The Christian Professor
John Angell James, 1837
THE DUTY OF PROFESSORS TO
AVOID THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL
"God has called us unto holiness." 1
Thes. 4:7. Impressive idea! It is our very vocation to be holy. Holiness was
the image of God in which man was created, against which the envy and
malignity of Satan were directed, and which he dashed at and destroyed, when
he found himself unable to reach the divine original. Holiness is the end
of all God's dispensations towards his people, whether of Providence, of
Grace, or of Glory. Holiness will constitute the perfection of man's
moral nature in heaven. Holiness is the spotless garment in which the seraph
ministers before the throne of the Eternal. Holiness is more, for it is the
beauty of the Divine Being himself; not so much a separate attribute of his
nature, as the perfection of all his attributes. "God is light, and
in him is no darkness at all," and from the midst of his excellent glory, he
is ever calling to us and saying, "Be holy,
as I am holy."
True religion is conformity to God,
and God is holy. Herein is Christianity distinguished from idolatry, and its
infinite superiority above the classic paganism of antiquity demonstrated.
Some of the philosophers, especially of the Stoic sect, delivered many fine
sentiments and even beautiful maxims of a stern and rigid morality—but their
ethics had no connection with their theology. "The gods of the Pagan heaven
were little better than men's own evil qualities exalted to the sky, to be
thence reflected back upon them, invested with Olympian charms and
splendors. A mighty labor of human depravity to confirm its own dominion! It
would translate itself to heaven, and usurp divinity, in order to come down
thence with a sanction for man to be wicked." So that while men in Christian
lands become wicked for lack of religion, those who dwell in heathen
countries become wicked by religion. The moralist and the priest are
in opposition to each other, and the former, if he would succeed in making
men better, must caution them against allowing the latter to bring them
within the precincts of a temple, or introduce them to the presence of a
god.
But it is the excellence and glory
of Christianity, that its refined morality is founded upon and arises from,
its pure theology; which contains every possible motive and every necessary
means to holiness. Our great business then in this world is to be made and
kept holy. Our whole life is to be one incessant struggle against that moral
evil, which is all around us and within us. "We are called," I repeat
the expression, "to holiness!"
How emphatic, how comprehensive, is
the apostolic admonition which is the subject of this chapter, "abstain
from all appearance of evil." 1 Thes. 5:22. Some expositors render the
expression thus, "abstain from every sort or kind of evil." In this
sense, it is a most important precept. Evils are of various kinds and
degrees, and it is a Christian's duty to avoid them all. He must not
reconcile himself to any one thing that is contrary to God's word. He must
declare war, and maintain irreconcilable hostility against every sin!
But, probably, the true meaning of
the text is the commonly received one, that we are not only to abstain from
those things that are really and manifestly evil—but from such as are only
doubtfully and in appearance such. We must avoid not only the identical evil
thing itself—but all shows and resemblances of it.
1. Professors should abstain from
the smallest beginnings of evil, the first buddings of sin
;
those things which would not be noticed in others, and are made apparent,
like faint stains upon white linen, only by the white background of their
profession; and which after all, in the estimation of many, are so small and
insignificant, as to be rather appearances than realities. Little sins
lead on to greater ones, and if they did not, and were not feared on
account of what they may lead to, should be shunned for their own sakes. A
female, vain of her beauty, is annoyed not only by sores upon the
countenance—but also by freckles. A professor is not to be vain of the
beauty of holiness—but still he is to be watchful of it, and must therefore
avoid the smallest disfigurement of it by sin!
2. We must not venture to the
extreme verge of what is good, nor try how near we can come to evil, without
actually committing it.
The boundary,
as I have elsewhere remarked, between right and wrong, is an invisible line,
which many rash adventurers have passed, before they were aware they were
approaching near to it. Besides, though it may be quite perceptible, and
avoided by those who are near, yet people who are close to it may appear to
others, who look from a distance, to be gone over it. It is a most dangerous
thing for ourselves, to go as near sin as we can without committing it; and
as to observers, there are many to whom we are certain, in such a position,
to seem to be committing it. All sober, serious, conscientious, and
considerate Christians, try to keep far within the territory of holiness,
being aware that the border country is generally disputed ground, and much
infested by marauders from the opposite land, who are lying in ambush to
make captives of those who adventure beyond the line of their defense. But
there are many of an opposite description, who have so little circumspection
and tenderness of conscience, that if they can but keep themselves from that
which is intrinsically and notoriously evil, make no scruple of venturing
upon the borders and edges of sin.
