No cross, no crown

by William Penn

CHAPTER XX.

The doctrine and practice of the blessed Lord Jesus, and his Apostles; the primitive Christians, and those of more modern times, in favour of this discourse.

1. The Doctrine of Christ, from Mat. v. about denial of self.—2. John the Baptist's example.—3. The testimonies of the apostle Peter, &c.—4. Paul's godly exhortation against pride, covetousness, and luxury.—5. The primitive Christians' nonconformity to the world.—6. Clemens Romanus against the vanity of the Gentiles.—7. Machiavel, of the zeal of the primitive Christians.—8. Tertullian, Chrysostom, &c. on Mat. xii. 36.—9. Gregory Nazianzen.—10. Ambrose.—11. Augustine.—12. Council of Carthage.—13. Cardan.—14. Gratian.—15. Waldenses.—16. What they understood by daily bread in the Lord's Prayer.—17. Their judgment concerning taverns.—18. Dancing, Music, &c.—19. An epistle of Bartholomew Tertian to the Waldensian churches, &c.—20. Their extreme suffering and faithfulness. Their degeneracy reproved, that call them their ancestors.—21. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, relieving slaves and prisoners.—22. Acacius, Bishop of Amida, his charity to enemies.

Having abundantly shown how much the doctrine and the conversation of the virtuous Gentiles condemn the pride, avarice, and luxury of the professed Christians of the times; I shall, in the next place, to discharge my engagement, and farther fortify this discourse, present my reader with the judgment and practice of the most christian times; as also of eminent writers, both ancient and modern. I shall begin with the blessed Author of that religion.

I. Jesus Christ, in whose mouth there was found no guile, sent from God, with a testimony of love to mankind, and who laid down his life for their salvation; whom God hath raised by his mighty power to be Lord of all, is of right to be first heard in this matter; for never man spake like him to our point; shot, clear, and close; and all opposite to the way of this wicked world. "Blessed," says he, "are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God:" (Mat. v.:) He doth not say, blessed are the proud, the rich, the high-minded: here is humility and the fear of the Lord blest. "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted:" He doth not say, blessed are the feasters, dancers, and revellers of the world, whose life is swallowed up of pleasure and jollity: no; as He was a man of sorrows, so He blest the godly sorrowful. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth:" He doth not say, blessed are the ambitious, the angry, and those that are puffed up: He makes not the earth a blessing to them: and though they get it by conquest and rapine, it will at last fall into the hands of the weak to inherit. Again, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:" but no blessing to the hunger and thirst of the luxurious man. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy:" He draws men to tenderness and forgiveness by reward. Hast thou one in thy power that hath wronged thee? Be not rigorous; exact not the utmost farthing; be merciful, and pity the afflicted, for such are blessed. Yet further, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." He doth not say, blessed are the proud, the covetous, the unclean, the voluptuous, the malicious: no; such shall never see God. Again, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." He doth not say, blessed are the contentious, back-biters, tale-bearers, brawlers, fighters, makers of war; neither shall they be called the children of God, whatever they may call themselves. Lastly, "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you, falsely for my sake: rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven." He blesseth the troubles of his people, and translates earthly sufferings into heavenly rewards. He doth not say, blessed are you when the world speaks well of you, and fawns upon you: so that his blessings cross the world's. For the world blesseth those as happy, that have the world's favour; He blesseth those as happy that have the world's frowns. This solveth the great objection, Why are you so foolish to expose yourselves to the law, to incur the displeasure of magistrates, and suffer the loss of your estates and liberties? Cannot a man serve God in his heart, and do as others do? Are you wiser than your forefathers? Call to mind your ancestors. Will you question their salvation by your novelties, and forget the future good of your wife and children, as well as sacrifice the present comforts of your life, to hold up the credit of a party? A language I have more than once heard: I say, this doctrine of Christ is an answer and antidote against the power of this objection. He teaches us to embrace truth under all those scandals. The Jews had more to say of this kind than any, whose way had a more extraordinary institution; but Christ minds not either institution or succession. He was a new man, and came to consecrate a new way, and that in the will of God; and the power that accompanied his ministry, and that of his followers, abundantly proved the Divine authority of his mission, who thereby warns his to expect and to bear contradiction, reviling, and persecution: for if they did it to the green tree, much more were they to expect that they would do it to the dry; if to the Lord, then to the servant.

Why then should Christians fear that reproach and tribulation, that are the companions of his religion, since they work to his sincere followers a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory? But indeed they have great cause to fear and be ashamed, who are the authors of such reproach and suffering, so contrary to the meek and merciful spirit of Christ: for if they are blessed, who are reviled and persecuted for his sake, the revilers and persecutors must be cursed. But this is not all: He bids his disciples follow Him, learn of Him, for He was meek and lowly: He taught them to bear injuries, and not smite again; to exceed in kindness: to go two miles when asked to go one; to part with cloak and coat too; to give to them that ask, and to lend to them that would borrow; to forgive, aye, and love enemies too; commanding them, saying, "Bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Mat. v.) Urging them with a most sensible demonstration, "That," saith He, "ye may be the children of your Father, which is in heaven: for He maketh his sun to rise upon the good and the evil, and his rain to descend upon the just and the unjust. He also taught his disciples to believe and rely upon God's providence, from the care that He had over the least of his creatures: "Therefore," saith He, "I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on: is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them; are ye not much better than they? Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek, for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself: sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Mat. vi.) Oh! how plain, how sweet, how full, yet how brief are his blessed sentences! They thereby show from whence they came, and that Divinity itself spoke them: what are laboured, what are forced and scattered in the best of other writers, and not all neither, is here comprised after a natural, easy, and conspicuous manner. He sets nature above art, and trust above care. This is He that himself came poor into the world, and so lived in it: He lay in a manger, conversed with mechanics; fasted much, retired often: and when He feasted, it was with barley loaves and fish, dressed doubtless in an easy and homely manner. He was solitary in his life, in his death ignominious. The foxes had holes, the birds of the air had nests, but the Son of Man had not a place whereon to lay his head. He that made all things as God, had nothing as man; which hath this blessed instruction in it, that the meanest and poorest should not be dejected, nor yet the richest and highest be exalted. In fine, having taught this doctrine, and lived as He spoke, He died to confirm it, and offered up Himself a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, when no other sacrifice could be found, that could atone for man with God, who, rising above the power of death and the grave, hath led captivity captive, and is become the first-born from the dead, and Lord of the living; and his living people praise Him, who is worthy for ever.

