converted man or no; whether he prays like one that feels the
saving power of God's spirit in his heart, and whether he preaches like
one that knows what he says. It has been so much the way in some places,
that many new converts do not know but it is their duty to do so, they
know no other way. And when once persons yield to such a notion, and give
in to such a humour, they will quickly grow very discerning in their own
apprehension, and think they can easily tell a hypocrite. And when once
they have passed their censure, every thing seems to confirm it; they
see more and more in the person they have censured, that seems to them
to show plainly that he is an unconverted man. And then, if the person
censured be a minister, every thing in his public performances seems dead
and sapless, and to do them no good at all, but on the contrary to be
of a deadening influence, and poisonous to the soul; yea, it seems worse
and worse to them, his preaching grows more and more intolerable. Which
is owing to a secret, strong prejudice, that steals in more and more upon
the mind, as experience plainly and certainly shows. When the Spirit of
God was wonderfully poured out in this place more than seven years ago,
and near thirty souls in a week, take one with another, for five or six
weeks together, were to appearance brought home to Christ, and all the
town seemed to be alive and full of God, there was no such notion or humour
prevailing here. When ministers preached here, as very many did at that
time, young and old, our people did not go about to discern whether they
were men of experience or not; they did not know that they must. Mr. Stoddard
never brought them up in that way; it did not seem natural to them to
go about any thing of that nature, nor did any such thing enter into their
hearts; but, when any minister preached, the business of every one was
to listen and attend to what he said, and apply it to his own heart, and
make the utmost improvement of it. And it is remarkable, that never did
there appear such a disposition in the people to relish, approve of, and
admire ministers' preaching as at that time. Such expressions as these
were frequent in the mouths of one and another, on occasion of the preaching
of strangers here, viz. That they rejoiced there were so many such eminent
ministers in the country; and they wondered they never heard the fame
of them before. They were thankful that other towns had so good means;
and the like. And scarcely ever did any minister preach here, but his
preaching did some remarkable service; as I had good opportunity to know,
because at that time I had particular acquaintance with most of the persons
in the town, in their soul-concerns. That it has been so much otherwise
of late in many places in the land is another instance of the secret and
powerful influence of custom and example. There has been an unhappy
disposition in some ministers toward their brethren in the ministry in
this respect, which has encouraged and greatly promoted such a spirit
among some of their people. A wrong improvement has been made of Christ's
scourging the buyers and sellers out of the temple. It has been expected
by some, that Christ was now about thus to purge his house of unconverted
ministers; and this has made it more natural to them to think that they
should do Christ service, and act as co-workers with him, to put to their
hand, and endeavour by all means to cashier those ministers that they
thought to be unconverted. Indeed it appears to me probable that the time
is coming when awful judgments will be executed on unfaithful ministers,
and that no sort of men in the world will be so much exposed to divine
judgments. But then we should leave that work to Christ, who is the searcher
of hearts, and to whom vengeance belongs; and not, without warrant, take
the scourge out of his hand into our own. There has been too much of a
disposition in some, as it were, to give ministers over as reprobates,
being looked upon as wolves in sheeps' clothing; which has tended to promote
and encourage a spirit of bitterness towards them, and to make it natural
to treat them too much as if they knew God hated them. If God's children
knew that others were reprobates it would not be required of them to love
them; we may hate those that we know God hates; as it is lawful to hate
the devil, and as the saints at the day of judgment will hate the wicked.