3. We must take care not to "let our
good be evil spoken of"
—for even
virtues may be sometimes so exercised, or exercised in conjunction with such
circumstances as to give them the appearance of evil. There is, in some
instances, as great a lack of judgment in the doing of what is good, as
there is in others a lack of conscience in the doing of what is evil, and,
in the end, with much the same result; I mean, the disparagement of
religion. It is truly painful to think how much of real and even eminent
holiness has, in some cases, been witnessed, not only without admiration—but
with disgust; and has been spoken of rather with contempt than applause,
merely in consequence of the encrustations of folly by which it has been
disfigured. A professor, eminent for her earnest solicitude about her soul,
in her anxiety to grow in grace, and keep up the vitality of religion, will,
perhaps neglect all the duties of her household, and leave a sick child to
servants in order to attend a prayer-meeting or a sermon. A second, in his
zeal for the cause of Christ, will give that property for its support, which
belongs to his creditors. A third, in his hatred of sin, will be guilty of
all kinds of rudeness in reproving transgressors. Mercy sometimes
degenerates into a pernicious weakness. Justice sometimes degenerates into
harshness. Spirituality sometimes degenerates into cant. Humility sometimes
degenerates into baseness. Devotion sometimes degenerates into superstition.
And a tender conscience sometimes degenerates into a diseased one. If it is
injurious, and most injurious it is, to the cause of holiness, to give the
names of virtue to vice, and thus reconcile men to a bad thing by the
'potent spell of a good word', it is not much less so, perhaps, to disgust
men against what is really good by affixing to it the appearance of what is
evil. Names have a mighty influence in human affairs. Hence the woe
denounced against those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness
for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for
bitter! Isaiah 5:20.
4. The rule commands
us to abstain from what appears to ourselves of doubtful propriety.
There are many things, of which the sinfulness is
so manifest; which have so much of the palpable substance as well as the
appearance of evil, that they are shunned without a moment's hesitation, by
everyone who has the least regard to the authority of God. But there are
others, the criminality of which is not so clear, and of which, therefore,
even a good man may stand in doubt. We oftentimes meet with such things, and
are in much and painful indecision whether we may carefully venture upon
them or not. This is the state of mind, which has been called "a doubting
conscience."
The apostle has laid down rules for
guiding us safely out of this dilemma, and which are sufficiently plain for
all ordinary cases. "He that doubts is condemned if he eats, for whatsoever
is not of faith (that is, which a man does not believe he may lawfully do)
is sin." Rom. 14:23. Doubts about the propriety of an action are strong
presumptive evidence that it is unlawful, for they must have their origin in
the perception of some appearance of evil. Yet still there are people of
such a timid and nervous constitution, of such a physical incapability of
coming to any conclusion that shall be free from all scruples, that
if they never acted till they had got rid of all doubts, they would
never act at all. The following rules may, perhaps, be of service to such
people, and indeed to all.
When in the proposed actions all the
doubts lie on one side, there need be no hesitation. When one action will
promote our interest, and the other oppose it, the probability is, that the
way of duty lies in the course which is disadvantageous to us. It is always
best, in doubtful cases, to take the safer side; that which, as far as we
can judge, will involve least risk of our own reputation, and be best for
the comfort and well-being of others. It is well, in some difficult cases,
to suppose the affair to belong to somebody else, and to look at it, as far
as we can, as theirs, and then to ask ourselves the question, "How should I
judge for them?" and vice versa, to suppose them looking upon
us, and to say, "What will be their opinion how I ought to act?" In
all cases we should consult the word of God; but not, however, to find
passages which will favor that side of the question to which we are already,
perhaps, inclined—but with a sincere desire to know the will of God, and, at
the same time, accompanying this exercise with fervent prayer to God for
direction. If, after all, we should be still in doubt, we may then ask the
opinion and advice of some discreet Christian friend or friends, on whose
judgment and conscientious impartiality we can rely.
When we have thus endeavored to know
what is right, we are to proceed to action, and should not allow ourselves
to be checked, interrupted, or distressed by any speculative doubts, or by
the fears and misgivings of a sensitive and somewhat morbid imagination. We
must be led by judgment, and, in some cases, against the doubts and fears
that arise from these sources. There is frequently an apprehensiveness which
makes some people pause and hesitate, and almost resolve to turn back, even
when their judgment urges them on; just like that groundless fear, which
makes a timid traveler doubt and ready to return, although the finger-post
over his head, and the mile-stone by the wayside tell him he is right.
