Part 17

Cleo. This would open too large a Field, and therefore I would look into the Clergy's Behaviour no farther, than as it relates to Armies and military Men, and take Notice, that whenever Pillage or shedding of Blood are to be justified or encouraged by a Sermon, or Men are to be exhorted to Battle, to the Sacking of a City or the Devastation of a Country, by a pathetick Discourse, the Text is always taken from the Old Testament; which is an inexhaustible Fund for Declamation on almost every Subject and every Occasion: And there is no worldly End, which the most ambitious Man, or the most cruel Tyrant can have to serve, but from some Part or other of that Book a Divine of middling Capacity may find out a proper Text to harangue upon, that shall answer the Purpose. But to make it evident, that Divines may be useful to all Fighting Men, without preaching of the Gospel, we need but to consider, that among all the Wars and Dissentions, which Christians have had with one another on innumerable Accounts, there never was a Cause yet, so unreasonable or absurd, so unjust or openly wicked, if it had an army to back it, that has not found Christian Divines, or at least such as stiled themselves so, who have espoused and call'd it Righteous. No rebellion was ever so unnatural, nor Tyranny so cruel, but if there were men who would fight for it, there were Priests who would pray for it, and loudly maintain, that it was the Cause of God. Nothing is more necessary to an Army, than to have this latter strenously insisted upon, and skilfully unculcated to the soldiers. No body fights heartily, who believes himself to be in the wrong, and that God is against him, Whereas a firm persuasion of the Contrary, inspires Men with Courage and Intrepidity; it furnishes them with arguments to justify the Malice of their Hearts, and the implacable Hatred they bear their Enemies; it confirms them in the ill opinion they have of them, and makes them confident of victory; si Deus pro nobis quis contra nos? In all wars it is an everlasting Maxim in Politicks, that whenever Religion can be brought into the Quarrel, it ought never to be neglected, and that how small soever the Difference may be between the contending Parties, the Divines on each Side, ought to magnify and make the most of it; for Nothing is more comfortable to Men, than the Thought, that their Enemies are likewise the Enemies of God.

Hor. But to make Soldiers laborious as well as governable, would it not be useful to exhort them to Virtue, and a close Attachment to the Principle of Honour?

Cleo. The principle of Honour is never forgot; and as to Virtue, what is required of them is Fortitude, and to do as they are bid. And if you'll consider what Pains are taken to make them ashamed of Cowardice above all other Vices; and how prompt, as well as severe, the Punishment for Disobedience is in the least Trifles among Soldiers, beyond what it is any where else; if, I say, you'll consider these Things on the one Hand, and on the other the great Latitude that is given them as to Morals, in what has no Regard to the Service, you'll find, that for the First, Divines are not wanted, and that for the other they can do but little Good. However Morality is often preach'd to them, and even the Gospel at seasonable Times, when they are in Winter Quarters, or in an idle summer, when there is no Enemy near, and the Troops perhaps are encamped in a Country, where no Hostilities should be committed. But when they are to enter upon Action, to besiege a large Town, or ravage a rich Country, it would be very impertinent to talk to them of Christian Virtues; doing as they would be done by; loving their enemies, and extending their Charity to all Mankind. When the Foe is at Hand, the Men have Skirmishes with him every Day, and perhaps a main battle is expected; then the mask is flung off; not a Word of the Gospel, nor of Meekness or Humility; and all Thoughts of Christianity are laid aside entirely. The men are prais'd and buoy'd up in the high value they have for themselves: their Officers call them Gentlemen and Fellow-Soldiers; Generals pull off their Hats to them; and no Artifice is neglected that can flatter their Pride, or inspire them with the Love of Glory. The Clergy themselves take Care at such Times, not to mention to them their Sins, or any Thing that is melancholy or disheartning: On the Contrary, they speak chearfully to them, encourage and assure them of God's Favour. They take Pains to justify, and endeavour to encrease the Animosities and Aversion, which those under their Care have against their Enemies, whom to blacken and render odious, they leave no Art untried, no Stone unturn'd; and no Calumny can be more malicious, no Story more incredible, nor Falsity more notorious, than have been made Use of knowingly for that Purpose by Christian Divines, both Protestants, and Papists.

