The Poems of John Byrom :: :: University of Virginia Library

A strange Discourse in all impartial Views
This which you lent me, Doctor, to peruse.
Had you not ask'd, a Subject of this Sort
Might of itself a few Remarks extort,
To show how much a very learnèd Man
Has been mistaken in his preaching Plan.

Preaching—a Talent of the Gospel Kind,—
By “preaching Peace through Jesus Christ” defin'd,
Should, one would think, in order to increase
The Gospel Good, confine itself to Peace;

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Exert its milder Influence, and draw
The list'ning Crowds to Love's united Law.
For, should the greatest Orator extend
The Pow'rs of Sound to any other End,
Regard to healing Sentiments postpone,
And battle all that differ from his own:
Tho' he could boast of Conquest, yet how far
From “Peace through Jesus” through himself is War;
How widely wanders from the true Design
Of preaching Christ the bellicose Divine!

If amongst them who all profess Belief
In the same Gospel such a warlike Chief
Should in the Pulpit labour to erect
His glaring Trophies over ev'ry Sect
That does not just fall in with his Conceit,
And raise new Flourish upon each Defeat,—
As if, by dint of his haranguing Strain,
So many Foes had happily been slain:
Tho' it were sure that what he said was right,
Is he more likely, think you, to invite,
To win th' erroneous over to his Mind,
By Eloquence of such an hostile Kind,
Or to disgrace, by Arts so strongly weak,
The very Truths that he may chance to speak?

Like Thoughts to these would naturally rise
Out of your own occasional Surprise,
When, purchasing the Book, you dipt into't
And saw the Preacher's Manner of Dispute:

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How, Man by Man, and Sect by Sect display'd,
He pass'd along from Preaching to Parade;
Confuting all that came within his Way,
Tho' too far off to hear what he should say.
Reason, methinks, why Candour would not choose,
Where no Defence could follow, to accuse;
Where gen'rous Triumph no Attacks can yield
To the unquestion'd Master of the Field,
Where Names, tho' injur'd without Reason why,
Absent or present, can make no Reply
To the most false or disingenuous Hint,
Till Time, perchance, produces it in Print;
When, we may take for granted, it is clad
In its best Fashion, tho' it be but bad!

This one Discourse is printed, we are told,
The Main of sev'ral Sermons to unfold.
For one grand Subject all of them were meant,—
The Holy Spirit, Whom the Father sent;
Th' Indwelling Comforter, th' Instructing Guide;
“Who was,” Christ said, “for ever to abide
With and in His Disciples here below,”
And teach them all that they should want to know.

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A glorious Theme,—a comfortable one
For Preachers to exert themselves upon,
First taught themselves, and fitted to impart
God's Truth and Comfort to an honest Heart!
Some such at least imagine to have been
Amongst the Flock that came to Lincoln's Inn,
With a sincere Desire to hear and learn
That which became a Christian's chief Concern;
Pleas'd with the Preacher's Text, with Hopes that he
Might prove an Instrument in some Degree
Of their Perception of an holy Aid,
Fruit of that Promise which the Saviour made;
Might help them more and more to understand
How near true Help and Comfort is at Hand;
How soon the Spirit moves upon the Mind,
When it is rightly humbled and resign'd:
With what a Love to ev'ry Fellow-soul
One Member of the Church regards the Whole;
Looks upon all Mankind as Friends, or shares
To heartiest Enemies his heartier Pray'rs.

I might go on; but you, I know, will grant,
Such is the Temper that we really want;
And such, if Preachers ever preach indeed,
If Pastors of a Flock will really feed,
They will endeavour solely to excite,
And move divided Christians to unite,

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If not in outward Forms that but supply
A loftier Babel without inward Tie,
Yet in a common Friendliness of Will,
That wishes well to ev'ry Creature still;
That makes the Centre of Religion's Plan
A God-like Love embracing ev'ry Man.

LETTER II.

No Office seems more sacred and august
Than that of Preachers who fulfil their Trust,
Working with God, and helping Men to find
The Prince of Life, the Saviour of Mankind,
Who “came Himself a Preacher from on high
Of Peace to all, the distant and the nigh.”

