is put for the doctrine so also for the Habit of Grace So we find it frequently in Scripture And so both Calvin and Beza here look upon it in the Text By Grace here understanding the spiritual Worship and Service of God with the inward work of Regeneration for which they both give this Reason in as much as it is here opposed to Meates And truly to this Grace may we in a warie sense fitly apply this property of Establishing the heart This is a thing which is not done by Meates by any bodily external exercises such as were prescribed under the Law not by a Ceremonial but by a true Gospel-Worship which is as our Saviour describeth it Ioh. 4. 23. In Spirit and in Truth And by the work of Regeneration true Sanctification the inward work of the Spirit in and upon the Heart That which ballasteth the Ship must not be any thing on the outside of it but it must be within in the hold And thus that which establisheth the Heart must not be any externall observance performed by the Outward man but that Grace that is within the Inward man the Soul the Grace of Regeneration with the fruits of it as Faith Hope and Love with Humility Meeknesse of spirit and other the like gracious Habits which are freely bestowed gratiae gratis datae as fruits of Grace and wrought in the Heart by the preaching of the Doctrine of Grace And thence called by that name Grace In which sense Estius also yieldeth that the word may be here taken Q. But taking it thus how doth this Grace establish the Heart A. This it doth divers wayes All which may be reduced to two Generals Per modum Evidentiae Efficientiae By way of Evidence and by way of Efficiency 1. By way of Evidence This is that which the Apostle saith of Faith Chap. 11. of this Epistle verse 1. It is the Evidence of things not seen And the like may we say of other Graces of the Spirit in the Soul they are Evidences of that which to the Eye of sense is invisible viz. of that Grace of God in Christ assuring unto a Christian his interest in that Grace Thus is Grace within an Evidence of Grace without Sanctification an evidence a sure evidence of Iustification Which being evidenced and ascertained unto the soul now it cometh to have peace towards God as the Apostle hath it Rom. 5. 1. and so to be established But this is not all 2. In the second place Grace doth this also by way of Efficiency And that it doth two wayes Indirectly Directly 1. Indirectly and by Consequence by freeing the heart from those things which would disquiet and unsettle it Such is fear servile slavish fear Of which St. Iohn tells us that it hath torment 1 Joh. 4. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such is fear of Gods wrath and Judgment it is as a Hell in the Soul a Rack a continual Torment to it disquieting unsettling it But now Grace ejecteth this troublesome Inmate So the former part of that verse there hath it There is no fear in Love but perfect Love casteth out fear Perfect Love sincere cordial Affection towards God and towards man it casteth out fear freeth the heart from that slavish tormenting fear Which it doth by assuring the soul of the Love of God to it So the same pen there sets it forth ver 16. And we have known and believed the Love which God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Mans Love to God being a fruit it is also an evidence of Gods love to him We love him because he loved us first so it there followeth verse 19. And by this means true Grace freeth the heart from fear And so it doth from other inordinate Lusts Affections Passions whereby it is subject to be distempered to be carried about As from Self-love Pride Ambition Vain-glory Covetousnesse Envy Malice c. All which being like so many Eddie winds in the Corners of the Heart do disquiet and unsettle it Now Grace layeth all these subdueth them and by that meanes procureth the settlement and establishment of the Heart Even as a Kingdome is settled and established by the subduing of Rebels which before disturbed the peace of it Thus doth Grace promote this work Indirectly and by Consequence 2. And this it doth in the second place directly and properly And that by setting the soul upon a sure foundation This is as in part you have already heard the proper work of the Grace of Faith which taking the soul off from all false and rotten foundations sets it upon the true foundation upon Iesus Christ and the free Grace of God in him Into which Grace by this meanes a Christian cometh to have accesse So the Apostle layeth it down Rom. 5. 