William Law · 12 of 44

An Address to the Clergy · Part 8

tendom, as Towns and Villages?—But to pass these by, I shall only instance in two or three Particulars, which though little observed, and less condemned, yet fully show that the Beast, the Whore, and the fiery Dragon, are in Possession of Protestant as well as Popish Churches.

And First, can it be said that Mammon is less served by Christians, than by Jews and Infidels? Or can there be a fuller Proof that Christians, Jews, and Infidels, are equally fallen from God and all Divine Worship, since Truth itself has told us, that we cannot serve God and Mammon? Is not this as unalterable a Truth, and of as great Moment, as if it had been said, Ye cannot serve God and Baal? Or can it with any Truth or Sense be affirmed, that the Mammonist has more of Christ in him than the Baalist, or is more or less an Idolater for being called a Christian, a Jew, or an Infidel? Look now at all those Particulars which Christ charged upon the Jewish Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, and you will see them all acted over again in the fallen State of Christendom. And if God’s Prophets were again in the World, they would have just the same Complaints against the fallen Christian Church, as they had against the old carnal stiff-necked Jews, namely, “that of their Silver and Gold they had made themselves Idols,” Hos. viii. 4. For though figured Idols of Gold are not now worshipped either by Jews or Christians, yet Silver and Gold with that which belongs to them is the Mammon God, that sits and reigns in their Hearts. How else could there be that universal Strife through all Christendom, who should stand in the richest and highest Place, to preach up the Humility of Christ, and offer spiritual Sacrifices unto God? What God but Mammon could put into the Hearts of Christ’s Ambassadors, to make, or want to make a Gain of that Gospel, which from the Beginning to the End means nothing else but Death to Self, and Separation from every View, Temper, and Affection, that has any Connection with the Lusts of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life?—Our Blessed Lord said a Word to the Jews, that might well have made their Ears to tingle, when he told them, that they “had made his Father’s House a Den of Thieves”; because Sheep and Oxen were sold, and Money-Changers sitting in the outer Court of the Temple.—Now if you will say, that Mammon has brought forth no Profanation like this in our Christian Church, your best Proof must be this, because our Church-Sale, is not Oxen and Sheep, but holy Things, Cures of Souls, Parsonages, Vicarages, amp;c., and our Money-Changers, our Buyers, and Sellers, are chiefly consecrated Persons.

Look at Things spiritual, and Things temporal, and say if you can, that the same Arts, the same Passions, and worldly Wisdom, are not as visibly Active in the One, as in the Other.—For if Christ at leaving the World had said to his Disciples, Labour to be Rich;—Make full Provision for the Flesh;—Be conformed to the World;—Court the Favour and Interest of great Men;—Clothe yourselves with all the worldly Honours, Distinctions, and Powers you can get; I appeal to every Man, whether Popish and Protestant Churches need do any Thing else, than that which they now do, and have done for Ages, to prove their Faithfulness to such a Master, and their full Obedience to his Precepts. And now, what is all this in Truth and Reality, but the same Whore riding upon the same Beast, not here or there, but through all fallen Christendom, where God has only, in every Age, People, and Language, his seven Thousands, who have not bowed the Knee to Mammon?

Again, Secondly, “Ye have heard,” says our Lord, “that it hath been said by them of Old; thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths.”—The Jews practised promissary Oaths, and thought all was well, when there was a Performance of them.—But this, with Numbers of other Jewish Practices, was not to be allowed in this Kingdom of God, that then came into the World.—Christ totally rejects, and absolutely forbids it, saying, “I say unto you, swear not at all.” But instead of it, he appoints and absolutely demands a most perfect Simplicity of Language, to support and adorn the mutual Communication of those, whom He had created again unto Righteousness, and given Power to become Sons of God, saying, “Let your Communication be YEA, YEA, and NAY, NAY, for (N.B.) ‘Whatsoever is more than this, cometh of Evil.’”—What more could have been done by Christ to prevent the Use, or hinder the Entrance of an Oath into his Church? What then shall we say of the present Universal Christendom? For if Christ had commanded the direct contrary, had He said, Behold I give you this new Commandment, let not a simple YEA and NAY be of any Avail in all your Communication, but let Oaths be required of all that bear my Name, as a Proof that they belong to me, and Act in all their Dealings as become Saints; for whatsoever is less than this, cometh of Evil.—Had this been Christ’s new Commandment, all the Churches of Christendom, as well Popish as Protestant, and these reformed Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, might have much to boast of their Obedience to it. For through Town and Country, in all ignorant Villages, in all learned Colleges, in all Courts Spiritual and Temporal, what with Law-Oaths, Corporation-Oaths, Office-Oaths, Trade-Oaths, Qualification-Oaths, Simony-Oaths, Bribery-Oaths, Election-Oaths, amp;c., amp;c., there is more Swearing and For-swearing, than all History reports of many Idol-worshipping Nations.—It was said of old, ‘Because of Swearing, the Land mourneth’; it is full as true to say now, Because of Swearing, the Land rejoiceth in Iniquity, is full of Profaneness, and, without any Fear or Awe of the Divine Majesty, daily swallowing down all manner of Oaths, in the same good State of Mind, and with as much serious Reflection, as Pot-companions swallow down their Liquor.

