Sun. 14. I preached in the morning at St. Ann St. Ann
So true did I find the words of a friend, wrote to my brother about this time:
I have seen upon this occasion, more than
ever I could have imagined, how intolerable the doctrine of faith is to the
mind of man, and how peculiarly intolerable to religious men. One may say the
most unchristian things, even down to Deism; the most enthusiastic things, so
they proceed but upon mental raptures, lights, and unions; the most severe
things, even the whole rigour of ascetic mortification: all this will be
forgiven. But if you speak of faith in such a manner as makes Christ a Saviour
to the utmost, a most universal help and refuge; in such a manner as takes away
glorying, but adds happiness to wretched man; as discovers a greater pollution
in the best of us than we could before acknowledge, but brings a greater
deliverance from it than we could before expect: if anyone offers to talk at
this rate, he shall be heard with the same abhorrence as if he was going to rob
mankind of their salvation, their Mediator, or their hopes of forgiveness. I am
persuaded that a Montanist or a Novatian, who from the height of his purity
should look down with contempt upon poor sinners, and exclude them from all
mercy, would not be thought such an overthrower of the gospel as he who should
learn from the Author of it to be a friend of publicans and sinners, and to sit
down upon the level with them as soon as they begin to repent.
But this is not to be wondered at. For all
religious people have such a quantity of righteousness, acquired by much
painful exercise, and formed at last into current habits; which is their
wealth, both for this world and the next. Now all other schemes of religion are
either so complaisant as to tell them they are very rich, and have enough to
triumph in; or else only a little rough, but friendly in the main, by telling
them their riches are not yet sufficient, but by such arts of self-denial and
mental refinement they may enlarge the stock. But the doctrine of faith is a
downright robber. It takes away all this wealth, and only tells us it is deposited
for us with somebody else, upon whose bounty we must live like mere beggars.
Indeed they that are truly beggars, vile and filthy sinners till very lately,
may stoop to live in the dependent condition: it suits them well enough. But
they who have long distinguished themselves from the herd of vicious wretches,
or have even gone beyond moral men; for them to be told that they are either
not so well, or but the same needy, impotent, insignificant vessels of mercy
with the others: this is more shocking to reason than transubstantiation. For
reason had rather resign its pretensions to judge what is bread or flesh than
have this honour wrested from it, to be the architect of virtue and
righteousness. But where am I running? My design was only to give you warning
that, wherever you go, ‘this foolishness of preaching’ will alienate hearts
from you, and open mouths against you.