2. By whom also we have accesse through faith into this grace wherein we stand Here is a Christians standing viz. in the Grace of God And into this Grace he cometh to have accesse to have the actual enjoyment and comfort of it by Christ through faith By Christ as the meritorious cause procuring it through faith as the Instrumental cause applying that merit and so apprehending that Grace And by this meanes doth this grace of faith come to establish the heart by thus setting and settling it upon this sure foundation fixing it upon Christ. Even as it is with the Stock and the Graft though fleâ—â—er and weak in it self yet being put into the Stock ingraffed into it and incorporated with it now it standeth firm So is it with a Christian how weak how infirm how unstable soever in himself yet being by faith ingraffed into Christ now he cometh to receive establishment from him viz. by his adhesion unto him and union with him Or as the vine though in it self infirm not able to stand alone yet by clasping about the elme or such other supporter now it standeth sure so doth the Christian by clasping of Iesus Christ imbracing him in the Armes of his faith by this meanes he cometh to be established And thus may this blessed work not amisse be attributed and ascribed to this Habit of Grace in the Soul specially to faith which hath as you see a peculiar efficiency this way Whence it is that Faith is compared by our Apostle to an Anchor Heb. 6. 19. Which Hope or Faith we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast An Anchor you well know what the use of it is To stay the Ship from being carried about And of like use is Faith unto the soul a meanes to stay settle establish it Which it doth not by any worth which it hath in it self above other Graces but onely as an Instrument apprehending and uniting the soul unto that whereby it is established Thus doth the Anchor stay the Ship not by its own weight No were it in
expounds it Matth. 6. 5. they take it up and cast it as a stone at the faces of Gods Ministers for using the same posture in their publick devotions And so also where our Saviour biddeth his Disciples to beware of the Scribes which desired to walk in long Robes Luk. 20. 46. wherein he had no intent to condemn garments of that fashion which as the Prophets were ever wont to wear so himself and his Apostles did the like it being the custome of those Eastern Countries then as to this day it is to wear vestes talares side-garments but their vain affectation in wearing them most probably having them longer then usuall trayling upon the ground that so they might be taken notice of to be no ordinary persons these men apply it to the decent garments of Ministers whether Gownes or Cloakes which they wear and warrantably may as Magistrates do for distinction sake and that there may appear as there ought to do even in their habit a gravity becoming their calling I might soon weary you with more of this kind Texts thus perverted against the Ministers of God And as they deal with Ministers so also with the Civill Magistrate To whom they refuse to give any civil respects suitable to their places and offices Which they do as it seemeth chiefly upon the account of those two abused Texts The one Matth. 23. where our Saviour taxing the ambition of the Scribes and Pharisees in affecting to be called Rabbi Rabbi verse 7. he prohibits his Disciples to do the like Be not ye called Rabbi verse 8. And again verse 10. Be not ye called Masters so forbidding them to affect high stiles and swelling titles from thence these men refuse to give any respective language to Magistrates more then to any others The other place is that Luk. 10. 4. where our Saviour sending forth his seventy Disciples upon that great and earnest employment to preach and plant the Gospel he orders them that they should carry neither Purse nor Scrip nor shoes nor salute any man by the way This kind of men overlooking the former part of the verse which equally concerneth themselves forbidding that which they usually practise in their journeys the carrying of purse or scrip or shoes they take hold of the latter and from thence refuse to salute any man and so to afford any respect unto Magistrates as well as others Whereas our Saviour therein intended no such prohibition to his Apostles as to forâ—iâ— them Comitie and Civilitie the verse following there he expresly enjoynes them verse 5. Into whatsoever house ye enter first say Peace be to this house which was a form of salutation then in use but onely that they should not give way to any unnecessary diversions so as to be taken off from or hindered in the executing of that Commission which he had given to them Thus do they make good what St. Peter there speaketh Being unlearned and unstable they wrest the Scriptures And that not onely such places as he there speaketh of which are dark and obscure whether for matter or expression but plain Texts the sense whereof is obvious to every eye that hath not the like filme of prejudice upon it that theirs hath And by this means among other are they poor soules carried about with such divers and strange doctrines as they are to the shaming of that Religion which formerly they have made profession of and indangering their soules and the soules of others Now let this