‘He that despiseth me,’ says Christ, ‘despiseth not me, but him that sent me.’—Can that Church, which absolutely requires that which Christ has absolutely forbidden, be free from the most open and public Despising of Christ, which, in full contrariety to his express Word, refuses the Sufficiency of that Yea and Nay, which He has commanded to be sufficient; and what is still more wonderful, compels all Orders of Christians to swear by that very Book, which says to all, whether high or low, Prince, Priest, or People, SWEAR NOT AT ALL?

If the Swearing Law was to order, that instead of kissing the Gospel-Book, the Swearer should say, ‘In Remembrance of, and in Regard to the Words of Christ, forbidding me to swear, I make this Oath,’ who would not see the open Contempt of Christ and his Gospel? But the Contempt of both is as truly there, when the Gospel-Book is kissed by the Swearer; for the Book has nothing relating to Oaths, but those Words of Christ, which absolutely forbid the use of them.—Instead, therefore, of a SO HELP ME GOD and his HOLY GOSPEL, it might have been much better, if every Swearing Law through all Christendom had obliged every Swearer to finish his Oath with these words, Let God and his holy Gospel PARDON ME IN THIS ONE THING.

If it here be asked, Whether I would have all private Christians to beggar themselves, and lose all their Right and Title to House and Land, which by the Laws of Christendom, cannot be preserved without certain promissory Oaths? I say not so.—But my Answer is, that as the Jews were of old carried captive into Babylon, so as real a Captivity, and full as great, must happen to all private Christians, born and living under a fallen State of governing Christendom.—For whether it be a Pope, or a Nebuchadnezzar, popish, or protestant Church Governors, that make the Goods and Properties of private Christians, only possible to be possessed by Obedience to their swearing Laws, the Captivity is the same.—And as God bore with the Want of a Jerusalem Worship in those Jews, whose Captivity suffered them not to perform it, so it may well be hoped and believed, that he will bear with that Want of Gospel Purity, in the Yea and Nay of private Christians, which their Captivity under a fallen State of Christian Government suffers them not constantly to adhere to.—And also, that the Piety of private Christians, loving and longing after Gospel-Purity of Communication, under their Church-Captivity, will be as acceptable to God, as the Piety of captive Jews was, who though living under Heathen Laws, and forced to say their Prayers in Babylon, yet had always their Eyes turned towards, and their Hearts longing after Jerusalem and its holy Worship.

What I write, is not to show that Christendom’s Oaths, and the Manner of them, are not to be submitted to by any private good Christian, but to show in the plainest Manner, that the Laws of Christendom, which make them necessary, are a full Proof that the Spirit which governs all Christendom, is fallen away from the Spirit of Christ. And also to show, that if gross Impiety runs through all the Christian World, if much and much the greatest Part of Swearing Christians have lost all pious Fear of Oaths and Swearing, it is because the Necessity of Swearing meets every Man, in almost every Thing, at the Peril of losing all that he has, or can have, unless he will Swear.

When the Matter of an Oath is a manifest Lie, or an Engagement to do some wicked Thing, all is to be suffered, rather than take it.—But where there is nothing false or bad, affirmed or promised, nor any Blame chargeable, but that of going further than our Lord’s Yea and Nay, it is plain from Christ’s Words, that the Evil is only in That, and There, from whence the Oath comes.