Hor. I don't use to be an Advocate for Bigots of any sort, much less for Fanaticks, whom I hate; but facts are stubborn things. It is impossible to reflect on the sharp and bloody Engagements in the Rebellion, and the Devotion of Cromwell's army, without being convinced, that there must have been Men at that Time, that were both Valiant and Religious. It is certain, that the Rebels fought well, and that they had more Days of Fasting and Humiliation, than ever were known among any other Soldiers.

Cleo. That there was a greater Appearance of Religion among them, than ever was among any other regular Troops, I allow; but that none of it could proceed from a Principle of Christianity is demonstrable.

Hor. They had Men of unquestionable Honour among them; and some of them must have been sincere.

Cleo. A great many, I verily believe, were sincere; but let us look into this Affair a little more narrowly. What do you think of the General? Do you think, that Cromwell was a good Christian and a pious Man, who had Nothing so much at Heart as Religion and Liberty, and, void of Selfishness, had devoted himself to procure Happiness Eternal as well as Temporal to the People of England? Or that he was a vile wicked Hypocrite, who, under the Cloak of Sanctity, broke through all Human and Divine Laws to aggrandize himself, and sacrifis'd every Thing to his own Ambition, and the Interest of his Family?

Hor. There is no Doubt, but all impartial Men must believe the latter. But then he understood Mankind very well; his very Enemies, that were his Contemporaries, allow'd him to be a Man of great Parts. If he had had the the same Opinion of Christianity, which you have, and the Unfitness of it to make Men quarrel and fight with Obstinacy, he would never have made Use of it among his Soldiers.

Cleo. And it is clear as the sun, that he never did.

Hor. That his pretences to religion were no more than Hypocrisy, I have allow'd; but it does not appear, that he desired others to be Hypocrites too: On the Contrary, he took Pains, or at least made Use of all possible Means to promote Christianity among his Men, and make them sincerely Religious.

Cleo. You will never distinguish between Christianity, that is, the Doctrine of Christ, and the Interpretations, that are made of it by Clergymen; tho' I have often shew'd you the great Difference there is between them. Cromwell was a Man of admirable good Sense, and thoroughly well acquainted with Human Nature; he knew the mighty Force of Enthusiasm, and made Use of it accordingly. As to Strictness of Religion and the Love of Liberty, they had all along been the darling Pretences of the party he engaged in. The complaints of the Puritans against Episcopacy, and that the Church of England was not sufficiently reformed, began in Queen Elizabeth's Time, and were very near as old as the Reformation itself. The people's Murmurings and Struggles for Liberty were of some Standing, when King Charles the First came to the Throne: The Jealousies, which Parliaments had of the Regal Power and Prerogative, had been openly shewn in his Father's Reign, and, throughout the Course of it, been troublesome to his Ministers. That the Clergy of the Church of England had enjoin'd Things, and taught what they had no Warrant for from the Gospel, and that King James the First, as well as his Son, who succeeded him, laid Claim to a more absolute Power, than was consistent with the privileges of Parliament and the Constitution, in undeniable. Religion then and Liberty, being two topicks, that Abundance was to be said upon in those Days, became the Subject and Foundation of the Quarrels between the King and Parliament, that afterwards broke out into a Civil War.

Hor. I was not born in China or Lapland: there is not a Boy of Twelve Years old, that is ignorant of the Causes of that Civil War.

