their most proper and usual Sense imply manifest Contradictions they have been no Friends to the Christian Faith And whatsoever they say the Christians Father will not dertermine his Sons to believe Contradictions But I conclude this second Proposition with this practical Inference If Christians have but one Master one Father then they must own his Authority that is believe his Revelations obey his Commands without any doubt or dispute for his Authority is undeniable his Will uncontroulable no Appeal to be made from his Determination Therefore assent without debate obey without demur If we have a Father give him his Honour and a Master let him have his Feaâ— III. There is no Man upon Earth that is the Christian's Father or Master None by whose Sense he is to be absolutely necessarily determined He needs not to resolve his Obedience into any Mans or Mens Authority Our Religion is so very excellent and wise that it could not be of humane Original Surely this Tree of Life never grew first in an Earthly Paradise but was transplanted from some more excellent Soil and set in this red Earth Besides if we consider the Design of it it is to prepare Men for the Heavenly Life which it doth by begetting in them such Perswasions and Affections and teaching them to act here just as they do there Therefore our Creed and Law must probably be a brief Transcript of some of theirs and none can tell what theirs is but he that made it God Religion like Water will not rise higher than the Spring if it derives its Origine from this Earth only it will not rise and raise us up with it to Heaven But if this be true that we have no Father on Earth how is it that we hear so much of an Infallible Judg either an old Man sitting in a Chair at Rome Or else a Synod of Doctors for the most part packed together by a Faction and designed to drive on some Secular Interest For such have been many Councils tho not all But what mean those Pretenders that they thus take upon them Will they decide all our Controversies end our Debates An excellent Attempt But will they do it indeed Yes effectually and if any doubt of their Decrees they shall be quickly convinced by a light burning Fire They 'l take care to keep those that are under them iniIgnorance they shall not have Knowledg enough to question their Determinations Or if any little Light do break through all the Curtains they have drawn then they afright them with Anathema's and if these will not do neither they shall to the Stake How grievously the Christian World hath been abused by these Practices is too notorious whilst these false Fathers do not at all serve the Designs of Truth and Piety but merely of their own Ambition and Covetousness Notwithstanding what I have said of those Conventions that are politickly and unwarrantably peck'd together by a Party for the holding up of a Faction and serving a carnal Interest I would not be understood to detract in the least from a duly congregated Synod of wise and learned Men their just Authority which yet I must think doth not amount to that of a Father or Rabbi as here explained They are not absolute cannot determine universally But have they no Power in determining What is it Tho this be an Argument fitter for a larger Discourse yet to prevent Mistakes and Abuse of what I have said I shall here speak somewhat of my Mind in two or three Particulars 1. They who cannot be supposed to have any better Reason than the Authority of a Synod should be determined by them in matters both of Faith and Practice That this may be the case of the Vulgar I doubt not Many are in the state of Children who at first must take all on trust and it is best for them in that State so to do tho afterwards they may see how they have been imposed upon and lay aside those infant-Prejudices the common People first believe and obey because a Company of wise and learned Men tell them that what is proposed is true and good but afterwards these Mens Reason may be more improved they may have better Arguments to believe and higher Motives to obey than their Word and may say as the Samaritans we now believe not because of your Words but because we our selves see The ground of this first Position is that Men are to be determined to assent or act by the best Arguments they can have Now I suppose very many in so low a Condition that this is the best they can meet with viz. the Authority of a Synod nay many times the Determination of a single Man This is indeed a pitious Case when in all matters of Good and Evil true and false a Man must relie on anothers Testimony and yet it had not been so sad if Men that had Learning and Knowledg enough had had more of Honesty but they have been so unfaithful to their Trusts that they have very much impair'd their Credit with the World I understand the Popish Councils especially 2. More improved Men where the matter is disputable and somewhat equal and unconcluding Arguments on both sides appear if a Synod interpose their Authority I think should be determin'd by that yet not so far as to exclude all after-Thoughts they must leave room for them For if their Reasons against the Synod's Determinations should prove concluding and afterwards appear