A really sincere desire to know and
do the will of God, at all risk and all costs, will rarely leave a person in
much doubt, as to what is right to be done. God has promised to guide the
weak in judgment, and to show them his way. As a general principle, then, it
holds good, that what appears to be evil is evil, and must be abstained
from. We must not go on against the convictions of our judgment, nor even
its well-grounded fears. When conscience meets us in the path we are going,
striding across the road, as did the Angel to resist the progress of Balaam,
we must not resolve to force a passage, and continue our course.
A question will, perhaps, arise in
the minds of some, of this import, "Are we bound in all cases to
follow the dictates of conscience? If so, as conscience is often
misinformed, and erroneous, we may sometimes do that conscientiously, which
is evil." True it is, as Christ foretold his disciples, many have thought
they did God service when they persecuted and murdered his saints. And the
apostle tells us, that in his unbelieving state, he verily thought he ought
to do many things contrary to Jesus of Nazareth; and yet, though he did it
ignorantly, at the dictate of an erroneous conscience, he calls himself on
that account the "chief of sinners." It is not to be doubted that others do
many evil things, and yet act conscientiously therein. How, then, are we to
judge? If we say that conscience is not to be followed in all things,
we depose this internal monitor from his throne, and affirm that we are not
always bound to do that which we believe to be right; while, if we say we
always are to follow conscience, we seem to prove that some do right
in sinning against God, because they do it conscientiously.
It will help us out of this
difficulty, to consider what is CONSCIENCE. It is that power which
the mind possesses of judging its own actions, by comparing them with some
acknowledged rule of conduct, and of approving or condemning them according
as they agree or disagree with it; together with that susceptibility of
self-approbation, or pain of remorse, which follows the verdict. Conscience
is not the rule of action—but the faculty of judging ourselves by a
rule. This rule is the word of God. When, therefore, the question is asked,
"What is right?" we answer, not what conscience—but what the Scriptures
declare to be so. Still, however, the question returns, ought we not to do
that which we believe is enjoined upon us by the word of God? I answer, yes;
but then we ought also to form a right judgment of the word itself. We are
responsible for our opinions.
Our duty, therefore, may he thus
stated—our conscience must be first directed by the rule of Scripture,
and our lives guided by our conscience. It is certainly true, that if we
act in opposition to our conscience, we sin; and no less true, that we sin
if our conscience is opposed to the word of God. We hence see the necessity
of searching the Scriptures with trembling awe, simplicity of mind, and
earnest prayer to God. And we may rest assured that whatever we do, which is
condemned by this infallible rule, will be considered and treated by God as
sinful, notwithstanding it has been done at the dictate of conscience; for
the error of the judgment must have originated in something wrong in the
heart, some deficiency of caution in examination, or some prejudice or
selfish end we wished to serve, by which evidence was resisted, and a wrong
conclusion drawn.
5. We ought in many
cases to abstain from what appears evil to others.
Here, of course, some exceptions must be made. If
anything which is good in itself should appear evil in their eyes, we are
not in this case to avoid it. The whole Christian religion appeared evil in
the eye of the Pagans among whom it was first propagated, and was persecuted
by them as such. Protestantism appears evil in the eyes of
Papists—Nonconformity appears evil in the eyes of High Churchmen; and
spiritual piety appears evil in the eyes of worldly-minded people to this
day. In all cases of this kind, and in whatever is our duty to God, we must
disregard the opinion of the world, and do what is right. To all who would
turn us from the path of duty, we must give the Apostle's reply, "Whether it
be right to obey men rather than God, judge you." We must not venture upon a
scandal to the church, to avoid a scandal to the world. It would be a most
preposterous kind of charity to please men by disobeying God. Though all the
world should utter its howl against the strictness of our religion, and
demand a relaxation of it, we must not gratify their desires, nor seek to
win them, by relaxing the least part of that severity which the law of God
and our own conscience require of us.
If the strictness of our religion
should, as it sometimes may, accidentally prove an occasion of sin to our
neighbor, we are not, even on that account, to abate it. There is no doubt
that fervent and consistent piety does oftentimes excite not only the
ridicule—but the malice of the wicked. It has not unfrequently happened,
that they have been provoked into a truly diabolical spirit, and have been
irritated by the religion of their friends into greater lengths of
wickedness, until those very friends have been ready to conceal or give up
much of their religion, under the idea of preventing the wickedness it
seemed to occasion. But this is wrong. Our Lord was a stone of stumbling and
a rock of offence to the Jews; some were scandalized at his doctrine, as a
despiser of the law of Moses—others at his conduct, as being a glutton and a
wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners, and a Sabbath breaker—but
yet for all these calumnies he altered nothing in his teaching or in his
conduct—but amidst all their clamors still went on preaching and doing.