So said the Saint, whose preaching was the same
To Jew, to Greek,—Salvation thro' His Name,—
Who taught thro' Him to preach immortal Life,
Avoiding Questions that engender Strife;
Patient, and meek, and gentle unto all,
Instructing ev'n Opposers without Gall,
If peradventure God might give them Grace
The Truth, when kindly offer'd, to embrace.

If these Conditions Preaching may demand,
What must we think of the Discourse in Hand?
Which, when we read, is apter to suggest
A diff'rent Temper in the Preacher's Breast;
A Text perverted from its native Scope,

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A Disappointment of all hearing Hope?
Here is a long Dispute, in his first Head,
About what Doctor Middleton had said;
That “when the Gift of Tongues was first bestow'd,
“'Twas but an instantaneous Sign that show'd
“The Gospel's chosen Minister; and then,
“That Purpose signified, it ceas'd again;
“So was its Type, the fiery Tongue, a Flash
“Of Light'ning quickly vanish'd,”—and such Trash;
To which a Minister, who knew the Press,
Ill chose the Time when preaching to digress;
To take a Text affording thro' the Whole
Such grounds of Comfort to a christian Soul,
And then neglect, to preach a poor Debate
That could but shine at pamphleteering Rate;
That from the Pulpit must disgust the Pew
Of sager Bench, and sober Students too.

You may, hereafter, if you choose it, see
How they mistook, both Middleton and he,

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The Gift of Tongues; how little quite throughout
They knew, tho' learnèd, what they were about.
In present Lines, I shall but just relate
One Instance of the not uncommon Fate
Of learnèd Men who, in deep Points exact,
Forget sometimes the most apparent Fact.

Th' Apostles, gifted by the Holy Ghost,
Began to speak with Tongues at Pentecost;
“But did not,” so the Preacher says, “begin
To speak, before the Multitude came in.”
He urges roundly how in this Respect
“The learned Middleton did not reflect,
“That in a private Room they all were set,
“And Tongues not spoken till the People met.”

Now, if you read the Pentecostal Facts,
As you will find them written in the Acts.
From his Reflexion tho' the Point lay hid,
The Text affirms expressly that they did.

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No Learning wanted to determine this;
'Tis what a reading Child could never miss.
This very Gift, it is exceeding clear,
Was that which brought the Multitude to hear:
“Speaking with Tongues” foregoing Words proclaim,
The next, “when this was nois'd abroad, they came.”

Scarce to be thought that, studying the Case,
With formal Purpose to explain a Place,
A Man so learnèd and acute could make,
Could preach, could publish, such a flat Mistake.
But 'tis the Fate of great and eager Wits
To trust their Memory too much by Fits.

To prove that Middleton's Dispute was wrong
Takes up the Pages, for a Sermon, long.
Soon after this you'll see another start,
To fill his First Division's Second Part.
For, having touch'd upon the Names of all
The Gifts enumerated by Saint Paul,
Then, in what Sense the Scripture was inspir'd,
Higher or lower, comes to be enquir'd.
The high he calls “organical;” the low
“Partial and true,” as he proceeds to show.

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This is the Summary of what is said
Touching the Holy Ghost in his first Head,
As “Guide to Truth” and aiding to excite,
To clear, to give the Understanding Light.
What makes it Sermon is the Text prefixt,
Tho' scarce a Word of it is intermixt;—
Consistently enough, for it has none
Which suit the Topics that he dwells upon,—
Topics without a Dignity to grace
Text, Office, Audience, Person, Time, or Place!

But, were this all, and did not what he spake
Lead by Degrees to serious Mistake,
Taking a Text for Form's Sake, to prepare

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The Church to hear some Shop-renown'd Affair—
Too oft the Turn of the polite Divine!—
Would hardly merit your Regard or mine.
But, Sir, it is not only misapplied,
This glorious Text, but in effect denied
Or misconceiv'd; and therefore, cutting short
At present Errors of less fatal Sort,
Let us pursue this Subject in the next,
And from the Sermon vindicate the Text.

LETTER III.

You wonder'd much why any Man of Parts
Would use in Preaching low, invective Arts;
By which the vain Disputings that infest
The Christian World have seldom been supprest,
But often heighten'd, and that use destroy'd
For which fine Talents ought to be employ'd.

