are bad, give me Leave to propoundi un-to you this Question. Suppofe a Man, a Minister or a Tradef man, &c. fhould have an Advantage lie before him, to get the good Bethungs of this Life, yet fo as that he can by ne Means come by them, except in Appearance, at least, he becomes extraordinary zealous in fome Points of Religion that he meddled not with before: May he not ufe this Means to attain his End, and yet be a right honeft Man? Mr. Money-love. I fee the Bottom of your Question; and, with thefe Gentlemens' good Leave, I will endeavour to fhape you an Answer: And first, to fpeak to your Question as it concerns a Minifter himself. Suppose a Minifter, a worthy Man, poffeffed but of a very fmall Benefice, and has in his Eye a greater, more fat and plump by far; he has also now an Opportunity of getting it, yet fo as by being more ftudious, by preaching more frequently and zealously, and, becaufe the Temper of the People requires it, by altering of fome of his Principles; for my Part, I fee no Reafon but a Man may do this; (provided he has a Call) ay, and a great deal more befides, and yet be an honeft Man. For why? : 1. His Defire of a greater Benefice is lawful (this cannot be contradicted) fince it is fet before him by Providence; fo then he may get it if he can, making no Quef tion for Confcience-fake. 2. Befides 2. Befides, his Defire after that Benefice makes him more ftudious, a more zealous Preacher, &c. and fo makes him a better Man, yea, makes him better improve his Parts, which is according to the Mind of God. 3. Now as for his complying with the Temper of his People, by deferting, to ferve, fome of his Principles, this arguechy 1. That he is of a Self-denying Temper. 2. Of a fweet and winning Deportment. 3. And fo more fit for the Minifterial Funftion. 4. conclude then, that a Minister that changes a Small for a Great, fhould not, for fo doing, be judged as Covetous; but rather, fince he is improved in his Parts and Industry hereby, be counted as one that pursues his Call, and the Opportunity put into his Hand to do Good. And now to the fecond Part of the Question, which concerns the Tradefman you mentioned: Suppofe fuch a one to have but a poor Employ in the World, bút, by becoming Religious, he may mend his Market, perhaps get a rich Wife, or more and far better Cuftomers to his Shop. For my Part, 1 fee no Reafon but this may be lawfully done. For why? 1. To become Religious is a Virtue, by what Means foever a Man becomes fo. 2. Nor is it unlawful to get a rich Wife, or more Custom to my Shop. 3. Befides, the Man that gets thefe by becoming Religious, gets that which is good K 2 good of them that are good, by becoming good himfelf; fo then here is a good Wife, and good Customers, and good Gain, and all thefe by becoming Religious, which is good: Therefore, to become Religious to get all these, is a good and profitable Defign. This Anfwer thus made by this Mr. Money-love to Mr. By-end's Queftion, was highly applauded by them all; wherefore they concluded upon the Whole, that it was most whole fome and advantageous; And because, as they thought, no Man was able to contradict it, and becaufe Christian and Hopeful were yet within Call, they jointly agreed to affault them with the Queition as foon as they overtook them; and the rather because they had oppofed Mr. By-ends before. So they called after them, and they stopt and ftood ftill till they came up to them; but they concluded, as they went, that not Mr. By-ends, but old Mr. Hold-the-World fhould propound the Queftion to them, becaufe, as they fuppofed, their Answer to him would be without the Remainder of that Heat that was kindled between Mr. By-ends and them, at their parting a little before. So. they came up to each other, and after a fhort Salutation, Mr. Hold-the-World propounded the Queftion to Christian and his Fellow, and bid them to answer it if they could. Chr. Chr. Then faid Chriftian, Even a Babe in Religion may anfwer ten Thoufand fuch Questions. For, if it be unlawful to follow Chrift for Loaves, as it is, John 6. how much more abominable is it to make of him and Religion a Stalking-horse to get and enjoy the World? Nor do we find any other than Heathens, Hypocrites," Devils, and Witches, that are of this Opinion. 1. Heathens; for when Hamor and Sechem had a Mind to the Daughter and Cattle of Jacob, and faw that there was no Way for them to come at them, but by becoming circumcifed; they faid to their Companions; If every Male of us be circumcifed, as they are circumcised, shall not their Cattle, and their Substance, and every Beaft of theirs be ours? Their Daughters and their Cattle were that which they fought to obtain,`and their Religion the Stalking-horfe they made ufe of to come to them. Read the whole Story, Gen. 34. 20, 21, 22, 23. 2. The Hypocritical Pharifees were also of this Religion: Long Prayers were their Pretence; but to get Widows' Houfes were their Intent, and greater Damnation was from God their Judgment." Luke 20. 46, 47. 13. Judas the Devil was alfo of this Religion; he was Religious for the Bag, that he might be poffeffed of what was therein; but he was loft, caft away, and the very Son of Perdition. * The Eafe 4. Simon the Witch was of this Religion too; for he would have had the Holy Ghoft, that he might have got Money therewith, and his sentence from Peter's Mouth was according, Alts 8, 19, 20, 21, 22. 5. Neither will it go out of my Mind, but that that Man that takes up Religion for the World, will throw away Religion for the World; for fo furely as Judas defigned the World in becoming Religious, fo furely did he alfo fell Religion and his Mafter for the fame. To anfwer the Question therefore affirmatively, as I perceive you have done; and to accept of, as authentic, fuch Anfwer, is both Hea thenish, Hypocritical, and Devilish; and your Reward will be according to your Works. Then they stood ftaring one upon another, but had not wherewith to anfwer Chriftian. Hopeful alfo approved of the Soundness of Chriftian's Answer; fo there was a great Silence among them. Mr. By ends and his Company alfo ftaggered and kept behind, that Christian and Hopeful might out go them. Then faid Chriftian to his Fellow; If thefe Men cannot ftand before the Sentence of Men, what will they do with the Sentence of God? And if they are mute when dealt with by Veffels of Clay, what will they do when they fhall be rebuked by the Flames of a devouring Fire? * Then Chriftian and Hopeful out-went that Pilgrims them again, and went till they came at a bave, is but.. little in this delicate Plain, called Eafe, where they Life. went |