9. For, first, How do you hope to be saved? “By doing thus and thus? By doing no harm, and paying every man his own, and saying your prayers, and going to church and sacrament?” Alas! alas! Now you have thrown off the mask. This is Popery barefaced. You may just as well speak plain, and say, “I trust to be saved by the merit of my own works.” But where is Christ all this time? Why, he is not to come in, till you get to the end of your prayer. And then you will say, for Jesus Christ’s sake—because so it stands in your book. O my friend, your very foundation is Popish. You seek salvation by your own works. You trample upon the blood of the covenant. And what can a poor Papist do more?
10. But let us go on. Are you clear of idolatry any more than the Papists are? It may be indeed, yours is in a different way. But how little does that signify? They set up their idols in their churches: you set up yours in your heart. Their idols are only covered with gold or silver: but yours is solid gold. They worship the picture of the queen of heaven; you, the picture of the queen or king of England. In another way, they idolize a dead man or woman; whereas your idol is yet alive. O how little is the difference before God? How small pre-eminence has the money-worshipper at London, over the image-worshipper at Rome? Or the idolizer of a living sinner, over him that prays to a dead saint?
11. Take one step farther. Does the Papist abroad persecute? Does he force another man’s conscience? So does the Papist at home, as far as he can; for all he calls himself a Protestant. Will the man in Italy tolerate no opinion but his own? No more, if he could help it, would the man in England. Would you? Don’t you think the government much overseen, in bearing with any but those of the church? Don’t you wish, they would put down such and such people? You know what you would do, if you was in their place.—And by the very same spirit you would continue the inquisition at Rome, and rekindle the fires in Smithfield.
12. It is because our nation is over-run with such Protestants, who are full of their own good-deservings, as well as of abominable idolatry, and of blind, fiery zeal of the whole spirit of persecution; that the sword of God, the great, the just, the jealous God, is even now drawn in our land: that the armies of the aliens are hovering over it, as a vulture over his prey; and that the open Papists are on the very point of swallowing up the pretended Protestants.[¹]
[¹] This was wrote during the late rebellion.
13. Do you desire to escape the scourge of God? Then I entreat you, first, Be a real Protestant. By the Spirit of God assisting you (for without him you know you can do nothing) cast away all that trust in your own righteousness, all hope of being saved by your own works. Own, your merit is everlasting damnation; that you deserve the damnation of hell. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. Lie in the dust. Let your mouth be stopt. And let all your confidence be in the blood of sprinkling; all your hope in Jesus Christ the righteous; all your faith in him that justifieth the ungodly, thro’ the redemption that is in Jesus.
O put away your idols out of your heart. Love not the world, neither the things of the world. Having food to eat and raiment to put on, be content: desire nothing more but God. To-day, hear his voice, who continually cries, My son, give me thy heart. Give yourself to him, who gave himself for you. May you love God, as he has loved us! Let him be your desire, your delight, your joy, your portion, in time and in eternity.
And if you love God, you will love your brother also: you will be ready to lay down your life for his sake: so far from any desire to take away his life, or hurt a hair of his head. You will then leave his conscience uncontrolled; you will no more think of forcing him into your own opinions, as neither can he force you, to judge by his conscience. But each shall give an account of himself to God.
14. It is true, if his conscience be misinformed, you should endeavour to inform him better. But whatever you do, let it be done in charity, in love and meekness of wisdom. Be zealous for God: but remember, that the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God: that angry zeal, though opposing sin, is the servant of sin; that true zeal is only the flame of love. Let this be your truly Protestant zeal: while you abhor every kind and degree of persecution, let your heart burn with love to all mankind, to friends and enemies, neighbours and strangers; to Christians, Heathens, Jews, Turks, Papists, Heretics; to every soul which God hath made. Let this your light shine before men, that they may glorify your Father which is in heaven.