present experience be useful to you to warn you to beware of that which exposeth you to such eminent danger in this way of being over-confident of your selves as not of your own Strength so not of your own Iudgment I passe to a second Direction While you are not over-confident be not over-Credulous While you are not over-Confident of your selves be not over-credulous of others so as to take doctrines from them upon trust Whether from any one singular Person or from any Community and Society of men 1. Not from any one singular person This is an honour due only unto Christ who being the Word of his Father ought to be heard and that with an absolute credence Not so any other whether Man or Angel Though we or an Angel saith St. Paul Gal. 1. 8. It matters not how qualified how dignified How qualified whether for Learning or Piety How dignified whether Pastours or Teachers to whom being sent by Christ he hath promised a more special assistance Lo I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. yet give not this honour to any of these so as to pin your faith upon their sleeves to take doctrines upon trust from their tongues or Pens It is the Bereans commendation that they would not trust Paul upon his word but that they would search the Scriptures to see whether the things which they heard from him were so or no Act. 17. 11. Even as wary Princes and States will not trust Ambassadours upon their bare word but they will see their Credentials under hand and seal So wary should Christians be in hearing the Ambassadours of Christ his Ministers whether Ordinary or Extraordinary of which latter sort yet I know none since the Apostles times so as not to receive any thing in matters of faith from the mouthes of any be they what they will unlesse they see their Credentials good warrant and clear evidence from Scripture for it In which case it matters not what pretensions may be made by or for any Be it the highest that can be an unerring Infallibility That is the pretension of him who giveth out himself to be Peters Successour and Head of the Church that Man of Sin that Antichrist of Rome who upon that account challengeth to himself an absolute credence requiring all to acqutesce and rest in his determinations without any further discussion Which is more then ever Paul or Peter did And a thing directly contrary to that which St. Paul enjoynes 1 Cor. 7. 23. Ye are bought with a price be ye not servants of men i. e. so as to inslave your selves specially your consciences unto them by giving an absolute credence unto them No though they may pretend Credentials also Credentials whether from Earth or Heaven From earth the Reports or Writings of men from Heaven Divine and Immediate Revelations All these three it seemeth some of the false Apostles made use of And thereupon it was that St. Paul gave that Caveat to his Thessalonians 2 Thess. 2. 2. Now we beseech you Brethren that ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by Spirit nor by Word nor by letter as from us That ye be not shaken in mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A metaphor taken from Ships which are tossed to and fro at Sea in a stresse of wind Thus are poor unstable soules sometimes tossed and troubled by hearkening to false Teachers But so would not Paul have his
the flintiest heart among you And surely such is the condition of many of your Brethren and Sisters at this day in this Nation who are thus tossed to and fro with divers and strange doctrines some of which are no better then Rocks and Quicksands desperate and damnable doctrines such as who ever imbraceth living and dying in the belief of them must needs split and perish upon them Now how should the consideration hereof affect the hearts of all those who truly loving God cannot but bear an hearty affection to their brethren so as to desire their everlasting welfare and happinesse But I shall not insist upon this either the further discovering of this Malady or the bewailing of it I shall rather come to that which more nearly concerneth your selves to prosecute that which I told you was my design in taking up of this Text Which is To Warn you you of this place of this Congregation To whom let me in the Name of God here hold forth a double Caveat First Be not you offended at these Secondly Be not you seduced by them Of these two severally Begin with the former 1. Be not you offended by these by what either you see or hear of in this kind so offended as to like Christ and his Religion ever the worse for them A blessed thing not to be thus offended Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me saith our Saviour Matth. 11. 