When a Person swears of his own Accord, or wantonly, then the Oath comes of, or from the Evil of his own Heart. But when a Christian, in whose Heart the Simplicity and Purity of Gospel-Language is written and loved, when he submits to use more than a Yea or Nay, compelled by that Authority which makes the Refusal to be the Loss of Goods, and bodily Imprisonment, then such Departure from Gospel-Language comes of and from the Evil in that Power which required it, whether it be a Pope, a Kirk, a Church, an Assembly of Divines, or a Nebuchadnezzar.—All this, I say, is plain from Christ’s own Words.—‘Let your Yea be Yea, and your Nay Nay.’ But why so? It is because, whatsoever is more than this cometh of Evil, that is, is caused by Evil.—Therefore the Evil that is in the Use of an imposed Oath, is by the Words of Christ, charged upon and confined to That, which causes or forces it to be done.—For that which the Oath comes from, is that which our Saviour calls the Evil of it; but the Oath comes from that which causes it, therefore, that which causes Swearing, is by our Saviour’s Words charged with all the Evil of the Oath.—But (N.B.) all this sup posed Freedom from the Evil of an imposed Oath, in the private Christian’s Submission to the Use of it, is only then and there, where what is affirmed, or denied by the Oath, has all that Innocence, Truth, or Righteousness in it, which the true Yea or Nay of Christ might justly affirm, or deny.

But here let it be well observed, that nothing that has here been said, is intended to blame the Piety of those, who on no Account whatsoever will be prevailed upon to take any Kind of Oath, because our Lord and Master has said, “Swear not at all.” I am so far from blaming this, or looking upon it, as the Effect of a false or blind Piety, that I wish with my whole Heart, it may come to be the Piety of all the three Estates of this Kingdom; and that all swearing, whether in secular or religious Matters, may by all the Authority of the Nation be as utterly condemned, as absolutely renounced, and declared to be as Antichristian, as the Pope’s Supremacy.

In a Word, That which calls for, and requires Oaths among Christians, requires That which Christ forbids; but governing Christendom everywhere establishes, requires, and even compels Christians to swear, therefore governing Christendom is fallen from Christ, and acts by and through that Spirit, which being contrary to Christ, is and must be called ANTICHRIST.

But to proceed now to a third and last Instance, which I shall mention, of the full Power of Antichrist in and through every Part of governing Christendom.

In the darkest Ages of Romish Superstition, a Martial Spirit of Zeal and Glory for the Gospel, broke forth in Kings, Cardinals, Bishops, Monks, and Friars, to lead the Sheep of Christ, Saints, Pilgrims, Penitents, and Sinners of all Kinds, to proceed in Battle Array, to kill, devour, and drive the Turks from the Land of Palestine, and the old earthly Jerusalem. These Bloodthirsty Expeditions were called an holy War, because it was a fighting for the holy Land; they were called also a Croisade, because Crosses and Crucifixes made the greatest Glitter among the sharpened Instruments of human Murder.—Thus under the Banner of the Cross went forth an Army of Church Wolves, to destroy the Lives of those, whom the Lamb of God died on the Cross to save.

The Light which broke out at the Reformation, abhorred the bloody superstitious Zeal of these Catholic Heroes.—But (N.B.) what followed from this new risen, reforming Light, what came forth instead of these holy Croisades? Why Wars, if possible, still more diabolical.—Christian Kingdoms with bloodthirsty Piety, destroying, devouring, and burning one another, for the Sake of That which was called Popery, and That which was called Protestantism.

Now who can help seeing, that Satan, the Prince of the Powers of Darkness, had here a much greater Triumph over Christendom, than in all the holy Wars and Croisades that went before? For all that was then done, by such high-spirited Fighters for old Jerusalem's Earth, could not be said to be so much done against Gospel-Light, because not one in a Thousand of those holy Warriors were allowed to see what was in the Gospel. But now, with the Gospel opened in everyone's Hands, Papists and Protestants make open War against every Divine Virtue that belonged to Christ, or that can unite them with that Lamb of God, that taketh away the Sins of the World:—I say against every Divine, redeeming Virtue of the Lamb of God, for these are the Enemies which Christian War conquers. For there is not a Virtue of Gospel-goodness, but has its Death-blow from it.—For no Virtue has any Gospel-goodness in it any further, than as it has its Birth and Growth in and from the Spirit of Christ; where his Nature and Spirit is not, there is nothing but the Heathen to be found, which is but saying the same Truth, as when the Apostle said, that He who hath not, or is not led by the Spirit of Christ, is none of his.