If one can judge from reading this Divine,—
Whose Parts and Talents would be really fine,
If juster Notions of the Heav'nly Grace
Taught but the earthly not to quit their Place,—
If one can judge, I say, from stated Laws
In his Discourses what should be the Cause
Of such Perversion of a lively Wit
In erudite Possessors, this is it:

They think that now Religion's sole Defence
Is Learning, History and critic Sense;

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That with Apostles as a needful Guide
The Holy Spirit did indeed abide;
But, having díctated to them a Rule
Of Faith and Manners for the Christian School,
Immediate Revelation ceas'd, and Men
Must now be taught by apostolic Pen;
Canon of Scripture is complete, and they
May read, and know what Doctrine to obey.
To look for Inspiration is absurd;
The Spirit's Aid is in the written Word:
They who pretend to His Immediate Call,
From Pope to Quaker, are Fanatics all.

Thus, having prov'd at large to Christians met
What no one Christian ever doubted yet,
That the New Testament was really writ
By Inspiration, which they all admit,
He then subjoins that “this inspir'd Recórd
“Fulfill'd the Promise of our Blessed Lord;”—
Fulfill'd it “eminently,” is the Phrase;—
“For tho' the Faithful, in succeeding Days
“Occasionally find in ev'ry Place
“The Spirit's ordinary Help, and Grace,
“His Light Supreme, His constant, fixt Abode,
“Is in the Scriptures of this Sacred Code.

This was the Sense, not easy to explore,
When, reck'ning up the Spirit's Fruits before,

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“Scripture,” said he (which this Account explains)
“Does not record them only, but contains,”—
“CONTAINS,” in Capitals: as if he took
The Scripture to be something more than Book,—
Something alive, wherein the Spirit dwelt,
That did not only tell His Fruits, but felt.
“The sure Deposit of the Spirit's Fruits
“In Holy Scripture,” he elsewhere computes,
“Fulfill'd the Saviour's Promise in a Sense
“Very sublime.”—So it should seem from hence,
That “eminently,” and “sublimely,” thus
The Holy Spirit should abide with Us.

If I mistake him, or misrepresent,
You'll shew me where, for 'tis not with Intent.
I want, if possible, to understand
A Sentence coming from so fam'd a Hand.
Tho' plain the Words, 'tis difficult to solve
What christian Sense he meant them to involve;
In ev'ry Way that Words and Sense agree,
'Tis perfect Bibliolatry to me.

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No Image-Worship can be more absurd
Than idolising thus the written Word,
Which they who wrote intended to excite
Attention to our Lord's Predicted Light,—
To that same Spirit, leading human Thought,
By Which themselves, and all the good were taught
Preaching that Word, which a Diviner Art,
Which God Himself had written on the Heart.

How can the best of Books,—for 'tis confest
That of all Books the Bible is the best,—
Do any more than give us an Account
Of what was said, for Instance, on the Mount;
Of what was done, for Instance, on the Cross,
In order to retrieve the human Loss?
What more than tell us of the Spirit's Aid,
Far as His Fruits by Words can be display'd?
But Words are only the recording Part;
The Things contain'd must needs be in the Heart.
Spirit of God no more in Books demands
To dwell Himself, than “Temples made with Hands.”

“Fruits of the Spirit,” as St. Paul defin'd,
“Are Love, Joy, Peace,”—the Blessings of the Mind,
The Proofs of His “Abiding.”—Who can brook

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A meek, a gentle, good, long-suff'ing Book;
Or let true Faith and Temperance be sunk
To Faith in Writings, that are never drunk?
In fine, whatever Pen and Ink presents
Can but contain historical Contents;
Nor can the Fruits of Spirit be in Print
In any Sense, but as recorded in't.

Plain as this is, and strange, as you may think,
The learnèd Worship paid to Pen and Ink,
It is the main Hypothesis, you'll find,
On which are built Discourses of this Kind;
Which yet can give us for a Scripture Clue
What contradicts its very Letter too,
As this has done—be shown, as we go on,
By these important Verses of St. John!

LETTER IV.