6. This unstable soules are subject unto upon divers occasions like queasie stomachs which are ready to take distaste at every thing that displeaseth them But upon none sooner then this the instability and unsettlednesse of those that professe the faith of Christ when they shall see them carried about with divers and strange doctrines So much we may learn from St. Peter 2 Ep. 2. where speaking in the first verse of false Teachers such as should broach damnable Heresies and in the second verse of their followers which should not be few but many Many shall follow their pernicious wayes He subjoynes this to both By reason of whom the way of truth shall be evill spoken of The way of truth The true Christian Religion which shewes the true and onely way to true happinesse It should by this meanes be exposed to the Reproaches and Obloquies of the Adversaries of it And surely so is it with the Protestant Religion at this day which is professed and held forth as the true Religion of God in this Nation by reason of those divers and strange doctrines which are to be found in it some of them confessedly far worse then any that the Church of Rome is charged with and the strange unsettlednesse of the Professours of it who as if they had no sure bottome to stand upon are thus carried about with every wind By this meanes this way of truth is evil spoken of by the adversaries of it And that especially by our Adversaries of Rome who as they have ever been ready to cast this in the Protestants face their divisions so now questionlesse they rejoyce in them and triumph over them from hence concluding that surely this cannot be the way of Truth which hath so many windings and turnings and Crosse waies in it This cannot be the true Religion of God the Professours whereof are so far from that which God hath promised to his Church under the Gospel viz. Cor unum via una One Heart and one way Thus are others offended hereat But let not any of you be so offended No Reason why you should be so This being no other then what 1. Hath been It is no new thing No other then what hath been in all Ages of the Church even in the first and purest times of it Then were there such divers and strange doctrines set on foot and divers carried about with them And what wonder then to see the like acted over again in these dregs of time It is no other then what hath been 2. And secondly it is no other then what hath been foretold should be must be There must be Heresies saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 19. And that as in all so specially in the latter times For which most clear and expresse is that of St. Paul who writing to Timothy informs him hereof 1 Tim. 4. 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils c. And again 2 Tim. 3. 1. This know also saith he that in the last dayes perilous times shall come For men shall be lovers of themselves Covetous boasters and so he goeth on shewing what a flood of evills should in the last times being as it were the lees and dregs the worst of times break in upon the Church spreading over the face of it and among other he reckoneth up this for one that there should be some who should creep into houses and lead captive silly women c. there should be many Seducers and many seduced by them Now wherefore is this so clearly foretold but to prevent that offence which any might be ready to take when they see these things come to passe This was our Saviours end in foretelling to his Disciples what harsh usage they should find in and from the world after his departure from them These things saith he have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended Joh. 16. 1. And again These things have I told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them v. 4. And to the very same end he elsewhere foretelleth in like manner of false Teachers that should come and the prevalencie of their seductions Matth. 24. 24. There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. So prevalent should they be in their seducements And wherefore doth he foretell this why to prevent that offence which any might be ready to take hereat when they should see it So it followeth Behold I have told you before v. 25. given you this warning that you might not be offended or troubled at it when you shall see so many errours held forth and so many giving heed to them And of such use let these and the like predictions be unto us Now that we see what was foretold to be come to passe being thus forewarned of it be not offended at it so as to like the true Religion of God ever the worse for it Here is the former of these Caveats Passe we to the second which my eye is principally upon Not being offended take heed in the second place of being seduced Be not ye carried away with divers and strange doctrines That was the Apostles admonition to his Hebrewes and let it now be mine to you Such doctrines there are abroad and many there are who are carried about with them Now taking