Now fancy to yourself Christ, the Lamb of God, after his Divine Sermon on the Mount, putting himself at the Head of a blood-thirsty Army, or St. Paul going forth with a Squadron of Fire and Brimstone, to make more Havoc in human Lives than a devouring Earthquake.

But if this be too blasphemous an Absurdity to be supposed, what follows, but that the Christian who acts in the destroying Fury of War, acts in full Contrariety to the whole Nature and Spirit of Christ, and can no more be said to be led by his Spirit, or be one with Him, than those his Enemies who "came forth with Swords and Staves to take him."

Blinded Protestants think they have the Glory of slaughtering blind Papists; and the victorious Papist claims the Merit of having conquered Troops of Heretics: But alas! the Conquest is equally great on both Sides, both are entitled to the same Victory; and the glorious Victory on both Sides, is only that of having Gospel Goodness equally under their Feet.

When a Most Christian Majesty, with his Catholic Church, sings a Te Deum at the high Altar, for Rivers of Protestant Blood poured out; or an Evangelic Church sings Praise and Glory to the Lamb of God, for helping them from his holy Throne in Heaven, to make popish Towns like to Sodom and Gomorrah, they blaspheme God as much as Cain would have done, had he offered a Sacrifice of Praise to God for helping him to murder his Brother.—Let such Worshippers of God be told this, that the Field of Blood gives all its Glory to Satan, who was a Murderer from the Beginning, and will to the End of his Reign be the only Receiver of all the Glory, that can come from it.

A glorious Alexander in the heathen World is a Shame and Reproach to the human Nature, and does more Mischief to Mankind in a few Years, than all the wild Beasts, in every Wilderness upon Earth, have ever done from the Beginning of the World to this Day.—But the same Hero, making the same Ravage from Country to Country with Christian Soldiers, has more Thanks from the Devil, than twenty Pagan Alexanders would ever have had.—To make Men kill Men, is Meat and Drink to that roaring Adversary of Mankind, who goeth about seeking whom he may devour. But to make Christians kill Christians for the Sake of Christ’s Church, is his highest Triumph over the highest Mark, which Christ has set upon those whom he has purchased by his Blood.—‘This Commandment,’ says he, ‘I give unto you, that ye love one another.—By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye love one another as I have loved you.’

Can the Duelist, who had rather sheathe his Sword in the Bowels of his Brother, than stifle that which he calls an Affront, can he be said to have this Mark of his belonging to Christ? and may not he that is called his SECOND, more justly be said to be Second to none in the Love of human Murder?—Now, what is the Difference between the haughty Duelist with his provided Second, meeting his Adversary with Sword and Pistol behind a Hedge, or a House, and two Kingdoms with their high-spirited Regiments slaughtering one another in the Field of Battle? It is the Difference that is between the Murder of one Man, and the Murder of an hundred thousand.

Now imagine the Duelist fasting and confessing his Sins to God to Day, because he is engaged to fight his Brother To-morrow; fancy again the Conqueror got into his Closet, on his bended Knees, lifting up Hands and Heart to God for blessing his Weapons with the Death of his Brother; and then you have a Picture in Little of the great Piety, that begins and ends the Wars all over heavenly Christendom.

What Blindness can well be greater, than to think that a Christian Kingdom, as such, can have any other Goodness, or Union with Christ, but that very Goodness, which makes the private Christian to be one with Him, and a Partaker of the Divine Nature? Or that Pride, Wrath, Ambition, Envy, Covetousness, Rapine, Resentment, Revenge, Hatred, Mischief, and Murder, are only the Works of the Devil, whilst they are committed by private or single Men; but when carried on by all the Strength and Authority, all the Hearts, Hands, and Voices of a whole Nation, that the Devil is then quite driven out of them, loses all his Right and Power in them, and they become holy Matter of Church Thanksgivings, and the sacred Oratory of Pulpits.