The Gospel's simpler Language being writ,
Not for the Sake of Learning or of Wit,
But to instruct the pious and the meek,—
When its Intent mere Critics come to seek,
We find on plain intelligible Text
The variorum Comments most perplext.

Such is the Text before us, and so plain
The Saviour's Promise which the Words contain,
That Men for modern Erudition's Sake
Must read and study to acquire Mistake;
Must first observe the Notions that prevail
Amongst the famous in their Church's Pale,—

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Firm in the Prejudice, that all is right
Which Books or Persons most in Vogue recite;
Then seek to find how Scripture coincides
With each Decision of their knowing Guides.

Without some such Preparatives as these,
How could the forc'd Interpretation please
That makes a Sacred Promise to bestow
Perpetual Aid exhausted long ago,
In one short Age? For God's Abiding Guide
Withdrew, it seems, when the Apostles died,
And left poor Millions ever since to seek
How dissonant Divines had construed Greek.

In graver Writers one has often read
What in Excuse of Book-worship is said:
“It is not Ink and Letter that we own
“To be Divine, but Scripture's Sense alone;
“We have the Rule which the Apostles made,
“And no Occasion for immediate Aid.”—
Suppose, for once, the gross Delusion true,—
What must a plain and honest Christian do?
The Spirit's Aid how far must he extend,
To bring his Saviour's Promise to an End?
This he perceives Discourse to dwell upon,
And yet “for ever to abide” has none.
He for the Sake of Safety would be glad
To have that Spirit which Apostles had;
Not one of them has writ but says, “he may;”
That “tis the Bliss for which he ought to pray:”
That “God will grant it him,” his Saviour said,

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“Sooner than Parents give their Children Bread.”
If reading Scripture can improve a Soul,
This is the Sum and Substance of the whole,
And gives it Value of such high Degree.
For, tho' as Sacred as a Book can be,
'Tis only so, because it best revives
Thought of that Good which animated Lives;
Because its Authors were inspir'd to write,
And saw the Truth in Its own Heav'nly Light;
Because it sends us to that Promis'd Source
Of Light and Truth, Which govern'd their Discourse,
The Holy Spirit's Ever-present Aid,
“With us, and in us”—so the Saviour pray'd—
That, when He left the World, the Holy Ghost
Might dwell with Christians, as an Inward Host;
That Teaching, Truth, and Comfort in the Breast
Might be secur'd by this Abiding Guest.

“Yes; with Apostles.”—Sunk by such a Thought
Th' inestimable Treasure down to Naught!
An History of Sunshine may as soon
Make a blind Man to see the shining Noon,
As Writings only without inward Light
Can bring the World's Redemption into Sight.
Jesus, the Christ, the very Book has shown,
Without the Holy Spirit none can own;—
In Words, they may; but, what is plainly meant,
They cannot give a real Heart-Consent.

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What Friend to Scripture, then, Sir, can displace
This Inward Witness of Redeeming Grace,
And rest the Gospel on such outward View,
As any Turk may rest his Koran too?
Nay, he can own a written Word or Work
That Christians do, and yet continue Turk.

Why do the Christian Disputants so fill
The World with Books of a polemic Skill,
When 'tis the Sacred, and acknowledg'd one
That all their jarring Systems build upon,—
But that the Spirit does not rule their Wit,
By Which at first the Sacred one was writ,
Of Whose Support great Scholars stand in need
As much as they who never learnt to read?
Unhappy they, but for that Living Guide,
Whom God Himself has promis'd to provide,—
A Guide, to quote the blessèd Text again,
“For ever to abide” with Christian Men!

Fond of its Books, poor Learning is afraid
And higher Guidance labours to evade.
Books have the Spirit in Supreme Display;
Men but in lower, ordinary Way!

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This strange Account of Men and Books is true,
It seems, “according to the Promise” too!

Such wild Conceits all Men have too much Wit,
Or learnèd or unlearnèd, to admit;
But, when some Interest or Custom rules
And chains obsequious Wills to diff'rent Schools,
The wisest then, Sir, will relinquish Thought,
And speak like Parrots just as they are taught.—
What this should be, what spends in vain the Fire
Of brisker Tempers, let us next enquire.

LETTER V.