Thessalonians to be by those false Apostles who to insinuate into them and to gain credit and credence unto their doctrines made use of that threefold Artifice viz. Spirit Word and Letter Spirit pretending Prophetical Revelations Word Reports concerning the Apostle as if he had changed his mind recanting what before he had preached and so were of the same mind with them as Grotius I think sitly expounds the word there Letter any counterfeit writing going under the Apostles name And the very like Artifices do false Teachers frequently make use of Pretending sometimes to Spirit Revelations Inspirations Sometimes to Word Reports Traditions Sometimes to Letter forged Records All frequently made use of in the Church of Rome And some of them made use of by some false Teachers among our selves at this day Now let not Christians be shaken in mind or troubled by any of these No not by that which biddeth most for belief in this kind Spirit Pretended Revelation This was the great Argument which the false Prophets under the Old Testament made use of to gain credit to their doctrines by And the like have false Teachers done in the New As in the Primitive times so in most ages since being therein imitated by some in this Nation at this day But let not this pretence gain any Credence from us That is St. Iohn's advice 1 Ioh. 4. 1. Beloved saith he Believe not every spirit But try the spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world So it was in his time there were many false Teachers who boasted of the Spirit pretended Revelation and Inspiration by which means their doctrines gained belief with over-credulous soules But St. Iohn forbids to believe them ever the more for that but to Try them So did the Church of Ephesus for which she is commended Rev. 2. 2. Thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles but are not and hast found them lyars And the like it standeth all Christians in hand to do Not lightly to believe every spirit By this means if reports be true many children have been stollen and carried away by those whom the vulgar call by the name of spirits Being over-credulous and committing themselves to them they have made Merchandize of them Take you heed of doing the like by your soules of committing them to every one that pretend to the Spirit lest they also do the like by you make merchandize of you as St. Peter foretelleth false Teachers would do 2 Pet. 2. 3. But try such spirits whether they be of God Bringing their Doctrines to the Touchstone of the Word That was the Touchstone to which God requireth his people to bring the Prophets under the Old Testament Isai. 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony to the Word to the Scriptures If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them No Morning saith the Original The daystar hath not appeared unto them the Sun is not risen upon them as they pretend they have no light of divine illumination or yet can afford any light of true Consolation And in like manner by the same means try we the like Pretenders under the New Testament Not taking doctrines in matters of faith upon trust from any Not from any one singular person 2. No nor yet in the second place from any Community any Society of men Be it a Church or be it a Synod a Councel Provinciall or National yea suppose Oecumenical General Universal True it is great respect both may and ought to be given to these specially to the last But yet none of them having a promise of infallibility it is too great an honour to yield an absolute credence unto them so as to receive their determinations for Articles of faith without any further discussion Such an implicit faith did that ancient Heretick Apelles plead for Being as Eusebius reports it of him taken in some errors and dealt with for his Conviction he alledged that it was not for him or any other to enquire into the truth of Doctrines professed but every one to abide in that faith which he had received And the very like do they of the Church of Rome Fearing the truth of their doctrines they forbid the people to try them specially if once they have the Churches stamp upon them now it is piacular so much as to question them No wonder that poor souls being over-credulous are in this way carried about whither it pleaseth their blind guides to lead them Would not you miscarry in the like way make use of this second Advice Be not over-credulous in receiving of Doctrines upon trust from others I passe to a third Would you not be thus carried about Take heed how you come in the winds way how you expose your selves to Temptations in this way Under which Head let me give you a twofold Caveat 1. Take heed of high things That is the Apostles Caveat to his Romans Rom. 12. 