Those that are his disciples must also go on in their course of spiritual
religion, although they should perceive that evil men on this account, wax
worse and worse in their hatred of God and his people.
Much spiritual discretion, I admit,
is required not to offend unnecessarily, by adding to our religion that
which God has not commanded; by performing religious duties out of place and
season; by the rigid maintenance of an unprescribed precision; and
especially by needlessly obtruding our piety in a way that looks like
ostentation and parade. All sacrifice of principle, and violations of
conscience; all giving up of acknowledged duties for the sake of preventing
the outbreaks of wickedness, softening prejudice, and conciliating
good-will, is doing evil ourselves, to keep others from doing it.
Nor must we sacrifice our
principles, and act in opposition to our conscience, even to please the
church of Christ. We must separate from what we deem to be an unscriptural
communion, and abstain from what we consider a sinful practice, although it
be under the condemnation of many professors of religion, or even the
majority of them. Separation from our brethren without a cause, and
opposition to them without sufficient reason, are evil, as disturbing,
without grounds, the unity and peace of the church. But where there is
ground and reason for these, such conduct is strictly proper. "If that
appears to be a duty to us," says Hopkins, "that has an appearance of evil
to the generality of the most sober-minded and serious Christians, why, now,
though this should not presently sway our consciences, yet it should engage
us to make a strict search and inquiry, whether it be our duty or not; if it
be that which is contrary to the opinion and practice of holy and pious
Christians, it ought to have this authority with us, to put us to a stand,
and to make us examine whether that we account it to be a duty or not. As,
for instance, some among us at this day are persuaded that they ought to
worship God one way, and some another; and what appears to be a duty to one,
has the appearance of evil in it to another. Why, now, follow neither of
these because it is their judgment and practice; but yet if your
persuasion be contrary to the persuasion of the most pious and sober-minded
Christians, this ought so far to prevail as to make men suspect lest they
are mistaken, and to put them upon diligent inquiry and an important search
into their grounds and arguments—but after all, still follow that which you
are convinced in your own conscience is your duty, how evil soever it may
appear to others, one way or another."
These remarks must commend
themselves by their candor as well as truth, to every honest mind, and had
they been acted upon by the bulk of professing Christians in every age,
would have spared the ecclesiastical historian the trouble of recording the
thousand angry controversies and horrid persecutions, which have disfigured
his pages, and disgraced the various parties which for the time have gained
the ascendant in Christendom. Schism and persecution would never have
existed, though many separations would—but the seceders would have acted
cautiously and conscientiously, while those from whom they had retired,
perceiving upon what motives they had acted, would have reverenced the
principle, however they may have lamented the act, and neither attempted to
crush them with the arm of power, nor brand them with the charge of schism.
The appearance of evil, which we are
to avoid out of regard to the feelings of others, is such as appertains
to things indifferent, or in other words, is connected with the
enjoyment of our Christian liberty. Amidst the infinite diversity of human
opinion, it is to be looked for, that some things of a perfectly neutral
character, which may be done or not done without blame in either case, will
appear evil to some; and from which, therefore, in some cases, it is both
matter of charity and duty in a Christian to abstain. The manner in which we
are to use our liberty in things indifferent is stated at length in Rom. 14,
and 1 Cor. 8. A question had arisen in the primitive church, about the
lawfulness of eating meat that had been offered to idols, and of attending
the feasts that were held in the heathen temples in honor of their god. Some
of the primitive professors reasoned thus, "I believe the idol to be a mere
nonentity, and therefore can, not only eat the flesh of animals that had
been offered in sacrifice to him—but I can even go to his feast, for the
so-called deity is, in my esteem, a nonentity, a mere name." "But," says the
apostle, "be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling
block to the weak. For if somebody sees you, the one who has this knowledge,
dining in an idol's temple, won't his weak conscience be encouraged to eat
food offered to idols? Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ
died, is ruined by your knowledge." 1 Cor. 8:9-11. Now, observe the
apostle's noble, charitable, and self-denying resolution, "Therefore, if
food causes my brother to sin, (i.e. if my example leads him to sin)
I will never again eat meat, so that I won't cause my brother to fall into
sin" The same reasoning is applied to a similar case stated in Rom. 14, and
the same conclusion is come to—"Let us follow after the things that make for
peace, and things whereby one may edify another." "We then who are strong,
ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let
every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. Even as
Christ pleased not himself."