When Christians first receiv'd the joyful News,
“Messiah come,” unmixt with worldly Views;
When the whole Church with Heav'nly Grace was blest,
And from the Spirit Comforter possess'd
One Heart, one Mind, one View to common Good:
Then was the real Gospel understood.

“Then was the Time,”—to cite what you will find
The Preacher noting—“when the World combin'd

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“Its Pow'rs against it, but could not destroy;
“When holy Martyrs with enraptur'd Joy
“Encounter'd Death, enabled to sustain
“Its utmost Terror and its utmost Pain.
“At such a Juncture Heav'n's uncommon Aid
“Shone forth, to help Humanity display'd.

“But now”—his Reason for abated Grace
Diff'rence of primitive and present Case,—
“Now, Ease and Honour” (mind the Maxim, Friend!)
“On the Profession of the Faith attend.
“At first establish'd by Diviner Means,
“On human Testimony now it leans;
“Supports itself, as other Facts must do
“That rest on human Testimony too;
“Sufficient Strength is the Conviction there,
“To make the present Christian persevere.

Here lies the Secret that may soon unfold
Why modern Christians fall so short of old;
Why they appear to have such diff'rent Looks,
The Men of Spirit and the Men of Books.
When Racks and Gibbets, Torment and Distress
Attended them who ventur'd to confess,
They had, indeed, a fixt and firm Belief,
To die for One Who suffer'd like a Thief;
Stretch'd on the Wheel, or burning in the Flame,
To preach a Crucified Redeemer's Name.
Courage like this compendious Proof supplied
Of Heav'ns true Kingdom, into which they died.
Thus was the Wisdom of the World struck dumb,
And all the Pow'rs of Darkness overcome;

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Gospel prevail'd by its internal Light,
And gave the Subject for the Pen to write.

But when the World with a more fatal Plan
To flatter what it could not force began;
When “Ease” and “Honour,” as the Preacher saith,
Attended the Profession of the Faith:
Then wrought its Mischief in the too secure
The secret Poison, slower, but more sure.
Commodious Maxims then began to spread,
And set up Learning in the Spirit's Stead;
The Life diminish'd, as the Books increas'd,
Till Men found out that Miracles were ceas'd;
That, with respect to Succours more sublime,
The Gospel Promise was but for a Time;
That Inspiration amongst Men of Sense
Was all a mere fanatical Pretence,—
And divers like Discoveries, that grant
To “Ease” and “Honour” just what Faith they want;—

Faith to profess that wond'rous Things of old
Did really happen, as the Books have told;
But with a Caution, never to allow
The Possibility of happ'ning now:
For, as the World went on, it might affect
An honourable Ease in some respect,
To own celestial Comfort still inspir'd,
And suff'ring Courage as at first requir'd,—
Quite proper then, but equally unfit,
When once the sacred Canon had been writ.
For upon that (is gravely here averr'd)
Part of the Spirit's Office was transferr'd;
Books once compos'd, th' Illuminating Part

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He ceas'd Himself, and left to human Art
To find within His Scriptural Abode
Th' Enlight'ning Grace that Presence once bestow'd.

These Suppositions if a Man suppose,
You see th' immediate Consequence that flows:
That Men and Churches afterwards attack'd
Are pre-demolish'd by asserted Fact;
Which, once advanc'd, may with the greatest Ease
Condemn whatever Christians he shall please;
Owing to his Forbearance in some Shape,
If aught th' extensive Havoc shall escape.

With such a Fund of Learning, and a Skill
To make it serve what Argument he will;
With choice of Words for any chosen Theme;
With an Alertness rulingly supreme,—
What, Sir, can single Persons or a Sect,
When he is pleas'd to preach at 'em, expect?

Just what they meet with in the present Case:
All the dogmatic Censure and Disgrace
That a commanding Genius can exert,
When it becomes religiously alert,—
With narrow Proofs, and Consequences wide,
Sets all Opponents of its Rote aside;
The Papists first, and then th' inferior Fry,
Fanatics, vanquish'd with a “Who but I?”

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These are the modish Epithets that strike
At true Religion and at false alike;
Of these Reproaches Infidels are full,
Their Use in others verging down to dull.—
How one, who is no Infidel, applies
The hackney'd Terms, may next salute your Eyes.