II. John the Baptist, who was the fore-runner of Christ's appearance in the flesh, did by his own abstinence sufficiently declare what sort of person it was he came to prepare and bespeak people to receive. For, though sanctified from his birth and declared by Christ to be the greatest of all prophets; yet his clothing was but a coarse garment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle; and his food, only locusts and wild honey: a life very natural, and of great simplicity. This was all the pomp and retinue, which the greatest ambassador that ever came to the world was attended with; about the best of messages, to wit, Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand: and, there is one coming after me, whose shoes-latchet I am not worthy to unloose, who shall baptize you with fire, and with the Holy Ghost; and is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. (Mat. iii. 11; John, i. 29.) Did the fore-runner of the coming of God, for Immanuel is God with men, appear without the state, grandeur, and luxury of the world; and shall those who pretend to receive the message, and that for glad tidings too, and confess the Immanuel, Jesus Christ, to be the Lord, live in the vanity and excess of the world, and care more for their fine clothes, delicate dishes, rich furniture, stately attendance, and pleasant diversion, than for the holy cross of Christ, and blessed narrow way that leadeth to salvation. Be ashamed, and repent!

III. Peter, Andrew, Philip, and the rest of the holy apostles, were, by calling as well as doctrine, not a luxurious people; for they were made up of poor fishermen and mechanics; for Christ called not his disciples out of the higher ranks of men, nor had they ability any more than will to use the excesses herein reproved. You may conceive what their lives were, by what their Master's doctrine was; for they were the true scholars of his heavenly discipline. Peter thus speaks, and exhorteth the Christians of his time, "Let not your adorning be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and the wearing of gold, and of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price; for after this manner, in the old time, the holy women, who also trusted in God, adorned themselves." (1 Pet. iii. 3, 4.) Wherefore gird up the loins of your minds, be sober and hope to the end, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts, in your ignorance, but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: (1 Pet. i. 13-15:) and giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly-kindness, charity; for if these things be in you and abound, they make you, that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; (2 Pet. i. 5-8, 11;) not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but contrariwise, blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye shall inherit a blessing: (1 Pet. iii. 9:) for even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not, but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously. (1 Pet. ii. 21-23.)

IV. Paul, who was also an apostle, though, as he saith, born out of due time: a man of great knowledge and learning, but, "I count it," saith he, "all loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. Brethren, be followers of me, and mark them which walk so, as ye have us for an ensample: for many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction; whose god is their belly; they glory in their shame, and they mind earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven; from whence we look also for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil. iii. 8, 18.) In like manner also, "I will that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriety, not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but with good works, as becometh women professing godliness." (1 Tim. ii. 9, 10.) "Be followers of God, as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us: but fornication, and all uncleanness, and covetousness, let it not be once named amongst you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks: for this ye know, that no whoremonger, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God. See, then, that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is; and be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord." (Ephes. v.) "Rejoice in the Lord always; and again, I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men, for the Lord is at hand." (Phil. iv. 4-6.) "Be careful for nothing, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out: and, having food and raiment, let us be therewith content; for godliness, with contentment, is great gain: but they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction; for the love of money is the root of all evil, which whilst some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science, falsely so called, which some professing, have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee, Amen." (1 Tim. vi. 7, to the end.) This was the blessed doctrine these messengers of eternal life declared, and what is more, they lived as they spoke. You find an account of their reception in the world, and the way of their living, in his first epistle to the Corinthians; "For I think," saith he, "that God hath set forth us, the apostles last, as it were, appointed to death; for we are made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake: we are weak, we are despised: even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and have no certain dwelling-place, and labour, working with our hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted we suffer it; being defamed, we intreat. We are made as the filth of the world, and are as the off-scouring of all things unto this day." (1 Cor. iv. 9.) This was the entertainment those faithful followers of Jesus received at the hands of an ungrateful world; but he who tells us of this, also tells us, it is no unusual thing: "For," saith he, "such as will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution." Besides, he knew it had been the portion of the righteous in preceding ages, as in his excellent account of the faith, trials, and victory of the holy ancients, in his epistle to the Hebrews he does largely express, where he tells us, how great a sojourner Abraham was, even in the land of promise, a stranger in his own country, for God had given it unto him and his posterity, dwelling, saith he, in tents with Isaac and Jacob. And why not better settled? Was it for want of understanding, or ability, or materials? No; he gives a better reason; for, saith he, Abraham looked for a city which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God. And speaking of Moses, he tells us, "that, by faith, when he was come to years of discretion, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of reward; nor feared he the wrath of the king, for he endured, seeing him who is invisible." He adds, "And others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings; yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonments; they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens, and caves of the earth, and these all have obtained a good report." Methinks this should a little abate the intemperance of professed Christians. I do not bid them be thus miserable, but I would not have them make themselves so hereafter; for this afflicted life hath joys transcending the utmost pleasure that sin can give, and in the end it will be found, that it were better to be a poor pilgrim, than a citizen of the world. Nor was this only the life and instruction of apostolical teachers; the same plainness and simplicity of life was also followed by the first Christians.