Look at that which the private Christian is to do to his Neighbour, or his Enemy, and you see that very Thing, which one Christian Kingdom is to do to another. Look at that which proves a Man to be not led and governed by the Spirit of Christ, and you see that, which proves a Kingdom to be under the Dominion and Power of Satan.—Wherever Pride is, there the Devil is riding in his first fiery Chariot; and wherever Wrath is, there he has his first murdering Sword at Work.—What is it, that fallen Man wants to be redeemed from, but Pride and Wrath, Envy and Covetousness? He can have no higher Separation or Apostasy from God, no fuller Union with Satan and his Angels, than he has of the Spirit of these Tempers: They constitute that, which whether you call it SELF, or Satan in him, the Meaning is the same. Now suppose Man not fallen into this Self or Satan, and then there could be no more War or fighting in him, than there was in the WORD made Man in our Flesh. Or suppose him redeemed from his fallen Nature, by a new Birth of the Lamb of God born in his Soul; and then he can no more be hired to kill Men gloriously in the Field, than to carry a dark Lanthorn by Night to a Powder-Plot.

Love, Goodness, and Communication of Good, is the immutable Glory and Perfection of the Divine Nature, and nothing can have Union with God, but that which partakes of this Goodness.—The Love that brought forth the Existence of all Things, changes not through the Fall of its Creatures, but is continually at work, to bring back all fallen Nature and Creature to their first State of Goodness. All that passes for a Time between God and his fallen Creature, is but one and the same Thing, working for one and the same End; and though this is called Wrath, that called Punishment, Curse, and Death, it is all from the Beginning to the End, nothing but the Work of the first creating Love, and means nothing else, does nothing else, but those Works of purifying Fire, which must, and alone can burn away all that dark Evil, which separates the Creature from its first created Union with God.—God's Providence, from the Fall to the Restitution of all Things, is doing the same Thing, as when he said to the dark Chaos of fallen Nature, ‘Let there be light’; He still says, and will continue saying the same Thing, till there is no Evil of Darkness left in all that is Nature and Creature.—God creating, God illuminating, God sanctifying, God threatening and punishing, God forgiving and redeeming, is but one and the same essential, immutable, never ceasing Working of the Divine Nature. That in God which illuminates and glorifies Saints and Angels in Heaven, is that very same working of the Divine Nature, which wounds, pains, punishes, and purifies Sinners upon Earth. And (N.B.) every number of destroyed Sinners, whether thrown by Noah's flood, or Sodom's Brimstone, into the terrible Furnace of a Life, insensible of any Thing but new Forms of raging Misery till Judgment's Day, must through the all-working, all-redeeming Love of God, which never ceases, come at last to know that they had lost, and have found again such a God of Love as this.

And if long and long Ages of fiery Pain, and tormenting Darkness, fall to the Share of many, or most of God's Apostate Creatures, they will last no longer, than till the great fire of God has melted all Arrogance into Humility, and all that is SELF has died in the long Agonies and Bloody Sweat of a lost God, which is that all-saving Cross of Christ, which will never give up its redeeming Power, till Sin and Sinners have no more a Name among the Creatures of God.—And if long Ages hereafter can only do that for a Soul, departing this Life under a Load of Sins, which Days and Nights might have done for a most hardened Pharaoh, or a most wicked Nero, whilst in the Body, it is because, whilst the Soul is in the Body, it has only the Nature and State of fallen Adam, but when Flesh and Blood are taken from it, the strong apostate Nature of fallen Angels is found in it, which must have its State and Place in that Blackness of Darkness of a fiery Wrath, that burns in them and their Kingdom.

O poor Sinner, whoever thou art, repent and turn to God, whilst thou hast Adam's Flesh upon Thee; for as long as that lasts, the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand; but if thou diest without Adam's Repentance, black Lakes, bottomless Pits, Ages of a gnawing Worm, and Fire that never ceases to burn, will stand between Thee and a Kingdom of Heaven afar off.

To prevent all this, and make Thee a Child of the first Resurrection, Jesus Christ, God and Man, the only begotten Son of this infinite Love, came into the World in the Name, and under the Character of infinite Pity, boundless Compassion, inexpressible Meekness, bleeding Love, nameless Humility, never ending Patience, long suffering, and Bowels of redeeming Mercy, called the Lamb of God, who with all these supernatural Virtues taketh away the Sins of the World.