LETTER VI.

By “Reformation from the Church of Rome”
We mean, “from Faults and Errors,” I presume.
Against her Truths to prosecute a War
Is protestant Aversion push'd too far;
In them, should “Ease” and “Honour” not attend
The fair Profession, one should be her Friend.

She thinks that Christ has given to His Bride,
His Holy Church, an Ever-present Guide;
By Whose Divine Assistance she has thought
That Miracles sometimes were really wrought;
That by the Virtue which His Gifts inspire
Great Saints and Martyrs have adorn'd her Quire.
Now, say the worst that ever can be said
Of that Corruption which might overspread
This Church in gen'ral; cast at her the Stone
They who possess Perfection in their own;—
Yet, were instructive Volumes to enlarge
On bright Exceptions to the gen'ral Charge.

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They that love Truth, wherever it is found,
Would joy to see it ev'n in romish Ground;
Where, if Corruption grew to such a Size,
The more illustrious must Examples rise
Of Life and Manners;—these, you will agree,
Are true Reformers, wheresoe'er they be.

Of all the Churches, justly loth to claim
Exclusive Title to a Sacred Name,
What one, I ask, has ever yet denied
The Inspiration of the Promis'd Guide?
Our own—to which the Def'rence that is due
Forbids no just Respect for others too—
Believes, asserts, that what Reform she made
Was not without the Holy Spirit's Aid.
If to expect His Gifs, however great,
Be popish and fanatical Deceit,
She in her Offices of ev'ry Kind
Has also been fanatically blind.
What Form of her composing can we trace
Without a Pray'r for His Unstinted Grace?
Taught by the Sacred Volumes to infer
A Saviour's Promise reaching down to her,
Greatly she values the recording Books;
But for fulfilling in herself she looks.

That she may always think aright and act
By God's Good Spirit, is her pray'd-for Fact,—

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Without His Grace confessing, as she ought,
Her Inability of Act or Thought.
Nor does she fear fanatical Pretence,
When asking Aid in a sublimer Sense.
Where she records amongst the martyr'd Host
A “Stephen, fillèd with the Holy Ghost,”
She prays for that same Plenitude of Aid
By which the Martyr for his Murd'rers pray'd;
That she like him, in what she undergoes,
May love and bless her persecuting Foes.

Did but one Spark of so Supreme a Grace
Burn in the Breast, when Preaching is the Case,
How would a Priest, unpersecuted, dare
To treat, when mounted on a sacred Chair,
A Church of Christ, or any single Soul
By Will enlisted on the Christian Roll,
With such a prompt and contumelious Ire
As Love nor Blessing ever could inspire?

Altho' untouch'd with a Celestial Flame,
How could an English Priest mistake his Aim,—
So far forget the Maxims that appear
Throughout his Church's Liturgy so clear;
Wherein the Spirit's ever Constant Aid
Without a feign'd Distinction is display'd,—
Without a rash attempting to explain
By Limitations foolish and profane
When, and to whom, to what Degree and End,

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God's Graces, Gifts and Pow'rs were to extend,—
So far withdrawn that Christians must allow
Of nothing “extra-ordinary” now,—
The vain Distinction which the World has found,
To fix an unintelligible Bound
To Gospel Promise,—equally Sublime,
Nor limited by any other Time
Than that, when Want of Faith, when earthly Will,
Shall hinder Heav'ns Intentions to fulfil?

If, not confining any promis'd Pow'rs,
The Romish Church be faulty, what is ours?
Does our own Church in her ordaining Day,
Does any consecrating Bishop say,
When on the future Priest his Hand is laid:
“Receive the Spirit's ordinary Aid?”
Do awful Words, “Receive the Holy Ghost!”
Imply that He abides in Books the most,—
Books, which the Spirit Who first rul'd the Hand,
They say themselves, must teach to understand?

His Inspiration, without Limits too,
All Churches own, whatever Preachers do;
Not even Miracles, tho' set aside
In private Books, has any Church denied.—
How weak the Proofs which this Discourse has brought
To justify the fashionable Thought,
That Gospel Promises of any Kind
By Spirit or by Scripture are confin'd
To apostolic or to later Times,
May be the Subject of succeeding Rimes.