evidently so they need not continue under that former Determination In this case a Man must compare his own best Arguments with that of the Testimony of those Men that is he must consider as well as he can not only whether they be wiser than himself which will be granted but also whether they be honest 3. That I may shew whither their Authotity cannot reach I lay down this Position That where the Synod shall determine that to be believed which is and appears repugnant to it self to granted Principles of Reason or plain Scriptures or where they shall enjoyn that to be done which is and appears intrinsecally and eternally evil or which I can certainly conclude is in those Circumstances evil they are not to be believed or obeyed Of this nature I understand Transubstantiation and worshipping Images c. What the Sense of our Church is in this matter appears by the 6th 20th 21st Articles The Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation And in the 20th It is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing contrary to God's Word written neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another Wherefore the Church tho it be a Witness and Keeper of Holy Writ yet as it ought not to decree any thing
against the same so besides the same ought it not to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of Salvation And for Councils In the 21st after it is declared that they have erred and may err it is concluded Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to Salvation have neither Strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Scripture Whence is there such an Inequality that any should undertake thus the Guidance of others Were they born with more Wisdom than their Brethren Or have they had so much better Opportunities to get it Or hath God extraordinarily conveyed it to them And doth he give them Commission Let them produce it God's Commission is a Power to work Miracles which if I see exerted in Attestation of a Doctrine agreeable to Principles of Reason and Scripture then I will believe such a Man to be God's Instrument I will yield up my self to be determined by him in all Particulars where I do not see a Contradiction to Reason and Scripture 4 God is the Christians only Father Jesus Christ their only Master Grosius tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a greater Title then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore our Saviour takes the lesser to himself and gives the greater to God This may poss if we only look at the Man Christ Jesus but under another Consideration we know all Men are to honour the Sâ—â— as they honour the Father It was the great Promise and Prophecy concerning the Times of the Messiah that they should be all taught of God Well may the Christians resign themselves to the Determinations of such an Authority they may be secure in the Guidance of an infinite unerring Understanding are in no danger of straying where they have such a Conduct They may also sit down quietly and rest under the Shadow of Divine Goodness nor fear that the Master should himself be mistaken for his Understanding is infinite nor yet deceive them because his Love is 〈◊〉 less If any shall ask Where we are to expect those Decreta Factis those Articles of Faith and Rules of Life which he hath given us I answer 1. In the plain Principles of Reasan and the necessary Conclusions that flow from them Such there are from whence no Appeal can be made of whose Truth we cannot doubt Notwithstanding all that the Sceptick can say we need not be deceived in very many Cases and in some we cannot 2. The Revelations made by Men with whom God was in an extraordinary manner Such were Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles of our Lord but especially the Blessed Jesus himself with whom God was present in a far more extraordinary manner and so as he was with none other for he was 〈◊〉 with him God in him assumed our Nature into Union with himself God was manifest in the Flesh When I say God was with them I mean that an extraordinary Spirit of Wisdom and Holiness rested upon them accompanied with a Power of working Miracles Besides they were extraordinarily inspired with a Doctrine which they then delivered and is now recorded in Scripture Many of which were indeed immediately directed to others and therefore concern us no further than a Parity of Reason makes them that part of those Writings which most belong to us is the Sayings of our Lord and all the rest so far as is consistent with and agreeable to them The Inference that follows from this is That we would behave our selves toward our Master as it becomes us that is receive his Instructions follow his Directions be wholly resigned up to him acquiesce in his Determinations believe what he reports without dispute obey what he commands without demur Give full assent to the Principles of natural Reason give a ready Obedience to the Natural Law These were the first Creeds and Commands that ever were given This was the Faith once delivered to the Saints when there was yet no written Word and these Laws were engraven in the Heart before the two Tables of Stone were hewen Since God hath set out a large and fair Edition