the Study of Philosophy, which he had so much accustomed himself to, and live. Other Philosophers also chose rather (a) to go to the Plough, than give up those Notions which they believed to be true, and had undertaken to defend. And there have been such valiant Men among the Heathens, who by their good Lives severely reproached the Age they lived in; and thought it much more preferable to die, than to flatter Tyrants, and thereby forsake the true Way of Life; of which were (b) Thraseus Pætus and (c) Helvidius Priscus, who chose to die rather than to dissemble or approve of the Vices and wicked Actions of the Roman Emperors. Now if this was done by Men who had but faint Hopes of another and more happy Life hereafter; how much more are they obliged to do it, who have so much plainer and more certain Hope of an eternal Happiness afforded them! ALL Ages have seen and commended such as have, with an intrepid Mind, submitted to Death for the Sake of their earthly Country. Now after this, who is it but must applaud all those who pre (a) To go to the Plough, &c.] See Galen in that Book, where he says, "That the Passions and Affections of the Mind depend upon the Constitution of the Body." In the last Chapter, towards the End, where speaking of the Stoics, They were fully persuaded, that they ought to forsake their Country rather than their Opinions.' 66 (b) Thraseus Pætus, &c.] Who was put to Death by Nero, because he would not flatter him. See Tacitus's Annals, Book XVI. 24, and following Sections. (c) Helvidius Priscus, &c.] The Son-in-Law of Thrascus, who, as Tacitus there tells us, was commanded to depart out of Italy at the same Time. He was afterwards slain by Vespasian, because he would not pay sufficient Reverence to his new Master, as Suetonius Informs us in the XVth Chapter of the Life of that Emperor. His Son was slain by Domitian. See Suctonius's Life of him, and Tacitus in the Life of Agricola, Chapter XLV, · fer a heavenly Country to an earthly one; and that eternal Life which the Scriptures have revealed to us, to a temporal one? Who can forbear despising those mean Creatures that choose to preserve such a Life as they have in common with brute Beasts, and which they must lose in a short Time; rather than to take the first Opportunity of obtaining a Life that can never be lost? We see Soldiers with great Bravery face the most imminent Dangers, in order to obtain the Favour of Kings or Princes to themselves, or their Families after them; and rejoice within themselves that they got such Wounds as they must in a very short Time die of. Nay, even hired Troops themselves will fight very valiantly, and venture their Lives for those who employ them, though it be but for very small Wages; and yet there are some who will not expose themselves to any Hazard, I do not say of their Lives, but of the Loss of their Goods, or of their uncertain Dignities, for the Defence of Truth, which will last to Eternity, is most acceptable to God, and has the highest Reward annexed to it. THEREFORE, what Christ has commanded us in this Respect, is in the following Words: (a) Whosoever shall confess me before Men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven; but whosoever shall deny me before Men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven. In which Words he tells us, that he will own all those for his Disciples, and will give them eternal Life at the Day of Judgment, who have not dissembled his Doctrine, either in their Deeds or Words. He does, indeed, in another Place, declare, that this ought to be done with Prudence; when he says, (b) That we should not cast Pearls before Swine. But (a) Whosoever shall confess, &c.] Matt. x. 32. (b) That we should not cast, &c.] Matt. viii. 6. this Prudence does not extend so far as to allow us to play the Hypocrite all our Lives long, if Need be, or so much as to tell a direct Lye; but only not to try at an improper Time and Place, to convince such Persons as obstinately persist in their Errors, when we see it will have no Effect upon them. For he expressly declares a little after the forementioned Words concerning confessing our Religion; and sometimes it ought to be done, though it brings upon us the Hatred of all those about us, and the imminent Danger of certain Death: (a) He that loveth Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth. Son or Daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And such are all they who dissemble the Doctrines and Precepts which they have received from Christ, for their Families' Sake. Nor has Christ omitted to tell us, that Death must be expected for such Constancy; and yet notwithstanding, they ought to persist in their Design; and that he who does lose his Life upon this Account, shall obtain a blessed Immortality in the World to -come, (b) And he that taketh not his Cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his Life (in this World) shall lose it (in another) and he that loseth his Life (on Earth) for my Sake, shall find it, in Heaven, and an infinitely more happy and eternal one. THIS Doctrine is so plain and evident, that there are no Sects of Christians at this Time that differ at all about it; they who own the Pope's Authority, and they of all Sorts, who disown such Authority; do every one of them, with one Consent, affirm it to be a very wicked Thing to dissemble our Sentiments concerning Religion; when Opi (a) He that loveth Father, &c.] Matt. x. 37. nions of the greatest Moment are debated, and where the Thing may be done without Sedition and Tumult. For in those Things, in which Faith towards God and Uncorruptness of Manners may be preserved, it may be right to conceal our Notions, rather than raise perpetual Contentions amongst Christians, when there are so few learned Men who think alike in every Thing. I say conceal, not dissemble; for to conceal your Opinion is not to lye; but to affirm you believe that which you really do not believe, this is to lye. To which may be added, that if any Opinion be established by the common Law, which you think to be false: you ought modestly and without Contention or Tumult, to declare your Dissent from it; otherwise, instead of that mild and gentle Government of Christian Churches, which does not exclude any Dissent, provided it be done with Charity; we shall run into absolute Tyranny, which will allow of no Dissent at all upon any Account. There are innumerable obscure speculative Questions, especially to those who never took any great Pains in such Sort of Studies, in which Christian Liberty ought to be allowed, as is confessed by all Christians, for there are a Multitude of Places in Scripture, and a vast Number of Theological Opinions, in which learned Men always have, and will differ from each other with Impunity, even amongst those, who in other Things require Consent more strictly than they ought to do. SECT. SECT. IV. We ought not hastily to condemn those who differ from us, as if they were guilty of such a Crime or such unlawful Worship, as is inconsistent with eternal Life; so that none who admit such Persons, should be capable of the Mercy of God; nor yet, on the other Hand, is it lawful, for us to profess that we believe what we do not really believe; or to do what at the same Time we condemn. THEY who have separated from the Church of Rome, do no more agree with each other in all Points, than they who continue in it; but according to the Judgment of some of the most learned Men, they do not differ in any Thing that is consistent with that Faith which is owing to God, and that Obedience which ought to be paid to him. But they object many Things to the Church of Rome, both in Doctrine and Worship, which they think are plainly false and unlawful. Whether they judge right in this or not, I shall not now inquire: However, thus much is evident, that according to the Opinion even of that Church, it is not lawful for them to profess that they approve of what they do not approve of, nor do they admit any Persons to Communion with them, who profess to dissent from it in such Things. However, amongst those that dissent from the Church of Rome, there are (a) some famous and learned Men, who though they think it utterly unlawful to join with that Church themselves, on the Account of those Doctrines, and that Worship in which they differ from it; yet notwithstanding (a) Some famous and learned Men, &c.] Amongst others, is Mr. William Chillingworth, in his English Book intitled, The Religion of Protestants, the safe Way to Salvation, where he mentions others, who also think them as safe. they |