** Some have been too apt to look for fire from heaven upon particular
ministers; and this has naturally excited that disposition to call for
it, which Christ rebuked in his disciples at Samaria. For my part, though
I believe no sort of men on earth are so exposed to spiritual judgments
as wicked ministers, yet I feel no disposition to treat any minister as
if I supposed that he was finally rejected of God; for I cannot but hope
that there is coming a day of such great grace, a time so appointed for
magnifying the riches and sovereignty of divine mercy, beyond what ever
was, that a great number of unconverted ministers will obtain mercy. There
were no sort of persons in Christ's time that were so guilty, and so hardened,
and towards whom Christ manifested such great indignation, as the priests
and scribes; and there were no such persecutors of Christ and his disciples
as they. And yet in that great outpouring of the Spirit that began on
the day of Pentecost, though it began with the common people, yet in the
progress of the work, after awhile, "a great company of priests in
Jerusalem were obedient to the faith," Acts vi. 7. And Saul, one
of the most violent of all the persecuting Pharisees, became afterwards
the greatest promoter of the work of God that ever was. I hope we shall
yet see in many instances a fulfilment of that in Isa. xxix. 24. "They
also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured
shall learn doctrine." Nothing has been gained by this practice.
The end that some have aimed at in it has not been obtained, nor is ever
like to be. Possibly some have openly censured ministers, and encourage
their people's uneasiness under them, in hopes that the uneasiness would
be so general, and so great, that unconverted ministers in general would
be cast off, and then things would go on happily. But there is no likelihood
of it. The devil indeed has obtained his end; this practice has bred a
great deal of unhappiness among ministers and people, has spoiled Christians
enjoyment of Sabbaths, and made them their most uneasy, uncomfortable,
and unprofitable days, and has stirred up great contention, and set all
in a flame. In one place and another, where there was a glorious work
of God's Spirit begun, it has in a great measure knocked all on the head,
and their ministers hold their places. Some have aimed at a better end
in censuring ministers; they have supposed it to be a likely means to
awaken them. Whereas indeed no one thing has had so great a tendency to
prevent the awakening of disaffected ministers in general; and no one
thing has actually had such influence to lock up the minds of ministers
against any good effect of this great work of God in the land. I have
known instances of some who seemed to be much moved by the first appearance
of this work, but since have seemed to be greatly deadened by what has
appeared of this nature. And, if there be one or two instances of ministers
who have been awakened by it, there are ten to one on whom it has had
a contrary influence. The worst enemies of this work have been inwardly
caused by this practice; they have made a shield of it to defend their
consciences, and have been glad that it has been carried to so great a
length; at the same time that they have looked upon it, and improved it,
as a door opened for them to be more bold in opposing the work in general.
There is no such dreadful danger of natural men being undone by our forbearing
thus to censure them, and carrying it towards them as visible Christians.
It will be no bloody hell-peopling charity, as some seem to suppose, when
we only allow them to be worthy of a public charity, on their profession
and good external behaviour; any more than Judas was in danger of being
deceived, by Christ's treating him a long time as a disciple, and sending
him forth as an apostle. Christ did not then take it upon him to act as
the judge and searcher of hearts, but only as the head of the visible
church. Indeed such a charity as this may be abused by some, as every
thing is, and will be, that is in its own nature proper, and of never
so good tendency. I say nothing against dealing thoroughly with conscience,
by the most convincing and searching dispensation of the word of God.