Cleo. I don't question your Knowledge; but only mention these Things, that from the Nature of the Dissentions, and the mischiefs that ensued upon them, we might see the Impossibility, that either Party should have acted from a Principle of Christianity. I shall now endeavor to demonstrate to you Two Things; the First is, that Clergymen, by a small Deviation from the Gospel, may so egregiously impose upon their Hearers, as to make even sincere Men act quite contrary to the Precepts of it, at the same Time that those subtle Declaimers shall seem to be full of Zeal, and to have the highest Value for Christianity. The Other is, that in a well disciplin'd Army, Acts of Devotion, and an outward Shew of Religion may do vast Service for the obtaining of Victory, tho' the General who appointed and order'd them, was an Atheist; the greatest part of the Clergy, who perform'd and assisted in them, were Hypocrites, and the Generality of the Men were wicked Livers. As to the First, I call a Man sincere in his Religion, who believes the Bible to be the Word of God, and acknowledging the Difficulty he finds in obeying the Dictates of the Gospel, wishes with all his heart, that he could practice the self-denial that is required in it; and is sorry, that he has not the Power to govern and subdue his stubborn Passions so well as he could wish. If to such a one, a Clergyman should preach the Strictness of Morality, and the Necessity of Repentance, that are taught in the Gospel, and moreover inculcate to him, that as to Divine Worship the Ceremonial was abrogated; that what was required of us, was the Sacrifice of the Heart and the Conquest over our darling Lusts; and that in short the Religious Duties of a Christian were summ'd up in loving God as his Neighbour; this Doctrine being every Way agreeable to that of Christ, a sincere man, who had read the New Testament, would easily give Ear to a Divine, who should preach it to him; and it is highly probable, that in Matters of Conscience, and every Thing relating to his Deportment, he should be glad of his Counsel. Suppose now, that there was another Clergyman in the same city, who likewise pretending to preach the Gospel, should, on the one Hand, represent the Doctrine of it as very indulging to Human Nature, and the Practice of it easily comply'd with, and, on the other, lay a great Stress on the Honour to be paid to his own Person, and the Performances of a Set of Ceremonies, no where mention'd in the Gospel; it is not likely, that our sincere Man should approve of his Sermons; but if this Second Divine should moreover call them Enemies to God, who should refuse to comply with every Part of these Ceremonies, and give the Name of Hypocrite to Every body, who should assert, that the Gospel required stricter Morality than what he taught; if he should sollicite the Magistrate to have all Persons punish'd, who were not of his Opinion; and if, by his Instigation, our sincere Man should actually be persecuted and plagued by his Fellow-Subjects; to judge from what we know of Human Nature, such Usage would fill the sincere Man with Indignation, and raise his Anger against all those, who were the Occasion of his Sufferings. Let us suppose like-wise, that this Man, besides his Sincerity, had Temper and Goodness enough to consider, that, tho' he had been unjustly dealt with, and was highly provok'd, yet his Religion taught and commanded him not to resent Injuries, but to forgive his Enemies, and to Love them that hated him; it is reasonable to think, that this Clashing between Nature and Principle would perplex him, and himself stand in Need of good Advice, what to do in this Dilemma. If in this Case, the Clergyman, who first preached to him the Purity of the Christian Religion, and the Severity of its Morals, and whom he often went to hear, should persist in the same Sentiments; and, continuing to recommend to him the Doctrine of Peace, make Use of all the Arguments, which the Gospel could furnish him with, either to warn him against Anger and all sinful Passions, Malice of Heart, Hatred and Resentment; or to exhort him to Fortitude in Afflictions, Heroick Patience in Sufferings, and on all Emergencies an entire Resignation to the Will of God; If, I say, the Clergyman I mention'd should do this, whatever might be the Success he did it with, he would have acted the good Shepherd, and his Sermons could never be made a Handle of for War or Rebellion. But if instead of it, he should seem to approve of the other's Anger, and, to justify it, enter into the Merits of the Cause; if he should endeavour to demonstrate, that all Ceremonies of Human Invention were superstitious, and that Kneeling down, where there were Pictures and Sculpture, was a manifest Token of Idolatry; if after this, by an easy Transition, he should go over to the Old Testament, expatiate on the Second Commandment, and produce several Instances of God's Vengeance on Idolaters, and the utter Destruction, that had often been brought upon them by God's own People, fighting under his Banner, and acting by his special Commission; If a Preacher should do this, and have Mischief in his Heart, it would not be difficult for him insensibly to mislead his Hearers, extinguish their Charity, and, working upon the Passions, make a sincere Man, who had really been ill treated, mistake in his own Breast the Spirit of Revenge for Religious Zeal, and, to maintain the Truth of the Gospel, act directly contrary to the Precepts of it. And the more regular the Life was of such a Divine, and the greater the Austerity of his Manners, the fitter Instrument would he be to sow Sedition, enflame an Audience, and make Tools of them for the Ambitious.

Hor. The First you have made out beyond my Expectations; but it has been at the Expence of your Revolution-Principles; I hope you'll never take them up again.