of these Articles and Canons in the Scripture which are an Exposition of what was before imprinted in Man's Nature The first Edition was in danger to be lost and therefore our good Master made Provision for us in this second This is then our Duty to refer all to those Teachings of God whose Inspiration gives Vnderstanding whose Word makes wise the Simple If any therefore speak let him speak as the Oracles of God and let us as the noble Bereans judg by the Scriptures whether the things they say be so or not To the Law and to the Testimony where we doubt for if they speak not according to this it is because they have no Morning in them Before I conclude this Particular I cannot but take notice of the excellent Condition of Christians See our Liberty our Nobleness both these appear in that we are not determin'd by any thing but what appears to be of God He is our only absolute Soveraign If any on Earth challenge a Power over us it is only under God and we are subject to them in and for him and because by being so we obey him And there is no Man living whom we are bound to believe on his own Authorityl he must produce his Reason or cite his Text Or if he propose some new Doctrine it must be consistent with these and he must work his Miracle If any Man therefore demand my Assent to his Doctrine I may and must ask for his Authority and if he have no more than his ipse dixit I must tell him he is not my Master nor any Man on Earth but One even Christ. Let us then scorn to live in Slavery to any Mans Opinions but stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free If we fail to do this we are wanting to our selves and our Master too we 〈◊〉 our Liberty we are in manifest danger of erring we give from him the Honour that is due to him he will be jealous of this piece as well as any other Indeed it is as great as any it is the Honour of his Wisdom and Goodness Whosoever fully acquiesces in any Man's Authority and upon his single Testimony superpercedes further reasoning he ascribes to him infallibility and makes him a God And then how exceedingly doth Christianity ennoble us by which we are taught to consider God in all we do and own no Authority but his Lastly We must infer from this Precept of our Lord that we should not undury assume or attribute Piâ—â—es of Honour to our selves or others That is 1. We should not over-earnestly desire those that are deserved and due Nor 2. Much less affect such as are false and above our Merit To do thus proceeds from an Ambition that ill becomes the Disciples of him that was so exceeding lowly who tho he was Lord of all yet came here into the
Thus Timothy after him was promoted to an high Office in the Church and he had been nourish'd up in the Words of Faith and good Doctrine and from a Child had known the Scriptures The other Apostles of our Lord however defective their first Educationn might have been yet they had this Want supplied by three Years Conversation with our Lord and after he left them they were miraculously inspired with the Spirit of Wisdom And lastly which is very considerable the blessed Jesus himself was subject to his Parents and went with them to Jerusalem at twelve Years old where he was amongst the Doctors and asked them Questions He 's said to grow in Wisdom c. and he grew by those ways of Instruction which were ordinary His Parents directed the Doctors informed him by which he has honoured and as it were consecrated this Way and has greatly commended it to us all When the Son of God himself was train'd up in this way whilst he was young we should all look on this Way as the best Method we can take with our Children And After this Example I shall not need to mention any more 〈◊〉 this is sufficient to convince us of the Goodness of this Way and that 't is ordinarily necessary to fit Men for any high Place But if we aim at no more for our Children than so much Wisdom and Goodness as will qualify them to discharge themselves faithfully and honestly in any ordinary way of Life yet neither is this to be expected ordinarily unless they be instructed and principled and exercised to it in their first Age. Of this we may be further satiâ—fied if we take notice how it is with us all in other Matters Does any one come to great Skill in his Profession and Trade to which he has not been bound Apprentice in his younger Years Or if some few do yet nevertheless the other is the common way of Men. And we look on the tender Age as the proper Time of beginning to learn any thing and that if we do not inuâ—e our Children betimes they will be in great danger of miscarrying And if it be so in all things else why should it not hold in the matter before us is it because Vertue is not difficult or that Institution and Exercise the common way of attaining to other things are not the means of acquiring this Or is it because we think Children uncapable of such Principles But none of these are true and therefore if we do wisely in binding those that are young to Trades putting them betimes into this or that Employment which we would have them follow and come to the Master 〈…〉 we shall also do no less wisely to bind them out betimes Apprentices to Vertue and Goodness which