Now from this View of God's infinite Love and Mercy in Christ Jesus, willing nothing, seeking nothing through all the Regions of his Providence, but that Sinners of all Kinds, the boldest Rebels against all his Goodness, may have their proper Remedy, their necessary Means of being fully delivered from all that Hurt, Mischief, and Destruction, which in full Opposition to their God and Creator, they had brought upon themselves; from this View, I say, of God and Christ, using every Miracle of Love and Wisdom to give recovery of Life, Health, and Salvation to all that have rebelled against them, look at the murdering Monster of WAR. And what can its Name, or Nature be, but a fiery great Dragon, a full Figure of Satan broke loose, and fighting against every redeeming Virtue of the Lamb of God?

The temporal Miseries and Wrongs which War carries along with it, wherever it goes, are neither to be numbered or expressed.—What Thievery bears any Proportion to that, which with the boldness of Drum and Trumpet plunders the innocent of all that they have? And if themselves are left alive with all their Limbs, or their Daughters unravished, they have many Times only the Ashes of their consumed Houses to lie down upon.—What Honour has War not gotten from its Tens and Hundreds of Thousands of Men Slaughtered on Heaps, with as little Regret or Concern, as at Loads of Rubbish thrown into a Pit?—Who, but the fiery Dragon, would put Wreaths of Laurel on such Heroes’ Heads? Who but He could say unto them, “Well done, good and faithful Servants”?

But there is still an Evil of War much greater, though less regarded.—Who reflects, how many Hundreds of Thousands, nay Millions of young Men, born into this World for no other End, but that they may be Born again of Christ, and from Sons of Adam’s Misery become Sons of God, and fellow Heirs with Christ in everlasting Glory; who reflects, I say, what nameless Numbers of these are robbed of God’s precious Gift of Life to them, before they have known the one sole Benefit of Living; who are not suffered to stay in this World, till Age and Experience have done their best for them, have helped them to know the inward Voice and Operation of God’s Spirit, helped them to find, and feel that evil, Curse, and Sting of Sin and Death, which must be taken from within them, before they can die the Death of the Righteous; but instead of all this, have been either violently forced, or tempted in the Fire of Youth, and full strength of sinful Lusts, to forget God, Eternity, and their own Souls, and rush into a kill or be killed, with as much furious haste, and goodness of Spirit, as Tiger kills Tiger for the sake of his Prey?

That God’s Providence over his fallen Creatures is nothing else but a Providence of Love and Salvation, turning through Ways of infinite Wisdom, sooner or later, all kinds of Evil into a new Good, making that which was lost to be found, that which was dead to be alive again; not willing that one single Sinner should want That which can save him from eternal Death, is a Truth as certain, as that God’s Name is, I AM that I AM.

Among unfallen Creatures in Heaven, God’s Name and Nature is LOVE, LIGHT, and GLORY.—To the fallen Sons of Adam, that which was Love, Light, and Glory in Heaven, becomes infinite PITY and COMPASSION on Earth, in a God clothed with the Nature of his fallen Creature, bearing all its Infirmities, entering into all its Troubles, and in the meek Innocence of a Lamb of God living a Life, and dying a Death, of all the Sufferings due to Sin.—Hence it was, that when this DIVINE PITY suffered its own life-giving Blood to be poured on the Ground, all outward Nature made full Declaration of its atoning and redeeming Power; the Strength of the Earth did Quake, the Hardness of Rocks was forced to Split, and long-covered Graves to give up their Dead.—A certain Presage, that all that came by the Curse into Nature and Creature must give up its Power; that all Kinds of hellish Wrath, hardened Malice, fiery Pride, selfish Wills, tormenting Envy, and earthly Passions, which kept Men under the Power of Satan, must have their Fulness of Death, and Fulness of a new Life, from that all-powerful, all-purifying Blood of the Lamb, which will never cease washing RED into WHITE, till the Earth is washed into the Crystal Purity of that Glassy Sea, which is before the Throne of God, and all the Sons of Adam clothed in such White, as fits them for their several Mansions in their Heavenly Father’s House.