I do not desire that sword should be sheathed, or gently handled by ministers;
but let it used as a two-edged sword, to pierce, even to the dividing
asunder soul and spirit, joints and marrow; let ministers handle it in
flaming fire, without having any more mercy on it, than the furnace has
on those metals that are tried in it. But we should let men's persons
alone; let the word of God judge them, but let us not take it upon use
till we have a warrant for it. Some have been ready to censure ministers
because they seem, in comparison of some other ministers, to be very cold
and lifeless in their ministerial performances. But then it should be
considered, that, for ought we know, God may hereafter raise up ministers
of so much more excellent and heavenly qualifications, and so much more
spiritual and divine in their performances, that there may appear as great
a difference between them, and those that are now called lively ministers
may appear to their hearers, when they compare them with others who shall
excel them, as wretchedly mean, and their performances poor, dead, dry
things; and many may be ready to be prejudiced against them, as accounting
them good for nothing, and, it may be, calling them soul-murderers. What
a poor figure may we suppose the most lively of us, and those that are
most admired by the people, make in the eyes of one of the saints of heaven,
any otherwise than as their deadness, deformity, and rottenness is hid
by the veil of Christ's righteousness! Another thing that has been
supposed to be sufficient warrant for openly censuring ministers as unconverted,
is their opposing this work of God that has lately been carried on in
the land. And there can be no doubt with me but that opposition against
this work may be such, as to render either ministers or people truly scandalous,
and expose them to public ecclesiastical censure; and that ministers hereby
may utterly defeat the design of their ministry, (as I observed before,)
and so give their people just cause of uneasiness. I should not think
that any person had power to oblige me constantly to attend the ministry
of one who did from time to time plainly pray and preach against this
work, or speak reproachfully of it frequently in his public performances,
after all Christian methods had been used for a remedy, and to no purpose.--But
to determine how far opposing this work is consistent with a state of
grace, is, as experience in their own souls may proceed, through prejudices
they have received from the errors that have been mixed with this work,
or through some peculiar disadvantages they are under to behold things
in a right view, by reason of the persons they converse with, or their
own cold and dead frames? I have seen what abundantly convinces me, that
the business is too high for me; I am glad that God has not committed
such a difficult affair to me; I can joyfully leave it wholly in his hands,
who is infinitely fit for it, without meddling at all with it myself.
We may represent it as exceeding dangerous to oppose this work, for this
we have good warrant in the word of God; but I know of no necessity we
are under to determine whether it be possible for those that are guilty
of it to be in a state of grace or no. God seems so strictly to have
forbidden our judging our brethren in the visible church, no only because
he knew that we were infinitely too weak, fallible, and blind, to be well
capacitated for it, but also because he knew that it was not a work suited
to our proud hearts; that it would be setting us vastly too high, and
making us too much of lords over our fellow creatures. Judging our brethren,
and passing a condemnatory sentence upon them, seems to carry in it an
act of authority, especially to sentence them with respect to that state
of their hearts, on which depends their liableness to eternal damnation.
This is evident by such interrogations as the following, to hear which
from God's mouth, is enough to make us shrink into nothing with shame
and confusion, under a sense of our own blindness and worthlessness, Rom.
xiv. 4. "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his
own master he standeth or falleth." And James iv. 12. "There
is one lawgiver that is able to save and to destroy; who art thou that
judgest another?" Our wise and merciful Shepherd has graciously taken
care not to lay in our way such a temptation to pride; he has cut up all
such poison out of our pasture; and therefore we should not desire to
have it restored. Blessed be his name, that he has not laid such a temptation
in the way of my pride! I know that, in order to be fit for this business,
I must not only be vastly more knowing, but more humble than I am.--Though
I believe some of God's own children have of late been very guilty in
this matter, yet, by what is said of it in the Scripture, it appears to
me very likely, that God will awfully rebuke that practice. May it in
sovereign and infinite mercy be prevented, by the deep and open humiliation
of those that have openly practised it! As this practice ought to
be avoided, so should all such open, visible marks of distinction and
separation that imply it, (as particularly, distinguishing such as we
have judged to be in a converted state with the compellations of brother
or sister,) any further than there is a visible ecclesiastical distinction.
In those places where it is the manner to receive such, and such only,
to the communion of the visible church, as recommend themselves by giving
a satisfying account of their inward experiences, there Christians may
openly distinguish such persons, in their speech and ordinary behaviour,
with a visible separation, without being inconsistent with themselves.