16. Mind not high things And let it be mine to you If you would not be thus carried about take heed of high things You may remember what I told you of Chaffe upon the Mountains Being there it is presently whirled about with every gust of wind whereas had it been in the valley or upon the floor possibly it might have lyen still and quiet Would not you in like manner be carried about with this wind of strange doctrines keep off from the top of the Mountain take heed of high things In particular of high thoughts and high speculations I shall instance onely in these two 1. Of high thoughts concerning your selves of your own wit your own wisdome your own Judgment as if you were more perspicacious more quicksighted then others This Caveat the Apostle subjoynes to the former Rom. 12. 16. Be not wise in your own conceits Such for the most part Hereticks are they have high thoughts of themselves as if they could seek further then others And with this leaven for the most part their Disciples likewise are sowred And thence is it that having once given entertainment to an opinion they are so hardly induced to part with it again Seeth thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool then of such a one Prov. 26. 12. would not you fall into the like condition Be not in this sense High-minded Have not over weening thoughts of your selves And secondly whilest you take heed of high thoughts take heed also of high Speculations Whilest you take heed of setting the one into your soules take heed how you let out your soules after the other that they do not reach at things above their reach So our former Translation not unfitly renders that of the Apostle Rom. 12. 8. That no man prefume to understand above that which is meet to understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either above that which is meet for any man to
verity or falsity of them properly have to deal yet so in as much as they have also an influence upon the Affective part the Will and the Affections as that I shall not wholly exclude any of them But rather take the word Heart here in the Comprehensive sense of it as commonly it is to be taken where it goeth alone as pointing at the whole inward man both the Intellective and Affective part of the Soul Understanding Iudgment Conscience Will Affections Q. Now so taking it What is it for the heart to be Established A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be firmly and surely settled as an house that is built upon a sure foundation or a Pillar that standeth upon a firm and solid Pedestal so as it can neither be removed nor moved And thus is the Heart of man said to be established when it is fixed as David saith his was My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed Psal. 57. 7. settled upon a sure basis a sure foundation or well ballasted so as it is free from such fluctuations such vertiginous distempers as the former part of the Text speaketh of When it is neither Actually carried about nor yet Subject so to be When Christians are not soon shaken in mind nor troubled whether by Spirit Word or Letter as the Apostle speaketh 2 Thess. 2. 2. But are stablished strengthened settled as St. Peter hath it 2 Pet. 5. 10. This it is to have the Heart established Which the Heart of man naturally is not So much is not obscurely insinuated by the Apostle here in the Text where he saith It is a good thing that the heart should be established and that with grace Intimating that of it self it is not so This is a flower that groweth not in natures Garden A truth The heart of man by nature is nothing lesse then stable Even as it is with a Ship when it first cometh out of the Dock or off from the Stocks as here you phrase it before any ballast be put into it being light and empty it is also waltery and unsteady apt to turn this way and that way And truly such is Man as he cometh out of the womb Natures Dock a light and empty thing So David who had well weighed him found him to be Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye To be layed in the balance they are altogether lighter then vanity that is his verdict Psal. 62. 9. Altogether Iacad Suppose it that all the men upon earth were put together in one balance and vanity it self any light thing as a Bubble or a feather put in the other to be weighed against them they would Ascend mount up as the Original hath it as the lighter scale useth to do they will be found the lighter of the two Such was Davids apprehension of all the sonnes of men Be they what they will whether Beni Adam or Beni Ish filii Hominis or filii viri whether men of low degree or men of high degree all was one to him He sets his Tekel upon them all Even the very same that the hand-writing upon the wall did upon Belshazzer the Persian Monarch the greatest man of his time Dan. 5. 27. Thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting wanting weight many graines too light And such are all the sons of men naturally And that as in regard of their outward state and condition being not to be confided trusted in so also in respect of their inward disposition the frame and temper of their hearts and spirits Before the grace of God meet with them they are all light as vanity Being by nature empty things This it is that maketh the Bubble so light because it is empty And such is the heart of man naturally The Evil spirit returning into the heart of a man from whence he seemed to have been ejected findeth it empty Matth. 