Page images
PDF
EPUB

There is then no fuch thing as Chrift having reversed in part a moral precept, when he says, love your enemies, &c. for he has a reference to men being the enemies of Chriftians, only because of their Christianity. But if men are enemies to Chriftians as men, abftracted from the idea of their profeffion, they are then the enemies of mankind in general; and the overt acts of their enmity, it concerns civil fociety to take cognizance of. Nor has any Christian man the least authority to forgive a thief, or a robber, or a man that would take away his life, merely from a murtherous intention. Chrift never intended, that his difciples fhould love fuch enemies: nor would he difcourage a reasonable, just defence of civil property; or interrupt the natural course of diftributive juftice. He has not required, that any man fhould exercise a love of complacency, even upon an enemy, who is fo, upon account merely of a religious profeffion: but what he enjoins, is, a love of pity, a pious concern and compaffion for him. Yet, if an Infidel-Jew would fmite a Chriftian-Jew on the cheek, or fue him at the law, he was not to contend; because he would be fure of having no juftice done him.

An objection is made to Matthew vi. 19, 25, 26,-28 and 31. Mr. Chubb thinks, that mens thoughtfulness, care, and concern for, and their laying up of earthly, and heavenly treasures are to be fo greatly difproportionate, as that the former will appear almost as nothing, when compared with the latter. But that man's prefent condition calls for much thoughtfulness, application and diligence. that if the former be the cafe, then it gives for Chriftian morals; but if the latter be the cafe, then it gives it against Chriftian morals. Vol. I. pag. 21, 24.

H

This

This fame writer has laid down a rule, which, by his authority, we may make use of. He fays, We must diftinguifh carefully of Chrift's words, whether literally or figuratively to be understood: respecting doctrinals.-V. II. p. 287. The like caution must be taken concerning precepts. Ib. p. 289.

All the figure here, that needs explaining, is in thofe words, lay up for your felves treasures in heaven,—and take no thought.--This latter inftruction is only a comparative way of fpeaking, when a rule to Chriftians in general: q. d. do not have a firft folicitude and concern about them, a care that divides the mind;-an anxiety. But if we confider the words more accurately, perhaps, there will be no need of underftanding them figuratively; fince they are put in oppofition to the general purfuit of Gentile nations, who made prefent enjoyments the great fubject of their religious fupplications of their Deities! fee ver. 32. And as to the injunction of not laying up treafures for themselves on earth, there needs little to be faid in juftification of the precept;. forafmuch as treafures for ourfelves, having the heart with them; regarded as it's stay and confidence,' are very unfitly thofe of an earthly kind, as they are fubject to decay, and violence. And I much queftion, whether Mr. Chubb did not practife kimfelf upon the Chriftian rule: for notwithstanding his diligence and application to procure a competency of the good things of this life, they were not his treasure. At leaft, I do not think his heart was fixed on them but that he had much more pleafure in a beneficent diftribution of them, than he had in the quantity of money he had accumulated. And if he did not place his happiness in what he acquired of thefe things;, but in the friendly ufe he made of them, they

[ocr errors]

were

were not his treasure and he, in his own praetice, juftified this precept. Yet, had Mr. Chubb been one of our Lord's audience, and a disciple of his, he might have feen the great propriety of the precept moft ftrictly underflood; for to what purpose should the difciples amafs riches, when. they could have no manner of fecurity of quiet poffeffion? They would be constantly liable to feizure, and fequeftration, by edicts from the Sanhedrim. It was the cafe during our Lord's miniftry, viz. The Jews had agreed, that if any man did confefs that Jefus was the Chrift, be Should be put out of the fynagogue, John ix. 22, compared with chap, xii. 42..

2

This fingle confideration of a profcription, or excommunication, because of their owning Jefus to be the Chrift, which exposed their substance to fequeftration, would have rendered needlefs all that Mr. Chubb has faid in a note, vol. I. pag. 21, 22. against our Lord's requiring of the rich man, that if he would become a fubject of his. kingdom, he must fell all that he had, and giveit to the poor. Befles, many other reflections. might have been spared, that have been thrown out with freedom, by fome writers, upon the Chriftians at first felling their eftates, and having all things in common.

Thofe reflections made upon the apoftles, as having a fair prospect of, and a very plaufible pretence, for gathering great riches into their hands, as keepers and managers of the church's property and treafure; and the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira; vol. II. pag 107-110, are too loofe and groundlefs to need any laboured confutation.. The firft Chriftians were convinced of the pro-. priety of having all things common, in their fper cial circumftances. And their being fo, did it felf prove, that the apoftles had no opportunity

H 2

of

of amaffing riches to themfelves. St. Peter exprefsly fays, that filver and gold be bad none, tho' they had all things in common: compare Acts iii. 6. with ii. 44, 45. Yet, if a man is determined to make uncharitable reflections, on any fact recorded in hiftory, he may do it, without ground; nay, against the very letter of it. And no writer can be fecure from defamation, nor any character from the vileft afperfions.

But one would not have expected, that a man, who pleads for integrity, fhould find fault with a miracle wrought to detect infincerity, as was the case of that on Ananias and Sapphira, whofe crime lay, in attempting to impofe on the charifmata, or the holy fpirit, that fo apparently had furnished the apostles with power, and an extraordinary difcernment of fpirits. Befides, there was no compulfion, but what they brought, was of their own choice. And they might have declared, that it was but a part of their fubftance, with the utmost safety. Whereas the declaration which they made, was falfe: and the judgment upon them, was an example of the abhorrence, which the Chriftian religion has of lying.

One great reafon of the growth of infidelity, is, that men do not honeftly attend to the circumstances of the people and times, in which the New Teftament hiftories were written: which circumftances are related in thofe hiftories, as a key to their fenfe and meaning. E. gr. the effufion of the spirit at Pentecoft, and the miraculous death of Ananias and Sapphira, would spread an awe and dread on the Jewish nation; and will account for the liberty which the Chriftians had in Judea, of difpofing of their poffeffions; tho' the government was ill-disposed towards them.

Refpect

1

Refpecting these precepts, under confideration, they exprefs great wifdom and goodness; fince they lead men to confider themselves as defigned for more fubftantial enjoyments, than what are perishing. And they enable a man, in the way of his duty, ufing his talents with an honeft diligence, to depend on the compaffionate care of his heavenly Father; who best knows, what degree of affluence or prosperity in this world will conduce moft to his virtue and happinefs.

And how many are the inftances of wretchedness, and infelicity, from men's not acting upon thefe generous, fubftantial, pious principles? What inftances fhould we have of chagrine, difquietude, melancholly, and self-murder, if men had a just sense, and due veneration of these precepts!

cenfured,

A cenfure has been paffed upon Luke xiv. 12, Sec. VII. 13. This, be fays, requires Chriftians to deny Luke xiv. themselves of that pleasure and fatisfaction which 12, 13. arifeth from entertaining and being entertained by as forbidfriends, relations, and neighbours, and thofe of ding our own rank, and which perhaps is one of the friendly principal enjoyments of life; and to confine them- entertainfelves to the poor, the lame, the maimed and the blind; that is, to the neceffitous only. Vol. I. P. 24, 25.

Had the inftruction been carefully examined, it would have conveyed no fuch idea. But our Lord would have been confidered as at the table of one of the chief Pharifees; probably, a member of the Sanhedrim: in whom Chrift discovered a pharifaical oftentation in his entertainments. He would have it esteemed an evidence of his piety, an inftance of a charitable, beneficent conduct. For it is manifeft that the Pharifee looked upon his generous entertainment as meritorious; or as what

ments.

« PreviousContinue »