is the Way of them and of all Men. And if we do not this we do not act uniformly we contradict our selves and do not that in one Case which we approve in all other tho there be no difference I now speak of Education in general and that which I say is Let your Children be taught something or other that they may be fitting themselves against they be Men to be employed in some way that will be beneficial to themselves and the Publick That I might the more effectually persuade you to this I have appealed to your own Observation and to ancient History whether this be not the only likely way to make good and useful Men I will now offer you Reason why it must be so Young tender Minds are more apt to receive Impression and to retain those that are made them afterward the Reason of which I take to be this that they are more vacant to attend they are not prepossefs'd with nor so fixedly busy about nor intent on other things those Impressions that get first possession keep it the Experience of Mankind does attest this Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem Testa diu And it is semblably in other sorts of Creatures both Animals and Plants they are all we know more teachable and more pliant at first than afterwards This may convince us of the Necessity of teaching them betimes that which we would have them understand perfectly Let me add this That our Minds come to Knowledg gradually that there is no one way of Life but there are many things to be known before we comprehend it fully that this requires Time and Trial that therefore we should begin early But besides Knowledg Practice is required and to be doing is the way to do well Now to begin betimes to do what we would do perfectly is very necessary because we shall be sooner accustomed to it and be kept from accustoming our selves to other things For 't is observable that sewer Actions shall habituate a Child to any Practice than a grown Man It sooner and easier becomes a Custom if it be begun in tender Years than at full Growth as you can easily with a hand bend a Plant when a Tree will not yield to all your Might But this is sufficient to give you a view of the Reason why it is so which your own Thoughts may easily trace further I will now dismiss this Argument by which I hope as many as will attend to what either themselves observe or is observed in History will be persuaded to look well to the Education of their Children because according to all Observation and that not without good reason to second it this is the only ordinary way to make them good and useful Would you have your Children come to good would you have them useful in their place in some way or other This is the only Method in which you can probably expect it take care of them in their first Time see to their Instruction and their Practice in their tender Years If we had no such Assurance of the Likelihood of this our timely Care to produce such great Effects yet the very Apprehension that it is meerly possible for so much Good to come of it should methinks engage us to make the Experiment and we can't doubt the Possibility when we have Examples before our Eyes what has been done And if this be so what manner of Parents what kind of Men are those that are not moved with so fair a prospect of so much Good of so many and great Benefits as may come to their Child or Scholar to themselves to their whole Family the Town and Country where he was born the Church and State of which he is a Member Would ye not have your Children to be good and useful to enjoy Wealth and Honour amongst Men on Earth and to find Mercy with God at the great Day and to be happy for ever Surely there 's none so role of naturel Affection as not to desire this But why then do you not endeavour that it may be thus with them Why do you not as much as in you lies form them 〈◊〉 all that Wisdom and Vertue whilst they are
not contradict it self 4. Where there are any seeming Repugnancies that Sence is to be taken 1. Which is most plain in it self 2. Most agreeable to the Design of the Whole 3. To other plain Places and 4. Most consistent with the eternal Reason of Man's Mind 5. As you have Ability and Opportunity acquaint your selves 1. With the Scripture-Dialect and Phrase the knowledg of which would have kept an ancient Author of Credit from interpreting that Command Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy Heart so as to infer that we should love nothing else It would also have hindred others from arguing that God does more than permit Sin because he is said to do those things which are done by Mens Sins c. 2. With the Customs to which the Scriptures refer and with those Reasons on which any of the written Laws are founded And observe the same Rules in understanding and interpreting these which you use in any other humane Writings and Laws As 1. Where any of the Precepts aro shortly obscurely or figuratively express'd in one place and in others more largely properly and plainly interpret and understand the first by the latter And take heed of pressing and squeezing Metaphors As here in this Chapter Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead and Christ shall give thee Light no Sence can be made