12. 44. Empty of Grace which being the best and onely ballast for the soul as I shall shew you anon without it it must needs be light and consequently unsettled subject to fluctuations and turnings specially in matters of Religious concernment Thus it is But It is not good that it should be so That is a second thing we have here hinted unto us It is good that the heart should be established So then the contrary is not good That the heart should be unsettled specially in the matters of God this is an Evill a great Evil. So it is first when a man is actually turned When he is under this sad distemper carried about as the Apostle saith with divers and strange doctrines This is an Evil and that both a Sinful and a Penal one 1. Sinful So it was in our first Parents when they hearkened to the voice of the Serpent bringing to them a doctrine diverse from and contrary to that which God himself had preached to them And so is it in their posterity when they shall in like manner hearken to the Instruments of Satan subtle seducers suffering themselves to be turned aside from the way of Truth to the imbracing of Errours This is a sinful Evil. And so it may be called and looked upon upon a double account As it is a forsaking of Truth and as it is a cleaving to Errour Thus the Lord complaineth of his people Ier. 2. 13. My people have committed two Evils two grand and notorious Evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out Cisternes broken Cisternes that can hold no water They forsook the true God and turned to false gods Idols This he chargeth upon them as a double Evil. And so is it when any one shall forsake and relinquish the truth once received and acknowledged and shall follow after Errours this is a double Evil. Even as it was in the Israelites when being weary of their Manna they lusted for flesh of which you have the story Numb 11. 4 6. this was in them a double Evill Their loathing one their lusting another their loathing of that heavenly Manna and their lusting after Egyptian flesh-pots Even so is it with Christians when they shall come to loathe divine and heavenly truths which their soules have formerly fed upon and found relish in satisfaction and contentment and shall lust after divers and strange doctrines this is a double Evill So St. Peter looked upon it in those Seducers of whom he complaineth 2 Pet. 2. 15. that they had forsaken the right way and were gone astray following the way of Balaam And so may we look upon it in the Seducers of these times as also in many of those that are seduced by them Their turning from the Truth received and imbracing of Errour is in them a double Evil. A sinfull evil 2. And as sinful so Penal As a sin so a punishment of sin and that a dreadful one So the Apostle looked upon it who writing to his Thessalonians
Calvin Com. in loc Qu. 1. How cometh it to passe that there should be such Doctrines held forth Ans. 1. By Gods providential and effectual Permission Efficax Permissio Melanct. So disposing hereof for divers ends 1. The manifestation of his own power 2. For the honour of Truth 3. For the manifesting of such as are approved Triticum non rapit ventus nec arborem solida radice fundatam procella subvertit Inanes paleae tempestate jactantur invalidae arbores turbinis incursione evertuntur Cyprian do Unitate Ecclesiae Sic probantur fideles sic perfidi deteguntur sic et ante judicii diem hîc quoque jam justorum et injustorum animae dividuntur et à frumento paleae separantur Cyprian ibid. 4. The Just Condemnation of others Of false Teachers themselves Of those that hearken to them A. 2. This is Satans doing A. 3. This is mans own work Natural Corruption the Mother of false doctrines conceiving and breeding them False doctrines brought forth by 1. Hypocrisie 2. Ambition Vide Grotium Bezam ad loc 3. Covetousnesse False doctrines propagated and multiplyed through the negligence of Ministers and Magistrates Qu. 2. How Christians come to be carried about with false doctrines A. The general Resolution 1. Through Gods righteous Judgment 2. Satans subtlety 3. Mens own Corruption A more particular Resolution fetched from 3. Heads 1. From the Teachers of these doctrines In whom consider 1. Their Activity 2. Their Subtlety Whereby they deceive those that hearken to them Which they do divers wayes 1. By Fallacious Arguments taken from 1. Scripture 2. Reason 3. Custome Bishop Iewel 's Apolog. Pretended Custome a taking Argument with many 2. Pretended Revelations 3. Feigned Miracles Simon Magus deceiving the people thereby till he was arrested by Divine vengeance Antichristian Lying Wonders Other Artifices made use of by false Teachers A Glosse set upon their Doctrines 2. A Vizour put