Cleo. I hope I shall have no Occasion for it: but what I have advanced has Nothing to do with the Controversy you point at. The illegal Sway of Magistrates is not to be justified from the Gospel, any more than the Resistance of the People. Where Two Parties quarrel, and open Animosities are to be seen on both Sides, it is ridiculous for either to appeal to the Gospel. The Right, which Princes have to enjoy their Prerogative, is not more divine, than that which Subjects have to enjoy their Privileges; and if Tyrants will think themselves more justifiable before God than Rebels, they ought first to be satisfied, that Oppression is less heinous in his Sight than Revenge.

Hor. But No body owns himself to be a Tyrant.

Cleo. Nor did ever any Malecontents own themselves to be Rebels.

Hor. I can't give this up, and must talk with you about it another Time. But now I long to hear you demonstrate the Second of your Assertions, and make that as evident to me, as you have done the First.

Cleo. I'll endeavour it, if you'll give me Leave, and can have but Patience to hear me, for you'll stand in Need of it.

Hor. You are to prove, that Acts of Devotion, and an outward Shew of Religion, may make an Army Victorious, tho' the General was an Atheist, the Clergy were Hypocrites, and the Generality of the Men wicked Livers.

Cleo. A little more Accuracy, if you please. I said, that they might do vast Service for the obtaining of Victory; the Service I mean, consists in rousing the Courage of the Men, and throwing them into an Enthusiasm, that shall dissipate their Fears, and make them despise the greatest Dangers. There is no greater Art to make Men fight with Obstinacy, than to make them trust to, and rely with Confidence on the Assistance of the invisible Cause, they Fear.

Hor. But how can wicked Men be made to do this? What Reasons can they be furnish'd with, to hope for the Assistance of Heaven?

Cleo. If you can assure Men of the Justice of their Cause, and render that evident and unquestionable, the Business is done, and their own Wickedness will be no Obstacle to it. Therefore this, you see, is the Grand Point, which Priests have ever labour'd to gain among Fighting Men in all Countries and in all Ages. How immensely soever they have differ'd from one another in Religion and Worship, in this they have all agreed. We were speaking, you know, of Cromwell's Army; do but recollect what you have heard and read of those Times, and you'll find, that the Notions and Sentiments, that were industriously instill'd into the minds of the soldiers, had a manifest tendency to obtain this end, and that all their preaching and praying were made serviceable to the same purpose. The Credenda, which the whole army, and every individual were imbued with, even by the most moderate of their preachers, were generally these: that the King gave ear to his evil counsellours; that he was govern'd by his Queen, who was a rank Papist, bigotted to her own superstition; that all his ministers were wicked men, who endeavour'd to subvert the constitution, and aim'd at nothing more than to render him absolute, that by his arbitrary power they might be skreen'd from justice, and the resentment of an injured nation: that the bishops were in the same interest; that, tho' they had abjured the Pope's supremacy, and found fault with the luxury of the court of Rome, they wanted as much to lord it over the laity themselves, and were as fond of worldly honour, power, and authority, of pomp and splendour, and a distinguish'd manner of living, as any Popish prelates: that the worship of the church of England was above half Popery; that most of the clergy were idle drones, who lived upon the Fat of the Land, and perverted the End of their Function: That by this Means Religion it self was neglected, and, instead of it, Rights and Ceremonies were obstinately insisted upon, that were notoriousy borrow'd from the Heathen and Jewish Priests. That preaching Non-resistance was justifying Tyranny, and could have no other Meaning than to encourage Princes to be wicked, and tie the Peoples Hands, whilst they should have their Throats cut: That in Pursuance of this Doctrine, He, who should have been the Guardian of their Laws, had already trampled upon them and broken his Coronation-Oath, and, instead of being a Father to his People, had openly proclaim'd himself their Enemy, invited, a Foreign Force into the Land, and was now actually making War against the Parliament, the undoubted Representatives of the Nation. Whilst these Things were said of the Adverse Party, their own was extoll'd to the Skies; and loud Encomiums were made on the Patriotism of their Superiours, the Sanctity and Disinterestedness as well as Wisdom and Capacity of those Asserters of Liberty, who had rescued them from Bondage. Sometimes they spoke of the Care, that was taken of Religion, and a Pains-taking Ministry, that preach'd not themselves but Christ, and, by their Example as well as Precept, taught the Purity of the Gospel, and the strict Morality that is contain'd in it, without Superstition or Allowances to please Sinners: At others, they represented to their Hearers the exemplary Lives of the Generals, the Sobriety of the Soldiers, and the Goodness and Piety, as well as Zeal and Heroism of the whole Army.