of this if we strain the Metaphor from the Dead 2. Do not make Precepts given to particular Persons general and obligatory to all where there is not the same nor a like Reason But where there is that reckon that what God by his holy Prophets has said to one or to a few he intended it to all 6. Take heed of imputing those Suggestions to the Holy Spirit which are only the Effects of an over-heated Brain an extravagant Fancy a deep Melancholy or some such thing I am not of their number who laugh at all the Illuminations of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation I cannot restrain all that the Scripture says of these secret Teachings to the miraculous Effusion 〈◊〉 cannot but think that the Experience and Observation that every Man makes of himself especially every 〈◊〉 Man will assure him of the heavenly Irradiations But yet I doubt not that the Enemy of God and Goodness who â—pposes all God's merciful Designs to Man and endeavours to defeat them is hard at work here And as he has been observed to imitate the rest of the Divine Methods so he is not wanting to resemble this also and therefore does inject Thoughts does cause unnatural Agitations in the Blond and i Humours does make use of a Melancholy Temper a wild Imagination a Time of Passion etc. Great Care is to be used that we impute not our own wild Ravings in the Suggestions of the wicked One to the good and holy Spirit of God For so we shall be in danger to think that to be the Will of God which is most contrary to it as we know many of old and too many of late have done I will here very briefly lay down some Marks whereby we may discern the one from the other 1. Ordinarily and after the first beginning the Holy Spirit works in us in a manner that is agreeable to our Natures and Tempers suited to our Faculties and to the Order in which they are set Let us only here distinguish as I said before betwixt Nature and the Depravation of it And I doubt not but by Observation we may easily difference these two for we shall discover something violent and unnatural in all the Diabolical And particularly I would observe whether theirise of such thoughts was from the Mind it self or from the Body and some Motions in it 2. The Holy Spirit does co-operate with us his Teachings are commonly the Reward of earnest Prayer and diligent Endeavours I do not say but he also prevents our earliest Endeavours but as our Saviour has taught us to ask and seek and knock and has promised that the Spirit shall be given to us soul take this Method to be a good sign that it is that Holy Spirit when he 〈◊〉 in this way 3. I consider the Opportunity the Necessity of his teaching us and look on it as no improbable Argument that it is he indeed when there is an apparent need of his Operation To help our Infirmities to lead us when we are in the dark to farther us when we are at work and when we are seeking the knowledg of his Laws then to enlighten us 4. I will obserue not only the general Temper but the present Disposition of my Soul when I suppose the Spirit teaches me Holiness Purity Humility Meekness a calm an obedient a loving Spirit are such Difpositions as invite the Divine Spirit he loves to visit to dwell in such Souls they are Temples for him If that be my general Frame my present Disposition I may reasonably presume it is the good Spirit that acts me But if I be impure and proud c. I have reason to fear the contrary 5. Above all consider the thing it self which is suggested If that be consistent with what we are by Scripture and other ways taught to be the Divine Will if it be pursuant of the Designs of Goodness if in order to our Perfection and the good State of God's other Creatures In short Is it good does it become us will it be beneficial to us and them If not assuredly it is not of God of whom comes all and only that which is good who wills all that is and nothing but what is good To conclude Endeavour therefore after a true clear and full knowledg of what is good for you to do and then have you got the most certain undoubted Mark of what is the Will and Law of Heaven concerning you If you once know this you will not be unwise but understanding what the Will of the Lord is THE ADVANTAGES OF CHRISTIANITY EPHES. 3. 6. That the Gentiles should be Fellow-Heirs and of the same Body and Partakers of his Promise in Christ by the Gospel IN 1 Tim. 3. 16. the Apostle reckons these as two parts of the Great Mystery of Godliness that the Gospel should be preached unto the Gentiles and believed on in the World And in the Verse before my Text he calls it Thâ— Mystery which iâ— other Ages was not made known to the Sons of Men as it is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit And in the 7th and 8th Verses he seems to glory that he was made a Minister of this Dispensation and accounts it a very signal Favour of God that he should be employ'd in preaching the unsearchable Riches of Christ to the Gentiles that is his unconceivable Grace that They should be brought into this State that the Offer of so great Privileges should be made to Them And he tells us that now This is done the Angels understand by it the manifold Wisdom of God which hath appeared in all his