upon their own faces Scribes and Pharisees pretenders to special Sanctity Therein imitated by many false Tea chers As in the Church of Rome So among our selves Two other Qualifications promoting this Seduction 1. Learning 2. Piety From the Hearers and Receivers of these Doctrines who 1. It may be are Chaffe 1. In regard of their natural Levity 2. Or spiritual Vanity 2. They may be Children The case of many in the present Times 3. They may be Blinded 1. Through Blind Zeal 2. Fear 3. Covetousnesse By-respects promoting the embracing of Errours 3. The third Head Taken from the Doctrines themselves 1. It may be they are New and strange Novelty and strangenesse taking Arguments 2. It may be they gratifie the flesh 3. It may be they are consonant to Reason 4. It may be they have a shew of Piety Applic. A just Lamentation over the present state of the Church in this Nation Use 2. A double Caveat to Christians Caveat 1. Be not offended No Reason why Christians should be offended at this 1. This is no other then what hath been 2. No other then what is foretold shall and must be Caveat 2. Take heed of being seduced Arg. 1. For your Ministers sakes Peoples Apostasie the Ministers losse Their Grief Ministers spiritual Parents The Ministers Losse and grief reflecting upon the People Arg. 2. Christians to beware of this for their own sakes Beza Gr. Annot. Errours not all alike dangerous in themselves Yet all dangerous in the Consequence Soul-unsettlednesse in Religion an undoing thing Beza Gr. Annot Arg. 3. For the Churches sake 1. Not despising it Chrysostome Augustine Grotius ad loc Fuller in miscellan Calvin ad loc Beza Gr. Annot in 1 Cor. 11. 18. Pareus ibid. in vers 22. Camero in Praelect de Ecclesiam adversus Bellaminum et Fulleâ—â—â— fusè To despise the Church no small contempt 2. Not shaming it Divers and strange Doctrines tolerated a shame to the Church Arg. 4. For Religions sake Arg. 5. For Christ his sake Q. 1. Preservatives against this spiritual Vertigo A. Direct 1. Christians not to be Over-confident of themselves 1. Not of their own strength Christians alwayes to fear themselves Committing their soules to a Divine Custody Taking hold of their Fathers hand 2. Nor of their own Judgment Particularly in expounding of Scriptures Specially being ignorant unlearned who are apt to pervert it Strange perverting of Scripture in the present Times A Taste of it in the Sect of Quakers Gipsies in Religion See the perfect Pharisee set forth by the Ministers of New-Castle Texts perverted against Ministers Texts perverted against Magistrates Direct 2. Christians not to be over-Credulous so as to take Doctrines upon Trust. 1. Not from any one singular person Pretended infallibility not to be regarded Nor yet pretended Credentials Spirit Word or Letter Spirits to be tryed Merchandizing Spirits 2. Not from any Community or Society of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb. Histor. Eccl. lib. 5. cap. 13. Direct 3. Take heed of coming in the winds way Caveat 1. Take heed of High things 1. High thoughts 2. High Speculations Cavat 2. Take heed of Eddie winds Conventicles truly so called Q. May we not try all things A. The Apostles sense expounded The itching ear a dangerous disease Specially in those that are unlearned and unstable Direct 4. Take heed of beginning to turn Object We are going up the Hill Answ. The common Plea of all Sects and Secturies 4. Particular Caveats under this generall direction Caveat 1. Take heed of turning from Jesus Christ to any thing else From Christ to Moses An unsound and dangerous Maxime To fall from Christ a desperate declension A needful Caveat in regard of the present Times See the perfect Pharisee Pos. 7 8 9 10. Caveat 2. Take heed of turning from the Church The Church a Mountain Paramount An unwarrantable and dangerous Separation Donatists and Anabaptists parallelled Maximè quod à Traditoribus Divinarum Scripturarum fuerit Ordinatus August de Haeresibus Tanquam Ecclesia Christi de toto orbe perierit ubi futura promissa est atque in Africâ et Donati parte remanserit in aliis terrarum partibus quasi contagione communionis extincta August ibid. Diu perstitit haec Haeresis etc. Posteà tamen jugulata est atque acquieverat nisi miseri et insani Anabaptistae eam ab inferis hoc nostro seculo revocâsâ—ent Danaeus in Augustin de Haeresib Cap. 69. Audent rebaptizare Cathol cos August de Haeresib Separation a Mother-Error Vide Augustin de Haeresib Danaeum cap. 69. A practice observable in the Donatists Haereticos negant ullo modo Magistratûs quanquam pii et fidelis autoritate coercendos castigandos vel comprimendos ne eorum Venenum latiùs setpat vel ut ipsi Haeretici resipiscant Error 3. Danaeus ubi suprà Obvios sibi quosque in plateis et agris homines a suis erroribus alienâ—s caedunt et jugulant furiose Danaeus ibid. Error 7. The Church the Pillar and ground of truth how The Church Gods Park