This, then, is the law of Christian
liberty in things indifferent. When we do those things which we know to be
lawful, yet still not obligatory—but which others think to be sinful, we do
not act charitably, and such things therefore should be avoided—to do them
is not an act of duty, for they are confessedly indifferent, and to leave
them undone is not an act of sin; while the doing of them, in such
circumstances, is attended with many disadvantages. 1. Your own piety is
brought into suspicion. 2. Others may be unnecessarily grieved, and the
communion of saints be interrupted. 3. Some may be led by your example to do
the same things in opposition to their conscience, and even to go much
further in what is wrong.
Still this deference to the opinions
of others has its limits, nor does it, in any case, forbid the attempt to
remove their scruples by argument and persuasion. We are not obliged to
consult the whims and caprices of every ignorant or fastidious individual
who chooses to take exception to our conduct; nor to submit to the
unreasonable and impertinent interference of everyone who assumes a right to
call us to account; much less to solicit the opinions of our neighbors on
all occasions, for this would be endless and ridiculous. But still a man who
is regardful, and every man ought to be regardful, of his own Christian
reputation, the credit of religion, and the comfort, especially the safety
of his neighbor, will often say to himself, in reference to a particular
action, or course of actions, "Well, although I could do this with a clear
conscience, because I believe it is quite lawful; yet, as I am not obliged
to do it, and I know it is thought to be wrong by others, I will abstain
from it, lest I injure my religious profession in their estimation, or lead
them, by my example, to do the same thing, in opposition to their own
conscience."
Many a professor has injured, if not
ruined his reputation forever, in the estimation of some people, by actions
which appeared quite lawful in his own eyes, and, perhaps, were really
so—but they were not thought so by those observers of them. Their
decision was contrary to charity; but his conduct was no less
contrary to prudence. Reputation is a thing which no man may trifle with—but
which everyone must watch with a sleepless and jealous vigilance; and it is
assailable from so many quarters, and wounded by such small, and seemingly
contemptible weapons, that we must never be off our guard. It is not
enough to do what we know to be good—but we must ever be studious to avoid
what others imagine to be evil. We must not only be harmless as
doves—but wise as serpents. It is our duty, in some cases, to yield to the
ignorance we cannot enlighten, and to give way to the prejudice we cannot
convince. We must never, I allow, carry our candor so far as to give up
principle to our own harm, nor bow to prejudice to our neighbor's; but when
we can give way without the risk of injury to ourselves or our neighbor, and
with the probability of good to both, no obstinate attachment to our own
opinion should prompt us to stand out. Great sacrifice of feeling, and
considerable self-denial, will be sometimes necessary to act upon this
plan—but, then, what is religion but one continued course of self denial.
Taking up the cross is the condition on which alone we can be accepted as a
disciple of Christ. It may, perhaps occasionally inflict a wound upon our
pride, make a deduction from our self-importance, and be felt as an
abridgement of our independence, to make this concession to weakness or
fastidiousness; but it is due alike to ourselves, to our neighbor, and to
God. It is the law of religion; and, after all, is the perfection of human
character, which consists of the admixture, in due proportions, of the
opposite elements of self-wilfulness and servility.
Sin, in any form, and in any degree,
is so evil, and should be felt by the Christian to be so hateful and
disgraceful, that he should wish to stand clear of it, and be acquitted, not
only in the court of conscience, and of God—but at the bar of every human
being upon earth. His religious character, as a professor, should be as dear
to him, and guarded with as much care, as that of her social reputation to a
female, to whom it is not sufficient to know that she has committed no
violation of the law of chastity—but wishes to avoid what might appear
to be such, in the estimation of all, and who would not be suspected by
a single individual in the world.
Professors, consider this close and
comprehensive rule of conduct. It is not enough not to do evil, for
we must not even seem to do it—we must avoid the first for the sake
of conscience, and the second for the sake of reputation; the first for our
own sake, the second for our neighbor's sake; and both for God's sake. It is
not enough to ask concerning an action, "Is it lawful? "but "is it fitting?"
nor must we say, "Prove that it is evil, and I will abstain from it,"
but "If it has the shadow, though it has not the substance, the mere show of
evil, I will avoid it."
And if, then, we are to avoid the
resemblances of evil, how much more evil itself—if what only some men
think to be sin, how much more what all men know to be such. And while
we are to abstain from the mere likenesses of evil, we are also not to be
content with the mere likenesses of good; the former as too much, and the
latter as too little, to content a Christian mind. By giving ourselves to
follow the shadows of evil—we may sink to perdition; while the mere shadow
of good will never lead us to heaven.