The very first thing we may observe in these words, is that here is no enquiry concerning Jehonadab’s opinions. And yet ’tis certain, he held some which were very uncommon, indeed quite peculiar to himself: and some which had a close influence upon his practice; on which likewise he laid so great a stress, as to intail them upon his children’s children, to their latest posterity. This is evident from the account given by Jeremiah, many years after his death. I took Jaazaniah and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites—and set before them pots full of wine and cups, and said unto them, drink ye wine. But they said, we will drink no wine; for Jonadab (or Jehonadab) the son of Rechab our father (It would be less ambiguous if the words were placed thus, Jehonadab our father the son of Rechab: out of love and reverence to whom he probably desired his descendents might be called by his name) commanded us, saying, ye shall drink no wine, neither ye nor your sons for ever. Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents—and we have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us, Jer. xxxv. 3–10.
2. And yet Jehu (although it seems to have been his manner, both in things secular and religious to drive furiously) does not concern himself at all with any of these things, but lets Jehonadab abound in his own sense. And neither of them appears to have given the other the least disturbance, touching the opinions which he maintained.
3. ’Tis very possible, that many good men now also may entertain peculiar opinions: and some of them maybe as singular herein, as even Jehonadab was. And ’tis certain, so long as we know but in part, that all men will not see all things alike. It is an unavoidable consequence of the present weakness and shortness of human understanding, that several men will be of several minds, in religion as well as in common life. So it has been from the beginning of the world, and so it will be till the restitution of all things.
4. Nay farther. Altho’ every man necessarily believes, that every particular opinion which he holds is true (for, to believe any opinion is not true, is the same thing as, not to hold it:) yet can no man be assured, that all his own opinions taken together, are true. Nay, every thinking man is assured, they are not: seeing Humanum est errare et nescire. To be ignorant of many things, and to mistake in some, is the necessary condition of humanity. This therefore he is sensible is his own case. He knows in the general, that he himself is mistaken. Altho’ in what particulars he mistakes, he does not, perhaps cannot know.
5. I say, perhaps he cannot know. For who can tell how far invincible ignorance may extend? Or (that comes to the same thing) invincible prejudice: which is so fixt in tender minds, that it is afterwards impossible to tear up what has taken so deep a root. And who can say, unless he knew every circumstance attending it, how far any mistake is culpable? Seeing all guilt must suppose some concurrence of the will: of which he only can judge who searcheth the heart.
6. Every wise man therefore will allow others the same liberty of thinking, which he desires they should allow him: and will no more insist on their embracing his opinions, than he would have them to insist on his embracing theirs. He bears with those who differ from him, and only asks him, with whom he desires to unite in love, that single question, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?
7. We may, secondly, observe, That here is no enquiry made, concerning Jehonadab’s mode of worship: altho’ it is highly probably, there was in this respect also, a very wide difference between them. For we may well believe Jehonadab as well as all his posterity, worshipped God at Jerusalem: whereas Jehu did not; he had more regard to state-policy than religion. And therefore altho’ he slew the worshippers of Baal, and destroyed Baal out of Israel: yet from the convenient sin of Jeroboam, the worship of the golden calves, he departed not, 2 Kings x. 29.
8. But even among men of an upright heart, men who desire to have a conscience void of offence, it must needs be, that as long as there are various opinions, there will be various ways of worshipping God: seeing a variety of opinion necessarily implies a variety of practice. And as in all ages, men have differed in nothing more than in their opinions concerning the supreme Being, so in nothing have they more differed from each other, than in the manner of worshipping him. Had this been only in the Heathen world, it would not have been at all surprising. For we know these by their wisdom knew not God; nor therefore could they know how to worship him. But is it not strange, That even in the Christian world, altho’ they all agree in the general, God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth: yet the particular modes of worshipping God, are almost as various as among the Heathens?
9. And how shall we chuse, among so much variety? No man can chuse for, or prescribe to another. But every one must follow the dictates of his own conscience, in simplicity and godly sincerity. He must be fully persuaded in his own mind, and then act according to the best light he has. Nor has any creature power to constrain another to walk by his own rule. God has given no right to any of the children of men, thus to lord it over the conscience of his brethren. But every man must judge for himself, as every man must give an account of himself to God.
10. Altho’ therefore every follower of Christ is obliged by the very nature of the Christian institution, to be a member of some particular congregation or other, some church, as it is usually termed: (which implies a particular manner of worshipping God;) for two cannot walk together unless they be agreed; yet none can be obliged by any power on earth, but that of his own conscience, to prefer this or that congregation to another, this or that particular manner of worship. I know it is commonly supposed, That the place of our birth, fixes the church to which we ought to belong: that one, for instance, who is born in England ought to be a member of that which is stiled The Church of England, and consequently to worship God in the particular manner which is prescribed by that church. I was once a zealous maintainer of this: but I find many reasons to abate of this zeal. I fear, it is attended with such difficulties, that as no reasonable man can get over. Not the least of which is, that if this rule had took place, there could have been no reformation from Popery: seeing it intirely destroys the right of private judgment, on which that whole reformation stands.