Hor. But what is all this to what you was to prove? I want to know the vast Service an outward Shew of Religion can be of to wicked Men, for the obtaining of Victory: When shall I see that?

Cleo. Presently; but you must give me Leave to prove it my own Way. In what I have said hitherto, I have only laid before you the Artifice, which Every body knows was made Use of by the Roundheads haranguing their own Troops, to render the Cavaliers and the King's Cause odious and detestable to them on the one Hand, and to make them, on the other, have an high Opinion of their own, and firmly believe, that God could not but favour it. Now let us call to Mind the Situation of Affairs in the Times I speak of, and the Politicks of those, who opposed the King, and then consider, what a crafty designing General ought to have done to make the most of the Conjuncture he lived in, and the Zeal and Spirit that were then reigning among the Party he was engaged in; if he had Nothing at Heart, but to advance, per fas aut nefas, his own worldly Interest and his own Glory: In the First Place, it would never have been believed that the Presbyters were in Earnest, who found Fault with and rail'd at the Luxury and loose Morals, as well as Laziness of the National Clergy, if they had not been more diligent in their Calling, and led stricter Lives themselves. This therefore was complied with, and the dissenting Clergy took vast Pains in Praying and Preaching without Book for Hours together, and practis'd much greater Self-denial, at least to outward Appearance, than their Adversaries. The Laity of the same Side, to compass their End, were obliged to follow the Example of their Teachers in Severity of Manners, and Pretences to Religion: Accordingly they did, at least well enough, you see, to acquire the Name of the Sober Party.

Hor. Then you must think, that they had none but Hypocrites among them.

Cleo. Indeed I don't; but I believe, that most of the Ring-leaders who began the quarrel with the King had Temporal Advantages in View, or other private Ends to serve, that had no Relation either to the Service of God or the Welfare of the People; and yet I believe likewise, that many sincere and well-meaning Men were drawn into their Measures. When a Reformation of Manners is once set on Foot, and strict Morality is well spoken of, and countenanc'd by the better Sort of People, the very Fashion will make Proselytes to Virtue. Swearing and not Swearing in Conversation depend upon Mode and Custom. Nothing is more reasonable, than Temperance and Honesty to Men that consult their Health and their Interest; where Men are not debarr'd from Marriage, Chastity is easily comply'd with, and prevents a Thousand Mischiefs. There is Nothing more universal than the Love of Liberty; and there is Something engaging in the Sound of the Words. The Love of one's Country is natural and very bad Men may feel it as warm about them, as very good Men; and it is a Principle, which a Man may as sincerely act from, who Fights against his King, as he who Fights for him. But these sincere and well-meaning People, that can pray and fight, sing Psalms and do Mischief with a good Conscience, may in many Respects be Morally good, and yet want most of the Virtues, that are peculiar to Christianity, and, if the Gospel speaks Truth, necessary to Salvation. A Man may be continent and likewise never drink to Excess, and yet be haughty and insupportable in his Carriage, a litigious Neighbour, an unnatural Father, and a barbarous Husband. He may be just in his Dealings, and wrong No body in his Property, yet he may be full of Envy, take Delight in Slander, be revengeful in his Heart, and never known to have forgiven an Injury. He may abstain from Cursing and all idle as well as prophane Swearing, and at the same Time be uncharitable and wish Evil to all, that are not of his Opinion; nay, he may mortally hate, and take Pleasure in persecuting and doing Mischief to, all those who differ from him in Religion.

Hor. I see plainly now, how Men may be sincere in their Religion, and by Art be made to act quite contrary to the Precepts of it: And your Manner of accounting for this, does not only render the Sober Party less odious, than the Orthodox have represented them; but there is likewise greater Probability in it, than there is in what they generally say of them: For that an Army of a great many Thousand Men should consist of None but Hypocrites, who yet should fight well, is an inconceivable Thing. But what is it you would say of the General?