I do not now pretend to meddle with that controversy, whether such an
account of experience be requisite to church-fellowship. But certainly,
to admit persons to communion with us as brethren in the visible church,
and then visibly to reject them, and to make an open distinction between
them and others, by different names or appellations, is to be inconsistent
with ourselves. It is to make a visible church within a visible church,
and visibly to divide between sheep and goats, setting one on the right
hand, and the other on the left.--This bitter root of censoriousness must
be totally rooted out, as we would prepare the way of the Lord. It has
nourished and upheld many other things contrary to the humility, meekness,
and love of the gospel. The minds of many have received an unhappy turn,
with their religion; there is a certain point or sharpness, a disposition
to a kind of warmth, that does not savour of that meek, lamb-like, sweet
disposition that becomes Christians. Many have now been so long habituated
to it, that they do not know how to get out of it; but we must get out
of it; the point and sharpness must be blunted, and we must learn another
way of manifesting our zeal for God. Some have a way of reflecting
on others, and censuring them in open prayer; which, though it has a fair
show of love, is indeed the boldest way of reproaching others imaginable;
because there is implied in it an appeal to the most high God, concerning
the truth of their censures and reflections.--And some have a way of joining
a sort of imprecations with their petitions for others, though but conditional
ones, that appear to me wholly needless and improper. They pray that others
may either be converted or removed. I never heard nor read of any such
thing practised in the church of God till now, unless it be with respect
to some of the most visibly and notoriously abandoned enemies of the church
of God. This is a sort of cursing men in our prayers, adding a curse with
our blessing; whereas the rule is, Bless, and curse not. To pray that
God would kill another, is to curse him as Elisha cursed the children
who came out of Bethel. And the case must be very great and extraordinary
indeed to warrant it, unless we were prophets, and did not speak our own
words, but words indited by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit of
God. It is pleaded, that if God has no design of converting others, it
is best for them and others, that they should be immediately taken away
and sent to hell before they have contracted more guilt. To which I would
say, that so it was best for those children who met Elisha, seeing God
had no design of converting them, to die immediately, as they did; but
yet Elisha's imprecating that sudden death upon them, was cursing them;
and therefore would not have been lawful for one who did not speak in
the name of the Lord as a prophet. --And then, if we give way to such
things as these, where shall we stop? A child that suspects he has an
unconverted father and mother, may pray openly that his father and mother
may either be converted, or taken away and sent to hell now quickly, before
their guilt is greater. For unconverted parents are as likely to poison
the souls of their family in their manner of training them up, as unconverted
ministers are to poison their people. And so it might come to be a common
thing all over the country, for children to pray after this manner concerning
their parents, brethren and sisters concerning one another, husbands concerning
their wives, and wives concerning their husbands; and so for persons to
pray concerning all their unconverted friends and neighbours. And not
only so, but we may also pray concerning all those saints who are not
lively Christians, that they may either be enlivened or taken away; if
that be true which is often said by some at this day, that these cold
dead saints do more hurt than natural men, and lead more souls to hell,
and that it would be well for mankind if they were all dead. How
needless are such petitions or imprecations as these! What benefit is
there of them? Is it not sufficient for us to pray that God would provide
for his church and the good of souls, take care of his own flock, and
give it needful means and advantages for its spiritual prosperity? Does
God need to be directed by us in what way he shall do it? What need we
ask of God to do it by killing such and such persons, if he do not convert
them? Unless we delight in the thoughts of God's answering us in such
terrible ways, and with such awful manifestations of his wrath to our
fellow-creatures.--And why do not ministers direct sinners to pray for
themselves, that God would either convert them or kill them, and send
them to hell now, before their guilt is greater? In this way we should
lead persons in the next place to self-murder; for many probably would
soon begin to think, that what they may pray for, they may seek by the
use of means. Some, with whom I have discoursed about this way of
praying, have said, That the Spirit of God, as it were, forces out such
words from their mouths, when otherwise they should not dare to utter
them. But such kind of impulse does not look like the influence of the
Spirit of God. The Spirit of God indeed sometimes strongly inclines men
to utter words; not by putting expressions into the mouth, and urging
to utter them, but by filling the heart with a sense of divine things,
and holy affections, whence the mouth speaks. That other way of being
urged to use certain expressions, by an unaccountable force, is very probably
from the influence of the devil. |